Some Bad Judgment & Tequila
"That's three." Elena slammed her shot glass on the bar. "Do you need a bib? She nudged Damon, who was wiping the remnants of the alcohol from his chin.
"I'm sorry I can't unhinge my jaw like a snake to consume alcohol."
"Whatever. All right, who's next?" Elena rubbed her hands together, the alcohol warming her throat. "Another round, Bree!"
Damon smiled watching Elena jump from the barstool, clearly preparing herself for the next round of tequila shots. She was humorous, almost giddy; a side of Elena that he had not seen before.
"Honey, you should be on the floor." A drunken woman laughed, patting Elena on the shoulder.
"Oh no. Nope. Not me." Elena waived her finger at the woman, "My tolerance is, like, way up here." She jumped as far as she could.
"Whoa." Damon quickly steadied her, "Take it easy there killer."
"Ok, Stefan." Elena rolled her eyes.
Damon clutched his chest, "Ouch. Point taken. Bree, how about those shots!"
"Alright, here you go!" Bree slid three shots across the bar.
Elena quickly snatched her shot, "You ready-y Salvatore!"
Damon raised his shot in the air, "I was born ready Gilbert."
Without another second of hesitation, Elena poured the shot down her throat.
"Don't look at me like that." Elena wiped her mouth with the back of her hand.
Damon smirked, "Like what?
"That eye thing that you do. It drives me crazy."
"Oh yeah?" Damon was surprised, "Crazy enough to do what exactly?"
"Ahh, you fall for that too huh?" Bree chimed in, as she wiped the bar. "How can you say no to those baby blues?"
"And he knows it too." Elena added, as they stared him down.
Damon shrugged, "I'm hard to resist, what can I say?"
"Ahh and you have to appreciate the Damon-humor." Bree grinned, "There's never a dull moment with this Salvatore. Let me tell you."
Suddenly, a cell phone rang as it vibrated across the bar.
"Damon…" Elena leaned into him, feeling her breath on his ear. "I-I think your cell phone is uh- ringing."
"That's your cell phone dear."
"Ooh, no shit." Elena laughed, fiddling with her cell phone.
"Drunken people really shouldn't play with cell phones." Damon snatched it from her hand.
"Hey!" Elena pouted, "That's mine! G-Give me it back!"
Damon leaned away from her grasp, his finger against her lips. "Elena's phone."
"Damon."
"Ahhh, Stefan." Damon smirked at the anger in his voice.
"Where the hell are you?"
Damon spun around on the barstool watching Elena stumble towards the crowded pool table. "What's wrong brother, you sound upset?"
"If something happens to her Damon I swea -."
"Yes, yes, I know…you will rip my throat out, yada, yada, yada." Damon rolled his eyes. "Your threats are weak Stefan. I hate to say it, but you have become predictable."
"Let me talk to Elena." Stefan demanded.
Damon couldn't resist a smile as Elena completely missed her attempt to hit the cue ball. "Last time I checked, Elena doesn't want to speak with you."
"I need to talk to her, Damon."
"She's a little pre-occupied at the moment." Damon rested his elbows on the bar behind him. "If you want, I can give her a message for you."
"Damon – please."
"Fine." Damon sighed, "Elena! Come here for a second." He shouted the loud music from the jute box deafening.
"C-can't you see I'm trying to play some pool?" Elena grumbled, staggering over to him.
"Yes, and very badly at that." Damon blinked his eyelashes at her, "Your boyfriend wants to talk to you."
"Well, you tell him…" Elena poked his chest, now between Damon's legs. "You-u tell him that I'm tired of all the lies!"
"Ooh no. I don't think so, this is all you." Damon handed off the cell phone. Damon couldn't help but take notice to where Elena was standing; she smelt of mixture of sweet perfume and tequila.
"Can I help you?"
"Elena, how are you? Are you okay?"
Elena swayed slightly, and leaned on Damon's shoulder for support. "I-I'm jus fine thank you-u very much." Elena slurred, Damon watching her in amusement.
"Elena...have you been drinking?"
"Have I been drinking?" Elena giggled, taking the phone away from her ear, "Damon, he wants to know if I've been drinking…"
"Just hang up on him already."
"Well guess what, I am completely snockered and I -."
"Ok, time to say goodnight." Damon snagged the cell phone, as Elena rested on his shoulder. "As you can tell Stefan, Elena is slightly incapacitated at the moment."
"You got her drunk!"
Stefan was yelling now, and Damon fought to keep his glib comments to himself. As far as Damon was concerned, he had the upper hand, Stefan was seething with jealousy, and all he could do was wait for them to return.
"Last time I checked, Elena was a competent adult."
"She's not even of age Damon." Stefan retorted.
"Hey! Another round of tequila shots comin' up!" Bree announced, as the crowd cheered. "Who wants one!"
"You always were a party pooper Stefan. God forbid the girl lives a little."
"If you touch her Damon, so help me God."
Damon felt Elena's head perk up, as a crowd formed around the bar.
"Alright, let's do this!" Elena threw up her hands, "Anyone up for body shots!"
"Uh Stefan, I'm going to have to cut our conversation a little short."
"Dam –." He flipped the cell phone closed, turning his attention to Elena who was bouncing up and down, eager for yet another shot.
"Did I hear something about body shots?"
"You wanna do one with me?" Elena cheered on a woman, in a barely-there outfit as she climbed onto the bar.
"Have you ever done a body shot before?" Damon raised his eyebrow at her.
"If he won't honey, I sure will." A toothless biker beside her offered.
Suddenly, Elena gasped as Damon pulled her close against him. He now could hear her heartbeat against his chest. Brushing her hair from her neck, Elena felt her cheeks grow warm as the crowd began cheering them on.
"I told you he was a heartbreaker!" Bree howled all eyes on them.
Damon felt his mouth water, as he slowly ran his tongue along her juggler vein. Elena resisted a giggle as he sprinkled salt on her neck. Her mouth fell, as Damon took his time sucking her neck clean. His eyes locked on Elena, he slammed the shot on the bar. Elena smirked as he reached for the lime between her lips.
As the whole bar burst in an uproar, Elena hopped onto the bar, the girl in the barely-there outfit now at her side. Damon watched quietly, as the men hollered, and awed as they joined in a drunken dance.
As a hefty, heavily tattooed drunk attempted to grope Elena, Damon's expression hardened. He felt a fire begin to ignite within his chest. As the drunk yanked on Elena's leg, Damon marched over to him. Tapping him on the shoulder, there was a loud crack against his jaw.
Damon's actions caused instant commotion, as the drunken man toppled down with a loud thud. Within an instant, the crowd reacted and three stocky men attacked Damon
"Take it outside!" Bree yelled, arming herself with a steel bat.
"Stop it! Get off of him!" Elena shouted her pleas muffled over the chaos that had ensued. Hopping down from the bar, Elena pushed her way through the crowd, where Damon was now in a chokehold.
"Get off of him!" Elena jumped on the biker's back. As the biker shook Elena from his back, she fell hard to the floor.
"Knock it off!" Bree stood on the bar.
Within an instant, Damon elbowed the biker in the face, sending blood spewing. Damon rushed to Elena's side, as she attempted to get up.
"Cops are on their way!" Bree jumped on the bar, sending everyone scrambling in opposite directions.
Damon lifted Elena' effortlessly into his arms, the crowd almost trampled her.
"Put me down." Elena groaned, "You see that! I so had him!"
"No, what you did was stupid."
"Get her out of here!" Bree pointed to the hallway behind the bar, "There's a room upstairs! You guys can stay there!"
Meandering through the crowd, Damon disappeared into the darkness of the hallway. The commotion still roared from the bar, as they reached the top of the stairs. With his free hand, he managed to open the door, as Elena began to fall asleep in his arms. Laying Elena onto the bed, Damon quickly locked the door – not to keep people out, but to keep Elena in.
Damon paced slightly, his adrenaline still pumping. "What were you thinking? He could've fallen on you and killed you, do you get that?"
"Can you not talk so loud?" Elena rubbed her head, "My head is throbbing."
"Probably because you fell off a seven-foot, drunk."
She closed her eyes, "Or all that tequila."
Squatting down before her, Damon was still glaring at her. "Let me see." He tilted her chin, "Looks like you got a little bump, but you should be fine. Serves you right though, next time you won't go rushing into a damn bar fight!"
"Shhhh." Elena pressed her fingers against his lips. "Not. So. Loud."
"You need to sleep it off, we have a long drive tomorrow."
Elena flopped back on the bed, as Damon tossed his leather jacket on the chair.
"Why did you do it?" Elena wondered, her eyes still closed.
"I told you, you aren't the worst company in the world Elena."
"Not that…" She rolled over, watching Damon step into the nearby bathroom. "Why did you try and beat up that guy?"
"Try?" Damon started the shower, "I totally had him until you decided to leap in and save the day."
"But why?"
Leaning in the doorway, Damon crossed his arms unsure of what to say. "Hop in the shower, it will make you feel better. Besides, you smell like vomit."
Elena burrowed her head in the blanket. "Ugh, what was I thinking?"
Wait until morning." Damon grinned, plopping down in a chair.
"It's all your fault, you know?" Elena struggled to her feet. "I shouldn't even be here in the first place."
"Whoa, whoa, nobody forced you to drink. In fact, I remember body shots being your idea."
"Time-out remember?" She stumbled into the bathroom. Closing the door, she cringed at her drunken reflection. Her eyes were bloodshot and glossy, the mascara smeared beneath.
Tugging her shirt over her head, Elena felt her neck where Damon's lips had been. She imagined that Damon was now on cloud nine after all that attention. Stepping into the shower, Elena closed her eyes as the warm water ran over her cheeks.