Chapter Text
Elena sank down on the couch in the Salvatore Boarding house. She always expected the cushions to be stiff, but she sank right into them, just as she does every time. She groaned and let herself enjoy the moment. Everything had gone to shit quickly, as it always did. Elena had learned to enjoy the peaceful moments in between. She heard footsteps behind her. She tensed before she realised they were Damon's. “It has been a long day,” Elena said when he joined her on the couch. After all that had happened with the hunter and the curse. She had had a rough week. Damon smirked: “That it has been.” Elena sighed deeply. She had been thinking about going home, but she still didn’t trust herself not to hurt Jeremy. She knew that she would sleep better if she had a presence to keep an eye on things. But would it be a good idea to ask Damon? She knew he would agree wholeheartedly. Things between her and Stefan were tense, and Damon was just right there. She wasn't convinced it was a good idea. But she was tired and the more she thought about Damon's looming form the less she cared about the propriety of it all.
He wasn't going to do it if he didn't know her wishes, though, and asking seemed a lot scarier now she had made up her mind. “Can I ask you a favour?” She started. He already had a snarky answer ready but Elena pressed her hand to his mouth. He smirked and Elena gave him a look, a look she hoped conveyed her dismay at his antics. "Like I said, I need a favour," She continued. “I would like to sleep at home tonight, in my own bed.” The newly turned vampire hesitated. Only the first sentence had come out of her mouth and she was already hesitating, making a fool of herself. If Damon sensed her discomfort, he didn't show it. He only encouraged her to continue. “I still don’t trust myself to not go crazy bloodthirsty vampire during the night and I am really worried I am going to hurt my brother." She hesitated again. "I don't want to ask him to go somewhere else because that wouldn't be fair to him. So I guess I’m wondering if you would agree to stay with me tonight?”
Surprisingly, Elena noticed a hint of hesitation in Damon’s eyes. “Look,” he said, “Of course, I will watch over you if that is what you want, but are you sure you do not want Stefan to stay with you?”
Stefan had been a topic she preferred to ignore the last couple of weeks. Before she had died on Wickery Bridge, she had been confident that she had chosen the right thing in going back to Stefan. Post-vamperism she wasn’t so sure anymore. She knew Stefan hated being a vampire and found it difficult to accept that she was now one as well. But Elena had needed him since her tradition and he hadn’t been there for her. Even worse, he had also been lying to her. Because of his lies, Jeremey had nearly gotten hurt. Everything that had followed had been an absolute disaster. She had killed the hunter and by doing so had triggered the hunter’s curse which in turn had almost killed her. She still got chills when thinking of it. So no, she did not want to see Stefan right now. Elena knew she would have to deal with him at some point but goddammit she was oh so tired. Human Elena had thought vampires didn't get tired. Apparently, she had been wrong.
She had made her decision and she would stick with it. “I don’t want to see Stefan right now, Damon.” She stood up and started pacing. “I am barely holding myself together right now. I thought that together we would get through this vampire thing but instead he cannot even look me in the eye.”.
Damon stood up, and took her hands in his. “I know things are difficult right now. I just wanted to make sure this is what you want.” He added with a smile. “Come let’s get you home and into bed.”
Elena woke up suddenly, voices. Two voices to be exact and voices she could recognise anywhere. Although one of them was not supposed to be in her room right now.
“What are you doing here?” Stefan. He did not sound happy.
“What are YOU doing here?” Damon countered, “I mean it’s the middle of the night and Elena was supposed to sleep at the boarding house.
“He’s not helping.” Elena thought. She didn’t want Stefan to realise she was no longer sleeping, so she tried to stay still and mimic an easy breathing rhythm. Stefan was very much focused on his brother. She didn’t think he had noticed she was following their conversation.
“I wanted to talk to Elena.”
“Yes, I realise that, brother, but it's the middle of the night?” Elena could hear his smirk.
“Why are you here, Damon?”
“No need to sound so suspicious, brother of mine. Elena knows I am here. She even asked me to be here. You see, she wanted a nice beauty sleep in her bed but she was scared of hurting Jeremy, so tada here I am, playing a very loyal guard dog.”
“Why? She could have asked me?”
“Well, you weren’t at the boardinghouse, so.”
“But I’m here now. You can go. I shall make sure Elena’s safe.”
Elena almost panicked at those words but Damon immediately shut him down. “Yeah, no. Elena asked me to help and I am not just going to abandon her in the middle of the night. Go home, Stefan.”
When he saw that Stefan wasn’t leaving he added: “I’ll tell Elena you came by so you two can talk about whatever you wanted to talk to her about.”
Elena heard Stefan hesitate a little longer but then he was gone. When she knew Stefan was too far away to hear her she whispered to Damon: “Thank you!”
“I thought you were awake” Damon smiled a little sadly. “What did you hear.”
“Most of it, I think.” She replied.
“Look,” Damon began, “I don’t know what is happening between you and Stefan and I know it is not my place to say this but you two need to talk.”
“I know. I was dealing with so much shit the last couple of weeks and I didn’t want to deal with that as well.” She paused, “I didn’t think it was something that I would have to deal with in the first place!” she uttered frustrated.
Damon sat down on the bed next to her and picked up a strand of hair and tucked it behind her ear. “It will all turn out fine, you’ll see.” He smiled.
Elena smiled up at him. “I can do with some ordinary life things right about now.” She laid back down on the pillows when she opened her eyes again. “Are you not going to sleep?” Damon stared at her not knowing what she was asking.
“You can sleep in the bed, there is enough room I don’t mind.” Damon hesitated a little longer and Elena knew what he was thinking. She was done caring about tiptoeing around Damon. Besides sharing a bed doesn’t need to mean anything. “It wouldn’t be the first time.” She added. Elena scooted over and was happy to see that Damon moved towards the bed and removed his shoes. When he got into the bed she whispered: “Goodnight.” Damon whispered it back.
Elena closed her eyes. If Stefan had seen them like this he would instantly jump to conclusions. She hoped Damon was right and that things would be calmer from now on. Although she knew she had to deal with whatever there had been going on between her and Stefan. Tomorrow she thought to herself.
But if she was honest with herself, she already knew what she was going to say to him tomorrow. She didn’t look forward to hurting him, but things no longer could go on like they had. She wanted to make the best out of her life and it appeared that it was no longer Stefan who stood by her side. In a way it was funny because never in a million years she had thought she would fall for Damon Salvatore. He had turned out different than what she had expected of him. She was forever glad to have him by her side. She knew he loved her unconditionally. He had proven it many times over. Even when she was the worst version of herself, he had stood by her side. With him dreaming next to her, Elena closed her eyes and went to sleep.