Elena ended up meeting Bonnie for lunch. When she walked into the Grill, she waved and smiled at Matt before sitting across from Bonnie.
"Hey!" Elena said. Matt walked up to the two.
"Hey, what can I get you guys?" Matt offered.
"The usual," Bonnie smiled up at Matt.
"Alright, two Cokes comin' right up!" Matt walked away to fetch their drinks.
"So," Bonnie began, "How are you doing?" Elena thought for a moment about how to best answer that question. She could just do what she's been doing for the past few years since her parents died and say 'I'm fine,' or she could actually tell the truth. Now, looking at the innocent face of her best friend, she voted on the latter.
"Not good, Bon," Elena said, twirling a hair around her finger. Bonnie watched Elena with concern.
"What's wrong?" Just then, Matt walked up with their drinks. He set them down and smiled at them before he walked away to finish cleaning up a mess across the room.
"I don't know, I just feel…wrong, unfulfilled." Elena paused, trying to read Bonnie's reaction, "Do you know what I'm saying or am I just crazy?"
"Oh you're defiantly crazy," Bonnie responded and Elena laughed, "But, I do know what you're saying. Do you know why you feel that way?"
Immediately, the devilishly handsome blue-eyed, black haired vampire popped into Elena's head, but she didn't want to admit to thinking of him.
"No," Elena lied. Bonnie raised her eyebrows and leaned forward on her hands.
"Really?" Bonnie asked. She could read Elena like a book.
"No…" Elena looked up from under her long eyelashes, "Okay, you got me. I know why."
"Care to elaborate?"
"Damon," Elena said matter-of-factly. At the sound of his name, Bonnie's eyes narrowed disapprovingly. Elena read the look, "I know you don't like him, but…I don't know. I just can't seem to shake him." Bonnie's face relaxed and understanding replaced her disapproval.
"I know, I know you care about him," Bonnie said, taking Elena's hand, "And I want you to know that I will always be here for you, no matter which brother you chose."
"Thanks, Bon," Elena smiled, "You are way more understanding than Caroline."
"Have you told her?"
"No actually, I haven't heard from her in a little while. When did you last talk to her?" Elena asked, furrowing her brow in sudden reignited concern.
"I was on the phone with her right before you came in." Bonnie responded.
"Hmm…" Elena thought back to all the unanswered phone calls and texts, "I guess she's just ignoring me." Elena didn't think anything of it. Caroline's always gone through random phases where she'd just block someone out of her life. It used to bother Elena, but after sixteen years of the same patterns, Elena was used to it.
That evening, Elena reclined in the parlor listening to music on her phone and thinking. It was one o'clock in the morning and Elena just couldn't sleep. Her mind was plagued with thoughts of Stefan and mainly Damon.
She couldn't stop thinking about what Stefan had said to her right before he went to bed: "I want you to go hunting with me tomorrow after school, get you off the human stuff so we can fix this." He said it so passively; as if he didn't even know the effect it had on her. She couldn't stop wondering, fix 'this' or fix me?
Her thoughts wandered to Damon. Just being around him recently was driving her crazy. She didn't know how long she could last with this whole "just friends" thing. Just seeing him with his perfectly sculpted body and loving acceptance was enough to send her over the edge. But, somehow she's managed to keep her cool. The question she was battling with at this moment was: is it actually better or worse to keep my cool?
Just then, as if a sign from the universe, Fire Breather by Laurel shuffled onto her phone. The lyrics flooded her mind. She felt herself being drawn to the elder Salvatore with every stanza.
Town crier, village flyer
Got a skull and crossbones on his chest
And I can't resist
When he looks like this
She thought back to the first time she met Damon…both first times. He was so mysterious, handsome, and exhilaratingly dangerous. Then, she remembered all the times that he saved her life, even if it meant risking his own. Even when she hated him, he took an arrow in the back for her, expecting nothing in return.
All his other girls, face on magazines
Big blue eyes, oh I don't know what it means
What does he want from me?
Elena found herself walking up the stairs. This hyper confusing thing that she's had with Damon for two years was starting to clarify. It wasn't that things would ever be easy for them or that suddenly everything was okay…no, Elena knew that her life was too complicated for that. She just accepted that her life was messy and complicated, and nothing she could do would change that. So, she figured that she might as well take what she wanted while she's at it.
We're hanging in the bars
Runnin' after cars to get home
Wishin' on the stars, wonderin' what you are
I just don't know, he's beautiful
Maybe he shines a little more than me
Elena reached the large oak door that led to Damon's room. She stood, silently watching the wood that was blocking her from her destiny. She could picture him standing in his room, looking out the window sipping bourbon.
No! It's too much, burn my sun
Up in flames we go, you fire breather
Ash and dust on my door, smoke rises
Trying to survive inside your heart
Elena violently pushed the door open without knocking and stormed into the room. Damon came out of the bathroom, completely alert. He was (oddly) fully clothed.
At the sight of him, Elena pulled out her earphones and threw them onto his bed.
"Elena? What's—?" Damon was interrupted by Elena closing the few feet that distanced them. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her lips up against his.
At first, Damon was surprised by the sudden display of affection, but he quickly melted into it.
He reached down and picked Elena up by the thighs. She wrapped her legs around his waist and deepened the kiss. The longer she was pressed up against Damon, the more her desire burned.
They were lost in each other. She ran her fingers through his hair and pulled him as close to her as physically possible. Damon responded by pushing her up against the wall.
Next to them was the dresser. Damon swiped his hand across the top of it, pushing every item off and onto the ground. He gently placed Elena on top of the dresser and broke the kiss. Elena tried to pull him back down to her lips, but he stopped her.
"What?" Elena asked breathlessly against his lips.
"What are you doing?" Damon whispered, drawing his hand across her cheek. She closed her eyes and smiled; his touch was like silk.
Elena held his hand against her cheek and reopened her eyes to see his reaction.
"It's called making a choice," Elena responded. She watched as Damon's blue eyes lit up and he looked at her with shock, "Damon…I choose you."
Damon gave her a half-smile and brushed his thumb against her bottom lip before he bent over and caught it between his lips. Elena smiled against his kisses and for the first time in a long time, she felt genuinely happy.
A/N: I haven't seen the s5 season finale yet, so please no spoilers in the reviews. I'm already going through emotional turmoil for DE and I haven't even seen the episode yet. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this update and there is defiantly more to come! Reviews are super-duper awesome. Thanks for reading!