A/N: From here on out, the updated chapters of this fanfiction are probably going to be very different from what you remember, if you ever read this before I deleted it. Enjoy!
CAROLINE'S POINT OF VIEW
I wake up with a smile and the sun streaming through the window, and my face basking in the sunlight. I look around and realize I'm in a strange bed, wrapped in silky, blood red sheets. I'm dressed in a light blue tank top with lace spaghetti straps and a pair of nude, lacy panties.
I look to my left and there he is, laying on his stomach, his face away from me. His dirty blonde hair is messed up and his arm is lying next to his head on his pillow. He has no shirt on and I see his triangle tattoo on his shoulder blade. I look under the sheets, just to make sure he has boxers on, and thankfully, he does.
I shift positions from my back and carefully set my head on his back, my cheek lying against his skin, and begin to lightly trace random shapes up and down the length of his spine. I move my head from its position and put my chin on his shoulder blade, still tracing shapes, and occasionally writing my name in cursive.
About twenty minutes later he starts to stir, he flips over and lays on his back while I lean back a little and wait for him to get comfortable, then I lay my head back on his chest. I set my hand on his stomach, feeling his rock hard muscles, and not long after he moves his hand to mine and intertwines our fingers.
"Good morning, Caroline." He says in his sexy British accent, plus morning voice, breaking the silence. I think there is nothing hotter than a guy's morning voice. I can feel his other hand wrapping around my waist and his thumb rubbing circles over my hip.
"Morning, Klaus." I say to him through a smile, then look up to his face through my eyelashes. He dips his head closer to mine and presses his lips against mine. It makes my stomach flip a thousand times over. We've been doing a lot of kissing lately. I mean, I obviously don't have a problem with that though. His perfect, pink, luscious lips are so kissable, I would do it all day if I were allowed.
But that's the thing… I'm not. I'm supposed to be with Tyler. Lately we have just grown apart, and by lately I mean about two months ago. I realized that, after he came back, all I was really in love with was what we had, even though I didn't want it anymore. So one day, I sat down in my bedroom, by myself, and sorted out my feelings for Klaus. And I figured out that I wanted to be with him. His dangerous but caring façade really made my insides do somersaults. Slowly, I found myself wishing that Tyler's eyes were Klaus' bright ones, or that I wished I was pulling my fingers through dirty blonde hair instead of dark brown, and finally I wished that I was kissing a pair of full, dark pink lips instead of thin, pale ones.
I'm pulled back into reality with Klaus asking me a question. "What are you going to do today, darling?" He asks me, he moves his hand that is on my hip and starts pulling his fingers through my blonde tresses.
I take a deep breath then sit up and pull down my tank top that has risen above my bellybutton. "I will probably just hang out with Elena. Her and Damon broke up last night because she found out some interesting information that really changes everything." I start explaining while he sets his hand on my thigh.
"Well, that's good. I had never liked them together anyway." He tells me and I laugh, knowing that Klaus has always had a preference for Stefan, so he was very shocked and disappointed that Elena had chosen Damon. "I also heard that Stefan is back from wherever he has been." He says, and I know that I should tell him what happened to Stefan but that would put him in danger because he would go after Silas, and that wouldn't work out to well. I try to hide that I know something but as soon as he looks into my eyes, I can tell that I'm busted. "What is it, Caroline?"
"Well, I don't think that you're going to like what I'm about to say." I start and he nods for me to continue. "We figured out from someone, that Silas locked Stefan in a safe and… kind of pushed him in the quarry. And he was down there for like three months. But don't worry, he's back now and in the boarding house, and he's all safe and sound." I finish with an exasperated sigh. I look down at our interlocked fingers then look back up to his eyes to see a deadly expression behind them. "Klaus, no. Don't even think about it. I know you have this weird, special bromance with Stefan but going after Silas isn't going to do anything but get yourself killed." I alarm him as he starts to get up. He looks back at me then settles back down.
"Fine, only for you." He says, taking my hand back in his and pulling me down so I'm basically laying on his chest. I release a giggle, which makes him smile.
The time passes with us just laying there in comfortable silence, then he says he has to get up, which makes me sad. "How long are you going to be gone?" I ask him in an upset tone, as I get up and start to put my jeans on. Then I step into my socks and my boots and grab my black leather jacket and slip it up my arms then pull it around my torso to make sure it's snug. I finish putting my clothes on, and since he never answered, I go into the kitchen and start making a pot of coffee. While the coffee is brewing I hop up on to the counter, bow my head, and put my hands in my lap.
I hear footsteps walking towards the kitchen and I don't look up when Klaus steps through the doorway. I can feel his eyes on me as he walks towards the counter where I am sitting. "Caroline, will you look at me." I can feel the tears coming, and I am struggling to blink them back. He sets his hands on both of my thighs and starts rubbing them up and down in a comforting manner. "Caroline, please." He says to me and I shake my head no, I don't want him to see me cry. Next, I feel his pointer finger and his thumb under my chin pulling my head up to face him. He sees my tear-stained cheeks and instantly gets a worried look on his face. I start to cry harder and he pulls me into his arms for a hug. I immediately wrap my arms around his neck, bury my face in the little crook between his shoulder and neck, then I start to cry harder than I was a few seconds ago.
"Sweetheart, why are you crying?" I pull back and shrug my shoulders while using my thumb to wipe the tears off my face. "Are you worried about something?" He asks me and I think that is the right question to be asking. Because I am worried. Slowly I shake my head yes and put my hands back in my lap, which he grabs. "What are you worried about, darling?" He starts rubbing circles over my hands and I know my answer is going to be stupid.
I sniffle once more and then sit back on the counter a little bit more, "I'm worried that one day, you're not going to come back. And I'll be waiting, then you won't be here. You'll have probably found someone else that you l-" I try to continue but I am cut off by a pair of lips, lips that I know so well. He pulls back then looks straight into my eyes, "I would never, ever leave you, Caroline. And as for the last part about loving someone else, that's never going to happen either. I told you I planned on being your last love, and I am sticking to my word." He says to me through a smirk, then moves to get some coffee.
"You never answered my question, you know. How long are you going to be gone?" I remind him as he pours the coffee into the burgundy mug. But deep down, I don't want to know. He could finally finish what he started and have to stay in New Orleans forever, and I don't know how I could handle that.
I have become accustomed to being with him. The travelling back and forth, the late night dates. It's no trouble at all because I want to be with him. I don't know that I am in love with him, just yet, but it doesn't mean that couldn't happen. Because I'm pretty close to it, to saying those three words that I never thought I would say to this man. He used to be terrible and mean and just wanted to destroy everything. Then I finally got down to his core and saw that he is a really sweet person who is capable of love and compassion.
"I'm not sure how long, darling. I will try to make it short as always. Maybe I'll sneak back up here next weekend." He says, while handing me the cup of coffee he made just the way I like it. "But I have to go right now if I want to catch my flight. Are you okay with getting back to the boarding house?" Oh Klaus, always the one to worry about me.
"I'll be fine. Remember how I walked out here in the middle of the night? Wasn't scared then, not scared now." I smile proudly and hop off the counter. I set my mug down and he wraps his arm around my waist and we start walking to the front door. "That's my Caroline. So brave and fearless." He says laying a kiss on my cheek. He then opens the door, steps outside and walks down one stair. I follow suit but stay on the top step so now we are the same height.
I pull him in for another hug and feel his arms tightly weave around my waist. "I'm going to miss you." I say into his neck. His hand starts rubbing circles over my back and I pull away from the hug to look at him directly. "I'm going to miss you, too, love." He reciprocates to me. He then pulls me in for a chaste but passionate kiss. I smile as he pulls back, because I love the feeling of his lips on mine. He squeezes my hand once more before he starts to walk down the stairs toward a black Mercedes Benz that I didn't see last night.
"Be careful!" I yell to him as he steps in the driver's side, turns on the car, and waves to me before he pulls out of the driveway.
Wow, am I in deep with this guy.
After shutting everything off at the little cabin in the woods and locking it up, I head back to the boarding house.
Slowly walking through the threshold and closing the door carefully, I start to walk upstairs. I take off my shoes before walking on the wooden floor. I'm passing the kitchen and am almost to the stairs when I thought I heard a creak. But I bet it was nothing.
"Hey, Care!" I hear Stefan say behind me and nearly jump out of my skin. I hold my hand to my heart and turn around to face a smiling Stefan. "Did I… scare you?" He asks through a laugh. I shoot him a death glare and he holds his hands up in surrender. "Where were you?" He says walking back into the kitchen, and I follow.
"I just went for a walk." I tell him pouring myself another cup of coffee, then sitting at the table where he's already seated. I look up to see him shaking his head with a smile on his face. "I'm telling the truth." I whine.
"No, of course you are." He takes a sip of coffee then looks straight into my eyes.
"Stop it. Stop doing that eye thing." I tell him while covering my eyes with my hand while he laughs. "Fine, fine, you got me." I surrender even though he didn't do anything. "Can you keep a secret?" I ask him, leaning in close.
"Caroline, I have been friends with you for two and a half years. I think I can keep a secret." He tells me while filling his coffee cup to the brim, then sits down.
I tell him all about Klaus. I tell him how I love the way he says my name in the morning after we wake up. I tell him how I love the way he holds my hand while I'm upset. I tell him how I love the way he walks when he has his mind set on something. I tell him how I love the way his nose wrinkles when he laughs. Most importantly, I tell him that I would follow Klaus to the ends of the world if it ever came down to it.
"Wow, Caroline. That's…" He starts, moving to rinse out his coffee cup then puts it in the dishwasher.
"I know it's crazy. You don't hate me do you?" I ask him nervously, moving my index finger in circles on the rim of my mug.
"Caroline, I knew this would happen since the moment you laid eyes on him. It was only a matter of time, and quite honestly, I'm happy for you. He seems to make you happy and that's all it takes for me." He tells me, sitting down and grabbing my hands in his. I give him one of my big, ear-to-ear smiles then lay a kiss on his cheek.
"Thank you, thank you, thank you! It really means a lot!" I practically yell, pulling him in for a hug. I then hear footsteps upstairs and pull away. "How is she?" I ask him, moving over to the sink to turn the faucet on so she won't hear us. I then move back to the table to find Stefan with his head down.
"I really don't know," He looks up towards me, "I haven't talked to her since everything happened." He says putting his elbows on the table. Gosh, he loves her so much.
"Why don't you? Go talk to her." I ask him and he releases an airy laugh. "What? Don't laugh at me." I defend myself as he gets up and sits against the nearest counter.
"What would I talk about, Caroline? The way she broke my heart? The way she slept with my brother not even a day after we broke up? How my brother is an absolute douchebag for playing her? We have nothing else to talk about, Care." He says pacing the floor in front of me. He has a point, I mean I was no fan of Damon and Elena together, any more than the next guy, but I dealt with it because Elena seemed happy. But who ever knew that this whole thing could have been a game to Damon? There were times when you could have guessed it, but I never thought it would have been true.
"Don't talk to her about that stuff! Talk about how she's doing. How she's coping with this. What she misses most about her old life. REMINISCE! That's what you should do. Now, Stefan Antonio Salvatore, Go!" I finish with pushing him out of the kitchen and towards the stairs.
Try to be inconspicuous, Caroline. I tell myself. Because I have a diabolical plan. And that plan is to get Stefan and Elena back together.
STEFAN'S POINT OF VIEW
I knock on Caroline's bedroom door, the one Elena is staying in, and it immediately opens with a puffy-eyed, tear-stained Elena. She gives me a half smile and tells me to come in.
There is nothing more that I want than to bring her into my arms and say everything is going to be okay. All I want to do is press her lips against mine and feel her arms around my neck. All I want to do is be able to wake up next to her. All I want to do is get out of this Godforsaken town and take her with me, be able to hold her hand in public without my brother down our throats. All I want to do is be able to tell her that I love her more times than I can count, just so she doesn't forget it.
No, I don't want that anymore. I can't want that. She hurt me. I should hate her, I want to hate her. I just have to stop thinking like that. When she talks to me, that's all I should hear; her talking. I shouldn't listen to her dead heart beating. With time it will get easier to not want her. With time I will be able to walk by her, smile, then walk away like nothing happened. Soon enough, I'll be able to have a conversation with her without wanting to rip my ears off. I'll be able to listen to her voice without really caring what it will say.
"How are you doing?" I ask her while she sits on the bed. She fakes a smile then raises her head to me. She looks like she is in so much pain and I wish I could just take it away.
"Honestly, not so great. I kind of just wish he wasn't like that. I love him… so much. Even with all his faults." She says, standing up and walking over to the window where the sun has just started to rise. She always did like sunrises, and I liked watching sunrises with her. The way her eyes would light up, just at the sight of one. The early morning rays shining down on her beautiful olive skin, showing her pink, blushing cheeks.
I don't know what to say to her. So, I don't say anything. I walk away. I leave the room. I walk down the stairs and I walk out of the house. I do the most cowardly thing that I could possibly do.
I get in my car and go drink.
When I walk into The Grille, I look over to the bar and see Matt with a white towel over his shoulder and a silver cup, probably containing some mix of liquor and juice. I take my time walking over to him and sitting down on one of the tall stools. When he turns around and sees me, he nods his head and smiles. He smiles that All-American, small-town boy smile and I smile back.
"Hey, Stefan," he says, walking over to me and pulling the towel off of his shoulder.
"Hey, Matt," I greet him with the most genuine smile possible right now.
"What'll it be?" He says with a laugh and I even chuckle.
"You read my mind," I say then look behind him at the assortment of alcohol. "Three shots of Jose Cuervo."
"Ooh," he breathes out. "Bad day?"
"More like bad year."
He laughs and grabs three shot glasses from in front of him. He turns around and grabs the bottle full of tequila and pours until the glasses are full. I down them in three large gulps and push them back towards Matt.
"More?" He questions.
"I have a high tolerance when it comes to alcohol, remember?"
"Right, I should really stop questioning vampires." His voice drops to a whisper as he fills the shot glasses again. I drink them as fast as he pours, and soon, he stops asking if I want more. Once he sees an empty glass in front of me, he automatically fills them again.
Ten minutes later and probably… twenty shots in, Matt has this worried look on his face when he turns back to me.
"Can you get me a beer, Matty?" I say, the alcohol finally kicking in.
"I don't think that's a good idea."
"Come on, Matt, you've heard the saying right?" He shrugs his shoulders and nods for me to continue. "Liquor before beer, wait, no, no no. Beer before liquor, never sicker; liquor before beer…"
"In the clear." We say together.
"That's it!" I yell a little too loudly. "So go grab me a beer, Matthew Donovan!" I yell and look around at the people in the restaurant. "This here," I start, looking at all of them while pointing to Matt. "Is one of my best friends, guys! So treat him good." I slur as I turn back to Matt. I spot two girls at the end of the bar laughing and giggling at me. I nod to them and they walk over and take a seat on either side of me. "Evening, ladies." I say, looking at both of them. "I'm Stefan."
"I'm Kitty," the one on my left says to me. She has platinum blonde hair and blue eyes. She has a small oval-shaped face and what looks like a nice body from where I'm sitting. She has on very short jean shorts that make her legs inviting and a dark blue, loose tank top that contrasts her snow white skin. I smile at her then turn my head to the other girl and my smile fades.
She is too similar to her. She has that olive skin tone that very few people can pull off and the shiny, chocolate brown hair that is hanging pin-straight over her back and falling over her shoulders. She has big brown eyes that are warm and inviting and the same face structure as her. Her small pug nose and high cheekbones flatter each other but her thin pink lips keep catching my attention. She has a flat stomach and curves that was one of the first things I loved about her. Her tan thighs are distracting and I force myself to pull my look away. She's beautiful; stunning actually. That's what makes it hard. That's what makes it hard to look at her. Because every single thing about her reminds me of the girl I once loved.
"I'm Selena," she says with a shy smile.
"Well, Kitty… Selena," I say, looking at both of them. "How about we get this party started!" I yell and bang on the bar a few times. They agree through a yell and I motion for Matt to bring us some more shots.
He shoots me a warning look while walking away and I smile at him. I raise one of my shot glasses towards him, then throw back the liquor that would burn my throat if I was a weak human.
About an hour later, I had everyone that was left in the restaurant surrounding the bar. I had Matt turn the music up and it was something with a strong bass. Kitty, Selena, and I haven't separated or stopped drinking and when Kitty jumped up on the bar and started dancing… Selena and I followed.
When we all start to feel the music and get more comfortable with everything that's happening, Selena backs up until her ass is rubbing against my groin. I inhale a sharp breath and put my hands on her hips out of habit. She looks back at me and smiles.
"How about we go to a booth in the corner." I suggest while whispering in her ear and she nods to me. We both hop off of the counter and soon our places our filled by a few guys and girls having fun with Kitty. I grab my beer and Selena grabs her mixed drink. I take her hand in mine and we walk to the furthest booth, away from the people.
She slides into the spot next to me and before I know it, her hand is on my thigh and she has a sinister smile on her face. I swallow hard and wrap my arm around her so it's resting on her waist. She leans a little closer to me and releases a small laugh.
"So, you go to Whitmore College?" I ask, totally changing the mood. She leans back a little but still keeps her hand on my thigh.
"Yeah," she starts. "I'm majoring in Writing." She says with a smile.
"Of course you do." Just my luck.
"Pardon?" She asks.
"Oh, nothing." I smile back at her.
"So, what do you do right now?" She asks, sounding genuinely interested.
"As of right now? Nothing. I just got back from… a trip by the water." I say, trying to make the last three months sound nice.
"Well, what do you want to do then?" She asks.
"I want to be a doctor." I tell her without hesitation.
"All that blood doesn't bother you?" She asks through a laugh.
"Just a little bit." I say through a smirk, knowing that my answer has a different meaning.
We fall into a silence and we're sipping our drinks every few moments. When I turn my head to look back at her, her lips are pressed against mine and her hands are on either side of my face. I let go of my beer and my hands go to her waist. She throws one of her legs on the other side of my body so she's straddling me. The kiss grows deeper until she has to pull away and gasp for air.
"My roommates are all gone for the summer." She hints at me coming back to her dorm. This isn't me. But maybe that's exactly what I need.
To not be me for a while. Maybe I need to not be Stefan Salvatore, the boring and brooding do-gooder who is always moping around. Maybe I need to be Stefan Salvatore, the wild and surprising guy who does what he wants whenever he wants to do it. Do I want to do this? Yes. Should I do this? No.
But who the hell cares?
"Then what the hell are we still doing here?" I say through a whisper and she regains that sultry smile. She hops off of me and out of the booth. We forget our drinks and she grabs my hand then starts dragging me out of The Grille like her life depends on it.
A/N: Oh, Steffy…
Follow me on twitter at stefansfangs to stay updated on all my fanfictions, ask questions, and share your thoughts and comments on all my work!