AN: This can really be set anywhere between 1.10 and 2.20- it's just a random bit of fluff/fun.

Stefan's pulling books out of his locker when he senses it, the disconcerting feeling of being watched. Not just watched, but actual being studied and examined like some sort of animal in a zoo. Shoulders tensing, he slowly turns around, half expecting to see a hoard of angry vampires there ready to attack him and then go after students, coating the halls with blood. Or a pack of scientists ready to knock him out and take him away to be studied in a creepy underground lair. Or Caroline's mother and a dozen other deputies armed with vervain guns.

Instead it's Elena standing there, holding a pile of books and notebooks, staring at him with a slight smile on her face.

"Did I scare you?" she asks, her voice containing more than a teasing hint in it.

He closes his locker door and smiles back. "Only a little," he says and they kiss, even though the bell is ringing and they're going to be late for class.

"I'm getting back at you," she whispers in his ear, "for earlier."

Earlier, when he freaked her out by suddenly appearing behind her, making Elena jump about three feet in the air. "Well done," he murmurs back to her.

"So," Elena curls her fingers around his hand. "It's been a long time."

A long time since they've seen each other (fifty minutes, when Elena had Spanish and Stefan had Latin). A while since Stefan snuck out of the Gilbert house in the early morning, nearly getting caught by a bleary-eyed Jenna.

"We haven't had a date night in a while," Elena continues, a pout on her face.

"Well, that is certainly a problem," Stefan says carefully, struggling to keep the smile off his face and not succeeding very well.

"It is. A serious problem."

"Luckily for us there is an easy solution."

"Oh?"

"I'm free tonight."

"Are you? Odd, so am I. And," she lowers her voice, "my house happens to be completely empty tonight..."

Stefan caresses her hand while he asks, "Miss Gilbert, would you be up for dinner and a movie tonight?"

"Only if you're cooking, Mr. Salvatore."

"Deal," Stefan kisses the top of her head and rubbed her cheek gently. "Glad there's some fun to look forward to tonight."

Elena grins. Suddenly the dreary day looks a lot more bearable.

What Elena wants is a normal night: dinner, movies, snuggling on the couch. Smiling to herself, she scans the cabinet of DVDs, trying to choose the perfect film, something that isn't too scary or cheesy or whatever.

"I'm off," Jenna calls out, on her way to a dinner date with friends. "Don't do anything I wouldn't."

"Okay! Have fun!" Elena calls back, smirking over her aunt's words. Jenna's not exactly one to restrain herself. Still smirking, she turns her attention back to the cabinet. Movies, movies, doorbell.

"Hey," Elena's eyes light up as she opens the door and takes in Stefan, who's leaning against the door, holding a grocery bag and a bouquet of colorful flowers. She stretches up and kisses him, unsurprised when he gently maneuvers them into the house while continuing to kiss her fiercely.

"So, um, dinner?" Elena asks, her voice breathless when they break apart.

"Dinner," Stefan agrees, a playful smile on his face.

The next hour is as normal and fun as Elena could have wished for, watching Stefan prepare dinner while she occasionally pitches in, her sub-par cooking skills painfully obvious in comparison to Stefan's wizard-like skills. She assigns herself the role of entertainer instead, telling him stories and jokes, her smile brightening as Stefan's warm laughter fills the kitchen. Impulsively she kisses the back of his neck. Stefan pauses in cutting up vegetables, turns and embraces her, eagerly kissing her again and deciding that it's all right if dinner waits.

"You are an amazing cook," Elena drapes her legs across Stefan's lap. "You cook. You dance. You play football. You're good at calculus. You're an excellent diplomat, yet good at fighting, and you're good at comforting people. Seriously, what can't you do?"

"I'm still working on the whole world peace thing," he jokes and rubs her legs.

She gently punches his arm. "Sometimes you make me feel so unaccomplished."

"I've lived a lot longer," Stefan points out and takes one of Elena's hands. "I've had more time..."

"To become good at everything?"

"To study, to learn, to explore. That's... well, I don't know if I want to say it's a good thing about being... what I am, but the time is an advantage," he tells her, glancing slowly up to see the look on her face.

Elena pulls his hand close to her chest, near her heart. "I haven't really been anywhere. Well, trips with my family, but I don't really feel like I've ever done anything, you know?"

The words, Elena, you're young, are on the tip of Stefan's tongue, but he doesn't say them, just waits patiently for her to continue.

"I've never thought a lot about the future. Not specifically about my future," she says slowly. "I guess I thought I'd be like my mom- go to college, spend a year in New York or wherever writing, get married, have kids, work from home. After the accident I couldn't think about my future without imagining the blank spots it would have without my parents. I couldn't really picture my future at all. And then I met you and fell in love with you and now I... I still don't have a clear picture of my future."

"We don't have to talk about this now," Stefan whispers, rushing to wipe away her tears. Elena sighs. "I mean, my parents are still gone, they'll always be gone, but I have you. You brought me back to life," she tells him, wincing slightly at the awkward words. Clumsy as they are, the words are true. They kiss for a long moment, and then Elena sighs again, happily this time. "Okay, enough with the tears. Movie time?"

She hops up and crosses to the cabinet. "What are you in the mood for? Action? Romance? Humor?"

"Tough question."

"Indeed."

By the time the ending credits of Star Wars are rolling, Stefan's hands are beneath Elena's shirt and her legs have found their way around Stefan's. They hadn't exactly paid much attention to the movie's end (or even the last forty-five minutes of it), instead focusing on each other's lips, exchanging long kisses.

"You're really good at this," Elena breaths out before kissing him again.

Just as Stefan's about to reply (although he doesn't think that "You are too" is expressive enough), he stops and listens to something. "Jeremy's back."

"My room?" Elena turns off the TV and they race up the stairs, laughing the entire time.

Elena sank down onto her bed, gestures for Stefan to sit besides her. She smiles appreciatively yet again as his lips nuzzle her neck and his fingers touch his face, then moves quickly to push him down onto the mattress and kiss him slowly, pausing only to yank his shirt over his head. The perfect ending to a perfect evening, she thinks as Stefan pulls off her shirt. His fingers trail down her spine and she happily sinks against his body, feeling loose and happy for this, this night, this movement that hopefully will last as long as possible.

Suddenly there's an odd, unexpected noise. Stefan, in the process of rolling their bodies over, freezes and Elena's eyes widen in surprise. Both turn to gape at Elena's bathroom door.

"Is that...?" Stefan starts to ask.

"Jeremy," Elena finishes in disbelief.

It is Jeremy, belting out a song, his voice booming over the roar of the shower.

"He's a little off-key, but very enthusiastic," notes Stefan.

"Oh, you sing too?" Elena teases, then shakes her head. "I guess his mystery date went well."

"Mystery date?"

"He wouldn't tell me who he was meeting- I don't know if I should be concerned about that or not."

After Jeremy's gone from the bathroom, Stefan gets up and checks to make sure both doors are locked, not caring for the next part of their date to be interrupted.

"Get back here," Elena orders gently, and even though the room is dark he knows she's smiling.

He is too.

AN: Thank you so much for all the reviews/prompts/feedback so far! I really appreciated everything! This *might* be continued (because, really, S/E need to have some fun along with all the angst) and I'm also working on some other stories: some one-shots, a couple of longer ones as well.