a/n: Last year I gave you a Christmas story so this year I'm doing a New Years one :) And, just like last year, this story is for BadBoysAreBest :)
Background: Set sometime after the mid-season finale. :) Enjoy and happy holidays!
The Midnight Kiss
Elena exchanged a glance with Bonnie before the two of them went back to staring at Caroline. Neither of them was thrilled with the blonde's plan for the upcoming holiday. "Care, it's a good idea, but I'm not really up for a party," Bonnie said with a minor shrug.
"Especially not one where Katherine, Rebecca, and Stefan will be all over each other. I've had just about as much of them as I can stand."
Caroline rolled her eyes. "Come on you guys. It's new years! We do something every year. Do you really want to start 2012 off by being alone?"
Bonnie and Elena nodded in unison. "That sounds wonderful."
Caroline sighed with exasperation. "Seriously you two. What will it take for you to agree to come?"
"Care-"
She shook her head, cutting Elena off. "I know things aren't going well, but this is our chance to start fresh. We can ring in the new year by shaking of the troubles of the previous one."
Bonnie took a deep breath and laid a hand on Caroline's shoulder. "If the other vampires are going to be there, you can count me out. I think I've had my fill and I'd rather not ring in the new year with them around."
Caroline frowned and looked at Elena. Elena sighed heavily as she felt the guilt trip beginning to work on her. "I just don't want to be around them. I'm sorry Caroline, but I would really like to be by myself this year."
Knowing she wasn't going to get anywhere, Caroline rolled her eyes and began to brainstorm. "Alright, how about this? I think I can get Mrs. Lockwood to let me arrange a party in the town square. That way, the whole town can turn out and there's only a slight chance of bumping into them instead of having it at the boarding house. How does that sound?"
Bonnie and Elena exchanged another look. They both knew Caroline was not going to give up until they said yes to some sort of party. The idea of being in a public setting was a more appealing than being at the boarding house where Elena would have to watch her least favorite female vampires fawn over her ex. "Alright, that idea doesn't sound so bad," she admitted, speaking for her and Bonnie.
Caroline let out a squeal of excitement and grinned widely. "You won't regret it!" she said and got up from her seat on Bonnie's bed. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a party to plan and only a few days to do it!" And with that, she was gone.
"Well, if it's a public thing, then the chances of us being able to sneak away early are good," Bonnie said with a slight shrug.
Elena smiled softly and nodded. "As long as we show up at some point Caroline will let us be. If she's hosting the party, then she'll probably be too busy to even notice if we're not there at midnight," she said as she got up. "Then again, it is Caroline."
Bonnie leaned back against her headboard. "Are you bringing a date?"
Elena shook her head. "No," she answered.
"Good, I'm claiming you now."
Elena laughed as she grabbed her keys from Bonnie's desk. "Alright, then I'll see you in a few days."
"See you then," Bonnie said and waved as Elena left the room.
Elena and Bonnie agreed that they would show up a little late to the party at the Grill so that they could spend even less time there. The moment they walked in the door, Caroline greeted them with her large smile. "Better late then never I guess," she said as she pulled them over to the bar where she and Tyler had found a spot.
"Sorry, we just-"
"I know," she interrupted, laying a hand on Bonnie's harm to quiet her. "You're here though so that's all that matters." After scanning the crowd, Caroline's eyes lit up again and she tugged on Tyler's arm. "Excuse us."
"See, we made an appearance, Caroline saw us, so now we're free to go whenever," Bonnie said and Elena smiled. "Oh, hey, there's Matt. I'll be right back," she said and disappeared through the crowd.
Elena sighed. While she had been wanting to spend the evening alone, she didn't want to spend it alone in a crowded bar. As she turned to search for a more secluded spot, she was met by the unpleasant sight of Katherine and Stefan. To make matters worse, they had spotted her and before she had time to react, they were standing in front of her.
"I guess you owe me twenty bucks," Katherine said to Stefan with a smirk.
"What are you even doing here?" Elena asked, choosing to let the vampire's comment slide.
"It's a public gathering."
"Yes, but-"
"I don't care what people say," Katherine interrupted. "And I'm tired of sneaking around. If I want to be out in the open, I will be." She rolled her shoulders and put on a sly smile. "So Elena, did you come with anyone?"
Elena shrugged and couldn't help but smile inwardly as she saw the smallest hint of jealousy flash in Stefan's eyes. He could pretend all he wanted, but she knew there was a part of him that still remembered what she meant to him. "I came with Bonnie," she admitted. "And you can spare the fake couple act to get a reaction from me," she said to Katherine before turning to look at Stefan. "You can be with whoever you want; I really don't care." With that, she pushed past them and headed to the other side of the bar.
A hand on her shoulder made her jump as she turned to see Damon holding two low ball glasses filled with a dark amber liquid. "I figured you could use a drink right about now," he said, holding one out to her.
Elena nodded her thanks and took the glass. After finishing its contents, she smiled up at him. "Thanks."
"Welcome."
"I'm surprised that you're here."
"Same goes for you," he replied.
"This was all Caroline's idea. If I hadn't shown up, she would have made the next year hell for me."
"Because this past year was such a breeze," he quipped.
Elena rolled her eyes, but couldn't help smiling. "What's your excuse?"
"Do I really need an excuse to drink?" he asked, but sighed when she simply stared at him. "Because I knew the other three would be here and I wanted to make sure that nothing got out of hand."
"And?" Elena questioned, knowing there was more to it.
"And Caroline might have threatened me too."
Elena laughed at that and shook her head. Damon might be the elder of the two, but when Caroline was determined, he knew he was powerless to stop her. "I think I could use another," she said, holding her glass up.
"Coming right up," he said and headed to the bar.
Four drinks and half an hour later, Elena realized two things. One, it was almost midnight which meant she could leave soon, and two, she had yet to Bonnie after her friend had ditched her. Then again, she had been having a decent time with Damon that she hadn't felt the need to find her.
"I have a question," Elena said after catching a glimpse of Katherine and Stefan in the crowd. "Does it bother you? Seeing Katherine and Stefan together?"
Damon thought about it for a moment and then shook his head. "No."
"No?" Elena repeated in utter disbelief.
"Letting them bother me would mean that I actually cared about what that bitch does," he said as he tossed back the rest of his drink. "That, and they're not together. They put on an act sometimes, but there's nothing going on behind the scenes. Even if there were, it wouldn't last. Eventually, Katherine would get bored and move on just like she always does."
"What if there really was something going on?"
He shrugged. "It still wouldn't matter. I don't care about her like that anymore. Truthfully, I don't care about her at all." For the first time, Elena could hear the truth in his voice. Before when he had said things like this, there had always been a bitter tone to his voice that told her he still wasn't quite sure what he felt for his sire. Now, she could hear it clearly; he was really, truly over her. It made her smile.
"Good," she said quietly. "The last thing I would want is to watch her destroy you and Stefan all over again."
Damon snorted. "If anyone were to destroy what little of our relationship is left, it definitely won't be Katherine," he said.
Before Elena could put too much thought into that, Caroline's voice cut through the crowd with the aid of a megaphone. "Attention all party goers, the time is now eleven fifty-nine. That means you have less than a minute to partner up!"
Elena frowned as she heard the last bit. Partner up for what? The answer hit her as she saw everyone around her break off into pairs. She could hear giggles and couples talked about exactly what part of each other they were going to kiss at midnight. Suddenly, Elena's cheeks felt a little warmer than usual and she laughed awkwardly after stealing a glance at Damon. That awkward feeling went away and she did a double take as she saw something in his eyes that she hadn't seen in a long time.
As if time were moving in slow motion, she felt herself leaning in at the same time as he did. As they inched their way towards each other, the sound of someone counting down from ten reached her ears, but it sounded so far away. All she could concentrate on was the way Damon was looking at her and the way it was making her feel. Before she knew it, his lips were closing over hers as the sound of cheers erupted through the room. There was a sensation unlike anything else Elena had ever felt before. In fact, she had only felt this feeling a few months before when she had kissed him goodbye.
Time seemed to speed up as someone bumped into them, spilling their drink all over themselves. "Happy new year!" the person said as they continued on as if nothing had happened.
Elena cleared her throat and took a half step back. "I should probably get going."
"Elena-" he started, his voice and eyes full of disappointment and sadness that nearly broke her heart.
"Will you take me home?" she asked. Not only did she want to just get out of here, she didn't really feel like trying to find Bonnie. She could tell that her question surprised Damon because he was rendered speechless. He simply nodded and followed her through the crowd. "Thanks," Elena added once they were outside.
"Didn't you come with Bonnie?" he finally asked after they reached his car.
She nodded. "She's the one who ditched me. I don't really feel like fighting the crowd to find her."
Damon opened the passenger door for her and waited until she was seated before shutting it. Elena figured the ride to her house would be a silent one and she was right. Damon didn't say another word until they pulled up to the curb. He narrowed his eyes at the darkened house. "Jeremy's not up?"
"He was working. He said he would be home really late because he would be staying to clean up."
"And Ric?"
"He went to the lake house the day before yesterday. He said something about wanting a few days to himself before school started again."
Damon nodded, trying his best to ignore her as she stared at him. Both of them knew what they wanted, but neither of them wanted to be the first to ask. "So you're all alone tonight?"
"Looks that way."
Elena waited for him to say something, but after a long pause, she knew he wasn't going to. With that, she opened her door and slid out of the car. She stared at him with curiosity as he copied her actions and began to walk around the car. Silently, they walked to her door at a slow pace. After unlocking the door, Elena just stood there for a moment. Slowly, she turned around to face him and the moment their eyes locked, they both knew there was no going back.
The feelings that Damon had been trying to suppress; the same ones that Elena had been trying to ignore could no longer be kept hidden. In a rush, those feelings were brought to the surface and the sparks between them ignited. In the time it took to blink, Elena found herself pinned between the rough exterior of the house and Damon. His hands had settled on her hips while hers had ended up on his shoulders; her fingers gripping his shirt to keep herself steady.
For the first time in her life, Elena knew what it was like to be kissed with raw, unbridled passion that she could feel all over her body. There was a bit of pain from the force of their kiss and the hard grip of Damon's fingers, but the pleasure that came from the kiss was enough to balance it out. Their tongues battled for dominance as they danced and explored. It was as if they were trying to do everything at once, but couldn't contain the rush they felt by letting this happen.
Elena moaned into the kiss as Damon's hand went under her shirt and brushed over her skin. Her eyelids fluttered as the sensation sent a chill up her spine. She gasped in surprise as Damon tore his lips from hers to kiss her neck, allowing her to take a much needed gulp of air. Elena let her head fall backwards just a little as her entire body shook with pleasure. She released her grip on his shirt and let her hands wander upwards until they were sinking into his hair. With a harsh tug, she pulled is lips back to hers and kissed him relentlessly.
Damon let his hands slide down her hips until he was able to lift her. She took the hint and wrapped her legs around his waist. They both groaned as their bodies slid closer together, molding perfectly in all the right places. Elena could feel the true extent of his arousal. It signified the true extent of their actions and the promise of what was to come. The revelation sent another chill down her spine. Damon felt her shudder and knew it was partly from their actions and partly because it was cold outside. He let her slide back down until her feet touched the ground before pulling away from her long enough to move them both inside. He slammed the door with enough force to cause her to jump, but Damon captured her lips and swallowed her gasp of surprise.
As if they were thinking as one, they made their way to the stairs. Since neither of them were willing to part from each other, the walk upstairs was quite difficult. Damon knew that picking her up and carrying her to her room with his supernatural speed wouldn't be half as fun as taking turns pinning each other to the wall with each step, removing clothes as they went. By the time they reached the landing, their outwear was gone and Elena was working on the buttons of Damon's shirt. Finished, she ran her hands back up the smooth, hard planes of his well defined chest and pushed the material off his shoulders, letting it fall to the ground behind them.
Damon made a move for the hem of her shirt, but she surprised him by giving him a slight push that sent him into the wall between her bedroom and bathroom. He grunted with surprise and then groaned as her hand cupped his throbbing member through his jeans. She looked up at him with a fire in her eyes that he had never seen before and the smallest hint of a smirk on her lips. She removed her hand and reached up to pull his lips down to hers. As she kissed him deeply, Damon reached down and began to pull at the hem of her shirt. Wanting it off of her as quickly as possible, he lifted it up and pulled it off of her, breaking the kiss.
Elena surprised him again by not resuming the kiss, but instead turning her attention to his belt. She undid it so quickly that it left Damon completely stunned. He watched as she pulled the belt through the loops and let it drop to the floor. Thinking she was going to continue, Damon had to do a double take when he realized that she had walked away from him. He watched in a trance as she began walking backwards towards her room, reaching behind her to undo the clasp on her bra. The thin garment fell to the floor as she reached her door and in the next instant, Damon rushed to be by her side once more.
As they entered Elena's room, Damon turned her around and pulled her backside along his front. He brushed her hair over to one side and let his lips drop to sample her skin. He reveled in the way her heart rate had accelerated from that action and the way her breath caught in her throat when he reached up and cupped her bare breasts. Her nipples hardened instantly from his touch and he felt her body shiver with pleasure. His lips brushed over her pulse point and it made him harden even more as he caught the scent of her arousal. He ran the tips of his thumbs over her taunt peaks as his blunt teeth gently nipped at her shoulder.
Slowly, his hands slid down the smooth surface of her stomach until they reached the waistband of her jeans. He continued to shower her skin with teasing nips and kisses as he began to undo her jeans before pushing them down her hips as far as he could reach. Elena did the rest and after stepping out of them, kicked them to the side. She tried to turn and face him, but Damon placed his hands on her hips and with an iron grip, prevented her from doing so. Once he was sure that she was going to stand still, he let one of his hands slide down again and dip behind the last piece of clothing that kept her from feeling completely vulnerable and exposed. She jumped slightly as he touched her where she craved him most and felt her eyes close as her senses seemed to overload.
When she opened her eyes again, she was standing in front of her full-length mirror. She could see Damon standing behind her, holding her gaze in their reflection with an intensity that held her completely motionless. Her eyelids fluttered as his index finger slid between her slit and opened her up. His thumb rubbed her clit over and over again as he sank his middle and forefinger deep within her body. She arched her back into him and sucked her lower lip in between her teeth. No matter how much she wanted to, she was unable to tear her eyes away from the mirror. She even tried to close them, but it seemed as though Damon were compelling her with his silence. So Elena continued to stare, watching her face as Damon's expert hands brought her closer and closer to her release.
Just as she thought her knees would buckle and she wouldn't be able to stand any longer, Elena found herself lying on her bed underneath Damon, both of them completely naked. He hovered above her, his eyes searching hers, silently asking if she was really ready for this or not. She stared back at him and gave the smallest of nods that completely sealed the deal and put the past the point of no return. As if confirming it one last time, Elena cradled his body between her thighs and arched her hips up as if telling him that she was more than ready for him.
Damon shuddered as Elena's wet center hit the tip of his cock and if possible, made him even harder. He had always had the fantasy that Elena gave herself to him willingly, but he had never thought it would be anything more than fantasy. To have her ready and willing beneath him was something that he was going to treasure for the rest of his unnaturally long life. He hesitated for a second, hoping that this wasn't going to be a night that she regretted, but at the risk of ruining everything, he kept his mouth shut and gave into the passion that had been fueling them thus far. With that, he positioned himself at her entrance and then slid all the way inside her wet heat.
Elena's body arched up into his as her head ground against the pillow and her eyelids fluttered. Her senses went into overdrive from the sensations that were going through her body from that one thrust. Since he had already gotten her so worked up, she knew it wouldn't be long until she crossed the finish line. A moan escaped her lips as Damon began to set a pace that was beyond perfect. He alternated between deep and slow and hard and fast, making sure to stave off their orgasms for as long as possible. He leaned down and captured her lips for as long as he could before she needed to breathe. He then turned his attention to the slender column of her throat and the promise that it offered. Knowing that he shouldn't press his luck, he decided to fight that urge and use that frustration to push them both closer to the edge.
Damon knew the moment Elena reached her peak. Her inner walls began clutching at him and her nails dug into his back. Her body arched up into his with an unexpected amount of force. Her ground even more against the pillow as she moaned his name. That sound alone was enough for Damon to follow her into oblivion. He watched sheer bliss take hold of her face as she came for him and in that moment, she had never looked more beautiful to him. It was a memory that he would cherish for eternity.
Spent, Damon collapsed on top of her; his weight surprisingly comfortable as Elena tried her best to catch her breath.
Once both of them had settled down from their highs, Damon moved to lie beside her. Both of them continued to stare at the ceiling going over exactly what had just transpired. It was a shock to them both to know that it wasn't a dream, nor was it something that was caused by inhibitions lowered by alcohol. The drinks Damon had gotten her had been small and he knew from previous experiences that Elena could hold her liquor fairly well. Knowing all of this made the concept of reality even harder to believe.
At the same time, they turned their heads towards one another. As Damon's lips parted to speak, Elena reached up and placed her hand over them, giving a shake of her head. Neither one of them had spoken since getting out of the car and Elena was afraid that if they spoke now, the memory of the night would be ruined. She had no idea what the future was in store for them and she had plenty to figure out, but all of that could wait until morning.
Damon's eyes searched hers, looking for an answer to his unspoken question. Elena removed her hand and turned to lie on her side. She smiled slightly at him and then moved in closer to capture his lips with hers again. After a brief kiss, she moved even closer until she was able to wrap herself around him. Damon took the hint and pulled her close and before he knew it, she was in his arms. He had so many questions, but he knew that she didn't want to talk at the moment. Would she regret it? Was he just a hurdle towards the finish line of forgetting Stefan? His mind was all over the place trying to figure things out.
However, his mind was finally put to rest as Elena made the smallest sigh of satisfaction as she snuggled closer to him and put her head on his chest. It brought a smile to his face and it allowed him to come to the decision that he could wait until morning because he had the slightest bit of hope that things were finally going to work out in his favor. With that thought, he let himself drift off to sleep with Elena; a smile on both their faces.
