AN: Hello everybody!
Very excited to have gotten a prompt quickly this time around so that I can update more frequently. Please keep them coming guys!
Prompted by Steroliner33: Could you maybe do one where Caroline has to go back to the Miss Mystic Falls Pageant and her escort doesn't show so Stefan steps in and they end up kissing somehow? Thanks!
Okay, so I don't know about you guys but I was so disappointed Stefan's flip was switched for the Miss Mystic Falls pageant. I wanted to see Caroline descending the steps to him and them dancing together, so I guess this is partly how I would've liked to see the pageant go down. This is slightly AU, Elena isn't cursed and Stefan has his emotions. The rest you'll find out as you read.
This chapter turned into a freaking monster, but I got super inspired and I'm really proud of it. Also, I included a little reference in this chapter to another television show, let me know if you catch it!
Remember to review and leave prompts!
Much love,
JM
Simple Intimacy of the Near Touch
Caroline Forbes was doing just fine with her life, thank you very much.
Unlike so many in her graduating class, she actually got out of Mystic Falls. After all, the only reason Caroline would have ever stayed would have been for her mother, and well…it had now been three years since her mother had passed. Caroline needed a break from the death and destruction of Mystic Falls. So when there was finally a break in life threatening disasters she packed a bag, went to visit Bonnie and Elena, and hit the road.
Honestly, it had been for the best. Caroline had traveled for a while, trying to find a place to settle down before deciding on New York. She had always wanted to go, and while it was difficult to adjust to the big city she welcomed the distraction. She missed her friends, her mom, and her home. The blonde finished her degree before passing out her resume to all the local news stations. It had taken a few months, but she was eventually hired on as a researcher at World Wide News. Caroline had walked home with a new bounce to her step that day, spending her evening screaming and jumping around her studio apartment in celebration.
This. This is what she needed. She didn't need Mystic Falls. She didn't need the destruction or heartbreak it wrought. She didn't need him.
Stefan Salvatore.
Normally when she had good news like this she'd immediately head to the Salvatore boarding house. She'd bring a bottle of bubbly and barely wait for her best friend to open the door before she was launching herself in his arms. He'd laugh and shake his head at her, letting her hold as he'd close the door before wrapping his own arms around her until her feet were hovering off the ground. Stefan would proceed to carry her to the kitchen before they'd release each other and he would grab glasses for them to toast, smiling at her as she told him her news. She could talk to Stefan forever and he'd smile as though he could listen to her forever. It had always meant so much to Caroline, and she hadn't realized how much until the night after her mother's funeral.
This hurt. Granted, everything seemed to hurt these days, but this reception really freaking hurt. It hurt to see all these people, clutching their families to seek comfort and to know she couldn't do that anymore. She just needed some space or she felt like she might suffocate. And it was like Damon had said, it was only going to get worse. She didn't want to experience her worse in front of a crowd. Caroline grabbed a jacket and mumbled a quick excuse to Elena before making her way out of the Grill. It had meant a lot that her friends had helped her get all the arrangements done in a day, but she felt like she couldn't be around anyone right now. She had scarcely made it past the front door of her house when it overtook her. Sobs ripping through her throat without filter. She tore her coat off and kicked off her shoes before stumbling into her house and attempting to go up the stairs to her room. Caroline's knees went weak on the third step and she allowed herself to slide down the wall and onto the steps. What did it matter? No one could see her. She could feel her feelings with no judgement, allow them to seize her and drag her under for as long as she wanted. She clutched her knees to her chest as tightly as she could, trying to stop her heart from feeling like it was breaking apart.
It took a while but her sobs eventually subsided, tears now falling silently down her cheeks. It was then that she heard the gentle knocking on the door.
Caroline hesitated. She really didn't want to deal with people and their pitying looks right now. However, she was certain that if the visitor saw her face soaked with tears they'd feel awkward enough to not stick around. Decided, Caroline rose up shakily, allowing the railing to support her as she made her way back down the steps and turned to face the front door, only to see Stefan through its window.
Their eyes met. He smiled. It was perfect.
It was perfect because that smile wasn't pitying. It was a Stefan smile, the one that she tended to usually be the cause of. Caroline gave a tiny smile in response before walking forward and opening the door to reveal what had not been in view from the window, Stefan's hands. He was holding a bottle of bourbon and two glasses which he then held up in offering.
"Since champagne is our happy, everything is wonderful drink I thought bourbon could be our sad, we hate the world drink." Stefan informed her as she accepted the bottle.
And dammit if Stefan Salvatore wasn't the most amazing man alive. He hugged her, but it wasn't their usual hug. He clutched her to him, allowing her to rest her tear stained cheek on his shoulder while he closed the door and helped guide her to the couch. At first Caroline was quiet, overwhelmed by her situation. After a couple glasses of bourbon she began to loosen up. What followed were hours of Caroline telling Stefan every little detail of her mother. She laughed, she cried, and Stefan listened all the while. A gentle smile on his face as he kept her hand in his, grounding her. Caroline took a break in her story of the missing tea cup when she looked up and met Stefan's eyes. Apparently she had talked all night, literally, as early morning sunlight began filtering into the room. She sighed, shaking her head, "Why are you such a good friend to me?" She whispered, repeating the words from what felt like a lifetime ago.
Stefan smiled, "Because you're amazing, Caroline." And his answer had been so simple and easy. He didn't hesitate with it at all. Caroline's heart was full and maybe it was the sunlight, or the bourbon, or the fact that this was Stefan, but Caroline's eyes drifted closed before she began to lean in to kiss those perfect, smiling lips.
But her lips were met with empty air.
Confused, Caroline opened her eyes to find Stefan had left the couch and was now standing at the opposite end of the room, looking pained.
"Stefan? What…?" Caroline murmured, feeling her cheeks color in embarrassment. Had Stefan literally run away at the prospect of kissing her?
"Caroline, I…um…I have to go," And with that Stefan had turned on his heel and disappeared.
Caroline sat there in shock for a few moments before keeling over, allowing the tears to overtake her once more.
Both of them had tried to make things work after that of course, but both seemed to have a bit of a different approach. Caroline wanted to talk about it, get all the awkwardness out in the open so they could deal with it and move past it. Of course, she would rather be with Stefan, but he had make it quite clear that he didn't want that and Caroline would rather have him in her life as a friend than not at all. That got to be difficult though when Stefan's way of dealing with things was to pretend like it had never happened. Anytime Caroline tried to bring it up Stefan made up some excuse on the spot and walked away. It was frustrating and embarrassing and Caroline had had enough.
She was sick of Stefan and how easy it was for him to ignore her and what had happened. She was sick of her friends trying to constantly get her to talk about her feelings and how everyone in Mystic Falls would look at her with those pitying eyes as she passed. Caroline was sick of it, and she was done with it. That night she packed up her things, made the girls promise to look after the house in case she returned, and hit the road. While she had made herself swear to not stop she couldn't help but hesitate as she reached the town line. Caroline Forbes was leaving behind everything she had never known. She began to waver slightly, until she heard her phone buzzing.
'Stefan Salvatore' flashed across the screen and Caroline had the phone in her hand before she could stop herself. Everything with Stefan was so natural, it was like second nature. And that was the problem. Caroline couldn't feel that way, not if Stefan didn't feel the same. The blonde bit her lip and hesitated a moment before hitting 'Decline'. She then opened his contact and blocked him.
It was for the best, Caroline thought to herself as she put the phone back down and put her foot back down on the gas. She couldn't move on if Stefan was constantly looming over her.
It was for the best.
Caroline was on a serious good streak. She was excelling at her new job, making friends, and had finally found the perfect coffee shop which was just around the corner from her apartment. Nothing could bring her down from this high.
That is, nothing but the realization that she had to go back to Mystic Falls on Friday.
Once Caroline had gotten back to her apartment that night she began flipping through her mail as the oven was preheating. And that's when she saw it. An invitation to come and oversee this year's Miss Mystic Falls pageant. She had received a text from Bonnie a few days ago saying that it was happening, but she hadn't even considered if she would be asked to attend. However, it made sense. With all the crazy happening in the town Caroline had been the most recent winner, who usually attended as a mentor to the girls. Caroline was more than ready to turn down the invitation…however that weekend was important for another reason.
Saturday was the anniversary of her mother's death.
Caroline had been gone for three years now, and she hadn't been home for a single one. She knew her mother's grave was being looked after. The girls promised to visit it and Caroline called a local flower shop to go and lay flowers once every month. But it wasn't the same if she wasn't there.
With her mind made up the blonde called in to assure the committee she would be there, using her other hand to open her laptop and book a plane ticket home. Once she notified work of her upcoming absence she went and began packing. After three years away, Caroline had a lot to prepare for.
Caroline was gaping down at her phone. So far her trip home had been a breeze. After arriving Thursday evening she had had dinner and drinks with Elena, Bonnie, Matt, and Tyler. Thankfully he-must-not-be-named did not show, though she noticed Elena trying to send her meaningful glances several times, she ignored it. She then unleased the full power of her pout on Matt to be her escort during the pageant because, although she had succeeded in the professional aspect of her life in the past few years, she hadn't had a lot of time to meet and date people. Matt agreed begrudgingly, so long as she didn't mind his clumsy feet. But now, here she was, all dressed up and ready for the pageant, but reading a text from Matt that he couldn't make it.
Yes, he was missing it for entirely noble reasons as he was the new town sheriff and they were having an emergency, but still! The girl sighed and tucked her phone away before taking her place at the top of the stairs. It was fine, right? She didn't necessarily need an escort…even though those uppity Mystic Falls debutant types would probably judge her for the entirety of this event now. She was supposed to be setting an example to the participants of what to do and she was about to go against what was expecting in the first ten seconds.
"Miss Caroline Forbes," Caroline painted on a smile when she heard her name called and began to descend down the stairs, trying to hide a wince when the announcer continued, "Escorted by Matthew Donovan." The blonde began the round the spiral staircase, coming into view of all those in attendance. She immediately saw Bonnie and Elena mixed into the crowd, looking on with sympathetic smiles. Out of anyone she supposed that Elena would know what she's feeling right now. Walking down these same steps all those years ago knowing that her date wasn't at the bottom. Granted her situation was much more dire, what with Stefan going on a blood binge at the time.
And there it was. Just the mere thought of Stefan had brought him at the forefront of her mind. She could picture him, standing there in the crowd. Gazing at her with an awed little smile. Frowning when he noticed Matt wasn't at the bottom of the stairs and then began to make his way through the crowd.
Wait…that wasn't an illusion. That was really Stefan. Stefan weaved through the people until he was standing at the bottom of the staircase, just a few steps down from where Caroline was now and oh wow. Was it possible for a vampire to have a heart attack? She watched as he lifted a hand in offering to her.
The way Caroline saw it she had three options:
Take Stefan's hand and allow him to lead her in the dance.
Turn around, run back up the stairs, and book the earliest possible flight to New York.
Walk straight past Stefan and leave him on his own, just like he had done to her. Let him see how it feels to be humiliated and alone.
Unfortunately, no matter how angry she still was with him, Caroline could never hurt Stefan like that. As she reached the final step she placed her hand in Stefan's, locking eyes with him for a charged moment before turning to the crowd and smiling. She could be professional about this. The blonde turned back to her new escort and nodded, signaling to him to start moving. Stefan nodded in return before leading her out to the courtyard.
They stood there in silence. They still had to announce the girls actually competing and the crowd was still inside to watch. For the first time since that night they were truly alone. Caroline kept her gaze on the ground, unable to look Stefan in the eyes.
After a few more moments of awkward silence she heard him sigh, "It's…it's really good to see you, Caroline." He finally murmured. His voice was quiet, almost fragile. And honestly, it almost made Caroline madder. How dare he sound so hurt, like he was the victim here. Her fury gave her a new confidence and she finally looked up to meet Stefan's gaze.
He looked so sad. And as angry as she was her first instinct was still to go and comfort him. She squashed that impulse quickly though, "Yeah? Is it good? I'm glad you think that, Stefan."
He winced at her clipped tone. She didn't care.
"It is…I wish it would have been sooner, of course. But the girls tell me you're doing well in New York. I'm really happy for you," Stefan powered on, and every word from his mouth was like another twist of the knife in her gut. Because this was so familiar. If this was any other circumstance, if Caroline could just forget how Stefan hurt her, then they'd be able to talk and gush like any old friends that had been apart for as long as they have been. But Caroline couldn't forget. She just couldn't.
Caroline shook her head, "Why would I have come back any sooner than was necessary? There's nothing here for me anymore," She pointed out, lowering her voice as the contestants made their way towards them and the crowd began filtering out into the courtyard. Stefan's face fell for only a moment before he gave a little, sad smile. The music started up and Caroline took a deep breath to center herself.
The last time she had done this she had chosen a date that was good for her image, not really someone she cared about. Doing this with Stefan, so many feelings burning under the surface, it was different. Intense. They held their hands up along with everyone else, following along with the choreography. Close, but never touching. The simple intimacy of the near touch, Carol Lockwood had said. Caroline got that statement now. Just like when she had tried to kiss Stefan. So close to that perfect moment without reaching it. She swallowed thickly, trying to push those thoughts away before stepping into the waltz hold, her hand finally going to Stefan's while the other rested on his shoulder.
After a few steps she heard Stefan's voice, quiet in her ear, "I...I am so sorry, Caroline. I know I hurt you, but please trust me when I say that that was never my intention. I handled things badly, I know that now, but I never thought that you'd leave. I thought we'd just…work past it eventually. But I know that that isn't an excuse. I should have explained things from the start."
"Explained things?" Caroline asked, brows drawing together in confusion.
Stefan sighed, spinning Caroline out before spinning her back into his chest, "Why I left so quickly that night…when…we almost kissed," He murmured, voice going even quieter so no non-vampire ears could pick it up. "Caroline, you had just lost your mom. We were up all night. You were exhausted and sad. Let's say I let you kiss me. Can you honestly tell me there isn't even the slightest chance you wouldn't have regretted it after?"
And wow. Caroline hadn't expected that. She'd been so caught up in Stefan's words that she didn't realize that the song had ended and all the couples had stepped away from each other. Except for Caroline and Stefan who still had their arms around each other. She shallowed thickly before stepping back, looping her arm through Stefan's before signaling to the head of the pageant that she had to step out. She then proceeded to haul Stefan off to the gardens, walking until she knew they were out of earshot of the pageant. Stefan, to his credit, kept quiet and didn't say a word until she picked a spot and turned to face him, "Alright, fine, so I guess that makes sense, but then why avoid me after?"
Stefan let out a heavy sigh, "I don't have a good excuse for that except to say I was an idiot. I was dealing with some," He paused, looking around before wincing, "some stuff."
Caroline quirked a brow and shook her head, "Nope, sorry. Not good enough. After all this time, I want an explanation. What stopped you from talking things out with me?"
Stefan bit his lip before ducking his head, "The night of your mom's funeral...I talked to Damon at the reception and realized that I liked you as more than a friend. We were spending all our time together and you were always so great, but it seemed to be becoming more and…I didn't want you to kiss me or us to talk and you say you liked me if it was just some after-effect of Liz passing. I wanted it to be genuine and to give you your space, I didn't realize there was a time limit. But I should have. I was awful to you, Caroline, and I'm so sorry for that. I should have told you all of this then, but I was terrified. I was having these feelings for you which I wasn't sure I would even be capable of after Elena."
He finally lifted his head and met Caroline's stunned gaze, reaching a hand up to gently cup her cheek, "And what terrifies me even more that here we are three years later and I still feel the same. Even more so, if that's possible. It felt like my heart was going to rip out of my chest because it wanted to follow you. I love you, Caroline."
And Caroline couldn't really let him keep talking like now, because there were so many more interesting things his mouth could be doing right now. The blonde lunged forward, throwing her arms around Stefan as she sealed her lips over his. And Stefan didn't make any noise of surprise or have a second of hesitation. He was instantly kissing her back, his arms coming to circle around her waist. He couldn't make the argument now, because she wanted to make it perfectly clear. Caroline loved Stefan Salvatore unconditionally, through the good and the bad. And she was so excited to prove that to him.
She smiled against his lips as she felt him lift her up off the ground, just as he had done every time she had rushed to the Salvatore house with good news. They eventually parted, Caroline's toes still hovering over the ground. She tightened her arms around Stefan's shoulder as a sly smile spread across her lips, "You know, I think we should go get some campaign, because I definitely have some good news to celebrate with you right now."
AN: Whew! Starting writing this a week ago before darn midterms got in the way!
Please review! See you all soon!
