Elena couldn't believe Caroline was lying to her freaking face, she had seen the blonde with Stefan. There was no mistake about it. But then when she asked Caroline why she was late to class, the bubbly blonde confidently made up a whole story, "My dad called last night so as expected this morning was all about my mom bitching on end about how he sucks. I told her I was getting late but then I am the 'self-centred' daughter."
"Huh. That's harsh. I am sorry about that Care." She pat her back sitting on her seat.
Caroline , with no sense of guilt sat back down on her seat and started filing her nails, Elena looked over her shoulder to see Stefan who was talking to Aaron.
It was as if they both didn't even know the other person existed.
Elena huffed. She knew this game. She played it for months with Damon back in the council.
And now she missed Damon.
Great, her day couldn't get worse.
But it did, because her bad luck some how summoned Matt right after class.
"We need to talk." He said blocking her way.
"No, we don't."
"You've done enough damage to me, but I won't let you ruin my career." He warned.
Elena blinked several time, just thinking how someone could be so shameless, "I've done damage to you? Wow- have you gone insane?"
"Oh come on you know, don't act so oblivious, your boyfriend pulled his rich ropes and cancelled my scholarship."
Elena snarled, "Don't you dare bring him into this. Damon doesn't give a shit about your stupid scholarship. So why don't you go stand in the mirror and actually see the person responsible for you being such a fucking loser."
She had hardly confronted him all these months but she didn't know what came over her today. She was just not in the mood for Matt drama.
"Maybe tell your boyfriend to leave me alone or that tape of you will haunt you forever." He spat and walked away. Elena gritted her teeth regretting every moment she had ever cared for her snake of an ex-boyfriend.
He didn't deserve it.
Grabbing her lunch, she sat down at the cafeteria table, when she was joined by Bonnie, Elena raised a brow, "Why is everyone keeping secrets?"
"What?"
She exploded, "You and Caroline, even Damon. You all hide things from me. But I know, some how I'll find out. Though it won't be pretty when I do." She hissed stuffing her sandwich into her mouth.
"What are you going on about?"
"Nothing. I am mad. Matt was being an asshole."
"That creep. Well, you should take a breather, don't let him get to you. I know you're on edge but Damon will be here tomorrow. "
She huffed, "That's the only thing that's keeping me from going nuts." She shook her head. "When he comes back maybe you and your boyfriend can join us on a double date."
"My boyfriend?" she spit out her orange juice, tucking a curly strand behind her hair, "I don't have a boyfriend."
"Really? Because you've been wearing a lot of burgundy, you only wear that when you're going on dates." She looked Bonnie up and down.
"It's weird that you know that." She rolled her eyes at Elena, "Fine, I like someone, its not a relationship yet."
"Who? Who is it?"
"Mason Lockwood. You know how last year was total sexual tension between both of us at the council." She said as if it were a fact that Elena knew of. Though Elena had never noticed any spark between them, "Really?"
"Yeah, I've said it a bunch of times, he is really hot and lately we've been...flirting." she shrugged, Elena narrowed her eyes on Bonnie, "Mason's in Georgia State University. He's almost 500 miles away."
Bonnie's eyes widened, "He's home on winter break."
"Its February."
"Spring break." She got up, nervously rubbing her hands together, "I have to go, I promised I'll help with some council work."
Elena knew she was lying but she wasn't going to try and sniff for something with her. What if Bonnie was hooking up with a teacher? That would really ruin her appetite for the rest of time.
...
Elena was aware she looked like a complete idiot but somehow it seemed worth it just to see his reaction. She had drove his car to the airport, of course after cleaning it thoroughly.
After all he was coming back on the perfect weekend.
It was Valentines day tonight.
There first one as a couple.
They had been together now for almost a year and ever since sex was out of the equation due to long distance, which was though difficult but also gave them the benefit to talk and know each other more.
Distance did make the heart grow fonder because when they would talk to each other about everything and nothing on phone for hours, eventually it would get vulnerable at a point, whether it was him finding out about that one time her mother left her with Jeremy at a mall for hours on her own when she was 5, or the time that her parents fought to the point that her mother took Jeremy and skipped town but then later came back after they reconciled.
Or sometimes he would tell her about himself, how he's never heard his father say a kind word about his mother, or even say anything. How his grandparent's house was the only humanized part of his childhood memories.
They would talk about the future too, planning vacations, his ideas for his company, she told him she was looking into other options too, not sure if she wanted to be a doctor, though the sex-tape had sabotaged her priority applications too.
Good colleges wanted spotless records after all ,and she was no longer a school favourite.
Her main focus was getting through high-school, getting some responses from colleges, whether they were favourites or safety colleges and her relationship.
Because her relationship was important to her. She was in love for the first time in her life and she wanted it to be perfect just like every other thing she ever commit to.
So she had went a bit overboard in welcoming him by surprising him at the airport and making him an airport sign too that read
"Wanted: Damon Salvatore
Defining features:
Probably dressed in all black or dark colours
Is mad at the world for some reason.
Pitchy shower singer (Yup, I lied- I heard you)"
The back of the card said
'Will you be my Valentine?'
Other than that she had taken the keys to the house from Stefan since he had plans and Giuseppe wasn't home for the night.
Which meant she decorated his room with petals and cooked him a meal.
Basically she had went above and beyond for today.
Was it too much too soon? To her it wasn't, it showed her investment in their relationship. Besides, she had never seen anyone take care of him. He didn't even ask her to meet him at the airport, probably because he didn't want to bother her with the half-hour drive but she decided that he had to know what he meant to her.
When the plane landed, she picked up her sign and began waiting at the gates excitedly.
In about thirty minutes, she saw him in the distance, her heart raced seeing him after weeks and, she raised up her sign and waved it to catch his attention.
He seemed to have noticed her because his tired and bored face instantly lit up with amusement and he smiled, running now towards her to meet her.
She shrieked like a little girl and jumped to wrap her arms and legs around him, feeling like her heart was about to tear through her chest. Elena never knew she could be so embarrassingly happy about her boyfriend coming home.
"Lena, you're here. Baby, what are you doing here?", mission accomplished. He was surprised.
"I came to pick you up." She parted slightly, still giggling for no reason as she crashed her lips against his. He kissed her back hungrily, grabbing a fist full of her hair, his palm cupped her jaw, as they parted for air, he peppered kisses on her cheeks and her neck, making her laugh.
"Seems like you missed me too."
He was kissing her like he had been longing for it just the way she had.
"Yes. So . Damn. Much." He said between kisses, she hopped down to her feet, cupping his face, "Happy Valentine's day." She said turning the card and showing him.
"That's tomorrow." He frowned, "Isn't it? Did I mess up due to the time gap." Elena noticed how he immediately looked like he had no idea if they 'had' to celebrate this occasion.
She giggled, "No, no it's tomorrow, but I wanted to say it first." He seemed hesitant and tense for some reason but with a sigh he caved.
"Urgh fine, you win." He kissed her again, taking the sign from her hand, he shook his head at it, "I wasn't singing that day, I can compromise at humming."
"You were singing." She rolled her eyes, still feeling butterflies and chills all over her body.
"Thanks, this is really sweet that you came all this way."
"We're just getting started." She winked, he raised his brows, clueless to what was ahead but he looked a bit uncomfortable thinking she had planned some grand gesture. Elena held his hand to lead him to his car but stopped when she heard someone else call his name.
They looked in the direction of the gate to see a woman dragging her wheel bag as she walked towards them, wearing a white pencil skirt, blazer and a silk strap- shirt under it. Her hair were curly, shoulder-length with neat highlights, and she was wearing very dark eye liner on her greenish-hazel eyes with a red lip.
"Damon, they definitely lost one of my bags." She seemed angry.
Then she noticed Elena and eyed her up and down like she was unfamiliar, "If I am not mistaken this is Elena."
"My beautiful girlfriend." Damon added, wrapping his arm around her, "Lena, meet Katherine, she's staying in town for the weekend, we have this company thing to go to on Monday in Richmond."
"Hi, Katherine Pierce. Do you happen to have a Chanel perfume, mine was in the luggage that these people lost and I have to get this plane smell off of me."
Elena forced a smile, "No, I don't have it in my purse." She had to admit, the woman was very beautiful. Not to forget she was smart, and rich. Admitting that, Elena did feel slightly threatened that her boyfriend was working with her. After all he had been attracted to the woman in the past.
"Ah I am doomed, Damon, you have to do something. I don't want to smell like poor people sushi all weekend." She tugged at his free arm, "Let's go to the gift shop and check, then we can go get that dinner."
That dinner.
Elena bit the inside of her cheek as the woman lead them to the store, "So you were gonna see me after you had dinner with her?" she couldn't help but feel jealous.
He shrugged, "We were strategizing for Monday."
"On Valentine's day."
"Its not Valentine's day." He said as if it was no big deal which annoyed her and she removed his arm from her shoulder muttering angrily.
"Damon you were with this woman for the whole month. Maybe you could have just taken the night off for me."
"Why are you acting like this?" he stopped walking and turned around to look at her, "Look Elena, I didn't even know you were going to be here, besides- this is all just a bit too much, I didn't even know we were doing this. You didn't tell me if it was necessary."
"Necessary? Nothing is necessary, its just stuff that people do, especially after all this time apart but clearly you have other priorities and we both know why." She snapped.
"I was working. You have no idea how much influence she holds, as much as my father. I am finally working with people that can change the future of my company, so I am sorry if I can't cater to your insecurities." The way he said it made her feel so stupid.
Like she didn't understand him. As if he were saying that she was too immature to get it and a hurdle in the way of his future.
"I guess I shouldn't have come."
He sighed, "Lena, you know I don't mean that. I am happy you're here, I appreciate it. But I was going to see you tonight anyway or tomorrow."
"Tomorrow? After I waited for you the whole month you wouldn't even start Valentine's day with me?"
"Oh my god. I am telling you a genuine issue, this is my fucking purpose that I am working for, and all you care about is a childish holiday which is known for a stupid saint and heart shaped chocolates." He spat.
She stared back, feeling as if someone had actually slapped her, maybe they weren't on the same page. Maybe he didn't miss her like she did, all of her gestures were not well-received and it was too early for him in the relationship for any of this.
She thought they should spend all his time at home together, he didn't think that was necessary.
If he needed space from her even after a whole month, well he was going to get it.
She clenched the card she was holding and tore it in the middle where she had written the question.
'Will you be my Valentine?'
"You know what? You shouldn't see me tonight, or tomorrow or ever!" she threw the cards on the floor while he tried to stop her, "Lena-" she tossed his car keys to him which he caught.
he watched her walk out of the gift shop, leaving him palming his forehead.
"Ooh, trouble in paradise." Katherine tutted when she saw him standing alone.
"Yeah. I am not really an expert on this relationship stuff." He picked up the torn card, holding it together, "Do you think Valentine's day is important?"
She huffed, "It is when you're in a relationship. Besides, look at the girl, she embarrassed herself with that- crayon card." Her voice was slightly condescending, "So was I out of line?" he asked.
"Oh yeah you sounded like a complete ass. If she's anything like me she'll either marry and divorce you for to ruin you in settlement or sleep with your best friend when you least expect it."
"You never wanted anything for Valentine's day." He shrugged, she picked up a teddy bear off the shelf and handed it to him, "Yeah because it wasn't a relationship and I was never your girlfriend despite you leaving your skanks temporarily to please me."
"Well, you left your first husband for me." He countered.
She rolled her eyes, "I didn't leave him for you- It was a matter of coincidence that I cheated with you. Whatever, the point is you sounded like a jackass earlier so if you're done being dumped, can we go or not go for dinner?"
"Dumped? She didn't dump me. If you think that's bad- you should have seen us a few months ago." He wasn't worried about it until now. "Frankly sweetheart, I don't care. I am gonna go pay for this gross Sephora stuff." She said walking to the counter.
He sighed looking down at the card, why did she have to do all this for him anyway? How was he suppose to know that Valentine's day was something to take so seriously. It didn't mean he didn't care about her or didn't miss her.
"Kat? Rain check on the dinner?"
"I thought so." She shook her head as she saw him rush out.
...
...
Damon drove back to his place fast, figuring if Elena drove his car she would come to pick hers from his house and he had to get there before she left.
He sighed of relief when he saw her car still parked in front of his house, he picked up the card from his backseat and a bouquet of violets and primroses he bought on the way home.
Inside the house, he looked for some sort of tape to put the card together in his father's study, when he was done with it, he heard someone coming down the stairs. He frowned when he saw Elena with a plastic bag, sniffling or maybe sobbing.
Now he realized how he majorly fucked up by being so inconsiderate at the airport, he walked out to stand in front of the stairs, "Hey."
She gasped, but then seeing him calmed down knowing it wasn't some intruder.
"I am heading home. I just needed to pick somethings"
He frowned as he reached for the trash bag in her hand that she tugged at, but he pulled it from her and looked inside.
It was filled with rose petals and small decorative candles.
Now he felt like a first rate jackass for his comments at the airport.
She sat down on the stair and shook her head as if she gave up. "I get it Damon. We're definitely not on the same page with this whole couple thing."
"No, no. We are." He sat down next to her, holding her hand, "I am sorry, I've never had an actual relationship ever. I don't know the milestones or- the holidays."
"Childish holidays." She muttered.
"Fine, I was a bit- overwhelmed. Because, you've obviously done a lot here. I am not used to this, I don't think I deserve it. You like me too much and- I honestly don't know why. I don't want to let you down."
"What are you saying?" she was confused.
"Its true, remember when you jumped to take a bullet for me? When you kept my brother safe when he was being an idiot or the time you got me back my mother's necklace. How will I ever be even with you? It just keeps piling on, and one day you'll realise that it wasn't worth it . I mean- I didn't even know that you'd show up at the airport, you did. And, I loved that you were but I have no idea how to reciprocate it. Its just- I felt as if you were expecting something too."
She shook her head, cupping his face, "Is this what all of this has been about?"
"You're too good for me. You give me so much, I don't think I will ever be as per your expectation of me. Just look at how I ruined Valentine's day." He said holding her hand, looking down at their fingers intertwining. Last night he had wanted to hold her hand so much, even on the flight he had been counting every second passing, as if that would get him home sooner to her. How did he ruin that?
"No, no- God, Damon I don't have any unrealistic expectations of you. I like you, the way you are. I don't want a present or anything fancy or over the top, I want to be with you, all of this that I did today was because I wanted to show you- how much I missed you, It didn't mean you had to do anything in return."
He huffed, showing her the card he fixed.
Elena read the few changes he had made by crossing out her words.
' Wanted: Elena Gilbert
Defining features:
Technicolor in my stale black and white life.
Ruins my reputation of being mad at the world for no reason by making me extremely happy
Sings obnoxious pop songs that are stuck in my head for hours and I am forced to sing them in the shower to get it out of my system.'
She sniffled, as he turned the card and saw the taped together ' Will you be my Valentine?'
"You're an idiot, and you're so sappy." She said cupping his face and giving him a chaste kiss, he pulled her close to himself.
They were making out for moments to minutes. After becoming breathless, he parted from her to pick her up in his arms, "So I take that as a yes?"
"Ahuh. But there aren't any petals or candles upstairs, now and your pasta is in the refrigerator. I planned it so much better than this."
"You cooked?"
"I tried."
He looked towards the kitchen as if in a dilemma, "Meh what the hell, I like it cold anyway."
She shrieked as he ran upstairs with her in his arms, kicking the door behind him as he put her down on the bed.
"Finally I can actually touch you. My virginity was growing back after all this abstinence."
She giggled, while he kissed down her neck, "You look so good, I missed your fragrance, its so much better than that poison Katherine uses. Fuck- and your skin, I missed feeling your skin."
He brushed away hair while kissing her, their kisses got urgent, frantic, she was on the pillow, arms wrapped around his neck, finally having the connection she was seeking for a month now.
Phone sex just didn't cut it.
Besides she had decided on giving him a welcome home present.
"Wait." She pulled away, pushing at his chest till he was no longer on top of her. She took off his jacket and he helped removing his shirt, her hands traced all over his chest in appreciation, then she began trailing a line of kisses down his chest, sucking his skin into her mouth between sighs while she caressed the rest. He closed his eyes, brushing the back of her hair, unlike most times, her mouth didn't stop. She unzipped him, while licking the v of his hip bones
"Woah." His voice was above a whisper, "What are you up to?"
She licked her lips, pulling his hard length out of his boxers, "Early present."
"Baby, you don't have-"
"I want to, I really do. Can I?" she asked, looking up at him for permission.
Who the hell was he to deny heaven?
He nodded, not even able to form words.
She wickedly grinned, letting her soft fingers glide over his length till they wrapped around the base, she licked his length slowly before wrapping her lips around the head and sucking, then she began taking him into her mouth while humming around his length. His fingers curled into her hair, as he breathed her praises.
She parted for a second with a plopping sound and pleaded, "I want to taste you, after all you are mine and you said I can have you anyway I want, so Its only fair." She murmured as if hypnotised before sucking on the head, looking to his eyes, urging him to release.
"Yes, I am yours, just yours-you'll be the death of me, O- my perfect, fucking perfect girlfriend." He groaned when he came in her mouth.
She swallowed till the very last drop, parting away, she tucked him back into his boxers, "I liked it." She had a mischievous smile on her face, "Being the one to make you lose control for once."
"Huh- you obviously are not counting the several many instances where you've already done that. But this was- wow." He closed his eyes as if relishing in it, "I guess that's one more picture to recall when I am on these torturing trips."
She frowned, "I thought you said it was a one time thing."
His eyes opened as he realised what he let slip, he planned on telling her this over the weekend. "It was but- well its not all bad news."
She sat up, looking back at him with a concerned look, "You're leaving, aren't you? How many weeks this time?"
He sighed, "5."
"Oh."
"Months." He added closing one eye as if regretting it.
"5 months? You'll be in New York, well I guess I can come there after finals in April."
"I'll be out of the country. Not New York." He huffed seeing how she was already looking like a hurt deer, "Baby, I know its not what I told you but I had no idea I could get the Australian clients, it's gonna be huge, sooner than I thought, I've invested whatever it was Grandpa Ronan left me with and the profit from Elijah's project. I am the part owner"
"Part owner?"
He hissed, Elena knew how to pick his sentences apart and dissect details, that's what he got for liking a smart girl, "Well- Pierce group is partner."
"That's why she's here? You said she was just tying some ends on the old project."
"Yeah but Katherine is someone I can trust, plus she invested in us when we had little to nothing to show for." He explained. Elena bit her lip, looking away, "If I am being honest, I am not comfortable with you so close to her and now you're in business with this woman, she's going to be there indefinitely."
"Lena, Come on, trust me. Katherine-"
"I know she's engaged to whoever – its just you've been in a casual relationship with her." She pursed her lips, "These sort of feelings never really die- we were sort of casual in the start."
He frowned slightly, "Elena we've never been casual, I've always wanted more with you, from the day I saw you in school."
She shook her head, "You saw me at the Lockwood party."
He chuckled, "No I saw you weeks before that in school. The first time I saw you- was my first day at Mystic Falls High."
She narrowed her eyes, she was sure they had never talked about this before, "You've never told me this."
"You've never asked." He shrugged. Elena waited for him to say more so he continued, "When I first saw you, you were with Caroline putting the posters up for a school dance and talking about how you wanted to go to the Museum in Richmond with Matt, and on the way back stop for a stargazing picnic."
She gasped, "That's how you knew my form answers for the auction. What about the dance thing?"
"Guessed on it. Oh come on, it wasn't cheating, I overhead." He shrugged. She hit his chest, "So you were being a creep?"
"Woah? I didn't stalk you or anything. I just saw you around the school a few times. And what can I say, I liked what I saw." He grinned, "But then I majorly dropped the ball by asking you to sleep with me."
"That you did, At that time I thought you were an entitled spoilt asshole who needed to be taken down a peg."
"And-?" he trailed off.
She sighed, "You're okay."
He laughed holding her by her waist and rolling them over so he was on top of her, "Hey, I promise you. Nothing is going to happen with Katherine, trust me. It happened back when I didn't know you, and maybe it would still happen if I hadn't met you, but- It can't happen now. I want us together."
She pursed her lips, "Promise me something else too."
"What?"
She whispered, afraid that he would refuse, "That this is forever. Because- I want us together too. It feels like the kind of thing that will really hurt if it isn't forever."
"Hey I'll never hurt you." He kissed her forehead.
"I know." She cupped his face, "If you promise me, I'll wait for you- 5 months, 5 years, 50 years."
He looked at her in awe, as if his commitment issues had crushed in front of this girl because he wasn't scared in the slightest, not even when she said forever, in fact he couldn't wait for forever.
He loved her. He loved her so much it hurt.
"I promise. This is forever. You and I." He couldn't believe his own words.
If he could say so much, he could definitely say he loved her. Because he did.
Though she didn't wait for him to say it, she kissed him, allowing him to rip her dress from her. He covered her with his own body, lacing his fingers with hers, "You have no idea of how much torture it was to- be away from you. I missed it all, your lips." His breath fanned over her face before he softly kissed her, taking his time with brushing against her impatient lips, deepening the kiss by sucking on her tongue.
"Your voice would get me through the day. I imagined-" he trailed kisses down her neck, sucking her skin into his mouth, nuzzling her shoulder, "-You like this. But imagination isn't even close to how beautiful you are."
She arched her back to press her breasts against his chest, he let out a breath, burying his face in her cleavage, letting her hands go to unhook her bra. Elena swallowed thick, "God- I can't take it. Please-"
"What do you need, baby?" he teased.
"I need you inside me." She nearly cried, "Please Damon, make love to me. I am in agony."
"Oh come on, we played on the phone just a day ago." He wiggled his brows.
"That doesn't work for me. Not like you. I want your cock." She licked her lips, "I don't want you to stop tonight. Anything, do anything you want to me. But first- please make me come."
His eyes widened with her offer, of course if his girl wanted him that bad, she was going to get him
"You've made a deal with the devil." He raised his eye brows, removing her panties from her legs before positioning himself close to her warm entrance.
She gasped as he thrust in all the way, she threw her head back at the pleasure he bought her as he moved in and out, he held her legs, holding them up for a change of angle to slide in deeper, her walls were clenching him to keep him forever, if only he could.
"God- you're tighter than I remember." He cursed, holding the headboard for leverage to fuck her harder.
She was gasping, running her hands up and down his back to feel the contracting muscles, "Yeah- uh, we need to do this more to get me used to this."
He groaned, "Yes, yes, we will."
She cursed feeling close to her climax, "Oh- I don't want it to be over."
She heard him exhale, he lifted up a bit, and sat up, bringing her to sit in his lap, wrapping her legs around him, they kissed as he moved her up and down his length while thrusting up, she rode him slow and fast to take herself to the edge and then slow it down to repeat it.
His lips sucked down to her bouncing breasts to wrap around a nipple, she let out a gasp and lied back down on the bed, he threw her legs over his shoulders and plunged in, it was deeper and harder, she screamed his name as his forceful thrusts brought her to an explosive orgasm.
Better than all the ones she had all month on her own.
He panted as he followed her climax and lied his head on her shoulder, while her hands wrapped around him and her legs lowered back down.
"How will I ever go 5 months without this?" he shook his head, "I wish you could stay with me."
"Hmm. Or maybe we can just invent a time machine and go back a few months." She sighed, "Hey? Are you asleep?"
"No. I am thinking of all the positions you're allowing me tonight." He parted to look at her face, she chuckled when he wiggled his brows, "Do you like handcuffs?"
She pushed at his chest, he pulled out of her rolling to her side, he wrapped his arm around her. "I have another present." She murmured.
"Really?" he narrowed his eyes, "So soon?"
Elena rolled her eyes, "It's not head, Its a real gift. Wait- it's in my car."
"Then give it later. I want you next to me all night."
"Its 12, I'd rather do it now. Just a second." She kissed him and wore his shirt, running out.
He shook his head and sighed sitting up in his bed.
Forever.
He promised her forever.
And he didn't get her a fucking Valentine's day present.
He had to give her something. His precious girlfriend deserved the world.
When she came back, she found him in his closet.
"Hey, why are you out of bed?" she asked leaning against the closet wall.
He looked over his shoulder and found her standing with something behind her back.
"Uh, I have a present for you too." He swallowed thick, "Valentine's day present."
"You don't have to." She rolled her eyes, "I know you forgot."
"Technically I didn't even know we were celebrating but now I do and since you're sort of my forever valentine, I can't let the first one be so- empty." He smiled as he stepped towards her with a box.
She frowned looking up at him, as she opened the box, a gasp of shock left her mouth when she saw the familiar emerald necklace. "Now before you say no-"
"This is your mother's." She shook her head, "And its so special to you."
"No, no- this is just a necklace. You are special to me. I want you to have it as a promise."
"Promise?"
"You want forever with me, this means- we are forever. That I'll always come back to you. You're mine, I am yours." He picked the necklace and held it up, she smiled pulling her hair up. "Are you sure?"
"I've never wanted anything more."
He wore the dainty necklace to her and when the necklace clicked close, he set the emerald jewel out of the shirt she was wearing, "It looks beautiful on you."
"Thank you." She kissed him for a few moments, then stepped back, "Okay before this turns into- cupboard sex, let me give you my gift."
He shrugged, "Sure. Though you didn't have to do this."
"Well, its a bit sappy." She pulled out a briefcase from behind her. "Custom-made for your first day in your New York office, though now its- Sydney. And-" she pointed out the inscription near the lock that read 'D.S' in a gold color.
"I paid a lot so you're not allowed to not like it." She warned jokingly.
He took it from her hands, inspecting it just for show. Of course he liked it.
She was amazing. The purest, kindest, loveliest girl in the world loved him. He was sure she loved him. Why else would anyone do so much for him?
"I don't like it- I love it." He kept it aside "Your support really means a lot to me. I know you're worried about Katherine-"
She interrupted, "I am not. Look, I was a little jealous I'll admit but- I trust you, I am sorry I acted like that, but I've realised this is your dream and my issues shouldn't cost you good opportunities."
He cupped the side of her face, "How are you so great?"
She scrunched up her face, "I am in a generous mood today."
"I think I love Valentine's day." He feigned shock, "You're changing me way too much. First, you forced me to watch all those rom-coms and now I like a sappy couple's holiday."
"What are you gonna do about it?" she chuckled. He stepped forward backing her into the wall, "Oh you know, I'll have to punish you- tie you down to my bed, rip that shirt off and do unspeakable things to your body."
She was gasping as he detailed the punishment by leaning in to speak close to her ear. "I'll fuck you till the only thing you remember is my name and make you come till you can no longer take it."
Elena gulped, not able to voice her emotions that she couldn't even process, "Sounds like a just punishment?" he asked.
"If its a punishment then I don't have any choice but to accept it." She replied biting her lip to stop from grinning.
...
...
It was 11'o clock in the morning, her boyfriend was jetlagged, sleeping next to her. Elena had learned his tendency to sleep for the whole day if he wanted in the past few months but then again, she couldn't complain, he really was up till dawn 'punishing her' or making up for the whole month, she was spent.
Elena cursed from sore thighs and really all of her body as she got up and dressed. She had left some stuff to wear over the past few months when she stayed and Damon had given her enough closet space. Her clothes were folded and hung. She felt butterflies in her stomach when she noticed her pendant for the hundredth time.
Wanting to get some coffee, Elena went downstairs but hissed when she saw Giuseppe in the main lounge.
"Um I am sorry, I didn't know you were home." She tucked her hair behind her ear, wanting to head back upstairs.
"I just came back. I take my son is home?" he gestured her to follow him, she looked upstairs but then huffed and went after him towards the kitchen.
"Elena, I think we got off on the wrong foot."
"It's fine. It was all a misunderstanding."
"Please sit." He was hardly asking, she hesitantly sat down while he poured her coffee in a cup, "Damon refuses to consider the college route, but I know that is your plan."
"Mr. Salvatore, Damon is doing amazing for himself. Maybe he doesn't need to go to college yet." She shrugged, "I'm sorry but I don't feel comfortable talking to you about this so I'll just go back upstairs."
He held up his hand, stopping her, "Please Elena. My son knows nothing about running a company."
"Maybe you don't know your son. Katherine and him already brought some amazing clients to the company." She couldn't help but sound a bit braggy about her boyfriend to his awful father.
"Katherine? He's in business with Katherine Peirce, no, no, no. That's not good." He rubbed his thumb against the bridge of his nose, "I won't allow this."
Elena narrowed her eyes, "It's not your decision to make."
"Really? Is it too much for a father to save his child from getting killed." He spat, Elena was shocked for a second, then she shook her head, "You left him to die once, I don't trust your word."
He shook his head, walking across the table to stand in front of her, "So he told you about the incident."
"Yes." She said with gritted teeth.
"Do you know why he was shot?"
Elena stood up, glaring back, "Your company's merger, which you were more concerned about."
"Katherine's husband shot him." He bit back, Elena's expressions changed from surety and confidence to shock and doubt.
"What? But Damon told me-"
"Damon doesn't have any idea. He thinks his Mrs Robinson- Katherine Pierce didn't tuck her own tail between her legs and run away when her husband found out about the cheating. He knew people in the mob, he couldn't stand the idea that a fifteen year old was screwing his wife. He gave me no choice, told me he had people on watch for Stefan if I made a move. And I didn't so they shot him." He spat, "This duplicitous bitch knows the estate Ronan Campbell left to Damon and she wants in. I am sure my idiotic son has already put it as security to please that whore."
"Damon has no idea, you never told him, how was he suppose to know that Katherine's husband shot him? Maybe if you tell him-" she began but was harshly interrupted by Giuseppe.
"If I tell that idiot that Katherine's ex husband was the one who shot him, that fool will try to avenge it and get himself killed. Right now he thinks it was all because of me. And he's safe from it." He huffed, "You have to stop him."
Elena pursed her lips, "Look, you need to talk to Damon."
"The boy is hot-headed."
"But he'll understand. Please, if you love him- save him." She couldn't believe she was pleading to this man.
"Its no use, I know It will backfire in a way worse, you have to get Katherine out of the equation. Its not that difficult." He held her shoulders making her sit down on the chair, "Maybe Damon hasn't transferred anything yet. Since its all so soon. You should get me the security he's giving to Katherine."
Elena couldn't understand, how did this man expect her to do something so impossible.
"I don't even know where that is, besides- I'll never go behind his back. If you think Katherine is a threat, you deal with her." She couldn't believe she snapped at Giuseppe Salvatore, taking her coffee, she quickly went upstairs to his room where he was till asleep without a care in the world. Elena groaned feeling the control slip from her fingers, letting things be just like Damon wanted was not her way.
He practically whined when he heard her, "Why are you standing there? Get in bed."
"Its 11:30." She muttered.
He frowned at the tone, finally opening eye, "What's got you so mad? I am pretty sure I couldn't have messed up already, I was asleep."
She bit the inside of her cheek, sitting down on the foot of the bed, "It's not you, it's your dad."
He rubbed his eyes, sitting up on the bed, "He's home? What's wrong Lena? Did he say something?"
She nodded, turning away from him.
Could she risk telling him?
Before she could decide, his arms wrapped around her, pressing her back against his chest, he began kissing her shoulder. "Why are you upset?"
She forced a smile at his show of affection, "Its nothing. I should head home."
He snickered, "You're heading home? After a whole month of telling me you can't wait for me to come back, you're leaving me at the crack of dawn?"
She rolled her eyes at his exaggerated tone, "Its almost afternoon. Besides, I told my dad I'll be home for lunch."
He shook his head, "Nope, this is my time, Mystic Falls and your family had you for a month." His fingers trailed up her sides to clasp the pendant around her neck lovingly, "I'll call your dad. He loves me."
"He mildly respects you. And that too because you're a whole different person in front of him." She squirmed to get out of his arms but he didn't let her, "Potato, Pot-a-to."
"Damon, I have something to say." She huffed, "Its about Katherine."
He groaned, pressing his forehead against her shoulder, "Babe, again?"
"No, its not that. Its what your dad told me." She pursed her lips looking over her shoulder at him, he peeked up, raising a brow as if asking her.
"He says Katherine's ex husband shot you." Elena's voice was above a whisper.
He spat, "What?"
She nodded, "He told me you and Katherine working together wasn't good because of that. He wanted my help."
He left her, getting up from the bed to get his pants, "Oh Giuseppe is so over the line this time-"
She hurriedly got up and stood in front of him, "This is the exact reaction he expected you to have. You can't act this irrationally."
"He tried to reel you in his sick games. There is a limit to what he gets away with." He gritted his teeth in anger.
"Can you for a second consider that this might be true?" she knew that would anger him but she had to try. He held out his hand as if saying he knew what she was going to say.
"There, so he did get in your head."
"No he didn't, if he did I wouldn't have told you. I'd probably be drafting some stupid plan with him but I trust your instincts. I promised you last time that there wouldn't be any secrets so please can you find the truth for yourself." She held his hands, "Talk to Katherine."
"Elena this is absurd, Katherine would never do this to me." He shook his head, "I know her, she might be a lot of things, she's not a danger to me."
She couldn't stop herself from snapping, "You can't trust her this much. The business is not as important as your life."
He looked up with an exasperated sigh, "You have no idea what you're talking about. Elena, she's not some stupid high-school girl who is in the council, competing with you, she's a established business woman. I know her. She can't do this."
She was no longer in the mood to hear about how great this woman was so she pushed away from him. "Why can't she? You know what Damon? I really should go home, if you want to talk to Katherine or your dad, be my guest. I told you exactly what Giuseppe told me but this is not what I expected in exchange of not keeping secrets. Unlike you." She spat.
"Yeah? What the fuck does that mean?"
"That means that you promised me you'd leave Matt alone yet you didn't, you ruined his scholarship." She didn't know what came over her.
Why was he suppose to take decisions for her when she couldn't even have a concern?
"I didn't promise that at all! He brought this upon himself. Not only did he film you, he filmed me too. And I didn't forgive him." He growled. She chuckled humourlessly which pissed him off further.
"Sure, but you didn't go after him for that, you went after him to lay your claim." She said picking up her purse, ready to head out.
"Lay my claim? What do you think I am? An animal?" he held her elbow, turning her around.
She looked down at his fingers that were clenching her elbow, "Then what was all that? There was no need to do what you did to Matt, I don't need him bothering me."
"So he's bothering you?" His nostrils flared with anger.
She hissed, "You know what? You are behaving like an animal, dial it back on the possessive bull crap."
His fingers dug in deeper before they left her skin, loosened around her arm, and she could see how the anger in his eyes turned into hurt, "I am not laying claim. I did what I did because-" his voice trailed off.
"Because why? Because I am a stupid high-school girl who doesn't understand anything, not as well as an established business woman?" she asked, clearly pointing at his earlier statements.
"I did what I did because he hurt you." He bit out, blue eyes that had blazing fire in them bored into hers, "He tried to ruin your life, I couldn't let him get away with it. Not because I was laying claim." He stepped closer, backing her into the door of his room, "Not because I wanted to prove something by doing so. But because I love you."
Her eyes widened with the words, it was the last thing she had expected especially because he was looking at her like he was furious.
Which he was.
But that she could deal with later.
Damon just told her he loved her.
Those words had never sounded so unbelievable and- good.
...
...
A/N: so he said he loves her, i am so sleep deprivedddd so posting this one without much editing.
Did you like the valentines day surprise? How do you think Delena relationship is progressing? Is Katherine evil like Giuseppe claims? Or are Damon's instincts right?
Let me know in the Review, only reviews help and motivate me to write more. Thank you so much for enjoying the story, i appreciate my new readers and my old reviewers. Thanks. I love hearing your takes and reviews. I actually missed Lady TR's review this week.
But everyone including Naxki, heyitskarma, livJer, elelocch. Thank you so much for the love.