BLOODSHARED
Disclaimer: I do not own the Vampire Diaries or any of the characters, I just like to play in their world:)
Chapter 10 ~ Demeanor
(Zippos cont. Caroline P.O.V.)
I walk back to the bar, my head is spinning. I can't believe Damon fed off Elena and I know about it. I will have to feel guilty around Stefan. I wonder if I would of have felt guilty if it had been Demetri instead? I quickly realize I would of felt worse because I'm the one who ask Demetri. So I try not to..think...anymore and just get the bartenders attention and ask for 2 "Kiss on the lips" I look over, where Damon is sitting still chatting with John and Demetri, they are sharing vampire stories, but I don't want to listen in, I just want to drink and get relaxed again. I don't care what they are saying so I just block them out. I just want Elena to get her but out here. I feel out numbered, 3 male vamps to just one me.
I order our drinks and John comes over to me, Damon and Demetri are downing shots and laughing. I can't help but wonder how weird it is going to get when Elena gets out here. John bumps my arm and says...
"Wanna dance Caroline?" he says smoothly.
"Nope, right now I just want to drink." I reply numbly.
Just then Elena walks up, just as the bartender sets our drinks on the counter. I start to pay but John slaps down a $20 on the bar. I smile and thank him. Elena is looking at me and John and I can tell she is desperately trying to avoid Damon, maybe even avoid looking at him at all. John senses the tension in Elena, I am not sure if he knows why she is so tense. Slow pop is playing in the background, Elena and I grab our drinks and start to suck them down. John turns to Elena and says...
"Elena, would you like to dance?" with a small smile.
I look at Elena thinking there is no way she's going to go dance again under Damon's watchful eye, especially the kind of dancing she did earlier (smiling) however, she shocks me when she accepts his offer. John takes her hand and leads her to the dance floor which is half empty now. I think she must be desperate to avoid Damon and Demetri to go dance after everything that has happened tonight. I sip my drink and look over at Damon and Demetri from the corner of my eye, they both have turned on their stool to face the dance floor, and shock is all over there faces. I can't help but giggle to myself, Old Elena is still here I think.
Elena is slow dancing with John, but they have a normal distance between them, like they are father and daughter. I can't help the big smile on my face, thinking how sweet John is, he's hot too. I think back to earlier when he told me he had broken up with Kara. She was human like Matt and even though his reasons for breaking it off with her differ from mine, I can empathize with him. I find myself wishing I was dancing with him right now. I'm startled out of my John gaze because I just noticed Damon is standing right next to me, offering me his hand, and I look at him in shock.
"Would you like to dance?" he ask with a smirk.
"Eww, No Way!" I snap.
"Oh come on Caroline, you have never danced with me. Just give me one dance...I'll get you close to John." he adds real quietly.
"Okay, just one dance." I mumble out.
Damon leads me out on the dance floor and of coarse he keeps his word and brings me within 10 inches of where John and Elena are dancing. Elena notices first and jumps a little and Damon chuckles and grabs my waist and I reluctantly put my arms around his neck. Damon stands closer to me than I like but I just let go of my restraint and start swaying with him, after all, maybe John will get jealous.
I notice Elena is looking away toward the bar, at Demetri. I see a flash of guilt on her face as she turns back to look at us, then she turns back to John and smiles shyly. I feel sorry for her because I can see the embarrassment all over her face, shes embarrassed to be around Damon now and felling guilty about teasing Demetri. Damon notices my close watch on Elena and he leans down and whispers in my ear...
"Is Elena alright?" he asks.
I nod and then he spins me away from them some and gives me that eye thing.
"Well" he states.
"Yes, I think shes fine, actually more than fine and that is what scares me." I say with my best worried look.
"Why? What do you mean? Damon asks.
"It's just her actions, this sudden Urge to try feeding, Coming here risking danger to do so, the way she acted in the bathroom, not seeming to feel guilty about Stefan, Old Elena coming out, which that was my fault, but the strange part is, Old Elena is still out. I see her caring about peoples feelings still, but shes still just too fine with everything. Maybe it will all hit her tomorrow." I say sadly.
"What do you mean the way she acted in the bathroom?" he ask.
"Oh you caught that huh...It's nothing Damon just a girl thing." I reply
I am hoping he does not ask more about the bathroom, cause that is private and Elena would kill me if she knew I told Damon I caught her daydreaming and I know it was about the feed. The Elena I know would be in there crying, maybe even vomiting over guilt for cheating on Stefan...hmm...like I said she's too fine.
"Well I can't believe the way she danced earlier." he says gritting his teeth.
"That is not unusual if you knew Old Elena, pre- parents death and all this vampire stuff." I state.
"Really?" Damon asks with genuine curiosity.
"Yes Damon, Elena knew how to have a good time, she's a very decent person but has always been a provocative dancer." I replied.
"Oh, I guess I should not have called her a slut outside." he says regretfully.
"You did what?" I spat out at him.
"I did not know that was Old Elena. I thought this obsession with feeding brought that out of her." he says defensively.
"No Damon, that is Old Elena, party girl and you should not have done that. Elena has had a very rough year. Not many people would survive what she has gone through, and still come out mostly herself, The grief and Survivors guilt. I say.
" Survivors guilt?" he asks with wide eyes.
"Yes, her parents died going off that bridge and she didn't. How do you think that feels Damon? Also finding out that she was suppose to die and the only reason she lived is because Stefan saved her! Of coarse Stefan went back in the water for her parents but it was too late! Stefan even told her how her Dad insisted she was rescued first, so now she has Survivors guilt and on top of that, she knows now her Dad gave his life for her." I say cringing at the thought.
"What? Stefan saved her? Why don't I know this?" he asks angry.
"Stefan never told you? He told Elena right after your road trip to Georgia, when he told her about Katherine and explained everything." I replied.
"No wonder she stays with Broody Stefan, she feels like she owes him!" Damon says.
"Elena loves him Damon." I spit out.
"I don't doubt she...Loved...him, but come on Caroline, you don't see how unhappy she is lately. Especially since Stefan fell off the blood lust wagon? Do you really think she would be here wanting someone to feed off her if she was really happy with Stefan." he states as a matter of fact.
"All I know for sure, is she's been through a lot Damon, and a big part of getting her out tonight was to get Old Elena out for some fun, and look how much fun she had tonight, carefree, loosened up...I can't believe you called her a slut the very first time she relaxes and has a little fun, like old Elena." I say snarkily.
"Yeah, I messed up. I will apologize to her right now!" he says.
He twirls us over to John and Elena, they look peacefully engaged in small talk, and very relaxed with each other. Damon taps John on the shoulder...
"Switch Partners?" he says more demanding than as a question.
Elena looks startled and John just smiles and nods and looks at me, and I wink. John puts his hands around my waist and I place mine on his neck. The song has just changed (Damon's perfect timing) to an even slower one, and John pulls me closer than he did Elena and smiles at me with a sweet smile, I feel flushed. He moves closer and so do I, my head automatically goes to his shoulder and I breath him in. I am thinking he likes me just as much as I like him.
(Damon and Elena))
I start to dance with Damon and listen to the song, it is "Gravity" by: Sara Bareilles.
(Song)
you loved me cause I'm fragile
I thought that I was strong
but you touch me for a little while
all my fragile strength is gone...
set me free, leave me be
I don't want to fall another moment of your gravity
I put my eyes down because the words of this song are eerily close to my present situation. Damon is staring at me with those crystal blue eyes and I can't read what they are saying but it's powerful, whatever the message..
"How are you Elena?" he asks in a soft tone.
"I'm fine Damon, maybe a little embarrassed, feeling a little guilty about Demetri." I state.
"Demetri!" he snaps.
"Yes Damon, as you saw I kind of teased him, which is not like me to do, and now we're all out here on the dance floor and he's sitting at the bar alone." I cry.
"So, poor Demetri, got to dance with a hot girl, lick and kiss her neck, her pulse (growl) and get felt up by said hot girl. Wow that must have been horrible for him." he growls out loudly.
"What's your problem Damon!" I spit out.
Damon twirls me away from Caroline and John, to the darker part of the dance floor (been here before) and looks at me angrily.
"Poor Demetri, he got a little teased. It doesn't matter what it did to Damon to feed off me, or how hard it was for him. No all that doesn't matter!" he says in a woman's mock voice.
I look back at him with surprise, Duh Elena I have thought of everyone else, even myself, what it did to me, but he's right, I never considered what it did to Damon or how it would make him feel. I start to frown, tears threatening to spill from my eyes but I look right at him...
"I am so sorry Damon. I really truly am. It's just..."
Damon cuts me off..."You are getting ready to add an excuse to your apology! Really Elena!" he says angry again.
"Damon please, just let me finish!" I shout.
He rolls his eyes at me and looks at me with a mean smirk...I continue..
"Thank you, now as I was saying, you are always such a constant you know, saving me, being there when I need you, always honest, not trying to shield me from everything like Stefan. So, I guess I just consider you a Rock. My Rock. You are so strong Damon, so I forget sometimes to stop and think how things are affecting you. You are so good at hiding your true emotions, with snarky comments and this tough facade you portray to the world. So yes, I'm sorry Damon that sometimes I forget how things will affect you." I finish.
Damon just stares at me in shock, his jaw dropped, eyes wide. He closes his mouth and blinks several times and then he looks away, and I am thankful he does because the honesty in our eyes at that moment takes my breath away. He says nothing, he just pulls me a little close. Suddenly feeling exhausted, probably from blood loss and alcohol, I slowly rest my head on his shoulder, I relax again and also realize, I've never told Damon anything like that before. He did not know I thought of him that way. He doesn't realize that he closes off his emotions so much, that people around him began to close their emotions off to him. Now my head is spinning again, I am still embarrassed and guilt is starting to come back in waves. I let go of him and look at the floor.
"Damon, I am ready to go." I say sadly.
"Okay..um...Caroline is lost in her trance dance." he says laughing
I turn to look at her and John and he's right, they are close, very close and staring at each other, it is intense, they are going to kiss at any moment. I smile and walk away toward the bar to find my coat and I know I must apologize to Demetri. I walk fast hoping Damon will give me just a minute with Demetri, but no, Damon is hot on my heels, so I guess I will have to apologize in front of Damon rather it makes him angry or not.
I see Demetri is looking at me and holding out my jacket like he's psychic.
"Thank you Demetri, and I owe you a huge apology." I say sincerely.
"No Elena, it's fine." he says softly.
"No Demetri, really it's not. I do not even know you that well. I got caught up in curiosity of feeding and like they say: Curiosity killed the Cat! Your a nice person, here I am teasing you twice and walking away twice. I am...
"Actually it was three times." he says softly.
"Oh yeah, your right, three times and like Baseball three strike your...um...I mean I'm Out!
I hear Damon chuckling behind me. I continue...
"And I am going to get Out of here. I just wanted to tell you I'm truly sorry for chickening out and running like a scaredy - cat. You are a nice person, your sweet and a great dancer. Thank you, I had a lot of fun, and again I am sorry about everything." I say rambling.
"Elena, It's okay you are a beautiful, sweet girl, a great dancer yourself and I had a lot of fun too. No harm done Elena, other than a little disappointment." he says smiling.
Demetri grabs my hand and kisses it, winks at me and says...
"Anytime Elena." smooth voiced.
I feel Damon right behind me and he gives me a shove forward.
"Goodbye Demetri, nice meeting you." Damon says through his teeth.
Damon and I walk toward the door and I turn to see Caroline and John kissing and stop.
"Go Elena! We will wait for her outside!" he snaps.
We step outside and the air is crisper and cooler than when we arrived, thankful the cool air helps clear my head. It's late, I yawn and snuggle into my jacket and lean against the wall outside by the front door. I start to fidget and clear my throat several times. Damon puts his hands in his pockets, gazes at me and then leans back against the wall right next to me. Neither of us say a word. I just want to go home and process this whole night alone. I feel a chill under my skirt and my cheeks redden remembering that I have a short skirt on and no panties, I remember throwing them away and that leads to thoughts of knowing Damon knew I was aroused, henceforth redden cheeks...how embarrassing...such an intimate moment with a friend, who happens to be very attractive. Cmon Caroline...I plead silently...Damon turns towards me...
"Elena, I'm sorry I called you a slut and a vamp slut. I didn't mean it, I was angry." he says softly.
"It's okay, I understand Damon. I'm sorry I made you so angry, and for not considering your feelings." I say softly also.
I am starting to get drawn into those crystal blue eyes and I feel the urge...no... it is more like a craving deep down...oh no...just then as an answer to prayer Caroline comes out the door, giggling and holding a napkin up...waving it. It has a phone number on it, I giggle at her because she looks so carefree and happy. Caroline looks at Damon and then back at me and shakes her head.
"Okay Elena, I'm going to the car to daydream now...or night-dream rather. I will give you a few minutes to tell Damon goodnight." she says while giggling like a school girl.
Caroline gets half way across the parking lot, stops and turns around, she's holding up something red and waving it like a flag, she then yells very loudly...
"Don't worry Elena, I got your red lacy thongs out of the trash can in the bathroom, you did not have to throw them away just because I mentioned the smell thingy." Caroline is laughing still when she gets into my S.U.V. ….I froze, I am soooo embarrassed, I literally can't breath, I let out a choking cough and I feel Damon's glare on me, and from the corner of my eye, I see a big smiling smirk on his face... I am going to kill her, she is not that drunk, this is her way of getting back at me, for making her so angry earlier. Stupid vampires! I can't believe she would embarrass me like that! I look over at Damon and he's silently chuckling so hard, his body is shaking, and he's covering his mouth with his hands now trying to hide it. I just look away quickly..
"Goodnight Damon." I say defeated.
I keep walking away toward the S.U.V... I just want to run and hide under a rock somewhere, I am so embarrassed... I get in and take off as fast as I can. I don't care if we are suppose to wait for Damon to follow behind us or not. I just gun it...I can't get to Carolines house fast enough.
(A/N) That is one long night. Too much to comment on lol but is the night really over? Find out in the next chapter:)