The More Things Change

Three

Author's Note: This is where all those warnings for mindcontrol and disturbing themes involving consent are coming from. Please takenote and skip this chapter if such topics are too disturbing.

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Damon held the door open and waved me through with a lopsided smirk.

"Thank you." I stepped past. Entering the sunshine, I wondered if this was going to be the last time I felt it on my face. If he killed me, would I wake up?

Sure I would. How else to explain this whole crazy day?

He moved directly behind me. "Don't worry." His breath was as warm as the hands resting on my shoulders. I didn't smell blood. Shouldn't I have smelt blood? "I'll make sure no nasty crows get near you."

If I turned my head my nose would brush against his cheek. My pulse pounded. "I never said it was a crow."

I felt a gentle squeeze and the strap of my bag slid down my arm. The breath left my cheek as he wandered ahead. My bag thumped against his back as he held it over his shoulder. I exhaled.

I'd asked him to walk me home. At least he knew where he was going. The opposite direction from where I'd been heading, naturally. I hurried after him, boots clacking on the sidewalk.

I wondered if it was annoying to move at human speed when he could outrun a car. Why had he bothered driving on the show? Maybe he couldn't sustain that kind of pace for long before running out of 'juice' and needing to feed. Didn't his abilities depend on feeding on human blood? Reasoned he'd be weakened if he used those powers too much.

"Penny for your thoughts."

His profile was on full display as he waited for my answer. He was majestic. High-boned cheeks and masculine jaw leading to a commanding chin. Arrogance in the smug lift of his smirking lips. Damn these Salvatore men and their perfect bone structure. "Nothing, really."

He spun around to face me but kept walking, just backwards. "Oh, come on, Elena. I want to know."

"Why?"

The black leather jacket stretched over his shoulders as he shrugged. "I want to know how that mind works."

"Badly."

A brow ticked upward. "Now that's an interesting if melodramatic answer." He leaned forward, still not missing a step. "What's so bad about it?"

"Let's just say I haven't felt like myself lately." I wondered if he intended to walk the whole way like that. Wasn't he nearly two hundred?

"Uh, boring."

"Sorry."

"You should be." He straightened. "You piqued my interest and then failed to deliver." He tsked.

If he only knew. Scrunching my shoulders, I slid my hands into my jacket's pockets. "Story of my life."

"There you go with the melodrama again." He whirled back around and shortened his stride to keep pace with me. "But you won't fool me twice."

"Good for you. What's wrong with your life that you'd waste your time with me?" Wasn't that the million-dollar question? I had a pretty good idea of the answer. Damon had pined after Katherine for over a century. He'd be as curious as Stefan about the human girl with his long-lost love's face.

"Wow. That's harsh. You seem like perfectly pleasant company to me." We came to the first turn and I noted the street. Laurel.

"I figured you'd have better things to do."