A/N: Thanks for the reviews!
This chapter is kind of a shorter one, but hopefully you like it!
Things escalated very quickly. I remember drinking alone at the bar, shot after shot. Chasing after that numbness I craved. I was in my own little world, when a familiar blurry image appeared in front of me. Looked a lot like Elena's friend Bonnie. I remember talking to her, at least I tried to.
And then I ended up here and I had no idea how. I was at Elena's front door, my body swaying back and forth as her little, tiny friend Bonnie tried keeping me steady.
Elena opened the door surprised, "What is going on?"
"Sorry," Bonnie apologized. She walked with me into Elena's house, my feet dragging behind as I tried holding onto the doorframe, so I didn't fall. "I ran into him at the bar, and he was completely inebriated. I'm too much of a decent human being to leave him there. I tried driving him to his dads, but apparently his drunk brain has a terrible sense of direction. I drove in the same circle twenty times before coming here. Sorry," she apologized again. "I figured you could take him home, or have him crash here?"
Elena looked super pissed at me. "Thanks," she looked at Bonnie. "I'll take care of it from here."
They traded me off like a rag doll. My body folding into Elena's as Bonnie shut the door behind her.
I had no idea what time it was. I got to the bar around 7 and after a few shots' things started to blur. It couldn't have been that late. There is no way, I was too drunk to be able to stay awake very long.
She dropped me on her couch, and I fell back against the back of the couch. Looking up at her, she was dressed in a black silk robe. She had no makeup on and her hair was halfway dry. She must have been getting ready for bed. Her expression was less than happy while she looked down at me. "Really Damon?" She snapped.
"Uh-oh, mama's-s pissed," I slurred.
She bent down and aggressively tugged my arm out of my leather jacket. She tugged my other arm out, as she remained quiet. She threw my leather jacket on the nearby recliner. "You're seriously wasted on a Tuesday night? I have to work tomorrow." She crossed her arms.
"I have to piss," My jumbled brain was unable to think about anything else. I stood up off the couch and stumbled my way to the bathroom.
She followed close behind me, as I opened the door and flicked on the lights. I unzipped my pants and-
"Damon!" Elena shouted. "Door!"
I turned my head to look at her and shrug. "Don't act like you haven't seen me naked before." My tongue felt like it was weighted down. Talking was much harder to do when your brain was intoxicated.
Elena closed the door on me as she waited on the other side of the door. I somehow managed to pee directly into the toilet bowl (at least I hoped I was) and wash my hands without stumbling and falling. I opened the door and found a still very upset Elena waiting.
"Hmm," I groaned, reaching up to cup her adorable face. "You're cute when you're pissed."
"And you're not cute when you're drunk," she peeled my hands off her face. "You better not have gotten pee all over my bathroom."
"I have excellent aim," my hands found her round belly. "Clearly," I wiggled my eyebrows.
"You're disgusting!" she turned away from me in a huff.
I followed her as she walked up the stairs. My legs barely able to lift as I took one step at a time. I had to have a good grip on the railing to keep myself from falling. Once I made it to the top, I found Elena grabbing pillows and blankets from a spare closet.
"What are you doing?" I asked.
"You're sleeping on the couch," she walked past me down the stairs.
I turned to follow her. It was much easier going down the stairs, but a lot trippier. "What about the spare bedroom?" I asked.
"I got rid of the bed when I found out I was pregnant," she threw a pillow on the couch and started making up a bed. "I'm slowly turning it into a nursery."
"And what about your bed?" I smirked, looping my arms around her waist and pulling her in nice and close to me. I sighed, missing the feel of her. It was my favorite way to hold her. Her black flush against mine. I could smell her shampoo and her natural smell swirl in my nose. I could cuddle my head into her neck-
"I'm sleeping there," she removed my arms from around her hips and stepped away from me. "Alone."
"Suit yourself," I said as I unbuttoned my jeans, and pushed them down my legs.
She blushed, "Damon!"
"What?" I stepped out of my jeans and removed my socks. "You know I sleep in my underwear." I removed my shirt as well. I plopped down on the couch to sit in front of her.
"I'm going to bed," she looked down at me, her face unreadable.
"Wait," I tugged at her hand so she wouldn't leave just yet. I leaned forward, and touched her growing stomach, "I'm so sorry," I whispered. I wasn't even sure if I was talking to Elena or the baby. I laid my head on her tiny belly and whispered, "I'll do better, I promise. I won't ever leave you." I could feel a wetness on my cheek. Oh God. Was I crying? How pathetic. I kissed her belly over her silk robe. "I love you."
"Damon," she sounded annoyed as she tugged me by the hair to pull me off of her. Her face changed as she noticed the tears rolling down my cheeks. For a moment I saw pity in her eyes. Then she shook her head and walked away.
I woke up with a flinch as I felt something smack the side of my face. "Wake up." Elena's voice startled me. "We have to leave in 15 minutes if I'm going to bring you home and make it to work on time."
My eyes fluttered open, as they adjusted to Elena who was hovering above me.
I wish I could say I didn't remember last night… but I do. It was embarrassing and shameful and was not the way to prove to Elena that I was ready to be a responsible father.
Once she realized I was awake she walked away heading to the kitchen. I slowly sat up and rubbed the back of my throbbing head. I threw the blankets off me and searched for my clothes. Once I got myself dressed, I went to the bathroom.
Shit I looked rough. My eyes were bloodshot, my hair a disheveled mop. I could smell the booze radiating off of me. I found some mouth wash on her counter and tried to mask some of the alcohol smell. I splashed water in my face, and in my hair, combing it with my fingers, so I looked a little more put together.
I went to go find Elena in the kitchen. She was busy making herself breakfast and packing her lunch all at the same time. I noticed a glass of water with two Advil sitting next to it. "That's for you," she said without looking at me.
"Thanks," I said before gladly taking the medicine.
After I finished the large glass of water, I cleared my throat. "About last night…"
She looked over me as I searched for the right words to say.
"I didn't mean for it to happen," I stuffed my hands in the pocket of my jeans and leaned against the counter. "I'm sorry."
She moved her eggs from the pan onto a plate, "It's really not that different from when you're sober."
"Ouch," I cringed.
"Well, it's true," She grabbed her plate and a banana from her counter before sitting at her kitchen table. "You were very cocky and obnoxiously flirty."
I went and sat down next to her, "I was talking about the other stuff."
"You mean when you were crying as you rubbed your hands and face all over my belly?" She peeled her banana looking unamused.
"I was not crying," I lied.
She took a bite of her banana, "Yeah, ok?" She said sarcastically.
"My point is," I looked at her with a glare. "I didn't intend for you to have to take care of me last night. I wasn't even planning on drinking. I just- After our conversation on the phone… I was upset."
"So was I," she scooped a bite of eggs into her mouth. "But unlike you, I have to be responsible. I am carrying a baby; I can't go drown myself in a bottle of liquor."
I wanted to argue with her. I wanted to tell her she didn't understand. She didn't know how helpless I felt. I was terrified she was going to take her from me, and I would never get to be a father. I was afraid all I'd get was a couple hours a week, like some sort of babysitter. But then Elena made a face and it had me on full alert. "Are you ok?"
Her face paled, and she got up quickly. She shook her head before running for the bathroom. I followed close behind, and grabbed her hair, before she fell over the toilet bowl and emptied her morning breakfast into the porcelain thrown.
I rubbed her back soothingly as she continued to dry heave, after she had nothing left in her stomach to give. She finally took a seat on the floor, and I followed suit. I knew she wasn't feeling good, and I wasn't about to trust that she was finished.
I pulled her against my chest, so she could relax. She must feel pretty crappy because she didn't fight me on it. She even laid her head back on my shoulder. I did my best to brush the hair off her face and neck to cool her off, "Can I get you something?" I asked.
She wordlessly shook her head slowly against my shoulder.
I had seen enough movies in my lifetime to know that throwing up when your pregnant was normal. But I couldn't help but feel uneasy seeing her feel this way. I hope it wasn't like this all the time.
I was slowly swaying back and forth, and running my hand over the swell of her stomach. Any excuse to feel my child while I could, I was going to take full advantage of. And maybe any excuse to be close to Elena was also a thing. I watched as the color seemed to come back in her cheeks and she shifted in my arms.
"Feel better?" I asked after we sat for a while.
She just nodded, as she sat up. I quickly got up off the floor so I could help her stand up. She flushed the toilet, and washed her hands, as I watched her carefully, waiting for any signs that she might get sick again. I waited for her to finish brushing her teeth.
"How often do you get sick like that?" I asked, as we walked back to the kitchen.
"Used to be all day, every day during the first trimester," she grimaced thinking about it. "Now it's not very often, but it still happens every once in a while."
I was grateful to hear that it wasn't all the time for her anymore, but it still made me feel bad for her. It was no fun feeling sick to your stomach. "I'm sorry you have to go through that."
"It's part of being a woman," she shrugged as she grabbed her lunch off the counter. "You ready to go?" She asked me.
I nodded, grabbing her things for her, so she wouldn't have to carry anything to the car. I may be frustrated with her for being so stubborn and controlling over our child. But at the end of the day, she was the mother of my child, and I would take care of her.
A/N: What'd you think? What are you predictions for the upcoming chapters?
See you next week ;)