This story is dedicated to my best friend Katy, because it was her birthday and I wrote this for her. I therefore already finished it, and I'll post the next chapters over the next few days! If you like it, feel free to leave a review. Thanks so much for reading, enjoy!
Elena Gilbert watched through the window as the plane made its descent to the Cape Canaveral airport. She was so excited to be getting away from Mystic Falls, with no witches or doppelgangers or vampires or werewolves or hybrids... just her and Jeremy for one week. She'd never been on a cruise before, and she knew she was going to have the best time. Especially with the way things had been going with Stefan lately...ever since he got free of Klaus, things just weren't the same. And as much as she hated to admit it to herself, there was a certain blue-eyed someone that she'd caught herself thinking about more than she'd like to admit lately. She needed some time to herself to figure it all out.
The plane touched the ground, and she leaned over to shake Jeremy.
"What?" he asked groggily.
"We're here!" she squealed.
Jeremy stretched and yawned loudly, earning him a look from the lady across the aisle. They waited until the pilot announced that they could get off, and then made their way through the crowded airport to the luggage pick up center.
Once they collected their suitcases, they found the taxi driver they'd called waiting for them. He led them outside to his car and put their bags in the trunk.
"So, where are you two off to?" the driver asked with a thick accent as he got into the car.
"We're headed to the port, our ship leaves at 12:00 so we should be there around 11," Elena replied.
"How long have the two of you been together?" the driver inquired, causing Elena and Jeremy burst into laughter for a good three minutes.
"He's my brother," Elena managed to finally get out.
"Oh," was all the driver said, turning beet red.
They spent the rest of the ride in silence.
When they arrived at the port, Elena paid the driver while Jeremy pulled their suitcases out of the back. They made their way to the entrance building and got into the long line. Jeremy pulled out his iPod, and Elena started typing out a text to Stefan that she'd made it safely. He replied almost right away, telling her how happy he was that she was getting away for the week. She sighed, putting her phone away. She didn't know how to tell him that he was the reason she needed to get away in the first place.
They eventually made it all the way through security and onto the ship, left their bags at the bag counter, and went looking for their room.
"7375...that's the seventh floor, right?" Elena asked the too-cheery lady at the counter, who nodded yes.
They had to cram into one of the glass elevators with about 10 other people, but Elena couldn't have cared less. She was too busy staring out the glass backing of the elevator at the promenade deck; a walkway bordered by dozens of stores and shops on each side. When they reached the seventh floor, the two of them along with a few other people got out of the elevator.
Elena and Jeremy walked past the surprisingly large library and down the hallway on the left side of the ship, following the signs to try and reach their room. When they found it, Elena slipped her key card into the door and walked in.
The room was quite simple, but classy nonetheless. It had two single beds, a small couch and table, a desk, a TV, a closet, and a small bathroom with a shower, sink, and toilet. It was tiny, but Elena and Jeremy exchanged mirrored looks, each showing on their faces how much they loved it.
"Dibs on the side with the better view of the TV!" Jeremy called, causing Elena to throw a pillow from the other bed at him.
"You're not really going to be spending too much time in this room when there's so much to be doing out there, Jer," She pointed out, stretching out on the bed farther from the TV.
"Hey, what time is it" Jeremy wondered out loud after a while of laying there on the beds.
"It's...woah, it's almost five thirty. Jeez, dinner's in like half an hour."
There was a light knock on the door.
"I'll get it," Jeremy said. He got up and returned from the hall a couple seconds later with their suitcases in tow.
"Oh good, I need to get out of these clothes before dinner. I feel all gross from the plane ride," Elena said, jumping off her bed and opening her suitcase.
She hopped in the shower and pulled on a change of casual clothes, and then waited while Jeremy did the same.
"Ready?" She asked, as Jeremy stepped out of the bathroom.
"Yup," He replied, opening the door for his sister.
After a few minutes of wandering around, they finally found the dining room and were ushered to their table for two. Elena silently wondered how many people were going to think that she and Jeremy were a couple, but she didn't want to dwell on it.
A couple minutes after they say down, a nicely dressed waiter came to take their order.
"I'll have the steak with a Caeser Salad to start, I think," Jeremy ordered, folding up his menu and handing it to the man.
"And for you, Miss?" The waiter asked.
"I think I'll have the same," Elena told him, smiling. She knew it was going to be delicious and she was salivating just thinking about the food. The only thing she'd had to today eat was plane food, and that stuff was nasty.
Their food arrived shortly, and they ate in comfortable silence, each enjoying the small piece of heaven on the plates in front of them.
"So, what do you want to do," Elena asked when they had both finished their dinners and indulged in the most delicious chocolate cake either of them had ever had.
"I actually think I'll turn in early tonight. I want to save up my energy for the next seven days, you know?"
"All right, I'll be there in not too long. It's been a long day, but I want to just look around the ship a little first."
"All right, see you," Jeremy waved, heading in the direction of the elevators.
Elena got up and contemplated where to go first. There wasn't much on the first few decks, so she decided to go to deck eleven; the pool deck.
It was surprisingly dark for 8:00, and the stars were extremely bright. The ship had started moving a while ago, and in the middle of the water there was no light poisoning to dim the brightness of the stars. It was strikingly beautiful, looking up at the sky. Elena climbed the outdoor stairs to deck twelve where she could lean on the railing at the front of the ship and look up at the sky.
She lost count of how long she stood there, just enjoying the view, when a voice was suddenly heard right behind her.
"Well, what have we here?"
She spun around and came face to face with none other than the most cocky, annoyingly handsome, well-dressed vampire she'd ever met.
Damon Salvatore.