Difference

Pairings: Delena, Stelena

Summary: Just a oneshot for the possible scenarios in TVDS04E02 - 'Memorial'. "Damon just tasted different and that difference mattered to her".

Disclaimer: I don't own Vampire Diaries or any of its characters. Just this little oneshot :)

God. She felt awful. Throwing up as a human never looked pretty and never felt good. And now that she was a vampire… It looked and felt even worse. The image of the mixture of little green grasses and wet soil together with the ugly reappearance of her "breakfast" wouldn't leave her mind even after Stefan pulled her into his arms and started calming her with his soothing words. And she was already using all of her will power to ignore the horrible aftertaste in her mouth. Her stomach was still taking dangerous turns and she had been clenching and unclenching her hands over Stefan's ruined shirt for the past five minutes… hoping that she wouldn't throw up more… but still waiting bravely if she would.

"It's your first time… We didn't expect this to be easy. But I know we can do it. You can do it…" Stefan whispered into her ear with conviction in his voice and all Elena could do was whimper against his chest.

Countless possibilities… scenarios started running rampant in her mind. She didn't want to disappoint him. She didn't want to disappoint herself. She didn't want to disappoint all of them. She wanted to be able to this. To be able to sustain her undead life by feeding on defenseless and unknowing animals. She closed her eyes tightly and tried to block out the image of the dying deer when she was feeding on it. The pleas and the weak whimpers that escaped its mouth. She was a monster. But she didn't have any other choice… it was that or feeding on humans… Humans with loud beating hearts and blood flowing steadily all over their veins… Humans just like her little brother… Humans that all of them once were.

"You should rest. We could hunt again later…" Stefan said and released her. He took her hand gently into his and started to lead her back to the little makeshift camp he made for their training in the forest. It only took one step before Elena started throwing up again and this time she didn't bother to stop the torrent of tears from coming.

Stefan took her back to the boarding house and let her rest on one of the couches in the parlor. Elena stared at the high ceiling of the house. It looked cold, empty, and lifeless… But she felt at home. She closed her eyes and remembered the first time she stepped into this very room. She was all thudding heart and sweaty palms when Stefan's hot older brother welcomed her into the house and led her here. That memory felt so far away now. The sharp sound of a glass being placed on the table made her snap her eyes open. She craned her neck not to look at Stefan but to see the source of that horrid smell assaulting her nose.

"Is… that?" She looked at the glass decanter filled with thick red blood lying a good two feet away from where she was lying. She didn't like the smell of it but her mouth still watered. She managed to tear her eyes away from the glass to look at Stefan with question in her dull brown eyes. "Stefan… You said no… No human blood… I… I-I agreed! It's for the best…" Elena said with panic in her voice. She didn't know how long she will be able to stop herself from grabbing the glassful of blood. She scooted away from it as far as she could on the couch.

"You are not looking too well, Elena… Our goal is to prevent you from hurting anyone and starving you is not part of the plan. The animal blood didn't work a while ago… Maybe it's just because it's too early. Your body is still adjusting. We can take this slow as long as we know the limits…" Stefan explained to her reasonably. She swallowed, her gaze flickering back on the glass.

"B-But… if I drink that… I might just want it more… and more. I might crave for it so much that I will end up hurting someone…" Elena mumbled out and yet her gaze was firmly fixed on the glass.

"Just take it for now, Elena… It's just a small amount of blood. You need your strength back. We'll work from there." The moment Stefan finished his sentence, Elena grabbed and glass and finished its contents in a heartbeat. He was glad the moment the color of her skin returned and her eyes looked brighter. But after a minute or two, she made a face that he had seen several times in the forest this morning… Even with her vampire speed, she didn't make it to the sink in the kitchen to throw up her meal.

At that moment, she owed the Salvatores a new Persian rug.

Elena had been restless since then; she started pacing inside the house further exhausting her strength. Stefan had to leave her in the house for a while. Caroline called and said that it was urgent. She overheard their conversation of course. It was the council. They were all dead. Someone blew up Pastor Young's house. And as usual, Damon was one of their suspects.

She was absentmindedly walking down the hallway when her eyes trained on the door of Damon's room. She knew he was not home and she couldn't help it but to feel disappointed. "You're a vampire, Elena… Be a vampire…" She remembered his words from early this morning. But she didn't want to… She didn't want to become one… And she didn't want to act like one now. But again, she was given no other choice. Before she could thoroughly think about it, she was already using her vampire speed to get to the Grill.

She quickly spotted him sitting in his usual seat at Mystic Grill. He was drinking his favorite whiskey and was being his usual self, getting himself day drunk. Damon stood out in the dim lighting of the place. He was a black figure sitting alone at the bar and yet he still managed to give off a glow for her eyes. She bit her lip and contemplated on the words she would tell him. It took several minutes and several weird looks from very alive people in the establishment before she managed to walk herself towards Damon's location.

"Did you do it?" was her quick conversation starter. She couldn't think of anything else. Besides Damon had all the motives to do it and he also had the capacity to pull that stunt off. She felt a pang of guilt the moment she realized she was accusing him… again.

"That seat is taken." Elena was offended. There was clearly no one sitting there but here was Damon telling her that she couldn't occupy that empty seat at his left side. She didn't want to argue because she knew that she couldn't afford to irk him at the moment considering that she was in a bit of a pinch… as usual.

"There's no one here." She still stated the obvious. Damon finally glanced at her.

"Well I'm just going to pretend like there's someone there because the alternative is just too damn depressing." Damon returned his gaze back on the array of bottles lined up at the bar. He didn't fail to notice that Elena was looking really pale considering that she just went to hunt Bambi with Stefan. Elena understood what Damon meant. It was Alaric's seat. Alaric Saltzman. His only best friend and partner in crime… and who is now dead. She swallowed a forming lump in her throat and decided to take the empty seat on Damon's right side.

"Did you set off the explosion to kill the town council?" Elena tried the question again now that she took a proper seat next to him. She meant business.

"Am I wearing my 'I blew up the council' t-shirt? Why is everybody asking me that?" Damon was starting to get pissed. Well he was already pissed before she got there because of the unnecessary amount of calls he received from Stefan, the Sheriff, the Mayor, Meredith, Barbie, and Stefan. He wouldn't blow the council up. Why would he do that? It would be such a waste. Waste of blood… of food. He would just all lock them up in the underground cells of the Lockwoods or the Forbes'… Hell. He would just lock them down in the basement at the boarding house… But they wouldn't all fit down there. Bummer.

"Did you?" Elena already knew he didn't do it the moment he finished his last sentence but she just needed confirmation.

"No!" Damon said with clear annoyance in his tone. He saw her sigh in relief. "Anything else?" He asked trying to be civil. He rolled his eyes at the whole situation before he finished the contents of his glass. He felt her hesitate. He just knew there was something wrong… She only comes to him when there is something wrong. Why would she come to him if it was all rainbows and butterflies? The bright and colorful atmosphere was just reserved for his baby brother. Damon was just blessed to get all the doom and gloom of everything.

"Yes…" He stopped himself from throwing his hand in the air and shouting 'I just knew it!' "Something's wrong…" Oh God. He couldn't stop himself from closing his eyes and releasing a pained and tired groan. Something was always wrong when it comes to Elena Gilbert it was like 'wrong' is her middle name or something and 'misfortune' her third name. 'Death' is just somewhere in her whole name. Damon was sure he was tired of all of it.

"I can't keep any of the animal blood down." At that moment, Damon concluded that his thesis about 'Not all vampires can adopt the Stefan diet' got lost in Elena's mail.

"There's a shock…" Damon couldn't help himself but to be sarcastic about it. Elena gave him her pouty look. But the moment he turned away, her face was overcome by a desperate look.

"I think I need your help." Her tone was pleading. Damon just wanted to run away but he knew he would never be able to leave Elena behind to eat dust. He just let out a sigh and gave her a lopsided knowing smirk.

"Of course you do. Pick your meal. You got Asian-fusion. Mexican. What about some good old American comfort food?" He asked bluntly gesturing at the people standing unknowingly around them. Elena was following his every gesture and she just looked horrified of the idea.

"No…" The frantic shake of her head made Damon want to smash his head down on the counter. "No-No human blood. Stefan's right." His ears were bleeding because of her naïve and stupid words. She and her boyfriend were both delusional. Perfect. "I have to at least try to get through this without hurting anyone."

Well maybe Elena could just go back to the love of her life and confide her eating disorder to him so they could suffer brain hemorrhage together trying to think on how they can resolve her problem. But since it was a hard decision… A life and death decision… Therefore it should be a Damon decision. So he could simply take all the blame for the desired or undesired results of his choice. Damon finished his drink as he glared daggers at the empty space in front of him. He then slammed the glass loudly on the counter. "Fine." He had grabbed her hand before she knew it. "Come with me." Elena, even with all the questions running in her head, let herself be dragged into the comfort room inside the Grill.

"What are we doing here?" Elena become all too aware of the situation at hand the moment Damon secured the door close.

"It's just me, Damon Salvatore, giving solution to all of your problems." Damon said with a playful wiggle of his elegant thick eyebrows and a flirty wink of his eye. He took a step closer to her expertly invading Elena's personal space. She quickly took a deep intake of breath.

"Seriously, Damon… What are we doing here?" Damon made a thinking pose unaware of the inner struggle the girl before him was having at the moment. Elena bit her lip. His closeness was making her senses go haywire.

"I would normally say 'make out' or 'hot vampire sex'… But since we are being serious here…" His voice trailed off. Damon used his left hand to raise the right sleeve of his jacket effectively exposing more skin of his hand and wrist. Elena's eyes followed his every movement like a hypnotized human. He raised his arm towards her. "Here is your solution." He said with a small smile on his lips and determination in his crystal blue eyes. "I hope it works though."

"You… Y-You want me t-to drink your blood?" Elena asked in disbelief but she couldn't tear her eyes away from the small pulsing point from Damon's wrist. It wasn't like how the pulses of the humans move. It was shallower… and slower. The blood flows lazily in his veins like it all had the time in the world.

"No, Elena. I would just want you to stare at my perfect skin. Of course I'm telling you to feed on me!" Damon said impatiently. He almost withdrew his arm but then he had to see if his idea was going to work. She took a deep breath before her hands wrapped around his offered one hesitantly. Her doe eyes locked with his cerulean ones. She licked her lips nervously.

"It's okay, Elena. You won't hurt me." Damon knew that was all the encouragement she needed to be able to push herself to do the task at hand. He watched as she closed her eyes placing her other heightened senses into good use. His lips parted as he saw the black veins rippled under the skin of her face and then he saw a glimpse of her lethal fangs before they pierced through his flesh. There was an initial shot of pain since he was not used to being bitten. It had been over 145 years since he was last bitten by a vampire and he was just a little human then. His body quickly reacted at the physical assault, he felt his skin working fast trying to repair the abused skin but he was having none of that and neither was Elena. She tore deeper into his flesh, burying her fangs deeper and letting more of his blood flood into her starved mouth. He was like an oasis in the desert.

She pulled away from him. His blood seemed to put her in a trance. She savored the heaviness and the thickness of his sweet blood in her mouth. She licked her teeth and moaned at his delectable taste. She was still holding his hand and Damon was willing to wait until she recovered from her high. It was almost disturbing to see Elena looking like a crazed drug addict but he knew the exact same feeling when they feed. A minute or two passed by with Damon watching Elena licking over his healing wound like a kitten.

"Do you feel like throwing up?" Some light returned to Elena's eyes upon hearing his voice. She dropped his hand and her eyes flew over to gaze at his face. Throw up? Why would she throw up? His blood was exquisite. She couldn't even describe to him how good she was feeling at the moment and how she wanted to tear open his jugular. Damon noticed that she was giving a lingering stare at his partially covered neck.

"No… I feel fine…" Her eyes looked into his and a wide almost deranged smile spread over her beautiful face. "Really fine, Damon…" She stepped closer to him and without further thinking about it, she snuggled into his clothed chest. Her hands planted themselves on his shoulders as she moaned at the great feeling coursing through her veins. She felt strong. His blood was amazing. Damon swallowed he didn't really like where this was going. He knew she wanted more blood but this was just a test run. Now he knew that Elena could feed on vampire blood, he could leave her to her own devices.

"That's good to hear, Elena." He used all his will power to pry her off of him. He brought her face up so he could look into her eyes. The haze that seemed to cloud her vision started to evaporate. "Now go back to my baby brother and inform him of our new discovery." He said with a playful and brotherly smile on his face even when he felt a heavy rock settle in his stomach. His role in her life was over for the day. They were back to being Damon and Elena again. Just friends. She seemed still a little out of it but she nodded her head.

Later when Damon and Stefan ended up in another heated argument, his tongue slipped up and he said words he didn't really mean. "It wasn't my fault she came to me! You are just inefficient, Stefan!" He knew he deserved the painful punch on the face.

Elena talked to Stefan during that night. She informed him about the vampire blood and how it could possibly sustain her undead life needs. Stefan smiled and pulled her in his embrace. He told her Damon already informed him about it. He stroked her hair with his fingers as she buried her face in the crook of his neck. "You can… drink my blood you know. You're welcome to it… Always." He whispered into her hair. Her eyes flickered at the beating spot on his neck. She didn't feel the strong pull to lunge at the pulsing vein. But she did so anyway. She didn't want to turn him down after all that transpired that day. So she sunk her fangs into his neck. His blood flooded her mouth. The first drop almost made her stop. She didn't felt like she would throw up Stefan's blood. She just felt… indifferent to it. She pulled away faster than she intended to do so. Stefan was smiling at her sincerely as she wiped her mouth clean with the back of her hand.

"That was kind of… fast." Stefan commented. Elena swallowed feeling her stomach squeezed as a sign of hunger.

"I… I'm just not hungry…" She lied to Stefan and it wouldn't be the last time.

Later when Stefan was fast asleep next to her on his bed, she would concentrate on the soft beating of Damon's heart coming from a few doors down the hallway. She liked the sound of it. It was lulling her to sleep but at the same time it was keeping her awake with all the thoughts of how good his blood tasted like.

Damon just tasted different.

And that difference mattered to her.

Author's Notes:Thank you for reading and please do review! I'm sorry for any grammatical mistakes. I tried my best.

Anyway I couldn't help myself. Episode 2 seems so near yet so far away! I had to get this out of my system. I hope you guys like it :)