Based on this prompt: Steroline - end of last episode, Caroline was jealous of Elena (Katherine) and Stefan. She leaves and Stefan runs after her.
I took some liberties with this prompt because I just couldn't justify the idea of Caroline running out of her own room when their feelings aren't quite at that level yet. I'm not quite sure about the result, but I'd love to hear what you think!
When Caroline first tried to hint to Elena that rekindling her relationship with Stefan might be a bad idea, she chalked it up to friendly concern.
When she spotted them dancing at the Bitter Ball, she had told herself that the sudden tightening in her chest was simply a more exaggerated version of her earlier worry. Never mind that she had felt worse when Stefan had declined her offer to dance for like the first time ever.
But when she walked into their dorm room and found her two friends in the middle of a hug, she couldn't deny it anymore: she was jealous. When she had shredded the remaining mementos of her previous relationships (if what she'd had with Klaus could even be called that), Caroline had said she wanted to open herself up to something new. But as she stares at Elena and Stefan's faces, hers somehow smug and his almost guilty, Caroline knows what she really meant was that she wanted to open herself to taking an old relationship in a new direction.
"Hey," Stefan says awkwardly and shuffles his feet.
"Hey, I was looking for you guys," Caroline says with false brightness and walks further into the room because it would be too obvious if she turned and ran now. She does live here. "How's Jeremy?"
"Enzo tried to suffocate him," Stefan says, quickly moving away from Elena so they are no longer touching. "But Elena revived him."
"Oh my God, Elena, are you OK?" Caroline asks, genuinely worried.
"I'm alright," she replies, "just a little shaken up." She takes a big, steadying breath and gives Stefan those wounded puppy eyes Caroline knows he can't resist, but something about it strikes her as exaggerated, calculated even, in a way that Caroline has noticed more and more frequently.
"Well, I'm going to go wash up and get ready for bed," Elena says and turns toward their bathroom. "Goodnight, Stefan," she says softly and squeezes his arm as she goes. A look so tender passes between them that Caroline has to turn away. She sets her things down on her bed, hoping Stefan will just leave and she can confront her newly-discovered feelings tomorrow.
But, of course, the problem with falling for your best friend is that they know when something's off.
"So, did you enjoy the party?" he asks too casually and she can tell he's starting with something innocuous so he can ease into the tougher questions.
"Well, I would have preferred dancing with somebody instead of leaving early to solve the Supernatural Problem of the Day, as always," she rants and throws her hands in the air before plopping down on the edge of her bed. Stefan cocks an eyebrow and Caroline fidgets under his gaze, irrationally worried that he can already tell what's really wrong.
"Are you OK?" Stefan asks in that soft caring voice that really isn't helping right now.
"I'm fine," she lies and stares down at the floor dejectedly. Stefan sits down on the bed next to her, clearly determined to wait it out until she tells him what's wrong.
"What's going on between you and Elena?" she asks because she's never really been one for circumspection and it will shift his focus from her. Stefan looks startled a moment and then it's his turn to become evasive.
"Damon is taking the break-up harder than even I expected," he starts, "I'm just trying to make sure she isn't hurt. Be a friend."
"You two looked awfully cozy for just 'friends,'" Caroline replies, her tone a little more argumentative than she intends.
"Caroline...," he starts, but she stands and huffs in frustration.
"Come on, Stefan," she says, hating how whiny she sounds. "I know you both way too well not to recognize the signs. You're totally falling for each other again."
"It's not that simple," he replies and stands. "She's been...different since she broke up with Damon, like her old self and I...missed that," he explains haltingly. "I think a part of me is always going to love Elena, Caroline," he says and she has to fight not to let him see how much that thought stings her.
"But that doesn't mean you have to keep going back just because you loved each other once," she argues, her voice rising. She sends a nervous glance in the direction of the bathroom and hopes Elena can't hear them over the noise of the shower. She steps closer to him just in case. "You keep reliving the past, Stefan. Rebekah, Katherine, Elena," she stage-whispers. "I get that the doppelgängers are destined or whatever, but that's just it? You're not going to try to fight that, make your own destiny?" Stefan opens his mouth to speak, but now that she's going, Caroline won't stop. "You left Mystic Falls because you didn't want to be in this love triangle drama anymore and now you're putting yourself right back in it!"
Stefan takes a step back from her and for a moment, Caroline thinks that maybe she's been too harsh, but then he asks her the worst possible question.
"Why do you have such a problem with this?" he asks, his forehead crinkling as he tries to understand. She turns from him and crosses her arms over her chest.
"Because I care about you," she starts, which is true, but not the whole truth in this context. "I've seen what it does to you when she goes back to Damon and I just don't want you, either of you, to get hurt."
It's quiet for the first few moments after she speaks and Caroline briefly considers walking away before she makes anymore bitter rants when she feels Stefan's hand on her arm. She looks up to find him standing next to her, his expression so full of affection and concern that it makes her feel like swooning.
"Thank you," Stefan says softly and turns her so he can place a hand on each of her shoulders.
"For what?" she asks.
"For caring. For being such a good friend," he says sincerely, his hands gently rubbing her arms and leaving goosebumps in their wake. "After what Silas did to me," he pauses, his forehead crinkling with the pain of the memory, "I never thought I'd recover, come to terms with what happened. But you were always there, even when I lost my memories. You tried to bring me back to who I really was." He steps closer to her then and Caroline's briefly distracted from what he's saying by just how green and beautiful his eyes are this close. "I don't know what's happening with Elena," he admits, "but I appreciate you looking out for me." He shrugs and smiles at her, one of those slightly goofy, genuine smiles she rarely gets to see from him and she can't help but smile back.
She sees his eyes dart down to look at her lips and suddenly something changes between them. His smile fades a bit, his grip tightens on her arms and his gaze feels a bit more intense.
But then, as if she somehow knows this is the worst possible moment to appear, Elena opens the bathroom door and draws their attention.
"Stefan!" she says in surprise, pulling the rather small towel covering her body a little tighter. "I thought you'd left."
"We were just catching up," he says and drops his hands, the sudden absence of warmth snapping Caroline back to reality. "I should get going," he demurs. "Goodnight, Elena," he says and then turns and smiles at Caroline. "'Night," he says softly and then shoves his hands in his pockets.
Caroline follows him to the door and watches him go, hoping Bonnie comes back soon so she won't have to be alone with Elena. She's just about to shut it when Stefan suddenly turns back. He seems surprised but pleased to see her still standing there and he smiles and slips his hand out of his pocket to wave. She returns the gesture and then shuts the door.
Maybe there isn't so much to be bitter about.