Damon stretches his arms over his head as he slowly wakes, his muscles tensing and pulling with the effort, feeling deliciously wonderful. This was exactly the kind of thing Damon had been thinking about when he took off for his much needed 'Damon time.' No worries, no witches and no fucking hybrids. Nothing to do but drink insane amounts of bourbon, fuck, drink blood and not necessarily in that order. Ah yes, this is just what the doctor would prescribe if today's doctors had any real inkling for what really did a body good. Damon suppresses a grin at the thought of a Vampire rehab centre. I think I just invented a new form of therapy.
Shaking his head, he flings the covers off feeling the soft mattress protest under his weight. Mona is asleep in the bed next to him, her chestnut hair fanned across the pillow, her soft lips puckered in sleep. Blue eyes heat over as Damon recalls just how well they'd been getting reacquainted. All day in fact, if the darkness outside was any indication. Ah yes, just what the doctor ordered indeed. He grins as he gets up, his muscled naked body reflecting seductively in the moonlight from the open window. Picking up his jeans from a pile of haphazard clothes on the floor he slips them on, fishing again in the piles of cloth he pulls out a black and red lace bra which can't stop the million watt grin that breaks across Damon's face as he touches the soft material before laying them back in the pile and retrieves his black t-shirt. Pulling his shirt over his head, he quietly walks out of the room, grabbing his cell phone out of his back pocket as he makes his way downstairs and into the den. He's just filling a crystal tumbler with his preferred beverage of choice when he notices that he has 3 missed calls and 2 voice messages all from, Elena! What the hell?
Dropping some ice cubes in the tumbler he presses his speed dial not bothering to check the voice messages. what could be going on? He has to fight the sudden panic that swells in his chest but thankfully she answers on the second ring. "What's up, Elena?" his cool bravado slamming into place in an instant.
"Damon, where have you been? I've been trying to reach you all day," she doesn't mean to sound so petulant or controlling, but she's also not used to Damon not running when she calls. Elena admonishes herself. Damon's her friend and she's with Stephan now. Again. Maybe.
"I'm here now, what's up?" She's quiet. He can practically see her biting her lip on the other end and it drives him crazy. The affect she has on him. "Elena," he says more huskily then he intends, betraying his emotion, "stop. biting. your. lip."
Elena's breath catches. How does he do that? And why does it make her stomach suddenly clench and her insides go all watery? She shakes herself, get a grip girl! She's calling for help with Stephen, or to vent about Stephen. She's not even sure what, just that she always feels better after talking to Damon. Is that so wrong? He's her friend after all. And they've come far in that friendship.
"It's, Stephen," she says softly, almost hesitantly. Maybe she shouldn't be bothering him with this. After all, one conversation with Stephan and Elena quickly realized why Damon had left town and Elena couldn't entirely blame Damon. Oh she could miss him, be mad at him for leaving, but she couldn't blame him.
Damon's question on the other end takes her by surprise. "What?" she asks.
"Did he hurt you?" Aw fuck, if little bro fell off the rails again I'm gonna kill him.
"What? No, of course not, he's fine Damon, really.. Just.."
Ok, so baby bro hasn't gone all homicidal, Damon is relieved. So what's with that sound in her voice? Is it, apprehension?
"Come on Elena, I haven't got all night… I've got things to see… " a shifting sound behind him attracts his attention as he turns to find Mona standing in the doorway, her hands clasped before her, "..and people to do.." he coos, his eyes connecting with Mona's, and even from here he can see the blush that stain her cheeks.
"Damon, why do you have to always be like that!" Elena's exasperation is clear.
Damon sighs, turning to face the fireplace, "Like what, Elena?" he asks more harshly then he intends as he rubs his forehead, silently praying for strength. How can he be so in love with this girl and be so completely and utterly frustrated with her at the same time?
"You know...cool..distant.. Don't be like that Damon," her voice is soft, pleading almost. It shatters his wall of ice.
"Ok, Elena" he says with as much sincerity as he can muster and he can feel his emotions settling. "What's baby bro up too? Did his hero hairstyle gain a new level and you're not sure what to do about the nesting birds?"
She giggles and it's like molten joy enveloping his body. Gods, what he wouldn't do to always hear that sound fall from her lips. Even if she wasn't his to hold, to love, he could at least make her laugh. He could make her soul sing in a way he knew his little brother never could. He might have her body.. for now.. but her soul, it was already his, why couldn't, Elena see that?
"How do you do that, Damon?" she smiles into the phone.
"Do what?" He's honestly confused.
"I dunno.. One minute I'm all stressed and overwhelmed and I feel like the world is crushing me and the next thing I know, you make me laugh and it all just.. falls away." She's surprised at her own honesty, but she wants him to know how much he means to her. What his friendship means to her.
"Elena, I.." he blinks, at an actual loss for words. No one has ever said anything so… nice to him before. And then that sound again, her quiet giggle as it caresses him across the distance. "Oh my, the great Damon Salvatore rendered speechless! You know, I might just have to write this day down."
"Pfft, I was just surprised you finally admitted to my greatness, that's all." Ok, not the best come back, but man, my heart is doing a rumba and my brain is still reeling from what she said.
"Well, you're a great friend, that's for sure." she smiles sweetly into the phone not seeing the 2 foot metaphorical dagger she expertly wields, as it sinks deep into Damon's chest. She just used the fucking "F" word on him. Oh ya, that stings.
"Yup, that's me," he says sardonically into the phone. "So, what about Stephan?" he rolls his eyes, happy that she can't see the way she just sucker-punched him.
"Well, he's been different. More moody then usual."
"Yikes, that's gotta be a boat full of laughs." His forehead must be a forest of wrinkles by now, he bemusedly thinks to himself.
"Damon, it's, it's not that, he's just so withdrawn and I feel like I'm losing him and I don't know what to do."
Oh, so that's it. Advice on how to keep hero boy happy and off the crazy rails. Of course. But it's his brother and he has to help him. Damon stares at the half full tumbler in his hand and suddenly tosses back all of the amber liquid, relishing in the exquisite burn. Oh ya, a couple more of those should do it.
"Look Elena, if I know Stephan, and I do, he's in guilt overdrive to the fucking max! He can't fucking stand himself right now and he doesn't get how you fucking can," and he's not the only one, but he wisely doesn't say that. "You just need to let him know that you still see him for who he is and not for all the crazy fucking shit he was pushed into doing by dick head Klaus."
"Of course I still see him as, Stephan! How could he not know that?" Elena wisely chooses to ignore all his bad language for once, there was just way too much too tackle there.
"Elena, my brother has a martyr problem. He always fucking has. He sees the worst in himself. Just get him outside, have some fun, go dancing, anything, just remind him who he is, and that you know.. It's ok to be happy, even after everything." holy crap, what the hell is he saying and why is he saying this? Damon groans inwardly, praying that she can't feel his anxiety over the phone.
She releases a breath before answering. "You're right Damon, of course you're right."
"Took you fucking long enough to figure that out." he smirks into the phone.
"Damon!" she scolds him, but her tone immediately gentles. "Thanks Damon, for everything, sorry if I bothered you, I hope whatever you're doing is going well."
"No problem, Elena and things are going... very well," he smiles smugly as he turns to look at, Mona, but she's gone. Surprise etches on his face.
"Gotta go Elena."
"Bye, Damon," she hangs up the phone, looking at the screen. Damon was right. She needed to help Stephan out of his funk and help him reconnect to his life again. But there was so much more she had wanted to say but couldn't. Like how things between her and Stephan just wasn't feeling quite like it used too. There was something.. Off.. And it was distressing her. She needed someone to talk too and her regular friends were a no go. They'd just say it was an adjustment period after everything they'd been through, like when she first tried to bring up the subject with Bonnie and Caroline. But it was more then that, Elena could feel it. And talking to Damon? well, somehow confessing that much too him just seemed like overstepping whatever imaginary bounds their tentative friendship had formed.
Exasperated she turns to head for the shower, pushing all her errant thoughts out of her head. There was a carnival in town, she'd call the girls after her shower and take, Stephan. They'd have fun, eat corn dogs, take a ride on the carrousel and everything would feel great and just like it used too. With her determined face set in place she sends a quite text to, Stephan.
**Tonight. Carnival. Will be lots of fun. Want to spend time with you :) **
She readies herself for her shower and just as she's about to step in she hears her phone buzz and quickly takes a peek at, Stephan's reply.
**Sounds good. want to spend time with you too. See you then :)**
Why the sudden sense of dread as she reads those words? Shaking it off she steps into the shower.
"Mona?" Damon calls as he winds his way through the house. He hears a noise from outside at the rear of the house and he blurs to the back door stepping outside. He's mesmerized by the beautiful mermaid fountain in the small courtyard, all covered with cobblestone and cherry blossoms with vine plants and flowers growing and wrapping around everything. Sitting on the fountain edge, her fingers skimming the water, is Mona.
"There you are," he says leaning against the door frame, his hands stuffed casually in his pockets.
Mona looks up at him and smiles and he can feel she's holding back but he doesn't blame her. She understands his situation. "Your friends, they are ok?"
Damon runs a hand through his hair, "Ya, same old, same old," he makes a waving gesture, "I really don't want to think about any of that right now," he says as he walks towards her, his boots heavy on the cobblestone. Mona stands, meeting his gaze, as she nods her understanding.
"What I want to know," he brushes his knuckles against her cheek as his eyes suddenly pool red and his fangs descend, veins splaying across his face, "Is where do we go to get a good bite to eat around here?" he grins.
She takes a surprised intake of breath and feels her own hunger suddenly blossom within her as her eyes pool red and veins darken across her own face. "I know just the place," she purrs and in a blur she's gone, Damon grinning and blurring right behind her.
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****Author's Note:****
Sorry for the delay in updating everyone! It's been cold here, I've been sick and Vampire Diaries has broken up our fav couple and has turned our beloved, sexy Damon into a murderous demon, so ya, just not feeling the writing bug at the moment, but am always thinking about this story. It might just take me a little while to update the chapters for now.
Please, if you like what you're reading so far, please review, as it keeps me going :)