Overly loud music and overly drunk college students pour from the open door and onto the front porch of the Phi Delta Theta house. How had I gotten myself dragged into coming to this party anyway, I ask myself for the umpteenth time tonight. If I could, I would turn and run right back to my pile of pillows and tissues and chocolate that await me back at the dorm, but Caroline had insisted on dragging me here. Literally dragging me. And there was no turning back now.
As we neared the throng of rowdy co-eds, Caroline loosened her grip on my arm, but still wouldn't drop it completely. She knew me too well.
"Why are we here again?" I whine, slowing my pace.
Caroline whips around, huffing impatiently. "I already told you the first eight times you asked. One: I need to schmooze some Pi Beta Phi girls because I would really love to get in without resulting to compulsion. Two: you've been crying over Damon for hours now, and I can't take it anymore (She says Damon like it's some kind of incurable disease and not the name of my boyfriend), and three: we've been here for almost a month now, and I'm starting to bore of hanging with the same people every weekend. I want to shake it up a little tonight. Have some fun." She tugs me forward again with all of her strength. "So let's go."
I stumble in the borrowed boots she'd dressed me in before leaving the dorm. In fact, everything I'm currently wearing belongs to Caroline. She'd insisted, and to be honest, I couldn't have cared less. I let her pull me out of my bed and straighten my hair, put on my makeup, dress me up in a moderately slutty dress and the boots of course. And she'd let me cry—that is, until she had to touch up my makeup for the third time, and then my tears we banished.
And now here we are, being swallowed up by the crowd, and I'm almost thankful for her effort, because I'm distracted enough that I've gone a whole twenty minutes without having to blow my nose.
I look around, and can't help but notice just how many eyes have drifted our way. Caroline pulls me into the crowded kitchen and pours some clear liquid into two plastic cups before handing me one. "Let's take a shot. You look like you need one."
I give her a wry smile and then tip the cup back, swallowing its contents in two big gulps.
"Well shit!" Caroline laughs and follows suit. She pours us both another round, and then leads me back toward the main room where everyone is dancing. The alcohol is already doing the trick, and she doesn't even have to work that hard to get me to dance with her.
By the time our cups are empty again, I'm buzzed enough to relax and actually start to have a little fun. Caroline has her arms wrapped around my neck and we are jumping around with everyone else on the crowded floor. The music is almost too loud to make out what she says over my shoulder, but my vampire hearing picks up when she says very quietly, "Don't screw this up."
"Who are you talking to?" I shout over the music, pulling back and looking around. There is no one here that we know.
"Oh, you heard that?" she laughs nervously. "I was talking to myself actually. Trying to pump myself up to go talk to the Pi Phis. Do you mind?"
"No, no! Of course not. Go have fun." I motion for the kitchen with my empty cup. "But I need another drink first."
After refilling, Caroline wanders off to mingle and I drain an almost full solo cup before heading slowly back to the dance floor. By now, I'm warm and tingly and my brain is so fuzzy that I can hardly remember why I was so sad before. Everything feels good, and before I know it, I'm dancing and bouncing and having the time of my life.
He makes it all the way to my back before I realize.
I freeze as his hands encircle my waist, gripping me firmly as he starts to dance behind me. When his whole body is pressed firmly against my back, he leans in toward my ear.
"Are you here alone?"
I shake my head.
He laughs, and I can feel it rumble through his chest and into my back. "I knew that—I saw you come in with the blonde—don't know why I asked; I'm not the best conversationalist."
I start to pull away, but his fingers tighten on my waist and he rolls his hips into mine.
"I can't—"
"Why, do you have a boyfriend?" he interrupts.
"Yes," I say a bit more angrily then I'd intended, but this was getting old quick. If this was going to be my night, I needed more alcohol. Quick.
"Ouch. Trouble in paradise?" I notice how his hands twitch against my sides.
Screw it. "Yes, in fact." I tell him—sweetly this time. "I was on the phone with him this morning when I learned that he's let his bitch of an ex-girlfriend move in with him." laughing darkly, I add, "Oh and if I hadn't heard her in the background, I may have never even known because he had no intention of even telling me."
His fingers twitch again and he pulls me closer, until I can feel every rise and fall of his chest. "Sounds like a dick," is all he says.
"I haven't even gotten to the best part," I say as I lean my head back to rest on his shoulder. "He then informed me that it never would have happened if I had been there instead of going off to college."
He coughs slightly and stiffens. "Well your boyfriend sounds like a real asshole. Maybe you should just forget about him for now until he gets a chance to tell you just how sorry he is."
"Maybe I will," I mumble as his hands start to wander over my stomach and back toward my thighs.
I can't help it; my whole body lights up despite my best attempts to stay in control. I melt into him, wrapping my arms around his neck behind me.
We continue to dance like that for several songs, and his hands get more adventurous by the minute. I can feel our hearts racing and hear our breath coming faster as the music pulses through our bodies. At one point, Caroline walks past the doorway and pauses to smile and shake her head at me. Her eyes travel down to where his fingers have slipped under the hem of my dress. "Slut," she mouths before walking out of sight.
He chuckles into my hair. "Is that true?" His voice is gravelly and I shiver from the vibration of his lips against my neck.
"Wouldn't you like to find out…" I tease, arching my back against him.
He pushes into me from behind. "I think I would," he growls. "I have a room here…"
I laugh despite my racing heart and trembling legs. "You? You hardly seem the type?"
He takes this for some kind of consent and steers us toward the stairs. "You've got me there. Think of it as a loner. Just for the night."
As soon as he kicks the bedroom door shut behind us, he has me pressed against it, attacking my mouth with his. He runs his hands roughly down my body and hauls my legs up until they are wrapped around his waist.
I can feel how much he wants me, and my body swims with heat and electricity until I'm sure he can feel that I want him that much more.
His mouth leaves mine and works its way down to my neck, where he sucks and bites with blunt teach until I am begging for him.
I squeeze tighter around him when I feel his hands leave my thighs in favor of tugging off his pants. When they return, they are peeling down my dress.
He pushes into me with one hard thrust, while his mouth moves to my breasts. When he feels me start to tremble, he pulls out and throws me onto the bed. His mouth is on me before I even have the chance to protest.
"Oh God!" I scream as he pushes my thighs apart and attacks me with his mouth. He adds two fingers between my legs and I become a trembling mess. I feel him smirk against my skin seconds before I lose it.
Before he can even register my movement, I have us flipped over and I am riding him. This time, it's his turn to fall apart, growling and bucking up into me as I convulse around him. I let him take control for just a moment before leaning down to scrape my fangs along his neck.
"Please," he groans, pulling my hips hard against him.
I tease him with my tongue until I can't wait any longer, and then I bury myself in his neck.
"Fuck, yes!" he shouts as his blood fills my mouth. I groan in agreement, and feel him fall apart beneath me.
When his body finally stills I pull slowly from his neck, cleaning up every drop of his blood with my tongue. He exhales deeply, and runs a hand through my hair, slowly dragging me to his mouth.
"Mmmm, that was pretty amazing," I murmur when he finally releases my lips.
He smirks and cocks an eyebrow. "Does that mean I'm forgiven?"
I roll onto my side and fix him with the sternest expression I can muster under the circumstances. "You should have told me about Katherine, Damon."
He sighs and shifts too so that our noses are almost touching. "I fucked up, Elena. This whole relationship thing is still new to me, but I'm trying, you know that."
"I do."
His eyes turn stormy, but his tone is even, practiced. "I have to make sure you're safe."
I kiss him gently. "I'm fine, Damon. She can't hurt me anymore; I'm stronger than her now."
Damon traces his thumbs along my cheekbones. "She's been around for a long time—don't underestimate her. She still has a few powerful friends out there somewhere. And I will do anything to keep you safe—even if it means living with that manipulative bitch for now."
Sighing, I bury myself in his chest, shivering when he ghosts his fingertips up my bare back. "Fine."
"How did you get here so fast by the way? And how did you know I would be here?"
Damon laughs. "I may have jumped in the car the minute you hung up on me this morning… and broken a few laws on the way." He does that eye thing that drives me just about crazy. "And maybe I had just a little help."
"Caroline."
He groans dramatically. "If you ever doubt my love for you, just remember that I endured a 20 minute long bitchy lecture from Blondie just to get her to play along."
"You put a lot of thought into this, Mr. Salvatore." I gesture to the room. "And who did you compel to be our gracious host?"
Damon shoots me a sheepish grin and cringes. "Well in the spirit of being honest…no one. I don't even know whose room this is."
"Damon!" I leap out of the bed and frantically search the floor for my dress. "What if someone comes up here?"
He rises and saunters over to me wearing that dangerous smirk of his. "I'll just compel him to get the fuck out." He takes my face in his palms and frames my lips with his until the dress drops from my hand. "I believe I have a lot more making up to do, Gilbert…"
