These streets will make you feel brand new

Chapter notes: Who is excited for a… DELENA ROAD TRIP. Next chapter will be smutty, I promise. This time will be setup to big, relationship-changing roadtrip. This is full of super fun angst though! Bonus, Elena has 5 minutes of normal teenage girl time! I've had a crazy time lately (I was in Houston, I got orthodontic work done, went to see Troye Sivan!) but chapter 9 should be out in a day or so, I'm excited to write it!

New Jersey was by far one of the most desolate of the United States to drive through. Speeding up I-95, Damon couldn't help but want to get to the city and out of this toxic wasteland state as soon as possible. There was one thing beautiful thing in Jersey this time though- and she was sitting right next to him. He would complain about how much he hates this state, but he didn't want to put a damper on Elena's excitement. The music was testament to that- they combined some of her music into his playlist, since she didn't want to listen to his classic rock throwbacks. She was bobbing her head side to side to the music, bare feet on the dash, soaking up the morning sun. Her long olive legs were glowing, exposed by her cut off shorts. He let her borrow his Ray-Bans, with the stipulation of "You're human, so you can go blind from the sun I guess". Elena had been shocked that he would share his things, but Damon's ulterior motive was that he knew how hot she would look in his sunglasses.

And in my shirts. And in my bed. And in my mouth… His mind was trailing off as he stared down the mostly open road. A couple of rest stops back, they stopped to get Elena some breakfast, some kind of greasy croissant sandwich, and he downed an extra large coffee to take the edge off of his temptation to snack on Elena. Her sweet blood was tormenting him, being stuck in the car together for so long. He could smell it, the aroma strengthening and lessening each time her pulse fluctuated. Given their recent track record, she probably would let him, but he had only let her come along to New York if they could follow a few ground rules- one of which was no blood sharing.

Only problem was, he hadn't told her the rules yet. He figured if he threw them on her before they left, she'd try to convince him to change the rules, but he was determined not to budge. He would wait to tell her until they got there. He secretly was hoping that her hormone-filled human mind was full of filthy plans for their week-long trip, just so he could show her who has the upper hand when he doesn't give her what she wants. As much fun as they had partying, he was not about to let her take complete control. He loves her, but she's still with Stefan, so she can't have the best of both worlds. She will have to choose, and until she does, then he is going to torture her, tempt her, but most importantly- take control. He had a sneaking suspicion that sharing so much blood was making him weaker, making him unable to resist her or deny her, hence the no blood sharing rule he was going to give her. He would find some different, gorgeous snacks. He wouldn't hurt her feelings, just show her what she could have if she made a choice. The engine roared to life as he completely floored the gas pedal. He was still Damon Salvatore after all.


The day before

Clothes had exploded from the closet, forming an archipelago of piles, snaking their way around Elena's bedroom furniture. School was starting in a week, and she had done nothing to prepare. Between the parties, Stefan darting off, and self-loathing, she really hadn't had time to worry about books, pencils, class schedules or planners. More tragically, she hadn't thought about her back-to-school wardrobe. She didn't remember the last time she went clothes shopping, so all she had to work with were her leftovers from the previous year. The least she could do was take inventory of what she had and take stock of what was wearable and what had to go. She sat in the middle of the piles on her knees, popping up and down to see things, bending on her hands and knees when she needed to grab something. To make things more bearable, she was blasting her stereo, blasting all of the top-40 music she needed to know before she was thrust back into the world of high school dances. Her rule was that each pile had the duration of one song to handle it, and if it took longer, the whole pile would go into the donation bag.

She was disgusted by how many shirts had small blood stains on them that she never noticed. Those were too gross to even consider donating to charity. Most of the blood stains were accompanied by scratches, small tears, or holes, the evidence of the myriad life-threatening supernatural encounters she found herself in the past year. Not a single pair of jeans was unscathed, the knees all ripped from falling to the ground, running from vampires- a pair was even ripped from falling down the stairs at the Salvatore boarding house. She sighed, hoping that at least the rips looked deliberate enough to pass of as a style choice. The crazy drama they had dealt with surrounding Klaus, Katherine and witches seriously had taken a toll on Elena's closet. She wasn't sure that there was anything salvageable left, and did the math on how much money she would need to replace everything, when she would find the time to go out of town to the mall, and how long it would take until everything was ruined again.

In a melodramatic act of surrender, she fell backward into one of the piles, spreading her arms out next to her and staring at the ceiling. It was a nice change, just laying in her room listening to music. Dealing with normal girl problems like having the right outfit for her first day. A few songs later, right after Ke$ha's Your Love is my Drug, a rush of warm, humid Virginia air entered her room as her window swung open. Before she could even register what was happening, Stefan was standing in front of her, leaning on the side of her bed. He quizzically eyed the mess in the room, with clothes now covering almost every surface, letting out a quick chuckle to himself. Elena blinked her eyes hard, shaking her head. She would never get used to the near-constant bedroom break-ins by Salvatore brothers.

"You're back" Elena said, raising her eyebrows and dragging herself up off the floor. " I wasn't sure when you would come back after…. You know" She grabbed the crook between her elbow with her opposite hand, gripping hard, like she always did when she was nervous. She figured after he ran off at the party he wouldn't be back until after school started. She definitely hadn't thought that he would be back the next day.

"Of course I'm back, Elena. I just needed some time to … cool off. I'm sorry I ran off so quickly, I should have texted you so you didn't worry" His brow furrowed and he clenched his jaw a bit, making his sharp cheekbones jut out like an Italian model. Elena's phone had been, for once, was refreshingly absent of Stefan-texts or long, emotional voicemails. He walked forward, placing his cold, strong hands on her shoulders and sliding them down her arms. His green eyes looked so kind, so sincere, but it was moments like this that drove Elena crazy. She wished that he had come here to fight. She had, after all, put her blood-covered lips on the mouth of a blood addict. He spent every day fighting those urges, and she just brazenly tried to take what she wanted. It was so frustrating. He was gorgeous, loving, but he treated her like she was incapable of handling anything. Like he was so afraid of hurting her in any way that he couldn't even stand up for himself. She wanted him to yell, scream, tell her how stupid she was. That's what Damon would do at least. Elena let out a huge sigh.

"It's fine, I shouldn't have done that. I was drunk…" But it had nothing to do with her being drunk. The morning before, she asked Damon to drink from her, completely sober.

"No no no don't apologize" He moved his hands up so that they were cupping her face. He rested his forehead on hers, his muscles relaxing. The steady sound of her heartbeat reminded him that she was ok. He hadn't hurt her, and that was all that mattered. Her soft hair tickled his fingers, prompting him to run his hands through her silky, sable hair. As his fingers slid through the length, he paused for a second at her neck. He had planned on touching the chain of her necklace, the necklace he had given her, but instead his fingers were met with a raw, bumpy patch of skin. He tried to brush her hair away to get a look at what was marking her perfect skin, but she backed away, her posture becoming closed.

"Elena, what is wrong with your neck. Are you hurt?" She nervously started playing with her hair, but Stefan wouldn't back off, continuing to walk toward her.

"It's nothing, I burned my neck with the straightening iron. I should probably go put a band-aid on it" She mentally cursed herself for not covering it with a bandage the second she woke up, but she knew the air would help it heal better. She also was angry that she hadn't asked for Damon's blood after he took hers, because the bite marks would have closed up instantly. Maybe you secretly are proud of them, about how they made you feel. No, she couldn't be having those thoughts, not right now, not like this. Refocusing, she tried to push past Stefan toward the bathroom, to cover up the evidence to justify his suspicion.

"Then let me see it, I can just give you a little of my blood to heal it. I don't want you ending up with a scar." He had her backed against the wall at this point, and she knew she was caught. "Plus, I know you wanted me to drink from you, but you know I can't… but if you take mine, it might feel, uh, just as good for you" He pursed his lips, pressing his body against hers. Elena's pulse spiked. Shit, shit, shit. There has to be a way I can get out of this. Her thoughts were racing with anxiety, but luckily she was good at thinking on her feet.

"No, Stefan, sorry. Aren't you worried that if I take your blood and I die, then I'll become a vampire? You know I would never want that" She looked into his eyes with what she hoped was very strong resolve. Is he buying it? I hope he's buying it.

"Oh fuck, Elena I'm so sorry. That was so careless of me, I just really want to make you happy. And most importantly I want you to be safe. I would do anything for you." He closed his eyes and lifted her chin, placing a slow, protective kiss on her lips. "Now, let's take a look at that burn. I don't think I can fix it as well as vampire blood could, but in my 145 years, I have picked up a first-aid skill or two. " He pushed back her hair, and there was nowhere for her to run. He placed his left hand under her head, slightly leaning it to the side as he brushed the hair off of her neck. She was completely screwed, holding her breath in anticipation for whatever crazy reaction he was about to have. Would it be anger? Sadness? Jealousy? Would he think that she was attacked or compelled? The tears were welling up in her eyes, and she knew that either way, she was totally fucked.


Elena woke up to Damon elbowing her in the shoulder. She looked around, and everything was more densely populated than she remembered. The sun was higher in the sky, so she must have been asleep for a while, but she had no recollection of drifting off.

"Rise and shine sleeping beauty. If you look directly ahead of us, you can see the skyline of Jersey City, and a bit further in the distance, the skyline of the good ol' big apple. There's no way I could have let you sleep through seeing it for the first time, at least without feeling like a complete asshole." A joking, ear to ear grin was plastered on his face, blinking his eyes at her in a taunt.

She was completely blown away by the skyscrapers growing closer and closer- there was nothing like this in Mystic Falls. Excitement and anticipation started rising in her gut, and she couldn't help but feel like a kid about to go to Disney World.

"How much longer until we get there" She was bouncing a bit with all of her energy.

"About, 30 minutes? Can you make it that long or will you die from the suspense, Thoroughly Modern Millie" Damon could tell the Broadway reference completely flew over Elena's head. He made a mental note to take her to at least one show this week. He had already been planning on it of course, but now it felt criminal not to take her. How could she not know Sutton Foster? He knew her very well… from the last few times he was in the city.

She turned back up the stereo, and as Born to be Wild blasted out the top-down, baby blue camaro, they flew toward Manhattan.


"So, Damon, can you explain why we parked on a street that is lined with such… fancy stores? Where exactly is the hotel?" She glanced down the block, where a Chanel, Louis Vuitton and Fendi were all flanked with fancy coffee shops and organic salad shops. There wasn't a hotel to be seen. She knew New York was the shopping capital of the world, but she had figured they would at least check in to their hotel first before setting out into the city. Popping open the trunk, he hauled their bags out of the car, smirking when he remembered she was still using his duffel. It looked so weird, seeing the top up on the convertible- Damon always drove with it down, but it wouldn't exactly be left open on a busy street.

"Elena, Elena. Have a little faith here. What would I do? Bring you all the way up here and have us just sleep on the street?" He seemed to be purposefully ignoring her question. They were headed toward an unmarked set of glass doors, clearly a modern addition to the old, austere white stone building. The cool air smacked her in the face as they were met with a dark-suited man sitting quietly at a desk. Elena was confused- there were no hotel signs, they didn't have to check in, and Damon was nonchalantly pressing the 'up' button for the elevator. With a ding, the elevator doors opened, large and industrial. He tapped some kind of key to an electronic keypad, tapping the button for "13".

"Um, Damon, did you compel the hotel staff ahead of time or-" She was cut off when the heavy metal doors opened directly into a stylish, top-floor loft. The ceilings soared with raw beams and pipes weaving their way through the expansive space. It looked like something out of an HGTV special- a mix of modern, industrial and antique. There was a mixture of textures- metal, wood, glass, leather and fur. Elena was still confused and shocked, as Damon threw his keys on the shelf next to the door and walked toward an open, chef-style kitchen. The marble counter tops covered dark cabinets and state-of-the art appliances. Compared to the traditional styling of the boarding house, the difference was night and day.

"What is this place?" Elena cautiously stepped further into the space, looking around in awe.

"Oh, you like it? It's just my super secret New York apartment of course." He looked at her with fake surprise, as if what he told her should have been completely obvious. Opening a cabinet, he produced another from his seemingly endless supply of vintage bourbon bottles, pouring himself a generous glass. Her eyes were still skeptically wide, and he sipped his drink slowly, waiting until she collected her thoughts.

"But Damon, wouldn't a place like this cost, I don't know, millions of dollars?"

"Considering that my neighbors are Taylor Swift and Lady Gaga, I would say the answer is yes. Property values in SoHo have really skyrocketed since I bought this dump in 1970. You can say I've… dressed it up a little bit over the years."

"I'd say" Elena mumbled, running her hands over the soft leather couch in the living room. The floors were polished concrete, covered in huge, fancy Persian rugs. She wouldn't expect anything less of Damon. This place must be at least half as wide as the entire building, and the two-level space was divided between cathedral-style ceilings, and a second floor, connected by a suspended metal and glass staircase with open-backed stairs. She continued to wander moving toward the lower level hallway.

"By all means Elena, snoop to your heart's desire" She stopped and turned around, a bit embarrassed, and joined him in the kitchen. "So my room is upstairs, and by that I mean it is the whole upstairs. You can stay in the guest room, it's down that hallway you were just about to snoop in"

She grabbed her bag off the floor next to the counter where Damon had dropped it and was about to go unpack before Damon sped over to her, only a few inches from her face.

"Hey hey hey, not so fast sweet cheeks. If you're going to be staying with me, you have to agree to a few ground rules." Elena skeptically raised her eyebrows, dropping her bag and crossing her arms.

"Well, it's not like I really have a choice now that I'm here, right"

"Oh stop being dramatic. Do you want to know the rules, or would you rather just find out what they are when you inevitably break them" The seductive look in his eyes gave Elena the impression that these rules weren't about to be things like "use coasters on the furniture".

"Fine, I'm all ears"

"Ok then: Rule 1: Don't go in my room. If you do, you might find out that my bed is much comfier than yours, and then you won't want to leave, which would violate Rule 2: No sleeping in my bed. " Elena narrowed her eyes at him, thinking how presumptuous it was. She was not super surprised.

"Rule 3: If I bring someone over, make yourself scarce. Remember, I had already planned this trip before I asked you along, so you can only imagine what type of plans I had" He winked, making Elena groan.

"Rule 4:- You have to do some good 'ol sightseeing with me, no matter how cheesy you think it is, or how many pictures I take. It's a rite of passage. That includes a Broadway show" Elena was a bit surprised at this rule, but she couldn't argue. She had actually been a little worried that she wouldn't get to see all the sights.

"Rule 5: If we go out, you have to dance with other people. I am not your boyfriend, and I have a bit of a debonair reputation to live up to. Go have fun with other people, break some hearts or whatever gorgeous girls like you do"

"Oh that reminds me, rule 5.5 I guess. Speaking of my reputation, I can't have you coming out with me in those sad, suburban mall clothes that have clearly seen better days. You know I'm a Varvatos guy, so you can only imagine what I think 'acceptable' women's clothes are. I think you're hot regardless, but people here, not so much. " He produced a card from his wallet. "Here, take this and go shopping later. I'll be… out, so it will give you something to do. Oh, and here's a number for my driver, and a MetroCard in case you want to slum it or something, get the real 'experience'. I would not advise taking the subway with large bags from fancy stores though, especially since you don't have a pair of fangs to protect you"

"Rule 6: Similar to dancing with other people, despite how talented you are, no more of those crazy back-alley blowjobs. Or any for that matter. Really, any kind of physical contact is off the books. Reiterating- I am not your boyfriend, and if you want to cheat on my brother, at least do it with a stranger. "

"There's just one more rule: " He pursed his lips at this one, regretting that he was making it a rule at all. He had to spit out the words before he changed his mind.

"No blood drinking. From either party. I need a bit of variety in my diet, and it isn't the best idea for you to go around with vampire blood in your system if you don't want to accidentally end up immortal. Stick to alcohol to get your kicks, drugs if you're desperate" The tension between them grew with the last rule, their bodies calling out to break that rule. Their blood still rushed through each other's veins, still hanging on after sharing blood yesterday on the porch. The draw was magnetic, causing blood to pool in Damon's groin. Elena's tongue darted out over her lips, her teeth biting down suggestively. With a rush, Damon was on the other side of the kitchen, willing his fangs to disappear back into his gums. He was hoping Elena hadn't noticed how much he was fighting against that rule. He loved her, but she was still with Stefan. He had to break this blood bond.

"So, what if I break the rules"

"Great question, but I'm not giving up the answer. Who knows? Maybe you wake up naked, on top the Empire State building. Maybe you end up in your bed in Mystic Falls. Maybe I compel you to join the circus. I'm sure you're dying to know what your punishment would be." He had drawn out the word punishment, articulating the t, smirking at the arousal just a single word had incited in her vunerable human body. This week would be fun, for sure.

"Damon, but what if I don't want Stefan, do the rules still apply?" She stepped forward, looking at him through her thick lashes. He swallowed hard, putting on a confident mask.

"Well, you should have thought about that before you left. Between all the shouting, I'm sure you had ample time to break it off, am I wrong?" Elena cast her eyes downward, looking away from him. "The rules all still apply. If you take issue with them, or find them too hard to follow, then maybe that gives you something to think about."

Elena wasn't going to get the best of both worlds. Not this time.