Chapter 35: Silhouettes – Part III
Now I can't escape
These things I've done
But my anxieties have promised me the worst is to come
So give up living for the life that you paid for
Feelings unmutual have won
I'm tired of living in the shadows
These paper walls I can't break through
I'm sick of standing by your window
Tracing silhouettes of you
Damon was restless. Bonnie left weeks ago, and he hadn't seen her since. He did what he could to keep his distance, but hell, if he didn't miss having her around. He missed the fire in her eyes, the tilt of her head when she got an attitude, the way she snapped back wittily to his snarky comments.
He frowned when he heard the front door. Stefan was out hunting, so who would just walk in? He sped to the foyer and stopped behind the intruder. "What are you doing here?"
Elena spun around in surprise, her long straight hair fanning out and her hand pressed her to heart. "Damon, you scared me." She swallowed, catching her breath. "Is Stefan here?"
He crossed his arms. "No…he went on a Bambi hunt." He smirked at the slight curl of her lip at the imagery. "Sorry I couldn't help." He moved to walk away, but she stopped him.
"Actually…I came here to talk to you." She started nervously, shoving her hands in her back pockets.
Ugh. He winced. He didn't really care to entertain his brother's girlfriend. "'Bout what?"
"I know I look like her, Damon. Stefan told me."
He hummed, his jaw tensing. "Guess the cat's out of the bag."
"We got in a fight. I just don't understand how he can look at me and not see Katherine." She wrapped her arms around herself.
He sighed. "Sure, you're a spitting image of her, but you're better than she was. You care…which is more than I can say for her." He nodded. "I think that's what Stefan sees when he looks at you." He tried to ease her mind, albeit with some mild discomfort.
Her eyes darted up to catch his. "Is that what you see?" she asked softly. He frowned in response, unsure of where she was going with her questioning. "I see the way you look at me Damon; I know how much you loved her. My question is…is it me you see or her?" Her doe eyes looked at him from under thick lashes, but her expression was that of alluring innocence, like she wasn't sure if she wanted to know the answer, but needed it all the same.
His face hardened. "Honestly Elena…the whole doppelganger thing has lost its appeal to me. So, let's just pretend you didn't come to the other brother when you need some cold comfort and I'll pretend that you are nothing like the woman's who's face you wear." He nodded to the door. "Have a good night." Damon didn't wait for her to leave, instead, he walked off back to his room, shaking his head for even believing for one second that she was any different than Katherine. They were all the same.
She reeled back, offended, her mouth dropped open as she tried to make sense of his reaction. Did he really hate her that much?
…
Days later, he sat at the bar of the Grill, his eyes trained on his glass, to avoid watching the conversation play out on the other end of the bar. He was sure he'd rip the guy's tongue out otherwise. He risked a glance over, and there she was, leaning on the counter, making eyes at the bartender who was giving her his most charming smile. The sultry laugh that floated over made him wish it was for him. Damon grunted, polishing off his drink. He could have just gotten up and left…that was probably the sensible thing to do, but instead, he reached over the bar and helped himself to another full glass of bourbon.
"Hey…" the bartender straightened, turning to him. "You can't do that, man."
Damon smirked drunkenly, slipping into his arrogant demeanor effortlessly. "I think I just did." He challenged staring at him over his glass as he took a sip. "Maybe…" he pushed to his feet. "If you weren't so busy eye fucking the patrons, you could actually do your job, and pour me a drink."
The bartender puffed his chest out and started to walk over but Bonnie stopped him, putting her hand on his forearm. She rolled her eyes, before glaring daggers Damon's way. "Just ignore him, Chet. Damon's just being a dick."
Damon scoffed. Chet? Really?
"You know this guy?" He glared at the vampire, putting on his most intimidating look, and Damon only snorted a laugh in response.
"Unfortunately." She mumbled back.
He looked to Bonnie with a raised brow. "Really, Bon-bon…this guy?" He turned back to Chet with a bored expression as he pulled the spout from the bottle and took a deep pull. "Look, dude…I eat guys like you for breakfast, so I suggest you back off with the unnecessary posturing and let me drink in peace." He said pointedly with a heated blue-eyed glare.
Bonnie hopped off her stool, pinning Damon with a seething look. Turning her back on him, she smiled to Chet. "Don't you have a break coming up? I can grab us a table in the back." She suggested flirtatiously.
With a smug grin in Damon's direction, Chet tossed his towel on the bar, and walked around, signalling for the other bartender to cover for him. "I would love that."
Damon watched as he slipped a hand on the small of her back, and led her to a booth in the corner; his jaw tensed and he forced himself to look away. Caroline walked up ordering a couple of sodas for her and Matt. "Hey…" she looked over at him, albeit nervously. She still was anxious around him after his manipulation of her. "Who's that with Bonnie over there?"
Caroline turned and an impressed smile lit up her face. "Wow…way to go Bon! That is Chet Wilder." She leaned against the counter popping the straw of her soda in her mouth.
Damon frowned begrudgingly. "You say that as if I'm supposed to know who he is."
"Well, you'd be the only one who doesn't. He's pretty much Mystic Falls royalty around here. He's the captain of the Whitmore football team, last year's Mystic Falls Prom King and Homecoming King and Bonnie has been head over heels for him since the fourth grade." That made Damon narrow his eyes in a jealous glower, wondering what she could possibly see in a guy like him.
"Well, she can do better than him." He grumbled, turning away.
Caroline turned with him, leaning in. "Well at least he's not a vampire." She whispered the last word, and Damon turned a surprised look at her. "Yeah, I know the big secret now. After what happened at by the falls, Elena and Stefan filled me in, so don't even think about trying that eye thing on me again because I'm on vervain now." She rambled out finishing with a resolved nod.
Damon looked her over. "Noted. You aren't going to rat me out to your mom, are you?" he narrowed his eyes suspiciously.
"Not unless you give me a reason to." She shot him a plastic smile before walking back off to her table.
With a heavy sigh, Damon watched as Bonnie got up, moving towards the bathrooms, and he made a snap decision. He waved over the bartender, holding his gaze intensely as he used his compulsion. "I'm taking this with me, and you're not going to stop me, okay?" he forced a grin.
"Okay." He responded numbly.
"Good boy." Pushing off the counter, he strode towards Chet, slipping into Bonnie's seat in a swift movement. "Okay Chet, shut up and listen carefully. For some reason, Bonnie seems to like you – I know, I don't get it either." He rolled his eyes as he reached over and grabbed a fry from the basket in from of him, popping it into his mouth. "Anyways, that doesn't work for me, so here's what we're going to do." His eyes locked in on him. "When Bonnie get's back, you're going let her down real easy. Tell her, you're not the relationship type; she's cute but you're just not that into her, and maybe you're better off as friends. Use every cliché in the book, whatever it takes. Then I want you to forget we had this conversation. Understood?" he asked condescendingly.
"I understand." He answered robotically.
Damon grinned, satisfied with himself. He stalked out the door before Bonnie came back, passing by Elena who watched him observantly from a corner table.
…
He knew she was coming. He could feel her energy before the doors blew open. "DAAAAMOON!" she yelled storming into the foyer.
In classical fashion, he sauntered out from the parlor room cool as a cucumber, smirk firmly in place and a fresh glass of blood. "You rang?"
Her head whipped to look at him. "What the hell is your problem!?"
He feigned innocence, which only infuriated her more. "I'm not sure I know what you're talking about."
She narrowed her eyes scathingly, her lips twisting with ire. "Cut the bullshit; Elena saw you compelling him!" She shoved him hard in the chest, but he barely moved. "Why?" she demanded despairingly, her words strained and choking back the tears that threatened to spill. "Why would you do that?
"Please, I was doing you a favor!" he said offhandedly, but he felt a pang in his chest at the thought that he nearly drove her to tears. "You think guys like that plan to stick around? Give it a week, and he would have done the same thing." He grumbled finishing the glass and moving to the liquor cart to switch out for something stronger.
"That's not for you to decide, Damon! I liked him! He was the one guy in this God forsaken town that actually noticed me and you had to chase him off!" she was back to yelling, the vein in her neck bulging.
He rounded on her, closing the distance between them, his eyes wide and intense. "Yeah, I did, because you shouldn't be wasting your time on some loser frat boy, when we have bigger things to be worrying about! We can't afford to be getting distracted with high school crushes, Bonnie!" he argued, in a way to deflect from what his motives truly were.
Her shoulders slumped and the fire left her eyes, replaced with defeat. "He liked me. Do you have any idea what it's like to finally have the person that you like, like you back?" The question was rhetorical, but he bowed his head, as he answered silently. No… "To have someone actually see you when your best friends are the ones that everybody wants…hard to be seen when you live in the shadow of Miss. Mystic Falls and the exotic doppelganger." She scoffed a bitter laugh, before turning her gaze to the ground. "It was nice…to be wanted for once."
I want you… he wanted to say, but the words never made it passed his lips. His demeanor softened. "You're better that him, Bonnie. What can a guy like him have to offer you, huh?" Her eyes snapped up to his and he saw the confusion in them. "You're special. You deserve more than Chet Wilder." He finished with a lazy roll of his eyes and a weak smile.
She didn't seem convinced. "Oh yeah like who?" Damon's eyes darted between hers, getting lost in the sea of green. Instinctively he leaned towards her and for a second, she was still; stunned in her place before she stumbled back, pushing him back with a hand on his chest. "What the hell are you doing?"
He blinked, swallowing deeply as he realized that he misread the moment. "Bonnie…" he whispered.
Her lip curled up in disgust, and her brows furrowed as she put several steps between them. "Oh my God…were you going to-" she cut herself off, not even able to finish her thoughts. "Oh my god." She uttered again turning away and rushing for the door.
Damon sped in front of her. "Bonnie, please…just wait a second." His brows were slanted pleadingly.
She avoided his eyes, staring just over his shoulder. "Move, Damon." She demanded shakily.
"Just hear me out." He reached for her shoulder, but she shrugged away from him.
"I can't!" Bonnie snapped, finally meeting his imploring stare. "Because if I do, then this is really happening and I just can't accept that." She shook her head, pushing passed him and out the door.
Damon's head dropped, and he let out a long, drawn-out sigh. He was stupid to think she could feel for him that way. That she could put aside all her hate and open up her heart to him.
"Well that went well." The voice sent a shudder through him. He'd place it anywhere, even after all this time. The click of heels followed and he turned slowly to see her walking out of the darkened hallway.
"Katherine." He snarled, the black veins under his eyes raising to the surface.
She raised her brows at him, looking at hm from under her lashes. "Is that anyway to greet an old flame? And here I thought you'd be happy to see me."
He hardened his demeanor defensively. "I'd be happy to see you dead."
"Ouch." She responded with a hint of a smirk, that told him she wasn't offended in the least. "I have to say, I thought for sure it would be sweet little Elena Gilbert that made your heart go pitter-pat…but I guess history truly does repeat itself." She uttered the last part sourly, inspecting her perfectly manicured nails.
Damon blinked, reeling back. "What the hell are you talking about?"
She giggled, an adorable little noise that he used to find so endearing once upon a time now only made his skin crawl. "It seems you have a type…" she put one foot in front of the other, slowly walking towards him like a panther. "Don't you remember, Damon? When I first came to Mystic Falls…" she prompted. "I couldn't take my eyes off you…but you had eyes for someone else." Her tone sharpened with unchecked jealously.
Slowly, the memories came back to him, and his eyes widened. "Emily…"
"I caught the two of you sneaking around, lest your father found out you were in love with the help." She mocked with a scandalized hand to her chest. "But I was jealous; I wanted you and Stefan all to myself, so I compelled you to forget you ever loved her. Poor thing…she had to stand by and watch you devote your heart and soul to me. By the time the compulsion wore off your head was so full of me there was no room for her." She pouted dramatically. "Tragic."
Damon couldn't believe it, all this time, everything he'd known had been a lie. It all started to make sense now; why he was so hell bent on protecting the Bennett lineage, why Emily helped him and Stefan transition, but one thing didn't make sense. "She told me she she'd protect you."
Katherine chuckled. "She lied. Do you honestly think she'd keep me safe in that tomb if she knew you'd be waiting on the other side to get me out? She wanted me as far away from you as possible." She watched him as he processed this new information. "You sure did make it easy to find your weakness." His eyes blue eyes snapped up to hers. "I mean…pretending to be Elena has been quite informative. It's amazing the intel you can get when no one is paying attention."
Realization dawned on him. "It was you. You came here the other day." his lip curled in distaste. How had he not realized it?
She held up a hand. "Guilty. You surprised me. I thought for sure if I dangled the fruit, you'd bite…but that little Bennett Witch has you wrapped around her finger, doesn't she?" she cackled evilly. "God, aren't you pathetic. It sure would be a shame if something happened to her." She finished, her expression turning stony and ominous.
Damon had her pinned to the wall in an instant, his hand viciously gripping her throat. "If you lay a hand on Bonnie, I will rip your intestines out through your throat." He whispered menacingly, inches from her face.
Through her veins bulged from the force of his grip, she laughed. "Ooh someone's touchy." With great force she pushed him back, causing his to stumble and release her. "You think your threats mean anything to me? They don't. You and I both know I could rip you to shreds and do my nails at the same time. But…" she sped right in front of him, grabbing his shirt and pulling him down so she could press an aggressive kiss to his forehead. The kiss of death. "I'm not done having my fun yet." She whispered hotly in his ear. Then, with a whoosh of wind, she was gone and the door swung closed behind her.
…
AN: heyyy! I hope you like the little spin I did on this. Please keep in mind this is very off-canon, so events may happen out of order or not at all. I'm taking some liberties with the original dialogue and the backstory of course. IF anyone is wondering, Katherine was also the one in the Grill watching Damon, and the one that told Bonnie about him compelling Chet. Just to clear it up 😊 Let me know if you have questions, but I'll be revealing more as we go. Thanks for reading and reviewing! I really really appreciate them! - Vanessa