Stefan lay in bed, staring at the ceiling. Bonnie lay next to him, but she
was asleep. _Elena_. Her presence was over powering. The thought of her,
down the hall sleeping with Damon made him crazy. He was still in love with
her, and possibly he might be forever. He had grown to love Bonnie but not
with the passion he had for Elena. He'd never made love with any other
woman but Elena. But that was before.
Stefan looked at her, her curls on the pillow, her body curled in a ball. She looked peaceful. He wondered how she could possibly sleep.
That whole meeting had been torture for him. She was beautiful, even tired and weary. She was everything she always had been. She was no longer his. Having Elena right there, across from him, and not being about to touch her was excruciating. Seeing her with his brother as well. But then he thought from her perspective. Him with Bonnie.
But why would she care? She doesn't love me. It's him she wants.
He didn't know how he was going to make it, living with her for however long it took for them to solve this whole mess. If this thing, whatever it was, hurt Elena he'd kill it with his own bare hands. If Elena got hurt trying to save him, he'd end it. Right then, right there.
He'd try to sleep but he doubted he would. He listened very hard. He could hear a faint murmur of their voices. Even with his hearing Stefan couldn't make out what they were saying since the door was closed and the house was large. Damn them. Stefan put his arms around Bonnie's little form, and moved closer to her. He shut his eyes. It was going to be a very long night.
_________________
Elena sighed. She didn't want to be here. Damon emerged from the bathroom a moment later. Elena opened some more draws and finished putting her clothes into them. She slipped under the soft covers and clicked off the lamp. Damon slid in on the other side. He propped himself up on one elbow.
"Damon, I don't know how I can do this. Be here with him _and_ fight this _thing_ whatever it is."
"It'll be all right." He smiled at her and kissed her softly. But the kiss grew more needy, deeper. His hands started to slip under her nightgown. Elena pushed him away. "Not now. Damon please."
He groaned. "Elena."
"This isn't our home. I don't want them hearing anything."
"Stefan and Bonnie are all the way down the hall."
"It's not right, Damon. You know it." Elena sat up.
"First downstairs you were odd and now this," Damon said. He was very agitated.
"Odd? What's that supposed to mean?"
"You were totally focused on him. Elena don't play me for a fool, I know what I saw. You're still in love with him."
"Why are you so insecure about my feelings?" Elena asked, her voice was starting to rise.
"Insecure? I am _not_ insecure Elena." Damon's voice took on an icy edge.
"Then why don't you believe me when I say I love you! You're still afraid I'll go running back to Stefan!"
"_Afraid_?" Damon spat the word like a curse.
Elena pushed the covers off and got out of bed.
"_I_ am not afraid Elena."
"Damn it, Damon. Then what's the problem?" Elena demanded.
"Do you still love him?" Damon questioned intensely.
"What?"
"Answer it! Do you?" Damon had gotten out of bed as well, and was standing in front of her.
"No!" She shouted. "It's just--"
"Oh why don't you go back to him!"
For God's sake Damon! It's you I love. YOU!" Elena yelled.
There was a moment of silence before Damon spoke again, his voice cold and quiet.
"When you were downstairs Elena, there was an expression on your face that was not hard for anyone to see."
"And what was that?"
"You were obviously thinking about him!"
Elena flinched. She knew he had a point, but she wouldn't give in. "You are afraid and you know it, damn it! Don't lie to me! Why are you doing this?" She didn't care who heard anymore.
"Don't lie to _you_? You're lying to _me_! I know there's still feelings!"
"There's not!"
"He's always going to be on your mind isn't he? _How long_ has he been in your thoughts Elena?" Damon asked brutally cold.
"He hasn't! The whole time we've been together it's been you I think about!" Her voice was wavering.
"I don't believe you. When we make love, is it him you think of?" Damon's voice was calm now, deadly calm and still maliciously cold.
Elena took a step back. His voice was making her uneasy and the question had struck her dumb.
"Damon," she felt a familiar stinging in her eyes that signaled oncomming tears, "How could you even think that?" Elena managed to say, her voice barely audible.
"Because I think it's true!" For a moment afterwards, Damon seemed to falter, and something seemed to die in his eyes where a fiery glint had been when he saw a trace of tears.
"Then why don't you leave!" She shouted, her voice coming back to her. Straightening herself she blinked away the tears. She was shaking in rage and hurt. Elena didn't know which she felt more: contempt or pain.
His black eyes flashed. "Certainly."
Damon turned sharply and stormed out, slamming the door. Elena flinched.
Elena moved over to the bed and put her head in her hands. She didn't know anymore. Maybe there were still feelings. Well, she was going to put an end to it.
Stefan looked at her, her curls on the pillow, her body curled in a ball. She looked peaceful. He wondered how she could possibly sleep.
That whole meeting had been torture for him. She was beautiful, even tired and weary. She was everything she always had been. She was no longer his. Having Elena right there, across from him, and not being about to touch her was excruciating. Seeing her with his brother as well. But then he thought from her perspective. Him with Bonnie.
But why would she care? She doesn't love me. It's him she wants.
He didn't know how he was going to make it, living with her for however long it took for them to solve this whole mess. If this thing, whatever it was, hurt Elena he'd kill it with his own bare hands. If Elena got hurt trying to save him, he'd end it. Right then, right there.
He'd try to sleep but he doubted he would. He listened very hard. He could hear a faint murmur of their voices. Even with his hearing Stefan couldn't make out what they were saying since the door was closed and the house was large. Damn them. Stefan put his arms around Bonnie's little form, and moved closer to her. He shut his eyes. It was going to be a very long night.
_________________
Elena sighed. She didn't want to be here. Damon emerged from the bathroom a moment later. Elena opened some more draws and finished putting her clothes into them. She slipped under the soft covers and clicked off the lamp. Damon slid in on the other side. He propped himself up on one elbow.
"Damon, I don't know how I can do this. Be here with him _and_ fight this _thing_ whatever it is."
"It'll be all right." He smiled at her and kissed her softly. But the kiss grew more needy, deeper. His hands started to slip under her nightgown. Elena pushed him away. "Not now. Damon please."
He groaned. "Elena."
"This isn't our home. I don't want them hearing anything."
"Stefan and Bonnie are all the way down the hall."
"It's not right, Damon. You know it." Elena sat up.
"First downstairs you were odd and now this," Damon said. He was very agitated.
"Odd? What's that supposed to mean?"
"You were totally focused on him. Elena don't play me for a fool, I know what I saw. You're still in love with him."
"Why are you so insecure about my feelings?" Elena asked, her voice was starting to rise.
"Insecure? I am _not_ insecure Elena." Damon's voice took on an icy edge.
"Then why don't you believe me when I say I love you! You're still afraid I'll go running back to Stefan!"
"_Afraid_?" Damon spat the word like a curse.
Elena pushed the covers off and got out of bed.
"_I_ am not afraid Elena."
"Damn it, Damon. Then what's the problem?" Elena demanded.
"Do you still love him?" Damon questioned intensely.
"What?"
"Answer it! Do you?" Damon had gotten out of bed as well, and was standing in front of her.
"No!" She shouted. "It's just--"
"Oh why don't you go back to him!"
For God's sake Damon! It's you I love. YOU!" Elena yelled.
There was a moment of silence before Damon spoke again, his voice cold and quiet.
"When you were downstairs Elena, there was an expression on your face that was not hard for anyone to see."
"And what was that?"
"You were obviously thinking about him!"
Elena flinched. She knew he had a point, but she wouldn't give in. "You are afraid and you know it, damn it! Don't lie to me! Why are you doing this?" She didn't care who heard anymore.
"Don't lie to _you_? You're lying to _me_! I know there's still feelings!"
"There's not!"
"He's always going to be on your mind isn't he? _How long_ has he been in your thoughts Elena?" Damon asked brutally cold.
"He hasn't! The whole time we've been together it's been you I think about!" Her voice was wavering.
"I don't believe you. When we make love, is it him you think of?" Damon's voice was calm now, deadly calm and still maliciously cold.
Elena took a step back. His voice was making her uneasy and the question had struck her dumb.
"Damon," she felt a familiar stinging in her eyes that signaled oncomming tears, "How could you even think that?" Elena managed to say, her voice barely audible.
"Because I think it's true!" For a moment afterwards, Damon seemed to falter, and something seemed to die in his eyes where a fiery glint had been when he saw a trace of tears.
"Then why don't you leave!" She shouted, her voice coming back to her. Straightening herself she blinked away the tears. She was shaking in rage and hurt. Elena didn't know which she felt more: contempt or pain.
His black eyes flashed. "Certainly."
Damon turned sharply and stormed out, slamming the door. Elena flinched.
Elena moved over to the bed and put her head in her hands. She didn't know anymore. Maybe there were still feelings. Well, she was going to put an end to it.