Chapter 4

It was a week later that a tapping at his bedroom window woke Damon. He stirred in the bed, hoping that the tapping would stop. When it didn't, he opened his eyes slowly. It was just after midnight so the room was still dark. He stumbled out of bed, grabbing his glass of blood along the way.

Blood. He could have it whenever he wanted. Damon still couldn't believe it. So he'd asked Klaus for a glass each night, so when he woke he wake to the smell of blood. A startling reminder that the life he now had wasn't just a figment of his imagination. Klaus had nodded with a small smile on his lips – it was if he understood. It was strange to say the least.

Moving towards the window, Damon pulled back the heavy drapes with one hand. What he saw, startled him. The glass of blood slipped from his hand, smashing on the carpet and splattering the crimson liquid on the floor and walls.

On the window sill, was a huge black crow. Its large black eyes peered into his room with more focus than any animal should have. Damon cocked his head at the sight of the crow. It had been twelve years since he'd seen one. Especially one like this.

"Stefan," Damon murmured, his voice choked with emotion. "Stefan, you've got to go." He reached his hand out to try and trace the bird's feathers, only to pull back when the Vervain soaked bars seared his flesh. Tears filled his eyes but they weren't at the pain in his hand. Ignoring the pain in his hand and wrist, Damon pressed his hand up against the cool glass of the window. As he did so, the bird moved its head towards him, its beak pressing against the glass where Damon's hand was.

Damon, you're going to be ok. I swear I'll get you out of there. You don't how much I regret not freeing you before now. Stefan's voice echoed through Damon's mind. It took a lot of power to be able to project thoughts so clearly. Obviously Stefan was back on human blood.

"You're feeding on human blood. How? Be careful," Damon said as he drew his hand away from the window. The burns began to heal slowly.

Freeing you is distracting my Ripper side. At least, that's what I think. You're looking better than what you were. Damon felt Stefan's distress wash over him. Along with his thoughts, Stefan accidently sent an image to Damon. It was brief and only lasted for a split second before Stefan retracted it. But it was enough. Damon saw himself in the cell, his body broken and face scarred by Vervain. He flinched at the image. That was the night of Stefan's failed escape plan.

"Someone bought me," Damon said slowly. He didn't mention that Klaus was his mate. He didn't want to hear Stefan's reaction to that. The crow cawed loudly at that. It was a loud screeching sound of distress. Damon looked hurriedly at the door of his bedroom before shushing the bird. "Stefan! You can't do things like that!" he said in a hushed voice though is urgency was clear. "What if you get caught? You shouldn't even be doing this!"

I was the one who got you caught in the first place. I'll get you out, even if it means we have to trade places. Stefan's voice was persistent and loud in Damon's mind. He knew the moment their conversation was over because he felt the warm sensation leave his mind. Damon hadn't even been aware that it was there. He grumbled at how weak he still was.

Damon moved the drapes back into place, not wanting to watch the crow fly away. Just sensing Stefan had been enough to make his heart clench. Twelve years ago he hadn't been this attached to his brother. But having Stefan taken away from him… To have his only constant removed from his life…

He lay down on his bed, pulling the covers over himself and hiding beneath them. Sleeping. There was a lot of that while at the compound. It allowed him to escape the pain and torment and instead focus on what life outside the compound was like. While conscious, Damon had found that hard to do. The pain and misery had consumed his every thought, leaving little room for anything else.

Damon thought back to his human life. How everything had been so simple. When Stefan and he used to play ball in the gardens, only to blush and try to clean themselves if a pretty lady walked by. They would go hunting together – that was a rare occasion with Damon being in the Confederacy.

Even when they were vampires it was easy. Granted they had had their fair few fights but they always there if they needed each other. They remained close together; meeting at least every twenty years to check that the other was still alive.

Behind his closed eyelids, tears stung at Damon's eyes. Everything was so fucked up. Two decades ago he wanted everything a man could dream of, and now? All he wanted was to walk through the woods. To feel the wind against his skin and hear the birds above him. To be able to do what he wanted, regardless of those around him. Was that too much to ask for?

Against All Odds

Klaus knocked lightly on Damon's door. He stood for a few moments, straining his hearing for any sound on the other side. When he couldn't hear anything, he knocked again, this time louder. Once more, he didn't hear anything.

Frowning, he unlocked the door with the spare key. The door swung open silently to reveal a darkened room. That wasn't good. Patting the wall with his hand, he searched for the light switch. When he finally found it, the room was flooded with light.

Upon seeing Damon on the bed, Klaus relaxed immediately. And then tensed again. What was wrong with Damon? From Katherine, he knew that vampires had sensitive hearing, even when asleep the lightest of noises could wake them. Why wasn't he waking? At the very least he should have moved slightly to acknowledge that Klaus was there.

He moved closer to the bed, only to become even more worried when Damon showed no sign that he knew Klaus was near. Even a human would have known by now. He sat beside Damon and pulled the covers down slightly so he could see more than just raven black hair.

Even at this, Damon didn't move. Klaus didn't even see his eyelids twitch.

Despite his worry about Damon, he couldn't help but let his eyes roam over the vampire's body. Sculpted and muscular it was the body of a God. The few scars that remained only seemed to make him look more divine by showing his vulnerability – one that Klaus hoped to protect and cherish.

The longer he looked, the more he noticed how tense Damon was. His body shook with small tremors. He didn't know what to do. But he had to do something. Remembering how Damon responded to his touch a week ago, Klaus reached out a tentative hand to touch the vampire's shoulder. Last week his touch had helped to calm Damon after his panic attack, hopefully it might do the same thing now?

When his fingertips touched Damon's arm, the vampire's eyes sprang open and he flinched beneath Klaus' touch. With a speed that Klaus hadn't expected, Damon was on the other side of the bed, the covers pooled around his waist. They both watched each other warily, Klaus having to fight to stop his gaze from roaming over Damon's body. It wouldn't do to make the vampire even more uncomfortable.

Klaus was the first to speak. "I'm sorry," he said. He cleared his throat, not realising how husky it had gotten. A quick smirk flitted over Damon's face in response. "I knocked, but you didn't answer. I shouldn't have woken you like that."

Damon nodded but didn't say anything.

"Why were you sleeping so heavily, if you don't mind me asking?" Klaus asked, he was eager to find out more about the beautiful vampire.

Damon narrowed his eyes at Klaus. Inside he felt the urge to answer to is mate but he was determined to try and keep things to himself. He hated admitting any kind of weakness to himself, never mind to others. Instead he continued to stare at Klaus.

When Klaus received no answer, he turned to look around the room for anything that might give him a clue to Damon's strange behaviour. In the past week they had gotten closer to each other, with Damon responding to some of his questions in an honest way without the sarcasm that usually accompanied his remarks. As time had passed, Klaus had shown Damon around the familiar manor but hadn't introduced him to Katherine. For some reason, he wanted Damon to himself for a little longer.

He looked around the room, eyes immediately locking with the spilt blood by the window. Klaus returned his gaze to Damon, only to see that the vampire had turned so that his back now faced Klaus. "Why is there blood against the wall?" he asked quietly, knowing that Damon would be able to hear him.

In response to his question, Damon felt a brief pain in his chest. It got stronger the longer he stayed silent. He shifted slightly in the bed, attempting to make the pain go away. It didn't. Once more he opened his eyes to look at his mate in confusion. Was Klaus causing the pain? He opened his mouth to speak but other words came out. "I dream," he began, instantly knowing he was answering Klaus' first question. "When I sleep I dream of how things used to be. I can escape from life and gain my freedom…" he trailed off, pleased to notice that the brief pain and diminished as he answered Klaus' question. Thankfully, he felt no urge to answer his second. That was good. He couldn't give Stefan away.

A brief flicker of hurt flashed across Klaus' face before the human schooled his expression into a mask of indifference. "I apologise for your lack of freedom." He didn't mean to, he knew Damon was mourning the loss of his former life, but he spat the last word. "If I were you I'd appreciate the fact that I bought you. I could take you back to the compound you know?"

Klaus regretted his words as soon as they left his mouth. The words seemed to physically bite Damon.

Damon curled into himself, his hands clenching into fists. Klaus word stung him more than anything ever had. Even the loss of Stefan didn't hurt this much. Rejection swept over him like a tidal wave, threatening to pull him beneath and never allow him to surface. He turned away from Klaus, before attempting to shuffle to the other side of the bed.

A warm touch stopped him. "Damon, don't. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said what I said." Klaus' voice was laced with desperation and panic. "Damon, please, look at me." At his words, the vampire seemed to curl into himself even tighter. Klaus took his hand from Damon's shoulder, worried that his touch was unwelcomed. Thoughts in a panic, Klaus did the only thing he could. He took the small blade from his boot. The handle was wooden and pointed – a weapon against vampires – while the blade was sharp for whittling and hunting and anything else a hunter might need. Klaus had received it from his mother – she had said it was something from his real father. Klaus had kept it near him at all times.

Adrenaline pumping through his veins, Klaus cut his palm with the blade.

The change was instantaneous. Damon's face shifted immediately to reveal the demon that lay beneath the man. Black veins appeared and his eyes turned red. White fangs flashed as he growled. Instead of the hungry, savage noise that Klaus had expected, the growls were more of a warning and in a hurried movement Damon was on the other side of the room.

Klaus blinked rapidly at Damon's sudden movement. Even after living for Katherine for years he was still unable to become accustomed to their rapid movements. Damon was crouched in the corner, his fangs bared in a defensive gesture. Fear clouded Damon's eyes.

Gulping, Klaus took another step forward. He had to build some sort of trust between them. Especially after what he had said to Damon. With each step he took, he became more confident in what he was doing. The closer he got, the quieter Damon's growls became until they were more like purrs than an actual defence mechanism.

Raising his bleeding hand, he watched as Damon's eyes followed it intently. A pink tongue darted out to lick full lips. "Damon, its ok," Klaus spoke, remembering how his voice somehow soothed Damon. "I want you to drink from me." Damon moved further back into the corner until his back was against the wall. "It's for you." He frowned when a look of distress washed over the vampire's face. Why wasn't Damon responding in a positive manner? There was fresh blood in front of his face! He walked towards Damon until their bodies were flush against each other.

Damon whined but didn't push him away, too scared that he might accidently hurt his mate. "It would please me if you drank it," Klaus added as an afterthought. He didn't know why. But the words spilled from his mouth.

There was a sudden change in Damon's demeanour. His body seemed to crumple against the wall and the dark veins around his eyes disappeared. He seemed empty, hollow. Damon looked towards Klaus and gently reached for his hand. Damon raised Klaus' hand to his mouth, his eyes shutting in blissfulness as his tongue flickered out to taste his mate's blood.

Klaus felt Damon melt against him, the vampire's body pressing heavily against his own. Soft purrs left Damon as he continued to lap at the blood. His tongue made soft movements across the palm of Klaus' hand while his cool breath caused goose bumps to rise along his arm. Subconsciously, Klaus moved his arm around Damon's waist, holding the vampire to him as he fed. He heard Damon moan and pull away, a slight smear of blood on his bottom lip. Looking down at his palm, he noticed that his hand had already healed. It was times like this when he hated his own heritage.

He didn't say anything to Damon – who was now panting against his chest – instead he guided Damon to his neck so that the vampire's lips rested against his throat. There was a pressure against his hand as if Damon wanted to pull away. There was quiet noise against his throat so he allowed Damon to pull his head away from his throat.

Bright blue eyes stared back at him. Damon's vulnerability shone back at Klaus as he looked down at the slightly shorter vampire. Blue eyes seemed to search his own, looking for something that Klaus didn't know. Whatever it was, Damon obviously found because the vampire melted against him once again, a content growl vibrating through his chest.

Damon didn't move back to Klaus' neck, which Klaus was slightly disappointed about, but was content to lean up against him. "Do you want to move somewhere else?" Klaus asked. He began to guide the vampire back over to the bed before Damon could answer. Once there, Klaus lay the vampire back down on the bed – Damon's head in his lap. The vampire seemed out of it, probably sated with fresh blood was Klaus' first thought. While Damon was in this mood, Klaus decided to apologise once again.

"I'm sorry for what I said…about the compound," he began slowly. He'd hate to cause Damon any more panic attacks. "I didn't mean it, I was hurt at what you said. If there's anything I can do, anything at all to make it up to you…"

Damon moved slightly on the bed, moving his body into a more comfortable position. His voice was so quiet Klaus nearly missed it. "I want to go outside," Damon said softly before his eyes shut.

Against All Odds

It was dark when Klaus took Damon out into the gardens. He avoided the busier paths and instead decided to take Damon down the more secluded paths, feeling that Damon would appreciate being in the natural wilderness of some of the woods.

Upon leaving the manor, Damon had reacted in the same way that he had at the compound. When it came to going over the threshold, the vampire had frozen and looked about him wildly. Twelve years, Klaus reminded himself, Damon had been in a cell for twelve years. He waited outside patiently while Damon paced inside the manor. Klaus was tempted to call for the vampire but he knew Damon had to do this himself. He had to overcome whatever fear he had of the outside world. Eventually, Damon had stopped his pacing and stood at the entryway to the large wooden doors. Looking at Klaus, Damon had swallowed and gingerly stepped out onto the marble steps.

Klaus watched the slight breeze ruffle Damon's raven hair and the look of satisfaction that crossed Damon's face. Immediately, the vampire looked younger. Damon looked towards Klaus once more before walking over to him, his eyes scanning the grounds around them.

"Hi," Damon murmured when he joined Klaus. "Thank you," he said quietly, as if he was scared that if he spoke any louder someone from the compound might hear them. "You didn't have to."

Klaus shrugged and began walking. Damon followed him a few steps behind. "You wanted to go outside and, I know it's nothing compared to what life used to be, but I want you to be happy here. It's the least I could do," he looked back towards Damon, frowning when he saw the vampire behind him. "Walk beside me," Klaus said. "You don't strike me as the type to follow people around."

Damon smiled at him before joining him, this time walking beside him. "It feels so strange to be outside again…" Damon let his words fade away while he ran his hand over the bark of a nearby tree. "I never thought I'd be free again; I'd forgotten what life outside was actually like. And now, it's just overwhelming." Klaus watched as he tilted his head back to look at the night sky, exposing his pale throat as he did. He licked his lips lightly as images flashed through his mind. He could pepper Damon's throat with kisses, trailing them down and further down until he reached –

Klaus cut himself off abruptly. He couldn't be thinking like that! If Damon thought that Klaus as going to take advantage of their situation. He felt almost sick at the thought. "Why did you freeze when leaving the compound?" Klaus asked suddenly, it was a question that had been annoying his for the past year.

Surprisingly, Damon answered straight away. "I didn't want to see what had become of my own kind. To see some of the strongest, kindest people reduced to mindless animals to survive. I didn't want to see that. I didn't want to see how much everything had all changed."

They walked in silence for a bit as Klaus led them down an uneven and rocky track. He found himself unnecessarily looking out for the vampire, holding out a hand whenever he thought Damon would need any help. Of course he never did. He was a vampire. They were as sure footed as mountain goats. Despite that, Klaus couldn't help but feel worried every time they came across crumbling rocks. He was used to this – he'd walked this path a thousand times to be free from his parents or older siblings. But Damon was new. What if he slipped?

Of course, Damon never needed his help.

So instead, Klaus watched him as Damon grew more confident, eventually walking ahead of Klaus to look at different things. Damon was graceful, there was no doubt about that in Klaus' mind. The way he moved was so feline and as if he'd lived in the woods all his life. It was fascinating to watch.

"How did you discover this trail?" Damon asked as he paused for Klaus to catch up. "You should walk beside me, you look lost," Damon added as an afterthought with a smirk on his face.

"When I was about ten I'd had an argument with my brother, Kol. We went our different ways and I found this. To this day I have no clue where he ended up."

"It's nice and private," Damn added quietly. He began to walk once more, kicking a pine cone along with him. "I used to know a nice trail," Damon began hesitantly. He didn't know if Klaus wanted to know much about him.

"Go on," Klaus encouraged when he noticed Damon's hesitance.

"I used to go hunting, back when I was human with," he paused for a moment, almost adding Stefan's name, "a friend," he finally finished. "I used to love it, just to have time away from the country estate."

"You had a country estate?" Klaus asked, slightly shocked. Then again, he should tell from Damon posture that the vampire had come from money. He hadn't been raised by just anyone. "If it's not rude to ask, how old are you?"

"I was born in 1864, you do the maths," Damon replied. He'd given up kicking the pine cone.

"Did you have any brothers and sisters?"

Klaus saw Damon tense at the question. It must be tough for him. Even if he had any, that were still alive, he wouldn't know where they were or if they were free or not. "No," he finally answered. "None that are alive today anyways."

In the distance a crow cawed loudly, the skill noise echoing through the trees. Damon looked up to the skies to see the large black bird circling above them. Stefan. A shiver went down Damon's spine. He couldn't afford for his brother to realise they were mate. If he knew that… Damon didn't want to know how he would react. And if Klaus should find out about Stefan.

Damon would never forgive him if Klaus handed his little brother to the compound.

"Is it alright if we head home now?" Damon asked.

Klaus nodded, a part of him wondering if the crow had spooked Damon. "Sure," he said, while a part of him revelled in the fact that Damon had called it "home." Maybe he would settle and grow to love the manor. And possibly even Klaus?

On the way home, they talked about small things. Most of the conversation was Klaus asking Damon about his human life and his life before the compound. After that, Damon had quizzed Klaus about a few things. They both discovered they had a love for football and baseball and so Klaus had challenged Damon to a game of each. With the most genuine smile Klaus had ever seen, Damon had agreed.

With every step that they took, Klaus felt himself becoming more and more attached to the vampire. Damon was more than he had ever expected. He had a vulnerable side which Klaus wished to protect and cherish and his smiles. By God, they made Klaus feel like he was fourteen with a crush all over again. He'd do anything to see the vampire smile more often.

Just as they neared the last corner, Klaus swallowed his nerves and slipped his hand into Damon's. They fit together perfectly, Damon's slightly smaller hand nestled within Klaus'. The small smile on Damon's face said volumes to Klaus. He'd been accepted. His vampire. His Damon, hadn't turned him down.

Hey up! I'm so sorry for the long wait! I've had exams (still more to come, sadly) and my driving test – passed second time! I'll try to update a lot sooner this time but I can't guarantee anything. Anyhow, I'd love to know your thoughts and thank you for your previous reviews! The Nutty One :D xxx