Always Bring Vervain into the Shower
Damon Salvatore was sitting on his couch pondering his life as of late. He'd done things he wasn't proud of. He was always feeling guilty for being who he was and to be honest it was draining. But if that was the only counter effect of being in love, he would take it gladly. Sadly, it wasn't. Being in love also came with a lot of pain and heartache, especially when the girl he loved didn't love him back, or because he had to have hope, wasn't ready to show him how she really did feel. Damon sighed. If only she'd be open with him and trust herself enough to show him, to finally let her guards down. As he was pondering just how to get her to do this an idea popped into his head. He'd been patient, giving her time to deal with her emotions, to realize how she felt. He'd been the good guy, but he couldn't wait any longer. Now it was all's fair in love and war and he was going to play dirty.
Elena Gilbert finished up in the shower and reached half blindly out of the shower for her towel to wipe her eyes. Turning off the water, she quickly dried off before dressing in her pyjamas, getting ready to go to bed. Towel- drying her hair, she tossed the towel into the hamper and made her way into her adjoining bedroom. Her heart gave a jump as she entered the room and saw him. Damon. Damon Salvatore. He was sitting on her bed, his head facing the floor, even though she'd walked into the room. When he face eventually raised, his eyes looked sad, holding back unshed tears. He gave her a half-smile but didn't say anything.
She sighed softly, her heart beat returning to its natural rhythm. After all the times he'd shown up in her room late at night, waiting for her as she exited her bathroom, you would think she'd come to expect it, or at least not be scared by it. Still, every time it gave her a sudden jerk to see him sitting there. She slowly started to move and made her way next to him. Her eyes fell on her dresser on which her vervain necklace lay. She had taken it off before she had gone into the shower. But even still, knowing that she was unprotected from compulsion, she didn't bother to get it, feeling safe with Damon beside her. She sat on the bed beside him.
"Damon?" she said softly into the otherwise empty house. "What's wrong?"
She gently placed one of her tiny hands on his forearm. His eyes met hers and captured her gaze, refusing to let go. "I can't take it any longer, Elena," his voice holding a desperate pleading, as his eyes shown so much emotion.
"Can't… take what?" Elena asked confused, concern in her eyes, tilting her head slightly to the side.
"Not knowing how you feel about me," he murmured softly.
Elena was taken aback slightly by the forwardness in his words, but they had been flirting for months, or at least Damon doing so and Elena not trying to stop him, but rather silently taking all the pleasure it caused in.
"Damon," she said his name in the 'you shouldn't say that' voice she always had with him.
Damon's hand raised to her face, tenderly cupping her cheek, his eyes pleading hers. "I have to know," he voice begged and her heart broke. He was so desperate and she knew he loved her so much. She was always breaking his heart but what could she do? She wasn't ready to date him yet… she had just broken up with Stefan… she wasn't even sure if she was over him or not.
Elena's heart thumped in her chest as she saw his eyes lower to her neck or rather just below her neck where her necklace would rest. She gulped. She wasn't scared that he would compel her into doing something that would hurt her. Still, she was afraid of what he'd compel her to do. She knew it couldn't be all that great if he had to compel her to do it. She gently shook her head.
"Damon, don't," she whispered, her voice catching in her throat.
He only smiled and then returned his gaze to hers, holding her face firmly yet gently in his hands. She helplessly stared into his eyes, getting lost in them before she could close her eyes and free herself from what was about to happen.
"I'm sorry Elena," he said truthfully. "But I need to know… show me how you truly feel about me," his eyes compelling her to do exactly what he said.
He released her face and leaned back, waiting to see her reaction, the one that would either prove she loved him, and he would be ecstatic, or that she didn't have feelings for him and forever breaking his heart and turning him back into the monster he truly was.
The compulsion took a few seconds to work its way into her mind. Elena then looked over at him, her eyes staring at him with a hunger he'd never seen in them. Then before he could even process what was happening she lunged her body into his chest claiming his lips in a passionate kiss.
Her hands flew to his hair as she wrapped herself around his body kissing his lips so passionately before leaving them to kiss his neck. Damon sat there stunned that he was finally kissing the girl he loved and couldn't be happier that she really did feel something for him. He quickly tilted his head so that their lips met again and kissed her back with all the emotions he had been holding back for the past two years. The electricity between them searing their bodies and souls together. Elena's hands were suddenly at his button-up shirt, ripping it open, pulling it away from his perfectly sculpted skin. Having wanted this for so long, his mind was half lost at the moment. She pushed him forcefully unto the bed kissing him breathless. Her tiny hands were instantly on his belt, bringing his mind back to reality. Knowing he'd forever regret this moment if he didn't stop her, and that a lesser version of himself wouldn't have thought twice about it, especially that this was clearly her desire as well, he moved away from underneath her. She fell lightly unto the bed with his sudden movement. Their eyes met. Elena was gasping for air and at this moment Damon realized that she, unlike him, needed air.
"What's wrong?" she asked speaking for the first time throughout all this, her eyes holding a hazy glaze in them, still under compulsion.
"Elena," Damon said softly, instantly grabbing her into his arms and holding her against his bare chest as they lay there on the bed.
"I can't… even though it's want we both want. It's not…right… under compulsion… regardless of if it's real or not."
His eyes captured hers again. "Remember this," he whispered softly as the compulsion faded. Elena stared at him, and for a second it looked like she would forget it all, but then her eyes fell to his exposed chest and she blushed lowering her gaze to her hands.
"I… I…" she said nervously. "I… can't believe you compelled me!" she shouted her eyes finding his again, her embarrassment fading, replacing itself with anger.
"How could you!" she demanded, jumping out of his embrace and off the bed.
Damon was instantly by her side, his eyes begging hers to understand, his heart breaking that she was angry with him. Then again, what had he expected would happen when the compulsion wore off?
"I had to know," Damon said, a chuckle in his voice, his arrogant smirk appearing on his lips.
"Clearly you do want me," he said teasingly. Elena blushed. Well… that didn't prove anything! Who wouldn't want to do that to him? He was gorgeous after all. And vamp sex was something entirely out of this world. She mentally shook her head. Focus Elena, she reprimanded herself.
"That doesn't prove anything!" she said defiantly, poking him in the chest. It was only then that Damon realized that maybe all she felt for him as an attraction and that her heart still lied with his brother.
"Elena, no more lies. Please! Let your walls fall. I would wait centuries for you if I only knew that you loved me!"
Elena stared into his eyes. Her heart was breaking and her body shaking. She did love Damon, as a friend and well… she just couldn't sort out all the rest. She wanted to be with him but things seemed too… complicated right now… with Stefan she meant. Still, he'd broken her heart. How long was she going to feel sorry for him? He hadn't given any concern to her feelings these past months, so why should she now by renouncing all feelings for Damon?
Her eyes closed and she focused on her heart. On how she felt. On Damon. Her mind focused on the moments they had just shared… on his loving kisses. Oh, how she wanted to be with him. Her walls were breaking fast and this time she didn't have the strength to tell him that she didn't love him. She opened her eyes and reached over and grabbed Damon behind the head, pulling him towards her. Their lips met once again in a soft and tender kiss.
"I do love you Damon," she whispered as she pulled apart, their foreheads resting on one another's.
"No more lies," she continued in a whisper. "No more lies."