Cosmic Love

“Get up!” said Damon coming into my room. I groaned and rolled over, burying my head beneath a pillow. A second later it was removed. I turned over to glare at him and was surprised at how close he was. “We have work to do,” he said. “Now let’s go wake the love birds.” He strolled out of my room. I quickly put on my silk robe and then followed him to Stefan’s room.

“Rise and shine, sleepy heads,” said Damon sitting on the trunk at the foot of Stefan’s bed. I stopped at the door and leaned against the wall. I wasn’t quite awake yet and didn’t feel like participating in the conversation.

“Damon, please” protested Elena at the same time Stefan said,

“What are you doing?” They pulled the sheets over themselves trying to cover up. I smiled at how cute they were.

“Oh stop being smutty,” said Damon. I could hear the eye roll in his voice.

“Seriously, get out of here” said Stefan making sure to pull the covers over Elena.

“If I see something I haven’t seen before I’ll throw a dollar at it,” said Damon brushing them off. “Now listen, here’s some very important business to discuss.”

“And it has to be right now?” asked Elena still upset.

“We have lots to do now that we’re all friends and working towards a common goal.” Damon made it sound like we were playing a game. A shared look passed between Stefan and Elena and I wondered what they were thinking. Damon’s back was turned as he stood up so he didn’t see it.

“So in order to open the tomb we need to find the journal to get the grimoire to undo the spell. So, first things first, since you are Elena Gilbert and currently reside in the house,” he said looking at me, “you’re on journal duty.”

“Since when am I helping?” she asked.

“Well, Stefan’s helping and you’ve taken up residence in Stefan’s bed ergo,” explained Damon.

“You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do,” consoled Stefan to her.

“I’ll look for it today,” said Elena laying down and pulling the covers up farther.

“Good,” said Damon simply.

“How do we know this journal will hold the location of the grimoire?” asked Stefan condescendingly. “We’re really going to take the word of this vampire who seemed like a bit of a dimwit.”

“In lack of any other options,” said Damon with ‘duh’ present in his voice.

“Wait, what exactly is a grimoire?” asked Elena sitting back up.

“Witch’s cookbook,” explained Damon briefly.

“Every spell that a witch casts is unique onto itself so every witch would document their work,” Stefan elaborated.

“Yeah, cookbook,” said Damon in his smartass way.

“What about our mystery vampire?” asked Stefan. “Dimwit obviously wasn’t working alone so whoever’s out there knows who we are.”

“And I don’t like that disadvantage, so chop chop,” said Damon clapping his hands together twice. He turned to walk out the door but stopped just before exiting. “You know I really like this whole four-some thing. It’s got a bit of a kink to it.” With a smirk he grabbed my hand and pulled me out of the room after him.

“Don’t screw it up,” I sang over my shoulder to Stefan and Elena. “So what are we to do today?” I asked Damon as I followed him downstairs into the parlor.

“Gilbert dinner later today. Everyone’s invited.” He gave a mock look of glee.

“But what about now? You already woke me up,” I pouted.

“Go back to sleep,” he suggested. We stayed looking at each other awhile longer.

“I wish you weren’t so sad, Damon,” I said quietly. A frown creased his forehead at my words. It obviously wasn’t something he was expecting.

“I’m fine,” said Damon curtly.

“Stop lying, Damon,” I challenged him. “You care, you feel. Maybe no one else sees it but I do.”

“Go back to sleep, Emma,” he said quietly.

“Damon,” I said reaching out to him. He shied away from my touch. I let my hand drop. “I want to be there for you, Damon. I am here for you.” He stayed quiet so I continued. “I saw you grow up. I watched everything. I know it hurts.”

Damon turned and walked towards his liquor supply. He got out a tumbler and one of his many bottles of liquor. “You can only bottle it up so long, Damon,” I said before giving up. I knew he wasn’t going to open up now. I wondered if he ever was.

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“My father never approved of anyone I dated,” said Damon, cutting up vegetables. “Which only made me want them more, of course.” He sent a smirk to Jenna. “Except you,” said Damon low enough for only me to hear. “He would have loved for me to have you.” He sent a quick look up through his lashes.

I felt my traitorous heart skip a beat before he turned back to cutting the vegetables. “Excuse me,” I said moving to the living room where Jeremy was playing video games. Stupid, traitorous heart, I thought. Now is not the time to go having feelings for Damon. It’s Damon.

“What are you playing?” I asked Jeremy, ignoring the conversation in the kitchen. He gave me a description of some game I’ve never heard or played before. “Mind if I join?” I asked. Quickly he sent a look of disbelief over his shoulder.

“Knock yourself out,” he said gesturing to the other controller by the TV before turning back to the screen and playing. I grabbed the controller off the floor and after signing myself on, began to play with Jeremy. Ten minutes later I was kicking Jeremy’s ass. “Dang,” he said as he spun out.

I laughed as I lapped him once again. “Don’t let a girl beat you,” I said laughing. I saw his jaw tense and become set in determination. I could hear Elena and Damon making conversation and dinner in the kitchen. It was partially joking and partially serious.

Purposely I crashed a couple times, allowing Jeremy to pass me. As we crossed the finish he was ahead of me by about a second. “Nice race,” he said turning to me. “Didn’t think you’d be actual competition.”

“I take offense to that,” I said glaring at him. He just laughed. “Rematch?” I asked him.

“Nope,” said Damon coming and in snatching up my controller. “My turn. You’re on kitchen duty.” I rolled my eyes before getting up and joining Elena in the kitchen.

“It’s nice of you to be so kind to Jeremy,” said Elena as I walked in. She was moving the food around, trying to make counter space.

“He’s related to me. I feel protective of him. I want to take care of my family,” I explained.

“You don’t do that with me,” she said putting it out in the open. There was no hostility, just acceptance.

“You look like Katherine,” I explained. “Katherine has done things that have caused me to hate her. I’m prejudiced.”

“Then why are you working with Damon to get this tomb open?” she asked. She gave up on moving things around and just leaned against the counter looking at me.

“I want him to be happy,” I said. “He deserves it, after everything.” Just then Elena’s aunt, Jenna, walked in ending our conversation. She carried a box of stuff with her. Elena quickly pulled out a chair and Jenna set the stuff on it.

“He is ridiculously hot,” whispered Jenna to Elena. Elena put a finger to her lips signaling for her to be quiet.

“He’s an ass,” whispered loudly back. She wanted to make sure he heard.

“What are you doing with all this stuff,” asked Jenna.

“I thought there might be something about my birth parents,” sighed Elena. She was getting better at lying.

“Have you told Jeremy?” asked Jenna.

“I will,” said Elena. “When the time is right.”

“When will it ever be?” I proposed. Elena and Jenna looked at me with surprise. Just then the doorbell rang.

“That’s Stefan,” announced Elena. Quickly Damon got up and left the couch. I followed him out into the foyer along with Elena.

“Well?” asked Damon impatiently.

“I went there but I couldn’t find it. Someone took it,” said Stefan. Damon made a signal we should move this conversation outside. As soon as the door was shut he spoke.

“Who took it?” he asked, frustrated.

“I don’t know,” said Stefan simply.

“You know what, it was the teacher,” said Damon pointing fingers. Literally at Stefan and figuratively at the teacher. “There’s something really off about him.”

“No, it wasn’t him. He doesn’t know anything. Someone got to it right before me.” Stefan was being really short with this.

“Who else knew it was there?” asked Damon. Instantly the thought popped into all of our heads: Jeremy.

“No,” said Elena as Damon moved to go back in the house. “Leave him out of it.”

“What?” asked Damon innocently. “What’s the big deal?”

“We’re only going to ask a few questions,” I told her in the same tone.

“Damon,” argued Elena pointlessly.

“So,” said Damon sitting on the arm of the couch. The rest of us were crowded around behind him. “I hear you find a really cool journal from back in the day,” said Damon. Trust him to always get to the point. “Who else did you show it to?”

“Huh?” asked Jeremy still concentrating on the game.

“Don’t ask questions,” said Damon. I could tell he was impatient. “Just spill.”

“You’re kidding me right?” he asked in disbelief.

“Jeremy, did you tell anyone besides Mr. Saltzman about Jonathan Gilbert’s journal,” piped in Elena.

“Why is everybody so obsessed with that thing?” asked Jeremy in confusion.

“Please, Jer, it’s important,” I said.

“Just that girl, Anna,” said Jeremy answering me.

“The hot, weird one?” asked Damon. Why does he know? I wondered.

“Yeah,” said Jeremy and turned back to the game.

“Wait, who’s Anna?” asked Stefan.

“That’s what I want to find out,” said Damon to Stefan. Basically a, let me do the talking. “How do you know her?” asked Damon. Elena’s phone rang and she went to go answer it. Apparently the journal was not important enough to ignore a phone call.

“I just know her,” said Jeremy. No. Help. At. All. “She wants me to meet her at the grill tonight.” He looked pleased and slightly bragging he had a girl.

“Perfect,” said Damon. “I’ll drive. Come on.” He practically pulled Jeremy out of his seat.

“Okay,” said Jeremy wondering what was going on.

“I’m coming!” I said trailing along behind them. I grabbed my jacket and was pulling it on as I got in the car. Jeremy was in back as I rode shotgun.