deercountry | ( the dog days are over )

( it's probably stupid to be arguing about this because they don't know if he's going to go back to being a vampire or not. it might be premature but still. )

I just...

( he trails off and sighs. )

I want you to think about that before doing it. Because it would be such a huge thing.

I have.

[ since luca, really. while he exists somewhere, he doesn't exist here. and maybe katherine can make that happen, finally bringing him to the both of them. it's something that she lets herself think about when stefan isn't around. being a vampire has given her so much, but she's since learned thanks to deerington what it's also robbed from her. ]

Wouldn't you come to resent me if I was a vampire and you weren't?

No.

( he would be envious and he'd hate the fact that he wouldn't be able to be with her forever but he wouldn't resent her. )

This is who you are. This is who I know you as. I wouldn't want you to change that.

[ then she thinks he's a better person than she is. being a vampire is all she's known. she's been one longer than he's been human. but she thinks that, as one of the very few vampires who has never turned off her humanity… she could do human. ]

But I could still be that person as a human.

[ she thinks, at least. she'd have to be a lot more careful. everything she's taken for granted, she couldn't any longer.

but if he's a human, well... it just makes sense. ]

Being a vampire isn't all there is to me. I know you know that.

I do know that.

( he sighs and closes his eyes, not wanting to really talk about this right now but...maybe they should just in case. )

I know you'd be an excellent human. I just don't want it for either of us.

Because you want to spend five thousand years with me?

[ she laughs lightly. while it may sound like a joke, it's not entirely. if they're human, they have an unknown expiry date. as vampires... katherine's lived for five hundred years and she knows that despite having that much time under her belt, she hasn't finished living. if anything, she knows she's started. ]

I don't know if this world's going to last for five thousand more years but...yes.

( he's been happy and content the last few years. he'd like that to continue on if he can get the chance. )

But I think you taking the cure should be something we talk about more. Later. If I don't go back to being a vampire.

[ if stefan doesn't revert back to being a vampire, she's taking that cure regardless of what he says. thankfully for katherine, she's smart enough not to say that loud. it'll get him all up in arms when he needs to keep them tucked against her. ]

So you admit it.

[ here we go, the teasing. ]

You can't live without me.

I could live without you. It wouldn't be a great existence and I wouldn't be happy but I could. I don't want to live without you.

( there's a difference. )

I want to be with you for as long as I possibly can.

[ she purses her lips and shakes her head. that's everything a girl who's very into romance and swooning wants to hear, stefan. she brushes her fingers through his hair and gives him a little tug. ]

You sure know how to romance a girl. You had more suave as a vampire.

Ow.

( it hadn't hurt that bad. still, he sighs and tries to shift a bit. but the movement pulls at his back and he exhales painfully. )

That wasn't the right answer?

Hardly.

[ she cards her fingers through his hair to quietly rectify where she's tugged him. katherine can give pain, but she can also comfort when she wants to. ]

It should've entailed longing and suffering and you throwing yourself in my funeral pyre. You should be unable to breathe without me. Life would be meaningless.

[ it's very clear by her playful tone that she's doing just that: playing. ]

I can't really do that right now, if you remember. You won't let me leave this bed.

( so, he can't throw himself anywhere, katherine. )

Besides, I'd really rather not throw myself on anything funeral related for you.

No?

[ she cocks her brow, smiling curiously. ]

Then what would you rather throw yourself on in relation to me?

[ his answer's bound to be predictable at this point. he can nag all he likes; he's not leaving until he's healed. but he can dream. ]

I would throw myself on you if I had to.

( it's a strange question in the first place. he doesn't even know. he laughs and shakes his head. )

That's the only thing I could see myself doing that to. I don't want to throw myself on anything bad.

[ she ruffles his hair roughly, laughing. ]

That's the only answer. I'm glad to see you're recovering well, Stefan.

[ if he's said anything else—a bed, a pile of snow, a bunch of diaries—she thinks he won't be leaving the hospital bed anytime soon.

her hand grows gentle in his hair, ruffling it softly. ]

You're not going to the bakery by yourself anymore.

I don't even know if you could have stopped a giant snake, Katherine. It was huge and it was...I don't know.

( but maybe she would have been able to since she hadn't turned human overnight. that's still confusing him. )

I still don't understand how I turned human and you didn't.

I told you. You left something behind on the floor.

[ and that was... disgusting. very, very disgusting. katherine's not entirely sure if she should've kept that and happened to pack it in her purse like it was some secondary skin for him to slip into.

disgusting.

she scrunches up her face in disgust and thought. ]

What did you even do yesterday? Did you eat something?

Nothing out of the ordinary. We had lunch and dinner together!

( and he'd had coffee for breakfast. if it was the food, she should have been affected too. but the fact that he'd been the only one? it doesn't make sense. )

I had coffee in the morning. I didn't drink anything or eat anything while I wasn't around you.

Maybe it was just plain luck.

[ she purses her lips and sighs quietly. unless he ate or drank or touched something that the didn't eat or drink or touch… katherine's gut's telling her that it's just the luck of the draw.

hopefully a temporary draw. ]

Unless it's slow to affect me. Maybe I'll be shedding disgusting skin and be human tomorrow given my age.

[ and maybe it takes a lot longer for it to affect someone so much older. ]

God, I hope not.

( he doesn't want them both to be human. he remembers what she'd been like as a human back home, how hard it had been for her, how much she'd had to relearn since she was so used to being a vampire. )

I'd have to keep you away from all stores in case one of them decided to fall on you again.

[ she rolls her eyes, but not out of any unkindness. it's her attempt to bring humour into what is a humourless situation. it's her go-to answer now. he reminds her of the building and she rolls her eyes and huffs.

and she does huff. ]

No building has fallen on me yet, Stefan. Besides, I need more shoes. I need some to go with taking my partner to the hospital.

A building did too fall on you!

( not recently but she does remember when it had fallen on her in deerington, right? stefan remembers that. )

I pulled out out of that building a few months back. That counts.

[ katherine scoffs. ] That's expired.

[ she waves her hand dismissively before tucking it back into his hair. that happened months ago! hence, it's no longer relevant as a bargaining chip. ]

That happened too long ago. It's safe for me to go get some new shoes, Stefan.

Injuries don't expire, Katherine. That doesn't expire.

( he looks up at her and that pulls at his back. he winces and even groans before he settles back down, shaking his head. )

Nothing about this place is safe.

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