A/N: Of course I wrote something Steroline. They're about to SPOILER kiss next week. If you have an requests on Steroline stories message me or ask on my tumblr. My url is thestarsofme. Thanks for reading!
It's been two weeks now.
Two weeks that Caroline was Stefan's and Stefan was Caroline's.
They've spent everyday together and with the small time they've officially been dating they have developed habits.
Like Caroline's favorite.
The two of them lying side by side in silence as they stare at the sky or the ceiling.
It sounds boring but it was perfect to Caroline. Just her and him and nothing else, just being with someone that was finally hers.
They do it a lot but it never feels like it's enough. Sometimes it's at random or one of them just lays down and the other follows. Caroline doesn't know how they even started but it was something she really enjoyed doing with him.
Especially when they would just be lying side by side and Stefan would entwine their fingers or he'd move so he could pull her head onto his shoulder and she was wrapped up in his arms.
She had already liked Stefan's scent before but now it was intoxicating. It made her want to melt into him, it made her lose her mind, as soon as she caught a whiff any rational thinking was out the window.
But she held on. She just let him hold her and it was enough.
Tonight they had fallen into their habit.
Caroline had come over on request because he just wanted to see her.
They ate a small dinner that they made together, had a few drinks, sat down by the fireplace in the parlor and talked. Of course they had kissed, what new couple wouldn't?
But once the silence had struck, Stefan laid on his back and Caroline followed suit.
They lay there next to each other in silence and listened to the fire cackle.
At some point though, Stefan had entwined their fingers and Caroline let the heat pass through her. She loved that she still got that nervous butterfly feeling with Stefan. It made everything feel more real to her. That this was reality and Stefan was hers and no one elses, his heart belongs to her.
He had caught her off guard though when he let out a small laugh.
Caroline turned her head to look at him.
"What's so funny?"
He looked back at her with a smile.
"I was just thinking of the first time we met."
Caroline thought back. She remembered when she had seen him walking down the hallway, the time she tried to talk to him in class, but with those memories she remembered how different she used to be. How shallow she was.
"Oh my god, don't remind me," Caroline said putting her hands on her face. She didn't really like remembering who she used to be, it made her stronger but she didn't like how she used to treat her friends and her mom.
"Was meeting me that bad? I know I was mean to you but that's harsh Care," he said. Stefan wasn't upset he was just teasing her.
She lifted her hands from her face. "What do you mean?"
Stefan moved his head closer to hers. "I was actually talking about the time at the bonfire party when I first came to town."
Caroline remembered now.
She remembered being drunk. She remembered trying to flirt with him. She remembered him rejecting her.
That felt like a billion years ago.
"Why were you thinking about that?" Caroline asked. She didn't know why but that scared her a little bit.
Stefan was quiet. His gaze moved to the ceiling and it made Caroline nervous.
"I've only been in love a few times and if I was honest, they didn't turn out so great. I loved as hard as I could, I sacrificed what I could, I did everything I needed to do to keep them in my life, but somehow they always left."
Stefan got silent.
"They left me."
Caroline's heart skipped a beat.
"So it surprises me a little bit that all these years when I thought I had finally let go I ended up letting them right back into my life, whether I had known it or not."
He squeezed her hand.
"And it just started all over again. I loved too much, I sacrificed too much, and they left me. So I was thinking back to that night because the girl I had met actually turned out to be the girl I didn't know I was looking for. The one who wouldn't make me feel like I did too much to love her and keep her. She cherished me, and everything I did for her, she never took it for granted."
"It was you this whole time Caroline and I regret it took me so long to realize it," Stefan said to her and she could see the sadness in his eyes.
Caroline scooted closer to him. She put her hand on his cheek and he closed his eyes. She gave him a small kiss which he had gladly returned.
She looked into his eyes and held his gaze. She wanted him to understand. "You don't have to apologize Stefan. Don't ever apoligize about what you feel. At that time we were two different people, especially me. I probably would have hurt you like that because I never felt like anything was enough, but who I am now, you're right. I cherish you and I am thankful for the things you do for me."
Stefan pulled her closer and left a kiss on her forehead. She wanted to curl into him and just stay close to him forever.
"To think, you've been here this whole time. I really was a fool."
"I'm always going to be here Stefan. I'm not going anywhere."
"And I'll go wherever you go."
Caroline smiled. "Promise?"
Stefan smiled back. "Promise."
He pulled her into a kiss and Caroline let herself lose control.
His fingers were a flame dancing across her skin. His lips were a cloud that she wanted to float away on. Her whole body was lost to him, she felt nothing but Stefan Salvatore.
The kisses they shared were always gentle. It felt more intimate to Caroline how slow they took it, that Stefan seemed to really want to memorize the taste of her. She really loved to feel him, physically and emotionally.
Maybe it was just her love for him talking but his kisses were by far her favorite. Caroline doesn't believe she'll ever enjoy anyone else's kisses like she enjoys Stefan's.
When they broke apart Stefan nuzzled her face and Caroline wrapped her arm around him and pulled him closer to her.
"I wanna say it, but it's not the time," he whispered in her ear.
Her heart pounded and her hand knotted in his shirt.
"Don't say it, not now. I want to hear it, but don't," she said.
"I wanna hear you say it," Stefan told her running his fingers through her hair.
She shook her head. "I can't, not right now anyway. When the time is right though, we'll both say it."
He kissed her neck. "I can't wait for that day."
She put her head on his chest. She couldn't wait either.
To hear the words 'I love you' come from his mouth and to look at him as she said the words in return.
"I really did eat my words though didn't I?" Stefan said.
Caroline couldn't help but let a small giggle escape.
"'Caroline, you and me...it's not gonna happen,'' Caroline said trying to impersonate Stefan's voice.
He laughed.
"So how'd that work out for you Mr. Salvatore?"
He held her tighter and placed another kiss on her neck. "I'd say it worked out pretty well. To think though it took for you to say you didn't want to be friends anymore that I realized I was falling for you."
"Don't ever let go of the good things," Caroline said to him.
She could feel his smile.
"I won't ever again and to make sure of that I want to tell you something."
He pulled out of their embrace and moved to hold Caroline's hand on his chest, fingers entwined.
"Caroline, you and me...it's gonna be forever."
Happiness swelled in her heart and she couldn't fight the smile that was playing on her lips. One lone tear escaped because she was so happy and Stefan wiped it away with the pad of his thumb.
He left his hand on her cheek and she leaned into it.
After they shared one last kiss, Stefan pulled pillows and a blanket off the couch. Once they were comfortable he wrapped them in the blanket and Caroline put her head on his chest.
They fell asleep with their hands weaved together.