I am so incredibly sorry for not updating sooner but things got a little hectic with my family leaving for vacation and what not, so I apologize but I am back! And here is chapter 9!

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They went on their second date and were finally moving forward in their relationship, if that's what you could call it. Neither of them wanted to complicate things so soon so they refrained from giving themselves a label. They loved spending time with each other and they couldn't get enough of each other. Slowly they learned every little detail about each other and now they knew each other like the back of their hands. They were at a good place together. They exchanged longing glances in class and were now fluent in the language of looks. They were giddy around each other and they made each other nervous. They were both engrained in the others memory. They would kiss and hold hands and soft brushes of the arms and hands would both send their nerves skyrocketing and it would put their hairs on end.

Elena was happy and she was thinking about Stefan as she was walking around looking at the huge success of the carnival. Caroline, Bonnie, Matt, Tyler and her made sure it was a hit because the proceeds for his carnival would go towards their senior year trip to study the history of Barcelona. They were beyond excited and were putting in all effort that they could.

Elena continued to walk around when she realized that there was a huge line at one of the booths. And if she wasn't mistaken, that was where the kissing booth was supposed to be set up. Elena curiously made her way through the mass of people to see who it was that Caroline had gotten to volunteer for this booth but when Elena got about 3 quarters of the way in she bumped into Caroline who was trying to do the same thing.

"Care, who is at the kissing booth?" Elena asked as she continued to dodge the crowd of people around her.

"I do not know why don't you go ask your boyfriend?" Caroline mocked completely distracted.

"Care, he's not my boyfriend and plus, he was supposed to be at the dunk tank… so who's here…" Elena trailed off before she saw someone standing on the booth making an announcement. She had never seen this person before but he was extremely attractive. He had short hair, a little curly and it was a nice honey brown colour. He had a defined jaw and was wearing a black V neck with black jeans and he spoke with a British accent.

Before he even finished his announcement Caroline grabbed Elena's arm and was swooning. "Elena, I have never seen such a gorgeous man before. Who is he? Where did he come from and why am I not the first person in this line? Good, God." Caroline whined before she bolted to the front of the line. Elena just giggled and shook her head at her friend. She was no longer worried, Caroline could figure out who that was.

She walked a bit more when she spotted Jeremy throwing darts at the balloons trying to win Bonnie the big Koala she was pointing to. She had to admit, they were cute and she was extremely happy because both of them made each other happy. She made a right and found the dunk tank and that made her heart jump a little.

She was looking around for Stefan but she couldn't find him anywhere near the dunk tank. She was confused because she had told him to be at the tank for 12 and it was now 12:30. She took her phone out of her back pocket to see that he had left her a text. She must have been so busy in running around and making sure that everything was perfect that she hadn't realized that her phone had buzzed. She opened the text and read, "Meet me in room 212"

She smiled as she walked towards the school and towards their history room. When she got to the room the window was covered and the door was locked so she knocked in hopes of finding Stefan there. Before she could knock a third time the door swung open and their eyes made contact. Both of them broke out into smiles upon seeing each other. They whispered hi to each other before Stefan grabbed her and dragged her into the classroom.

"What are you doing in here? Shouldn't you be out there?" Elena asked as she sat down on a desk beside Stefan.

"Yeah but I was having a hard time trying to paint our mascot on my chest, the one Caroline insisted I have. Which I don't get why, I'm gonna get wet anyway." Stefan said with a roll of his eyes.

Elena's breath caught in her throat at the idea of seeing Stefan's chest. She knew it was strong from the many times she was caught in his embrace and from the times her hand would find their place on his chest as he nuzzled her nose and kissed her forehead.

"So you want me to paint your chest?" Elena inquired pursing her lips.

"Yeah, if you don't mind…" Stefan said.

Oh hell she did not mind. But she couldn't show that, "Yeah sure, where is the paint" she asked.

She turned around and went to the back of the class to get paint but when she turned back around Stefan was lifting his shirt up and this was the first time she had seen him without a shirt. Sure she thought he was muscular but she did not think he had those cuts. He had cuts in places she didn't think was possible. As her eyes wandered all over his body she had the sudden urge to run her hand all over his body and kiss her way down his chest.

Stefan's cough broke her from her reverie.

"Oh come on, you can't be that surprised." Stefan said feigning insult.

"Sorry, it's just…"

"Your first time seeing me shirtless, I understand" Stefan said smiling at her knowingly. He knew he had this effect on her and he was enjoying every bit of it.

"Yeah, wait I mean, no." Elena got out trying to justify her ogling.

Stefan narrowed his eyes before he walked over to her and grabbed the paint out of her hands and placed it on the desk behind her. He now stood before her and she was watching him with wonder awaiting his next move. He slowly placed his hands on her hips and moved her so he was leaning against the desk and she was standing between his legs.

"What are you doing?" Elena whispered unable to take her eyes off of his and unable to feel anything else but his hands placed upon his hips.

"Something" he simply responded.

Elena's hands now pressed against his bare chest and she loved the way it felt under her fingertips. Stefan looked up at her with a smoldering look before he leaned up to place his lips right below her ear. His breath was sending shivers up and down her spine and before she could pull away to look at his face he moved his lips up a fraction of an inch to whisper, "I was thinking" he placed a small kiss on her ear before he began again "what we are" his moved his face down a little so his nose skid along the side of her cheek, "and what we're doing here" he ended with a small kiss to her cheek.

At this point Elena was feeling light headed a bit and he was trying to form proper thoughts. So opened her mouth to answer him even though she was sure whatever she was about to say would only come out in a whimper.

"And what do you think we're doing here" she said with a bit more will power than she thought she had. She almost sounded seductive, but with no intent.

Stefan smiled before he pulled back to see her face.

"Well, I was thinking we were moving to a better place with one another. And I was thinking…" he trailed off as he reached down to grab her hand and intertwine their fingers and bring it up to his lips and place a kiss on it, "that I want you to be mine." He said topping it off with a million dollar smile.

Elena was smiling at this point. She was happy with where they were and of course she wanted to try and take the next step, see where it would go, if it would go anywhere to begin with.

She looked up from their intertwined hands and let go of his to reach up and place her hands around his neck before she responded.

"I wanna be yours" she said simply before his lips crashed down onto hers sealing the deal then and there. His hands moved from her hips to encircle her entire back and hug her to his body while her hands remained around his neck. They kissed sweetly before Stefan pulled away to smile at her.

"Good, but I have one question. What we're doing here, its legal right?" Stefan said jokingly but also with a hint of seriousness.

"Relatively, I mean, I'm turning 18 in a couple of months and technically you aren't an actual teacher here…" she said smiling at him.

"Good, last thing I want is to be thrown behind bars for shacking up with one of my students."

"Shacking up with one of your students? Is that what we're doing? And is that what I am to you? One of your students?" She teased.

"No, you're mine. That's what you are" he said before he kissed her again.

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"What I feel for you goes beyond our little bed flings, why don't you understand that?" Katherine said finally showing this vulnerable side of her.

Damon sighed as he moved closer to her on the couch and placed his hand on top of hers.

"I understand, I really do because I feel this too. But what I'm saying is that you can do so much better than me. I am such a lost cause." He said looking at her with sadness. Those piercing blue eyes were as deep as the sea and displayed so many hidden emotions. Emotions he refused to show. Maybe that's why he and Katherine got along so well.

"I don't want to do better than you Damon, and you're not a lost cause." Katherine said moving to place her arm on his shoulder.

"Kat, if we do this, you know there's no going back right?" Damon said

"And I don't want to go back. Damon, I know this might be too soon but I think I'm falling in love with you and I just don't want these feelings to be in vain. So tell me now if these feelings are in vain Damon." Katherine said not wanting to hear the answer herself.

Damon sighed and ran his hands over his face before he turned around with a smile on his face which made Katherine smile.

He stood up and said, "Well" and he tackled her on the couch and she was in a fit of giggles as he placed a kiss on her lips with eager passion before he pulled away.

"So you think you're falling in love with me huh?" Damon mocked giving her his signature smirk.

"Shut up and kiss me Damon." She said before his lips silenced her.

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"Alright who is up next?" Screamed the student monitoring the dunk tank that oh so conveniently got moved next to the kissing booth for promotional purposes.

Stefan sat there waiting for the next person, he had been dunked a handful of times all day and was losing count. These kids in Mystic Falls were beasts at their aim.

Elena tapped the student on the shoulder before giving him 5 dollars for 5 balls.

"I'll have a go at it" she said innocently.

"Sure thing, step right up and try your best! All 5 dunks and you can get a prize!"

A prize? She did not remember the dunk tank giving out prizes so she decided to go out on a limb and ask.

"Yeah! If someone gets five dunks in a row they win a date with over there!" he pointed to Stefan who had a wide beaming smile as he waved and sung his legs back and forth in anticipation.

A date with Stefan? How dare he give that up for an offer? Elena gave Stefan a little glare before she turned back to the student and grabbed all five balls.

"Okay" she said simply before she picked up a ball and whipped it with all her force at the target and hit the lever which released the seat Stefan was sitting on. Down he went into the water only to come back up to say, "Oh come on, what was that for? You want the date that bad?"

"Oh I'm just getting warmed up Mr. Savlatore" she called back with a smile mocking the use of his last name.

She flung another one, and down he went. And another, and another and another. And before he knew it, she was out of balls to throw.

"I'll take care of it from here, we're closing up. Thanks Jimmy" she said to the student before he nodded and walked away. The carnival had been fun and now it was closing up and no one was here anymore besides the people who volunteered to help.

She walked over to the tank where Stefan was still swimming in and she leaned in to grab his by the arm.

"Excuse me, why are you pawning off dates? I thought we established that you're mine" she pouted.

Stefan stood up and stepped out of the tank to walk to the back behind the sign for the dunk tank to get his towel.

She followed right after him without hearing an answer.

When they got to the back her turned around and grabbed Elena and picked her up bridal style before running back and throwing her in the water of the tank and she screamed his name, he followed right after her and went right in with her.

"I am yours, and guess who just won that date with me" he said swimming over to her and placing a kiss on her forehead.

"Stefan I am going to kill you I didn't bring a pair of clothes" she said smacking him on his chest playfully.

"Well then I guess you're just gonna have to go home naked" he suggested.

"Funny"

"I wasn't trying to be"

"So stop"

They bickered back and forth before they saw Caroline walk up to the tank.

"I give you five minutes before I tell you to get out and get back to work you love birds" she said before she walked away. She stopped and turned around and said "Oh by the way Stefan, I met your friend Nik. May God bless you for bringing him into that kissing booth, he is talented with that tongue. " she said with a smile before she walked away.

"Oh my god. That was you? You brought in that guy?" Elena asked

"Yeah, he's my best friend. I also share an apartment with him." Stefan said.

"Well he is extremely attractive, and that accent of his is to die for."

"Wait, you mean this accent?" He said trying to impersonate a British accent.

Elena laughed before brought herself closer to him and leaned on her shoulder. "His is better" she said casually.

Stefan turned around and placed a kiss on her forehead as he chuckled.

"So where do you want to go for that date babe?" He asked.

Her heart fluttered at the sound of that. He had never called her babe before, and now that they were official she would have tons of time to get used to it.

"Anywhere you take me is fine by me" she said pressing her lips against his.

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So that is chapter 9! The longest one yet! I hope you liked it and leave me a review letting me know what you think! Thank you so much!