Caroline giggled as Stefan walked her to her room after the evening they had spent out at the grill with Damon and Elena. They were talking about random, meaningless things, mainly about the people they had seen that night.
"Goodnight, Stefan," she whispered against his cheek after pressing a soft kiss to it when they reach the door to the guest bedroom next to his. It had became hers ever since she had come to live in the boarding house.
"You know, we could carry on in, say, my room?" he tried nonchalantly, shooting her his boyish grin.
"Oh, I know. I have known since the first time you mentioned it a couple of months ago when I moved in," Caroline brushed off with a shake of the head and a soft smile, placing a hand on the door handle.
"My bed is much more comfier," Stefan insisted pointedly, causing her to raise a brow in scepticism.
"How would you know? You haven't tried mine," she told him, pretty sure he would never have slept in any of the beds in the house apart from his own, whether he needed to or not.
Perking up, he tilted his head to the side and smirked. "Is that an invitation?"
"Goodnight, Stefan," she laughed, throwing her head back and opening the door to enter her room.
"Goodnight, Caroline," he sighed after her. She could hear his footsteps slowly retreat and enter his own bedroom as she gently closed her door with a smile gracing her features as she thought over his offer in her mind whilst getting ready for bed like she usually did.
…
"Stefan!" she shouted in a mix of anger and confusion when she entered her bedroom after an afternoon of shopping with Elena. A warm breeze met her the moment she opened her door.
"I'm right next door. There's no need to yell," Stefan grumbled, approaching her slowly with a lazy smile. She stood in the doorway, bags still in hand, and twirled the instant he appeared next to her.
"Isn't there?! 'Cause my bedroom suddenly has no windows!" she exclaimed, throwing out a shopping-laden hand towards the wall which usually boasted of three amazing, huge windows. Now, there were three amazing, huge holes.
Peering over her shoulder, he met her eyes again with an innocent look, hands clasped behind his back. "Didn't I mention? I'm having them changed to reinforced glass," he told her matter-of-factly and with a simple shrug.
"In case someone decided to shoot at me?" Caroline asked incredulously, her voice still slightly raised and her brows pinched in annoyance.
"Among other reasons, yes," Stefan replied earnestly, making her sigh in defeat. "Is there a problem? I was only thinking of your wellbeing."
Rolling her eyes, she shook her head and dumped her shopping onto her bed. She couldn't deny that reinforced windows in the bedroom wasn't entirely the worst idea (especially with her tendencies of attracting trouble), but it did put a small dent in her routine for the day.
A small pout formed on her mouth when she recalled their plans for the evening. "I needed to shower before we went out for dinner. I can't with people working right outside my bedroom."
"Oh. I guess that is a problem," Stefan muttered, pursing his lips as he glanced over to the workers outside the windows. "You're more than welcome to use my bathroom, Caroline. In fact, why don't you just get ready there?"
Narrowing her eyes at him, Caroline thought over his words for a second before nodding, realising she had played right into his hands with this. "Yeah, alright," she said, doing her best to keep the slight amusement out of her voice as she headed to her wardrobe to gather the stuff she would need.
"And if the work isn't finished by the time we get back, you're also welcome to stay in my room," he added offhandedly, covertly peering into her shopping bags to see what she had brought.
Their relationship moved at the pace Caroline was comfortable with, and though they had technically already slept together, it was still a step in their new relationship they had yet to take. And seeing the lingerie in the bag in front of him on her would be well worth the wait.
"Now you're pushing it," she scoffed, shooting him a warning look to get away from her shopping when she moved to her bathroom to collect her toiletries.
Stefan stepped back and sighed dramatically. "Can you blame a guy for trying?"
…
Caroline rolled her eyes affectionately as she walked back over to her bed after inserting the DVD into her TV. Stefan laid propped up against her pillows, looking adorable under her pink and purple sheets, fidgeting uncontrollably with a scowl on his face.
"I wasn't lying when I said my bed was more comfortable," he muttered, relaxing and ceasing his continuous shuffling the moment she slid back into bed and settled next to him. His dramatics weren't lost on her, but she chose not to comment on it simply because she had enjoyed it far more than she should have.
"Do you have a TV?" she asked dryly, to which he pursed his lips and stared over at her, unimpressed. "Exactly."
"If I get a TV, will you move in with me?" he asked hopefully.
"I already live with you, don't I?" Caroline replied without missing a beat, glancing over at him as she arranged the sheets around them and fluffing up the (luxury) pillows behind her.
"I mean, my room," Stefan clarified, taking the bowl of popcorn she passed over to him from her bedside table before she turned off the lamp.
"I know what you mean, hon," she told him softly, laying her head against his shoulder and gently nudging his arm until he moved it with an exaggerated sigh and a loving smile to circle around her shoulders. "I'm still not ready," she added, looking up at him.
"If you say so," he replied coolly, though the smile that remained on his features told her that he understood (even if he didn't want to). Turning back to the TV, Caroline grabbed the remote and started up the DVD. "What are we watching? And why do we have to do it in bed?"
"Because 'Elf' has to be watched in bed the night before Christmas! Its tradition," she informed him, grabbing a couple of popcorn kernels and chewing on it thoughtfully. Considering this was the first time she was actually watching 'Elf'with him (or anyone, for that matter), it couldn't be a 'tradition' until it was repeated a couple of times. "Well, it will be from now on."
Stefan groaned as the movie began, "I have to watch this every year now?" he questioned in disbelief and throwing a handful of popcorn into his mouth.
"I'm sure Enzo wouldn't mind joining me in bed if you choose not to," Caroline said with a lopsided shrug, eyes glued to the screen of her favourite Christmas movie.
"The things I do for you, Caroline," he groaned. Tucking her face into his neck, she pressed her lips to his smooth skin in a silent thank you before returning to her position to enjoy her movie. "And yet, you simply won't move into my room."
…
"Hey, I need to get ready in your room. Is that ok?" Caroline asked as she burst into his room, not waiting for his answer as she walked straight to his ensuite bathroom with an armful of makeup and a hair straightener.
"Sure. Why?" Stefan questioned following her. He wasn't invited to the girl's night out her and Elena had planned for the evening (obviously) but that wouldn't stop him from enjoying her beauty until she left.
"I left half my stuff here last time so instead of dragging it all back, I figured I'd just bring the rest I need here," she replied, voice echoing off the bathroom walls. He leaned against the doorjamb with his arms crossed, eyes gazing over the small collection of items on the counter he had noticed she had left behind a few weeks earlier when her windows were being renovated. Catching his eyes via the mirror, she smiled sweetly and gave a small shrug as she added, "Also, you have better lighting and mirrors."
"Bring as much stuff as you want" he told her, grinning smugly at the fact that her things were slowly starting to migrate into his room. There wasn't much but it was a start.
Throwing him a bemused look at the scarily self-satisfied smile, Caroline shook her head when he simply looked back without a hint of coyness. "When did you get a TV, by the way?" she asked, seeing the rather big flatscreen mounted to the wall opposite his bed behind him.
Glancing over his shoulder, he waved a hand dismissively as if it wasn't a big deal (and as if it hadn't been a direct result of their Christmas Eve conversation). "Oh, that? I've had it for a while."
"No, you haven't. It wasn't there last week," she countered in amusement, finishing on her hair and moving onto her makeup.
Stefan's brow furrowed, looking slightly taken aback by her comment. "Why were you in my room last week?"
Freezing halfway in opening her bottle of mascara, Caroline cleared her throat and purposely avoiding his eyes as she focused on her makeup. "I- I mean, I just needed- You see, I sleep in your shirts, right?" she asked rhetorically, not adding how she had also taken the time to use the cosmetics she had left in his bathroom rather than take it back with her. It was a dangerous game she was playing, she knew it, but the slow pace was the pace she was comfortable with.
"Ah, so you're my clothes thief. I thought it was Damon," he stated with a smirk and a low chuckle.
…
Snuggling deeper into Stefan's light duvet, she pulled up her knees to her chest so she could pull the covers up to her chin. The pillows behind her back and shoulders were as fluffy as clouds and the mattress seemed to perfectly mould to her body no matter how often she moved or the position she was in.
"Your bed really is comfy," she sighed contently when he re-entered the room with the popcorn she had asked him to fetch for them. A movie night wasn't complete without it, and she was trying to get him into the little human rituals she had grown up loving simply to make new memories with him. She was lucky he did almost anything she asked of him.
"It could be our bed," he pointed out suggestively, balancing the bowl of popcorn on her knees as he joined her in bed. Caroline scowled at his actions, upset she was forced to bring her arms out of the cocoon she had created for herself to grab onto the snack before it split everywhere.
Huffing, she threw the remote control into his lap once he was settled. "Start the movie, would you?" she insisted, changing the subject and munching on the popcorn as she did so.
"Half of your stuff's in my room," Stefan added even as he did as she asked and started the movie she had chosen for that night; 'Despicable Me'.
"Yeah, 'cause you've made space for it and now it'd just leave your room look empty if I took it back," Caroline retorted, ignoring the fact that now her stuff had slowly started to shift into his room, her own room had began looking slightly empty (even if she tried to restock with more shopping trips). "Nice vanity table, by the way. Is that where you do your makeup?" she teased, regarding the antique table that had recently made its home next to his walk-in closet.
"My hair, actually," he replied dryly, finally starting the movie and shuffling down in the bed to rest alongside her as she laughed at the image his response had conjured.
…
The sound of the shower being turned off was the first thing that registered in Caroline's mind when she woke up. The room was still dark and one peek over her shoulder showed the outline of the moonlight around the curtains. With a sigh, she curled back up under the duvet, inhaling deeply at both the familiar scent that was Stefan and the fresh smell that was his bodywash.
"Is this what it takes for you to move into my room?" his voice rang through the covers as she blinked up at him when he entered the room with a towel wrapped low on his hips.
"You're back!" she exclaimed sleepily, freeing her arms from under the covers to reach out to him when he approached the bed and leaned over to kiss her chastely. "Hmm, I missed you," she whispered against his lips when they broke apart, pressing a quick peck before he backed away completely.
"I can tell," Stefan smiled, smoothing a hand over her hair before trailing it down her arm and eventually resting on her waist as he perched on the edge of his bed. "If I had known, I would have gone away a long time ago."
Smiling, she shook her head and waved a finger at him. "Don't read anything into it, babe. Your bed is amazing and you were away. I felt closer to you here."
"My bed is still amazing with me here; more actually," he told her, licking his lips and smiling softly. His thumb strummed against her hipbone lazily as he lowered his voice to add, "And we can definitely be closer."
Rolling her eyes, Caroline poked him in his towel-clad thigh and pouted. "Its the middle of the night; do you really want to have this conversation now or get into bed with me?" Stefan's grin was bright enough to light up the room, causing her to giggle as she fought against him trying to lift the covers and climb in with her in his current state of undress. "After you put on some pants."
…
Even at her most stealthiest, she should have known nothing got past Stefan. He was awake the moment she stepped foot into his room, tiptoeing over the threshold and closing the door behind her almost silently.
"Caroline? What's wrong?" he asked her, voice husky yet clearly underlined with concern.
"Bad dream," she answered timidly, hurrying her steps now she had been found out and climbing into his bed without waiting for permission. She guessed she had an open invitation considering he had been asking her to move into his room since the moment they had embarked on this relationship.
Laying her head onto the edge of his pillow, she pressed herself up against him as he turned over from his stomach onto his side. His arm went around her waist to hold her there, and Caroline couldn't help but work a leg between his to anchor herself to him.
"Do you want to talk about it?" he asked gently, pushing her hair back from her face as she shook her head.
"I just want to sleep," Caroline said, burying her nose into his shoulder and closing her eyes, hoping having him surrounding her would be enough to chase away the awful memories that had chosen to rear their ugly head that night in the form of night terrors.
"Ok," she heard him murmur into her hair as he rubbed soothing circles between her shoulder blades. It was enough to make her relax completely.
"Stefan?"
"Hmm?"
"I love you," she confessed for the first time against his warm, bare skin. A small smile curved on her lips as she felt him tense, pausing in his actions on her back momentarily before slowly easing back into a more relaxed state.
"I love you, too."
…
Waking up the heavenly smell of coffee and pancakes, Caroline had to admit that her constant 'sleepovers' in Stefan's room were starting to pay off.
"Good morning, sleeping beauty," he greeted her as she blinked awake, accepted his kiss and the mug he passed into her hands as she sat up.
"Thank you," she smiled, taking a sip and humming appreciatively. "So, is this something that comes with the room?" she asked, carrying on to clarify at his look of confusion. "The breakfast in bed."
Arching a brow, Stefan eyed her for a second and asked carefully, "Will it persuade you?"
She laughed and pretended to think about it as she drank her coffee, watching him tidy up the room from the mess he had left after his morning shower. It was a habit she had unknowingly instilled in him, though she highly suspected his actions were more of a way to woo her into moving into his room than anything else.
"Definitely tips the scale," she finally admitted, a smile slowly appearing to the point where she had to bite her bottom lip simply to keep it in check and make him sweat it for a few more seconds. "Most of my stuff has migrated in here somehow, anyway. And I really do like your bed."
"That's it? No other reason?" Stefan queried sceptically, throwing his dirty clothes into the hamper in the corner of the room.
"Well, there is one other thing. Something I've been waiting on since I moved here, actually," she said slyly, placing her cup onto the bedside table and sitting up straighter against the headboard.
Making his way over to her, he smiled cockily from the end of the bed as he stood looming over. "Oh yeah? What could that possibly be?"
Leaning forwards in the bed, she crooked a finger at him to do the same to lessen the distance between them. Once she was happy with the anticipation she had built up, she lowered her voice and stated, "My own walk-in wardrobe." Giggling loudly at the exasperation on Stefan's face, she hurriedly raised to her knees and walked over to the end of the bed just as he turned away. "I'm kidding, I'm kidding!" she laughed, grasping onto his forearm before he could go anyway and tugging gently to make him face her once again just as she got her laughter under control. Reaching up with her free hand, she cupped his cheek tenderly. "All that is meaningless without you here. In your room."
"Our room," he quickly corrected her..
Trailing her hand down his chest, she gripped his shirt in a fist and pulled him towards her gently as she settled back onto her legs, forcing him to follow and hover over her. "Its not 'ours' until we christen it," she said suggestively.
A relieved but sensual smirk appeared on his lips as he wrapped an arm around her waist and pressed the other hand onto the mattress next to her. "Then lets make that happen."