"You've bought fireworks and firecrackers? Really?" Stefan asked, going down the steps of the porch to stand beside her on the sidewalk.
"It's the first 4th of July that we spend together, Stefan. Don't screw it up" she said, looking at him with narrowed eyes.
"No, it's not that" he said, and he kissed her head, wrapping her shoulders with his arm and tangling his fingers in her hair. "At the end I've become addicted to your madness."
Caroline smiled and started to prepare one of the sparklers as she pulled out a lighter, enthusiastically, but Stefan snatched it from her hands before she could turn it on.
"Hey!" she exclaimed.
"Caroline, not that I don't trust you, but do you know what you're doing? Have you ever lit a sparkler? Besides, it's not even 12, we have 10 minutes left. Shouldn't we wait for the rest of the people to set off their fireworks too?"
"I wanna be the first one to do it" she said, taking the lighter from his hands. "And… yeah, I may have never lit a sparkler, but that's why this is fun!"
Stefan bit the inside of his cheek and shook his head. He could never say no to anything she said when she looked at him with such enthusiasm and that sparkle in the eyes that showed she was happy.
"Okay."
Caroline smiled and Stefan placed his hand on her shoulder as she lit the sparkler. It flew quickly, but headed for the wrong spot. Instead of flying vertically into the sky, it went straight toward a neighbor's car, exploding against the hood and setting off the alarm.
"Shit!" Stefan and Caroline said at the same time, crouching behind her car to hide.
They heard the neighbor coming out, yelling and complaining aloud, waving his fist in the air. Caroline was about to laugh and Stefan had to cover her mouth with his hand so they were not heard. He could not help but smile and laugh quietly at seeing how her face turned red because she could not laugh.
Stefan shook his head, uncovering her mouth to press his lips against hers, both of them smiling.
"See? I warned you" he said.
"Do you think he saw us?" Caroline asked, standing up after they heard the door of the neighbor closing.
"No, but we should get in anyway. Besides, the firework display starts in 5 minutes, come on" Stefan took her hand and they went into the house.
They went upstairs and headed for the balcony of what had been Liz's bedroom. Stefan wrapped her waist with his arms behind her and rested his chin on her shoulder as they watched the citizens of Mystic Falls walking around the streets with firecrackers.
The display was about to start when raindrops began to fall.
"The show of fireworks is canceled!" one of the neighbors announced.
"What?" Caroline said. "No, I can't believe it!" she folded her arms and frowned when it was 12am and no fireworks appeared in the sky. "It was going to be our first 4th of July, and I really wanted to see the show, and…"
"Caroline…" Stefan kissed her neck to calm her.
"First, the thing of the neighbor's car, and now this. How can it rain in the 4th of July?"
"Caroline…" Stefan kissed her cheek and she sighed.
"What?"
"We can make our own fireworks" he said. Caroline turned to him, confused.
"Oh, really? And how-"
Stefan leaned toward her and kissed her. Caroline smiled against his lips and wrapped his neck with her arms as he guided their steps towards the bed. He was right. Their firework display was even better.