hope you enjoy this. it came to me in a dream i had the other night. i just had to turn it into a fic. let me know what you think.
I own nothing.
It was July 1864, and Damon Salvatore was teaching his younger brother Stefan how to play a game he had learned while in battle.
"It's called football. You have to try to get the ball from me brother." Damon said trying to give Stefan a fighting chance of beating him. Damon had tried to hide his newfound abilities, after being transformed into a vampire a while back. His family didn't know, and it was good that they didn't, as they would probably have him staked if they knew. When they finally finished playing, Damon laid back on the grass and stared at the clouds. Stefan imitated his actions and they laid in silence for a while.
"So what's happened since I left?" Damon asked, trying to stay in the loop.
"Not too much. A young lady is coming to stay with us. She's an orphan after her parents were killed when their carriage drove off the bridge, and father is busy planning our courtship." Stefan said.
"Father automatically chose you?" Damon asked.
"Yes. He thinks you are too rugged and are not ready to settle down." he explained.
"I see. What is this mystery girl's name?" he asked.
"Elena Gilbert. We've never even met, but father says we are to be married." Stefan said.
"When does she come?" Damon asked.
"She is expected to be here, later today or tomorrow sometime." Stefan answered. Damon just nodded before sitting up, offended that his father wouldn't even think of him. Damon was used to being pushed to the side and ignored, even being the older Salvatore brother. Stefan was the apple of their mothers eye before she died, and their father thought he was the best. As much as Damon loved his brother, he couldn't help but resent him too.
Elena Gilbert rode in her carriage on her way to the Salvatore house. Her aide sat across from her.
"So I am to marry the younger Salvatore Brother?" she asked.
"Yes. Stefan Salvatore. The eldest is a rouge. He is not the man to settle down with." she answered.
"But that would be more excited. I still cannot believe that my father had been in contact with Mr Salvatore for months, planning this. What am I to do about my condition?" she asked worried.
"Keep well fed, and hide it. No one need to know. Keep it secret." her aide answered.
"But what of my future husband. I am a danger to him." she said.
"As long as he doesn't wake to find you nibbling on him or something, then all should be fine." she answered.
"Thank you." Elena said gratefully. Elena couldn't believe what had occurred in the past while. She had lost her parents, and been transformed into a vampire. If anyone was ever aware they would kill her. Elena knew that in order to survive she needed to remain inconspicuous. She could see the Salvatore house looming up ahead. She was equal parts nervous and excited for the new beginning in her life. She was nervous to meet her new future husband, bur excited to start her new life.
"Boys, our guest will be arriving shortly. I received a message from her former house, saying that they were on their way. Go clean up." he instructed while adjusting his tie. Damon and Stefan obliged walking into the house. Stefan was quiet, and Damon knew he was nervous about meeting Elena Gilbert. Damon couldn't really blame him, it would be nerve-wracking meeting your future bride in just a few short moments. They separated and went into their own rooms to change and clean up. While inside his room, Damon quickly drank some blood before changing into some nicer clothes. Damon met Stefan at the staircase, and Damon could tell that Stefan was visibly shaking.
"Calm down brother. You act like your heading to the executioner." Damon said laughing.
"That is easy for you to say, your not the one meeting your future bride." he said.
"That is true." he amended. Damon and Stefan went to stand by their fathers side just as the carriage was entering the gates.
"There she comes." their father said happily. Damon could feel Stefan's nervousness from beside him and he squeezed his shoulder reassuringly. Stefan smiled at his attempt as the carriage came to a stop beside them. Mr. Salvatore walked to the carriage door and opened it for her, taking her hand to help her from the carriage.
"Welcome Miss Gilbert." he said kissing her hand.
"This is my son Stefan. The man you will be marrying." he said placing her hand in Stefan's.
"Nice to meet you Miss Gilbert." Stefan said kissing her hand.
"You as well." she answered before moving on to Damon.
"This is my other son, Damon." his father stated, introducing his non favorite son.
"Nice to meet you Miss Gilbert." he said kissing her hand.
"The pleasure is all mine Mr Salvatore." she said seeing something she liked in the older Salvatore brothers eyes.
"Margaret will show you to your quarters Miss Gilbert." Mr Salvatore stated. Elena nodded and followed the one called Margaret to her rooms.
The rooms were very nice, but for whatever reason she couldn't stop thinking about Damon. He wasn't the one she was marrying, so she shouldn't be thinking about him at all. But she couldn't help him. He had awoken something inside of her and she loved the feeling. When Stefan had kissed her hand, she felt nothing, but when Damon kissed her hand, she felt an erupting of longing inside of her. Could it possibly be love at first sight? No that was impossible. Sure he was attractive, but they didn't even know each other. She couldn't love him.
"Miss are you alright?" Margaret asked.
"Yes, of course." Elena answered being pulled out of her thoughts.
"Alright, it just looked like you were lost in thought." Margaret said stepping back. Elena nodded and sat down at her window seat. From her window she could see Damon sitting on the fence with a book laid across his lap. Even from a distance he was breathtaking. She wondered what he thought about her. She wondered if he thought about her at all. She hoped he did.
It was hard to keep his mind off of his brothers fiance. She was beautiful, but there was something else about her. Something that drew him to her, something that made him feel that she would be better suited to him instead. When he kissed her hand, he felt something change in him. He didn't have any idea of what it was, and he really didn't care. He seen Stefan striding out to him and he put his book down again.
"Hello brother." he said when Stefan took a seat on the other end of the fence.
"Hello, father wanted me to tell you that there will be a banquet tonight, celebrating Miss Gilberts arrival and our engagement." he said.
"You sound much more confident about the engagement now?" Damon noted.
"Yes, she is beautiful, and exactly what I imagined myself to be marrying. I don't know why I was so worried." he said.
"Just be careful." Damon insisted.
"Of what?" Stefan asked.
"Nothing. Nevermind. Come along, we should get ready for this party that father is throwing. We need to look amazing for this party." he said rising off the fence. Stefan followed behind him, happier than he could ever remember being. He was about to marry a beautiful girl, his life was perfect.
That evening when Elena made her appearance at the party, Stefan cornered her.
"Good evening Miss Gilbert." he said.
"Good evening Mr Salvatore." she answered allowing him to kiss her hand. While he kissed it, she couldn't believe that she wished it was Damon. She could see herself marrying Damon, Stefan was too bland for her. He was nice, but there was something dangerous about Damon. She didn't know when she came to the realization that she liked Damon because he seemed dangerous, but she did. She seen him standing by his father on the other side of the room, and her eyes caught his. Stefan took her hand and pulled her across the room to where they were standing.
"Are you ready to be announced as the soon to be Elena Salvatore tonight?" Stefan's father asked.
"Of course." Elena nodded, smiling at Damon in the process. There was something about her smile that ignited something inside of Damon. It was an odd feeling, he felt like he was flying. But he didn't know what to make of that feeling. Could it possibly be love? It's impossible he thought, she was marrying his brother.
Later that evening, Stefan and Elena were pulled to the front to make their announcement. Elena dutifully stood behind Stefan as he made the announcement. She hated being pushed behind a man, she knew she was stronger than everyone here, and could kill them all in an instant. It ignited her rage being pushed back, in favour of Stefan, because he was a man. She knew it was customary for the woman to stand a few paces back from her husband but that didn't mean she liked it. She took a deep breath calming herself down, and was suddenly very thankful for the blood she had earlier to keep her appetite in check for this evening. The last thing she needed was to go wild on blood lust now.
"I am up here tonight, to announce my engagement to the beautiful Miss Elena Gilbert." he said simply. The room start applauding, but Elena seen Damon walk out of the ballroom. She watched him leave and she listened carefully to see if she could tell where he went. When she got off the stage behind Stefan she stopped him.
"I'll be back alright darling. I just have to use the ladies room." she said kindly, before using vampire speed to exit the house. She began using her heightened senses to search out Damon. She found him leaning against a carriage outside.
"What are you doing out here? Arent you supposed to be celebrating your engagement?" he asked eying her.
"I should be. But I don't want to. I would rather be here with you." she said.
"You would now?" he asked.
"I would. You are an amazing man Damon Salvatore." she said. Her saying that made his head snap upwards, and he started into her deep brown eyes. "You don't even know me." he said.
"That doesn't matter. I am 18 years old, and I have never had adventure. I want adventure. You have lived adventure. I want you to teach me." she said.
"I am 20 years old and I have never had structure. I have never had safety. You have had all of that. I want you to show me." he said. She nodded and leaned in to kiss him. She didn't know what she was doing, all she knew was that it felt right. He pulled away from her shocked, his brothers fiancé was kissing him and he couldn't deny that it felt amazing.
"Damon, I want you." she insisted.
"You are engaged to my brother." he insisted.
"It does not matter. I don't want to be engaged to your brother. I want to be with you." she insisted. He stared at her for a moment, before spinning them to pin her between his body and the carriage.
"I want you." he said. She nodded and he kissed her with everything he had. He could feel her tongue tentatively creeping in to his mouth, and he welcomed it. His hands wandered all over her body. His hands trailed all the way around to her firm bottom and squeezed lightly. She released a loud moan. He could feel his erection pressing against the fly of his pants and he knew he needed to relieve himself. He pushed his pants down and pushed her dress up to pool around her breasts and pushed her underwear down.
"Have you ever….?" he asked.
"No I am pure." she said. He nodded and kissed her once again, before slowly pushing into her. He could feel her tense up a little bit but after that she relaxed as he slowly embedded himself inside of her. Her nails scratched along his shirt covered back as he started to move. They moved together, fitting together like two perfect puzzle pieces. Elena realized that she was right all along, she fell in love at first sight with Damon Salvatore.
The next few months went on much the same. She and Damon continued their illicit affair behind the backs of everyone. She would sneak to his bedroom in the middle of the night and at times he would sneak into hers. By day she dutifully planned her wedding to Stefan, because she couldn't just call it off. But the more time she spent with Damon, the more she loved him. The more she realized that she couldn't marry his brother. Loving Damon was dangerous too though, the more she fell for him the more she wanted to be honest with him. And she knew she couldn't do that. Doing that could mean certain death for him. Maybe Stefan was the safer bet, she would never have to deal with wanting to tell him. She didn't need to be honest with him, because she wasn't in love with him. Could she spend the rest of eternity living with a man that didn't know everything about her. Would she? All the questions left Elena with a very difficult decision to make. What would she do?
Damon was sitting outside with Stefan. He was feeling guilt over being with his bothers fiancé, but he couldn't bring himself to do anything about it. He loved her. He knew being in love meant that he should be honest with her. But he didn't want to scare her away. He needed her in his life and he didn't know what to do. He glanced to the side to see Stefan staring at him curiously.
"Something the matter brother?" he asked.
"No, everything is fine." he answered.
"Alright." Stefan answered turning back to his book. While Stefan read, Damon got nowhere near closer to figuring out the answer to his dilemma.
It took a while, but Elena figured out what to do about her problem. She knew it wasn't going to be a popular decision. But she needed to protect them. She loved Damon and she needed to know he would be alright. And being with a vampire would not be good for him. Tears rolled down her face as she wrote out the letters. Planting the letters in everyone's bedrooms that night, she quickly fled wanting to leave the place as quickly as she could. Needing to get away before her heart changed her mind. She turned off her emotions and just ran. She ran and ran, hoping that Damon's future would be bright, knowing she would never see him again.
