Author's Note: Rated M for violence, language and brief sexual content.

Sorry I haven't updated in a while, but it was my birthday and I have been a little bit busy. Also, happy birthday to me ;D

And euphemiamargareth, your reviews made me smile ;) I'll make this chapter longer for you, honey.

I don't own The Vampire Diaries.

All the feelings that I get
But I still don't miss you yet

Only when I stop to think about it

I hate everything about you
Why do I love you?

Day 3, 4:28 PM

''You seem nervous. Am I really that intimidating?''

Stefan perched on Damon's bed, wondering if Katherine was just mocking him in amusement or was really stating something. He wouldn't use the word nervous, more like uncomfortable, having to watch over her while she examined his body like he was naked. She knew very well that it'd cause him discomfort. Damon said he'll come back in five minutes, but more than ten minutes passed and no sign of him. They should be in the basement with Elena right now, trying to make her feel something, not losing their time with an already lost cause. But on the other hand, his brother was right, Elena needed to starve first. He visited her earlier, but all he got from her were desperate demands to give her some blood and then aggressive screams and threats. It was hard to see Elena like that, her kindness and compassion gone.

''I think you're the one who's nervous in fact. Am I right?'' he half smiled, placing his hands in his jeans' pockets.

''No. I'm used to men undressing me with their sight. Same old, same old.''

Stefan laughed shortly, a forced laugh. He looked at the clock again.

4:29

Where the hell was Damon? What was he doing that required so much time? The minutes were passing slow, but Katherine's power could return any second. Plus, the vervain chains around her body didn't seem extra tight.

Tick-tock.

7 hours ago

''A stake? You found a stake in her jacket and she's sleeping right now in your bed? As far as we know, she might be listening to our conversation.''

''She isn't, okay? I checked.''

''How? Whispering dirty words in her ear? I heard your talk yesterday would Elena think...''

''Right now...,'' started Damon, cutting him off harshly, ''Elena doesn't give a crap about who I'm dirty talking to. And by the way, quit stalking us. Find your own dirty talking ex.''

''Us? Now you and Katherine are 'us'? What happened to your 'I hate her and I want to kill her' speech? You really couldn't find another ex? If you want Elena to dump you, find someone who's worth it. But I won't let you destroy your life again. Not with Katherine.''

The older Salvatore rolled his eyes, tired of the fights with his little brother. Yes, Stefan was right, like always. But he couldn't admit that.

''Why are you acting like I suddenly don't hate Katherine and I'm bowing down to her royal majesty the bitch? I'm using her, alright? You believe I didn't think this through? She's older than us and far more slyer. If we want to bring Elena back, she's the solution.''

''Don't you get it? Katherine's never the solution. She's always the problem. And now somehow she's playing both of us. She'd never come here because she's bored and Elijah has business to do. There must be a reason behind this. And the stake-this can't be good at all.''

''Then let's find it. Let's find the reason.''

Damon's smirk didn't really calm Stefan down. It meant he had something in mind.

Damon never had something rational in mind.

Present day, 4:56

They made sure the chains were literally drained in vervain. The chains were surrounding her whole body, not only her wrists and ankles, neutralizing her completely. She probably was trying not to move at all, otherwise it'd hurt really bad. It was Damon's plan to tie her up in his bedroom, Stefan opted more for the basement, but Elena was there.

The thing that worried Stefan the most it was Katherine's peaceful reaction to this, like she had the situation under control, like she already knew their plan and everything they were about to do. She was just sitting in the chair, continuing to look and smile mysteriously at Stefan, her eyes sparkling wildly. Maybe that's what he liked the most about Katherine besides her self preservation instinct, that no matter what she did or where she ended, she looked gracefully, even with that wicked winning expression. It just captivated you totally, just watching her.

Her chocolate curls were cascading down her shoulders so precise and perfect, like she arranged them the way she liked, except that she couldn't move at all, and she didn't have the time to style it. Her ruby lips made a special contrast with her pale face and dark eyes.

Like a predator.

Not even when Damon cleared his throat to catch her attention, she didn't turn her head to look at him. He must have had noticed already her constant stare on the younger brother.

''Katherine.''

Still no reaction from her. What was she trying to do? Make him jealous by eyeing his brother? If so, it was working. Or was she mad at him for the stabbing with vervain thing before tying her up? Just when they were about to kiss. He picked a terrible timing.

''I'm hungry.''

''Do I look like I care? Nope.''

''Don't be mean.''

To her words, Damon simply raised his blue sight from the diary he was holding in his hands. It was Johnathan's Gilbert journal, and he was checking it out only because he thought there might be something about the humanity switch of vampires since he has been studying them. He found nothing so far, nothing that could help Elena. He didn't answer, just kept on looking at her while Katherine jumped on the table, in front of him, placing a leg on the another.

''I said I'm hungry.''

''And I said I don't care.''

''Fine. Then I'll get what I want myself.''

He scanned her features for a second, and then he returned to the diary.

Which was laying on the floor before he could blink.

Katherine let herself slip from the table straight to his lap, her hands running down his muscular chest.

''I thought you were hungry.''

He refused to make any move that would show her he enjoyed this, so he let his hands stay near her body without doing anything. His eyes eventually moved to her breast and then up to her lips. Without realising, he found his own lower lip bitten playfully but hard, blood spilling down his chin. She licked the blood from it, making a sound of approval when he gripped her waist and lifted her up a little bit, so their lips would be at the same level. He was that ready to slam her against him and kiss her, explore every inch of her body, even spots that were never explored before. That close to giving up.

She opened her lips wider against his, not kissing him yet. He thought it was an open invitation, but a warm liquid trickled to his fingers and down on her spine. He frowned, wondering for a second if he was dreaming. That nightmare he used to have, when he was kissing Katherine but out of nowhere...she died. The nightmare hunted him every night, and it had gotten so badly that he refused to sleep anymore. But that happened 50 years ago, when he was still madly in love with her. Now she was just...a walking memory of their obsessive love.

His heart skipped a beat having that feeling of deja-vu, watching her terrified when she brought her hand to her back in pain, slowly closing her eyes and falling. He caught her, her head resting limp on his shoulder. In this position, it was like they were hugging. Like he was hugging someone dead. Only the thought spread ice shivers through his body.

''When I said distract her, I didn't mean distract her...like that. Anyway, we don't have much time. Let's tie her up before it's too late.''

''You seriously couldn't find a better moment to stab her with vervain? Idiot.'' he muttered to Stefan under his breath, getting up with Katherine in his arms, bridal style. One of his arm was under her bent knees, the other one supporting her head while he carried her to the chair that Stefan put in his bedroom.

After that, they just tied her up and he went after 'supplies' to bury his desire of suffocating his brother. The supplies included more vervain, stakes and another chains, if somehow she escaped.

Damon came closer, placing his hands on the arms of the wooden chair, leaning towards her face to make her look at him. Still no reaction.

''Stefan.'' he growled in a low tone, more harsh then he meant to, ''I can handle this. Why don't you go check up on Elena?''

''Are you sure?''

''Very sure. Me and Kitty Kat here are going to have a lot of fun.''

Stefan got up reluctantly, heading to the door.

''If you need me, I'll be...''

''I won't.''

Katherine finally turned to look at him, and the coldness from her eyes frightened him. He wasn't expecting to see such a sudden change, from the seductive smirk to...simply nothing. She looked emotionless, and impossible to read. He realised he has been holding his breath.

Damon swallowed nervously, lowering his eyes to her body. The chains that were pressed to her skin left painful red marks. It probably hurt a lot, especially that she was basically naked, with nothing but his shirt on, but she didn't let any emotion show on her face.

''If you behave, I'll take the chains off.'' he started with an almost apologetic soft voice, his hand coming up to gently remove some curls that fell onto her face and were covering half of it. She pushed her head backwards, drifting away from his touch.

Her rejection to his touch and seeing her like this hurt him more than the chains of vervain did on her body.

''Come on, don't be like this. We both know you wouldn't just tell me why the stake was in your jacket.''

Still nothing.

He was starting to get desperate and impatient. Would torturing her help? No. He couldn't do that, if he did, she probably would hate him just as much as she hated Klaus. But what could he do? He couldn't free her either.

''Giving me the silence treatment won't bring you anywhere. So why don't you answer?''

She still didn't say a word. He sighed, thinking how weak he has become. He couldn't torture her, not when she looked like this, not ever. She spent 3 days with him and that was enough to make him feel bad for this situation. And only 3 days ago he hated her that much that he could kill her.

Now, now he couldn't even face her.

''Katherine, please.''

''Kneel and maybe then I'll actually listen.''

''What?''

He thought he didn't hear correctly at first, but obviously he did, because Katherine started laughing, making him feel really stupid. Of course she was just playing this innocent hurt facade, he should have known. Her signature smirk returned to its place, and she tilted her head to the side.

''You should've seen your face, like a lost puppy begging for forgiveness.''

Her tone was cruel, so cruel that every word she said was like poison spreading through his veins.

''This was just a game for you, right?''

''You're the one who said game on, Damon. I'll be the one to say game over. Did you really think that I'd be so heartbroken because of your backstabbing plan with Stefan? I was expecting this. I was expecting all of this. You're so predictable.''

''You fucking bitch.'' he whispered, his features hardening.

''This fucking bitch tricked you like she always does. Why do I always succeed with you? Oh, it probably is because you never got over me. Is it that hard to hear the truth? That no matter what you do, no matter how hard you try to hate me, it's pointless. It must be hard, to never have your love returned from the person you love the most. And that's the truth. You'll love me forever, Damon. And you know...forever is a veeery long time.''

His rage got to its fullest, along with the desire to rip everything apart. He kicked the first thing that was closer to him, his bed, so hard that it flew to the opposite corner, smashing the wall. Taking a stake from the bag he brought, he stabbed her in the stomach, moving it close to her heart. If she moved, the stake would reach it. She gulped, trying to stay still, but soon she started to cough up blood.

Damon withdrew the stake quickly, and she groaned in pain, looking down at her stomach.

The chains were stopping the healing, and now the vervain got to her open wound, which made it burn ten times worse. She gritted her teeth not to scream, but eventually she gave up because of the massive pain.

He wanted to hurt her, but not really that bad. It wasn't her fault that he was stupid enough and actually believed her act of innocence. Not caring that the vervain would burn him too, he ripped all of the chains, throwing them away.

This time he kneeled down, taking her again in his arms softly and bringing her to his bed. He wiped the blood from her mouth just as gently.

He didn't get angry only because Katherine tricked him.

He got angry because she was right. She was absolutely right.

It must be hard, to never have your love returned from the person you love the most. And that's the truth. You'll love me forever, Damon.

The truth hurt more than anything.

Maaan, this was painful to write! I mean really!

Don't worry though, I'll make it up for you in the next chapter ;)

Damon realising that he still loves Katherine, hm? Couldn't help myself :P