A Step Too Far

Elena ran down to the gate in their back garden, and smiled when she saw the piece of paper slotted between the bars. After they had established their friendship, Damon had told her he would let her know when they could next meet by leaving her a message. She had spent the next few days waiting to hear from him, but there had been nothing. So when she had seen the white, crumpled paper stuck to the gate where she had first met him, from her bedroom, she had felt a little jump of happiness.

She removed the paper, and quickly read the messy, scrawled note on it.

"Market – fruit stall. 9pm."

She felt a rush of excitement, and nervousness at the same time. She had never left the house at that time, on her own before, and now she was engaged, it would be especially frowned upon. But this was what she had asked Damon for, wasn't it? An adventure? So at 9:45pm, she quietly dressed, wrapped herself in a warm cloak and snuck out the house. She quietly made her way towards the market, hiding her face whenever she passed anyone on the street. She could do without the hassle of someone recognizing her and telling her parents, or even worse, Klaus.

Eventually she reached, but there was no sign of Damon. She waited for ten minutes, getting increasingly worried. What if she had misinterpreted the note? Just as she was becoming sure he wouldn't show up, she saw him saunter around the corner and walk towards her. He grinned at her, and she reprimanded herself at the way her heartbeat quickened at his smile. He was no one. Just a way for her to let loose before her wedding.

"You're late." She told him, frowning and crossing her arms.

"I guess I couldn't afford a watch." He replied. She looked up, worried she had offended him, but he was smirking. "Or maybe you couldn't. It's 9 now."

Confused, she looked at the clock tower that was situated in the center of the market, and to her surprise, she saw he was right. She must have walked fast! Maybe she had been more excited than she realized.

"Whatever. Where are we going?" She said, embarrassedly, changing the subject.

"Follow me." He said, winking. He walked off, and she hurried after him, not noticing the two darkly clothed figures, who were quick to follow.

He led her down multiple streets, until they reached a brightly lit pub.

She gasped. "I can't go in there." She said, backing away and shaking her head.

He rolled his eyes in reply. "I thought you wanted adventure?"

"I did! But…but…a pub? I can't…" She said, looking worriedly at the drunken, rowdy men emerging from it.
"Have you been in one before?" He asked.

"Um…no." She said, looking down.

"Then what are we waiting for?" He said, taking her hand before she could object and dragging her with him. Elena felt a thrill run through her. Damon was so unlike all the other men she knew; he had no manners, he dared to touch her even though she'd only know him a few weeks and she was engaged to another man, he didn't possess the etiquette or decorum of a proper gentleman and he spent his spare time in places like this dirty, rowdy pub. And yet she followed him without any hesitation, because he excited her, in a way that the polite, charming but dull men in her social circle never could.

They entered the establishment and Elena put the hood of her cloak up, hiding her face. He led her to a small table in a corner, and they both sat down. When he saw she had her hood up, he chuckled and pulled it down.

"Trust me, no one from your part of town would ever be caught here." He reassured her, as he signaled the bartender for two of something.

"So, do you come here often?" She asked, looking around with disgust, as two men fell onto a table, caught up in a drunken brawl.

"No, not really." He replied, noting her expression. At that moment, a waitress placed two drinks down on their table, and smiled flirtily at Damon.

"Damon! Where have you been? This place isn't the same without ya." She leaned over to him, and placed a loud, wet kiss on his cheek. Elena glanced at her, with a look of disdain. She was dressed scandalously, with too much skin on show, for Elena's liking. It was suddenly clearer why all these men seemed to enjoy hanging out here.

"Clearly." She said after the waitress had left, in reply to Damon's claim of not having been here very often. He had the decency to look ashamed.

"Try it." He said, changing the subject, and nodding towards the brownish liquid in the cup in front of her.

She picked it up and sniffed it, wrinkling her nose.

"What is it?" She asked, causing him to chuckle again.

"Beer." He replied, smirking at her innocence. "Have you never had alcohol?"

"I have!" She said, feeling embarrassed. "Wine."

"Well that's not the type of thing I can afford, so drink up!" He grinned, and clinked his cup against hers. "Cheers."

"Cheers." She replied and warily brought the drink to her lips.

"Big gulp remember. It isn't wine, it's barely strong." He advised her, but she thought she saw a twinkle in his eyes.

Deciding to trust him, she took a big gulp. It took all her willpower, and her etiquette not to spit it right out. It was horribly bitter.

She swallowed, and looked at Damon in shock, as he gulped his way through the whole cup.

"How do you drink this?" She looked around, at everyone who was chugging it down. She couldn't see anyone who didn't seem to be enjoying it. "How do any of these people drink it? It's awful!"

He laughed at her reaction. "You'll get used to it." He signaled to the bartender for another two, and then nodded down at the remaining beer in her cup. "Better get going." He smirked, as she gritted her teeth and took another gulp. She had wanted this full experience after all.

Two beers later, and just as she was starting to get used to the bitterness, he grabbed her hand and stood her up.

"Now, we dance." He said, winking. She felt relieved, finally something she could actually do. With years of training under her dance instructor, in preparation for the balls, dancing was something she actually felt comfortable with. But as he led her towards an open space in the pub, where a few other people had already started, she realized he meant a different type of dancing. As they reached, he pulled her forwards, and she fell into him, as he put one hand on her waist and they starting swaying to the music. It was not at all like the gentle orchestra tunes they played in the balls she usually attended, this was much more upbeat and jolly. He spun her around and started speeding up with the music. She laughed, exhilarated, while trying to keep up with him. They danced for the next few hours, and for the first time since she had met him, Klaus and their upcoming marriage didn't enter her thoughts once.

(**)

The next day, she woke, tired and with her muscles aching, but in a good way. She had come back late in the night, fortunately everyone was asleep and the streets were deserted so she didn't think anyone would have known about her nighttime adventure.

She bathed and dressed, then went downstairs to see her parents. Later, she accompanied Bonnie to the market, in the hopes of seeing Damon again, but there was no sign of him. Wanting to thank him for a good night, she made an excuse to Bonnie, and made her way towards his house. Since it was now her second time making her way through these streets, she felt a little more confident, though she could still hear the whispers and see the looks people were giving her in the corner of her vision. It bothered her a little, but she tried to ignore it.

Eventually she reached the small house, and jogged up the stairs, knocking sharply on the door. She heard some murmured whispers behind the door, and some shuffling, and eventually someone pulled the door open slightly, so she couldn't actually see behind it. She found herself looking at a young man, with dark blonde hair, and forest green eyes. He was handsome, and his features mirrored Damon's in a way; his brother, she guessed.

"Yes?" He asked. "Can I help you?"

"Stefan?" She said, hesitantly. He nodded, but didn't say anything in reply. "I was looking for Damon." She added.

A look passed over his face, and he glanced at her warily.

"Elena?" She nodded, she guessed Damon must have mentioned her then. She was surprised to find she was pleased about that.

"Now isn't such a good time." He said, and started to close the door in her face. Surprised, she put out her hand to stop him. She wasn't used to this type of rudeness that was apparently normal in this part of town.

"Elena, go home." She heard Damon call out from behind his brother, though she couldn't see him. So he clearly was at home, then what was the problem? She shoved the door the full way open, startling Stefan, who fell back. Fortunately, he had enough manners not to stop her, as she pushed past him, further into the house.

There was no hallway, the entrance opened straight into a large room, which was split between a kitchen and a living room. There were two closed doors, which she guessed led off into the bedrooms. But she didn't even have time to be surprised at how small the house was, because Damon was sitting on the sofa, covered in bruises, and with blood pouring from his nose. He had tissue pressed to his nose, but it was clear he was in serious pain.

"Oh my goodness!" Elena gasped, and sat down on the coffee table in front of Damon. "What happened?"

He looked at his brother, who just shrugged. "She pushed past." He explained, and then he left, pulling the door shut behind him. Damon rolled his eyes.

"Nothing. I'm fine." He said, trying to grin and then wincing in pain.

"Clearly." Elena replied. She stood up and went over to the freezer, where she wrapped some ice in a towel and then returned to sit in front of Damon.

She pressed the towel gently to Damon's face, where his eye was already starting to blacken. He grimaced at the cold, but didn't attempt to stop her.

"Now tell me. What happened?" She repeated.

He looked at her, with something in his expression, but she couldn't tell exactly what it was.

"You shouldn't be here." He replied, choosing not to answer her question.

She frowned, completely confused. What had changed between last night and now?

"Damon. Tell me." She stressed. He must have seen that she wasn't going to let this go, because he finally started talking.

Apparently they had come for him that morning. Sent from Klaus with a warning: Stay away from Elena. The beating had been to reinforce the message.

Elena gritted her teeth angrily, and Damon winced.

"Oh, sorry." She apologized. As she was listening to the story, she had become more and more angry, and had ended up pushing the ice against his face quite hard.

She returned to gently pressing it again. "It's Klaus. He's a maniac." She said, and her frustration overflowed, causing her to reveal everything to Damon. All the things Klaus had said to her, and her fear about having to marry him.

"But that's my problem. How dare he hurt you? I have to talk to him." She finished, angrily. She wiped away the last of the blood with a tissue, and then stood up, ready to storm off, but Damon caught her wrist. He stood up, pulling her away from the door.

"Don't do anything stupid." He told her. "From what you've told me, this Klaus guy seems dangerous."

She shook her head furiously. "He has to be stopped. He can't do this."

A tear slipped down her cheek, at the thought of this man whom she was supposed to marry. How could she go through with this? With someone who would order the beating of one of her friends.

"No. Don't confront him. You'll only make him angrier." Damon wiped away the tear, with surprising gentleness. "He might hurt you."

Elena looked up at him, surprised he would give in so easily. "So you're just going to stay away from me? I mean, I understand, if that's what you want to do. After what he did to you."

He looked down at her, seemingly hesitant, and she realized she was actually nervous about his answer.

"No. Nobody tells me who I can and can't be friends with, let alone a posh twat like Klaus." He replied, his lips turned up in a half smile.

She smiled back at him, thankful she wasn't losing him. He was so defiant, and she loved it.

"We have to be more careful though. If he has people following me, I can't be seen with you." She told him.

"I'm not scared of him." He replied, but she shook her head.

"Well I am. And I'm scared for you." She told him firmly. "So we'll be careful. We'll meet less often, we'll hide, and we'll do what it takes." She added.

Another look passed over his face, but it was gone too quickly and replaced with a small smile.

"As you wish."

When she returned home, an unpleasant surprise was waiting for her.

"Elena, darling, look who's here!" Her mother said, kissing her cheek in greeting. Klaus stood up when she entered. She had to make an effort to mask her anger, as he kissed her hand.

"Where have you been, dear?" Miranda asked her, as they all sat down.

"Out visiting friends, I'm sure." Klaus cut in, smiling coldly. She was sure he knew where she had been, and she couldn't resist rubbing it in.

"A very close friend, actually." She replied.

As her mother's smile grew, Klaus's faded.

"I'm sorry, I'm completely intruding here." Her mother said, as Elena's worry grew. She tried to silently plead with her mother, but she wasn't paying attention. "I'll leave you two alone. Good evening, my lord." She told Klaus, and then with a warm, farewell wave at Elena, she left.

"May I enquire who this very close friend is? Since we're to marry, I would love to meet everyone in your life." He said to her. The words were friendly enough, but she could hear the quiet threat behind them.

"Of course. As you wish." She replied, looking down, and hoping he wouldn't notice how she had avoided the question. When she looked up, he was kneeling down, with his face right in front of hers.

"You are to be a lady." He said to her. "My lady. You will behave yourself. And that includes visiting shady pubs late at night. No wife of mine will act like you have been doing." His stare was icy, and she felt a shiver run down her spine.

"Then choose another wife. She replied, her voice barely a whisper. "I never asked for this."

"Elena." He said, and she prepared for another tongue-lashing, but his statement was short and to the point. "We will be married."

He stood, nodded sharply at her, and strode out the room.

(**)

A week passed, and with no messages from Damon, she began to worry Klaus had got to him after all. Whenever she wanted to go see him, her mother always had another job for her, or Klaus arrived to 'spend time' with her, or his mother wanted to take her shopping. She suddenly seemed to be very busy, and she suspected Klaus had something to do with it. She came to realize she was really missing Damon, and it scared her. She did value their friendship, and she wasn't going to let Klaus ruin it. So when she next had a free moment, she slipped away from his watch, wore her cloak and left the house. She put her hood up, as it was starting to rain. It was a drizzle when she left, but by the time she reached the market, it was a steady stream. She could tell a big shower was coming soon.

She didn't have to wait long. Right on time, she saw him walk near to the fruit stall and she knew exactly what he was about to do. The market was emptying, as it was the end of the day, and making sure no one was here who knew her, she walked over to him, grabbing his wrist as he reached out to take the apple.

"Let me." She said. He looked up, startled, and then grinned.

"Go ahead." He said, stepping back and gesturing towards the stall.

She took a breath, calming her nerves. She'd never stolen anything before, but it was just an apple.

Making sure the owner's back was turned; she reached out and grabbed the apple, sneaking it into her cloak.

"Now, let's go." Damon said, turning and walking casually away. She hurried to catch up.

"What if he chases us?" She asked him, slightly worried.

"Nah, he won't." Damon said, reassuringly.

Elena chewed on her lip, as she started to hear raised voices behind them. She turned to look, but Damon grabbed her hand, stopping her.

"But just in case, maybe we should run…" He said.

"Wait, what?" She said, turning to look at him.

He shot her a grin, and she saw the familiar twinkle of mischievousness in his eyes.

"Yeah, let's go."

She heard more shouts behind her. "Thieves!"

She felt a rush of excitement through her, as her and Damon took off, racing through the streets. With the rain plastering her hair to her face, and her dress dragging along the muddy street, she was aware she probably looked completely unladylike. Her mother and her fiancée would be horrified to see her now, but she didn't care. She was actually having fun.

The rain was getting heavier, and the footsteps from behind her were speeding up.

"You're gonna need to speed up a little." Damon said, checking over his shoulder as they ran.

"Well this is my first time!" She replied, defending herself.

He made a 'hmm' noise, as they both sped up.

"This way." He said, grabbing her hand and dragging her into a small alleyway, so tiny she hadn't even noticed.

He pressed her into the wall, shielding her with his body, as she tried to catch her breath. She waited, nervous, as the footsteps approached their hiding place, and then sped past.

"Thank god." She said, her breathing finally returning to normal, and wiping the rain from her face. She was completely drenched through.

She looked up to see Damon watching her, with a look of admiration on his face.

"Impressive. I didn't think you had it in you." He told her, and she flushed at the compliment.

"That was amazing." She replied, laughing. She felt totally exhilarated.

"You're amazing." He said. She looked back up at him, and saw his smile fade, as he gazed at her thoughtfully.

She suddenly became aware of how close he was to her, she could feel his breath on her face.

He leaned closer, and her heart rate sped up. She knew what was about to happen.

"Stop me." He whispered, moving closer still, until they were millimeters apart.

She knew she should. She knew nothing good would come of this. She knew this would only mean trouble for both of them. But she also knew she had never wanted anything more, and she was powerless to stop herself.

She closed the last of the gap between them, pulling him towards her and meeting his lips with hers. She could taste the sweetness of his lips. She ran her hands through his silky, brown hair, as he pressed her harder against the wall. The rain poured down all around them, but she didn't even notice anymore. This was probably about to be the worst mistake of her life, but then why did it feel so good?

Uh-oh, trouble's brewing! Things are about to get interesting, so please please please review and let me know if you're enjoying it! I'd love to know whether it's any good so far!