Chapter 9
He's a good time cowboy casanova
Leaning up against the record machine
Looks like a cool drink of water
But he's candy-coated misery
He's the devil in disguise
A snake with blue eyes
Damon woke up to the sun shining on his face. Damn glass wall. It took him a moment to realise where he was, but when he did all the memories from the night before came rushing back. Their fight. Their past. The truth.
Oh Shit.
He needed to get out of here and get his head straightened out, but he needed to say goodbye to her first. He couldn't leave her without an explanation again, could he? He made his way up the stairs and paused on the landing, trying to figure out which room was hers. Damon stopped at one of the doors that was slightly open.
Bingo.
He pushed it open a little more to find her asleep on the bed. He walked quietly over to her and sat on the edge of the bed beside her. Elena's dark hair was sprawled over the pillows and her face was peaceful. Damon hadn't seen her look as innocent as she did now in years.
He let his hand carefully stroke her cheek and smiled slightly. There was no denying how beautiful she was. Damon wondered how she hadn't woken up yet, she was usually such a light sleeper.
"Elena?" He said, loud enough so she might wake.
She didn't.
"Elena." He said more strongly now, but there was still no response.
"Come on 'Lay wake up." He moaned and grabbed her shoulders, shaking them slightly.
"What do you want Damon?" She growled and he sighed in relief.
She had him worried for a minute.
"I'm heading off, I came to say goodbye and you wouldn't wake up." He said simply as she rolled her eyes and sat up in the bed.
"And you couldn't have just left?"
"No."
She pushed him off her bed and got out herself.
"Do you want anything? Coffee, or food or something like that?" She asked gently, making her way to her closet.
"I'm good. Ric wants us in the studio later, you have your own tracks to record in case you've forgotten." Damon said slightly in shock.
She was actually trying to be nice, for once.
"I know. Wait, why did you 'us'? He only needs me in why are you coming?"
Damon rolled his eyes at that. Her hospitality didn't last very long.
"I'm bored. And besides, who wouldn't want to come and see you sing some pop trash?" He smirked at her as she placed her hands on her hips.
"Get out of my house." She said pointedly and tried hard to fight the smile that was threatening to creep its way onto her lips.
"I'll see you later 'Lay." He leaned over to kiss her cheek and went to walk away.
"Damon?" She called out as he reached the door.
"Yeah?"
"About last night. I'm sorry too." She said softly and forced a smile.
She couldn't believe that she was saying this, and meaning it. After all these years of bitterness and here she was apologising to him for her part in things. Elena would call that improvement.
She watched as Damon smiled at that, gave her a wink and walked away. When she heard the front door close she let out a small laugh and placed her hand over where he had kissed her cheek.
God, she knew she was screwed. But she couldn't find it in her to care.
. . .
Damon got into his car and smiled to himself, thinking about Elena. He thought about how things could change now that they were being open with each other. Well, almost open. She still wouldn't admit to him that she felt something.
But she would, eventually. Elena never was good at hiding her emotions for too long. And Damon could read her better than anyone else.
If Damon hadn't been so distracted with thoughts of Elena, he might have noticed to photographer take pictures nearby.
. . .
Elena sat in the recording studio with Ric and Caroline, as she finished polishing off her lyrics.
"You ready?" Ric asked gently as she smiled up at him.
Caroline couldn't fight the grin on her face, Elena looked so happy. She didn't know why though, and that was the thing bothering her.
"Yeah 'Lay you ready?" Damon asked as he strolled into the studio.
Caroline kept her eyes trained on Elena and saw how the brunette's eyes lit up when she saw him. Caroline's smile fell from her lips. Guess she knew now.
"Why are you here, Damon?" Caroline asked as she picked up her phone and looked through her messages, trying to seem uninterested.
"I was bored Blondie. Thought I might as well come down and entertain myself."
"Well you can go and entertain yourself somewhere else. Leave." She growled at him as he chuckled.
"I'd rather not."
Damon wasn't leaving, not after his morning with Elena. He was going to use any excuse he could to stay close to her.
"It's okay, Care. He can stay." Elena said softly and Damon smiled at her.
"Okay what's going on with the two of you?" Ric asked protectively and stood in between Damon and Elena.
"Nothing." Elena said quickly. Too quickly.
"Are you sure about that?" Caroline asked with her eyebrows raised.
Elena narrowed her eyes at the two of them, it was like they knew something. They couldn't have, she hadn't told Caroline about Damon showing up last night yet and it wasn't like she was going to Alaric about it.
"Positive. Why?"
She started inspecting her nails again, a habit she knew Damon hated, and started glaring at Caroline.
"What are you reading?" She asked and crossed her arms.
Caroline looked up at the three of them and held out her phone to them.
"I'm guessing you know exactly when this picture was taken?" The blonde said shortly as both Damon and Elena paled.
"Well?"
"This morning. It must have been taken this morning." Elena sighed and looked away from the group.
"So there is a picture of Damon leaving your house this morning. Is there something the two of you need to tell us?" Caroline was growing impatient with the two of them.
If something was going on then they needed to be honest with her, if she didn't know about it then she couldn't prevent it from getting out to the press. And this was a prime example.
"Nothing is goin' on, Caroline. I came over last night with a song idea and we wrote it. When we were finished it was far too late for me to go home and Elena suggested that I camp out at hers. I slept on the sofa so don't give those judgy eyes Blondie. Don't judge us." Damon said smoothly.
"Somehow I don't trust you." Caroline spat out.
"So trust me," Elena interjected, placing a hand on Caroline's arm.
"Nothing is going on between us. I promise Care."
"Fine. Fine!" Caroline sighed and threw her hands up, still clutching her phone.
"But the next time the two of you decided to do some late night song writing you need to tell me. I doubt either one of you wants dating rumours floating around." Caroline added and handed them the phone.
"'Damon Salvatore, country mega-star, is pictured here leaving Elena Gilbert's, the country's leading cross-over princess, house earlier this morning. The two are currently getting ready for a joint tour that baffled and excited every music fan in the country. Rumours have been going around since then of the duo's relationship. Surely only lover's would agree to do a tour that neither of them really needed? But this photo seems to confirm suspicions of their love life. It seems that the couple's attachment is far more than the sibling bond they both portray.'" Elena read out the article beneath the photo.
"Great. Now everyone thinks I agreed to this because I'm sleeping with him. Just great." Elena ran a hand through her hair and handed the phone back to Caroline.
"It's better than them finding the truth." Alaric grumbled and sat down in one of the chairs.
He was as comfortable with this as Caroline was. Elena was his family, his almost-niece, and the thought of Damon sleeping with her made him want to punch the blue eyed man. Even though he was his best friend.
"Much better." Damon purred in Elena's ear as she bit her lip.
The last thing she needed was Damon flirting with her in front of Alaric and Caroline. That would never end well. Hell, Damon flirting with her at all was never going to end well.
"Can we please just record this song already?" Elena whined and Caroline pushed her into the little booth where she placed on her headphones.
She watched as Ric fiddled with the controls and Caroline and Damon sat back in their chairs. She heard the intro begin to play and she locked her eyes with Damon.
If she was going to Hell, she might as well do it right.
You better take it from me, that boy is like a disease
You're running, you're trying, you're trying to hide
And you're wondering why you can't get free
He's like a curse, he's like a drug
You get addicted to his love
You wanna get out but he's holding you down
'Cause you can't live without one more touch
He's a good time cowboy casanova
Leaning up against the record machine
Looks like a cool drink of water
But he's candy-coated misery
He's the devil in disguise
A snake with blue eyes
And he only comes out at night
Gives you feelings that you don't want to fight
You better run for your life
I see that look on your face
You ain't hearing what I say
So I'll say it again
'Cause I been where you been
And I know how it ends
You can't get away
Don't even look in his eyes
He'll tell you nothing but lies
And you wanna believe
But you won't be deceived
If you listen to me
And take my advice
He's a good time cowboy casanova
Leaning up against the record machine
Looks like a cool drink of water
But he's candy-coated misery
He's the devil in disguise
A snake with blue eyes
And he only comes out at night
Gives you feelings that you don't want to fight
You better run for your life
Run run away
Don't let him mess with your mind
He'll tell you anything you want to hear
He'll break your heart
It's just a matter of time
But just remember
He's a good time cowboy casanova
Leaning up against the record machine
Looks like a cool drink of water
But he's candy-coated misery
He's the devil in disguise
A snake with blue eyes
And he only comes out at night
Gives you feelings that you don't want to fight
You better run for your life
Oh you better run for your life
Oh you better run for your life
"I think we've got another winner 'Lena!" Ric chuckled happily as she removed the headphones.
"It was good?" She smiled at the three of them through the glass.
"It was brilliant." Caroline winked at her as she exited the booth.
"Good." Elena smirked and sat herself up on one of the tables.
"Come on Caroline, we have to go sort out this press issue." Alaric took the blonde's arm and they walked out together, leaving Damon and Elena alone.
"So, that song," Damon said slowly as he walked towards her.
"You like it?" She asked coyly and played with a strand of her hair.
"Depends." He smirked and stood just in front of her.
"On what?"
"On who the song was about." He stepped in between her legs and placed his hands on either sides of her thighs.
"You'll never know." She whispered as he leaned into her.
"Oh, I think I do. It's about me isn't it?"
"No." She answered shortly and he raised an eyebrow at her.
"Liar." He placed his forehead against hers and breathed deeply.
"Tell me something Elena. And I want you tell me the truth when you do."
"What is it?"
"Would you stop me from kissing you right now?" He asked as he slid his nose against hers.
She looked into his eyes for a moment and saw everything she missed. She saw him.
"No." She breathed out and he smiled slightly.
"Good."
"Shut up and kiss me Damon." She moaned and he chuckled.
Damon leaned in slowly letting his lips gently press against hers, in a whisper of a kiss, but as she wrapped her arms around his neck and he let his own move to her hips he couldn't help the moan that came from his lips. Elena moved her lips harder against his and as she felt his tongue trace over her bottom lip she sighed and pulled at his hair.
They heard two sets of footsteps come up to the door and pulled apart from each other, both slightly breathless. Elena fixed her top as Damon ran a hand through his hair.
"You both okay in here?" Alaric asked as he came in with Caroline in tow.
"Far better than okay." Damon smirked and she looked down to the ground.
She was right. She really was screwed.
. . .
"Tell me everything." Caroline demanded as they sat down in the café not far from SaltzLake Records.
"There's nothin' to tell." Elena drawled out as she sipped on her latte.
"You sure about that? It didn't look like that when I walked in earlier. It sure as hell didn't look like that in those pictures."
"I don't know what to tell you 'Care, there's nothing between us."
"Cut the crap 'Lena. I know you far too well for you to say that to me."
Caroline knew that something was up, the minute she had walked into the room she could have cut the sexual tension between Damon and Elena with a knife. A tension that had always been there but definitely hadn't been as strong when she had left the room.
"He makes me feel. I haven't felt like that in far too long, and every time I'm with him I feel it."
"Feel what?"
Elena laughed at that, she honestly had no way to describe it.
"He makes me feel angry and mad and crazy. He makes me crazy Care. But he has this way of making me forget everythin' around me with just one look, and it scares the hell out of me."
Elena might not have noticed how dreamy her eyes were, but Caroline did. And Caroline had never seen Elena look like that.
"Just be careful 'Lena. That's all I'm asking. I don't know what I'll do if I see you as hurt as you were three years ago."
"I know that. That's why I'm not goin' to act on it, it won't do either of us any good. I'm not the naïve little girl that fell for his blue eyes and his charm. I know better than that. And besides, I have other things to concentrate on." She trailed off,
She had Jeremy to worry about, and this tour, the last thing she needed was a relationship with Damon.
"You're not exactly known for your restraint sweetie. Don't blame me for worrying."
"I can control my impulses." Elena snarked on ran her finger along the rim of her cup.
"Are you sure? Damon has a way of getting underneath your skin." Caroline was worried and Elena knew it.
It was painfully obvious.
"Damon's nothing I can't handle."
And she could. Handle Damon, that is. But she couldn't get that kiss off of her mind.
It had been perfect, as much as she wished it wasn't. It had had the one thing she had never had with any other person in her twenty-one years.
Fireworks.
But she was smart. Strong. And she knew better than to fall for Damon twice. She wasn't going to risk everything just to be with him.
But there was a part of her screaming that she would, just to feel his lips on hers one more time. And maybe she would. But for now, she deluded herself into thinking that she could it fight her feelings. Fight him.
After all, there was nothing her and Damon did better than fight.
. . .
Damon smiled to himself as he knocked back another bourbon. They had kissed. Properly kissed. And God if everything they had been through these few weeks had been worth it just for that.
He knew that he had to be careful, if he knew Elena at all she was going to want to fight this every step of the way. But he didn't. God he wanted her more than ever, and he wasn't about to give up.
The tour started next week. And if Elena thought that she was still going to be able to deny what was going on between them during that she had another thing coming.
While she was fighting against him, he was going to fight for her. Because she was the only thing keeping him going now, after years of feeling absolutely nothing. And he wasn't about to let that go.
And it today had proved anything it was that Elena wanted him just as much as he wanted her. That kiss wasn't just some fluke. They were two different people now, not the young kids that had fallen blindly in love.
It was different this time. More passionate and intense. He understood why it scared her. It scared him a little too. But unlike Elena, he wasn't going to run from it. Run from her.
He didn't care about what everyone else thought, Alaric and Caroline and the media. He wanted her. Her and no one else. And he'd be damned if he didn't show her that.
A/N: Guys you are the best reviewers in this whole dam world! I love you all so much :'). You are amazing and I hope you all know that.
Okay, the song used is Cowboy Casanova by Carrie Underwood. Honestly I think its Damon's anthem.
So how do we all feel about this kiss? Good thoughts or not? Let me know my dears!
Please review, it means so much to me. Thank you all! Until next time xxx.