Disclaimer: I do not own The Vampire Diaries.
Summary: Oh, the tangled webs we weave.
A/N: So, this ficlet is somewhat AU. It's not my best work. The idea kinda just hit me, and I just wrote whatever came to mind before my idea for this ficlet disappeared into the hidden crevices of my brain. Nevertheless, I still hope you guys enjoy! And reviews are very much appreciated :). Oh, and before I forget to mention this, the genre for this ficlet is Angst.
Caroline wasn't stupid. Sure, she had her blonde moments, and yes, she had a knack for making less than perfect grades in school. But Caroline was a lot smarter than she let on.
She had seen it when no one else did. Elena's stolen glances at Damon, the special way her eyes lit up whenever she heard Damon calling her name, and most definitely, the way she acted so naturally around Damon, showing sides of her that Stefan had surely never seen. But Caroline (yes, the supposedly ditsy Caroline) had seen it all, and boy, did she know how this would end. Despite being chosen over Damon by Katherine, Stefan would not be so lucky in the case of Elena.
Unfortunately, Elena's feelings for Damon seemed to be growing stronger (and it was without a doubt that Damon returned Elena's feelings), which was why on a random rainy Saturday afternoon, Stefan, looking gloomy as ever (which was not a rarity for Stefan who was known for hardly smiling often), approached Caroline for some advice.
He was explaining to Caroline how Elena had seemed strange lately, distant almost. He confided to her his insecurities about how he feared that perhaps the two were reaching a rift in their relationship. Once he finished telling her about his anxiety over the situation, Stefan stared at her with that hard, penetrating gaze of his, before asking Caroline what she thought about all of this. A flood of thoughts invaded the young vampire's mind as she allowed herself to be overcome by them before giving Stefan a definite answer.
After her transformation into a vampire, Caroline found herself growing closer and closer to Stefan. Of course, they had only grown to become best friends at first, but now Caroline was beginning to see him in a more romantic light. She hadn't realized when these strange feelings came upon her; she just knew that she certainly saw Stefan as more than a friend. It seemed that anytime the brooding vampire was in her proximity, her heart (despite being dead) would flutter, her palms would sweat, and her pale skin, if it could, would certainly blush (these were one of the times she actually appreciated a vampire's lack of blood flow). So, seeing Elena and Damon grow closer to one another made Caroline realize that this was the perfect opportunity for her to pursue Stefan as a boyfriend! Here was a man (for Stefan was most certainly not a boy) who understood Caroline, stayed with her during her vampire breakdowns, and was always kind and caring towards her….but who was also still dating one of her best friends. And the thought of Caroline even considering how Elena and Damon's growing friendship would benefit her romantic pursuits of Stefan scared her.
Despite their problems in the past, Caroline had always considered Elena as one of her most loyal friends, and knowing that she, Caroline, was thinking about Elena's boyfriend in such a manner was despicable. A heinous act, most certainly. Sure, Elena loved Damon more than she did Stefan, but that didn't mean that she never loved Stefan. Elena, like Katherine, had learned to love both brothers, and even if Elena were to leave the kindhearted Stefan for the conniving Damon, having Caroline pursue Stefan romantically would certainly be seen as an act of betrayal against Elena. Elena, who had shown Caroline an unceasing love and loyalty (even when the blonde was not worthy of it) and one of the few people whom Caroline could say she fully trusted, did not deserve this.
Yes, Caroline was indeed smarter than she let on, which is why she understood that nothing could ever happen between Stefan and her, not even if Elena were to dump Stefan for Damon. Because Caroline knew (always knew) that choosing Stefan would only lead to bad consequences. So, using all of the will she could muster, Caroline had simply told Stefan that Elena was probably PMSing and that once she got over her moody phase, everything would return to normal between the seemingly perfect couple. Throwing in a smile to assuage his insecurities thus more, Caroline left the kitchen with the excuse that she had homework to do, but was in fact, trying to hide the heartbreak she felt from pushing the guy she liked a little more away from her.
But while, Caroline wasn't stupid, Stefan was certainly smarter. He had known all along Elena's feelings for Damon. Having endured the Katherine fiasco way back when (and still now), he could tell when a girl's feelings had changed. After all, he was once in the position of Damon. However, Stefan was not at all bitter towards Elena. Definitely, he felt his fair share of sadness towards the fact that she loved Damon more than she loved him, but he knew very well that he was guilty of the same crime as Elena – that he too loved another greater than his respective other. And that very girl whom he cared more for than his current girlfriend had just walked away from him, completely unaware of how she had shattered his unbeating heart.
And so the vicious circle of unrequited love continued.