"Don't be so upset, Stef," Damon replied as I slouched on the couch. "You managed to learn how to hunt and donate to charity at the same time. You'll see her soon."
"Yeah, you said that two weeks ago," I sighed.
I truly missed Elena, and I hadn't seen her since I turned. I've had no contact with her at all. Apparently it was what was best for both of us until I could learn the ways of being a vampire so I could control myself.
It didn't mean I didn't miss her terribly, though.
"Look," Damon said as he put his drink down and sat up to look me in the eyes, "I know it's hard. I know you miss her, and that you miss her even more because vampire senses are increased tenfold, but I promise you'll see her soon."
I just looked away as I became even more lost in thought.
"I'll get it," I eventually heard Damon say after a few minutes. That was funny, because I didn't even hear a knock at the door.
He opened it before the person had time to knock, apparently.
I didn't stick around to see who it was. Instead, I went into the kitchen to cook whatever food we had left in the fridge. I didn't go grocery shopping much anymore because we didn't have much company and my body lived without human food, but as long as I had a healthy vampire diet, then I could eat whatever human food I wanted without it affecting me negatively. Actually, most of the food tasted much better now with my enhanced taste buds.
"Is he here?" I heard a female voice ask from the other room.
Better: I recognized the voice.
Best: It was Elena!
"Yeah," I heard Damon reply, "but you remember the rule, right?"
"Of course, Damon," I heard her growl. "The deal was I nearly overdose on vervain in my system so Stefan will be less likely to hurt me. In all honesty, I think it's bullshit that I have to do it. Stefan seemed in control the night he was changed, so I don't see how he could be uncontrollable now."
So…Damon thought I would hurt Elena? He was a real overprotective bastard at times.
I wasn't able to hold it in anymore - my Elena was in my home! If I listened I could hear her heartbeat. Thus, with lightning speed I ran into the living room and stopped at the doorway. The breeze from my speed caused a wisp of her hair to fly around her face, and while tucking it behind her ear she looked my way. Her eyes settled and locked with mine, and she looked at me with her mouth slightly open as if she wanted to say something, but no words came out.
I cracked a big smile and walked to her with human speed. She completed the distance with a short run and she wrapped her arms tightly around me. She smelled of citrus, and I could feel where her hair was slightly damp from the shower she must've taken. I wrapped my arms around her as tight as I could, but I didn't add any strength for fear of hurting her. I could sense Damon close by, but he must've flown upstairs to give us as much safe privacy as possible.
I rested my face in her hair and took in her scent like there was no tomorrow, and she kissed me on the neck. It sent a strong tingling through my body. Even the slightest touch sent my enhanced emotions on a rollercoaster ride.
"Oh, Elena, I've missed you so much!" I said into her hair as I kissed the top of her head.
"I'm here now," she whispered. "I love you so much, Stefan."
"I love you, too," I replied.
Her delicate body clung to mine, and I felt as if my whole world was right again.
"Did you miss me?" she asked as her voice slightly rumbled against my skin.
"More than you'd ever imagine," I replied.
"Well, good," she laughed, "because I have a surprise for you. Close your eyes."
I obeyed.
"Alright," she said. "Open them!"
In front of my face I saw two airline tickets headed for New Jersey in two weeks. The tickets notified me that we were to land at the one closest to the Lincoln tunnel, which lead into New York City!
"Elena," I breathed, "you are the greatest woman - besides my mother - that I've ever known. Thank you so much!"
"So…" she hesitated, "that means I beat Katherine, right?"
It seemed like forever since I heard that name, but at the same time I could've dealt with never hearing it again, "You make Katherine seem like a pathetic choice on my part."
I pecked her on the lips, and heard Damon flying down the stairs, "Congratulations, Little Brother! We're going to see Mommy Dearest soon!"
"We?" I asked. "I thought this ticket was for Elena."
"It is," she replied. "Caroline won four tickets off of the radio a few days ago and she received them today. We're also going to see Wicked on Broadway!"
"That's the one about the Wizard of Oz, right?" I asked. I've seen many Broadway plays in my time since I lived in the heart of New York, and I wasn't exactly sure which one she was talking about.
"Yes!" she seemed to almost squeal with excitement. "It's playing at the Gershwin Theatre. I've already read the book, and listened to the soundtrack! It's sounds so good!"
"Stefan and I saw that about eight years ago," Damon cut in. "He loved the song Defying Gravity, but the Time Dragon scared the crap out of him."
Damon proceeded to laugh.
"I wasn't scared," I stated. "I just wasn't fond of it. I was ten, Damon." As soon as he mentioned the Time Dragon, I knew which play it was.
Elena rolled her eyes, "I don't care! I'm just so excited to see it, and I'm really happy that Caroline offered to send you and Damon with us because she knew you were from there."
"What about Bonnie?" I asked.
"She and Jeremy are spending the summer with each other," she replied. "They'll be at the lake house for a few weeks, and then they're going up to Massachusetts for the rest of the summer with her other relatives."
"You're sending Caroline, huh?" Damon spoke after a short interval of silence.
"Yes," Elena glared at him.
"Good," he smirked before running at a humanly blinding speed up the stairs.
I turned back to Elena, "What do you want to do?"
She gave me a smile, and pecked me on the lips as she wrapped her arms around my waist, "Let's sit on the couch."
I made my way over to the couch near the arm, and she sat down, put her feet up after taking off her shoes, and snuggled into my side as I put my arm around her. Her head was on my shoulder where it met my neck, and she sighed contently.
"This is all I want to do," she whispered as she put her arm across my chest. "I just want to be near you enough to touch you."
I smiled and kissed the top of her head.
We stayed like that until she fell asleep, and I adjusted accordingly so her head was on a pillow in my lap and her small, petite body was sprawled across the couch. I played with her hair until she awoke the next day.
