Being from alternative universes was only the tip of the iceberg of complicated and her story was only one of many she was sure. This place didn't distinguish between one kind of "weird" and another here. It just pulled people from their homes, their lives, and dumped them together in a small, magical town in Maine. The downside? No knowledge if there was a chance of going home or escape. The upside-because Caroline was all about the half-full glass theory-the people here seemed nice and the blond felt that Steve was not alone in that aspect. So many people had volunteered to help with the party and welcomed her to town. They were friendly, as open as they could be with a stranger, and they made her feel as comfortable as could be expected given the unusual circumstances. She wasn't sure how the others would respond to her strange eating habits, but if Steve could understand, well, couldn't others? Most of the people in Mystic Falls did...most of the time. Steve's acceptance definitely gave her confidence and hope in the others.
Steve's revelation of being a soldier for several decades caught her off guard. Exactly what was he if not a vampire? He explained about the enhancement, leaving it vague for the moment, but Caroline had dealt with enough "enhancements" with the creepy doctor back at Whitmore College. While she was sure Steve's additions were nothing as horrifying as what that good doctor had cooked up for her friends and her, she could more than understand that any and all increases in human status was not always for the better. They didn't always make the difference people hoped that they would in the world. From what he said, Steve might have been enhanced, but it changed nothing really about being a soldier or the darkness that came along with it. Steve walked off the battlefield, but a lot of his friends? They probably didn't. Scratch that. They definitely didn't and the battlefield of just general life expectancy, uncontrollable and out of Steve's hands, had to be just as hard and rough. Even if they survived, Steve would still lose them. Obviously, his enhancements kept him alive much longer than a normal person. Probably along the same lines as Caroline's own immortality.
A small, genuine frown formed on her face and she reached out. Gently, she placed a pale hand on his arm. He barely knew her and yet he was willing to reach out to her. To tell her about himself and not the prettiest parts of himself either. Parts that were similar to herself. He was right. Protecting or not protecting, it didn't matter. Taking a life, killing, it was never easy and it was never clean and simple. Complicated. The word was more perfect for their situations past and present than she realized when she said it minutes ago. "I agree. It makes nothing...nothing easier. Blood is blood." She squeezed his arm briefly. "I'm sorry. Different situations, yes, but death and dealing with it? It's never easier and it's never...welcomed or wanted or okay. No justification ever," Caroline finished quietly, blue eyes soft resting on his face. "Thank you. You didn't have to do that. Share that part of yourself with someone you don't even know. It means a lot." In way more words than necessary, Caroline trusted him now. The blond vampire considered him an ally.
Despite his assurances of enhanced durability and accelerated healing, Caroline found it difficult to think of feeding off him. Still, if she didn't feed and feed decently, she'd be a greater danger to everyone else in town. She was sure Steve didn't want to see that happen either. Caroline glanced down at his thick arm under her pale finger tips. The pulse thudded against her skin. Caroline bit her lip and after a moment, nodded. "Okay. Just a bit. A little..." she trailed off. "A little. That's all. And if I'm hurting you or-or something, feel free to push me away or be like "Hey Care-" She broke off with a weak smile.