A/N: OMG GUYS, "MY PAPER HEART" IS ONE YEAR OLD! Thanks to my hawk-eyed anonymous reader for telling me! *Throws confetti and gives homemade cookies to all of you*
I'm going to take this opportunity to thank KaterinaPetrova, my amazing beta, for sticking with me and with this story! She needs love and support too for putting up with my perfectionism and my damn stubbornness...you know I love you, gurl.
I also would like to thank Noriko333, Ai Ukitake, Xkvrls, Sarakk, Romancelarghetto, TVDbitches, Thevampirequeen101, Sharks3212 , KillTheBitch, Weasleygal01, BrownieStick, Bustedwitch (special thanks to you for writing MPH very first review!), HBICQuinn, Sexytime321, Tbellss, Rebekah Mikaelson, WickedlyMinx, Taylorocks17, BSwifty1997, Carlasalvatore, laurenrulez1, Alucard354565, WeeDevil, ClarkGilmer, Geekysoundcat, Calliope's Scribe, CatDaddy, Prettygirl16, TheStoryofAndy, GoldenRoza, SigrunM, Forevercouldwedream, Listerness, Akasha Hallows28, AuntieTana96, Bryzenia97, XTXMXBXJ, yuki-onna-yuri-Yum, Jordan Lynn 7, CJane6, TheVampireDiariesFan3254, GhostfaceTV, Kayler27, Electricsymphony, and all of you, anonymous reviewers, for your love for this story and my original character Maya, and for your wonderful compliments, messages and support that make me want to continue MPH despite life, school and writer's block. I love you guys, you have no idea.
ANYWAY...if I had known it was my baby's birthday sooner, I would've written a special chapter but I hope you'll enjoy this one all the same! Happy reading (:
PS. I posted a birthday card to celebrate this milestone on Twitter and Tumblr. Check my profile page... ;)
Disclaimer: I do not own The Vampire Diaries or any of its characters. This is a work of fiction written for entertainment purposes, but the original characters and original storylines present in "My Paper Heart" are my own work.
I was standing hidden at a safe distance of the Salvatore boarding house, trying to figure out if the person inside was actually the one I wanted to see.
Yesterday, I had overheard Stefan telling Elena that they would have the mansion to themselves today, since Damon was going on a road trip and wouldn't be back until the middle of the night. I had cursed my highly developed senses at the time, not wanting to picture those two having a romantic evening. After last night's events with Katherine though, I was thankful for them after all. A road trip was exactly what I needed if I didn't want to lose my mind completely.
I had shown up around the boarding house twenty minutes after class had started to make sure that neither Stefan nor Elena would be around. When I finally recognized Damon's presence and was certain he was alone, I stepped out of my hiding spot and walked to the door. I had barely opened it when I saw him standing next to the living room sideboard, pouring himself his morning bourbon. His eyes snapped up to meet mine when I walked in, but he looked back to his glass quickly without giving me any further acknowledgment.
"Aren't you supposed to be at school or something?" he finally asked after taking a mouthful of his drink.
"I'm supposed to be." I made my way toward the living room and crossed my arms over my chest before leaning back slightly against the threshold.
"Then what are you doing here?" From the tone he was using, it was easy to see that he wasn't exactly in a peppy mood this morning.
"I heard that you were going on a road trip…"
"So?" he shot back, a sly smirk on his lips before drinking another sip of alcohol.
"So, I wondered if I could join you."
"Has Miss Maya decided to play hooky today?" A mischievous glint flashed in his eyes and I had the sudden feeling he wasn't going to make this easy for me.
"Does it even matter?" I shrugged a shoulder carelessly.
"Yes. It does," he insisted, a mocking smile plastered on his face.
"Then yes, daddy, I'm skipping school today."
"Why?"
"Seriously Damon, who cares?" I rolled my eyes in fake annoyance before pushing myself off the threshold and walking down the few steps towards him.
"Since you begged me to drive you to school last time, despite the fact that you hadn't slept or even eaten properly for a long time and were on the brink of a massive headache. I'm very interested in knowing why you're suddenly so willing to ditch school."
"I didn't have to beg! You complied before I even had to," I pointed out defiantly. "I just thought that I could use a change of scenery…"
"Sure." The ironic undertone in his voice made it clear that he wasn't fooled by my vague answers. "If you want to come with me, you're going to have to come clean, naughty girl...otherwise, no road trip for you."
"You're blackmailing me?" I shouted in disbelief.
"That depends on how bad you want to go on this trip…" His comment and the fact that he was enjoying this far too much made me groan inwardly. While I was pondering the reasons why I wanted to go with him, I glared openly at him to establish that I was not happy with this little game.
"Is this about Katherine?" he offered gently.
"What's not about Katherine lately?" I mumbled bitterly under my breath. He raised a questioning eyebrow at my grumbling, but suddenly narrowed his eyes at me.
"Uh oh."
"What?" I snapped back.
"Seems like someone slept with her, after all…"
"I didn't sleep with her!"
"And yet, you sound a lot more defensive and a lot less offended than usual…"
I looked up and stared at him for a few seconds before remembering that he had promised me that, with him, I could always talk about Katherine freely. I sighed and closed my eyes for a split second.
"Let's just say that since the beginning of the week…since she came back in town, it's becoming…really hard for me to…resist her seduction."
"It's about time! I still don't even know how you resisted this long."
"And that makes me feel so much better…" I drawled sarcastically, but eventually gave him a small smile for not judging me.
"Well, sleeping with her would do that. It's the best way I know to ease the temptation…" he declared matter-of-factly before plopping down on the couch.
"You should stop drinking so early in the morning. It's giving you brain damage."
"Oh, please...it's not like you'll have to marry her."
"What if she wants me to?"
"Excuse me, what?" He turned his head to the side and bent forward as if he hadn't heard correctly.
"It's just a figure of speech, Damon," I deadpanned. "What if she wants more? Or something else? Or just wants to be cruel and kill me in the middle of the act?" He remained silent for a moment, seemingly giving it some deep thought.
"Then you have a problem."
"I had figured that out already." I shot him a dry look. "Hence me wanting to go on the road trip."
"You think it's going to make the problem disappear?" he asked rhetorically, a knowing smirk on his lips.
"Of course not! But it'd help take my mind off it and...give me an opportunity to cool off a bit." I crossed my arms again to hide my nervousness. He scrutinized my face for what seemed like an eternity, then stepped right in front of me.
"OK then…but if you come with me, you'll have to do everything I tell you to do."
"Yeah, that's not going to happen."
"Your choice…" He backed off casually and turned around to grab his jacket.
"Are you going to make me do crazy and inappropriate things?" I inquired warily.
"Come on, Maya. You know me…"
"That's exactly the reason why I asked you that question."
"And that's exactly the reason why you want to go on this road trip with me." Not that I would admit it out loud, but he actually had a point. I narrowed my eyes suspiciously at him while pondering his condition, but I was already convinced that he would not go too far with me...and I always had the option of saying 'no' if he eventually did, right?
"Fine."
"Are you sure?" he asked, looking me straight in the eye to make sure that I understood I would have to keep my word.
"Yes…" He gave me a conniving smirk and walked toward the hallway. Taking his car keys on his way out, he went for the door without another word.
"Damon?"
"If you're not in the car in forty seconds, I'll leave without you."
We had been gone from the boarding house for barely five minutes when Damon pulled his Camaro over. In front of my house.
"Do you think this is funny?"
"What?" He pretended to have no clue of what I was referring to.
"Did you play this whole game just to drop me off at my house and make me go to school?" I confronted him angrily, refusing to believe that he would pull a stunt like that on me.
"No. I want you to go inside and pack up some clothes." I frowned, confused about where this was going.
"How long is this road trip going to be?"
"Just a day."
"Then why do I need clothes?" I pressed suspiciously.
"Go pick up an outfit and stop asking questions! You will do as I say, remember?" He flashed a very satisfied grin at me, and it made me want to smack it off his face. "Oh, and pick a sexy one." I shot him an annoyed glance, already regretting my decision.
"Are you going to disappear while I'm inside the house?"
"Paranoid much?"
"Give me your car keys." I gestured for him to hand them over.
"What?" The look he gave me made it clear that he thought I had lost my mind.
"This way I know you're not going anywhere." He snorted but complied, clearly amused. I finally opened the door and got out of the car, but stopped before closing it behind me.
"A sexy-classy one or just a sexy one?" I asked hesitantly.
"A short and slutty one." The wicked glint in his eyes couldn't possibly be a good sign.
"Fine…" I sighed. "Oh, but if you decide to use vampire speed instead of your car to go on that trip, I'll wrap your precious Chevy around a tree." I smiled provocatively at him and saw him rolling his eyes before I slammed the car door.
I went inside my house and rushed upstairs. Once in my bedroom, I stared helplessly at my wardrobe for a while, lacking inspiration about what to select. I hadn't had the opportunity to wear something "sexy" in months…maybe even a year. Having a strong feeling that I was not going to like wherever Damon would want me to wear this outfit wasn't helping me choose either. I finally decided not to put too much thought into it and grabbed some of my favorite clothes randomly. I glanced quickly through my window on my way to the bathroom to check if Damon was still inside his car, and took the bare minimum make-up products. Then I shoved all my stuff into a backpack and rushed back to the car. I couldn't wait for this trip to finally start. I needed a break from this town.
After driving four hours from Mystic Falls, Damon decided to stop at a gas station near a quaint little diner.
"Don't tell me you have to pee?" I asked him humorously.
"No…but the loud gurgling in your stomach is starting to annoy me." I was so excited and focused on running away from my problems that I hadn't even noticed how hungry I was. I chuckled and got out of the car.
Once the waitress had put the bacon burger and French fries in front of me and handed Damon his beer, hunger took over and I started to stuff down the food on my plate. When Damon reached to steal one of my fries, I slapped his hand away.
"If you want some, order some."
"No one ever taught you that sharing was the nice thing to do?"
"Not with a vampire who doesn't even need to eat." He laughed at how aggressive hunger was making me. "Where are we, anyway?"
"A few miles past the border of South Carolina." I torn my eyes away from the juicy burger I was holding to look back up at him.
"Why do you need to go that far to rob a hospital of its blood supplies?"
"To keep a low profile. Sheriff Forbes covers the tracks about our food habit, but if we drain the Mystic Falls blood bank too often, it could draw unwanted attention. We wouldn't want that now, would we?"
"Going to Richmond or Norfolk would do the trick…" I pointed out matter-of-factly.
"It would. But what would be the fun in that? We would be back to boring Mystic Falls already if I had chosen the reasonable option."
"Good point." I laughed quietly before biting off a mouthful of my burger.
"So, is this really all about Katherine?" he asked casually. I almost choked on the food I had in my mouth at the sudden change of subject.
"Yes. What else could it be about?" I took a long sip of my coke, trying to put up a good front.
"Don't think because I didn't say anything about the cat fight going on between you and Elena just yet, that it means I'm an idiot." A dry smirk curled the side of his lips. "You're trying to run away from her too, aren't you?"
"Don't worry about that. We're supposed to make up tomorrow afternoon…" I dodged.
"And the way you just said that makes me really confident that you will." I shot him a harsh look but focused on my food again instead of answering. "Look, why don't you just tell me what this is about?" he insisted. "Maybe I can help! The two of you have such a weird and overly close relationship that the world doesn't feel right when you two are fighting. Since when do you fight anyway? It makes the both of you miserable, so just tell me already, stubborn ass…"
"I can't." As desperate as I was to finally talk about it with someone, I couldn't betray Elena. Knowing Damon was in the best position to understand what I was going through just made keeping it quiet even more painful.
"You can't, or you don't want to?" he asked knowingly.
"I…" I stopped before finishing my sentence. I couldn't make myself say that I didn't want to, since the truth was actually quite the opposite, but if I admitted that I couldn't, it would cause his suspicion to grow even more. He slowly bent forward, put down his crossed arms on the table and searched my face intently for a few seconds.
"You can't…" he realized, his eyes narrowed at me. "What could the two of you possibly have done together that you can't talk about? You're acting like you have killed someone and buried them in the woods." I kept my eyes locked on my plate and filled my mouth with fries so I wouldn't have to answer his question. "Since you've both already killed people, and together too, I really don't see why you'd make such a big deal about this." He straightened up a little and started to laugh at the thought crossing his mind. "The only other plausible explanation that would make you act so secretive and guilty, is if the two of you-" He stopped abruptly and I watched helplessly as his eyes turned into giant saucers.
"Holly fuck..." he finally murmured, and I knew then that I was screwed. I remained perfectly silent, terrified about what was coming next.
"It makes so much sense…how could I not- I should've seen..." His rambling continued for a while before his eyes locked on my face. He looked at me as though a building had fallen on him, and I felt like a deer caught in icy blue headlights. I didn't dare move or even breathe, but when he seemed to finally snap out of his haze, I relaxed ever so slightly through unconscious imitation.
"You told her you were in love with her after your coming-out, didn't you?" he articulated, his features still screaming shock and disbelief.
"Of course not! I'm not an idiot…" A cold wave crashed over my body when I realized what I had just said. "Damon, I'm sorry, that came out wrong! It's not what I meant, I…"
"It's okay." He cut me off, pretending that my words hadn't hurt him, but I knew that they had probably stung him on some deeper level.
"It's not okay, Damon. I always thought it was very brave of you to admit your feelings and fight for her like you did. But when I saw how it ended and what it did to you, I just…" I trailed off and shrugged slightly. I didn't have to say any more. He immediately understood.
"So what happened, then? She's the one who showed up and told you she has feelings for you?" He tried to joke to lighten the mood. I instantly broke eye contact with him and bit my lip before I could even stop my body from reacting to his words and betraying me. At that precise second, I could have killed for a spell to erase this whole conversation. I knew I had just confirmed his suspicions about what had happened without even saying a single word.
"WHAT?" His angry voice rang out loudly in my head, freezing me to the bone.
"Nothing happened, Damon. She's still very much in love with your brother and I've decided to move on, so everything is right in the world again," I declared firmly as an attempt to close the subject.
"And to think I thought Katherine was the whore walking around with Elena's face on…"
"Damon!"
"What?" he snapped angrily. "She played with your feelings and broke your heart, just like she did with mine! You haven't even been able to talk to her for the past two weeks and yet you're still defending her?"
"I'm very aware of what she did!" I shot back in irritation. "And I know it took you time to heal and that you're still trying to move on, but she doesn't deserve to be called…that name."
"How would you describe her behavior then, hm?" He covered up the hurt and anger he was feeling with a cold and cynical smirk.
"I'm…" I sighed heavily and tried to answer his question again. "You know Elena…she would never hurt us on purpose, Damon." I stared into his eyes and saw what I was looking for. Despite his attitude, he knew I was right. "She's the most empathetic girl I've ever met. I think she always knew unconsciously that we had feelings for her, and since she's so caring and feels responsible for everyone's happiness, she probably felt compelled at some point to return some of this love to us…" Saying what I was certain to be the truth out loud was incredibly hard for me, but Damon gave me a little nod.
"If that's really what you think, then why are you still mad at her?"
"Because it doesn't make the situation any less painful…"
"You know what? We deserve to have some fun!" He slammed his hand flat on the table to emphasize his words. "We're going to party so hard that you will no longer be able to remember either of the evil twins' names!" I chuckled at his antics. It actually sounded really tempting, but I needed to make sure of one thing before diving into Damon's whirl of fun.
"Promise me that you'll never talk about this to anyone. Not to the Scooby gang, not to random one-night stands, not to our enemies, and especially not to Stefan!"
"Cross my heart and hope to die."
"Not even if you two are fighting and you are furiously mad at him." I stared at him intensely to convey the fact that I was deadly serious.
"I promise, Maya. For real." The emotions shining in his eyes were what convinced me that he would keep his word. He knew what I was going through, and what the consequences were all too well to reveal this secret.
"Are you done?" he asked suddenly, snapping me out of my thoughts. I gave him an offended look. "I meant with your food."
"Oh…yes."
"Then let's go!" And with that, he jumped out of the booth enthusiastically, reminding me that I was in for some trouble.