Elements of an Ill-Fated Romance Chapter One
Chapter One: For the Love of Prince/The Stakeout
They're on a stakeout… sitting side by side in her car. She calls it a stakeout for two reasons…
One: The name bothers him and that alone is enough for her.
Two: What else would you call two people keeping a lookout for a supernatural being that has been on a killing spree for the last 12 days?
They aren't talking because there really isn't much to be said. She doesn't like him; he doesn't like her and the memory of him trying to rip her throat out a few months ago still hasn't quite faded… yeah really not much conversation between them at all. She's only here because she knows that her Grams would want her to be… he's only here because Elena asked him to be.
She sighs softly as she takes a sip of her coffee. She furrows her brow slightly at the taste. It's not something distinctly different but it's not what she's used to… but then again she's been sipping on coffee for the last six hours so perhaps it's just her. Her eyes slide to his profile and he's drinking something from a sealed container. She tries not to wonder what it is… he doesn't strike her as a caffeine kind of guy. But she won't ask him. Instead she presses her lips together tightly and tries to focus on the task at hand.
It had never been her intention to become a foot soldier in the supernatural war that was being waged against her hometown but something just kept pulling her back in… could it be destiny? Who the hell knew anymore? Things were so fucked up these days that she had a hard time telling what was real and was just all a massive amount of bullshit being fed to her by people who were keeping 95% of what they knew to themselves.
Reporters and sheriffs moonlighting as Vampire slayers… seriously this shit was straight out of a comic book. Except it wasn't… it was real. Vampires were real! Witches were real… and here they were cramped in a Prius trying to catch some big bad vampire out murdering people in the night. Hell she might be sitting across from another big bad vampire but who the hell knew anymore? She had long ago given up on trying to figure out what side of the fence Damon was stationed. All she knew was that if he got out of line she would be there to do whatever needed to be done.
As if being able to hear her thoughts he exhaled deeply and he shifted in the passenger seat. He was annoyed it seemed. Her eyes cut to him once again but still she remained silent. He looked somewhat cramped inside her small vehicle and she would have found it amusing if she didn't dislike him so much. And still… She never noticed how black his hair was... or how it contrasted almost perfectly with the paleness of his skin. The slight curve of his lips as though he were constantly up to mischief. And suddenly a thought occurred to her. Damon Salvatore was probably quite a heartbreaker in his day... hell he could be a heartbreaker now...
"You have got to stop undressing me with your eyes Bonnie!" He quipped angling his head so he could see her straight on. He wiggled his eyebrows up and down suggestively as that smirk grew.
... if he weren't such an ass!
She rolled her eyes scoffing. "As if that would ever happen." She shot back. She turned away from him because now she was annoyed and perhaps slightly embarrassed! God she hated him.
He turned his upper body draping an arm over the back of his seat he cocked his head to one side. "Oh don't sit there and pretend you weren't..." He smiled.
"Can you please just... not... talk?" She asked running a hand through her hair and taking another sip of her coffee. Placing the cup back into the holder she could still feel his eyes watching her. She kept her face at a profile angle hoping he would get the hint but he continued to stare. Finally she just couldn't take it. "What?" She snapped.
"You still rocking that V-card?" He asked with the nonchalance of questioning her about the weather.
She furrowed her brow, slowly shaking her head from side to side. "What is wrong with you?"
He rolled his eyes simply for dramatic effect. "It's just a question... you know trying to get to know each other better."
"I don't want to get to know you."
He frowned and gave her an exaggerated sigh of frustration. "Oh come on... isn't this the part where we open up and talk to each other... isn't this the moment where we bond?" She didn't reply. "I can even pretend that I'm interested in what you're saying if that helps." He offered grandly. He was met with silence. "Fine... but I'm just wondering what you're waiting for... are you saving it? Is that it? You're waiting for a little warlock with his magical cloak to ride in on his broomstick and whisk you off to pop that cherry!"
"You're such an asshole; you know that?" She muttered.
He shrugged. "Maybe... but you're so sexually frustrated that you can't keep your eyes off of me." He only waited a beat before continuing. "You know all of your friends are doing it..."
"Shut up!"
"I can help you... and if you want I can bring a wand to make you feel more comfortable." He offered.
"Go to hell!"
"Hey I'm just trying to be of assistance."
"Do girls actually find this charming?"
"I don't know... why don't you ask Caroline." He smiled and she swore he was the devil himself.
"I'd rather ask Katherine. Maybe you could find her for me." She shot back flippantly. The words were out of her mouth before she could stop them and she felt bad even before she saw the look on his face.
It was a brief moment where he actually looked hurt before he turned away from her and sat back stoically in the seat. She had gone too far but in all truth so had he. He shouldn't have brought up Caroline.
Her blond best friend may not remember all the bad things that Damon did to her but she knew... she had a clear vision of the pain he had inflicted. So if anyone deserved to get their feelings shoved back in their face it was him...
But she couldn't be the one to do it. She was better than that. The voice in her head whispered softly.
"Look I shouldn't have..." She began but he cut her off.
"Trying to work here if you don't mind." His voice was laced with sarcasm but the icy edge was clearly heard.
She nodded slowly biting her lower lip in regret. She wasn't even sure how he managed to make her feel lower than dirt in a matter of seconds. He had started it in the first place and somehow she's the one that came away feeling as if she had done something wrong and she hadn't… at least not really.
Sitting back in her seat she tried to ignore the tension that had fallen upon them. Tapping her fingers on the wheel she swallowed hard. Finally she reached out and turned on the radio. Justin Beiber came through loud and clear and she heard rather than saw him scoff in indignation. She rolled her eyes but began channel surfing stopping on every station waiting for his response each one the same as the last. "Do you even have a preference?" She asked snidely. She continued through the channels becoming more agitated.
"It's not my fault that your generation has the worst taste in music so far." He remarked.
"Oh I'm sorry that we can't go back to the days where people made music with the sound of rocks and wooden chairs!" She remarked still flipping through stations just because.
"Wait… wait go back." He said reaching out and putting his hand on hers to stop her rapid movements.
Her eyebrows rose but she went back a station and listened. It only took her a moment to realize what song it was and it brought a small smile to her face. Sitting back in her seat she tried to fight the slight chuckle that was bubbling inside her. Looking over she could see his lips slightly mouthing the words and she turned away to keep herself composed. Tapping her fingers to the beat she soon found herself mumbling softly to the song and at the chorus both were a little surprised as they sang out loud…
I wanna be your lover
I wanna be the only one that makes you come running
I wanna be your lover
I wanna turn you on turn you out
All night long make you shout
Oh lover!
I wanna be the only one you come for!
Cutting her eyes to him she shook her head. "Prince huh?" She asked. "I never would have guessed."
He shrugged… "Bonnie I'm just full of surprises… you just wait." He stated softly.
She rolled her eyes at the way he stared her down but even she couldn't deny that there was something behind those blue eyes that gave her wonder… surprises indeed.