Cosmic Love

The next morning when I woke up no one was home. Stefan was at school and someone could only guess where Damon might be. I padded downstairs to the kitchen still dressed in only my nightgown. Going into the kitchen I browsed through the cupboards and fridge until I found something I could make for breakfast. It ended up being bacon and eggs with some toast.

It was as I was cooking the eggs that hands were suddenly wrapped around my waist and a warm body pressed up against my back. “Don’t you look delicious,” said Damon into my ear.

“I never heard someone talk that way to an egg before,” I said, purposely misinterpreting what he meant. I flipped over one the eggs as it was just about finished. Damon removed his arms from around me and stepped away. Leaning up against the counter next to me, I could feel his eyes on me.

“What do you want, Damon?” I asked a bit impatiently as I put the eggs on a plate for myself. I piled a few pieces of bacon on the plate also and finally put the pieces of toast on. Glancing at Damon I saw his amused smirk.

“Breakfast would be nice,” he said moving ahead of me quickly and pulling out the chair for me. No matter what, Damon was always the gentleman.

“I think Caroline is more than willing,” I said offhandedly while sitting down and placing my food in front of me.

“Do I detect a bit of jealously?” asked Damon.

“I would hope not,” I said before taking a bit of egg. I chewed and swallowed as he went and sat across from me. “Getting bit by you is not on my list of things to do.”

“What is on your list?” asked Damon leaning in closer to me. Smirking I got up and moved to the fridge. I poured myself a glass of bloody orange juice and sat back down at the table. “Are you going to answer my question?” asked Damon persistently.

“No,” I said. I could hear the teasing in my voice, the challenge for him to say something. I managed to eat the rest of the eggs before Damon spoke again.

“At least you admit to having a list,” remarked Damon. “Now we’re getting somewhere.”

“I have a list of things to do, you have an evil agenda. Let’s not forget what you’re here to do.”

“This is the second time you’ve hinted that you know what I’m here for. Do you?”

“Let’s hope not. Wouldn’t want your plan to be ruined.” In a flash Damon stood and grasped me around the throat before I could take another bite of food. I choked trying to get in some air. Threateningly Damon leaned in and spoke in my ear.

“If you mess with what I’m going to do. If you ruin it in any way, shape, or form, I will make your existence a living hell.” With the threat still in the air he let go and backed away. He turned and walked away as I managed to calm myself and breathe. I knew he was serious.

“Damon,” I called just before he exited the room. He turned to look at me, his face unreadable. “It already is.” Turning away I cleaned up my food and threw it away, not in the mood to eat anymore. As I turned back to see if Damon was there I saw nothing and quickly heard the door open and close.

I went upstairs, taking a shower and getting dressed. I took my time because I had no idea what to do once I was done. As I stood, looking around my room an idea popped into my head. Heightening my senses and making sure that indeed no one was home I crept silently along the hallway and through the house to Damon’s room.

Opening up the door I listened for any sound of his or anyone’s approach. Finding none I entered his room and slowly shut the door as it gave a soft click. Surveying his room there was a large bed connected to an expansive bathroom. There were a couple dressers but that was it.

Going to one of the dressers I opened the drawer and began rifling through its contents. I did the same to each drawer and dresser until I had searched the entirety of the room and any place it could be. Finding it nowhere I gave up and went down into the cellar to fetch a pack of blood.

Coming up I poured it in a glass with some of Damon’s liquor and slowly swirled it around, letting the contents mix. Taking a slow sip I thought of what I should do next. I couldn’t exactly go up to Damon and ask him. He would never tell me. But I had no idea where else to go or what to do. The best I could do was keep a close eye on Damon.

So with that in mind I put on a coat and left the house. It was already dark since I got up some time in the afternoon. I knew there was a football game at the school tonight. That attracted a large crowd of people. And Stefan, Elena, and Caroline were all going to be there. It was almost too easy to predict where Damon would be.

As I got there the football game would start in about twenty minutes or so. The boys still weren’t ready and people were just starting to fill the stands. As I turned around the corner of a car in the parking lot I saw Damon. I turned just in time to see him get slapped by Elena resulting in his body moving with the slap.

“What the hell?” said Elena completely shocked and outraged. “I don’t know what game you’re trying to play with Stefan here, but I don’t want to be part of it. And I don’t know what happened in the past but let’s get one thing straight, I am not Katherine.” With that she left him standing there as she went to the stands.

Coming into view I began to applaud him slowly and sarcastically. “I’m almost scared to ask what that was about,” I said as he studied me.

“Not now, Emma,” he said impatiently.

“But, Damon,” I said, pretending to be disappointed, “I thought we were becoming such good friends.”

“You’re something else, you know that?” said Damon.

“Yes, yes I do,” I said smiling. I went up to him and hooked my arm through his. “What’s next on the to do list?”

“Talk to Stefan,” he said touching his jaw again where Elena had slapped him.

“About Elena?” I asked as he turned and began walking towards the school building.

“She’s wearing vervain,” he said with a slight growl.

“Why would he put vervain on her?” I asked wrinkling my nose. “People are a bitch to control after that.”

“That’s Stefan for you,” he remarked. “Always thinking of everybody.”

We came upon Stefan who was talking to Matt. He was engrossed in the conversation with his back to us and didn’t hear our approach. Pretending to be human takes a lot of focus. You have to be sure not to use too much strength and remember to act normal and not react to every sound. It takes practice.

We made it to the back of the bathrooms when he stopped. We were shrouded in shadow and with Damon wearing all black he was hard to make out. I stepped back into the shadow with him, deeper than he was and cloaked in darkness. I knew only a vampire would probably see me in the shadow. Damon lent against the wall, waiting for Stefan to finish his conversation.

“You had your reasons,” Stefan said seeming to push aside what Matt was saying.

“No excuse,” said Matt, shaking his head. He held out his hand to Stefan. And after a moment of consideration Stefan took it and they shook. “Good luck tonight. We’re lucky to have you,” said Matt before turning and walking away to the boys’ locker room with the rest of the team.

Sarcastically Damon began to clap. “Hey, that was mine,” I fiercely whispered from the shadows. I knew only Damon would hear and the smirk on his face only seemed to broaden. He gave no recognition of me having said anything.

“Isn’t that nice?” said Damon as Stefan turned around to look. No expression appeared on his face. He only watched. “Stefan joins a team, makes a friend. It’s all so ‘Rah rah, go team! Yeah!’” Damon pumped his fist in the air imitating a cheerleader.

“Not tonight,” said Stefan turning to go join his team. “I’m done with you.” In a flash Damon stood in front of him again, blocking his way.

“Nice trick with Elena,” said Damon getting right down to business. “Let me guess, vervain in the necklace. I admit, was a bit surprised,” he said while Stefan looked like he’d like to be anywhere but there. “It’s been awhile since anyone could resist my…compulsion,” said Damon giving the word two meanings. “Where’d you get it?”

“Does it matter?” asked Stefan moving around Damon to go to the locker room.

“Guess I could just seduce her the old fashioned way,” said Damon purposely toying with Stefan. “Or I could just…eat her.” Stefan stopped walking and turned around. Damon turned to see what he would do. That was the fun part, always seeing people’s reactions.

“No,” said Stefan moving towards Damon. “You’re not going to hurt her, Damon.”

“No?” asked Damon moving towards Stefan. I could feel the tension rise.

“Because deep down inside, there’s a part of you that feels for her. I was worried that you had no humanity left inside of you, that you may have actually become the monster that you pretend to be.”

“Who’s pretending?” asked Damon.

“Then kill me,” challenged Stefan.

“Well I’m…I’m tempted,” said Damon seeming to consider it.

“No, you’re not. You’ve had lifetimes to do and yet here I am still alive. And there you are, you’re still haunting me after one hundred and forty-five years. Katherine is dead,” said Stefan forcefully as if trying to get it through to Damon. “And you hate me because you loved her. And you torture me because you still do.”

“Stefan,” I cautioned, stepping into the light. He paid me no attention though. I knew he was pushing Damon too much. He was going to push him over the edge and he’d snap. But Stefan didn’t listen to me. He kept talking and setting Damon more on edge.

“And that, my brother, that is your humanity,” said Stefan using his final line. I tensed ready for Damon to lash out. I could see it in all of his features. I knew Stefan was right. I think Damon knew it too. But he didn’t want that.

Damon didn’t want to have humanity. He didn’t want to be human. Because that hurt. He truly did still love Katherine. But it hurt because she wasn’t here. And it hurt that she had also chosen Stefan. That he wasn’t enough. He didn’t want to feel that hurt. So he turned it off, the feelings and the humanity, just as he did right then.

“Salvatore,” shouted an adult from that just came out of the locker room. He had a commanding voice that got both brothers’ attention, Stefan turning to look. “What the hell,” he said walking towards them both. “We got a game to play.”

“If that’s my humanity, then what’s this?” asked Damon. In a flash he dashed forward and bit into the man’s throat. I could see the shock and pain written all over his face as Damon took the life from him.

“No!” shouted Stefan as Damon dropped him to the ground, dead. He turned around, blood coating his teeth and mouth. His fangs still protruded and his eyes were bloodshot.

“Anyone, anytime, anyplace,” he said giving Stefan a challenging look before running off into the night and letting Stefan deal with the damage. I gave Stefan a disapproving look before I took off after Damon.