Elena stood outside, watching the velvet sky subtly darkening into hues of violet. She was at the local park, which now was as empty as she felt.
Sitting on a peeling wooden bench she put her face in her hands. She was confused and upset, but mostly she was afraid: Afraid of what was happening to her marriage. Afraid more of what she felt inside. And even more afraid of what it meant that she couldn't and didn't want to, give it up.
Elena didn't want to let herself believe he would've hit her, but the more she thought about it the more she wondered. And the more she let herself think the more devastated she got about everything.
The tears had stopped as she ran to the park, but now they started up again. Elena didn't bother to wipe them away. Lost in her own swirl of jumbled thoughts and tears, she didn't feel the presence behind her.
"Why are you crying?"
Slowly Elena picked her stooped head up, sitting straight on the bench.
Shock was the first thing her mind recognized but then aching followed. "Damon..."
He reached out a hand. She gradually accepted it and stood up cautiously.
"What's wrong?" he finally asked.
"Everything." she mumbled softly.
Damon still hadn't let go of her hand. "Tell me." He pulled her into a light embrace.
"Stefan and I argued. He knows I'm not telling him something, and he got annoyed. I've never seen his temper flare at me the way it did a few minutes ago. He was so angry he wanted to...." The tears still pressed.
"Hit you?"
"Well, not exactly...."
"Did he?"
"No..." A tear slid down. "He would never."
He was silent for a moment, just looking at her. "Don't cry."
His voice made her stomach quiver and started a deep longing inside of her. Elena closed her eyes as another droplet fell.
Damon pulled her closer to him and kissed one of her closed eyes, then the other. He kissed her cheeks one at a time, as though trying to wipe away her tears with his kisses.
"Stop crying." he said gently. It wasn't a command. He continued to kiss her face softly; she didn't protest.
Damon pulled her to him completely, feeling her slight figure shaking as she struggled to keep the tears from falling. When Elena had steadied herself he pulled back a little.
"I don't know what to do." Elena told him quietly.
"Come with me."
This brought back memories of standing in Bonnie's dinning room having a "dumb supper." When Damon had come in unexpectedly and asked her to come away with him. She felt another wave of de ja vu.
"What are you talking about?" Elena's voice was still soft spoken.
Damon brought his lips down to her face in another light kiss, this time on her lips. "Just do it." He told her his voice soothing, calm, and yet deadly serious.
"Damon, don't you know how much trouble you've caused already?" Elena protested.
"I beg to differ. Two people caused the trouble, and you were one of them. Come with me." He murmured in her ear.
Elena went to protest, but realized only half of her wanted to go against what he was asking. Damon lifted her chin with a finger and she could only stare. She didn't pull away as his lips met hers in another gentle kiss.
It felt so right.
She felt his cool breath on her face move up to her ear again, as he said, "I can be _very_ persuasive, you know."
She wanted him, and everything he had to offer. Solace, completeness, love, passion....
She brought his head down to hers and kissed him with everything she had in her. Her lips pressed against his, almost demanding, as the kiss became searing and fervent.
This time she wasn't going to make excuses as she had all that time back in the clearing when she'd waken up from "drowning". She wasn't irrational, or disorientated.
There was no use in denying it. She wanted him. The fire in her had been dwindling. He was the match that rekindled it.
Sitting on a peeling wooden bench she put her face in her hands. She was confused and upset, but mostly she was afraid: Afraid of what was happening to her marriage. Afraid more of what she felt inside. And even more afraid of what it meant that she couldn't and didn't want to, give it up.
Elena didn't want to let herself believe he would've hit her, but the more she thought about it the more she wondered. And the more she let herself think the more devastated she got about everything.
The tears had stopped as she ran to the park, but now they started up again. Elena didn't bother to wipe them away. Lost in her own swirl of jumbled thoughts and tears, she didn't feel the presence behind her.
"Why are you crying?"
Slowly Elena picked her stooped head up, sitting straight on the bench.
Shock was the first thing her mind recognized but then aching followed. "Damon..."
He reached out a hand. She gradually accepted it and stood up cautiously.
"What's wrong?" he finally asked.
"Everything." she mumbled softly.
Damon still hadn't let go of her hand. "Tell me." He pulled her into a light embrace.
"Stefan and I argued. He knows I'm not telling him something, and he got annoyed. I've never seen his temper flare at me the way it did a few minutes ago. He was so angry he wanted to...." The tears still pressed.
"Hit you?"
"Well, not exactly...."
"Did he?"
"No..." A tear slid down. "He would never."
He was silent for a moment, just looking at her. "Don't cry."
His voice made her stomach quiver and started a deep longing inside of her. Elena closed her eyes as another droplet fell.
Damon pulled her closer to him and kissed one of her closed eyes, then the other. He kissed her cheeks one at a time, as though trying to wipe away her tears with his kisses.
"Stop crying." he said gently. It wasn't a command. He continued to kiss her face softly; she didn't protest.
Damon pulled her to him completely, feeling her slight figure shaking as she struggled to keep the tears from falling. When Elena had steadied herself he pulled back a little.
"I don't know what to do." Elena told him quietly.
"Come with me."
This brought back memories of standing in Bonnie's dinning room having a "dumb supper." When Damon had come in unexpectedly and asked her to come away with him. She felt another wave of de ja vu.
"What are you talking about?" Elena's voice was still soft spoken.
Damon brought his lips down to her face in another light kiss, this time on her lips. "Just do it." He told her his voice soothing, calm, and yet deadly serious.
"Damon, don't you know how much trouble you've caused already?" Elena protested.
"I beg to differ. Two people caused the trouble, and you were one of them. Come with me." He murmured in her ear.
Elena went to protest, but realized only half of her wanted to go against what he was asking. Damon lifted her chin with a finger and she could only stare. She didn't pull away as his lips met hers in another gentle kiss.
It felt so right.
She felt his cool breath on her face move up to her ear again, as he said, "I can be _very_ persuasive, you know."
She wanted him, and everything he had to offer. Solace, completeness, love, passion....
She brought his head down to hers and kissed him with everything she had in her. Her lips pressed against his, almost demanding, as the kiss became searing and fervent.
This time she wasn't going to make excuses as she had all that time back in the clearing when she'd waken up from "drowning". She wasn't irrational, or disorientated.
There was no use in denying it. She wanted him. The fire in her had been dwindling. He was the match that rekindled it.