And it's over.
And I'm going under.
But I'm not giving up!
I'm just giving in.
In the arms of the ocean, so sweet and so cold.
And all this devotion I never knew at all.
And the crashes are Heaven, for a sinner released.
And the arms of the ocean.
Deliver me.
Never Let Me Go – Florence + The Machine
Caroline Forbes sobbed into her pillow. Stupid Elena Gilbert. Stupid Elena with her perfect hair. And perfect face. Perfect boyfriend. Perfect grades. And perfect life. No matter how hard she tried to contain the tears, she couldn't. She barely made it to her room when they began to spill down her face. She couldn't hold it in anymore. Caroline clutched at her pillow helplessly as she sobbed. Her tears soaking into the fabric. A gentle hand tenderly rubbed her back in a comforting manner as she cried. The soothing touch wasn't enough to take away the hurt that she felt. A pair of warm, soft lips pressed into her temple. Caroline shivered as the warm touch spread soothing warmth through her. She opened her bloodshot eyes and blinked away the tears that blurred her vision. She rolled onto her back, gasping in surprise, her heart plummeting into her stomach. A pair of glacier blue eyes peered down at her.
"D-Damon…?" She whispered, her heart pounding. "What's wrong?" He inquired, tucking a golden lock behind her ear. The blonde shook her head, tears welling in her eyes. "Why do you care?" She attempted to roll onto her stomach to face away from the vampire's inquisitive eyes. His hand shot out, grasping her wrist. It was a gentle touch, but it was enough to make Caroline turn her head. Looking at him, she snapped weakly, "What?" Damon pulled her into a sitting position. He placed his hand across her cheek and leaned in, pressing his lips to hers softly. Caroline was taken aback. This wasn't the Damon she knew. The rough, brash, cold-hearted vampire. This was someone entirely different.
A new side to him. His kiss sent chills down her spine and lit her senses on fire. She struggled to find the words to describe it. Like lightning. Like fire. Yes. It's fire and lightning. She thought, dazed as she returned his kiss eagerly, gripping his shirt. Damon broke the kiss, his eyes searching hers. "Now, tell me." He murmured, "What's wrong?" Caroline took a deep breath, tears trickling down her cheeks. She stammered as she told him about her day. Her mother's slips about how she was a disappointment. About how she was selfish. How her grades were falling. And about how if she didn't acquire good grades, she'd never make it to college. About how Elena seemed to excel in everything she did without even trying. "And I try. And try. And try. But no matter what I do, it's never good enough." Caroline finished, crying into Damon's shoulder. His arms had found their way around her as she told him her story. Not that she minded. Damon had never been so sweet to her before.
"Shh…" Damon whispered as he placed a kiss on the top of her head. "It's alright." "No." Caroline interjected, "It isn't. Why am I not good enough, Damon? Why is it, nothing I do is good enough?" Damon faltered; the entire subject was beyond him. Finally, he said, "Because, no one has once asked themselves how you do it. How hard it was on you when you did it. Because they always know you'll always be there to do it for them. They're selfish and self-centered that way." Caroline closed her eyes. Damon uttered an unnecessary sigh as her tears spilled onto his shirt. Caroline trembled against him as she wept. One of his hands slipped up her back, gently stroking her hair. "Damon?" "Hmm?" He paused, "What is it, Caroline?"
"Why are you being so nice to me?"Caroline asked, "I'd have thought you would have jumped onto the "All-About Elena" bandwagon by now." Damon opened his mouth to speak, and then paused, raking his hand through his raven locks. Caroline frowned, pulling away from him. "Just what I thought. You can go now. And join Elena's worshipers. I'm fine on my own, thanks." Caroline laid down, grabbing one of her pillows. She hugged it to her chest as she shed more tears. Damon laid beside her, whispering, "Caroline, look at me." Caroline shook her head, sniffling. "Caroline." His voice was more demanding than pleading this time. She turned to face him. "Why are you still here, Damon?" She asked, her voice hushed. "Because I care." Damon replied, surprised at himself.
He hadn't lied. He did care. He does care. Caroline's eyes widened. Damon turned away, shocked with himself. And frustrated. He couldn't believe he'd say something like that. Damon Salvatore doesn't have feelings. But his time with Caroline had proven him wrong. He cared. A lot. A lot more than he should. It was ridiculous. Damon took a deep, unnecessary breath. As he breathed out, he felt the stress, surprise and frustration leave him. He turned to face the young, blonde, woman. "Caroline…" He said, trailing the pads of his fingertips across her jawline. "Yes, Damon?" She said, sitting up. Damon gazed into her eyes, watching as her expression went blank. He hated having to do this. But it was a necessary evil. He had to. "You will forget that I came here this evening." He said, pushing the thoughts into her mind. "I will forget that you came here this evening." She repeated. "You will not remember what I said about – about how I feel for you." Damon stammered; his voice cracking.
"I will not remember what you said about how you feel for me." Damon broke the connection to close his eyes, swallowing thickly as he felt a lump rising in his throat. This hurt a lot more than he thought it would. Finally, he shook his head and looked into Caroline's eyes. All she remembered was hating him. She couldn't understand why though. A part of her always noticed the way he looked at her. The tenderness in his eyes. The way his expression softened when she entered the room. How gentle his touch was. But she never understood why. To her, Damon was always the jerk who she dated for a little while. But to Damon, she would always be the one he had to let go. The one that taught him that he could still feel. The one that challenged him. And reminded him what it was like to be the man he used to be.
A/N: Okay, this is my first Daroline fic. Please be gentle and review.