“I’ll be back later,” Stefan says, grabbing his jacket from the back of the couch. 

“Hold it,” Damon calls after him. 

Stefan complies, spinning around, expectant. 

“What’s that on your face?”

Hands move up immediately, searching for anything out of the ordinary. 

“Is that a smile?” 

“Really?” Stefan replies, head tilted in annoyance. “You stopped me for that?” 

“Forgive the surprise,” Damon tosses back, blue eyes focused and suspicious. “But it’s been quite some time since I’ve seen one from you.” 

“I’m going now.”

“Yes.” Damon goes on with a manic hand gesture. “Go. Be merry with your merrymaker.”

Stefan turns, gets only a few steps away. 

“Though I wonder,” Damon calls out. “Just who it could be, putting such a smile on your face. And was that a spring I detected in your step?” 

Stefan sighs, moving to face his brother again, he starts to say… Something. What? Nothing. Any retorts that may have been there stop dead at Damon’s teasing glare. 

“It’s not me,” he continues. “And it certainly isn’t Elena.”

Stefan glances at the clock, knowing he’ll be late if he doesn’t leave in the next few minutes, wondering why he hasn’t already. 

“Witchy’s dead. You and the quarterback aren’t exactly bosom buddies. That leaves…”

He’s actually tapping a finger against his chin, with a knowing smirk. 

“Blondie.” 

“Congratulations,” Stefan deadpans. “You cracked the code.”

“Don’t tell me you two are a thing now.”

“A thing,” he repeats. 

“They call it puppy love, baby bro.” Damon chides. “Not that it’s a bad thing, if a little predictable.” 

“Yeah,” Stefan nods, backing away. “On that note, I’m gone.” 

“I didn’t hear a no,” Damon hollers.

Stefan doesn’t look back.

— knives-and-lint

There’s STEROLINE everywhere according to my brain:

• Stefan knew that Caroline was with Elena. Why? Because of reasons, probably of the boyfriend type. 
• “Where is Caroline?” is the first thing he says to Elena once he and Damon are out of the car.
• Damon stays outside with Elena, and Stefan goes inside with Caroline because… foreshadowing, okay?
• Once Stefan finds Caroline, even though she’s not herself, they melt ice—okay, okay, they found ice that’s melting because there’s no power.
• Caroline!Silas gets rid of Stefan and starts threatening Bonnie. I thought it was something that Silas decided to use Stefan and Caroline for it. Sure, Alaric came about eventually, and it probably had to do with a schedule thing, or giving Paul and Candice more to do, or because they have fun playing evil, or whatever, but I chose to see it as a shippy sign of some kind.
• Damon tells Alaric to tell Stefan about Caroline. I mean, sure, there are obvious reasons why that needs to happen, but again, I see it as “it’s important that Stefan knows that that is not Caroline because of boyfriend reasons.”

STEROLINE + LEXI

Stefan goes to The Grill to see Caroline, and she’s waiting for him to celebrate, ready with the bottle and the shot glasses. But Stefan has his “serious vampire look” on, and then I started getting all the feels because them sitting there, my mind instantly went to how he’s such a good friend to her even though she doesn’t exactly make it easy on him, and it’s all because she reminded him of his friend… So of course that as soon as Stefan said he was sad because he was hoping to see someone, my heart started pumping faster and faster with the possibilities.

They look at each other like boyfriend and girlfriend, and then a voice is heard, and Caroline looks to the side because Lexi is there!!! I LOVE how Stefan is looking at Caroline before turning around, he’s the cutest, and after some hugging, LEXI THANKS CAROLINE FOR KEEPING AN EYE ON HIM AND CAROLINE SMILES AT IT. I STARTED CRYING TEARS OF JOY. YOU DO NOT EVEN KNOW HOW MUCH I WANTED LEXI AND CAROLINE TO MEET!!! I need to stop with the caps, but seriously, ever since she died I’ve been sad for Stefan, but once he actually compared Caroline with her, I wanted to kill damon for robbing us of the chance of seeing a scene with the three of them. And now, it’s finally happened!!! I was ecstatic, it was seriously enough for me… but it wasn’t the end of it.

Stefan and Lexi walking around, she’s laughing at him, and not approving of him and Elena, when they get all cute about how much he misses her… and I don’t know if I can even type what’s next. I need a moment. Okay, Lexi says she sees she’s been replaced by another blond… I DIED, okay? I DIED. And it didn’t stop there, because once again Stefan opens his mouth when he didn’t actually have to, asking her why she’s giving him that look for… and I freaking can’t! “She’s cute” and his face. “DO NOT START” he warns, and all I could think was: YES!!! START, START. START!!! IT’S STARTING, IT IS HAPPENING. IT IS HAPPENING.

I honestly cannot call this a review, it’s just all fluffy feelings and butterflies and rainbows. Lexi freaking came back from the dead and she served the purpose of planting a little seed, or making Stefan aware of something that was already there, I don’t know, but that’s what she did this episode… I HAVE SO MANY FEELINGS!!! Season 5 is ours, and I am so freaking happy and excited!!!

RANDOM STUFF

• I really liked this episode. It wasn’t perfect, but I felt that many plots finally paid off, moving the story forward while making sense and rounding off some silly points from different parts of the season.
• Did Liz seriously say that the hospital’s blood bank’s empty? SERIOUSLY? If you’re human in Mystic Falls you WILL die. Unless you’re Matt, nobody kills Matt.
• Did anyone notice Stefan’s face seeing the blood? RIPPAH…
• I love how Rebekah’s hanging out at The Grill. I love Team Barbie so much!! And Matt and Bekah.
• I LOLed at how Katherine was asking Bonnie all the questions the audience would ask. I thought it was hilarious how it was even mocking some past storylines while at it. And I loved that Bonnie got to own her.
• Bonnie’s death… I’ve been ~predicting it since last season, and it was where I thought the whole “Bonnie goes dark” plot was going to go. It remains to be seen whether or not she’ll stay that way. I think she might, if only because Kat seems to be pretty into her singing career.
• About the Walking Dead: I love Alaric, he and Damon work well together, I’d missed that pair. I knew Jeremy HAD to show up, and it was really a great, great scene. Kol, not cool that you hurt Matt, not cool at all. I’m bummed that Matt didn’t get to see Vicki.

FINALE SPEC

• According to what Candice said on an interview, there are three possible paths for Caroline to take. I’m guessing one involves Tyler, other involves Klaus, and the third one involves Stefan, and is hopefully the one she’ll take. Off into the sunset together, please?
• I’ve been thinking that Damon was going to take the cure for ages, guess we’ll find out tonight. I’m kinda hoping he won’t because he’s the obvious choice, but I don’t think Elena will, so the only one left is Stefan…
• Some of the Walking Dead will stick around after the veil is dropped. Maybe Alaric since Cult was such a fail and Matt is available/beloved by the cast and crew? Perhaps Kol, to join The Originals?

Yes, the link’s the source. :)

Ian Somerhalder

threadsandspiderwebs replied to your post: your sidebar is perfectly PERFECT. Oh my goodness….

It seriously lifted my spirits sometime last week, I meant to say something too…gorgeous

Aww, I’m glad it did, thanks :)

Aww, thank you :)

That’s Steroline for you, oozing perfection. And Lexi freaking knows it.

I WAS SO FREAKING HAPPY THAT. okay, I’ll calm down, but yeah, Steroline is happening and Lexi approves… I need to write that review now.