PART (4 of 4)
Reminder: This story disregards all of season 4...AMEN!
I would like to dedicate this final chapter to a few of my favorite cheerleaders: noirgirl, qtpiemama, turtle_goose, siberia21 & albion.
I'd also like to give a shout out to my forum girls (ribbons, lyscat, kesili, electricsymphony & anmari)...During these dark days, y'all have brought light to my Elejah-lovin' heart.
Wisely, Kol removes himself from the room before the offer can be retracted. A cockroach can survive a nuclear fallout but the initial blast is another matter entirely.
"I should head home."
"If you'd like to have this conversation in hearing range of the Salvatores, by all means...lead the way."
"Why rehash everything? We can just pretend that tonight never happened."
"You'll find that my memory isn't nearly that selective." He's not following the script! He should be offering his own apology. She'd still be living in the land of the sexually sane (keyword: living) if she had refused his deal.
"I don't need any details. Whatever you planned to do with Katherine is your own business."
"It became your business when you agreed to share my bed. If Katerina was standing here..."
"If Katherine was here she wouldn't be standing." It's clearly time to get fitted for a muzzle. Maybe he'll believe she meant physical violence and an unconscious Katherine.
That fragile bubble of hope pops when a sly grin spreads across his face. "I'm glad you've decided to take the bull by the horns. I expected at least fifteen minutes of evasion tactics."
"Aren't you even a little embarrassed?"
"I have no cause for embarrassment. Neither do you."
"My embarassment threshold is obviously a lot lower than yours. "
"Correct me if I'm wrong but aren't you currently unattached?"
"That doesn't mean I should be straddling random vampires."
"Setting aside the ego-crushing label of 'random', I don't recall being straddled. Have I mistaken your meaning? Perhaps you should demonstrate your definition of 'straddling'." He's going there...she can't believe he's going there.
"I'm referring to intentions."
"Your intentions?"
"Yes!"
"Thank you for the clarification. I trust you won't begrudge me the opportunity to share my own." Actually, she'd love to begrudge him the opportunity but compared to the other things he could be doing with his mouth...
He can talk as long as he likes.
"What happened to 'There's nothing stopping me from having a fling...'?"
"Oh please...as if you believed me for a second! I didn't realize it immediately but you were trying to get my goat with that 'threesome' comment!"
"If I was 'trying to get' anything, it was a straight answer. To what ends were you attempting to antagonize me?"
"You were talking about me like I wasn't even in the room."
"I see." Yeah, he probably does. She practically threw a tantrum to get his attention. The humiliation just keeps on comin'.
"Pretending to be Katerina was incredibly foolish."
"Really? I thought you liked to play pretend." His pupils blow wide as soon as the comment hits the air. She won't be scolded like a child...not by him...anyone but him.
She meant to offend him with that flippant allusion to his sexual preferences but the violent stirring of his blood speaks of an altogether different emotion. So many possibilities now...he's spoiled with choices...
Eternally sun-kissed legs...baby soft perfume...his hands beneath a cheerleader's skirt...
Upswept hair...lips that shine like bing cherries...half-torn French lingerie...
Vampire stamina...supernatural flexibility...a room littered with broken furniture...
"There are a great many games I'd love to play with you. Should I call you Katerina or should we dispense with that particular pretense? She doesn't think this qualifies as flirting. Flirting is a light nip...a question. Apparently, Elijah only asks this sort of question once and since she already answered as Katherine...
"I was talking about your plans for her."
"Driving in circles won't alter the final destination. You're aware of what or rather who I was truly bargaining for."
"You believed you were dealing with Katherine...that's all that matters."
"Perhaps to you. I place more importance on your willingness to don her skin. "
"You're not going to be satisfied until you hear the words, are you?"
"There are other ways to gain satisfaction, Elena." It's her last warning. If she refuses to speak, he's certain her body will provide all the truth he desires.
"Fine! My flesh is as weak as a Bartles & Jaymes wine cooler. Happy?" He would inquire as to what a wine cooler is but that might halt their forward momentum.
"If your flesh was truly weak, there would no longer be any clothing covering it." Her stomach swoops. His words are like thin patches of ice on a frozen pond. One wrong step...she'll never be able to drag herself to the surface.
"Everything changed once you realized it was me. Katherine can sleep with anyone she wants. I'm held to much higher standards."
No, she's just held on a much shorter leash. "Considering the long list of crimes for which you've granted forgiveness, the least you deserve in return is their silent tongues when you take a lover."
"This isn't about taking a lover. They hate you." He refrains from mentioning the source of their hatred. He's never been immune to the power of her body. His glances haven't always been socially acceptable.
"Indeed. Yet somehow I shall find the strength to soldier on." She doesn't try to hide her smile. He always makes haughty look a little too attractive.
"I can't ignore their opinions. They're an important part of my life." For now. The brothers have become entwined in her heart. They both claim ownership and she can't evict one without destroying the other. It's the worst sort of Catch-22. It won't last.
"Do you think either of them will take your opinion into consideration when choosing their future lovers? Did Damon seek your approval before sleeping with Rebekah?"
"That's different. I said some things I shouldn't have...I hurt him."
"You're right, it is different." That look of relief...it will be short-lived.
"You do not view your attraction to me as a handy weapon to be wielded against the Salvatores. Nothing you may have said excuses his behavior. He didn't just happen to develop feelings for someone you dislike. He slept with Rebekah with the sole intention of punishing you." It's not an argument she can win. She knows she sounds like a battered wife when she tries to defend either Damon or Stefan. Stefan. ...how pathetic that makes you...blood bag...
"They're not the only ones who'd be upset. What about Rebekah? What if she found out we slept together?" There is no 'if', Kol has probably already sent the text.
"Rebekah rarely retracts her claws but she's never been foolish enough to try and sharpen them on me." And she wouldn't choose now of all times to begin.
"Her opinion really doesn't matter to you?" Not at all. Maybe never again.
"My sex life is not open for discussion." Or of much interest. If all he wanted from Elena was sex, Kol would be the only one impertinent enough to tweak his nose about it. She offered the occasional snide remark (You're pathetic...both of you) but even when they were on good terms, Rebekah never attempted to engage him in verbal warfare. Some battles are lost before they even begin.
"It must be nice to be so effortlessly intimidating. That 'not open for discussion' line won't work for me."
"If respect isn't freely given, one must demand it."
"I know you're right but I don't want to hurt them. I can't hurt them. Bodies start piling up when they get hurt." The relationship she shares with the Salvatores borders on farce. She should not be expected to emotionally support two creatures who are nearing the two century mark.
"Even if I claimed amnesia, you would still have to contend with Kol. Knowing my brother, he'll take great delight in sharing this news with Damon. The damage has already been done." There are things that even he can't protect her from, specifically, Kol's mouth."
"They're going to have a meltdown." The resignation, the exhaustion...he wants to strip them away with her clothing.
"Unless you plan to take the veil, they will have to resign themselves to this particular reality."
"Elijah, they assume I'm going to choose one of them."
"Their assumptions should not dictate your choices."
"They deserve time to move on."
"No, you deserve time. That's part of what I'm offering. Unlike the Salvatores, I'm not asking you to make any promises."
"For me, sex is a promise...at least it would be if it happened with you." Oh but she knows how to shatter a man's resolve. He reminds himself that it's too soon...far too early to reach for her heart. He needs to aim lower.
"What would be the extent of that promise?" That has to be a rhetorical question...has to be...just keep moving along...
"You never showed any interest when I was a human. What's changed for you?" Was he obliged to issue an invitation to the prom? Does she believe he would've went into hiding to protect just any human? He no longer chooses to remain silent, that's the only thing that's changed.
"As a human, there was very little I could've offered you other than protection."
"That's never stopped Stefan and Damon from trying to plant a flag." A few years ago, she never would've included Stefan in that assessment. Subconsciously, she's already begun the process of distancing herself from them.
"Yes, well, neither of them are known for their subtlety."
"At the moment, neither are you." Touche. Such a vicious tongue...he's sure they'll find many uses for it.
"Would you have preferred to remain oblivious?" No, getting a peek at his psyche is worth any amount of embarrassment. It's just a lot harder to ignore those piercing eyes now that she knows exactly what's behind them.
"Because I could not stop for Death, He kindly stopped for me..." He recognizes the reference but being compared to Gentleman Death only muddies the water. He thought the source of her complaint was his less-than-gentlemanly behavior.
"Pardon?"
"I was just thinking out loud."
"About death?"
"About how dangerous you really are. About how I've always been willing to follow you. " And just like that...she's not afraid anymore.
"Elena, I think you're going to have to draw me a map."
"I still want to follow you. I'd follow you anywhere." He tamps it down...his excitement is premature. There can be no misunderstandings.
"What about right now? Where would you like to go?" She knows what he's really asking. Is she ready?
He schools his expression when she steps back...steps away. His disappointment...his frustration...those are his burdens to bear.
Why is she still walking backwards?
She doesn't dare to make eye contact until she reaches the bed.
When she raises her hands, when the straps slide down...not even a twitch. He'll allow nothing to distract her...nothing to stop her.
It's not tight enough to naturally catch on her hips. If she wasn't using it as a last line of defense, the dress would already be pooled at her feet.
Let it fall! This isn't Katerina. The words don't fly from his mouth but they do migrate north to his eyes.
"Take off your shirt!" Tit for tat...she'll make demands while she still can...before she loses the ability to speak.
"Happy?" That question sounds a lot different coming from him. Not that she has much interest in what's coming out of his mouth.
"Come here!" He recognizes greed when he sees it. She would see the same if she was willing to lift her eyes above the space occupied by his chest. A human could cover the distance in less than ten seconds but, as far as he's concerned, that's nine seconds too many.
Even with her fancy new senses, he reappears like a magician's trick. So close...all smooth muscle and sharp jaw. His hands cover her own. He rubs his thumbs against her wrists...coaxes her to release her grip on the purple silk.
He's almost resentful of the lingerie. He thought she was completely bare under the dress.
She'll complain about her ripped panties later...much later...
As soon as he places his mouth against her sex, she grabs his shoulders for support. Her nails dig and tear at his flesh...he just sucks harder.
She tries not to look...it's too much...soft, dark hair teasing her thighs...it's the most profane sort of worship.
He uses her hips to anchor himself to the world...to try to hold on...her taste...her scent...her anxious moaning melting his bones...
Her spine bows as he lifts her onto the bed. Her own hair falls in a wave...caressing her back. His hand curves around her neck...positions her face...
His lips are as rough as his hands. It's impossible to remain polite when he's stealing his way into heaven. Here...now...the smell of her sex filling the room...
Her back never touches the mattress. For this first time, he wants them to face each other as equals.
She hadn't expected to feel the headboard, at least not against this part of her body. It's stiff but welcome support as he lifts her up.
"Open your eyes!" So this is what he means by 'straddling'.
He's only worked himself half way in and she's already screaming. He's tempted to join her. The luscious heat doesn't completely disguise the narrow passage. She's virgin tight. If she asks him to stop, he's going to need an ice pack and a prayer.
"When was the last time, Elena?" He sounds almost accusing. He has no right! He's the one who slowed down!
She doesn't answer. She just widens her legs and uses gravity against him.
"I never thanked you."
"For which part?" Her attempt at a glare is ruined by those dancing eyes.
"None of those parts! I meant for everything else."
"I broke every promise I ever made to you."
"Hush! I'm trying to thank you!"
"Actions speak louder, Elena." She owes him less than nothing but one should always strike while the iron's hot. He's aching for her mouth.
He swells against her tongue...fit to bursting (then he does).
The rising sun does not drive her from his bed. Neither does the setting sun.
She sends one mass text message but he does not inquire as to its contents. It's enough that they remain undisturbed (for now).
THE END