Bad Timing
When Elena got home she had one of those I-wish-Aunt-Jenna-was-here moments. Okay, maybe Jenna wouldn't exactly have picked Damon for Elena to date, but Jenna and Damon had mostly got along and Jenna would have great advice about what to cook for a first date. Actually she'd probably have suggested not cooking, but what else could she do if they didn't want Stefan to find out yet? She suddenly wished she'd asked him over for popcorn and a movie, way less preparation there.
The whole thing felt absurd, this was Damon, Damon whom she'd seem almost every day for months. With Stefan he'd been new and the romance had been so swift, there hadn't been time to feel awkward. This was like Matt all over again, except that Damon was the anti-Matt. Whereas Matt was perfectly comfortable coming over to watch TV or play Wii Elena worried that whatever she wanted to do would seem lame to Damon.
Sure Damon pretty much worshipped the ground she walked on, but their attraction was mostly physical – that and a shared sense of humour. Damon always made her laugh. Her Mum always said that was the most important thing. But her Mum had never dated a vampire.
"Okay Elena, pull it together, just pick something and start," Elena said to herself.
"Everything okay Elena?" Alaric greeted her as he came in through the door, Stefan trailing behind him.
"Alaric? Stefan?" Elena's eyes bulged with surprise, wow was that unfortunate. How had she forgotten, somebody had to babysit Alaric, at least that's what they'd decided the night before. That seemed like forever ago. Okay think fast. "Just thinking out loud – I thought I'd make dinner. How was work? Any more ah, blackouts?"
"You mean did I kill anyone else?" Alaric replied dryly.
"Sorry. I didn't really know how to ask."
Alaric shook his head. "Not your fault, there isn't really an etiquette for how to ask your guardian if he's having psychotic mystical blackouts, but no there's been nothing. It's like it never happened, except it did, and every time I close my eyes…"
"You're remembering?" Elena asked surprised.
"No, imagining," Alaric explained miserably. "I'm hoping now the ring's off it's over, but we can't be too careful. That's why Stefan's here."
"Right! Great!" Elena agreed a little too quickly. "Damon's coming over at 7, so you can have a break then. Are you right to stay till then?"
"No problem," Stefan smiled. "I was hoping maybe we could finish that talk?"
"Sorry, you know me I'm a horrible cook, I wouldn't want to get distracted," Elena evaded.
"I've never known you to be horrible at anything," Stefan countered, giving Elena an admiring gaze. Elena could have screamed. Stefan had barely noticed her for months and now suddenly he was Mr Flirtatious, tonight? Boy did his timing suck.