Happy Birthday Kate. You've been such a dear friend since we met when I started reviewing "Perchance to Dream". It's still one of my very favorite DE stories. I've always said, no one writes Damon and Elena the way you do. Your kindness is your strength.
This was to be a one shot but when it grew to almost 23,000 words with still approximately 5 scenes to write, we decided to make it a two part story. We didn't want to rush those last scenes and have them be subpar. You deserve the best, Kate.
Sex And Candy Part One: Sex
"Thank you," Caroline smiles when the waitress brings them another round of beer. She and Tyler are sitting in a booth at The Grill putting together their wedding list. Leaning up, they meet in the middle for a quick kiss. "Can you believe we're getting married in a couple of weeks?"
"And to think if I hadn't knocked you over at that football game, we wouldn't be here now."
"I was so ready to give you a piece of my mind but then you reached out to help me up and when you kissed my hand, the words died on my lips."
"Thank Christ, I'd rather crawl over shattered glass than be in your line of fire."
"Ha ha, now where were we?" she asks, licking her lips to taunt him.
"The honeymoon..." he winks and takes a long pull from his tankard.
"Well yeah, Europe and the Bahamas, Grand Cayman is going to be spectacular, laying on the beach, soaking up the sun. Which reminds me, I have to go bikini shopping."
"Oh you won't need a bikini, I intend to keep you naked the entire time."
"Tyler, you're incorrigible," she scolds playfully and sticks her tongue out.
"Stop acting so scandalized, you love it," he quips, linking their fingers together.
Picking up her beer, she takes a refreshing swallow. The waitress returns to see if they're ready to order their food. Just as she's about to speak, her phone rings. Looking down, she sees a text from a friend. She quickly picks it up and texts that she'll call her later. Looking up, she tells that they each want a chicken sandwich and coleslaw. Vicky nods and writes it down before sashaying away with Tyler watching her hips swing from side to side. Caroline puts her hand on his cheek and turns his face back to her. "What's that?"
"I'm still a man Caroline, I can look I just can't touch. I've seen you eyeing Matt too so it's not just me."
"You men are all the same. Why am I marrying you again?" she asks, raising her brows.
"Because you love me..." Wanting to change the subject he asks who messaged her.
"My best friend, I'm so excited for you to meet her, we've known each other since we were in diapers. I can't wait to see her, we've never been apart for so long before."
"Well, you have been rather busy getting engaged to me."
"I know but I feel kind of guilty that I wasn't there for her, at least not in person. She just got out of a bad relationship. The guy was a real jerk. Now she's a little sensitive and a little wary of putting her toe back in the pond. Her plane gets in Wednesday. I can't wait."
"You do know my buddy is coming too. I haven't seen him since we flew to Vegas for Mason's bachelor party last summer."
"How come I've never met him?" Caroline asks, scrutinizing Vicky when she delivers their food. When she flirts with Tyler, Caroline clears her throat and gives her the evil eye. Vicky blushes and hurries away, this time without the hip sway.
"He's kind of the black sheep of his family. His parents had his life all plotted out for him including the girl they wanted him to marry and procreate with. He tried playing along but Katherine is Maleficent in the flesh. Shallow, condescending, arrogant, the whole nine yards. When his dad handed him a diamond to give her, he rebelled and put as much distance between himself and them as he could. I don't think he's been home once since graduation."
"They sound perfect for each other," Caroline gushes, taking a bite of her sandwich, removing all doubt that she's already scheming to get their best friends together.
"Caroline..."
"Oh stop it, if they were to click, they could move here and we could see them all the time. It would be wonderful."
"You know, sweetie, I think you may be onto something..." He stands up and moves to her side of the booth. Sliding in beside her, he kisses her fiercely, not caring who might see.
Standing in line outside the gate, Caroline waits impatiently for her best friend. Pacing back and forth, she nearly jumps out of her skin when she feels a hand on her shoulder. Spinning around, she sends the girl stumbling backwards. Before she tumbles to the floor, Caroline grabs her hand and pulls her against her chest, hugging her so hard that her friend can hardly breathe.
"I'm so happy to see you. It's been much too long. Promise never again."
"I promise. I'm happy to see you too and you know I'd never miss your wedding."
"Come on, let's go get your suitcase. I have the whole evening planned."
"Whatever you say," she laughs, links her arm with Care's and the two walk to the luggage carousel. With her bag in one hand and her backpack over the other, Caroline leads them to her car. Driving with the window down, the breeze blows through her long brown tresses. She loves the smell of the fresh air and the sunflower fields as they go past.
"What's on the agenda?"
"Tonight we're going to eat Chinese and watch old movies and talk. Tomorrow I'm taking you for a dress fitting and I can't wait to introduce you to Tyler. His best friend is arriving in a couple of days. He couldn't get away any sooner."
"That's nice for him, will he be the best man?"
"Yes, you'll be walking down the aisle with him."
Caroline shares a look with her friend and pulls into the driveway. After unpacking and showering, the brunette joins her hostess in the living room for a Disney marathon. Having their fill of Chinese cuisine, Caroline pours them each a big glass of wine. Taking a sip, she turns down the volume and faces her friend. "How are you doing?"
"I'm fine, Caroline, really."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes," she states emphatically, squeezing Caroline's hand.
"Good, then we can make plans. We need to find you a man so you can get married too. Our kids can grow up together just like we did. It would be awesome."
Elena nearly spits out her wine when she laughs. "Woah, slow down, Caroline. I'm in no hurry to get married, none at all. I love you and I'm so happy that you hit the jackpot with Tyler. I won't, I can't rush into anything not after..."
"Before you set it in stone, wait till Tyler's best friend arrives. Carol, Tyler's mom, even remarked that he's ridiculously hot. Can you believe it? A little inappropriate if you ask me but his mom is a bit of a cougar if you know what I mean."
"Really, that's hysterical. Why don't we table the man talk and watch the movie. I haven't seen 'The Shaggy Dog' since the last time we had an overnight." She picks up the bottle to top off her wine glass and Care's then the two settle back on the couch, sharing a fleecy blanket to watch the old classic.
"It's so good to see you buddy," Tyler greets his friend, pulling him into a guy hug when he appears at the gate.
"It's good to see you too. What it's been fifteen months or so?"
"Mason and Lucy have been married that long so yeah."
"So are you going to have your bachelor party in Vegas too, I mean the wedding isn't until the weekend after next so...?"
"No, we're not flying to Vegas, but maybe another time, guys weekend or something?"
"Yeah, like that'll happen when you're married. There's no way she's going to let you go... at least not without her," he laughs, giving his buddy a playful shove. Together they walk through the airport concourse to the luggage carousel assigned to his flight. After picking up his suitcase, they make a detour into one of the airport lounges to have a cocktail. Since Tyler's driving, he only has the one while his buddy orders a double bourbon on the rocks.
It's nearly 1:30 in the morning before they leave the airport. Exhausted from the flight, his passenger dozes, his head laying against the window as he drives down the highway. When he pulls into the long circular driveway, he stops the car and turns out the headlights. Shifting to his side just slightly, he jostles the guy's arm, startling him awake. Having been awakened, rudely, he gets his second wind when they walk into the house. He sets his suitcase in the foyer and then leads Tyler into the family room. Walking over to the mini bar, he pours them both a drink and then sits down on the opposite end of the couch from Tyler.
"I have a surprise for you."
"Do tell."
"Caroline's best friend flew in for the wedding too. She's a nice girl and very hot, let me tell you."
"How hot?"
Gesturing the shape of her curves with his hands, Tyler whistles. "We had a quick rainstorm go through the day before yesterday. She and Caroline got caught in the downpour and let me tell you... that girl is built."
"Time for this guy to get back in the game..."
"Listen, you're going to have to be on your best behavior. Caroline already warned me that she had a bad experience with some guy. She'll kill me if you act like the scoundrel I know you to be."
"Tyler, you wound me. I will be on my best behavior. But if she wants to show me a good time, who am I to argue with a beautiful woman?" he chuckles, throwing back the rest of his drink. Rather than get a refill, he puts their glasses in the kitchen, rinses them out and then goes back to his friend. Picking up his suitcase, he leads Tyler up the long staircase and tells him to take a room since he's staying at the boarding house for a few days while Caroline is entertaining her bestie.
Tyler could have stayed with his parents at the Lockwood mansion, the thought didn't appeal to him at all. With the wedding so close, too many people are coming and going while it's being cleaned and made ready for the ceremony. That doesn't even include the hordes his mom insisted on inviting to the nuptials.
After saying goodnight, the dark haired man goes to his room. A sense of nostalgia washes over him as well as a little unease. He's missed his parents but really doesn't want to get into it with them so he hopes they can call a ceasefire for the next two weeks. Stripping out of his clothes, he crawls naked under the covers and with the assist of Mr. Van Winkle, he's soon asleep, his chest rising and falling evenly.
"The cuisine at The Ruby House is exceptional. It's so good, their filet mignon," Caroline shudders, her eyes glimmering at the thought.
"You do realize you're wearing an orgasm face don't you?" Elena points out, laughing loudly.
"Well yeah, their food is out of this world," Caroline proclaims unabashedly. Slowing down, she puts her blinker on and turns into the restaurant's parking lot. They're supposed to meet Tyler and his buddy here so their maid of honor and best man can get to know each other. Elena's wearing an emerald green sexy mini dress with a sweetheart neckline and cap sleeves. A hand-beaded fishnet pattern covers the frock. She paired the dress with her chic Christian Louboutin green suede Yolanda heels. Her makeup is a smoldering green and gold smoky eye, a nude lip and a light blush. She's wearing her favorite Jo Malone Roses perfume and her diamond stud earrings.
Stepping out of the car, Caroline straightens her dress. It's a navy and cloud colored with Soutache applique scrolls over the bonded lace foundation. It fits just below the knee and has a jewel neck, v back and sheer short sleeves. She paired it with a pair of nude peep toe platform heels. She chose a blue smoky eye to go with her attire and diamond drop earrings that Tyler bought her.
"Isn't that Tyler's car?" Elena asks, pointing to a sleek black Lexus LS.
"It is, I recognize the license plate. Let's go inside, we'll see if his friend is as hot as Carol Lockwood says," she laughs, linking her arm with Elena's to walk inside. They wait their turn and when they reach the maître d, the lady tells her to follow her and leads them to a secluded table. The men stand up and as soon as Elena sees the raven haired stallion, her breath catches in her throat.
Oh yes, he's definitely that hot.
Determined not to show any kind of reaction, Elena forces a smile when brown eyes meet blue. Damon formally takes her hand and kiss the top of it.
"I'm Damon, it's so nice to meet you," he offers but Elena wasn't born yesterday. She recognizes the sarcasm in his tone. She can't help the fire erupting where his lips touch her skin, burning through her veins with each pump of her thundering heart.
Then he quickly turns to Caroline with mixed feelings. This girl is definitely hot but the haughty look and the ice princess demeanor leaves no room for doubt, he's too ordinary for her highness.
Caroline on the other hand, she's beautiful too, looks fun and Damon gladly approves of Tyler's choice by giving him a wink over her shoulder.
"Caroline, I'm so happy to finally meet you. How lucky am I to spend an evening with two such beautiful ladies!" He's babbling, Elena sneers subtly albeit with a smile on her face. When he pulls the chair out for her, she nods her head and sits down, groaning silently because she's seated next to him.
"So Damon, how does it feel to be back in Mystic Falls?" Caroline asks, sipping on her wine. Tyler at Damon's suggestion ordered Domaine Loubejac Pinot Noir Willamette Valley. Elena's favorite. It's a delicious red wine that tingles her taste buds.
Taking a long pull Damon eyes Elena, scrutinizing her figure and perfect breasts before facing Caroline. "I haven't seen my parents yet. According to my brother, they're due to be home tomorrow. But it's good to reconnect with my roots. I wouldn't have missed Tyler's wedding for anything. I'll always have a soft spot for this town, it's home. What do you think of our little berg Elena?" Damon asks, a snarky smile on his face.
With the same one on hers, she gives him a slight jab. Seeing him struggle to keep a straight face, she nearly spits out her wine but somehow manages to keep her composure. "Mystic Falls is a lovely little town. Caroline took me to the falls yesterday. They're quite beautiful, probably too boring for someone as cavalier as Damon."
Tyler and Caroline share a look, sensing their friends aren't really impressed with each other. Tyler shrugs his shoulders slightly and takes a swallow of wine. Picking up the bottle, he tops everyone's off. The restaurant has a live band tonight so when a romantic number starts to play, he stands up and offers his hand to his betrothed. She smiles ear to ear and then stands and follows him onto the dance floor.
"I've never seen Elena act like this before. I can tell she'd rather be anywhere but here tonight. I don't know what's with them."
"Same with Damon. Elena's beautiful, I expected him to pull out all the stops but have you noticed his white knuckles?"
"They're no whiter than hers. I didn't think Elena would fall all over him but she's acting like an ice queen tonight."
"Well, I guess we'll just have to work on them," Tyler smiles, pressing a kiss to her temple as they spin around, the music lifting them away from gravity. He smiles brightly at her as their heels click over the dance floor and forget about their friends for a few minutes in time.
While Caroline and Tyler are occupied, there's a deadly silence lingering over their table. Elena's watching the couples dancing, trying to come up with anything to talk about with that... scoundrel.
She knows his type all too well, believing themselves God's gift to women and all mankind, stealing hearts or at least attention from naïve girls who are looking for their Mr. Right. They have no concept of decency much less commitment. His type has no appreciation for innocent and trust is a foreign word for them. And she knows how it always ends. Soon however the deafening silence starts to feel uncomfortable. She counts to three and then opens her mouth to ask him... she doesn't even know what to ask when he lets himself be heard.
"How is Tyler's girl your best friend?"
She flashes her eyes to his but just as expected, he's looking everywhere but at her. She's probably not worthy of an audience with the master.
"Well our moms were best friends too, pregnant together, taking us to the park and all the childhood stuff. We went to school... you get the picture. How is Tyler yours? He seems like a nice guy."
Damon swallows the insult, it's really hard to be nice to someone who views him as an insect. These fucking spoiled pampered princesses! He's determined to spend their alone time in silence and not respond to her obvious slam.
"Look Damon," she deigns to speak to him after a few minutes pass. "I don't like this arrangement any more than you do but for their sake, we're going to have to play nice. We can't ruin their wedding."
"I agree," he answers quickly as he sees Tyler and his fiancé walking back towards their table. Backing his chair away from it, Damon looks at Elena, "Would you like to dance?"
"Is it really necessary?" she asks with a fake smile but stands up when their hosts come up behind them.
Stepping aside, he gestures with his arm for her to lead the way. When they reach the edge of it, Damon places his hand on her waist and whisks her onto the dance floor, they turn and twirl to the beat of the music. He glances down just as she looks up, feeling uncomfortable and strangely small under her gaze. Taking a deep breath, he turns away.
Unconsciously she leans into him, closing her eyes at what it feels like to be in his embrace. It feels exactly as she imagined it would. When she realizes what she's doing, she stiffens and puts a slight distance between them. The music stops just in the nick of time. She steps away and starts to go back to their table with Damon bringing up the rear. He holds her chair for her, she grits her teeth and says thanks.
The rest of the evening passes without further discourse. Damon leaves a tip and then the four of them go outside. When they reach Tyler's car, he wraps Caroline in his arms and kisses her long and deep while Damon and Elena look at the sky above to give them some semblance of privacy. Soon a slight crowd starts to form on the oblivious couple so Damon clears his throat. Stepping apart, Caroline blurts out laughing when she hears a wolf whistle.
Tyler tosses Damon his car keys and then walks Care and Elena to hers. After pressing one more kiss to her plump lips, Tyler stands back till she's safely in the car. He waves when they pull out of their parking spot and drive away. Sighing happily, he goes back to Damon and slides behind the wheel. Igniting the engine, he buckles his seat belt and turns to Damon, "What the hell was that?"
Seeing Tyler's expectant look, Damon looks out the window for several moments before turning back to face his friend. He's not exactly eager to explain his uncharacteristic behavior. Hell, he's not even sure there is an explanation.
"Was she that bad?"
He tries stalling to come up with some sort of explanation. Tyler's just glaring at him.
"You do remember Katherine right?"
"Yeah of course, the woman your parents wanted you to spend you life with. But what does she have to do with it?"
"She's a... similar sort, I mean as your fiancé's friend. The type that looks down their noses, judging your every move. Spoiled little trust fund brats, expecting everything and giving nothing back. You do realize it wasn't just me, right? She wasn't exactly breaking the politeness meter either." Even to his ears, it sounds illogical but it's the only explanation that he can come with on the fly. Even with him grasping at straws to provide Tyler with something, there is truth to his words.
Tyler gives it a thought, then looks at his friend with a bit more understanding. "Look, Damon. I don't think you can even begin to compare Elena to Katherine. Maybe she's not your type and that's fine but I don't think she's a soul-sucking vampire like you old girlfriend either." He pauses for a few seconds to let his words sink in. "Will you...?" he's not sure if he should finish.
"Yes?" Damon lifts his eyebrow.
"Will you at least play nice until after the wedding? It means so much to Caroline and she'll have my ass if you insult her friend on our wedding day," he decides to be bold.
"Chill Tyler, I'll be on my best behavior," Damon mutters. "But I think you should give her the same speech!"
Tyler laughs. "No doubt Caroline will cover it."
"I really thought you two would get along! What the hell happened?"
"I don't want to talk about it Caroline. I promise I won't cause any trouble but you can't expect me to put up with such a boorish pretty boy. I know his kind. Try all you want but I'm not going to fall for his charm. I know that's what you wanted."
"Sorry Elena, I didn't mean anything really I didn't. I guess I was just hoping that my bestie and Tyler's would become fast friends... maybe more? I guess it was preposterous of me. I've never even met him before. I have no idea what kind of man he is but I do know Tyler. I just have a hard time believing that his best friend would be an asshole," Caroline sighs, looking at Elena with the puppy dog eyes and it works. Elena feels a little guilty for not trying harder to give Caroline what she deserves, a wonderful few days before the wedding. She's the bride for God's sakes and she should have what she wants, this time at least.
"You can stop with the eyes now, Care. I'm sorry, I guess... we got off on the wrong foot. He's the insufferable, flirty, fun loving type and I'm an old maid... Well, not exactly virginal..."
Caroline laughs ringingly. "It would be a huge challenge for me to undo that small defect in your personality."
"What would that be?" Elena asks, quirking her brow skeptically.
"You're perfect and you expect those around you to be that way too."
"You probably have no idea how creepy it sounds but there may be some semblance of truth in it. I'll try to work on it. Deal?"
Caroline gives her a beaming smile. "Deal, but I still think you two would be great together."
"Don't," she starts, raising her palm.
"C'mon, Elena?"
"I don't want that image in my head," Elena snorts but promises herself she'll try her level best to tolerate the irritant, namely Damon. She can do it... for two weeks.
The two girls arrive home in the best of moods.
Time flies before the wedding and to everyone's relief there's no more head-butting between Damon and Elena. Despite their obvious antipathy towards each other, they've both gone above on and beyond to be on their best behavior, surprising each other when they managed to have some fun, the four of them.
It's the morning of the wedding and Caroline is uncharacteristically although not unsurprisingly freaking out. Elena provides some much needed reassurance.
"Everything is fine, Care, there's no need for you to worry so much. Your mom's here, I'm here, Tyler's down the hall with Damon, looking very dapper I might add..."
Caroline lets loose with a hysterical sob and Elena decides to give her a minute to calm down. She stops what she's doing, which at the moment is putting the last touches on the bride's make up and gives her shaken friend a hug.
"I can't believe I'm getting married before you are..."
"Say again?"
"I always thought you'd be the first one to walk down the aisle. You'd marry your prince Charming and I'd get to be the cool aunt, slash, irritating best friend who shows up at the most inappropriate moments..."
"You're rambling, you know that, right?"
"I know," she finally stops the hysterics and gives Elena a happy smile. "Thank you, I couldn't do this without you."
"Sure," Elena pulls at one of the blonde ringlets circling Caroline's lovely face. "Always." She resumes working on Caroline's make-up. She has to do a little clean up because of the inevitable tears. "I can't believe you're going to Grand Cayman and Europe for your honeymoon! You must send a postcard or two," she tries to distract her, which is working just as she hoped it would.
"It was actually Damon's wedding present. Of course we'll be making a stop in Paris, I couldn't visit Europe without going to the most romantic city in the world." Caroline's already chatting up a storm, happily unaware of Elena's tension when Damon was mentioned.
Of course he'd come up with something so... memorable. And romantic she must admit. If he wanted to be the one who gave the best wedding present, he certainly succeeded.
Liz, Caroline's mom peeks into the room. "Girls? It's almost time." She smiles at Caroline and Elena can see how moved she is. She's here as both her mom and dad as Caroline's father left them years ago and never bothered to keep in touch.
Maybe she's going to be just like this one day, alone, fighting for her child's happiness, if she ever gets to have one, that is. Elena shakes off the pity party and embraces her maid of honor duties.
"Come, ladies, the groom is waiting!" she opens the door and urges them outside.
Caroline's finishing her dance with the best man, beaming like the morning sun, all her earlier nervousness evaporated when the pastor pronounced them Mr. and Mrs. Tyler Lockwood. Speaking of the devil...
"Carol's going to ask you for a dance next... She thinks you're hot," she whispers into Damon's ear as a warning.
"Does she now? And what do you think, Caroline?" Damon does that eye thing as Elena called it but she finds it cute. Maybe if Elena would be honest with herself...
"You're such a flirt!" she laughs.
"Guilty as charged. Between you and me, I'd much rather have another dance with the beautiful bride. I just love the looks I'm getting from your husband."
Caroline chuckles. "I have a better idea, you should dance with my maid of honor. It's one of your duties as the best man is it not?"
Damon carefully keeps his face impassive. "Yes, yes it is."
As soon as the dance ends, he passes Caroline to her happy husband and quickly scrambles through the crowd. He stops looking for the closest exit when he realizes he can't go anywhere and he certainly can't avoid the dancing with the maid of honor. Just as he puts a foot forward to go back into the crowd, his father comes into the view.
"Damon..." he acknowledges his son rather coldly.
"Father," Damon can be just as curt as his old man.
"If I didn't know better, I'd say you've been avoiding us," he eyes his son suspiciously.
"Um... yeah, I've been busy with my duties as best man. And I really didn't think you'd miss me." He can't help it, his words come out tasting of bitterness.
"Damon, if you just... I thought you might have come to your senses by now. We can talk about..."
"Talk about what?" Damon spits out. "Me crawling back to your house to play by your rules? Sorry dad, I've been adult for some time now and I know exactly what I want and what I don't."
"Chill, boy," Giuseppe controls his temper, this is not the place or time to talk about these things. "We can talk tomorrow, or the day after if you're not feeling up to it?"
Of course. He already assumes Damon will awaken with a massive hangover. And maybe he's right.
"Look, dad, I..." he doesn't finish the sentence as a beautiful yet annoying brunette comes into view.
"Excuse me? Damon," she turns to him, "Tyler's looking for you."
"Yeah," Damon frowns not sure if he's glad she interrupted them or not. He might even be grateful for the distraction if not for her.
"Excuse my son, Miss, he's woefully bereft of manners. I'm Giuseppe Salvatore."
Elena looks from father to son and back and he has no idea the wheels that are turning in that pretty little head of hers. "Sorry," Damon reacts belatedly. "Father, this is the bride's best friend, Elena Gilbert."
"Nice to meet you, sir," Elena gives him a short nod, then turns away from them to hurry back to the main table.
Having dodged Caroline for a good chunk of time, it's no longer an option when he catches the not so subtle look on her face. Tipping his head to her, Damon approaches Elena and leads her to the dance floor. Under Caroline's watchful eye, he places his hand at her waist and the two turn and twirl as if they were professionals.
Elena's looking somewhere over his shoulder and he can't help but wonder what's going on in her pretty little head after meeting his father, the redoubtable Giuseppe Salvatore. He's not about to ask but still finds himself wondering. Elena must be thinking about it too.
"Ehm... Your father seems to be a piece of work."
"If you're suggesting I take after him...," Damon gives into his first impulse, defending himself and snapping at her. Their eyes meet and she looks at him strangely. Her lips squeeze tight, whiten under the force of it before quickly turning her head away from him again.
"I'm sorry," the apology is out of his mouth before he gives it permission. "He's just... "
"It's alright," Elena interrupts him, "it's none of my business anyway."
Damon contemplates telling her more about the man, his father, but as she said, it's none of her business. Instead, he focuses on their dance, moving her skillfully in and among the other dancing couples completely unaware of what it's doing to her.
Lucky for her, the dance soon ends, otherwise she'd probably have passed out in his arms and died from humiliation. He lets her go at the edge of the dance floor. Without even a nod, he hurries over to a knot of younger people. Apparently they all know each other judging by the smiles, handshakes and shoulder pats. She recognizes the girl who comes up behind him. It's Vicky, the girl from The Grill. When Damon turns around, he has his flirt on. Without a moments hesitation, she throws her arms around his neck and he slaps her ass...
Disgusting.
Before she loses her wedding cake in the bushes, she turns away and heads back to the main table to find Caroline. Hopefully after today she won't ever have to see Damon again.
"Elena?" Caroline's her best vigorous self. "We're going to leave soon."
"Get to the good stuff ha?" she teases, winking at her best friend.
"Well yeah!" she laughs. "But listen, I'll pick you up around noon tomorrow."
"I'll be ready."
Caroline gives her hug, whispering in her ear, "I wish you didn't have to stay here though..."
"Care, there is no way in hell that I'm going to be a third wheel on your wedding night!" she laughs off her concerns.
"I know, but it's a big house!"
"Don't brag," Elena winks at her. "It's only one night, I'll be fine. Your mother in law already showed me the room, it's luxurious to say the least."
"Okay...," Caroline lets go of her worries and turns her thoughts to the lovely prospect of her honeymoon eve.
Elena gives her one last hug and then happily watches her hurry over to Tyler before joining the crowd to shower the happy couple with rice as they climb into a Rolls Royce and pull away from the property.
"Thank you so much for doing this Elena!" Caroline can't tear herself away from her friend, while Tyler's impatiently kicking his heels by the car.
"Are you kidding? I finally get to have the vacation I've been planning for years now. This is a picturesque little town and your house is a dream! Three story, brick home, built in theatre, swimming pool and more amenities than I could ever dream of. You're going to have to get busy making babies to fill all the rooms."
"Elena, not on the honeymoon."
"Speaking of, you need to get going so you don't miss your plane. You're going to have the time of your life in Europe and I'll be having the time of mine house sitting. The only risk that I can see is that I may not leave afterwards," she grins at her friend.
Caroline finally realizes it's late and gets in the car.
"Love you! " she's shouting and waving goodbye as the car pulls away and then they're gone.
Elena returns into the house and plops down on the couch. The opulence of the place is unreal. She could get used to living in a place like this... She promised to house sit for the next month while they hop all over Europe and the islands...
The interior is a mix of Tudor and Victorian. The vaulted ceilings are at least sixteen foot high. The stone work is art in and of itself. The hardwood floors glimmer like glass, reflecting the light from the chandeliers. Caroline gave her a partial tour when she first arrived but now she wants to take her time as she walks through the massive structure. Running her fingers along the mantle, she smiles at a picture of Tyler and Care, he's on his knees, her hand in his as he slides the ring on her finger.
Stepping outside through the sliding glass doors, she's overwhelmed by the beauty of her friend's playground. The pool itself is huge and it's designed to look like a tropical playground, complete with a waterfall and natural looking slide. The greenery is gorgeous, their landscaper must have loved this job, huge paycheck for sure. To her left is a hot tub. It's a little breezy and overcast today so she goes back inside to make herself something to eat. Picking up her sandwich, she walks into the family room, picks up the remote and flicks through the channels, finally finding an old movie to watch.
Spreading out on the couch, she eats her lunch. Feeling fatigued after yesterday's festivities, she punches the pillow till it's comfortable, pulls a throw over her body and closes her eyes. It doesn't take long before she's sleeping soundly.
It's almost dark outside when a sharp noise wakes her up. She cracks one eye open and shuts it again ready to continue her slumber when she hears it again.
Someone's in the house.
Immediately she's wide awake, a shiver runs down her spine. With goosebumps erupting, she tries to keep her wits about her... Frantically, she looks around for something she can use to defend herself. Nodding when she sees something, she picks up a vase. Wielding it like a weapon, she tiptoes towards the sound. When she sees the dark masculine silhouette, she comes up behind him and bashes the invader on the head.
When he falls over, groaning and rubbing his skull, she gets her first look at her uninvited guest. "Damon!?"
When their eyes meet, Elena backs off as he curses loudly while trying to get on his feet. Stepping away, she sees the effervescent rage reflecting on his face. The venom in his stare would make a lesser person run. However, Elena's not just anyone and unwilling to give even an inch, she stands her ground. She won't show any weakness - not in front of him.
"What the hell are you doing here? You almost gave me a heart attack!"
"Oh yeah? And you gave me concussion!" Damon yells. "And I could ask you the same thing! I was asked to keep an eye on the place."
"What?" Elena's in shock. "This is so not happening, I'm the one who's supposed to be house sitting for Caroline and Tyler."
Damon once again curses colorfully and walks into the bathroom to check for damage. Elena's right on his heels stopping at the door, watching him splash water on his face, she hopes he's not doing it to stay conscious. What would she do if he just collapsed? Hearing his hiss, she cringes, watching as he touches the sensitive spot above his left ear.
"Can I see?"
"No, I think you've done more than enough." Not wanting her anywhere near him, he raises his palm, warning her silently to keep her distance. And not touch him. The intensity of his glare gives new meaning to the phrase 'if looks could kill'.
Elena feels just a bit guilty but hides her emotions well with a mask of indifference. "Well," she mutters without looking at him, "you can leave now. I saved up my vacation time and I'm unpacked so I'm staying. There's no need for both of us to be here." She turns around and goes back to the living room.
"What is that supposed to mean? I'm supposed to just go home? Why don't you, I'll even help you pack?" he yells after her. "You can go back to... wherever it is you came from then we don't have to waste our free time trying to avoid each other."
Right when he thinks she's pretending not to hear, he almost chokes when she reappears in the doorframe. With her eyes dangerously narrowed, she points an accusatory finger at him. "You're either stoned or stupid if you think I'd ever let you use my best friend's house for your parties and one night stands?"
Damon's fuming. "Listen, you... you, Miss I-know-it-all, aren't you being a little hypocritical speaking of one night stands..."
"Don't you dare finish that sentence!"
"If you'd be honest with yourself, you'd admit that you've wanted to jump my bones since the first moment we met!" he's mocking.
"You wish!" she laughs it off derisively but she's furious inside.
The sight is quite a lot to take in. A lot. Her chest heaving, hair ruffled, eyes burning. He's not one prone to exaggeration but he's certain she could set him ablaze with the look she's leveling him with.
He knows she would.
He takes a few breaths to calm himself before giving her his best determined stare. "I'm not going anywhere. Whether you stay or go is of little consequence. Tyler put me in charge of his home and I intend to do just that."
With determination burning in his eyes, he bravely squeezes through the space between the door frame and her body. Grabbing the bag he dropped when he was unceremoniously walloped on the head, he goes to look for a room, leaving her standing there with her mouth hanging open.
Fuck.
Damon finds a bottle of aspirin and is tempted to swallow it all. He can't believe Tyler would ask him to stay in his house when he knew she would be there. Now he's supposed to just... stay here with her?
He throws his bag on the bed and pulls his things out of it, placing them in drawers and on the bedside table before he can change his mind. He briefly considers texting "go to hell" to Tyler and be done with it. Elena can have this place for herself but he's not a quitter and he's not about to let her just chase him away, tail between his legs. Is it at all a possibility that she'll even stay for the whole month?
Agreeing to house sit was a win-win both for himself and Tyler. His buddy needed someone to watch the house and he needed a place to stay while he's in town. Bunking at the boarding house with his parents, his dad in particular simply wasn't an option. He can't go back to Spokane, not yet. He needs to find a benefactor, one that will cover the costs of the lab for the next six months to a year. His university is a private one that relies on donations and rich people bequeathing large sums of money to it. He's almost positive they will have convincing data before their time is up to keep the program running. However it's not a cure for cancer or anything that life altering but it's a step towards something more important than the typical run- of -the- mill skin creams that flood the market. His life would be much easier if he just accepted a job in the cosmetics industry.
He had hopes that Tyler would be interested but he found himself hesitating to bring it up. He didn't want his best friend to think that asking for money is the only reason he flew home. Tyler has been his closest friend since they were kids and he really hates to ask him for a donation. In his desperation, he's even considered his father but the price... the price the old man would charge is likely be too high of a mountain to climb. Still Ric and the others are depending on him to come through for them.
A noise from outside his door brings him back to the present. She's still there.
Sighing in frustration, he plops down on the bed and runs his fingers through his hair, being careful to avoid the goose egg she gave him.
He'll have to face her at some point.
Several hours later when the sun has already begun its descent in the western sky, Damon finally comes out of the bedroom he retreated to. While he was occupied, doing whatever it is he's been doing, Elena's been driving herself crazy first with uncontrollable anger and then as the afternoon wore on, it morphed into worry and what if's, imagining his body laying up there cold, hard and very dead. She breathes a sigh of relief and at the same time is tempted to throw something heavy on his head when he finally shows himself... Well, not at his head again. She marches right over to him, blocking his path with her arms akimbo and glaring flaming daggers at him.
"I'm not going anywhere, Damon. Do what you want but I'm not leaving this house. I promised..."
"Yeah, yeah, I get it." He's not going to waste any more time fighting with her. It's pointless. Their eyes meet for a brief second when he darts around her and unsurprisingly she follows after him.
"And don't you even think about bringing any of your girl friends into this house."
"Jealous?" he smirks but rather for his own benefit, he doesn't look at her.
Elena snorts. "Cut the crap, Damon. Promise me!"
"Why should I?" he scoffs, raising an eyebrow at her.
"Because this is not a whorehouse!"
"And there it is..."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"You know exactly what it means. Finally you put into words how you really feel about yours truly." He sounds pissed off, however it feels awfully similar to hurt, she almost thinks his voice cracked ever so slightly. After a few tense seconds, he shakes his head adding, "You know nothing about me... so it really doesn't matter what you think."
"Fine. Then you can stay out of my way."
"By all means," Damon gestures around, "this house is big enough, there's plenty of room for us to avoid each other." He manages to slip into the kitchen and smashes the door in her face. There's silence on the other side. He however has no illusions that it'll last.
This is going to be the longest month ever.
Waking up the next morning, Elena lays in bed for several minutes staring at the ceiling. Considering her housemate, she actually slept pretty good. Turning her head, she looks at the clock, swings her legs over and gets out of bed. After slipping her robe on, Elena tiptoes into the kitchen in dire need of some strong coffee. She kept her distance yesterday, staying in her part of the house while Damon was busy doing God knows what in his. Unfortunately the kitchen is near the bedroom he chose to hunker down in. She wonders if it was a random choice, Tyler's suggestion or just Damon's way to annoy her even more? Because she'd rather not run into him, she has no choice but to creep in for something as simple as a damn cup of coffee.
She closes the door behind her carefully and breathes out in relief. Trying to keep the noise down, she quickly puts the kettle on and opens the fridge to grab something for breakfast. She freezes on spot. There's a freshly made fruit salad and a cheesecake looking heavenly but it also means he commandeered her ingredients to make it.
You've got to be kidding me!
With her fuse now lit, she yanks a bottle of juice and two bananas stuffed behind the fruit salad. Opening the cupboard, she finds a box of crackers and then sits down at the kitchen table. Opening the box, she unenthusiastically pulls one out and starts chewing on it. She decides right away they need to set some ground rules. She finishes the bananas, pushes the disgusting Saltines aside and gets up to start organizing the fridge. She carefully separates everything of his on one shelf, hers on another. When she finds it satisfactory, she takes a long sip of coffee, refills it and is about to retreat to her rooms when Damon enters the kitchen with a suspicious expression on his face.
Caught off guard she's not sure if they're on terms of at least saying good morning, Damon however doesn't stop to do that.
"What are you doing?"
Elena fights the urge to start yelling. "What does it look like? I came in here to get something to eat and my morning coffee. Which, by the way, made me realize that we clearly need to set some ground rules. I took the liberty of arranging the fridge. The top shelf is yours, the one below is mine. Please don't take my food, you can buy your own. If you'd like, we can also pick times when each of us is allowed to use or be in here..."
Damon doesn't bother to let her finish and gives her an eye roll. "Do you realize how ridiculous you sound? I'm sorry for using your fruits, I will replace it if it's that important to you. I just thought a fruit salad might be a nice change as you clearly don't cook. Personally I like cheesecake for breakfast, especially in this hot weather. Feel free to help yourself."
Elena's taken aback by his offer but she's not going to fall at his feet for being decent, for once. Except for the comment about cooking. "No thanks. I'll just... get out of your way." She slips behind his back and Damon's left alone, in the middle of the kitchen.
Several hours later, Elena's bathing in the sun by the swimming pool, happily pretending she has the house to herself. Not that it's doing any good though as she finds herself listening for any sounds that he's nearby. So far, so good, Damon either returned to his room, left the premises or is mimicking a church mouse. Judging by the sun's position in the sky, she figures it must be about midday. Slathering a little more sunscreen on, Elena's stomach churns discontentedly, reminding her that she's hungry. Still she's not exactly eager to go find something to eat. She's going to change clothes and run into town to pick up some groceries later. If only she knew what part of the house he's wandering around in...
Before she can finish the thought she knows exactly where Damon is. He crops up on the opposite side of the swimming pool in his all half naked glory. Low hung swim trunks, broad shoulders, abs, well defined muscles. He must have been on the sun recently, as the white strip just above his...
"Feeling your eyes on me, Eleeena," he sing-songs in that deep, seductive voice of his.
Elena turns her head away. "That would be really desperate."
"You are? I didn't know that," Damon's playing his role.
"Look," Elena ignores his mocking. "We're both adults, or at least I'd like to think so," she looks pointedly at him. "And we're going to live together for the next month, wouldn't it be much easier if we just... you know, stopped attacking each other?"
Damon gives her a long look, then slowly nods. "Sure. But you need to have some of my cake or salad if we're going to get along," he adds, quirking a brow playfully.
She sighs in exasperation. "And I'd require you knock off the innuendos about my cooking skills. You have no idea whether I can or can't cook."
He literally bites his tongue to stop himself from letting another one slip which of course doesn't escape her attention. "I'm serious, Damon! Stop being such an arrogant asshole and stop assuming. Okay? And because I'm really hungry, I accept your offer but tonight, I'll do the cooking."
For a moment, he actually looks scared but then one corner of his mouth lifts and Elena almost comes undone on that little smirk alone. "Kidding. Alright. Dinner it is."
Elena shakes her head and beats a hasty retreat. She's not sure which version of Damon is more dangerous.
When she returned home from the grocery store, Elena was a little surprised to see Damon meet her at the car and help carry the bags in. Once everything was inside, she shooed him out of the kitchen so she could prepare their meal. She just finishes putting the last bit of spices on the chicken and slides it back into the oven to finish baking. She barely has time to wash her hands when her phone beeps with a message.
Having the time of my life, Paris is heaven. Love you, Care...
"Oh no, you're not getting away that easy," Elena says aloud while pushing Caroline's number to get her on the line.
"'Lena!" comes Caroline's voice through the device. Elena's anger deflates slightly when she hears how happy and positive she sounds. Her ebullient mood has always been contagious and she finds herself smiling on her end of the conversation. She suspects that the new Mr. and Mrs. Lockwood are thoroughly enjoying their honeymoon. The tone of her voice alone is infectious.
"Care? How are you even awake at this hour, it's almost evening here must be..."
"Yes! Almost morning here, we decided we would party the whole night. I mean, how often does one get to honeymoon in Paris? There's so much to see! We're scheduled to be in Italy in a couple days and I don't want to leave this city, it's breathtaking."
"Then don't. I'm sure Tyler can make all the necessary arrangements."
Caroline giggles happily, "I think you're right... How are things at home?" she adds and the suspicion is back.
"Your house is still standing if that's what you're asking... Would you care to explain me why Damon Salvatore is here too? Did you not trust that I could keep everything under control?"
"Oh Lena, I'm so sorry, I told Tyler it wasn't a good idea but he went ahead and asked Damon anyway. He said something about you not having to be tied to the house the whole time we're gone. Please believe me when I tell you it was a long time ago. We didn't know if you'd even be able to make it to the wedding let alone house sit for a month."
"I'm sure it was out of concern about my well being." If it sounds just a bit sarcastic, it's not Elena's problem. "A little warning would have been appreciated."
"Yeah, I know but with the wedding and everything... Forgive me? It's totally Tyler's fault he shouldn't have asked him too."
"Okay," Elena sighs in resignation, "if you come home to find yellow crime scene tape wrapped around the property, it's totally your fault."
"Elena," she laughs. "Alright, I got it. Listen, I have to run, we have a taxi waiting! I'll call you when we arrive in Italy, okay?"
"Sure. Take care of yourself. And enjoy more of Paris."
"Tyler is doing a splendid job if you know what I mean..."
"I didn't need to hear that," she ends the call just in time to pull the roast chicken out of the oven and serve dinner.
"So, I talked to Caroline..."
Damon listens without commenting. Caroline's explanation about their home situation is pretty much part and parcel to what Tyler said to him.
"I suppose they expected us to get to know each other... Just because they're happily married doesn't mean we have to be besties too, right?"
"Friends? Of course not, that would be ridiculous."
Elena's not sure what to take from Damon's reaction but, she clearly isn't in any position to uncover all the secret corners of Damon Salvatore's mind. The dinner itself has been a success. If Damon was surprised by her cooking abilities, he didn't let on. But she did appreciate it when he thanked her for the delicious meal and when he insisted on doing the dishes by himself, she didn't object.
While he keeps himself occupied with the clean up, Elena peruses their wine cooler, shaking her head at how the house has every luxury imaginable. After pulling out a few bottles to examine their labels, she chooses the one that piques her interest. It's a 2008 Pahlmeyer Proprietary Red Wine from the Napa Valley. Reaching into the cupboard, she finds the corkscrew and opens the bottle. The ambrosia is so divine that she has to bite back a moan. Damon hands her a couple of flutes, she fills them and slides one over to him. She meant what she said about calling a truce. Although supper was pleasant, she's uncertain how long it will last.
Taking a sip, her eyes close at how good it is. When she opens them, he's looking at her. Smiling tersely, she says, "It's good."
"Yes, it is," he agrees, taking a sip of his own.
"Um... So... I think I may hop in the pool for a little while before I go to bed."
Damon nods absently, he's been rather silent this whole evening. "Go ahead, I'll finish cleaning up."
She nods, pours a little more wine in her glass and then starts to walk away.
"Elena... I must admit you do know your way around the kitchen."
Elena stares at him for a minute, trying to figure out if his statement was a compliment and if it was, why did it sound so arrogant? "Thanks, I guess," she finally decides to take it as one, "you're not bad in the kitchen either."
"See, now you know I have at least one positive attribute." Definitely sarcasm. What the hell!?
"I know nothing about you, Damon. And you know nothing about me. We're complete strangers who have nothing in common."
After their less than stellar moment, she walks through the sliding glass doors to the pool area to put some distance between the two of them. Pulling her sundress over her head, revealing her bikini clad body, Elena takes one more swallow of her wine, sets the glass down and then climbs into the water to cool her heated skin, completely unaware of his eyes trailing her as she makes her descent into the azure blue water.
Damon isn't having a very good day. Earlier, when Elena left to get groceries, he took the opportunity to call Ric. Although he suspected that he wouldn't have anything good to say either, there's really nothing he can do when he's 3000 miles away. He's been wracking his brain trying to come up with something, anything positive to convince their benefactors of the need for yet another endowment. They have applied to the Federal Government for Grant monies too but with all the red tape, they have yet to hear anything.
And then Ric had no choice but inform him of some less than positive research developments and that the University is starting to turn the screws. They want some tangible results, not that Damon really can fault them. Research is expensive, very expensive.
He knows his friend so well, he could tell by the tone of his voice that Ric's not feeling up to par which makes him feel that much more helpless. The rational part of his brain knows that he's on the opposite side of the country and physically can't help but the emotional side, the one that cares for his friend feels the tinges of guilt.
If all that weren't bad enough, his father called right after he hung up with Ric to give him a piece of his mind. The man just can't come to grips with the fact that Damon's not ever going to take over family business, marry Katherine or move back to Virginia.
He knows his obedience would benefit his father's company but how could he live with himself if he just forgot his own dreams?
Pinching the bridge of his nose, he had to listen again to Giuseppe's preaching, telling him in every way possible what a disappointment he is to the family. He emphasized over and over again that he needs to grow up and accept some responsibility, and conform to the ideals of the Salvatore name. And of course his parting shot was that he needs to be more like his younger brother who does tow the family line.
Having finally reached his boiling point, he ended the call hastily, interrupting his father's laments by saying his housemate is home and that he needed to help her. It took everything in him to keep his mouth zipped because he didn't want to take his anger out on Elena. They have enough issues of their own without him blowing up at her for something that she had nothing to do with. After helping her bring in the groceries, he bid a hasty retreat and attempted to cool off a little bit in the pool. Of course the alcohol didn't hurt anything.
While he had his doubts about Elena's cooking ability, he's positively surprised at how much he enjoyed the fruits of her labor. She would make a good company, too if... if she wasn't Elena.
If she wasn't her, he could imagine how they might spend the month, distracting themselves at the pool, drinking Tyler's fine liquor, eating chocolates and sipping on wine in bed. And perhaps his favorite extracurricular activity...
But she is her and her reality's cosmetics and skin care, always on the lookout for a new shade of nail polish or eyeshadow palette or the perfect lipstick just to keep herself looking beautiful. He wonders if she realizes that she's stunning without the face paint. To be fair, she's not shallow, at least he doesn't think so but still she makes him feel like he and others like him are not worthy of her attention.
He takes another gulp from the wine glass and gets up to leave her alone, just watching her won't do any good. But when he dims the patio lights to give her some privacy he makes the mistake of turning back to give her one last glance. He can't tear his eyes away.
If only she wasn't Elena...
"You know Damon, this isn't exactly what Tyler had in mind when he asked you to stay here." It's two days later and Elena's had enough of his brooding. He kept his word and stayed out of her way but even in this big house they're bound to run into each other once in awhile.
He always has a cloudy face and alcohol of some sort in his hand. Last night he took off and when he returned several hours later, he was definitely drunk, stumbling through the house bumping into things. She listened, alright? What if he brought a girl... or two and...
"Are you sure?" He rolls his eyes and gives her a solemn look. "I think this is exactly what he imagined I'd do in my free time. He knows me well."
Elena throws her hands up in frustration. "This needs to stop, Damon. This is not how one enjoys or makes use of their free time... You should..." she pauses, narrowing her gaze in on him. "What exactly is your problem anyway?"
"Do you have any idea how incredibly annoying you are being right now? Who gave you permission to lecture me on how I live my life? It's mine to do with as I please and you have no right to judge me just because you don't happen to like or agree with it. You think you know what's best for me... well, newsflash, you don't. I'm not one of your little minions nor am I some love sick puppy that you can whistle at and expect me to come running."
"What's wrong with you?"
"What's wrong with me?! That's rich coming from you. I don't go around telling people what to do with their lives. The fact my life isn't the picture of perfection like yours doesn't give you the right to give me advice."
"My life is perfect? You have no idea but you just can't help yourself can you? You have to make sure I feel like crap too? Just like you?"
Damon jumps on his feet and launches the glass against the fireplace. "I've had enough." The dangerously low voice he uses shakes her more than if he had simply yelled at her.
"Where are you going?" Elena manages to call after his retreating figure.
"To find some better company."
The door slams behind him and within seconds she can hear the sound of his Camaro leaving the property.
He ends up at the Grill. Luckily, his head was clear enough to drive but he's not about to push it. Vicky enthusiastically hurries to take his order, leaving disappointed that he isn't in the mood.
He's definitely not.
He's not sure how things got so far out of hand. Swallowing back his bourbon, he suspects it played a role in his heated response. Still there's no denying the fact that Elena possesses an innate ability to drive him absolutely nuts. He mumbles 'thanks' to Vicky when she tops off his glass. He's just about to take another swallow when a shadow falls over the table.
"You're not here to get wasted, are you brother?"
Damon raises his eyes and gives Stefan a smirk. "Maybe..." He gestures for him to sit and waves at Vicky to bring his little brother whatever he's drinking.
"You look... wrecked," Stefan observes when Vicky brings his drink and leaves them alone.
"Got a phone call from dad today."
"I heard. He's none too happy with you either," he looks amused.
"And then I had a fight with my housemate."
"You have a housemate? I thought you were staying at Tyler's place."
"I am," Damon mutters between his teeth. "Caroline made arrangements for her to do the same. Apparently she and Tyler forgot to compare notes."
"And she is...?"
"Elena Gilbert, Caroline's best friend and maid of honor."
"Oh really?" Stefan grins. "Well, she's exactly your type so I don't see why there should be a problem?"
"She definitely isn't my type," Damon protests. "And she's a snooty spoiled princess, that's the problem."
"If you say so...," Stefan waves him off. "Damon," he adds after a minute, "why don't you just go back to Tyler's and have it out with her?"
"You know what? That's exactly what I'm going to do."
While being left alone in this great big house, Elena goes through swirl of emotions. She's mad as hell that he's being so difficult and a constant reminder of her past mistakes. She's mad at herself for not being able to shake him or ignore his annoying presence. She also feels guilty for driving him away when he clearly wasn't in any shape to drive.
Dropping her face into her hands, she recognizes that look in him as one she wears herself sometimes, the one that screams for a pause from the every day drama of 'real life'. Although she suspects it has something to do with his demanding father, she doesn't know anything about their relationship and what may or may not be wrong with it. Perhaps there may be justification for Giuseppe Salvatore's approach to his son? Given of what she knows about Damon, that's probably the case...
There she goes again, assuming. But it's hard not to when she has personal experience.
A thud of the car door rouses her from her musings. Is he home?
She stands behind the curtain watching him get out of his Camaro and take the few steps to the main door. She quickly backs off, retreating to the living room, he usually stays clear of it. Which is why she's a bit shocked when he appears in the door frame. He doesn't say anything for a few moments, but if he thinks she will be the first one to speak...
"Sorry..."
Did he really just say that?
"I know you were concerned, at least I hope so, but I'm just... going through something and prefer to deal with it in my own way."
Wow...
Elena's impressed but still has to snap her lips closed to bite back the sarcastic retort that's sitting on the tip of her tongue. Maybe there is something wrong with her? Get a grip Elena, it's Damon Salvatore, not some misunderstood hero...
"Elena?" Damon looks at her questioningly, clearly expecting some kind of a response. Right.
"I'm sorry, I... shouldn't have started at you, it's... none of my business," she stutters out finally.
"Alright...," he knows he should leave, just go to his room and take a shower, preferably a cold one, but somehow he can't make himself take that first step. Loosing himself in the depths of her eyes for a moment, he clears his throat and turns away to break the spell but her voice stops him in his tracks.
"Are you drunk?" she blurts out, her face flushing in embarrassment when she realizes she said it out loud.
"Ok," he looks at her incredulously, "I'm really trying here. And you immediately assume I must be drunk?"
"No, no! I didn't mean to assume... I don't understand why you would try at all?"
"Because. Elena, I'm not some mindless scoundrel. I have dreams, ideas, hopes and goals just like I assume you do. Yes, I have my faults but I'm more than the sum total of them. Did you ever even consider for a moment that I might not be the bad guy here?" He pauses to rub his eyes. "I really don't want to fight all the time and if we're going to be spending a month under the same roof...," he takes a breath to calm himself down. "Look, even though we're not friends..."
"We can't be," Elena cuts him off but rather than a statement, it sounds a lot like hurt. It evokes some unusual feelings deep inside of him that just beg to be set free. He can't do that. So rather than yell, he does the only other thing he knows. He reduces the distance between them, grabs her face rather roughly and presses his lips on hers. Without interrupting their connection he whispers heatedly, "Then what we can be?"
Elena wants to say nothing, we can be nothing, but her whole being is fighting her instincts as she absorbs his touch, his warmth, the solidity of his hold on her. She's strong, she's always been, but she's not sure she's strong enough to resist Damon Salvatore now. Besides it's so incredibly satisfying to put oneself in stronger arms once in a while... She feels lightheaded, someone else's taking control over her body and she's not fighting it. Not anymore. She circles her arms around his neck and brings his body closer.
He's taken aback by her fierce response but welcomes it anyway. Her fingers dig under his shirt, short fingernails teasing his skin to the point of causing goosebumps to erupt. The very next moment her lips attack his neck, mouth, teeth, all of him. He groans and returns as good as he gets. He didn't expect this from the sweet Elena, the scholarly one, the one that never goes to parties or simply lets loose. At one point he even doubted she's ever had sex. But she has, hasn't she?
The buttons on his shirt suddenly go flying and he's yanked into the present as her small hand sneaks inside of his pants and grabs him firmly. He reaches for her wrist to slow her movements or the fun will be over before it even starts. Her hand goes slack but as he's cradling her fist she puts just the right pressure on the most sensitive part of his body. He almost comes undone at that precise moment. Picking her in his arms he quickly lays her on the couch impatient to join her but gets caught in her doe eyed stare.
For the first time in his life, he's content just looking at the beautiful woman looking up at him. Her fine dark hair framing her lovely face, lips parted, he imagines them damaging his neck and collar bone branding him as hers. Her perfect breasts, rising and falling to the rhythm of her breathing, he longs to kiss the tender skin right under the hem of her bikini.
He will.
With shaking fingers he slides down the straps, uncovering the pearls underneath peppering them with open mouthed kisses, eliciting the most erotic noises he's ever heard from anybody. When he looks at her again she gives him a tender smile and he's a goner. He quickly strips her of her panties, pausing to caress her smooth long legs and when she parts them in invitation he doesn't hesitate to cover her body with his.
It's like heaven.
And then he's inside her, matching her sighs and moans, she clenches his shoulders holding on for dear life. She's shy and gentle and yet sexy as hell.
She's everything.
But something is different about her now. She's intense. Aggressive. She demands and takes what she wants. It's hot but maybe less...her? She flips them over intertwining their fingers, pinning him on the mattress. She doesn't break the stare, her eyes boring into his. He wants to grab her, fuck her into the oblivion although it may turn out the other way around. She doesn't give him a chance to do anything. She rises above him, her hands following the lines of her body, lifting her hair up... and then with a visceral moan she flings her head back shaking violently. He can't tear his eyes away.
She's magnificent.
Damon's right behind her, his body aching and spent, not willing to let her go yet.
He pulls her down onto his chest, holding on tight while trying to calm down his breathing and thundering heart.
Aside from his stampeding heart thumping against his chest, Damon tries to lay as still as a statue. He doesn't dare to move. Not before she does. He tries to come up with something, anything to say in this situation. Because 'wow, you rocked my world' sounds kind of inappropriate, even though it's entirely true. For now he's trying to comprehend what just happened. His mind is a maelstrom of conflicting thoughts and emotions. What does he say to her?
The sweat on their bodies begins to cool off and he's painfully aware of her living, breathing exquisite body tightly glued to his. Thank goodness for gravitation. Could it be at all possible that she's just as reluctant to move as he is? He feels her slide next to him but it still takes a few more minutes before she puts some space between them by turning on her back. He misses her touch immediately.
He wants to keep her forever.
Where did this thought come from? He doesn't do forever, he likes the...
"Sex and candy, right? That's what I am to you."
Her harsh tone yanks him out of his head. "What? What are you talking about?" A blooming sense of dread is slowly creeping over him.
"I said, sex and candy. A plaything. That's what you said."
Alaric was right. His past has finally come back to bite him in the ass... big time.
He watches helplessly as she quickly rises to her feet, grabs her garments to cover herself and leaves him behind the same way she did that night.
Part 2 will be coming soon. Hopefully we can finish those last few scenes and post it later this week or early next. Eva is 9 hours ahead of me so we really only have a set amount of time to speak to each other every day.
Kate is a brilliant writer, her screen name is Florencia7. She's written some incredibly beautiful Damon and Elena stories. She's also written some Pirates of the Caribbean stories if any of you are interested. She's made many cover images for our stories, including 'Tomorrow', 'The Unforgiven', 'WTTJ', 'Dig' and so many more.
A huge thanks to Eva. I don't know where I'd be without your incredible support and encouragement.
We're excited to hear your thoughts on this one. You're all really the best in the DE universe. Thank you all so much for your kindness, support and the friendships we've made. I did post a collage on my FB page.
Title from the song by Marcy Playground.
Happy Birthday Kate. You're a beautiful person inside and out. I'm so honored to call you my friend.
Have a safe and wonderful day. We'll see you next with ROF 4 and WTTJ 17...
