The name rolled off her tongue feeling foreign and unknown, and sent waves of mixed emotion. Fear showed in her eyes, but she still felt excited at his appearance. The dominant feeling was that of fear, like a deer has when standing in a pool of headlights.
"Beautiful day out isn't it, Elena?"
Elena stood frozen still. Time stopped. Mesmerized by his very form standing in the doorway.
Damon put two fingers under Elena's chin, tilting her face up to meet his. Their faces were only inches apart, close enough to touch, close enough to kiss.
"I trust you have been well?" he asked.
"Get the hell away from her!" Screamed Stefan who had emerged to see the visitor.
Only now he found his brother, whom he hadn't seen in a year, trying to kiss his wife. The reality and harshness of her husbands cry brought Elena back from the trance Damon had her in. His voice sounded hurt, betrayed. Shaking her head, blond hair flying, she pushed herself away from Damon and ran to Stefan.
Stefan gripped her hand, and they both stared at Damon. He stood there, casually leaning on the doorframe.
"Well, aren't you going to ask me in? I am your brother."
"What? Do you think I'm blind? You just tried to kiss Elena! She's my wife, Damon," he reminded his brother.
Damon smirked. "I was only asking her how she was."
"Who do you think you are? I'd love to wipe that damn smirk off your arrogant face," Stefan spat at his brother.
Before he could speak, Elena cut him off. The feelings that had resurfaced were quickly shoved away and a fierce protectiveness for her husband was there instead.
"You're a damn idiot, that's what you are! I love Stefan not you. I'll never give him up, not for anyone, and not for you! Is that clear, Damon?" Elena shouted, storming over to him.
She reached up and slapped him hard across the face. Or at least she tried to, for Damon's reflexes caught up with hers and he stopped her hand in mid action.
"Nice try," Damon replied.
"You sicken me, you know that? You've changed," Elena told him quietly. "See this? See this ring Damon?" Elena asked him, waving the blue gem ring in his face. "This is a symbol of my love for Stefan. It's my engagement ring, my wedding band and the ring that sealed the vows. But you wouldn't understand vows, or promises would you? You wouldn't understand agreements Damon, because you're a self centered bastard!" Elena cried, shaking with her anger.
She turned and flew up the stairs to the bedroom, slamming the door.
She slid down the door; her chest heaving, and pulled her knees up to her chest. With her head in her hands she started to sob. She couldn't believe this. He'd come back so different. He wasn't the Damon she knew back in Fells Church. He was arrogant back then but certainly not this bad.
Back downstairs, Stefan glared at Damon, who was staring up the carpeted stairs Elena had fled up.
_ "Get out! Get out now, Damon._" Stefan said menacingly. "You've done enough."
"Fine, I will leave. But I warn you, I won't be gone forever." It was the last thing he said before he turned abruptly, left, and with a shriek of the tires, drove away.
**
"Elena, open up," Stefan said quietly through the bedroom door. He heard her crying faintly on the other side.
Inside, Elena stood up, tears dripping down her face, and unlocked the door. Stefan came in and she fell in his arms. Weeping still, Stefan led her to their bed and sat down, stroking her hair softly.
"Shh, it's okay." He wiped the tears from her cheeks with his thumbs, as she buried her face on his chest.
"Stefan, why is he so....different? Why did he act so horrible?" she sobbed, her cries muffled against the fabric of his shirt.
"I don't know, Elena. I don't understand either."
"I don't want him to come between us again."
"He won't. He can't, not if we love each other enough."
"We do, at least I hope we do."
"Hope? We do, Elena, we do."
"I only wanted you to get along Stefan," Elena told him softly.
"I'm sorry Elena, that isn't possible. There is no way it can be. We've tried to get him to accept us, but he refused that night last year." Stefan replied.
"I guess he'll just keep refusing. There's only one thing he wants, and it's not to be accepted. He wants me," Elena whispered.
Stefan didn't answer.
"Beautiful day out isn't it, Elena?"
Elena stood frozen still. Time stopped. Mesmerized by his very form standing in the doorway.
Damon put two fingers under Elena's chin, tilting her face up to meet his. Their faces were only inches apart, close enough to touch, close enough to kiss.
"I trust you have been well?" he asked.
"Get the hell away from her!" Screamed Stefan who had emerged to see the visitor.
Only now he found his brother, whom he hadn't seen in a year, trying to kiss his wife. The reality and harshness of her husbands cry brought Elena back from the trance Damon had her in. His voice sounded hurt, betrayed. Shaking her head, blond hair flying, she pushed herself away from Damon and ran to Stefan.
Stefan gripped her hand, and they both stared at Damon. He stood there, casually leaning on the doorframe.
"Well, aren't you going to ask me in? I am your brother."
"What? Do you think I'm blind? You just tried to kiss Elena! She's my wife, Damon," he reminded his brother.
Damon smirked. "I was only asking her how she was."
"Who do you think you are? I'd love to wipe that damn smirk off your arrogant face," Stefan spat at his brother.
Before he could speak, Elena cut him off. The feelings that had resurfaced were quickly shoved away and a fierce protectiveness for her husband was there instead.
"You're a damn idiot, that's what you are! I love Stefan not you. I'll never give him up, not for anyone, and not for you! Is that clear, Damon?" Elena shouted, storming over to him.
She reached up and slapped him hard across the face. Or at least she tried to, for Damon's reflexes caught up with hers and he stopped her hand in mid action.
"Nice try," Damon replied.
"You sicken me, you know that? You've changed," Elena told him quietly. "See this? See this ring Damon?" Elena asked him, waving the blue gem ring in his face. "This is a symbol of my love for Stefan. It's my engagement ring, my wedding band and the ring that sealed the vows. But you wouldn't understand vows, or promises would you? You wouldn't understand agreements Damon, because you're a self centered bastard!" Elena cried, shaking with her anger.
She turned and flew up the stairs to the bedroom, slamming the door.
She slid down the door; her chest heaving, and pulled her knees up to her chest. With her head in her hands she started to sob. She couldn't believe this. He'd come back so different. He wasn't the Damon she knew back in Fells Church. He was arrogant back then but certainly not this bad.
Back downstairs, Stefan glared at Damon, who was staring up the carpeted stairs Elena had fled up.
_ "Get out! Get out now, Damon._" Stefan said menacingly. "You've done enough."
"Fine, I will leave. But I warn you, I won't be gone forever." It was the last thing he said before he turned abruptly, left, and with a shriek of the tires, drove away.
**
"Elena, open up," Stefan said quietly through the bedroom door. He heard her crying faintly on the other side.
Inside, Elena stood up, tears dripping down her face, and unlocked the door. Stefan came in and she fell in his arms. Weeping still, Stefan led her to their bed and sat down, stroking her hair softly.
"Shh, it's okay." He wiped the tears from her cheeks with his thumbs, as she buried her face on his chest.
"Stefan, why is he so....different? Why did he act so horrible?" she sobbed, her cries muffled against the fabric of his shirt.
"I don't know, Elena. I don't understand either."
"I don't want him to come between us again."
"He won't. He can't, not if we love each other enough."
"We do, at least I hope we do."
"Hope? We do, Elena, we do."
"I only wanted you to get along Stefan," Elena told him softly.
"I'm sorry Elena, that isn't possible. There is no way it can be. We've tried to get him to accept us, but he refused that night last year." Stefan replied.
"I guess he'll just keep refusing. There's only one thing he wants, and it's not to be accepted. He wants me," Elena whispered.
Stefan didn't answer.