Capital Letters

nine

 Caroline awoke to the soft morning light filtering through her curtains, her gaze shifting to the figure of Nathan beside her. A gentle smile graced her lips as she remembered him coming over the night before, seeking refuge from yet another skirmish with Damon. The warmth of his presence next to her in the morning was something she cherished. It just felt right, like two puzzle pieces finally clicking into place.

Sensing her eyes on him, Nathan responded by pulling the blanket over his head, his voice muffled. "Stop staring at me. It's weird."

Caroline couldn't help but chuckle at his playful protest. "You know what else is weird? Waking up for the third time with you in my bed."

Nathan tossed the blanket aside and rolled onto his side to face her. "Well, your house doesn't have a raging psychopath that does nothing but ruin your life."

Caroline quipped, her humour laced with affection, "Well, I do have a mom. Which is also why she cannot catch you in my room. She'd totally have a meltdown."

Before Nathan could respond, his phone began to ring, and he let out an audible groan as he reached for it. "What?"

Before Nathan could respond, his phone began to ring, and he let out an audible groan as he reached for it. "What?"

Nathan dressed quickly, sliding into his jacket while remaining on the call. As he did, Caroline began preparing for school. "You want me to talk to him? After what he did?"

Stefan's voice held a hint of determination. "Best way to get him out of town is to figure out what he's up to. So, will you help me, brother?"

"Best way to get him out of town, right?"

"Yeah, meet me at Elena's in 20."

Nathan pocketed his phone and stood up from Caroline's bed. "What was that about?"

He shrugged, contemplating whether he should reveal the truth about everything. But he desired a normal life for Caroline, without the weight of their supernatural world. "Just Stefan. We both decided that we want Damon gone."

Caroline continued getting ready, brushing her hair as she considered his words. "That's good, right? We hate Damon. He's nothing but trouble."

Nathan's lips curled into a wry smile. "Yeah, my life would be easier if I could just kill him."

Caroline chuckled, acknowledging the seriousness beneath his jest. Despite his frustrations with Damon, he couldn't bring himself to harm his own brother. "Well, there's a thought. Maybe you should. Save the world from him."

Nathan's expression grew more sombre as he pondered her words. "He's my brother; I can't change that. I wish I could take you to school, but I gotta go meet Stefan."

Caroline nodded, accepting the situation. "Go deal with your family drama. I'll see you later?"

Caroline nods, they haven't really done anything together except talk. Caroline didn't know where his head was, but after hearing him talk about the girl he used to love she thinks he was not over her. He was engaged and it was his first love. How was she going to compete with that?

Nathan met Stefan at Elena's front door, a perplexed expression etched across his features. He couldn't quite fathom why they were here or how Elena could possibly assist with their Damon problem. Elena, with a faint smile on her lips, opened the door to greet them.

"Hey. Thanks for coming. I wouldn't have called if it wasn't important," she said, her gratitude evident. Stefan nodded in acknowledgment, and Elena led them outside, where the evening air held a hint of tension. "He threatened her."