The Season's Curse

Chapter 4

Damon

"Where is your head at today your majesty?" A voice he knew all too well said as a smile rose to his lips. A smile he only reserved for very few people. One of which was one Ms. Lexi Branson. His breath of fresh air in his cold dark world. But even his relationship with her was complicated.

"Just waiting for all the madness to start. It's been a while since all five of us had hung out together."

"Are you nervous to see them again?"

"Of course, I am. Especially Elena."

"How long has it been since you've talked to her?"

"Fifteen years. We haven't seen each other since this all happened, but before everything happened you could say that we were close."

"How close would you say that you were?"

"Some say we were childhood sweethearts,"

"Do you believe so?"

"I'm not sure what to believe anymore. All the memories from my childhood got blurred when the witch made us who we are today. Who I was before that does not matter? What matters is who I am now."

"And who are you now?" Lexi asked getting closer, her eyes focused on his lips.

"Whoever I want to be." He replied closing the distance between their lips taking her into his arms and wanting nothing more than to never let her go.

The door swung open forcing the two apart as Lexi sprang to the opposite end near the window before Stefan came into the room looking at both in confusion.

"Is everything alright in here?" Stefan asked looking at the two of them as Lexi crossed the distance between the two and put her arm around Stefan's waist in reassurance just like she always did.

"Of course, it is. I'm just helping Damon calm his nerves." Lexi smiled reassuring him.

"Is something troubling you brother?" Stefan asked waiting for Damon's response.

"He's just nervous because he hasn't seen the others in years." Lexi answered always quick with a response to cover her own ass.

"You know you wouldn't be as nervous if you just participated in the festivities more often." Stefan insisted making Damon narrow his eyes.

"Why should I? After all the festival was started by the witch who turned me into this in the first place."

"Are you still bitter about that? She gave you an extraordinary gift. In my opinion you should be grateful."

"This coming from someone who has no idea what we're all going through."

"How would you know what the others are going through? You haven't seen Elena, Bonnie, Caroline, and Rebekah in years."

"Well thanks to our asshole father that all changes today."

"He just wants you to step up and accept your responsibilities. You can't avoid them forever."

"You underestimate what I can and can't do."

"Please Damon. Not today." Stefan said exasperated.

"Whatever. Can I get a moment alone please?" he asked turning towards his window feeling the sun on his skin.

"Fine, but don't be long." Stefan answered. "Come Lexi, let's set the carriage up for our journey."

Leaving Damon alone, Stefan and Lexi left as Damon embraced the sun wanting nothing more than to bask in its glory as a memory flowed back to his brain. One that genuinely made him happy. One that involved Elena Gilbert herself. A memory no one knew about except them.

The sun shone on his face as the wind blew gently making the grass tickle his cheeks. Damon Salvatore had always been memorized by the sun and loved every second that he got to embrace it.

"What are you up to Salvatore?" Elena asked the wind blowing through her hair as it framed her face. She was always beautiful, but today she looked radiant as the sun kissed her skin.

Today was Damon's fifteenth birthday and he had messaged Elena so he could see her. He knew the curse made it impossible for them to see each other for more than a couple of hours, but in those hours Damon and Elena made the most of their time.

"Basking in the sun's glory. Do you want to join me?"

"I'm sure I could spare a few moments." She smiled laying on the grass next to him. She sure was a magnificent sight.

"So, how is your kingdom doing?"

"Same old. Same old." She smiled looking at him.

"You know you should come here more often. Work on that sun kissed skin instead of looking pale all the time."

"My subjects need me. Besides the cold never bothered me anyway." She smiled making Damon sigh.

"I don't know how you could handle the cold all the time. I would be in misery if I had to live in an eternal winter."

"It's not as bad as you think. I mean at least there's not a lot of pest in my kingdom."

"I guess there's a silver lining to everything." He responded as he watched the rise and fall of her chest.

"Do you ever miss it?" she asked opening her eyes and looking into his.

"Miss what?"

"The simpler times when we didn't have to worry about anything or anybody."

"Of course, I miss them. Things weren't so complicated back then. We could feel what we wanted to. Be with whoever we wanted to be. Now that's not guaranteed anymore."

"Who would you want to be with? You know if things hadn't changed."

"Who's to say. I'm not one for imagining what could have been. I would rather focus on the here and the now."

"What would you do now? If you could?"

"Do you really want to know?" Damon asked sitting up as Elena sat up with him.

"Of course, I do." She said as he closed the space between them and kissed her lips taking her by surprise.

"That." He whispered on her lips as she breathed out. He wished that he knew what she was thinking.

"Oh. I-I don't know what to say." She said baffled.

"You don't have to say anything. I just wanted to try it, just once."

"Then if it's all the same to you, do you mind kissing me again?" she replied her eyes full of desire.

"No. No. I don't mind." He said closing the space between their lips as he placed her down on the grass losing himself in her for as long as he could.

"Damon?" Lexi asked from the door as he turned around to see her.

"What is it?"

"We're ready for you." She responded waiting for his reply.

"Then by all means. Let's get this over with." He said leaving his room so he could go see her again.