𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒇𝒊𝒓𝒔𝒕 𝒐𝒏𝒆

𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒕𝒆𝒓 6 ♡︎

"Caroline,

I know it's been a month since my last letter. I don't expect you to forgive me for not contacting you before. I needed some time. I've heard that Damon wants to leave Mystic Falls and start looking for me. You have to convince him to stay there. I can't tell you much more but know that I'm not alone and I'm working on something important. I hope you're doing well and that Klaus isn't bothering you too much. I think I'll be back in a few. Maybe we could do something fun, just you and me. Take care.

Your friend,

Stefan"

Once she finishes her reading, Caroline folds the letter and puts it on the kitchen table. Stefan said he'd be back in a few, but in a few what? Days, weeks, months, years? Decades? She also notices that he didn't mention Elena's name. And how does he know about Damon? That's many questions and she has no answer. She wishes that she could write to him too, but he didn't indicate an address. He's probably always on the move. And who's with him? Again, Caroline has no plausible answer.

"So, brunette or blonde for breakfast, Salvatore?"

"I'll have whatever you're having, Pierce. I trust you have good taste in choosing your victims."

She gives him a sly smile and heads for the door, but his arm closes the door before she can open it fully. Katherine turns back to face Stefan.

"What?"

"You don't kiss me goodbye?"

Slowly, Katherine closes the distance between them until their noses are almost touching. She never breaks eye contact. She knows Stefan will back away. He always does. It's been like that for a couple of weeks. He's different. He's more daring, more challenging, and more fun. And he's teasing her relentlessly. In return, Katherine takes every opportunity that she has to make him jealous. She flirts shamelessly with every man they encounter and she likes to see the rage in Stefan's eyes. He doesn't try to explain it and she never asks. Their physical proximity has increased lately, although there has been no real contact. It's a game they're playing, with unspoken rules and silent agreement. Sometimes it becomes too much for Katherine and she puts a little distance between them. Stefan understands and he knows that he must not push it too far. He's confused about his own feelings and there's this jealousy he still can't comprehend. As expected, when Katherine gets too close, he steps back.

"Well okay then. No kiss. I won't be long," Katherine says before leaving.

Once the door is closed, Stefan sits on the edge of the bed and sighs. He doesn't know what's worse: the fact that he managed to forget all about Elena in barely a month when he thought he could never get over it, or the fact that the one haunting his dreams now is Katherine. One thing is certain: he can't tell her. He can't tell her that she's gotten under his skin.

Surprisingly, his bloodlust is not as bad as he thought it would be. Maybe that's because he got used to it when he was with Klaus, or maybe that's because he knows he can count on Katherine to kick his ass if he goes too far. She had to do it twice. It happened on a night when Stefan felt depressed. He had drunk way too much and a girl would not stop hitting on him, so he had led her outside and he had attacked her. Without the compulsion telling her to hold still and be quiet, the girl had tried to fight him off and she had screamed. This was what had alerted Katherine and she had immediately chased after Stefan outside the bar. She had found him right when the girl had started to lose consciousness and it had required some efforts to make Stefan lose his grip on the woman. Katherine had yelled at him for hours afterwards and he had listened without a word.