Ella Gilbert sat alone in the Mystic Grill reading a book that was presumed to be 'Wuthering Heights' Ella decided that she was done with all of the lying and the secrets she felt like somehow she was still out of the loop and no one accepted her back in yet. Throughout her entire life, Ella always felt left out. Everyone loved her sister and it was constantly all about her. Ella loved her sister to death but she felt like she could never escape her shadow. There was only one person that ever made her feel special like she was more than Elena's sister.
Pulling Ella out of her thoughts, a familiar voice says "What you readin' there?"
Ella sets down her book and fixes her gaze onto the blue-eyed vampire in front of her.
"What do you want Damon?" Ella narrowed her eyes. "Ooh, we're feisty today. What's got you so riled up?" Damon asked, genuinely wanting to know if she was okay. Ella sighed and decided to open up to the raven-haired vampire. "I feel like I'm not quite myself yet," Ella started. Damon raised an eyebrow in confusion. "Like, I just feel so out of place here. Mystic Falls used to be my home and now I feel like a stranger." Ella ran a hand through her wavy brown hair and sighed.
Damon nodded, took her hand, and stood them up. "What are you doing?" Ella furrowed her dark eyebrows. "I'm taking you to have some fun. If you want to feel like yourself you need to let loose." Damon threw his arm around her shoulder and led them both out of the grill.
"What about Jenna's barbecue?" Ella looked up at him from under his shoulder.
"We'll make it back in time; stop worrying," Damon assured the brunette vampire. Damon examined the vampire to the left of him - she was perfect in his eyes. Her wavy brown hair fell to her back, she had beautiful doe eyes, and her smile was the most wonderful thing he had ever seen. And her laugh, oh her laugh was heavenly. She was the most beautiful, kind, perfect person he'd ever met in his 170 years on this planet.
Absentmindedly, Damon leaned in and placed a soft kiss on her temple. Ella's heart fluttered and her cheeks turned a rosy red. Damon flushed with embarrassment - he didn't mean to do that. Although it felt good. He loved the way his lips felt on her skin. Damon was sure that if his heart could beat, it would be racing right now.
The duo continued walking until they reached Mystic Falls Park. "A park? You took me to a park?" Ella questioned. "Yep. Finest park in town." Damon smirked sarcastically. "Only, park in town." Ella corrected him. Damon rolled his eyes and let a soft smile play upon his lips.
"Just trust me," Damon assured her. Damon took his shoulder from over her and stood behind her, placing his hands on her eyes. "What are you doing?" Ella asked, unable to see.
"You'll thank me later. Now, no peeking." Damon said. Ella could practically see the arrogant smirk on his face. He led her closer and closer towards a spot in the park until eventually, he stopped. "Okay, you can look." Damon unveiled his hands from her eyes.
Ella opened her eyes and her brown irises lit up with surprise. A smile was instantly brung across her face and she spun around to face the blue-eyed vampire. "A picnic!" Ella threw her arms around him and hugged him as tight as she could. "Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" Damon hesitantly hugged her back. "Your welcome." Damon tried to stop the fluttering in his un-beating heart. Ella ran towards the setup he had prepared for them.
It was right in front of a fountain, a red picnic blanket laid on the grass and a picnic basket was right in the middle of it. There was a single lily right next to the basket. Ella picked it up and smelled it. "Lily's are my favorite." Ella smiled. There it was. There sat the reason Damon had done all of this for - that smile. He'd have done anything just to see her smile, even do the thing she said she'd always wanted to do most. Have a picnic in the park.
Damon sauntered over to her and sat beside her. Ella placed her hand on his and locked her brown irises on his blue ones, "Thank you, Damon. This means so much to me." Damon gently squeezed her hand. "What are best friends for." He shrugged a shoulder and smirked.
The two spent the rest of the afternoon talking, eating, and laughing with one another. It was everything Ella ever hoped for - sharing an afternoon with her best friend as they did the one thing that Ella enjoyed most. The two lay side by side next to each other on the red picnic blanket, stargazing. Damon pointed to one, "And that one is Sirius." Ella turned her head towards him. "Like from Harry Potter?" She joked. Damon laughed, "Like from Harry Potter."
Ella laid her head on his chest and curled up next to him. "Thank you for today." She looked up into the normally cold vampire's eyes. "Your welcome." Damon smiled softly.
Ella's phone vibrated in her back pocket and she sighed. "That's my alarm, Jenna's barbecue is starting." Ella sat up. Damon sat up as well. He cleaned up the entire picnic using his vamp speed. "I had a fun time tonight." Ella beamed. This was exactly what she needed - she just needed some time to have fun and feel like someone cared about her. Damon scooped her up bridal style. "I'm taking you home." He smirked. Ella giggled and he began to run with vamp speed until they reached the front of the gilbert house. He set her down and opened the door for her, "After you." Ella grinned and stepped through the door.
Damon placed a hand on her back and led her towards the kitchen. "Ella, your finally here!" A blonde head jumped up from a seat and threw her arms around the brunette.
"Yep." Ella smiled and hugged the perky vampire back. Caroline narrowed her eyes at Damon behind Ella's back but then pulled away and fixed her gaze on the Gilbert girl. "We're about to start Pictionary." Caroline led Ella to the living room, Ella looked over her shoulder and mouthed help me to a very amused Damon.
Caroline and Ella sat down on the couch in the living room. "So, where were you and dungeon boy?" Caroline asked with a bit of sass towards Damon. Ella tilted her head at her friend's words. "Nowhere, just out," Ella said vaguely. Today was Ella's day, it was something only she and Damon should know about. "Did you guys hook up?" Caroline asked nonchalantly.
"What?! No!" Ella threw a pillow at the blonde vampire. "He just, took me to the park for a little bit okay?" Ella crossed her arms over her chest she was upset she had to tell Caroline what happened today. "Oh my god! You had emotional sex!" Caroline's blue irises widened.
"Caroline! A little louder please I don't think people in China could hear you." Ella exclaimed sarcastically. "Sorry." Caroline piped down but still wore a cheeky smile on her face.
"We didn't do whatever the hell is emotional sex." Ella furrowed her brows. Caroline twitched her head to the side. "Oh? So you didn't spend the entire day together uninterrupted, talking, laughing, sharing hopes and dreams." Caroline emphasized. Ella's eyes widened in shock. "Oh my god, I had emotional sex," Caroline smirked. "Told ya'." The blonde vampire plopped a piece of popcorn in her mouth and smiled with amusement.
Jenna, Damon, and Elena join the girls in the living room. Jenna is hauling in a whiteboard and places it in front of the group.
"Time for the game I will inevitably win at; Pictionary." Jenna clapped her hands together in excitement and took a seat on the couch. Damon sat next to Ella and put his arm around her shoulder, earning Ella strange looks from Elena and Caroline. She ignored them.
"I'll go first." Ella volunteers. She shot up from her seat and took a marker from the rim of the whiteboard. She began to draw. "Uhhh, box!" Jenna shouted out. Ella continued drawing. "Mmm, popcorn!" Caroline exclaimed. "Candy!" Elena added. "Sirius," Damon smirked amused.
"How'd you know?" Ella asked innocently. "A friend of a friend." Damon shrugged. Ella sat down beside him once more and the group looked more confused than ever. "My turn." Damon sat up and walked over to the whiteboard. He began to draw. "Dog!" Ella called out. Damon continued drawing. "Dress! Ballerina!" Jenna exclaimed. "Puppy! Puppy with a tutu!" The blonde vampire added. "No, no." Damon tries to signal what he's drawing.
"A dog! Hound-dog!" Jenna points at the board. "You ain't nothin but a hound-dog!" Ella attempts to guess. "Dances with wolves," Mason says, taking a sip of his beer. "And Mason wins." Damon puts the cap back on the marker. Elena exits the room and walks into the kitchen. Jenna tilts her head to the side and stares at the board. "How is that a wolf?"
The rest of the group joins Elena in the kitchen. Damon placed a pie on the center of the table. Everyone, besides Damon and Ella, starts to eat. "Ella your not eating anything?" Jenna quirked a brow. "I already ate earlier." Ella smiles. Jenna nodded and continued eating.
Caroline - who was sitting next to Ella - leaned into her ear and whispered "Emotional sex." Ella shook her head. "So Mason, you and Jenna never dated?" Alaric asked. Mason shook his head. "She was always lost in Logan Fell land," Jenna smirked. "Ah, my first mistake. Mason was a catch; he had girls lining up." The strawberry blonde said, taking a bite of her pie. "Really? I always pegged you for a lone wolf." Damon cocked his head to the side. Ella rolled her chocolate brown eyes once she realized what Damon was doing. "I'm sure I wasn't half the lady killer you were." Mason narrowed his eyes and took a sip of beer. "How about a toast? To new friends." They all raised their glasses and clinked them together.
After a game of guitar hero, Jenna decided it was time to end the night. Alaric and Jenna were lined up against the stairwell. "No more takers for drinks at the Grill? It's like I'm with a bunch of adults here!" Mason said, entering the foyer. "I prefer the term role model." Jenna grinned.
"Okay. Well, thanks for having me, it was awesome. Alaric, catch that game next week?" Mason headed towards the door. "Yeah, I look forward to it." Ric nodded his head. Mason smiled at the group before exiting the Gilbert Home. Ella walked down the stairs and sat on a step.
Damon walked up to Jenna and Alaric. "You know, I should probably head out too," Damon said. The raven-haired vampire turned to Jenna. "Jenna, you are a wonderful hostess." He placed a kiss on her hand. "And you are a terrible Artist." Jenna joked. "Is that the only thing that makes me terrible?" Damon raised his brows. "I'm still deciding." Jenna narrowed her green irises.
"Good enough for me. Alaric, let's not catch that game next week." Damon smirked as he opened the front door. Damon shifted his gaze onto Ella who was sitting on the stairwell. She mouthed bye to him and he smiled before exiting the house. Ella walked back up the stairs content with her day. She finally felt like things were getting back to normal and like she could be her old self again. And that was all thanks to one person - Damon Salvatore. Who would've thought? A Salvatore and a Gilbert. What could go wrong?
Hey Guys! I know I haven't updated in a while it's just that I've been busy with school. I hope this 2,000-word chapter makes up for it. Anyways, I've decided I want this to be kind of slow-burn so hold on tight. Since this is going to be slow-burn, how spicy should the burn be when they finally get together? First, before any of that happens I want them to build a relationship - even though they already have a good one lol. Damon Is definitely already in love with Ella but IDK how Ella feels yet. I think she's attracted to him but isn't quite sure if it's love yet. The next chapter will be really good and will definitely reveal some of Damon and Ella's feelings about each other. Stick around! -xoxo, Ella