A/N: Unedited, and written while procrastinating. Pure Delena. Much needed after watching 4x11..who else was disappointed? I expected there to be a really emotional delena love scene but whatever..ahaha
Guys, to the people that review I LOVE YOU! But everyone else, come on', please review! I have like 300+ views for this story and 6 reviews. Normally I wouldn't mind, but this story is sort of my baby. And so I'm protective of it ;P ahaha!
Hopefully this isn't too OOC. The scene from 3x22 when Elena and Damon first meet heavily influenced a section of this chapter. The random bolded and italicised part in this chap. is from the song 'Belle' from Beauty and the Beast. I thought it was appropriate but didn't know who to work it into the situation so I kinda just added it in.. ahahaha
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xx
The Curse of the Beast
Chapter 2: Katherine?
New York was chilly. Elena hugged her torso to try and retain as much body heat as possible. It was early evening and she had decided to go for a walk after settling into her shared hotel room. She needed to clear her mind, well somewhat. What Elena really wanted was to gather her thoughts. In retrospect, she was currently living her dream; gone was Mystic Falls and her responsibilities. Even if it was only temporary, she still had to smile at the thought. But then she remembered why she was here and automatically felt guilty. She needed to be here for her father; she could not be selfish and think about herself.
Still she continued to walk through the streets of Manhattan and relish in the beauty of the buildings.
Elena and her father were staying in a fairly nice area in Manhattan, so she wasn't too afraid to be waking around by herself. Besides, it was still early in the evening and she always carried pepper spray in her bag.
Tonight, she thought to herself, I will be here for myself. Tonight, and only tonight, it will be about me.
With that thought, Elena entered the first bar she saw.
xx
Damon was drunk, well slightly.
See, I'm not good. I'm the troubled brother.
He downed another glass of bourbon and signaled the bartender for another. He was always one to drown his sorrows, rather than face them. He was a coward when it came to his emotions, but he didn't care. He cognitively reasoned that after everything he'd been through, he was allowed to be emotionally inapt.
Damon was halfway through his bourbon when he noticed a young brunette sitting at the bar three seats down from him. He quickly analyzed her, something he was very good at doing, and nearly spat out his drink when he recognized the similar features.
"Katherine?" he softly choked out, immediately chastising himself for showing her any sign of weakness. She hadn't heard him, and he was relieved. This was Katherine. She had ruined him. He needed his shield to be stronger than ever when facing her. She could not get to him.
He took in a deep breath and tried again, this time with more force.
"Katherine," Damon stated. He knew it was her, so he had decided that even questioning it would make him seem needy. He wouldn't make that mistake again, even if he was, well, needy.
Katherine looked towards him with a look of bewilderment on her pretty face. Her face signaled that she had no idea who he was. That hurt Damon, but his face remained hard.
"Um…no…" Katherine finally responded. She looked uncomfortable. Katherine never looked uncomfortable.
Damon's face scrunched up in confusion. Since when had Katherine made herself appear so vulnerable? She was usually masked in confidence and very rarely showed any emotion that could make herself look weak. Even in awkward situations, Katherine would remain as nonchalant as possible.
Damon tried again, hoping that Katherine would now just cut the act and acknowledge him; the boy that had loved her too much.
"Katherine. Cut the act."
Katherine seemed to back away from him slightly.
"Um, my name is Elena. I have no idea who you are, so you must have me confused with someone else. Err, I think I'll go now.." Elena rose to prove her point and turned away from Damon.
Whoops.
Damon internally flushed with embarrassment. Well, he reasoned, at least I know how to act if I see Katherine again.
Damon quickly downed the rest of his bourbon and went after Elena. He wanted to apologise. The girl looked so fragile, and Damon had probably scared her to bits. An apology was the least he could do. Of course, if she wanted more, he was more than willing. Damon wasn't ugly and he knew it. He was a charmer.
"Wait! Elena!" Damon called after her just as she reached the bars door. She turned around, looking slightly wary. Yeah, good on ya' Salvatore. This one is most definitely freaked.
xx
Oh, isn't this amazing? It's my fav'rite part because you'll see. Here's where she meets Prince Charming. But she won't discover that it's him 'til chapter three
"Yes?" She looked extremely awkward. It as obvious that Elena just wanted to leave the bar and go back to her hotel room. It was a mistake going out by herself; of course they'd be creepy men in a Manhattan bar. She mentally scolded herself. Perhaps this was karma, for having a selfish night to herself. She had definitely learnt her lesson. Although as much as Elena wanted to ran the hell out of the bar, her ever compassionate self stopped to let the mystery man say whatever he had wanted to say. He did look sorry. And now, upon better inspection, she realized just how attractive the man was. Gorgeous didn't even begin to describe him. His eyes were a piercing blue, and his hair was as dark as a raven's coat; she was willing to bet it was as soft too.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to freak you out, you just look eerily like someone I used to know," the man replied. He gave her a sincere smile and Elena had to swallow a gasp that risked escaping her mouth. His smile was breath taking. It was the kind of smile that made woman melt at their knees. How Elena had been so oblivious to his beauty before was beyond her, it was so annoyingly apparent now. She felt a blush rising to her cheeks.
"It's okay. Sorry for freaking out, It's my first time in New York"
Where the confidence had come from to form such a coherent reply after realizing the man's beauty was beyond her. She cognitively marveled at how quickly her previous feelings of reserve and wariness had dispersed. Now, the mysterious man gave off an almost calming affect to Elena. Weird. Such an oxymoron to before.
"I suppose I didn't give off the most welcoming of welcomes to the 'Big Apple' did I?" the man responded with a gulp and a comical cringe. Elena laughed.
"It's okay, mysterious stranger. I think you may have redeemed yourself well. Besides, I can't help that I'm the doppelgänger of somebody you used to know!" She joked, with a detectable teasing tone. Oh gosh, am I flirting? Matt..
But it's harmless, she reasoned. It wasn't like she was going to sleep with the guy, she was just falling prey to his charm like any sane woman would. That was perfectly acceptable.
She hoped.
The man returned Elena's tease with a crooked smile. This time, she couldn't stop herself from gasping slightly. The man noticed and laughed slightly. She smiled back shyly. How embarrassing.
"So Elena the doppelgänger, I'm Damon". Elena giggled and followed him as he motioned her too. Back towards the bar they went. " And I hope you will let me buy you a drink, as a sort of peace offering for before"
Elena gave him a bright him, "It would be my pleasure, Damon"
xx
"So what are you doing in a Manhattan bar at 6:30 pm, isn't it a bit early to get drunk?" Elena questioned, a small smile playing at her lips. She loved watching Damon's face during mid-thought. Some would call him an open book, the way his emotions crossed his face so obviously, but Elena knew better. She had always been a good reader of people, and she could tell that Damon was anything but an open book. She hypothesized that he made a conscious decision about what emotions to show. She was right.
"You're one to talk. You're by yourself in a New York bar on your first visit here ever"
"It's New York, nothing bad ever happens here. Well as least not in this area, I think," Elena paused, mentally debating whether to just spill her soul. Damon seemed nice enough, and besides, she really wanted to tell someone about her continual dilemma. "I'm giving myself a day free of obligation. I'm effectively here for my dad, but it's hard because, by being here, I'm actually living my dream"
"And why's it hard, if I may ask?" Damon replied, with a curious smile and a gesture with his hands for Elena to continue only if she pleased.
"Because I'm expected to be a small town girl all my life. I'm expected to marry my current boyfriend and continue my town patriotism. I have responsibilities to my father, my friends and my community. They need me."
"And yet you don't want that life," Damon stated, knowing exactly where Elena was going even if she was uncertain herself.
"It's not that I don't want it, I do, but I don't know...I don't truly know what I want…" Elena trailed off, confusion filling her. She wanted everyone to be happy, and without her in their lives, she knew they wouldn't be. But she just wanted more.
"Well that's not true, you want what everyone wants, " Damon replied, matter-of-factly.
"What, mysterious stranger that has all the answers?" She teased, evoking a smirk from Damon.
"Well, let's just say I've been around a long time, I've learnt a few things" Damon replied smiling grandly.
Elena rolled her eyes and smiled, "Is that your polite way of chastising me, just because you're older than me?" Damon chuckled and Elena continued, "So Damon, tell me, what is it that I want?"
"You want a love that consumes you. You want passion and adventure, and even a little bit of danger. You want more than a small town life, because you know that it cannot bring you those things. It's just tying you down and stopping you from truly being yourself and being happy"
Elena was flabbergasted. She had always thought she was fairly guarded when it came to her true feelings, especially back at Mystic Falls, because no one ever questioned her happiness. But here Damon was, a complete stranger at that, reading her like a book. He knew exactly what she wanted even though she denied it herself. She was amazed to say the least. No one had ever understood her as well as this complete stranger had. She had never felt so in sync with someone before. It was crazy how this had all eventuated; of course the first person she met in New York would understand her fully. It was a cruel twist of fate for her predicament.
Nonetheless, Elena instantly felt even more drawn to him.
"So what do you want?" Elena questioned, in an attempt to break her dumbfounded state.
Damon's phone sounded and he abruptly pulled it out to look at the Caller. ID.
He sighed and looked almost longingly at Elena. His gaze was so intense that she fidgeted slightly. "I want you to get everything that you've always wanted, but right now I need to go. I'm sorry. It was a pleasure to meet you Elena" Damon said sincerely, before downing the rest of his drink. He looked legitimately saddened to leave, similar to how Elena felt. As he stood up and walked towards the door, Elena snapped back to reality.
"Wait!" She called out, not willing to let him go just yet. She had to see him again, even though she knew she wouldn't. It was too perfect to be true. He was beautiful, charismatic, funny and understood her oh so well. It was painful to see him go.
Damon stopped and turned around to see Elena standing right before him. Her eyes mirrored his. They both wanted to stay but she was only passing through and Damon was hardly a man of appropriate dapper. It wouldn't work. Despite this, Damon reached up to brush his finger along her cheek, caressing the soft skin. She closed her eyes and let herself just feel the sensation from his caressing finger.
However, when she opened them, he was gone.
She could not believe how unusually perfect her first night in New York had been.
She just wished to see Damon again, even though she knew it was an impossible thought.
Oh, how wrong she was.
A/N: You like? Delena 3 ahaha I felt so sorry for Elena at the end..she has to part with her soul mate. But it was necessary ;) They didn't exchange numbers because they know the moment they shared was too good to be true and Elena isn't even from New York so yeah..BESIDES, Elena can't be knowing he's a Salvatore ;)
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-Katie xx
