had a happy thought of these two, vomitted, and this came up.

title from when i'm alone - lissie.

reminds me of home when you're around me.

Her wedding's at the Salvatore estate. It's behind the boarding house in the big backyard she wasn't even aware they had until she saw it and begged him please, this is the spot.

Everything's set up near the trees, where the yard ends and birds chirping from the treetops begin. The starch white chairs are all in order and she makes the ushers assure her that they're seating her family on the bride's side. Don't mess anything up, she scorns.

(She wouldn't choose between Elena and Bonnie when her mother demanded that one of them was to be the maid of honor. Caroline had only laughed and said that they were both going to be maid of honors whether her mother liked it or not. She shouldn't have to choose, they're both her best friends after all.)

And she makes them both wear white. While they're all getting ready Bonnie pulls at the hem of her dress and says, "Care, are you sure?" And Elena, with her usual concern in her brow, says, "Yeah, Care. You're sure?"

Caroline simply rolls her eyes. "Sweeties, I'm not so self-conscious as to believe that all eyes won't be on me." They both join in with her laughter. "That's nonsense." They should've known; of course Caroline would demand all of the attention. It's her wedding day after all.

She, Elena, and Bonnie are all holed up in Stefan's room getting ready. She can smell the honeysuckles from the open window while she's getting ready, comments on how warm it is outside – the temperature's just right. How everything about the day is just right. The smell, the breeze, the day – it makes everything feel a lot like home.

When the final touches of her makeup are being put on and Elena and Bonnie sit beside her fully dressed and beautiful, Bonnie asks, "Are you ready for this, Caroline?" She loves them dearly for this, for being her best friends.

"I've never been so ready for anything in my life." A small, simple smile on her lips as she closes her eyes for a moment. Elena sighs and squeezes her hands. "Let's get you in that gown then," she says with a smile.

Insecure Caroline looking for someone to tell her she's beautiful asks them, "How do I look?" after the corset in the back has been tightened and she can almost barely breathe.

"You look gorgeous." And it's not Elena or Bonnie who says it. The voice comes from the doorway. Caroline looks up as her two friends turn around. She smiles, then it grows into a laugh, as she blushes a bit. "Stefan! You're not supposed to be up here!"

He walks over to her, kisses her gently on the cheek, and whispers that she really does look gorgeous. "Thank you," she says sweetly. "How is he?" There's an edge in her voice that hopes and prays that he hasn't run away and Stefan's here to break the news to her. She's sure she can't handle that.

"He's waiting on you." He says with his endearing smile. Caroline's eyelashes flutter against her cheeks when she closes her eyes, a small smile still on her lips. She thinks, good.

Stefan runs a reassuring hand up and down her arm before he turns to Elena and kisses her sweet on the mouth. He looks between her and Bonnie and it's, "You two look so amazing." Elena blushes and they thank him. "But it's time you guys."

He turns to Caroline, "You ready?" She simply nods her head and loops her arm through his, careful not to step on her dress as she walks away.

Bonnie walks down the aisle first, a small bouquet of purple flowers in her grasp. She kisses him on the cheek before taking her place on Caroline's side. Elena walks down the aisle next, grasp tight on the bouquet, kisses him on the other cheek and stands close to Bonnie.

Right before they're about to walk around the corner and down the aisle, Stefan tells her he can hear her heart beating erratic. "Calm down," he chuckles. She places one hand over her heart as if she can really feel it. She breathes out through her mouth a few times before she settles into a small smile. "Let's go," she says, her grip tight on his arm.

"Let's go," he confirms. And they begin walking. The violins pick up as she's walking and just when she gets to the last row of chairs, everyone stands and she can hear their gasps. She giggles and looks up at Stefan. "They love you," he smiles.

She doesn't look at him at first, keeps her eyes everywhere else – smiles at Matt and Tyler, tears up when she sees her mom – but right at the last moment, afraid that she may miss something, she looks up.

She's relieved when she finds him standing at the end, waiting for her. There's a smile stretched across his face and she can see the blue in his eyes all the way from the middle of the aisle. Her breath catches a little and she can feel the beginning of tears welling in her eyes.

But then one of her heels gets stuck in the grass and she stumbles, a small squeak leaves her mouth before she's nervously laughing and Stefan's trying his best to help her stand right again. Everyone gasps and there's a moment of complete embarrassment and she thinks everything is ruined. Then she hears him laughing all the way from the alter. She looks up again, cheeks stained pink with embarrassment, and finds him shaking his head with a cute smirk on his lips. She laughs too.

When they get to the end, Stefan kisses her cheek and squeezes her hands tight before placing her hand in Damon's. He pats his brother on the back and takes his place beside Alaric.

When Damon slides the ring on her finger and kisses her tears away, he whispers, "I love you," where only she can hear it. That feels a lot like home too.

–;

The reception is under a big tent on the other side of the huge backyard that she wasn't aware of until she saw it and said the tent would look magnificent right here.

It's turning into night before they even come out and are announced as Mr. and Mrs. Salvatore. She laughs against his cheek at how odd that sounds. "But a good kind of odd, right?" He asks.

She kisses the corner of his mouth and nods. "Perfect kind."

There's a ton of lights, a band, a huge dance floor, and the whole town's there. Bonnie drinks a little too much wine and she's tipsy when she gives her speech. There's tears and smiles and "If you break her heart, I'll break your face." She tells Damon when she's handing off the microphone to someone else. Then she smiles and pats him on the cheek.

Elena's speech is full of flowers and you guys are perfect for each other. She gets choked up when she gives an anecdote about how Caroline had always dreamed of her wedding and the perfect man and now she's got him. Then she actually does cry, and it's "I love you guys so much!" And Stefan has to help her back to her seat.

Stefan's the only one who doesn't break down when he speaks. Just says simple things like, "I didn't think you had it in you, brother." And "I wish you two an eternity of happiness." And he means it.

Their first dance is to some old, slow song that Caroline spent ages picking out. "Do you like it?" She asks, with her cheek pressed against his shoulder, his hands low on her back.

"I love it." He reassures her, kisses her sweet on the forehead.

"I love you."

–;

They honeymoon in Dubai.

They leave for the airport after the reception, bags already packed, kisses and hugs to whoever stayed long enough to see them off.

Caroline's ring gleams under the moonlight and Damon kisses it when he catches sight of it, holds her hand to his mouth for a moment longer.

Their flight takes longer than it should. But it feels good when Damon puts his arm around her after she's fallen asleep on his shoulder, their hands interlocked.

They stay in their hotel room for the better part of the trip – twisted into the sheets with bare skin and sweet whispers.

Then they go shopping, hands intertwined, swinging in the space between them. Caroline shares her ice cream with him, swipes away the leftovers on his lips with her thumb, presses her thumb to her mouth.

He pulls her to him then, arms wrapped tight around her middle, and kisses her until it hurts.

–;

She moves into the boarding house. Which actually just consist of bringing the rest of her belongings over because she's been staying there for longer than she can remember. But it feels nice nonetheless – being married and having their own house.

When they're going to sleep at night and Caroline's tucked close to his side he mumbles something about eternity.

And she's all, "We already got that, babe." And kisses him soft on the lips.

–;

Caroline wakes up just in time to get ready for work.

Damon's at the kitchen table drinking coffee and reading the newspaper. As she breezes by, picking up her coffee on the way to the door, Damon says, "Quick kiss."

Caroline hurries back to him, kisses him and smiles, "Love you."

He sips his from his mug and says, "Don't work too hard."

–;

Caroline wakes up just in time for work.

Damon's at the kitchen table drinking coffee and reading the newspaper. As she breezes by on her way out the door, he hands her her coffee mug and yells "Love you," right before the front door closes.

He smiles to himself.

And thus their life begins.