Six years ago…..
"Stefan, where are you? Call me."
Elena hung up her cell phone in annoyance. Her friend Stefan had convinced her to go out for once after weeks of pleading, and now he was a no show. She retook her seat at the bar and ordered a shot of tequila for the road.
The familiar fog warmed her mind as Elena hopped down from her barstool. She wasn't as sober as she thought, and her feet stumbled, sending her body towards the floor.
A pair of strong arms caught her, and then steadied her balance so that she was standing by herself. Elena looked up at her savior and was met with the most piercing blue eyes that she had ever seen. She could stare into them all day and not come up with words that would put them to justice.
"Stefan sends his apologies. He's sick." The stranger told her.
"You know Stefan?"
"I'm his brother, Damon." He said.
"Well Damon, I think I owe you a drink." Elena said.
"I think I'll take you up on your offer, Elena."
He took the seat next to her at the bar, and she smirked at him as she ordered them a round of shots. In a flash, Elena had consumed hers, leaving Damon staring at her in amazement.
"So, you can unhinge your jaw like a snake to consume alcohol." He laughed.
She shrugged at him and her lips twisted into a smile. "I'd like to see you try to keep up."
"Is that a challenge?"
"Only if you're a worthy competitor." She said.
Damon smiled and ordered the next round. This time he had Elena beat, downing his shot in what seemed like milliseconds.
"Okay, fine. We're tied." She told him.
"Good. Now that that's settled, I want to hear more about you. What brought you to Mystic Falls?" He asked.
"Well, I came here to work at the hospital. And of course that's how I met your brother."
"Yep, Dr. Salvatore. Well, if you need someone else to show you around our humble little town, I'd be happy to be at your service." He told her, sporting a crooked smile on his lips.
"I would like that, Damon."
Present Day
"Dr. Gilbert, you have a phone call." The receptionist told her.
"Okay, just a minute."
Elena had her hands full at the hospital she worked at in Richmond. She was currently treating a patient in critical condition after a car wreck, and her hangover wasn't making life any easier for her.
She picked up the phone. "Hello, it's Dr. Gilbert. How can I help you?"
"Dr. Gilbert? Wow Elena, you've come a far way from working as a tech."
She recognized the masculine voice, but she hadn't heard it in years.
"Stefan?" Elena asked.
"The one and only. I was hoping we could catch up, it's been way too long. Come down to Mystic Falls and we'll get the whole gang together again-Bonnie, Caroline..." He trailed off.
"Well, I don't know. My hands are full here and…"
And I don't want to see your brother. But I desperately do.
"Oh c'mon. You always worked yourself way too hard. Come down-it'll be fun." Stefan told her.
"Okay, fine. You win."
"Great, see you tomorrow night." He said triumphantly.
Damon sat on his couch, nursing his glass of bourbon while watching the evening news. God, the world was depressing. Or least that's what the media portrayed.
Unannounced, his brother Stefan walked into his house and sat down in the adjoining chair. Without looking over, he could tell Stefan was excited about something.
"What's up, Doc?" He asked.
"Okay, don't be mad at me."
Damon side eyed his brother. "That depends on what you did."
Stefan scratched the back of his neck awkwardly. "I invited Elena to come down to Mystic Falls for the weekend."
"You what?"
"Look, if I had asked you first, you would have said no. It's been years since the two of you broke up, and I think it's high time that you guys make up. Besides, the gang isn't the same without her." Stefan told him.
"Stefan…"
"You don't even have to see her. I just thought I should give you a heads up." Stefan raised his hands in defeat.
His brother left, leaving Damon alone with his thoughts. The thought of seeing Elena was painful, but the thought of not seeing her….was unbearable.
They could be friends, right? The past was long behind them…
Damon was at another crossroad, and this time he hoped that he had chosen the right direction.
Elena walked into the bar and was instantly almost tackled to the ground. Caroline had pulled her into such a tight hug that she was sure that her ribs were bruised.
"Elena! I didn't think we would ever see you around here again!" Caroline said.
"Well, Dr. Salvatore here can be very persuasive." She teased.
She exchanged hugs with Stefan, Bonnie, Matt, and Tyler. Elena noticed that one particular member of their friend group was missing, but she didn't say anything. She knew that it would just lead to awkward glances and looks of pity.
They grabbed a table in the corner and the drinking quickly began with Stefan ordering a round of shots. He held up his glass for a toast.
"To Dr. Gilbert, welcome home."
Elena gave Stefan a look for his comment. It's not like she wanted to leave Mystic Falls, it was just too damn hard to stay.
"To Dr. Gilbert!" The friends chorused.
They drank up, and Elena savored the familiar alcohol burn going down her throat.
"To Dr. Gilbert," An all too familiar voice said behind her.
She turned in her chair and met his icy blue eyes. He raised his glass to her and drank the shot he was holding in his hand.
Damon walked to the other end of the table and chose an empty chair next to Bonnie. He whispered something to his brother who was on the other side of him, and they laughed.
It was strange seeing Damon. He was different-older, more mature. Of course, four years would change everyone, especially if you became a father in that time. But still, something about him remained the same-there was a youthfulness in his eyes that hadn't been erased.
He glanced over in her direction, a hint of a smile on his lips. His expression was bittersweet like he was reminiscing over past memories. She figured the look on her face matched his-it was hard not to think about all of the memories they made in this very bar.
Six years ago…..
"Damon! We can't-we'll get caught." Elena whisper-yelled to her boyfriend.
He had dragged her into the bar's supply closet after a heated game of pool that created some serious tension between the two of them that needed to be released.
"Not if we're fast." He told her.
It was hard to fight with that logic, especially since she needed him at the moment as much as he needed her.
She tangled her hands in his hair and pulled him into a searing kiss. He matched her intensity, his hands roaming her body as he backed her into a wall. His fingers found their way under her skirt, and he began teasing her.
Elena moaned against his lips. Two could play at this game. She unzipped the fly of his pants and touched his growing length. Her fingers swirled the pre-cum around his head, eliciting a growl from Damon.
He hiked up her skirt and moved her lacy thong out of the way. She wrapped her legs around his waist, and he entered her in one swift thrust. Elena moaned at the feeling into his ear, and Damon felt himself grow even harder.
"Faster," She breathed out.
He responded to her request, thrusting into her with a new intensity. She crushed her lips back to his, and the two of them fought for dominance.
"So...close…" Elena moaned.
"Me too."
His fingers teased her, and it was enough to set Elena off. Her walls tightened around him, and she involuntarily threw her head back in pleasure. Damon's release followed in pursuit, eliciting a groan from him.
He slowly pulled out of her, and the two of them re-straightened their clothes.
"So, round two at my place?" Elena asked.
Damon laughed. "You're going to be the death of me."
"Oh, you know you love it."
"I do. And I love you, Elena." He said.
She smiled and placed a soft kiss on his lips. "I love you too."
Present Day
Elena rubbed her thighs together underneath the table to try to get rid of some of the tension. The memory of her and Damon together instantly lit a flame inside of her.
"I'll be right back." She told the group.
She went outside to get a breath of fresh air. She sat on the concrete steps, and ran a hand through her hair.
Elena could sense a presence behind her. It was probably Caroline checking up on her. "I'm fine, Care…"
"Not Caroline." The masculine voice said.
Damon sat beside her on the steps and was silent for a minute. Then he broke his silence, "Are you okay?"
Elena sighed. She currently had two options: lie to him, or tell him the truth. As much as the latter was going to hurt, Elena needed to know.
"Why didn't you fight for us? It wasn't over for me…" She turned her body towards him, and looked into his eyes.
"When we broke up," He started, "you made it clear to me that you weren't going to be ready for marriage for a long time, and I was. It seemed like you had moved on with what's his name-Aaron-and so I decided to move on too."
"It was mostly an act." She said. "You're a lot harder to get over than you give yourself credit for."
"Remind me to put that on my business card."
Elena genuinely laughed, for the first time in a long time. "I see that it already went to your enormous ego."
"Well, what can I say. Things haven't changed much around here." Damon said.
"No, they haven't." She said softly.
Damon turned to her. "Now it's my turn to ask a question. Why didn't you tell me this earlier when we still had a chance?"
Elena sighed. "I was still a kid, and it was true-I wasn't ready for marriage. Dating Aaron was just a distraction for me, but you seemed happy with Andie, and I didn't want to come between that."
He nodded her head at her statement, and the two of them sat in silence. The tension was thick between them.
"We can still be friends though, right? I think we all still need you around here, Elena."
"Yeah, of course." She swallowed thickly. "I still need all of you guys too."
They rejoined the others inside, and instantly started drinking and laughing again. The pieces of Elena's heart were now held together by one stitch. Damon was back into her life, but as a friend.