deercountry | out of the fire, into the frying pan

With a pinch to her lips, Katherine, despite how she wishes to appear, already knows her answer. If she couldn't find those journals in Deerington, she won't find them for the ten or so minutes Stefan spends steaming up the bathroom mirrors. She'll find them soon, just not right now.

Standing, she doesn't run after him, though it's with long strides that she follows his path through the hallway and stops at the base of the staircase.

"Walk slow," she smiles. "I want to enjoy the view."

"You know, you're very contradictory. You spend so much time insulting my ass but now this?"

You were a confusing person but he tries to listen, slowing down as he climbs the stairs.

"Mixed signals. I don't know what to believe."

She loves his ass, that's what he believes.

"It keeps you on your toes, doesn't it?"

Stefan's ass is flat, but because it's Stefan's ass, she likes it. She also likes the fact that it makes him acknowledge that she physically likes him… and maybe even earns a blush. It's all worth it.

"Maybe I like looking at your legs," she shrugs. "It's very presumptuous of you to assume you know why I'm enjoying the view, Stef."

"No, it's not because I know you, Katherine, and you've admitted it to me before. It's not a presumption, it's just me knowing you."

So there, He climbs up the stairs and turns to head to the bathroom, eyeing her as he does.

"Just admit that you were watching my ass. We both know you were."

"I was watching your ass." Is she meant to deny that? They both know she had been watching him, and to deny it would be a terrible thing. Katherine likes perving on Stefan. Water remains wet.

She continues to follow him. She even makes a show of it now as she reaches the top of the stairs and follows him.

With a smirk: "Are you upset about that?"

"I'm not upset at all."

Stefan looks back at her and then keeps walking, winding his way to the bathroom. He brushes his fingers against the door of Nadia's room as he goes before he disappears into their bedroom so he can go take a shower.

"You want be to be upset or something? So you can comfort me?"

Following him dutifully a few steps behind, Katherine watches him as he easily walks through their house. His step hasn't changed. Despite the world around them alternating into something new, Stefan hasn't changed at all. And the way he walks in the house—the same way he did before—makes her believe that he trusts this house hasn't changed, either.

She shrugs and teases, "Well, if you're going to be naked..."

She'll gladly comfort him dressed, not dressed, covered in dirt, dust, mud...

"Unless you want me to take a shower with all my clothes on, then yes, I'll be naked."

In fact, as he heads towards the bathroom, he strips off the shirt and tosses it aside before he goes into the bathroom and starts the water. While he waits for it to get warm, rolls his shoulders and looks back at her.

"Are you going to be naked or are you going to start a new trend and shower with the clothes on?"

"I considered it..."

Katherine crosses her arms against her chest and leans against the doorframe of the bathroom. She's content to watch him. Stefan is hot, and she wants to see if he's going to blush bright red if he happens to turn around and see that she's ogling him.

"But I figured that could wait for another day. I don't think today's a day to set a new trend." She shrugs. "Maybe tomorrow."

"I know you're watching me."

And he doesn't blush. He's pretty proud of himself for not blushing. If she were going to gawk and also talk dirty, he might be helpless but he doesn't blush. Instead, he glances back at her and then eyes her clothes.

"Then, come on."

If you're going to join him, strip down, Katherine.

Pushing off the doorframe, she undoes the zipper of her jeans and begins to pull them down her hips. She keeps her gaze on Stefan, determined to see him blush a nice scarlet.

"I like watching you." In case that wasn't a well-known fact.

Kicking off her jeans, she stands in her panties and her top. Making a point of eyeing his legs, she smiles, "You have nice legs."

"My legs?"

Has she ever paid that kind of attention to his legs before? He's not sure. It's usually his ass or his chest or his cock or his face or something but his legs is kind of a new one.

"I sometimes wonder if you do a random game of eenie meenie miney moe when it comes to picking out a body part to check out. I don't mind, it's just funny."

Katherine smiles and arches her brow. "And what if I do?"

She's going to get that blush out of him even if it takes her all night. It's a little sad to her to think that none of the girls he bothered to bring home ever really paid attention to him like this. She thinks she knows; the diaries she had read were not quite as descriptive about that.

"I like looking at you—even with your square head."

"You're very defensive."

He smirks at her and then strips off the rest of his clothes so he can get into the shower. He looks over at her, eyebrows up, and wonders if she's going to join him.

"I make a statement and you just immediately want to fight me about it."

Fight, in this instance, meaning that she questions him because that's who she is.

"Well, Stef..." She shrugs her jacket off of her shoulders and arms, letting it drop unceremoniously onto the floor. She shrugs, adopting a carefree air about her. "You seem like you don't believe me when I compliment you."

Which is very sad and unfortunate for him, as it only encourages her to compliment him even more. Katherine tugs her top up and over her head and stands in the doorway in just her bra and panties.

She wrinkles her nose. "Maybe it's a sign of old age. Your hearing is already going."

Stefan just rolls his eyes before he loses the rest of his clothes and steps into the bathroom. He pulls the curtain closed because he's being a pest and he's amused.

"You're the old woman of the relationship."

How old were you again, Katherine? Like eight hundred and eighty nine? He laughs and steps under the spray, getting himself wet while he waits for Katherine to join him.

"I saw some crow's feet at the corners of your eyes the other night."

"No you did not!"

If he hadn't hidden behind the shower curtain in fear of her wrath, she would've thrown something at him. Perhaps the sink. They could use a new sink for this bathroom—the one they currently have doesn't suit.

Slipping out of her panties and bra, Katherine saunters over towards the shower and glares at the silhouette of Stefan.

"You better take that back."

"Or what?"

Stefan laughs, brushing the water through his hair before reaching for the soap. He peers in her direction through the curtain but doesn't help it back. If she wants to throw down, she's going to have to come in here with him.

"They were really pretty cute, Katherine. Made you look very old and homely."

He's playing with fire and he knows it but he doesn't care. He likes teasing her.

She rips the curtain wide open. Glaring at him, she narrows her eyes and plants a hand on her hip.

"You take that back."

Knowing Stefan, that's a compliment. She's merely believing it's a backhand.

While she's content to stay outside, she steps in and ensures to crowd his space. It doesn't matter to her that he's the taller of the two of them—she's just as big, if not bigger in attitude.

"I do not look homely."

"What's wrong with looking homely, Katherine?"

Stefan can't help but laugh, stepping back until he hits the cool tile of the wall. There's still an amused smile on his face though and he tilts his head at her.

"It means you're cozy and comfortable."

Yes, that's one meaning but he knows there are others too. It's just fun to tease her.

She narrows her eyes. He's doing it on purpose. Stefan may think he's slick, but Katherine knows what he's doing. While it's tempting to reach up and snatch the bait, she really wants to ensure that she doesn't give him what he wants.

Or completely what he wants. Sometimes, it's really hard to avoid it when her buttons are being pushed.

"Are you going to wash my homely back?"

By the arch of her brow, she doesn't like that word.

Stefan chuckles because he can tell she doesn't like that word and she's trying her damndest not to give him the satisfaction of him knowing she doesn't like it. But, he knows and he just laughs quietly.

"I thought you going to wash my back."

But, he holds up the soap and gestures for her to turn around.

"Come on, let me wash your back before the water turns to blood or something."

Without hesitation, she turns around. Combing her hair over her shoulder so none of it obscures her back, she brushes her fingers through it absently. Most of her hair is still dry, although she can feel some of it grow damp from the spray.

She glances over her shoulder and looks at him pointedly. "Make sure you do a good job." She knows he will. Stefan will do nothing but an excellent job with her back.

Strangely, she doesn't feel sore. Back in Deerington, she knows she'd be bruised and have scratches and possibly some blood on her, but all she wears is dirt.

"Yes, ma'am."

He takes the rag to her back and starts stroking at her shoulders, slow and easy, making sure to both massage her and to get her clean.

"It's kind of weird to be at full strength, isn't it? I kind of got used to things being muted in Deerington."

He'd thought that was normal after awhile and just stopped thinking about it. Even having injuries take time to heal had become par for the course.

She sighs happily. "It is." She wrinkles her nose, wringing her hands together in front of her. Although she thinks he's truly come to that final conclusion after the arena, she knows that Stefan is quick to realise what's changed over the last few weeks.

It's comforting to know that he's just as thrown by the sudden return to full strength as she is. It's something she doesn't want to take for granted, suspecting Deer Country will simply revoke it as quickly as they've realised it.

"You smell nicer now that I can smell everything around me."

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