Chapter 2

Silent love is calling faith

To shatter me through your hallways

Into echoes you can feel

And rehearse the way you heal

There was no pretending things weren't strange between Damon and Elena at school the next day. Everyone seemed to have noticed that Damon wasn't glued to Elena's side as he usually was. Elena could tell that even the teachers noticed; they'd become so accustomed to Damon and Elena sitting next to each other in class that when they sat on opposite sides of the room, they couldn't help but hide their astonishment. Their reactions coupled with her friends' questions made Elena all the more unhappy.

She had no one to blame but herself for what happened that night. It wasn't as if it was Damon's fault. She had suggested they go over to his house because his parents were out of town. She was the one who'd brought the alcohol, and she was the one who seduced her best friend. Damon hadn't forced her into everything and this only added to her guilt. If their friendship failed, it was on her shoulders and she didn't know if she could face that fact.

There was only one option, then. They had to talk about it, just the two of them, and they had to lay it all out on the table. If after that they felt they could go on being friends – because Elena wasn't considering becoming a couple – then she felt they could survive anything. The alternative was far less heartwarming. She could barely handle one day without Damon right beside her – she didn't know what she'd do if they found their friendship was damaged beyond repair.

Elena couldn't talk to Bonnie about it or Matt. She considered asking Meredith for her advice. If anyone could help her see reason, though, it would be Meredith. Meredith, tall, olive-skinned, and dark-haired. Meredith, ever the voice of reason and epitome of self-control. She was always honest and level-headed. She loved Bonnie and Matt, there was no doubt about it, but sometimes they just didn't understand. Bonnie was always talking about how her Grams told her she was psychic and ran around reading palms. She also had a crush on Damon, but it seemed to be more of a 'Oh, Elena, he really is gorgeous' than an unrequited love. Matt was the typical, All-American football player at school and he and Elena had even gone out once, but it hadn't worked out. They remained friends, thankfully, but Elena had to wonder sometimes if Matt still didn't have feelings for her. There was no way she could talk about sleeping with Damon to either of them. So that naturally left Meredith, but Elena resolved to keep this between herself and Damon for the time being.

After school, Elena slipped away from her group of friends – Bonnie, Matt, and Meredith – to stop by Damon's locker. When she stood next to it, he could scarcely look her in the eye.

"Damon," she said softly, and she reached out to touch his arm. Finally, he turned to look at her, leaning against his locker, looking rather stunning in black jeans and leather jacket. He didn't speak, though, just waited for her to initiate conversation. She cleared her throat. "I was thinking you could come over tonight so we could talk about –" She broke off, knowing full well people around them were listening in.

Damon was silent for a moment, then nodded. "Yeah, okay," he said coldly. Elena smiled at him and went to leave, but his hand caught hers as she turned. He opened his mouth as if to say something, but he seemed to think better of it.

"What is it, Damon?" Elena asked concernedly.

He shook his head. "Never mind," he said, sounding defeated. "We'll talk later. I'll be there around eight." He turned and walked down the hall, not bothering to close his locker.

Elena could do nothing but pick at her supper, unable to eat anything. Aunt Jenna noticed and remarked on it, but Elena told her she was just tired. She seemed to accept this explanation, or just chose to not press the subject, for which Elena was grateful.

After dinner, Elena went straight up to her room and waited for Damon to come. She spent the remaining time sitting on her window seat with the windows open, taking in the spring evening. The breeze blew through her long, brown hair and Elena closed her eyes. She loved the smell just before rain and she could tell a big storm was coming. She could only hope it wasn't omen of things to come.

At five to eight there was a knock on her door and she knew Aunt Jenna had let Damon in. She opened her door and there he stood, wearing the same clothes he'd been wearing at school, bed he quickly shed his leather jacket, revealing a black v-neck underneath. Elena gestured for him to sit, feeling odd at the formality of it. He sat on her bed while she sat back on her window seat. She watched as Damon reached for Elena's teddy bear, seeming engrossed in it. She knew he was just stalling, not wanting to delve into it all just yet.

"Damon," she said quietly. "Oh, Damon."

He still wouldn't look up at her. Instead, his eyes searched her room, looking at the few posters she had up, at the pictures of her parents, of her friends, of himself.

"Damon, please look at me." Finally, he looked up into her eyes. "We've got to be honest with each other. We have to lay it all out." Damon just nodded so Elena went on. "I'm sorry about the other night. I was drunk and I did things I normally wouldn't do. I led you on and I'm so, so sorry, Damon. You deserve so much better. You're my best friend and I'm sick with myself for jeopardizing that."

Damon hung his head. It was exactly what he'd been expecting to hear, exactly what he was terrified to hear. "I'm in love with you, Elena."

Elena spluttered. This wasn't really what she'd thought he'd say. She'd assumed he'd agree and say he hoped they could look past this and remain friends. Clearly, she'd underestimated his feelings for her and she was taken aback. "Damon, I –"

"It's okay, Elena," Damon said and that hint of defeat Elena had heard at school returned in full force. "I know you don't feel the same for me."

Elena didn't know what to say. She loved Damon, loved him so much, but it was an affection more fitting for a brother or, well, a best friend. She remained silent for a while, as did Damon. He wasn't pressuring her to say anything or to reciprocate his feelings. He was just waiting.

"I do love you, Damon, so much. It's just not in the way you love me. I'm so sorry that it's not. But – but maybe I could –"

"Elena, don't kid yourself." Damon was facing her now, looking deep into her swimming brown eyes with his piercing blue ones. "You and I both know you don't love me . . . like that," he said, faltering. Elena could see the hurt written in his features. "That's okay." It wasn't. She knew that. He knew that, but he said it anyway. "What happened Saturday was – was a mistake. I should never have taken advantage of you in that way."

"Damon, you didn't take advantage of me. Saturday was entirely my fault – if I hadn't gotten drunk we wouldn't be having this conversation."

"Elena, we could argue over who caused this until we're blue in the face. The fact remains that it happened and we have to talk about it." Damon's voice was calm, but Elena could still see that, under his hardened exterior, he was deeply hurt by her words.

"You're right," she said. She scooted forward to the edge of her seat and took Damon's hand in hers. "I still want to be friends, Damon, more than anything. But if you can't do that –" Elena had to take a moment to steel herself, because the thought of it terrified her and made her want to sob – "if you can't do that, I understand. You have to do what's right for you."

"I'd never leave you, Elena," Damon said resolutely and from his tone, she knew he was telling the truth. No matter how much pain it caused him, he wouldn't leave her. "Not for anything."

"Oh, Damon," she cried, throwing her arms around his neck. He held her, knowing he'd made the right choice. To him, her happiness was paramount.

The next day at school, things seemed to be entirely back to normal. Bonnie was glad to have Damon back with them and even Matt seemed put at ease. Meredith, ever-observant, seemed suspicious. Elena knew she didn't have a clue as to what had happened between her and Damon, but she resolved to talk to Meredith later. It seemed every loose end had been tied up, but even Elena knew things weren't always what they seemed. She knew Damon didn't just magically stop being in love with her. She knew he must be hurting, must be incredibly saddened by her words and she felt awful for it, but she couldn't make herself love him. Still, a nagging presence in the back of her mind told her, You were the one who chose to sleep with him. She shrugged the thought off, refusing to think about it. She wanted things back to normal, and what Elena Gilbert wanted, she got.

A/N: I was determined to get this second chapter out tonight since I don't work 'til tomorrow night, so here you have it! I can't believe I got two reviews within an hour of posting! I'm incredibly humbled and grateful to the reviewers and to everyone who's read the fic thus far.

I do want to clarify a couple things. This fic is AU (alternate universe). Damon and Elena are human and as far as we know, Bonnie just thinks she's psychic because her Grams told her so. Meredith is a character from the TVD books - probably my favorite character from the books actually - and I'm going to attempt to keep her very in character, so if anyone's read the books, let me know what you think about her in the coming chapters. Elena's parents died and she lives with Aunt Jenna. I debated putting Jeremy or even her little sister Margaret from the books, but I'm going to leave her as an only child. A sibling isn't relevant to the storyline either way. Elena and Matt did date, and for the most part, his character is in the same circumstances as early on in the show (he pretty much provides for his family because his mom is always gone and Vicki hangs out with a questionable crowd). I'm still debating on whether or not to include Caroline, but if I do, I think she'll probably be influenced more by her character in the books than in the show (i.e., cruel and Elena's rival).

I think that about wraps it up for now. Let me know what you think!