Disclaimer: The Vampire Diaries is the property of the CW. No copyright infringement is intended.
~ X ~
She woke slowly, still in a glorious glow from their love making. It was their first time, and it had been wild, exciting, and fantastic. It satisfied her on a level she couldn't even begin to understand. She turned, still half asleep, reaching for him and her hand felt . . . nothing.
The realization that she was alone jolted her out of her dreamy state, leaving her totally alert. She raised herself up on one elbow, searching the room. She spotted his profile, sitting in the window seat, one knee bent up, one leg stretched out in front of him. His face was somber as he stared, unsmiling out into the darkness.
He felt her gaze and turned his head to face her. "Hey!" he said kindly. "It's too early to get up." He turned his gaze back to whatever held his attention outside.
She sat up, knees bunched up in front of her, hugging them under the covers. She watched him for a moment, knowing something was wrong, but she was hesitant to ask. She felt somehow needy and anxious to have his approval. She finally summoned up her courage. "Did I do something wrong?" Her voice quavered slightly. "Were you disappointed?"
She saw a smile crease his profile even before he turned to her. "You're everything and more than I could possibly desire."
She rested her chin on her knees, contemplating him. Her keen vision could easily pierce the shadows and though his voice was sincere, his face was melancholy. She waited awhile, then craving his touch, softly urged, "Come back to bed."
He sighed and got up. He climbed into bed, sitting up against the headboard, taking her in his arms and cradling her head against his chest. He held her and stroked her hair, once again saying, "It's really too early to be awake."
She rested quietly against him knowing he was troubled. She tried again, needing to know what was bothering him. It was so very important to her that he be happy. "Damon, please don't leave me wondering. It's worse not knowing."
He kissed her head and murmured, "It's nothing to do with you."
She turned in his arms to look up at him. "But something is upsetting you."
He gave the ghost of a smile, making a little joke. "Vampires! They're so hard to fool."
She hugged him tightly. "Please!"
She felt his nod against her head. "I was taking time to mourn."
Her brow furrowed in confusion. She racked her brains and finally guessed what he must be talking about. "Alaric? I know Damon I miss h . . "
He gently interrupted her. "Not Alaric."
Now she was really confused. "Then, who?"
"Stefan," he responded soberly. "My brother."
She sat up, twisting out of his arms, to face him. "What are you talking about? Stefan's alive." She inhaled sharply. "Nothing happened to him, did it?" Her voice got higher. "Damon, tell me he's not d—"
He interrupted her again. "He's alive. That's not what I'm talking about."
She put a hand to her heart, relieved to know that she had jumped to the wrong conclusion. After her initial relief she was a little annoyed. No, she could never be annoyed with him. Disturbed, yes, she was disturbed. "Why did you scare me like that?" She searched his face, noting how grave he was.
"I'm mourning my brother because I crossed a line tonight, Elena. I've changed things forever between us."
Elena put a comforting hand to his cheek. "No, Damon. It's not like that. He broke up with me. It's okay." She smiled at him, hoping to cheer him. The smile faded as she met his eyes. For a moment she thought they held impatience, but the look flashed so quickly that she was sure she must have been mistaken.
He gently stroked her cheek with the back of his hand.
"Then, I guess you really never knew him." As her face fell, he added, "This isn't your problem, Elena. He's not your brother, only your ex-boyfriend."
The way he said those words made her defensive. She tried to explain. "I didn't mean it the way it sounded. I know he's upset, but he'll get over it." She sounded like she was trying to reassure herself as much as Damon.
Damon nodded. "He will get over it. He will move on." He paused before saying, "But things will never be the same between us."
Elena was devastated. "Are you sorry about us?"
"No," Damon assured her. "I love you like I've never loved anyone before. This should be the happiest day of my life. Would be if I still had a brother."
Elena looked down for a moment. "He's important to me too, Damon. We can talk to him. Watch out for him. We can let him know he's important to both of us." Her tone was optimistic.
Damon smiled. "Sure. You're right. Now, go back to sleep."
He punched down his pillow and slid down. She cuddled into him and was soon obediently fast asleep. His eyes didn't close, but they weren't focused on anything in the room. They were looking inside seeing things that happened long ago.
He began a conversation in his mind. "I'm gonna have a hard time with this, Ric. First you and now him. It's only a matter of time before he figures it out. I lost my baby bro, Ric. No, that's not true. I pushed him away. Isn't there some kind of saying about breaking a sacred trust? You can never go back. Some happiest day of my life. I need you, guy. Need to talk this out with you."
There was no sleep for Damon that night.
~ FIN ~