It's not supposed to happen. Not all. Tyler isn't supposed to leave (again). Elena isn't supposed to go to Salem with Bonnie. It's not supposed to hurt this much. It's not supposed to rain. It's not their fault, not really. It's just bad timing and the rain, it's the rain's fault.
..
She's all wet when she arrives. Her blonde hair is almost dark, her mascara has left black marks on her cheeks. It's the rain's fault. All of it.
"I'm cold" she whispers.
"Come in" he says and lets her in.
It's the rain's fault. If it had been sunny, Caroline wouldn't have had to come to seek shelter. She could have gone right home. It's the rain's fault. All of it.
…
She undresses in his bedroom; he can smell her skin from the kitchen. It smells like sweat and rain and tears. She comes back wearing Elena's clothes. Her smell is mixed
with Elena's. It makes Stefan dizzy.
"I'm cold" she says again.
"I'll make you tea" he replies.
He puts the kettle on before realizing that she's a vampire. She wants blood.
"I'm fine" she whispers. "I don't need anything."
But he knows that that isn't true. Her hair is still wet. She's wearing Elena's clothes. She's not fine. But it's the rain's fault. All of it.
…
She can't leave because of the rain. Instead she curls up on the couch. He watches her. She meets his gaze.
"It's still raining" she says.
"Yeah" he agrees.
She smiles, it's a broken smile, but it's still a smile. He sits down next to her on the couch. He touches her wet hair, it smells even better up close.
"I'm cold" she says for the third time.
He kisses her. Her lips are icy, but it doesn't matter. He kisses her until they are warm. If it hadn't been raining, she wouldn't be this cold. And then he wouldn't have to make her warm again.
…
She gets out of Elena's clothes fast. There they lay, on the floor, tangled up. Stefan wants to tear them up, but Caroline distracts him. She pulls him down on the bed. The sheets are soft against his skin. Her smell is on him now, all over him. Everywhere her skin touches, he begins to smell like her. He pushes closer, wants to be one with her. Skin against skin. Lips against lips. Eyes locked. Until it's over.
"I'm not cold anymore" Caroline whispers.
…
He sees her across the hall. She's reading a book, probably last minute cramming for a test. She doesn't see him. He swallows.
"Let's get to class" Elena says.
He looks down on her. She smiles. He smiles back. The love of his life. The girl he'll marry. It's her.
"Yeah" he agrees.
…
"Don't worry" she hisses in his ear during lunch. "Your secret's safe with me."
"Caroline…" he begins.
Her hair is blonde today, not wet at all. Her face is perfect, no running mascara. And she smells just like girl's do, like perfume and lotion and estrogen.
"It's the rain's fault" he blurts out.
She shakes her head just a fraction.
"Can't we just forget about it all?" he begs.
"Sure. It didn't mean anything anyway."
No, nothing. It was all about the rain. About her being wet and cold. About her wearing Elena's clothes and smelling good.
...
It meant nothing. That's why it's so strange that when Stefan comes home, he goes straight to his room, picks up his sheets and smells them. They still have her scent on them. He closes his eyes. It was the rain's fault. All of it. Right?