This chapter has given me hell, but suddenly last night the words just came pouring out and now it's over 4,600 words long. Be prepared and I hope you guys like it!
"What are you?"
"Elena, please calm down," he said gently, holding his hands in the air in surrender. He took a small step toward her and she took a step away from him.
"What are you not telling me, Damon?" she asked in a shaky voice.
"I will explain everything to you, I promise, but you need to calm down." He took another step closer. He could tell she was on the cusp of having a full on panic attack. Her face was pale, her hands and knees were shaking, and her chest was heaving with her heavy pants.
"Leave me the hell alone," she snarled one second before she turned to run. Damon's hand shot out and caught her forearm just before she took off. He pulled her body flush against his and she shot him daggers with her eyes. His gaze matched hers as he leaned in even closer to her so that their noses were almost touching.
"If you try and run again, I will throw you over my shoulder and carry you inside myself," he hissed at her. She narrowed her eyes further before she let out an indignant shriek and stomped into the boarding house. He pulled out his cell phone from his pocket and sent a quick text; he was definitely going to need back up.
He pocketed his phone and followed her into the house to where she was pacing a hole into the floor. He moved past her and straight to his liquor cart. It was early, but they both could use a drink. He filled two glasses and moved to plant himself right in the path of her pacing. She almost jumped out of her skin when she walked right into him. He smiled at her before handing her the glass tumbler full of his favorite amber liquid.
"It'll calm your nerves," he explained when she scrunched her eyebrows in confusion.
She took the glass with a timid smile, careful not to touch him, and sat down on the couch. His emotions were all over the place as he took a seat in the chair next to the couch. He took a deep breath and a swig of his bourbon before he angled himself to face Elena. Her hands were shaking so severely that the amber liquid in her tumbler was threatening to slosh over the sides. He wanted so badly to take her in his arms and just hold her, but he knew he couldn't.
"How much do you know?" he finally asked. Her chocolate eyes met his for a brief second before they returned to the drink in her hands.
"Yesterday, when you left, I found Stefan's journal," she explained quietly, a red tint staining her cheeks in embarrassment.
"Ah, Stefan and his journaling," Damon said with a faux-faraway look. "Which indiscretion did you read about?"
"It was from 1864. He wrote about you and Katherine, and how he wanted Katherine to himself." Her voice shook slightly at the mention of Katherine.
"Selfish bastard," Damon muttered under his breath. "Looks like we are starting at the beginning," he sighed.
Elena said nothing, but her eyes met his once more and told him she was ready to hear it.
"I was born in 1842, Stefan in 1847. Katherine came along as the summer of 1864 was beginning. I was enrolled in the Confederate Army and I reported shortly after she arrived. When I finally came home, she had each of us wrapped around her little finger," he told her as he felt the bitterness rise in his chest. "Katherine was a vampire and she made us both believe that she would turn one and not the other. In the end, she turned us both."
Elena's eyes grew wide as he told the story. "So you're a… a… a vampire?" Her voice dropped to a whisper on her last word.
His lips quirked into a small, sad smile before he spoke, "No, I'm not."
Her brow furrowed into a look of confusion, "But you said…" He cut her off with a shake of his head. "How?" she finally breathed.
"That," another voice came from the entry way, "is an incredibly long and boring story." Elena was shocked to see Caroline come skipping into the living room. She froze as her gaze landed on Damon.
"Seriously?" Caroline cried gesturing to him. "You couldn't put a shirt on?"
Damon was unfazed as he smirked at the blonde intruder.
"What are you doing here?" Elena piped up.
"Damon texted me," she said simply, with a shrug of her shoulders. "Trust me, 'Lena," Caroline said as she flopped on the couch next to her friend, "You don't want to hear that story. It's so long and so anticlimactic." She rolled her eyes dramatically while she snatched the drink from Elena's grasp and downed a few gulps.
"So," Elena began tentatively, looking right at Damon. "You're human?" When he nodded, she turned to her childhood friend and asked, "You knew?" Caroline nodded feebly and took a deep breath.
"Sweetie," Caroline started gently, setting the glass on the table and taking her friend's hands in her own.
"She's a vampire, too," Damon said.
"Damon!" Caroline shrieked, glaring at the blue-eyed man. "I was going to ease her into it!"
"What?" he said defensively. "I like the band aid approach. It's more efficient."
Elena's gaze bounced from one to the other while her mind tried to process what was happening.
"How?" she repeated her question from earlier, only it was directed at the blonde.
Caroline flipped her hair over her shoulder nonchalantly and turned to her best friend. "When you die with vampire blood in your system, you'll wake up. After that, you have about 24 hours to feed on human blood or you die."
Elena's face paled at the mention of feeding on human blood. She shook her head and pushed herself off the couch to pace the floor once again.
"This is impossible!" she cried in an outrage. "God, not to mention delusional!"
"Elena," Damon started, but she cut him off.
"I need to go," she said quickly, avoiding eye contact as she moved toward the door.
"Elena," Damon repeated, he quickly rose from the chair and his hand shot out to grab hers, effectively stopping her from reaching the door. She froze when his soft skin came in contact with hers. She didn't turn around, but she didn't jerk her hand away either.
"Hey," he said softly, his free hand moved to cup her chin and nudged her to look at him. Heartbreak, pain, and confusion were evident on her face and filled her eyes. That one look alone almost broke him and threatened to drop him to the floor.
"Please," she whispered brokenly, "I just need some space."
He moved their intertwined hands over his chest to where his heart was pounding behind his ribs. "I understand you are confused, upset, and probably scared. I know you don't want to be around me, that's why I called Caroline. She's your friend. She's not going to hurt you, I swear it. Please just stay close to her, so she can protect you."
Her gaze moved to the blonde on the couch who was watching them intently with sadness evident in her features. When their eyes connected, Caroline offered her a small smile. He could see the war that was waging in her eyes.
"What is she protecting me from?" Elena asked when her chocolate orbs settled back on his.
"My brother," Damon said with a tinge of remorse. "He isn't safe. He's not in control of his..." he paused, searching for a word that wouldn't frighten her more. He finally settled on, "cravings."
He almost kicked himself when he saw tears welling up in her eyes once more. She took a step backward and out of his grasp, shaking her head jerkily.
"I can't do this," her voice came out as a broken whisper.
He let her go without a word, watching her back until she disappeared on the other side of the front door. He let out a long breath, his hands settling on his hips, and his head dropping.
"Did I just ruin everything?" he wondered out loud.
"She knew once before and she was ok with it," Caroline said calmly. "Just give her time. She'll come around. She's still Elena and she's still strong."
Her words resounded in his mind even after she left to keep watch on Elena. She had loved him once, despite being a vampire. He had never seen her look so broken as she did right before she left. His fist went flying into the nearest piece of furniture as hopelessness settled in the pit of his stomach.
What if she never loved him again?
She thanked her lucky stars when she got home and no one was there. She didn't need to run into anyone when she was so on edge. Did Jeremy know? Did Alaric know? Were they even safe?
She was pacing like a mad woman, she knew.
Step, step, step, turn.
Damon was once a vampire.
Step, step, step, turn.
Stefan was a vampire, a dangerous vampire.
Step, step, step, turn.
Caroline was a vampire.
Step, step, step, turn.
Vampires weren't supposed to exist outside of really bad novels that turned into even worse movies.
She tried her breathing techniques that she learned in her many yoga classes. She tried to push the thoughts from her mind, but it was no use. All she could think about was vampires, Damon, and how she wasn't all that surprised by the new information she learned. That fact alone was probably what scared her the most. She should've felt more fear when Damon confirmed the truth, not distracted by the muscular lines on his chest or how perfectly messy his hair looked first thing in the morning.
Her emotions were all over the place and when the doorbell rang, she let out a small yelp. She moved quickly to the door, and pulled it open to reveal Caroline on the other side, holding two makeup cases in her hands.
"Are you here to protect me?" Elena asked a little more harshly than she intended.
"No," Caroline responded, unaffected by Elena's tone, "I'm here to be your friend. And I figured we could get ready for the party together."
Elena practically wilted with relief. It was exactly what she needed. She let Caroline in and they locked themselves in her room.
"Can I ask you something?" Elena asked hesitantly as she watched Caroline spread all of her hair and makeup items across the bathroom counter.
She immediately stopped what she was doing and turned to face her friend.
"Of course you can," she said sincerely, "What's on your mind?"
"I should hate him, right?" Elena asked quietly. "I mean, he kept this from me so I should be angry."
"Well, are you angry?" Caroline asked.
"No, I'm angrier at myself for not being angry with him," Elena sighed. "I really don't know what I feel."
"Well, let's talk it out," Caroline said gesturing to the open space between them.
"He scares me," Elena finally whispered.
"I promise you, he won't hurt you," Caroline said sincerely, placing her hands on her friend's shoulders, but she was already shaking her head.
"No, not like that," Elena said with a sad smile. She turned and walked into her room to flop on her bed, with Caroline close behind her. "I've only known the guy for like two months at the most, and yet I think I'm..." she trailed off, too afraid to say it out loud and thus making it real. She never fell easily for guys. She always kept them at arms length, never let them into her heart or into her pants. She wasn't easy and yet she'd fallen totally and completely for Damon Salvatore.
"You think you're in love with him," Caroline finished for her. It wasn't a question or an accusation, her voice held no judgment, just pure understanding.
"Is that crazy?" Elena asked, throwing her hands on her face.
"No," Caroline shrugged. "You and Damon just work." Her explanation was so simple that Elena found the weight on her chest being lifted ever so slightly.
Four hours later she and Caroline pulled up to the club Alaric and Meredith picked for their joint party. Caroline talked her into a fitted, deep red sheath dress. The hem fell just above her knees and the thick straps kept the low cut front from revealing too much. Her shoes were simple black pumps, her hair flowed freely, and her makeup was expertly done by Caroline.
The party was in full swing when they walked in. The music was loud and the drinks were flowing freely. She made a mental note not to drink too much again. Her eyes unconsciously roamed the room seeking out Damon. If she knew where he was she would be able to avoid him easier, she justified it to herself.
He was laughing with Ric on the other side of the club. He looked good as usual, dressed in a black button down shirt with dark jeans on and a sport coat. As if by some gravitational pull, his eyes met hers. Her gaze lingered a few seconds longer than she liked before she was able to tear her eyes from him.
Maybe she would just have one drink.
Drink in hand, she glanced to where Alaric and Meredith were both standing and talking to Damon. She took a steadying breath and convinced herself she would just go over to say hi to her pseudo-uncle.
She crossed the room easily and stood between Meredith and Damon, forming a small circle between the four of them.
She said a cheerful hello to Alaric and wrapped her arms around Meredith. When she moved back she noticed that Damon was nowhere to be seen. She shot a quick glance around the room and saw him moving through the crowd and stopping to talk to Caroline. Was he avoiding her? She mentally slapped herself for caring. It didn't matter. She needed to stay away from him and figure out her feelings.
An hour into the night she knew for sure that Damon was avoiding her. Anytime she got remotely near him, he moved in the opposite direction. As much as she knew that they probably needed time apart given their circumstance, it infuriated her.
So instead of drinking herself into a stupor, she let out her frustrations on the dance floor. If she thought about it objectively, she knew it was a desperate cry for attention, but she didn't care. All she knew is that she wanted Damon's eyes on her, his hands on her, and his lips on hers. It was ridiculous - she should've been angry with him, she should've been afraid of him, but she wasn't. She missed him and it had only been eight hours since she'd last spent time with him.
She let her hips sway to the bass of the music beating through the speakers and into her veins. Her hair moved in sync with her shoulders. When she felt a pair of hands on her hips, she leaned back into the chest of the man dancing with her. She fed off his energy, not caring where his hands went as long as they held her to the earth. She let the beat take her away, to a safe place in her mind where she was dancing against Damon, where she felt his hands coasting up and down her sides.
She glanced around the club, trying to find the blue eyes that scared her and excited her all at once. She felt her will to dance diminish every moment she didn't catch his icy orbs. She excused herself from the dance floor and headed to the bathroom. She was sweaty all over and was in desperate need of a makeup fix. She entered the dark corridor that led to the bathrooms.
"Having fun?" A melodic voice came from the shadows. Her heart nearly jumped out of her chest and she whipped around to face the intruder. His crystal eyes practically glowed in the dark.
"You almost scared the pee out of me!" she panted with her hand over her heart.
His throaty chuckle sent a blast of heat straight to her core. She could feel the air crackling around them and it was nearly drowning her. She felt like she was tossed out to sea in a torrential storm. It was all-consuming, dangerous, exciting, and scary.
"You know I can't take my eyes off of you when you dance?" he said in a low voice. She couldn't see very well, but she could feel him coming closer. Her heart was pounding and her blood was on fire. It was burning every limb and gathering in the pit of her stomach. It was eating her alive and she didn't want to fight it.
"You were avoiding me," she said in a quiet voice, hating every bit how needy she sounded.
"I thought you would want me to avoid you," he said, and despite the fact that she couldn't see his face, she could hear the vulnerability in his voice.
"No," she whispered, afraid that if she spoke too loud that the spell he had cast on her would be broken.
"Then what do you want, Elena?" His voice was low and seductive and she could feel his body hovering just an inch away from hers. She could feel his breath on her face, smell the bourbon on his tongue. He was so close that all she could think about was closing the space between their bodies. She balled her hands into fists to keep from reaching out and running her hand down his chest, feeling his muscles rippling through his shirt. She could smell him; his scent was filling her senses and intoxicating her. Her eyes flicked up to his lips, not daring to continue to his eyes because she knew she would be a goner the second they hit hers.
"You," she finally admitted. That one word hung in the air between them, slowly lighting a fuse that would only result in an explosion. It was only a matter of time. The air was suffocating and liberating. It was on fire, but she still felt a shiver go down her spine. Her eyes finally met his and she could barely stand to be so close to him, yet still so far away.
Then everything exploded.
They came together in a tangle of limbs, lips, skin, and heat. Her back hit the wall behind her, but she felt no pain, only Damon. His kiss was bruising and she loved it. His hands were in her hair, angling her head so his tongue had access to the warmth of her mouth. He tasted like his favorite bourbon and leather and sin. And it was perfect. The more she got of him, the more she wanted. Her hands were on his hips, pulling them to press against hers, craving the delicious friction it provided.
His lips left hers, but before she could whine in protest, they blazed a trail across her jaw and down her neck, pulling a needy moan from deep within her. They moved against each other to the beat of the song pulsing through the club. His lips returned to hers and she tangled her hands in his hair to keep him where she wanted him. His arms wrapped completely around her, molding her body to his.
And then his lips were gone. His arms released her, but rested against the wall on either side of her head, effectively caging her in. She was practically gasping for air, and with every heave of her chest, it brushed against his, only lighting the spark once more. He rested his forehead against hers as he caught his breath as well. It pleased her that she had the same effect on him as he did on her.
"You want to get out of here?" he said, still breathless.
She didn't trust her voice to remain strong enough to tell him, so she settled for a quick nod in agreement.
Her whole body was humming with excitement as he tangled his hand in hers to pull her through the thick crowds and to his car. She shot a quick text to Caroline, letting her know that she left with Damon, fully aware she'd have to give her details next time she saw her, but Elena didn't mind. Damon tore out of the parking lot and onto the street. He nearly doubled the speed limit in his haste to get to the boarding house and she didn't mind one bit. But as they neared the house, her nerves kicked into overdrive.
Her hands were shaking and she was filled with vain thoughts of "will he like?" and "what if I'm not as good as he expects?" She knew it was trivial, but they plagued her mind even as she stepped out of his car and followed him into the dark house. He didn't stop, or turn around; only led her up the stairs and down a long hallway until he stopped outside a large wooden door.
He pushed it open and she crossed the threshold to gaze at the magnificent furniture. The walls were covered in dark wood and the furniture was minimal, save for the California king-sized four poster bed in the middle of the room. She had the childish notion to jump on it. The room so was very him. That thought left her mind as soon as he turned and laid his eyes on her.
The desperate fire that was between them at the club was replaced by a smoldering need in the pit of her stomach, yet it was still as intense as before. The air still crackled between them and she still fought the urge to pull him into her.
He sauntered toward her and she suddenly felt like prey. He looked like he wanted to devour every inch of her and she didn't mind one bit. But there was something different in his eyes. Yes, they still held the same hunger, but they were softer, gentle, loving.
His hand wrapped around the back of her neck to pull her into him and place a chaste kiss to her lips before he pulled away once more. His hands settled on her upper arms before they turned her back to him. He placed a single kiss to the back of her neck before his fingers sought out the zipper to her dress.
The sound of the zipper echoed in her ears as did her heartbeat. She could feel his breath ruffling her hair at the base of her neck. His hands ran up the exposed skin of her back before they pushed the fabric off her shoulders. His hands were soft and firm all at the same time and they left a trail of goosebumps in their wake. With her dress pooling on the floor, she stepped out of it before turning back to him. Brown eyes met blue and the look she saw in them made her breath catch. Her shaky fingers unbuttoned his shirt and pushed it off his shoulders. He gave her a cocky smirk as she tentatively explored his chest with her unsteady hands. Every divot was perfectly sculpted, and every muscle reacted to her gentle touch. It made her feel powerful knowing that she could elicit such a reaction from him.
Wasting no time, her fingers went to the button on his jeans and they were on the floor around his ankles in a matter of seconds. His arms snaked around her waist and pulled her lips to his. Her fingers tangled in his mass of black hair and her legs wrapped around his middle and she felt like she was coming home. He walked them toward the bed, his steps slow and sure, and laid her down on the sheets. They billowed around her before settling once more. He took a moment to admire her, spread out on his bed, her hair on his pillows. It had been so long. It was an image he wasn't sure he'd ever see again. It was an image that had been ingrained in his mind since the day he met her almost four years ago.
Feeling the need to be close to her once more, he trailed kisses up her body and didn't stop until his lips settled against hers once more. She felt like heaven moving against him and there was nothing that could prepare him for the torrent of emotions that flooded through his being. He was still so in love with her. That had never changed and would never change for him.
"Damon," she said his name with pure, unadulterated need. Her voice sent even more blood straight down south and he realized this was his first sexual experience as a human. He was overcome with insecurities, but he tried to push back his nerves as he unlatched her bra and pulled it from her chest.
"Beautiful," he murmured before taking one peak in his hand, and the other in his mouth. She was squirming underneath him in no time and he wasn't sure how long he'd last with her moving against him like that.
He quickly rid them both of their final articles of clothing so that nothing was between them. Her skin pressed against his skin and he reveled in how soft she was. She was finally his again.
The moment he looked into her eyes she was overwhelmed with the feeling that she'd been there before. She'd been with this man before. Everything about him was familiar to her. Gazing into his eyes, she saw the man in her dreams, the man that turned into Damon. And when he slid in to complete her in the most intimate way, she was momentarily stunned by the way they fit together. Like they were made for each other. In that moment, she decided she needed to let the man in her dreams go. He would never make her laugh, he would never hold her when she cried, he would never complete her like the raven haired man above her did. He would never love her. He would never love her like she wanted Damon to.
She wrapped her arms around his shoulders, wanting to be as close to him as possible. She wanted to crawl into his skin, find a place in his heart, and never leave. He surged within her, bringing her higher and higher until she was floating on the clouds, awaiting that sweet release.
His arms wrapped around her as if she was the only thing anchoring him to the earth. She whispered words of encouragement into the skin of his shoulder, with the nonsensical moans he was only urging her on. She met him with every thrust of his hips until falling over the edge, she screamed his name into his skin until he came with her.
They lay intertwined for what could have been hours, neither one would have noticed. He finally pulled back to extract himself from inside her, but Elena held tight. He chuckled into the nape of her neck and she felt a satisfied smile grace her lips when he surrendered to her.
He couldn't stop the joy that sprang to life inside his heart. He had his Elena back. She was back where she belonged, in his bed, clinging to him like a lifeline. Now that he had her back, he would fight with everything he had to keep her.
Ugh. *shutters* I get so nervous putting smut-ish scenes up. I don't mind writing them, but I get so nervous when other people read them.
Everyone still with me? You didn't tap out on me? You guys are great. Thanks from the bottom of my heart for all your kind reviews. I love that you guys feel as dedicated to the story as I do.
Thanks to Jenn, again, for being awesome and catching my ridiculous mistakes. It's further proof that I have no business writing when I'm exhausted.
You can follow me on Twitter: rachellebelle08
I hope it was worth the wait!