"I just have to drop something off real quick" Stefan said, pulling into a gravel parking lot surrounded by construction equipment.
"Where is everyone?" Elena asked, jumping out of the jeep and looking around. None of the equipment was running, and there wasn't a soul in sight.
"Lunch break" Stefan said, smiling as he grabbed her hand and led her toward a construction trailer. "Everyone takes off except my brother" he informed, walking up the steps with Elena.
"He isn't working through his lunch break, is he?" she asked. Elena could see that happening, even though she hoped it wasn't. Damon was dedicated to his work, to his company that he had built.
Stefan laughed and opened the trailer door, where they both saw Damon with a stack of papers on his desk and a pen in his hand, writing frantically. Damon looked up to see his brother and Elena at his door, arms crossed and looking disapprovingly at him. "Hey" Damon said, smiling like he was doing nothing wrong.
"Working during your lunch break again I see" Stefan said, handing him the envelope he had been carrying.
Damon was guilty. "No, I was just finishing something" Damon told them.
"Yeah I bet" Stefan told him. He wouldn't give his brother too much shit for it. Not when he was about to ask him for a favor. "So, I told Elena I would check with you to see about a possible part-time job" he said.
Elena stood next to Stefan uncomfortably. She hadn't expected Stefan to bring that up with her right there. "We don't need to bother him with that right now" Elena said, brushing it off.
"It's okay" Stefan told her, wrapping his arm around her and pulling her close. Damon looked curiously between the two. "Elena is looking for a few hours a week. I told her you might have something for her and you could work around her class schedule" Stefan explained.
Damon nodded. "Yeah, of course" he said. He watched Elena relax, like maybe she had expected him to say no. "Can I think on it and get back to you?" he asked her.
Elena nodded her head yes. "There's no rush" she told him, smiling. "Thank you so much." This alleviated the issue of her having to try and find a job that would be flexible. She had to take a moment to appreciate how fortunate she had been lately. Life had been good to her.
Damon gave her a small nod and returned her smile. "You're welcome, Elena" he said. Damon saw how happy Stefan looked, and not just about the job offer for Elena. Stefan looked genuinely happy with Elena next to him. "So, you two look like you're headed to the beach" Damon said, taking notice of their appearance.
"Yes we are" Stefan confirmed.
Damon smiled and leaned back in his chair. "I bet you have a surfboard and cooler in the jeep too." The days Damon spent at the beach were getting fewer and fewer as his business continued to grow.
"He's going to teach me how to surf" Elena mentioned. She was pretty excited, because the ocean was her favorite place to be.
"You'll do great" Damon assured her. "I taught Stefan when he was younger." He remembered the exact moment Stefan got up on the board by himself. He had never been so proud of his little brother.
"Do you want to meet us there when you get off of work?" Elena asked, extending an invitation to Damon. Stefan thought it was very sweet of her to offer, even though he already knew his brother's answer.
"I'd love to, but I've just got so much to do" Damon told her regretfully. He saw the disappointed look on Elena's face and he felt horrible. Stefan was used to his busy schedule, but Elena wasn't yet. "We're still on for dinner on Sunday, right?" he asked her.
"Yeah, sounds good" Stefan told him. "We should get going though" he said, looking down at Elena. She looked up and met his eyes, smiling.
"Hey you two have fun" Damon said, standing to walk out with them. "Elena, we'll talk about a job this weekend" he promised.
"I can't wait" she said, shooting him a smile. She was relieved to think about making money.
"Later" Stefan said, walking with Elena back to his jeep. He was ready to spend his day with the beautiful girl holding his hand.
XXXX
"A sea anemone" Stefan said, crouching down next to Elena to examine it with her. The tide was out and that meant they had a lot of opportunities to scope out creatures.
"The scientific name is Anemonia Sulcata" she informed him. Then she grabbed her forehead and laughed at herself. "You must think I'm the biggest nerd ever" she told him.
Stefan laughed as well. "I work with numbers, so I think we're even" he reminded her.
She still looked adorably embarrassed. "I just get really excited about this kind of stuff" she explained to him.
"It's good to be excited about things" Stefan told her. He loved that about her. She gave him a small smile that made his heart skip. He was falling hard for this girl, and he didn't care that they hadn't known each other very long. He believed that you could fall in love with someone at first sight, and he was starting to believe that had happened with Elena. "What's this one called?" Stefan asked, pointing to a sand dollar just below the water.
Elena paused for a moment, remembering the scientific name. "Clypeasteroida" she answered.
Stefan wrinkled his nose. "That sounds like some sort of disease" he said.
Elena laughed. "I agree. But aren't they cool looking?" she asked.
Stefan had never really taken the time to admire anything on the beach or in the water. He was usually more preoccupied with surfing or soaking up the sun. But spending the day with Elena at the beach was making him realize how much he was missing out on. "I think these are my favorite" Stefan told her, reaching beside him and grabbing a small empty conch shell. Then he handed it to Elena.
She held her hand out and watched Stefan place the light colored shell in the palm of her hand. "It's beautiful" Elena said, smiling. Her eyes met his and she got a little giddy when she saw him lean in to kiss her.
"Come on" he said, grabbing her hand. "There's something I want to show you."
Stefan led her back up to the jeep where they preceded to drive down the highway, never losing sight of the water. She didn't ask where they were going, but instead enjoyed having the top down and the wind blowing through her hair.
Stefan pulled off the highway about half an hour later and turned his jeep off. Then he jumped out and went around to Elena's side to help her. They stood on top of a lookout point, staring out at a vacant beach. "Best surfing you'll ever find" Stefan told her. "Not many know about this place, so we won't have to share" he added.
Elena grabbed the beach bag and Stefan grabbed the cooler and surfboard before heading down the narrow trail that led to the sand. "This is amazing" Elena told him, in complete awe. The privacy is what stunned her the most, since there had been people everywhere further down the beach.
Stefan set the board and cooler down near a makeshift fire pit. "You ready for this?" he asked her, eying the waves that were crashing up on the shore. The last girl he had taken surfing hadn't been too keen on the idea, deciding to stay back on the beach and watch.
"Definitely" Elena told him. She had a look of determination and she was ready.
XXXX
After only one hour in the water, Elena was paddling out, choosing her own waves and popping up, riding the waves back to shore. All on her own. Stefan was shirtless, waist deep in the water, cheering her on while keeping a watchful eye on her, just in case.
Elena was loving it though. Even if she fell, she still got back up and tried again. He loved that about her. She wasn't a quitter. "Do you want to have lunch?" Stefan asked as Elena paddled towards him.
"Lunch sounds great" Elena said, smiling from ear to ear. She loved the ocean so much, and surfing was the perfect way to experience it. She climbed off of the board and pushed it to shore with her. "Can we do this again sometime?" she asked him. She was having an amazing time.
"Anytime you want" Stefan told her. The fact that he had found a girl who enjoyed surfing as much as he did was a blessing. Stefan drug the board up onto the beach so the tide wouldn't take it away. Then they both sat down near the cooler and Stefan opened it, pulling out all of the contents.
Elena helped herself to the grapes, taking in the view as she did. She was trying hard not to stare at Stefan's chest. But the sun shining off of the water droplets on his skin was making it difficult to look anywhere else. "I love spending time with someone who knows the area so well" she said casually. "I think I've had more fun and done more things these past two months with you than I have in years."
"It's nice having someone to spend time with" he said sincerely. "Damon works a lot" he stated.
"What about your friends?" she asked.
Stefan shrugged. "I can't say I have any really good friends. More like acquaintances" he explained. "There's Caroline, who you might have met on the tour, but she's all over the place so it's difficult to plan anything with her." Elena found that really unfortunate that Stefan didn't have any close friends. "My brother is my best friend" Stefan told her. Even if he was a busy guy, he was a busy guy that Stefan idolized.
Elena's heart melted. "You're going to make me cry" she told him, setting the grapes aside.
Stefan smiled as he tilted his head to the side. "Why's that?" he asked her.
"Because, you two are just so adorable" Elena told him. "It is so refreshing to meet siblings who love each other as much ad you and Damon love each other" she admitted. "I can tell how much you look up to him. I bet you were adorable when you were little, following him around all the time" she said.
Stefan had to force the smile on his face to stay put. "Yeah" he said, thankful she didn't notice his smile was no longer genuine. "So what about your friends?" Stefan asked, changing the subject.
Elena grabbed a cookie out of the cooler. "Well, there's my best friend Bonnie" she said. "Matt, Tyler, Vicki, Bekah ..." she lifted off.
"Tell me about Bonnie" Stefan said, taking interest in the best friend that Elena had never mentioned. Right away, Elena smiled.
"She graduated last year and is studying journalism in London presently" Elena replied. "I try and Skype with her every other day" she added.
"Does she know about me?" Stefan asked curiously. Because he didn't know about her.
Elena smiled warmly. "Of course she does. I tell her everything."
"And ... what does she think about me? Us?" he asked. He had to know. It was part of his need for approval. He couldn't stand knowing that someone didn't approve of him.
Elena hesitated and it worried Stefan. "She's kind of a mother hen" Elena said. She saw the worried look on his face, so she grabbed his hand in hers to hold. "She's just worried about me. She doesn't know you, but once she does, I know she'll like you" Elena promised. Stefan relaxed some, but the fact that Elena's best friend didn't approve of them was going to bother him. "Really Stefan, I'm not worried about it" she said, giving him a reassuring smile. "I like you. That should count for something, right?" she asked.
He mustered up a smile, because hearing her say that instantly lifted his mood. "It counts for everything" he told her. She might never know how much it meant to him to hear that, but it did, and it comforted him. "I love that Bonnie looks out for you. I'm just going to have to reassure her that she has nothing to worry about when it comes to me. I'd never do anything to hurt you" he said, making a promise to Elena.
Her smile slowly faded as she processed what he had just told her. The look of sincerity in his eyes nearly took her breath from her. "I believe you" she said, almost in a whisper. She believed that he would never hurt her.
Stefan leaned towards her, looking at her lips, and then into her eyes. His lips met hers finally, sealing his promise with a tender kiss.
He meant it.
He would never hurt her. He would never mean to hurt her.
XXXX
They had decided to hit up a crab shack for dinner on the way home. As tired as he was, he was not looking forward to the night ending. "What's good here?" Elena asked, hopping up on a stool at a small round table Stefan had picked out. She was exhausted from their day at the beach, but she was going to be sorry to see it come to an end as well.
"Halibut and fries" Stefan told her, tossing his menu aside with a knowing smile.
Elena set her menu down too, sharing a smile with him. He knew everything about anything in Charleston, and that made her lucky to know him. "Sounds good then" Elena told him.
Stefan grabbed them two sweet teas and placed their orders up at the counter. "You should see this place on a Friday or Saturday night" Stefan commented as he came to sit back down. He moved his chair closer to Elena.
"Pretty busy?" Elena asked, taking a sip of her tea.
"The line is clear down the beach" he said, describing just how popular the place was. His arm draped around the back of her chair as he looked around the room.
"I'm going to miss being able to spend all this time with you" Elena told him. "You know, when I start classes and you start work" she quickly added. She was having so much fun with him.
"We'll find time" Stefan said. He met her eyes and saw that she was just as content to be there as he was. It was comforting, knowing the person you were with enjoyed being with you.
"I'm glad to hear it" she told him, giving him a genuine smile as she leaned into him. She gave him an innocent, quick kiss on his lips before retreating back to her own personal space, not wanting to get too involved in any PDA.
"Stefan" a surprised voice said, causing both Stefan and Elena to look behind them. A pretty blonde was in a short sundress and high heels that accentuated her long legs. Her attention went straight to Elena, and a smile formed as she tilted her head to the side just a little. "Fancy seeing you here" she told Stefan.
Stefan jumped up from his seat quickly, already going in for a hug. He hadn't seen Caroline since they had graduated. "Hey" he said, giving her one extra squeeze before letting her go. "Caroline, do you remember Elena?" he asked, grabbing Elena's hand and pulling her up from her seat to introduce them properly.
Caroline's smile grew. "You bet I do" she said, extending her hand to Elena. "I saw you on one of the campus tours. Stefan actually begged me to let him help out in your group the moment he saw you" she said. "Nice work" she said teasingly, punching his shoulder playfully. He had obviously charmed his way into Elena's life somehow if they were at the Crab Shack having dinner together.
Stefan blushed, but Elena thought that was the sweetest thing she had ever heard. It was also flattering to know that Stefan had taken interest in her right away. "I do remember you" Elena smiled, taking Caroline's hand politely. She remembered her bossing everyone around, but she seemed perfectly nice. "Nice to see you again."
Caroline flashed Elena a radiant smile. "You as well. I trust that Stefan is being a true gentleman this evening?" she asked. Stefan rolled eyes, but his friend gave him a warning look.
"He absolutely is" Elena assured her. "He's been great since I moved down here" she added. She watched Stefan give her a warm smile. "I need to use the lady's room. You two catch up and I'll be right back" she said, sliding by Stefan and heading towards the back of the restaurant.
Caroline watched Stefan watch Elena walk away. She didn't think even a burning fire could have taken his attention away from the beautiful, and quite young, brunette. "So how did you manage to reel her in?" Caroline asked.
"I put the effort into getting to know her" Stefan explained. "She's amazing, Care. She's smart, and she's kind and she loves trying new things. She's exactly what I need in my life" he admitted.
"That's great to hear, Stefan" Caroline said. But the way she said it wasn't encouraging. It was cautious.
"What?" Stefan asked. Caroline had been excited moments before. What had changed?
She sighed. This wasn't just Stefan having fun with a girl he just met. This was Stefan falling in love with a girl he just met. That was an issue for her. "I'm really happy for you Stefan, but it sounds like you're falling kind of hard for a girl you just met" she told him. "A young one, a Freshman" she reminded.
Stefan shrugged. "So?" he asked. "I don't think age is really an issue between us" Stefan added.
Caroline shrugged too. "Maybe age isn't, but you're both in very different stages of your lives right now. You're done with the college thing, getting ready for new responsibilities. She's just starting college where she finally gets to be free to be her own person and do whatever she wants."
"I don't plan on holding her back. I want her to experience college" he said, thinking carefully about his words. Did he want Elena at parties? No. But he wasn't even sure if she liked parties.
Caroline sighed again. "I know you wouldn't mean to. But college is going to take up a lot of her time. When she's not in classes, she'll be at her study groups. Clubs on campus, parties, volunteering" she reminded him. Then she frowned. "And how long before some of these college guys take interest in her? She's young and beautiful, and she has that older boyfriend who isn't around campus. I mean, I'm not saying she would cheat on you, but I can tell you right now, those guys are going to be hitting on her left and right."
"You're saying that she and I are impossible" Stefan stated neutrally. Mainly because he didn't want her to see him get upset. Every problem Caroline brought up felt like a kick in the stomach for him.
Caroline shook her head no. "I'm telling you it will be difficult. I just don't want you to get hurt" she concluded. Caroline saw Elena walking towards them and she quickly put a smile back on her face. "Elena, enjoy the rest of your evening with Stefan" she said. "He's a great guy" she added, looking up to see Stefan's mind wandering.
Stefan didn't tell Caroline goodbye. He wasn't mad at her, but he was concerned about everything she had brought up. What was going to stop guys on campus from trying to go out with Elena if they didn't know she had a boyfriend? Sure, she could tell them she was dating someone else. But would that be enough?
XXXX
"Are you okay?" Elena asked as they sat on the couch together, waiting for the movie to start on the T.V. She had noticed his mood change during dinner.
"I'm fine" he told her, doing his best to give her a reassuring smile. Truthfully though, he was fixated on the idea of losing Elena.
With the lights off, she couldn't really determine if he was telling her the truth or not. Then again, she hoped that if something was bothering him, he would talk with her about it. "I had a great time today" she said, yawning as she did. She was exhausted.
Stefan slipped his arm around her, and Elena leaned into him, resting her head on his shoulder. "Me too" he told her.
The movie played for ten minutes or so before Elena fell asleep. She was breathing softly against his t-shirt, with her hand lightly against his stomach. He then turned the T.V. off, wanting her to have the quiet she needed to sleep.
Stefan carefully brushed her hair out of her face, content with sitting there and holding her. It wasn't long though, until he fell asleep too.
XXXX
Stefan woke up first, laying uncomfortably in a half sitting up and half laying down position on his couch. Elena was still snuggled against him, breathing just as softly as when she had fallen asleep. He hadn't woken up to turn the air on in the apartment, so his shirt and skin were moist from sweat where Elena's body laid against his.
She stretched out against him, murmuring something as she did. Then her arms wrapped around him, holding him close to her. It was a wonderful feeling.
Stefan's phone buzzed once and he carefully reached for it. A text message from his brother, asking if he and Elena wanted to go down to Florida for the Fourth of July weekend to see their parents. It made Stefan smile to think about Elena going with.
Stefan shot Damon a quick text back, letting him know he would ask Elena about it and get back to him. Right then, he was content with cuddling with Elena until he too could go back to sleep.