The Promised One (Klaus Mikaelson/The Vampire Diaries)

Chapter Fifteen

After cheerleading practice, Madeline headed back to her apartment. She knocked on Alaric's door when she returned however, to let him know about the issue regarding Katherine. He said he had a vervain ointment and he would put it on her door handle for her.

Madeline knew he had done it when she heard a yelp of pain from outside of her door that evening, "Madeline! What the hell?"

"Damon?" She opened the door, and eyed his burnt hand mock apologetically, "Oh no, is something the matter?"

"Yeah, something's the matter. Invite me in, I need to talk to you."

"Nope, sorry. This is a vampire free zone."

"Seriously? Come on! I thought we were friends?"

"Yeah, but you're still a vampire."

"I'll take you dancing..." He tried to convince her.

"We're going dancing anyway. Isn't that why you're here?"

"Yeah, and the fact that Elena told Stefan, who told me, that Katherine stopped by this morning." He said, "So much for a vampire free zone, is she your new bestie? I'm hurt!"

"Get over it, Damon. I thought she was Elena!"

He sighed and leant against her doorframe, "Come on, you'll be safer having invited at least one trusted vamp in."

"No."

She grabbed her bag and keys and the two of them spent a couple of hours at their favourite dive bar. Damon compelled the bartender to serve Madeline the white wine that she wanted, and the two had a great time. Until she received a text message from her ex-boyfriend.

Rumour spread that you tried to off yourself. Something else you're a failure at.

Her nose began to tingle as tears welled up in her eyes. She took a large gulp from her wine (her third large glass). Damon was acting as if he hadn't read that text message from over her shoulder, but she could see that his jaw was clenched and his eyes were full of questions.

"My ex-boyfriend."

"What?" He asked, confused.

Her head swam because of the alcohol, "He's the reason I'm like this." She gestured to herself, before drinking another gulp of wine. "I thought I was in love with him, and...I wanted him to love me too." Damon said nothing, and Madeline couldn't make eye contact with him. "He'd always be looking at other girls and compare me to them. They were always skinnier...more beautiful...they would be wearing the right things and..." She trailed off. "He made me feel ugly."

Damon opened his mouth but closed it again.

"I can still hear his voice in my head, when I look at myself in the mirror; the comments he made and his opinions." She had finished her wine now, so she reached for the the older Salvatore's bourbon and knocked it back in one swig. "The one that got me the most was when he'd talk about me dancing. He'd laugh and say 'aren't dancers skinny?'." She sobbed drunkenly into her hand, "And it's too late for me to do anything about it! I can't stop his words from hitting home, I hate looking at myself and...and I just hate it." She hiccuped, "I hate everything, Damon. I just-"

"-Okay, I'm just going to stop you, right there." The vampire said, taking her bandaged wrists to stop her from taking his newly filled glass of bourbon. "Your ex sounds like a complete ass. He's a worthless excuse of a human being, if he made you think like that about yourself. You're a pretty girl, Maddie. Beautiful, even. And you understand me well enough now to know that I wouldn't say that to just anyone, right?"

"Right." She sniffled in agreement.

"Right." He repeated, "So come on: dry your eyes and pick yourself up. Have another drink." He gestured for the bartender to refill her glass." He took a deep breath once she had calmed down, "It makes me so uncomfortable when girls cry."

She slurred, "Sorry, I unloaded all of that onto you."

"What are besties for?"

She felt new tears brewing behind her eyes then, "We're besties?"

"Don't cry, again."

She tried to hold back her tears, so Damon grabbed her hand and dragged her onto the dance floor - which caused her to start laughing instead.

Madeline couldn't remember getting home that night, or what had happened after her drunken sob-fest. Groaning, she held a hand to her head, "Jesus!" The first thing she felt, was that the silk sheets she was laying in weren't her own (purely because she couldn't afford them). She opened her eyes, and winced at the bright light.

"Good morning, sunshine!"

"Damon, why are you such a morning person?"

"Well, after the beautiful night we spent together, I thought we'd go for round two this morning."

She shot up in the bed, only to immediately regret the sudden movement. Madeline held a hand over her mouth as she felt her stomach rolling. Luckily, however, she managed to keep it down.

"I didn't realise I was that repulsive to you. Oh well, it was worth a shot." Damon held a glass out towards her, filled with water. "Drink this."

Without a single question, Madeline chugged it down and only thanked her bestie once the glass was empty.

"I don't remember much from last night, only that I cried to you and made you feel very uncomfortable."

"Yeah, we danced and you passed out after that." He said, "I was going to take you home but - what's this? - I'm not invited in!" He lay on the bed beside her and crossed his arms behind his head. "You never did tell me the guys name."

"Who's?"

"Your asshole ex-boyfriend."

She sighed, "Just let it go. Pretend I didn't say anything."

"What sort of bestie would I be, if I did that?" He gasped, "Technically, I'm entitled to kick that guys ass. Or kill him. But that's kind of the same thing when you're me."

It was silent for a moment, and Madeline felt the need to ask the unspoken question that lingered in the air around her. "Err...Damon?"

"Yes, bestie?"

"We didn't really sleep together, did we?"

"No. Why?" He rolled into his side so that he was facing her, and wiggled his eyebrows suggestively. "Do you want to?"

"As if!" She pushed him away from her, and got out of the bed.

"You want some vampcakes?"

"N-" She cut herself off. "Actually, yes, please."

He grinned, "I'll go an see if Steffie is hungry. You can shower, I have some clothes in the bathroom for you."

"I have clothes here?" She asked.

"No, but there was a box on your doorstep when we went to yours last night. Before I realised I couldn't get inside." He sighed, "You've suddenly developed a taste in fashion."

Madeline frowned as Damon left the room, but made her way into the bathroom to check out the box of fashionable garments that were (more than likely) not hers.

It was a pretty box, light grey, wrapped with a silver ribbon that Damon had obviously untied and redone after he had nosily opened. The brunette undid the bow, and pulled out a lovely deep purple blouse and a pair a dark blue jeans. Just from feeling the quality of the materials, Madeline knew they were expensive (and again, not hers). She pulled a pair of black boots out as well, which was when an envelope floated to the ground.

Crouching down, Madeline examined the handwriting that looked very similar to Elena's as she opened it up and read the message:

God, your wardrobe is boring! I was going to use you in my evil plans but felt sorry for you.

Katherine
xoxo

P.S. You might want to check on Caroline.