Chapter 9
Everyone knows I'm in
Over my head
"Excuse me, is this seat taken?" Elena glanced up from tearing apart her napkin at the bar to a petite blonde standing next to her. She was standing with a friend and motioning to the seat Elena's purse was in.
"No," she said quietly and retrieved her purse from the seat. "It's all yours."
She could see a flash of recognition in the blonde's eyes as she looked at Elena. "Elena Gilbert?" she questioned with a hint of surprise.
Elena searched the woman's face for any idea of who this person was. The blonde and her friend sat down in the empty seats, but Elena still could not remember who this person was. "Yes?"
"You don't remember me do you?" the stranger laughed. "You probably wouldn't. We only met a couple times at really big parties, ages ago."
Some realization dawned on Elena as she took in the woman's designer ensemble. She met this woman when she was with Damon. He'd taken her to what seemed like an endless number of galas and fundraisers, and all the faces blended together by the end of the night most of the time. She barely remembered most of the people she'd met during that time.
"I'm sorry," she apologized sincerely.
"My name is Beverly Wilson-Taylor." She held her hand out for Elena to shake. "My father is a client of Damon's company."
"I'm sorry I don't remember you," she apologized as she shook the woman's hand. "I'm sure you understand just how many people were usually at those events."
"Of course," she agreed easily. "If it helps, you were always very polite."
Elena nodded in understanding. Beverly was telling her in the most polite way possible she'd been a cold bitch. She knew exactly when she'd met Beverly now. She must have met her just a few months before she'd left for Chicago, back when she'd been cold and miserable to everyone around her. She was surprised Beverly was even speaking to her. She definitely wouldn't want to have a conversation with the her of two and a half years ago.
"Thank you." She turned back to her drink, trying to effectively end the conversation. She wasn't good company then, and she highly doubted she'd be good company today.
"Speaking of Damon," Beverly mumbled as she stared up at the television screen in the bar. Out of sheer curiosity, or maybe just because she was a masochist, Elena looked up at the television. The local newscast for the hour was currently talking about Damon's wedding with a picture of him with Stefan and Caroline. Once Beverly realized what was being talked about, she turned to Elena, eyes wide. "That's awkward. We could ask them to change the channel?"
"No," Elena shook her head. "It's fine."
"I guess it could be worse. You could have to be at the wedding."
"Oh, it's worse," she mumbled, staring down at her drink again.
Any time now, Damon would make his way to the church where he would get married, and then he'd celebrate the night away at The Plaza Hotel. Because God was just full of funny jokes, Damon would be celebrating his wedding the same place Caroline and Stefan got married and had their reception. The irony wasn't lost on her. The same place where she realized so much about how deep she'd gotten with Damon would be where he would share his first dance with his new wife.
They would be sharing stolen moments in dark corners. He would be telling her about how he wanted to get her dress off. Her body would stay pressed to his all night. Stefan would give some great best man speech, all the while thankful that his brother was marrying anyone other than Elena.
Thanks, life.
The dim light from the morning sun filtered in through the windows, casting a warm glow on Damon's room. It illuminated the contours of his face perfectly as Elena stared down at him, one finger running gently along his jaw as she used the other to steady herself on his chest. He stared up at her, his eyes darkening just a shade more with each rise and fall of her body atop his.
He thrust his hips upward, eliciting a breathless moan from her parted lips as he filled her to her core. His hands gripped her hips as she continued to ride him, her movements growing more frenzied with each thrust of his hips up toward her. She seductively rolled her hips as she lowered herself once more, and he groaned in ecstasy. This morning everything was slow and sensual. There were no words, just the sound of their passion filled moans filtered through the silent room.
Damon sat up, causing her to cry out softly and clench her inner walls around him at the change of sensation. Her breasts pressed tightly against his slick chest as she continued to rock against him. He captured her mouth for the first time this morning and his tongue plunged into her mouth. Her body tensed as she rode higher, inching closer to that sweet release she so desperately craved. He was the first to fall over the edge, moaning into her mouth as he went. She wasn't far behind, and soon her hips twitched and she screamed out, her head falling back as her orgasm ripped through her. He buried himself in her one last time as she rode out the wave of ecstasy.
They remained frozen and silent for a few moments, Damon still inside of her. Their foreheads rested against each other as they struggled to catch their breaths. With a sigh, Damon fell back to the mattress.
Blissful and out of breath, Elena fell next to him on the bed, a wide smile on her face. He chuckled softly beside her. "Now that's a wake-up call I can get behind." He playfully smacked her backside that was barely covered by the thin sheet. "Literally."
She squealed from the sting of his slap. "Foul!" she chastised him, but hit his bare chest.
"Sorry," he apologized, but the wide grin on his face indicated otherwise. He snaked his arms around her waist and pulled her upper body on top of his. "I just can't keep my hands to myself."
"That's blatantly obvious."
It was the morning of December 31, which meant that it was officially Caroline's wedding day. She'd stayed at Damon's the night before, knowing that she would not get to see him much today. As maid of honor, all of her attention would be focused on Caroline for the duration of the day. It was her duty to make sure that the bride stayed as calm as possible. This meant that she needed to be as calm as possible, so she'd decided to pamper herself to a little early morning sex with Damon.
Everything had been a blur of activity since the fateful Las Vegas trip just a few weeks ago, but those weeks felt like months. She and Damon had gone from 0 to 60 in an instant, spending nearly every free moment possible with each other, mostly unclothed. The longest time they'd spent apart was three days when she went home to Mystic Falls for the holiday.
Christmas came and went in a blur of presents and budding excitement over the upcoming wedding. Elena and Bonnie had managed to go down to Mystic Falls and spend the holidays with their family. For Elena, this offered her the chance to spend time with her family members that she rarely saw. She enjoyed the short three days of more food than she should have consumed and the chance to make up for eight months of not picking on her brother.
She soon returned to New York City and the wedding countdown had been on. Caroline, who they were all expecting to be hell on two legs, was a perfectly blissed out bride. There wasn't a complaint in the world from her perky blonde friend. If it weren't so entertaining, it would be scary.
"So, today's the day," Damon sighed, his hands rubbing gentle circles on her back.
"Today's the day," she repeated softly.
"Caroline still walking around as if half her brain has been shut off?"
Elena laughed against his chest. "If that's your way of asking if she's still happy and calm, then yes."
"That girl is not happy and calm, she's on something."
"Be nice!" She lifted her head to look up at him. "She is marrying your brother. You should be happy she's not some druggie."
"Sometimes I wish she were. It would explain so much."
She couldn't contain her laugh. "You are incorrigible."
Damon's eyes were sparkling with humor as he looked up at her, and she was struck with just how easy this had all become between the two of them. She'd initially worried whether they'd be able to truly stay friends while having sex, but it had been surprisingly easy. Over the past few weeks they'd become closer. They didn't have any boundaries to worry about anymore. It was just simple and fun.
She hadn't experienced anything like it in so long she'd almost forgotten what it felt like. Things wit her and Matt had been so tense for so long, that she'd been denying herself the basic enjoyment of a romantic relationship. Granted, she and Damon were not in an official relationship, but it was close enough. They got all of the perks without any real commitment. It was a huge blessing. She needed time to have fun and experience life. Damon was the perfect partner for that.
In true fashion, her cell phone began blasting away. It was a daily occurrence for them to be interrupted at least once. Whether it was a conversation or them getting a little hot and heavy, there was always an interruption on the horizon.
Damon rolled his eyes and handed her phone to her. "I wonder who that could be."
She grabbed her phone from him and quickly answered it once seeing that it was Bonnie calling. "Hey, Bonnie."
"We have an emergency. Get over here. Now!" Bonnie rushed, in a near frenzy.
"What's wrong?" Elena quickly rolled off the bed and began gathering her clothes from the floor.
"I think she's finally gone insane."
"Stop talking to me about the wedding!" Elena heard Caroline's desperate shriek from the background.
"What is she doing?" she demanded.
"Trying to kick the wedding planner out."
"Yeah, she's lost her mind," she quickly agreed. "I'll be there in 15 minutes. Get everyone out of the room, even the wedding planner!" She disconnected her phone and dropped it onto Damon's bed while she pulled her underwear on. "I'd love to stay for some food and all, but we have a wedding emergency."
Damon sat up in his bed. "So I could hear. I knew she was hanging on by a thread. What sent her over the edge?"
"I don't even know," Elena sighed as she pulled her thick sweater over her head. She had absolutely no idea what could have sent Caroline over the edge. She hadn't had a single moment of doubt during the entire engagement. She'd been head over heels the whole time. She expected Caroline to be over the top dramatic about wanting things to be perfect, but not wanting to hear anything about the wedding was definitely not normal.
Once Elena was fully dressed, Damon asked, "In your expert maid of honor opinion, should I prepare my brother for the possibility of having a runaway bride?"
"No!" she snapped, probably a little too harshly, but Damon couldn't breathe a word of this to Stefan. "Caroline will marry Stefan today. You just take him brunch and keep him entertained." She rounded the side of the bed to come stand next to her lover. "And for the love of god, do not get him drunk!" She pointed a demanding finger down at him, but leaned forward to place a quick kiss against his lips.
He tried to deepen it and pull her back onto the bed with him, but she quickly maneuvered out of his hold. "Tease!" he shouted as she sprinted for his bedroom door.
"Sober!" she shouted over her shoulder. "Keep your brother sober!"
"I make no promises," he laughed, but quickly ducked out of the way when she grabbed a book from his dresser and tossed it at him.
Elena made a mad dash for the Plaza Hotel. She could only imagine how crazy she looked as she sprinted down the streets of New York City in the dead of winter with sex hair. Then again, this was New York City, they'd seen it all. A taxi could just take too long, and if Caroline's panicked plea was anything to go by, time was of the absolute essence.
She should have just stayed at the suite with Bonnie and Caroline last night, but then she'd had dinner with Damon. Dinner turned into dessert and dessert turned into three rounds. When his mouth was doing magical things down below, she couldn't walk away. She'd known that today would be long and stressful, no matter what mood Caroline was in, and she'd wanted to be as blissed out as possible. Apparently she should have sucked it up and stayed with her friends though. She was officially the worst maid of honor.
Her suspicions were confirmed that she looked insane as she bolted into the prestigious hotel on Fifth Avenue and sprinted through the lobby to the elevators. She quickly punched the button to call the elevator down to the lobby. It seemed like it took forever to step into the elevator and get up to Caroline's room, but she was soon being ushered in by a nervous looking Bonnie.
"How is she?" she whispered.
Bonnie looked over her shoulder at Caroline sitting in front of the window, still dressed in her large robe. "Not Caroline."
"Alright, Caroline, I'm here for you to yell at me for not staying here last night." She dropped her purse and walked over to Caroline, holding her arms out in a gesture of surrender. The blonde continued to stare out the window, her arms wrapped around her tiny waist. "Care?" She gently nudged her friend's shoulder. "What's going on?"
"I don't think Stefan wants to marry me." The whisper was so quiet that Elena wasn't truly sure that she'd heard her correctly, but the widened eyes of Bonnie's, told her that she hadn't misunderstood.
To say Elena was blindsided by this confession from Caroline would be an understatement. There was no doubt in her mind that Stefan wanted to marry Caroline. She had been skeptical about the couple when they first got together, but today, she couldn't imagine her friend with any man but Stefan. They were perfect together.
Elena grabbed Caroline's shoulders and turned her so they were facing. "What are you talking about? You know he wants to marry you."
"He got cold feet when we were in Las Vegas. That's what his fight with Damon was about."
"What?" Bonnie gasped, shocked at the revelation. "Why would you think that?"
"After Stefan went to talk to Damon, I was nervous that they might fight again. I went to make sure everything was still fine, but I heard them talking. He told Damon he was scared that he was wrong about me and that we'd rushed into this."
Elena and Bonnie both glanced nervously at each other. She hadn't prepared a speech for this. There were no pointers about this for maids of honor. How did she convince her best friend that Stefan didn't have cold feet when she'd heard him admit that he did?
She hadn't noticed anything different with Stefan though. He seemed more than ready to marry Caroline. She couldn't think of any clues that he wasn't sure about this anymore. Damon also hadn't seemed overly apprehensive about the wedding. If he thought Stefan was having second thoughts, he'd probably do everything in his power to get the wedding canceled.
"But you two were fine after Stefan and Damon's fight," Bonnie pointed out. "He practically couldn't keep his hands off of you."
"I know," Caroline sighed. "I've tried to convince myself that it was just a moment of doubt. I had a couple too, but what if he still has them? I can't walk down that aisle and risk him deciding that he can't go through with it in front of everyone. This is the Plaza for god's sake!"
There was some of the Caroline they all knew and loved.
"He's not going to back out," Elena insisted, finally finding her voice. "Trust me."
"But what if he does?" She grabbed Elena's arms in a tight grip. "What am I going to do if he leaves me at the altar?"
"He's not going to leave you at the altar!" Caroline didn't look convinced by Elena's assurances, so Elena turned to grab her phone. "You know what? We're going to settle this right now."
Caroline rushed after her. "What are you doing?" she grasped Elena's arm and pulled her from her purse.
"I'm calling Stefan." Elena pulled her arm from Caroline's and grabbed her purse from the couch. "Because you have a wedding that you have to get ready for. The makeup artist and hair stylist will be here in 30 minutes, and then the photographer will be here soon after that. If you refuse to do anything with the wedding, then we're going to bring Stefan up here right now and settle this." It took her a few moments of digging, but she finally retrieved her phone and quickly dialed Damon's number.
"No, don't call him," Caroline begged, her arms flailing for Elena's phone. "He'll think I'm insane and then he really won't want to marry me."
"Honey, if he hasn't already thought you were insane, he doesn't know you."
"A little faith, Gilbert," Damon answered. "I only just got here. Not even I could get my brother drunk this fast."
"Good, you're with Stefan?" she questioned. Caroline's arm shot out toward Elena, but she deftly ducked and rushed around the couch. "How is he?"
"Um," Damon paused, confused at where Elena was going. "Fine. I don't know. It's his wedding day, and I'm not pulling him away from the balcony. How am I supposed to answer this?"
"Elena!" Caroline shouted.
"Bring him up here. Now."
"Isn't that bad luck?"
"I don't care, bring him up."
She could hear Damon tell Stefan to hold on and then move somewhere else in the suite he was in with Stefan. "Is Caroline's freak out about her not wanting to get married?"
"What?" she choked out. Was he serious?
"Be honest here, Elena. I need to know what I'm brining my brother into. Am I walking him into a room where Caroline is going to tell him she doesn't want to get married?"
"No," she bit out. "She thinks he doesn't want to get married. She's not listening to Bonnie or me, and she won't do anything regarding the wedding. So, if Stefan wants to get married tonight, he better get his ass up here and tell her!" In a huff, she pressed end and threw her phone on the couch. She looked up at Caroline who was standing across from her, her hands on her hips, and smiled brightly. "He should be here any minute now."
Sure enough, there was an insistent pounding on the front door minutes later. She looked at Caroline and Bonnie and then went to get the door. Before she even had it all the way open, Stefan pushed past her and rushed toward Caroline. He was still dressed in a pair of jeans and a shirt, but wore a worried expression on his face. Damon was right behind him, eyeing the scene nervously.
He stopped next to Elena and leaned in to whisper in her ear. "She better not dump my brother."
"Whatever," Elena scoffed. "She's not dumping anyone. This is his fault anyway."
"What is that supposed to mean?" he demanded softly.
"If you and Stefan hadn't been like little boys and fought in Vegas, Caroline never would have come to make sure you hadn't begun fighting again when he came to talk to you that night."
Damon rolled his eyes and smirked. "I seem to recall you sleeping with this little boy that night."
"Lapse in judgment," she mumbled beneath her breath while turning away from him.
"Really?" he stepped closer to her to where he was practically pressed against her. "What's your excuse for the other 50 times?"
She gently shoved at his chest, but could do little to conceal the small smile on her face. "Stop it, this is serious."
"Are you crazy?" Stefan's stunned voice pulled Elena's attention away from Damon. He grabbed Caroline's face in his hands and held it tightly. "There is no way that you could get me to not marry you tonight. I don't have cold feet, Caroline."
"But in Vegas," she began, but he quickly cut her off.
"But nothing. It was a fleeting moment that meant nothing. I want to marry you."
"You're really not having second thoughts?" she questioned sadly. "Cause I don't know what I'll do if you leave me at the altar."
"I'm not leaving that altar until I'm your husband," he whispered, his forehead pressed against hers. "You hear me?"
"Promise?"
He placed a soft kiss against her lips. "Promise."
The tension poured out of Caroline like a waterfall. Everyone watched as she allowed herself to melt into Stefan's firm embrace for a few moments. The crisis was now averted and the wedding would resume as planned. It was a weight off of Elena's shoulders. She was finally doing something useful as maid of honor.
"Oh my god!" Caroline's eyes sprang open and she shoved Stefan away from her. "You have to leave! It's bad luck to see the bride on the wedding day!" Stefan looked dazed and confused, at a total loss as to what had just happened to the tender moment he was having with his fiancée. "Get out!"
"And she's back ladies and gentleman!" Damon theatrically declared. "Nice to see you again Caroline, I was getting worried there for a moment."
"You mess up this wedding and I will kill you Damon Salvatore," Caroline threatened, pointing her finger dangerously in Damon's direction. All traces of fear and nervousness had completely fled her eyes. She was back to being fully confident and ready for the day ahead.
"Yup, definitely you, Blondie." Stefan turned his head away from Caroline so she wouldn't see his soft chuckling, and shoved his brother toward the door. "Feel free to come help me pass the time, Elena. You know how to find me." He winked at her as he allowed Stefan to push him through the open door.
The second the door was shut Caroline began shouting out orders. "Bonnie, call the wedding planner and get her back in here now!" She turned on her heel to face Elena. "You!" She grimaced and waved her hand in Elena's general vicinity. "You need to shower! You smell like sex! And Damon! Ew!"
Elena covered her mouth with her hand as she tried to discretely laugh. "One shower coming right up, bride."
She made quick work of locking herself in the bathroom and soon she was standing beneath the steady flow of hot water, trying to wash the "sex" off of her. She didn't know that it was possible to smell like sex, but she learned something new every day with Caroline, even after over 15 years of friendship. Maybe Caroline was pregnant and smelling things. She'd heard that some scents were stronger and more potent to pregnant women.
The thought made Elena shudder. The idea of Caroline, or even Bonnie or her being pregnant was something that did not need to happen in the near future. None of them were ready for babies. Caroline may be ready to take the big plunge into marriage, but Elena was more than content with staying firmly planted in the camp of "unmarried" for the foreseeable future.
Damon had helped her realize just how unprepared she really was for things like marriage and all the things that came with it. He gave her the sense of comfort and acceptance that allowed her to let her hair down and have fun. It was something she'd forgotten how to do well after her parents died. He'd woken up something inside of her, and she loved it. She loved how he made her feel.
"Elena!" A pounding on the door accompanied with the shout of her name by a screeching Caroline had Elena jumping in the shower. "Hurry up! We have to start with the hair and makeup soon!"
"I'm coming!" she called out. Her shower would have to be cut short today.
Everything seemed to go by in a blur for the rest of the day. There was makeup and hair, then they had to get dressed, and then the photographer had to photograph Elena and Bonnie getting Caroline in her dress. Her mom and dad showed up right after Caroline was dressed and many tears were shed as Ms. Forbes presented Caroline with a necklace that had been passed down through their family for generations.
Then they were all filing into an elevator and getting all the photos taken before the ceremony. It was like a top-secret mission as everyone worked to make sure Stefan wouldn't catch a glimpse of his bride in her wedding gown. Flashes seemed to be coming from every which direction, and Elena felt like her face was going to fall off if she had to smile one more time, but Caroline was beaming and that was enough to keep her going. What had started out as a rocky day had now turned into something out of a fairy tale. Caroline was glowing in her gown nothing short of a natural disaster could ruin her day as long as she became Stefan's wife.
It seemed like in the blink of an eye it was 8:30 and they were standing in a small room, hidden away from all the guests and Stefan. Elena and Bonnie grabbed the small gifts that the wedding planner's assistant handed them and turned to face a jittery Caroline. "So, you have your something old, and your shoes are your something new, but we have to make sure you have everything else."
Bonnie smiled brightly and held out a small bag toward Caroline. "Something blue."
The blonde quickly dug into the bag and squealed as she retrieved a light blue garter. "You guys!" The woman that could embarrass anyone at the drop of a dime was now blushing as she stared down at the blue silk. "I can't let Stefan take this off of me in front of everyone."
"What happened to following traditions?" Bonnie taunted. "Come on, put it on. We'll help." Elena helped to steady Caroline as Bonnie bent down so she could slip her milky white leg into the garter. "Stefan better thank me for this," she mumbled, somewhere beneath Caroline's dress. She soon jumped back up to her feet and ran her hands over her bridesmaid dress to smooth it down. "Elena, your turn."
Caroline turned and looked at her expectantly as Elena held out a small black box for her friend. She opened it and gasped as she saw the diamond bracelet inside. "Is this yours?"
Elena shook her head. "Nope." She gently pulled the bracelet from the box and unclasped it. "This belonged to Stefan's mother. She left it to Damon when she passed." When she'd told Damon earlier in the week about how she'd had trouble deciding on what she had that Caroline could borrow for the wedding, he'd surprised her with the bracelet the next day and said that Caroline could wear it for her wedding. "He said that she would have wanted you to wear it on your wedding day."
Tears glistened in Caroline's eyes as Elena clasped the bracelet over her small wrist. "He really did that?"
"He did," she confirmed with a wavering smile of her own.
"It's gorgeous," she whispered. "Thank you."
"Thank him."
"So," Caroline began softly, her eyes lingering on the bracelet. "You and Damon seem like you're doing well."
Elena blushed at the mention of her and Damon. "We're having fun."
"Just fun?" she asked skeptically, now raising her eyes to meet Elena's.
"What do you mean?" Elena asked nervously.
"I mean I know you, and I know that you say this is all fun and no strings, but you're not a no strings kind of girl, Elena." Out of the corner of her eye she could see Bonnie biting her lip and looking toward the floor. She'd all but stopped giving her opinion about anything regarding Damon.
"You think I'm making a mistake."
Caroline's mouth opened and closed almost comically for several long moments as she fought a battle on what to say. Finally, she sighed and said, "I think you need to be careful."
"Ladies," the wedding planner opened the door and stepped into the small room. "It's time."
"Oh my god, this is it!" Caroline exclaimed, previous conversation completely forgotten. She bounced up and down on her feet. "I'm getting married."
Bonnie reached out and grabbed the girls hands in her own. "This is it," she whispered.
"I'm so happy that you two are my best friends." Caroline squeezed their hands. "I cannot imagine my life without Stefan, but I wouldn't have a life if I didn't have you two." The girls huddled into a tight embrace mixed with tears and laughter and choked "I love you's". Elena knew without a doubt that she wouldn't have a life without them either. They were her rock.
"Ladies, I really am sorry to break this up, but we have got to go." The girls quickly pulled apart and worked to wipe the tears from their faces without messing up their makeup, and soon they were being ushered from the room.
They walked hand in hand through the hallway until they came to a stop in front of the grand mirrored doors. Caroline's father was waiting for them, a proud smile on his face. The girls parted and allowed Caroline to stand next to her dad as the wedding planner fixed her veil. They all retrieved their bouquets from an assistant and were lined up.
The doors opened in a sudden sweeping movement and Elena could hear the music swell. Bonnie gave one last smile over her shoulder and then she was off. Next, Elena was standing next to the wedding planner who had a firm hand on her shoulder. When Bonnie was halfway down the aisle she felt a tap on her shoulder and she knew it was her cue to go. She held the bouquet tightly in front of her stomach and began her slow walk down the grand aisle.
The one-shouldered black gown that Caroline had chosen flowed elegantly around her with each step she took. First, she saw Stefan, his hands clasped anxiously behind his back, a small smile on his face. Then, her eyes landed on Damon, standing just next to Stefan, his eyes glued to her as she glided toward the altar. She smiled softly at him, her heart doing somersaults in her chest at the sight of him in his black suit. She reached the altar and as she turned to face the crowd she silently mouthed "Hi," to him, which he happily mouthed back, accompanied with a wink.
All attention was suddenly drawn toward the back of the ballroom as the music swelled and Caroline appeared on her father's arm. Everyone stood to watch her walk down the aisle. She had a beaming smile on her face and her eyes didn't seem to notice a soul around her, all she was focused on was Stefan. From the glance she caught out of the corner of her eye, his smile was just as big as he watched her walking toward him. They could barely contain their excitement as the minister had her father give Caroline away.
Caroline giggled softly when Stefan reached out to clasp her hand in his and walk them to their spots on the altar. As they passed Elena, she reached out and retrieved Caroline's bouquet from her extended hand. Her eyes met Damon's across the small distance and she had to swallow thickly at the burning desire she saw in his blue orbs.
"Friends and family, we are gathered here this evening to witness and celebrate the union of Stefan Giuseppe Salvatore and Caroline Melissa Forbes in marriage."
As the minister's words filtered somewhere through the back of her mind, she couldn't tear her eyes away from Damon. Something swirled deep within in her, something she hadn't felt in a long time. She couldn't believe that just six short months ago she had no idea of who Damon Salvatore was. Her life wasn't filled with the sarcasm that only he could pull off and still remain charming. She hadn't known that little spin that her stomach would go on when he walked into a room. There had been no fleeting thought of the sheer excitement and joy he would bring to her life on a daily basis.
In that short span, he'd turned her life upside down in the best way possible. He had shown her how to let go of so many fears. He'd shown her that she could still have a life beyond Matt. He had taken her on an unexpected journey through her soul to find a girl she thought was gone forever. Six months ago, when she looked at him across that crowded bar, she never realized what this man would become to her.
Everything might have been born out of lust between them, but it had grown into so much more. They had grown into more. He was not some guy that she had sex with to pass the time. Somewhere along the way, Damon Salvatore became a man that she cared deeply cared about.
Caroline sniffled in front of her and Elena allowed her attention to be pulled from Damon and focused on the vows now being exchanged between Caroline and Stefan.
Stefan held Caroline's hands tightly in his own as his eyes shone with love and happiness. "When you introduced yourself to me after that first class last year, I never realized what you would become to me. I cannot imagine my life without you in it. You make me smile and laugh, something that is not always an easy task. You've brought me more warmth and love than I ever thought was possible, and I will spend the rest of my life doing the same for you." He ended his vows with a gentle brushing of his hand over her damp cheeks.
"Stefan," Caroline began with a shaky voice. "When I saw you in the back of that lecture hall a year and a half ago, I knew that there was something about you. I came on far too strong in all of my Caroline tendencies, but you saw beyond the dramatics and shallowness. You found something inside of me that nobody had ever tried to find before. You've taught me that it's okay to spend a Sunday on the couch. You've brought everything to my life that I never thought I needed, and I wouldn't change that embarrassing introduction in the back of the classroom for anything."
It was now Elena's turns to dry her own cheeks as the minister asked for the rings. All attention was now on Damon. He ran his hands over his jacket and pockets, a worried expression on his face. Just when Stefan seemed to be ready to panic, Damon laughed and pulled the rings from a pocket of his suit jacket. "Just kidding." With a smile, he handed the rings to the minister, who then held them out for Stefan and Caroline to grab.
More tears were shed as Caroline and Stefan exchanged their rings. She didn't think that the couple could withstand the temptation any longer as their bodies continued to drift closer together throughout the ceremony. They were now nearly pressed together as the minister finally announced that Stefan could kiss the bride. In one fell swoop, he pulled Caroline to him and lowered his mouth to hers. Normally shy with being the center of attention, Stefan didn't hold back as he kissed Caroline happily, his mouth hungrily devouring hers. When Damon cleared his throat discretely behind his brother, Stefan regretfully pulled back from a blushing Caroline.
"Ladies and gentleman, I introduce to you, Mr. and Mrs. Salvatore," the minister proudly announced as the crowd cheered.
The music swelled again as Caroline retrieved her bouquet from Elena and the newly married couple walked happily down the aisle. Damon stepped over to her, a happy smile on his face and held his arm out for her. She easily slid her arm through his and allowed him to guide her down the aisle. He leaned his head in to whisper softly in her ear, "You look gorgeous in your dress. I couldn't take my eyes off of you."
Her cheeks flushed at his comment. "You don't look so bad yourself Mr. Salvatore."
"Although, as much as I love you in that dress, I can't wait to see it on my floor."
Elena playfully smacked Damon on his chest once they were out of the grand ballroom. "You're getting a little cocky there, don't you think?"
Damon pulled her flush against him, a dangerous smirk on his face. "I'll show you cocky."
Elena laughed loudly as Damon's face nuzzled her neck. She held his body tightly against hers, reveling in the sensation. "You're just too much."
"Break it up, you two," Caroline interrupted them, but she was pressed tightly against Stefan's side. "We're the only ones allowed to have disgusting levels of PDA tonight."
"So really it's no different than every other night of the week," Damon teased his now sister-in-law.
"You're lucky I just got married, otherwise I might have to beat you up."
The wedding planner ushered the bridal party to another room to wait for all guests to leave the ballroom where the ceremony was so that the rest of the photos could be taken of the bridal party. Caroline and Stefan ducked into a dark corner and were now whispering sweet nothings in each other's ears. With the bride distracted, Damon took the chance to pull Elena away from everyone else.
"What time can we leave?"
She rolled her eyes at him. "After Caroline and Stefan leave."
"But I wanna leave now," he whined, burying his head in her neck. "There are going to be so many people here. We'll have to talk to my dad. I'm gonna have to give the best man toast. Think of it as a wedding present to Caroline to get me out of here before I give some embarrassing speech."
Elena pulled his face away from her neck, a stern look on her face. "You say anything other than the perfect speech and I will not have sex with you for two weeks."
Damon grabbed the finger she was pointing at his face. "You can't withhold sex, we're not in a relationship. Only girlfriends and wives receive that privilege."
"Well then I'd end the arrangement," she threatened.
"I call bull." He pressed his hips into her and sensually rotated them. "Now that you've had my body, you can't walk away. I'm irresistible."
"Alright, everyone, it's time for more pictures," the wedding planner shouted out. "Back to the ballroom."
"Yay," Damon groaned, but stepped away from her to go walk next to his brother. "Picture time!"
Elena walked a few feet behind Damon and Stefan, deep in thought. He was right. When he said that she couldn't end the arrangement between them, he was 100% right. Damon wasn't a random guy or a rebound. He was Damon effing Salvatore and she was so far out of her league.