Happy Birthday Ari909. Hope you have a wonderful day.
"Want gas, mister?" Luke Parker considers Damon as he steps out of his car.
"Yeah," he takes the nozzle out of the pump and starts filling up.
"Where you headed?" Luke eyes the vintage Camaro enviously.
"Blackbeard's Inn in Okracoke."
"You staying at the Inn?"
"No, I'll probably stay at my folk's place for a few days while I get mine ready. I grew up here, joined the navy but I'm back now... Hoping to meet up with some old friends and perhaps stir up a few flames," his thoughts drift to her.
"Stir some flames?" Luke chuckles, cleaning off Damon's windshield.
"Never mind. My mom told me that a bunch of my old buddies are planning a bazaar to raise money to save the place. I hope to lend a hand. The Inn is a landmark and pretty nostalgic to my parents. They got engaged there."
"Yeah, I heard something about a committee forming to keep Richard Lockwood's greedy fingers off the place. Mostly old ladies live there now."
"That's what I understand," Damon hangs the nozzle back on the pump then follows Luke inside to pay for his gas. After picking up a fountain pop, he climbs back behind the wheel, pulls onto the interstate and continues his trek towards Ocracoke, North Carolina. A half hour later, he's pulling into the parking lot at Blackbeard's Inn - Legend has it that the old pirate himself built the place.
Getting out of his car, he strolls around the grounds, it's a little early and when he looks around, he doesn't see any of his friends yet. So instead, he walks to the water's edge and looks out over the site of Blackbeard's final battle.
Lieutenant Robert Maynard was assigned by Alexander Spotswood, the governor of Virginia, to capture or kill pirate Edward Teach, nicknamed Blackbeard. Maynard took control of the two sloops, "Ranger" and "Jane", perfectly suited for shallow waters. The pirate hunters learned that Blackbeard was in his base at Ocracoke Island. They sailed there quietly and found the pirates anchored in Ocracoke Inlet on the evening of 21st November 1718.
When Blackbeard spotted Maynard's almost empty ship , he decided to board "Jane". With fourteen pirates, he recklessly entered the sloop. The signal was given to Maynard's men, who quickly attacked their outnumbered opponents.
Maynard wounded Blackbeard with a close shot from his gun, but the Lieutenant's sword broke in mêlée between them. Teach got fatal cuts in the neck and throat and finally died after he got more than twenty wounds. When the fight was over, Maynard slung Blackbeard's head below the bowsprit of the "Jane" as a trophy of the famous victory.
"Damon, you're here," Enzo walks up and pulls him into a hug.
"It's good to see you," Damon looks his pal over when they separate.
"Let's go inside, I'll reintroduce you to the ladies that run the Inn. They're all descendants of Blackbeard's bloody crew and they're proud of it."
"I'm not entirely a novice, Enz, I did grow up here too," Damon laughs and walks alongside his friend towards the building.
"I know, some of the ladies moved here after you left. The others are inside, Elena, Bonnie, Caroline, the Mikaelson clan, we're trying to come up with ideas for the Valentine's Day Buccaneer Bazaar."
"Well, if we put our heads together, surely we can come up with something," Damon trots up the steps behind Enzo and the two enter the building. He stops for a moment, a feeling of nostalgia washes over him. There's pirate lore everywhere the eye can see. The waitresses in the restaurant are dressed up as wenches while the waiters wear Jack Sparrow garb. Portraits of famous pirates adorn the walls with a place of honor for Blackbeard himself. With Valentine's day approaching, there's a sign posted for about the bazaar. He knows they have a lot of work to do if they're going to make it a success. As they walk down the hall towards the conference room, the two men pause when they hear Mrs. Flower's voice.
"Mr. Lockwood, you can't foreclose on anything until the end of the month," She holds her ground when the man rounds on her.
"Why don't you just give up now, you'll never make enough money to bring your mortgage up to date. I'll just buy it up from the bank and you'll have nothing," he flashes her a smarmy look.
"You're pretty sure of yourself..." Damon approaches the man. Richard Lockwood has always been a bastard.
"Ah, Salvatore, what brings you here?" he looks down his nose at Damon.
"I'm home and I intend to help Mrs. Flowers and the other ladies keep their home."
"Give me a break," he shakes his head and with a sanctimonious glare, leaves the Inn.
"The nerve of that asshole," Damon watches him strut out of the place as if he owned it.
"That's why we're all here - to stop him," Enzo slaps his back gently then urges him down the hall till they reach the conference room and go inside.
"Damon," Caroline gives him a hug and then sits back down beside his brother. He arches an eyebrow at Stefan when Caroline kisses him. Elijah shakes his hand followed by the rest of their friends, even Elena gives him a smile.
"Have a seat," she tells him.
"Elena's head of the committee. We don't have much time so we need to come up with some concrete ideas to make a lot of money in short amount of time," Caroline explains.
"Why is Richard Lockwood so anxious to get his hands on this property anyway? It's a local landmark."
"I'll show you on the map," Elena stands up. "This is the island, in Blackbeard's day, the river flowed this way," she uses her finger to show him. "At that time, the inn wasn't on an island at all. It was part of the mainland. Then about 150 years ago, there was a terrible hurricane which isolated the this property from the mainland. Nobody's ever been able to clarify... what the legal jurisdiction of the island really is. That's where Richard comes in, he wants to tear down the place to build a big, modern casino - and the law can't bother him. But you should know this Damon, you haven't been gone that long," Elena locks eyes with him.
"I knew about the hurricane and everything but I wasn't aware of the legal thing," he explains.
"Now you are. So fly boy, do you have any brilliant ideas for us?" she arches an eyebrow at him before sitting down between Kol and Rebekah.
"Well, I think we should make it both adult and children friendly. Maybe a fish pond, shooting gallery, toss the rings around the bottle, maybe a cookie or cake booth?"
"Those are good ideas but we'll have to buy some prizes or maybe you can work that Salvatore charm and get some of the local merchants to donate?" Elena mentions.
"I'll ask my father. I know he's planning to make a donation at the bazaar too," Rebekah adds, nudging Elena with her elbow.
"I bet dad would donate some money for prizes," Stefan looks at his brother.
"That's a start, any other suggestions?"
"I think we should do a kissing booth," Rebekah smirks, "You're perfect for that Damon."
"No way, I'm not doing that," he rolls his eyes, "although, I'm sure I could bring in big bucks..."
"If you're so sure of your abilities, why don't you step up? The ladies could certainly use those "big bucks," Elena has him behind the eight ball.
"I think we should have a man and a woman selling kisses, I mean, it's only fair," he winks at Elena.
"I'll take that into consideration," she fists her hand beneath the table at how cocky he still is.
"Hello Elena," Damon whispers in her ear as he opens his locker.
"What do you want?" she looks up and her heart begins to pound as he turns all the power of his blue eyes on her.
"Not a thing," he winks, shoves a book into his locker and pulls another out.
She can feel him undressing her with his eyes and before she can slap him for looking at her like that, Katherine appears, wraps her arms around his neck and kisses him fiercely while his eyes stay trained on her.
"Disgusting," she mumbles under her breath, slams her locker shut and loses herself among the crowd as she heads towards her next class.
"Elena," Kol waves his hand in front of her face.
"Sorry, I was just thinking about something."
"I know you were," he whispers, nudging her playfully with his knee.
"We could also have the kids draw Captain Blackbeard and the winner gets to hang it in the Inn," Elijah suggests.
"That's perfect. I think we should end things here and make sure we can gets some donations for prizes. Let's meet again Friday and then we organize everything and really get started," Elena adjourns the meeting and the group walks outside.
Damon says a few words to Nik and out of the corner of his eye watches Elena depart with Kol and Rebekah.
When Nik walks off, Enzo approaches with a cigarette in his mouth. "I saw you looking at Elena," he chuckles.
"She takes no prisoners, my man," he sighs. "Let's go into the lounge, I could use a drink," Damon slaps his back and the two men go back inside to imbibe in some good bourbon and reminisce.
"Damon," Stefan comes up behind him and squeezes his shoulder. "Have you been home yet?"
"Nope, I got a late start so I came directly here. I didn't want to miss anything," he finishes what's left in his glass and signals for a refill.
"Vince is a cop now, he'll give you no quarter if he picks you up for drinking and driving," Stefan runs his eyes over the glass as the bartender fills his glass a second time.
"Don't be such a killjoy, Stefan, how does the fair lady Caroline put up with such boredom?" Enzo winks at her.
"Knock it off." When they leave, Stefan takes Caroline's hand and deliberately walks into Enzo, causing him to spill his drink in his lap.
"You jerk," he jumps off the stool to go after him but is stopped by Damon.
"Let my baby bro alone, you kind of asked for it," he laughs, wagging his finger at the bartender to give Enzo another drink.
"I need to go home and change clothes," Enzo quickly swallows it down as soon as the bartender slides it to him.
"Do you need a lift?" Damon pulls a twenty out of his wallet and lays it on the bar top.
"Nope, brought my car," Enzo parts from Damon at the bottom of the steps, slides into his vehicle and drives off into the darkness.
Damon shakes his head, crawls into his own vehicle and drives away. Fog like white wool drifts past him in fleecy flakes. The trees are veiled in the lightest of mists, their trunks somber brown with sable cracks that gnarl the bark. As his eyes travel to the edge of the water they become silhouettes against a blanket of white as if he's encircled by twilight. Driving slow because of the visibility, he comes upon a set flashing emergency lights and pulls up behind it. Getting out of his car to help, he runs up to the other vehicle and knocks on the window.
When the driver turns her head, he relaxes a little. "Elena, do you need a lift somewhere?"
Upon seeing it's Damon, she rolls down her window. "I have a flat. My spare is getting repaired so I couldn't change it - which I'm perfectly capable of doing."
He raises his hands in surrender. "I didn't say anything, Elena. There's no doubt in my mind that you could change a tire if the need arises. Now come on, I'll drop you off," he opens the door when she unlocks it and steps back so she can get out. Just then a police car pulls up.
"As I live and breathe," Vincent approaches, takes Damon's hand and shakes it vigorously. "Hey Elena," he adds, smiling at his friend.
"Hi Vincent."
"Is this guy giving you any trouble?" Vincent teases, winking at her.
"No, actually he rode in on his white horse to give me a hand. My spare is getting repaired, I either need a tow or to borrow someone's..." she looks at Damon.
"Okay, I'll get mine," Damon trots back to the Camaro, opens the trunk and pulls the tire out. With Vincent's help, Damon changes it so she can be on her way.
"Thank you Vincent and you too, Damon, I'll get that tire back to you as soon as I can."
"No worries, Elena," he stands back and she gets in her car. Together with Vincent, they watch till her tail lights are obscured by the fog.
"You back for good?" Vincent walks him back to his car.
"That's the plan. I need to find a job after I save the Inn, so if you'll excuse me, I need to slip into my red cape," Damon laughs.
"Still full of it Salvatore," Vincent shakes his head and walks back to his police cruiser.
"You know it," Damon gets in his car, waves at Vincent then disappears into a fog bank as he drives towards home.
"Sorry, I'm late," Elena enters the conference room at the inn, sets her bag down, pours herself a cup of coffee and then sits down. Today she's pleased to see that Mrs. Flowers, Honoria Fell, and Patience Sommers are attending to. "Good coffee," she remarks, taking a swallow, sets it aside then opens her planner. "So last time we talked about buying prizes for a fish tank and some other things, any success?" she looks at the others.
Damon turns his palm up as he looks at his younger brother.
"Here's a check for $250. from our dad. He's also going to make a donation on the day of the bazaar. He suggested raffling something off too, maybe one of the antiques, he's always had his eye on that old rifle."
"Perhaps we could consider it but we have to talk it over with the others," Mrs. Flowers looks at Honoria.
"I also have a check, here's $500. from our father and $200 from me," Rebekah hands them to Elena.
"This is wonderful, now we have almost a thousand dollars to buy prizes for the kids. Have we thought about anything else in addition to the cookie and cake booths, and the fish pond?"
"We can do a horseshoe toss and toss the rings on the pop bottles. That's fun. Maybe a fish fry?" Kol adds to the conversation.
"Don't forget the kissing booth," Enzo turns to Damon.
"Nope, I'm not kissing anyone," Damon shakes his head.
"You're probably right, who would want to kiss you anyway?" Elena meets his eyes. They're such an odd - yet alluring - shade of blue.
"Yeah Damon, you think you can just waltz back into town and everyone will line up to get a piece of you?" Bonnie laughs and turns to Enzo. "You'll do it won't you Enz?"
"You think no one will want to kiss this mouth?" Damon taps the pad of his index finger against his lips.
"That's what I'm saying," Elena speaks before Bonnie can reply.
"Let's make a little wager then, Enzo comes in the kissing booth with me, I win, you owe me a date. You win, name your price."
"Don't I get a say in this?" Enzo chimes in.
"Nope," Bonnie shakes her head.
"Fine," he drapes his arm around her shoulders.
"What do you say, Elena, do we have a deal?"
"I need to think about my price," she jots some notes in her planner.
"What are you scared?" Damon mocks, raising his chin defiantly at her.
"Scared of you?" she breaks out in laughter. "You have yourself a bet."
Damon gets up, walks over to her and extends his hand. "Deal."
"Deal," Elena repeats and shakes his hand. Her eyes follow his nice behind when he returns to his seat and wonders what in the hell she's gotten herself into.
"Marcel, it's good to see you," Damon shakes his friend's hand. He brought his Camaro into his shop to get the oil changed.
"Still driving this beauty?" Marcel runs his hand over the hood. "If the price is right, would you ever consider selling her?"
"Nope, not for any price. I have dreams that are waiting to come true with this car," Damon tosses his key ring to him.
"Do they involve a certain doe-eyed brunette?" Marcel takes the keys and drives it into the garage.
"What makes you think that?" Damon asks when Marcel returns to his office.
"Oh come on, Damon. You did a good job of hiding it but I could tell you liked her."
"I did but Matt Donovan was always attached to her at the hip and I was with Katherine. Although I did have fun with Elena. It was pretty easy to rile her up if you knew how," Damon chuckles. "What happened to Matt anyway?"
"He and Elena were an item for a long time. Then he met some girl in Wilmington, broke up with Elena and eloped."
"That clown, not that I'm sorry they're over but that's pretty crude, how long were they together anyway?"
"About six years. I think Elena was close to ending things anyway but she would've had more class than that. Excuse me," he says when his office phone rings. "I need to go out to the garage, you're welcome to wait here, maybe we could have a drink later? You can tell me some of your navy stories."
"You mean about yours truly saving the day?" he chuckles.
"That ego of yours hasn't shrank at all," he rolls his eyes and walks out of his office.
Damon leans back in his chair and pulls at his phone. He texts Enzo about meeting up later too. His mind drifts to his bet with Elena, he's not worried about piling up the kisses, he'll probably make a good share of money needed himself but he wonders what she'll choose should the unexpected happen. He quickly brushes that thought off, he's not going to lose a bet, not with his good looks and charming personality. There's only one person who's always been immune to it - Elena.
The team is split in two with one half wearing red jerseys and the other half wearing yellow jerseys for practice. The two halves face each other as they bend over on the field, about to play.
"Ready! Down! Set! Blue-47! Blue-47! Hut!" Matt Donovan yells and the play begins. The ball is hiked to him, then he backs up and throws it to Tyler across the field before being trampled. Tyler catches it and runs towards the goal post but is tackled by Mason. Ric, their coach jogs along the sidelines watching them. "Damon, get out there," he yells.
Damon stands up and grabs his helmet, walking happily toward the field.
"Go get 'em," Ric claps.
When Damon turns back toward the field, he finds himself face to face with several of the other team members. They try to intimidate him but he ignores them, slips on his helmet and moves into position to receive the ball. He reaches between the player's legs. "Blue 19! Blue 19! Hike!" Enzo passes the ball through his legs to Damon, he backs up, getting ready to throw. He dodges one of the yellow players who tries to tackle him and throws the ball across the field. It soars high into the air and is then caught by Nik.
"Nice throw, Damon! Keep it up!"
"Thanks coach," he yells and gets into position for another play. They do a fake out, Damon tosses the ball to Elijah then runs down the field, leaping into the air to make the catch when Elijah launches it. With the other side bearing down on him, he runs out of bounce and directly into Elena, sending them both sprawling.
"Elena, I'm sorry, are you okay?" he offers his hand to help her up. "What the hell were you doing walking right there?"
"I'm a cheerleader," she puts her hand on hips as he takes in her long, lithe legs. And you're the one who ran into me," she brushes the dirt and grass off of her skirt.
"Well duh," he moves in front of her to keep her from walking away.
"Aren't you supposed to be on the field?"
"You're much more interesting," he winks at her.
"You're an ass, now get out of my way."
"Ah, sweetheart, you don't mean that," he waggles his brows, knowing it'll light her up even more.
"You're impossible," she gives him a shove and walks off. Damon has a smile on his face when he returns to the field.
A slamming sound pulls him from his memory but the smile on his face is the same as it was that day.
"Hello Elena," Richard Lockwood remarks when he approaches her as she stands in line at the bank.
She looks around before considering him. "Mr. Lockwood, you didn't come out of your office just to say hello to me. What is it that you want?"
"Oh," he circles her, "I was just wondering how your plans to save the Inn are going? If they'd let me buy it outright, those women will have enough money to get themselves another place to live. But if I have to call in the note, they may be short on luck. I only have the welfare of those women in mind, you know I'm an extremely caring person," he looks at her like a cat about to pounce on a hapless mouse.
"Caring person? Ha! You want that land for your own personal gain, there's not an altruistic bone in your body," she arches an eyebrow at him.
"Elena, you wound me," he puts his hand on his heart.
"You don't have a heart to wound," she claps back.
"Alright, I tried playing nice, you better watch your back," he sneers under his breath so those around them don't hear.
"Is that a threat?" she starts but is interrupted by Damon's approach.
"What's going on here?" he asks when he notices the stiff set of Elena's posture and stark look on her face.
"Richard was just relating how concerned he is for Edwina Flowers and the other ladies who live at the Inn. He'd like us to convince them to sell the place to him."
"No way, you only want to tear it down to build a Vegas style casino," Damon points his finger at him.
"You've got me all wrong, Salvatore. I want those ladies to get a good deal, one that will benefit all parties involved and I come out of it smelling like a rose."
"Smelling like horse shit you mean," Damon replies, looking at him unblinkingly.
"Why you!?" Richard fists his hands.
"Stop it," she raises her palm when Damon takes a step closer to Richard. "I'll see you at the next meeting," she says to Damon who gives her a nod then leaves the bank.
"Bastard, who does he think he is?" Richard sneers.
"I think you've said enough, Mr. Lockwood, now if you'll excuse me, it's my turn in line," Elena turns her back to him and walks up to the counter to do her business.
Elena pours herself a glass of red wine then retreats to the living room to watch some TV. She curls her legs underneath her then takes a sip, sighing at how good this Moscato is. After setting it down, she opens up her planner. Tomorrow she, Rebekah, Bonnie and Caroline are going to purchase some gifts for the fish pond and other games for the Buccanner Bazaar.
Then she thinks about Damon and how he stepped into the fray with Richard Lockwood today, not that she couldn't hold her own but it was kind of nice to have a sparring partner. Damon's always been good looking, unfortunately for his ego, he's only gotten more so as they've grown up and matured.
"So we're partners?" Damon smirks and takes the seat next to her in the biology lab.
"Seriously?" Elena wrinkles up her nose.
"It'll be fun," he nudges her with his arm.
"About as fun as landing in a cart full of manure."
"Really Elena, you could do so much worse, what if you had gotten Kol or Elijah?"
"I would have preferred them - thank you very much," she rolls her eyes.
"Elena, Elena," he wraps his arm around her shoulder and points to Mr. Tanner who's glaring at them. "He doesn't seem too pleased with us. So let's do this," he takes a deep inhale next to her, "You smell good girl. If you'd just let loose a little bit, we could..." he swipes his tongue across his lower lip teasingly.
"Do you ever give that ego a rest?" she pulls away from him, grabs her book and leaves the room, not caring what Tanner does to her.
And then her thoughts drift to her bet with Damon... Determined not to lose, a Cheshire cat- like grin grows on her face when a plan forms in her mind...
Elena takes a deep breath then raises her hand and raps on the front door. The porch light illuminates mere seconds before the front door opens.
"Elena?" Damon's searching gaze drifts over her shoulders to see if anyone else is with her. "Can I help you?" he asks, his eyes locking on hers.
"I brought your spare back, it's in the trunk," she bends her elbow and points her thumb at her car.
"Let me grab my jacket and I'll lift it out for you," he returns moments later, sliding an arm into the sleeve while following her to the vehicle. She pops the trunk allowing Damon to lift the tire out and roll it towards his Camaro.
"Thanks for helping me out the other night. Who knew you could be a good Samaritan?" she teases and actually smiles at him - a genuine one.
"Don't tell anyone okay? I wouldn't want to ruin my reputation," he laughs. "Do you want to come in a few minutes? I have some homemade beef stew on the stove, I know my way around the kitchen."
"I shouldn't," she hedges.
"Oh come on, I won't tell anyone," he gives her a slight nudge.
Elena bites her lower lip, eyes everywhere but on Damon. Then he moves closer with those eyes that look so deeply into her own.
"I know I've always been rather bombastic but you know that I'm not a bad guy..." he extends his arm towards the door.
Her breathing becomes softer, the pensive look melting into a soft smile. Her body squirms just a little as her muscles relax. There is something about those eyes of his she's never seen in another man, and for once she can see the truth in them. "Alright," she nods then follows him inside and into the kitchen where he sets another place at the table.
"Have a seat," he takes her bowl and fills it with beef stew along with one for himself. Before joining her, he pulls some dinner rolls out of the warmer, plates them and sets them down along with a stick of butter. Lastly, he grabs a couple of wine flutes from the cupboard and a bottle of Zinfandel out of the fridge. After filling the glasses, he hands one to Elena then sits down to join her.
"This is good," Elena swallows a spoonful then reaches for the wine.
"Thanks, mom insisted that Stefan and I know how to cook so we could take care of ourselves if the need ever arose plus she said it impresses the ladies," he winks at her.
"Your mom is a smart lady," Elena reaches for a bun to dip into her stew.
"I think so but I guess I'm a bit biased," he chuckles. "I think it's really great what you're doing to help Mrs. Flowers and others."
"You're helping too, Damon, don't forget the kissing booth," she smiles and stuffs a piece of bread into her mouth.
"I realize you're not doing it alone but you got the ball rolling. I'm sure the ladies appreciate your efforts. I can't wait to get Lockwood off their backs."
"We have to raise a lot of money, it's a daunting amount."
"I have an idea too but I need to check some things out before I raise any hopes," Damon finishes his wine and offers Elena a refill.
"Just a little, I don't want Vincent to pick me up for DUI on the way home," she takes another bite of her stew. "What's your idea?"
Elena keeps him pressed to her body with one long leg slung over his thigh and a hand stroking him firmly. "I need you, now," she positions him at her entrance and lifts her hips. Feeling her heat and wetness against him, Damon is powerless to resist, letting his hips fall through and sinking inside her.
Softly, she runs a hand along his jaw, her thumb caressing his cheek, before bringing her lips to his for a slow, languid kiss that shoots straight to his soul. When he feels the light scrape of her nails over his ass, reminding him to move, Damon begins to slowly glide in and out, matching the movement of their tongues. But as their kisses grow more heated, more frantic, so does the movement of their bodies – fingers scratching and clawing, hips bucking and driving, voices shouting and grunting. Then Damon feels her inner walls contract around him, her body tense and a long, strangled moan falls from her lips. With one more thrust, he plants himself deep inside her, buries his face in her neck and groans out his own release, grabbing a hold of perfection that is Elena Gilbert and riding it out.
"Damon?" she scrutinizes him closely.
Feeling a shiver, he shakes it off and covers it with a smirk. "That's for me to know and you to dot. dot. dot..." He then gets up to refill their bowls.
"Please?" she bats her eyelashes at him melodramatically.
"Fine," he slides his chair over, cups his hands around her ear and gives her the lowdown.
"Damon, that's a fantastic idea. You have to keep me in the loop."
Damon nods, but cautions her to keep it to herself so as not to raise false hopes. When she looks up, he finds himself mesmerized by the deep curve of her lips that makes the world stop. Her precious dimple makes his heart skip a beat...
"Cross my heart," she gestures, her voice pulling him from his reverie. When they finish eating, Elena helps him clean up and do the dishes. As soon as they finish, he walks with her to her car.
"Thank you for having me, and tell your mom she's a good teacher."
"I'll do that," he opens the car door so she can slide in.
"Thank you, Damon. Believe it or not, this was fun," she smiles up at him while starting the car.
"Goodnight, Elena," he pushes the door closed and watches her tail lights till they disappear at the next corner. As much as he would have liked to kiss her, he knows it's too soon. Maybe he'll get his chance in the kissing booth? Sighing, he shoves his hands into his jean pockets then goes back inside to have another glass of wine - and imagine the feel of her lips on his.
It's a lovely temperate Valentine's day, perfect weather for the Buccaneer Bazaar. The sky is dotted with a few candy-floss clouds. As Elena walks through the crowd, she smiles at how excited they all seem to be. Children are squealing at the fishing pond, a little girl claps excitedly when she pulls a Barbie doll out with her pole. Next a little boy takes his turn and is gifted with a box of Crayons. She can tell he's just as giddy by the way he jumps up and down with a huge smile on his face.
Faint music is playing over the speakers that Elijah set up. It's playing romantic ballads suitable for the occasion. She smiles at how many kids are waiting in line at Esther Mikaelson's cotton candy booth. The ones walking away from it are munching on the brightly colored balls soft sugar strands that dissolve on the tongue - sweeter than sweet and sticking to the teeth better than glue. She can't deny herself a taste of it too. "I think your booth is the most popular, Esther."
"I hope so," she winks at Elena then hands another child a stick with a rainbow colored cloud of sugary goodness.
When Elena catches a glimpse of her blonde friend, she grabs a napkin and chases after her. "Rebekah, hold up. You're supposed to be in the kissing booth?"
"Damon and Enzo took over. It's weird though cause Enzo already has a line of girls while Damon only has a few."
"Imagine that!?" Elena tries not to laugh.
Rebekah rounds on her, "You know something?"
"No I don't, I just think it's funny."
"You keep telling yourself that," Rebekah scrutinizes her closely."
"You're mistaken and look, there's Meredith Fell, I haven't seen her in since graduation."
"She was always crushing on Damon, she'll probably buy a dozen tickets," Rebekah adds, watching Elena closely.
"I have to get to the auction but I'm going to say hello to her, bye Rebekah," she sings songs, hurries away and approaches Meredith, pulling her aside.
"You made me lose my place," she breaks Elena's hold on her.
"Damon's line is pretty pathetic," she points to the four girls waiting their turn. "Look at Enzo's line, there must be some reason that hardly anyone wants to kiss Damon," she effectively plants the seeds in Meredith's mind.
"Is there something wrong with him, I mean is he sick? He's still as hot as he used to be," Meredith eyes him critically.
"I really don't know, I haven't kept up with him. He showed up here and asked to help..." Elena lets the words hang in the air.
"I guess I'll get in Enzo's line. Thanks for the head's up, Elena."
"My work here is done," she snickers to herself then heads inside to start the auction.
"I don't understand it, Enzo? Why's everyone in your line and no one wants to kiss this mouth," he points to his perfect pout.
"You win some, you lose some bud..." the words die on his lips when Bonnie drops a $5 bill in pail and pulls him into a torrid kiss. When she lets go, she winks at Damon and moves to the end of Enzo's line to get another one.
"Bonnie, give a guy a break, this is embarrassing," Damon crooks his index finger at her.
She rolls her eyes then steps out of Enzo's line to kiss Damon.
"Thanks, I owe you one," he cradles her face and kisses her fiercely, leaving her a bit loopy when he lets her go.
"Don't do that again," her eyes drift to Enzo who looks a little disgruntled.
Damon chuckles, "I know you're with Enzo but I had to show these girls what they're missing," he winks at her.
"You attract more flies with honey so when your head returns from the stratosphere, you might give that some thought," she stares at him for a moment then moves back into Enzo's line.
His two hour shift passes slowly and when Elijah and Kol relieve him and Enzo, he only has 50 dollars or 10 kisses in his bucket. "What a waste of my time," he mumbles and leaves the booth to go inside for the auction.
"Ladies and gentlemen of Ocracoke and neighboring communities, you all know the purpose of this bazaar. Our good friends, the Daughters of the Buccaneers... took over this old hotel many years ago and turned it into a local landmark," she pauses while the ladies stand up and the crowd applauds them.
"They serve delicious food in their restaurant and we've all been to their annual Pirate gala where they show old pirate movies that we all love. Not to mention the dances they have throughout the year," Elena claps again.
"Unless enough money is raised tonight... this place that has been their home for so many years... will pass into the hands of Richard Lockwood," she pauses at the low grumbling that fills the room. Looking around she notices the man himself standing at the back with Tyler on one side and Mason on the other while wearing a smug look.
"Mrs. Flowers and the ladies have generously donated some of their treasured momentoes, fine antiques and family heirlooms. I'm asking you to search your hearts and bid cheerfully, boldly and very, very generously."
Although his ego is a little bruised at his poor showing in the kissing booth, he takes a seat up front near where Elena is standing. She nods at him then bangs the gavel.
"First we have a fine antique pistol... which has been in the immediate family of Miss Honoria Fell... past president of the Daughters of the Buccaneers... Let's start the bidding at $100."
"I'll give you $20," Thomas Bradley raises his hand.
Damon is immediately suspicious when the man looks over his shoulder and gets a nod from Richard Lockwood.
"Surely we can do better than that? This is an antique pistol, dating back to the 1800's. Who'll give me $100? Do I hear $100?"
A gentleman in the back waves, "I'll give you $25."
"I'll give you $50," Damon starts to try to get people to bid more.
"Fifty dollars, anyone give me sixty?" She nods when an older woman raises her hand.
"Do I hear $70? - Seventy dollars! Come on people," she mumbles under her breath.
"One hundred dollars!" Damon waves his hand.
"One hundred dollars once. One hundred dollars twice. Sold to Damon Salvatore. You got a real steal," she smiles at him.
"Lot number two is a Copper-bottomed bed warmer. It's rumored to have been the property of Captain Blackbeard's wife - Mary Ormond. How about starting the bidding for us, Mr. Parker?"
"No," he shakes his head back and forth.
"Mr. Tanner, will you open the bidding for us?" Elena asks, her heart pounding in her chest. He says no after getting a nod from Richard Lockwood too.
"Will no one open the bidding on this magnificent item?"
"One hundred dollars," Giuseppe Salvatore waves his hand, nodding at his oldest son.
"We have a $100, will anyone give me $125?" Elena looks to Elijah who just enters after finishing up his turn in the kissing booth.
"One hundred and seventy five dollars," he waves his hand at her.
Elena smiles at him, "Elijah Mikaelson, one of our local attorneys doesn't like to lose. He very generously bid $175."
"One hundred seventy five dollars going once, going twice..."
"Two hundred dollars," Giuseppe offers.
"Two hundred dollars once. Two hundred dollars twice. Sold to Giuseppe Salvatore."
When the auction concludes, Damon approaches Elena, "How'd we do?"
"Better than we expected."
"That's good right?"
"We still need to count the other receipts, you know from the kissing booth, the fish pond, Esther's cotton candy and the rest. But if we just count the auction receipts, we still need another $20,000."
"I heard that Elena," Richard approaches. Why don't you give it up right now? I just happen to have the papers here for the ladies to sign over their rights to this property."
"Never," Mrs. Flowers rips the papers from his hands and tears them in half.
"You'll regret this," he sneers at her.
"No, Mr. Lockwood, you will," Damon steps up. "Can I have your attention ladies and gentleman, please sit down. I want to call my good friend Sheila Bennett to the podium, where are you Sheila?" he looks around and when he sees her, he waves for her to come forward.
"What's this all about?" Richard thunders, his hands tightening into fists at his sides.
"Hello everyone and Damon will you join me?" Sheila speaks from the podium.
He nods and approaches her, latching onto Elena's arm for her to stand beside him.
"Many of you know who I am but for those who don't, I'm Sheila Bennett, I work for the state of North Carolina. My job is to maintain historic sites. Damon came to see me at my office in Raleigh. Because of his foresight, I'm here to tell you that we've successfully added Blackbeard's Inn to the National Register of Historic Sights with means that this property is safe from any type of commercial development," Sheila's eyes drift to Richard whose face is red with rage.
"You can't do this. These women owe me money."
"You won't be able to take this property, Mr. Lockwood it now belongs to the state, however you will be recompensated for it."
Knowing he's been beaten, Richard picks up one of the wooden chairs, slams it to the floor, shattering it, sending shards of wood flying, some of them embedding in peoples' flesh.
Having seen this, Captain Liz Forbes approaches. "Mr. Lockwood, you're under arrest for destruction of private property and assault," she slaps a pair of handcuffs on him and leads him out.
The whole place erupts in applause. Damon quietly skirts through the crowd and goes outside. It's pretty quiet now as most of the people are inside. He walks over to the kissing booth and runs his hand over the counter, he still doesn't know what went wrong.
"Damon?" he hears her voice.
"Hey," he forces a smile.
"What's wrong? We won and you played a huge part in that. Thank you."
"I didn't do anything, my turn in the booth here was pretty pathetic, you won the bet," he's watching Elena intently.
"Damon, I don't want anything, not after what you did."
"I'm glad it worked out, thanks for letting me help," he gives her a nod, pulls his car keys out of his pocket then starts to walk away.
"Where are you going?"
"I'm going to the 'Jolly Roger' to have a bourbon," he continues towards the parking lot.
"Damon, stop, there's something I have to tell you," she reaches into her purse and pulls out a roll of tickets. "You weren't a failure, I bought all your tickets..."
Damon opens his mouth and closes it again, it still takes another minute before it dawns on him what she's really saying.
Is it possible that she actually...?
He chuckles and gives her a crooked smile. "You know Elena, I would have gladly kissed you for free."
"I didn't buy them to kiss you..." she looks into his eyes and with the moonlight reflecting in them, the words die on her lips.
"Then why did you buy them?" he moves close to her.
"I don't know, because you were so sure of yourself, I have to admit, I've always hated that about you... I guess I wanted you to know what it feels like."
"What - what feels like?" his breath sends shivers down her spine. Suddenly music starts and the dance area outside of the Inn lights up. Kol's band is playing a romantic Frank Sinatra song. Her heart starts to pound at being so close to Damon. There's a popping sound as red, pink and white fireworks explode in the sky.
"I wanted to put you in your place... I'm sorry Damon, I cheated so in truth, you won the bet."
"Well, how about I collect right now? Dance with me," he opens his arms, "It is Valentine's day after all, it's almost a duty to dance wouldn't you say?"
"You aren't mad...?" she's a little confused. But it's so easy to be drawn in those blue pools of his... "Well... fine," she quickly decides, steps into his embrace and they dance beneath the branches of a majestic oak tree with the moonlight shining through the branches.
Elena tilts her head so she can see into the endless depths of his eyes. His breath is hot on her flesh and then without skipping a beat, Damon lowers his chin so his mouth can sink down on hers. His luscious lips curve around her own and instinctively, her body molds into his. All she can concentrate on is the sensation of his mouth contorting around her own - how soft and delectable his lips feel.
As they linger on hers a moment longer, she savors the taste. Then his hands grip her hips, and he parts her lips with his tongue and slips it into her mouth. Heat settles low in her belly and goose bumps pebble her flesh. Then his palms push into her back. They're splayed low so his fingertips graze the bare skin where her shirt separates from her skirt. His tongue flicks against hers and all thoughts cease.
And when his lips finally peel themselves from hers, his eyes are dark and his smirk in position as he runs his thumb over his bottom lip. The action seems so effortless compared to the struggle she's having trying to regain her balance.
"What was that?"she asks, still tasting him on her lips.
"I couldn't resist." An amused smile twists one corner of his mouth before he whispers next to her ear. "Why don't I take you somewhere more comfortable so I can give you your money's worth of those remaining tickets?"
Elena groans in anticipation. Gripping him tight, she breathes, "Let's get out of here."
We hope you enjoyed this. I did take inspiration for the auction from Disney's 'Blackbeard's Ghost'.
Can't wait to hear your thoughts. I read this over so many times, sometimes I don't see the mistakes until after it's published then I do go in and fix them.
My dear friend Amazing Aisha is a writing dynamo. She has 3 stories in progress and updates frequently. JustiniaKorax has an incredible story. Florencia7 is an absolute gem - her DE stories are must reads. A new story I found that has a promising prologue is "Eternally His" by dreamysalvatore. Nickelback2001 has some good stories too. Daddysadist has 5 stories in progress. I don't know how she does it and go to school too. When I was in nursing school, I lived, breathed and slept nursing school. I never would have had time for writing fanfic.
I am DE till the end of time but for those of you who also like OC stories, heyitskarma has "What's Broken Inside."
Have a fun, romantic and safe Valentine's day. Thank you again. We'll see you soon with the next chapter of WTBHTB.