Elena clenched her hands into fists. "Elena, I asked you a question. Who is Damon?" "He's just a friend." Stefan sighed, "Elena I know when you're lying, you're a terrible liar. Why are you lying to me?" She shook her head, "It doesn't matter, he's just a friend." "If it didn't matter you wouldn't be lying." He said. Elena sighed, "I'm sorry." She stood then, throwing on her robe and slippers before grabbing her car keys and leaving.
Damon was wandering around campus, it was Sunday and he had absolutely nothing to do. Alaric was at his parents' for the day and he had nowhere to be. He stuffed his hands in his pockets as he left the library. The university was nearly deserted; he weaved his way through the courtyard humming to himself. He heard an engine running which was odd because the last time he walked past the parking lot there were no cars there accept the janitor's. He noticed a jeep running with the driver still inside. The driver looked like she was crying. He walked over, fully aware that it was none of his business and lightly rapped on the window. The woman froze, still not looking up. She had dark brown curls in a wild display atop her head and was wearing a light purple robe. It took her a moment to quickly wipe away her tears.
That's when it hit him, he knew those hands and he knew those curls. "Mrs. Pierce?" Elena looked up as her jaw dropped. Damon didn't know what to say, he wanted to know why she was crying and end the life of whoever caused it. If only he knew it was himself who caused her tears.
Elena's eyes bulged; he wasn't supposed to see her like this. First off she was his professor it was highly unprofessional for him to see her in such a state, and second she knew how unattractive she looked when she cried. He knocked on her window again, "Mrs. Pierce, what happened?" Elena rolled down her window, waving her hand in dismissal. "Nothing's wrong." She said, sniveling the whole time. He looked at her sideways, "Want to talk about it over coffee?" She felt her hands grow clammy, she knew she shouldn't, that he was the reason for her and Stefan's fight but she couldn't say no. "Sure." He nodded, walking around her car and climbing into the passenger seat. When she looked at him as if he had three heads, he smirked, "You didn't honestly think that I'd treat you to campus coffee? Please, give me some credit. I may be 18 but at least I've got good taste."
Fifteen minutes later they sat in her car considering her wardrobe wasn't the best attire for the public eye to see. "So what happened?" he asked. As if she was going to tell him that she called out his name while in bed with her husband. "Just a little predicament with the husband." She said with a wry smile. Damon raised a brow, a warning sign to show that he didn't believe her for a second. When she didn't tell him he shrugged, "Fine, don't tell me but our adventure isn't over just yet." They switched seats in her car as he drove off towards his favorite place in the whole world.
"What is this place?" she asked. It was near the water, the only word she could use to describe it was a cove. Damon climbed ahead of her, dropping down onto the ground of the underground cave. He peered up at her, "You coming?" She nodded, soon becoming self-conscious of her robe and slippers. The ocean air nipped at her bare legs as she shuddered. He watched her battle herself in her head as he held out his hand. Elena closed her eyes, what was she doing? How stupid could she be? What was she doing here with this boy that caused her to slip up in the first place, especially when Stefan was at home waiting for her to come home? She was afraid of him. She had no idea what he was capable of. She never would have thought that she knew very little about her own husband. Damon helped her down through the hole in the ceiling, holding her elbow as she caught her footing on the wet rock slab. Elena held onto his shoulder nearly gasping at the warmth emanating from beneath his light weight v-neck. She could feel muscles flex beneath the skin. As soon as she could stand he let her go even though she still clung to him. When she realized what she was doing she let go awkwardly but not long enough before truly gasping.
It was no place she'd ever seen before. There was a hole in the wall as an overhang, nothing that you could leave through, that showed an overview of the roaring waves below and the Statue of Liberty in the distance. There was a bench that was carved out of the rock wall, one of nature's creations no doubt. Blankets and pillows littered the far corner with an empty cooler and lantern sitting on top. Stacks of books lined the back wall with a can of pens sitting atop a small pile of battered notebooks. "Wow, did you do this all yourself?" he shrugged modestly, "Yeah, I found it back in the beginning of the summer. No one else knows about it."
Elena gulped, there was that feeling again. She walked over to the rock bench which was being used as a shelf with a bunch of melted candles and a few empty beer bottles with some type of liquid glitter inside them. She knew the question she wanted to ask before she even said it. She could feel him only inches away from her, felt his eyes on her back. Without turning she asked, "Why did you bring me here?" "What do you mean?" he asked. She could hear the confusion in his voice as she felt his hand on her shoulder. "Mrs. Pierce, what is wrong?" Elena sighed; looking into his eyes left an unsettling feeling in the pit of her stomach.
Damon seemed closer somehow and she could feel his hands on her sides. She visibly gulped; her voice was barely an audible whisper. "Please tell me." He pleaded in a hushed tone. When did it get so quiet? She wondered. "I can't" she said. He sighed, "Well than at least let me make you feel better." He whispered as he leaned in to kiss her. Elena felt herself let go, letting his arms envelope her and his lips to lightly caress hers in the most exhilarating way possible. Her hands gripped onto his shirt, grabbing at his shoulders as she felt his fingers ghost over her arms, pushing her robe off and onto the floor. He kissed down her jaw and onto her neck, pushing his hands up the back of her shirt. Elena's eyes widened, realizing what was happening, pushing Damon off of her and quickly climbing up and out of the hole in which they had entered. Damon looked down at his feet to realize that she had left her robe where it had fallen and picking it up he noticed a name was embossed on the left breast. "Elena." He said, smiling. And what a beautiful name it was, he thought.
Elena finally returned home after finding her car and trying to clear her mind of all things Damon. She had no idea what she was going to come home to but she was sure it wouldn't be that bad. She would just tell Stefan the truth. Surely he would forgive her for only one kiss. She'll just have to leave out the part of how hot it had made her. She dropped her keys onto the bar and moved uncertainly back into their bedroom. She found him rifling through her messenger bag, her paperwork and lesson plans everywhere. "What are you doing?" she asked, surely he was overreacting. Stefan stood, throwing back the desk chair as it toppled over. "I'm not going to ask again Elena, who is he?!" His voice was tense, filled with such rage pent up behind his lips. She didn't know what to say, she clenched her hands into fists at her sides, her knuckles turning white. After a moment of complete and utter silence, she let out a shuddered breath. She closed her eyes briefly before opening them once more. Stefan looked at her with a type of concern that she had seen plenty of times before but never in a situation such as this. "He's a student of mine." She watched as his face fell. "I'm so sorry." She said, tears filling her eyes. She reached out to him as he inched away from her touch, sitting down on their bed and ran a hand through his hair, "Did I do something?" he asked. Elena frowned, "No, you did nothing wrong. It's me, I was stupid." "Are you unhappy? Because you know I'll do anything for you." This is what she knew would hurt the most, when he would think it was his fault.
"I think I'll take the couch tonight." He said, grabbing his pillow before leaving the bedroom and shutting the door behind him. With that it seemed to show how different they had truly become. Elena flopped back onto the bed, such memories filled these sheets. She couldn't get over how stupid she could be. First she slips up and calls her husband by another man's name and then she goes out and finds said man and lets him kiss her, and she enjoyed it too. She could already feel herself slipping back into her old self. How much worse would she make things before they would go back to the way they were? There was only one way to do this, get Damon to drop her class.