Hello!
One of the first stories I posted on this site was a one shot called "Angels on the moon" some of you might have read it already; it's been up for a long time. I was reading my document yesterday and this idea got stuck in my head to just add a bit of flare to it, I changed some small simple things and I'm uploading it again under a different name, if you haven't read it please go ahead and if you already did, well I guess you could do it again if you like.
Love you all,
Sam
Italy
September 11, 1998
.
Elena Gilbert would never forget her first trip to Italy, she had been giddy the entire time she toured around the narrow streets and tried the delicious food the country had to offer. Her head was spinning with all the smells, the colors and the beauty that was so different from her day to day life back home.
Elena studied art in a fancy school located in the small town of Mystic Falls, Virginia, the only place she ever lived on and the one who sometimes felt too suffocating. Her mother always told her she was a free spirit and that one day she would fly away and be a famous painter somewhere else.
Her favorite thing to do in the whole world was to paint, she could lose herself doing it and every time she created something new she felt like the most important person in the world. The day she saw his eyes for the first time she felt regretful or not bringing her sketchbook with her because she was sure nothing could be more beautiful on paper than those sapphire orbs.
She was completely enthralled watching with fascination the famous 'Arco della pace' when she felt those eyes staring at her. Her head turned slightly and she was faced with the most beautiful man she ever laid her eyes on. With dark raven hair that contrasted beautifully with his skin and his mouth twisted in a defiant smirk he managed to take her breath away that day. She couldn't tear her eyes away from him even if she tried to and when he started walking towards her she felt her legs starting to give out underneath her.
"Beautiful isn't?" His velvety voice hinted with traces of Italian was like a caress to her skin.
"Yes it is" She managed to stutter out; her eyes averted his gaze as she trained them on the monument in front of her once again.
"Not as beautiful as you of course" He told her and she felt the heat rising to her cheeks. He chuckled when he realized he wasn't getting a response from her "And what is a beautiful American girl doing here?" His mouth was now close to her ear and she couldn't believe that someone as gorgeous as him could believe she was beautiful.
"I'm in a school trip" Elena tried to appear confident as she turned her head to stare at him but in reality she was burning with nerves.
"What are you studying?" His eyes twinkled as they raked the length of her. Confidence oozed out of him as he talked to her like it was the most normal thing in the world. She had met several welcoming and friendly Italian people in the two weeks she had been there but none of them looked at her the way this stranger was doing.
"I study art, I like to paint" A small smile graced her lips as his eyes softened and she felt herself relaxing in his presence.
"Maybe someday you can show me some of your work" His eyes glowed and his words were like sating against her skin. Elena was sure that if she stayed one more minute in front of that man she would melt in the ground. His mouth parted as if to say something but was interrupted by the claxon of Elena's school bus.
Her eyes moved frantically to the transport and she saw everyone climbing into the bus. "Sorry, I have to go" She told him apologetically and was about to move towards the direction her classmates were going when she felt the pressure of his hand on her upper arm
"Wait. At least tell me your name" His blue eyes shone under the sun and looked at her with such despair that disarmed her completely.
"Elena. I'm Elena Gilbert"
"What a beautiful name" His eyes drank her in, awakening the most amazing sensations inside her whole body "Would you give me your number please? Let me find you"
"I…" Elena hesitated because after all who goes thought life giving her number to tall strangers? The claxon of the bus sounded again and she managed to release herself from his grip "If you want me then you'll find me" She smiled cheekily before taking off to the place where the bus was parked.
Once she reached her classmates she turned around to see if the stranger was still in there and found him standing in that exact same spot, that beautiful smirk still present on his lips. Elena bit the inside of her cheek trying to contain her own smile and climbed into the bus thinking that life had gifted her with a movie moment in her trip to Italy and for that she was extremely grateful.
Virginia
Jun 11, 1999
.
.
Fate is a powerful thing but determination is even stronger and after that day Damon was bewitched by those doe brown eyes and didn't stop searching until he found her.
Distance was a big issue but they had managed to make it work for a year already and Elena knew in her heart that he was it for her; she loved him in a way she never loved anyone before him and never would after him. He travelled to America once a month and she had been two Italy twice more in the last year.
They talked on the phone every day and he even send her letters every now and then, he was an old fashioned man he told her and she loved him for it. Damon was sweet, loving, sexy, and honest; he was everything a woman could want and Elena was happy to know she was the lucky one.
"Hello beautiful." She felt his hot breath on the skin of her neck and shuddered immediately. She had been sketching in the small living room of his suite while he finished some work; she was so engrossed in the paper in front of her that didn't hear him coming.
"Hi" She smiled sweetly at him as she turned her head and gave him a proper kiss on the lips. There was nothing in the world Elena loved more than his kisses, she was sure no one had kissed her like that before.
"Have I ever told you how amazing you are?" His sexy voice whispered against her parted lips as she tangled her hands in his dark hair.
"Not enough" She smirked before taking his lips in another bruising kiss, the need taking control of both of them. He carried her bridal style and placed her gently on the plush bed of his hotel room. His mouth landed on her neck and left a wet trail at his pass, she felt her whole body burning with the need to have him inside her. Her experiences with Damon were new to Elena, she loved sex like any other woman but she never felt so out of control for someone, Damon consumed her, when she was in front of her it was hard to keep her hands off him and when he was away he still was everything she thought about.
They made love with desperate need that night, teeth biting and nails scratching. Their moans of pleasure were muffled by each other's mouths and when they finally reached their peaks together he whispered words of love into her skin.
Afterwards they were lying in bed, still intertwined around each other as Damon told her about incoming projects in his work. One of his hand stroked her back lovingly as the other one played with the ends of her hair "I hate that you have to go tomorrow" She whispered against his chest, a pout on her lips as she lifted her eyes to stare at him.
"I know cara, but we'll find a way to make this work. I promise" He said tenderly before stroking her bottom lip with his thumb. His cheeks were rosy and his forehead was still damp and Elena felt the burning urge to paint him just as he was in that moment.
"It's just... I hate being away from you." She said snuggling into his neck. "What if some stupid Italian whore steals you?" Her voice was muffled against his neck but he was still able to hear her and instantly started to laugh, the vibrations of his body shaking hers deliciously.
"That won't ever happen, you have me Elena." His voice was void of doubt. "I was drawn to you, like you were a siren or something." He said in an amused tone and she couldn't help but smile at his words. "And I'm not leaving your side, ever."
"It's just, I love you too much." She lifted my head and pressed a chaste kiss against his lips, her words were filled with need and love "Don't ever leave me."
"You can count on that angel." He said sweetly and she rested her head on his chest once again whilst he went back to pet her hair and placed a soft kiss on her forehead.
Elena knew in that moment that it was impossible for life to get any better, she was in the arms of the only man she truly ever loved and this was the place where she wanted to spend the rest of her days.
Next to him. Always.
Italy
December 11, 2000
.
.
"So I have a surprise for you." Damon said with the biggest of smiles as he walked into the room they now shared in a small house next to the water in the little village of Vernazza.
Elena moved to Italy ten months ago, since that seemed to be only available solution at the moment. Damon had a company to run and no matter how many sacrifices he tried to make Elena couldn't ask him to give on the work of his whole life so she decided to move. Her mother thought she was inside, moving to another continent for a man seemed like a ridiculous notion, she was only twenty one after all and what could she know about love. But her mother was wrong, at such young age Elena already knew what she wanted and what she needed. Her grandmother always told her than once you find the one that makes your heart stop beating you should never let him go, and Elena wasn't about to let that happen.
"What is it baby?" She asked with a small smile as she put down the book she had been currently reading.
"I was thinking…" He climbed into the bed and rested his head on top her legs and she started petting his hair lovingly "…that we should have the wedding in Mystic Falls"
The surprise was evident in her expression "What?" Elena always assumed he wanted to get married in Italy like his parents did so this came out like a total surprise to her.
"Well I've been thinking and your whole family is there" His expression turned sad suddenly "My only family is Stefan and we don't mind travelling"
Damon's parent's had died in a car crash when he was sixteen and since that moment it had been him and his brother Stefan against the world.
"Oh Damon" Elena whispered with empathy filling her voice, she hated when he was sad and she knew how much the death of his parents still affected him to this day.
"It's okay cara mia. I just want everything to be perfect so that you can be happy" His expression was so lovely and innocent that she felt her heart melting for him.
"I'm going to be happy because I am marrying you" She kissed the top of his head and felt him smiling against her belly.
"Thank you, but like I said I want your family to be there. Besides I know Virginia will look beautiful in December. The wedding is going to be magical" His voice had a childish tone and she couldn't help but smile at him. If someone would have told Elena that she was going to meet the love of her life in that school trip she wouldn't have believe it.
"Oh my God we have to start planning lots of things." She said excitedly and he chuckled at her reaction.
"You do know that the wedding is almost a year away?" He said in an amused tone and turned his head to look at her.
"Damon trust me, you can never have too much time to plan a wedding." She rolled her eyes at him and he only smiled.
"Do you think your mother will stop hating me once we're married?" He asked with a sudden hint of worry in his voice.
"Damon, my mother doesn't hate you." She smiled and stroked his cheek lovingly.
"She does, she thinks I took you away from them." He kissed the inside of her palm and it sent butterflies straight to her stomach.
"She doesn't, trust me." I reassured him with a smile. "And she's going to be so happy with the Virginia wedding."
"Well I hope so." His voice was full of joy and she felt a surge of love so strong for that man, he was by far the most wonderful person in the whole world, she just couldn't understand what she did to deserve someone like him.
"I love you." She said before giving him a light headed kiss that took them both into experiencing oblivion once again.
VIRGINIA
JUNE 11, 2001
.
.
Elena stared at the man in front of her and couldn't believe that this was where that school trip had led her. His blue eyes shone with love as the minister in front of them spoke words about true love. It was a warm June night and the stars were shining brightly in the dark sky.
Their loved ones were gathered around them as they exchanged the vows that would bind them forever as man and wife. Elena couldn't believe that life was granting her the opportunity of being this happy, that she had been so lucky as to meet the love of her life so young and having the chance of being his wife.
When it was time for them to kiss, he leaned down and pressed his lips softly to hers. His hands moved to her waist to pull her closer to his body, his masculine smell surrounding her as she melted into their first kiss as a married couple.
In that moment Elena was sure that nothing was going to topple this feeling, that being here in his arms was the best thing in the world and that she was going to be happy for the rest of her life next to this man.
She always believed in fairytales and it was a wonderful feeling to know that every once in a while one of them could come true.
.
.
VIRGINIA
September 11, 2001
.
.
Elena stared at the two pink lines in front of her and couldn't believe her life was turning out to be this perfect. After three months of marriage she was finding out she and Damon were going to be parents. She felt her heart filling with love with knowledge that she was carrying his baby; she couldn't wait to see the look on his face when she told him the news.
Elena missed Damon like crazy, she had flown back to Mystic Falls for her father's birthday and couldn't wait the time to go back to Italy, to the beautiful house they shared in Vernazza, if she closed her eyes she could smell the ocean and heard the sound of the birds as his figure snuggled to her from behind, yeah she couldn't wait to be with her husband again especially now that she had some amazing news to share because of course she wasn't going to share this news over the phone.
Elena walked in front of the mirror and lifted her top to expose her still flat stomach; she placed her hand on top of it and smiled at herself. She couldn't wait to see her belly swollen with their child.
"Elena, come and see this." Her best friend Caroline called from the living room, there was an edge of worry in her voice so Elena didn't think twice about going to her.
"What is it Care?" She asked with worry as I watched the tragedy on her face.
"Look." She said pointing to the TV screen and her eyes couldn't believe what they were seeing.
The world trade center was a complete mess, apparently a group of terrorists had kidnaped American planes and they crashed them into the pentagon and into the world trade center, destroying the twin towers. Elena watched the scene on the screen with utter disbelief. The despair and the chaos on the TV were frightening and she wondered how it was possible they had come to this? That people had died because of the whim of someone who wanted to plant fear and hatred among the world. What happened to us? She thought briefly. When did we become like this?
"It's just too horrible." The scared voice of Caroline said, Elena took hold of her hand as we both stared at the TV. She needed to call Damon, if he already knew about this he was going to be worried and she wanted to tell him that she was okay and just needed to hear his voice. After this horrifying tragedy she just needed to feel close to him.
Elena got up from the bed and took her cellphone out immediately. She dialed and waited for a big amount of time and got no answer. She tried three more times and still got no answer so she panicked and called his brother Stefan, who answered at the second ring.
"Elena?" His voice was raspy and worried.
"Stefan, sorry to bother you but I've been trying to reach Damon and I just can't find him." Elena leaned against the wall with the phone in her hand as she waited for his response.
"Did you see the news?" His voice was troubled for some reason that she couldn't understand.
"Yeah, it's awful but I don't see how this has anything to do with Damon." She say a little too harsh, she didn't mean to be rude but an unknowing fear was starting to grip her and she had no idea how to handle it.
"Elena…" He took a deep breath and she could him hear sob a little bit. "Damon was in the south tower." The minute his words reached her ears Elena sank to floor as she felt the world spinning around her.
"No, no you're confused, he's in Milan, you are with him." Her voice was a strained whisper and she was vaguely aware of Caroline rushing to her and sitting on the floor next to me.
"Elena, we arrived at NY yesterday, he didn't say anything-" Stefan's voice broke down and she could feel the tears starting to fall out of my eyes. "He wanted to surprise you; he was driving to Mystic Falls tomorrow."
"No, no that can't be right. He's somewhere else, I know he is." She said stubbornly as the sobs erupted from inside her chest, her tiny body trembling with the force of it.
"Elena, he had a meeting at 8:30." Stefan started to cry as well through the phone and she just let it slip out her hands as Caroline held me. This couldn't' be happening, not to him. Why? Why was God doing this to her now? Damon shouldn't have been there, he shouldn't have been there. This was not supposed to happen.
She felt Caroline's arms around her more firmly and couldn't control her sobbing anymore. Why? She kept asking. Why did they do this to us? They were innocent people; Damon was a good person and didn't deserve something like that. She tried to find a reasonable explanation, it was a mistake, Stefan was wrong and Damon was not in that horrible place, he was still safe.
But of course Stefan wasn't wrong and she knew it, Damon was dead, but the truth was too much to bear. She wanted nothing more than open her eyes and realize this was all a nightmare; that he was next to her in their bed in Italy with his arms around her.
Caroline whispered soft, soothing words against her hair but the pain was just too much, it was pressing down on her chest and she just couldn't control it. She just wanted to hear his voice, just one more time. That was her last thought before everything turned into black.
.
Italy
September 11, 2002
.
.
Elena Gilbert was sitting at the Florence cemetery, contemplating her husband's grave. Damon had been buried in the same place where his parents were and Elena visited him every chance she got. Even though at first she wanted to go back and live in the house they shared in Vernazza, she decided to stay with her parents in Mystic Falls, she just couldn't deal with being alone at the moment.
The little baby in her arms squealed and she smiled at him before planting a sweet kiss on his forehead.
"I just wish you could have met him you know?" She spoke softly to her three month old baby. "He was the most amazing man that could ever exist." Her eyes filled with tears at the memories of her time with Damon started to plague her mind.
It was still hard to think about him and the pain was just the same, their son had brought a ray of light into her life but it still hurts too much, Alex resembled his father so much that she couldn't help but see him in their son every time she looked at him.
This day was so hard for her, it represented the day of his tragic death but it also represented the first time they met, at that school trip so many years ago. She could still remember how their eyes shone that day and the way his lips lifted in that flirty smirk that always managed to make her week in the knees.
A tear rolled down her cheek and he felt Alex grasp her finger. She smiled; it was like he knew when she was sad.
"You are the most important thing in my life now baby." She kissed his cheek and saw his blue eyes contemplate her with amusement. "He would have been enchanted by you, you know? And I'm absolutely sure that he would have been an amazing father."
She hugged her baby tightly and let the tears fall down from her eyes. Every time she came to this place she broke down, she couldn't help it. Life had been so kind to her but then so cruel, it took away the one person she truly loved; it took a piece of her heart that was never going to return.
And she couldn't help but think how unfair the situation was, they were good people, they didn't hurt anyone and yet they lost it all, just because he was in the wrong place, in the wrong moment. What fault did he have in all that? He wasn't even supposed to be there in the first place.
"I love you so much Damon and I always will." She cleaned up her eyes and got up holding Alex tightly against her chest. "I know we'll meet each other again Damon." She said with conviction as she kissed the grave stone. "I'll see you then." She said with a smile on her lips. "Say goodbye to daddy sweetheart." She said in the baby's ear and he only smiled that beautiful smile that reminded her so much of him. "Come on let's see your uncle Stefan, he's going to introduce us to his girlfriend tonight." The baby started to squeal and laugh in her arms. "I know right, I think he's ready to settle down." She said with a smile as she turned her head to see his grave for last time.
A warm feeling spread through her body and left her feeling content. Yeah, she lost him but at least she could say she had the chance to love a wonderful man and to be loved back by him. How many people can say that? And he gave her the most beautiful gift in the world, she didn't want anything else, she already had it all. And the only thing she could wait for was the time where she would meet with him again. With that thought in mind she walked away with a smile on her lips holding her little mracle.