AN; Enjoy!


16 WEEKS

DAMON

A couple of weeks had passed since their two day trip to the lake house. It had been a nice escape from the reality that had slowly beckoned them back to the city. Damon had needed it more than he'd realized and he wouldn't mind going back.

He had kissed her and his brother had ruined everything with the mere sight of his own name flashing on his phone. 'Fucking cockblocker.' He'd ignored the call and Stefan hadn't tried to contact him after that – his brother wasn't used to being ignored, he didn't chase people. Damon couldn't care less - the last person he wanted to talk to was Stefan. He could stay in Los Angeles for the rest of his life if he wanted to.

His parents had been ignoring him and he'd treated them the very same way. He barely acknowledged his father at the office, thankful that he could decide if he wanted to work from home or not. Sure, they worked side by side on different projects but that didn't really mean anything. It wasn't personal - it was simply work-related and to be honest, Damon was okay with it.

The one thing he wasn't okay with; was the sudden fallout with Elena. She'd slowly distanced herself from him since their kiss being so rudely interrupted by the unwelcomed phone call and he was— fuck, he was miserable. They barely talked, the penthouse was big enough for them to live separately and they happened to just pass each other every now and then, not a single word being spoken - at least that's what it felt like; painful and annoying.

They were polite but not flirtatious and they didn't touch. He hadn't touched her since that heated makeout session in the kitchen and he longed to put his hands on her body.

He had no idea what was going on between them and Damon hated the fact that most people wanted to label every single relationship in their lives - it was fucking annoying. But damn it, he wanted to label them, wanted to touch her, hug her and hold her close - if she would just let him. A part of him ached, throbbed painfully and it had nothing to do with his dick this time. Honestly, his morning wood and overall libido had slowly evaporated as she'd put more and more distance between them. It was weird and quite frankly, it had started to scare the living crap out of him.

So yes, Damon was miserable. He didn't know what to do. Didn't know how to fix it. Didn't know how to approach her.

And, even though they didn't have to see him or even hear from him - Stefan would always be in the middle of everything, standing like a ghost between them, separating them from whatever it was that had started to develop between them and it fucking sucked.


ELENA

"Baby is as big as an avocado!" Elena announced, reciting the line from one of the maternity magazines Caroline had given her and Duke tilted his head as if agreeing, saying, 'Hell yeah, mama! Avocado!'

She snickered as he followed her to the bathroom. Elena brushed her hair, trying to calm her nerves. Her appointment with Dr. Flowers was scheduled for today and she had a hard time concentrating. She'd talked to her mother yesterday and Miranda had offered to go with her but Elena had declined.

For some odd reason, a part of her wanted to share her fears with Damon, wanted him to come to her, grab her and tell her that everything would be okay. Another part was mad at herself for what she'd let happen at the lake house. Their makeout session had been anything but innocent. He'd caused her entire body to crave him for days, yet, he'd pulled away from her. He'd felt cold and it had hurt like hell but she'd accepted it, she'd seen it for what it was. Fake.

Being with his brother's pregnant one night stand wasn't on his to-do-list and she couldn't exactly blame him for that. She almost loathed herself for even thinking about Damon naked. Yes, she'd been thinking about him, naked, in different positions, doing all kinds of sexual and intimate things to her and with her.

Elena pulled a hand over her face before gathering her hair in a low and messy bun. She applied some mascara, changed her clothes for the seventh time and sighed at her new figure. Her body was constantly changing and it was weird yet very exciting. It didn't matter how many times she read and reread the magazines, it was a lot to take in.

Her breasts had gone up several cup sizes by now and she grimaced as she eyed herself closer in the mirror. Her clothes had started to feel a little snug and it was probably time for her to go on a shopping spree. Caroline had made it her personal duty to inform Elena about everything regarding babies, she'd even offered to show some of her own favorite stores that had nice maternity clothes for sale on a weekly basis. Even though the blonde was slightly erratic and full of intense energy, Elena liked her. She was kind and she meant well and Elena could definitely use a friend.


DUKE

The atmosphere changed and he slowly opened his eyes, lifting his head, reassessing the situation. Fidgeting hands. His human was tense. Nervous. Worried. Duke got up from the corner where he'd been resting on the cold tiles near the squared bathtub. He stopped at her side, seating himself so close to her that he could rest his weight against her leg. Mama Elena sniffed and stifled a whimpering cry as she looked down at him and he pushed his nose into the palm of her hand, reassuring her that she wasn't alone. He was there for her. Always.

But, there was something weird going on with her; it bothered him that he couldn't figure out what it was. However, Duke knew his place in the pack – his job was to love unconditionally, guard and make his human happy. His purpose was to be there for her – it didn't necessarily mean he had to understand her all of the time.

Mama Elena had never been a sad person but things had changed when they'd had to move and started to hang out with Damon on a daily basis. The man still hadn't found his place in the pack. As of now, Duke wasn't even sure if Damon was a part of their pack and it confused him. Not that it tested his loyalty – his human was the Alpha, no questions asked. But, he liked Damon, he really did – but the man didn't put a smile on his human's face anymore, so, therefore, Duke wanted to dislike him, wanted to stop his tail from moving in anticipation when he heard Damon enter the front door every day.

Yeah, Duke was confused and when he was confused; he had a bad habit of– well, let's just say that he'd chewed on the back corner of the - very expensive – sofa last week, he'd also peed on some of the flowers on the terrace; they'd died three days later. Duke was well aware of how stupid his behavior was but he'd been stealthy, he knew perfectly well how to sneak around.


DAMON

He was seated at the kitchen island and groaned as he grabbed the back of his neck, rubbing it, glaring at his computer. He'd decided to work from home due to the fact that Elena had her prenatal visit/appointment with Dr. Flowers scheduled for today. She'd told him about it weeks ago and he'd put it in his calendar.

He'd been pacing back and forth in his bedroom the last two nights, contemplating and trying to decide whether or not to ask her about it. He was curious, so when she walked through the living room and into the kitchen, he greeted her with a nod and smiled. She was beautiful and it was hard for him not to stare.

"Are you busy? You look busy. Is it work?" She hashed out.

"Uh–" Damon blinked, a sense of shock and happiness coursing through him – she was talking to him – unable to contain his smile. He was just so damned happy that she was talking to him without the frown and sad face present. His soul felt lighter than it had in weeks and all due to the soft smile on her face. He cleared his throat, feign innocence. "That's– what's up?"

"I have an appointment with Dr. Flowers today."

"Yeah? You want to borrow one of the cars?"

She eyed him cautiously and he raised an eyebrow, waiting for her to say something, anything; no matter what, he would listen to her. He could hear his own heartbeats and counted quietly, begging, praying, hoping for her to open her mouth.

"I don't–" She trailed off. "I don't want to go alone."


"Are you sure about this?" Damon asked for the twentieth time as he sat down beside her in the waiting room area. "I could just wait in the car."

Elena smiled at some of the other women seated across from them and nudged his arm. She crossed her legs and took a deep breath.

He eyed her. Was she nervous?

"I'm sure and despite what you might think, I'm glad you're here." She confessed without looking at him, her eyes wandering around the room. "I'm just– so nervous. You need to ground me."

"Ground you, how?" He tilted his head and smirked devilishly, eyeing her with a raised eyebrow. "With a kiss?"

Elena turned to look at him and tried her best to glare as he winked at her.


According to Damon, Dr. Flowers looked like the cute little grandmother you could picture in a children's book – dark hair with a lot of grey strands, a huge reassuring and loving smile on her face and a welcoming spirit that seemed to have a calming effect on everyone present in the same room.

"Is that— the baby?" Damon asked, confused as he stared at the screen, eyeing the black and white contours, having no idea what to actually expect or what to even look for. Why did people get so extremely excited about this? Man, he had no idea.

He'd missed Elena's company the last couple of weeks but he would rather be at home, having a beer, finishing up some of the paperwork he'd brought home from the office yesterday – but no, he was at Dr. Flowers private practice with Elena and he had no idea what they were supposed to see.

"Do you see that?" The older woman pointed at the screen.

Damon frowned. Oh, so he was actually supposed to see something? Was it like– abstract art? Was he supposed to squint his eyes in order to see something valuable?

"There's the head and two arms. Look, he or she's waving at mommy and daddy."

Damon tensed up. Daddy? A twinge of something unfamiliar soared through him at the word – gearing up to reply with a snide remark of some sort – dude, totally not mine.

Just as he was about to say something to clarify that he was not the father, Elena grabbed his hand in hers, squeezing it tightly.

He glanced down at their intertwined fingers and gulped, finding that the mesmerized look on her face caused his breath to get caught in his throat.

She was staring at the screen, seemingly baffled and slightly taken aback. He dared himself to stroke the back of her hand with his thumb but she didn't react to his touch. He forced himself to swallow the lump that had formed in the back of his throat and turned his attention back to the screen. That's when he saw the flickering movement. What was that?

"Wait, something moved." He pointed at the screen. "There, right there, it's doing it again!"

"Oh, that's the baby kicking." Dr. Flowers acknowledged while not so well-hidden laughter escaped her.

"Is, w– really?" Damon gawked and turned to face Elena. He was suddenly enjoying himself immensely. "Can you feel the kicks?"

"Uh, no." She shook her head slowly, frowning as realization dawned on her, glancing nervously at Dr. Flowers. "Should I be able to feel her move?"

"It's different for everyone but I'd say it's still a little early to feel kicks. Sure, there's a lot of movement going on inside but most people mistake it for bowel movements or gas. Give it a couple of weeks and you'll know for sure when it's a kick and not just a bad dinner causing you trouble." Dr. Flowers smiled reassuringly.

"Yeah, sure, okay." Damon nodded hurriedly as if he was the one pregnant.

He slowly regained his focus and then everything just, kind of seemed to shift before his eyes. He could see the head. Holy shit! Two legs and a pair of waving arms. He noticed all of it as the older woman described what they were seeing on the screen.

It was when they got to hear the swishing, intense and loud sound of a tiny heartbeat that Elena's goblet seemed to overflow with emotions. He could see the tears that welled up and escaped her eyes as she smiled through the joy and relaxation that followed, knowing that her berry was okay.

"A picture–" She sobbed through the tears, laughing. "I want– I want a picture."

"Of course." Dr. Flowers nodded reassuringly.


ELENA

Elena had been well aware of the fact that she was – indeed – pregnant, but seeing the berry on the screen, hearing the heartbeat – it had been so surreal and mind-blowing. Her emotions had gotten the best of her and she'd bawled like a baby, unable to contain the joy to fill her every nerve with sizzling energy.

She'd almost forgotten that Damon was in the room, sitting beside her. He'd honestly seemed rather bored at first but then he'd stroked her hand as he'd held it securely in his own while she'd stared at her unborn child on the screen.

Dr. Flowers had printed four pictures and she couldn't stop staring at them as Damon steered out onto the highway, heading back to the city. He drove in silence for a while, almost as if he wanted to give her some time and space to let it all sink in.

Elena turned in her seat, looking at him, sighing. She was tired, elated, filled with a happiness that seemed and felt so massive that it transpired everything else.

"Are you okay?" He asked quietly after a couple of minutes.

"Mmh." She mumbled, her voice muffled. "I'm just so happy and relieved. It's weird. I mean, not weird– weird. It's just so, overwhelming. You know what I mean, right?"

"I think so." He chuckled. "Earlier, during the ultrasound – you said her."

"You noticed that."

"You think it's a girl?"

"I don't know. I mean, I– Yes. It's just a feeling in the pit of my stomach–"

"Pun intended," Damon remarked with a hint of a grin etched on his face.

"Ha, ha, you're funny. No, but seriously though. It's just a feeling I have."

"Would you…" He trailed off. "Would you prefer a boy or a girl?"

"I just want a healthy baby." She said honestly without hesitation.

"A healthy baby sounds perfect." He nodded. "Are you hungry?"


They got seated at a corner booth and ordered sparkling water with lime and lemon slices. They were sitting opposite one another and Elena could feel his eyes on her as she scanned through the menu. They both opted for chicken and Damon placed the order once the waitress sauntered over to them with a flirtatious smile on her face.

Elena felt a sting of unexplained jealousy as Damon eyed the young woman, winking at her before she left them behind, heading back to the kitchen. Blame the hormones or whatever, but she couldn't help or stop herself and wanted to bite her own tongue after she'd thrown out her next sentence.

"She's pretty."

"I didn't notice."

"You basically eye-fucked her." She muttered, unable to hide the jealousy that seemed to spread through her chest at a rapid pace. "People could probably tell from a mile away."

"Where's this coming from? The only person I want to eye-fuck right now is you."

Elena clamped her legs together, her thighs tingling as the words hit her and he stared at her, his blue eyes piercing hers with such raw intensity that her underwear almost soaked up completely within the following seconds. Oh God, how on earth was it possible? For a moment, she considered jumping over the table, throwing herself at him, devour his mouth and let him do whatever he seemed or deemed fit. It didn't matter that she'd tried to pull away and ignore him since their make-out session at the lake house; she wanted him, her body wanted him – badly.

"What about Stefan?"

Damon rested his elbows on the table and leaned forward, never breaking eye contact with her.

"I honestly don't care about my brother right now. He's not a part of this. When I look at you– I see you. I know that we're both feeling something for each other. I mean– Christ, we're going to live together for a while, Elena. I'm not sure that I can keep my distance when it comes to you."

"I don't want you to keep your distance." She admitted.

It was a bold and honest truth. She wanted him close enough to smell his cologne. She wanted to ravish him in every way possible. She literally wanted to fuck his brains out but couldn't say that out loud. She blushed at the thought as his words brought her back to their conversation.

"Let me make it easier for you. What do you want?"

"I want you."

"Shit." He groaned, his face slightly shocked. "You can't say things like that."

"You asked."

"Yeah, but we're in a restaurant and I can't sit here sporting a baseball bat in my pants, can I?"

"You can't say things like that either." She argued.

The waitress returned with their food, her eyes roaming Damon's body – shamelessly – as he thanked her and sent her on her way. She seemed rather annoyed at his short sentences and lack of interest in her and Elena had been forced to bite her tongue as the waitress snorted in response, stomping away from them.

They ate in silence, glancing at each other every now and then. Elena tried to compose herself and the tornado of emotions that threatened to consume her.

"I'm not much for labels." He stated as they'd finished their food. "I like you, Elena. We can go slow if that's what you want."

"The arrangement–"

"Don't think about that right now. I want you to make a decision based on what you're thinking right now, what you're feeling."

"Okay." Elena nodded slowly. "I guess I just want us to continue forward. Whatever happens, happens. What do you want? Except for the eye-fucking we mentioned earlier."

Holy cow! Where did that come from? She quickly covered her mouth with her hands, groaning at her own forwardness. She didn't even dare to look up at him, knowing he would be smirking at her; handsome, hot, cocky and yes, yes, yes!– so– fuckable.

"Honestly, I just wanna throw you into my bed and never let you leave."


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Love, Quinn