A/N: Alright so… I am currently writing another story called "Second Chances" which I will continue, but it's very angsty and so I needed an outlet for fun, fluffy, sexy Delena that was cramming my head and blocking my creative juices :) So I just had to write this down and get it out of my system. I guess I will be switching between these stories, depending on my mood :) I hope you like it. Let me know what you think.
The first chapter in which a new man comes into our heroine's life
Elena awoke startled. The space around her was pitch black and completely still, but she could have sworn she had heard something. Something like glass shattering downstairs. But now everything was quiet. She was about to lie back down again, chalking it up to a bad dream, when she heard another sound. It was very faint, but this time she was sure she heard it. Glass crunching under the soles of someone's shoes. She held her breath in fear. Someone had broken a window, climbed in and was now sneaking through her home. She was sure of it. She turned around and looked at her husband's sleeping form. So typical that they would be burgled and he would just sleep through it. She wouldn't even be surprised if he was awake and just pretended to be asleep so he didn't have to go check. He could be such a coward. She turned under the blankets, as slowly as possible so as to not make a sound and pushed at his shoulder lightly.
"Mason," she whispered. He only let out a quick groan and brushed her hand off sleepily. "Mason," she said again, a bit louder but still whispering. Her heart was in her throat at the thought that the intruder might hear her and come upstairs. She did not trust her husband to defend her against dangerous criminals. "There's someone in the house," she elaborated, poking him again.
"What is it?" His voice was almost at normal speaking volume and Elena clamped her hand over his mouth frantically.
"Shhh!" She hissed at him. "There's someone in the house. I think someone broke in." The man lying next to her just looked at her like her words were confusing him. "You have to go look," she explained with an exasperated eye roll.
"Are you crazy?" He asked, thankfully speaking in hushed tones as well now. "If someone really did break in, I'm definitely not going down there. That's what we have security for."
"But you just hired that guy today!" Elena felt like yelling but was too afraid to raise her voice, so all that came out was a desperate whisper that was accompanied by a slight wheezing sound. "How do you know he's even capable?" She looked at him with wide eyes while he just rolled his at her in annoyance. "How do you know it's not one of his buddies? Maybe that was his plan when he accepted the job." She was now quite certain that she was in grave danger, not trusting the new security guard her husband had hired that same afternoon without even consulting her and also having great doubts her husband would be able to defend her should he have to. "Go look!" She demanded again.
With an exasperated sigh, Mason got out of bed and walked carefully towards the door. At that moment, Elena heard another sound from downstairs; as if someone had walked into a chair or another small piece of furniture, shoving it slightly. Elena let out a suppressed squeal of fright, clasping her hands over her mouth instantly. Mason shot around, telling her with a harsh look to be quiet. He then turned back towards the door and edged out into the hallway. Quietly, Elena swung her legs onto the floor and followed her husband on tiptoes.
When the pair reached the balustrade and Elena peeked over Mason's shoulder to try and make something out in the completely dark entrance hall downstairs, they were surprised by a sudden outbreak of commotion. Whereas it had been almost completely quiet until now, all hell broke loose in an instant. Elena heard rushing footsteps, furniture being pushed away and tumbling over, the low grunts of men fighting, something that was probably the impact of a fist on someone's face and finally something heavy falling down and then a piercing cry of agony. It was then that she couldn't hold back anymore and let out a shriek. Mason turned around at her and looked at her in disbelief. Just then the lights went on and the couple struggled with the sudden brightness. Mason was the first to turn back towards the staircase and let out a sigh of relief at what he saw had happened in his foyer. Elena edged closer behind his back and looked down, making out two figures at the bottom of the stairs, one lying on the floor, his arms bent painfully behind his back, the other leaning over him and holding him down. Had her husband not heaved that relieved sigh, she would not have been sure the right man had been captured, that's how much both of them intimidated her. True, one was wearing a ski mask, but to her, the other seemed just as dangerous. The sheer brute force he exuded, leaning over the man on the floor menacingly, his muscular arms holding the other pinned down in a death grip, the tousled, jet-black hair falling wildly over his eyes, thrilled her immensely. But the eyes that were now looking up at them were what frightened her the most. Albeit icily blue, they were filled with a fire that seemed uncontainable. They had an openly predatory gleam to them. He was magnificent. Magnificent the way a panther is magnificent. In that it is beautiful as much as it is terrifying. She liked looking at panthers behind bars at the zoo, but for the life of her she never wanted to come across one that was free. They were to be kept at a safe distance. And this man was to be kept at a safe distance as well. She didn't trust the wildness in him. Her husband, even though physically just as well built as the man in their foyer, was a coward at heart. She could deal with a coward. They were predictable and she liked predictable. The man at the bottom of her stairs seemed passionate and passionate meant unpredictable and she had made a habit of excluding such people from her life. She hated surprises; she hated to be taken off guard, so for the most part she had eliminated the chances of that happening.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you, Sir," the man finally said, "Ma'am," he added, almost as an afterthought. He spoke without a strain in his voice, almost nonchalantly, as if he was not pinning a criminal to the ground.
"By all means, I'm glad I woke up to see this," Mason returned with a wide smile and a hint of admiration in his voice. The man at the bottom of the stairs smirked lightly, Elena thought almost dismissively, and took a step back, hoisting the overwhelmed intruder up by his wrists.
"Well, in any case you can go back to bed reassured. I will take care of this." And with that he turned the other man around abruptly and started walking him out of the room, before turning around again, now looking up at Elena. "It was a pleasure to finally meet you, too, Mrs. Lockwood." He said, smiling at her courteously.
"Likewise," she answered and then stopped hesitantly, having no idea what this man's name was.
"Salvatore," he supplied with a quick smile and turned back around, marching out of the room.
The next day, Elena was sitting in her elaborate kitchen, waiting for her sister in law. Elena loved spending time in the kitchen. In the three years she and her husband had lived here, she had of course never touched a single appliance, but she thought the room had a homely feel to it and she liked looking at the shiny surfaces. Maria did a wonderful job of keeping everything nice and clean. Plus, they had a great chef. Elena loved the idea of freshly cooked food, she loved to taste the dishes François prepared for them and she loved to be in the place where all that magic happened.
As soon as Vicki got to the house, however, the two women went strolling through the grand gardens of the elder Lockwood's estate. This was because Vicki, for her part, avoided spending any time in the kitchen at all. All it did was reminding her that there were chores to be taken care of, should she choose to do so, which of course she never did. Elena didn't particularly like Vicki, but her daily walks with her were better than being bored. With the nanny taking care of her kids, the maid taking care of her chores and her husband being off feeling important all day long, Elena had little to occupy her time. Plus, Vicki was very entertaining. The biggest gossip in the world.
She had gotten Mason's brother Tyler to marry her by feigning mental deficiencies (not being able to remember to take her birth control) and consequentially ending up with child. Tyler, being the noble young man he was (to everyone's surprise), had angered his parents immensely and asked for her hand in marriage. They led the most awkward marriage Elena had ever seen anyone lead and she sometimes wondered how it was even possible that these two were still together. But so far neither of them had killed the other and in Elena's mind that certainly had to count as somewhat of a success.
"Tell me everything!" Vicki now said, referring to having just received the news that Elena and Mason had seemingly barely escaped being made the victims of a horrible crime.
"Oh my, it was horrid!" Elena exclaimed. In truth, she had pretty much gotten over the events of the previous night, but she knew her sister in law lived for drama and she enjoyed having her drink in every single word. "I woke up because I heard him break a window."
Vicki covered her mouth with her hand in shock. Elena nodded, confirming the notion that it was all really quite shocking. "I was scared for my life," she said with insistence.
"Of course," the other woman agreed.
"Mason went to check, I was so scared but you know him, he has to be my knight in shining armor." Vicki nodded in agreement. Elena wasn't sure why, but she always felt like she had to build her husband up in front of other people.
"And then suddenly there was all this commotion. I don't even know what happened exactly. But when the lights finally came on, our new security guard had taken the intruder down. He was like pinning him to the floor. It was all very intense."
Vicki nodded her head in understanding. Then her concerned expression turned into a complicit smirk. "Also kinda hot though," she said, winking at Elena.
Elena feigned utter shock. "Vicki!" She exclaimed. "I was afraid for my life!"
"Oh come on, admit it," the other woman said in a playful tone. "A strong man, protecting you from evil criminals… kinda hot."
Elena shook her head in seeming disbelief. "You are the worst, Vicki Lockwood." But she couldn't help the smile that crept onto her face. At that moment the two women rounded the corner of a hedge and came face to face with the protector they had been talking about. He had apparently picked this rather secluded spot for his afternoon workout. He hadn't noticed the two women yet, but they couldn't help staring at him, wearing nothing but sweat pants, his skin glistening from a slight sheen of sweat caused by the physical exertion, his muscles rippling with every move he made. Elena didn't even know what he was doing, but it looked like some kind of slow motion martial arts. Or like a routine he had designed specifically to showcase his incredible body, looking at his slow but forceful movements, that explanation seemed just as likely. Vicki was the first to regain control over her vocal chords.
"Who is that?" She whispered.
"That's him," Elena answered in an equally hushed tone.
"That's your security guy?" Vicki looked at Elena with wide eyes. The latter only nodded. "You're telling me that fine specimen over there saved your life and you didn't take him right then and there?" Vicki stared at her as in disbelief.
Elena couldn't help a chuckle leaving her throat. "Why must you always be so crass?" She asked, shaking her head. "Plus, I am a happily married woman. I don't screw the help." She waved her hand dismissively.
"He is not 'the help'," Vicki quoted sarcastically with her fingers. "He is every woman's phantasy."
Elena rolled her eyes. "I guess there is no point in pointing out to you that you are also married."
"I can still look and appreciate," the other woman replied.
"By all means, feel free to look and appreciate away," Elena answered, starting to turn around to walk back to the house, but being startled in her movement.
"Good afternoon, ladies," she heard his velvety voice drawl from across the clearing. She heaved a heavy sigh. She had hoped to be able to sneak away without being noticed, but apparently this was not the case.
"Good afternoon, Mr. Salvatore. Sorry to interrupt," she said curtly.
"No, please, I'm sorry. I thought I wouldn't be in anybody's way back here," he replied, throwing the two women a boyish grin that could actually be interpreted as somewhat embarrassed at being caught. He grabbed a towel lying on the ground and started to wipe at the back of his neck. Elena could hear the intake of breath from Vicki.
"Oh no, you're definitely not in our way," Vicki answered, her voice now heavily laced with a flirtatious undertone. "Please, don't let us stop you from… doing what you have to do." Damon chuckled, obviously picking up on Vicki's real intentions. Elena flushed and wished she could disappear in the ground. Her sister in law had no sense of propriety. "It's good to know that you… keep yourself in shape. Makes a girl feel safe." She threw him a wide smile.
"So you also fall amongst the people I am supposed to protect, I gather?"
"I do. I am Vicki." She extended her hand to him.
"Mr. Tyler's wife. Yes. Very glad to finally meet you," he answered, shaking her hand quickly. "Well excuse me ladies, I feel I must make myself a little more presentable." He smiled a dazzling smile at them and walked away.
When he was out of earshot, Vicki spoke again, her words directed at Elena, but her eyes still lingering on the retreating form: "Well, if you won't, I will."
A/N: Here it is, my first chapter for this one. Not that much fluffy Delena stuff yet, but it will happen, don't you worry :) I think I'm actually better with writing angsty stories, this is first attempt at a fun one, so please let me know if you like it or if I'm failing miserably :) All reviews or messages are greatly appreciated! Bye for now…