„I'm sorry, but I still can't believe it" – Caroline was lying on Elena's bed, holding her hands on her stomach, trying to stop herself from laughing – „I can't believe you're in a relationship with, and I quote, a dumbass jock who couldn't think of two smart ones even if his life depended on it" – Caroline laughed more when she remembered Elena's words about Stefan.

Elena blushed when she remembered them too. She said some pretty nasty things about Stefan before she even knew him. Now, she wanted to take all of those things back and replace them with good and kind words. Her and Stefan were a perfect example of how you shouldn't judge a book by its cover.

Bonnie was sitting in a chair, rolling her eyes at how silly Caroline looked. She didn't know what to say to either of them. She didn't have a boyfriend, nor did she need one. They are a waste of time, at least for now. Just because Caroline and Elena managed to find two decent ones, doesn't mean all of them are like that. Most of them are immature pricks who's mind is settled on only one thing, and one thing only.

The truth is, Bonnie had a boyfriend once. They weren't official, but they were spending a lot of time together. Sometimes they would talk, sometimes they would watch movies, sometimes they would even make out. That lasted for a pretty long time, few months actually, and Bonnie admitted to her friends she's head over heels for the guy. Soon after that, he wanted them to have sex, but Bonnie said she's not ready. After that, talking stopped, making out stopped, movie dates stopped. He barely even said hi to her when they bumped into each other in the hallway, until they stopped talking completely. Caroline would often say Bonnie can't move on because she never got her closure. Because he never told her he doesn't want to be with her, he simply stopped talking to her because she said she wasn't ready to sleep with him right that moment. After that, Bonnie stopped showing interest in guys.

Caroline rolled over on her stomach so she can face her friends. Elena was sitting on the floor, still blushing, and Caroline cocked her eyebrow at her.

„So" – she said, making the word longer than it actually was – „Did you do it?" – she raised one of her eyebrows and pulled a huge grin across her face.

Elena's eyes popped out, her face went pale, which only made her blushing cheeks more visible. „Caroline!" – Elena said her friends name with a husky voice, offended she would even ask her such a question – „We're only dating for a week" – Elena pointed out.

Caroline furrowed her brows. „But you have had feelings for him long before that."

That was true, but still, even month and a half wasn't long enough. Or was it? She had no idea how it works. Everything seemed so easy in the movies, but she knew real life is no movie, and that things never develop smoothly like the storyline in the movie does.

Caroline bit her lower lip. „Me and Nik took care of it in the beginning."

Bonnie choked on her ice tea, and Elena simply stared at Caroline. She knew Caroline was a virgin before she met Nik, and now she talked about it with such easyness in her voice. Maybe it really wasn't a big deal, maybe she was blowing this thing way out of the proportion. Maybe she should simply do it so she can be done with it already, so nothing can hold her back anymore.

„Why didn't you tell me anything?" – Elena asked with a shocked voice.

Caroline shrugged and rolled back on her back. „Because it happened somewhere around the time your Stefan problems came to the surface and I did not want to bother you with my problems" – Caroline said in a hurry and rolled back on her stomach – „My point is, you have nothing to be afraid of" – she smiled at Elena who was sitting on the floor, playing with her fingers like a child.

Bonnie laughed out loud. „Unfamiliar object would be invading her vagina, of course she has something to be afraid of" – Bonnie said with a serious expression on her face, which only made both Caroline and Elena chuckle. Bonnie rolled her eyes at both of them and leaned back in her chair.

Caroline turned her head and locked her eyes on Elena's. „I'm not saying you should go and jump him this moment, I'm only telling you not to wait too long because of some fear, because there is nothing to be afraid of. When you feel ready, when you're sure he's the person you love, go for it" – Caroline said, pulling out some fashion magazine from a box next to Elena's bed, and opening the last page so she could read a horoscope she read million of times before.

Love. Does she love Stefan? She feels something for him, something she never felt before. She knows she doesn't want to lose him. And she likes being in his presence. And when she's not with him, she wants to be with him, and she's thinking about being with him. When he holds her in his arms she feels like there's not a thing in the world that can hurt her, like he's her safe place to land. And when he holds her hand in public or kisses her lips in front of people, her whole body trembles, because she knows he's not ashamed of telling the world he's with her. She knows she can trust him, and she can tell him all of her secrets, and whatever she's feeling at the moment. Was that love? Does she love Stefan?

Maybe. Probably.

Love comes easily. All you need is a second, a minute, an hour. Love happens in a blink. The rest is you realizing you're in love, admitting it to yourself. Trying to find a way to show the world what you have without the fear world is going to take it away from you.

It takes so little to fall in love, but so long for a human brain to process it. Maybe it's better to think with your heart then. But then again, a heart makes rash decisions, a heart risks everything, a heart likes to play games, while brain likes to play safe. Heart takes too little, brain takes too long. But when she went over to Stefan's house that day, she listened to her heart.

Guess there are no right or wrong answers when it comes to love. There are simple yes or no that come with consequences.

xxxx

„Where's your mom?" – Stefan asked as he sat down on the big, leather couch in Mikaelson living room. He knew they're alone, since every time their mom is home, they go upstairs in Rebekah's room, so her mom would not bother them.

„At the spa. She said she needs a break, but I think she's hunting" – Rebekah had put a bowl of snacks on the table alongside with three beers, since Nik would be joining them soon. As soon as Stefan noticed an Oreo he dived in for it and Rebekah chuckled.

When she says hunting, she doesn't mean like putting on a uniform and taking a gun in your hands and going in the woods to kill defensless animals. Hunting is the term Rebekah uses when she thinks her mom is out there searching for a new husband.

„So.." – Rebekah threw few pillows on the floor and fell on them, lying on her stomach and glancing at Stefan over the bowl of snacks. She was trying to push herself up so she could see him. To him, she looked like a fish on a dry land, so he laughed and moved the bowl on the side. Rebekah fell in her primary position. „Elena?" – she asked, thinking she should get this done before Nik comes home.

A smile curved on Stefan's lips at the mention of her name. He nodded as he lowered his head to scratch the back of his neck. „Yeah" – he said silently, his mind racing, his heart pounding. He had missed her. He hadn't seen her since yesterday, and he missed her.

„Did you charm her with your Salvatore super sex powers?" – Rebekah asked as she took a bottle of beer in her hands and took a sip from it.

Rebekah was the only girl he knew who drank the beer from a bottle. Or beer at all.

Stefan raised his head and looked her in the eyes. „No" – he shook his head.

In that moment Nik came in and waved at both of them, walking into their direction. He sat on a couch next to Stefan and took the beer in his hands.

„So, what are we talking about?" – he smiled as he looked at his sister and best friend looking at each other, not blinking, not even once.

Rebekah was confused and shocked, mostly shocked.

„Shut up" – Rebekah yelled at him – „So what are you waiting for? You've been crushing on her since the moment she looked into your direction, which was more than two months ago. You had sex with other girls few days after you met them.." – Rebekah shrugged and rolled her eyes.

Nik glanced at Stefan who was speechlessly staring at Rebekah, and he thought he knows what the problem might be. Stefan could feel Nik's eyes on him, but he didn't turn around.

Rebekah bursted into laughter. „Remember than one we met during the vacations in Cali two years ago, what was her name, the one that sounded like a rhino during sex?" – Rebekah was rolling around the pillows at the memory of Stefan trying to show them how her voice transformed when she fell into the bed.

„Jessica" – Stefan shivered as he remembered the experience and took a sip of beer from the bottle.

Rebekah laughed even harder when she connected her name to the face in her mind, and both Nik and Stefan smiled at how silly Rebekah looked rolling on the floor and laughing like a crazy man. After some time she stopped and went back to her original position.

„But when you do it, you have to tell me how she was" – Rebekah took another sip of the beer.

Nik and Stefan looked at each other confused before Nik bursted into laughter.

Stefan looked at confused Rebekah and cocked his eyebrow at her. „Bekah, are you crushing on my girlfriend?" – Stefan chuckled.

Rebekah formed her lips in the shape of a letter 'O'. „No" – she yelled at him – „No" – she repeated once again when Nik wouldn't stop laughing – „It's just, she looks so innocent, so I want to know is it true what they say, is venom really kept in small bottles?" – she cocked her eyebrow right back at him.

Stefan sighed. „Well, she is" – he said. He could feel Nik looking at him since he finally got confirmation of what he was suspecting the problem might be.

„She is what?" – Rebekah furrowed her brows.

„Innocent" – Stefan said silently, almost through a whisper.

Rebekah's eyes grew wider. „She's a virgin?" – she asked shocked.

Stefan nodded his head.

Rebekah turned her look to Nik. „And Caroline was one too?" – she asked, to which Nik nodded.

„What is wrong with these girls?" – Rebekah said out loud, emptying the bottle of beer.

Both Stefan and Nik laughed out loud.

„Feeling a little dirty, sis?" – Nik teased her.

„Shut up" – Rebekah said as she took an Oreo from the bowl and threw it in Nik's direction. Luckily enough, Stefan was able to catch it in the mid air and save its life, to which both siblings rolled their eyes.

xxxx

Elena was sitting on the chair by Stefan's writing desk while she was waiting for him to come out from the shower. She took a peek of the family pictures that were laying on the table. There was one picture of Stefan with a guy who looked few years older than him, had a thin black hair and baby blue eyes. Elena concluded that is Damon, his brother. There was another picture with Stefan standing behind an older man who was sitting in his chair, looking at the camera, uninterested, while Stefan had a forceful smile on his face. And then there was the third and the last picture where Stefan was holding his arms around the olders woman neck, half of his face was buried in her blondish hair, and both of them had a wide smile on their faces.

„What are you doing?" – she heard Stefan's voice behind her back.

She turned her head around and saw Stefan standing behind her in nothing but his boxers. This was the first time she had ever seen him without his shirt on, and what a sight it was. Drops of water were falling down his naked torso from the ends of his wet hair. Her heart started pounding wildly, but she couldn't tear her look away from his abs.

He made few steps towards her and leaned his head down, leaving a soft and gentle peck on her lips. Few drops of water fell down his body on her clothes. The water pierced through the fabric of her shirt and made its way to her skin, dripping down her stomach. He took a shirt that was laying on the bed and put it on.

„How come you never talk about your mother?" – she asked as she grabbed his outstretched hand. He pulled her up and made both of them fall on his bed.

His wet hair was soaking the pillow. She had put her head on his chest, feeling his still wet skin soaking the fabric of his shirt, and she had put her arm around his waist. One of his arms was under her, supporting her, his fingers playing with the ends of her hair. He was pulling the fingers of his other hand over the skin of her arm that was closest to him.

It was funny how all she needed to be happy were these small moments. These small moments that wil stay carved into her memory for as long as she lives, no matter what happens in the future. At this moment, she had a feeling she's never going to be able to wash Stefan's fingertips off her skin, because she could feel him on her long after they would say goodbye. And as much as she enjoyed the happiness he brought with himself in her life, she was scared she will never be this happy again. She was scared that one day he will leave her, and that she won't know how to be happy without him.

Stefan pulled her closer to him, wanting to feel her body pressing next to his, so he would know she's there and that she's not going anyway.

Elena knew she can't lose him. She knew she can't lose anyone anymore, especially not people who were the most important to her.

And he knew he can't lose her either. He can't lose the person who made everything fall back in the place.

As much as they helped each other, they keep scaring each other with the thought one day this will be taken away from them.

„I was so close to my mom when I was younger, and so was my brother. Our father was the scary one, but our mom made everything better" – he said, and Elena noticed how he keeps calling his dad father, and how his mom is simply mom.

Stefan often talked about his father, and how he treated both him and his brother. How neither of them were good enough for anything other that he himself found fitting. She knew Stefan wants to become a doctor, but his father is pushing him to continue his football career. Everyone knew Stefan will get a scholarship. His grades were good, and he was the star player of their football team. There were scouts on every game he played this season, and in a world unknown to them, universities were fighting over him. But Stefan didn't care about football. He only started playing because his brother was playing too.

His brother was another problem too. Stefan had lost his brother in more ways than one, and Elena knew that pains him, because he was so close to his brother.

„When my brother had hit puberty and turned into a completely different person, my mom was lost and confused, because she had a feeling one of her children is slipping through her fingers" – Stefan said, pointing out that Damon's change did not only affect him, but his mother too – „Sometimes I think she's scared of my father. She supports him blindly, but I know she doesn't believe in everything he says and does. I think she feels like she has a certain obligation to him as his wife" – he shrugged. „About three years ago, I had another argument with my father, about my future. I can hardly call it my future since I have no say in it obviously. Well, I came out of his study with tears in my eyes, and my mother was there. From the look in her eyes, she had heard the whole thing. And then, she had told me that" – Stefan pointed with his finger at the ink written quote on the wall. „All men who have achieved great things have been great dreamers. To this day I have no idea where the quote is from, but whenever I think I won't handle another day in this house, I look at it and.. and everything is better."

She could feel his fingers wrapping around her arm, squeezing her tightly. She could feel his body tensing next to hers. She lifted her head up and kissed him on the lips. He smiled at her, because he needed that, and somehow, she knew it. She knew exactly what to do to make him feel better. She had put her head back on his chest, listening to his heart beat.

She wanted to run away and take him with her. She wanted to take away all of his insecurities and give him hope in his dreams. She wanted to give him everything she doesn't have. She wished his family was different, she wished they supported him and took his wishes into consideration. She wanted to stand up to them for him.

He told her everything about his family, so she felt like she owes him the same. She wanted to tell him how she felt, how she feels, what is she thinking about. She wanted him to know her as well as she knows him. She didn't want to keep any secrets from him.

„When my parents died, I was so.. sad" – she started talking – „I know it sounds simple, being said. I should have been in despair, or lost, or depressed, but I was simply sad. The thing people don't understand is that sadness can criple you as much as the feelings that sound worse. You can feel sadness washing over you, taking your every thought, stealing every word, leaving you in the dark, chaining your feelings, taking you away from the rest of the world" – she could feel his lips on the top of her head, his kisses ingraving themselves in her mind. „I kept asking myself why did I survive, and not them. One of them at least. The last thing I remember is seeing my mother unconcious and my father grabbing my hand and telling me he loves me, my hand falling out of his, and my eyes slowly closing, although I fought so hard to stay awake. They said they found me floating by the shore with my head down. They barely revived me. They said it was a miracle. I found it funny. My parents were dead and they called it a miracle" – she swalloved.

First tear fell down his cheek. He never urged her to talk about her parents because he knew how much it probably hurts to remember that day. He thought she will tell him about them when she's ready.

He started thinking about how close she was to dying, and how the possibility of him not holding her in his arms was lingering somewhere above their heads. He dismissed those thoughts because the idea of not having Elena in his life was too painful to bare. Now when he found her, he's not planning on letting her go that easily.

„Stefan?" – she said his name through a whisper.

„Yeah?"

„Can you promise me you will never leave me?" – she asked, knowing that is a question she shouldn't ask.

„I promise" – he said without thinking.

He shouldn't make promises he can't keep.

But those are the best kind.

xxxx

Just wanted to inform that later today I will be publishing another Stelena fan fiction. I wanted to start writing it when I finish this one, but I'm nowhere near close to ending this one, so I was afraid the idea will slip my mind. If you're interested, you will be able to find it under the name Beautiful Accident.

Lots of love, and thank you for reading.