tw/self harm - read at your own risk
I won't soothe your pain
I won't ease your strain
You'll be waiting in vain.
I got nothing for you to gain
Elena's eyelids slowly opened, welcoming the mellow light of the new morning, the sun's glaring rays softly illuminating every inch of her new room. Waking up, the last night seemed like a distant dream to her, a fabrication of her darkest imaginations.
When her eyes eventually opened fully, she saw Bonnie, dressed in a white and blue, plain uniform, her hair beautifully formed in a ponytail. Smiling at her, Elena had to admit to herself that her roommate was so pretty, fetching and precious.
Ex roommate. She was fired.
Hitting her like a rush, Elena widened her eyes as she suddenly sat upright on the mattress and looked at Bonnie, who reciprocated her horrified expression. "Elena, are you okay?" she asked, full of worry.
"I got fired last night." she stated sternly.
"What?" Bonnie chuckled at her, looking at her and shaking her head while laughing. "Someone had weird dreams." she sang in a playfully manner, not believing her in the least.
Elena's look didn't change, though. Looking at Bonnie with a serious expression, her eyes honest and shiny, she repeated, "No, I actually got fired."
"Elena, you were here the whole time-"
"- I wasn't." she cut her off, taking a deep breath while reminiscing the precedents of the night that had just passed. It was an utter, thorough disaster. "I met Damon. And he fired me."
"What?!", Bonnie said in surprise, widing her chocolate eyes at her sight. "You did what? Where? How? Why?"
Elena bit her lip, looking at the floor. "I went upstairs, I needed to smoke."
Thinking about it now, Elena came to the conclusion that she was stupid, dimwitted, and naive. She could have waited some hours to smoke, if her mind was in the right place she wouldn't be in that situation. Caroline was right; she had a tendency to ruin her life and Elena couldn't foresee or prevent it, she just obeyed her blindly like the addict she was.
Bonnie looked at her with a sad frown, her eyes disappointed and watery, "So it's my fault?"
Elena's instantly reacted to her words, passionately shaking her head no. "What? Of course not! It was my decision and then I called him a dick- anyway, it's definitely my fault." she said quickly. Yes, all of those wouldn't have happened if Bonnie didn't have tobacco allergy, but Elena could have opted for having some patience until the morning.
Bonnie nodded, her eyes still watery. "I'm so sorry", she whispered, approaching Elena and giving her a wholesome hug. She was the reason she got hired in the first place and within a day all of that would be in vain.
But Elena would be with Liam and Caroline again. With lent money from her best friend and her crimson blood, slowly falling on her bathroom sink with a distinct sound. The sound of misery, the sound of failure. The sound of death.
"Well," Elena tried to conceal her inner thoughts and stood up, "It was good while it lasted, huh?" she joked.
She fortunately hadn't bothered to open her suitcase or organize her stuff the previous night, so at least she didn't have to pack her belongings. Being a maid was apparently not the occupation for her.
Elena started tying the laces of her shoes, old and dirty, contemplating that. She didn't belong there. Richness and money were apparently not for her; even if she wasn't fired yesterday she would be after a week or so.
"I need to tell Nora that I'm leaving." she told Bonnie. "So that she calls me a taxi or something."
Standing up, Bonnie nodded once again at her, opening the door of the room so that both of them evacuated it. "I think she's in the dining room. The Salvatores eat their breakfast there every morning, I don't think normal maids should be there."
"I don't care, take me to it." Elena answered, walking faster as she did so. "I called him a dick, Bonnie, I don't think that anything worse can happen."
Bonnie giggled. "You called Damon Salvatore a dick? I'm surprised you're still alive?"
Elena's lips formed a smile. "He is annoying. I hurt my knee and he wouldn't even help me to stand up. Not to mention taking away my cigarettes."
Bonnie laughed once again, as both of the girls went up the stairs. Everything seemed a lot more vivid to Elena under the morning light, the elegant, golden details of the various pieces of furniture glistering and shimmering against her eyes, in contrast to the previous night. Too bad she would never observe any of them ever again.
"Honey, I don't do second chances." Elena mimicked his voice in a funny way, as both of them reached the living room. "Did you just talk back to me?" she added, making Bonnie laugh.
"As I said, I'm surprised you're still alive." Bonnie giggled, suddenly stopping in her tracks in front of a big door, with beautiful patterns on its surface and a golden handle.
"Here we are." she stated, her expression transforming into a serious one. "I won't come in, but you go. I will say my goodbyes before you leave, okay?" she added, placing her hand comfortingly on her left shoulder.
Elena took a deep breath before getting into room. She did not know what to expect, honestly. Damon would apparently not be drunk anymore and she had never met Stefan Salvatore- she was a total stranger who nobody gave a shit for. A maid. A nothing.
The door opened with a deafening sound as she twisted the golden handle.
The room around her was huge, with a large window instead of a wall, its view the beautiful blue pool at the exterior of the mansion. A big table in the middle of it was occupied by three figures, two of which she's never encountered before in her life. Three women were standing behind it, silently observing them as they enjoyed their breakfast.
The three women were also partly unknown to her. One of them was Nora, dressed in formal trousers and a plain, grey blouse that day, but the others were utterly unknown to her. One of them had deep, red hair and she was extremely beautiful, a small, venomous smile on her face. The other woman was blonde, sitting next to the redhead with an identical expression on her face.
If Elena could take a guess they were Sage and Valerie, according to Bonnie's sayings.
The people on the table, however, screamed luxury and class. Well, at least the two of them.
Elena instantly recognized Damon, not in his robe like last night, but in a suit. A prevalent, black and white suit and a tie, and leathe blackr matching shoes that indicated money. She wasn't close to him nor had anyone realized her presence in the room, but she could see his hair perfectly styled and taken care of, and his blue eyes glimmering as the sunlight illuminated them.
The woman sitting next to him was breathtaking. Dressed in a Tommy, pink and short dress that highlighted the curves of her body as she was sat, she was drinking a glass of orange juice. Her hair was long and blond, with beautiful, golden curls that attracted the attention.
It took Elena some time, but she recognized the third man. Stefan Salvatore, with the sharp cheekbones and the luring smile, which was not on his face, though, as he was eating. His hair had a ton of hair gel- Elena could tell. But, in contrast to everyone else in the room, he looked the least intimidating to her. He was casually dressed and...
"Elena?" Nora's surprised voice was heard, causing everybody in the room to turn their heads towards her direction. "What... what are you doing here, why aren't you in a uniform?" she said, her eyes widening at her, indicating that she was at at a loss for words.
Elena felt the anxiety running through her veins as everybody was staring at her, her mind instantly travelling to her cigarettes.
"I-" she said, but couldn't finish her sentence. She caught sight of Damon from the corner of her eye, who stopped looking at her and focused on his breakfast indifferently.
Elena took a deep breath. "I'm leaving, could you get me a taxi please?" she said, earning a frown from Nora.
"Why? It's only your first day." she wondered, totally confused.
"I was fired last night." Elena answered, looking at the floor.
Nora opened her mouth to reply, but a voice interrupted her. A feminine voice, stemming from the table, belonging to nobody but the blond woman that Elena had no idea about.
"Wow, Stefan, she must be the first maid you've ever fired." she scoffed, continued eating her breakfast and not glancing again at her.
"What?" Stefan said, looking at Elena and back at the blonde. "Olivia, I swear I've never seen her in my life." he told her in confusion, turning his head towards Elena again, observing her closely.
"Well, I didn't do it." Olivia shrugged her shoulders, looking back at him. "And neither did Damon, he was with me all night." she added, approaching him smoothly and planting a kiss on his right cheek.
Nora's look was angry now, as she looked at Elena with a fierce expression. "Then what the hell is this all about, Elena?"
Sage and Valerie, still standing at their previous position behind Nora, were looking at her with contained smirks, and that was precisely when Elena felt the embarrassment. She needed to get out of there, the last she needed was for people to call her delusional.
"He did." she alleged, eager to get out of that place as soon as possible, and Elena's finger pointed at Damon, who didn't even look back at her. "Can I please leave?" she whispered, looking at Nora with a pleading look. The brunette opened her mouth to reply, obviously not knowing what to say.
"I don't know her. I haven't fired anyone."
Damon's voice was cold and sharp, but at the same time tranquil and indifferent as he took a sip of his black coffee. Damon didn't spare a glance at her, but Olivia and Stefan did, furrowing their eyebrows at him and then looking at each other with surprised expressions.
"Damon," Stefan said, still side-looking at Olivia with that eerie expression. "Are you feeling alright?" he asked his brother.
Olivia continued, "Are you feeling well, baby? You didn't even yell at her or kick her out for lying-"
Damon didn't even answer to them, as he continued sipping the liquid unbothered, his expression unexplainable and blank.
"But I didn't lie." Elena answered, really exhausted of whatever was going on. She had many flaws and she knew it, but lies were never any of them. Yes, Damon was drunk last night, but not that much to have completely forgotten his little trip to the upper floor. "He fired me."
"Ugh, this coffee got cold." his voice was sounded from the table, completely disregarding for her words. "I need a new one." he added, as Elena bit her lip in annoyance.
He really was something else, wasn't he?
If anyone could draw a line of Stefan's and Olivia's looks, it would form a perfect circle; from Elena to Nora to Damon, then back to one another and on repeat.
At the moment Damon's words echoed in the space, Sage literally jogged towards him, tempting to take his cup in order to prepare him a new coffee so willingly. Before she ever did so, however, Damon signaled her to stop by raising a hand to her, turning his head towards Elena and looking at her with a fake, ironic smile.
"Why doesn't Elena make me a coffee? Black."
His eyes were staring at her with a fake expression, and even though Elena felt the urge to curse him and his typical asshole behavior, she held herself back.
Maybe that was her chance to keep her job.
Everyone was staring at her, waiting for her reaction, but Elena's eyes only focused on Damon, as she put on a fake smile as well. "Of course, Mr. Salvatore."
She had no idea what game he was playing, but a glance into his eyes reassured her that he knew, that he remembered meeting her. And this time she would do anything in her power to keep her position- and her salary.
Taking a breath, her eyes wandered around the room, seeing nothing like a coffee machine or anything culinary. She had absolutely no idea what to do. She looked at Sage and Valerie, but the two girls were apparently avoiding her, and Sage's face seemed very cold and hostile from the moment Elena had stepped into the room.
Nora was at a loss for words, an expression that indicated she was not in right mind to aid her. Suddenly, her eyes met with Stefan's, and Elena noticed that his irises were moving, his head titling softly on his right, directing her a small, wooden door that lead to an adjacent room, probably the kitchen.
With quick yet soft steps she approached the table, ignoring Olivia's judgmental look who scanned her body and outfit, and took Damon's coffee cup from his hands. She tried to keep smiling, but she failed miserably, as her lips were curved in a thin line.
Decisively, she passed the door and fortunately nobody interrupted her, and Elena was now standing before a luxurious, elegant kitchen, fully furnitured, and she instantly tracked the coffee machine.
Her mom didn't drink nor make coffee, since she always preferred eating apples in order to wake up, so Elena and Jeremy always had their coffee made by Starbucks. However, when her grandfather was alive, he had taught her how to make coffee, and she could still recollect some things.
After heating it enough and filling his cup once again, Elena took a deep breath as she got out of the kitchen. The three people on the table were waiting for her; Damon looking indifferently ahead, while Stefan and Olivia stared at her, baffled to the bone.
Elena was hesitant before approaching the dark haired man, standing between him and Olivia as she placed the cup in front of him. Damon smirked as she did so, an ironic smile that she detested.
"Ew." Olivia whispered at him, not even caring about her presence and ability to hear her, "Your maids don't what a shower means, she stinks."
Another offense. Those fucking rich people and their arrogance.
Elena couldn't see him clearly as she stepped back, muttering a 'sorry Mrs.', but she was sure that Damon was smiling at Olivia's words, that evil, devastating grin of his. Elena hadn't seen him smiling genuinely, but, even if his smile was gorgeous, and attractive, she was sure she would hate it. Every single thing that man did infuriated her.
Elena didn't care much about health care after the accident, but she made a mental note to have a bath later that night, wherever she was. Especially after the look she kept receiving from the blonde.
As soon as the liquid came in contact with Damon's lips, he put it down, producing a distinctive sound as the cup came into contact with the wooden table. "What the hell is this." he stated, drawing her attention.
"Black coffee?" she answered, looking back at him with certainty.
"It's too cold." he retorted, his eyes burning her, dominating her in a sense. Elena looked helplessly around her, and then back at him, breathing loudly as she answered, "Would you want me to heat it, sir?" she responded with a fake tone as well. If he could pretend, she could do it as well; after all her life was just that, a lie, a facade that could hide the mess she was inside.
"Of course." he answered, smirking at her, as she made her way towards the table once again. For a moment, her eyes met with Stefan's, who was a total stranger to her, but his eyes, green and mesmerizing, were so expressive. Elena could distinct a tad of sympathy in them.
She returned back to the kitchen, her steps angrier now, as she started warming the coffee. What was he trying to achieve? Why didn't he tell Sage or Valerie to make him the coffee, but forced her to do so?
She just needed her job.
The money.
The fucking money.
That was all she could think about as she returned to the table with the coffee in her hands.
"Also, that jacket?" Olivia continued, looking at her favorite, black velvet garment, "Thank god they wear uniforms, because those maids lack style." she added, earning a nod from Damon who didn't seem to be paying a lot of attention to her words.
"There's no need to be rude, Olivia." Stefan's voice echoed in the room, a soft, genuine voice that gave her some strength, as her eyes focused on his. "It's Elena's first day and you two have already terrified her."
"-fuck." Damon's voice interrupted his brother's kind gesture, as he drank the first sip of the heated coffee. "That shit is hot."
Elena bit her lips with force, balling her hands in order not to scream. That Damon guy was apparently, along with all of the bad adjectives she had given him in her mind, a spoiled child, a brat. It was beyond obvious.
"Damon." Stefan said, but his brother ignored him, turning back to her.
"You interrupt our breakfast, you lie and you can't make coffee." he stated, looking at her with an adamant expression. "Plus the fact that you stink."
That was it. She was going to get fired for good.
He was only toying with her all this time.
That damn asshole.
She didn't stutter or mutter anything, her head focused on the floor, as she expected the inevitable. She was sure that Valerie, Sage, Olivia, even Nora, and especially Damon were enjoying her humiliation to its most.
He didn't say anything furthermore, though.
Elena slowly raised her head, expecting to see his eyes mercilessly staring into hers, but that did not occur at all. Instead, his head tilted towards Nora's one, whose spine straightened as soon as he focused on her figure.
"Nora, make her do something in the garden, maybe she might be less of a disaster there."
What?! Elena's mind was utterly confused, unable to process what was going on. Was she dreaming or did he not fire her?
A quick look around the room indicated that everybody was on the same page as her. Valerie's and Sage's eyes were wide open as they looked at each other in confusion. Nora was looking at Damon while throwing her side glances and Stefan just seemed... deep into thought.
Olivia was only looking at Damon, a tender tone in her voice as she brought her hand beside his back and caressed it, her other palm travelling to a strand of his hair and bringing it meticulously behind his ear.
"Babe, are you sure you're okay? That girl is delusional and made stories in her mind-"
He didn't even listen to her, though. Standing up from the chair and causing her to take her hands away from his body, Damon slowly made his way out of the room, not sparing a single glance at anything or anybody. He just headed for his bedroom where he was supposed to face call some Chinese agents.
Elena was still unable to process all of this.
Damon Salvatore, that heartless monster she had encountered last night, had let her stay? Caroline would be happy, Liam would be happy, she...
She could make a living.
Elena grinned as she mimicked Damon soon after, ignoring the weird looks she was receiving from the people in the room, as she got out cheerfully. Optimistically even.
Bonnie was waiting for her outside, a sad frown on her face. Elena didn't hesitate to hug her; hugging Bonnie didn't feel like anything new; on the contrary, she felt like knowing the girl for years, she was extremely lucky she'd already made a faithful friend like her.
"What's going on?" Bonnie said, noticing her happy expression. "Why... why are you laughing?"
"Because I'm not fired." Elena smiled at her, giggling as Bonnie's face shifted, her eyes glimmering as soon as she heard her words.
"I'm not fired." she repeated, incapable of believing it, as she found herself in Bonnie's arms once again, both of them smiling, because for once something good happened to them- to both of them.
For the first time in the mansion, Elena Gilbert was optimistic.
Her first day on work was a thorough nightmare.
She had already worked for hours on end in the morning, following Nora's instructions with a bunch of other maids, as she cleaned the marble around the pool.
The afternoon had already come, and Elena's day was still a nightmare, a nightmare that was gradually becoming even worse.
Not that much because she was dressed in that ridiculous uniform, or because Nora had ordered her to clean every single leaf that had fallen from the trees onto the path that led to the mansion.
Her first day was a torture because she could not stop thinking about Damon. And the way he confused her.
Last night he had made her believe that he was willing and eager to fire her, but that morning his behavior was so different. No, he didn't fire her, but he seemed so thrilled to watch her humiliate herself in front of everyone's eyes, and she honestly did not know whether that was a good or a bad sign.
Why did he want to humiliate her, though? Why were his eyes thrilled as she was speechless, mortified in front of him, unable to express her profound opinion? Why did he want her to make him coffee just to judge her?
The questions were innumerable in her mind.
However, she was glad that she got to keep her job. At least she wouldn't have to deal with Caroline's criticism.
She had no idea how she was going to get accustomed to doing chores every single day, as she was already getting annoyed by cleaning the numerous leaves from the elegant tiles. She was not cut out to be a maid, that was for sure.
Sunk in her own thoughts, she did not take notice of Stefan Salvatore, dressed in casual clothes, who had gotten out of the door and approached her with petite steps.
"Hey," he said, attracting her attention and causing her to look beside her to make sure he was referring to her. "Elena, isn't it?"
She nodded, staring into his green eyes that seemed nothing but genuine. He had seemed pretty generous to her that morning during breakfast, and she just hoped her impression would be verified- as Bonnie had said anyway.
"Are you feeling okay?" he wondered, "I know Damon can be a little... demanding."
Elena smiled, looking at the floor, then back at him. "A little." she huffed ironically, causing him to laugh. It was an adorable, mellow sound, which she instantly adored.
Stefan shook his head at her, still grinning. "You can say it, he's the worst."
"Let's say I admire you for talking every day with him." she smiled back, suddenly finding more confidence around him. Stefan was just like that; even if he was a millionaire and had loads of power in his hands, he was inspiring, talkative, extrovert. He always saw the best in people.
Elena had met miscellaneous people in her life; people who loved her, people who hurt her, people who disappeared and crumbled into dust in her mind. She knew how to distinct the pure from the wicked souls, and, at that moment, before her was standing a good-hearted man. She had known it from the very first moment her eyes met with his.
Stefan never stopped grinning at her, noticing how beautiful she truly was. Elena was used to that sort of looks from men. No matter how close to her they were, they always took notice of her natural beauty, the distinctive characteristics of her face that made her deviate from the others.
"Well, he's not that bad." he answered. "Well, at least, not to me. He's a pain in the ass for the maids. He fires them just because he's bored-"
"-why did he not fire me?" she asked flatly, wanting to take the doubts off her mind. "He was drunk last night, but why did he keep me today?"
He shrugged his shoulders, not knowing either. "I have no idea, really. He usually kicks them out before they even speak."
Elena processed his words in her mind, utterly baffled. Damon had a really bizarre, unconventional personality that no matter how much experience she had, she couldn't read. But she certainly did not like it.
Stefan noticed her silence, and softly wondered, his curiosity fulfilling him. "I promise you're not in any trouble, but would you mind telling me what happened?"
Elena didn't think twice about it. A single look into Stefan's eyes was enough to reassure her that he was trustworthy. After all, he was her boss and refusing to would be ungrateful. She definitely didn't want to make a bad first impression.
"Well," she whispered, scoffing with uncertainty, "My roommate, Bonnie, has an allergy to smoke, so for some reason I decided to smoke on the upper floor." she added, earning a laugh from Stefan as he widened his eyes and muttered a 'shit'.
"Then your brother turned up," she continued, a small smile forming on her lips, "drunk. He called me Kathy or Katherine or something and fired me." she rolled her eyes, as Stefan narrowed his at her latest words, as if he was thinking of something.
Elena continued, speaking fast, like she did to Bonnie some hours ago. "I called him a dick, he left me on the floor with a hurt knee, took my cigarettes... that's all."
"Wait." Stefan stopped her with a hand, releasing a big chuckle into the air, which Elena swore could be heard from meters away. "You called Damon a dick?!" he laughed again, making her smile in response, as she nodded, innerly embarrassed.
"I already love you!" he told her with a warm voice. "I've been waiting for someone to curse for years!" he added with excitement, finding her unprepared.
"Ehm, thanks?" she responded, still unable to believe that was her conversation with Stefan Salvatore.
He was truly a cheerful, kind person.
"This is crazy, I gotta... I gotta talk to him." he ran his hands through his hair, that had a beautiful brown hue, as Elena noticed. "He's mad as hell because of a charity company thing, but I need to."
He seemed so thrilled after what Elena had just told him, but their little conversation had given her absolutely no answers about Damon.
"Why hasn't he fired me yet, though?" Elena asked him once again, noticing his unreadable, yet happy, expression. "It's clear that he hates me."
Stefan's eyes met hers once again. "It's Damon," he shrugged his shoulders casually, "nobody knows what's going on in his mind."
She nodded. She knew what he meant.
"Listen," Stefan grinned at her, "I should really go talk to him. I'm sure you and I are going to become friends." he added, taking her by surprise as she opened her mouth.
Friends? With Stefan fucking Salvatore? Was it one of her illusions?
"Thanks?" she muttered, trying to process his words, as he started moving backwards, still looking at her. "mr Salvatore."
"Nah," he rolled his eyes at her. "It's Stefan, just Stefan." he smiled at her one last time, as he eventually turned his back at her and headed again for the interior of the mansion, specifically towards his brother's room.
It was only her first day in the mansion and she already had more things to process than the last three months of her life.
And she soon would have even more.
No, sleep wasn't his thing.
Damon Salvatore rarely ever slept. He could never unwind on his bed for one simple reason; nightmares. Nightmares of his father, Katherine, and the person that meant everything to him.
Nightmares were not the reason he couldn't sleep, though. Damon, as a man of power, wouldn't allow his sorrowful memories to haunt him- on the contrary, he drank and spent his night in miscellaneous bars in order to stay awake and look ahead.
Only ahead. There was no turning back.
He was putting on a new pairs of trousers, a less formal one that he only preserved for hangouts, when his door opened, revealing the figure of no one but his little brother. Stefan Salvatore, dressed in blue jeans and a single black t shirt, looked at him with a soft look, a small smile on his face. The smile nobody could resist.
"Still mad at me?" Stefan stared at him, internally knowing that Damon would eventually forgive him. He always did- it was not as if he had any other mates or relatives anyway.
Damon didn't respond, taking off his shirt in the meantime and replacing it with a black one. His new look was elegant and formal as well, but simultaneously more convenient and attractive, as it highlighted his shoulders and his abs, revealing some skin of his chest.
"Damon." Stefan huffed, rolling his eyes. "Are we seriously doing this now?"
"I don't know what to say." he finally replied, walking past him into his wardrobe and picking a pair of shoes. "You don't listen."
Stefan scoffed, expecting his reply. He knew his brother better than anyone- his flaws and imperfections, the things that could anger him in an instant, the things he loved and the ones he detested. But above everything, Stefan knew that Damon was a brat- he would do anything in his power in order to achieve what he wanted, even if it meant not talking to him for months.
"Are you seriously so oppressed over a charity company?" he asked, Damon tying his shoes in the meantime. Standing up, the attractive male looked at his reflection on the golden mirror lying on its glossy surface.
"I'm not angry about the fucking charity company, Stefan." Damon whispered.
Sometimes he honestly thought that his brother didn't know him at all. Yes, maybe Stefan had inherited the pure, selfless heart in the family, but he had inherited the smartness. And just because he was smart, he could easily get infuriated by the behavior of his little brother, let alone the stupid people that always seemed to surround him.
"I could buy the whole charity company and it would cost nothing to me." he stated plainly, eventually turning his head towards his direction and looking at him with a cold, yet sincere look.
Stefan scanned his figure, coming to the conclusion that Damon would hang out again that night, as Olivia would spend the night on her own residence and Damon didn't like to sleep, anyway.
"I'm mad at you because you lied." he added with adamancy, his eyes glimmering as they were centered at his brother's figure.
"Come on, Damon." Stefan rolled his eyes at him, thinking his behavior was utterly ridiculous. "It's not that serious-"
"It's not?" Damon cut him off, scoffing into thin air at his brother's idiocy. "You know how many times I've been betrayed in my life? What Katherine did to me? You were the only one I can trust, my brother, but it seems like even you don't listen to me. We're partners and one stupid mistake of yours could blow the whole thing up."
"It only happened once."
"No." Damon shook his head softly, looking at the floor with a bitter smile. "It happened once, and it will happen again." he stated with humility- and experience.
"That's the thing with lies, Stefan. Once you lie, it's easier for you to do it again. Nobody likes to face reality."
Stefan smiled, looking at Damon's reflection in the mirror and knowing his obsession for perfection too well, and decided to approach him. "Okay, that's enough." he said when he reached him, his grinning face very close to his own, and planted a playful push onto Damon's shoulder. "You're so not mad at me. Maybe you can be the big bad millionaire out there, but you can't pretend with me, you know that?"
Damon looked back at him, trying to seem angry and hostile at first, but apparently not being able to do it due to a mere smile of his brother.
Stefan just had that effect on him- no matter what he did, he was his brother, the only person in the world that had gone through everything with him, understood and would always support him. Stefan was the only one who knew the real Damon; hence he could never be mad at him for long.
"Fuck you." Damon tried to contain his smile as his brother's one was profound and had already transformed into a soft laugh. "Liar."
Stefan rolled his eyes at him, laughing as well. "You're such an asshole."
Damon looked at Stefan's playful eyes, his brother's words hitting his ears. Stefan was the only person who was capable of cursing and touching him intimately like that, and telling him his deeper thoughts without filters, but with honesty and transparency. He was giving him a different sort of power; the strength to move on.
He was giving him... love.
Scoffing at him, Damon moved away from Stefan's figure as he put a tad of Tom Ford cologne on his neck. Its smell was pleasant and fragrant, reaching his nostrils and fulfilling him with the sense of serenity.
"I'm not the only one who lies, you know." Stefan stated from behind him, attracting his attention once again. "Maybe Olivia is blinded by the whole sex thing you two do, but I'm not."
"What do you mean?" the older brother wondered, furrowing his eyebrows.
"I just talked to Elena." he whispered honestly, "The girl is not delusional."
Damon turned his back towards him with an expression that indicated disgust. "You mean the maid? She's so annoying."
"Then why are you keeping her? You kicked that Keebelle girl out the moment you found her in the upper floor." he snapped back, making Damon roll his eyes once again while standing close to the door.
"Ugh, that one was really getting on my nerves. Wouldn't shut up."
Stefan grinned, "She was so obsessed with you, it was funny." he said, reminiscing that girl's naive behavior.
Even though she was a simple maid, Keebelle was constantly talking about his brother, an obsession to the point she attempted to encounter him alone. And when she eventually managed to, Damon took the opportunity to kick her lunatic ass out of the mansion.
"That doesn't explain why you kept Elena, though." Stefan pushed further, knowing that Damon tried to evade his primary question.
Damon released a breath. "Because it's fun, Stefan." he admitted, "I get to torture her."
"You torture every single one of the maids." he pushed further, because he cared about Damon. He wanted to make him talk to him.
"What are you trying to do, huh?" Damon snapped at him.
"Damon," Stefan whispered with a look that indicated he could be trusted. He knew his brother better than anyone- he knew when he was lying and most importantly, when he needed help. "You can admit it."
"Admit what?" he responded, ignorant.
"That she reminds you of Katherine." Stefan whispered, his words spreading all over the room.
At the sound of them, Damon's spine straightened, chills running all over it.
Katherine. The woman who was supposed to be the love of his life, his wife, the mother of his children, the one for him. Damon always used to have self control and contemplate his actions, as he was always a discerning, thoughtful man but, whenever he was with Katherine, all of that faded away, and he was just a stupid teenager that would obey to every single command of hers within a snap of the fingers.
Yes, Elena looked a lot like Katherine, he had to admit. Tall, impeccable body, with perfect curves and thin waists.
"That girl has nothing to do with Katherine." he stated, a variety of sentiments running through his veins, memories stabbing him in succession, as he tried to prevent them from coming to the surface.
Elena was not Katherine.
Both of the women had the same tone of dark brown hair and eyes, yes. But Katherine's ones were scarier, merciless, hostile. The eyes of a predator, thirsty for glory, a person determined to obtain everything by poisoning him with a glance.
"Katherine manipulated me for years, Stefan." he stated coldly, looking at his brother with a look of disappointment. "Elena is a fucking maid with no self control who I met yesterday. How dare you even compare them?"
"I-" Stefan whispered, noticing Damon's hurt expression. "Sorry, I thought that was the case."
"Well," Damon said, straightening his shirt with his fingers, "think before bringing her up then." he said sternly, a blank expression on his face. Life had provided him with various unfortunate incidents, and even though he couldn't easily lie to Stefan, he had perfected his ability to conceal his feelings.
He didn't scream nor shout- he didn't even flinch. And he didn't spend a single look at Stefan, his heavy feet dragging him towards the heavy, black door of his room with apathy, a pace that indicated melancholy and devastation.
"You never talk to me about your feelings, Damon. All you do is get drunk, what did you expect?" Stefan said tenderly behind him, but Damon didn't respond, as he continued to head for the empty corridor outside of his room.
He wasn't in his room- he was in a cage, a mess he had created, a mess that consisted of cold, high walls and nothing but his solitary, heartbroken soul.
"Where are you going?" Stefan added, watching Damon wandering away from him with a steady rate. He knew him better than anyone, but that didn't mean he could read him.
Damon was just like a book. Once you read it, you can recollect various things; the plot, the characters, the feelings it leaves you by the end of it, but you will never be able to figure out the meaning behind every word or phrase, because you simply are not the author.
"Why don't you figure it out, Stefan?" he said frustrated, not even stopping in his tracks, "Since you know everything."
He was out in the corridor now, and his vision was blurry. Katherine had decorated that hallway, with beautiful artworks that Damon wasn't that fond on, but, of course, if she loved them once he used to be willing to love them a thousand times more.
How dare his brother to compare all of this to Elena.
Yes, the girl was different than the others, rebellious in a sense, but he was Damon Salvatore. The man who had only fell in love twice in his lifetime and would never fall in the same trap again.
The man who slept with Olivia solely because of her money, the person who spent the majority of his nights getting up at parties and having sex with rich strangers. The man who hated the world and yelled at his maids whenever he had a chance.
Elena was nothing to him, while Katherine was everything.
He was thinking of that, as his feet dragged him towards the parking.
"Elena!" Caroline's and Liam's voices echoed in her ears in unison, as she picked up her phone. She was standing on the garden, close to the parking, during her break. It was almost night, and she would soon have to go to her room to call it a day.
"How are you? You must love it there!" Caroline cheered, her voice excited and encouraging.
Elena felt so safe when listening to the sound of their voices. Caroline and Liam were the only family she had left- for an instant, she closed her eyes and felt like being home. When she opened them, however, she was still in that luxurious mansion, dressed in that uniform that didn't represent her in the least.
"I'm... adjusting" she answered, trying to at least sound optimistic. "This place is so weird."
"That's what Bonnie said too." the blonde stated, with a warm tone in her voice. "She likes you a lot."
Elena giggled, already loving her roommate. "She's really amazing, Caroline."
"How is it to be surrounded by all that money?" Liam chimed in, wondering with excitement, making Elena scoff.
"As I said... weird." she replied to him, looking around her, at the breathtaking garden, which was surpassing every expectation. "The mansion is so luxurious, but also so remote, the Salvatores must really like privacy."
Caroline's excited laugh echoed from the other line. "Oh my god, did you see any of them?"
Elena shook her head, rolling her eyes. "Yes, Caroline, I talked to them."
"YOU TALKED TO THEM?" she screamed, taking her aback. "Girl, tell me everything!"
"Well," she responded, "You were right, Stefan is a sweetheart. I like him."
"I knew it." the blonde answered with confidence. "He's so hot."
"What about the other dude?" Liam asked, ignoring Caroline's fangirling.
Liam might have been able to conceal at times, but he was the jealous type of boyfriend. He utterly loved Elena and he was too significant for him to let her go. With her flaws and imperfections and the hard time she'd had, she was still his and his only.
"Damon is..." Elena began her sentence, as the door of the mansion opened, revealing his figure walking towards the parking next to it. "here?"
"What-" Liam said, but Elena's eyes were focused on the millionaire, her mind telling her that she ought to talk to him.
"I gotta go. Love you both." she whispered, ending the call and running towards Damon, without hesitating in the least. She needed answers, and if nobody gave them to her, she was willing to attempt and get them from Damon herself.
When she got closer, though, she noticed that his pace was angry, his steps big, as he was heading for the parking as if he was in a hurry for something. His clothes were now dark, highlighting his impeccable body, but he didn't look inviting to her; on the contrary, he intimidated her and she found herself wanting to go back to her cheerful phone call with Liam and Caroline.
"Not you again." he said angrily, as she walked past her, not sparing a single glance at her.
He seemed... upset. She could tell by the way he was walking.
"I just..." Elena shouted, walking rapidly in order to catch up with him. "Wanted to say thank you."
His eyes turned towards her as he stopped walking and focused on her. They were hostile, fierce and looking directly into her soul- making her shudder with fear.
"Thank you?" he replied sternly, raising his brows, "Trust me, I didn't do you any favors."
"But you did." Elena whispered, looking back at him, suddenly feeling more confident under his stare.
He really was consuming her.
"Listen, I know I shouldn't have been up there." she stated, his jaw clenched as he mercilessly looked at her, a hint of disgust on his look as well. "But I need the job and the money. Thanks for not firing me."
Damon scoffed angrily, looking at the sky and then back at her. "Do you think I really give a fuck?" he retorted, "I barely remember you."
He was rude, impolite, merciless, and Elena hated him. But he was her boss, and if she wanted to make ends meet, she had to obey every single one of his stupid rules and ignore his offensive words. And she sure as hell had to fix his bad impression of her, even if it seemed impossible.
"It's okay." Elena tried to hide her annoyed and offended look by smiling softly while looking at the floor. "I just wanted to say thank you and I will never bother you again."
His expression didnt even soften, though. He was angry, for a reason she was utterly ignorant about, but now he was furious while looking at her face. Contrary to the morning that had just passed, he couldn't even put on a fake smile- he seemed to detest her.
"Believe me, I don't care.", he stated, looking at her with resentment.
"The world does not revolve around you, Elena."
"The world does not revolve around you, Elena" Jeremy stated, looking at her with... hate.
Elena was crying at the spectacle in front of her. Her little brother standing with all of his suicases before the door of their house, determined to leave her for good.
"We just lost our parents, Jeremy." she shuddered, unable to support herself, as she knelt on the floor. Her vision was blurry due to her indefinite tears.
She had always been afraid of loneliness.
And if Jeremy left her as well, it would devastate her.
"We did." he answered sternly. "And you've fallen apart, you started all those bad habits but... I lost them as well, Elena. I can't deal with your mess." he added, making her sob.
"Please, please don't leave me." she cried, but seemed just pathetic to him.
"I'm going to have a better life." he said to her, his eyes determined and cold. "I want to forget about this... about all of this." he added while looking around his house.
"But, we're your family." she sobbed, but in complete vain.
"Where's the family, huh? Because I don't see it."
Elena's eyes got watery, as her mind travelled at Jeremy, the only member of her family that was still alive, but wanted nothing to do with her. Because nobody wanted her, or even care about her.
The world did not revolve around her.
Her eyes were watery as she was staring at Damon's ones, who didn't even flinch at her sudden turn of behavior. She was almost crying before of his eyes, but all he could hear was Stefan's words.
"She reminds you of Katherine."
"What's wrong with you?" he asked Elena, the tears in her eyes ready to spring and roll down her beautiful cheeks. She didn't even reply, the pain fulfilling all of her body in an instant. Her parents were dead. Jeremy was gone. Caroline and Liam were miles away. And she was just surviving- not living.
Damon's look was perplexed, but he was honest. He didn't give a fuck about her, or the reason she was crying. She meant nothing to him. "You can leave if you want to. The door is literally there." he told her, feeling her ready to collapse right in front of him.
And she would, if she didn't know a better way to torture herself.
Elena didn't even answer, as she covered her mouth with her palm, starting to run away from him, towards the mansion, covering her tears.
And even though Damon didn't have the slightest idea about what caused her to start crying, he didn't care. He continued heading for his destination, unbothered.
Elena ran. She didn't care about the eerie looks she was receiving from everyone, she just ran towards her room, feeling herself on the verge of passing out in front of everyone and ending it all.
She was so close to the door of her room, and she ran towards it, but her vision was unstable.
"Elena!" Nora's voice sounded from behind her, meaning the brunette had been following her the whole time. Elena stopped in her tracks, and turned back to face her, her face watery.
Nora's look was scary and intimidating as well and she didn't seem bothered by Elena's sad expression, but she was nothing compared to Damon. It was pointless, utterly pointless for her to be intimidated once again. Fear was something prevalent for her, anyway.
"I don't know why he hasn't fired you yet." Nora told her angrily. "And I don't know why you decided to talk to him out there, after I explicitly told you that you must not."
"But if you continue like this he sure will fire you. None of this matters to him."
Elena didn't even reply, though. She knew.
She needed to leave. She needed to... reach her room. She needed to torture herself.
She quickly nodded and turned her back to Nora, as she continued moving towards her bedroom.
Elena almost ran. Her steps were bold and big- and rapid- with their sole destination the territory of her own room. Her room, the only place where she could torture herself, where she could embrace the terrible human being she had grown to become.
Damon almost ran. His steps were decisive, as he got into one of his cars without even glancing at the guards around him. His destination was a bar, he didn't know which. He solely needed, more than craved, to torture himself. Because the clubs reminded him that he had no personal life and simultaneously that nobody that cared about him- the real him.
When she got in, she ran towards the capacious bathroom, noticing that Bonnie was nowhere around, and closed the door behind her with a loud bump, locking it. And that's when she broke. She could not hold back her tears anymore. They started to roll down her cheeks and Elena was incapable of holding them back- on the contrary, she cherished the pain. She deserved it, after all.
When he got in, the loud music hitting his ears, his eyes scanned the capacious space, that screamed luxury and class. He belonged there, he knew he did when he grabbed a glass of whiskey and consumed it all at once, without obtaining any contentment. No, Damon Salvatore wouldn't break. He wouldn't cry. He would drink the whole bottle of whiskey in order to evade it.
Elena's hands trembled, as she let the water of her bathroom sink flow, her other palm travelling to her purse and pulling her razor blade out of it. Her sobs were bold as she slowly removed her clothes and got into the bathtub, and felt the hot water hitting her cold skin. Her skin. Her body. It meant nothing to her.
Damon's hands trembled as he finished another glass of whiskey and he noticed a guy sitting at a remote side of the club, staring at him. He didn't care who he was or what he looked like, he didn't care about anything but Katherine. Her smile. Her kisses. And the way she looked at him when she mercilessly broke his heart into a thousand pieces.
She screamed as the blade came in contact with her right wrist. That one was for Jeremy. Elena observed her crimson blood springing from the wound opened by no one but her own self. She relished it, the pain. The sensation that she eventually got what she deserved; hurt, devastation, destruction. That's what she was born for, anyway.
When his mouth came into contact with the man's one, Damon closed his eyes, hoping that he would feel something, a flicker, a hint of emotion hiding deep into his heart, but in vain. He felt nothing, absolutely nothing as the foreigner's tongue delved into his. But he had gotten used to it, embraced the fact that he would never find love ever again in his life. And even if he did, nobody could ever love the monster he was born to become, anyway.
Elena punished herself. And even though every inch of her body hurt like hell, she didn't mind it.
Damon punished himself. And even though every inch of his heart hurt like hell, he didn't mind it.
Because, what was the point of life when both of them were lost causes?
heyy
i wrote 8.5k words again and even though this chapter is not my fave, it is very important. It was an introduction to stefan, the maids, jeremy and damon's and elena's feelings and thoughts.
i can't wait for the next chapter bc the story will finally pick up, because i've come up with a really interesting plot, which i think you'll like.
anyway pls leave me feedback and tell me if the chapters are too long