Let's just jump right into it! I've been on a roll with editing and getting these posted today, but I'm not sure what the release schedule will be going forward. I'll probably just start posting whenever I finish.
Disclaimer: As always, these characters are not mine. All rights belong to the CW and TVD.
Chapter 2:
I smiled at Ty as we drove up Stefan's obnoxiously long driveway, hands entwined and resting on the console as easy conversation flowed between us. That's really the best way to describe our relationship, easy. It was like everything just worked. We agreed on everything, liked most of the same things, and were constantly fawned over by all our friends. I wasn't sure how to feel about it, I certainly liked Tyler, he was fun to be around and he treated me like a princess, but I also felt like something was lacking. It had been a month and we still had yet to have our first kiss. Honestly that confused me, Ty did not seem like the type of guy to wait for a while, I'd heard the stories and rumors around school about his reputation with girls. It puzzled me why he didn't seem to want to be with me in that way. I shook off my thoughts as we pulled up to the house and headed inside. Caroline was instantly at my side, hooking her arm through my own.
"Hey girl! How was the ride?" She teased, wiggling her eyebrows at me. I laughed.
"Care, stop! You know nothing happened." I sighed. She rolled her eyes.
"I don't understand what he's waiting for. I mean you've been together for a month and it's not like you're not hot. Any guy at school would bang you, so why isn't your boyfriend?" She whined. I rolled my eyes.
"Not sure Care, but you asking every five seconds doesn't do anything to help." I replied as she pulled me through the door and into Stefan's lavish living room,Ty still chatting with Matt by the car. April, Vik, and Stefan were already on the floor, homework and textbooks spread out with beer cans littered between them. We did this every Friday, all of us got together to study and get drunk. Usually the studying lasted about an hour before it was all but forgotten. Weirdly Bonnie never came when it was at Stefan's, she didn't seem to like him at all despite the fact he was dating her best friend. I always found that to be weird.
"Alright ladies! Who's ready to partayyyyyyy?" Tyler asked, walking in with a keg in tow.
"Ty this is supposed to be just us as usual, why do you have a full keg?" Caroline asked, voice annoyed. He smirked as people started to file into the house. That's what he and Matt were talking about.
"Dude you're throwing a party now? Did you ask Stefan?" Caroline demanded, standing up. She was not happy.
"Care, relax. He's cool with it, right dude?" Tyler asked. Stefan sighed.
"Just keep it in the backyard. I don't have time to put away the delicate valuables." He spoke, voice tired but no hints of annoyance. Caroline just stared at him, arms crossed. Stefan just smiled at her, pulling him against her as he whispered something inaudible in her ear. Her whole demeanor shifted and she giggled in excitement. I sighed, I probably didn't want to have any idea what that was about.
"Alright folks! Looks like we're having a backyard party. House is off limits. Beer will be out back, let's go everyone." Matt spoke up, ushering people back out of the house, Tyler and Vik helping.
"Want to go pick up some strobe lights and glow sticks? We can turn this into a real party!" April said excitedly. Care smiled and nodded, offering to go with her.
Before long everyone was back inside, the new lights flashing as music pulsed in the air and people were dancing all over. Even from inside you could feel the deep base pulse in your blood. Stef, Care, Ty and I were all lounging on the couches sipping our beers and laughing about random things. The others had all gone out to join the party, but we'd wanted more quiet and I didn't feel like dancing.
Suddenly Stefan jumped to his feet as the front door opened and a figure passed through the threshold. Standing there, dark hair tousled by the wind and ice blue eyes focused on Stefan, was the most beautiful man I had ever seen.
"Hello, brother." Everything about him screamed sex and danger. Even his voice was one of a midnight lover.
"I didn't know you had a brother, Stefan." I stated, nothing the guys gaze shift to me.
"Damon." Tyler stated, voice hostile as his every posture showed how uneasy he was. All of them were. Stefan had stood up, Caroline at his side, both of them angled to jump in front of me if needed. No, that had to be a coincidence. He was just a man.
"Wait, you all knew?" I asked, clearly confused. No one answered me.
"Well, I don't know you. I'm Damon, Stefan's brother." He smirked, those perfect lips parting as he extended his hand.
"I'm Elena. Stefan's friend." I sent him a small awkward smile, which was returned with a smirk. His smirk caught me off guard, god how was it even possible to be this attracted to a complete stranger.
"We'll Elena," God the way my name sounded on his tongue, "It is lovely to meet you. You look absolutely delicious." He purred the last part, sending a shiver up my spine. This man should not have this effect on me.
"Damon, please step away from my girlfriend please." Tyler almost snarled stepping to my side, I'd never heard such a sound come out of anyone.
"Ahh, careful doggy. Don't want to start something you can't finish now do you." Damon purred, eyes flashing. I was so confused.
"Damon, just leave." Stefan spoke, suddenly right next to me, I hadn't even noticed him walk over.
"Ooh, that's a good idea. I'll just go join the party out back." His smile was dangerously sweet.
"No, Damon. Don't." But it was too late, he'd already headed back out the door. Stefan followed him quickly.
"Ugh I hate Damon. He's such a psychopath. He literally always causes trouble when he visits." Care complained, flopping back onto the coach.
"Why didn't any of you tell me Stefan has a brother?" I asked. Care and Ty shrugged.
"He's not exactly the best person. Plus no one likes him. I didn't think it would matter." She shrugged. I nodded.
"I'm going to go get a drink." I sighed, heading around the corner and down to the cellar, where they kept the hard stuff.
"Hello Elena." A newly familiar voice breathed in my ear. I could feel him right behind me and I froze for a second. He reached around me to select a bottle of bourbon and then took a step back.
"You know you really remind me of someone I used to know." He twirled a piece of my hair around his finger. I still didn't dare to turn around.
"You are absolutely breathtaking, just like she was. I'm surprised you settled for Mr. Anger Issues." I turned to face him, but unable to look into his piercing gaze.
"Ty? He doesn't have any anger issues." I replied confused.
"Oh." He smirked, "You don't know, do you?"
"Know what?" I asked, brows furrowed in confusion.
"What they are." The way he said it made me roll my eyes.
"And what are they, Damon?" His name sounded foreign on my tongue.
"A bunch of assholes. Exclusive assholes who don't like me because I don't agree with them." He scoffed. I snorted, rolling my eyes.
"If you're ever in need of a good ride, let me know." He spoke as he backed away, waving the bourbon at me before heading up the stairs. I was 95% sure he just offered me sex. You have a boyfriend, I reminded myself. Yeah, one that won't even kiss me. I sighed and followed him up and back to the living room, the reason I'd gone down there in the first place completely forgotten.
The next couple weeks passed by insanely fast, Halloween was in two weeks and I still had no idea what to wear. Care had been planning her and Stefan's matching costumes since the start of school, even Matt had his planned out. Damon had become a constant presence in our lives, and against my better judgement I grew to like being around him. Sure he was a dick, but he was also fun and had a great sense of humor. There was this air of darkness and danger that seemed to draw me in, he was mysterious and so incredibly hot. Stefan hated him, and hated any of us spending time with him, but Damon seemed totally oblivious or just didn't care. Despite Damon, Tyler and I were still together, about two weeks ago we'd finally kissed and ever since hadn't been able to keep our hands off each other. And despite how well we were doing, I couldn't keep a certain guy out of my head.
Stefan and I were curled on the couches agonizing over our chem homework when Damon breezed into the room.
"Stefan. I need to talk to you. Now." He motioned with his thumb behind him.
"Just say it already Damon." Stefan sighed, flipping to the next page in the textbook.
"Brother. Get your butt in here now." Damon demanded, Stefan begrudgingly jumping up, hearing the urgency in his tone. Stefan trailed him out of the room and into the kitchen where I could barely make out their hushed voices. A few moments later Stefan returned, pulling on his jacket as he spoke to me.
"I'm sorry Elena, I've got to go out of town for the weekend. I'll be back by Monday evening at the latest." Damon reappeared, tossing a duffle bag full of who knows what to Stefan, who caught it with ease. Damon grabbed his own duffle, which clanked as though full of wood or something similar, and the two of them hurried out the door before Damon could so much as wink goodbye.
I just sat there staring after them, confused and slightly worried. What could be so important that they literally stopped everything and drove off. I sighed, closing my textbook and heading to the kitchen to grab some water. I sat there sipping my glass as I realized for the first time ever I had the Salvatore Mansion all to myself. My curiosity gaining the best of me I headed up the stairs, deciding to snoop.
I pushed open the nearest door at the top of the landing to find an old fashion styled room, complete with a bed, dresser, and the whole bedroom outfit. It definitely looked lived in, shelves and shelves of books lined the walls and the desk at the center was littered with all sorts of journals, books, maps and papers. I didn't want Stefan to notice if any of his books were moved, but I figured a little snoop at his desk couldn't hurt. Though I had grown so close to him over the past couple months, in truth I didn't know much about him. I was just about to head out of the room when I saw a little photograph out of the corner of my eye, my curiosity had me stepping back to the desk and picking up the photo. I almost dropped it in surprise as I saw myself staring back at me, except that wasn't me. The girl was dressed in a light old fashioned gown, her dark hair curled in ringlets about her head, topped with a feathered hat. Her innocent looking eyes, my eyes, were the same shade of grey blue. No, that wasn't possible.
"You know, you really remind me of someone I used to know, you're absolutely breathtaking, just like she was." Damon's words rang in my head over and over. No it can't be, that can't be what he ment. But looking back at the photo, she indeed had the same slightly puckered lips, petite nose, and dusting of freckles. Holy hell her freckles matched mine almost exactly. There was no way to mistake it, she and I shared the same face. I turned the photo over, hoping for some kind of explanation, hoping this was some kind of weird joke. All I found was a date, 1864, and below that a name. Kathrine. I dropped the photo completely freaked out as I hurried from the room, closing the door quickly behind me. I took a moment to steady myself, breathing deeply and trying to find some explanation that made sense. It had to be photoshop, people do that stuff all the time. Stefan was a writer, maybe he designed a character after me, yeah, that made sense. Did it? I took another deep breath, forcing myself to forget the photo and continue my snooping.
I tentatively wandered the hall, most of the doors were locked and I wasn't sure if I really wanted to know what was behind them. About four or five doors down from Stefan's room I finally came across an unlocked door. It swung open to reveal a modern room, so at odds with Stefan's old world vibe. A massive four poster bed stood against the wall, taking up quite a bit of the room. The two nightstands resting on either side looked very expensive and antique, one held an alarm clock and the other a single book. I assumed this was Damon's room, it seemed to fit his personality somehow. A nice lavish bathroom and a giant walk-in closet, which held a quite interesting variety of clothing from the last century until now. They must be collectors, Stefan in furniture and Damon in clothing. I sighed, heading back into the main room and headed for the window, sliding it open. I enjoyed the soft breeze that drifted in, lifting my hair in a gentle dance. I started out over the property, the luscious green lawn that ended in a rolling forest. It truly was a beautiful place to live, accented by colors strewn across the sky by the setting sun. I leaned against the window sill just enjoying the moment when I was startled by a midnight voice.
"Snooping around are we?" I turned to see Damon leaning casually against the door frame, arms crossed and his signature smirk playing across his lips. I tried to think of a believable excuse, but came up with nothing.
"I know you're obsessed with me." He purred, crossing the room to stand in front of me. I rolled my eyes. Yeah, right. Well he did just find me hanging out in his room while he was gone. Well shit.
Elena was caught red handed! How will she get out of this one? Why did the Salvatores have to rush away so quickly and why is Damon back already? Stay tuned to find out!
