AN: OK, getting near the end I think. Thanks to tablekorner for pointing out an invitation can't be revoked on TVD. (I get my vampire TV shows mixed up sometimes.) Thanks again for the reviews and to those reading along. Please let me know what you think of this chapter...
"Jer? Jeremy? I need to talk to you." Jesus Christ. It was like she had a sixth sense, her ability to interrupt a pivotal moment unparalleled. He could feel Jeremy tremble in his arms, although he couldn't be sure whether it was from the chill the teen was probably experiencing (he knew his own body temperature wasn't exactly warming the naked lad up) or at the thought of being found in the arms of someone other than Bonnie.
Strike that. The last person in the world Elena would want her brother to be embracing was himself. And didn't he know that? Wasn't that why he had put this whole ridiculous plan in motion? To punish Elena for choosing Stefan over him?
So, just because his best-laid plans hadn't exactly panned out, wouldn't this moment be perfect timing? To have Elena walk in on him and Jeremy now? Late at night, in Jeremy's room, Jeremy naked and in the arms of Damon Salvatore? To see the astonishment in those doe eyes replaced with dawning understanding, her shocked expression fading to pain, hurt? Wasn't revenge what this was all about?
Except it wasn't. He knew it and he had tried to tell the teen how he felt but Jeremy wasn't having any of it. Of course, one couldn't blame the boy. He didn't exactly have the greatest track record when it came to being honorable. But Jeremy's ongoing rejection was killing him. He wanted to be trusted, to be loved.
There. The words were out. Well, not exactly out but he had finally admitted to himself what he'd known, deep down, for a while. He had feelings for Jeremy that didn't involve using the teen as a pawn in a game with Elena.
But what of Elena? Hearing her voice on the other side of the door did cause him pause, did cause him to react. He loved her. But was that love changing? Was it part of something else, something different than what he'd thought he felt for her?
NO. This was bullshit. He didn't want to care about anyone alive. Humans were too complicated and they weren't around long enough. There was no sense in investing emotions in them. And least that's what he kept trying to tell himself.
He found himself staring into Jeremy's dark eyes. Jeremy was looking at him questioningly, almost as if the other male could hear his inner struggle.
Elena spoke again, more loudly now. "Jer. Bonnie's really upset. She thinks you're leaving her behind, that you have stronger feelings for Anna, that you want Anna to come back. She's worried that you don't know what you're dealing with, that Anna's presence may not mean good things. Jer, you need to talk to Bonnie. Tell her you love her. Please, Jer. Anna's a ghost. Bonnie is real, she's here and she cares about you. She sacrificed a lot by bringing you back to life. You can't just ignore her."
Jeremy began to shake again. Without thinking, he drew the teen closer to him, made soothing noises in Jeremy's ear, caressed his back. He heard Jeremy choke back a sob. Wow. He hadn't realized how all of this was impacting on Jeremy. But it made sense. Ghost vampire love. Live witch love. Heady stuff.
And he was an additional complication. How he figured into Jeremy's confused thoughts was unclear. But he definitely was making the teen suffer, his presence and demands only adding to all this unwanted, unsolicited entanglement. The boy must be going crazy.
"Jer. I know you're awake and that you can hear me. Please let me in. I want to help."
Reaching a decision, he pulled away from Jeremy. "I'll go" he whispered softly, "I'm making things worse for you. Elena's right. You need to sort out your shit, decide where you're going to land on the subject of Anna versus Bonnie. You don't need me fucking with your head. I'm sorry. I'll leave you alone. Like you've been asking. I get it, Jeremy. Just know that I'm here if you need me. Anywhere, anytime."
He turned to go. He walked slowly, heavily to the closed window. Drew back the curtain. His hand was on the windowsill, raising the glass pane. He was crouched on the ledge, poised to jump.
And was pulled backwards into the room.
Jeremy. Jeremy. Jeremy. His warmth exudes, surrounding me, enveloping me. Jeremy. His strong arms pulling me closer, his long legs wrapping around mine. Jeremy. His capable hands stroking my chest, tweaking my sensitive nipples, splaying across my ribs, slowing descending, tangling in my dark pubic hair.
Jeremy. Jeremy. I ache for his hands on my hard, stiff cock. I need his touch, I rock against him. He responds by kissing my neck, then bites my earlobe. He knows. He knows what that does to me and I growl. He laughs. Softly, almost tenderly.
Finally. He grabs a hold and begins to stroke. I moan his name into his mouth. Jeremy. He swallows the sound and thrusts his tongue against mine. Jeremy. He tastes so fucking good.
I slide my hands down his back, grab that fantastic ass, pull him down towards me. Our erections meet and he finally makes that noise. That hum from deep inside his throat that lets me know I affect him.
I forget the minutes before, the words he uses to tell Elena to go away, convincing her that he needs to be alone. I ignore her retort that she is leaving to go see Bonnie, even though it is very late. Because someone needs to be there for Bonnie, she claims in an angry voice. But I don't care about her anger.
Because Jeremy is here with me. He is undressing me, kissing me, whispering that he does need me; he doesn't want me to go. He murmurs that he can't be alone right now as he pushes me towards the bed, landing underneath me. He lets out a contented 'oomph' as my weight falls on him.
Jeremy. I reach between our legs, searching. He knows instantly what to do and angles himself. I hear him cry out with pleasure as I thrust fingers into his hole and he lowers and raises himself again and again until my hand aches with the force of him.
And we are kissing and kissing and kissing. Like we will never stop. There is no one else in the world right now. No Elena. No Bonnie. No Anna. No ripper brother. No Klaus lurking in the shadows. It is just Jeremy. The two of us. Together.
"I want you in me." He cries out, bites my shoulder. I roll us, as one. Now I am on top of him. I look down. He is beautiful, flawless. My whole being aches. I don't remember feeling this way, ever. It is different than all the times before.
Jeremy. He is wide open, vulnerable. I have never seen this expression on his face and it takes me a second to recognize what he is feeling. Peace. He is feeling peaceful. And I know instinctively that it has been a long time since he has felt this. And I want him to hold onto that feeling. Oh my god. It is me who has given him this.
The knowledge suddenly weighs upon me. I lean forward and kiss his forehead. Kiss his eyelids, gently. I seek his mouth and my lips try to tell him what I can't say in words. That he is precious to me, that I want him to feel safe. I want Jeremy to keep this feeling of peacefulness, to have it to hold onto.
He sighs and whispers my name against my mouth. "Damon." And that does me in. It fucks me up and fucks me over. I enter him swiftly, needing to be in him, to feel him, to be surrounded by him.
We are alone in this. The night is ours. I hold him to my body and he responds. He seeks my touch, my kiss. He thrusts up, my cock is sooo deep inside him, and he moans. I'm barely hanging on.
"Damon" he repeats softly and I lose it. I can't hold back, I don't even try. I make love to him. That's the only way to describe it because that's what it is. We make love. It isn't sex, it isn't fucking. It's making love. And it's perfect. Because he is perfect. And I feel perfect when I am with him.
He looks down at the sleeping boy. Jeremy's face is relaxed. But he realizes the peaceful expression has vanished. He grimaces as he realizes that Jeremy's world will come crashing back when the teen awakes. He wishes it wasn't so.
His mind drifts back, reliving the night. He feels himself begin to smile. Then. At that exact moment, Jeremy speaks in his sleep. A single word. A name. And if he had a heart, surely it would break. Because the name isn't his. "Anna" murmurs Jeremy.