❥CᥲɾoꙆɩᥒᥱ...

because I know you'll understand why I'm laughing. You're the person I want beside me for the important moments, the little moments, and all the ordinary days that somehow become special just because we're sharing them. You're the friend I can be completely ridiculous with. And, believe me, that is saying something. I have a reputation for being dramatic, Elena. I cannot be expected to maintain that reputation without a willing participant. You have your role. I have mine. It's a beautiful arrangement, really. Although, if you steal another dress, I reserve the right to revise the terms of our friendship agreement. I'm thinking a formal written apology, a shopping trip, and at least one item of clothing that is exclusively mine. No borrowing. No sneaking it out of my wardrobe. No innocent little smile followed by, But Caroline, you weren't wearing it! I don't care if I wasn't wearing it! I was THINKING about wearing it! There is a difference, Gilbert. A very important difference. 😂👗 Anyway, where was I? Oh, yes. Being disgustingly sentimental about my best friend. Elena, I appreciate you for all the things you do that you probably think go unnoticed. I appreciate the way you listen when I need to talk, the way you make me laugh when I'm taking myself too seriously, and the way you remind me that life can still be good even when it doesn't go according to plan. I appreciate your kindness, your loyalty, your courage, and the way you continue to care about the people around you. I appreciate that you can call me out when I'm wrong without making me feel like I'm somehow less worthy of being loved. And I appreciate that you let me do the same for you. I appreciate the history we have, the memories we've made, and the fact that we are still making new ones. I appreciate the late-night conversations, the silly jokes, the serious talks, the laughter, and all those little moments that might seem insignificant to anybody else but mean the world to me. Most of all, I appreciate that I get to call you my best friend. Because not everybody finds a friendship that feels like home. Not everybody finds somebody who can know their flaws, their fears, their dreams, and their most ridiculous habits and still choose to stay. I did. I found you. And I will never take that for granted. You are loved, Elena Gilbert. Not because of what you do for other people, but because of who you are. You don't have to save everybody to be worthy of love. You don't have to put everybody else first every single time. You don't have to be strong every minute of every day. You deserve the same kindness you give away so freely. You deserve people who remind you of your worth, who celebrate your happiness, and who stand beside you when life gets difficult. And I hope I can always be one of those people. I hope that years from now, when we're older and have accumulated even more ridiculous stories, we can look back on everything we've been through and still laugh about it. I hope we're still arguing about clothes. I hope you're still stealing things from my wardrobe when you think I won't notice. And I hope I'm still threatening to revoke your best-friend privileges while secretly knowing that there isn't a chance in hell I'd ever let you go. Because that's the truth, Elena. You're stuck with me. You've had years to escape, and yet here you are. At this point, I think we're both going to have to accept that this friendship is permanent. No returns. No exchanges. No refunds. And absolutely no borrowing my new dresses without permission. I mean it. Mostly. Okay, fine. You can borrow them. But you have to ask first. And you have to give them back. And if you ruin them, we're going to have a very long conversation. I love you, but I have standards. 💅😂 Happy Woman Appreciation Wednesday to my best friend, my chosen sister, my Elena. 💗🥂 Thank you for being part of my life. Thank you for loving +)

get me started on the voice. I have enough problems, Katherine. I do not need you speaking in that tone and making me forget the perfectly good insult I had prepared. It's rude. It's downright inconsiderate. Some of us need a moment to recover. And if she ever catches me staring, I will simply deny everything. I'll tell her I was examining her outfit. Or her hair. Or the general structural integrity of whatever room we're standing in. I'm sure she'll believe me. She won't. She'll give me that smug little smile, tilt her head, and say something entirely designed to make me blush. And then I'll want to kiss her. This is a nightmare. A very pretty nightmare, but a nightmare nonetheless. 😂💗 And before anyone asks, yes, I am perfectly aware that Katherine Pierce and I have our differences. We don't exactly have the easiest history. There have been complications, questionable decisions, and enough drama to keep Mystic Falls supplied with gossip for the next century. I am not pretending she's perfect. I'm not pretending she's suddenly become an angel. And I'm certainly not forgetting that she can be an absolute nightmare when she wants to be. But apparently, my heart has decided that a little danger is attractive. My brain is filing a formal complaint. My heart has declined to comment. And my dignity has left the building entirely. Because beneath all the sarcasm, the sharp edges, and the endless games, there's a woman who has survived more than most people could imagine. A woman who knows how to stand on her own, who refuses to be easily defeated, and who has a confidence that is impossible to ignore. I admire that about her. I admire her intelligence, her determination, and the fact that she refuses to let the world decide who she should be. And, yes, I admire how absolutely gorgeous she is. Can we please stop pretending that isn't a significant part of this situation? I'm only human. Well, technically a vampire, but you understand what I mean. And if Katherine ever decides to use that smile on me deliberately, I'm going to need somebody to hold my hand. Possibly several somebodies. Preferably somebody who won't laugh when I turn bright pink. Although, considering the company I keep, that's probably asking too much. Elena would never let me live it down. Bonnie would look at me with that expression that says she already knew this was going to happen. And Katherine? Katherine would be absolutely insufferable. She'd walk around with that smug little grin, knowing perfectly well that she had managed to get under my skin without even trying. She'd probably call me adorable. Which would be offensive. And then I'd ask her to say it again. I need professional help. Or a date. Possibly both. 💋🥂 But here's what I really want to say, Katherine. You're beautiful, yes. Ridiculously, inconveniently, unfairly beautiful. But it's more than that. There's something about you that catches my attention even when I'm trying very hard to ignore you. Something that makes me curious about the woman beneath the confidence, the sarcasm, and the carefully constructed walls. I'd like to know what makes you laugh when you're genuinely happy. I'd like to know what your favourite things are, what makes you soften when you think nobody is watching, and whether there's a side of you that doesn't always need to be three steps ahead of everyone else. I'd like to see you when you're not trying to win an argument. Although, let's be honest, I suspect that would be a rare occasion. I'd like to know what happens when someone looks at you and doesn't expect anything from you except for you to be yourself. And maybe, just maybe, I'd like the chance to make you smile for reasons that have absolutely nothing to do with your latest scheme. Because I have a confession, Katherine Pierce. I don't just think you're gorgeous. I have a crush on you. A proper, ridiculous, butterflies-in-my-stomach, suddenly+)