STEROLINE.

Caroline was studying in one of the common rooms at Whitmore. She would have some exams the next days and it was difficult to concentrate with all that was going on. She was turning the pages of the book with no result. She dropped her head on the book and closed her eyes for a few seconds to take some rest. When she raised her head and opened her eyes, she saw Seth sitting by her side. Seth was a guy that was in her class and he was one of the few friends that she had made during the year. He had lent her some notes when she had not been able to attend classes.

"Studying for the exam of next Wednesday?" –he asked while he was opening his book. Caroline nodded and sighed.
"How can you learn all these concepts? It's impossible."
"I'm sure you just need to concentrate a little bit more" –Seth said, drawing his chair close to hers.

Stefan entered the room with two coffees and a history book that he had taken from the library at home. He looked for Caroline with his look but his ear was more effective. He heard her laugh and then he found her. Stefan frowned when he saw how close that guy was to Caroline. A guy who was making her laugh. Stefan clenched his jaw while he was looking at them directly and squinting. His name was Seth as he was able to know what his name was when Caroline said it, laughing and asking him for more help.
Stefan thought that this was out of line. The boy was getting closer and closer to Caroline and he even had looked at her cleavage a couple of times. Stefan felt a rage that he had not felt for a long time and walked toward them as quick as he could. However, just as he was about to reach them, a girl stopped him.

"Stefan! You're here again, huh? –a girl with brown hair and green eyes asked him, who was also in Caroline's class. Caroline looked up when she heard the name of Stefan and saw Danielle flirting with him. Stefan glanced at Caroline, who gave him a cold stare and then went back to her book.
"Yeah, I've come to help Caroline study" –he said, knowing that Caroline was listening to them. "As usual."
"Oh, okay" –Danielle said, frustrated. "Since you know so much about history you could give me some extra classes someday. If that doesn't bother Caroline, of course."

Stefan opened his mouth to answer and looked back at Caroline, who kept staring at her book but had put her hair behind her ear to hear better while she was pretending to pay attention to Seth. Stefan hid a smile and looked back to Danielle.

"You should ask her that" –he said. Danielle did not know what to say because she had understood that something was going on between Stefan and Caroline. "I have to go or the coffees will get cold."

Stefan dodged her and left the coffees and the book on the table. Stefan then pulled the chair of Seth (with him sitting) away and grabbed another to sit between them.

"Hey, everything okay?" –Stefan said. Seth looked at him stealthily and angry. Caroline shook her head.
"I… I should go" –Seth said, taking his book and walking toward the door.
"I agree" –Stefan mumbled while he was opening the book he had brought. Caroline looked at him disbelieving.
"Can I ask you what's going on?" –she asked.
"I've brought you the coffee you like and a book that will be more useful to you than this guy Seth" –Stefan said, drinking his coffee. Caroline looked at him with her eyebrows raised and Stefan started to turn pages. Caroline stopped him, placing her hand over his. He watched their hands and then he looked into her eyes.
"Stefan."
"What?"
"You're behaving very strangely, you know?" –she said.
"And how do you want me to behave when the first thing I see when I enter this room is that guy looking at your cleavage?" –Stefan asked, releasing the anger he had been holding. Caroline looked at him open-mouthed and he realized he had been very obvious. She frowned and looked back at her book, suppressing a smile. Stefan glanced at her and sighed. "I'm acting like a child, right?"
"I never thought I'd make you jealous" –Caroline said thoughtfully as she bit the pencil.
"I wasn't jealous."

Caroline laughed as she took the book that Stefan had brought. He frowned. So that was jealousy. He had already felt it, but it was different with Caroline. He was not able to control himself. He did not like that another guy was the one who made her laugh and he did not like any men close to her either. Then he turned his head slightly and looked at her again. If he did not dare to ask her out soon, someone else would do it. The single image of Seth kissing Caroline got him angry.

"Hey" –he said again after having drawn his chair closer to her. Caroline turned slightly to face him and realized that Stefan had shortened the distance between them. "I'm sorry. I know I have no right to behave as if…"

But Stefan was not able to finish the sentence because Caroline had laid her hands over his face and had pressed her lips against his. Stefan felt how the jealousy was disappearing when their tongues touched. He placed one hand on her head to push her toward him and put the other on her cheek. Although the kiss had begun to be slow, Stefan kissed her in a very desperate and passionate way, as if he had been waiting for too long to do so. He bit her lower lip gently just before Caroline pulled him away. He had forgotten that they were in a public place and many people were staring at them. Stefan stood still, as if he was waiting for Caroline to continue with what they were doing, but she took a breath and looked back at the book.

"When do we repeat?" –Stefan whispered in her ear as he placed his arm over the back of her chair and his with his other hand he grabbed one of hers.
"I have to study, Stefan" –she reminded him, letting Stefan interlock his fingers with hers.
"I'll give you five minutes."