Elena relaxed into Stefan's shoulder. His arm wrapped around her shoulders as he kissed her head. "Tired?" He asked. She nodded. "We will be home soon, just take a nap. You've earned it."

"Thank you for everything you did for me here, Stefan. I could not have done this without you." She said, stifling a yawn as she nuzzled into his shoulder.

"You could have done this without me." He said, tilting her face up so their eyes met. "Before you argue with me. You could have done this without me, it might not have been the same but it could have happened. Sharing this was what made it special for both of us." Elena nodded. "Sleep, Lena. You're exhausted. I'll wake you up when we get home. If you're still tired I'll carry you all the way to bed if I have to."

XXXXXXXX

"Ugh, Stefan. Why did I take this class?" Elena groaned, laying her head down on the island. "I hate finals."

Stefan chuckled as he looked up for the vegetables he was slicing. "Because you have dreams after swimming. Come on, Lena. Take a break. You have been studying all day."

"That's not true!" Elena exclaimed, lifting her head up.

Stefan gave Elena a reproachful look. "The three hours we were at the pool do not count as you taking a break. Let's go. Shut your books. Help me finish dinner." Elena started to protest but Stefan cut her off. "This isn't up for debate. It will be good for you."

Elena sighed, closing her book and sliding her cap back on her pen. "And put your books in the office. That way it's not staring at you and you can relax." Elena picked up her books and walked out of the kitchen.

Stefan returned his attention to the food. A minute late Elena walked back into the kitchen. "You already seem more relaxed." He commented, tossing sliced peppers into a skillet.

"I am. I feel so much better just from putting it away. How are you so smart?" She asked, wrapping her arms around his waist.

"It's genetic." He quipped. She scoffed. "Haha. I'm actually kinda serious though. My father was a Professor of Physics at Harvard and my mom was a successful Congressional Law Attorney. Damon graduated as Valedictorian from Yale with a Masters in Finance."

Elena whistled. "And then there is you. Disappointment galore." She kissed his neck.

"I did graduate you know?" Stefan said, turning in her arms to face Elena.

"I know that. I was a fan, remember? I have googled you."

Stefan's eyes widened. "What? You are so telling me more about that later. I actually have a degree in Biology. I was thinking about being a doctor or something like that if swimming didn't work out."

"Really?" Elena asked. "I did not know that about you. How did I not know that? I am a failure as a fan and a girlfriend."

"Don't feel bad. I was always very private with the media. Anyway, I actually applied to Johns Hopkins Med School."

"Seriously?" Elena's eyes sparkled.

"Yeah. I did."

"Did you get in?" She prodded.

Stefan looked away. Shy boy coming to the surface again. "Yeah. I got in."

"Oh my god, Stefan. That's amazing! Why didn't you go?" She asked.

"Because I took a year off after I graduated to focus on swimming. I applied right before the trials for my last Olympics. I didn't get my acceptance letter until after I had qualified and by that point I was set on going. I deferred my acceptance, planning on going after London."

"So why didn't you? I mean, not that I am not eternally grateful you are here coaching, but Stefan, Johns Hopkins is a big deal." Elena was reeling. She knew Stefan was smart but she had no idea he was this smart. She never would of guessed any of what he had just told her. If it was possible she seemed to be falling more in love with him, this time for his intelligence. Personality, body, manners, and now a brain. This is what perfection in human form is.

"After London and my shoulder surgery everything kinda went crazy. I felt like I didn't know who I was without competing. I didn't feel whole. Life just wasn't the same and I didn't know what I wanted anymore. I was actually still lost when I accepted Nik's offer. But it was familiar. Swimming, Nik, Kol - it's what I needed. I was drowning in life." Elena's eyes were filled with tears at hearing Stefan. It must have been horrible after his shoulder. "And then I found you, and it's like that is when I found my way again. This, coaching at the U, is the best thing to ever happen to me. I know who I am again." Elena was crying now and Stefan felt his own tears beginning to form.

"Stefan. I don't know what to say except that I love you."

Stefan smiled, stroking Elena's cheek to wipe away her tears. "You don't have to say anything . Your love is enough for me. It's all I will ever need." She nodded, too overcome with emotion for words. He glanced at the stove, "Shit, gonna turn this off." He flipped the burner to turn the pan off.

Elena laughed. "What's so funny?" Stefan asked, confused at her humor.

"I was just thinking before about how learning you were super smart made me love you more. And now, I never thought it was possible to love someone as much as I love you. I never thought I could love YOU as much as I do now." She smiled at him; he beamed in return. "Now that you have your life figured out I think you should apply to med school again. If you still want to be a doctor."

"Ha. I do. I was thinking about that when you were studying. I love coaching but ever since I was little I wanted to be a doctor. I used to make Damon be my patient."

"I'm sure he loved that."

Stefan smirked. "He was overjoyed. Not. I think I do want to go to med school." He paused. "My spot at Johns Hopkins is actually still there."

"Then do it. Go!" He didn't respond. "Why am I sensing a but?"

"It's just... Okay, I know I want to go to med school. I know that. But, my life is here now. You are here. And the trials are seven months away. I can't go now."

"Stefan Salvatore. I will not be the reason you do not go to med school. Don't make this decision about me. This is about you."

"This isn't about you though, it's about us. I'm not ready to go right now. I will go. Don't worry. But I want to wait, at least until after the trials. I will make my decision after the trials because I refuse to go to med school if you qualify for Rio. I'm going with you."

"Stefan." She warned.

"I'm not saying I refuse to go ever. I just won't enroll in 2015. I am going. I will be a doctor. I have decided that as of this conversation." They both laughed. "I just don't want to go yet. Being with you through the trials and hopefully the Olympics is more important to me right now. So, now that we transitioned from finals to an in-depth discussion about our future, can we get back to dinner? I'm starving."

Elena chuckled. "I'm hungry too. What can I do to help?"

"Can you finish cutting up these veggies? I'm gonna get started on the meat."

She nodded. "What are you making?"

"Chicken fajitas."

"Oh, yum!" Elena picked up the knife as Stefan moved to the fridge. "I've missed this. Spending time together doing normal things. I've missed you. School has been sucking my time up these past few days."

Stefan shut the fridge. "I've missed you too."

XXXXXXXX

Elena's phone rang as she exited the English building. "Hello."

"Hey, Lena. How did it go?"

Elena smiled to herself. "It went really well actually. I filled like 4 blue books because I had so much to say!"

"Wow! That's great, Elena. I'm really happy for you."

"Thanks, Stef. I honestly don't know how I would have prepared without you. I didn't have much of an opinion on the prompt when he told us last week but your input was amazing! I knew my entire argument going in and I think it was well thought out and articulate. I just hope my professor agrees."

Elena heard Stefan scoff on the other end of the phone. "Of course he agrees. Your argument was rock solid. Don't stress about this. It is what it is and you can't change it now. So, don't stress about this until the moment you get your scores. "

"How did you know I was gonna worry about this until I got my score? Damn it, Stefan you know me so well."

He chuckled. "It's in the job description of boyfriend. Just doing my job. Speaking of my job, are you coming to practice today?"

"Stefan, it's required, why wouldn't I?" Elena asked as she nodded at someone waving to her. She smiled apologetically at another person who had been about to start a conversation with her. "On the phone." She mouthed.

"You didn't go yesterday." Stefan replied.

"Correction, you didn't let me go yesterday. If I remember correctly I was all ready to go - I even had my suit on - and you wouldn't let me out of the apartment. 'Lena, you're tired and you have your most important final tomorrow. Skip practice. Nik will understand.'" Elena imitated Stefan. "So no, I didn't skip yesterday. I was prevented." She quipped.

"And did he understand?" Stefan asked, a smirk creeping onto his mouth. He heard Elena grumble something on the other end. "What was that? I didn't catch it."

"I said shut up. And wipe that smirk off your face."

Stefan laughed. "You didn't answer the question, Miss Gilbert."

She groaned. "Yes, he understood you annoyingly smug bastard."

"I'm hurt." Stefan whined.

"No you're not. You're probably thinking about me naked right now." A few guys turned as she spoke. "Buzz off." She shot at them, returning her attention to Stefan's response, or lack of response.

"You're not the only one who knows the other really well, huh? You dirty old man."

Stefan glared, even though Elena couldn't see his face. "Hush, Gilbert."

"You're not denying it." She sang into the phone.

"What do you want from me?" He asked.

"Admit it." She demanded.

"Fine." He sighed. "I, Stefan Salvatore, was thinking about you, Elena Gilbert, naked." He stated. "Happy?"

"Maybe." She teased. "Now, what was I doing? Was I perhaps, reading? Knitting? Changing for practice?" Her laughter filled Stefan's ears.

"If you must know, we were both naked and I was doing very naughty things to you with my tongue. Specifically that one thing you really like when -"

He heard Elena's breath hitch just before she caught him off. "Stefan, you can't say things like that in public." She growled.

"I'm not in public so who gives a shit?" She was silent. "Ya, who's laughing now?"

"How long until practice starts?" She asked.

"3 hours. Why?" He asked.

"Cause I am outside our building and I need you now."

"Who is the dirty old man now?" He gloated.

"Stefan, I am going to be at our door in less than two minutes. Now you can either scratch my itch for me or I can do it myself. And I can promise you if you choose the first it will be epic."

Stefan's breath caught in his throat at Elena's words. "What the hell are you waiting for? Get your ass up here!"

XXXXXXXX

Stefan broke the silence of the post coital bliss. "Let's get away for Christmas." He said as he lazily stroked up and down her arm as it rested across his chest.

Elena turned lifted her head off his pec, brushing her hair back from her face. "Really? Where would we go?"

He shrugged. "Anywhere, wherever you want to go. I just want a break. I don't really care where as long as we are together."

"It doesn't matter to me either, as long as I have you." She sighed, thinking. "But I have always wanted to go somewhere in the Caribbean."

She felt his chest rumble as he chuckled. "Where would you like to go?"

"I don't know. I have never seriously looked into it."

Stefan sat up, scooting back until he was resting against the head board. He pulled Elena with him, nestling her on his chest, half in his lap. "I've been to the Bahamas and Jamaica. Not really charging to go again." He ran a hand through Elena's hair, relishing in the soft texture.

"How about this, I picked the area, you pick the place?" Elena said, relaxing even more into his hard chest.

"That sounds like a deal to me. Do you have any criteria you would like met?" He kissed her forehead.

"Other than you being there with me?" He nodded at her, smiling. Elena's heart melted just a bit. "Hmm." She hummed, kissing his chest as she thought. "Beach, but not like we go to the beach. I want to be on the beach. Oh, but not like a resort or a hotel."

Stefan rested his head against the headboard. "So, private hut? Secluded on the beach." Elena's eyes lit up. "Somewhere we can be completely alone. Undisturbed."

"Yes please. I don't want to deal with any people at all. I just want to be alone." She laughed. "No, that's not it. I just want to be with you. And it would be nice if no other people were there."

Stefan kissed her forehead. "I'll set it all up after practice."

Elena groaned. "Ugh, I forgot we still have practice." Stefan's chest rumbled against her shoulder as he laughed. "Do I have to go? I mean…" She smirked up at him. "You gave me quite the workout, Mr. Salvatore."

"While your praise does wonders to my ego, it doesn't change the fact that we have to go. If we both skip Nik will know something is up. And while I highly doubt he would care about just this one you know the girls will talk. They will assume we holed up in here."

"Well we would be, Stefan." He smiled down at her.

"But, do you want them to know that? I am sure they all know but still, I would like to keep it as professional as possible. I don't like people in my personal life. It's my life and I should get to decide who knows. And I don't want people like Alana knowing my life."

"Are you trying to guilt me into going to practice? And out of this super comfy bed with a naked you?"

"Damn, you caught me. But seriously, Elena. We have to go. Come on, it's the last practice before break. I bet Nik does something fun."

She glowered at him. "Fun for Nik and fun for me are two very very different things, Stefan."

He laughed. "Fair point. I'll suggest games and relays. I'll even bring my suit just for you. You know he won't be able to pass up races if I have my suit. Ahh, the things I do for you."

Elena lifted herself off his chest, planting a kiss on his lips. "It's because you love me."

"I do."

A/N: Sorry that my updates aren't as often now. Senior year's theme song is Wrecking Ball. I'm drowning and I don't have my own Stefan to save me.

Next update is gonna bring some surprise.