Hi everyone! I'm going to be back to my weekly updates now, check out my last chapter if you have no idea what I am talking about. I hope you enjoy this chapter.
Damon's POV
I took Elena to Gloria's bar for a number of different reasons. I needed to return to what I originally came back to Mystic Falls for. Katherine. Elena had been taking up most of my time with her and Stefan's teenage relationship drama. I also felt slightly bad for her, and I figured, what harm can drinking do? I could already tell after Elena had her second bourbon, because she was becoming less sober, and less annoying. Lately, while taking care of her after Stefan left, she got on my nerves quite a lot. Not that I didn't enjoy being on suicide watch 24/7, but it was nice to be at a bar, with a more carefree Elena.
Elena carefully got out of her barstool, making sure not to trip, and said, "I'm going to the bathroom, can you get me another drink?". She was still her usual, quiet self, but she was less upset than she was after her encounter with Stefan. I just gave her a nod, without looking at her. I could feel her staring at me momentarily, but then she walked straight to the bathroom. I ordered Elena a more sweet drink, rather than bourbon, and I heard her crying in the bathroom. I wasn't listening, she just was not being quiet enough for a vampire's ears. I frowned very slightly, and shook my head. Stefan had just caused her so much pain. Gloria handed me Elena's drink, and gave me a smile. "So if it's not Katherine, who is it? She's clearly not just another blood bag for you." Gloria said to me, with squinted eyes, still smiling a little bit. "It's Elena Gilbert, and if you're wondering why she looks so pathetic, it's because my idiot brother left a month ago, and then decided to flip the switch on her," I responded, rolled my eyes, and downed my drink quickly.
"Ouch. Well if she's irritating you, I'm sure you out of all people can get rid of her, and leave as well." Gloria said that almost as if she was being serious.
"Too important to leave. I need her for Katherine stuff."
She eyed me up and down and laughed. "Uh huh, sure. Katherine stuff."
I sensed Elena's presence, and turned around. I knew she hadn't actually used the bathroom, but I didn't want to embarrass her anymore for the day.
Elena took in a deep breath, and then exhaled, getting her jacket on. "I changed my mind, I want to go home." She sounded very monotone for her normal self.
"Nope. We go to a bar, we stay here for at least five hours. Maybe just until you're drunk." I smirked at her and she rolled her eyes, and then I saw a look in her eye that I had seen this afternoon after she came out of the apartment complex where Stefan was. She was either about to yell at me, or start crying, so I gave her a confused look.
"Fine, but I need to go outside for a minute, it's too hot in here." I knew that was total bullshit, because it was boiling hot outside, and cold in here, but I nodded, and she walked out the door. I could hear her pacing back and forth, and whispering to herself to not act childish, and to shut up. It almost made me laugh, because she thought she had to pull herself together. I contemplated going outside after her, and after a minute I decided to. I put on my leather jacket, and handed Gloria a bill much too large for what we ordered, but money was not really an issue for me.
"Don't make her fall for you, Damon. She's broken." I didn't respond to Gloria when she said that to me, and it pissed me off how she thought Elena was completely broken. She might even have been right, but to hear her say it aggravated the hell out of me.
Elena's POV
I did not know why I was having this reaction to earlier today, since I had already managed to get through one month without Stefan. I guess I still had hope, and today's short visit with Stefan shattered it completely. I really did not want to be at a bar with Damon, but of course he could not pass on anything if it involved alcohol. As I was lost in my thoughts, I heard the entrance to the bar open and I turned around, and saw Damon. "You can go back in there, I'll be there in a minute." I said, and rolled my eyes slightly, which I hoped he didn't notice.
"We can actually leave. Gloria's pissing me off anyway."
"How do you even know her?"
"Doesn't matter, just knew her awhile back. She's a witch." I looked at him, slightly surprised, but then again, it seemed as if anyone I ever met turned out to be something supernatural.
He looked at me for a moment, and then pointed to the car, and started walking. I felt a little guilty for making him leave, especially because he was acting kind of irritated with me. He was driving for about twenty minutes, when I turned to him and asked, "Are we going to the hotel or back to Mystic Falls?".
"Home." He continued to look straight at the road, and a lot of time passed by, and before I knew it, I fell asleep.
Damon's POV
Once Elena fell asleep, it was easier for me to think straight. I could tell she thought I was annoyed with her, which I wasn't. Well, I don't know if that is exactly true, because I did want to find out more information on Katherine, but I came to the conclusion that Elena might be more important just for today. I hated Stefan for making her feel this way, but hopefully she could now start moving on with her life. School did start in one week.
A few hours later, after my mind drifted away from random things and became more blank, I looked over at Elena, who was still asleep. She hadn't been sleeping at all lately, and I'm wasn't sure how to help her at all. She did not look peaceful, she looked on edge, but that could have been from sleeping in a car for hours. I hoped she just stayed asleep for the rest of the car ride, so I wouldn't have to make small talk about random things.
When I looked away from her, it was because I realized that I hadn't fed in a long time, which made me uncomfortable. I would never hurt Elena, but her blood was always very tempting if I were to be hungry. I approached the sign that read, 'Welcome to Mystic Falls" and I sighed a breath of relief that she stayed asleep for the entire car ride.
About fifteen minutes passed by, and I pulled into the driveway of the Boarding House. I decided to grab her stuff and bring them in the house for her, and then I walked back outside and opened Elena's car door. I didn't want to wake her, but I decided that she wouldn't want me to let her sleep all evening and night.
I rubbed her shoulder gently, and she started to stir, so I whispered her name.
"Damon..", she responded quietly and opened her eyes, looking at me.
"We're home." I said, sounding completely emotionless, and she unbuckled her seatbelt, and got out of the car, after I stepped away. I closed her car door behind her, and we both walked inside.
"I'm so tired, still." She said, casually, taking her jacket off and putting it on the couch.
"You can go to bed if you want. Just assumed you would want to shower or eat something."
"I can't eat anything, but I'll shower. Where should I sleep?" I looked at her with a puzzled expression, but I soon realized she was asking me where she should sleep, because she always slept in Stefan's room. I was going to tell her to sleep in one of the guest rooms, but the beds were uncomfortable, at least compared to Stefan's or my bed.
"My room." I looked at her and smirked, and then decided to change the subject. "I need to feed, are you okay by yourself for a little bit?"
She looked at me with an annoyed face, and then asked, "Are you killing someone?".
"No, don't you remember your panic attack the other day when I brought girls home?" I asked her, sarcastically, and she rolled her eyes. "I have to go to the hospital and get blood bags."
She nodded slowly. "I'm gonna shower, and then go to bed. I'll be fine on my own." She gave me a brief smile, and then proceeded to walk upstairs. I heard her go into my bedroom and walk into the bathroom. I smirked to myself, and then walked out the door to go to the hospital.
Elena's POV
Damon definitely had the most beautiful, and clean bathroom I have ever seen. It was huge and luxurious, unlike Stefan's. Stefan's was always clean, but unorganized. After admiring his bathroom for a minute, I undressed, and turned on his shower. I didn't want to use his shower products, because I didn't want to annoy him, so I looked under his sink, and I found products and a wash cloth. He was definitely prepared for girls to be using his bathroom, which for some reason, made me feel a twinge of jealousy. I shook it off, and stepped into the shower.
After showering, I wrapped a towel around me, and grabbed pajamas from my bag, and changed into them in his room. I put my clothes in his laundry basket, and I walked over to his bed. It felt weird thinking that I was going to be sleeping in Damon Salvatore's bed, but he told me I could, so it was fine. I wanted to sleep on his side of the bed, because I did not know, or want to know, how many girls have been on the other side of that bed. It felt strange and annoyed me. I got under the covers of Damon's sheets, and I realized his bed smelled exactly like Damon. Fresh, but masculine. I told myself to stop being weird, and just go to bed. I heard the front door open, but I stayed where I was, because I knew it was just Damon getting home.
I didn't want him to walk into his room, because I still felt uncomfortable sleeping in his bedroom.
For a few minutes I didn't hear anything, so I closed my eyes to try and fall asleep, and then I suddenly heard footsteps up the stairs. Of course. He opened his bedroom door, closing it behind him, as if he was not going to leave. I opened my eyes, and sat up, turning to my side to turn the lamp on, which wasn't exactly necessary, but I did it anyway.
"Just to let you know, if you want to pretend to be sleeping, you gotta work on your breathing." He said to me, sarcastically, and smirked. "But then again, it is me you were about to see, so I understand."
I rolled my eyes, and he walked towards the other side of the bed, sitting down on it, but facing me. I gave him a worried look, and shot back an irritated look, but it was obvious he was kidding.
"Don't worry, Elena. I'm not sleeping here. I'll be on the couch downstairs." He said, putting on an act, like he was annoyed with me.
"I feel bad, this is your bed. I can always sleep on the couch, if it's easier." He shook his head at me.
"You're fine where you are." I sat there in silence for a moment, feeling some kind of tension around us, so I decided to bring up a random topic.
"So I saw girly products under your sink, I'm guessing you like to be very prepared for all of your guests?" My tone came off sounding very jealous, which I did not intend to have happen. Dammit.
I was expecting him to make fun of me, but he got up and walked over to his shower and grabbed the products I had used. "This nice stuff, is what I buy for you." He smirked, and then knelt down to the cabinet I had yet to open and pulled out some drugstore products that were still good, but not high end, and held them up. "This stuff is for others."
"Oh. Sorry." I was left speechless, which was something Damon could always make happen. He put everything back where it belonged, and walked back over, but this time stood over me.
"You need to go to sleep, Elena. I know you slept for most of the car ride today, but the last time you got over four hours a week was before Stefan left." His facial expression was serious, and I sighed.
"I can't. I have dreams about every horrible thing that has happened, but now he's not here, and I don't know what to do. I already started to feel better about him being gone a few weeks ago, but..I don't know, it's still just hard. I miss him, and Jeremy, and Jenna, and Caroline, and Bonnie. This was like a breakup times ten. And I have you, but then I feel like crap because you are dealing with every single aspect of my life, and it must be annoying.." I trailed off at the end, realizing I was rambling, and that he was walking to the other side of the bed, and getting under the covers. "What are you doing?" I asked, confused.
"You are going to go to bed. I am going to take your bad dreams away." He said, very simply, looking at me.
"No, Damon, I don't want to annoy you anymore-" He cut me off, quickly.
"I won't take no for an answer." He smirked, and pulled the covers over me, and reached over me to turn the lamp off. I turned onto my side, and I was facing him. A part of me wanted to get closer to him, but it was too soon, and weird for me to do that.
Damon's presence was oddly relaxing, and I found myself drifting off fairly quick. It was not long before I fell asleep.
Damon's POV
She looked beautiful, and finally, peaceful. I was tired, but I didn't let myself fall asleep for a long time. She was moving around a lot in her sleep, but I could tell she wasn't having any nightmares. She almost hit me in the face with her arm by accident, but I gently moved her arm away, and then she ended up with her near the side of my chest, since I was on my back. One of her hands touching my arm, and she stopped moving around so much, after this.
Another two hours passed by, and I ended up falling asleep, with Elena still in the same position.
Elena's POV
I woke up in the middle of the night, feeling really cold, even with all of my covers on. I knew I was near Damon, but he wasn't that cold. Maybe I was becoming ill, of course, right before school. I sat up in Damon's bed, and tapped him on the shoulder lightly, to ask him where more blankets were.
He immediately woke up, as if he was barely sleeping, and ran his fingers through his hair lazily, and then looked at me. "What's wrong?" He asked, quietly.
"Where do you keep blankets? I'm freezing."
"I'll go get them, you can lie down, I'll be right back." He turned on the lamp that was next to him, and walked to his closet, and grabbed two large blankets. He looked back at me, and instantly looked concerned. "You look sick." He stated, walking over to me. He placed the blankets over the bed, which made me feel more warm. He placed the back of his hand on my forehead, and then cupped my face with his hand. "And you have a fever."
"Can we just take care of this in the morning? I'm tired." I looked into his eyes, and a few seconds later, he removed his hand from my face, and nodded.
He got back into bed, and turned the light off.
"What if I get you sick?" Immediately after saying that, I realized the stupidity of that question, and I sighed, annoyed with myself. "Don't answer that."
"Goodnight, Elena." He said in a monotone, but relaxed voice.
I rolled over on my side, and realized I was almost touching Damon's body. Before I could think too much into that, I fell asleep, feeling much more comfortable than before.
When I woke up, I was rolled over, facing away from Damon. I felt awful. I had the chills, and it felt like my body hurt from head to toe.
"How do you feel?" I never quite understood how he can always tell when I'm awake, but I decided not to question.
"Horrible. Everything hurts, and I feel so cold. This is such bad timing, school starts in less than a week." I looked immensely annoyed, and I sat up to look at him, even though it hurt like hell.
"Do you want pain medication?" He asked, and I shook my head.
"I feel like it never works, so I don't want to even bother." I exhaled loudly.
He nodded. "Are you okay with what happened with Stefan yesterday?" I had been waiting for him to ask that, and looked him in the eyes.
"I'm not fine that he gave up, but I think I'm going to be okay with the fact that he's gone. I need to get on with my life, without him." It only stung a little to say that.
"Well now that I know you are feeling okay about Stefan, I have some news that you won't like." He looked intense, but there was a glow in his eyes.
"What is it?" I was nervous and confused.
"Katherine is back."
Wasn't she in the tomb?
I wish this chapter was longer. I'm so sorry! This was not a good week of grieving for me. More to come next week. Please leave reviews, it will mean SO much to me! Thank you to those of you who are sticking around!