AN - This is a separate story from my connected stories. Just a little stand alone one shot. I actually had the idea yesterday while I was in the cinema watching Avengers: Age of Ultron (watch it - brilliant movie!) Weird time to have inspiration but there you go.
Hope you like it!
Oblivious
Stefan smiled softly at Caroline, leaning in to gently cover her lips with his, sighing softly as their lips finally met.
Caroline froze at Stefan's touch. Gently placing her hand on his chest she pushed him back. Licking her lips she asked confused, "What are you doing?"
Stefan furrowed his brow, the answer obvious, "Kissing my girlfriend?"
"Girlfriend!?" Caroline spluttered, thoroughly confused, "We're not even dating! How can I be your girlfriend?"
"Caroline," Stefan's voice was laced with hurt, "we've been dating for the last three months."
"No, we haven't." Caroline's heart hurt from the pained look in his eyes.
Stefan shook his head, "I asked you out months ago and you said yes. Why are you suddenly denying us?" His eyes became sad, his voice rough from hurt, "Did I push you too hard with that kiss?"
"What are you..." Then it suddenly clicked. Months ago on her porch Stefan asked her to dinner with him and she accepted, thinking it was his way of getting their friendship back on track, "That night on my porch when you asked me to dinner with you, that wasn't a friendly invite was it?"
"No." Stefan furrowed his brow, "Wait. Did you think that it was a friendly invite?"
Caroline nodded her head.
"So for the last three months you think we've been acting like friends do?"
Caroline bit her lip and nodded.
Stefan closed his eyes and laughed incredulously, "Seriously!"
Caroline bit her lip and looked down at her shoes as she seriously thought about the past few months. Had Stefan really been acting like a friend should? Or was she too afraid of what his actual feelings might be that she dismissed his actions as just friendly. How could she have unknowingly been dating her best friend without even realizing it?
3 months ago
Caroline was in her living room looking over paint samples. It had been four months since her mother died and she was finally ready to begin making her mother's house her own. After switching off her humanity and forcing Stefan to do the same she had been drowning in guilt. At Jo and Alaric's wedding she had told Stefan that they could never be together because of all the bad things they had done. It had been awkward between them since that night but Caroline was determined that they would somehow get back to being friends.
Knock.
Caroline walked to the door and opened it. It was Stefan. She smiled at him, "Hey."
Stefan swallowed at the sight of her. Her hair was piled on her head in a messy bun, she was dressed in sweats that hung low on her hips and a simple tank top. She was the most gorgeous thing he'd ever seen. He smiled back shyly, "Hey."
"What are you doing here?" Caroline asked softly, it still hurt to be around Stefan as she still loved him but they could never be together. She had ruined it, she had almost ruined him, and she didn't deserve to be the recipient of his love.
Guilt and sadness shone from her eyes and all Stefan wanted to do was pull her in his arms and tell her that everything would be okay, but he couldn't, not yet, not until he proved to her how good they would be together. He shuffled on his feet and looked at her from under his lashes shyly, "I- I wanted to ask you if you would like to go to dinner." He cleared his throat, "With me."
Caroline's smile froze on her lips and her heart began beating fast. He couldn't mean that in a romantic sense, he had stayed away from her like she asked, so he must want to become friends again. Swallowing down her disappointment, she beamed at him, "I would like that."
A beautiful smile bloomed on Stefan's face, his eyes lit with happiness, "Great. Tomorrow at seven at the Grill?"
Caroline nodded, "Sounds great. Do you want me to meet you there?"
"No." Stefan shook his head, "I'll pick you up." Of course he would pick her up for their first date.
"Okay." Caroline smiled back, happy that after months of grief and heartbreak she would finally be getting her best friend back.
Stefan had to restrain himself from taking her lips in his, the smile on them made him want to taste it. Ducking his head down he chuckled at himself, he had it so bad for her that it must be obvious to her how much this meant to him. Gathering his courage he leant in and brushed a lingering kiss against her cheek, "See you tomorrow, Caroline."
Her cheeks were flushed from the feel of his warm lips, a tingling sensation filled her cheek from his touch. Smiling sweetly at him she replied, "Good night, Stefan."
Stefan turned away from Caroline's porch, a new spring in his steps and a lightness in his chest. He and Caroline were finally going on a date, as them and not humanity less versions of themselves. His heart felt like it would burst with happiness. He straddled his bike, the same bike Caroline had punched a hole in, put on his helmet, waved her goodbye and made his way home. He had a date to prepare for.
Caroline watched Stefan ride away with mixed feelings. One part of her was happy that they would put the past behind them and get back to being friends. The other part was sorely disappointed that he hadn't even attempted to ask her out, even though she had shot him down at the wedding. It was time to move on from her unrequited love for her best friend, she just needed to be his friend and nothing more.
That thought still hurt her to her core.
The next day.
Caroline waited nervously for Stefan to arrive. She had changed her outfit five times before settling on a simple yellow sundress paired with a white cardigan. Not too date like and yet not too friend like either. Stefan may not want her like she wanted him but that didn't stop her from looking pretty.
Knock.
Caroline jumped up at the knock. Her heart in her throat as she made her way to the door. Her mouth went dry as she opened the door, Stefan looked just like James Dean, jeans hugging his thighs, a white top molding to the muscles in his chest and a black leather jacket. He looked sinfully hot and it took everything in her not to just grab him and attack his mouth. Taking a calming breath she smiled in greeting, "Hey, Stefan."
"Caroline." Stefan's eyes shamelessly raked over her. She looked innocently beautiful and ravishingly hot at the same time. He took his hand from behind his back and handed her a single red rose, "You look beautiful."
Caroline took the rose with a blushing smile, she brought it to her nose and inhaled it's familiar sweet scent. "Thank you." She grinned at his thoughtfulness and thread the rose in her hair so that it rest against her ear.
"You would have fit right in, in the forties." Stefan couldn't help but comment, the way she had placed the rose and her red lips reminded him of the women from that era.
Caroline grinned and looped her arm through Stefan's, "Really? Klaus once said I would have loved the twenties." She faltered in her steps once she realized what she said, "Is it weird that I brought up Klaus? I don't want things to be awkward between us."
"No." Stefan denied, unclenching his jaw at the same time, "We all have a past, and though we wish some of it would stay there, it never does." He squeezed her hand in reassurance, "You know that you can tell me anything and I won't judge you."
"Thank you, Stefan." Caroline kissed his cheek before getting in his Porsche.
Stefan could still feel her touch on his cheek. A wide grin covered his mouth as he walked to his side and got in.
They drove to the Mystic Grill, parked and made their way inside to sit at a table.
Caroline immediately grabbed a menu, "I am starving."
Stefan chuckled knowingly as he watched affectionately as Caroline looked through the menu.
Caroline peered over the top of the menu at Stefan as he chuckled. Frowning she questioned, "Why are you laughing?"
Stefan grinned back, his eyes sparkling with laughter, "You and I both know that you will look through that for ten minutes and then order the same thing you always order." Her lips jutted out in a pout and it was the cutest and sexiest thing he'd ever seen.
"And what's that?" Caroline narrowed her eyes and waited for Stefan's reply.
"Cheeseburger and fries." Stefan smirked, wanting to laugh at how her nose crinkled with annoyance. He knew his best friend like the back of his hand.
Caroline crossed her arms and huffed, "I am not that predictable, Stefan Salvatore."
"You got that right." Stefan replied softly, a deeper meaning in his tone. Caroline was predictable, positive, happy, kind, loving, such a good person, and unpredictable.
Caroline had to look at the table, Stefan's look becoming too intense for her to handle. She didn't want to read too much into his looks, that's what got her into this mess in the first place. She thought that Stefan was beginning to have the same feelings as she was, turns out she was wrong, so she wouldn't make that mistake again.
The waitress came over to take their order, "What can I get you?"
Caroline teasingly smirked at Stefan, "I'll have the chilli dog and fries, and a Coke." She could be unpredictable if she wanted too.
Stefan laughed, the look on her face was the same after she punched a hole in his bike. Never taking his eyes of Caroline's smugly proud face he made his order, "Cheeseburger and fries, and a Coke."
The waitress excused herself.
Caroline raised her eyebrows incredulously, "All that teasing and you ordered what I would have." She smiled, chuckling to herself, "Now who's predictable?"
Stefan could only grin back. His eyes were full with adoration for her, each moment spent with her made him fall more and more in love with her. He was so happy that there were no awkward silences between them, just easy conversation and ready laughter. It was the happiest he had seen Caroline since before her mother died, and he treasured that it was him that made her look that way.
The rest of the night was spend the same way. The conversation flowed easily, laughter was a common companion and Stefan even managed to get a dance from her. It had been a perfect first date, and Stefan ended the night even more in love with her than he had been. Caroline however was happy that their friendship was back on track but she was still sad that this was not a date.
Stefan walked her to her door and kissed her cheek in goodnight. He went home with the biggest smile on his face.
2 months ago.
Caroline was in her dorm room studying. At least she was trying to but the words kept blurring together, a sure sign she had been looking at the text too long. Groaning she slammed the book shut and eyed her cell on the table. In the last month she and Stefan had gone to the Grill several times a week, then every Friday he would take her to the movie theatre. Their friendship was so solid that it was laughable that it was ever broken in the first place. If what they were doing seemed date like it never crossed Caroline's mind, to her they were just two friends who spent a lot of time together. And ended each outing with a kiss on the cheek, nothing that two best friends wouldn't do. At least that's what she told herself.
Making a decision Caroline picked up her cell and hit speed dial.
"Hey, you." Stefan's voice was light with happiness. Even though he called her every night that she was away at Whitmore he still missed her liked crazy.
"I'm bored!" Caroline whined into the phone. She needed Stefan here with her and she would get what she wanted, after all he was a pushover for her.
Stefan chuckled, "Is that so?"
"Yep." Caroline nodded her head, "If I read another word I think my head will explode!"
Stefan grinned, "What would you like me to do, Miss Forbes?"
"Come here. I need you." Caroline pouted down the line, praying that Stefan would come and save her from her boredom.
Stefan swallowed hard at Caroline's words. They echoed the ones she had moaned when the ripper and her had spent all night having sex. He had been taking it so slowly with Caroline as he sensed she wasn't ready for that step in their relationship. He kissed her on the cheek in greeting and goodbye. He held her hand whenever they were together, she was tense at first but had soon become used to it. He threw his arm around her shoulder and buried his face in her hair, breathing in her delicious scent. He had been dying to kiss her again but he was prepared to wait until she was ready for him.
"Stefan?" Caroline said as he hadn't said anything for a few minutes, "You still there?"
"Yeah." His voice came out husky so he cleared his throat, "Yeah, I'm here."
"Will you come and keep me company? Plleeaassee!" The pout was clear in her voice.
"Okay. I will come to you, Caroline." Stefan couldn't help but laugh at how whipped he was. Caroline called and he came running, though truth was, he wouldn't have it any other way. The past month with her has been one of the happiest of his existence.
"Yay!" Caroline giggled, "Hurry." She had missed Stefan so much, the nightly phone calls weren't enough, she needed to see him.
Stefan hung up the phone. He grabbed his keys and his jacket and went to his bike. He did not mind Caroline's call at all as he had missed her, and all he wanted was to spend the night snuggled against his girl.
1 month ago.
Stefan laid on his back on the grass, one arm behind his neck to rest his head against, and the other was soothingly running through Caroline's hair as she rest against his stomach. The sun was bright in the sky, and the breeze was full with the scent of summer.
Caroline was studying for an upcoming test and she was determined to pass. That meant a lot of late sleepless nights as she crammed everything into her head. Stefan's torturous playing with her hair wasn't helping her study. It was so electrifying and soothing that one half of her was burning with desire while the other was making her eyelids droop. Sleep coming to claim her to force her to catch up on some of the sleep that she had missed in the last few days.
Stefan smiled as he felt the moment Caroline drifted off. He was worried that she was pushing herself too hard in the last few days. Every time he went to check on her, day or night, she was always studying, her head buried in a book and her eyes barely able to stay open. He had stayed specifically to make sure she rest, she may be a vampire but an exhausted one could snap at any moment. He wouldn't allow her to have anything else to feel guilty for if he could help it. He was just as much her sober sponsor as she was his.
Months of dinners, movies, hand holding, cheek kisses, hugs and cuddling finally registered to Caroline, "Oh!" How could she have missed what was going on right in front of her eyes? She raised her eyes to meet Stefan's sad ones, "We have been in a relationship for three months and I was oblivious to it."
Stefan could not believe that Caroline thought that everything they'd done in the last few months was friendship related. He was sure he had made it clear that he was in love with her. He would prove it to her now.
"How did I miss it?" Caroline wondered to herself. She had been living her dream with Stefan without even knowing it.
Stefan cradled Caroline's cheeks as pulled her lips to his. He waited with bated breath as he awaited her response. To his utter relief, after only a few seconds, she eagerly responded to him. Moaning he sucked her bottom lip into his mouth and devoured her mouth.
Caroline whimpered into Stefan's mouth, her hands fisting in his shirt and pulling him against her. He felt so good against her that she couldn't help rubbing herself against him. Now that she had looked back it was obvious that Stefan had feelings for her, how could she have been so blind? The only thing she needed now was confirmation from Stefan just what he felt.
Stefan swallowed every gorgeous moan and whimper that escaped Caroline's mouth. Her touch lit him on fire, and all he wanted was to take her to the nearest bed and make love to her until the end of time. Reluctantly he pulled away from her less he be truly tempted to make her his in every way. He stroked her cheeks gently, his filled with equal parts love and desire, gazed at her seriously and enunciated clearly, "I love you. Caroline Forbes. Be mine. Forever."
Caroline blushed and bit her lip, her eyes shining bright with happiness, "I love you too, Stefan." She leaned into his hand and gazed at him back with equal seriousness, "I am sorry that I was so oblivious to what was going on between us."
Stefan laughed and connected their lips together again.
He thought the last few months had been the happiest he had ever been. He was wrong. Nothing compared to the utter bliss of Caroline reciprocating his love and showering him in as much affection as he did her.
They would never be oblivious to each other again.
THE END