You were curled up on the couch at the Salvatore house, your legs tucked under a blanket while you absentmindedly flipped through a book you weren’t actually reading. The fireplace crackled faintly, filling the room with a warmth that felt almost too normal for a place that had seen so much chaos.

Stefan walked in quietly, holding two mugs of tea. He set one down in front of you, his lips twitching into the smallest smile when you looked up at him.

“You’re staring,” you teased, sipping your drink.

“I wasn’t,” he replied, settling beside you on the couch. His tone was serious, but his eyes betrayed him, soft and lingering.

“Yes, you were.” You nudged him with your knee under the blanket.

He shook his head, fighting back a grin. “Maybe I was making sure you’re still here. Things have a way of disappearing around me.”

That tugged at your heart. You set your mug aside and slid closer until your shoulder pressed against his. “I’m not going anywhere, Stefan.”

His gaze softened even more, like he believed you but still needed to hear it again. You could feel his hand brush against yours under the blanket—hesitant at first, then lacing your fingers together.

For a few moments, it was quiet and comfortable, until you broke it with a smirk. “You know, you brood way too much for someone who looks like you.”

That earned you a low laugh, rare and warm. “And what exactly is that supposed to mean?”

“That you could get away with murder just by smiling at someone. And you don’t even use it.”

He tilted his head, leaning closer until you felt his breath against your ear. “Maybe I save it for the right moments.”

Your stomach flipped, but you masked it with a sly grin. “So this isn’t one of those moments?”

In response, he moved so fast you barely had time to gasp—pinning you gently against the couch, his face hovering just inches above yours. His hand slid up your arm, steady and deliberate.

“Maybe it is,” he murmured, lips brushing yours before he kissed you—slow at first, then deeper when you tugged him closer by his shirt. He smiled into it, that rare smile you’d just been teasing him about, the one he really did save for you.