Disclaimer: I own nothing of the Vampire Diaries
He could hear the quickening of her heart and the rapid breathing. He could faintly smell the sweat beginning to glisten on her skin. He heard the sounds of blankets moving back and forth, as if a struggle were taking place. He was waiting. He was waiting to hear the sound of that terrified cry, that blood curdling scream that he has had to listen to for the past two nights.
All he wanted was to run to her side. Tell her it was going to be all right and that she is safe, he is here now. But, he could not, would not. For if he went to her, there would be no turning back. It was killing him inside to hear her so frightened. It made his stomach knot. It made his own heart race and hurt in ways he thought it was no longer able.
If he went to her, he would break down. He would show her everything that he himself was denying. She would see his hurt, his pain and most scary of all, she would see his soul.
NO!
He would never let that happen. No one, not anyone would ever see that again. His soul has been locked away for over one hundred years. He was saving it for Katherine, but she doesn't want, never did.
Now, he would keep it locked up, keep it hidden. No one will touch it. Not again. If he had to bare that pain ever again he knew he would never make it out alive. It took him everything he had in him to hold back from the growing pain and darkness within him.
No, he would not go to Elena to comfort her, because if he did, he knew he would break. And there would be no one to pick up the pieces and put him back together.
He waited for the scream…
Two sleepless nights and countless hours of torture and worry during the day, how much more could she take? How much more is there to take? There was already misery, loneliness, heartbreak and death. How much more is there?!
Two sleepless nights with two never ending nightmares. Whenever she closed her eyes, she saw what she was afraid to see, even during the day.
Eyes. Black eyes. Full of hatred, anger, and bloodlust. Looking at her. Eyes that she once loved and trusted.
In her dreams she sees those eyes, is haunted by them. Those eyes want her dead, they want to drain her dry and there is nothing she can do to stop it. He is too strong and she is too weak. He is fast, she is slow.
In her dreams, he comes for her. He attacks her.
Stefan wants her dead.
I her dreams, he attacks her, he pushes her around. She fights back with everything she has. It's not enough. It never is. When he finally has her broken and when her hope is dead, he bites her. It hurts. It hurt so much. Like liquid fire, burning through her veins.
She screams, and screams, but no one ever comes. No one wakes her. She is alone in her terror.
She does not want to sleep. She does not want to dream, but against her will, her eyes shut. The nightmare begins. When will this all end?
He waits…
But the scream doesn't come.
He listens closer, trying to hear if she is still breathing.
He hears something a whisper of a sound.
What he hears surprises him and scares him. It makes him happy and it makes him angry.
Damon Damon Damon
She is saying his name in her sleep! Listening even closer, he can tell that her thrashing has stopped and her breathing is back to normal. Her heart beat is slowly going back to normal, steady, reassuring rhythm.
It is his name in her lips. Not St. Stefan. His.
She woke with a start, not a scream. She woke with his name on her lips. Damon. Why had she called out his name and why did it make her feel safe? Well at least it did in her dream. She is awake now and reality is a whole different story.
Looking around the room, she saw every shadow in every corner. Stefan's bed used to be safe, now it was scary. She saw his face wherever she glanced.
She kept worrying that he had somehow escaped and was now coming after her.
Tears began to flow from her eyes as the sheer fright within her grew with each passing moment.
She could not stay another night in that room. It reminded her too much of Stefan, about what he has done and what he could do.
He was so relieved that there was no screaming tonight and so shocked about what he heard that he nearly missed the soft sound of feet treading down the hallway towards his door.
It opened with a small, slow creek. "Damon?" a soft, frightened voice came.
"Yeah?"
"Can I sleep here tonight? I know that is probably not ideal for you, but I could just curl up at the end of the bed. I… I… I can't stay in that room tonight. Please?"
He wasn't facing her but he could smell the scent of her tears. It made his heart ache.
She really must have been desperate not to sleep in Stefan's room if she was willing to sleep at the end of his bed. But that simply will not due. He was raised a gentleman and some of his former values still clung to him to matter how hard he tried to shake them.
Still not looking in her direction, he slid to the far side of his bed, leaving plenty of room for Elena to lie down.
He heard the tread of her feet and felt the bed shift as she lay down on her back, facing the ceiling.
A few moments passed in awkward silence. No one moved and no one spoke. But then…
"Damon?"
"Hmm"
"I'm sorry. You have to play gatekeeper to your own brother and babysitter to his girlfriend. You have your own things that you probably would rather be doing. I'm sorry. This is my fault. If I hadn't given…"
In the blink of an eye Damon was on top of her, hands on either side of her head and his body overlapping hers, looking her dead in the eye. "What?" he demanded harshly, "if you hadn't given Stefan your blood? Is that what you were going to say?" He looked at her hard and seriously, blue eyes bearing into brown. "I would much rather deal with this mess than have to attend your funeral. If you hadn't done what you did, then you would be dead!" He was nearly shouting at her now. His face was so close to hers that all he could see was her eyes.
Her voice came out in barely more than a soft whisper. "Damon…"
Hearing her voice broken and shocked at his outburst made the last of his reserve crumble.
He closed the remaining space between them and crashed against her mouth. He could not take it anymore. His need for her was overwhelming his senses. He was expecting her to reject him, to push him back. To his surprise, she did neither. What she did instead was reach her hands around his back and up into his hair, clenching her fists.
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