Chapter 56: A Morning Quiet with Joy
Never before had such stillness settled over the Salvatore house. The sun was just beginning to rise, sending its golden rays through the tall windows, gently warming the wooden floors. Empty wine glasses, scattered flower petals, and bits of glittery confetti were still strewn across the lounge and hallways—silent witnesses to the celebration that had filled the place the night before.
Alexander was the first to wake. Not because he wanted to, but because he had barely slept. His mind was crowded—not with worry or pain as usual, but simply full. Full of memories. Of laughter. Of echoes of music still lingering in his head. He descended the stairs quietly, barefoot, his shirt wrinkled, hair tousled, but his face was calm, at peace.
He poured himself a cup of black coffee from the pot left half full—perhaps by Alaric in the late hours—and leaned against the kitchen counter. For a moment, there was peace. No curses, no wars, no ghosts of pain. Only the scent of coffee and wood, and the sound of birds outside.
"You're up early."
Alexander turned his head. Damon stood at the kitchen threshold, holding his own cup of coffee, looking tired, but with a strange kind of contentment. His formal jacket was gone, his sleeves rolled up. His hair looked like it had lost a battle with the pillow.
Alexander smirked lightly. "You too."
"Couldn't sleep," Damon said as he stepped in. "The quiet is unsettling."
They sat together at the kitchen table, sipping coffee in comfortable silence, until Alexander broke it.
"Yesterday was a beautiful day."
Damon looked at him. "Yeah... it really was."
Alexander said, "I saw happiness on Stefan's face. A kind I don't think I've ever seen before... maybe never."
Damon nodded slowly. "He deserves it."
Silence returned. Not awkward, but familiar, comforting.
Minutes later, the door creaked open and Stefan entered, his tie undone, coat folded over his arm. He looked exhausted, but peace clearly coated his features.
"Good morning," he said.
Alexander raised his cup in greeting. "Marriage suits you."
Stefan laughed as he approached to join them. "Caroline's still asleep. I think the champagne did its job."
Damon smiled, "I think she earned it."
Stefan leaned on the table beside them and said thoughtfully, "It really happened, didn't it?"
Alexander replied quietly, "Yeah... you did it, brother."
From the top of the stairs, a soft, sleepy voice called out, "Do I smell coffee?"
It was Bonnie, appearing with her hair up, wearing one of Alexander's shirts, rubbing her eyes drowsily. Damon gave Alexander a mischievous smile, but Alexander shot him a warning look that made Bonnie laugh.
Alexander stood, smiling, and said, "I'll make you a cup." She sat in his chair, and he poured her coffee just the way she liked it—two spoons of sugar and a splash of cream—and handed it to her with a warm kiss on her forehead.
Soon, life began to return to the kitchen. Caroline came down, sleepy-eyed and in house slippers, followed by Elena, then Alaric, and even Klaus and Elijah—who, miraculously, had stayed the night.
Warmth returned to the house. Not just from clinking cups or the creak of the pan, but from the laughter. Light, warm, effortless laughter.
Elijah offered to cook, and somehow, Klaus was helping him, which sparked some amusing tension among the group. Alaric teased Damon about dancing with Elena during the slow songs. Caroline sat on Stefan's lap as they shared a piece of toast. Bonnie leaned against Alexander as he whispered something that made her smile silently.
No darkness here. No lurking evil. Just warmth.
Just family.
And as the morning hours passed, the three brothers found themselves leaning back in their chairs, content in the quiet.
There was still a world out there. Darkness still loomed. Secrets remained unsolved.
But for now, in this sunlit kitchen, filled with the souls they loved...
Everything else could wait.
Later that same day, after lunch, Stefan and Caroline departed for their honeymoon.
---
Some time later...
The first breezes of summer drifted gently through the open windows of the Salvatore house, carrying with them a light warmth and the scent of surrounding trees. Golden sunlight streamed in, bathing the walls in a soft glow, granting the place a dreamlike calm. After a full month of absence, without Stefan, the house had returned to a familiar, easy rhythm: breakfasts full of laughter, peaceful walks through town, and dreamy evenings shared between Alexander and Damon, each in his own way.
But today was different. Today marked the return of Stefan and Caroline from their honeymoon in Paris.
Alexander was sitting in the living room, legs stretched out on the couch, flipping through a leather-bound book that seemed to have miraculously survived a century in the house's cellar. Bonnie sat beside him, her fingers lightly tracing his arm, her eyes lost in a gentle daydream as she listened to the jazz music playing from the nearby record player—Alexander's choice, of course.
From the kitchen, Damon called out confidently, leaning against the counter with a sly smile on his face: "They'll be here any minute. Stefan texted. Five minutes."
Alexander raised a doubtful brow. "You seem suspiciously smug."
"Me?!" Damon replied, feigning innocence. "I'm just excited to see my little brother."
But the sparkle in his eyes betrayed him.
Bonnie narrowed her eyes. "You're planning something."
Damon only widened his grin.
Before he could respond, the front door suddenly swung open, and Stefan and Caroline stepped in, hand in hand, the sunlight of Paris still glowing on their faces. They were radiant, their skin warm from travel, joy dancing in their eyes. As soon as they spotted the others inside, Stefan dropped his bag and smiled wide.
"Look who survived!" he joked.
"Barely," Damon replied, stepping forward to hug him in a brotherly embrace. "The house was disturbingly quiet without your obsessive cleaning routine."
Caroline smiled and hugged Bonnie, then Alexander. "You both look happy."
"We are," Bonnie said softly, and Alexander nodded with a warm smile.
They all gathered in the living room, and the stories from Paris began to flow as freely as the wine in their glasses. Caroline showed pictures from the Eiffel Tower, and Stefan recounted a wild motorbike experience in Montmartre's narrow streets.
Hours passed, filled with laughter.
As evening neared, Damon suddenly stood and clapped his hands as if preparing something grand.
"Alright, I can't take it anymore!" he said loudly. "I've got news. Big news."
Stefan leaned forward, curious. "What? Finally decided to clean out your closet?"
Damon sighed and looked to the heavens. "Bigger than that."
He reached into his back pocket and pulled out a small black box. It was, in fact, empty.
Bonnie gasped.
Alexander's eyes widened in shock.
Stefan froze in place.
"You didn't—"
"Oh, I did," Damon said as he opened the box, revealing a stunning engagement ring set with a sparkling blue sapphire. "I'm marrying Elena."
A moment of absolute silence fell.
Then the room erupted.
Stefan leapt from his seat, hugging his brother tightly. "It's about time!"
Alexander laughed as he stood. "Are you kidding? You beat me to it?"
Damon winked. "One of us had to do it."
Bonnie wiped a tear of joy. "She said yes?"
"Of course she did," Damon replied confidently, smiling in his usual way. "She cried... then yelled at me for making her cry... then kissed me. Classic Elena."
Caroline jumped up and hugged him joyfully. "Well, we're officially planning a second wedding!"
Damon chuckled. "Not too soon. I want to enjoy the moment a little first."
That night, after the excitement had settled, the three brothers sat on the porch, sipping bourbon under the starlight.
Stefan looked ahead and said, "Does this mean we've... all settled down?"
Alexander smiled wryly. "Don't jinx it."
Stefan laughed and added, "I never thought I'd see the day Damon Salvatore wanted to settle down."
Damon turned his gaze toward the shadowy garden and said quietly, "After everything we've been through... Elias, Katherine, Kol, our old man coming back... I think we deserve a bit of peace."
Alexander raised his glass. "To peace. And love."
"And to Elena... who said yes," Stefan added.
Their glasses clinked.
And in that moment, the three brothers sat in silence, wrapped in calm. The storm had passed. And the world—at least for now—was kind.
Tomorrow, the planning would begin.
But tonight? Tonight was theirs alone.
---
.
.
.
.
.
.
You can contact me through my official page on the following Accounts:
telegram:
miraclenarrator
tiktok:
miracle_narrator
instagram:
miracle_narrator