A/N: The rating has been changed to T due to language and content. Again, thank you for all the reviews! I am always encouraged to write when I know there are people willing to read. Damon and Stefan's living situation will be addressed in this chapter. As always, read and review.
Ten on the dot, Elena noted as she tucked her phone back into her pocket. Elena stared up at the large house in front of her, secretly thinking how lucky Damon and Stefan were to have such a large house all to themselves. It was huge inside and she remembered what an awesome place it was to play hide and seek when she was younger. No one ever found anyone and the seeker would usually give up. Sighing, Elena walked towards the door.
She knocked on the door and waited nervously. She checked behind her a few times as she waited. The Salvatore Boarding house was at the far end of town and was secluded. She had been to this house many times as a child, but never without her parents. As much as she was fascinated with the house, it was kind of creepy too.
A few minutes went by before the heavy wood door swung open. Damon stood on the other side and smiled. "Hello Beautiful" he greeted. Elena blushed slightly. He had that effect on her. She had a crush on him since she could remember. Elena had always considered him to be too old to have any interest in her, but she could still stare at him. "Please, come in. Stefan is expecting you" he said, stepping aside.
Elena entered the house, clutching her book bag to her closely. "Is he upstairs?" Elena asked.
"Yeah. Go on up" Damon said. Elena nodded her thanks and began climbing the stairs. She was well aware that Damon was watching her.
Elena reached the second floor and walked slowly down the hallway. The old floor creaked beneath her. She passed through the hallway, looking around her. When she reached Stefan's room, she saw his door was opened. Stefan looked up from his book to see her standing in his doorway. "Are you going to stand there all day?" he asked her.
"Are you going to invite me in?" she countered. He motioned his hand in an uninterested way and went back to his book. Elena dropped her bag on his bed and then sat down on it. Elena pulled a book of some sort out of her bag and walked over to him. "What are you reading?" she questioned, leaning over his shoulder.
"An ancestor's journal" he replied, slapping it shut.
Elena dropped her own journal on the desk in front of him. "Crazy ancestor Jonathon Gilbert" she said. Stefan picked it up and thumbed through it. It looked interesting enough.
"We are going to need more than two journals" he reminded her.
"That's all I have of that. But, the library is bound to have old archives dating back as far as we need to go" Elena explained. Stefan nodded.
"So, how do you want to go about this?" Elena asked. "We need to narrow our topic." Stefan sighed, clearly wishing he could still be sleeping right now. "How about the hysteria over vampires during the Civil War?" she suggested, grabbing her ancestor's journal back and opening it up.
Stefan raised his eyebrow. "Seriously? You want to do our report on a load of crap?" he asked. "That a bunch of drunk dudes made up?"
Elena slapped the journal shut, completely annoyed. "Doesn't matter whether or not it was real. What matters is that they believed it was" Elena corrected him. "I think there was some truth to it" she added.
Stefan laughed disbelievingly. "You believe that there were dead people running around, feeding on living people, causing chaos in the town?" he asked. "Sounds a little too farfetched to me" he said.
Elena crossed her arms. "Fine. Let's be boring and do our whole report on how the men sat around smoking cigars and the women stayed in the home and cooked" she shrugged.
Stefan groaned. "You always have to have your way, don't you?" he asked in annoyance.
"Works out better for everyone that way" she replied.
"Fine, vampires it is" he agreed. Elena smiled.
"How about I do the history and myth of the vampires in the area and you work on the reactions from our ancestors and the townspeople?" he suggested.
Elena thought about it for a moment. "Sounds doable" she answered.
"So if we touch base every few days to see how we are doing, and then have everything ready to put together for a presentation, we should be good to go" Stefan told her. "And we should start a rough outline today so we know who is doing what" he added.
"Fine" she said, sitting back down on his bed. She looked around his room, noticing how simple the décor was. Save for the large plasma screen T.V. and entertainment center. His bed was larger than she remembered the last time she was over, and his bedding was a simple forest green. His dressers were made of a fine oak she was sure, as was his desk. His black leather swivel chair hardly matched the wood desk, but it was probably more comfortable. The one thing Elena thought was seriously lacking in his room was photos. He had none.
Stefan came and sat down on his bed a few feet away from her, bringing her attention back. He took out a notebook and a pen, ready to jot the outline down. They spent over an hour arguing back and forth about what each would talk about. Elena was so frustrated that he refused to agree with her on anything that she almost walked out several times. Miraculously, they had come up with something. "I can go to the library on Sunday" Elena said, hoping he would take the hint and not do his library research that day. He simply nodded, uninterested again. Stefan stood up and scanned a copy of the outline, then handed it to her. "How I am supposed to read this chicken scratch?" she asked, offended that he would make her do such a thing.
"Very carefully" he replied.
Just then, Damon came walking into the room with two plates in his hand. "How's the project going?" he asked. Stefan stood up from the bed quickly and went back to his desk. Elena did not say anything. "Okay …" Damon said awkwardly. "I made you two lunch" he said in a chipper tone. He handed Elena her plate first and then walked over to Stefan to give him his.
"Thank you Damon" Elena said.
"You're welcome. I will let you two get back to it" he said, looking at Elena. As soon as Damon left, Elena noticed that Stefan relaxed a little. Elena picked up her sandwich and took a bite. Stefan pushed his sandwich aside.
"So, are going to the Lockwood's tonight?" she asked in between bites of her sandwich.
"Don't have a choice. Damon already said I was" Stefan said.
"Well if you don't really want to go, don't" Elena said. It seemed pretty simple.
Stefan chose to ignore her comment. "I think we're done here" he said, standing. Elena set the rest of her sandwich down. She stood from the bed, sensing his change in mood. She hated his moodiness. If he wasn't being arrogant, he was being an ass. Elena grabbed her bag, plate and the journal and began walking toward the door. "Don't mess this up" Stefan called out, causing her to turn around. "I don't want you screwing up my grade" he said bitterly.
Elena stared him dead in the eye. "Screw you" she said. "You're such an ass" she added before turning and going back downstairs.
She rounded the corner to the kitchen and stopped when she saw Damon. "Hi there" he said, his blue eyes shimmering and his smile infectious.
"H…hey" she stumbled, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. He stared at her and she remembered why she was there. "I brought this back down" she said, handing the plate to him. "Thanks again."
Damon smiled at her once again. "You two get a lot done up there?" he asked. "Or was Stefan being all brooding and serious as usual?"
Elena laughed as she walked towards him by the sink. "He was a pain in the ass, as usual" she answered.
Damon chuckled at the thought. "Have a seat" he said, grabbing her bag and setting it on the floor. He placed his hands on her waist and picked her up gently, placing her on the counter. She felt herself begin to blush at the close contact they had just had. "Cookie?" he asked, picking one up off the baking tray and passing it to her. She took the cookie, swinging her legs back and forth slightly.
"You know, he doesn't want to go to the Lockwood's tonight" Elena mentioned, taking a bite of her cookie.
Damon shot her a glance. "It's good for him to get out and socialize with people in this town" Damon said. "Our parents knew the importance of these social functions. Networking and stuff. I'm just trying to keep up their legacy" he added with a halfhearted smile. Silence fell over them for a moment as he went back to drying the dish in his hand.
"I miss them" Elena said, then looked shyly at the floor, unsure if she should have said anything. Stefan and Damon's parents had died eight years ago. Car crash. Hit by a drunk driver. No one ever talked about it, especially not Damon or Stefan. She thought for a moment, when Damon looked back up at her, that he would say something about his parents. Anything.
"I should go and get ready for the Lockwood's" Damon said, setting the bowl on the counter. "Help yourself to more cookies" he smiled lightly. He passed by her and stopped, moving closer to her. So close that she felt her breath catch in her throat. "Always good to see you, Elena" he said quietly, placing a soft kiss on her cheek before moving back and continuing out of the kitchen. Elena stood still, frozen on the counter. Only that man had the ability to make her lose herself completely. Even if he was six years older than her, she could still fantasize, right?
Elena shook the thought from her head and hopped down off the counter. She grabbed another cookie and headed out. She had to get ready for the Lockwood's.
XXXXXXXXXXXXX
"Is that phone going to be attached to your hand the entire night?" Miranda asked her daughter.
Elena smirked as she briefly looked up. "No. I'm just trying to find out if Bonnie and Caroline are here yet" Elena explained. When she got the text from Bonnie, she smiled. "They're here" Elena said, excusing herself to go and meet them.
Stefan and Damon were already at the Lockwood's. Damon had a glass of bourbon in his hand, standing on the opposite end of the room as Stefan, talking to Mayor Lockwood. Stefan was standing with the mayor's son, Tyler, and his other friend, Matt. They were talking about football mainly, especially the upcoming Fall season.
Stefan noticed Elena the instant she walked into the room. Her brown hair, now in loose curls around her face, was not what caught his attention. It was her bare legs as the bottom of her dress bounced just above her knees. The dress was purple with some ruffles. "Wow" Tyler noted. "She looks hot" he added.
Matt punched him in the shoulder. "Dude, she's my ex. Stop looking at her like that" he warned.
Stefan took a drink of his punch. "Nothin' special" Stefan said, adding his thoughts. "So she can curl her hair and put a short dress on? Just makes her look desperate" Stefan continued.
"Harsh" Matt told him and Stefan just shrugged.
"Just be glad you didn't get stuck with her for your final project" Stefan snapped coolly.
"It could have been worse" Tyler said, tipping his drink at him. "I wouldn't be complaining if I got to spend time with a girl who looks like that" Tyler smiled.
"She has a personality" Matt interrupted.
"Psssshhh" Tyler disagreed.
"No amount of looks can make up for what's on the inside" Stefan explained. "Selfish, spoiled, whiny brat who only cares about herself. Annoying as hell too." Matt and Tyler looked at Stefan, trying to decide if they should say something.
"She says the same about you" Caroline piped in from behind, catching them by surprise.
"What's your point, Caroline?" Stefan questioned. While he could tolerate her, the facts still remained. She was Elena's friend.
"My point, Stefan" she said, pointing her finger at his chest. "Is that you claim to hate her, yet you can't stop staring at her" she told him. Stefan quickly averted his eyes away from Elena and to Caroline.
"If that's what you think Caroline, then I cannot change your mind" Stefan shrugged, taking a drink.
"I know for a fact that you and Elena will end up together" Caroline stated bluntly.
Stefan nearly choked on his drink. "Are you nuts?" Stefan asked. Tyler and Matt looked on with wide eyes.
"You two are clearly, sexually attracted to one another. You fight like crazy to resist it. It's only a matter of time before you two hook up, realize you love each other, and get married" she smiled. "How romantic is that? The son and the daughter of two of Mystic Fall's founding families."
"Hell would sooner freeze over" Stefan stated.
"If you say so. But I should have you know, when it comes to relationships, I am never wrong" Caroline stated confidently. "Enjoy yourselves" she smiled, running her hand over Stefan's chest before walking away.
"Well, she doesn't hold back, does she?" Matt asked. Stefan sighed. "Hey, I'm going to say hi to Elena" Matt said, excusing himself.
Stefan watched Matt make his way over to Elena, pulling her into a hug. How Matt had ever dated Elena was beyond his logical reasoning.
"Is Caroline right? Is there sexual attraction between you and Elena?" Tyler asked, moving closer to Stefan.
"No" Stefan scoffed. "God no" he said, shaking his head.
Tyler smirked. "I have a feeling that she would have an easier time resisting you than you would resisting her." Stefan gave him an unconvinced look. "I see the way you stare at her dude. You want her. And she always stares at you like she's about ready to kill you."
Stefan scoffed again. "I do not want her" he defended.
"But do you think you could get her?" Tyler asked.
"What are you getting at?" Stefan asked.
"A bet" Tyler announced.
"A bet?" Stefan repeated.
"Yeah. I bet that you can't get Elena to sleep with you" Tyler said.
Stefan looked at him in disbelief. "You're twisted" Stefan told him.
"Am I?" Tyler asked. "I think you're just being defensive because you know you can't get her to sleep with you" he shrugged.
A challenge. Stefan took offense immediately at that. "I'm not getting defensive. But I've known this girl and her parents my whole life. I'm not going to get into her pants to prove you wrong" he explained.
Tyler shrugged. "I'm not suggesting you force her to do anything. I'm suggesting that you get her to want you so bad that she can't resist" Tyler told him. "But hey, if you think you can't do it, I understand" Tyler shrugged again, beginning to leave.
Stefan groaned. He would not let Tyler play him like this. "Wait" Stefan said. Tyler turned around, smiling. "How long do I have?" Stefan asked, eyeing Elena.
"Let's say … by the end of the summer. So, roughly three months."
Stefan nodded. He could do it. "Easy" he said, taking a final sip of his drink.
"Hey, are you going to that party tomorrow night?" Tyler asked.
"Nah, I've got that project to work on. You know, the one you should probably be working on too" he hinted.
Tyler laughed. "Elena's gonna be there. Might be a perfect opportunity to start losing this bet" Tyler said.
Stefan grinned. "I don't need to make my move just yet. I have time" he said. He did not need to seduce her in front of people. He needed to get her alone. "I'll see you at school on Monday" Stefan said, setting his glass down and walking away.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Elena was sitting on one of the benches out on the lawn, looking out at the water. The Lockwood mansion was spectacular, but she had always admired the property more. The trees and pants all articulately planted. The numerous fountains and lawn decoration.
The sound of crunching on the ground made her turn towards the intruder immediately. As far as she knew, everyone else was still inside. "The party's inside" Stefan said, hands in the pocket of his jacket. Elena turned back to the water. She should have known.
"Then you should get back to it" she said, offering no hint that she wanted him to stay out there with her. Elena had been enjoying the silence. Even if she wanted the company, he was not the type of company she kept.
Stefan smiled. She really was determined to hate him until the day she died. Did he hate her? Hate was such a strong word. "Beautiful night" Stefan tried again, standing just behind her.
Elena sighed out of irritation. "Is there something I can help you with?" she asked. When Stefan did not respond, she continued. "Isn't there some other relative of mine whose ass you can kiss instead of bothering me?" she asked. "Like, Aunt Jenna? I don't think you charmed her yet this month" Elena said out of annoyance. Everyone in her family loved the guy. Except her Uncle John, but he didn't like anybody. It infuriated her that Stefan was always seen as the good guy. He wasn't.
Stefan smirked. "I'm having lunch with her next Tuesday actually" he mentioned. "You should join us."
Elena silently groaned. The nerve of him to wave that information in front of her and then slap on an invite. "I'd rather stab myself in the eye with a spoon over and over again" Elena said.
Stefan laughed as he moved around the bench to sit beside her. "Oh, Elena. Your theatrics amuse me."
Elena moved to the far side of the bench to get away from him. "Leave" she said sternly. Stefan looked back out over the water, choosing to ignore her. "I said leave" Elena said, a little harsher this time.
"You heard her, Stefan" a voice came from behind them. Elena turned to see Damon walking towards them.
Stefan remained facing forward. "Hello Damon. What a pleasant surprise. Thank you for interrupting our evening" Stefan said, his voice dripping with sarcasm.
Elena watched as Damon stepped to face Stefan, a serious look on his face. "It doesn't appear that Elena wants you here anymore. So, either get up and leave on your own, or I will make you leave" he threatened.
Fear began to surface in Elena as she watched the two brothers. It was no secret that the two did not get along. The last thing she wanted to witness was a fight, even if Damon was just trying to help her. "It's okay Damon, really. I'll go back inside" she said, standing from her seat.
"Nonsense, Elena. My brother will respect your wishes" Damon said, continuing to stare at Stefan. "Get up, and leave" Damon said sternly.
Stefan looked up at Damon for the first time with a hint of defiance in his expression. "Screw you, Damon" he said. Stefan watched Damon's forehead twitch slightly, knowing he was agitated. Then it happened. Damon had Stefan by the collar of his jacket, pulling him up to his feet and getting real close to his face. "Well aren't you the big man now" Stefan taunted.
Damon threw Stefan to the ground, diving back on him and attempting to get a punch in. Stefan had Damon's arms subdued in a matter of seconds, but Damon was able to break free. "Shut your mouth you spoiled, ungrateful little bastard!" Damon yelled, throwing his right hand and coming into contact with Stefan's jaw. Stefan groaned in pain, but not before hitting Damon in the stomach.
As the two fought on the ground, Elena found herself screaming at both of them. "Stop it!" she yelled. "Stop it right now!" she continued to yell.
It was not long until she could hear her father and Mayor Lockwood yelling at Stefan and Damon to break it up as they came running across the lawn. Elena stepped back as the mayor grabbed Damon off of Stefan and her father helped Stefan up. "That's enough!" her father yelled. Stefan quickly stopped his attempt to go after his brother. His heart was racing. Damon put his hands up in the air, signaling his surrender.
"I'm sorry" Stefan said, apologizing to Elena's father and the mayor.
The mayor nodded his acceptance of it as did Grayson. "Go cool off, okay?" Grayson said. Stefan nodded, stealing a look at Elena before turning around and heading inside. "Elena, get back in the house" her father ordered. Elena looked from her father to Damon before walking quickly past them. Grayson waited for Elena to be out of ear shot before approaching Damon. "You listen to me and you listen good" Grayson warned. "Stay away from my daughter." Damon glared at him with daring eyes. "As for Stefan. If you touch him again, there will be consequences" he explained vaguely. "I think of Stefan as my own and if I have to protect him or Elena or Jeremy from you, I will take extreme measures. Is that understood?" Grayson asked.
Damon continued to glare. "How about you mind your own damn business, huh, Pops?" Damon asked. "What happens between Stefan and I is none of your damn concern." Damon shrugged off the mayor's hands and began walking past a fuming Grayson. "Tell Elena goodnight for me" Damon said, a smirk beginning to form. It took all of Grayson's strength not to turn around and hit him.
Grayson watched Damon leave before heading back inside with the mayor. Grayson spotted his daughter with her group of friends and made his way over. "Evening girls" he smiled.
"Hi Dr. Gilbert" Bonnie greeted. Caroline did the same.
"Could I borrow my daughter for a minute?" he asked. The girls nodded. Elena reluctantly left with her father, finding a quiet area out in the hallway. "Elena" he sighed.
"I already know what you're going to say" Elena said, stopping him. "But it wasn't Damon's fault. Stefan started it!" Elena insisted.
"I don't want to hear it" Grayson said, putting his hand up. "Damon is bad news. I don't want you anywhere near him. Do you understand?" he asked. "I don't like how he treats Stefan or anyone else for that matter."
Elena figured it would be easier and faster to agree to her father's wishes. "Okay" she said, sighing.
Grayson smiled. "I love you. Have fun tonight at the party with your friends" he said, leaning forward and kissing the top of her head.
"I will" Elena said, hugging him. She looked over her father's shoulder to see Stefan brooding in the corner. He locked his eyes with hers. He was staring at her intensely. She brushed it off though. She had a party to look forward to. And Stefan would not be there.
A/N: The next chapter will be full of angst. I am warning you now so you can prepare yourselves! It will be the chapter that starts to get the ball rolling with Stefan and Elena. Finally, right? Thanks again everyone.