AN: I 'm not really entirely comfortable with this update, prolly cause the first chapter got more attention than I could've ever hoped for and I'm scared this might not meet expectations.
Also, I apologize for the delay. My nephew was feeling a generous one morning and decided to share his milk with my laptop.
Anyway, I hope you enjoy this one! Leave me a review! Please?
He snaps awake when he feels her head roll off his chest, blonde hair sprawled all over him. He settles her back into a comfortable position, head cradled on his arm while he supports the weight with his knees.
The crowd has thinned out, leaving only a few people who are either physically incapable or bound by duty to stay after the party. The bonfire has died down into a big heap of embers, occasionally sending orbs of stubborn debris to the wind.
Stefan allows himself a few more moments of unperturbed silence, his eyes dropping closed as another gust of air blows through the dying flame. He is grateful for the few hours of break he's enjoyed but is also alarmed as he remembers the amount of work that's been refusing to get done.
Taking a deep breath and forcing his eyes open, he wills his normal brain functions to return. He sits up a little straighter against the tree they've claimed for the good part of two hours.
Caroline is still sleeping soundlessly in his arms, the moonlight highlighting half of her face. They haven't been spending as much time with each other as they would've liked and he's thankful he still has these little moments to enjoy. He presses a chaste kiss on her mouth as he reminds himself of the spring break and its promise of lazy mornings and scenic walks in the park. When he pulls back, he watches her features soften into a contented smile.
"Care, we need to head back." He rubs his knuckles along the rise of her cheeks and down the contours of her jaw. She leans into his touch and buries herself deeper into the embrace, wrapping her arms a little tighter around his waist.
A warm, lingering feeling settles on his chest as he takes another deep breath. Carefully positioning his arms below her knees and around her shoulders, he lifts her up from the ground. Her arms wrap instinctively around his neck, thumbs tracing random patters on the exposed skin. He takes steady strides as he makes their way across the almost empty parking lot, afraid he might upset her by the movement.
He manages to open the car door without much fuss and he sets her carefully down the passenger seat, cradling her head like a baby. He lingers for a moment, leaning by the side of her seat. He hooks several strands of hair and tucks them behind her ears. His dashboard clock is glaring angry, red numbers – four minutes before 3am. He presses one final kiss at on her shoulder and makes his way to the other side.
Backing out of the parking lot, he watches Caroline stir in her seat, twisting so her back is leaning on the car door. "Taking advantage of my inebriation, huh?"
"Guilty," he replies, hands raised in mock surrender.
He looks at her, eyes still closed and a soft smile gracing her lips. "You're luck you're good at it."
"Taking advantage?" he says and he lets his jaw drop, right hand pressed to his chest for effect.
He hears a quiet laugh from her side and he reaches out to pull her hand and plant a kiss on her knuckles.
"How are you feeling?" he says as he slows down to stop at the red light, taking not of the minute he has before it changes back. He shifts so he's facing her, reaching out to pull his button down tighter around her frame.
Caroline groans. "Like this is a horrible prelude to a massive hangover." She extends her arm over to his side and tucks her hand into his upper arm. "I told you I shouldn't have gone."
His eyes are trained on the road, stepping on the gas but not daring to go over 25mph. "At least you had some fun right?"
"Clearly." Her lower lip sticks out a little as she tucks her other hand under her cheek.
A comfortable silence settles for the rest of their short ride, Stefan stealing glances at her as she slips into a restful nap.
When they take the last turn into their apartment, he softly calls her to wake. "Babe, we're here."
Her eyelids flutter open and Stefan stifles a laugh at her evident intoxication – eyes dreamy and unfocused. He makes to open her door and asks her, "Are you okay to walk?"
Plaid covered arms extend towards him and he can't stop his eyes from rolling. "You big baby."
They make their way up the flight of stairs to their apartment, Caroline still cradled in her arms. "If I didn't know better, I'd accuse you of taking advantage," he says as they stop to open the door.
Her breath is hot on his neck when she giggles, planting a lazy kiss right above his collarbone.
They cross the room and Stefan lays her down their queen-size bed, rearranging the pillows to make a fort so she's comfortable.
He shuffles to the kitchen, picking up several bottles of water and heating up some for her tea. When he sets them all on the bed side table, Caroline is half awake, staring blankly at his form. She catches sight of his books on the other table across the room and a dramatic gasp escapes her.
"Stefan. Your exams. What are you doing?" It would have sounded more pressing if she weren't already feeling the beginnings of the inevitable head ache that came with consuming large amounts of alcohol within a short period of time.
He's smiling when he turns to face her, twisting the cap off and lifting her up to sit. He touches the rim of the plastic container to her lips and tips it forward, her hands joining his around the bottle.
"Don't worry about it. I've covered everything anyway. I was just kind of reviewing." It's not entirely a lie. He's read through all the topics, but he needs to read them again before he's confident enough he can ace the two exams he has tomorrow. He doesn't mention the paper he was just about to start when he received the first of her I'm not drunk messages.
When she turns from the drink, he says, "You need to finish the bottle."
Stubborn as ever, she replies, "Whyyyyyyy?"
"To make up for having me drive out there when I should've been studying?"
Snatching the bottle away and taking the rest in gulps, she says, "You play dirty."
As she sets the emptied drink down the bedside table, she finds him twisting another one open.
"Are you seriously gonna force me to drink more when I've already had too much?" She crosses her arms on her chest, her eyebrows furrowing, daring him to continue his attempts at First Aid Hangover.
"Would you rather swallow these aspirins without water?," he says, his own eyebrows lifting, throwing back a dare to match hers.
She sticks her tongue out at him but acquiesces, accepting both the tablets and the water. When she's done, she hands them back to him and burrows into the covers, blocking the light with an arm across her eyes and falling asleep in an instant.
He knows her well enough not to ask her to change, knows she has another hour before she starts shooting projectiles through her mouth. He gently lifts her head to brush her hair up from under her so the blonde locks are fanned above her.
"I love you," he whispers to her ear, his lips brushing her skin tenderly.
Mentally outlining the important points of his paper, he goes to the edge of the bed to pull off her Chucks, massaging her feet a little before tucking them back under the blanket.
The water is boiling when he comes back to the kitchen, and Stefan pulls out two cups from the rack, setting them both on the table. He plugs the coffee maker in and pulls out some honey for her tea. With several aspirins on the tray, he sets it down beside the bed, along with the cup of hot tea and a jar of honey, his mug of coffee already in his hands.
He picks his laptop up from across the room and settles beside her, his hand immediately combing through her hair as he quietly sips his coffee, forming the introduction in his head. He gets to work once he's finished his cup, flipping his Macbook open on his lap and typing fervently, hoping he gets an entire page in before she wakes up for trips to the bathroom.
The first time she stirs, he remembers to set some towels on the bathroom floor, adding a fresh set of clothes to complete the package. He's well into the third paragraph when the first audible gag resounds in her chest. Grabbing the plastic bucket from beside the bed, he helps her sit up with a supporting arm across the back of her shoulders and they make their way to the bathroom.
He holds her hair back and rubs soothing circles on her skin, occasionally wiping her mouth with a clean cloth. Thankfully, they don't have to spend as much time in the bathroom and the last of the heaving rolls by.
She rests her head on the rim of their tub and allows Stefan to wash her face clean. She brushes her teeth and accepts the dose of spearmint mouthwash for good measure. They cross the room again with Caroline leaning on Stefan's chest, her fresh new clothes offering a small comfort from the soiled ones she had on earlier.
He leads her to the bed when Caroline says, "Can we stay up for awhile?" pointing to the plush recliner in the middle of the living room.
Grabbing some of his notes off the table, he takes them to the seat and plops them down. Caroline positions herself across his lap, her legs dangling off the edge of the armrest, arms hooked behind his shoulders.
"Did you at least have fun for me?"
"I drank your share, though, that's for sure."
An amused laugh emerges from his mouth, "Are you comfortable? How are you feeling?"
"Better, thanks to you." Her words are muffled in his hair as she rests her chin on his shoulder.
"You sure you wanna stay up?"
"Read to me."
They do this sometimes, read their notes to each other. School takes up much of their time and this allows them to be in each other's company and study at the same time, hitting two birds with one stone kind of thing. It also makes for a perfect mock exam, at the same time, it's a chance to learn something about the other's chosen field. More often than not, the other one dozes off, but it's a little ritual they both enjoy.
So he reads to her. He knows she likes the small trivial facts that textbooks forget to include so he takes the time to include some of those in his writing. She lifts a finger to point at the calligraphy he made of her name.
He nudges her softly with his shoulder when he thinks the tea is the right temperature for her liking.
"Let's get you back to bed, love." He lifts them up, allowing Caroline to get up on her own. They walk back to the room hand in hand with slow and steady steps.
He sits her gently on the bed, offering her tea and another round of aspirin tablets. She takes them willingly, but not after squinting her eyes at Stefan.
He pulls her on top of him, blonde hair once again claiming its place on his chest. He wraps his arms securely around her, running his hands up and down the silk pajamas on her back.
She's fully awake now, feeling a whole lot better. There's still a dull throbbing in her temples but she no longer feels the need to empty her stomach. She's grateful for the warmth that Stefan's body offers and the security of his arms around her back.
His laptop is still open beside them, half finished document staring back at her. "I'm sorry."
His right arm temporarily halts in its soothing motion, leaving her back to flip the device closed. "I still have tonight to finish my paper."
"You weren't even there for the fun. And then you had to pick me up, taking out precious time from studying." She frees one of her hands from between them and motions animatedly. "And on top of that, you had to watch me make a big mess w.."
"Hey, hey. I'm sorry, too, you know."
She waits for him to continue, waits til she can before she asks "What for?"
"For taking the fun out of your party by not being there," he says with a wink.
That earns him a genuine laugh and a playful bite to his bicep.
Another silence settles over them, broken only by Stefan's deep breaths. He tries to calms his nerves for his exams in three hours, clearing his thoughts and allowing it to rest. He feels her sigh against his chest, guilt still bubbling at the pit of her gut.
"Hey." He tips her chin up with his finger, forcing her to meet his eyes.
"Don't worry about it, okay? We can have real fun during the break," he adds, wiggling his eyebrows for effect.
"Are you okay to stay here while I go ace my exams?"
He can feel her nod against him.
"You sure?" He kisses the top her head, inhaling her scent.
She manages a little hm mm.
"I'll make you pancakes before I go. I promise to be back in two hours tops, alright?"
"Yes, dad," she says again, eyes rolling as they close.
The pancakes are still warm when he sets them on the table, complete with a note saying "I hope you don't shoot any more projectiles while I'm away ;)"
When he makes his way into the apartment an hour and a half later, pulling out his purchases on the table, he finds a note for him. "I'm saving that for when you come back. :P I'll be waiting. xo"
Inside the bedroom, he finds her sleeping soundly on her stomach, arms under her chin. The TV is still showing reruns of Grey's anatomy, Karev is making out with that hot redhead doctor when he decides to turn down the volume.
He opens his laptop and waits for her to wake while he works on his paper, closes it back when he's satisfied with his added work.
In the kitchen, he prepares a meal to wake her up with, coffee already warmed up in her favorite cup. He brought her a pint of Ben & Jerry's and that small Oreo cheesecake they always get when they feel like it. He positions the vase he's filled with gardenias at the corner of the tray and adds one final touch to his surprise.
When he sets the tray on the space beside her, she shifts on the bed immediately, reacting to the smell of coffee dominating the room, her eyelids slowly breaking open.
He crouches down so her eyes are level with his, kissing the tip of her nose lightly. With a hand under her elbow, he helps her sit up, pulling the tray closer with his free hand.
She smiles his favorite smile as she pulls up the flowers to her nose, tugging at his hand so she can plant a solid kiss on his lips as thanks.
When they pull apart, she picks up the coffee in one hand, and the note in the other.
"Don't be embarrassed by last night
I've been pretty much intoxicated this whole time
Intoxicated by you"
They both burst out laughing at the line, Stefan doubling over at the side of the bed. Caroline is shaking her head at him, her eyes shining from all the laughing.
She's never been so happy about a hangover ever before.