Caroline stirred awake under the covers when the quiet alarm on her phone went off. She felt Stefan’s arm around her waist– really, again? She propped herself up on her elbows, reaching over as carefully as she could to sleepily turn it off so she didn’t wake him.

When she turned back, her eyes widened she saw him stirring awake.

His eyebrows furrowed in confusion when he realised he was spooning her and he quickly pulled his arm back.

“Morning” she mumbled.

“Morning” his voice was husky with sleep and made her heart skip a beat.

They lay in silence for a few seconds, on their sides, their faces close together on their pillows.

“Sorry I woke you.” she added.

He glanced sleepily at the clock. “It’s six in the morning.”

“I like to get up early.”

He seemed to smile a little. “You know sleep is good for you, right? Some even call it beauty sleep.”

“Shut up” she said laughing.

“You know, I was getting some really good sleep before your chirpy alarm went off” he teased.

“Yeah well, that’s what happens with you cuddle with me.” 

The words were out of her mouth before she realised what she was saying. She felt herself going red and inwardly cursed herself. She would never have said that if her mind wasn’t so foggy with sleep.

“Friends cuddle, right?” he asked, looking at her with an expression she couldn’t decipher.

“Sure. Cuddling is good for sleep.” she muttered.

He didn’t seem to find the situation that awkward. “No one should have to wake up at this ungodly hour if they don’t have school or work,” he said dramatically. 

The prospect of extra sleep in Stefan’s warm bed wasn’t that bad. “An hour more won’t hurt anymore” she agreed.

And then they were just lying there, gazing into each other’s eyes and smiling.

She sighed. “It’s gonna be hard to fall back asleep.”

He nodded like he had just decided something with a mischievous look in his eyes. “No it won’t,” he said and suddenly wrapped his arm around her waist again.

She giggled, ignoring the swoop of her stomach. “What are you doing?”

“Cuddling again. It promotes good sleep, right? And for now, we go to sleep.” he said matter-of-factly.

“Gee, thanks” she grinned and turned over so he could put his arm around her properly.

“Goodnight– or early morning.”

She rolled her eyes, hoping she wasn’t blushing at the contact as he seemed to pull her closer slightly. “Go to sleep, Stefan.”

“You too, Caroline”

She found herself smiling again at his dumb banter and felt her eyelids drooping. Yep, this was good, she thought. Then she snuggled back into his chest and fell asleep.

~*~

When Caroline woke up again, the bed was empty. Her hand lingered on Stefan’s side for a moment before she snapped out of it and got up.

She took her bag into the bathroom, brushed her teeth, ran her fingers through her hair and made her way out to the living room.

“Hey” Stefan greeted her, eating cereal.

“Hey”

“So what’s your plan for today?”

“No clue. Chill in my new apartment I guess. You?”

“Yeah, same. Breakfast?”

She smiled. “I’ll eat it later at my place. Bye, boyfriend.”

He smiled back. “Bye, girlfriend.”

~*~

“There she is!” Bonnie exclaimed as Caroline entered. She was sitting on the couch, forehead creased, three notebooks lying in front of her.

“What’s up Bonnie?”

“Ugh, teacher stuff. I need to figure out a system to organize this stuff. Teaching first graders is hard work.”

“Hello, you’re talking to Caroline Forbes. What do you need help with?”

Bonnie had just explained her problem to Caroline and set her thinking when Elena stumbled into the living room, dragged herself to the coffee, and sank onto a chair.

“Morning.” she croaked.

Caroline laughed. “I almost forgot what a zombie you are in the morning.”

Elena looked up quickly. “Care! Oh my god, how was it? Tell us everything!”

Caroline realised she was talking about sex. Which she was supposed to have had last night. With her supposed boyfriend. “It was awesome.”

“So we’re talking better than Tyler? Ooh, or better than Jesse?” Bonnie asked.

“Uh, yeah, totally.” she tried not to blush.

Elena looked at her kind of suspiciously. “Okay then.”

Caroline changed the topic. “I’m just going to be here in my new room today.”

“I’m going to Enzo’s,” Bonnie said.

“My internship at the hospital starts toda,” Elena informed them.

Caroline looked at the clock. “Uh, Elena, it’s 9…”

“Fuck!” Elena slammed her mug onto the table and dashed into her room. She stuck her head out a few seconds later. “Call Damon now!!”

“Heathen.” Caroline muttered as she grabbed a napkin to wipe the coffee splatter off of the table.

A few minutes later, Elena rushed out fully dressed. “I’ll be okay, right? It’s just orientation day, right? Okay, see you!”

“You’ll be great.” Bonnie and Caroline gave her a quick hug.

~*~

After she had showered, Caroline sat on her bed, scrolling through Instagram.

There was a knock on her door and Bonnie plopped down next to her. 

“Hey, Bonnie.”

“Hi. Ugh, I feel like we have less time to talk lately.”

Caroline sighed. “I know, but we’re roommates now, so that should change.”

Bonnie nodded. How are things with Stefan?” she asked.

Caroline smiled at her. “They’re amazing. He’s perfect.”

“Is it serious?”

“Yeah, I haven’t felt this way about anyone in ages. It’s totally different from all my previous relationships. I think… I think I could maybe love him.“

Bonnie’s smile morphed into a look of confusion. “Really? Does he know? When did this happen, you guys just met!”

Caroline laughed. “I don’t know if he knows. Or feels the same way. We just click. It’s easy to talk to him, like the hours just sort of fly by. He’s kind and funny. Even his brooding and nerdiness are cute. He’s so hot and such a good kisser and such a good cook–” she trailed off when she saw Bonnie smiling radiantly at her.

“I’m so happy you have that, Caroline. You deserve it.” she leaned over and hugged her, and pulled away when there was a knock on the doorway. They turned to find Enzo standing there.

“Ready to go, love?”

“Yep. See you later!” Bonnie grinned as she walked out.

Caroline got up and started pacing the loft as the dread settled in. 

She’d meant every single word. There was no more denying it. She liked Stefan. She really had feelings for him. She’d meant every word she’d told Bonnie. It had taken saying it out loud for her to finally face it.

She’d ruined their plan. It was pathetic. He obviously didn’t reciprocate. She wasn’t in control of her feelings anymore and it sucked.

Feeling both anxious and horrible, she moved to sit cross-legged on the bed and pulled out her phone. She checked her emails, her texts, social media, and was just about to pick up her book when she got a call from her mom.

“Mom, hi! It’s been days, I’m so sorry I haven’t called. Oh, I miss you!” she excitedly.

“Caroline, baby, there’s something I need to talk to you about.” Liz Forbes’s voice was serious and subdued. 

Caroline’s heart sank.

“Is it a good time, Caroline?”

She heard her secretary peeking from her cabin’s door, and she was relieved to see her. Maybe this can distract her.

“What is it Sonia?”

“I have got the briefing for the new segment that launched this week that you asked for today.”

“Perfect, let’s go over on this in the conference hall. Call everyone for the meeting. I want to discuss about the ratings, and contents for the upcoming segments with the team,” Caroline said while walking out of the door.

“I am already on it. By the way, that’s a really cute jacket,” commented Sonia, which stopped her on her way out.

“Is it your boyfriend’s?”

She slowly looked down on the black sweater she was wearing, a bit longer and big for her size. She didn’t care though. It didn’t go with the work attire but she didn’t worry about it much. She rubbed her nose softly on the material of the sweater on her left shoulder, and inhaled deeply. It was like she almost breathed him, as if he was standing right beside her, she could feel his essence, but the warmth was missing. She could feel the fabric of his sweater, but it wasn’t the same. She could smell his cologne dispersed deep into the woven wool, but it was not the same. Nothing felt closer to the reality because her reality wasn’t the same. She wore that sweater in a hope, that it might ease her mind. She was wrong though. She isn’t crazy, and that’s exactly what she reminded herself, it didn’t feel the same because he wasn’t there to hold her and just by the touch make her feel sane again.

“Caroline?”

Her secretary called her again, and she cursed under her breath. “No, it belongs to my fiancé.”

“Yes, I keep forgetting it, when is Stefan coming back?”

She wanted to laugh on the lightness in her Secretary’s tone. For the world he was out for some work, a small lie for people. But, she knew better than to live in that lie she told her co-workers.

“It might take some time.”

One year to be exact.

She crossed her finger, in a hope that she will see him once again sooner than she thinks.

“Oh.”

She heard Sonia mumbled behind her.

“What?” she asked her confused secretary.

“There was a sticky note on this vase,” replied Sonia.

Her confusion made Caroline curious to take that note out of her hand.

“Not that you need any wishes, but all the best for the upcoming segmentJ”

“Who is this from?” Sonia asked once she saw her smiling, the smile that she saw on her boss’s face after almost a week now.

Caroline stood there staring at the wall, as if she could almost see him, standing there, smiling at her.

Funny that he has an eternity to live the life, an immortal being he called himself, and yet he didn’t have much time to finish up as much as he wanted to. He moved his marker in a curve finishing up the scribbles on that sticky note, and put a thrust on the wall, making it to stick there, and hoping that she will find it one day. Her studio was empty because of the holiday season, so not many questions for him, and he didn’t have to compel anyone. He never wanted to it to be like this, to be away from her, and it hurts badly just by thinking about leaving his life behind like this. Maybe this is his punishment of all those sins he attempted. A tormented soul for the rest of his life, as his brother wished for him. He closed his eyes, as if he could see her reading the scribbled notes, a spark in her eyes, glowing like the celestial objects, and that whole image was enough to make him smile back in that empty hallway.

Caroline didn’t need any explanation or another sight to confirm the writing. She looked around in a hope that he might be there. Even though it seemed unreal, her heart wanted to dream about his presence. Just a moment ago, her every nerve was feeling like dying, and one singe note made her feel alive, bringing back that spark, all of a sudden.

His jaws were sore and paining when he dug his fangs deeper into the soft porcelain skin. It was the good pain, and he enjoyed it very much. The crimson red on his lips was absorbing bit by bit into his taste bud, and it felt like he was flying, almost an euphoric lunatic. He wondered how he resisted to be so glum till now. Heads off to that poor soul. He chuckled at the inside joke he was having with himself, as slowly he tore his victim’s head out of her lifeless body which was hanging straight because of the support of his body.

This isn’t you.

That voice again.

He growled back because of noises in his head. It wasn’t a clear and deep voice, but a murmur and an echo at the same time.

Please, Stefan… you need to stop.

He ignored it, and went back to his business, and just like that, all was done. Another name in the lists of names had been added, and one more soul provided to Cade. But, he didn’t care about it, as long as he gets to have the good parts.

You are stronger than this.

He heard that voice yet again, and this time it irked him more than it did last time.

“Oh, shut up!” he groaned in the abandoned alley in the middle of the night.

“I didn’t say anything,” Damon replied while walking towards him.

Stefan groaned once again, and this time it wasn’t because of the voices in his head, but the one coming out loud from his brother’s mouth.

“I think I told you that I don’t need your meddling in my ways,” Stefan replied, walking away from Damon.

“And Cade told me to keep an eye on you.”

“I don’t need babysitting, and since you are free of all this, why don’t you go and waste your life on someone else?”

“Hey, I am just doing my job. Cade wants to make sure you are keeping your side of the deal, brother,” he smiled the way he usually does when he tries to smirk. “Plus, where is the fun without my ripper brother?”

Stefan rolled his eyes at his bothersome brother.

“Look at the pile of pieces of the dead bodies, and get it straight in your meddling head, that I am not even near to breaking that deal. Also, why would I, if I take an enjoyment in all of this?”

Damon shook his head, staring at Stefan. “You see, that’s where you are wrong. You can fool others, but not me. You can never stop being that human self, and there will always be that part hidden inside you which will bring you back to that sappy version of yours.”

Stefan ignores him.

“You talks to yourself like a lunatic, and I wonder why that is?”

“Don’t make me kill you too,” replied Stefan.

“Can’t! Are you forgetting we can’t die anymore?”

“Doesn’t mean I won’t, and one more step by you following me, and I swear I will pull that heart out of your chest.”

Stefan didn’t wait for him to respond. He doesn’t care about anything. If killing can shut his mouth, he would certainly do it.

The problem wasn’t his brother though, but the voices he had been hearing in his head.

He cursed himself under his breath. This is insane, he doesn’t have any emotions on, and yet why does he feel that emptiness in the middle of his chest.

You are better than this, and I know this, even if you are unable to remember it.

He laughed at the ghost.

“Keep dreaming,” he whispered back heading for a lodging place He was tired after chasing and feeding, and now he wanted to have a good sleep.

It’s not like he never really had a visit by Cade, but every time this dude comes in front of Damon, he could feel the chilly air around him.

“Since, you called me so soon; I am assuming you have what I asked you for?” Cade asked.

“Of course,” Damon said while getting out the wallet from the inside pocket of his jet black leather jacket, and handed over to the devil in front of him.

He saw Cade observing and looking amazed with the wallet as if it was very precious. Only thing that Damon knew was it belonged to Stefan, and apart from that, he didn’t know anything about anything.

“If I may ask-”

“No, you can’t,” Cade replied, cutting him off in mid-sentence.

“If it pleases you.” Damon shuts his mouth off.

“Keep having an eye on Stefan,” stated Cade, while taking out a piece of paper from Stefan’s wallet.

Even though he was standing almost two feet away from Cade, he could clearly make out the words jotted on that tore piece of paper.

 “When did you notice me?”

You had asked me a similar question once, and I remained silent. I Think of that question still, and yet I remain quiet. It’s not because I don’t have any answer, nor because I don’t love you. It is because I love you so much, without knowing the answers to the questions of how, or when, or from where. The simple answer is I have fallen for you unconditionally. I once thought, I knew what love is, but you made me realize what being loved actually felt like. I thought I found love every time I felt attracted to the idea of being in love, but in the end it remained just an idea, until I realized the core truth. You know the things that I don’t admit about myself, you see me as I am, and yet you found a place in your heart solely for me. You inspired me to love what I am now, to be the reformed version of myself. And I don’t think I would have done it without you, to become the better version of myself. You hate me now, but trust me when I say that I hate myself more than you right now, because I have hurted you, because I have made you cry, and because I left you behind, and if I could get a chance back in this life, my only wish would be to see you smile again. One day, I will be no more, there will be a time, when the name Stefan Salvatore will fade away, but I can assure you that my love for you will grow till the end of this world, till the sun dies, till the tides stand still. I have never mentioned it to you, probably because I never really realized it myself. But, now that you are not here, beside me, I know what you mean for my existence.

Damon stood silently there, staring down on the words. A vampire with it’s humanity off shouldn’t feel anything, and that’s a fact. And if that’s a fact, what should he call the sensation of heavy stone sinking and thumping hard in the pit of his stomach? He had been reading Stefan’s journals about his love and his feelings for almost when he took the pen in between his fingers and started moving on the sheets. It wasn’t anything new. Yet, for some reason, something felt different. Maybe it was just the sappyness of those words, or maybe it was because for some reason, it reminded him of Elena. After all, things felt almost similar for both of them. Difference was, Damon had lost it to his fate, accepted what came in his way, gave up on his love. And yet , there was his brother, still carrying that piece of paper as if he still cares. Maybe he still does.

Guilt built up in his mind to get Stefan under the truck along with himself, ruining his life along with his own. Elena would never forget what he had done, and neither would Caroline.

“Interesting.” Cade commented.

Damon heard Cade murmuring to himself. By the words, he could see whom his brother wrote it to. What he couldn’t understand was significance of all this to him.

“What’s interesting?”

“Your brother and his attachment to this woman.”

“It’s probably something he wrote way back. How does it matter now?” asked Damon.

“Well, I have had an eye on your brother for a long time now, and yet he looks different than his old self.” Cade’s eyes never left the paper, still observing it, and Damon wondered what was going in his head.

“Make sure you give me a timely update about the progress,” Cade stated and dissolved in the thin air in front of Damon.

Would Elena forgive him for ruining everyone’s life along with his? He has been wondering about it since he got the memories of her back, and the only answer he could come up with is she wouldn’t. He closed his eyes off, trying hard to shut the shreds of humanity coming back to him, making it stop to feel angry for his brother, for taking it happiness away from him, ruining every single person in his way.

Shut it off, and everything will be fine again. No emotions, no pain. He thought, and in an instant he was back to being the soulless vampire.

"Are you researching cancer again?"

She bit her lip and sighed, knowing her mom would understand without words being necessary.

"It could still be nothing." Liz tried to comfort her daughter.

Caroline nodded. "And there are still options. We are going to fix this."

Her mom smiled and went into the kitchen when she got a call, leaving Caroline alone in the room. She felt better now that she'd eaten, cried as much as she could, and slept. 

She had spoken to the doctors. There was a certain comfort that came with  being in her hometown and sleeping in her old room and eating at the Grill, and she was grateful for that. She knew she could pick up the phone and call Elena or Bonnie back in the city, or any of her college friends, or ask one of her childhood friends to come over, but she didn't feel like it. Hell, she could even call Stefan if she wanted. But for once she didn’t feel like talking to anyone.

A few minutes later, the doorbell rang and her dads walked in with takeout from their favourite Chinese restaurant.

"Oh, yum!" Liz exclaimed.

Caroline was okay with the forced cheer. Her parents were trying to pretend like it was all going to be okay for her sake, and she actually believed that, so she was fine going along with it. They’d finally gotten their act together a couple of years ago and become a perfectly functional family, so she wasn’t about to start complaining.

Her parents started talking in hushed voices and Caroline didn't even bother trying to listen in and went back to reading.

"Don't overwhelm yourself with all the information out there," Steven suggested.

She pursed her lips. "I know Elena's parents told me everything I wanted to know but we need to be prepared."

"And we are. We'll know tomorrow."

"It's late. We should all get some rest." Bill announced.

Caroline sighed and dragged herself to her room and collapsed on her bed. It's not like there was anything else she could do, anyway.

~*~

Caroline was up at the crack of dawn, cleaning the house to get her mind off the anxiety.

She made breakfast for her mom and carried it to her room on a tray. "Good morning! I made you your favourite" she announced.

Liz sat up sleepily and smiled. "Smells great, honey. But you don't have to do this. I know how worried you are, I wish you'd just talk to me."

Caroline sighed and sat on the edge of the bed, struggling with the words. She wanted to be strong for her mother, not burden an already sick Liz with her own fears. Of course she was thinking the same thing Caroline was, she was the one who it was happening to.

"I need to believe it'll be okay. And I'm trying not to think about it so I feel less scared."

Liz nodded and squeezed her hand. "I appreciate you being brave for me, Caroline. You're the best daughter anyone could ask for. We'll know in a few hours. Until then why don't you call one of your school friends and spend some time with them?"

Caroline shook her head. "Not in the mood."

"Do they even know you're in town?"

"Nope. I only go to the Grill when I know Jeremy isn't working and the others won't be there."

"Well then, tell me about the city! How are the girls, are you excited about your job, have you met any cute boys?" Her mom wiggled her eyebrows.

Caroline laughed. "They're good. Living together is so much fun, I can't believe I got my dream job, and there is this guy actually." she said in quick succession.

"Go on..." Her mom scooted over to make room for her.

Caroline pulled the blanket over herself and stared at the tray. She'd only briefly told Hayley about it, and that time she'd only mentioned the plan and not the feelings she'd been so in denial of. She took a deep breath and began.

"His name is Stefan Salvatore. He's Elena's boyfriend's brother. We're sort of a fake couple to get back at the others but it hit me recently that I've actually started liking him and–" she trailed off seeing the confused look on her mom's face.

Liz put the glass of juice down as she looked at her daughter with an amused expression.

"Okay mom, I know this sounds weird!" Caroline laughed.

"It doesn't... fall in the realm of normal for sure"

"So do you wanna know more or not?"

"Please continue, I was going to watch some dramatic show to get my mind off today but this is even better"

"It all started my first week in town, we were supposed to meet at some bar but they all ditched us in a pathetic attempt to trick us into going on a blind date...."

~*~

It was noon. The house was spotless, Liz had showered and eaten, Caroline had finished telling her the entire story, and her dads were on their way.

They sat at the table, phones lying in front of them, waiting for the call from the hospital. Caroline was trying her hardest not to let her mind go to dark places, so she switched to thinking about what she'd told her mom that morning.

Recounting everything out loud– well, a more PG-13 version of it– made Caroline see how insane it all was. The plan as well as her feelings. She'd gone and ruined her friendship with Stefan, as well as any hope for being regular friends in the future. And she'd ruined the plan. Great going, Caroline.

The door opened and Bill and Steven walked in.

"No call yet?"

"Nope"

They sat down next to them.

"Ugh, what the hell. It's five minutes past twelve, Elena's mom said we she'll let us know at once so we don't have to go make the trip to the hospital, so why–"

Caroline's nervous rant was interrupted by the buzzing of her mom's phone.

"Miranda, hi," Liz breathed.

Caroline watched her mom's face intently, trying to figure out what the news was, feeling like maybe her heart may burst out of her chest.

Liz nodded as she listened, and then a smile slowly lit up her face. "Thank god."

"Oh thank god!" Caroline felt dizzy with relief and jumped up to hug her mom. Every anxious thought and worry swirling around her mind had dissipated and she wiped a tear from her cheek, laughing.

Liz put down the phone and turned to them. "It's not cancer. I'm okay." She grinned.

Then the four of them were hugging, misty-eyed and smiling, the happiest family in Mystic Falls that day.

~*~

Caroline hugged April and the girls goodbye at the Grill and started walking to the station, basking in her happiness. It had been awesome catching up.

She'd tried reaching Tyler and the others but turns out they were already travelling, and they'd decided to meet when they got to her city. As crazy as it was, their road-trip-across-the-country plan actually sounded kind of fun.

She'd already booked a flight back the next night, and now she had time to just relax and do nothing. After helping her mom file paperwork– Liz hadn't been using the flawless system Caroline had worked out for her– she found herself in the park. 

She sat down on the bench next to a tall lady with dark hair who was reading a book and looked vaguely familiar. But then again, who in this small town didn't? She smiled politely at her and then grabbed some earphones from her purse and started listening to her favourite album.

She felt perfectly at ease as the wind gently tousled her hair and the sun shone down on her. Children ran around playing tag, teenagers chatted under trees, and couples strolled by, looking at the flowers. It actually made her forget about the next thing she had started to overthink and worry about: Stefan.

As the sun began to set, she got bored of listening to music and pulled the earphones out. The lady next to her was talking on her phone, and Caroline couldn't help but overhear some snippets of the conversation.

"And you tell your brother to call me more often." she was saying. "Oh, really? I'm sure reading ancient literature and skyping with Lexi must be very time consuming."

Lexi? Literature?

Caroline turned to look at her. She kind of resembled Stefan.

"I'm fine. Yes, I like staying at the boarding house. Sarah is lovely company. Now tell me what you two have been up to."

Sarah?

"Oh, he has a girlfriend now? That's wonderful. What? Did you say she's from Mystic Falls? Yes, the Sheriff is Liz Forbes. Oh no, I'm so sorry to hear that. Why is he asleep at this hour? Oh. Ask him to call me when he wakes up. Bye."

She put her phone down, only to notice Caroline staring at her.

"Hello" she ventured with a friendly smile.

"This is going to sound totally weird but are you, um, Stefan's mom?"

The lady nodded, looking confused. "Yes, and you are?"

Caroline held out her hand, remembering her manners. "Caroline Forbes... I'm friends with your sons."

"Lily Salvatore. It's lovely to meet you. And from Damon told me, you're more than friends with Stefan."

Caroline blushed. To Lily, she was Stefan’s girlfriend. "It's a small world, huh?"

"How is your mother? Damon told me there was a medical emergency. I hope everything is alright."

"It's all fine, we heard from the doctor today"

Lily smiled. "That's great!"

"So Stefan tells me he spent summers here?"

"He did for many years. We love this town so much, I moved here after the divorce and it's perfect."

"Yeah, it's great." Caroline didn't know what else to say. She didn't want to say the wrong thing. Wow, she really felt like an actual girlfriend meeting the parents for the first time. Pathetic.

"Okay, this must be awkward, meeting the parents so soon, that too without your boyfriend." she laughed. "I can't wait to tell Stefan I met you, though."

Caroline smiled. "Stefan and Damon are great. We live on their floor actually."

"Is living near each other how you two met?"

"No, actually Damon and my best friends Elena and Bonnie sent us on a blind date" Caroline explained.

"Ah, typical Damon." she shook her head. “You know, he told me Stefan is sleeping at this time of the day. Apparently, he was up most of the night worrying about you with your friends.”

Caroline was at a loss for words, willing her cheeks not to go red and her mind not to go into overdrive on hearing that news, and was saved when they were interrupted by a young girl in a cheerleading uniform who ran up to them. "Aunt Lily, I'm so sorry I'm late" she panted, clutching at her sides. "Practice ran so late."

"It's no problem, Sarah, are you ready to grab dinner?"

Sarah Salvatore?

"This is Caroline Forbes" Lily introduced them. "She's actually Stefan's girlfriend."

Sarah grinned. "Hey! Oh my god. You were head cheerleader, right?"

"That's me. Wow, I remember cheer practice. Good old days." Caroline smiled.

"So where's Stefan?"

"He's in the city. I just came to visit my mom" Caroline explained.

“Tell him to come visit us. I miss him.”

"It was so nice to meet you. I really hope this wasn't too awkward." Lily said warmly.

Little bit, Caroline thought, given how I'm your son's fake girlfriend who has a real crush on him.

"No, not at all!" she replied.

"See you!" Sarah said and they both waved her goodbye before they walked away.

Caroline sat alone on the bench, dazed. Wow, she'd really just met Stefan's mom. As his girlfriend.

And before she could even begin to gather her thoughts, her phone rang. And it was Stefan.

Too much Salvatore time for one day, she thought. 

Despite herself, she had been wondering if he would call her again. She'd spoken to Bonnie and Elena, of course, and she knew they were always hanging out in the same loft, and he'd called her before the results, to check on her, so...

She snapped out of it and accepted the call.

"Caroline," he started.

"Hey Stefan" she said nervously. It hit her it was her first time talking to him properly since she'd realised she liked him.

"I'm so glad your mom is okay. Bonnie and Elena told me, sorry I didn't call sooner–"

"It's fine," she said, her heart skipping a beat at the sound of his concerned voice. "I'm just so relieved."

"So how are you?"

"Good. Listen, you won't believe who I just met" she said, laughing.

"Klaus Mikaelson?" Stefan joked.

She giggled. "Nope, your mom."

"You... what? My mom?" he spluttered.

"Yeah I met her in the park! She was talking to Damon on the phone. He told her I was your girlfriend."

"Oh"

"Is that okay?" she asked, feeling anxious again.

"Yeah, I guess. I just didn't want this plan to go beyond our friends, you know? She loved Valerie, my last girlfriend, and was pretty sad when we broke up..."

"Oh. Well we only spoke for like five minutes, I doubt she loved me."

"Of course she did." he said simply.

Caroline blushed. She wondered if her cheeks were the ones with a medical problem.

"So when do you get back?" he asked hastily.

"Tomorrow night. Well technically, early morning. 4 A.M."

"See you then”

“Yeah... I should go get dinner.” Just talking to him was playing havoc on her heart.

“Bye Caroline”

"Bye Stefan." She hung up and put her head in her hands. 

He wasn't making it any easier for her to get over her stupid crush on him.

God, he’d looked over at her when Rayna had asked him out, as if checking to make sure it was okay or just out of politeness or… who even knew? Why did he have to be so honourable all the time?

Then she’d basically said yes to the date for him and promised to help him sneak around… what was she thinking?

Enough. She was just going to have to get over it.

She turned back to Damon and Elena. “It’s so great that your friends are in town”

Damon grinned. “Missed those little assholes.”

“We’ll be with them the whole day! Oh, do you two want to come and meet them? They’re great, I promise. Kai is crazy and Liam is hilarious and Nadia is so cool.”

Caroline didn’t really want to. “Uh, maybe next time.”

“Same.” Stefan said.

“Heh, you two will have the entire place to yourselves then,” Elena said.

“Please don’t do anything we would,” Damon added.

Caroline rolled her eyes.

“Actually, I was thinking we could have a date.” Stefan said easily.

She looked at him, surprised.

“How do you feel about a Harry Potter marathon?” He asked.

“Pass. Seen it a billion times.”

“Hm. I couldn’t find my Star Wars box set…”

“Blondie, run for cover, I am warning you.” Damon said.

Stefan gasped. “I meant to check out this other sci-fi series I found at the DVD store. Ever heard of Battlestar Galactica?”

She wrinkled her nose. “Sounds dumb.”

“No, these stories are awesome, trust me. We’re dating now, we should support each other’s interests. I’m ready to go shopping with you if you want.” He said bravely.

Damn it, he pulled the dating card. Now Elena was saying “Awww” and Damon was muttering about “space and chill”.

She gave Stefan a forced smile. “Sure, babe.”

He leaned over and whispered, “Told you I’d get you back for the game.” His breath was hot and sent chills down her spine, and she felt the urge to kiss him again.

Instead, she muttered “You suck” quietly, so only he would hear. He shook with a silent laugh and went back to concentrating on the road, pulling her hand into his on the gear again.

They were very convincing.

~*~*~

Caroline woke up in her new room and smiled. 

It was her first day in her new apartment.

She got out of bed, humming, pulled on a robe, and went looking for Bonnie and Elena. Neither of them liked waking up early, and it was only 8:30 on a day without school, college or work.

The loft was empty. Like, not just bare because it had just been moved into, but devoid of her roommates too.

Maybe they were with Damon. She poured some coffee that was in the pot and made her way to the Salvatore loft. She knocked on the door and Stefan opened it, wearing a shirt this time. She wasn’t sure if she was disappointed or relieved.

“Morning, Caroline.” He said.

“Hey, seen the girls?”

“They left with Damon an hour ago.”

Caroline nearly dropped her mug. “Bonnie and Elena… were ready to leave by seven thirty?”

She had always been the early riser and morning person. Since when were they?

“I know, it’s like a whole new Damon. They were so excited. I don’t even want to know what these people did in college.”

She nodded. “No kidding.”

“So, you hungry?” he asked.

“Uh… yeah. I’m not sure if Elena bought anything that’s breakfast material.”

“I made pancakes and have some batter left.”

Caroline nodded and followed him into the kitchen. “Thank you.”

“It’s no trouble.”

She sat on the counter, legs dangling as she watched him cook. She really needed to stop checking him out but every time his shoulders moved under his shirt she wanted to touch them. Preferably with him standing before the counter she was sitting on so she could…Wow, she needed to shut off her brain.

“Okay, here you go.” He handed her a plate of pancakes that smelled delicious. “Whipped cream or maple syrup?”

“Honey.” 

He turned. “Honey?”

“Yeah, pancakes are incomplete without it.”

“I don’t think we have any,” he said, rummaging around some shelves.

“I think Elena bought some yesterday” she said, getting up. He followed her to her apartment and looked around in awe.

“Woah. Your apartment looks great.”

She smiled at him. “Thanks. I did a bit of decorating.”

“A bit? Damon and I moved in a week before you and no way is ours even half as unpacked as yours.” He said, plopping down on the sofa as she went through the cabinets.

She turned around when she heard a laugh and Stefan say, “Um, Caroline?” He held up a tattered teddy bear.

She felt her cheeks grow slightly warm. “Stefan, meet Ms Cuddles.”

“Ms Cuddles” he repeated, his eyes twinkling with amusement.

“Pipe down, Spock. She belongs to all three of us and has been a huge part of our childhood so be nice.” 

He patted the teddy bear on its head and put it back down on the sofa. “So you have seen Star Trek.”

“Okay, let’s go.” She said, rolling her eyes in mock irritation.

Back in his loft, they sat on the table together and chatted as he ate.

“Mmm, this is really good. If you hadn’t gotten a job, I’d suggest becoming a chef.”

He seemed to blush a little. “Glad you like it.”

I like you, her brain randomly thought.

What the fuck.

“So when is your date?” she asked, scrambling to think about something else.

“Um, today. Come over whenever, the sci-fi space saga awaits.”

Caroline’s chest hurt a bit. “No, I meant with Rayna.”

“Oh. I texted her and she said tonight.”

“Cool. They should still be out then.”

“Yeah, the plan is still on though, right? It would be such a waste to throw away all this hard work and time. Another reason I suggested it was because we need to be as convincing as a couple as possible., so we should spend more time together. Like, Damon called us interesting.”

She nodded. “What did he even mean?”

Stefan shrugged. “Who knows?”

”So, I’ll shower, arrange the loft for a bit, and then come over in an hour or so?”

He smiled.And his smile might have made her go weak at the knees, but she firmly ignored it.

~*~*~

Caroline put absolutely no extra effort into her appearance. She just wore her best dress that fit her perfectly and always got her free drinks, washed and blow dried her hair until it was soft and silky and not a bird’s nest, and put on her favourite lipstick.

Everyday stuff, really.

She reminded herself that he was going to be going on an actual date with someone who could become his actual girlfriend, and then sighed and wiped the lipstick off.

It was too red, anyway. Elena’s pinker one looked more natural.

She set up the loft a bit, arranging all the décor they’d bought the day before until it looked pretty and like a home and she was satisfied. Then she walked over and into the loft next door without knocking.

Stefan was nowhere to be seen, but a laptop lay on the table with a bored-looking blonde girl on the screen.

She looked surprised on seeing Caroline enter and the feeling was pretty much mutual.

“Uh… hi?” Caroline said.

“Are you an intruder? Because I will call the owners up right now.” The girl said.

Caroline shook her head quickly. “No, I know them. Stefan!” she called out.

“He’s inside.” The girl said, breathing a sigh of relief. “Phew, glad you’re not some thief. I’m Lexi.” she flashed her a friendly smile.

“Caroline. Oh, so you’re Lexi. Nice to finally meet you.”

“You too.” She smirked. “You are certainly his type, for sure.”

Caroline bit her lip, wondering what that meant.

“Oh, nice dress,” Lexi said.

“Nice jacket,” Caroline replied. The girl had this punk rock kind of look and it really suited her.

“Hey Lex, I think you’ll like this one.” Stefan’s voice came from his room. He came out wearing a plaid shirt and jeans, looking hot as always, and stopped in his tracks when he saw Caroline.

“Hi. Wow. You look pretty.” He said.

Caroline blushed. “You too.”

His eyebrows furrowed.

“Handsome, I mean. Not pretty. Though, guys can be pretty too-“

“Wow!” Lexi cut in. “You two are hilarious. Stefan, that’s no different from literally everything you own and you can wear any to the date-“

“Date with Rayna.” He told Caroline quickly. “She was giving me what she calls much-needed advice.”

“Yeah sure, you can wear anything you have and it won’t make a difference because she probably likes you for your personality or looks and not clothes. Nice to meet your Caroline, see you later Stef. Have fun on both your dates.”

The screen went black.

“She’s nice.”

“She’s usually way nicer. She was just in a bad mood today.”

“Does she live here?”

“No, but she said she’ll come visit soon.” He said happily.

Caroline nodded. One thing was for sure, they definitely weren’t anything more than best friends.

Why did that make her happy?

“So, let’s do this.” She said, dramatically taking in a deep breath.

“Bonnie told me to make sure I have some of this stuff,” he gestured to the junk food lying on the table. “Apparently movie night, or day-“

“Equals chocolate and chips and ice cream.” Caroline finished. “Yep.”

Stefan drew the curtains and she got the blankets. It felt so natural, like they had known each other forever, like this closeness had always been there.

But it’ll be over soon, Caroline reminded herself as Stefan hit play and the dark room lit up with the glow of the TV.

~*~*~

A few hours and a season and a half later, Stefan’s phone rang.

“Hey Damon.” He answered. “How’s the reunion?”

Caroline could hear faint buzzing from his side and from Stefan’s amused expression it seemed Damon was filling him in on a lot.

She picked up the DVD for the next season and was halfway through the summary when Stefan snatched it from her and mouthed “Spoilers”.

She rolled her eyes and mouthed “Nerd”. She wasn’t about to admit it to Stefan, but it was quite interesting. Sitcoms were more her speed, but she liked the concept.

Stefan put the phone down and turned to her. “How cool is this?” he grinned. She couldn’t help but smile seeing his face.

“It’s okay.”

“Okay? Our human-alien ancestors travelling the cosmos to find the mythical Earth is okay?”

“Did it have to have robots? Like seriously, it’s creepy.”

“First of all, they are called Cylons and second of all, they are awesome.”

“Awesomely creepy”

He looked offended. “I can’t even look at you right now.”

She laughed and pressed play, only for both their phones to be buzz a few minutes later.

Tyler had replied. She read it, pleasantly surprised. Apparently they were coming to town in a few days. She wasn’t sure who “they” were but it obviously included Liv and Jeremy. She quickly asked him for details and then put her phone down and turned to Stefan.

“All okay?”

His eyebrows were furrowed. “Damon said he’s on his way back. With everyone.”

“Oh.” So she was finally going to meet her best friends’ college friends.

“Yep.”

“Oh no.” she suddenly realised.

“What?” he asked, his forehead creasing.

“Isn’t your date tonight?”

“Uh, yeah, shit.”

She smiled resolutely at him, determined not to let any feelings get in the way this time. She was going to get completely back on track with the plan. One hundred percent.

“Not to worry, I’ll help you sneak about.”

And the Lexi in Stefan’s head was right. He still had to figure it what was real and what was part of the pretence, but he wasn’t going to go and develop a crush on her and make the whole situation awkward. The fact that he really couldn’t distinguish between what was real and what wasn’t meant his “feelings” were nothing but the after-effects of a drunk hook-up. She was adorable, as a friend, he told himself.

Caroline was next to him again and looked up smiling, her hair coming undone, eyes bright, cheeks flushed and panting a little.

“Tired from your victory dance?”

“Being a winner. It’s exhausting.”

“So is being serious. I wouldn’t know, of course.”

“Oh yeah, I’m sure.”

“I plan to pay you back for that game, by the way.”

They stood there smiling at each other and on an impulse, Stefan reached out to tuck a lock of hair falling in her eyes behind her ear. 

Their friends were around, after all. It had nothing to do with the fact that he’d been wanting to do that for days.

Her cheeks seemed to get redder and she looked down. He stepped back quickly and was just about to open his mouth to say they should get back to the others when someone else beat him to it.

“Caroline Forbes?” came a voice from behind him.

The accent wasn’t exactly British but something about the voice was strangely familiar. Caroline froze and Stefan turned around to see a light-haired, lean man walking over to them, grinning from ear to ear.

“Klaus, hi.” Caroline mumbled.

“Hello, love. Fancy seeing you here!”

“You too…”

“I was certain the next time we would run into each other would be at the Palace of Versailles—one of my favourite locations in the world, of course—under a painting we both admired greatly and stopped to marvel at…” he trailed off with a slightly manic smile.

“France, huh? Maybe someday.” Caroline said, clearly at a loss for words.

Who was this dude? Stefan realised that his name was kind of familiar.

“Splendid! How are you doing, then?”

“Good, good… graduated, got a job.” Caroline wasn’t chatty for once and it struck Stefan as surprising, and he moved slightly closer to her.

“Excellent! And who is this fellow?” he motioned to Stefan.

“Stefan Salvatore.” He held out his hand.

The man shook it, somehow looking both pleased to meet him and annoyed that he was standing protectively next to Caroline. Then his eyes widened and he clapped Stefan on the shoulder. “Young Salvatore!”

Stefan looked at Caroline, perplexed, and she shrugged with a don’t-look-at-me-man-I-don’t-know look. “Excuse me?”

“Klaus Mikaelson! Do you not remember? It was high school, I believe, when I first made your acquaintance.”

Everything came back to Stefan and he wanted the ground open up and swallow him, and Caroline didn’t look that different.

“Oh god, yeah, sophomore year, you were a senior and my-“

“Supplier of herbal sensory enhancers, yes.” Klaus cut in. “A self-made businessman at so tender an age, no wonder I control my family’s fortune.”

Caroline looked from Stefan and Klaus and then back to Stefan, dumbfounded.

“Er, you can call it that.” He said.

Her mouth fell open slightly. “Wait, herbal enhancers… were you… his drug dealer?”

Stefan cringed and he knew she instantly knew the answer.

“Ah, that is so base and crude a term, love. The profession is far more than that.”

“Uh… okay then.” Caroline didn’t look like she wanted to contradict him.

Stefan turned to Caroline. “After my last summer there, I lost touch with V but whenever I wanted some, Klaus sold it to me that year.”

Klaus smiled fondly at Stefan. “How shattered you must have been when I graduated. My sincerest apologies.”

“No, it was good, I got sober pretty quick after.”

Klaus nodded, looking moved. “Good for you, friend.”

And then he turned to Caroline. “You, my dear, are light. I have not forgotten that night at the fraternity house’s annual party. If you ever want something more, do come to me, for I will show you the allure of art and culture and passion and darkness and you shall be a queen among women.”

Stefan felt incredibly uncomfortable listening to this and was growing increasingly more annoyed at Klaus. He was aware of the urge to punch him but instead turned to check on Caroline, who looked mortified.

He hadn’t said anything before because this guy seemed to be an ex of some kind, but her expression made him step ever closer to her. “Back off, man.” Stefan looked Klaus squarely in the eye.

She moved so close to Stefan she bumped into his side and slipped her hand into his. “Actually, Klaus, I’m with Stefan, and I told you the last time, I was drunk and mad at my ex-boyfriend and it was nothing.”

Klaus nodded gravely. “I understand. Nothing gives me greater joy than to see two dear friends deeply in love. I wish you all the joy. I have only one request, invite me to the wedding. Farewell.”

He turned around and left, leaving a stunned Stefan and Caroline in his wake.

Caroline sighed, sounding relieved, and her head slumped against his shoulder as loosened her tight grip on his hand.

“What the fuck was that?” Stefan said, astounded.

“Wedding?” Caroline spluttered.

“Paris?” Stefan added.

“I cannot believe you bought drugs from him!”

“I can’t believe you… you know, had sex with him!” He hoped his cheeks weren’t red as he remembered that they’d almost had sex last night, and probably would have if no one had knocked.

“He was just this guy at the party who kept checking me out and telling me nice things and seemed like a bad boy…”

“Still, him?” Stefan was aware that on some level he was jealous but a part of him was relieved they were back to their easy banter again.

“I was new to college and mad at Tyler, okay? Might I remind you Stefan, you let him sell you drugs.”

“I missed getting high after that summer with Vicki, okay!”

She stared at him and then they burst out laughing and couldn’t stop. They looked drunk but it was amazing how they didn’t even need alcohol to laugh hysterically.

“Oh my god, what even was that?” she gasped, visibly trying to stop laughing.

“I have no idea.”

Stefan rubbed his eyes and then led her back to the table, holding hands.

“Hey guys!” The others greeted them.

“Don’t you look chipper.” Enzo commented.

“Your phone was buzzing like crazy, Steffy.” Damon said.

Stefan grabbed it, read the email and his face split into a huge smile. “I got the job!”

Before he knew it, Caroline’s arms had flown around his neck and he was holding her, her perfume that reminded him of flowers at the estate and now her, sent a pang of longing through him. What for, he wasn’t sure.

She landed on his feet and pulled back. “Congratulations!” she said softly and then he did what he’d wanted to all night. He cupped her face and pulled her close with his other hand, and kissed her. Again. In front of the others. Again.

For show, of course.

He could hear some hooting and laughter from their friends but all he could think about was Caroline. The way her fingers snaked into his hair, the way she gently pulled him closer, her kisses that he could never get enough of.

They finally pulled away and sat down with their friends.

Stefan was kind of relieved that kiss had been a far more casual one than the previous few. He had been starting to fear he wasn’t capable of kissing her without it turning into a full-blown makeout session. 

“Uh, congratulations, Stefan.” Elena patted him awkwardly on the shoulder.

“Knew you had it in you, mate.”

“Awesome news!” said Bonnie.

“I’d hug you, but you still look dazed,” Damon smirked. “You and Blondie are interesting, to say the least.”

Stefan shot him a puzzled look, aware of Caroline’s gaze on him.

They were supposed to be believable, not ‘interesting.’

“What do you mean?” he asked his brother.

“Well, for starters she’s not insane like Katherine, or annoying like Valerie, or dull like Ivy, or my type like Rebekah.”

Stefan scoffed, relieved. “Wow.”

“Or mean like Lexi.” Enzo muttered.

Elena laughed. “You just think she’s mean because she rejected you that time when she dropped by to visit Damon.”

“It was unkind.”

“You were being an idiot. And everyone could tell you liked Bonnie.”

Bonnie and Enzo smiled at each other.

“She was taken then.”

“I’m taken now too. By you.”

They kissed and Damon rolled his eyes. “Never stops being weird. It’s like seeing my parents kiss. Anyway. I’m just saying. It’s different.”

“Don’t worry, you’re cute!” Elena reassured them.

Caroline smiled at Stefan and the hint of nervousness didn’t escape him. It was an odd thing for Damon to say. He moved closer to her and put his arm around her to somehow ease her.

“DAMON! BONNIE! ENZO!” Elena yelled suddenly.

They all stared at her, a little alarmed.

She looked elated, grinning at her phone. “Liam and Nadia and Kai are gonna be in town tomorrow!”

Damon looked like he was going to pass out from excitement, Bonnie was giggling with Elena, and Enzo sat back with his arms crossed, a muscle ticking in his jaw.

“You okay?” Stefan asked him.

“This Kai, he was always hitting on Bonnie. I loved the gang, but never particularly him.”

Caroline, also excluded from the excitement, leaned over. “You have nothing to worry about Enzo, take it from her best friend. She’s crazy about you. Go and enjoy, I would give anything to have my college friends in town.”

“I would give anything to have Lexi in town.” Stefan muttered.

“Not helping.” Enzo sighed and then cheered up when Damon mentioned something about Liam and the four went outside to talk to him on Damon’s phone so they could have the “best signal possible”.

“Who is Lexi?” Caroline asked him curiously.

Stefan grinned. “She’s my best friend.”

“Enzo said she was your ex, right?”

Stefan looked at her, shocked, and then started laughing. “What?”

“Yeah, he said, “Or mean like Lexi” when Damon was listing your exes.”

Understanding dawned on Stefan. “Oh, he didn’t mean anything. He probably just said that because she’s the first girl most people associate with me, but she’s like my sister.”

Caroline nodded quietly, and sipped on her coke, looking around.

Wait, why was she asking? Like, she remembered Damon and Enzo’s exact words on his ex-girlfriends. Was it interest… or maybe jealousy?  

He pushed the thought away, chalking it off to wishful thinking.

And it became even clearer it was nothing of the sort when she leaned over and softly asked him something that made him feel far more uneasy than he should have.

In fact, he shouldn’t be feeling anything, least of all uneasy or sad.

“Stefan, I was thinking, what if we meet someone we actually want to date?”

Stefan swallowed his feelings and forced himself to answer, wondering if seeing Klaus had inspired this. “What do you mean?”

“It’s just a hypothetic scenario. We should cover all our bases, right? I mean, you should see the way that girl is checking you out.” She nodded to a dark haired, leather jacket clad girl who was sitting at the bar and sipping a martini.

She looked a vaguely familiar, and he tried not to stare as he racked his brains. He realised it was because she looked like Katherine and looked away.

Caroline had been watching him and her expression was different, more vacant. She wasn’t cheery anymore.

He hated not being able to gauge what she was thinking.

“I guess we… date them in secret? Until this is over.” he said, wondering if Caroline wanted to date some guy she’s seen at her interview or maybe the building or mall or- wow, he needed to chill.

She nodded and he could feel her pulling away somehow, the dynamic between them shifting from playful to something far less intimate.

He was about to say something so things would feel normal again when someone behind him cleared their throat. He turned around and it was the girl from the bar.

“Hey.” She said confidently, looking at Stefan from behind her lashes. She was pretty, but weirdly resembled Katherine, which unnerved him a bit.

“Hi” he replied.

He found himself thinking Caroline, with her wavy hair like sunshine and bright, expressive blue eyes and easy smile, was so much more beautiful.

“I’m Rayna.” She held out her hand.

He was pretty sure he knew where this was going. “Stefan.”

“Nice to meet you. Are you free tomorrow night?” she asked.

So she was direct.

He hesitated, wondering if he wanted to go out with her. She wasn’t really his type… if he had one. His ex-girlfriends had nothing in common. She was hot, but…

He looked at Caroline without meaning to.

Caroline saw him looking at her and seemed to think hard about something for a few moments and then turned to the girl, her expression resolute. “He’d love to, he was just telling me how hot he thought you were.”

The girl smiled seductively at Stefan her smile reminded him even more of Katherine. “Great.” She said, handing him a napkin. “Here’s my number. Call me.” She said and then walked right out of the bar.

Stefan turned to Caroline. She’d really wanted him to go on that date for some reason. She obviously didn’t feel anything for him, and he owed it to himself to give it a chance. And he probably didn’t feel anything for Caroline either. If you spend that much time with someone cute and pretend to be a couple, some confusing feelings are bound to emerge. He was just going to have to get a grip until this was all over and they could go back to being just friends.

Maybe he’d like Rayna anyway. Maybe he’d like her because she reminded him of Katherine. It had been years anyway. Who knew?

“I’ll totally help you sneak around,” Caroline said, her expression still serious.

He was supposed to be the serious one.

“Okay, thanks.” 

“Pinky promise.” She added and held out her little finger.

He gazed at her. 

Who was this adorable? 

His last pinky promise had probably been when he was three, with Damon over not confessing to spilling kool-aid on the sofa.

He held out his pinky too. “Same. If you want to date Klaus, my help is at your disposal.” He said dutifully, trying to make her smile.

She looked at him incredulously and then laughed. “What? No! Have you seen him, Stefan, or heard him? Honestly, my taste is way better, give me some credit.”

He’d succeeded in making her smile and in making things normal again, but that’s not why his mood shot up.