March, 2004 (Present day)

Stefan looks at his watch, waiting for his bus. He had missed the last bus just by one minute, and now if he didn't take this one, he might make her wait on the station. Good for him that she is running late. He chuckles remembering about how desperate he must have sounded in the morning when he called her. A second thought passes his mind, the one which Lexi successfully put in his head. It isn't the first time she was pestering him for some unreasonable discussion. It took him like a lifetime to realize what he really feel for Caroline. Okay, maybe he was exaggerating, and one year isn't that long to fall for someone. But, he did. And that too without even realizing the part where he started to trip and fall, and once the truth hit him, he was deep into the pit of a love-struck sickness. Now what can he do about the heavy truth he has been bearing over his heart, having the love which wouldn't be reciprocated, a love that doesn't have any home to go to. He looks down, concentrating on his shuffling shoes. And why would she even like him on the first place. After all, she awarded him for being the broodiest person on the world.

"Talk to her, Stefan. You won't lose her… and I am sure about it."

Those were Lexi's words to him. But, he is sure that he will lose her if he tells her anything about the things going in his head.

Friend!

That's what she has always been calling him. And why would a girl full of life will choose him, a guy who can define grumpy on a whole new level. It's not the first time that his mind struggling, and reminding him of the sour truth. But, what else can he do. He was too chicken to admit the feelings to him. Maybe he would have had, but her friendship is on stake, and she is way too important for him to loose.

His eyes follows the busy traffic of the Madrid streets moving all around him. The exchange students in his university have always been excited to see the beauty of this city, which he never recognized. It was kind of normal to him. Buildings, scenery, greenery…. That is what it was to him… Until she became the part of his existence. Now it's just not a scenery but the soothing beauty, because every second, it reminds him of her. This is the city, which brought her in his life. How can he not be thankful about it?

He has his personal sunlight, a Caroline Land, where he goes and forgets anything and everything about the worries.

Impossible is the word defined in the dictionary, which suits the fact that, someone like Caroline Forbes can ever fall for him.

"I don't think about her in that way, because she is my friend."

The reminder buzzes in his head as if it has been kept on a five minute snooze. He sighs shaking the thought away. He has to stop thinking about her like this, which was the second reminder, which, his heart opts to ignore every single day.

November, 2003

(In the middle of their double date, as she called it)

He stared back at her in that moment, a fear engulfing him into a pit, the kind of fear which can create a sensation of fluttering butterflies in stomach. For a second, he thought that she saw talking to him, but when she turned her head and smiled back at Jesse, his confusion was made clear. There was no way she would have had find out about the suggesting help he offered to Jesse for picking up an ice-cream flavor which she could like. She giggled more, leaning into Jesse, and since there was nothing else to distract him, he decided to sip the beer bottle in his hand. He shook his brain from her thoughts. It was insane. Constantly, thinking about her, obsessing over her every move. This isn't the person he is.

"You are not having ice-cream?" It was Ivy who interrupted his thoughts.

"Oh Stefan isn't fond of ice-creams." Caroline said before he could have answered. She was still lost in her own scoop, indulging herself in the taste.

Stefan looked at Ivy and Jesse, who have weirdly the same kind of expressions on their faces.

"I, uh, don't like ice-creams that much." He replied back, because the look on their faces was making him uncomfortable.

"Who doesn't like ice-creams?" Ivy smiled awkwardly, turning her face from Caroline to Stefan. Caroline didn't even realized that the people around her were staring at her before Stefan talked.

"I know right! I tell him the same thing ALL THE TIME." Caroline's eyes were wide, and expressions animated. That brought a ray of smile on Stefan's face.

"Looks like you guys know everything about each other, what even your girlfriend and boyfriend doesn't know." Jesse laughed looking at Caroline. Stefan's head turned on his side, confused at what he was trying to convey.

"Uh, well we have been friends for so long, and have spent some good amount of time with each other, that maybe we just pick up some of the behaviors." Stefan could see the worry on Caroline's face. He couldn't understand the reason behind it though.

"I don't know, it's not that long enough compared to when we met."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, that… it's not about how much time passed after meeting someone to get to KNOW someone. If your heart wants, you can know everything about someone." He can feel the sarcasm coming from Jesse's mouth crawling all over his own skin. Maybe he should stop suggesting stuff to him, or it might get problematic for Caroline.

"Uh, well yeah sure. But, you know me as well. This ice-cream being the proof." Caroline answered him with a confused smile, pointing her finger at the cup in her hand.

Damn it!

Stefan cursed under his breath. That wasn't the reply Jesse was looking for. And he knew it.

"Uh, so Jesse tell us about yourself. I heard you are studying medicine as well." Stefan thought changing the subject. That should work.

He thought.

"Yeah, I am interested in neurology. And looks like Caroline's interests is in doctors!" He dragged the topic back to her. Stefan frowned at the way he was talking.

"Uh… what?" Caroline was still sitting with a big question mark on her face.

"Well, I am just saying that maybe… she has a thing for doctors."

"Maybe I have a thing for you." Caroline fluttered her eyelashes on him, stabbing Stefan right in the middle of the chest at that very moment.

"Maybe I am just a distraction!" Jesse was still smiling at her, but there was something more to that smile. Stefan could see the nagging thought all over his face.

"Maybe you are just drunk." Caroline looked like trying hard to be calm.

"Truth hurts… doesn't it?"

"I think we should call off the day!" Caroline was about to burst into anger. Thus, she took a deep breath and looked straight at Jesse.

Stefan didn't know what to do. He wanted to help, but he really doesn't know what was happening between them.

"Yeah, it's late anyways. We should go too." It was Ivy this time who talked. Stefan's eyes stayed at Caroline, trying to see through her. He kept looking in her direction, praying for her to make an eye contact with him. But, she didn't look back. When did this night turned out to be so messed up?

"Stefan!" Ivy called him once again. He kept staring at Caroline, but there was no reaction from her side.

He said a good bye. But, she didn't respond. Neither of them… not that he cared about Jesse though.

He stopped at the exit, turning back to look at her. For some reason, he didn't want to leave her like that. But, it was the matter between her and Jesse, and his meddling will bring nothing good. He peeked one last look at her, and wished that things resolve between them. However selfish he wanted to be at that moment, all he needed was for her to be happy.

"So you are still not gonna tell her?"

His hands were cramped on the steering wheel, and the grip became way tighter after hearing Ivy. "What do you mean?"

"How thick are you Stefan?" Ivy shook her head, and he could see her side view from the corner of his eyes. "Or are you just lying to yourself about everything."

Stefan turned his head towards her. "Caroline, I really don't know what you are trying to say!"

Her hands slipped in the darkness of the night, enclosed in his sports car, finding his sitting on the steering.

"You know exactly what I am saying." she gave his hand a soft squeeze. "After all this was our last day as couple, right! That was the deal…"

Even though the street light was dim, he could clearly see her glistening eyes, and he was blaming himself for this. He wanted to call off the date, but she insisted on going, because she had already made plans for the dinner.

"Although, I would like to have one last thing from you." She leaned in to steal a soft kiss, brushing the lips on his.

"I am sorry… for hurting you."

"It's okay… it wasn't like you promised to love me for eternity or something…. or even to love me for the matter."

He couldn't say anything to her, because there was nothing he could think of saying, which might make her feel better. He saw her opening the door on her side, and stopping in mid.

"By the way, stop calling others as Caroline. You have started slipping very often these days Stefan. Your Caroline is still oblivious about your feelings. So, give yourself a favor, and put yourself out of this misery."

Stefan stared in the vacant air around him, Ivy was long gone, but her words were constantly poking him. He sighed loudly, and wished if telling her, accepting it would have been easier than said.

He put keys of his apartment in his key bowl and walked inside without switching the lights on. Because if he did, he might see the exact spot where he broke up with his girlfriend twelve hours before, and he would remember the face she had at that time. But it's all over now. He didn't want to think about the mess he has created in his life. However, he couldn't help but worry about Caroline though.

He fell flat on his bed, and took out his phone, staring at the screen. He thought of messaging her, to check if she is doing fine. Being wide awake in the middle of the night was not doing any good to him. At the end his brain started to stop thinking, and his fingers took over his actions. Within a minute, he had sent the message to her.

Everything fine?

He hit the button, and waited for a response staring at the ceiling. The phone buzzed in a while.

Yeah. Everything is fine.

The answer was plain and simple.

He asked once again.

You can talk with me about anything if you want. You know that, right?

Yes, I know that Stefan. And everything is good.

The second message followed the first after no longer than a second.

And if you are worrying about Jesse, then don't. Everything is sorted.

He should feel relaxed. After all that's what he wanted. She confirmed it that all is well now. What else was he expecting it to be? It's not like just because he is single, then she should magically get single as well. And he didn't want that to come true as well. A part of him at least doesn't want it. But, now the other part of his brain and heart, the one which wants to be selfish, which doesn't care anything about who and what Jesse is… that part is being paranoid now. It's a battle in his head.

Good to know. Take Care!

It was really good to know that he has to convince his heart otherwise now, tell it to stop thinking about Caroline all the time. Finally, he was aware of the fact about his feelings, but there was nothing he could do anymore…

"So…. How was the last night?" Lexi asked when she took the chair beside Stefan in the class.

"It was fine."

"Really?"

"Why?"

"Because something looks off on your face." She looked straight at him, while he looked away, trying to dodge her stares. "So, are you gonna tell me or do I have to start guessing?"

Stefan sighed and closed the book he was trying to study for the past hour until Lexi came. "Ivy broke up with me."

He could see that little shock on her face. "Well, that happened pretty fast."

From the tone he couldn't tell if it was genuine or her sarcasm. "So, you predicted for this to happen?"

"Obviously! Stefan... you and Ivy were not a match."

Stefan nodded.

"When did this happened?"

"Last to last night."

"You mean right before the double date?"

"Yup"

"And you still went to the date?"

Stefan didn't reply her back, and she waited for him to answer. Her stares were killing him, and with every second it was getting harder.

"Ivy asked me to."

"She asked and you agreed?"

"Yeah, what's a problem in that?" He finally snapped.

"Nothing… boy, fine. I was just asking. Don't get too worked up on it. I won't ask any more questions."

"Thanks!" he gave her a fake smile and went back to his studies. But, he could see the smug on her face. And it was driving him crazy.

It was a coincidence, a luck or just that she knows his schedule so well that she called him the moment his class was over.

Or maybe she just sensed that he was thinking about her.

"Hey."

"Hey. Is your class over?"

An involuntary smile came on his lips. "Yeah, it just got over."

"Hmm…"

"So… what's up?"

"Nothing…. I just wanted to talk. And apologize for last night. I am sorry it became a little weird at the end."

"No... Don't be. Its fine… sometimes it happens." Stefan walked out of his class, and stopped at the corner. "So, I hope Jesse is fine now."

"Yeah, he is fine. Don't worry." She paused for a second before continuing. "So, how is Ivy?"

"She is good."

"I hope she didn't say anything about last night." Her tone was implying as if she wanted to know something, like she wanted to clear some doubts.

"No… no, she didn't."

"Good… that's, uhm, good!"

"Why? Should I know something?"

"No… I didn't mean that. It was… nothing."

"Okay."

"Stefan, I have to go… I will talk to you later."

"Sure." Stefan was feeling off about her. "Caroline?"

"Yeah?"

"Are you sure everything is fine?"

She was silent for a moment, and it was making Stefan worry. "Caroline!"

"Yeah… yeah… okay I gotta go."

"Okay." And before he could say a good bye, she ended the call.

"So, you have decided to just pretend that nothing happened, and you are still with Ivy!" Lexi was coming towards him.

"When did I said that?"

"But, you lied about your break-up to Caroline."

"I didn't…. I didn't lie about Ivy and me. I just didn't tell her about our break-up, that's it."

"And the reason being…?" she prompted him again.

"Lexi… don't you have anything else to do, other than asking million questions to me."

"Fiiine, why are being sour. I was just asking."

Stefan sighed because, he knows the questions Lexi was asking weren't illogical. She was right. He was trying to hide that one truth from Caroline. He should tell her about the break-up, but for some reason, he didn't.

He was walking on the street, when he got the call. He was about to bump into the street lamp poll.

The screen was flashing Caroline's name.

"Hey."

"Walk properly or else there will be a bump on your head."

When she said that, he turned around him, and found her waving at him from across the street. She smiled and walked towards him.

"What are you doing here in this neighborhood?" all the worry which had been eating him up for few days, just vanished the moment he saw her. Last time he saw her, she was still the one who make a fluttering sensation in his stomach, and who was still in a relation with someone.

"Well, I was at Bonnie's place. She, uh, she stays nearby."

Stefan nodded at her. "It's been few days since we met."

"Yeah, since that awkward double date from world of awkwardness." She laughed nervously.

"Yeah… that." He smiled as well.

"Dinner, huh." She eyed the take out packet in his hand.

"Yeah, I was not in a mood of cooking today." It wasn't even a second that his heart took over his brain in thinking. "You wanna have coffee at my place?"

"At this time?"

"Why not?"

"But... Your dinner?"

"It can wait!"

By the looks on her face, he was sure she was going to reject the proposal. He should be fine… its not like she would be rejecting his proposal of life, and he wasn't asking for it as well.

"Okay."

"w-what?"

"Let's go. I am in."

That glitter of happiness sprinkled on him when he heard that simple yes. The selfish monster inside his chest was roaring, wanting her for no one but himself.

"There is a café right across the street. We can go there."

"Sure."

"So, how is Bonnie?"

"She is good. Been busy with her Teacher's qualifying exam."

"I never knew she wanted to be a teacher."

"Yeah… I think she will be a great teacher."

"I am sure she will be." Under the night sky, he couldn't help but stare at her. The way her eyes were twinkling talking about her friend was mesmerizing. "What about you? How is your job going on?"

"It's going great."

"Good… liking the new place."

"New place?"

"Yeah… you just moved in this new location, right?"

Her eyes went wide for a moment, as if her head was trying to calm her down. "Uh, yeah… yeah. But, it feels like old place to me."

"Hmm…"

They were at the door, when he saw the lines on her forehead all crumbled. A fear changing to a shock… it was all over face. Stefan turned his head towards the line of sight in which Caroline's eyes were stuck. And his head burst as if he was hit by that lamp street. He saw Ivy in the café, kissing someone, and that someone was none other than Jesse. Stefan looked back at Caroline. He had no idea how she had been feeling. She must be devastated to see her boyfriend cheating on her.

When Ivy and Jesse separated from each other, their eyes collided with them standing there.

"Stefan." Ivy looked at them, and smiled a little. "Nice to see you."

Stefan pressed his lips in a smile.

"We were actually leaving, but it was nice to see you both. Bye Caroline." Jesse politely smiled. And when Caroline smiled back at him, Stefan started to understand the truth.

It wasn't any longer that they were left alone once again.

"So… are you going to tell me now or should I wait?" Caroline was the first one to break the silence.

"Tell you about what?"

"You and Ivy broke-up!" she crossed her arms. "When were you going to tell me about it? You lied to me."

"I didn't lie. And you didn't say anything about Jesse either. So, technically you lied to me as well." Stefan pointed.

"I didn't… I didn't lie." Her voice was high- pitched which usually happens when she tries to hide her emotions. And Stefan knew that.

"Oh, really!"

"Yeah, I mean I said that-"

"Caroline"

"- everything is fine-"

"Caroline"

"-which means everything is fine-"

"Caroline"

"-I just… said the whole truth."

"You done?"

"Yup… I am done."

"You are okay right?"

"Are you?"

He didn't realize in his worries for her that she could worry for him as well.

"I am fine."

He opened his mouth to say more, but she beat him to that.

"You know what, it's getting a little late. I should go now. I will see you later. Bye."

Before he could say anything else, she was gone from there.

"So, she is single once again. You got your golden ticket Mr." Lexi took the chips and put it in her mouth.

"Lexi… please."

"What? I am just saying… THIS is your chance. Now please don't waste it like you did in the past."

Stefan looked at her from the corner of his eyes, but didn't respond.

"Did you talk to her?"

"Not after last night."

"Don't you think you should?"

"Lexi, I will call her, when I want to."

Lexi made a face, but didn't fight him back. Stefan turned his head at her, when he sensed that she was too silent.

"Lexi! What is cooking in your head?"

"Nothing… I have to go. Ciao."

"Lexi… lexi." He held her wrist to stop her. "Don't you dare to do something stupid." He warned her, but he knew that his words have no power over her.

Stefan was in his lab late night, working on his experiment. His phone buzzed when he was almost done putting the flask in the incubator.

"Where are you?" Lexi's voice was loud.

"Lexi? Are you in a pub?"

"It's Friday night. I am not a bore like you, of course I am in a pub."

Stefan chuckled at her. His friend was totally wild in the weekends. But his chuckles were interrupted from the voice in the back of Lexi.

"Whose voice is that?" he frowned. The voice was familiar, and in a matter of seconds he figured it out. "Is that… Lexi, is that Caroline?"

"Uh, why not. She isn't a bore as well."

"…is that Stefan? Give it to me…" he hear Caroline's voice in the back.

"Stefffan. Where are you?"

"Caroline… are you drunk?"

"Well, duh! You know… I am having… I am having fun. This is real fun."

"I am coming there." Stefan took out his jacket and went straight to Caroline.

Hit me with your best shot,

Why don't you hit me with your best shot…

Stefan's eyes went wide to see her in the middle of the stage. Brown jacket, and a laced dress with the brown boots, she was looking stunning on the stage. She was breathtaking, and ironically he forgot to breathe.

With each words, she started to unzip her jacket, and threw it to the audience.

"She is stripping!"stefan's mouth opened at the scene he saw. "Lexi… I am gonna kill you." He moved towards the stage.

"What did I do?" he heard lexi saying that, but he didn't wait to reply.

When he went on the stage, Caroline smiled at him in the middle of her song. "Stefan! GUYS… this is Stefan… Stefan Salvatore. And he is my best friend. Are you gonna sing as well?"

"NO… no I don't sing."

"Come on Stefan, be a sport and sing with meeeee. By the way you are looking hot!" she turned around to face the audience. "Isn't he hot?"

Stefan looked at everyone with a little embarrassed smile. His cheeks were turning red. For the first time, she said that to him. Did she actually thinks that he is hot? Just a thought of that was making him giddy.

"Caroline… lets go."

"What... No. I am not going, I am having so much fun."

Stefan took her hand to take her out of there, but she wasn't convinced to go yet.

"Okay…oookaaay, I will… I will go, when… you sing. Siiiing Stefan Salvatore."

Stefan hated singing. He was bad. Really bad. And being in the spotlight for that wasn't the best thing that was happening.

"No, I am not gonna sing! I will do anything but sing. I don't like it, I hate singing. So, nope I am not singing."

Lexi was in the burst of laughers for the past thirty minutes.

"Shut up."

"Stefan, I really can't believe you actually were singing there."

"Didn't you heard…? I said shut up!"

But Lexi didn't. Neither did Caroline.

"Well I liked it." Everyone stopped laughing when Caroline said it.

"Really?" Stefan asked her.

"Yeah, why not…." Stefan chuckled at her. Even in her drunk state, she was the cutest girl in that whole pub.

"Let's go." She whispered in Stefan's ear.

"Where?" he whispered back.

"I know a place."

"A place called home?" Stefan wanted to take her home safe before she could have more shots and get sick.

"Shhh… not home, just... come." She took his hand, and moved out of the crowd towards the exit.

"Stefan?"

"Hmm?"

"Why are you so good to me?" Her voice was soft and melodious in the scarlet night that wrapped around them. She was swinging her legs, sitting on the periphery of the bridge, right beside Stefan, shoulders touching and every breath slow and steady.

"What do you mean?"

"You KNOW what I mean…. You have always been so good to me, being the knight in shining armor, saving me from evil- evil life."

"Evil life?" Stefan chuckled at the description she gave to her life.

"It is pretty evil, you know." Her eyes were wide with the serious look he had ever seen on her face. Stefan chuckled again and looked down, staring at the water underneath the bridge. Festival season was near, and the whole city was lighted and glowing, but to him the most shining thing was sitting right beside him. The only problem was the fact that if he dared to touch that light, he might lose it forever, which he couldn't afford at any cost.

The laughter from her side, brought him back to present.

"You know you are spinning!" the giggles came in between her words.

"Uh... what?"

"Stop moving Stefan… I feel like looking at two Stefans… OMG there are two of you!" Her two fingers went up in front of his eyes, making him chuckle even more.

"I think I am drunk."

"You think?!" He raised an eyebrow at her, when she just shook her shoulders.

"Did I ever tell you that you should smile more often… you look hot."

His breath stopped in his lungs, when he heard that. Even though this was the second time in a single night she complimented him, it still gave him goosebumps.

"Yeah... yeah you did."

This time she giggled so hard, that she almost lost her balance. Almost…. such a funny word. Because, to save her from her almost fall, his hands instantly went to her waist, keeping her still in his grasp. Her head bumped on his shoulder, making them both laugh. And when she turned her head up, he could sense something more in her eyes. He felt like drowning in the depth of those blue oceans. Shoulder to shoulder, and leg to leg, their body was in total proximity. In the instant of that moment, his heart almost skipped a beat. And when she leaned in, every second felt like hundred years. His brain went numb even before he could realize what was happening, she was really close to him, closer than he ever thought he could be to her. Inches away, he could feel her breaths freezing his mind, and with every reflex in the muscles of his body, his eyes slowly shut close, giving into the moment.

He could feel her smile so close. The time slipped in, and he felt he head bumped on his shoulder. When he opened his eyes, he saw her passed away. He chuckled at the blonde beauty in his arms. No one better than him can have the worst luck of the world.

"Let's take you home, Miss Caroline Forbes." He said that to the sleeping head. And when she laughed lightly, he thought that she heard him. But, he was sure she didn't.

After reaching her home, she still wasn't walking straight. So he put her on the bed.

"Drink."

"What is this?"

"Water… Caroline how much drunk are you?"

"Why? Are you scared that I might take advantage of you?" she straight up flirted with him, and it was all those shots she consumed.

"Why? Should I be scared?" he teased her back, and he saw her cheeks turning red. The best scenic beauty ever. "Its water, Caroline. Drink it."

"Stefan… I have to give you something?"

"It can wait till morning."

"No…it's already been so late! I wanna give you now." she turned to the table on her right side of her bed, and picked up the book. "I have this book for months now. I should have had returned a long time back."

"You can keep it Caroline, its fine. A gift from me."

"Are you kidding me? Isn't it the first edition or something? Take it," she pushed the book to his chest, and he couldn't do anything but laugh.

"Okay, I will take it. Now just go to sleep."

Stefan saw her closing her eyes and going into deep sleep. Maybe it was a good thing that nothing happened on the bridge. She might have had regretted it in the morning, which he wouldn't have had liked. Maybe being friends is what written their fate.

March, 2004 (Present day)

He was looking for bus schedule in his bag when he found that novel sitting inside there. He took it out and stared at him. For some reason, that novel became even more special, as if it belonged to his heart. It was just a feeling though. He turned his head to look at the street again. Looks like the buses are delayed. So, he decided to walk instead. He starts to walk, but at the turn, he bumps into someone and drops the novel in his hand.

"I am sorry." He tells the stranger and picks up the novel and starts to walk again.

"Excuse me?" the guy called him. "I think you dropped something.

He was holding a white sheet of paper in his hand. "I think it dropped from that novel."

Stefan frowns. He has never seen that paper before, and he never put any paper as a bookmark as well. "Thanks."

He looks back at the folded paper. He opened the sheet, and it bewildered him even more because it was some kind of a letter addressed to him.

A/n: so I hope this chapter was worth the wait I made you all do. I really hope you guys enjoyed it :) keep loving it.

P.S. I did a mistake in the present time line as it was suppose to be 2004 and I wrote 2003. So I have updated the chapter :)