It seemed like forever since Elena had actually woken up in her own bed. She had practically moved in with Damon, and now that he was gone, she had to return to her 'home.'
Elena turned over and slowly opened her eyes, expecting to see the same large room with a warm interior, but all she saw was the room that she used to call her own. At the sudden realization of her depressing reality, Elena felt unbelievably down. She inhaled deeply and clutched her knees to her chest, hoping that maybe the pressure could fill the hole in her heart.
All she wanted to do was lay in her bed all day. She didn't want to think anymore, to feel anymore. Reality was just too hard.
Time seemed to lapse as she just rested there, staring absently at the ceiling. She could still see those electric blue eyes on the back of her eyelids like an old movie. Elena knew that she had made some progress with Damon, but it was such a struggle for her to even engage him anymore. Every interaction with him was an uphill battle.
At around noon, Elena heard a soft rumble on her door. She lifted her head from the pillow and looked at the closed door. After a moment of just staring, she sighed and then let her head fall back to the pillow.
Eventually, she heard the door open without her permission.
"Elena?" Caroline's voice hesitantly asked.
"What?" Elena mumbled grumpily.
"How are you doing, honey?" Caroline edged her way into the room.
"Mmm," Elena grunted in response.
"Elena, we're worried about you," Jeremy's voice drifted to her ears. She lifted her head up to look at him and was surprised to find almost all of her friends' standing at the threshold of her room—Matt, Bonnie, Jeremy, Caroline, and Stefan. Stefan was carrying a tray with homemade breakfast on it. When Elena's eyes fell on him, she practically felt her heart crumble.
"Why are you back, but not him?" Elena begged for an answer. She felt tears forming, but she forced herself to will them away.
"I know it's not your ideal situation—," Stefan began.
"Ideal situation?!" Elena interrupted, "My boyfriend doesn't remember who I am!"
"Elena, calm down." Stefan stepped over to her bed and sat on the mattress. He placed the breakfast on her lap and placed his hand comfortingly on her knee momentarily before retracting it. Elena looked down at the gesture and sighed.
"I'm sorry," Elena said. She ran her fingers through her hair, "I'm just really stressed out."
"I understand."
"Do you?" Elena looked at him, "Have you ever looked at the love of your life and have them look at you with complete indifference?" She rhetorically asked.
"Yes," Stefan instantly responded. He stared at her intently and Elena instantly knew what, or rather who, he was referring to—her.
"But, what brought you back, but not Damon?" Elena quickly changed the subject. Stefan looked down at the covers and Elena sighed, "I mean, isn't the spell kinda like a link? Whatever happens to you happens to him?"
"Supposedly," Bonnie interjected, "But, there are elements—."
"What elements?" Elena interrupted, "What is the difference between you and him?"
"Love," Stefan responded. Elena furrowed her brow at him. He read her expression and explained, "Damon has always loved Katherine more intensely than me…I think there's a possibility that Katherine had somehow latched onto the love that Damon still possesses for her, and the spell is just feeding off of it."
Elena cocked her head to the side at his words. She felt her heart clench. She bit the inside of her cheeks as a rush of anger washed through her system.
"Are you really telling me right now that Damon—my boyfriend—is still in love with his ex?" Elena asked. Stefan opened his mouth to reply, but Elena lifted her hand up to create a make-shift wall, cutting him off, "That was rhetorical."
She looked up at the faces of all her friends' silently waiting in the doorway.
"Could you guys give us a moment?"
"Yeah, of course. We'll be downstairs." Matt said. He led the group out into the hallway and down the stairs. After they left, Elena turned her attention back to Stefan.
"Elena, I'm not saying that he doesn't love you, I'm just saying that he also loves Katherine."
"I know what you're saying," Elena responded, "But I don't buy it."
"It's not easy to let go of someone you love," Stefan hinted, giving Elena a subtle side-glance.
"You know as much as I do how Damon is. He loves. He loves fiercely, and he also hates fiercely. I receive the love, Katherine receives the hate." Elena blatantly ignored his hint, figuring that now was not the time to engage that conversation, "That's just the way it is."
Stefan skeptically drew his lips into a tight line.
"We might never get him back."
"I'm not giving up on him, if that's what you're suggesting."
"It's a possibility." Stefan argued.
"No, it's not. You're back, so there's obviously a way. What did you do last night?" Elena interrogated.
"Nothing out of the ordinary." Stefan lied, and Elena temporarily believed him until she remembered her moment with Damon the night before.
"That's not true. Damon told me that he walked in on you and Katherine," Elena declared. Stefan sighed and turned his eyes back down to the covers. Elena read his look, "You slept with her, didn't you?"
"I was under a spell, Elena," Stefan defended.
"I'm not blaming you. I just need to know. Did you sleep with her?" Elena pleaded. She reached out and grabbed his hand, attempting to create a safe environment. Stefan looked down at the gesture and sighed.
"I did." Stefan admitted. Instantly, a light bulb went off in Elena's head, something she was surprised she didn't come up with earlier.
"Then, I've got an idea." Elena looked at Stefan with newly brightened eyes, "I need you to call Damon and get him over here anytime this evening. Can you do that for me? Please?"
Stefan hesitated.
"Of course…Anything for you." He said, even though he was upset by Elena's incessant attentiveness to his brother.
Elena had spent the next hours getting ready—taking a shower, brushing her teeth, shaving her legs, getting dressed. She was impatiently waiting for Damon to come by. After she finished everything she had to do, she plopped down on her bed and stared out the window to the front lawn, fidgeting nervously.
She didn't know why she was anxious—maybe because she never thought of herself as a bold person and what she was about to do was extremely bold. But, Damon made her comfortable, even without his memories, so why was she so nervous?
To take her mind off of it, she pulled out her old diary. It hadn't been opened in almost a year. Instead of writing an entry, Elena decided to reread her old entries.
Dear Diary,
Damon is absolutely the most terrible creature to ever inhabit the earth.
Dear Diary,
Damon did something totally reckless and impulsive, yet again.
Dear Diary,
Why can't I stop thinking about Damon?
Dear Diary,
Damon kissed me…and I liked it.
Dear Diary,
I kissed Damon…what is going on with me?!
Elena chuckled at how even when she hated Damon, her diary was pretty Damon-centric. Just then, Caroline's voice called up to Elena from below.
"Elena! He's here!"
Elena quickly stood up and jogged over to the window. She looked down at the lawn to find Damon walking from his Camaro to her group of friends' convened on the front porch. Elena took in a sharp intake of breath and adjusted her shirt before sighing, her eyes never leaving Damon.
"Please come back to me," Elena whispered to herself before turning around and walking down the stairs.
She walked with confidence. She knew that she couldn't stop. If she stopped, she might go back on her decision. She was already nervous enough; she didn't need to give her mind time to talk her out of it. She decided that it was about time to blindly follow her heart and instincts rather than overthinking everything.
Elena burst through the front door and began taking quick strides in the direction of Damon.
"I'm sorry about this, guys," Elena muttered to her friends'.
"What?" She heard Caroline ask.
"What is she doing?" Bonnie asked.
"Elena—!" Stefan called after her, but he was quickly cut off, stunned by the scene in front of him.
Elena marched right up to Damon and pulled him down to her lips in a fumble of passion. Damon was taken aback at first, but he quickly melted into the contact.
Elena snuck her hands onto the bare skin of his stomach, feeling his abs underneath her fingertips. Elena lifted her arms up his torso, bringing his tight black t-shirt with her. She broke from the kiss and quickly pulled off Damon's shirt, throwing it carelessly to the grass. She took a moment to drink him up with her eyes while wearing a wicked smile. God, I missed this. Elena thought before reconnecting their lips.
She steadily began pulling him into her house. She didn't even notice the looks of disgust and shock on her friends' faces as she passed them. She was too infatuated in Damon.
As the stumbled up the stairs, Damon broke the kiss.
"Elena, I can't—."
"Less talking, more kissing." Elena demanded, pulling him back to her lips. Damon roughly grabbed Elena around the waist and pulled her close to him, temporarily losing himself, but he quickly released her.
"Elena, I can't—Katherine—."
"Damon, stop thinking," Elena said with complete sincerity, placing her hand tenderly on his cheek. She looked deeply into the cesspools of his eyes, "Follow your instincts."
Damon hesitated before taking her advice. He followed his instincts, and all of his instincts were telling him to consume her.
Elena wasn't even sure how they got into her room, but they somehow did. She knew that she needed to make this night of passion with Damon more intimate than ever if she wanted to bring him back. So, they did some things that they'd rarely done. Like, he bit her during the act—something they've only done twice.
Afterwards, Damon collected her in his arms and kissed her forehead. Elena was about to see if her plan worked, but by the time she had collected her thoughts he had fallen asleep. Elena sighed and kissed the bare skin of his chest directly in front her lips. Right before she fell asleep those same words drifted through her mind—come back to me.
A/N: Reviews are greatly appreciated!