Previously on Flightmate...

E, B and C are going to Europe. Damon and Elena are in adjacent seats. An important person in Elena's past is revealed. Elena falls asleep on Damon's shoulder, much to her embarrassment The food tray arrives. Damon flirts with the hostess Andie, ending with her leaving her number.

Chapter 4: Unspoken-Unwritten-Non-Negotiable Deal from Hell

Elena narrowed her eyes at him. Could he be any vainer? Woah, I sounded like Chandler. I watch too much Friends. She gobbled her meatballs and tuna sandwich. Food takes her mind off of her problems. One of them - the human sitting next to her.

No. Apparantly, even food is not strong enough to distract her fixated mind.

She noticed him out of the corner of her eye. He was watching her eat, with a burning hunger in his eyes. Elena swallowed.

'Do you want something?' Elena asked him, trying to keep her heart rate under control.

Being gazed at in that manner was new to her. She never thought she'd be getting any attention after her parents died, plus she broke up with Matt. Jeremy couldn't deal with the loss of their parents, just like her. He turned to drugs. Elena was worried for him but she was helpless because she can't offer comfort to someone when there was none to start with. She turned into a complete recluse - she didn't want to become like her brother. She was suddenly the adult in the house. She had to be strong for her brother. She knew if she ever got out of denial, she'd break down. So she converted all her pain, loss and heartbreak into fuel and energy to get good grades and scholarships. It was the only method that worked for her.

Damon didn't respond. He continued eating her with his eyes.

'Hello? Damon? You there?' she waved a hand in front of Damon's face.

He blinked. Suddenly his eyes were wide like he was a kid who was caught with his hand in the cookie jar. He'd been staring. Elena realized he wasn't staring to piss her off. He genuinely was staring... because...

He said nothing but just dropped his eyes to his food. He started shoveling food into his mouth with a speed that didn't allow any space for conversation.

Elena knew when she was being dismissed. But it was her turn to piss him off. Just as she was going to expose him, she felt a vibration in her pocket. She got out her phone and opened her new message. It was from Caroline.

You calling dibs on Mr. Sex on legs or can I have a go?

Elena looked over at Caroline and stuck her tongue out in disgust. She typed back:

You like him? Care he is a douche/player! Didn't you and Bonnie catch that 15 minutes ago?

Caroline wrote back:

But he is so haaaawt. And he could have been in a bad mood: maybe he needs a friend to cheer him up. ;)

Elena rolled her eyes at her friend's text. She let out a sigh and typed back:

Fine. But whatever happens, it's on you.

Caroline had a wide smile on her face as she read Elena's text. She threw a thumbs up in her direction and mimed switching places. Elena nodded, smiling slightly. When Caroline was excited, everyone around her felt it. She collected her bag and food tray and got up.

'Where do you think you're going?' a smooth voice demanded her.

'Well,' she thought of telling him. Naaa. 'I am done with you annoying me and flirting with everyone you meet, so I'm leaving,' she smirked. Damon looked hurt but when she smirked, he smouldered back in equal fervour. 'Caroline's going to be here me. So please try not to annoy her,' Elena said, serious then.

Damon's smoulder didn't waver. 'Don't look at me with those judgy little eyes,' he retorted with his usual smart-ass attitude. 'I don't annoy people. I bring out their inner feistiness and make them look it right in the eye,' he said, raising his eyebrows at the right point to emphasize.

Damn, he was right. She hated him but her stomach began doing something it had not done in a very long time. Her heart was hopping wildly in her ribcage and her stomach contracted inwards, frantically trying to control her bodily reactions. She wasn't going to let him win.

'Admit it Damon. You make excuses to cover up. This is not me being feisty. This is me being a normal human being with a non-infinite tolerance level. This is me telling you that you are a prick and I am not putting up with it.' Elena turned her back on a stupefied Damon, walked across the aisle past Caroline and sat down in her seat. She turned sideways to look at Damon who was still in shock and staring at her. She felt light-headed at having out-spoken sex-on-legs, as Caroline so crudely labeled him. She high-fived her inner self.

Feeling a pair of eyes boring into the side of her head, she turned around to notice Bonnie looking at her with… awe? Devotion?

Elena let out a huff.

'What? He deserved it!' she said, adamantly defending herself. She didn't want to think that she let herself get carried away.

Bonnie simply grinned at her.

A few minutes later, Elena leaned over just enough to see how Caroline and Damon were doing but not enough so it's obvious and she'd be spotted. However, her view was blocked by Caroline's legs. Looking up, she met Caroline's cold eyes.

'Hello Ele-na,' she said.

'Hey Caroline! How did it go?' She did not want to hear that Damon did something Damon-y.

But of course.

'How did it go?' Caroline asked, her tone slightly crazy. 'Well, let me see. You completely blew him off and he is pissed. And I get called a shallow, useless, waste of space.' She said, her voice breaking.

Elena couldn't believe his guts. How could he say that to someone? He judged one of her best friends and in Elena's eyes, he deserved nothing but the worst. She was so mad; she wanted to snap Damon's neck right then.

'Care I'm so sorry,' she stood to hug Caroline. But Caroline backed away.

'Please... Caroline,' Elena followed her. They were standing in the aisle, speaking softly, trying to appear nonchalant and not intense. 'Damon's a jerk. Don't let him get to you.' Elena tried to comfort her friend. 'How can I fix this?' she asked her desperately. Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted Damon smiling as he stared out the window.

'I don't know Elena. You can't.' Caroline said emotionless, ending their conversation with an uncomfortably loud finality. She shuffled past Bonnie, handing her Elena's bag and food tray before plopping down in her seat. She stared out the window, looking like she'd never take her eyes off of it.

'Bonnie-' Elena started.

'Elena I told you. You have to fix this. I don't know how but you're going to have to get him to apologize. Properly to Caroline's face.'

She's kidding right? There's no way that's going to happen. But hey, where is that Gilbert optimism?

Elena took a deep breath and memorizing Caroline's face, she said to herself.

Bring it on, mission impossible: get Damon Salvatore to apologize.

Elena took her bag and food tray from Bonnie and walked stealthily towards Damon. He had a bottle of bourbon which only served to increase Elena's anxiety. It explained his rudeness to Caroline, but that didn't make it okay.

'Look who's back,' he said sarcastically, still pouring his bourbon and drinking all of it in one gulp.

Elena wanted to yell at him but caught herself in time. 'Are you sure you want to drink so much? How did you manage to get that in the plane anyway?' her voice got increasingly concerned for him. She tried guilting him. 'Damon? I know you're better than that, come on,' Elena said hopefully motivating him to stop without sounding too bossy again.

'That's where you are wrong Elena,' he said, glancing sideways at her. He poured himself another glass, then changed his mind and drank straight from the bottle. 'Why do you care so much anyway? I thought you weren't one of the "easy" ones.'

Elena stayed silent. As he took another mouthful, she had to make him stop. She focused on what she was here for. She didn't want Caroline to get a drunk-apology.

'Damon stop,' she said, slowly but firmly taking the bottle out of his hands.

'No… no... ' he said like a kid who watched his favorite toy being taken away. His face turned cold and angry.

'Why are you doing this? You've made your point; I am a terrible person that is so mean to people. Aren't you happy lecturing me? About-what was it?' he mockingly tapped his finger on his cheek and gazed upwards. 'Oh I know! I flirt with pretty faces so I can sleep with them, how you are immune to me and nothing I say can please you.' Elena opened her mouth to say something but Damon cut her off.

'How did that make you feel Elena? Happy? Like you won?' he said, his words cutting and frying themselves in Elena's memory. 'You judged me. I know I hurt blondie's feelings. But newsflash! I don't care! So you can stop expecting me to play the good guy because it's you who's asking' he said. Elena stared at him, the familiar rising of guilt in her oesophagus. 'Give me my bourbon back. Now.' He said, widening his eyes to emphasize his point. He looked threatening and Elena was intimidated but she acted cool. She held the bourbon out of his reach, refusing to hand it over. She got out of her seat, and Damon collapsed on it, trying to grab the bottle. He stretched out over both their seats, in an attempt to snatch the bottle from her hands, too buzzed to properly stand up. After a few seconds of trying, he collapsed on the seats, seemingly content with where he was.

'Look Damon, I'm… sorry for what I said earlier,' she said, his eyelids closing and opening slowly. He was staring at her. 'But if you think that I judged you,' Elena said, feeling the guilt get to her, 'then show me real you. I want to know the Damon that can be a good guy with manners- not the cocky crude and emotionless jackass. Apologize to Caroline and I'll believe that there might be something redeemable about you.'

Elena studied his face, hoping like hell that she'd had gotten through to him. Damon thought over her words. He thought hard. Then, suddenly his eyes lit up and a wide smile spread on his face.

'Ok fine. I'll behave.' He said rolling his eyes. 'I will apologize to Caroline. I might even be sincere about it.' He said in a confident tone. Elena knew he wasn't finished. The evil glint in his eyes and his you-are-so-dead smile that grew wider and wider as each silent second passed was a clear sign that he was about to suggest an offer that was inherently unagreeable.

'And you will do this if…?' Elena said, egging him on.

'You are smart, Gilbert.' Damon said his eyes twinkling flirtily. Elena almost got distracted by that. He was practically giggling; it was like he knew he had her.

'I bring school books on a vacation,' she replied trying to be the cocky one for once. 'What is your offer?'

'Yeah because books are what make you smart,' he said sarcastically. 'Let's see your brilliant brain at work. Here's my proposal. Oh and btw that means by the way,' Elena rolled her eyes, 'it is non-negotiable. You take it or leave it,' he said, letting his sentence to sink in.

Non-negotiable just deep-rooted Elena's fear that she was definitely not going to like it. It surprised her that he paused, waiting for her to accept his yet-unspoken-unwritten-non-negotiable deal from hell. Well, that's not happening until she knows what it is!

'What do you want exactly?' she said finally, crossing her arms and glaring at him.

He smiled at her for a long second. Elena maintained her cool, calm and collected gaze. He finally broke the silence.

'If you want me to sincerely apologize to Caroline, you'll have to kiss me.'

HEY who's crazy-voting for Delena in the Eonline contest? We are nominated for best kiss, sexiest moment, tear-jerker, most heartbreaking moment, best actor drama and best actress drama. COME ON GUYS KEEP VOTING AS HARD AS YOU CAN! We have to win the sexiest moment which Klaroline is beating. Don't get me wrong, I love Klaroline and that scene was hot, but it didn't make me tingly, squealy and light-headed like Firebreather.

Song for the chapter: 365 days - ZZ Ward

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