Till The Love Runs Out. -Closed-

Stefan was planning on just heading home and spending his day trying to avoid his brother. Damon had been especially annoying lately, but it was something that Stefan tended to deal with. Perhaps his brother would even be out, causing trouble and doing whatever he wanted and just not come around the house at all. It would give Stefan time to just relax and enjoy himself. With that thought in mind, Stefan didn't really hesitate in heading home, hoping to find the Salvatore boarding home either empty or for Damon to be distracted. Either one was fine with him, really, as long as things were calm.

~*~

Ali looked ahead as she made her way out of school, hands stuffed in her pockets. She mentally debated on visiting the Grill or just waiting for Tyler and seeing if he wanted to hang out. Honestly, she wouldn't have long to hang out - she never did, due to her father wanting to train and then nightly hunts that lasted until early morning. Most of her free time in between school and hunting the supernatural generally went to her best friend, though. Not only because Tyler was her best friend, but because she was almost certain that being around him made it easier to relax.

@ momentai.
Hazel got out of her car and approached the famous Salvatore boarding house. She hoped that Stefan was there and not Damon. Though she had only met Damon a few times each time was not good and Hazel was not a fan of the older of the two Salvatore's. She knocked a few times before she took a step beck and waited for someone to answer the door.

---

Tyler sighed as picked out a pool stick and pulled out his phone, texting Ali, Up for a few games of pool at the Grill? He sent before he decided to play by himself for a little while as he waited for a text back from Ali. Ali had always been Tyler's best friend and he loved hanging out with her no matter how long it was.

Stefan had only just arrived home and gotten to the living room when he heard the knock. At first, he figured it was probably Damon and he had likely forgotten the keys. But Damon would usually just find a way inside either way. Glancing over to the door, he set his backpack down before he made his way over and opened it, though surprise filled his features at the sight of Hazel. "Hazel?" he asked, as if to clarify that he wasn't just imagining that his best friend was there.

~*~

Ali blinked with surprise at feeling her phone vibrate and pulled it out, reading over the words for a moment. Only if you're ready to get beat again. she sent, though she was already heading towards the Grill, admittedly a little excited about being able to play pool with Tyler for a bit. It was generally fun to be competitive, after all.

@ momentai.
Hazel looked up when the door opened and she smiled when she saw Stefan had answered, "Stefan!!" She said, happiness filling her up. She hugged her best friend tightly, pulling him close, "How long as it been?" She asked, "Seven years correct?" She added. She had missed her best friend. She had met Stefan in the sixties and they instantly clicked and hit it off. They had been best friends ever since then.

---

Tyler looked down when his phone vibrated. He laughed slightly at her text before responding, As if. I let you win all those other times. It's called being a good best friend. He replied before he reset the table and waited for Ali to show up. He was excited to see Ali. He didn't usually see her for long amounts of time but they still maintained a good friendship.

Stefan could admit that he was more surprised than anything to find that his best friend actually was right there and it wasn't some kind of freaky magic mind trick. His arms wrapped around her as he returned her hug with the slightest of chuckles. "Yeah, seven years," he said with a subtle nod as he pulled away and took in her features. "Plus a few months, of course. And you haven't aged a day." The last bit was an attempt at a joke, since she was a vampire, like him. They didn't age in features. Regardless, he shook his head, a small smile on his face. "It's great to see you again."

~*~

Ali grinned at the text and sent back a quick, Please. You just don't want to admit how much you lose because you want to keep your man card. Thankfully, due to Mystic Falls being a fairly small town, it didn't take her too long to get to the Grill and she walked in, slipping her phone into her pocket before glancing around. Her eyes soon caught sight of Tyler and she grinned and made her way over, trying to sneak up behind him, before placing her hands over her eyes. Trying to mask her own voice, she attempted a fake one. "Guess who."

@ momentai.
Hazel smiled and laughed at his joke, "I wish I could say the same about you." She teased, "Seriously though. Your eyes look tired. Is Damon back again?" She asked seriously. She knew how much Damon made his life stressful. Hazel never had that burden because she was an only child who was turned into a vampire on her eighteenth birthday when a guy asked her if she wanted to live forever. Hazel thought it was a cheap pickup line. But here she was. Still living and looking as if she were eighteen.

---

Tyler was about to reply back when he felt two hands go around his eyes. He laughed at Ali's attempt at a fake voice but played along anyway, "God I hope it's an Italian swimsuit model." He said and then turned around and faked disappointment, "Ah it's just you. Well I guess you'll do." He said with a smile at he teased her. He handed her a pool stick, "Ready to lose?" He asked with a smirk.

Stefan was surprised that she had realized it so easily. Then again, Hazel was pretty good at figuring things out, figuring him out, and he mentally applauded her for that skill and shrugged slightly in response. "Not that it's anything new. Every few decades, he decides to track me down and make my life hell," he said simply. Of course, he knew why his brother had hated him so much - because he had convinced Damon to turn - but it still bothered him. "Let's just hope you don't run into him again. He's gotten a bit more annoying."

~*~

Ali gaped at him, placing her hand over her heart in mock pain. "How cruel. I'm far better than an Italian swimsuit model," she joked lightly before she smirked and took the pool stick from him. "Just for that little insult, I'm going to make sure to cream you so bad that you forget what an Italian swimsuit model even looks like." Gesturing to the pool table, she arched an eyebrow. "Come on, pansies first."

@ momentai.
Hazel smiled and nodded, "I'm probably going to make it my goal to not run into Damon but I plan on staying for a while so I'm sure I'll see him at one point." She said and looked up at Stefan, "So can I come in or do I have to be invited?" She asked with a laugh. She was positive that if she needed to be invited in that Stefan would hop right on that.

---

Tyler laughed at her words before he shook his head, "I would never let you cream me in pool." He said before he playfully glared at her, "I am not a pansy." He stated before he went first anyway and took his shot at the pool balls. He got two striped balls into the pockets before he looked at Ali with a smirk.

Stefan smiled and stepped out of the way, gesturing for her to come inside. "You didn't even have to knock for that matter," he said simply, knowing that there was no reason to. Hazel was his best friend; she was almost like family, so there was no reason for her to knock when his home was her home. Maybe she didn't see it that way, though. "So, you're going to be staying for a while? How long, exactly?"

~*~

Ali scoffed lowly, though she couldn't help but to smirk. "Believe whatever you want, Lockwood. Doesn't make you any less of a pansy," she teased before she took her turn, sinking a few of the solid balls and grinning over at him. "You should just accept it, buddy. I'm going to win, as per usual." She lifted her shoulders in a shrug before leaning against the pool table slightly, gesturing for him to take his turn.

@ momentai.
Hazel smiled and walked through the door and looked around the house. It was huge, of course it had to be since it was the boarding house, "I'm not sure exactly if I'm being honest. Until I feel like it's time to travel again. I think it might only be maybe a month this time. Who knows though." Hazel said with a laugh.

---

Tyler rolled his eyes at her words before he took his turn and missed his shot. He grumbled a curse word and key Ali take her turn, "Eventually you have to lose. Not everyone wins all the time. Then nobody wants to play against them anymore. " he said and stuck his tongue out at her.

@ momentai.
Hazel smiled and walked through the door and looked around the house. It was huge, of course it had to be since it was the boarding house, "I'm not sure exactly if I'm being honest. Until I feel like it's time to travel again. I think it might only be maybe a month this time. Who knows though." Hazel said with a laugh.

---

Tyler rolled his eyes at her words before he took his turn and missed his shot. He grumbled a curse word and key Ali take her turn, "Eventually you have to lose. Not everyone wins all the time. Then nobody wants to play against them anymore. " he said and stuck his tongue out at her.

Stefan nodded in understanding, though he couldn't really say that he would be surprised if she was gone sooner than that. "Well, however long you decide to stay, you're definitely welcome here," he assured her, offering a small smile towards her.

~*~

Ali laughed quietly in response before she grinned over at him. "Well, you haven't stopped wanting to play against me yet," she mused before she went ahead to take her turn, sinking two more balls before pouting when she missed the third. "Crap."

@ momentai.
Hazel smiled at Stefan and sat down on the couch, "So what have you been up to these seven years?" She asked and crossed her legs as she looked at hed best friend. She was really glad she convinced herself to come see Stefan.

---

Tyler shrugged, "I can't help it. You're addicting." He said with a laugh. He grinned when she missed the third ball, "A little off your game today?" He asked with a smirk before he took his turn and sunk in two balls before smiling over at Ali.

@ momentai.
Hazel smiled at Stefan and sat down on the couch, "So what have you been up to these seven years?" She asked and crossed her legs as she looked at hed best friend. She was really glad she convinced herself to come see Stefan.

---

Tyler shrugged, "I can't help it. You're addicting." He said with a laugh. He grinned when she missed the third ball, "A little off your game today?" He asked with a smirk before he took his turn and sunk in two balls before smiling over at Ali.

Stefan shrugged slightly in response to her question. "Ah, well, I'm clearly back here. I started dating a girl that looks like Katherine - Elena," he explained, not wanting to go all the ways back to seven years ago, so he figured the more recent news was best. "But we broke up recently, so that doesn't matter much, huh?"

~*~

Ali blinked to his words, glancing over. Honestly, she wished he wouldn't say things like that. To have him call her addicting made her heart swell and hope rush in, but she always had to force it away because she knew better. "I'm not off my game. I'm just giving you a chance to catch up," she mused before taking her turn and sinking a few balls.

@ momentai.
Hazel looked at Stefan, "Really Stefan? She looked like Katherine?" Hazel asked flatly before it hit her, "Wait a minute." She said and looked at Stefan with wide eyes, "Stefan don't tell me she's the doppelganger!" Hazel practically yelled and stood up quickly and started to pace in the room.

---

Tyler shrugged and watched her take her turn, "I don't need a chance to catch up. I'm running along side of you." He said and took his turn, getting in two balls. "So what else are you doing today?" He asked as he watched her take her turn.

@ momentai.
Hazel looked at Stefan, "Really Stefan? She looked like Katherine?" Hazel asked flatly before it hit her, "Wait a minute." She said and looked at Stefan with wide eyes, "Stefan don't tell me she's the doppelganger!" Hazel practically yelled and stood up quickly and started to pace in the room.

---

Tyler shrugged and watched her take her turn, "I don't need a chance to catch up. I'm running along side of you." He said and took his turn, getting in two balls. "So what else are you doing today?" He asked as he watched her take her turn.

Stefan cringed at the mention of it and turned his attention to her before he let out a sigh and ran a hand through his hair, nodding slowly. "Yeah, she's the doppelganger," he confirmed with a frown before shaking his head. "I didn't even know about the existence of doppelgangers until this Original named Elijah explained it."

~*~

Ali shrugged slightly in response to his question, offering a grin. "Oh, you know, family night later, as usual," she said. Of course, she didn't really have family night; she and her father just went out hunting, but family night had become her fall-back excuse lately. "What about you?"

@ momentai.
(This might short)

Hazel shook her head at Stefan, "Only you Stefan. Only you." She joked. She sighed on the inside because she knew that girl was probably nothing but trouble for both Salvatore brothers. With her looking like Katherine and everything. She didn't want that for Stefan. He was her best friend and she wanted only happiness for him. And anything that had to do with Katherine was not happiness for him.

---

Tyler nodded, "Normal." He said and then shrugged, "Well I'm not sure actually. I'll probably end up hanging out with Matt...maybe drink a little at home. The usual." He replied and then took his turn and sunk two balls. He only had one left before he could go for the eight ball.