A/N: Thank you all for your lovely words and all of your favorite story/favorite author additions. You're all wonderful and amazing and I love you all! Again, I am still desperately looking for a beta, so if anyone is up for the task… please send me a message or let me know in a review. Alright, that's all the housekeeping I've got… on with the show!
Falling Away
I can feel my world crumbling, I can feel my life crumbling
I can feel my soul crumbling away, and falling away.
Falling away with you
Falling Away with You by Muse
Stefan raced through the forest as the sun was setting below the horizon. Despite having the majority of his thoughts focused on following the scent of the person who had killed Logan Fell, Stefan could not keep his mind from Elena. He wondered how they had gotten to the place where she could give up on him. He knew that things would never be easy and that part of him would always vie for dominance; the part that wanted to drain her of her blood and drink her dry. But Stefan knew that he could handle that urge. He had lived among humans for almost one hundred and fifty years now and seventy five of those years had been spent feeding solely on animals. If any one single vampire could be close to a human and resist the temptation to feed, it was him.
But nonetheless, Stefan understood why Elena had told him to leave. After all, he had been saying himself that he would be leaving for weeks. He was only delaying the inevitable because there was a part of him that needed to be with her. She made him feel things that he had never felt before; love, compassion, desire, yearning, and a passion deeper than he had ever experienced before- even with Katherine. She made him feel, if he could dare say it, human.
So why couldn't he be with Elena? What was he trying to do by staying away from her? He was only denying himself the happiness he had been searching for his entire existence. Would it really be so terrible to stay in Elena's life? To ask her if she would consider being with him forever? Stefan shook his head. No. He would not take a human life, even if it was to turn someone. It was not fair to Elena, to Jeremy or Jenna. He could never condemn her to the same fate of eternal uncertainty that he had been cursed with. He would never steal her away from Bonnie and Caroline and Matt. He loved Elena enough to let her live her life as a human; he loved her enough to let her go.
Stefan's paced slowed to a brisk human jog as he reached the edge of the forest. The scent was strongest here and he could feel the Power radiating from the house across the street. Cautiously, Stefan crossed the street and made his way up to the porch. Raising his hand up to knock on the door, he was surprised when the door opened before he had a chance to connect his fist with the wooden entrance.
"Stefan?" The man questioned, giving him a curious look.
"Mr. Saltzman, hey." Stefan forced himself to recover quickly. "I, uh, had a question about the essay that you assigned yesterday. I wasn't in class and I got the information from Matt and I just…"
Alaric Saltzman nodded. "Yeah, yeah. Sure, come on in and show me what you've got."
Stefan swallowed hard, walking empty handed into the house of the man that killed Logan Fell with a wooden stake.
It took Elena a long moment to gain enough clarity to put all of the words Damon had just spoken back in the correct order. He had just been on top of her, close enough to kiss, close enough for her to feel every defined taught muscle under his shirt pressed against her chest and stomach. His hands had been in her hair, tangling, pulling, desiring. His lips hadn't even touched hers yet, but she felt high and drunk all at the same time, and it was longer than she had expected before she could think clearly again. I want you to put your necklace back on.
Elena got up from the bed and retrieved the locket from her dresser, slipping it over her head. Her mind, which had just been clouded and hazy all at once cleared and everything fell back into reality. She glanced at Damon, who was still resting comfortably on her bed and frowned.
"You told me to put the necklace back on."
A single brow raised. "Did I?"
"Damon, you compelled me to put the vervain necklace back on."
"Huh…"
"Why would you do that?" She questioned eagerly. "I mean…"
He let out a sigh. "You're not very fun when you're compliant to my every wish. I enjoy your company much more when you're spirited." Damon shot her a sly smile. "I save the submissive, easy girls for the ones I just want to drink dry."
Elena raised a brow, indignant. "Fine then, what do you want from me?" She glanced down at her outfit, realizing for the first time what she had put on in her compelled state. And then Elena grimaced.
Damon sat up and patted the bed beside him. "Company. Nice choice in the outfit by the way. Very… 'my first time'."
Elena scoffed darkly. "You should be so lucky." I should be so lucky, she mentally corrected. And then silently chided herself for it. "Seriously Damon? Am I really just a conquest for you?"
He smirked and rested his elbows on his knees and put his chin in his hands. "Absolutely. Because how much fun would it be to not only get my brother's girlfriend in bed, but also do it on her own accord?"
Elena's jaw set. "Get out." Why did his words make her hot and bothered? Why did she have the urge to taste his lips, to touch his skin, to feel his cool, toned body against her warm flesh again? And why was her face turning a deep crimson right now from all of these thoughts that shouldn't be entering her mind?
"Now now, kitten, what did we say about that attitude?"
"I'm serious Damon. I'm done playing games with you. I can't trust you or your motivations."
He pouted. "But that's one of my most charming attributes."
Elena went to the window and held back the curtain, her final invitation for him to leave. So why were her thoughts screaming for him to stay? Begging for him to touch her? Pleading for his lips on hers? She could feel the deep burning inside her and her thoughts swarming around her head like a hive full of bees and she knew that it would be impossible to quiet them now.
"Not to mention one of the things that you love most about me," he added knowingly, whispering in her ear. It never failed to surprise her when he crossed the room in the blink of an eye. She could feel the heat radiating from her own body and the cool contrast of his, so close now that she was practically pressed up against him. Her hands, which had been crossed in front of her, now reached for the hem of his shirt. Downcast eyes slowly lifted to meet his penetrating gaze.
Her heart beat picked up steadily and she was sure that he could hear it; positive that he was quite aware of what he was doing to her. But he didn't betray her secret. He only searched her eyes for something that he couldn't seem to find. Eyes that could see into her very soul searched hers so deeply and intently that she felt as if she were standing in front of him bare and allowing him to see every unrevealed confidence that her body and mind held. He was captivated by something in her, something she could have never known.
They stood this way for a long moment and as Elena gazed back into the green orbs before her, she could find no hint of malice intent or harm. She took notice of something that his eyes had never betrayed before. Those beautiful green eyes weren't as guarded and obviously cynical as they usually were.
"Damon, I-" She began, breaking the long silence that had endured between them. But before she could continue his finger was at her lips, silencing her. Thoughts ran rampant through her head. Damon, I can't do this. Damon, I don't want to hurt Stefan. Damon, I don't know what I'm feeling anymore. Damon, I want you to stay. Damon, I can't get you out of my mind. Damon, I need you. But one thought was constant. Damon, Damon, Damon.
Her eyes closed as she waited. Waited for him to speak or kiss her or bite her. Regardless of what she thought she was waiting for, the moment seemed longer than it should have been and his eyes were dark and guarded again when she looked back up at him. Whatever vulnerability she thought she had seen there was gone now. Elena remained quiet and her eyes trained on a spot on his black t-shirt. His hands moved to the sides of her face as he tilted her head up. Elena closed her eyes again, expectantly. Butterflies beat wildly in her stomach and her heart raced. Cool lips pressed evenly against her forehead for a long moment. Elena opened her eyes to find his again, to query the meaning of this, but when her eyes opened he was gone.
The brief, romantic gesture had been so curious to her, that Elena stared after him into the inky darkness with a newfound sense of amazement about him. A cool breeze blew through her window and it made her shiver, and wrap her arms around herself, but she didn't move. What had that kiss signified? Was there really more to Damon than Stefan had always imagined? More to him than the soulless killer that his younger brother had always painted him to be? Elena couldn't be sure, but there had been that one brief glimmer of something before, when his eyes had burned into hers. Maybe, there was hope for him after all.
"You'll be back," she whispered with a dark smirk of her own. If there was one thing Elena knew about Damon, it was that he was never one to let things go unfinished. Elena turned from the window, making sure to leave it open. And then she went to her dresser, pulled out the red lace teddy from the top drawer and went to the bathroom to change. She grinned as she took in her own appearance in the gilded mirror in front of her. When Damon did come back, she wanted to be ready for him.
Bonnie had left Gram's house that evening feeling a little more hopeful about the fate of her friends. Despite having decided to not tell Elena about the spell, not yet anyways, there was a bright feeling of hope blooming deep inside Bonnie which gave her a spring in her step as she entered the Mystic Grill. She was sure that she would find Elena and Caroline here, and that if need be, she would confront them both and let them know what had happened.
Bonnie spotted Caroline first, sitting on one of the pool tables where Tyler and Matt were trying to have a game of billiards. Bonnie shook her head and walked over to her blonde friend who appeared to have a drink in her hand. Bonnie raised a brow, this can NOT end well.
"Care?" The darker-complected girl asked, holding out her hand. "Come 'ere. I wanna talk to you."
Caroline's brow furrowed. "No. I'm watching the game."
"You're hindering the game," Tyler practically spat back.
Caroline's eyes narrowed and she turned sluggishly to look at him. "Shut up." She turned back to Bonnie, eyes mournful. "I'm here to talk to Matt." Her words were starting to slur and Bonnie slid her friend off her perch on the pool table.
"Uh huh…" Bonnie agreed, shaking her head. "But first let's get you some coffee, so you can actually talk when you're ready to."
Caroline allowed herself to be dragged away from the tables and toward a booth, where she sat down with a plop and pointed back at the football captain. "He won't talk to me."
Bonnie raised a brow. "Caroline, I thought you didn't want anything to do with him. Remember last night? The spell?"
Caroline slowly turned her head and attention to her friend and gave Bonnie an indignant look. "Of course I remember. That's why I'm here. I don't think your stupid spell worked. I keep thinking about him and it won't stop."
Bonnie's brow furrowed. The spell had worked, hadn't it? Did she possibly have nothing to fear at all?
"Damon I don't care about at all. The silly spell worked on me for him. But Matt… he yelled at me." She went on, paying special attention to the word 'yell'.
"I… I don't understand." If the spell was going to work, it should have applied to both of them. There was something itching at the back of her mind. Something that she couldn't place quite yet. Something that she knew would lead her to the answer.
Caroline raised her glass, which appeared to have whiskey in it, from the smell alone. "That makes two of us, Bonna-roo" she said, giggling.
Bonnie rolled her eyes. Taking care of a tipsy friend was not exactly how she planned on spending her night. "I need to talk to Matt," she said, more to herself than to Caroline.
Caroline stood up and held out her hand. "That makes two of us," she replied, grinning from ear to ear before taking another sip of her drink. "Yummy," she added.
Bonnie grabbed the drink from Caroline's hand and set it down on the table. "Fine, you can come with me. But you have to let me do the talking."
Caroline nodded silently, bringing her fingers to her mouth and 'zipping' her lips shut, before applying the invisible lock and throwing the key away.
"Mmhmm" Bonnie chided, grabbing Caroline by the hand and pulling her along. She pushed Caroline down onto a chair in the corner and walked the few steps to where Matt was standing.
"Not now," he said, brushing her off.
"Matt, I'm not here to intercede on Caroline's behalf."
He turned to look at her, his eyes reading surprise and nonchalance. He turned back to the table and took his shot, sinking the 5 ball with one quick movement of his right arm.
"I'm listening," he said, spinning around while Tyler took his turn.
"Well…I… I kind of need to know what you said to Caroline today. I can't really explain, but it's important."
Matt let out a sound halfway between a sigh and a scoff and crossed his arms over his chest. "You have got to be kidding me."
Caroline poked her head around Bonnie's shoulder. "She needs to figure out what went wrong with the spe-". Bonnie's hands flew to Caroline's mouth and she glared at the tipsy blonde.
Caroline gave Bonnie an 'oops' look and backed herself into the corner again, hands covering her mouth.
"Please Matt." Bonnie said quietly. She had to figure out how this was all falling apart.
He looked at her sympathetically; he knew what it was like taking care of a drunken Caroline. In fact, he had actually enjoyed being around her last time she was this way. "It doesn't matter," he huffed. "I should have known she would end up being this way. She never did give a damn about anything but herself and how everyone found her too irresistible to keep their hands off her."
Matt looked at Caroline, whose eyes were wide with shock and horror at what he had just repeated again, for the second time today.
Bonnie glanced back at Caroline and then at Matt. "I am assuming that's about the gist of what you said this afternoon?"
Matt shrugged, turning back to the billiards table and taking his next shot, sinking another ball.
"I told you that stupid spell was never going to work," Caroline hissed quietly to her friend. Bonnie glared at her again and put her finger to her lips, begging for Caroline's silence.
"Is that all?" Matt asked, turning to face the girls again.
Bonnie shrunk down a little. "I guess."
Matt nodded toward where Caroline had been sitting. Bonnie looked back to see that the blonde had disappeared. "Might wanna get her home… soon." Matt suggested.
Bonnie took off, trying to find where Caroline had mysteriously vanished to.
Elena slid between her cool sheets and placed her journal on the nightstand beside her. She had just poured her heart and soul out into an entry, not knowing how much she should really say about Damon, but wanting to remember the evening that she had with him. The feel of his body pressed against hers, the cool pressure of his lips on her forehead, the way he had made her put the necklace back on. Elena had thought long and hard about that last action, and finally her mind settled on the notion that he was being honest about wanting to wait until it was of her own accord that they do anything physical. Maybe his reasons had actually been somewhat… gentlemanly? It wasn't like she really thought he was horrible enough to force himself on her if she had decided to refuse him. But perhaps it was more about her? Did he perhaps want her to enjoy it, to desire him, to not regret it afterwards?
Her thoughts ran together in overdrive and she ran her fingers through her hair before laying back on her pillow and switching the light off. As soon as the room fell into darkness, she had the sneaking suspicion that she wasn't alone. She could feel the eyes on her from the shadows, which made her excited and anxious all at the same time.
"I knew you couldn't stay away," she said, grinning as she flicked the small light back on, her eyes quickly scanning the room for him. When she focused on the intruder, a brief gasp escaped her lips.
"Stefan?"
A/N: I know, I know. I'm awful. Another cliffhanger. I hope that means that you'll all come back and read the next chapter. And, as usual, I NEED to hear what you have to say. So if you read it, lemme know! Pretty please? I'll consider adding lots of smut in the next chapter if you review. Thanks a million.
