New Fic: For Eternity
Slight different ending to season 2. Elena is given a devastating confession that leaves her relationship with Stefan broken beyond repair, Damon is still bitten and things take a different turn. Set far in the future. AU. Smut & Violence
Rating: M
Damon lifted his eyes from his book, the noise from downstairs had raised and even though he couldn't pick out words he could hear Elena and she was upset. He slowly placed the book on his bed and then sped to the bottom of the stairs. This is not what he needed, not now, not after all that had happened the last few days.
Elena had died and come back to life. Jenna had died. John had saved Elena and in the process he had gotten bitten by Tyler. Damon cursed under his breath.
Elena pulled away from Stefan, she was seething from his confession. Tears streaked her face and left evidence of his betrayal. She ran to the other side of the room, heaving breaths and pounding heart. Still dressed as she did earlier for the funeral of Jenna and John, her hair now fell free around her face and her heels had been kicked aside.
"Why Stefan? Why?" she screamed, sobs escaping her throat between breaths. Damon appeared and sped to her side, gripping both shoulders he pulled her to him. He lifted one hand to cup her face as she soaked it with tears. "Tell me why!!" She screamed again turning her head and eyes away from Damon, desperation wrenching from the pit of her stomach.
"What's going on?" Damon asked simply, still trying to steady Elena who was desperately trying to pull away from his embrace. Bile rose in her throat but she bit it back down.
"Please" she wept. "Tell me why!!" A question so simple but Damon could see this demanded an answer. He ground his teeth at seeing her this upset. Stefan stood with his back to them now, playing with his hands.
"Stefan, what's going on!" Damon asked directly. Elena punched his arm and scrunched her face into an anger that shook even Damon's soul. Stefan didn't answer.
"Stop lying to me! Tell me Damon why he fucking did it!!!" she begged, morals thrown from the window, the boarding house suddenly seemed full of windows. Damon could feel her heart pounding, his tear covered hands still gripped on her tiny frame, he could feel her shaking under his touch. She battled against him, angry at him just as much as she was with Stefan. “Liars!” She shouted at Damon. “Tell me why Damon, is this all a fucking game? Am I a fucking game?” She spat, slapping her hand against Damon's shoulder. This had to be bad, Elena Gilbert never used blue language. He dragged his eyes away from her for just one moment. The intense look at Stefan made him turn and face them both.
He looked desperate. Emotional. Angry. Devastated. He swallowed hard, tasting his future words as they travelled up his throat. They tasted sour and coated in regret.
"He didn't know Elena." Stefan simply added. Elena shifted, her body calmed slightly as it realised his words, it filtered through into Damon, who let it consume him. The anger built inside him and Elena felt it. She pulled herself closer to him, shielding the space between her and Stefan. Damon was angry and that never ended well.
"I didn't know what Stefan!" Damon growled, his syllables coated with venom.
Stefan took a deep breath in, shifted on his feet and raised his hand to comb through his hair. Elena didn't speak, her bottom lip quivered as her eyes pushed the tears down her face.
He was stalling and Damon knew that move a million miles away. So Damon copied his movements, running his fingers through his hair, moving his balance from one foot to the next until he finally got his answer.
"I compelled her to love me." Elena grabbed Damon's arm and pushed him slightly away from Stefan. He still looked angry but the emotion falling from him mostly was sadness. Damon was devastated at his brothers confession and suddenly Elena knew Damon's part in this. It was painted all over Damon's face and she panicked about his reaction. Elena quickly took both of her hands and slammed them into his shoulders, pushing him further away from Stefan who was looking like he would crumble at any moment. Damon looked confused and angry but a streak of raw emotion passed through his eyes as they met Elena's tear stained face. Stefan never was the one for good timing. Of all the days, this shouldn't have been the one to clear his conscience.
“I’ll kill him!” Damon said in a low voice, almost in an inaudible whisper, emotion pouring from him. Elena shushed Damon and let her hand stroke his face, he calmed and closed his eyes, fighting back the need to pounce.
"I'm so sorry Elena." Stefan forced in almost a whisper. Tears now ran freely down his neck and soaked his shirt. Elena wiped her sleeve across her face and sniffed back some of her upset. Grabbing Damon's hand she turned to face Stefan.
“All this time Stefan, it was all a lie. You made me love you. Why tell me now?” Elena spoke clearly, little emotion in her words. Her hand tightly gripped Damon as he kept silent behind her, his body shaking now and then. Stefan looked at his hands, shifted on his feet and then brought his head up to make eye contact with Damon who was staring deep holes into him.
“It wasn't fair to keep you. You died and I panicked. The guilt was eating away at me, I couldn't be selfish with you anymore when he was being so selfless.” The words ended in almost a whisper, as his eyes fell from Damon’s and back to his hands. “He loves you Elena. I cant deny him anymore. My compulsion was weak to start with, I was surprised it worked at all. When you look at him I can tell I've kept you from what you really need. Who you want.” Stefan added as Elena felt Damon take a step back and away from her. She turned to face him, his face full of anger, sorrow and confusion.
Anger at how Stefan had taken Elena away from him, never gave him a chance to be happy with her. Sorrow for his brother, for Elena and this situation. He knew why Stefan had done it, he was obsessed with the thought of Katherine more than he was, and seeing Elena must have sent him into panic. Damon was confused of what this meant for the future, how Elena felt and whether he should run away from it all. They stood there, in silence for an agonising amount of time. Nobody moved, nobody spoke. All that was evident was the strong thump of Elena's calming heart filling their ears.
“I forgive you.” Elena let the words tumble from her mouth, simple delicate words that had so much weight that Stefan dropped to the edge of the chair and buried his face in his hands. Damon dipped his eyebrows at her words and pulled his lips into a sour pout. She pulled her hands away from Damon and took a few steps, and then a few more. She reached Stefan and placed a hand delicately on his shoulder. Stefan placed his hand atop Elena's and squeezed the damp fingers that lay below.
Damon snarled in utter despair, a single tear rolled down his face before he swatted it away quickly. He took one last look at Elena, meeting her eyes as she looked back to the older brother. Her face stung. Nose red and cheeks stained with tracks of left over makeup mixed with devastation.
Damon let his eyes linger another second before breaking away and speeding up to his room. He didn't drink. He didn't get angry. He simply buried his head in his pillows and cried, something he hadn't done for over 150 years.
Elena let the moment pass with Damon, she desperately wanted to run to him, apologise, explain, anything. She wanted to let her hand snake around his waist, his hands in her hair and hold on for eternity if it would take away the pain she was feeling right now, she'd do anything. She felt like Stefan had ripped out her heart and eaten it himself. She shook her head to rid the vision, and closed her eyes to see Damon's face once more. She saw that tear roll from his eye. How could this ever be right.
Stefan looked up to Elena and placed his free hand on the side of her face, she pushed away and he stood in panic. She gave him a stern look but he replaced his hand by her cheek. She bit down on her lip as Stefan lowered his head. A firm shove of her hand against his chest made him jump, but he remove his hand and looked confused.
"You said you forgave me!?" Stefan asked almost with a cocky swagger. Elena rolled her eyes and narrowed her brows.
"I do, but this..." she pointed at the space between them and then waved her finger between them both. "...this is over. I won't be used Stefan. I need something real. Dying made me realise Im not what you need anymore." She finished.
He blinked hard, but then realisation washed over his face, he knew Elena never wanted to turn for him, it would never be him. He stepped back and nodded slightly, swallowing hard, dipping his head as she took a deep burning breath into her lungs. This must be what freedom feels like.
After an hour sitting quietly on the sofa by the fire, Elena stood and made her way to Damon's bedroom. Stefan had left soon after their silent agreement, expression pulled in many ways.
Elena reached Damon's room, and noticed the door was slightly ajar, she pushed it lightly, squinting in the darkness. She noticed he was lay face up on his bed, staring into space. He didn't look her way as she took a seat on his bed. She swallowed softly. Her eyes were heavy and she really should sleep, but she didn't think she could anymore. He looked devastated.
"I'm sorry he did that to you Elena." Damon said without moving his eyes from his ceiling. He blinked a few times and Elena could see he had been crying. Alot. His face looked patchy and his eyes red.
Another person who knew what he was would assume that he looked normal, but Elena knew his eyes were red from emotion, not lack of.
"I'm sorry I thought you knew." The sentence was so simple and no hesitation brought Elena to speak.
Damon flew to her face, closing the distance to only inches, his eyes flared open and he took her face in his palm. Elena let her eyes flutter at his touch, it was the opposite feeling she had when Stefan had done the same earlier. He took a breath before speaking.
"I could never. Ever. Ever." He swallowed hard and bit down the slow anger building behind his eyes. "I would never hurt you Elena." he whispered as he let his forehead rest against hers. "I..." he hesitated.
"You what Damon?" she spoke into his hand, urging him to say something she knew she probably didn't want to hear. Softly and dripping in emotion.
"I care for you too much." He finished the sentence before pulling away from her presence. He desperately wanted to tell her he loved her with everything he had, but instead, he let that word slip back down. She looked confused yet content, as much as she wanted to hear Damon be real, she knew it was unfair. He swept her up and lay her gently below his satin sheets. "You should get some rest. Sleep Elena." He lifted a hand to stroke away the hair that fell against her cheek, the same hand pulled the sheet up to her chest.
He looked at her face as her expression turned to one of sorrow. Her bottom lip quivered and her eyes slammed shut as her body shook and the tears once more began to fall. She felt the pressure build in her throat as she finally let out the small cry she had been harvesting. Damon took a seat in the chair next to his bed and reached over to stroke her hand.
Elena grabbed at him, pulling his hand to under her chin. She kissed his palm softly. He felt the warmth from her heart coat his finger tips as she pulled him into her embrace.
"Please don't leave me Damon." She choked softly, fighting the tears for just a moment.
"I won't, I promise." Damon replied, moving himself closer to her settling body.
"And please don't hate him, he's done us both a huge favour." She gave Damon a little smile and he nodded in agreement, he leaned in and gave her head a little kiss before tucking a stray hair behind her ear.
She fell asleep around 30 minutes later, comforted by Damon’s presence. Her stirring state and low moans suggested she was dreaming, probably not about nice things and so Damon let the guilt consume him as he didn't wake her, he repeated to himself again and again. She needed rest. She needed to dream. She needed to feel.
At around 3am that morning Damon heard Stefan wander back into the boarding house, he could hear mumblings and sniffles and then Stefan helped himself to Damon’s favourite tipple. Damon sighed and made his way down the stairs to play father.
Damon entered the living room to Stefan on his knees arranging stolen fresh flowers in a vase. He looked drunk, he smelled drunk, and he certainly acted drunk by the way he ushered Damon to join him, face plastered with a huge smile. Damon shuffled next to him, on his knees and giving Stefan a concerning look. Stefan lifted his drink for another swig before throwing his arm around Damon’s shoulders.
“Do you think” Stefan pointed at Damon with a smile and then wiggled his finger confused. “she will think they’re pretty?” Stefan slurred his words, nodding towards the flowers on the table. He smiled drunkenly at Damon and he couldn't help but smile back.
Damon took a good hard look at the flowers on the table. They were oddly arranged, different heights and some were dead or in fact weeds. Elena would have probably scrunched her nose up and said ‘Thanks’ with a small smile because she was too nice. In reality, she would probably tell her girlfriends just how bad they were, and then laugh about it everytime she saw flowers thereafter. Damon cocked his head to the side, pouted his mouth and then shook it gently. Stefan burst into laughter before shushing himself and giggling lightly. Damon smiled back. Again.
“I'm terrible.” Stefan said sadly before sobering up just a little. “I really screwed up and I'm sorry brother.” Stefan said patting his hand on Damon’s shoulder. “I hope you don’t hate me.” Stefan added, his head still slightly swaying with the alcohol.
Damon took a deep breath, pressed his lips tight and let the stern look on his face relax slightly.
“I don’t hate you Stefan, but I'm not best impressed.” Damon added. Stefan nodded in reaction. “You hurt her, and she forgave you like you did nothing. She’s special Stefan... and you hurt her.” Damon spoke softly, controlled and direct. Stefan responded with a drunken eye blink.
"Look, just go get some sleep and well have this talk when your not swaying while sat down." Damon's words hit Stefan and he swayed a little more, blinking hard and smiling haphazardly here and there. Damon pulled Stefan onto his feet and gave him a brotherly squeeze before ushering him to the stairs. He gestured with his hand and Stefan simply smiled widely.
"I love you Damon, but you need to tell her." Stefan gestured to the bite on Damon's arm and dipped his gaze. He took a deep breath and looked at his brother. "Seven is my lucky number, you kept this from me until today, but tomorrow is day seven... ill find a cure. I promise." Stefan spoke softly and carefully, trying not to stumble over his words.
"Ok, you do that." Damon replied, slapping his brothers back in soft pats. He knew there was no cure, no hope, and he struggled with the idea he was about to let Elena go. Stefan disappeared upstairs and Damon walked back to the living room and the drunken mess Stefan had left.
The weeds and stolen flowers drooped from the vase and Damon weighed up the option of leaving them where they stood for Stefan to rub his head at and remember his drunken stupor. Or he could throw them away and save the moment for himself. He choose the latter with a sorrow filled smile. Facing death never seemed so ironic.
Damon had become too weak to move, Elena had found out and they had taken each day as a new challenge.
As she moped his brow like a good wife would he looked up into her eyes and prepared to say goodbye. Her heart broke into a thousand little pieces, each threatening to evaporate when Damon eventually did pass. He let his thumb over the back of her hand as they sat in silence, waiting for the end. On day 12 Damon said his goodbye as he closed his eyes ready for sleep to take over.
"Thank you Elena." He whispered into her chest. She heaved a little pushing back the tears that had been wanting to fall for a few days now. She pulled him closer and brought her face to his. Their lips touched for the most tender of kisses and electricity danced as Elena devastatingly pulled away and spoke.
"Thank you." Elena emphasised. "You saved me. Time and time again." She let her tears coat her face as she let the realisation of not having Damon settle in. Never having a real kiss, never having his body ravish hers, never being able to fully love him how he deserved to be loved. She let him fall asleep and whispered goodbye as his body gave in to the eventual end.