AN: We Persevere is my personal project to address the awful things of TVD Season 7 in the aftermath. This picks up right after the Steroline kiss in the finale, without the time jump to smooth over their issues. Many thanks to my beta bestie, the fabulous Twilight016!
"I lied earlier."
Stefan narrowed his eyes, unsure what she was talking about.
Scrunching her nose up, Caroline took a minuscule step toward him. "There was a thaw," she teased.
He huffed out a relieved laugh. When she didn't move, though, he sobered. Three years of missing this woman plus her understandable anger upon his return made him hesitant. His steps were measured as he kept his eyes on her face, prepared to pull back and redirect at the first sign of rejection.
But it was Caroline. She was warm, welcoming…waiting. She was waiting for him.
Pushing past his fear, Stefan reached up to gently hold her face. He didn't allow himself to hesitate anymore and brought his lips down to hers.
Caroline met the kiss, simple in its sweetness. He backed away, probably to gauge her reaction, but she refused to give him any reason to run. She smiled, helpless to do anything else when he was there with her.
When he didn't smile, she worried that all the fighting they after three years apart was all for something that wasn't there anymore. But he gulped, sending her all the way back to their very first kiss at her family cabin. He leaned into her again, effectively keeping her in the moment.
He could feel Caroline melt into their kiss, something inside him breaking free as her arms wrapped around his neck. He pulled her hips into him, crowding her closer. His arms had never felt so full, heavy as they were around her waist. For three years, he was terrified he would never have this again.
Stefan ran a hand up her back, squeezing at her neck as he ended the kiss with a few affectionate nips. "Finally," he sighed.
Leaning her forehead against his, Caroline giggled lightly. She felt breathless. "I'll say," she whispered, biting her lip. "Um, so what now?"
He nuzzled at her nose, more than content to stand there for another three years if she'd be there with him. "Well," he said, "Damon's okay, probably wants to drink away the rest of the night."
"Ric took the girls to my m- to my old house," she added, grinning at Stefan's jolt of surprise. "They're leaving tomorrow to pack up the Dallas house, a little daddy-daughter trip."
"Oh," Stefan exhaled. He hated the discomfort he felt at how casually Caroline could talk about her family when she held him at arm's length.
Threading her fingers through his hair, Caroline gently scratched at his scalp. "Hey," she said in a conciliatory tone. "I meant that I don't have anywhere else to be."
"Oh," he said more surely. The muscles of his face stretched unfamiliarly, like it had been too long since he really smiled. "In that case," he drawled out, hugging her tightly. "Let's go home."
She held his hand in the car, absently tangling her fingers through his all the way to the boarding house. Her nerves were buzzing with anticipation, so she turned the radio up to focus on anything else.
Caroline hummed along with the music, the throaty sound distracting in the best way. Stefan couldn't stop smiling. "I love you," he said, unable to hold it in. Even after everything, this moment was perfect to him.
The humming stopped, and Stefan looked over to find her watching him. Her grip on his hand had gone slack, though he could sense the panic racing through her. "Caroline," he said, unworried as he brought their hands to his lips. "I'm not leaving you again, even if you can't say it back yet. I will happily prove it every day."
"I want to believe you," she answered softly, meeting his gaze in the darkness.
"I'll take it," he replied with a shrug, smiling when she rolled her eyes. God, had he missed her.
Pulling into the driveway, Stefan sighed in relief as he turned off the ignition. "What is it about coming home that's so cathartic?"
Caroline immediately thought of Josie and Lizzie. "If you're lucky, it's a place of unconditional love," she answered, shyly looking over to him. She couldn't give him the words, but he did have a place in her heart. "Whatever happens in the rest of the world doesn't have to matter when you're home."
Stefan's hand drifted up into her hair, grinning at her explanation and feeling particularly at home just sitting in the car with her.
Before their staring contest could get even more intense, Caroline opened her door and pulled away laughing. "Come on," she ordered when he didn't move. "I could use a drink."
He watched her bounce impatiently until he got out of the car, taking her hand in his before heading inside the boarding house.
Pouring a second glass of bourbon, Caroline smiled as Stefan lit the fireplace. "Did you hear back from Damon?"
"No," Stefan answered, remembering the text she made him send about giving them the night. He checked her phone that was sitting on the coffee table. "Bonnie answered yours, though. She's at the cabin, waiting for Enzo to bring Damon back."
Caroline snorted, handing Stefan his drink. "That won't be awkward at all," she joked.
The way it hit Stefan's ear made their own situation more awkward than it should have been. Setting his glass aside, he reached for her waist. "Caroline-"
"Not tonight," she pleaded, tired of the awkwardness, too. "Let's not talk about it anymore. I just- I've missed you so much. I'm tired of hurting."
Pinching his eyes shut, Stefan leaned his face into her neck. He hated the pain in her voice; he hated that he was the one to hurt her. His lips landed against her throat. "I'm sorry," he murmured.
Slowly, Caroline pulled his face up to hers. She gently wiped a tear from his eye, ignoring her own streaming down her cheek. Trailing kisses from his eyes down to his lips, she whispered, "We'll be better."
"We will," he promised, quiet and determined. He cradled her close, reverent in the way he kissed her. Feathering his lips against hers, he questioned why it took him so long to get back to this. One of her hands cupped the back of his neck, and he could feel her finally smile in their embrace. When the other hand picked its way underneath his shirt to stroke at his back, he smiled, too. "Are you trying to seduce me?"
Her smile turned coy as she pulled back, plucking at his jacket. "Is it working?"
With a wicked grin, he flashed them up to his bedroom before she could blink.
Caroline gasped at the rush, and her eyes widened in the dark room. Licking her lips, it finally hit her. She was in Stefan's bedroom, with Stefan. In three years, she hadn't-
"Give me a minute," she asked uncertainly, heading toward the bathroom. "Let me freshen up?"
He nodded, turning to light yet another fireplace. The mood lighting could only help; the night felt oddly like their first time all over again…again. The feeling only got more nerve-wracking the longer Caroline was in the bathroom.
After a full five minutes, Stefan knocked on the door. "Caroline, are you okay?"
Her voice was small in the other room. "No."
Stefan opened the door slowly to find her backed against the counter, hiding her face in her hands. "Hey," he said, gliding his hands up her arms. "What's wrong?"
"I want you," she answered.
While those words might have sent a rush of pleasure through him, it was immediately dampened by her miserable tone. He hugged her, brushing a hand over her hair as she breathed into his shirt. She didn't seem to be crying, but Stefan's heart clenched at her obvious stress. "Breathe, Caroline," he said calmly, just like the night she turned years earlier.
"I'm sorry," she groaned, embarrassed. This was Stefan; he had seen her at her worst. It wasn't like they hadn't slept together before. "I haven't-"
"It's okay," he assured her, pressing his lips against her temple. "We've got all the time in the world," he said, unbelievably happy at how true that statement was. "Do you want to borrow more comfortable clothes to sleep in?"
She bit her lip, a grateful smile peeking out. "Something flannel," she joked weakly.
Placing another kiss on her forehead, he smiled. "You got it."
Caroline watched him go, only to laugh when a flannel shirt was tossed through the door. It was followed by a pair of sweatpants, which had her smiling at the consideration. Even if it took her a while to process the situation, he was still Stefan, and he would wait for her to be ready.
As he sat on his bed waiting for Caroline to come back, Stefan couldn't tamp down the smile on his face. Despite her worries, the domesticity felt right. The peaceful calm washed over him when she appeared in his doorway. She had foregone the sweatpants, her lean legs were covered only by the length of the flannel shirt. Stefan swallowed at the sight, distracting himself with her bashful smile instead. "Hey."
Her smile grew wider at the familiar greeting. She drew toward the bed, climbing into the other side. Stefan turned to face her as they both lie down, and she couldn't resist stealing a good night kiss. Nipping at his lip, the arousal still fought for satisfaction. "Are you sure-"
"I just want to hold you," he admitted, pulling her close. "You're here with me, that's all the matters."
Settling against his chest, Caroline let sleep overtake her. Everything else could wait until tomorrow.
Stefan awoke slowly, a luxury he had yet to get used to since losing the scar. He took in the room around him, the feeling of home second only to the warm bed. He reached a hand across the sheet, frowning when a certain blonde wasn't there. "Caroline?"
"Here," she said as she walked in the door. Still in his shirt, she held a mug in one hand and a blood bag in the other. She sat next to where he lay on the bed, holding out both options. "Coffee or breakfast?"
Tugging lightly on the flannel, Stefan pulled her closer for a lingering kiss. He smiled sleepily as he accepted the coffee. "Good morning," he said quietly.
Caroline met his gaze seriously as she sipped at the blood bag. Setting it aside, she kept her eyes on his. "Good morning," she replied, her voice husky. She leaned in, taking his lips in a deeper kiss.
Happy to reciprocate, Stefan quickly put the mug on his nightstand without leaving Caroline's lips. When her tongue slipped in with purpose, though, he pulled back. "Caroline, we don't ha-"
"I know," she answered with a calm smile. "I want to. It seems silly to keep waiting for a happily ever after when it's right here." His hair had gone limp during sleep, and she tenderly pushed it off his forehead. "You're right here," she whispered.
Sitting up, Stefan gathered her into his arms. "I'm here," he affirmed, trailing his hand up to hold her cheek. "And I'm not leaving you again."
"Then what are we waiting for," she asked, smile bright. She crowded closer as she kissed him, leading him to lay back on the bed. Her hand began to wander into his shirt when the front door burst open downstairs.
"Damon and Enzo are missing," Bonnie announced in a frantic voice.
Caroline sighed as Stefan froze. "Coming, Bonnie," she called out, placing a light kiss on Stefan's cheek. "It'll be fine," she assured him, even if Damon getting into trouble always seemed to ruin everything.
She pulled him out of bed, but Stefan's thoughts were crashing around him. He had been so worried about keeping Caroline that he forgot all about his own brother. Once it hit him, he flashed downstairs to meet Bonnie in the foyer. "What happened?"
"They never made it back to the cabin," Bonnie explained, worried. "I fell asleep waiting, so I didn't even notice until I woke up. They're not answering their phones."
"Okay," Caroline said, having arrived at a human pace. "Stefan will give you some blood for a locator spell. They're probably just holed up in a bar, celebrating."
With the way Bonnie was shaking, Stefan didn't think that was the case.
"They can't stand each other unless I'm there," she pointed out. "And I can't do a locator spell."
"Why not?" Stefan asked, gripping Bonnie's shoulder to keep her steady. When she didn't answer, his concern grew to panic. "Why not, Bonnie?"
Sighing, the witch's wide eyes met his. "My magic is gone."