She knocks. He doesn't reply. She knocks again. No answer. She bangs her fist against the door. Nothing. She sighs tiredly, thinking maybe he wasn't home.
But he would've mentioned that on the phone, would have made more sense.
…Could he be ignoring her?
…She opens her bag,
and pulls out a bobby pin.
She kneels down, and inserts it into the lock.
Damon, who was lounging on his couch with a drink in hand, ignoring her indeed, he hears her toying with the door, furrows his brows, and straightens.
He listens.
If it were a key, she'd have been in already.
…Was she…
Was she seriously picking the lock?!
He gets up, and opens the door abruptly, causing her to fall back in shock, but hold herself up by a hand as he stared down at her in bewilderment.
"Are you kidding me?!" he asks. She sighs and gets off the floor, dusting herself as she shoved the pin back in her bag.
"Why are you ignoring me?!" she demands.
"So you can take a hint," he says, sipping his drink and walking back into the house.
"Damon!" she calls, shutting the door as she followed. "What is your problem?!"
"I don't have a problem," he starts, placing the glass down on a cabinet as he faced her. "You do." She raises a brow and crosses her arms. "Somehow…You think we're friends…or lovers…or, whatever that goes on in your head," her heart grows heavy at the unexpected accusations, and aches at his cold, mock-filled tone. "Well, newsflash, we're not!"
…
…
She is attempting to process his out-of-the-blue hostility.
She is uncertain why he was being this way.
…He himself is uncertain…All he knew, was that this, whatever it is between them, can't go on, for both their sakes.
Ironically…
…He was trying…not to hurt her…cause he knew for certain…that him leaving would, far more than not caring to miss him.
Maybe he was doing this for himself too.
Maybe he didn't want the slightest moment, of missing her. He didn't want it.
Somehow…that's exactly what she deduces, to a point…She has a feeling it had to do with what she'd said in the car, the last thing she said…Apparently, it freaked him out.
'You're such an idiot,' she regarded him as.
"Wow. Okay. First of all. This may be, like, our last conversation, and not because of you being a five-year-old right now, but because of the main reason I came, so." He raises a brow. " Just take that into consideration, and lets not end this 'partnership,'" she makes mock quotes in the air, "like this. Okay? I don't have to remember you as the jerk who…" 'broke my heart…' she completely and utterly refuses to humor her stupid heart, and say that. "As a jerk" she gives instead. Emily takes a calming breath. "…And finally…We convinced Bonnie to do the spell for you."
Damon wasn't expecting that.
"…We who?" he asks in confusion.
"We, as in myself, your brother, my sister, Bonnie, who was very reluctant by the way, and her grams," she explains. Damon nods along.
"Right," he smirks, turning away. "Like I'm gonna fall for that."
"Yeah, you should, cause you see." She approaches him and looks him straight in the face. "It's not just Stefan who wants you out of town now. It's Elena, for what you did to me last night." He turns to her at that, as though she'd hit a nerve. "It's Bonnie, for attacking her in the woods. It's Bonnie's grandmother for all the trouble you've caused since you came into town!" she says, voice unintentionally escalating. Damon's gaze is fixed intently on hers then…For some reason, a not-entirely-relevant question crosses his thoughts.
"…Yeah?...And you want me gone too, don't you?"
…
"…Yes…"
Damon felt as though he took a punch to the gut.
He didn't expect it, nor did he think it would sound so…sour.
"I do…but not because you hurt me…" she says, tone softening with sorrow. His brows furrow in confusion…She grows silent, and he wouldn't have it.
"Then why?" he asked plainly.
'Why?...Why?' she mocked, as though he ought to know why.
…Did she?
As if the worst timing possible,
she realized why,
just then.
She'd been denying it for so long,
and now it decides to make itself known,
the fact that…she cared about him…she liked being around him…she liked how he made her feel about herself, and
despite everything he'd done…
she liked him.
…She wanted to tell him that, all of that…
but what good would it do?
"…It doesn't matter…" she decides, tearing her gaze from his.
"Yes, it does." He unintentionally nears her.
He had to know, despite strongly believing that he also didn't want to.
She takes a step back in reluctance. "No, it doesn't!" she says, tone harsh. She then faces him. "Do you know why?! Cause you're going either way! So, no!...It doesn't matter…"
He feels his stomach twist in a form of guilt, and his heart stubbornly ache.
He didn't want to leave…
but he wanted Katherine more…
and in no way was he giving up years of waiting, this close to what he wanted now, that whole time…for someone like Emily…
Someone who…He didn't even want to think it…
The sound of her sniffing back tears snaps him out of it. She gulps to clear her voice as she spoke plainly. "…I won't be there when they open it, so, this is goodbye…"
…She turns, headed for the door.
He starts to panic,
and feels the incredible urge to do something,
to stop her.
He does.
In a blink, he's opposite her, blocking her path. She is taken aback, and sighs irritably at the ill-timed shock.
He had to say something.
What?
A memory flashed before his eyes,
of their conversation just that morning, in the car…
and how she'd left before he could get a word in…how he couldn't find the right words then…
yet somehow,
in that moment,
he did,
and he had to say them,
she had to hear them,
before it was too late…
She could see the struggle of his mental debate, yet was patient to hear what he had to say. He finally speaks up. "…You're not useless…or weak…or powerless…" he says. Her eyes widen in un-expectance. "You've survived everything you've been through so far, and that counts for something…"
…
She takes in his words,
absorbs his sudden change of tone, and attitude towards her.
Slowly, she nods, somehow fully aware how he was feeling, fully aware…
of everything he left unsaid.
She feels a lump grow in her throw, and tears of both sorrow and relief well up in her eyes. She faces the floor, refusing to show it, but he sees regardless, and tenses up for a minute,
before he sighs as if in understanding.
Surprising them both, he acts on instinct, and pulls her into him wordlessly.
Of course, the gesture causes her tears to stream down.
His embrace was as emotionally painful as it was soothing.
He has one hand around her waist firmly, and the other tangled in her hair, his chin atop her head as he let the moment stand for a reason he could not comprehend.
When she brings her arms up and around him, it was like she'd walked into his cold, caged heart, bearing a warmth he'd almost forgotten. His brows furrowed as if painfully, and his eyes slid shut.
After a moment, when she felt she'd calmed down, she didn't linger any longer, didn't want room to be made for thoughts about an ending, didn't want to acknowledge it.
She pulls away, and he is both reluctant and relieved that the moment had passed. She flashes him a smile before saying: "…I should get going…" her tone is somewhat urgent, but there was something else she feels the need to say, despite not actually, entirely meaning it…
but she says it for him…
for the sake of that unwanted goodbye…
"I really hope you find what you want, Damon…"
His heart skips a beat, and he gives her an almost dissatisfied nod.
…She takes her leave.
XXXXX
