Love at First Bite

☆ what are you?

Elena panicked, she ran towards Damon and dropped her knees to the floor, trying desperately to wake him up, shaking his shoulders and calling out his name. It was no use. He lied there on the floor, taking small hoarse breaths, unable to move a bone in his body. Elena didn't have a choice. She had to help him.

She frantically closed the door and wrapped her arms underneath Damon's body. Grunting, with every effort she could muster, she carried him to the couch by the fireplace. Laying him there, she looked around for something to cover him with. By chance, she happened to notice a small woven cloth lying upon the top of a chair. It had an image of tree, with flowers surrounding it spun in shimmering golden thread.

"I've....seen this before" Elena thought to herself.

But there was no time to be admiring the cloth, she gently laid it on Damon. She kneeled down next to him and began to stroke his arm, worrying whether he felt uncomfortable or not. Elena's eyes were fixated on Damon. Her gaze softened, and her heart ached at the thought of not being able to help him. But despite her best efforts to warm Damon, he couldn't stop shivering. His skin was as cold as ice. Small and soft whimpers escaped his mouth every now and then. Elena didn't know how to comfort him. But she just did what felt right. She started to run her fingers through his hair, gently rubbing his forehead. His short breaths started to become calmer, and his shivering went down.

Then, his eyes slowly opened. The icy blue of his eyes peeking through his eyelashes.

"...Elena...." His voice was small and fragile.

"What is it Damon?"

".....m-my head.....it hurts..."

That's when Elena remembered. He had hit his head just minutes ago. She tilted her head to see splinters of wooden fragments lodged into the back of his head.

"Oh my god, Damon, I'm gonna help you j-just, hang on, okay?"

"....ughhh..." He could barely say a word.

Elena knew she couldn't leave Damon alone by himself tonight. Not when he was like this. So she texted Ric another lie. She told him she was staying the night with one of her cheerleading friends. Ric, being kind and trusting to a fault, replied back saying,

' Okay, have fun Elena! Text me in the morning ;) '

She sat there for hours, pinching out dozens of splinters from the back of his head. Damon's blood stained her fingers but she was determined not to give up. She was a vampire too after all. She knew what it felt like. It was a cruel twist of fate that wood was one of the main materials able to kill and seriously injure vampires. If she couldn't take out these splinters from Damon's head, it could be game over.

A few hours had passed by and Elena had finished. Shortly after, the wound began to close and some of the colour had returned to Damon's face.

*cough cough* "W-what happened?" His voice was still croaky, and his eyes were barely open.

"Damon! Are you okay? You were in really bad shape h-how do you feel?"

"I feel.....like crap" He let out a pathetic chuckle. Elena chuckled alongside him.

She looked into his eyes and stroked his hair.

"Well......I'm glad you're awake" She said with a soft smile.

Then, there was a pause. Damon pulled his hand out from under the cloth and took Elena's hand.

"Why.....are you helping me?"

"Because......you needed help"

"But, you know what I am"

"Aaaand you know what I am, sooo I guess.....we're even" Elena remarked. The truth had come out. But they didn't have time to linger on the fact that they knew each other were vampires. That was a conversation for another time.

Damon started to move his fingers across Elena's palm, slowly interlocking with hers.

"Please.....stay with me..." He whispered. It was strange, seeing him so vulnerable. It was the first time Elena had seen this side of him.

"Of course" Elena said with a warm and genuine smile that reached her eyes.

Then, a soft grin grew on Damon's face.

"You really do have a pretty smile, Elena"

"Hey, that's my line, think of something original moron" Elena joked.

"Ha ha ha you're right, you're right, only creepy people say that" Damon smirked.

"Hey, about before.....I don't.....hate you...okay?"

His eyes turned down towards the floor and his fingers started to escape Elena's hand, but she refused to let go. In fact, she squeezed her fingers tighter around Damon's. They could both feel each other's warmth radiating from their palms.

"I know Damon, I know"

Damon's eyes slowly began to close and his breath calmed to a murmur. Sleeping soundly, his hand was still interlocked with Elena's, and Elena couldn't help but feel comfort in holding Damon's hand.

But still, Elena felt a pit in her stomach. A hideous ball of emotions started to pile up inside of her. She was hurt by the fact Damon said he hated her, and furious at his complete and utter disregard for other people's feelings. His temper was unpredictable, he didn't seem to have any redeeming qualities about him, and she couldn't find a single way to justify what he did to that poor stranger tonight.

But he was also sweet, and vulnerable. Like when he tried to take care of Elena while they were stuck in the storm. And tonight, risking his life to save hers despite everything. She didn't know what to think.