She knew by the tight hold he had on her waist and the quickness of his pace that he had something to tell her or perhaps it was ask. She wasn't sure at the moment but she did know that whatever it might be he didn't want Damon to hear. That easily made it plausible to believe that he wished to discuss his brother and usually when that happened the outcome was not good. He lead her beyond the floats, over to the other side of the park where there wasn't as many people. When he thought they were far enough away he stopped and let her go, sticking his hands in his pockets as he paced back and forth, his face set in deep contemplation. She watched his curiously, wondering could possibly be upsetting him so much.
He finally stopped a minute later and looked her straight in the eyes, his lips pressed tightly together before he opened his mouth, "What is your relationship with Damon?"
She blinked at him, waiting for an exclamation of just kidding or something along the lines of that, but when one came her eyebrows furrowed and her lips pursed together as she frowned.
"Is that a trick question?" She asked, a bit confused.
Stefan shook his head , his demeanor completely serious at the moment.
Sensing his need for the answer she replied almost immediately, "We're just friends."
The moment the words slipped through her lips she felt a bitter taste in her mouth as if a lie had just passed through them. She couldn't fathom as to why it happened and she didn't have the heart to actually attempt to. She loved Stefan, there was absolutely no doubt about that but she knew somewhere deep down inside her that she also had a connection with Damon. She wished that she didn't, knowing it would make everything that much easier but she knew that nothing in this world was the definition of easy.
Damon was most defiantly her friend as of right now, perhaps even something stronger than that. A best friend. She didn't know. All she knew was that her trust in him was slightly stronger than the trust she currently held for Stefan and that in the end it was going to cause a world of trouble. The lies Stefan had told took a toll on her and she welcomed the blunt explanations and statements from the dangerously witty bad boy.
"He's no good, Elena," Stefan began after a moment of silence, "He's going to end up hurting you."
She stared at him disbelief, ideally wondering where this was coming from. She knew that he was slightly peeved over the fact that Damon could possibly be love with her but if he thought for a second that he was going to break them apart he was sorely mistaken. She couldn't see him doing that though. He was just too good to do anything of that sort. She reached up and felt his forehead, wondering if vampires could get sick.
He grabbed her hand and held it, "I'm serious."
"Damon would never hurt me," Elena stated sternly, her confidence in him unyielding.
"He's unpredictable, Elena. He does things that benefit only himself. He can't be trusted."
"Yes, he can, Stefan. He's been there for me every time I needed him. He was there for you too when you needed help. I don't understand why this is an issue all of a sudden. I thought you guys were finally getting along," Elena said to him, watching as a flash of annoyance ran through his eyes as she defended his brother.
"That doesn't matter. He's the same old Damon through and through. He'll never change and being friends with him will only result in you getting hurt. Maybe he won't physically hurt you but he can do some damage mentally and emotionally, too. I don't want to see you get hurt, Elena," He stated softly, his eyes and demeanor pleading with her to understand his point of view on the subject.
"Stefan, I'll be fine. He won't hurt me and honestly, I think Damon needs a friend anyway. To keep him from doing something reckless, you know?"
"You don't know that for sure, Elena. He can turn in a minute," Stefan told her and she felt a flare of annoyance run through her at his demeaning.
"Stefan, I trust Damon. I know his track record is pretty bad but he's trying to make amends and I'm not going to turn him down just because you think his intentions are less than honorable."
A bit peeved by her stubbornness Stefan allowed his rising temper to show as he said exasperatedly, "I'm trying to protect you, Elena and your making it harder than it already is."
"I never asked to be protected, Stefan and to be honest I don't want to be. When people are in a relationship they're suppose to be equals. They're suppose to work together and find a solution to any problem that arise. Tying to protect me from the world is never going to work if I don't want to be."
"Elena…," He softly muttered her name, pleading her to just listen to him.
She shook her head at him, refusing to be in a bad mood because of his jealously, "We're not discussing this any more, Stefan. I don't want to be in a bad mood. I've had enough bad days these past few months to last me a lifetime."
"We'll continue this later than," Stefan replied, his demeanor turning into his calm and collected one immediately.
"No we won't. The discussion is over," She told him before walking away.
He sighed deeply, having no idea how to show her that his brother was just as wild as he had been when he had first come here. He would always be the same Damon. Changing was impossible when he had been that way for so long.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
The day quickly turned to night and Elena found herself wandering around the park by herself, her keen eyes observing her surroundings sharply. After the slight argument she had with Stefan she had distanced herself away from him, even as they continued the events listed in the festival. Once all of them were complete she had told him she needed to think and walked away, not even waiting for a reaction. She was so annoyed with him at the moment that she was afraid that she might do something stupid if she stayed.
She knew that he was just trying to protect her but almost every fight they had, had started because of his need to make sure she was protected. He lied to her thinking that it was the best thing for her and that had ended her up in worst predicaments than she could possibly fathom. She just couldn't understand why he wanted her to break her bond with his brother. Did his jealous control him so much that he had no care for her thoughts on the subject? That he would gladly break them apart if only for his own piece of mind? She didn't think that was the case, knowing how soft and gentle his demeanor was underneath the vampire exterior.
He couldn't think that she would possible leave him after the announcement that Isobel made. She didn't even know the truth behind it…but perhaps he did and that was why he was acting the way he was. She supposed she could understand his reasoning than but that made it look like he didn't trust her in the presence of his brother either. Any way she looked at it she found Stefan to be in the wrong with his thinking. Her and Damon were friends. Just friends. Nothing of the romantic type was going on between them and she doubted that it ever would.
Damon was still pining over Katherine, or at least that's what she thought. He never really specified if he was going to continue his search for the woman he once loved. She knew if she was in shoes she wouldn't. The woman obviously didn't care as much as she said she did. If she had she would have found him the moment that she was able to. She knew Damon had been hurt immensely by the information when he found out he wasn't in the tomb but of course being the macho man he was he mostly played it off. She saw the slight pain and hurt shining through his eyes though when he was told, if only for a moment. He had needed that hug than and he needed her friendship now so he wouldn't sink back into his old self and continue thinking that it was okay for him to travel the world without having the care of those he held dear.
She was so lost in the thoughts plaguing her mind that all concentration she once had in directing herself as she walked waned and she ended up hitting right into someone. She bounced back, heading straight for the ground before she was grabbed securely around the waist and lifted back up, her body pressed against a leanly muscled males.
"You should watch where your going," A smirking Damon told her as he looked down at her dazed form, "Some men might take that the wrong way."
She allowed a small sad smile to grace her face as she slowly disengaged herself from his warm, secure body. He slowly slid his arm from around her waist, his fingers lightly running along her torso as he did so. Almost immediately shivers lightly ran down her spine and goose bumps appeared on her arms. Only after stepping away did he notice the smile that was on her face. It didn't fit her, he noted immediately as he stared at her.
"Oh, great. Stefan's brooding has rubbed off on you," He drawled in disappointment as he shook his head, "Next thing I know you'll be chasing furry little animals for a midnight snack."
She couldn't help the bout of laughter that escaped her mouth at his words. While most of the time he had no intention of being funny in any way there were moments like these where she knew that he had wanted her to laugh. She knew that he noticed her sad demeanor almost immediately upon looking at her and despite having this image as a cold hearted bad boy he attempted to make her feel better. She found it sweet, though she would never say it.
"Your unbelievable," She told him instead.
"I prefer the adjectives sexy, incredible, irresistible, charming, hot, alluring…"
"I would never call you any of those things," She interjected before he could go off on a whole tangent.
"Never say never," He replied with a sly smirk.
She leaned in towards him slightly and whispered, "Never."
"Oh, what a bad ass," He said sarcastically, a teasing tone in his voice as he lifted both eyebrows as he spoke.
She smiles at him in response but doesn't speak, not quite sure what to say. A short silence followed his comment as the two just stared at one another for a moment. Damon was wondering just what his idiotic brother had said to make her brood and she was trying to remember when his eyes had become so outstandingly beautiful. They were so clear and bright, reminding her of the crystal blue oceans that surrounded the gorgeous islands of the Caribbean. Once his thoughts moved passed the plague that was his brother he noticed her stare and the look of awe that was shining through her eyes. He couldn't help but roam his eyes over her, greedily taking in the beautiful sight that was laid before him. She had looked so delectable in that golden dress of hers with her gorgeous curled hair cascading down her shoulders today, there was no doubt about that, but he perferred her in jeans and a t-shirt. her curves were easier to detect and she just looked better when she was being her self.
A loud screech from the loud speakers stationed throughout the park broke both their trances but neither bothered to actually listen to the words being spoken.
Instead Damon cleared his throat and asked, "So, why do you seem so much like Stefan at the moment?"
She rolled her eyes at the way he worded the questioned and answered swiftly, "Stefan has concerns with our...friendship."
His icy blue eyes zeroed in on her chocolate brown ones for a moment before he blinked slowly and inquired, "And what might those concerns be?"
"Nothing that I find too plausible," She replied almost immediately.
He stares at her again, his eyebrows raised before he asks, "So what are they?"
She shook her head at the question, "It doesn't matter."
"Why are you avoiding answering the question?"
"Because I don't share the same concerns as Stefan," She answered truthfully.
"One, I find it highly impossible that your going against Saint Stefan and two I still have no idea what those concerns are," Damon replied chirpily.
"Why?" She asked, slightly insulted by his lack of confidence in her independence.
Was he attempting to say that she couldn't go against Stefan? Because obviously she could. It was why she was here now, speaking with him. If she had gone with Stefan's idea she'd be back at the float with him.
"I'll answer yours if you answer mine."
An annoyed sigh escapes her lips before she allowed Stefan's concerns to be voiced, "He thinks your going to end up hurting me."
"Really now?" He almost growled out, his temper having risen ten fold as she told him the statement.
His jaw ticked and clenched as his eyes darkened slightly. He shouldn't have been surprised that his brother would attempt something like this. Of course Stefan was going to use his past against him in order to persuade Elena to stay away from him. It was the one thing that would nearly guarantee her removal from his presences voluntarily. While he wasn't necessary sorry for the things he had done during his time in Mystic Falls he did feel slightly guilty about putting Elena through the ordeal. She had not deserved an ounce of what he had dished out during his first few weeks here and while he had no intention of wishing he could change the past he hoped that she could oversee the things he did. She was way too much fun to mess with and he enjoyed riling her up. His brother had an awful lot of nerve bringing it up, however, and he couldn't help the flare of and annoyance that ran through him because of it.
She immediately noticed his change in demeanor as his eyes sharpened and his body became tense. She could easily tell by his body language that he was just a tad bit pissed off at Stefan for the comments made to her about him. She couldn't say she blamed him for it. She would be mad too if she found her brother speaking about her in that way. She knew that Stefan was just trying to keep her safe and unharmed but he didn't even attempt to look at the man that his brother had became. Damon had changed whether he liked to admit it or not and he had done it for the better.
It took him a few seconds to reign in his temper and relax his body enough to reply to her statement.
He shrugged at her nonchalantly, "Stefan does have a point. I just might."
She couldn't fathom how he had changed moods so quickly or how he had went from enraged to uncaring but she supposed that little fact really didn't matter. He believed that he was still capable of harming her. She didn't know why he thought that after everything he had done in order to protect her but she guessed that being alone and un-trusted for so long did that to a person.
"I don't believe that," She responded confidently.
He stared at he in slight disbelief, "Why?"
"Because I trust you."
His eyebrows furrowed and he looked bewildered by that statement, "Why would you do a foolish thing like that?"
"Because you trust me, too."
He stared at her hard for a moment, studying her face and eyes for any sort of deception or sneakiness, before allowing them to soften as he said, "I'm probable going to regret that."
She looked downright offended by his answer and quickly moved her hand to give his shoulder a slight shove in response. She should have guessed that his body wouldn't move an inch and that he would smugly smirk at her in response. She stuck her tongue out at him in retaliation and he shook his head at her childish behavior.
"Your going to regret it," He told her seriously after a moment of silence.
"No, I won't," She denied immediately.
"It's your funeral," He stated with a slight shrug.
"Than it would be yours too because Stefan would kill you," She sang cheekily to him.
He rolled his eyes at her answer and fought against the urge to scowl as he replied sarcastically, "Oh, yes, let's not forget about him."
"Let's not," Said person responded as he walked over to Elena, wrapping his arm tightly around her waist as he eyed his brother disdainfully.
"Ah, speak of the Saint," Damon stated with a roll of his eyes, throwing a hand up in the air.
Elena let out a slight laugh at Damon's gesture and statement.
Stefan blatantly ignored his brother as he looked down at his girlfriend, "The fireworks are starting in twenty minutes. We should go if we want to get a good view."
"Oh, yes because their just impossible to see from a hundred yards away. Who would ever notice the lights exploding in the sky?" Damon retorted sarcastically with another roll of his eyes.
"Are you going to watch the fireworks, Damon?" Elena inquired curiously.
"I have better things to do than watch bright lights, hunny," He responded, "Tootles."
He wiggled his fingers at her in a sort of wave before turning on his heel and walking away.
"Let's go," Stefan said as he turned Elena around, steering her towards the fireworks.