[fic] Gravity Hurts (4/9)

[badboy_fangirl]

Title: Gravity Hurts (4/9)
Author: badboy_fangirl
Characters/Pairings: Jeremy POV; Jeremy + Damon (+ Alaric); Damon/Elena, Stefan/Elena, Jeremy/Bonnie; Elena and Caroline are on hand this round.
Word Count: ~2100
Rating/Warnings: PG-13 (for language)
Spoilers: Everything through S3.
Summary: A bromance for the ages.
Author's notes: This fic is derived from this

Comments

[upupa_epops]

"I would start with a big-ass apology," Damon says, as they pull up in front of the house. Jeremy gives a him an oh, really? look and Damon concedes, "If I were you, I'd start with a big-ass apology.

LOL, you. I read the first sentence, I started to think of a polite way of suggesting to you that this doesn't seem quite right, and then Damon did all the work for me XD. Now I'm laughing at myself.

OMG, Jeremy invites Elena in! Huh, I probably shouldn't be reading your story to avoid inspirations, because I also have a "Jeremy invites Elena in" scene in mine O_O. Luckily, I already wrote it.

"As completely arousing as this is," he says in a loud voice to combat their squeals and grunts, "I'm gonna have to break it up."

Damon, take your mind off the gutter for once ;).

From the top of the stairs, they hear Caroline mutter, "You're disgusting, you know. As completely arousing as this is... Ugh, so gross."

Thank you, Care!

[badboy_fangirl]

I love how everyone--Jeremy, me, you, we're all DAMON WOULD NEVER APOLOGIZE! Hee. For the record, he did apologize to Elena for killing Jeremy. I just rewatched 2x03 the other day.

I don't think Jeremy inviting Elena in is someone's lone idea--besides, he's the only one who can, it's canon! *uses appropriate icon*

Damon's such a lech. He's also trying to be distracting. He is good at both. :D

[upupa_epops]

Obligatory icon is obligatory.

He also apologized to Elena in 2x22 :). Which is my favorite Damon apology ever, because it's a perfect depiction of Damon's attitude towards apologizing. "I don't deserve your forgiveness, but I need it." Damon thinks that apology isn't really for the victim, it's how the guilty party makes themselves feel better. His apologies are selfish, and he's well aware of that. In most cases, he also thinks that he doesn't deserve to apologize.

Uh, you'll see what I mean with the invitation when I post my story. We just seem to have a very similar idea of Elena's future relationship with her brother :). It's about the way they feel and interact with each other.

[badboy_fangirl]

Oh, Damon. I like his apology at the end of 2x22, too, because that one is for both of them. :D But yeah, I get Damon's angle, as pig-headed as it is. If you're going to be a impulsive, knee-jerk reacting fool, you need the ability to properly apologize.

Yay for Jeremy and Elena \o/ I can't wait to see it!

[upupa_epops]

I actually like Damon's attitude because I agree with him ;). I mean, I still apologize to people, because that's the social code, but I think an apology changes nothing. Damon apologizes in 2x03 because Elena pushes him to admit that he didn't see the ring, and he apologizes in2x22 because he's dying. Those are special circumstances. But, normally, he'd just shut up. Because why would those people whom he hurts need to hear that he feels sorry?

Excuse me while I overanalyze teen vampire shows under your fic...

[badboy_fangirl]

I think an apology WITHOUT REAL INTENT changes nothing. I mean if you're apologizing to just go through the motions, but if you're not really sorrowful for something that hurt someone else, then there is no point to an apology.

I get what you're saying and it's completely in keeping with Damon's character, but fundamentally I disagree because I believe in repentance and forgiveness, and I don't think the process is complete without a sincere apology and restitution where possible. It is a social more, but it's also, to me, a divine principle.

I don't think it's overanalyzation of a teen vampire show, I think it's a discussion about human behavior :D So it's interesting to me! (But then again, so are teen vampire shows!)

Damon also apologized to Elena after Katherine made Jenna stab herself. So see, he apologizes all over the place :D

[upupa_epops]

I understand what you're saying and I agree that, in many situations, an apology can be a part of the healing process. But I also think that if something is really serious, an apology actually can make things worse? It's like Damon refused to offer any sort of apology to Bonnie after he turned Abby. After what he did, apologizing would come dangerously close to burdening his victim with his feelings. It won't help Bonnie if she knows that Damon feels guilty. She can't possibly forgive him. He doesn't want to even look at him. I think if I ever were in such an extreme situation, I'd also feel like I don't have the right to apologize.

P.S. I got your email, thank you!

[badboy_fangirl]

Yeah, but was his refusal more about that he wasn't sorry? I felt like, especially based on what he says to Bonnie in 3x20, that he saw it as the only solution, thus he wasn't sorry about it, and she just needed to be grateful that her mom was still around at all. Even though, I'm sure Damon's perspective on that is, "Ugh, who cares. She left you, she sucks," ala 1x15.

With Elena, I feel like he's genuinely sorry about certain things, but there are plenty of other times where he won't apologize because he feels he's right; with Bonnie I didn't necessarily get a sorry feeling at all, I got the 'I am right' feeling. He also did it because he knew Stefan would feel guilty if he did it; Damon, not so much.

I do agree that some things are so terrible an apology comes off like spitting on a brush fire. And that plays into Damon's speech about how Stefan doesn't get to feel his guilt, it's his and his alone.

[upupa_epops]

I actually had to look up that quote, because I wasn't sure! I'm getting rusty :(. Anyway:

Elena: You know, you could show a little compassion
about Bonnie.
Damon: I know. You're right. Her and her mom must be really hurting right now. Should I send lasagna?

For me, his dickish line about lasagna meant that, in his opinion, an apology was inadequate. Damon doesn't regret what he did. He would've done it again in a blink. But he does recognize just how wrong it was (because "necessary" =/= "right" for him), he takes full responsibility for what he did. That's enough for a sincere apology, and yet he doesn't do it. Because it would be wrong and inadequate. Damon knows that Bonnie doesn't want to hear him apologize, she wants to set him on fire.

I felt like, especially based on what he says to Bonnie in 3x20, that he saw it as the only solution, thus he wasn't sorry about it, and she just needed to be grateful that her mom was still around at all.I agree that Damon thinks he did the only reasonable thing. But Bonnie and Abby are

[badboy_fangirl]

In an interesting contrast, though, Elena is asking for him to be sensitive and not his snarky self, but she's not asking for an apology either. She understands it was her or the Bennetts, and Damon already told her he would always choose her. Just interesting.

And, yes, I don't think Damon ever does anything on the basis of right or wrong, that's just not how he operates, though one could argue the merit of Elena's life over Abby's.

Maybe 'grateful' is the wrong word--but he does seem to think she should stop being pissy towards him since he did the only thing that could be done. So there is some aspect of him feeling like "get over it, it's done." Maybe he just wants Bonnie's acceptance of the only viable solution.

No apologies, but no continued punishment for crimes, either?

[upupa_epops]

Well, Damon believes that the world revolves around Elena ;). And I think he might be irrationally annoyed that Bonnie wants to stick to Abby? "She left you, she sucks." Damon can relate to Bonnie's abandonment issues, which is why he doesn't want to see her vulnerable about it. It hits too close to home (I have a weird impression that I'm using this idiom wrong...). Damon wants Bonnie's abandonment issues out of his face.

[badboy_fangirl]

Plus, he feels a tie to Bonnie, because of his pact with Emily. I'm sure it was against his oath to kill Abby, so that would be an issue too. But yes, he relates to Bonnie, and likes her, so...complicated.

[upupa_epops]

Of course he likes her :). I mean. SHE COULD KILL HIM WITH HER BRAIN (literally!). Obviously he's interested.

[badboy_fangirl]

Yes, Bonnie is the River Tam of TVD...