Chapter 3: Tension

Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Diaries, however consider this story mine. Any dialogues not canon from the show as well as any descriptive sentences are the end result of over twenty years of writing. I have poured my heart and soul into every beautiful paragraph, every perfect sentence, every hot and/or romantic scene, and every funny one-liner. To copy this work or any other and claim as one's own, in whole or in part is a criminal offence punishable by ostracism, harassment by my loyal readers, and possibly even dismissal by the MODs. It's not worth it; don't be a thief :)

The tension in the dining room was so thick that Elena was almost suffocating from it; as soon as everyone sat down at the table the room had gone completely silent, almost deafening. She turned to Bonnie, who was sitting on the other side of Stefan and attempted to get a conversation going.

"So, Bonnie, why don't you tell us all about your family?" Elena suggested. She was referring to the recent discovery Bonnie had made; her ancestors had apparently been traced back to a group of suspected witches who had fled Salem to escape persecution. Of course there wasn't really a lot of truth to the rumor, other than the fact that her ancestors had been into the pagan rituals. Bonnie herself had also recently taken up Spirituality, having developed the interest even more so after she'd met her friend Luca; he was heavily into the New Age thing, and Elena suspected Bonnie had a bit of a crush on him. Unfortunately, he was completely oblivious.

"Um, divorced, no mom; live with my dad," Bonnie answered quickly. She looked away, disinterested, and began pushing her food around on her plate. The room was once again engulfed in uncomfortable silence and Elena sighed; this wasn't going at all the way she'd hoped.

"This is really good," Caroline said cheerfully, taking a bite of her Chicken Parmigiana and finally breaking the ice.

"Thanks," Elena said. "I'm glad you like it."

"You know, I helped her with the sauce," Damon said, turning to his date.

Caroline grinned, as if she couldn't believe her good fortune. "Oh my god, really?" she asked, surprised. "I didn't know you could cook!"

"Of course I can," Damon said, practically sticking out his chest with pride. "I'm Italian; it's in our blood, right Stefan?"

Stefan nodded his head, but looked a little embarrassed. Elena knew it was because he hadn't inherited that particular gene; or maybe he was just too worried about accidentally cutting himself with a knife. Since they'd begun dating, Elena had done the majority of the cooking; though it made sense considering Stefan was rarely home for dinner.

"You're Italian?" Caroline asked, sounding even more impressed.

Damon smirked, obviously finding her naivety amusing. "Yep!" he confirmed. "Damon Salvatore, as in "Savior"," he winked at her. Caroline blushed, giggling like a high school girl.

"So how did you two meet?" Stefan asked curiously.

Caroline blushed, giggling again. Elena resisted the urge to roll her eyes. "We sort of bumped into each other at The Mystic Grill," she explained, grinning at Damon as if sharing a private joke.

"She means that literally," Damon added. "I was sitting at the bar and she had one shot too many and almost pushed me off the bar stool when she tripped over her own two feet."

Caroline smacked him playfully. "Hey, you're making me sound like a klutz," she whined. "Anyway, he's telling it wrong. I really didn't trip; I was just trying to find an excuse to talk to him…"

"…and bail on me on Girl's Night," Bonnie commented dryly.

Caroline rolled her eyes. "Please, that was hardly a Girl's Night." She turned to stare accusingly at Elena. "It's really too bad you didn't want to come out. You could have kept Bonnie company and listen to her wallow in her own self-pity while I had some fun."

"I was not wallowing," Bonnie said defensively, glaring across the table at Caroline.

She shrugged her shoulders. "Pining then," she suggested. "I saw the way you kept looking over at Luca's table…"

"Oh, like you're one to talk!" Bonnie growled.

"So why did you stay home on Girl's Night?" Damon asked Elena, quickly changing the subject. He was positive that one more word between Bonnie and Caroline would have resulted in a cat-fight; not that it wouldn't have been hot, but he really didn't feel like cleaning up the mess.

"Oh, she doesn't go out anymore," Caroline answered for her. "She's been going through a blah faze ever since her adoptive parents died, but she used to be way more fun!" Bonnie looked about ready to slap her, and Elena just stared at her incredulously, as if she couldn't believe she'd just said that. "And I say that with complete sensitivity," Caroline mumbled quietly as an afterthought.

Elena took a long sip from her glass of white wine; she had a feeling this would be a long night.

She suddenly felt Damon's eyes on her, and was surprised at his expression; he seemed almost apologetic.

"I'm sorry, Elena," he said, sounding genuinely sympathetic. "I know what it's like to lose both your parents. In fact, Stefan and I have watched almost every single person we've ever cared about die." She hadn't expected that, especially coming from him. She'd known a little bit about their parents, as Stefan had told her how his mother had gotten sick when he was a child and how his father had passed away after a heart attack when he was a teenager. But something about the way Damon was talking made it seem like there was more to the story. What hadn't Stefan told her?

"We don't need to get into that right now, Damon," Stefan said in a warning tone that Elena had never heard before; he was definitely trying to hide something.

"You know what, you're right, Stefan," Damon said apologetically. "I'm sorry, the last thing I wanted to do is bring her up." He winced, making a face that indicated the situation was incredibly awkward for the both of them. Elena took another sip of wine, not surprised when she realized she'd downed the entire contents of the glass.

Elena was still slightly buzzed from the wine as she started clearing the table and bringing everything into the kitchen. Bonnie and Caroline both had early classes tomorrow, so they left after dessert. Stefan got a call from the hospital asking if he wouldn't mind working a short four-hour shift since they were a bit under-staffed; as usual, he made a quick apology to her for cutting their night short and headed out immediately after dinner. That meant it was just her and Damon left to clean up; fortunately the three glasses of wine had put her in a much better mood.

"One more," he called to her, coming into the kitchen with another glass. He tried to hand it to her, but it slipped from her hands; he caught it reflexively, causing her to wonder if he'd been an athlete back in high school and giggled, trying to picture him in a letterman jacket. The image was hilarious, since she couldn't really see him in anything other than his leather jacket; he was too much of a bad boy to be so preppy, and she imagined he'd look about as out of place wearing it as John Travolta did in "Grease". She wondered if that made her Olivia Newton John; only with much better hair.

"Nice save," she said, still laughing giddily from both her silly thoughts and the effects of the alcohol.

Damon grinned. "I like you," he said pointedly. "You know how to laugh." She couldn't help blushing at his compliment, and unconsciously she tucked a few stray strands of hair behind her ears, still smiling at him. "And you make Stefan smile, which is something I haven't seen in a long time," he added. He moved around to the other side of the open dishwasher and she paused, holding a plate in her hand.

"Earlier tonight, you said you and Stefan both lost someone else besides your parents…who were you talking about?" she asked. She moved to place the plate down into the rack, but at the moment she lacked coordination; he took it from her gently, setting it down for her.

"Sorry about that," he apologized to her. "I really didn't mean to bring Katherine up; especially in front of company. It just sort of slipped out."

Elena furrowed her brow in confusion. "Katherine?" she repeated. This was the first she'd ever heard of her.

Damon stared at her incredulously. "Stefan's ex?" Damon said in a tone that made it seem like she should have already known this information.

At her blank stare he resisted the urge to roll his eyes; typical, Stefan hadn't told her. "You're telling me that you've been dating my brother a whole year and you haven't had the awkward ex conversation yet?"

She shrugged her shoulders and he sighed. "Well, I suppose it's going to come up now," he said. "Although, maybe he just didn't want to tell you because he didn't want you to think he was on the rebound. We all know how those relationships end," he added pointedly.

"You say that as if every relationship is doomed to end," she said, frowning.

"I'm a fatalist," he replied simply. She handed him another plate, thinking it might be better if he placed the dishes in the racks for her since her coordination was still a little off.

"How did she die?" Elena asked, more than a little curious.

Damon frowned slightly, as if the memory caused him a lot of pain. "Fire," he replied. "Tragic fire."

"Recently?" Elena asked. The way he had said it, and the way Stefan had reacted earlier, it seemed like it hadn't happened that long ago.

"Seems like it was yesterday," Damon replied. He was smiling to hide his obvious discomfort, the same way she did when people asked her about her parents; clearly he was still in a lot of pain. She could relate.

"What was she like?" Elena asked softly, knowing that it would be better to focus on his happier memories of Katherine while she was satisfying her curiosity.

Damon smiled in remembrance. "She was beautiful," he told her. "A lot like you in that department. She was also very complicated, and selfish, and at times not very kind, but sexy and seductive." He was talking about her like she had been very important to him; almost as if he'd loved her too."

"So which one of you dated her first?" Elena asked pointedly, handing him another plate.

Damon smirked, taking it from her. "Nicely deduced," he said, impressed with how quickly she caught on. "Ask Stefan," he suggested bitterly, placing the last of the dishes in the rack and shutting the door. "I'm sure his answer differs from mine." He walked out of the kitchen without another word, and Elena watched him leave with a pang of regret for bringing up such a painful subject. Part of her really wanted to comfort him, as a friend; she had a feeling he didn't really have a whole lot of people he could really talk to. It seemed they had something in common after all.

It was well after midnight when Elena rose from her bed, finally resigned to the fact that she wasn't going to fall asleep on her own. She shivered slightly as her bare feet touched the wood floor on her way down to the kitchen. She was just about to put on a pot of hot chamomile tea to help her sleep when she felt a presence in the room with her. She turned around, jumping slightly in surprise to see Damon's dark silhouette in the darkness. He was leaning against the door frame, smirking slightly.

"Oh god, you startled me!" she gasped, placing a hand over her chest; her heart was racing.

"Cute PJs," he commented, glancing over her chosen attire of a camisole top and blue plaid shorts.

"What are you doing down here?" she asked, crossing her arms to cover herself. The cold air was starting to get to her, and she didn't want him to accidentally see anything that he shouldn't be seeing; he'd already caught one glimpse of her, she wasn't about to give him a repeat performance.

Damon shrugged, making his way over to the refrigerator. "I was thinking of having a late-night snack," he informed her, opening the door and searching around for something. "Do we have any of that cheesecake left over from dessert earlier?"

Elena nodded, placing the kettle on the stove and turning on the element. "Check the bottom shelf, behind the leftover pasta," she said.

He grinned, pulling the cheesecake out of the fridge and setting it on the counter. "Care to join me?" he asked.

Elena shrugged. "Why not?" she replied, moving to sit at the counter; she noticed that Damon didn't grab any plates from the cupboard, only two forks.

"Might as well share," he explained at her questioning expression. "There's not really enough here to make it worth the extra dishes."

He sat beside her, angling his body so that they were almost facing each other over the open dessert container. Elena took a bite out of the strawberry cheesecake, moaning softly at how delicious it was. The cream cheese felt like it was melting on her tongue, and there was just enough swirl of strawberry to give it that added bit of flavor; truly it was one of the better recipes, especially for having been bought at the store.

"That looks really good," Damon said, barely above a whisper. "Can I have a taste?"

She blushed, realizing she'd been hogging their dessert, and pushed the container closer to his side, indicating he could help himself. As he moved to dip his fork into it for a bite, she accidentally brushed against his hand. She gasped at the sudden contact, pulling away quickly as if he'd burned her; a shock went through her and she was suddenly aware of their close proximity to each other.

He must have noticed too, because his eyes had suddenly turned a darker shade, and he was staring intensely at her lips. Her breathing had become shallow and she licked her lips nervously. Damon watched her intently, as if searching in her eyes for something, and then he brought the fork up to her lips. Just as she had done earlier with the sauce, she parted them, welcoming the sweet taste of cream cheese, strawberries, and just a hint of whipped cream. She let out another low moan of pleasure, and when her eyes fluttered open again Damon was still watching her. She didn't pull away when he leaned in slowly, and when their lips touched she melted against him, sliding her arms around his neck instinctively to pull him closer. Her head was spinning at the intensity she felt as he feasted on her lips like a man starved; she was just as ravenous, gripping his hair in her fist to hold him to her. She was dangerously close to falling off the chair, and she wrapped her legs around his waist automatically to steady herself. Damon lifted her up with ease, setting her on top of the counter as his lips trailed down the side of her neck, nipping gently but urgently at her skin.

"Mmmm," he moaned against her. "Delicious, just as I knew you would be." He traced her collar bone with the tip of his tongue and she shivered in response. He smiled triumphantly as he moved up to recapture her lips.

She was frantic to touch him, raking her nails over his back and practically tearing off his shirt. He moved his hand up to cup her breast, pinching the nipple. She pressed into his hands, wiggling her hips as she felt the bulge in his black boxer briefs. She needed him now. She gripped him firmly through the material; he was hot, hard, and definitely bigger than Stefan. She worked the tiny buttons, drawing him out into the open air and stroking the length of him, loving the way he felt in her hand. Damon was still sliding off her shorts and panties as she slid him against the slick entrance into her body. As soon as he threw her panties to the floor, she wrapped her legs around him and drew him inside.

"Oh, Damon," she cried out. She inhaled sharply as his fingers moved down to rub over her tight bundle of nerves, sending more shocks and shivers through her. As he continued to thrust into her, she heard a high pitched sound in the background and wondered if her ears were ringing. She dug her nails into his back, already feeling like she was about to crash over the edge. Just as she began to spiral, the ringing sound got louder, it was almost a scream now; the kettle reached its boiling point just as she met hers.

Elena shot up from the bed, drenched in sweat and practically throbbing between her legs. She hit the snooze button on her alarm clock, realizing it had been the cause of the high-pitched sound that had interrupted her dream. Her skin was still prickling from where Damon had touched her in the dream, and she cursed out loud, thankful that Stefan had already left for school a few hours ago. She felt disgusted with herself, even though she knew it was just a dream; probably the events from yesterday's dinner manifesting themselves in her subconscious mind. Still, it was wrong for her to be dreaming of Damon doing those things with her; especially when she was sleeping in Stefan's bed. She cursed again in frustration, then threw the covers back and made her way into the bathroom; she desperately needed a shower.

Author's Note: I just can't seem to leave this story alone, so here's another chapter, and as promised you even got a lemon ;) See, I told you I'd find a way to work them into this story somehow! I added a bit more to my author's note last chapter, in case you haven't checked it out since I fixed it. Also it would seem FF is having issues because sometimes when I check certain chapters the site tells me the story doesn't exist (WTF?). Also, my internet service out here tends to cut out on me at certain times of the day, but thankfully I at least have my Blackberry.

Anyway, I answered a few questions that kept popping up, so if you're curious you can go check them out in the last chapter and see what's in store. Now, as for this chapter, I know some of you are going to ask, so I'll just explain about Katherine right now and put your minds at ease. She really did die in a fire, and will not be coming back. My reasons for doing this have very little to do with any obstacles for Damon and Elena as a couple, but she is significant to this story in another sense. I'm not going to say anymore, because it will give away a major plot point in this story. Just trust me on this one, okay? I've already got most of this story mapped out in my head, and certain scenes for future chapters have also already been written. As for Damon and Elena, they will happen (obviously, since it's their story) but Elena has a lot of things she needs to sort out first, and I'm not just talking about Stefan. Like I said, you'll just have to wait and see ;)

Also, if any of you haven't had the pleasure of trying Chicken Parmigiana before, you should definitely look up a recipe b/c it is delicious. My husband and I make ours using our own mix of bread crumbs and spices, as well as add our own ingredients to the marinara sauces we pick up from the store. My favorites are Roasted Garlic & Herb, Sweet Onion Marinara, and Tomato & Basil. I'm not telling what other spices I add to it, as that's my secret recipe, but I'm sure you can guess at one of them ;) Anyway, after the sauce and pasta (I use Penne) is cooked a bit, I pour the whole thing in a lasagna dish with the chicken strips and cover it with the sauce and LOTS of grated mozzarella and cheddar cheese. I like to bake mine until the cheese is nice and crispy, but you don't have to do it like that; I'm just a real cheese lover. The side of garlic bread with melted marble cheddar on top is optional :) I'm not much of a cook when it comes to other things, but I like to think I'm at least a master chef when it comes to my pasta dishes! Oh, and I bake a pretty good vanilla sugar cookie too, but that's the extent of my talent in the kitchen. My hubby is the chef in this household ;)

Can't wait for more awesome reviews!