Of the Night

"Please don't tell me you're over there taking a selfie… I don't think I could forgive that…even if it's you."

Caroline smirked as she looked out the windows that stretched from the ground up in the bedroom she and Stefan had been sharing in Damon's penthouse and she snapped a picture of the incredible Manhattan skyline before turning to face the breathtaking individual that was lying in bed.

She snapped a picture of him too, much to his dismay.

"Delete that."

"Make me," she teased as Stefan flashed her and smile and the girl's eyes shone as she looked into his. "I know I can be pretty self-centered, Stefan, but I'm not that shallow… I was just admiring the view…All of the New York skyscrapers and taking pictures for my very unfortunate friends back home who don't get to see this when they look outside their windows. Bonnie said she'd kill me if I didn't come back with at least an entire album full of portraits that she could choose from for her living room."

Stefan smiled at that as Caroline turned back towards the window before she heard him slip on his boxers and his footsteps near her slowly; she breathed a sigh of relief when his hands landed on exposed shoulders and ran down towards her sides, though her body was draped with the sheets from the bed that he'd formally been laying in.

She was pretty sure she looked silly as hell, donning the bedspread in place of a wardrobe right now, but Stefan was kind enough to tell her otherwise while she tied it on.

He told her she looked beautiful. And for some odd reason? She believed him. She believed in every single thing that he said.

"I can take you sightseeing again, if you want," he said onto her ear as Caroline shut her eyes and melted against his body. "There are so many things you haven't even seen yet."

"Is that innuendo, Mr. Salvatore?"

"It might be…Is it working?"

"Nope," she lied as she turned around to face him, as a grin graced her cheeks and his eyes traced over her dimples before looking into her own. "You're awful; horrible, even. And not charming, at all—"

"My self-confidence is at about a two and even I know that's bullshit," he said as Caroline bit her lip and tilted her head. "What?"

"I know I've said it a million times, probably, but… you shouldn't be so down on yourself, Stefan. You're…well, you and even though you don't believe me I happen to think you're pretty great. Really great, actually."

Stefan didn't talk for a moment as he remained locked on her eyes; Caroline's look of hopefulness lighting its way across her entire face as he leaned in and softly pressed his lips to her cheek.

When he pulled away, she was still staring at him completely.

"Thank you for thinking so."

"For knowing so, you mean," she said confidently, though her insides were buzzing still, from the touch of his mouth just formally grazing against her skin. "Minus two points for misconstruing my words though."

"Mmmm, well I know a way to get those points back," he flirted, before taking her hands into his own and leading her back towards the bed that they'd become so perfectly acquainted with.

Caroline let out a giggle as Stefan pulled her on top of him playfully nipped at her neck before she remembered she still had her phone in her hand all the while. She settled just atop of him, with his arms snaked around her waist and softly caressing her thighs as she looked down at the screen, propping it on his chest.

"You're not on Instagram, are you?"

"No, I have to check my voicemail," she informed as she had just remembered she saw the notification pop up before. "Someone left one, apparently—"

"And you can get to it later," Stefan said gently as he eased her phone out of her hand and set it on the night table. "Pretty please? With cherries on top? The world can wait, just this once."

"Fine," Caroline exasperated as her lips curved before she leaned against his bare chest and his mouth kissed her neck. "But if my friends begin to worry about me and start to think you chopped my body up or something—"

"Wow, first off? Gruesome," he pointed with a laugh as he hugged her tightly and Caroline giggled, "Secondly—do they really think I'd do that? I thought they liked me."

"They adore you, Stefan, but you know friends, they…worry and stuff. Especially Rebekah. The only person more neurotic than her is me."

"I'm not surprised," he said to which Caroline's mouth gaped open widely as she pinned him to the bed while he laughed whole-heartedly. "I didn't mean it in a bad way!"

He honestly hadn't remembered the last time he'd felt like this; so amused, so happy, so care-free.

It was like being with Caroline made him forget about the world sometimes—how awful people could and how tragic things could become.

Being with her, right here in this moment, made him smile—much more than he ever had, over the past year. And as she tried her best to wrestle him down with her strength only to be flipped onto her back as she smiled, he knew turning away from his pain—their pain—with her was exactly where he needed to be, right now.

This was exactly what he needed to be doing.

Having fun—and not worrying about when the time on the clock would run out; he and Caroline had all night.

"I surrender, I forfeit!" Caroline giggled as Stefan let her hands free—only to regret his quick acceptance moments later, when the blonde pinched his arm hard, and while he was distracted, tugged at his ear with her teeth.

Stefan let out a howl of pain as Caroline hopped on top of him again; her legs straddling his waist. He breathed heavily in defeat as she looked at her nails and Stefan shook his head.

"You don't give up, do you?"

"Nope," she said proudly as he caught his breath and she smiled at the twinkle in his eyes. "Especially not when I know the victory is going to be something as cute as you," she booped his nose and he rolled his eyes, which prompted her to shove his shoulder. "Hey!"

"And here I was, thinking I'd be the one who got caught first, spouting some cheesy line," he teased as Caroline shook her head, though she'd already felt her cheeks reddening. "Don't worry, I liked it."

"And I…" she started as she stopped, her demeanor suddenly growing serious as he waited for her to speak again; his thumbs softly stroking her ribs as he held her firmly on his lap. "I like you… A lot… Even more than I remember ever liking you before, if that'd even remotely…possible," Caroline trailed off.

Stefan's gaze remained gentle as that as Caroline suddenly became shy—looking away, though his stare was still focused on her unswervingly. She only turned to look back up at him when his thumb slowly drew her chin in. Caroline swallowed hard as she studied those perfect olive orbs that she had fallen victim to and she cleared her throat though she really had no more intentions of speaking.

What was she supposed to say, honestly? After all this time, she was still just a silly little school girl with a crush on the formally unattainable object of her affections. She knew her feelings for him were stupid—reckless, even—but she continuously laid herself out on the line, in hopes that just this once in her life, things could be different.

That Stefan would be different, than all the other guys who'd broken her heart, and though she knew she was instantly setting herself up for failure believing that something so fun and carefree could ever end well, she was the eternal optimist, anyway.

She was a hopeless romantic—she was a dreamer. And in her dreams, exactly, something as screwed up and bound to fail, like their arrangement would work; could work.

She only pulled herself out of her thoughts when she realized that maybe she was giving him too much credit; that perhaps, she was believing within herself too much, while disregarding her relationship track record and not seeing things for what they really were.

What they would really be.

Maybe she was crazy—maybe she was out of her mind. Maybe Caroline Forbes was just so damn tired of being letdown. But maybe she was too bent to proceed with caution, anyway.

Maybe she was too broken to care.

"And now you're staring at me like I have ten heads… I'm sorry, I just talk so much—"

"When did you start liking me?" he asked suddenly and Caroline felt her heart skip a beat when she realized this was a serious question; that he was sincerely curious of the time when her affections for him began and she swallowed hard.

"I—I don't know," she lied as he raised a brow. "Okay, fine, I do know. But it's embarrassing—"

"I promise I won't laugh," he said with a hand gently placed to his heart, before he eased it back against her thigh. "Tell me, Caroline… When did this all start? When I saw you in Vegas? The dance floor? The next morning? A few days ago—"

"Back when we interned together," she said as he opened his mouth a little in surprise before snapping it back shut. "The time when you… walked me back to my apartment and it was raining and you gave me your jacket to cover my head, even though you were getting soaked—"

"Oh wow," he said, almost enigmatically, as Caroline bit her lip and he nodded quietly. "I remember that… That was…years ago."

"Don't remind me," Caroline said as she eased off of his lap and leaned against the headboard beside him—looking forward just as he did as well. "I've had feelings for you for a long time, Stefan…And even when I was with Klaus, I never forgot, I… always wondered what could have happened if I wasn't so afraid to tell you how I felt—how much I cared. And then when I bumped into Damon in Vegas and you weren't too far behind, I—"

"It was like fate, kind of," he finished as she turned to his face and Stefan offered a soft nod. "It was almost like fate."

Caroline felt a shy smile lying just beyond her lips but she didn't say a word as his eyes traced her face before he took her hand into his own and kissed it lightly; sending shivers up and down her spine.

"What was that for?" she asked in a voice barely above a whisper and Stefan shrugged as she continued to follow his eyes.

"Because I wanted to…And because you won't let me kiss you," he reminded her of Caroline's stipulation. "Remember? That was your rule…Not mine."

The blonde sighed as she tucked a curl behind her ear before she tightened her lips.

"I just…I want to be sure of where we stand, is all, before we act all lovey dovey with each other or around other people. I mean, this is fine and fun because having sex and fooling around is great with you, Stefan, but…kissing—"

"Is a whole 'nother kind of intimacy," he filled in as he remembered what it felt like to even give her a quick peck on the lips in front of Klaus, or when Caroline laid one on him in front of his parents. "You realize I was a virgin before I slept with Katherine, right? And since then, I… haven't been with anyone else. It's only been you, Caroline…Just you. So this is kind of…intimate, for me."

Caroline's brow rose at that and she let out a short breath when she realized he wasn't lying; the look within his eyes was just way too real to be made up and so were the exhales he was taking as he stared down—tried his best to avert his attention away from her.

Caroline captured his cheek with her hand and stared into his emerald eyes.

"I'm sorry…what? I'm…the second girl you've ever been with? H-How is that even possible?"

"Well, like I said, I…didn't have sex until I met Katherine. We were together for some time obviously and after we broke up, I just…never got around to it, again. I mean, I dated a few girls. Or I tried, anyway—"

"Oh… wow. Okay," she said as he watched her hands fall to her lap. "I'm sorry—I don't mean to be rude or weird about it, like, it's totally okay or whatever. I just—"

"You're freaked out."

"I'm…not, Stefan. It's just surprising, you're…really attractive and I personally know guys in Mystic Falls who look the bottom of a shoe and have slept with half of the girls in town."

'Cute doesn't matter when you're crazy,' he thought but cleared his throat and spoke otherwise.

"That's more of Damon's speed than mine. Not that I care or am here to judge… It's none of my business how casual or monogamous other people want their sex lives to be, depending on their circumstances. I just…personally view it as something a bit more sacred in my life."

"And yet you're sleeping with me," Caroline noted. "A heathen who lost her virginity when she was 16, in the back of her older ex-boyfriend's pick-up truck after he bought me ice cream and then somehow got me to take my clothes off… And somehow the stories get worse from there."

"Not this one," he said as he looked into her blue eyes and Caroline bit her lip as he traced her features. "Mrs. Salvatore," Stefan added shamelessly. "I'd say things are looking this time, aren't they?"

Caroline sucked her teeth at that, though she knew another grin was warming onto her cheeks as she watched Stefan grab the remote for the lights. He dimmed them almost completely, while she finally leaned against him silently.

A few moments passed before either of them spoke.

"I wonder how long this can last…" Stefan said into the dark, as Caroline felt his heart beating against her head. "How long can I have a good thing before I lose it? Before it goes bad?"

Caroline didn't immediately answer that as she trailed her fingers over his stomach—the gentle sounds of his breathing keeping her awake and alert all the while.

When she finally stopped circling his stomach with her index, she'd finally found her answer.

"For as long as you want to, Stefan…For however long you want."

XXXXX

"So, while Caroline's playing wifey in New York with her ridiculously hot socialite boyfriend, Bonnie's going on blind dates and meeting all of these guys, and you're feebly keeping your paws off of all the smoking physicians you'rewith at the hospital, I am: bored, alone, and perhaps a little hungry because I haven't eaten since twelve."

Elena laughed on the other line of the phone while Rebekah huffed loudly before speaking again.

"It's not funny, I'm horny."

"Trust me, I know the feeling… Just because I can look at all of these hot doctors doesn't mean I'm allowed to touch… Remember that saying? The one about not shitting where you eat? Well, there's that…and also the fact that I promised myself I'd stay single for a bit since the break-up… I don't wanna rush into anything."

"Unless he happens to be tall, with abs, drive a Mercedes, and make a six figure salary," Rebekah retorted as she paced her living room. "Perhaps then you'll change your mind."

"I won't, trust me. I still can't even wrap my head around the fact that Care got married, much less has been playing hooky in New York for the past two weeks, willfully forgetting that she has a job and all… Matt…" Elena started and trailed off when she heard Rebekah swallow hard on the other end just at the mention of his of his name. "He called me again today, to see what was up. His mom's not happy and is calling her disappearance 'job abandonment.' They're about ready to fire her for not coming in. I don't know what to tell them."

"Don't tell them anything," Rebekah said bitterly as he mind flashed onto the blue eyes of her former boyfriend and his wicked mother who had been the one to get in their way. "Kelly Donovan is awful. So is the Mystic Grill. Why would Caroline ever go back there when she practically has it made in New York? I'd drop Mystic Falls in a heartbeat if my friends, family, and my Master's Degree weren't keeping me here."

"So, you'd leave Matt, too? Just like that?"

"Of course. Without question."

"You sound a lover scorned, Bex… You know Matt still cares about you," Elena said as Rebekah's door knocked and the blonde's brow rose as she turned around towards it. "Maybe that's him—coming to profess his undying love—"

"Or maybe it's a hot UPS guy," Rebekah said as she glanced at the clock. "At… 9 o'clock at night," she said before yanking the door opening and seeing a pair of familiar blue eyes—not the ones she'd been dreaming about though. "Scratch that; it's just my brother," she shot back as Klaus walked in and Elena snickered softly at the annoyance in Rebekah's voice.

"Which one? The one who's oh-so-dashing and never goes anywhere without a suit, the cute but volatile one who threatened to smash Matt's Ford pick-up in, with a baseball bat when he dumped you, or—"

"The psycho, who can't recognize his ass from his elbow and doesn't know whether he's coming or going," Rebekah said flatly as Klaus scoffed and Elena nodded instantly.

"Klaus, then."

"You guessed it; I'll call you back," Rebekah said before ending the call and folding her arms when her brother stared at her wide-eyed; her expression unchanging, though his was enraged. "What? I talk shit about you all the time."

"And normally, I'd care, but perhaps there are other important matters to attend to—pressing ones—like just where the hell is Caroline and why hasn't she come back yet? I thought she and Stefan were due back this week but no one's heard a thing from her. Care to share why?"

"You must think I'm her bloody keeper if you expect me to get an ETA from her," Rebekah snapped back as his fingers curled into fists. "I thought you were letting this go, Nik? Isn't that what we agreed on? Caroline's happy, you know…Really happy."

"I find that hard to believe," he muttered as she folded her arms. "Happy or not, I didn't agree to anything anyway," he said as Rebekah rolled her eyes and walked into the kitchen—her brother hot at her feet. "You said I should give up—"

"And you should," she said as she reached into the fridge for her water and Klaus followed her hands. "I'm your sister, Klaus, but also Caroline's best friend—I'm not an idiot, I know—"

"You know nothing," Klaus said lowly as he was suddenly in her face and the blonde stopped talking as she met his serious eyes; felt her stomach spike as he stared at her threateningly, never backing away. "You didn't date Caroline for as long as I did—you didn't see the real her—"

"But don't I know the real you?" she combatted as she shook her head and her brother ticked her jaw. "I know that you're going to drive yourself mad and make yourself miserable trying to get Caroline back into your life and once you have her? You'll leave her, again. Just like you left Camille… Just like you left me—"

Rebekah's words were cut off when Klaus knocked the water out of her hand and the glass shattered against the tile and her breath hitched when he backed her into a wall. She swallowed hard when she noticed the rage within his eyes directed purely at her and she cleared her throat to speak though she wasn't brave enough to offer a word.

Not right now—not while he was like this.

"I don't remember asking for your opinion," Klaus said softly as she breathed in and fluttered her eyes. "You're right Rebekah; you are my sister. You're my flesh and blood and because we are so close, I expect you to do what I need of you whenever I ask for it."

Rebekah scoffed lightly at that as she met his eyes; her venom renewed as she pushed him hard and away, causing him to stumble in his step.

"Fuck off, Nik! I'm not your slave—"

"You'll be whatever I want you to be, sister. Nothing less, nothing more."

"There's nothing I can do to help you."

"Oh, quite the contrary, love—," he snapped before he finally backed away and he saw the emergence of tears in Rebekah's eyes. "It's no wonder your bartender boyfriend, Matt, couldn't stand you… You're pathetic."

Rebekah trembled at that as she watched her brother take a seat at the table, before turning to face her with a gentle smile—as if nothing had happened; as if it had all been in her head.

"Nik… I want you to leave—"

"Oh, but not before you tell me everything you know about Caroline's lovely little hubby," he said as he patted he chair beside him and Rebekah narrowed her eyes. "Surely you know a thing or two that could be considered important or useful to me? And if you don't? Why, I'm sure you could just find out."

XXXXX

"You're in a chipper mood… If I didn't know any better, I'd say this was all a phony façade like those killers do in all the murder movies, just before they decide it's about time to gut someone," Damon said days later, as he walked into the kitchen; his brother rolling his eyes as he continued mixing. "Oh my God… Is that…cupcake batter?"

"They're for Caroline," Stefan responded as Damon neared the sweet smell of red velvet and attempted to dip his finger into the bowl before Stefan slapped it away and the elder pouted. "Don't get any ideas."

"Can't say I didn't have one or two," Damon answered, still over Stefan's shoulder, as he observed all of his movements before taking a step away. "The first being that you're actually in my kitchen, with an apron on, hand-mixing that bowl of shit with all the strength you have left, when I do, in fact, have a hand blender in the cabinet that you could easily be utilizing… This entire thing Stefan? It's painfully sweet. Even for you, Saint Charming."

"Hey, let's not judge or mock me, Damon," Stefan replied easily as he tapped the spoon from the batter against the bowl to drain the excess before giving in and handing it to his brother, who was waiting for the sweets like a child. "Especially not when you were hunched over that stove for hours, making Caroline chicken teriyaki, all because she made a jab at your taste in associates. You're not the only brother who can do something sweet."

"Ah, there it is," Damon pointed as his tongue licked the wooden spoon. "That thinly veiled jealousy about my favors for Caroline, even though I'm sure she told you that it was nothing. If she didn't? I'll say it again—we don't have a thing—"

"I know."

"So stop giving me that look," Damon replied as he rinsed the spoon beneath the faucet before placing it in the dishwasher. "The one that says you don't trust me enough not to steal your girlfriend."

"I'm giving you this look because you have batter on your chin," Stefan deadpanned as his brother swiped his thumb across his skin before popping it into his mouth. "Secondly—you're not Caroline's type and third, I… I know you're not Dad. You're pretty awful otherwise, Damon, but I know that you don't lie to me…You're just about the only person I can rely on to always tell me the truth."

Damon looked down at that before looking up again; the weight of his secret blaring even more than before, as he pushed it to the back of his mind and smiled casually, as if nothing had been wrong.

As if nothing needed to be said.

"I've gotta say…you're exceptionally pleasant today, Stefan, and I'm not sure I know how to handle this… Is it because you got laid?"

"Don't be gross, Damon."

"That means yes," his brother winked as Stefan's cheeks became a soft rose color, though he didn't confirm or deny his morning-romp session with Caroline in the shower after his brother had gone to the office and just before she set herself out to go to another one of Enzo's classes.

He'd been secretly reliving the way the water glided against her skin and her lips against his chest for way longer than he needed to be.

It'd been a very, very good morning.

"I only aim to be a little bit gross, because most of it is coming from a place of truth… You're happy, today, baby bro. You have been all week. It's an interesting thing not to see you all doom and gloom for the majority of the day."

"Well," he started as he began to line to pan with wrappers and Damon watched on. "Grandma's doing better, according to Dr. Fell, Mom and Dad haven't taken to stabbing and sedating me since that press release a few days ago in the New Yorker about Caroline and I getting married, and—surprise: I might have something lined up in Virginia, as far as a job goes. Nothings concrete yet so I don't wanna spill the details but… looks like I'll be moving out if I can get my hands on this offer."

"Wow," Damon said plainly as his brother bit his lip and he watched his eyes. "Does, uh, Caroline know?"

"Not yet. I figured I'd tell her tonight—in person."

"Good idea," Damon said as he watched his brother continue to bake before he offered his best smile. "Can't say I won't miss having your annoying ass around but I'm…proud you. And I'm happy Caroline makes you tolerable."

"She makes me happy," Stefan admitted surprisingly, "And for the first time in a long time, it doesn't feel like I have the weight of all of their bullshit on my shoulders, Damon. Things are out in the open, nothing's barreling down on me..." Damon shifted at that as he thought about what he'd been keeping Stefan himself and he snapped back out of his thoughts when he heard his brother ask him a question. "…Unless you have something to say?" he caught the tail-end of it.

Damon swallowed hard but remained with composure as Stefan's stare met his eyes.

"I don't," he lied. "For the first time ever, I'm speechless. Surprisingly."

"Okay."

"But there is one thing—"

"Spoke too soon," Stefan replied as Damon ticked his jaw and his brother listened.

"I'm going away on Friday, on business—it's just for the weekend."

"Where to?"

"Here, there, y'know," Damon said quickly as he cracked his knuckles. "I just need you to take care of the place and make sure all hell doesn't break loose while I'm gone. Ie; do the dishes, take out the trash, clean the windows—"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Stefan said as Damon smiled easily and he nodded. "I'll watch everything, okay? You didn't even have to ask…It's not like you even ask me to pay rent."

"You're my brother, Stefan. And you may be a pain in the ass but it… doesn't mean that I hate having you around," Damon said sincerely before he exhaled and stuffed his hands into his pockets. "Alright, so, now that that's settled—"

"Are you doing anything tonight?" Stefan asked abruptly and his brother looked up to meet his eyes as the younger ticked his jaw. "I… kind of invited some people over? Josh and Marcel. Just to hang out… do you wanna grab a few beers, flip some burgers and you know…"

"You're asking me to hang out with you, Stefan? What are we, twelve?"

"Sometimes," Stefan said which garnered a nod of agreement from his brother before he continued on. "But I figured since you're leaving for the weekend and you're gonna be busy, maybe we can bend the rules about us not sharing the same social circle, just this once—"

"Fine," Damon agreed as he felt a reluctant smile form on his face. "I'll hang out with you and your buddies. We'll shoot the shit; be all 'bro-ish—'"

"Not quite 'bro-ish;' I forgot, Lexi's coming too."

"Are you kidding? She hates me—I hate her. We mutually cannot stand each other—"

"You'll be fine Damon, besides—you'll be the one flipping the burgers; not her. Don't you find some sort of small comfort in the fact that she can't poison you if she's not cooking?"

"Not at all," Damon said, as he grabbed his jacket off of the chair and slipped his arms through as he checked his pocket for his wallet and made his way out the door to go buy some groceries. "Her presence is poison enough; just breathing the same air is enough to knock me out."

"You're so dramatic."

"I'm cautious; it makes a hell of a difference. You remember that."

XXXXX

"You're in a chipper mood," Enzo broke Caroline's thoughts as she flipped through the notes she'd taken earlier during one of the practice runs she sat in on with him, as the models hit the runway and she kept track of all of the designers and fashion that deemed itself "in."

She may have complained before, about Enzo's methods, but she was slowly finding out that he was right; she didn't know anything about New York and it's elite and the more time she spent here, the more she felt like she was actually beginning to understand it all.

She'd never say that she fit in—at least not yet—but ever since changing her style, her hair, and the way she presented herself, she noticed a soft peak in her confidence beginning to show through. Because it never hurt when a stranger on the busy New York streets turned a head as she passed them by—and it didn't bother her at all that she'd overheard more than a few of the models talking about how pretty she was, despite the fact that she wasn't at all "one of them."

But they found her pretty, anyway.

Caroline smiled to herself as she looked over her notes; marking the names of the designers that impressed her and the trends that inspired her, before she looked up and saw Enzo still staring at her with his big brown eyes before she put her notebook away.

She politely folded her arms.

"I'm sorry, this is all just…so fascinating," Caroline replied as she looked around his office again; now beginning to know the names of the people in the pictures and the brands that subtlety lined the walls. "I didn't expect to learn so much—"

"Cut the bullshit, Caroline," Enzo said as he kicked his feet onto his desk and the blonde stared at him wide-eyed when a smile curved on his lips and he folded his hands over his lap. "I read The New Yorker, I know all about you and Damon's brother, Stefan… Is that what this is all about? He has me polishing you up, so you'll be 'fit' to be seen with Manhattan's elite? It's a little Pretty Woman, don't you think?

Caroline smiled demurely at that as she remembered her first day here and her apprehension towards meeting Enzo and getting a "makeover," though in retrospect, she actually liked it a lot.

Polishing her up? That's exactly what this was.

"Damon's methods are…interesting, but I can't say it hasn't worked—"

"How does Stefan feel about it?" Enzo asked as he watched her eyes. "Does he like this version of you?"

"He…seems to like every version of me," she said a bit shyly, though she felt her cheeks turning bright red as Enzo smirked and she left out a nervous laugh. "God—why am I even talking about this with you? It's inappropriate and out of line… I'm sorry—"

"Because you want to talk about it; about him? Deny it however you want, Mrs. Salvatore, but I know that there's no way in hell all these fashion names you can barely make sense of is making you that giddy, all at once. It's Stefan, isn't it?"

"I," she started and stopped when she saw his urging smile and she let out a laugh as she tucked her hair behind her ear and shook her head. "I like both, okay? I mean, I love both," she said carefully as he raised a brow.

If she were going to be fake-married to Stefan, she'd have to pretend she loved him too, right?

Just in case anyone asked?

Her mind snapped out of that and her eyes went back to Enzo's face.

"I know that you said you were uninterested in modeling, Caroline and fact of the matter is I can't see you walking down a runway without tripping over your own two feet if I'm honest, however… I am offering you a job, here, assuming you'd like to keep up the rouse and work on your elegance, if you choose to remain here now that everyone knows you've married into the Salvatore family."

Caroline gulped at that as her eyes became the size of saucers and she shook her head.

"Wait, you wanna hire me? I have no experience in this, at all—"

"But you're a quick learner, you're eager… You're enthusiastic and you seem to have a pleasant attitude about you—one that I haven't seen in the business in years," he said as Caroline smiled. "I don't need you to be an agent, Caroline—but if you'd like to assist with planning some casting calls, go-sees—"

"Okay," she said before he could even finish speaking and Enzo tilted his head. "I-I would love to. I really would—this is like a dream come true—"

"For the right person, Caroline—"

"And I am definitely the right person," she said as she hopped to her feet and shook his hand while he barely contained a laugh. "I promise I won't let you down."

"And I hope that you won't… See you tomorrow morning, Caroline. 9 A.M, sharp. Dress to kill."

"Of course," she said with a huge grin before barely making it out of the office with her purse as her fingers immediately dialed Bonnie and she spoke excitedly the minute her voicemail beeped. "Bon, you will never guess what just happened. Call me back as soon as possible!" she squealed before hanging up and going to call Stefan, before she noticed the familiar notification at the top of her screen from days back that she never checked.

The one Stefan had distracted her away from.

Caroline hailed a taxi as she walked outside; considering it her lucky day that one stopped almost immediately, and after giving him the address to the penthouse, she pressed her phone to her ear to listen to the words the person on the line was saying.

She nearly dropped the device out of her hand, though, when she heard their voice and they stated their name, right after the beep.

"Hi Caroline, this Katherine Pierce… Probably the last person that you ever expected to hear from… I believe we got off on the wrong foot…"

XXXXX

"Is that a moose? It looks like a moose."

"I think it's a dog…"

"You're both wrong; it's obviously a reindeer," Damon heard before he finally threw his marker to the floor and flailed his arms at his brother and scrunched his face.

"A reindeer? Really, Stefan? That looks like a reindeer to you?"

"When I'm drunk? Absolutely," he said with a wide smile as Josh pressed the buzzer repeatedly to signify that the brother's disqualified again for talking as Damon stomped back over to his seat with his beer in his hand and Marcel and Lexi celebrated yet another point to their team during Charades, as if they needed it anyway.

They absolutely; didn't they were crushing it.

"You guys suck," Josh said notably as he flipped his score keeper pad before turning to a laughing Stefan and a disgruntled Damon. "What the hell was that, anyway? A lion?"

"It Smoky the Bear," he replied as the group laughed whole-heartedly; his brother especially as he downed the rest of his beer while Marcel set up a round of Fireball shots and Damon sighed heavily. "I should have known better than to take this lush on, tonight."

"You had no choice, Lex and I stick together," Marcel winked as he gave her a quick kiss and Damon sneered. "Oh, c'mon, man. Don't be bitter. You're the only eligible bachelor here. Stefan's got Caroline, Josh has Danny, and you—"

"Are far from eligible," Lexi said as his eyes darted her way. "Sorry I'm not sorry."

"Can it, Lexi," he replied and she smiled. "Seriously."

"Or what? You'll never call me again like all of the girls on the East Side who unfortunately were charmed by you long enough to become your one-night stands?"

"Ah, well, they can't be any dumber than you, Lex—remember when we dated in high school?" he brought up snarkily and she gagged as the other guys in the room just shook their heads. "Never forget, xoxo."

"Try as I might," she said as she grabbed her shot and the guys did as well, holding them all up for a toast. "To Damon—the biggest mistake of any woman's life," she said garnering a few laughs across the room, "And to my best friend, Stefan, who is actually frickin' married."

"Second girl's the charm," Stefan joked as Damon even felt himself grin at that as he took back his shot and placed his glass on the coffee table. "I'm just lucky I found someone like Caroline; she's…awesome."

"The happiness in your eyes could make the devil cry," Josh said. "Where is she, anyway? She's gonna miss DJ Rosza and this dubstep I'm about to put on," he said as he hopped to his feet and made his way to the laptop and sound system while Stefan smiled.

"Yeah, man—where is the lovely Caroline? I was hoping we'd get to team up on you guys; show you why girls kick ass," Lexi said and before Stefan could speak, Damon did.

"Oh give it a rest, Buffy," he said as Lexi scowled. "Besides—Caroline's at what she and Stefan like to call 'Charm School,' with Enzo Dierden. He's helping her with a few things…How to handle awful people like you, for example—"

"Kiss my ass," Lexi said bluntly before turning to Stefan and clapping her hands tightly. "Can you please call her? See if she's on her way? I need some help here, considering Sophie bailed and all."

"And I wonder why," Damon said not-so-softly, as he recalled the brunette's odd obsession with the one and only Katherine Pierce. "Maybe she had plans with bff. What a scandalous one she is, let me tell you."

"Hey man, she's innocent until proven guilty," Marcel pointed as he whipped his phone out again. "I'll give her another buzz now—"

"And I'll call Caroline," Stefan said as he pulled his phone out of his pocket and Lexi clapped happily as he dialed her number and pressed the phone to his ear. "Don't get too excited; she might not be able to pick up—"

"That's because she's already here," they heard and they turned around to see Caroline walking into the living room; her coat still on as she eyed the group with a smile and they all greeted her warmly—Stefan even standing to his feet as the bass of some song Josh put on thumped in the back so hard, it felt like the penthouse was vibrating. "Oh, wow, is this a party? I—I didn't realize everyone would be over—"

"And we were all waiting for you, girl," Josh said enthusiastically. "Get a drink, and get over here so we can dance," he added as Marcel and Lexi were already on their feet and even Damon was tapping his foot accordingly to the song.

"I—"she started but never finished as Stefan took her by the hand and pulled her out of the living room and to the kitchen where she scratched her head at his bluntness before he pulled her into a hug and his head landed against her shoulder.

"I've missed you."

"Did you?" she asked noting the alcohol in the air before he pulled away and sent her a deep smile. "How drunk are you?"

"Nothing much, it's nothing," he grinned and Caroline pursed her lips when she saw his glossy eyes and he frowned. "Are you mad at me, for not telling you everyone was here? It… was just a good day; I wanted to share my mood with everyone—"

"I'm not mad at you," she said honestly as her index pressed to his mouth and he looked into her eyes. "I just…had news to tell you, but it can all wait—"

"I have news too, but tell me yours first… Please?" he asked as he searched her face and Caroline bit her lip. "I've been drinking but I can comprehend whatever it is, I swear," he said as she watched him move to the counter and pick up a dessert. "You want a cupcake?"

"Sure," Caroline smiled uneasily, as the voicemail she'd listened to on her way here played over and over in her mind, though she was trying her best to force it out.

Should she tell Stefan Katherine called her? Apologizing for her behavior from the other night? Leaving the offer of a quick meet-up for a drink on the table, whenever Caroline had the will or the time?

Caroline bit into the cupcake and she let out a soft moan when it melted against her mouth and Stefan smiled as he watched her eat it.

"Good, right?"

"Amazing."

Caroline finished off the treat and before she could clean the frosting from her fingers, Stefan took her hand into his own and sucked the cream cheese icing from her index; much to her surprise and—regrettably—arousal.

"Stefan," she warned and he shushed her gently with his lips and a smile as she felt his mouth press to her throat and she shut her eyes when she began to sink into the inevitable bliss.

When she began to sink into him.

"Everyone's waiting on us—"

"I don't care," he breathed as he pulled her jacket off and placed it on the stool behind her; his hands holding her at the waist when his forehead met hers. "I'd make them wait all night if I had to."

"That's not very nice."

"I'm not very nice."

Caroline scoffed at that.

Her eyes shut completely when she felt Stefan's hands run beneath her shirt towards the back—where he slowly attempted do undo her strapless bra and Caroline's eyes opened instantly when the door opened and Damon walked in.

Wearing his signature sneer, of course.

"Not in my kitchen, not tonight and definitely not while I'm away," he warned as Stefan held up his and Caroline folded her arms.

"A trip?" she asked suspiciously. "Where to?"

"Work-related," he said easily as she rose a brow but Stefan was too oblivious to realize it at all. "You and Stefan are on house-watch. And after walking in just now? I think regret that decision."

"Damon we'll be fine," Stefan promised. "Maybe we'll even behave."

"Doubt it," Damon said as he pushed the bowl of freshly filled chips and two open Coronas into Stefan's hand with a feigned grin. "Please go feed your guests. Lexi's ready to eat me, like the wild boar that she still is."

"Does every single one of your relationships have to end so badly?"

"It'd be no fun if it didn't," Damon winked as Stefan shook his head walking out, casting gentle smile at Caroline before going through the double doors.

The blonde faced Damon with an amused smirk and he already knew what was coming.

"Whoa, you dated Lexi?"

"Dark times, shhhh," he waved off as Caroline shook her head in disbelief. "We don't talk about that."

"So, what are we talking about, Damon? Since you so obviously kicked your brother out of the kitchen with all the grace of an elephant."

"Grace of a swan, actually, because that was smooth. Drunk little Steffy suspected nothing."

"So there is something to suspect?" she asked as he stared his way and took in a deep sigh. "What's going on?"

Damon pursed his lips as he leaned against the counter and looked into Caroline's eyes before he opened his mouth to speak again.

"I'm…not going on a business trip, exactly, I'm…actually going to Mystic Falls… I want to see if I can locate my dad."

"You're what? Damon—"

"Tickets are bought, bags are packed—I wasn't asking you for an opinion, Caroline, just your support."

"I can't lie for you, Damon," she said as she stepped in closer and lowered her voice. "Do you have any idea what Stefan will do if he finds out? He's gonna be really angry—"

"Which is why you are going to distract him," Damon said as he pulled out his Black Card and held it up in the air in front of Caroline's face. "I know I'm not gonna be gone for long but it's been a long time since I've been out of town surprisingly and though Stefan doesn't like to admit it, he has abandonment issues. So—keep him busy," Damon said as he slid the credit card into her hand and Caroline scoffed as she looked at his name embossed on the front and then back into his eyes. "Please."

"Why are you doing this?" she asked suddenly as he bit his bottom lip and her fingers gripped the card even tighter while her arms slid to her sides. "Your parents hate me, you barely even know me—"

"You make my brother happy," Damon interrupted as Caroline blinked quietly and she watched the man swallow hard before he cleared his throat. "You make Stefan really happy and this side of him—this care free bliss isn't something that I've seen from him in a very long time. So I—"

"Think you can buy it? This is very Pretty Woman, Damon. Even for you."

"I'm not trying to buy you, Caroline—trust me. I just think spending time with you is a good influence on my brother and hey—maybe this fucked-up marriage of yours isn't as bad as it seems…Did you read Page Six? The papers actually think you're sorta cute…In a Raggedy Ann type way, I might imagine—"

Caroline punched a fist at his arm at that and Damon laughed when he saw a regretful smile form at her lips before she frowned again and Damon narrowed in on her eyes.

The silence between them was deafening; even with the sounds from the stereo blasting just from the living room next door.

"Stefan's going to love you, Damon…no matter what. You have to know that."

"I…want to, Caroline. I just don't know if I can… I can't tell him my secret. Not yet, not now—"

"Okay, then let me tell you mine," she said unexpectedly as he stared into her eyes and let out a deep sigh when his brows furrowed; her heart pounding all the while. "Katherine called me. She…wants to make amends."

XXXXX

Caroline melted against the door as she closed her eyes and Stefan's hands glided all over her body; craftily making their way beneath her shirt and right back to that bra he'd been fascinated with hours before, when they still had guests in the living room and an entire party to entertain.

But now that they were gone, all bets were off; seemingly her bra, too, as she watched him pull it from beneath her shirt and purse his lips as she looked into his eyes.

Before she could even begin to stage a protest, he had her against the wall again; his palm was coursing down her neck as the sound of her breathing filled the room and she swallowed guiltily when she felt her own burning desire melting straight through to her eyes.

"I need that," she referred to the bra, though her eyes were floating shut. "Stefan—"

"Come and get it, then," he said with a smirk as she watched him back away and towards the bed. "I promise I'll give it back if you come over."

Caroline huffed softly as she realized she was equally annoyed because of everything weighing on her mind, but turned on, as she followed Stefan's lead down towards his bed where she finally stood before him and much to her surprise? He handed her bra back.

Her brows furrowed.

"I told you I'd give it back," he replied and before Caroline could say thank you, his lips pressed to her jaw, causing her knees to almost buckle as he held her up by the waist and she found her hands unbuckling his jeans though her eyes were snapped shut.

"God," Caroline said faintly—frustratingly—beneath her breath as she quickly undressed him down to just his boxers as he stepped out of his pants and she threw away his shirt.

Caroline's nail dragged down his back as Stefan pulled her out of her clothes too and before she knew it, she was bent over the mattress, stomach pressed to the sheets; his hand firmly wrapped her blonde curls into a tight fist. Caroline didn't even attempt to mask the sounds of her pleasure as she yelled out in absolution—in frustration, as well—that she was unwillingly carrying the burden of just one secret from Stefan, but with every second it was threatening to tear her apart, just like he was right now; pun intended.

Why had Katherine called her? Why did she apologize? Why did she want to meet with her?

Damon had an idea why. And she was thinking Damon might have been right.

So many questions, not enough time she realized, as she was coming too soon and by the feeling of it Stefan was as well, as his motions increased until she screamed then slowed dramatically as he made it there as well.

If Damon hadn't been hearing it the past few days, he had this time around.

No question about that.

Caroline rolled over onto her back and eased onto the bed for just a second, as she breathed and when Stefan discarded of the condom he plopped down beside her; his stomach pressed to the sheet as she gasped for air.

"That was intense—"

"I got a job."

There was an air of silence between them as Stefan lifted up his head just long enough to look at her and Caroline swallowed hard before she opened her mouth to speak; naturally addressing the point that he'd brought up first.

"Yeah, it was really good. You were great—"

"You got a job?" he asked as he sat up and looked into her eyes; a faint trace of curiosity riling up all his senses as she sat up as well, covering herself with the blanket. "Here? In New York?"

"Where else, Stefan? You… wanted me to stay, right? And when Enzo offered I couldn't say no… I've actually enjoyed spending time at his agency. I've learned so much." There was a silence between them as Caroline swallowed her; the real bombshell still furrowing within the back of her mind as she pressed her lips and he shook his head. You're not happy about this are you?

"I'm really happy, Caroline," he said as he looked into her eyes with sincerity. "I just…figured we would eventually be going to Mystic Falls, you know? I didn't imagine we'd stay here—"

"You wanted to move there?" she asked, thinly veiled shock in her voice. "Why? Why leave everything you have here—"

"Because I don't have anything," he said as she looked into his eyes and Stefan rolled onto his back as he stared at the ceiling. "Because I…wanted a shot at normal if we were doing this 'marriage' thing, and because I…"

"Because what?"

"I applied to a job down there. The first one I've applied to in months, you know? It's a small non-profit; it wasn't much—"

"Stefan, stop," she said as she took his hand into her own and looked into his eyes. "I am so sorry, I didn't know—"

"Because I didn't tell you," he said with a bitter smile before rubbing his thumb to her palm and gazing into her eyes. "It's fine, Caroline. I don't want you to give up your dreams to follow mine. It isn't fair."

"Stefan—"

"End of the discussion," he said as he pulled her into his arms and Caroline sighed when she felt her back press to his bare chest and him wrap himself around her very tightly. "Get some sleep…you're gonna need it working for Enzo."

Caroline wanted to smile at the authenticity in his tone but she couldn't help but frown to herself when she realized she and Stefan had been on the completely wrong page when it came to starting their lives and because of her eagerness to stay, he may have been missing out something that could have been real for him. Just like the job Enzo offered was big for her.

Caroline sighed.

Moments later, when Stefan finally drifted off to sleep and she almost did too, she heard her phone buzz on the night table with a text message that made her eyes flutter once again before she reached forward for it.

Careful not to wake Stefan, Caroline held the illuminated screen in front of her face and let out a soft exhale when the familiar number before her appeared; causing her to swallow hard as she read the message.

"Still haven't made up your mind about my offer yet? You seemed braver."

Caroline's jaw ticked and her fingers trembled for a moment before finally, she typed a reply, hit send, and then shut her phone off before settling back into bed.

Her eyes staring wide at the window, her heart too busy palpitating out of her chest.

"Drinks are good tomorrow. Around 5ish, when I get out of work. You're buying, Katherine."

A/N: Hey everyone! So sfdjvnlf first off who watched the TVD finale?! So much goodness for us S/C fans, I deff think we're gonna be canon next season! ;)

Secondly, thoughts on the chapter? A bit long, but there was a lot I wanted to do/set up for next time so I hope I didn't bore you too much and the Steroline cuteness/sexiness made up for it. What is Caroline doing meeting up with Katherine? Wise or not? And what do you think happens next? Thoughts on Damon x Caroline, Enzo, Stefan's friends, KLAUS and Rebekah? As always, thank you for your follows, favorites, and reviews! They mean so much to me and are deff fuel that keeps my inspiration going so by all means *feed me!* haha. Take care all and until next time! xoxo