Chapter Nine – Seize the Day (Carpe Diem)

I'm kinda getting the hand of this updating malarkey. And OOOH I made up a word!
Okay, I wrote that sentence (the one above this one) ages ago. Since then, we've kinda had a bit of a family crisis, which threw me and I didn't get a chance to finish the chapter when I started it. Sorry for the delay, I swear it would've been here sooner...but family crisis' don't half screw with your head...I've not had a proper nights' sleep since like, Friday.
Review!
Saskia xxx

PS. Oh yeah, just remembered. Head to my profile to vote on my poll – Which Damon/OC fic would you like to see once this one is finished? There are five summaries for you to vote on, and I'd really like to know which one my readers most like the look of! I have got a personal favourite, but I'll take into account your views...plus, the fact that I'm thinking of what I'm going to do next means that I'd quite like to finish this story soonish! Don't worry; there'll definitely be another like, ten chapters first. But I'm thinking ahead, which is something that never ever happens. So vote on your favourite summary!

~Rhiannon POV~

I shook myself out of my reverie. Enough thinking. I needed to get myself together so I could actually face him later. I glanced at the clock hanging above the counter. Holy crap, I really did need to pull myself together, it was already 10 o'clock! I sprang out of my seat, and dashed to the stairs.

"Yo Ree, are you okay?" Jeremy called after me. I skidded to a halt.

"Yeah, Jer, I'm fine." He didn't buy the lie. "He's err...well, he said he'd come to my room to talk more later, so I'm going to shower while I've got the chance." Jeremy looked like he was about to object, but I flew up the stairs before he got the chance. I knew that Damon wouldn't talk to me at all unless I conformed to what he wanted, so I decided to just seize the day, and get what I could out of him. I hurtled around my door into my room, and slammed it behind me. I flung myself over my duvet and finally allowed the tears that had been brimming spill over. I didn't know why I was crying, but now I'd let them go, they weren't going to stop anytime soon. I inhaled deeply and pushed my fringe out of my face. Wearily, I dragged myself through to the en suite and undressed. I stepped in the shower while it was still too cold, and shivered under the water until it became too hot to bear. I slowly massaged shampoo into my hair, letting my tears mingle with the steaming water. I cried myself out, and completely lost track of time. By the time I remembered I had a ... 'date' ... it was quarter to eleven. I stumbled out of the shower and wrapped a towel around myself. I'd forgotten to grab my pyjamas before I'd got in the shower, so now I had to drip my way through to my room to get them. I blinked water from my eyes and opened the door. I heard an intake of breath that wasn't mine, and suddenly focussed on my bed. Which Damon was sitting on.

I gasped and held my towel more securely around my chest. He looked...shocked, to say the least.

"What are you doing here already? It's only quarter too!" I squealed, trying to hide behind the door.

"I'm sorry, I didn't think I'd be...interrupting anything!" He exclaimed, and I blushed. He smirked, and theatrically covered his eyes. "Go on, get what you need, I'm not looking." I moved round to my dresser without taking my eyes off him, and fumbled for some PJs. I skirted around the bed before dashing for the bathroom, shutting the door and locking it. I exhaled sharply and had to sit down before my knees gave way. So, I may have showered with the guy. But I had been wearing my bikini then, which counts as more clothes than a towel. Plus, I was DATING him then. This was...well. Awkward. I quickly rubbed my body dry and pulled on the thin cotton trousers and tank top that made up my pyjamas. The top said 'Love Sucks'. I snickered at the irony. I looked at myself in the mirror. My wet hair stuck to my forehead, but at least my face wasn't bright red. I threw my damp towel over the radiator and grabbed another one to dry my hair with. I carried it, along with my hairbrush, back through to my room. Damon was stood by my windowsill, looking through my pictures. He held one up silently. I dried my hair as I walked over to see what it was. I recognised my friends Amy and Sarah, smiling from behind shot glasses, and winced.

"You know these girls?" He asked quietly. I took the picture from him and placed it carefully back on the ledge.

"I spent a few weeks hanging with them a few months back. It was after you were there the first time, and just before you arrived the second." I said calmly. There was no point lying. He studied the picture again, and suddenly comprehension dawned on his face.

"I saw you!" He exclaimed. I looked at him quizzically. "Just after I arrived, when Amelia and Sue..."

"Amy and Sarah." I interrupted.

"Whatever...when they were greeting me outside the bar when I got there, I looked up and I saw someone in a car driving past who looked familiar...it was you!" I blinked and looked away. I had forgotten about that.

"I remember." I said softly. He looked at me, his eyes sad.

"I can't believe I didn't recognise you."

"I couldn't believe that I saw you either."

"And Amy and Sarah didn't say anything to me..."

"I asked them not too." I looked at him squarely. "I wasn't ready to see you again, Damon. To be honest, I wasn't ready to see you tonight, but I've just got to go with it now, don't I?" He growled slightly and moved away. I rolled my eyes and moved to my mirror, rubbing the towel harshly against my scalp. I caught his eye in the reflection. His expression was unreadable. I abandoned the towel and started pulling the brush through my short hair, wincing at it caught in knots. I brushed it back off my face and grabbed the pot of cream from the dresser. Just because things were really awkward between me and my ex-who-was-standing-right-behind-me, doesn't mean I was going to interrupt my routine. I massaged the cream into my face, followed by cleanser, toner and another layer of cream. Damon's face got even more comical as each layer of product went on. I smirked. "Is my feminine-ness freaking you out, Damon?" I joked. He wandered over to me, picking the tub of (ridiculously expensive but damn good) moisturiser out of my hand and studying the label intently.

"What is the point of all this stuff?" He asked despairingly.

"Now, Damon, do you really want me to answer that?" I teased, pulling the jar out of his hand and setting it carefully back on the table. I patted my face down with a tissue, removing all excess traces of cream, and brushed my hair down across my face. I couldn't be bothered to dry it, it didn't look (too) ridiculous when it dried naturally. I turned back to Damon, who seemed to be caught in a moment of weakness. He raised a hand and traced the back of his fingers down my cheek, from the corner of my eye to my chin. I gasped slightly.

"You're so beautiful when you're like this. No makeup, nappy hair, embarrassing pyjamas...it's just so you, Rhia." My breath hitched in my throat as I met his eyes. They burned with emotion, and it took all of my self-restraint not to collapse into his arms. His finger swept across my face again. "Regardless. We're not like that anymore." He moved away abruptly and I glared at him. Why was it so easy for him to tear my barriers down? More to the point, how could he rebuild his so swiftly after one of those moments? I sighed, walking away from him and across the room, sliding onto my bed. I sat there cross legged and patted the duvet in front of me. He looked indecisive for a moment, then fluidly crossed the room and sat opposite me. I looked pointedly at his shoes. He rolled his eyes, but kicked them off. We sat staring at each other for a moment.

"Ladies first." Damon said. I took a deep breath and began.

~Damon POV~ (hooraaayyy! Damon POV!)

I kicked off my shoes reluctantly, anticipating the need to make a speedy exit and hating anything that would slow me down. I met her dark eyes evenly, trying to communicate that I would behave as long as she gave me no reason not to.

"Ladies first." I murmured softly. She inhaled deeply and started to talk.

"After...after you came back, I was...truly happy and elated to be with you again. I felt...whole. My life seemed good. But then...you didn't mean to, you were just being protective, I know that. But you kind of started to...smother me. I never had any time alone. You were always there, and I loved you for it, but I needed some space. I went from being ridiculously in love to being left on my own, to being with you 24/7 again...it was too much! I spoke to Jenna and she told me to not worry about being selfish. So I left." She met my gaze again, and I was surprised to see tears swimming in her eyes. She sniffed and carried on. "I just drove up and down the country...I sold my moped and got a car instead...and I just stopped in towns that had interesting names, or had a big nightlife. I stayed in London for nearly three months, moving from one area to another. I stayed in motels, but spent most of my time partying. I was completely without inhibition and I loved it. I never stayed in the same place for more than a couple of months, and when you went back to that town as I left...the one where Amy and Sarah were...when I found out you were coming...well, I had been planning to leave soon anyway. I left sooner than I thought I would, and only because I hadn't had time to prepare myself to see you again. I couldn't trust what I would do, so I took the easy way out and left." Rhia wiped her thumb under her eye and the tear was gone before it appeared. "Then...it must have only been a few nights ago...I was in a club with my...I'd call him my boyfriend but he really was nothing more than a friend with benefits." My fists clenched at the mention of the word 'boyfriend', and an inaudible (to humans) snarl escaped my lips. She looked up and must have read my emotions in my face – she knew me well enough to. "I didn't really care for him, Damon. It was just...harmless fun." She reached her hands across my mine and touched her fingers to my knuckles. They flexed under her touch, but I surrendered and allowed her to thread our fingers together. Her hands were smaller than I remembered, but they still seemed to fit perfectly with mine. "So I was in this club with Luke, and a slow song started, and we danced...I listened to the lyrics, and I suppose it made me listen to my heart. And my heart was telling me to go home. So I left him, packed my bags, and started driving at first light. I arrived back here hoping I could delay our inevitable...reunion. But I guess it was more inevitable than I expected." Her chocolate eyes smouldered into mine, and I wanted so much to take her in my arms and hold her until the end of the world. But I didn't. I pulled my hands from hers, and they suddenly felt cold without her warm fingers holding mine. Her eyes flashed with the unsubtle rejection, and I was horrified to see a tear spill over from her wide eyes. My hand darted out of its own accord and wiped the tear from her cheek, lingering on her skin. I cupped her face between my hands, and forced her to look at me. For someone who wanted us to be nothing more than casual acquaintances, or if not, friends, I was definitely giving all the wrong signals.

"I'm sorry that I was choking you. I'd lost you once, and I didn't want to lose you again. I realise now that holding you close to me only pushed you further away, and I'm sorry for the heartache I inadvertently caused." I studied her face seriously. She bit her lip.

"I accept your apology, Damon. You should know that there is very little I wouldn't forgive you for." She smiled at me, and her glowing face overpowered my resistance and I smiled warmly back. Her smile faded, and she looked at me gravely. "I guess that makes it your turn, Damon. I get the feeling your story is going to be longer than mine." I looked away, noting the time. Half eleven.

"It's getting late." I stated. "Do you want me to wait till the morning?" I asked hopefully.

"Stop procrastinating, Salvatore." She punched my arm playfully. "What you waiting for?" She smiled, but I could see it was more strained, more controlled than before. "Get on with it."

So I did.

Seize the day, or die regretting the times you lost, it's empty and cold without you here, too many people to ache over...I found you here, so please just stay for a while, I can move on with you around, I hand you my mortal life, but will it be forever?...So what if I never hold you? Or kiss your lips again? So I never want to leave you, and the memories of to see, I beg, don't leave me

C'mon, did you really expect me to do Damon's story as well? Really? Gullible fools...next time, folks, next time! Over 2000 words...I'm impressed with myself. Review, and inflate my ego even more.

Song: 'Seize the Day' by Avenged Sevenfold on the album 'City of Evil'...I really wanted to put the whole song down because it seemed so appropriate, but I limited myself to a couple of verses...if you want to listen to the whole song, go to - ht tp :/w ww. youtu be.c om/ w at ch ?v =jU koL9 RE72 o&ob= av3e (remove the spaces). Hope you enjoyed!