Chapter 19
Eligible Bachelor
Two weeks came and went and I still remember the following day waking up feeling rather cumbersome. I'd ended up with a rather inconvenient hangover, something that I wasn't accustomed to. That same morning, I'd driven Damon's Camero up to the school. He'd been asleep when I'd woken up and I didn't want him going off somewhere on his own yet, so I'd taken it. Granted, he hadn't been that happy when I'd returned, leaving him with nothing to drink. That was probably the only good thing about it. I'd left him without any other liquor, so he was left to drink the rest of the scotch.
Today was a little bit different though. I had woken up with a bit of a cold, a sneeze coming from me, while the sound of music played through the room. It was like Damon couldn't get enough of the music and dancing. Then again, it was still better than him drinking 24/7.
"Damon," I groaned, sitting up and rubbing my forehead.
I had a bit of a headache at the moment.
"Yes, Kalibear?" Damon asked, walking into the room.
"Okay, if you ever call me that again, you're dead," I glared.
"I'm already dead, so what's the point?" he chuckled, sitting down on the edge of the bed, a glass in his hand.
I wasn't sure what was in it exactly, but I knew he shouldn't be drinking it.
"Damon," I warned.
"Fine," he whined. "I like Calla Lily better anyway," he grinned. "It sounds more…"
"Romantic, feminine, humane?" I listed, raising an eyebrow in question.
He grinned, leaning forward until he was nearly nose to nose with me.
"Precisely."
I rolled my eyes, snatching his drink.
"Drinking this early is strictly prohibited," I told him, tapping the tip of his nose with my finger like he'd done to me on so many occasions.
"Oh, come on, at least let me finish that one glass?" he sighed.
I eyed him for a moment, debating on whether or not to allow it. It was mostly empty anyway, so it's not like it was going to make much of a difference.
"Fine," I sighed, handing it back to him. "But no more after this."
"Yes, mother," he snickered, making me smack him in the arm.
"You know, I could take that as an insult. Especially, considering that you're what, 170 years old?"
"Eh, close enough," he shrugged.
"God you make me feel small," I muttered. "You're nearly two centuries old."
"Thanks, Kali, make me feel old why don't you."
I stuck my tongue out in response, regretting it when he grabbed it with his fingers, my eyes going wide.
"Careful, I bite," he grinned, letting go once I kicked him off the edge of the bed. "So mean," he teased, picking himself up off of the floor.
"Well, I wouldn't have to be if you didn't mess with me so much," I pointed out.
"And where's the fun in that?" he asked.
"Whatever," I sighed. "Look, I'm going to take a shower. After that, I need to head down to the pharmacy if I wanna nip this thing in the butt," I told him, referring to the minor cold.
"Fine, go take a shower, since I'm sure I can't join you."
"Damon, no matter how many times you ask, the answer will always be the same," I told him, pulling a set of clean clothes from the dresser.
"Darn. Well, there's always wishful thinking," he grinned.
"In your dreams."
"Kali, Kali, Kali. We've already been over this, remember? My dreams are far more vivid."
"Oh, I'm sorry, did you say something, Damon?" I asked, pretending not to hear him as I walked off into the bathroom, locking the door behind me.
"Locks are pointless, Kali."
I jumped, whirling around and falling back against the door.
"Damn it, Damon!" I yelled, shoving him roughly in the chest. "Are you trying to give me a heart attack?" I exclaimed.
"Just keeping you on your toes," he chuckled.
I opened the door back up, pointing to my bedroom.
"Out," I said firmly.
"Aww… No kiss?"
"Damon, get out," I narrowed.
"Fine," he sighed, slowly taking his time in walking out of the bathroom.
I went to close the door on him, but he caught it in his hand.
"Leave it unlocked," he told me, before adding, "I promise to behave."
I eyed him for a moment, debating whether or not to just lock it anyway.
"I leave it unlocked, you stay out," I told him.
"That's the deal," he nodded, letting his hand slip from its hold.
I closed it behind him, my hand hovering over the lock. I sighed, shaking my head as I dropped it, not bothering to lock it. I'd let Damon prove to me that he could behave. If he didn't, then I'd just lock it from now on. Not that I understood why he wanted it to remain unlocked, but that was beside the point.
"Why do I have the feeling that today is going to be a long day?"
T
A knock was heard at the front door, Damon turning and looking toward it.
"Who is it?" he called, pouring himself a small drink.
Even though Kali said not to, Damon still needed just a bit more. Especially, after not feeding for a couple days. He'd left Kali alone about it, not bothering her with something that he felt was pointless at the time. He'd feed later though, that was for sure. It'd likely be after they got back.
"It's Stefan."
"Great, Buzzkill Bob," he groaned, walking over to the door and pulling it open.
Even when Damon was there with Kali, they still kept the door locked, just in case.
"What do you want, Stefan?" Damon asked.
"Drinking already?" he inquired.
"I haven't had nearly as much as I would like," Damon answered.
"So, that means Kali's doing some good then," he concluded.
"What do you want?" Damon repeated, taking a drink from his glass.
"Where's Kali?" Stefan asked warily.
"In the shower," Damon stated. "Now, answer my question."
"I wanted to ask you something, about a woman," Stefan answered.
"Seriously?"
"There was a woman you may have known a few years back named Isobel in North Carolina at Duke."
"You wanna discuss the women in my past, right now? Seriously?" Damon asked skeptically, looking back toward the hallway.
Kali was still in the shower and he really didn't care for having her hear any of this.
"You killed her," Stefan added.
"What's your point? I kill a lot of people."
"Look, I just want to know if you remember anything about her?" Stefan sighed.
"It's like a needle in a haystack, Stefan," Damon told him.
"Well, think hard. It's important," Stefan pushed.
"The past is trivial at this point. It's not important," Damon breathed out. "Now, if you'll excuse me…"
The sound of the shower turning off could be heard.
"I've got a girl to sneak up on," he finished, walking toward the hallway.
"Damon," Stefan warned.
"Not to worry, it's not like I'm gonna kill her. What good would it do me?"
"Look, just tell her to call me later, okay?" Stefan asked, walking over to the door.
"Yeah, sure, whatever. Bye-bye, Stefan."
T
"Hey, Damon, did I leave my brush in there?" I asked, trying my best to dry my hair with a towel.
I received no answer though.
"Damon?" I called again, stepping outside of the bathroom. "Damon?"
I looked around, but found no sign of him.
"Where the hell did he go?" I muttered, shaking my head.
I then went to turn around, only to have him straight in front of me, his arms wrapping around me.
"Damon!" I yelled, kicking his leg.
He just burst out laughing. I went to smack him, but he caught my hand, holding it in his.
"Next time you do that to me, I'm gonna get you were it hurts," I told him.
"No you won't," he chuckled, kissing the inside of my palm before letting go.
"Oh, yes I will, I promise you that much."
"Here's your brush," he offered, holding it up in front of me.
I just narrowed my eyes, snatching it out of his hand.
"Hurry up," he chuckled.
T
"Okay, I'm gonna drop you off at the Grill and then I'm gonna stop down at the pharmacy," I told Damon, turning onto the next road.
"I still don't see why you insist on driving."
"Because, Damon, you've been drinking," I pointed out.
"So? I'm still competent," he replied.
"Mm-hm, sure. I'm still not letting you drive when you drink."
"I think you just like my car," he teased.
I shrugged my shoulders. I could have cared less to be honest. It was just nice being able to drive something instead of having to ride my bike everywhere. Especially, given how cold it was.
"I swear, I don't even know why I'm doing this," I sighed, parking the car outside of the Mystic Grill.
I walked inside with Damon, following him as he went up to the bar. I caught sight of Rick sitting there, drink in his hand.
"Hey, Rick," I greeted, offering him a smile.
"Hey, Kali, how ya feeling?" he asked, taking a sip from his glass.
"Good, I guess. I think I caught something from one of the kids though," I told him.
I glanced over at Damon as he sat down on the stood beside Rick, turning to the bartender.
"Bourbon. Rocks," he ordered.
"Damon," I groaned.
"Come on, Kali, one drink while I wait?"
I rolled my eyes. I then turned to the bartender.
"This one drink is his limit until I get back," I said firmly, glancing at Damon as I dared him to try otherwise. "Just one," I told him, holding up a single finger. "That's it."
"You're so kind," he grinned, catching one of my belt loops and tugging me forward, causing me to stumble into him.
"Would you stop doing-"
I was cut off as he kissed me, a grin plastered across his face after pulling.
"Now I'm good," he chuckled, glancing over at Rick.
"Behave," I warned, flicking Damon in the forehead. "In fact, why don't you get yourself something to eat? Order us some food, that way when I get back, I can actually sit down and relax for a bit."
I turned to Rick after that, giving him a small smile. He returned it, causing Damon to shift a bit.
"It was good seeing you, Rick. I'll see you later," I said, before turning back to Damon again. "I'll be back in a few minutes."
"Bye-bye," he waved, taking a drink of his Bourbon.
I just shook my head, walking back outside and to the car, my phone tucked away in my pocket.
T
Once Kali had gone, Damon turned back around on the stool, glancing over at Rick.
"Don't you have papers to grade?" Damon asked dryly. "I heard they had midterms or finals or something."
"It's, uh, more fun with a buzz," Alaric replied, taking another drink.
"Well, most things in life are," Damon breathed, taking a drink. "Sober's depressing."
"You don't strike me as somebody that gets depressed," Rick commented.
"You say that like you know me."
"Nope. Just a hunch," Rick said, looking over at Damon.
Damon stared back, face blank.
"You have a good afternoon," Rick nodded, getting up and leaving.
"Not likely."
"Daytime drinking, huh?" Forbes inquired, stepping forward where Alaric had let.
"It's all the rage," Damon answered with fake enthusiasm.
"Listen, I need a favor," she said, getting to the point.
"You ever been in love?" Damon asked suddenly, placing his glass down after taking a drink.
"Excuse me?"
"Have you ever been so bent on someone just to have your heart ripped out by them?" he asked tiredly.
"You forget I was married," she replied.
A look of recognition fell upon Damon's face.
"Right. Gay husband," he nodded, turning to the bartender. "She'll have what I'm having," he said, before turning back to her. "Sit down," he said, patting the seat beside him.
She obliged, taking a seat neck to him, a glass of Bourbon being placed before her.
"There's a fundraiser here tonight that the founder's council is throwing. The town's most eligible bachelors get raffled off for dates, and, well, we're short a bachelor," she admitted, looking over at him.
"Is this what you do when there's no, um…" he leaned closer, lowering his voice. "Vampires?" he said. "Organize bachelor raffles?"
"Oh, trust me, at this point I miss the vampires," she told him. "Look, you're a hero to this town, Damon. I know most people don't know it, but you are," she told him.
"No," he sighed quietly, shaking his head.
"And you're single and a catch," she continued, Damon still shaking his head as though he were too tired to deal with it. "Oh, come on. Help me out," she begged. "Carol Lockwood won't let me live it down if I come up empty-handed," she told him.
Damon paused for a moment, glancing over at her. She was practically begging him.
"Well," he breathed, turning toward her. "A room full of women clamoring to win a date with me. Sounds tasty," he replied, his words holding a hidden meaning.
Liz let out a sigh of relief, a grateful smile on her face.
"Thank you," she breathed out.
"One thing," he paused, capturing her attention. "Can you get information on someone for me? Alaric Saltzman, the history teacher. There's just something a little off about him, And I just—I just wanna make sure that the high school did their homework on this guy," he told her.
She nodded her head, taking in his words.
"You got it," she agreed, standing up from her seat.
She pushed the untouched glass of Bourbon toward him, giving him another nod.
"Thank you," he replied, glancing back over his shoulder as she walked away, turning to the glass of Bourbon.
A faint grin pulled at his lips as he pulled it toward himself, picking it up and downing it. Kali wasn't there, so she'd never know.
T
When I got back, I found myself rather annoyed. Damon was still up at the bar, a full glass of Bourbon in his hands. Granted, he had a plate of fries beside them, but they looked untouched.
"Damon," I groaned out, narrowing my eyes.
"Ah, Kali, there you are," he smiled, turning around on the stool.
"Damon, what did I tell you?"
"Um…hm… Behave?"
"No, I mean yes, I mean… Ugh, Damon!" I groaned, running a hand through my hair. "I told you, only one drink."
"I've only gone over that by…" he paused for a moment, looking down and counting the number of drinks with his fingers. "This is my fourth drink, so three."
"What am I going to do with you?" I sighed.
"Kiss me…love me…-"
I clamped my hand over his mouth before he could finish, already knowing what he was going to say.
"Yes to the fist two, no to the last," I told him, giving him a dry look.
He just gave me a lazy grin, leaning forward until he nearly fell off of the stool.
"Careful," I said quickly, grabbing hold of him before he could fall.
He stumbled into my arm, burying his face in the space of my shoulder.
"Okay, you, let's sit you down somewhere," I sighed, moving him over to one of the booths that letting him fall back into it.
He laid there, watching me as I stood in front of him, a hand wound through my hair. I wasn't exactly sure what to do with him at this point. I was actually hoping that it could be a fairly normal day, but it was starting to look like the opposite.
"You know, I have to come back here later," he told me, too lazy to push himself up.
"And why is that?" I asked skeptically.
"Bachelors raffle," he breathed out.
"And why are you doing this exactly?"
"Because Lizzie begged me," he answered.
I shook my head at his answer. I had a feeling that Carol had something to do with it.
"It's like she said," he started, finally trying to sit back up. "I'm a catch…and I'm single," he breathed out, blinking a few times.
I bit back a comment that I wanted to say, shaking my head. What was the point? It's not like we were officially together or anything. He didn't belong to me. Besides, it was for a good cause, so who was I to say no.
"And you're coming with me," he told me, reaching out and grabbing my hand.
He pulled me forward, pulling me onto his lap. He was tired, that much I could tell for sure.
"If you told Liz yes, then why were you still drinking?" I inquired.
"How else do you expect me to get through it tonight?" he sighed, resting his head on my shoulder.
"Wait, so you're not…"
"Nope. Purely because she asked me," he admitted, closing his eyes.
I couldn't help, but to smile slightly, feeling oddly happy that this wasn't just for his own pleasure of amusement. He wasn't going so that he could boost his ego. He was only going because Liz had begged him for help. Maybe Damon really was starting to change his ways a bit.
"Why am I coming with you though?" I asked.
"Firstly, that way I know where you are," he told me.
"And second?"
"So I can stare at you all night."
I just shook my head, a faint smile on my face.
"I may be drunk, but I can still make you smile," he chuckled, a cocky smirk on his face.
"Damon, why don't we eat something? That way, we can get back and you can take a nap or something."
"Do I have to?" he groaned, pulling me a bit closer, his lips brushing the upper part of my neck.
"It would be recommended."
"Fine," he sighed, his arms loosening from around my waist.
I gave him a small smile as I stood up, walking back up to the bar and grabbing the fries. I also ordered a couple burgers too, walking back over to Damon and setting the plate down on the table. Seeing the look on his face, I sat back down on his lap, feeling his arms wrap back around me. He laid his head on my shoulder again.
"Eat," I pushed, picking a fry up and placing it in front of him.
He leaned forward, allowing me to pop it into his mouth.
"You know, if I didn't know any better, I'd say that I was basically your keeper at this point," I laughed.
"Maybe you are," he shrugged, closing his eyes.
"You're not gonna eat much right now, are you?" I asked, glancing over at him.
"Mm-mm."
I sighed, leaning my head back a bit. I'd wanted to take time and eat, but it didn't seem like that was going to happen.
"Alright, I'm taking you back so that you can try and sleep this off," I announced, slowly pulling away.
He slumped forward a bit when I did this, looking up at me.
"Come on."
I grabbed hold of his arm, pulling him up. He leaned against me, his forehead pressing against my shoulder. I wrapped my arm around him after that, guiding him outside and to the car. I opened up his side of the car, helping him slide inside. I buckled his seatbelt before pulling back, looking him over.
He looked so tired, even with the sleep that he'd gotten last night. It was almost as if it did absolutely nothing for him.
"I'll be right back," I promised, closing the car door and going back inside.
I walked up to the bar, placing the fries on the counter and pulling out some money.
"I think I'm just going to take the food to go," I told him, placing the money down on the counter.
He nodded his head, raking it toward him. He put it in the register, giving me back my change, before getting a couple to-go boxes for me.
"Thanks," I nodded, putting all of the food in the boxes.
"Have a nice day," he called, watching as I left back through the front doors.
Once back outside, I got in the car, placing the boxes in Damon's lap. He was practically dozing off.
"The things I do for you," I sighed, sliding the key into the ignition and turning it, the engine roaring to life.
T
I slowed to a stop as I pulled into the complex, placing the car in park and turning off the engine. I turned to Damon as I unbuckled my seatbelt, grabbing the boxes from his lap and placing them in my seat as I got out.
"Come on, Damon," I coaxed, pulling the door open and reaching around to unbuckle him.
He rolled his head to look at me, eyes blinking as he tried to keep them open.
"Let's get you inside."
I moved forward, sliding my hand under his arm and around his back, helping pull him out of the car. He leaned on me, using me for support as we walked inside, moving over to the elevator.
"You smell good," he breathed out as I pressed the button.
It came down a moment later, the sliding doors opening up.
"Well, I would hope so," I replied, moving inside with him.
He managed to press the button for the third floor, the doors closing, and the gears shifting. We only had to stand there for a few moments before the doors opened again, allowing us to exit and make our way to my apartment.
"Okay, just stand there for a moment," I told him, leaning him up against the wall for a moment as I dug out my key, sliding it into the lock.
I turned it, pushing the door open, before turning back to Damon. He looked like he would fall over any minute.
"Easy there," I said gently, wrapping my arms around him.
He groaned, placing most of his weight against me.
"Hey!" I cried, holding him up as best I could. "Wait til I get you inside first," I told him, nearly dragging him forward.
He managed to shuffle into the bedroom, collapsing into a heap on the bed. He wasn't even laying on it fully, merely falling upon it.
"Damon…"
I went over and helped him onto the bed the rest of the way, placing a pillow underneath his head. He turned toward me after that, staring at me through half lidded eyes, arm laid out over his stomach.
"Where are you going?" he asked.
"Just back outside real quick to get the food," I replied, moving to leave the room. "I'll be right back."
T
Damon watched as she left the room, staring after her tiredly. He hadn't gotten much in the way of sleep the last few days and it was now taking its toll, the near constant alcohol in his system adding to his fatigue, nearly putting him under. He only fought sleep long enough so that he could see Kali back in the room, the look on her face softening as she walked back in, eyes falling upon Damon.
"You look completely exhausted," she voiced, sitting down on the edge of the bed.
"Lay with me?" he asked quietly, his hand reaching out and brushing her arm.
He watched as she bit down on her lip, slowly nodding her head.
"Alright," she agreed, standing back up and pulling her shoes off.
She then went and pulled Damon's off, leaving him in his socks. After that, she crawled up onto the bed beside him, staring down at him.
"Come here," he breathed, touching her arm lightly as he laid there.
She came closer, laying down beside him. His hand came up, fingers brushing over her face. She closed her eyes, enjoying the touch.
Damon smiled to himself as he watched this, stroking lightly at her cheek, his eyes growing heavy. He was tired, far too tired to stay awake. Before too long, his eyes closed, his breath evening out. He could feel her hand caress his cheek as he laid there, the sound of his heart beating in his ears slowly fading and melding with the dark of his mind. It was then that he let sleep over taking him, slipping into the darkened world of sleep.
T
I laid there, watching as Damon fell asleep, his face taking on a look of peacefulness. He really was exhausted, easily falling asleep. I doubt that the alcohol did him any good though, likely just making it worse. I felt sorry for him as I stared at his face, his lips parted faintly as he breathed.
Hesitantly, I drew my hand forward, grazing his lips with my fingertips. They were soft to the touch, just like when he kissed me. I then drew my finger to the corner of his mouth, drawing along the line of his lower lip. I was never able to do this when he was awake, feeling far too embarrassed and unsure of myself.
"If only I were braver," I whispered, leaning forward and pressing my lips gently to his.
He didn't respond, but I didn't expect him to since he was asleep. I just wanted the knowledge that I had kissed him, having enough courage to at least do that much. Even if he didn't know the truth, at least I would know.
"You look so innocent when you're asleep," I spoke quietly, an idea popping into my head as I pushed myself up.
The first thing that I did was pull my phone out, turning on the camera. I lifted it in my hand, a small smile forming on my face. I wanted record of this for later, something to look back on, but I also wanted it for comparison.
After taking the photo, I put my phone back away, pocketing it. I then got up off of the bed, walking over to my dresser and grabbing my sketch pad from it, along with a pencil. I then made my way back over to the bed, carefully crawling back on, making sure not to wake him. If I did, then this would be pointless. Right now, my job was to capture this image that I saw, this image of a sleeping Damon. I was to capture the innocence of it, the purity, the stock of its message.
T
Damon laid there, life slowly returning to him. He didn't bother moving though, feeling a hand brushing through his hair. It was a comforting feeling, something that made him hesitant to wake. If he woke up the rest of the way, then it would end, she would stop. He didn't want her to stop.
"You awake?" she asked, pausing for a moment.
He didn't move, his lip twitching upward as she deliberately poked at his cheek, a laugh escaping her.
"Are you feeling better now?" she asked, looking down at him.
He peeled his eyes open, glancing over at her. She had her drawing pad in her lap, a pencil in her hand while the other went back to running over his hair. He took in a breath, closing his eyes again. He was content.
"You know, you look more pleasant when you're asleep," she joked lightly.
"And you look tolerable when you're asleep," he countered, a faint snicker escaping him.
"Careful, Damon, you might end up with marker on your face next time," she teased playfully, glancing down at her work, the pencil moving over the page.
"Careful, Kali, I might retaliate."
"Well, then we'd be at it…be at it…" she paused, blinking a couple times, her nose twitching.
She went to continue, only to end up sneezing.
"Gazuntite," Damon replied.
"Ugh… Thank you," she groaned, sniffling.
"I thought you took something for that?" he inquired, raising a brow in question.
"I did."
"Mm-hm."
His tone suggested that he was skeptical, but he didn't say anything else about it. He merely continued to lay there, enjoying the feeling of her hand in his hair.
"I hope you don't do this with every guy you're with?" Damon mused.
"Only you, Damon, only you," she replied, shaking her head lightly.
"Well, I feel honored then."
"You should," she told him, looking over at him for a moment.
She flipped to another page, her hand quickly gliding over the paper.
"What are you drawing anyway?" he asked, catching her glancing over at him every few seconds or so.
She was quiet for a moment, continuing her work, eyes flitting toward Damon and back again. Her movements in general were quick, but they seemed well placed, and thought out. Every stroke precise.
He allowed her a couple more minutes, before reaching out, grabbing it from her hold.
"Hey!" she cried out, reaching for it.
He merely pulled it out of her reach though, looking over it. He was somewhat surprised at what he saw. She'd been drawing him the whole time, capturing the look on his face and the shape of his eyes. She had it all, right down to the lashes and faint shadow underneath his eyes.
"Give me that," she said in embarrassment, reaching for it again.
Once more, he kept it from her reach, rolling onto his side so that his back was to her. He flipped over to the previous page, looking it over. It was another drawing of him, one done while he'd been sleeping. The look on his face seeming out of place. He'd never thought of himself as looking that peaceful, that free. She'd captured every detail, including the strands of hair that had covered his forehead and the parting of his lips. Every little mark was there.
"Heh… You're good," he told her, watching as she leaned over him, her hand on his shoulder as she tried to grab for it again.
He reached up, grabbing hold of the front of her shirt and tugging her down, sending her landing beside him as she turned. Her face was red.
"Damon," she groaned.
"Come on, take a compliment why don't ya," he chuckled, setting the pad behind him, still out of her reach.
"Give it back," she sighed.
"Hmm… I think maybe you're the one that needed a nap," he snickered, reaching out and brushing a piece of hair from her face.
He tucked it behind her ear, letting his fingers slide over her cheek and down her neck.
"Hungry?" she asked, looking him in the eyes.
He nodded, slowly, gazing at her. He watched as a faint smile formed on her face, her body moving so that she was closer to him.
"Here," she said, holding up her wrist. "My neck is too stiff right now," she told him, offering up her blood.
His eyes searched hers for a moment, moving from eye to eye. She was completely honest about what she was offering. Like usual, there was no deception in her eyes, something that he would have easily noticed. He'd never quite understand why she allowed herself to do this for him every time, offering up her blood like it was nothing. At this point, it was far too easy to get a meal. All he had to do was come to Kali, say he was hungry, and he was good to go. Sadly, her blood was just far too delicious for him to resist. So, without much thought, he took her wrist in his hands. He then pressed a kiss to the inside, feeling his fangs protruding from his mouth, poking at his lower lip. He inhaled, then bit down.
"Mmm," she whimpered faintly, closing her eyes.
He glanced up at her for a moment, watching her. She seemed no worse for wear, merely wincing at the initial bite. He was never rough with her, so it never caused a problem. He just bit and drank, slowly drinking her blood, the sweet taste coating his tongue.
He paused in his feeding for a moment as she moved, turning toward him a bit more so that she could rest comfortably and rest her head on the pillow he laid on.
"Don't stop on my account," she told him, closing her eyes again.
This time it was a bit more reassuring, the look on her face completely calm. It allowed him to drink without any hint of worry, closing his eyes as he slowly drew the blood from her veins. Sometimes, he felt that she was far too giving for her own good, but he knew that there was more to it than that. After all, she'd told him how she had no family left, the only people left in her life that had ever been close to it being those currently in the Gilbert house hold. The only other people that had begun to fit into that had been him and his brother, the two 'new' additions. She was looking for something to hold onto, something to call her own. She wanted something that was of her own choice. Currently, Damon fit into that, and he sort of realized it. It still confused him though, her loyalty to him. He'd never had anyone whom had been so loyal, at least one in which he didn't have to compel. Her loyalty was genuine and that's what had hooked him.
T
It wasn't until Damon pulled away that I finally opened my eyes, staring out at him. His eyes locked with mine, his lips stained with my blood as he licked gently at the wound, soothing the skin. It was slightly embarrassing, but I just pushed it to the side, watching him.
"I'm guessing you've had your fill then?" I assumed.
He nodded his head, licking his lips clean of the blood. He then made to bite into his wrist, but I stopped him, pulling his hand away.
"Don't worry about it, I'll be fine," I told him.
The last thing that I needed right now was the headache that came with drinking his blood.
"You're sure?"
I nodded my head, slowly pushing myself up.
"Yeah. Besides, I don't think I can handle a headache right now," I admitted. "In fact, we should probably get going."
Damon turned to look at the small clock on my desk, reading the time.
"I need to go to the boarding house," he told me, pushing himself up and out of the bed. "Where are my shoes?" he asked, looking down at his feet.
I got up, kneeling down beside the bed. I reached my hand underneath, pulling it back out to reveal his black shoes.
"Right here," I told him, handing them up to him.
He sat back down, pulling them on. It wasn't until he tried to tie them though that he had an issue, the loops coming loose.
"Here," I breathed, kneeling down in front of him and taking the laces into my hands.
One by one, I looped and knotted them, tying them. I gave each a final tug after I was done, standing up afterward.
"There."
"Thanks," he nodded, standing back up.
He blinked a few times, standing there as though testing his balance. I was about to say something, but he took a step forward, moving toward the door. I just shook my head, pulling a top from my drawer and closing it back. I then walked out of my room, following after him.
T
"Be down in a few, Damon told me, walking upstairs.
I was tempted to go after him, but I was stopped by Stefan. He didn't say anything, merely gesturing for me to follow him out back. I guess it meant that he didn't want Damon hearing the conversation.
"So, what's going on?" I asked, glancing up at him.
"I'm guessing he forgot to tell you to call me?" he assumed, folding his arms over his chest.
"I'm afraid Damon didn't say anything. Why?"
"Well, I stopped by earlier. I guess you were in the shower."
"Oh."
"I probably should have called first though."
"No, no, you're fine," I assured him.
"How has Damon been?" he asked, shifting his weight to the other foot.
"Well, he's been dealing with it as best as can be expected I guess," I shrugged, looking down at my feet for a moment. "Every time I turn around though, he's drinking," I revealed. "Granted, I've gotten him to ease up on that quite a bit, but he still keeps doing it. It's like he always has to have a buzz or something," I sighed.
"That's Damon for you."
"Also…he hasn't been sleeping much lately," I added, causing Stefan's brow to furrow. "He finally crashed earlier. I had to drag him to the apartment."
"I see," Stefan mused. "He hasn't bitten anyone though that you know of, has he?" he inquired.
"Nope, just me."
"What?"
"Stefan, I've been letting him feed," I explained, pulling the small wrap from me wrist.
He took it in his hands, looking it over, the skin still a bit red. It was clean though, so I didn't have to worry about anything.
"He didn't…"
"No, Stefan, he hasn't been compelling me," I groaned.
"Then why are you letting him do this?" he asked, slightly annoyed.
"Stefan, would you rather him going off somewhere and feeding on some poor innocent bystander?" I asked, pulling my arm back.
"No, but…"
"No butts, Stefan," I told him. "This is my choice and I'm well aware of the risks."
"Kali," Stefan started, but I stopped him again.
"He's not going to hurt me Stefan. Cravings or not, he knows what he's doing, even when he's drunk."
He merely groaned at my answer, running a hand through his hair.
"I'm sorry, I just… This whole thing is hard for me," he sighed. "I'm still hoping he'll change, but I feel like I shouldn't hold my breath.
"Stefan, he'll be fine," I told him, reaching out and touching his arm. "I'll keep an eye on him, okay?"
He nodded his head after a moment, wetting his lips, before looking back toward the house.
"I guess we should go back inside and check on him," he voiced, leading me back inside.
He was the first one upstairs though, going into his room, only to Damon walk out a few moments later. Said vampire turned to me once at the bottom of the stairs, a playful look on his face as he stepped toward me.
"Think you could help a guy out?" he asked, gesturing to his unbuttoned shirt. "Elena tried, but I didn't like it," he told me.
I just shook my head lightly, stepping forward so that I stood in front of him. It looked like he had taken a quick shower, his hair still a bit damp and tousled. Saying that he didn't look hot would be a lie. Sadly, I think that's what he was going for, his pants riding a bit lower than usual. I bit my lip, keeping my eyes in front of me.
"Like what you see?" he asked, grinning down at me.
"If I say no, you'll call me a liar," I voiced, gripping his shirt as I began to button it, leaving the first two or three undone. "If I say yes, it'll only inflate your ego."
"Hmm… Either way, I get a yes then."
I rolled my eyes, buttoning the last few buttons, straightening his collar afterward.
"Aren't you going to tuck it in for me?" he asked, tilting his head to the side in question.
I gave him a dry look in response, raising an eyebrow.
"I'm not tucking your shirt in for you," I said firmly, folding my arms over my chest.
"And why not?" he inquired, leaning forward a bit.
"You know very well why not," I pointed out.
He chuckled in response, unzipping his pants so that he could tuck his shirt in properly. After that, I reached forward, gripping his pants and tugging them up a bit.
"There, much better," I grinned, fixing his belt to keep them in place.
"I'm starting to think that maybe you should just get me dressed from now on," he commented, staring down at me.
"Nope. That's your job, Damon," I told him. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go change my shirt."
As predicted, he followed after me, following me down one of the halls.
"Sorry, Damon, but you're not allowed to watch," I told him, walking into the bathroom and closing the door.
He didn't follow, merely standing outside.
"It's not like I haven't seen it before," he reminded me.
"Not like I had a choice," I reminded him.
"You did last time."
I rolled my eyes, peeling my shirt off. I sat it on top of the sink, grabbing my other one.
"I was drunk. It doesn't count."
I then pulled the new one over my head, straightening it out. I turned back to the door after that, pulling it open, Damon standing before me.
"It always counts," he replied, staring down at me.
"Come on, Casanova. Put your jacket on and let's go."
I caught him rolling his eyes out of the corner of my eye, but ignored it, nearly running into Stefan.
"Where'd your girlfriend go?" Damon asked.
"She's on her way to the Grill," Stefan answered, glancing down at me, before turning back to his brother. "I need to talk to you."
I took that as my cue to leave, going outside and sitting in the car. They need to talk privately, so it wasn't my place to interrupt.
T
"What do you want?" Damon asked, pulling his jacket on.
Stefan pulled out a picture, handing it to Damon.
"This is the woman, Isobel, from North Carolina," Stefan told him. "Remember her now?"
Damon looked down at the picture, before turning his eyes back to his younger brother.
"Who wants to know?" he asked.
"I do," Stefan answered.
"Who else wants to know?" Damon rephrased, already seeing past Stefan's little attempt to be discreet.
Stefan took the picture back from him, tucking it back into his pocket.
"Did you kill her?" Stefan asked.
"Sorry. Don't know her," Damon answered, before walking past Stefan. "Hey, are you coming? The real housewives of Mystic Falls await."
T
After parking the car, I followed Damon inside, pulling him to the side for a moment. I caught him off guard as I reached up, combing his hair out a bit with my fingers. I then straightened his jacket out just a bit, fixing the shoulders.
"There. Now, you're good to go," I told him, watching the corner of his mouth turn up into a faint grin.
He took my hand and kissed it, moving away afterward and into the crowd to get his number.
Caroline was the first person that I spotted, spying her by the side of the room, everything set up. She was the one taking money for the tickets.
"Hey, Caroline," I greeted, making my way over to her.
"Hey, Kali," she replied.
"What's wrong?" I asked, noticing the tone in her voice.
She looked away for a moment, biting her lip.
"Caroline?" I tried again.
"Nothing. It's just Matt's mom," she told me.
"Wait…Kelly?" I inquired.
She nodded her head.
"She's back in town?"
"Yeah. She's right over there," she nearly ground out, pointing over to the other side of the room.
"Oh, great," I groaned. "Caroline, what did she say to you?"
"You mean besides calling me Matt's rebound girl?" she said testily.
I let out a sigh, rubbing the back of my neck.
"Just don't pay her any attention, okay? Ignore her," I told her, pulling some money out of my pocket.
I handed it to her and she gave me my tickets, attempting to smile.
"That a girl," I smiled. "Now, no more frowning."
She nodded her head, turning to the woman behind me to take her money. This allowed me to make my way into the crowd, slowly making my way over to Kelly who was flirting with a random guy that had to be at least 10 years younger than her.
"Hey, Kelly," I greeted.
She turned around to face me, a smile on her face.
"Kali!" she exclaimed, wrapping me in a hug. "It's been too long," she smiled.
"Not long enough," I muttered. "What are you doing here anyway?" I asked.
"Why, I'm here to try and win a date, silly."
"I mean, why are you back in town?" I asked.
"To see my son, of course," she replied.
"Right," I said doubtfully. "Any reason why you're being mean to Caroline?"
"I just don't like her," she shrugged.
"You barely even know her," I argued.
"Oh, I know enough," she told me. "She's Forbes' girl."
I narrowed my eyes.
"Just leave her alone, alright, Kelly? She doesn't need you harassing her."
T
I sat beside Elena at the table, laughing at the introduction Carol gave the last bachelor. I watched as she moved to the next one.
"And what do you do, bachelor number 3?" Carol asked.
"Yeah, I'm a plumber," he answered, speaking into the microphone.
"Well, isn't that wonderful? We could always use more plumbers," Carol said, various people laughing in response. "Moving on," she announced, turning to Alaric. "Number 4, "Alaric Saltzman."Wow. That's quite a mouthful. What do you do, Alaric?" she asked, placing the mic in front of him.
"I'm a teacher at mystic falls high," he replied.
"Oh, beauty and brains, ladies. This one's a keeper," she smiled. "What do you teach?"
"History."
"History. Oh, well, give us a fun fact about Mystic Falls, something crazy," she said, looking out at the crowd for a moment.
"Uh, well…" Alaric paused, looking around.
He looked toward Damon for a moment, whom was holding a hand up to his ear, showing that he was waiting for Alaric to continue.
"He's probably saving the best stories for his date," Carol teased lightly, her words causing Jenna to become embarrassed. "And last, but not least, Damon Salvatore," she announced, looking down at the card for a moment. "We don't have much on you."
"Well, I'm tough to fit on a card," Damon replied, placing his hand on his chest for a moment.
"Oh, Lord, here we go," I groaned, resting my chin in the palm of my hand.
I caught his eyes on me for a moment before he continued, looking out at the crowd.
"Do you have any hobbies, like to travel?" she asked, placing the mic in front of him.
"Oh, yeah," he nodded. "L.A., New York, Tennessee," he listed off.
Tennessee, huh? Well, that caught my attention. I actually wondered how long ago that one was.
"Couple of years ago, I was in North Carolina, Near the Duke campus, actually," he revealed. "I think—I think Alaric went to school there. Didn't you, Rick?" Damon asked.
My brows furrowed as I watched him, noticing the uncomfortable look on Alaric's face.
"Yeah, 'cause I- I know your wife did. I had a drink with her once."
What was he doing?
"She was—she was a great girl. I ever tell you that?" he asked Rick.
Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Elena sitting up a bit more.
"She was…" he paused for a moment, probably thinking of the right word to use. "Delicious."
I felt my mouth fall open, brows furrowing. Had he just said what I think he did? He had just admitted that he'd...
"Are you okay?" came the sound of Jenna's voice, her question directed toward Elena.
I turned, staring at her. The look in her eyes was one of pain, eyes watering.
"I just need some air," she told her, her voice slightly shaky as got out of her seat and left.
I watched as Stefan followed after her, my eyes turning back toward Damon. He seemed pleased with himself, not even noticing that it'd had an effect on Elena. Was he truly that mean?
"Kali, what's going on?" Jenna asked, obviously confused.
"Um, I don't know," I lied, getting up from my chair.
Damon must have seen this because he stepped off of the stage, making his way over to the bathrooms.
"What the hell is wrong with you?" I hissed quietly, shoving him in the chest.
"What do you mean?"
"You know what I mean," I said pointedly.
I'd found out from Alaric a little while back that his wife had died. She'd been murdered and they'd never found the body. Now, after everything Damon had said, I found myself piecing together the truth. I knew that I couldn't exactly hold it against him since it was something that he'd done in the past, but rubbing it in, that was completely different.
"Why did you do that to him?" I asked.
"Do what?"
"Rub it in," I hissed, glaring at him.
I was interrupted before I could say anything else, Elena coming toward and approaching Damon.
"Did you enjoy that?" she asked. "Rubbing it into Alaric Saltzman."
"Okay, what is with you guys?" he asked, looking between me and Elena.
"Just as I was starting to think that there was something redeemable about you," Elena breathed out, Stefan coming up behind Damon.
"Elena," he begged, trying to get her to stop.
"Am I missing something here?" Damon asked.
"Did I forget to mention earlier when we were talking about my birth mother?" Elena asked. "The one that gave me up?" she pressed.
I now found myself confused.
"Her name was Isobel."
I watched as Damon's face formed into a range of emotions, almost as if he wasn't sure how to respond. He'd done all of that and he truly hadn't known the full extent of his word.
"Oh, God," I breathed out.
"Go ahead. Reminisce about how you killed her," she spat, shoving him as she pasted, walking outside.
Stefan stood there for a moment, looking between me and Damon. He wasn't sure what to do, so I gestured for him to go after Elena. I remained though as he ran after her, standing with Damon.
"I didn't know…" he breathed, his face scrunching up in frustration.
I believed him, but that didn't mean that I was very happy with him at the moment. I wasn't even sure what to do with him at the moment.
"I believe you, but that doesn't excuse what you did in there," I told him, gesturing toward the crowd of people.
"Kali, I swear, I didn't know that it was Elena's mother," he told me, a look of pain on his face.
He knew that he'd screwed up, that much was obvious, so I had no right to add to it.
"Damon, maybe I should just take you back home," I sighed, looking up at him.
Okay everyone, that was chapter 19. I really hope that everyone liked it. Did I do a good job?
What was your favorite part? What else would you guys like to see? I need ideas for the next chapter in order to incorperate Kali properly. I'm skipping the next episode and going to the one after that. Episode 17 Let The Right One In. Kali's going to help, but I need help with ideas in order to do that.
REVIEW AND MESSAGE PEOPLE. IT'S IMPORTANT!