'love?' when you live as long I have, 'love' is a surprisingly rare occurrence, something that many would have given up on. Yet, as I look into the eyes of the man in front of me - his innocent blue eyes filled with hope of what life holds and fear...
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Am I wrong?
Kansas
Damon
"Are you okay?" Elena's voice pierced through the fog of pain, her concern etched into every line of her face as she knelt beside me, her eyes filled with worry.
"Ah, yeah," I grunted, my voice strained as I tried to mask the agony coursing through my body. With trembling hands, I reached for my injured side, the sickening sound of bones snapping echoing in the silent room. But despite the searing pain, I clenched my jaw and gritted my teeth, refusing to show weakness.
"Oh," I gasped, a ragged breath escaping my lips as the bones realigned with a sickening crunch, sending waves of relief coursing through me. "That's better," I managed, my voice laced with exhaustion as I fought to regain my composure.
As I tentatively reached out to touch Elena's face, a sharp hiss escaped her lips, a visceral reminder of the danger lurking in the shadows. "You okay? You're bleeding," I observed, my heart sinking at the sight of her injury, the weight of my concern heavy upon me.
"Yeah," Elena replied, her voice strained yet determined, her fingers intertwining with mine as she pressed my hand against her cheek. "I'll be fine," she reassured me, her unwavering resolve a beacon of strength in the darkness.
"Good," I murmured softly, reluctantly withdrawing my hand from her face as a sense of urgency pulsed through me. "What are you doing?" I questioned, my gaze locking with hers as we stood on the brink of uncertainty, our fates intertwined in ways we could not yet comprehend.
"What do you mean?" Elena's voice sliced through the tension, her confusion etched into every line of her face as she peered into my soul, seeking answers amidst the turmoil.
"Well, this trip and you kissing me," I replied, my voice a tumult of conflicting emotions, each word weighed down by the gravity of our tangled connection.
"What the hell is this?" I demanded, frustration bubbling like molten lava beneath the surface as Stefan's suspicions gnawed at my conscience.
"Stefan thinks that I have feelings for you," Elena confessed, her words hanging heavy in the charged air, a silent admission of truths left unspoken for far too long.
"Oh. Do you?" I pressed, my voice tight with anticipation, the silence between us pregnant with unspoken desires and unfulfilled longing.
"I d... I don't know," Elena stammered, uncertainty clouding her features as she grappled with the tempest raging within her heart.
"Mm," I murmured softly, my gaze drifting away as I wrestled with the tumult of emotions swirling within me, the weight of her confession heavy upon my shoulders.
A suffocating silence descended upon us, thick with unspoken truths and unanswered questions, stretching out like an endless expanse of darkness before me. "I guess you thought this little trip could help you figure that out, didn't you?" I ventured, resignation lacing my words as I faced the bitter irony of our circumstances.
"Or maybe you were hoping that I would screw it up, so I could just make the decision for you. Am I wrong?" I challenged, my voice echoing in the empty space between us, the weight of our shared history pressing down upon us like a suffocating blanket.
"Damon..." Elena's voice quivered, her words hanging in the air like a plea for understanding, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears.
"Am I wrong?" I challenged, the bitterness in my tone reflecting the turmoil swirling within me, a storm of conflicting emotions raging beneath the surface.
"It's what you do, Damon!" Elena's accusation pierced through the silence, her voice a whip crack of frustration and pain, each word a dagger aimed at the heart of our fragile bond.
"You sabotage things, you... I mean, think about it. Every time there's a bump in the road, you lash out," she continued, her voice trembling with the weight of her revelation, the rawness of her emotions laid bare.
"Yes, that's what I do... That's who I am, Elena," I confessed, the admission heavy on my tongue, a bitter pill I could no longer swallow.
"I'm sorry, Elena," I whispered, the words a solemn vow of repentance, my heart heavy with the weight of my own mistakes.
"This time, you will have to figure it out yourself," I conceded, the resignation in my voice a stark acknowledgment of my own limitations, the realization that some battles could only be fought in solitude.
