Disclaimer: I don't own anything, not even Clarissa.
So a REALLY REALLY big thank you to every who reviewed last chapter and this chapter: vikki. dillard, Ooo a jellybean, CalmDisposition, flazzy cullen, RosesMoon, DGfleetfox, MelissaIsLame, Chaos-and-Insanity, CacklingBlasphemy, Cara, 1llu510n, Guest, eloise, ty, Guest, Courtney, karmen238, XxxBrEnDaxxX, Elex Black, xXxElizabeth MikaelsonxXx, Szinia, Guest, Bee, FalconHQ, bridgetzombie, Guesty, MadelineT, ADORATIO, Britt, Randomreader, xXbriannaXx, MrsMusicAddict, Lorelai Sofia Petrova, Tuggy08, Vanessa, RealHuntress18, Bookworm543, rachellaurenm, Angi Marie, jolisa, ILittleLamb, AlexHide, omg, lacy, SomebodyWhoCares. You guys really motivate me!
Last week I was in a huge hurry, so I didn't really get to explain the whole dream thing in the beginning of chapter 9. Damon's been stuck in this dark place in his mind but having Clarissa show up in his dream/nightmare is his subconscious realizing things are kind of shifting for him. Clarissa represented the happiness that Damon has been avoiding. Hovering in the back of his mind which he found bothersome but now things are changing for him. lol I dunno.
If anyone is curious as to how Clarissa dresses, I made a polyvore: noticemewithery . polyvore. There's a link in my profile, too.
It took me an all of five minutes to bounce out of that dumb dress and wiggle into a pair of flare jeans and throw on a baggy shirt with a mustache and sunglasses on it. I had, for a split second, thought about getting cute and wearing a skirt. But given I was going to spend the weekend with Damon, wearing a skirt was probably a terrible idea. I always ended up sprawled ungracefully on the ground after being shoved, or landing myself in an odd (and sometimes kind of intimate) positions with him. I told a half asleep Jeremy that I was leaving and texted Jenna to let her know I was spending the weekend with a friend. Mostly so I had all my bases covered and she couldn't ground me. Or call the cops. And then I figured, hell, Caroline was my BFF so I texted her too, letting her know I was spending the weekend in the city with Damon.
"That was fast," Damon mused as I threw myself into the passenger seat. I beamed at him.
"I'm excited. And on sugar. Shit, should we wait a few hours? You'll be trapped in the car with me and I've had soda!" I realized, my eyes widening and Damon scoffed, starting the car.
"We're leaving now. Before you change your mind." Damon stated and I wondered how the hell he could ever think I'd change my mind. "You also didn't drink that much soda—and if this is you hyper, I think I can handle it just fine. I actually like you all bouncy and Clare-y. Hence your nickname." I smiled at him happily. Aw, Damon's such a little friggin' charmer.
"I'm conditioned to drink a little—just enough to hit the craving, you know?" I bounced excitedly in the seat. "Mother would be mortified if I acted so..." I waved my hand about airily. "Undignified. Ladies should be seen, not heard, Damon! Ha!" His blue eyes slid in my direction.
"We're going to kill that part of you this weekend." Damon said pleasantly. "You're not Clarissa Everett, you're not Clarissa Gilbert. You're just Clary. You can do whatever the hell you want." My heart bounced with my glee, and he tilted his head to throw me a smirk. "And you can feed into your cravings as long as you have no objects to me feeding into mine."
I snorted, wiggling around in the seat and grinning at him. "Mmm, Damon, don't flatter me into thinking I have any say in what you do," I teased happily and he glanced at me again.
"I'm a respectable host, Claryberry," Damon huffed as though deeply offended. "Of course you have a say, it's your weekend."
"Our weekend," I grinned causing surprise to flicker across his expression. "It's our weekend." I repeated, firmly. "Free from Stefan. Free from being a pretend Gilbert. Free from what everybody wants us to be, what they expect us to be! You can do whatever the hell you want, D!"
Damon grinned at me, which lit me up inside with how his blue eyes glowed almost excitedly at me in the darkness. "You are the best person to go on a road trip with." He announced and obviously! Of course I am!
"Duh, it's me." I smiled brightly. "I'm the friggin' best thing in the entire world. And so are you! Nobody has ever said fuck it and spontaneously decided to drive a few hours to the city just because I miss it. I mean, yeah, it'll give your brother hell and…" I trailed off as the text alert on my phone chimed happily. I pulled it out.
Caroline: what city
I bounced, texting: NYC! ! ! ! yyyeeEAAAHHH GANGSTA LYF 5-EVR
"It's Care," I said happily, feeling his stare. His curious stare! "I told her gangster life five-ever."
"Five-ever?" Damon repeated, sounding slightly inquisitive. That was the great thing about Damon! He didn't care if I talked like a spastic person, and he had no problem adding the words I spewed out to his vocabulary. Like a true pal.
"Well, you're already doing forever and I felt like I needed to one up you." I shrugged as my phone burst into jingling.
Caroline: omfg you had soda its like 10pm!
Caroline: wait r u srs?
Caroline: hes taking u 2 nyc?
Caroline: 4 the weekend?
Caroline: beter come bak a woman LOL no but srsly will cover 4 u if need it! MAKE ME PROUD
I texted her back quickly: you can tell elena but if jenna asks im wit u and we'll see ;)))))))
"So you'll be okay driving the whole way to the city?" I asked. It was about forty minutes in, and the sugar high was winding down but the excitement of being in the city again had me pretty giddy still.
"Mmhm, I'll be fine," Damon assured lazily. "If I get tired we can always switch." He paused and grinned mockingly at me as I stared back at him flatly. "Oh. That's right. You can't drive. Ever. You've been compelled!" Ha. Ha. Hilarious.
"Jokes on you, I don't even want to drive." I huffed as he took the next exit.
"That's the compulsion talking, sweetcheeks." Damon told me pleasantly. Sweetcheeks? Damon's such a little jerk.
"Hey if you fall asleep at the wheel and crash the car, that'll be your fault." I shrugged my shoulders. "And then you'll mourn your car and never forgive yourself."
"It'll indirectly be your fault and I'll blame you." Damon shot back. "And no amount of couples therapy will ever fix the damage."
"Our marriage will be in ruins," I agreed solemnly. "Better get some energy drinks. Or blood. Bloody energy drinks. Too bad vampires aren't mainstream. It bet they'd have some crazy energy drinks marketed to you suckers."
"People can't even handle their own kind who have a different sexuality than them, what makes you think they'd be okay with the undead walking around?" Damon looked thoughtful and I was struck with how horribly true that was. "Though mixing redbull and blood isn't something I've done before…" He pulled into a brightly lit gas station and was opening my door before I realized he'd moved. Damon offered his hand, smirking at me. "Time to load up on road trip snacks. We'll be in the car for five hours. Or six. …Maybe seven…" he trailed off as I hopped out of the car, his gaze sliding down. "Are you wearing bellbottoms?"
"They're called flare jeans now, D." Did he say we'd be in the car for seven hours? I frowned and he frowned back at me. "Seven hours?"
"When did those come back into style?"
"The last forty minutes was hell," I whined as I followed him into the gas station, flatly ignoring his mocking question. "I don't know if I could survive seven hours. Or six hours. Or even five." Oh God, my max was two hours! And that was with frequent stops! Damon rolled his eyes at me and tapped the tip of my nose with a finger.
"I'm confident in my ability to keep you entertained." Damon pulled my camera out of God knows where and flashed a picture. I blinked, momentarily blinded. "I figured you'd want to document every damn second of this little trip." I brightened excitedly. I hadn't even thought to take it!
"Oh my God!" I gushed happily, taking it from him. "When did you… Wait, when did you get this?"
He shrugged, swiping a small red shopping basket up and shoving it into my arms. "While you were falling on your ass trying to get out of your dress." I stared at him in open shock. Damon smirked.
He needed a bell. Like one of those giant ones attached to a choker. Like what Neko cosplayers wear. My heart tripped in my chest as the mental image of him wearing a black collar with a leash attached and no shirt on came to mind. I choked, my cheeks heating, and Damon stared at me with his stupidly attractive face and his pretty blue eyes. He tilted his head, and my imagination took off. Strawberries were involved and I squeaked, spinning around quickly. Why?!
"What the hell was that?" He easily caught up to me and I fanned my cheeks, giving him a moody look. His lips twitched into a knowing smirk that made me feel dizzy. "Fantasizing about me?" Damon's voice dipped into a purr, his smirk stretching across his handsome face as he leaned closer to me. I sucked a breath in. "God, you want me sooooo bad. What were we doing? Come on, you have to share. It involved me, so I have the right to know." He spoke in a soft, captivating, voice that made me want to tell him everything, those blue eyes of his gleaming wickedly.
This goddamn vampire bitch. Stupid Damon.
I angrily threw random candy into the basket. "You were a kitty eating strawberries." I blurted out. Damon's smug look fell into confusion.
"What?"
"Yuuup. With the clip on ears, and the collar with the bell and a leather leash…" I trailed off, suddenly amused by it. I grinned as he stared back at me, baffled. "I think you'd take the role of sub pretty well."
Damon blinked at me. "You're not turning this around on me." He refused flatly. "There is no way in hell I'd ever be the submissive one."
"You said I could do whatever I wanted to you." I reminded him pleasantly and his eyes widened. "I'd make you my little kitty bitch and if you behaved you'd be allowed to have a strawberry. Which I'd feed to you. Maybe."
Damon opened and closed his mouth a few times, like he didn't know what to say. Ha! "You'd be the kitty. I'm the dominate one—and especially since you're the little blush-y virgin!" I threw more sugary snacks into the basket.
"Mmhm, whatever you want to believe, D." This was so much fun!
"It's a fact, Clarissa. All I have to do is this," he lightly slid his fingers over my cheek and my heart stuttered inside my chest. "And you react like that." That meant he could hear my heart, didn't it? Damon smirked, as though he'd won. "You'd be wearing the kitty outfit and I'd be leading you around on the leash." He bent his head, his mouth nearly brushing against my cheek and I desperately tried to keep still, to focus, as a pulse of excitement bounced through me. "You'd willingly listen to my every command." His breath was warm against my skin and I ignored the dizziness that tumbled through me.
There was no way he was winning this.
"But Damon," I lightly pressed my fingers against his chest, and he let me push him back. I flashed him a sweet smile. "You want me more. And you'll do anything to get me to give up my Disney true love virtues to have wild vampire sex with you."
A look of surprise flickered across his expression so quickly I nearly missed it. He looped an arm around my waist and pulled me flush against him, my knees nearly giving out as my body jolted. A strange, almost electric, heat flooded me and I struggled with breathing as my heart scattered in my chest. Damon's blue eyes spilled across me, sweeping me up, making it so there was only him and nothing else. Damon was truly beautiful, with his jet black hair and his shocking blue eyes—I never wanted to look at anybody else, ever again. I gazed up at him, breathlessly, dizzier, my heart humming loudly against my ribcage, so aware of every inch of me that was pressed against him. His warm thumb slowly caressed the inside of my wrist sending a shiver of heat up my arm from where his skin met mine. I realized, in a daze, that he was stroking where my pulse fluttered erratically.
"Maybe you're right," his voice was low, soft, curling around me so that he was the only thing that existed. "Maybe I would play submissive if you wanted me to be." I had only said it to throw him for a loop, I had only said it to be playful. And now I could only stare up at him. "But I will never do anything to make you give up anything, Clarissa. Never you." How was it that Damon words could render me completely useless? My stomach was ablaze of nerves and fluttering. "If your… Disney shit is important to you, than it's important to me, I guess. I don't know. But I wouldn't trick you into anything, force you to compromise anything, you… I…" A conflicted, almost confused, look flickered, his blue eyes drinking me in.
"I know." I breathed. "You're my blue canary. You're the only one I've ever trusted so completely." I didn't care if he didn't like it when I talked like that, I didn't care if he wanted to pretend he was the king of vampire dickery. There was nobody like Damon, nobody who made me feel like he did. He didn't get angry, or annoyed or try to deflect with a sarcastic joke. Instead, his expression tilted and he looked… almost...
"Fiiiighting evil by moonlight," my phone burst out ringing, breaking the odd daze I'd been in. I pulled back from Damon, suddenly remembering where we were. I felt disoriented. Shit. "Winning love by daylight! Never running from a real fight! She's the one named Sailor Moon!"
"Stefan," I mumbled in surprise, pulling out my ringing phone. Damon furrowed his brow. "It's his ringtone. The fuck is he doing calling me at almost 11pm?"
"She will never turn her back on a friend, she is always there to defend!"
Damon pulled the phone from me, flipping it open and bringing it to his ear. The whatever between us that just occurred was long gone, and his lips were flitted into a feral smirk. "Steeefan," he greeted almost maliciously. "Calling my Claryberry so laaate. What would Elena think?" His blue eyes were gleaming with wicked mischief. "Mm. No. You can't. Because she hates you." He rolled his eyes, and grinned at me. "Of course she's safe, she's with me. Mmhm." He gasped, as though offended. "Why, Stef, we've run off together! We're in love and getting eloped! Wish me luck, little brother! We're jumping straight to the baby making process!" He snapped my phone shut, pocketing it, and grinned at me widely. "Stefan is throwing the biggest tantrum."
I grinned back at him. "Should've told him that we were playing hide and seek." I picked up the basket I didn't remember dropping. "If I was a vampire, I'd play hide and seek like that. With your vamp speed and ability to hear and see shit—oh God, and all the time in the world. It would be so much fun."
"Why does Stefan get his own special ringtone?" Damon demanded suddenly, plucking up cookies from the shelf and looking at them.
"Everybody gets their own ringtone, it's so I know who is calling and can either ignore or search for my phone." It was genius, really. "Stefan gets the one about being a sailor scout because it fits who he is. He fights his evil nature to go ripper during the night, while he woos Elena during the day." Damon was looking at me curiously, tossing the cookies into the basket to my delight. He pulled his phone out.
"So be prepared for the coup of the century," my phone rang from inside his pocket, slightly muffled. "Be prepared for the murkiest scam! Meticulous planning, tenacity spanning, decades of denial, is simply while I'll be the king undisputed, respected and saluted—" Damon ended the call and looked at me with his eyebrows raised.
"Lion King? Really?" He frowned, obviously not pleased.
"Last week it was Spooky Skeletons. Now it's Be Prepared. I thought it was clever, since you've got your Damon Dickery scheme going on." I shrugged, unapologetic. He could deal with it. I thought it was awesome and that's all that mattered. Damon was staring at me like he was suddenly unsure why he hung around me. Pfft.
After dumping a butt load of sugary drinks into the basket and paying (just kidding, Damon compelled the cashier), we threw everything into the car and Damon was looking indecisive over whether or not he should get his blood fix here or somewhere else. He was leaning against his car and I was bouncing on my heels.
"Well… this looks like a pretty…" I trailed off, trying to figure out how to word this, as I took another glorious sip from my now open Pepsi bottle. I delighted in the rush as the sugar swam through me, and nearly sighed in lazy happiness. "You know, not often visited gas station. You could go after the cashier, nobody would find him for a while. And I'm not gonna lie. You're my vamp BFF, which means I'm totally up for burying a body, but it'd be a serious mood killer." Actually I'd probably burst into tears if I had to bury a body. Damon was smirking, clearly amused.
"I don't kill everyone I feed from. C-F-E, Clary. Compel, feed, erase. I can go on my merry way happily, and they can go on not being dead." He said cheerfully and curiosity spilled through me.
"Oooh, and is that what you meant by feeding into your craving?" Amusement suddenly burst across me and I grinned at him. "Like, what? When we get to the city, you gonna grab someone and cart them around with us? Like, excuse me everybody, I just need a quick drink, don't mind me!"
Damon's face broke into amused happiness, a smile stretching across his face. "Yeah, something like that." Damon's life was so outrageous and a wonderful idea popped into mind.
"I have just the place for you, and I bet you no compulsion will be needed." I grinned widely, giddy as shit. "Have you ever visited the vampire subculture in New York? People who take on the vampire lifestyle have these bars…"
"Oh Clary," Damon's grin turned predatory. "You have to show me." He leaned closer and I beamed up at him. "Grab me a redbull, I'm going to try out your blood and energy drink idea."
"Should I get napkins?" I asked, crawling into the car and digging through the drink bag.
"Ha-ha," he muttered dryly. "I'm not always a messy eater, Clary. I actually can be very dignified." I'm sure. Cause chowing down on someone's neck was dignified. I pulled out the redbull and bounced after him. "Would it upset you if I asked you to lure him out here?" He looked at me curiously and I puffed out a breath. Seriously?
"As long as I'm not leading him to his violent death, I guess I could." I said after a moment, taking another swing of the soda. The sugar crackled through me and I was feeling more everything. "Hold this. Don't take any. I need it. I need all of it." Damon rolled his eyes as I pranced into the gas station. Oh my God, was I really doing this?
I mean, I guess I already had a one way ticket to hell to begin with. But shit. I never thought I'd ever land myself here.
…Hello horrible new life.
"Hiii," I smiled sweetly up at the scrawny looking red headed guy. "Um, do you guys have a bathroom here?" He nodded.
"Yeah, here, I'll give you the key." He said kindly and I was totally feeling guilty. Oh shit, man. But Damon said he wouldn't kill him, so… I grinned sheepishly.
"Could you, uh… walk me there? The dark kind of gives me the jitters…" I smiled hopefully and he faltered.
"Well… I… I shouldn't leave the register… a customer might come or…" he shifted, looking like he very much wanted to agree to help me. Aw. This guy was so nice.
"It'll take two seconds, I swear," I lied, jutting my lower lip out. "My…" what should I say Damon was? "Brother is in the car, and he's being a real jerk and won't walk me there. I'm really freaked, so, pleaaaase? Please?"
"Okay," he agreed with a faint smile. "Sure." I am so sorry.
"Thanks!" I'm such a terrible person. Especially as the guilt was becoming less and less. Yup. Going to hell. Straight to hell. Maybe not. Maybe I won't mind going to hell. Ugh.
I followed him out of the gas station. "So you guys going somewhere?" The guy, bless him, attempted to make friendly conversation as he led me around the back of the gas station.
"Uh-huh."
"Well, I hope you guys get there alright," he said warmly, pulling the key out to unlock a black door which undoubtedly led to a horrible bathroom. Damon appeared so suddenly I nearly shrieked, bouncing backwards as he threw the redbull and Pepsi at me (which I fumbled and was lucky to fucking catch both of them, asshole). "Shit!" The guy swore, and laughed. "You nearly scared me to death." Ugh.
"You're not going to be afraid, and you won't try to run." There goes Damon, being a fucking vampire creep and compelling his victim. His blue eyes flickered to me. "Are you staying to watch?" His fangs glinted in the bad lighting and for a breath of a moment, Damon looked terrifying.
"Staying to watch?" The guy frowned. "I'm not gay…"
"What? No. I'm going to drink your blood." Damon growled. "I'm not gay either. Do I come off as gay?" His expression tilted toward questioning and he squinted his blue eyes.
"Well…" the guy shrugged a shoulder, not even reacting the whole drinking blood part. Fucking compulsion. "You could be. You're very pretty."
"Right?" I agreed with a nod. "It could really go either way with him."
"It's the way you present yourself, you know how to look good without even trying." The gas station cashier added and I smiled happily. Damon looked a little flattered.
"Be polite, Damon. The man just complimented you twice. Say thank you." I encouraged and Damon threw me a look over his shoulder. A look that said I better shut up. I wasn't going to.
"Manners are important." The cashier said. "I feel like nobody has them anymore."
"Hey, man, I'm really sorry I tricked you to be vampire dinner." I said honestly and he smiled at me.
"It's okay. I knew it was too good to be true, pretty girls like you don't acknowledge guys like me." He said and he might as well just pour more friggin' salt into the wound. "I admit I'm a little hurt. I'm not going to die, am I?"
"You will if you don't shut up." Damon groaned. "Now hold still." He dipped his head lower and I winced for the cashier guy whose expression remained completely blank. Like he didn't even realize it was hurting him. Or maybe he did, and Damon had just compelled him. Did I mention how much I hate compulsion?
And God, this was awkward, just standing here in silence while Damon drank from some guy. Which could be taken in a vampire or gay way. Pfft.
"When I was little I had these picture books my mother given me on how to have proper etiquette for while attending dinners," I said, rocking on my heels. "Like which foods to eat, which utensils to use, where to sit and who to sit by—that sort of stuff. Like it even told me what to say and how to bring it up, properly, if the person next to you has food in their teeth. Horrible books. But maybe they make some for vampires. Like when they're feeding. Do you think there's like a class of vampires who are the equivalent of stuffy rich people?" I was rambling. "Okay JR vampire, this is how you properly feed on this person we just kidnapped amongst very important vampire company."
Damon snorted, and lifted his head to look at me. "Fuck, Clary, shut the hell up, I'm trying to eat. Goddamn it."
"I'm just sayin'." I shrugged. "It could be important."
He was clearly amused even if he was trying to act pissy at me. "Throw me the redbull." I sighed and threw it at him, which he caught easily. He opened the can, bit into the poor cashier guy, and then brought the can to his mouth, tilting it back. I looked at him, curiously, as he lowered the can, licking his lips and smirking. "That…" he breathed, his blue eyes so very bright. "Was a kick. It's like getting punched in the mouth in a really, really, good way. I liked that. Too bad I said I wouldn't kill you…" he pouted.
Oh my GOD, he was actually pouting, his lower lip was puffed out and it was fucking adorable! He played with the cashier's collar, hiking it up as though he were… hiding the bite mark? Why was I finding this just so freakin' precious?
"You're not going to remember any of this. You will especially forget Clary, she never walked into the gas station." Damon grinned widely, wiggling his fingers at the guy and I frowned. Why couldn't he remember meee? "Bye-bye!" Damon took another long swing from the redbull and then crushed the now empty can, tossing it to the side as he flitted to me. "Ready, my Claryberry?" Damon asked happily, slinging his arm over my shoulders and leading me back to the car.
I beamed at him. "Do you think I should've taken a picture with the three of us? Memories are important."
Damon was grinning wickedly. "Speaking of documenting horrific deeds, I've got a terrible story to tell you about Stefan."
Truth be told, evil Stefan scared me shitless. Like, really scared me. Damon's told me, in horrific detail, about Stefan's days as a ripper and how he'd literally rip someone's head off because he was so freakin' addicted to the blood. I've even had nightmares about Stefan going ripper and chasing me—though, I strongly suspected Damon had a hand in those dreams. I was slumped in the seat, ankles crossed up on the dashboard, the cookies open between us.
"That is some Criminal Minds psycho shit right there," I said with a frown. "He kept a list of his victims names? God, Stefan is seriously fucked in the head. I bet he got off on it and wanted to relive their deaths. Ugh, that is so fucking…"
"Mmhm," Damon snatched the cookie from my hand. Rude.
"How do you even know that, though?" Damon seemed to know an awful a lot about Stefan's activities throughout the years.
"I was around." Damon dismissed and I raised my eyebrows. Uh huh, I'm sure he freakin' was.
"You were keeping tabs on your little bro." I grinned, opening another redbull and passing it to him. Damon was glowering at me. "Don't get veiny eyes at me, vampy. You might want to inflict as much bodily harm to him as possible, which I totally get, and you might be pissed to hell, but at the end of the day, he's still your brother. And you're still his. You can't hide it from me. I see it. I see everything." I held the cookie out in front of me. "I can see into the infinite void of ultimate wisdom." Damon grabbed my hand and squeezed so hard that the cookie broke apart and I frowned. "Ouch, what the hell?"
"And that's how the cookie crumbles." He deadpanned, staring at me flatly. Damon's a real side splitting comedian. Freakin' hilarious.
An hour and forty-five minutes in and I was still doing okay. I guess Damon hadn't been kidding about being able to keep me entertained. Or had compelled me at some point in time. Either way, I was working on my second Pepsi and bag of peanut butter M&Ms.
"If you had to choose," Damon was saying, extremely amused, and I wasn't sure if this was him hyper or not. He had a few redbulls. "Who would you pick?"
"Shit, D…" I chewed on my lower lip. "I guess… I guess Caroline. I'd pick Caroline." Damon actually looked surprised.
"But she's your favorite." Damon raised his eyebrows. "Aside from Pretend Brother of course. You are one cold chick."
"I'm not cold, I was thinking at a logical angle!" I defended myself and Damon laughed.
"You and logic." As if it were an impossible pair!
"Fine I'll explain. Bonnie is a witch, and while right now she's useless as shit, you might need her in the future to do witchy things. You wouldn't be able to kill Elena, I mean, because of the Katherine factor—but say, God knows why, you can. Stefan would probably go ripper and it wouldn't be good." I winced at the idea of it. He'd probably go after me first. "Caroline, as much as I adore her, is useless. She has no real purpose. There wouldn't be much of a backlash."
"Awww," he patted the top of my head. "You could be a little killer." Nope.
"And you're playing the game wrong, it isn't which out of these three would you kill. It's marry, fuck and kill. That's why there's three of them." I pointed out, swatting his hand away. "And now it's my turn."
"I would fuck and then kill. There would be no marriage." Damon huffed and I huffed back. We weren't gonna play this game, then!
"No, then I left her on the roof." Damon shrugged and I snorted, nearly choking on the sour gummy worm.
"Hey, you know I'll always have your back, even if I disagree with you. But we're buddies, so I can tell you plainly, total dick move. You don't use the feels to trick people, D." I said, wagging the gummy worm at him. He knocked it from my hand rudely. "I'll write her an apology letter. Sorry I'm a toolbag XOXO Damon, PS. Roof sex?"
"Make sure to sprinkle a lot of glitter onto the letter so she really knows I mean it." Damon deadpanned and I grinned widely.
"I was planning on writing it on Disney stationary. Nothing says apologetic murderous vampire like purple paper and Minnie Mouse."
"Mmhm, we can pick up pink gel pens."
A wider grin slid across my face. This was one of the reasons why I liked Damon so much. He gave none of the fucks, he was one of the only people who'd joke around like this with me. I settled back in the seat, looking at him in the darkness. He was just so pretty, nobody compared to him. Everything was so much better with him, even the bad. How could anyone have him and want anything else? Or anyone else?
"I just can't imagine it..." I murmured and his blue eyes found mine. "And I know KP is a sensitive topic…"
"We're calling Katherine KP now?" He looked faintly amused which I ignored because I was in the middle of a speech and nicknames were my thing.
"I just can't comprehend it, D. I really can't. And it's mindboggling 'cause I don't even have the romantic feels for you, but if I did, how could there be anything else? 'Cause as it is now, I don't even like sharing your attention." There was something about Damon that made me feel completely at ease with telling him anything. That and the sugar made me feel like I could do anything as it was. Dangerous combination, but I couldn't stop talking. "Legit, I was totally jealous when Care and you switched numbers. I never get jealous. But you're myyy vampire and I don't wanna shaaaare or have you do vampire dickery with anyone else…" I trailed off with a whine, feeling almost awkward at admitting so much. I jutting my lip out into a pout to make things less serious, and a large grin split across Damon's face, his blue eyes gleaming.
"You were jealous?" He asked delightedly, as if that was the greatest thing ever. I frowned at him. Did he seriously ignore my amazing speech to just focus on that? "I wasn't really sure what you were—then I thought you were just feeling guilty, but jealous?" And noooow he looked smug.
What the hell did he have to look so smug for? I threw gummies at him causing that smug little grin to grow and I'm sad to say he was even more attractive when he was being an ass. Goddamn it.
"The point I'm trying to make is I don't know how KP could have you and want anything else."
Damon's grin turned sarcastic. "Mm. Well. That's KP for you… She was entitled and she could have whatever she wanted. And she wanted both of us. So… There you go. You know the story in depth, Clary." He sighed. "That's how the real world works, it's not at all like your Disney and true love or any of what you believe. It's horrible and painful and bitter." I frowned.
"I don't need true love to know that you'll always come first." I huffed, wiggling in the seat to get more comfortable. His blue eyes were on me. "If you want I can wear shirts that say Damon's Number One. Man too bad I wasn't there, I would've helped you out, D."
Damon's amusement was back full swing. "You, in the 1860s? That would have been horrifying…"
I made a face. "No it wouldn't have. I know how to be ladylike!"
"Katherine and you…" he trailed off, looking suddenly thoughtful. His blue eyes flickered back to me. "You two would've really gotten along. Oh, God. She was fun, and her philosophy in life—no rules. You would've clicked. And plotted. And done horrible, rebellious, things and Stefan and I would probably just be dead."
There was no way in hell I would've liked Katherine. Not with how she continuously hurt Damon.
"Great D, it would've just been a clusterfuck of love 'cause I'm sure she'd compel me to join in and then it'd be vampire four ways forever." I deadpanned and Damon choked, the car suddenly jerking violently to the right. I screeched, flailing into the window. "Shit, D, I was kidding! I was making a joke! I know that the whole sharing thing gave you hell, it was in bad taste!"
He flung me a look. "I wouldn't let her have you, I wouldn't ever let her ruin you." I was shocked by how chilling his voice became, how protective. He groaned. "Not—not that I could have done much but anything she wanted. It was impossible to say no to those brown eyes... And you wouldn't… have liked me. At all. I was respectable and sweet and gentlemanly. I wanted to get married and have a lot of kids. And then I saw Katherine and it was so instant and passionate and I didn't care, I was willing to die for her. And then I did." He laughed humorlessly. "Only to see that Stefan had too." I grabbed his hand and he stared back at me, expressionlessly. I just wanted to take it all away, make it better, and I wasn't sure how.
"I'd like you always, no matter who you are or how you act or what you do. Because you're Damon and I dunno, it's just you." I told him. "To hell with love. Look at what it does? My mother, your Katherine, they did it all wrong. We're gonna be happy, because you and I… we're the greatest two people ever, and we're gonna live it up. No rules but our own, and the whole world can burn and watch us."
Damon's lips twitched upward and he intertwined our fingers. My heart bounced. His grin flickered into a smirk. We sat in silence for a few minutes, his thumb soothingly running over the back of my hand.
"I had promised Stefan on his tenth birthday I'd take him to the saloon. A bar, really. Things were a lot different back then, and to Stefan turning the first double digits was a big thing." Damon laughed softly, looking like he was a million miles away. "He got… really drunk after two shots, and I let him know he was a man now. He was so thrilled, it was so dumb, but it made me happy too. We didn't get moments like that much anymore, since Father was becoming more demanding that Stefan be a better man than I and I was leaving for University soon… I was afraid I'd come back to a clone of Father and I just wanted him to remember the good times between us. Anyway, we got home and Stefan couldn't walk straight worth for shit. He ended up knocking over a very expensive vase. He was so frightened, he burst into tears and I… Well, I always took the blame for him. Rather Father be furious with me, than him, see Stefan as the saintly child between us…"
Only Damon seemed to possess the ability to keep me still, my attention completely his, even when on sugar and trapped in a small car. There was something about how he spoke, lost in memories, his voice soft, a faint smile on his face that had me completely enthralled. That and the three weeks I've known him, this was the second time he's told me about his life in the 1800s. First time he's told me anything about his human life that didn't include Katherine. I mean he's told me about his Father but mostly to compare him to my mother.
It was 4AM, we were in Jersey, and I had to friggin' pee so bad I was about ready to burst. I was bouncing up and down, whining, Damon clearly taking his sweet freakin' ass time. Like he wanted to freakin' stroll to the rest stop.
"Damon," I tugged at his hand, trying to pull him faster toward the building. "Every time I move I feel an ocean of pee sloshing through me!"
"We should have stopped sooner," he smirked darkly at me, obviously delighting in my misery.
"I've been begging you for an hour!" I stressed and Damon's blue eyes glowed wickedly at me. He easily threw me against him with a slight flick of his wrist and I gasped as he curled his arms around me.
"I so love it when I have you begging," he growled lowly and I was like eighty percent sure I was about to pee myself. I whined in misery, shoving against his chest and running toward the building.
You know when you go pee and it's like such a fucking relief you get tears in your eyes? Yeah, it was that kind of pee.
"Are you moaning?"
I screamed and nearly fell off the toilet. Damon's laughter echoed throughout the empty restroom and it was terrifying. It was like one of those evil chuckles right before the killer strikes. God FUCKING damn it, Damon.
"Why are you in here?!" I cried, my cheeks hot. For the love of God, he better not come into the stall. Or peek over.
"Because to leave your side, even for a single moment, would be agony." He deadpanned but I totally knew he was smirking. I hate vampires. HATE them.
"You suck!" I huffed and he laughed that evil laugh.
"I do." He agreed pleasantly.
I kicked open the stall and strolled out, Damon was leaning against the sinks, grinning at me. "My business is done!" I announced, throwing my hands up, quoting Invader Zim and Damon stared. Clearly questioning why we hung out. "Because Damon," I said, prancing over to the sink and bumping my hip against his, forcing him to scoot over so I could wash my hands. "You want this human virgin ass so bad you'll put up with my spastic behavior! That's why!"
"I didn't say anything!"
"You did," I said seriously. "I could feel the regret of knowing me, the questioning. I can feel it because we are one, Damon. Spiritually. We are one."
"I'm leaving you here." Damon huffed and I gasped, but found myself alone in the bathroom.
"Nooooo!" I wailed, pretending to be crestfallen. "You said five-ever!"
Damon appeared to the left of me suddenly, grinning widely. "I did, didn't I? Five-ever is such a looong time." I beamed at him.
"Damon! You've returned!" I gushed happily, flinging my arms around his neck in a fit of hyper, gleeful, excitement.
I felt the surprise spring through him—so maybe throwing my arms around him was a bad idea, whoops! I began to pull away but his arms quickly flew around me and my heart bounced giddily as he lifted me off the ground in a spinning hug. A beaming grin burst across my face as my feet touched the ground. Damon tilted his head, his gaze was tender despite the smirk on his face and my smile grew.
"Sorry, you just make me so happy that I couldn't help myself," I blurted and his blue eyes brightened.
"The Clarissa who has to contain herself or resist urges is dead now, Clary," Damon murmured. "Whatever you want to say or do, you can. That's how it…" he fell silent as I buried my face into his chest, sliding my arms under his leather jacket to cling to him. He was so warm and comfortable and his words were just so fucking kind. "…Are you going to cry?"
"I don't know." I sniffled into his chest, my voice muffled.
"How can you cry when we're inches from the city? C'mon, Claryberry…" he cooed and I lifted my head to grin at him excitedly. Oh my God, he was right! He smirked back at me. "We could just stay here, hugging…"
"No!" I bounced back. "We have to go! I need to fill my lungs with polluted air!"
Eighteen (now nineteen, actually) days I'd been living in a body not my own, nineteen days I've been living with people I'm just getting to know, in a world that should've been fictional, in a small, quiet, town in bumfuck nowhere Virginia. The New York City skyline broke out across the horizon in the gray morning light. It was nearly 6AM, the sun had yet risen, but the twinkling city lights and the familiar haze set my world alight with a happiness I never thought I could possibly feel. The longing to be home settled over my chest with a buzzing glee and for the first time in nineteen days, tears of pure, relieved, happiness prickled. I tilted my eyes toward Damon, his blue ones meeting mine, and a wide smile spilled across my face. A rush of overwhelming, admiring, affectionate rose up for him.
"Damon Salvatore, you are, by far, the greatest thing that has ever happened to me, in my previous life and my new one." I told him adoringly and his blue eyes brightened, gleaming at me almost like gems. "When I'm totally ready for it, you can have my virginity." I vowed and shock splattered across his face, his eyes growing wide as his mouth unhinged slightly.
He drifted into the other lane as he openly gawked at me, the car behind us blaring their horn angrily causing him to snap from his stunned look and he jerked the car back. I grinned at him as he refused to look in my direction.
Ha ha.
One of my favorite things was shocking Damon. It was usually a difficult feat as he normally went for shock value too, and could one up me or run with it. But occasionally I'd throw something out that would render him completely taken aback. And it was the best freakin' thing in the entire world.
"Fucking right I get dibs on your virginity." He scoffed after a moment, a smirk flickering across his face. "I don't care if you decide to fork it over when you're an eighty year old brittle hag, I will be there, taking it. And then I will laugh for all eternity. I will have won over Disney's true love."
I burst into giggles.
Just because I've lived in New York my whole life, didn't mean I'd ever set foot in a hotel there. What would have been the point? And I had been to some truly spectacular hotels before. But there's nothing like the grand flare of New York. There's a reason why it was the greatest place on Earth. The New York Palace easily fell onto the top five most fabulous hotels I'd been to. I totally wasn't just saying that because I was completely in love with being home again and biased when it comes to the city, I swear. This place was a palace.
The glossy marble floor stretched out before us, leading to a set of spiraling, elegant, staircases that branched off in opposite directions. Glossy, green, marble columns separated the floors in pairs and a large, twinkling, glass chandelier hung magnificently overhead.
Honestly, it was like a switch being flicked as soon as I stepped foot into the lobby, the shockingly familiar sophistication and luxury assaulting my senses. I was Clarissa Everett, my mother's well-mannered daughter with her reputation and status to uphold.
"Clarissa," Damon growled lowly in my ear, his hot breath pelting against my skin, pulling me back from the façade that seemed to easily slip into place. "I hate that. Stop it or I'll snap your neck."
I released a puff of air and leaned closer to him. I wasn't Clarissa Everett, I was just Clarissa who had nobody to impress and a vampire ready to tear up the city with me. I grinned up at Damon.
"I won't kill you ever again," I quoted playfully and Damon smirked.
"We both knew I was lying." He dismissed. "Got caught up in the moment. Happens. Just like when I pinky promised never to compel you again." He gently grasped my chin, tilting my head so I was looking up at him fully. "Smack yourself in the face," he cooed sweetly and I smiled happily.
I slapped myself. Really hard. Right across the freakin' face. I gave startled cry of pain, loud enough to cause the few people in the lobby to look in our direction. I rubbed my stinging cheek in confusion. Why the hell would I have done that? Damon was grinning that little wickedly mischievous grin and I immediately realized I'd been compelled.
"You bitch."
His blue eyes locked with mine. "Every time you try to act like how your mother wanted you to behave, you're going to smack yourself in the face."
I stared at him in horror. "Oh my God," I squeaked. "Why? Damon!"
"I'm conditioning you." He threw me closer to him, his arm dangling off my shoulder, and leading me to the front desk. I had a feeling I was going to be smacking myself a lot. "It'll hurt me more than it'll hurt you." No it won't!
The pretty dark haired woman at the front desk smiled at us pleasantly as Damon sauntered us up to her. "Good morning," she said with the right amount of enthusiasm, something I was sure was well practiced, as the help were expected to behave a certain way. "Are you checking in, sir?"
I straightened and my hand came into contact with my face so hard I hissed in pain. The woman looked startled.
"Mmhm, we are," Damon said cheerfully, completely ignoring me as I glowered at him. This wasn't fair! The woman's brown eyes flickered from me to him, her calm friendliness back in place. She most likely assumed I had some issues and bringing attention to it would be rude. Thanks, Damon.
"Wonderful," she said warmly, typing away at her computer. "I hear it's going to be a beautiful weekend, perfect weather. May I have the name your room was booked under?"
Damon's entire demeanor became flirty as he leaned against the desk, signs that he was about to get his compulsion groove on. Goddamn. "This was all a very on the whim and romantic last minute decision."
Her smile didn't falter as she typed away. "Those are the best types of vacations," she said agreeably. "Though unfortunately, I don't think there's any free rooms…" I raised my eyebrows.
"Now, don't be absurd—" I smacked myself across the face and gave a cry of pain. This was getting old, fast! It wasn't my fault that I knew if we threw around status or drop an important name a room would magically be open!
"Who has most expensive room booked?" Damon asked cheerfully as I whined in misery. The woman blinked, looking a little dazed for a moment.
"That would be…" she typed away. "A Mr. E. Mikaelson."
"And how long is the room booked for?" Damon asked with an encouraging smile.
"The tower triplex suite is booked indefinitely, sir."
"Aw, D, I don't wanna take a room from someone named Michael-son." I frowned.
"If it's indefinite, than he's hoarding the room and he'll never know," Damon said with a half shrug. "The chances of him coming to use the room the same weekend as us is slim to none." I continued to frown and he groaned. "Pain in the ass…" he smiled at the woman. "Second most expensive room?"
"Why can't we just get a regular room?"
"Because we deserve the best." Damon said, like I was a child and he was teaching me the way the world worked.
"But we're killing Clarissa Everett," I reminded him causing him to squint his eyes at me. "And even if we got the least expensive room, we'd still be smothered in luxury so…"
"The Superior Room with the King bed is three hundred and thirty dollars a night," the woman offered helpfully. That was cheap, right? "And it has a stunning view of the city."
"Is there a room booked for this weekend?" Damon asked with a sigh, like this was a real drag. He was getting a room for friggin' free.
She typed away. "Mr. Harrison is due to check in tonight and will be staying until Monday." Damon tilted his gaze toward me.
"Are you sure you want this room?" He asked and I smiled at him merrily. "Fine. Correction, we will be checking into that room now."
She smiled. "My mistake, Mr…"
"Burgertit." Damon deadpanned and I choked on a laugh.
"How will you be paying for your room, Mr. Burgertit? Card or cash?"
"Card." I said sweetly and Damon shot me a look.
"No, we will not be." He said over me and I frowned.
"You can't expect her to pay, do you?" I asked. "She's a part of the help, she doesn't make a lot of money, D…" He stared at me flatly.
"Stop making that face at me." Damon squished my cheeks with a hand. What face? "Stop it." His attention shifted away from me for a moment, a wicked grin sliding across his face. He looked back at me and I, face squished, stared back in confusion. "Stay."
What am I, a dog? Like if he doesn't say that I'll wander off? Damon strolled away and I watched him intercept a rushed looking balding man in a freshly pressed suit. The man's gaze turned toward me and then to the woman at the desk. He nodded, and followed Damon back to the desk. I raised my eyebrows as Damon winked at me.
"Stuffy rich people who you hate will pay for us," Damon said happily and I found myself grinning at him. It was wrong, this was all wrong, and I didn't care.
Giddily, I pranced down the overly beautifully decorated hallway, skipping around Damon as we made our way to the hotel room. Damon seemed completely unfazed. Good. The creature was becoming accustomed to my ways. I was bouncing by the time we got to the room and Damon flung the door open dramatically, gesturing for me to enter first. The room was elegant in its simplicity: a king size bed, a few posh white chairs, a flat screen TV, a marble bathroom. I usually stayed in rooms that looked like small apartments, so this was just awesome. The door fell shut behind me and Damon spun me around dramatically.
"Oh Clarissa," he said lowly, blue eyes dancing with amusement. "We're alone. In a hotel room." Damon's voice was becoming more and more suggestive, his smirk turning flirty. "There's only one thing we can do now." A wide grin split across my face. Hell yeah!
"Jump on the bed!" I gushed excitedly. The one thing I always wanted to do and was never allowed.
"My thoughts exactly!" Damon agreed brightly, easily picking me up by the waist and flinging me. I crashed ungracefully onto the bouncy mattress with a shriek which quickly turned into laughter as he bounced up onto the bed and nearly fell off. He yanked me upward and I swayed, falling into him. "Jump!"
Pulling my hands into his, we bounced around on the mattress and I brimming with glee. This was every bit as magical and fun as I always thought it would be! Damon kicked the large decorative pillows off the bed, uncaring when they knocked things off the nightstands. I was giggling uncontrollably.
"Why," jump "are" jump "you" jump "sooo much fun?" Damon shoved me backwards and I screeched in surprise, quickly latching onto him. He easily pried my hand off his sleeve and I fell backwards, bouncing and rolling off the bed with a pained cry.
"Because," I laughed, sprawled out on the floor, grinning crookedly up at him, despite the pain. "Beeeecaaaaause it's me. And you. And combined we're awesome. So awesome that the higher powers in life decided to drag me from my world and stick me here just so we could fuck with Stefan."
Damon gracefully stepped off the bed and peeled me off the floor with one fluid motion that left me feeling a little dizzy. The orange glow of the morning's sun was spilling into the room and my heart bounced as I gazed up at Damon. The light heightened everything stunning about him, lighting his clear blue eyes and creating an illusion of a halo around his dark hair with how the light brushed across him. I couldn't help but think how intimate this all was suddenly, with his arms wrapped around me, my fingers curled in the front of his shirt.
"Clarissa…" he murmured softly, as though if he spoke any louder it would shatter the quiet morning. The way he said my name sent a flutter through me, made me feel so alive. Everything about Damon was soft now. Carefully, like handling something delicate, he moved his hands up to my shoulders and gently turned me so I was facing the window.
The sky was on fire with deep red and purple, the orange sun beaming out between glistening skyscrapers. The city that never sleeps was bursting with renewed life. I pressed my fingers against the chilly glass, basking in the warm light that was filling the room. Right now, it didn't matter, none of it mattered. It didn't matter I had someone else's face, or that I was living someone else's life, or anything my mother had done and hadn't done. All that mattered was that I was watching the sun rise and bask my city in an unearthly glow.
"I'm going to be happy." I said firmly, remembering Damon who was a few inches away from me. I was suddenly aware of the weight of his gaze. "You're going to be happy too. No matter what. That's what we deserve and that's what we'll get."
His fingers loosely slid over my wrist and I let him pull me away from the window. He was being so gentle and soft—I just didn't understand why Damon was painted to be the bad guy. There was just so much of him, so many different angles. He was like a crab, with the pincers out, ready to hurt everyone, ready to be defensive. But he's been so hurt, he's been half ruined by someone who should have just loved him. And even through it all, Damon still seemed to seek attention. And affection. And nobody seemed to understand him. Like how nobody understood me.
…Or maybe I was just sleep deprived. I groaned, pulling my hand from his and rubbing my face. The Founder's felt like days ago when it was just a few hours ago, and even though I didn't feel tired, my body probably was. My mind obviously had turned off.
"We should sleep," Damon seemed to read my thoughts. "Just for a few hours and then you can take us wherever you want to go."
I dropped my hands from my face and nodded, kicking off my shoes. "Probably for the best. I think the lack of sleep is making me all… screwy in the head."
Damon had, regrettably, closed the heavy posh curtains over the vast window. It'd make it easier to nap, but I still missed the sun despite knowing he was right. The king sized bed both felt way too big and way too small all at once. This was stupid and ridiculous and I wanted to scream.
I've slept on Damon before, so I wasn't sure why laying in the same bed with him was suddenly… exhilarating. I was suddenly so aware of the warmth that rolled off him in gentle waves, every intake of breath, and the strange electric snap that hissed through me with him being so close, yet not close enough. What the hell was wrong with me? Why was this suddenly an issue? I mean, given, I had always fallen asleep on him after having my neck broken, or when he was stroking my hair, forcing me to lay on his chest. Not that he had been really forcing me, but…
His fingertips brushed against mine and my heart jumped. Warmth flooded me, his touch causing my stomach to flip pleasantly. Nerves fluttered and I struggled to keep my breathing even. Oh my God. He's touched me before, this should be a no big deal, so why was I flipping out more than usual? My heart hummed loudly in my chest and I was stricken with a startling thought: I wanted him closer. Sucking in a breath, I tilted my head and his blue eyes captured mine in the darkness.
My heart skipped a few beats and fell into my stomach, beating nervously.
"You can hear my heartbeat," I whispered, shakily, my head feeling hazy as the warmth clouded over my thoughts. I was certain that he could, but I needed it confirmed. Damon's fingers ghosted over my palm causing my heartbeat to quicken and a jolt of excited pleasure to spear through me.
"Yes," he breathed, his fingers sliding between mine, his palm flat against mine.
I bit on my lower lip, a soft noise humming in my throat, as heat spread everywhere his skin touched mine. I curled my pulsing fingers through his and my mind swirled. I was holding his hand, something we've done before, and yet it was probably the most intimate thing I'd ever done. His blue eyes devoured me, caressing every inch of my face with an intensity I've never seen before. My breath hitched.
"This is stupidly intimate…" Damon's voice was thick sending my heart into a tumbling, dizzy, sputter. I nodded, unable to think, to find words. "Why is such a small, thoughtless, thing so intimate?"
"Because it's you." I blurted, my cheeks soaked with heat. "I've never—felt this… attraction, I told you… so every time you… you should know, you hear it. You make everything light up and explode inside me. It's only you, Damon. So for you, having a hundred something years of attraction to anyone… the little things wouldn't really stand out. I understand now why people like being sexual. This is insane." I was nervous, I was babbling, I was trying to make sense of this—whatever this was. Sexual tension, right? Right?
Damon was suddenly hovering over me, his knees on either side of my legs, a hand planted next to my face and everything inside me erupted brightly, loudly. He trailed his hot fingertips over my cheek and I was melting. My eyes fluttered shut and I made a soft, needing, noise as pleasure, and joy, pulsed to his touch. The electric heat made it so painful to not be touched and I wished I could ask him to touch every inch of me.
Peeling my eyes open, I hesitantly, curiously, pressed my fingertips against his jaw, his skin sending jolts down my fingers. My heart stammered nervously and I couldn't help myself, I couldn't stop. I moved my fingers up his face, slowly, delighting in the way his skin felt against mine. Damon made a noise and, with an excited flutter, I watched as he nuzzled into my hand, his eyes sliding shut. As if I had the same effect on him as he did to me.
"My God," he groaned, his half-lidded blue eyes locking with mine, glowing and intense. "No, Clarissa, no, it's never been anything like this. The things you're doing to me… the things I'm doing to you just by touching your skin… The way your heart reacts to me…" His blue eyes were much darker, drinking me in and I felt like I was going to lose myself in his gaze.
"Sexual tension," I forced out, feeling completely undone as his fingers moved, trailing down my throat, stroking the skin. "I don't really see you as someone who sits around and lets it build. You want someone, you take that someone, end of story. I think this has been building since day one and now it's just… just this."
"…Yes." He agreed quietly, because that was the only thing that made sense! "That must be it. Are you hungry? If we don't leave this hotel room I'm not sure what the fuck I'm going to do." He was suddenly across the room and I released a puff of air, the chilly air striking against my body. I shivered, sitting up, feeling a little dazed.
So much for sleeping.
I stumbled out of the bed. So maybe I was feeling a little bit more than just kind of dazed. I wiggled into my converse, trying to snap myself out of it.
"I know this great place," I said as Damon opened the door for me. I grinned at him faintly, almost nervously, stepping out into the bright hallway. "You're not gonna get awkward or weird on me, are you?"
"Nope," he said, though he was a few inches away from me than he'd normally be. "There's no reason to. We're both aware that we should be tearing that room apart while having wild crazy sex." Damon's mouth flickered upward into a teasing smirk. "But you just have to be difficult."
"The best things in life are worth waiting for." I quoted and he rolled his eyes, amusement springing across his face.
"Mmhm. I'm sorry to burst your bubble, beautiful, but sex with you certainly won't be the best sex." He was seriously misinformed. I smiled at him, sweetly, and Damon eyed me almost warily. I pressed the button for the elevator.
"It will be, because it'll be me. And I am, by far, the greatest thing in the world." I told him sweetly as the elevator chimed, the doors whooshing open. Damon scowled at me.
Scowling meant he agreed!
Grudgingly agreed!
I am the best thing in his sad, sad, vampire existence!
My lips curved into the smirk he often tossed at me and threw it at him, prancing into the elevator. Damon followed me in and the doors whooshed shut.
And suddenly I wasn't feeling confident anymore because we were alone and his eyes were suddenly heavy on me. And I suddenly couldn't breathe. And suddenly he was so very close. My gaze seemed to be pulled in his direction, Damon's blue eyes were the only thing I could see for a moment. And God, he was pinning me down with that look. I didn't even know what that look meant.
"You're not." Damon blurted out, his voice low, his gaze cutting into me. I couldn't remember what we had been talking about. I'm not?
…I'm not the best?
Well. I had been kidding.
My back hit the elevator wall before I realized he had been backing me up into it. His fingers were tight on my arms, gripping me, like he was clinging and my cheeks quickly grew hot. What was he doing? I couldn't think. And all I could see was those beautiful, beautiful, blue eyes.
"You're not here to ensure the plot stays on course, so that Elena can be happy, or even to fuck with Stefan. You're not here for any of them. And, God, as much as I thrive in your company, you are not here for me." Damon rushed out quickly and dizziness stole my breath away. "None of us can have you like that, you weren't dragged here for anyone but you. You'll never have to be for anyone else ever again."
I had never wanted to kiss anyone before, and suddenly all I wanted to do was kiss Damon. Out of affection. Out of gratitude. Out of happiness and adoring admiration—out of friendship. Something sweet. Something chaste. He let me pull him down and I lifted onto my tip toes, brushing my lips against his cheek as sweetly and tenderly as I could.
There was nobody like Damon. Nobody.
"You and I," I murmured, pulling back, smiling at him happily. "We were meant to be friends, D. I am here for you. We're sleep deprived and stupid and weirdly intimate and now we're gonna go do mischievous vampire dickery things because fuck everybody."
His expression immediately became gleefully wicked, blue eyes glinting. Damon was back to being dickery Damon, like he hadn't just gotten sweet and emotional for a moment, like we didn't have crazy stupid sexual tension issues, like he totally wasn't running off zero sleep and four redbulls. He smirked down at me and the elevator doors dinged, whooshing open. I slid my hand into his and pranced into the lobby with the intent to do maximum damage.
I hope you guys aren't disappointed, I know everyone is pretty excited for them to get into some crazy shenanigans but they were in the car for 7+ hours and I couldn't resist some fluff and some bonding.
I just wanna answer some stuff real quick! :D
Q: Will the originals be in this fic?
Yes! I LOVE the originals! And Katherine.
Q: Will you be following the series?
Kind of! Obviously I'm going to follow most of season 1 as best as I can (you guys can already see how well that's working out lol) Clarissa is very... Well, Clarissa. She's not going to stand by and let things progress normally. I'm pretty sure I'm going to loosely follow season 2 as well. Maybe have some aspects of season 3 in there, but honestly guys I haven't seen much of season 4 and what I've been hearing about it... No. Just, no. Clarissa also is going to have her own weird supernatural thing happening. Like how she got in this body/why she can't die is going to be explained and have it's own plot going on.
Q: Elena is a real bitch.
Okay so that's not really a question, but I thought I'd address it anyway. Am I making Elena too bitchy or is it just an overall feeling in general? I'll try to make her more likable, I know she comes off as parenting and a real drag. And I don't think that'll change much, especially with how she is and what kind of person Clarissa is. Gah.
Q: Pairings!
Obviously Darissa. (Clarissa and Damon)
And I swear it won't be Jicki! I don't know who Jeremy will end up with.
If you guys want to see someone together, lemme know! Otherwise I'll just see where the writing goes and how things will change given Clarissa is there.
Darissa theme song: No Tomorrow by Orson. I think it pretty much sums up how they are when they're together lol
Thanks for reading! :D