Prompt #5 Innocence
Set in 3x9 Homecoming
Innocence
Damon switched off his phone and slid it back into his pocket. Elena watched, as he continued pacing in front of the fireplace.
"Katherine wanted to say good-bye," he said finally.
Elena sat down on the couch. "That's all? Huh."
"Yeah."
"Well, whatever this was really about, I have a feeling that we'll find out sooner or later."
Damon turned away from the fire to look at her. "Exactly what I'm afraid of. Did I mention that I don't trust her?" He walked over to the couch and sank into the cushions next to her, throwing his head back.
For a moment Elena just sat there and looked at him. It was hard for her to admit that maybe she would never get Stefan back. That maybe she would have to let him go. But she couldn't even imagine what it had to be like for Damon. If it was her brother… Only now did it occur to her how strange it was that she really did trust him. She trusted Damon, who had snapped her brother's neck, snapped Alaric's neck, compelled Caroline and this journalist and who knew whom else to play his girlfriend and letting him snack on them. But here they were.
"What happened to us?" She wasn't quite sure if she was asking Damon or the powers that be in general.
"Hm?"
"I can hardly even remember the time when there was nothing more important in my life than the next school dance. Those were the times. I had no idea there was such a thing as evil ancient vampire families." She gave a short, disbelieving laugh. "I liked cheerleading. Can you believe that?"
Damon smirked. "I can't quite imagine you in that skimpy outfit. Why don't you describe it a little more?"
"You're impossible." Elena chucked a pillow at him.
"Ouch! I was wrong, you do know how to handle a weapon." He grabbed the pillow, hugged it to himself and leaned back again, chuckling. "What brought on this bout of philosophic introspection?"
Elena sighed. "I don't know. I was just taking stock, sort of. Only two years ago, we were all so innocent." Damon gave her a look. "Yeah, okay. Maybe not you." She could have cried when she added "Or Stefan for that matter." It still hurt to think about what she had learned about Stefan's history. "And now I'm stabbing people in the back, literally. Maybe you weren't so far off when you said that it was very Katherine. And Stefan's off somewhere slaughtering innocent people and having fun with it." She took a deep breath. "It's strange, you know, I always thought that out of the two of you he was the innocent one. At least the more innocent one. Don't say it, I know. I did read his journal. But I could never really believe that he could ever be like that again. That he would want to stay that way. I didn't want to believe it, anyway."
Damon sat up and reached over to put both hands on her forearms. "Elena, you're not like Katherine. You were pretty good at scheming today, though. You might be getting there after all." He smirked again.
"Oh, and you'd like that, wouldn't you?"
Damon turned instantly serious. "Surprisingly, I really wouldn't. Fortunately there's not the slightest danger of you ever going psycho bitch. Not as long as you keep agonizing like this over every little thing. In fact, you couldn't pass for Katherine if you tried. Granted, you're not a girl scout anymore. But what you did was necessary."
"Was it? I don't know. Maybe it was. Still, it's horrible. I used to be able to trust people."
"Welcome to my world," Damon deadpanned. He leaned back, carefully taking his hands off her arms when he realized he was still holding on to her.
Suddenly Elena felt like she had let him down. She was sitting here, complaining, while he had, in all probability, just lost his brother for good. And whatever he may say, he did still trust people. She knew he trusted her, despite his track record with that kind of thing. It was quite… endearing really. The least she could do was reassure him that she wouldn't make him regret it again.
"You can trust me. I want you to know that, okay?"
He smiled and squeezed her hand. "I know."
"You know, I think you were right."
"Of course I was."
Typical Damon attitude, he must be better. "I think I would have liked you back in 1864." Looking at him now, she could imagine the person he must have been once.
Damon raised his eyebrows in question.
"Whether you believe it or not, you're not half as jaded as you think."
It reminded him eerily of Katherine's words. Sweet, innocent Damon. He closed his eyes.
"Shut up."