"Caroline," Stefan said, his voice carrying an edge of resolve that he never used with her, "It is important, for your own safety and for my sanity that Lily NOT find out about us."
"Yeah, Stefan, that's only about the millionth time you've said that," she replied, shoving her foot inside a boot with more force than necessary.
"Okay, so why are we still having this conversation?" he asked, crossing his arms and looking at his adorably pissed off girlfriend.
"Because," she whined, "I hate having to hide this, us, and I'm actually pretty pissed at you for not trusting that I can take care of myself." She punctuated her anger by angrily shoving her arms into her jacket.
"I know that you can take care of yourself," he assured her, walking up to gently wrap his arms around her waist, "But I just don't want to take the chance."
"Okay, okay, I get it," she conceding, moving away, grabbing her purse and storming out, "Glad it's so easy for you to pretend not to love me."
Stefan winced as she slammed the bedroom door, then again a moment later as the heavy front door slammed shut. She really wanted him to take her dancing tonight, he guessed. Truth be told, it wasn't easy for him either. Having to hide their relationship. From their friends. From the world. Even last night she'd only stayed over because Damon had passed out drunk at the grill and the staff had given up and left him there.
Stefan squeezed his eyes shut. He tried to convince himself that they'd be okay for a while longer. That they'd be able to keep it a secret until after they'd gotten rid of Lily and her witchpires, so that they could never use Caroline to hurt him, and hurt her in the process.
Stefan sighed deeply and shook his head. Caroline was not happy. He would definitely be paying for this later.
That afternoon, Stefan made his way to the Grille to collect his brother. He and Ric were lying in a puddle of drool and booze and mummering miseries to one another. Stefan rolled his eyes at the all-too-common sight.
"Rise and shine," he boomed, smiling as the two walking bottles of bourbon lifted their heads slowly and painfully.
"No, thanks," Damon slurred, "We don't want any cookies."
Stefan shook his head and reached out to lift Damon and drag him home, when a familiar giggle caught his attention. He looked over to see Caroline perched on the edge of a pool table. He straightened abruptly and turned to watch her, hands on his hips.
She was dressed in a white collared shirt with a cardigan, and a scandalously short plaid skirt and knee socks with mary janes. He arched an eyebrow at her. That was not what she had left his house wearing this morning. Her hair was twisted back out of her face and curled at the ends, making her look deceptively innocent. She clapped for some frat guy as he knocked a few balls in.
That was when she decided to acknowledge him. She shifted her eyes to the side to make sure he was watching her. Which, he was. She had lined her normally pale eyes with black liner, making the blue look icier than ever. Stefan fought the urge to shiver. He heard Damon settling back into his moist napping place, but did nothing to stop it.
He made his way over to Caroline and her gaggle of college guys. His boots were heavy on the sticky floor. A few guys scattered as they saw him approaching with, what he assumed, was something akin to calm murder in his eyes.
"Come here often?" he asked Caroline, who was toying innocently with the string of pearls around her neck and swinging one leg off the pool table.
Caroline looked up at him from beneath heavy, thick black lashes and smirked. She swung both of her legs off the side of the table. Stefan's eyes flicked down to her bare thighs and the skirt that inched dangerously up toward what was hidden beneath. He smiled, not quite amused.
"Hey, friend," Caroline said, stressing the last word with a malice that sounded ugly on her pretty lips, "Come to peel your brother off the floor?"
"Unfortunately," Stefan said, still distracted by her legs and the way she was tugging her bottom lip between her teeth as she watched his eyes on her.
"Have a drink with me?" he asked, holding out his hand for her to take. She hesitated before placing her hand in his and letting him help her down. She followed him to a table and smiled as he pulled her chair out for her.
"Wow, Stefan," she said, "So polite to your friends."
Stefan rolled his eyes.
"I had a feeling I was in for a hard day," he said, flagging down a waiter.
"I'll show you a hard day," Caroline said, flashing her perfect smile.
Stefan's blood gave a little surge and his lips fell open to speak, then closed.
"Peach daquiri," she ordered, "With extra cream please."
"Water," Stefan ordered.
"Geez, don't go too crazy, Stefan," Caroline teased.
Stefan smiled in spite of the situation. An alcoholic brother to get home. An angry girlfriend with something dangerous up her sleeve.
"So, obviously you're still mad at me for not wanting to take you out tonight," Stefan said, as his water was placed in front of him.
"What makes you think that?" Caroline said innocently, plucking the cherry from her drink immediately.
Stefan watched as she sucked the cream covered cherry between her lips. Her pink tongue peeking out to grab it and clean it off. To his surprise, he felt a little hot beneath the collar of his t-shirt as he watched her mouth work.
"Well, this isn't exactly normal, now is it?" he asked, motioning up and down her outfit and to the mischievous smile on her lips.
"Totally normal," she said, "You know what else is normal? Having drinks with your friend." She stuck the tip of her index finger into the cream sitting atop her drink and looked him in the eyes as she slowly licked it off with the flat of her tongue.
Stefan swallowed hard. He knew exactly what her mouth could do. And what it felt like. Wrapped around the most sensitive part of him. He wanted desperately to be her fingertip right now. He shifted slightly in his seat but made an effort to keep his cool.
"You're right, Caroline," he said, "It is totally normal to have drinks with your friend." He punctuated friend, as well, daring her to continue with her little game. He wasn't sure if it was because he thought he would win, or if he knew he was going to gloriously lose.
She arched an eyebrow at his defiance and placed her finger back into the drink, giving it a little swirl and licking her lips before sliding the sweet sticky mess between her lips again. Her eyes locked onto Stefan's as she slowly slipped her finger into her mouth. His breath caught in his throat as her tongue swirled around, collecting every sweep drop. Her eyes slipped closed and she hummed in pleasure as she pulled her finger seductively from her mouth.
Stefan was embarrassingly aroused now, putty in her hands. He wondered how aware she was of how easily she had seduced him. He narrowed his eyes at her, as she smirked and went back for another scoop of scream, another attempt to torture him. He was pissed. Didn't she realize he was just hiding their relationship to protect her? Although he was quickly beginning to not care.
He grabbed her wrist before her finger could reach her mouth. He pulled her hand across the table and opened his mouth, taking it between his lips, his teeth, cleaning it off with a little pop and releasing it. Caroline's eyes widened in shock. Stefan's hand slipped beneath the table, finding Caroline's bare knee and stroking a thumb across it.
"You want everyone to know about us?" he asked, his voice gruff from annoyance and arousal.
Caroline opened her mouth to answer but soon found herself pushed none-too-gently up against the bathroom wall. She looked around for a moment, adjusting to her new setting.
Stefan's lips and tongue attacked her neck and she threw her head back in bliss. She smiled to herself, mentally patting herself on the back for winning. His hands reached up under her skirt, quickly tugging down her panties and replacing them with his hands. She gasped as his fingers pushed inside of her just as his lips covered hers.
"By the time we're done," he said between kisses, "Everyone in here will know how I feel about you."
Stefan watched in satisfaction as Caroline's cheeks turned bright red and felt as her heart thumped through her chest and against his. He smiled, predatory, before kissing her hard and stroking her with his hands until she was muttering panicked nonsense against his lips and shivering in his arms. He withdrew his hand and licked his fingers. Caroline sucked in a breath at the sight.
"Now," Stefan said, gathering her hair in his hand and giving it a gentle tug to pull her mouth toward his so he could whisper against her lips, "Why don't you show me again what you can do with that mouth?"
Caroline's mouth fell open in shock and she hesitated only a moment before smiling and dropping onto her knees. Stefan hissed in a breath as she brushed against the bulge in his jeans, slowly unbuckling his belt, unbuttoning and lowering the zipper. She fluttered her lashes innocently before reaching inside his briefs to pull him free.
Stefan swore softly and closed his eyes, bracing himself with one hand on the wall as her lips closed over him. The wet, hot embrace of her mouth sent a wave of pleasure through his body. His free hand found her hair, gingerly caressing the golden curls and the back of her head, not quite holding her in place, but silently willingly her to stay put.
He looked down at see her take him deep into her mouth, before letting him slip out and then back in again over and over. He felt the tingle of release beginning inside of him and he reached down to gently grab her wrists and pull her to her feet.
"Very talented," he said, his eyes playful before his lips gently pressed against hers again. She opened her lips to let her tongue slip soft and slippery against his.
He moaned into her mouth as he felt her reach between them to give him one firm stroke before guiding him to her entrance. He reached around to caress her bare behind before lifting her thigh over his hip and sliding into her. They both sighed in unison at the feeling of intense relief joining together provided.
Caroline's fingers tangled in his hair as she sucked his earlobe between her lips, her teeth gently nibbling. Stefan groaned and pulled out of her, only to enter her again, harder and faster. He could feel the wall shaking behind her as he pounded into her, could hear paintings falling off the wall but he didn't care. His fingers dug into her thighs as she moved her lips down to his neck, pricking him with her fangs and licking the blood away slowly. He was pumping into her furiously, panting against her shoulder.
He nudged her head to the side with his cheek and buried his own face in her neck, kissing and licking before sinking his fangs in without warning. Caroline cried out his name in surprise and pleasure, her canal squeezing him relentlessly as she finished and pulling the orgasm from his body. He sucked up the last of the blood from her neck and cried out her name as before kissing her, explosions behind his eyes, the taste of their blood mingling on their tongues.
Releasing her leg, he let himself slip free. His legs were weak as he quickly zipped his pants and rebuckled his belt. Caroline's skirt fell back down to cover her as she let out a puff of air in a laugh.
"So, I guess I win, right?" she said, smoothing her hair and glancing at her pink cheeks in the mirror, touching them lightly.
"Yes, I think it's safe to say that you win, Caroline," Stefan admitted, walking up behind her to wrap his arms around her waist and lay his chin on her shoulder.
She smiled and ruffled his hair playfully.
"You want to go dancing tonight?" Stefan asked.
Caroline giggled.
"Yes, I would love that," she said, looking sideways at him and kissing his cheek.
They walked out of the bathroom hand in hand to find the entire restaurant watching them. They looked at each other nervously then to the fallen pictures and broken glass in the hallway that they had knocked off the wall.
"Anything you'd like to tell us, Brother?" Damon managed to slur.
"I think you can figure it out on your own, Damon," Stefan said, lifting his drunk brother by the back of his jacket and dragging him toward the door.
"Hey, Blondie, could you please tell your boyfriend to unhand me?" Damon complained, trying to grab the door frame.
Stefan looked at Caroline and smiled. Boyfriend. He really liked the sound of that. That made sense. The rest, they'd figure out later.