"Here you are," Stefan called across the dark lawn as he spotted Caroline, "I wondered where you'd snuck off to."

He smiled as he approached her, swinging a bottle of wine in his hand as he walked. She was rocking gently back and forth in the hammock, using one pink nailed toe to push against the ground and keep herself in motion. Her other leg bent up next to her. One long arm lay behind her blonde curls as a pillow. The other rested atop her flat stomach. The flimsy linen of her dress draped itself haphazardly across her pale thigh, ruffling up with every light gust of the unseasonably warm spring wind. The moonlight and porch light fought for the right to bath her in their glow. Stefan raked his eyes across her shamelessly.

"Yeah," she said, lazily, barely opening one eye, "I just had to get out of there for a while."

Stefan nodded in agreement. The Salvatore mansion had never been the pinnacle of happiness, but lately, the tension was unbearable from every direction. His mother wasn't adjusting to modern life in the least. Damon and Elena were always fighting. Damon and Bonnie were usually fighting. Bonnie and Elena's friendship, which Stefan had secretly doubted the validity of for the past few years anyway, hummed with a sort of charged negativity that was on the verge of explosion.

His eyes squinted a little in distaste at the thought. Caroline's melodic voice through the darkness immediately soothed him, ironing the wrinkle from his brow.

"This is niiiice," she drawled in a silly voice , "I'm so glad I had the idea to put a hammock out here."

"Was it your idea?" he teased, walking up until she was bumping into him softly with each swing, "Hmm, I thought it was my idea."

"Nope," she replied, immediately, eyes closed in relaxation, "Definitely my idea." Her fingers reached out to playfully grab the leg of his jeans as she swung near him.

"Hmm," he considered, suddenly flopping into the swing next to her without warning.

She squealed and held on as they swung out of control for a moment before slowly back into a gentle sway. Caroline wriggled the wine bottle from Stefan's hand and took a long drink.

"Hey," Stefan complained, "Save some for the alcoholics."

Caroline giggled as she swallowed and pressed the back of her hand to her mouth.

Comfortable silence settled on them. Caroline pulled both legs up and leaned them against Stefan's hips as his long leg took over swinging them. Her head found its way to his chest, his hand tangled into her hair. It was the way they operated these days. Connecting physically as a means of comfort. He was never happier than when he was all wrapped up in Caroline. The tension between them was different than the kind that fogged its way through the rest of the house. It was deliciously torturous. Something was coming for all of them. But what was coming for Stefan and Caroline…it was something amazing.

Stefan pressed his lips to her forehead. She didn't even try to hide the little purr of happiness that escaped her as she cuddled more soundly against him.

"I'm glad we're friends again," she said, the sound muffled against the fabric of his shirt. She punctuated the thought by snaking an arm across his hard stomach and tossing her long leg across his thigh. It was his turn to purr.

"Hmmm," he sighed into her hair, pulling her tighter against him, "Is that what we are?"

"Yep," she said, just as casually as when they'd been talking about the hammock, "Definitely."

Stefan looked at the top of her head until she finally looked up at him and smiled a brilliant smile. The warm breeze blew a strand of hair across her face that caught on her freckled nose. He brushed it away with his index finger before replacing it with his lips.

She was right. They were friends. And so much more than that.