stranded // d. salvatore au.

FIFTEEN

Chapter 15

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FLORENCE WAS NEVER QUIET. She loved when people heard her opinion, and quite frankly, sometimes it was too much for others. That's why Damon hated her at first.

But now all he wanted was to hear her opinion on everything because it mattered. But when they both woke up the next day, Damon saw how different Florence acted and how strange and detached she was.

"Florence? Want something to eat?" Damon asked politely, which was absolutely what he hated to be. Polite and caring.

The art student just shook her head before she slid down the slide. Damon walked over there to see her walking over to the water and sitting down on the sand as the cold morning water hit her legs. She placed a long scarf around her body and stared ahead at the rising sun.

The Salvatore continued to stare as if she was some kind of lost goddess before jumping down. He wanted to give her space but the curiosity of her mood change was too tempting to go away. Maybe it was the hug's fault, meaning his. Damon hugged her out of nowhere but she seemed to enjoy it. They both went to sleep then but now everything seemed weird.

Damon just sat down next to her then placed his arms on his knees as he glanced at her, trying to hide his worry. Florence didn't have any tears or anything sad on her face, except for the eyes. They held pain. "Hi," he said silently before bumping her side with a small grin.

"Hey," she answered with a soft and honest tone that made his skin shiver.

"What is going on?" Damon asked the girl he learned to admire and liked. If the trip gave him something, it gave him a friend or even more, because it didn't feel like just friends.

And then Florence lowered her head and started crying silently as small sobs escaped her mouth. Damon had no idea what was going on but he slowly placed his arm around her shoulder before bringing her to his chest. She gripped onto it before making his shirt wet with her tears that he had no idea were being flown by. "Shh," he just mumbled, feeling this stinging in his chest that he only felt when he saw his close ones upset. "It's okay."

He didn't even know what he was saying okay for. Only just that he meant it. The waves hitting the shore could be heard throughout the whole island and it calmed down Florence a little. As Damon had his arm wrapped around her securely, she felt at peace. And when he placed his chin on her head, telling her that it would be alright, she thought that it would. "Now, can you tell me what is going on?" he asked silently before pulling away from her to see her red eyes and a whimpering lip.

The girl avoided his fixed gaze on her as he made her look at him. "You know... I counted the days since we are here," she whispered as Damon raised his eyebrows in surprise. "It's been a week, maybe more than that, and... I should've been home three days ago."

She paused, trying to bring some strength to talk more. "It's her death anniversary," she mumbled as Damon realized she was talking about her mother. "And I go to her grave every year, but I can't do it now... And I'm overwhelmed and tired and sad..."

Damon then pulled away and stood up as he extended his hand for her to take. "What?" she asked in confusion and he just grabbed her before she stood up. "What..."

Before she could say anything, Damon picked her up as a small surprised squeal left her mouth. He then rushed into the woods with his vampire speed and they quickly appeared in the tree house they found. "What are we doing here?" she asked looking him straight in the eye.

Damon wasn't quick to let go of her as they stared at each other, faces close. "We are here to make you feel better," he smiled before letting go of her. Florence glanced at him through her shoulder before Damon walked over to an old record player that was shaped in a box. "Please work!"

Florence sighed and watched Damon put an old record player when Everything's Alright by Stevie Wonder started playing. "What do you know," Damon smirked then started dancing to himself as Florence watched with growing amusement.

"You really think I wanna dance on my mom's death anniversary?" she questioned with an angry look on her face so Damon stopped making all of these weird dance moves as he stared at her before shrugging. Florence smiled before she moved her head.

Damon smirked and danced his way towards her before grabbing her by her waist and pulling her to himself. The girl chuckled silently as he made serious yet funny faces while dancing. His one hand gripped her hand as they started moving. "Smooth as butter," he commented as Florence looked at him with a growing smile.

He spun her around and then she bumped into his chest again. "Wohoo! And she dances!" the vampire exclaimed to the invisible crowd. "Don't mind the skeleton in the corner, he's weird."

That made Florence laugh as she scoffed. "Not as weird as you, vampire dick," she teased as Damon feigned hurt. The song then ended as they both stopped. "I don't know what you just did and it was weird and so not you," she said as Damon narrowed his eyes.

"Am I supposed to take this as a compliment?" he questioned bitterly as he looked at her, his blue eyes boring into her skin.

"No..." she trailed off then smiled looking down. "Even if it was unexpected and weird, I'm grateful, Damon."

Damon smirked widely before nodding his head. "I'm not a dick now, am I?" he asked bravely.

"Such a dick thing to say," she mused with a grin as Damon rolled his eyes. The two then spent the entire day in the tree house, looking around for old things as Damon continued telling her how much better he knew them than Florence.

Damon found someone, who didn't resemble him Elena in any way. He didn't even think about her at all when he and Florence argued about the who's better at spinning a hoop. Or when Florence rolled her eyes when Damon won. Or when she called him for being such a diva.

Or when she looked at him with those bright eyes. Damon knew he found someone new.

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