Chapter 2: Discipline
"Elena should have a corner of her own, barricaded by all these boxes," Damon stepped into the middle of the room, having gathered his energy some half an hour later, addressing Katherine under the window and Stefan sitting on the floor.
"And that should stop any of us from ripping her apart?" Katherine rolled her eyes.
"If it will help one percent, it will help," Damon started to move and stack the boxes in strategic positions. Stefan kicked one of them across the floor, aiding his efforts with just that one motion. The younger brother didn't really believe in the plan either.
Next thing Elena knew, she was deposited at the other side of the cordon, as far away from the other two as possible, "you stay here," Damon held her by the shoulders so he could look into her eyes and accentuate the meaning with intensity, "try not to move about much or sweat, your smell will carry less."
"My smell?" Elena repeated a little offended, although she knew what he meant.
Damon gave her a stern look, letting on that he didn't think this was a moment for not taking things seriously. "You should use that sink over there and regularly wash yourself down to get rid of the.."
"Smell, I know," Elena sulked irritably, "which one is it now, stay still or go to the sink?"
"Also sit low, refrain from sneezing, coughing, sighing deeply or whistling or any other activity that encouraged the air to travel in this direction," Damon continued, ignoring her protestations, then left her in her make shift, dubitable hide out to be stopped at the entrance, the gap in between the boxes, by Katherine, grabbing hold of his shirt, "I'm bored," she pouted.
"I suggest Strip or Dare," Stefan recommended, making Katherine take a sneaky took back at him, but not letting go of Damon. "We haven't played that in a while," she mused. Truth was, the three of them haven't played that together for over one and a half centuries. "You playing?" She drew her lips close to Damon's ears.
"I don't see why not," Damon pursed his lips, cocking his head to one side. Katherine's suggestion was for sure sounding better than brooding miserably and filled with worry, which was the other option. "I dare you first."
"Can't I join in?" Elena peered over the embankment cartons, seeing it as a chance to act how she preferred and stay being able to see and scrutinise the others and be part of the action, whatever little there was right now. And mostly, not do what she was told. But if she would've been really honest with herself and aware of her subconscious, she would've known that she wanted out of her designated area because she wanted to be close to Damon as she was worried about his wellbeing.
"Out of the question," Damon waved her off, not giving her request any more attention. He sat down with his legs crossed next to his brother, with Katherine closing the little circle they made on the floor.
Stefan was nodding at his ex girlfriend however, "can." But even ripper Stefan remained cautious with Elena Gilbert, "just stay at that side while doing it."
The girl gave Damon a mocking look, "what's the dares?"
The elder Salvatore rolled his eyes, "Stefan should take his ring off and put his hand under the light streaming through the window. Katherine, the same."
"Don't think so," Stefan got rid of his shirt promptly. Katherine followed his example, albeit a lot more slowly and enticingly.
"And I dare Elena to walk in Katherine's killer stilettos," Damon sort of agreed to the newcomer to the game by giving her a turn.
"Ha!" Katherine pouted, "making me take two items off with the same round?" She removed her ten inch shoes and threw them to the other side of the boxes, "I don't want those back Elena, they'll have your scent."
"What is it with everybody complaining about my smell?" Elena walked round holding on to the cardboard so the others could see her wearing the stiletto heels, "its my round right, cause I'm the only one who's done the dare. I'd like Katherine stand on one hand. You know cause I always wanted to know whether simply being a vampire makes you being able to do acrobatics." The older woman gave her an permitting nod and followed through, albeit only for a moment. "And I'd like Stefan and Damon to hug and kiss," Elena continued afterwards.
Stefan shrugged and scooted over to his brother, mockingly and halfheartedly doing what he was asked. It wasn't something Elena was looking for, but she decided not to object. She couldn't really expect real emotion from the ripper under the circumstances. "Katherine wins, you two didn't bother much," she declared.
The curly haired vampire grinned, "allright boys, my dare it is, you heard my little doppelgänger. You two, hug and kiss, the proper way." The answer was a unanimous no and the brothers removed their shoes together. "Elena. You need a lil' brighten up in general, don't you think? I sing, you dance," Katherine burst into a surprisingly very accurate version of Katy Perry's Last Friday Night. She didn't leave the moves to chance either, she was suggestive to Elena in showing the way, jumping and twirling on the floor in a manner that could only be described as teasing for the opposite sex.
Elena tested the sound and feel of Katherine's heels she was still wearing, then intrigued by the truly dazzling performance of her alterego that had nothing to do with being a vampire, she genuinely felt herself dared and challenged by the vision of beauty the older vampire was capable of. Initially, she had to consciously remind herself to time herself to the singing and clapping their music was made out of due to lack of proper equipment, but she soon found that she could enjoy and loose herself in it. The energy Katherine conveyed was catchy and it felt to her as getting rid of some of her nervousness regarding their whole being stuck situation. Not to mention the flattering she felt by the Salvatore's attention on her. She might be copying Katherine, but she could certainly throw in a few dance moves the antediluvian has never heard of, not supposing she would've ever watched Glee, Shake It Up or Hannah Montana. The women's dances started to diverge, but they were sensuous and coquettish and with an imaginary partner that both were sure was one of the brothers for both of them, but they could not figure out who the other one was thinking of.
The end of the dancing was met by a more or less derisory applause, whistles and hoots by Stefan, while Damon joined in less enthusiastically, but more genuinely. "That was uh ohhaish!" The younger Salvatore commented, "incredible! Just too hot to handle."
Katherine stepped forward swiftly and sharply, placing a foot in between Damon's legs as he sat on the floor, "hah! Stop overreacting! It was just a dance, ok?" She said with spite, leaving Elena a little confused. Katherine didn't like Damon's manhood emerging into noticeable existence at the previous teases, that was clear, but why. Half a thought process later and after replaying their dancing scene in her mind she realised. Katherine was jealous as Damon had been watching her, Elena, mostly. Whatever physical reaction he displayed, it was due to her moves.
Stefan gave a hearty laugh, as if not at all concerned that Damon got aroused by his ex girlfriend's dance, nor that Katherine, who had claimed to love the younger Salvatore above anybody else, got jealous over Damon's reaction. "Me next I believe. Elena," he beaconed her over, "I'm hungry."
At the mere hint of a threat, his brother sped over in front of the girl, "tell me your joking Stefan," he said sternly, looking over to Katherine for an ally.
"Its a dare, remember?" The Bulgarian shrugged. After the human's latest performance, she wasn't in the mood for favours. Damon's obsession with the girl's safety was starting to get on her nerves.
Elena looked down at her clothes. She knew it was ultimately her decision, at this point, Damon could not force her to do anything, while the other two would not out and out attack her, whatever she decided. "Would it not be advisable on the long term for all of you to drink a little from me now when you're still able to control yourselves? That way you could last longer."
"You wanna feed three vampires?" Katherine licked her lips, not averse to the idea.
"She does not know what she's talking about," Damon said forcefully, looking Elena in the eyes the whole time.
"Katherine first," Elena gulped, speaking tentatively. She would've so much wanted to offer herself to Damon foremost as he needed it the most, but she knew he'd refuse cause he couldn't be hypocritical and not let the other two feed then. And if she wanted to be honest with herself she had to admit that she was a little scared of Stefan as he was now. So Katherine seemed her best option.
The old one gave a little smirk to Damon, her curls springing up and down, then blurred in between her former lover and Elena. He was aware of the fact that there was no point to opposing, Katherine would be stronger, but he also trusted her as much as not killing Elena, if for nothing else than her being their only food source, and she could control her hunger magnificently, he knew that. As he'd expected, Katherine playing safe, she bit into the flesh of Elena's wrist, rather than the vein itself, sucking in a measured manner, not even vamping out completely. It was Stefan he had to watch, advancing behind him already, fangs at ready.
"Damon. Damon next," Elena breathed when Katherine released her after a short minute or so. The vampire slowly wiped her mouth and stepped out the way, round Damon to allow him access. It was his hesitation that sealed the ensuing situation, cause Stefan wouldn't wait around to be asked twice. Elena felt herself being pushed to the wall with her ex boyfriend inhaling deeply as he traced her shoulder with his nose before biting into it.
The girl whimpered, the bite was painful, but not something she couldn't cope with. It certainly wasn't her first time. Consciously trying to relax her muscles, she closed her eyes, waiting for the pain to subside after the initial shock to the system. Her mouth opened in a silent scream she had no intention to voice, but when Stefan tore at her with an near outright fevered pace, involuntary tears formed in her eyes and squeezed through her tight eyelids. She had to learn that this Stefan was absolutely no fan of gentleness.
The glint in the corner of her eyes was all Damon needed to snap into action. Rage burned through every fibre of his being as he grabbed Stefan's shoulders from behind. "No more!" He pulled at his protesting brother, at the same time afraid that if he does so, the fangs inside the flesh of her shoulder will rip more if torn away, "NO MORE!" He tried with words at first, not sure of how this will go down. Stefan just fed, he was obviously stronger.
Elena wanted to say something to her to be benefactor, mention that she was okay with the pain and blood, well, a lot more okay with a potential fight between the brothers as that never ended very well. Besides, she was trusting Stefan, right? If his love for her got wiped out by Klaus, she wouldn't believe it, but even if it was, he was supposed to be compelled to protect her. So it was all fine, it had to be. Only she couldn't speak, her eyesight hazy, her mind dizzy. But Stefan was going to stop soon, she was sure of that, she kept telling herself.
Then all of a sudden, the fangs were gone indeed, leaving the pain and the blood oozing down her front. Quite surprised to be falling to the floor, she inhaled deeply to get a grip on herself, but could only watch in an airheaded state as the brothers blurred into one, tangled into each other on the ground, rolling, both having their hands around each other's throats. With superhuman speed and strength, they were both slamming the other's head into the concrete in turn, so quickly that Elena had trouble telling one apart from his brother till one moment where the floor cracked below someone's head with a sickening thud.
The scene was paused into visible to the human eyes as Stefan sat snarling over Damon with his grip still tight and squeezing around his older brother's throat. Notwithstanding the blood that pooled under his head however, Damon drew a fist back and punched Stefan in the face, with the force of the blow flinging him across to the wall, where he slid down into a pile of tangled limbs. While the younger Salvator was stunned from the impact and had to shake his head to clear the fog, Damon had more extensive damage to deal with though.
Elena could see blood pouring from his nose and ears, hair also matted with blood at the back. "Damon," speaking the one single word that her shallow breaths allowed, she whispered his name over and over again barely audibly.
Stefan stood and shot her a dirty, self assured look before launching himself at Damon again. Elena tried to stand, talk, shake Katherine into caring, do something to break those boys apart. But lifting her head off the ground was a bad choice. Can't, can't lose consciousness, she psyched herself for the second time that day, with equally ineffective consequences. The blood loss taking its toll and perhaps the sedative drugs still in her system, she slipped towards unconsciousness.
Tbc