Author's Note: So, I recently had this...interesting idea to bring in a story of Damon's past while also appealing to what SHOULD happen on the show(but instead, we get another hiatus sigh) Enjoy!
Mystic Falls, Virginia 2012
Elena Gilbert curled up closer to Damon from her spot on the couch, stirring to the sound of crackling firewood. Damon smiled down at her as her deep coffee brown eyes fluttered open. It was nearly two in the morning now and they had fallen asleep hours ago to the sounds of soft music and the warm fire. He had awoken only a few short moments ago to pull another blanket over their bodies, desperate for more warmth on the cold January night.
"Hey there." Damon whispered softly, running a hand through her hair and allowing a soft smile overtake his features. She smiled up at him, her eyes sparkling even in the dimly lit room. He could see the flames from the fireplace reflect, dancing throughout her eyes.
"Hello." Elena said with a smile, leaning back down to rest her cheek on his bare chest, causing Damon to take a deep breath, watching as his chest with her head rise and fall again. He had never felt so close to someone before. She had come over in a rush the night before, startling his drunken mind.
"You turned her into a vampire." Elena said, barging into the Boarding House. Damon groaned, he was wondering how long it would take her.
"Someone had to be the bad guy. Might as well be me." He said quietly, plopping onto the couch with his drink, taking a gulp of the strong liquid. Elena stood before him, her arms crossed.
"There had to be another way Damon! Why is it that every time I'm in danger, somebody else has to suffer for me?" She seemed more upset and emotionally drained than angry. As if she was questioning her entire existence.
"There was no other way. Either Abby or Bonnie became a vampire, or you died. Stefan and I had a choice." He shook the memory of making the decision from his thoughts. "We chose you." He added simply, bringing his eyes back up to hers.
"Oh and I'm sure the two of you fought over who would do it." Elena replied, snappily. Damon shook his head.
"We flipped a coin actually." Damon said, his voice light and airy now as he stood, making his way back to the drink cart. Elena looked angry now as Damon looked at her over his shoulder. "He lost."
"But...you did it." Elena said slowly, Damon nodded as he poured two drinks.
"Yup." He walked up to her, handing her a drink. "Someone had to do it and you already made your feelings for me pretty clear." He concluded as she took the drink, her fingers brushing his in the exchange and making him shiver ever so slightly.
"I have?" Elena questioned in a small voice. Damon nodded.
"Mhmm." He took a gulp of his drink and turned toward the fireplace. "You made your choice. You don't want me." Elena looked at Damon's back, tears stinging her eyes.
"Damon-"
"No. Its okay." Damon said quickly, turning around to face her again. "It will always be Stefan." He looked as if the words caused him great physical pain, but he allowed himself to speak them anyhow. Her eyes pleaded with his and she could have sworn she could see tears glistening in his eyes now.
"Maybe you should go, okay? Hate me for what I've done. It'll be easier." He gave her a very soft smile. Tears fell from her eyes now.
"I don't hate you." She admitted, but Damon merely shrugged.
"But me loving you is a problem." Damon said quietly, tearing his eyes away from hers. Suddenly, without warning, Elena's lips crashed into his, dragging him into a long, passionate kiss that trumped even the kiss they had shared a few weeks ago. Maybe it was because of the raw emotion that hung in the air, maybe it was because this time she had started it. He wasn't sure, all he knew was that as he closed his eyes tightly and kissed her back with everything he was, he felt that single tear fall down his cheek and he wasn't sure if it was out of happiness or sadness. When the kiss finally ended, Damon rested his forehead on hers and with a gaze into one another's eyes, they both began to laugh softly until tears threatened to fall. Neither knowing how exactly to feel.
"What changed your mind Elena?" Damon asked softly, so unsure with himself now. Elena sniffed and looked up into his eyes, bringing her hand up to his strong jaw.
"I remembered the things I felt when Stefan was gone..." She said quietly, silencing any other questions with a kiss that melted them together, fuzing them into one person. Love peaking through the clouds that had hidden it for far too long.
"You alive?" Elena asked with a small giggle as Damon realized that he had been lost in the memory. Damon smiled.
"I'm undead at least." He replied with a smirk, crinkling his nose ever so slightly the way he did when he was being amusing. She smiled and nodded.
"Oh yes, I forget." Elena said playfully. "Old man." Damon's jaw dropped.
"Old man?" He questioned playfully. "Oh you're going to get it now!" He exclaimed, taking her in his arms and flipping them over so that she was trapped beneath his strong body. He began to tickle her sides, eliciting laughter and squeals from her.
"Stop Damon!" She yelled, laughing. He shook his head.
"Never!" He swore as she tried to swat him away, but it was no use, he was too strong. She laughed until she practically couldn't breathe.
"Ow!" She gasped, causing Damon to stop immediately, falling serious.
"Are you alright? I didn't hurt you did I?" He realized that it was entirely possible for him to hurt her, crack a bone even. He forgot about his strength sometimes. Elena shook her head.
"No, I just got a cramp from laughing so hard." She said softly, a smile still plastered on her face. Damon let out a breath he wasn't aware he was holding.
"Oh good." He reasoned, sitting up a bit so that she was no longer trapped beneath him now. She sat up too, laying her legs on his lap and settling herself in his arms. He smiled, wrapping his arms around her small frame. "Would you like to watch a movie or something?" He asked.
"How about, instead, you tell me a story." Elena suggested, resting her head on his chest now. Damon nodded.
"Okay..." He agreed, stroking her hair soothingly. "What kind of story would you like to hear?" He asked curiously, feeling her smile against his chest.
"Tell me about the first film you ever saw." She asked thoughtfully, knowing he had lived through a lot of technologies, but thinking that this one might be most interesting to hear first. She wanted to hear all of this stories with time. She smiled.
"Sure." He replied, thinking back to a long time ago. "It was back in 1896..."
Lyon, France 1896
Damon Salvatore was just passing through Lyon, France on his way back to the Salvatore home in Florence, Italy. He had recently been in Paris and various other places in Europe. He had been a vampire for a little over thirty years now and he had already seen many amazing things. He saw a gasoline-powered carriage that needed no horses, and a device called a telephone that allowed people to speak directly without having to go find them. It felt as if the world was changing so rapidly around him and he was just stuck at the age of twenty-four, forced to feed on innocent people for his survival; an abomination to the balance of nature.
So he kept moving. He moved every few months, traveled the world and did all the things that if he hadn't become a vampire, he probably would have never gotten the chance to do. On this particular day, he had been minding his own business, just walking down the streets of Lyon, France, looking for a place to stay the night, when he came upon a individually owned bed and breakfast. He entered and made his way to the front desk where a woman in her mid-fifties was standing.
"How may I help you sir?" She asked sweetly in a strong French accent and Damon vacantly realized that if he were not a vampire, he would be about her age now. Covered in wrinkles rather than standing before her with his piercing blue eyes, strong body, and olive complexion. He almost felt guilty.
"Um, yes. I'd like a room." He said, his voice feigning youth and innocence. The woman smiled at him and nodded.
"You're in luck, we have one left." She reached for the room key to hand to him. "That will be $2.25." Damon let out a low whistle at the expense. He realized that in 2012, that was nearly sixty dollars. The dollar really had lost its value.
"You insist that I stay for free." Damon told her, his voice smooth as silk, his pupils dilating as he spoke. The women looked as if she was in a trance before she suddenly smiled.
"You know what? I insist that you stay free of charge." She said sweetly, causing Damon to smile and play along.
"Really? Are you sure?" He asked in mock excitement. Of course she was sure. She smiled and nearly shoved the room key into his hands.
"Oh yes! I insist!" She exclaimed. Damon smiled and tipped his hat.
"Why thank you for your hospitality." He thanked the woman kindly and made his way up to his room where a few brochures and fliers were sitting on the dresser. He put his suitcase down and shuffled through them, wondering if perhaps he'd find something interesting to do during his one night stay. One particular advertisement caught his eye. 'The Lumière brothers present: The First Public Motion Picture! January 25th, 1896. 7p.m'
Damon read it again and cocked his head in wander. A "motion" picture? As in a photograph that moved...it intrigued him, more than he could describe in words. He wondered what this technology was and how or if it would impact the world in the way some of the other inventions had. He scanned the ad for an address and memorized it before pulling out his pocket watch. It was 6:22p.m. He could make it there in time.
With haste, he changed into a pair of gray slacks, with a blue oxford shirt, and a gray vest. He at least looked presentable for either casual or a more formal setting seeing as he had no idea what to expect. Grabbing his gray fedora-style hat and pulling his jacket on, he left in a hurry, entering the cool winter air.
It was a short walk to the building that held the address he had read and it looked rather abandoned actually. He would have felt weary about going in if he was still human, but since being a vampire, he worried a lot less for his safety; there wasn't much that could do too much damage. As he walked through the door, a man with a friendly voice greeted him in French.
"Bienvenue. J'espère que vous apprécierez votre visite." Damon nodded his head at the man gesturing toward a room. The only word he got out of that was 'welcome' and that was only because it was very similar to the Italian translation.
"Merci." Damon replied politely, following a deep red carpet toward the room the man had pointed him to. He slipped into the back of the dimly-lit room where a good twenty or so people were. Some were sitting, others were standing, talking amongst themselves while a mustached man hung up a white screen on the far wall. The Salvatore felt excitement for the first time in a good while and with a twinge, he wished he had someone to share this moment, this excitement with. He vaguely wished that Stefan was here, but he shook his head roughly, shaking the thought from his head.
"Je vous présente," A voice boomed out, silencing the people in an instant. "L'Arrivée d'un train en gare de La Ciotat." Vaguely, Damon picked out words, 'present', 'arrival', 'train'. They gave him enough information to understand that the picture would be of the arrival of a train of sorts. A faint clicking of a winding machine began as a black and white picture came up on the white screen. A train was seen in the distance, coming toward the audience as people began to gasp and hit the floor, fearing that they were in danger of the train coming out of the screen and hitting them. Damon himself even gasped and flinched ever so slightly, but his eyes remained on the screen and they sparkled at how magical this 'motion picture' seemed to be. It was less than a minute long but the moment it stopped, Damon was left with a sense of accomplishment and wonder. He instantly wanted to watch it again and again and as the crowd cheered and applauded the men who had created such an amazing new invention, the invention of film, Damon felt awestruck.
Mystic Falls, Virginia 2012
"...And it just felt magical and wondrous all at the same time." Damon explained in conclusion. Elena had her head in his lap, gazing up as he finished up his story. She almost felt sad that she had never felt that way about something because, she had not lived through some huge turn of the century event such as that. She almost felt envious of his story, would she ever get the chance to feel passionate about some new invention or would she just brush it aside and take it for granted?
"I hope I get the chance to experience that someday." Elena said, almost dreamily. Damon chuckled.
"The film? It's on youtube I think, I'm sure I could show it to you but it would not be nearly as impressive to you as it was to me." He mused, smiling. Elena shook her head with a chuckle.
"No, not that." She said, her voice lowering. "The chance to identify with awe and wander that some event is going to impact the way I live my life. Like you did. You had never heard of such a thing and when you saw it, you were filled with this...completeness that impacted your life and the way you'd see things." She sat up some and sighed. "I want that."
"You're living one of those moments right now." Elena looked at him in question as Damon chuckled, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "You and me. This thing we've started here tonight. This is one of those life-altering moments. One of those moments that you know is going to impact your life and leave you awestruck when you look back on it." He kissed her forehead gently. "So recognize it Elena Gilbert, because this is one of those moments of impact." Elena looked up at him, her eyes meeting his with a smile.
"A moment of impact," She repeated softly before leaning up to kiss his lips sweetly, a smile playing on her face. "I like the sound of that."