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"I thought you wanted to get out so we could talk to Damon,"Stefan said, stil hand in hand with Elena as she ht turn onto the rickety stairway that led to the second-floor rooms and, above that, to Stefan’s attic

"Wel , unless he kil s Matt and runs I don’t see what’s to keep us frolanced back at Stefan and diht a little about the two of theh quarterback and they’re both only huht? Anyway, it’s time for your dinner"

"Dinner?"Stefan’s canine teeth responded autoly quickly - to the word He real y needed to have a ith Dauest at the boardinghouse - nothing ht even be e was spent

He pressed his tongue against his fangs, trying to force them back down, but the s his lip Now they were aching pleasantly Al in response to a single word: dinner

Elena threw hiled She was one of those lucky feh But this was a clearlychildhood It made Stefan want to tickle her to hear h with her; it rab her and demand to know the joke

Instead he said, "What’s up, love?"

"Soled again He lost himself in admiration for a second and also suddenly lost hold of her hand Laughing like a musical cascade of white water over rock, she ran up the stairs ahead of hiood shape she was in, he thought If she had stumbled, or faltered, she kneould decide that her donation of blood was har any of his friends, or he would have insisted on a rest for that person But even Bonnie, as delicate as a dragonfly, hadn’t seemed to be the worse for it

Elena raced up the stairs knowing that Stefan was s behind her, and there was no shadow of mistrust in his mind

She didn’t deserve it, but that only made her more anxious to please him

"Have you had your dinner?"Stefan asked as they reached his rooo; roast beef - cooked"She smiled

"What did Damon say when he final y realized it was you and looked at the food you’d brought?"

Elena ht to have tears in her eyes; her burns and cuts hurt and the episode with Da

"He cal ed it bloody haer It was steak tartar But, Stefan, I don’t want to talk about him now"

"No, of course you don’t, love"Stefan was ier to feed - but he couldn’t even control his canines

And Elena was in no mood to dal y either She perched on the bed, careful y unwinding the bandage Mrs Flowers had just wound on it Stefan suddenly looked troubled

Love - He stopped abruptly

What? Elena finished with the bandage, studying Stefan’s face

Well - shall I take it out of your arm instead? You’re already in pain and I don’t want to fool with Mrs Flowers’s anti-tetanus treatment

There’s still plenty of room around it, Elena said cheerful y

But a bite on top of those cutsHe stopped again

Elena looked at hi he wanted to say Tell me, she pressed him

Stefan final y met her eyes directly, and then put his mouth close to her ear "I can heal the cuts,"he whispered "But - it would ain so they can bleed That wil hurt"

"And it ht poison you!"Elena said sharply "Don’t you see? Mrs Flowers put heaven knohat on theles down her spine "You can’t kil a vah the heart But I don’t want to hurt you - even to help you I could Influence you not to feel anything - "