This is the product of my infinite frustration after watching 4x09. I don't really think it's as good as my other work, but I do hope you guys enjoy it.
So please, R&R, people!
Oh, this is originally a oneshot, but I might be willing to extend it—if you are interested in that.
Let me know!
Broken Bonds
Elena's POV
Her body was aching—it almost felt as though she was being split in half. There was a large, dominant part of her that was telling her to just sit back and go home with Bonnie, like Damon had told her—he had said it would make him happy, and that was all she wanted.
But the smarter, more rational part of her knew that Damon had been lying—he just did what he thought was right, what he assumed was right—but how could he know? How could he possibly believe that what she felt for him was not real?
Was that not why she had fought it for so long? Because it was real? Because it was far too terrifying to consider?
She wanted to stay with Damon. She wanted to wrap him in her arms and never let him leave again—she knew it would make them both deliriously happy, as it had three days ago—before Stefan and Caroline ruined it with their chatter about her sire bond.
She was sure it had nothing to do with what she felt—all that had happened after she was turned was that her feelings for Damon became nearly impossible to hide—it was why she had broken up with Stefan.
Speaking of... What the hell was he thinking?
Why did he find it so hard to believe that she had feelings—genuine feelings—for Damon? He'd been raving over every tiny little thing with Damon while they were dating—afraid he would lose her to his brother.
Which he did, in the end.
Her anger rose to the surface once again. Who the hell did Caroline and Stefan think they were, talking about her, deciding she didn't know what she felt?
Really, come on. She and Stefan were the definition of high school sweethearts—and high school sweethearts tended to grow up and break up.
That's exactly what happened to her and Stefan—she bit her lip. They'd only made their relationship supposedly epic and eternal to survive all the supernatural crap that life decided to throw at them.
She sighed and leaned her head against the window, staring at the trees as they blurred by. She wanted to yell at Bonnie to stop the car—she couldn't comprehend the idea of staying away from Damon—it hurt.
It tore her up, almost like a wild cat sinking its claws into her skin and tearing her apart from the inside.
And then suddenly, her breathing was restricted—it was as though a million tons had been pushed down upon her chest—and though she did not need to breathe, it was terrifying.
'Bonnie,' she choked, the weight seemingly pressing down harder upon her chest, 'Bonnie, stop. Stop the car.'
'Elena?' Bonnie sounded slightly alarmed, 'Elena, what's going on?'
Elena's vision was blurring, black spots popping up whenever she blinked, as the pressure on her chest increased and the pain tore her up from the inside.
'Stop the car!' She screeched, clawing at her chest, willing the pain to just disappear—what the hell had brought this on?
As soon as Bonnie's car lurched to a stop, Elena grappled at the door handle, nearly ripping the door off in her haste to get out of the restricting car—surely the pressure would disappear once she could breathe the fresh air.
Only it didn't.
It increased—the pain was unbearable by now—and she couldn't think of anything else. She wanted it to stop—she needed Damon to make this stop—he would, wouldn't he? He always made sure she was okay.
And then it hit—she just had to go back. No matter what Damon had said—going back was the only thing that would make them both feel better.
The second that thought hit her mind, everything fell away—and she was free.
There was no more pain, no more conflict, no more pressure.
She was going back, and she was going to fight for Damon—he'd been fighting for her all along—it was her turn now.
She got to her feet slowly, shaking off the last remnants of the pain, her mind made up. She turned around and looked back to where Bonnie stood, a frown rippling her forehead.
'I'm going back,' Elena said, looking her friend straight in the eye, 'I have to.' She knew Bonnie and Damon had a tense relationship—but Bonnie merely smiled and nodded.
'I know,' she whispered, 'Go. Make him listen.' She must have been able to read the astonishment from Elena's face, because she grinned and continued, 'I'll probably never like him, but you love him. And as much as I hate it, he makes you smile like I haven't seen you smile in years. He makes you happy.'
Elena smiled, 'Thank you, Bonnie.' Bonnie merely smiled and nodded. 'Go get him, Elena.'
Elena smiled and turned to look in the direction of the lake house.
Ready or not, Damon, she thought, I'm coming back for you.
Damon's POV
He watched Bonnie and Elena drive away, his knees nearly buckling with the sheer amount of pain doing the right thing caused.
It was worse than having to compel her to forget he loved her—it was tearing him up.
She had actually asked him not to do it this time—she'd begged him not to give up on them before they'd had a real chance.
But he had.
He needed to.
Seeing Elena with Jeremy and Bonnie earlier had been the wake-up call he needed—she deserved that life.
A human life.
Her feelings for him would... Disappear. She would go back to loving Stefan—the thought made his stomach churn—and she would be happy.
She always had been. She never needed him like this before—it had to be the sire bond.
He watched the car until it disappeared from his view—and once it did, he let a deep breath escape. He did it.
He let her go.
A single tear rolled down his cheek. She was gone. This time, she wasn't coming back.
He turned away from the road, back to the house, and was surprised to see Jeremy standing behind him.
'What's up, little Gilbert?' He smirked, painting his indifferent mask back on his face. It was easier that way—he needed to switch it off when it came to Elena. That was the only way he was going to survive not being with her—not giving into her again.
Jeremy stared past him, to where Elena and Bonnie had disappeared. 'You're wrong,' Jeremy said, still not looking him in the eye, 'You shouldn't think letting her go is the right thing to do.'
Damon was baffled into silence.
What the hell?
Little Gilbert was lecturing him? What alternative universe did he end up in?
Jeremy turned to look at him. 'I don't like you. Hell, I hate you. But Elena loves you. She smiles, Damon. I haven't seen her smile like that since our parents died. Whatever your brother told you, whatever you think you just solved...'
Jeremy trailed off and smirked, 'She's never going to give up on you. Please, don't let her lose someone else she loves.'
Before Damon was able to pull himself back together, Jeremy disappeared back inside. Damon's head was reeling—what the hell was going on?
For real? Vampire Hunter Jeremy Gilbert was lecturing him—a vampire that had actually killed him once—how to love his sister—who was also a vampire?
But maybe he had a point—Elena smiled when they were together—she always managed a smile when he was joking around with her.
Maybe he was right—maybe Elena wouldn't give up.
Maybe—he halted himself right there. No.
No.
He was right to let go of her—she would be happier without him.
He swallowed and closed his eyes—he needed to do this. It was not just about Elena—it was about his little brother too.
And no matter how much he hated the little fucker at times, he couldn't be selfish with Stefan anymore than he could with Elena.
That was why he needed to let go—he couldn't lose his brother over a woman again. Been there, done that, never wanted to go back again.
And so, he let go.
He turned back to the lake house, took a deep breath, and walked up the steps. It was better this way—he was used to being alone. At least the two people he loved most would be happy and together, so they'd never be alone.
It really was better that way.
It had to be.
Elena's POV
She was running—running faster and faster the nearer she drew to the lake house.
One more corner—one more corner and she would see the house. And Damon—she would see Damon.
But the closer she came, the more she started worrying—what if he would send her away again? Perhaps she was overestimating his love for her.
After all, she'd turned him down so many times... Maybe he was simply tired of fighting for her—maybe it was too hard. She'd been afraid of that day for months—the day Damon would decide that he had had enough—the day he'd decide he didn't want her anymore.
She slowed and shook her head. She was being ridiculous.
Damon didn't want to let her go—not when he finally had her. She had seen it in his eyes.
She just needed to show him that the sire bond was not an issue—that it would never be an issue. She smiled, energized with new determination. She was not going to let him walk away from her. Not this time.
And before she knew it, she had raced around the final corner, and the lake house emerged before her.
She stopped running as she reached the driveway and slowed her pace to a casual stroll. She hoped she could find Damon before she'd see Jeremy or Shane—she really didn't want to explain to those two why she was back.
Her heart was beating faster than its usual, slow, sluggish pace—she was nervous. Hell, she was terrified. She needed Damon to listen to her before he'd undoubtedly start yelling at her.
She raised her eyes from the tips of her shoes—she was going to fight for him, no more delay—she was done fighting it.
She wanted to fight for it. And she was going to. Damon deserved someone who'd fight for him. It was time she'd be that person. Time to be the woman he deserved.
Instantly, her gaze found Damon. His back was turned to her, but she saw the way his shoulders were sagged in quiet, secret agony—she had been right. This hurt him as much as it did her.
She opened her mouth to call out to him, but no sounds fell from her lips. She was unable to actually say the things she had come here to say—she could not say anything.
Nothing made sense.
Nothing but him.
His name fell from her lips before she could stop herself. At the sound of her soft, breathy whisper, Damon tensed up and froze, his foot raised to take another step.
She could almost hear the radars in his head turn, trying to figure out how she was here, and how he would be strong enough to make her leave a second time.
'Damon, look at me,' she whispered, knowing he'd hear her. She watched the muscles in his back twitch and tense before he slowly turned on his heel, flashing down the steps towards her. Elena swallowed nervously, but stood her ground.
She could see his blue eyes flashing dangerously, and she knew he was close to losing his temper—he was livid.
She was not supposed to come back.
'What are you doing here?' He growled, stepping up so close, she could feel the tension radiate off his body. 'I came back for you,' she whispered, meeting his penetrating gaze dead-on.
She was not going to back down.
Not this time.
She could see the muscles in his jaw thicken. 'I told you to go home,' he choked, and she could feel how hard he found it not to just take her in his arms and hold her there forever—well, she was going to make a little bit harder for him.
Slowly, so he had plenty of time to see what she was going to do, she reached for his hand. 'I know you did,' she said, 'I didn't listen.'
He closed his eyes and breathed in sharply when she took his hand in hers, before groaning, 'Elena, I need to do right by you.'
She smiled softly and stroked his cheek. 'And I need to do right by you. I'm not going to let you walk away, Damon.'
His eyes snapped open, and she could read the pure agony and conflict in his stormy blue eyes. 'I told you to go. How are you here?'
She smiled again. 'I told you the sire bond had nothing to do with what I feel for you. My feelings are far stronger than the stupid sire bond.'
His bewilderment turned into understanding, and a heart-achingly beautiful smile appeared on his lips. 'You broke it,' he whispered, cupping her face in his hands, tilting her head up slightly, 'You broke the bond.'
She nodded as best she could, with his hands still hot on her cheeks. 'I did. So will you please stop running away from me?'
He stilled as she wrapped her fingers around his wrist. 'Stefan's never going to believe us,' he whispered, and her heart ached at the pure devastation that wrecked his features. 'What if he—' she shook her head and pinned his lips shut.
'This is our time, Damon', she smiled, repeating his own words back to him, 'It wasn't right before, but it is right now. No one is going to take that from us. Not even Stefan.'
His eyes seemed to melt, and her heart melted into a puddle of goo at the sight he made. Slowly, he reached up to pull her hand from his lips.
'I love you,' he breathed, 'I love you so much.'
She smiled and wove her fingers in his hair, pulling his lips down to hers. As they kissed slowly, languidly, she marveled at how good it felt to be kissed by someone that loved her so completely, so truly. She had no doubt that Damon loved her for different reasons than Stefan did—but never once had Stefan made her feel like she belonged.
Slowly, she broke the kiss and pressed her forehead against Damon's as they stood locked in their intimate embrace. His hands had drifted down to her hips while hers had found their way into his hair.
'Damon?' she whispered, opening her eyes to look at him.
'Hmm?'
She smirked. 'Open your eyes, love.'
At the word 'love', his eyes did indeed snap open, filled with startling amounts of love, confusion, and hope.
'I love you,' she whispered, 'So, so much. I couldn't have broken the sire bond for anyone else.'
'You do?' he breathed, his eyes shining with more emotion than she had ever seen before. She nodded and tiptoed to press her lips to his softly. 'I do,' she muttered against his lips, 'Now take me back inside. Jeremy is staring at us.'
He smiled into the kiss and wrapped her up in his arms so completely, she was sure he'd never let go again. As they flashed inside and crash-landed on the bed in the nearest bedroom, she felt her heart expand to hold all the love she had been denying herself for ages. Damon's lips trailed to the corner of her mouth, down her cheek to her neck—and that's when it struck.
'Damon,' she moaned, writhing beneath him, 'Drink from me.' He stilled and glanced up at her, indecision written clearly in those bright blue orbs. She smiled and nodded. 'I'm sure. I want this to be just yours.'
He grinned devilishly and went back to lavishing her neck with kisses. As his fangs sank in her skin, her world exploded in pleasure—and she felt free once again.
Damon was smirking cockily when she came down from her high, and she was aching to wipe that smirk off his face. Before he got a single word out, she flipped them and pinned his hands above his head.
'My turn,' she purred, her eyes darkening and her fangs lengthening already.
They spent the night as they had three nights before, and as they would whenever they could from now on—in each other's arms, words of love and affection, of devotion and loyalty whispered over their heated skin.
They were raw.
They were real.
They were Damon and Elena, and no one was going to break them apart.
Never again.
Thanks for reading!