Title: One More Night
Summary: Elena isn't as frightened as she should be when she finds out that vampires really exist. If anything, she is curious and… dare she even say it, a little excited. Then there is Damon.
Rating: M, eventually
Disclaimer: I don't, in any way, profit from this story. All creative rights to the characters belong to their original creator(s) – no copyright infringement is intended.
She swallowed hard as she fought to regain control of herself under his scrutiny. His face was full of concern and his hands were running reassuringly up and down her forearms as she shook under his touch.
"Nothing, you just scared me." She attempted a wry smile and an eye-roll but his knitted brow told her he only half believed her.
"Sorry I'm late. I lost track of time."
"It's ok – you're here now." She smiled and leaned into his embrace, nuzzling into his shoulder.
"How about I order you a take-out pizza to make up for it?" He squeezed her playfully.
Stepping back she nodded and summoned up the brightest smile she could. "Sounds good."
Taking her hand, he led back inside but all she could hear echoing in her ear was Damon's yell – "Elena".
"Are vampires like, more... you know, than humans?" Elena worriedly chewed on her bottom lip, looking over her latte at Lexi.
"Sorry hun, I didn't quite follow you round that bend." Lexi's brow was furrowed in confusion. "I know I said ask me anything but you really are going to have to be a little more specific."
When Lexi had blown into town two days ago, after being reassured by Stefan that his relationship with her was purely platonic, Elena had decided to take advantage of Lexi's openness and bald honesty. Knowing she wouldn't find the answers she was looking for from Stefan, she figured Lexi was her best bet in assembling the puzzle that was vampirism. After all, how could she be sure of herself in her relationship with Stefan if she didn't have the first idea about his real nature. And how could she reconcile Damon's nocturnal activities with the man she dreamed he could be when she turned her bedroom light out at night.
"I mean, are they more... prone to sleepingwithlotsofpeople." A blush crept up from her neck to her cheeks as she remembered
Lexi laughed, apparently unphased by her question. "Not necessarily but it makes it easier to enjoy those kind of encounters when you're a vampire as you're less likely to be inclined to think about anything other than the pleasure you are seeking."
"But those kind of encounters are emotionless?"
"Vampires can love Elena. Stefan and I are living proof of that. But does that mean we love everyone that we have slept with? No, it doesn't. Really, vampires aren't that much different to humans when it comes to lust and love and sex and all that goes with it – we're just less likely to feel guilty about finding pleasure."
"Which kind of brings me back to my original question…"
"So you mean because we're not prone to guilt tripping, we're more likely to do whatever feels good? Perhaps but again, every vampire is different.
She hesitated a little before looking down at her latte and mumbled, "So, Damon?"
Lexi snorted. "Damon is a very special case. He is so blinded by his emotions - love, lust and desire that he cannot think straight. His actions are driven only by the pursuit of his lost loved one."
"Even if she doesn't love him back?"
"Even if. I mean, logic has no place in Damon's brain right now - it hasn't for years. If he's not in active pursuit of Katherine, he's enjoying a distraction. But that's all it is. A release, a bit of fun, letting off steam."
"Then why doesn't he turn off his emotions?" Elena mused out loud. Why would anyone put themselves through all that pain and yearning?
"Because emotions are what make us feel alive. They are what give us hope. Without his emotions, he is hopeless and that might be the worst torture a vampire can ever endure." Lexi looked out of the window, as though she were reliving a memory from a long time ago.
Elena sipped at her latte nervously, wondering if she had perhaps given too much away.
Lexi shrugged shoulders as though shrugging off a bad dream. "Elena, you have nothing to worry about. Stefan is not the type of guy to sleep around and he certainly isn't Damon if that's what you're worried about. He's not harbouring a secret crush on his ex-honey."
Of course Stefan was nothing like Damon. Stefan wanted her for all of who she was, he didn't sleep around and say things to her that messed with her head and made her think she wanted things that she really didn't want.
"You're right - you're absolutely right." Elena smiled.
"I always am." Lexi smirked and flicked her hair. "Which is why Stefan tasked me with convincing you that a pool party is a good idea."
"You mean Stefan and Caroline?" Elena giggled.
"Well, yeah of course. Damn, that girl can plan a party."
Elena had been on a downer about the pool party ever since her latest Damon encounter almost a week ago but the pep talk from Lexi had made her feel ten times better. Things were back in a perspective that she could handle and that meant that she no longer had a reason to veto the Salvatore pool party.
It was likely that Damon wouldn't attend something so juvenile but even if he did, what did she have to be afraid of? Nothing had happened between them and now she was sure that nothing ever would. He was hung up on his ex and any interest he had shown in her was merely him distracting himself until he could get his hands on the real deal. The fact that she looked like his ex probably made her even more desirable to him. But she, Elena Gilbert, was certain of one thing. She wasn't anybody's distraction.
"I guess it isn't so bad an idea."
"Hell yeah!" Lexi pounded the table with her fist. "Let's party chica!"
Music pulsed from the giant speakers strategically placed around the giant pool as half of Elena's class frolicked in the water and danced on the patio. Caroline had had a fit when she had seen the size of the Salvatore grounds and practically had a coronary when she saw the larger than average pool. There was no way that even Elena could have prevented her from holding a social event here - and it turned out that even Stefan had warmed to the idea.
"That's because he get's a free pass to ogle you in your bikini." Caroline nodded solemnly as she sipped at her non-alocholic cocktail.
"That is not why Stefan agreed to this at all." Elena giggled and dipped her head shyly.
"Have you guys even done it yet?"
"Caroline!" Elena and Bonnie groaned simultaneously.
"I mean, seriously. He's so into you, you're so into him..."
"It's not as straight forward as that." Elena scrambled for an explanation without sounding totally lame. Then he appeared.
"Ladies and gentleman." His voice boomed loudly and everyone turned to pay attention to what he was about to say next. Given the fact he was wearing unbuttoned black jeans and a lei around his neck, she could she why. "If anyone would like to really get this party started, please come and see me for a Slow Comfortable Screw, Between The Sheets or a Screaming Orgasm." He raised a cherry coloured liquid in a lavish cocktail glass and took up residence on a vacant sun-lounger next to Bonnie who was sat on Elena's left side.
"Can you believe that guy?" Bonnie looked at him disgustedly and pointedly turned her back to him.
Caroline flushed scarlet and looked at Damon hopefully. Unfortunately for her, his eyes were trained elsewhere - on Amber Shaw, the sluttiest and hottest girl in their class - who was currently doing handstands in the pool and making a half-hearted attempted to keep a hold on her bikini top.
"Seriously, Elena - have you not, you know..." Bonnie whispered to Elena, clearly not realising that it would be loud enough for vampire ears who were already in close quarters.
Elena struggled to refocus as she watched Damon watching Amber. Why did it bother her so much? He was clearly well on his way to finding his next distraction.
She turned and looked Bonnie right in the eye. "Not yet but definitely soon. I mean, it's not like we're waiting for any reason. We just haven't found the right time. But when we do, I'm sure it'll be amazing."
Elena looked over at Damon, not missing his derisive snort as he pretended to be totally uninterested in the conversation taking place right next to him. He was bothered and now she was smug. Take that, asshole.
"Amber, why don't you come over and rub some sunscreen on me?" Damon practically purred as he beckoned her to his lounger.
Elena, Caroline and Bonnie couldn't help but stare as she approached, hips swaying and sun lotion already in hand.
"Where would you like me to start?" She said seductively.
Damon stood up and dropped his jeans to the floor, revealing black bathing shorts. "You can start on my back and work your way round... I mean... down." He chuckled with a sideways glance at Elena.
Watching him openly flirt with the class trollop pushed buttons in Elena she never knew she had. Seeing Stefan approaching, she decided to be bold. Standing up, making sure that Damon had a good eyeful of her body clad in her black cut out swimsuit, she stretched and pointedly bent over to reach for her empty glass.
"Stefan, honey. I'm empty. Fill me up?" She smiled at her boyfriend coquettishly and flicked her hair as she held out her glass.
When Stefan smiled and took her glass, she could have sworn she heard a growl from Damon as she giggled and sat back down, crossing her bare tanned legs.
Two can play at that game.
She was driving him crazy - like certifiably crazy. She was dressed in a cut out black swimsuit and was flexing and bending right in front of his eyes. Did she not realise he was seconds away from throwing her over his shoulder and showing her exactly what a Screaming Orgasm was?
He knew he should be more careful, especially around Stefan and a crowd of humans but seeing her exposed flesh was playing havoc with his instincts.
He should be out looking for Anna, trying to find out Katherine's whereabouts but here he was, at a high school pool party trying to get the attention of his brother's girl. God, it's like 1864 all over again.
He knew she was drawn to him. But she was fighting it. She may not have slept with Saint Stefan just yet but she was planning to. And by then it would be too late. Her conscience was already wrestling with itself now but if she and Stefan ever slept together, it would be even harder to get her to realise exactly what it was they had.
Undeniable, inescapable animal attraction.
As he tried not show his irritation at Amber's rather unsubtle attempts to seduce him by sliding her hands under the waistband of his shorts, he saw Elena step around him, explaining to her friends that she was going to find her sunscreen.
"Excuse me, Amber. I just remembered that I have somewhere else to be." He unceremoniously shoved her off the end of the lounger before following Elena inside.
AN: Hey guys, thank you SO much for all the favourites, follows and reviews for the last chapter - they mean so much to me :)