Quietly Longing - Elena Gilbert

chapter 2

BLAIR MADE HERSELF comfortable in the Salvatore Boarding House. She found a nice spare room and set up for a week or two. She didn't want to stay too long. Too much testosterone in one house made Blair feel suffocated, to say the least.

Blair hopped out of the shower and wrapped a towel around herself, before hearing her brother say a name, "Katherine"

Blair, expertly running with a towel around her, barged into her brother's room, snapping his neck so she could get a moment alone with her old... friend? "Katherine?" Blair smiled and pulled her into a hug.

Katherine's face flattered and her confident posture cracked as she had a look at  her old confidant. She still looked beautiful. "I-I thought you died. I th- he said that..." Katherine trailed off

"I'm more alive then ever, sweetheart," Blair smiled, but Katherine still seemed shocked, "It's okay. It's me," Blair shoves Katherine lightly to prove It, "I'm alive. No one killed me."

Katherine found her cool, and instead of feeling panicked and shocked, she felt elated. "Let's leave! We can catch up for a day or two."

Blair smiled and nodded, "I need to get dressed. Give me 10 minutes..."

Katherine smiled playfully and followed her. Blair gave her an obvious look, "It's nothing I haven't seen before, Blair-y!"

Blair's cheeks tinged pink as she sighed and mumbled something incomprehensible. She remembered her first kiss with Katherine.

It was a hot day. Blair had decided to stay inside and finish reading her book of poems she had received from Damon for Christmas. It was a book of poems, written by all different people, about all different things. Blair was too caught up in the beautiful  words, to notice Katherine Pierce enter her room.

"What are you reading?" Katherine's velvety voice made Blair gasp in suprise. She held a hand to her chest and heaved, "Miss Katherine, I didn't see you there." Blair smiled with bashful embarrassment and looked down. "You have not answered my question yet." Katherine gave Blair a promting look, as she went to lie in the bed next to her friend. Neither girl was wearing anything fancy, just an evening dress.

"Oh, this! It's a book of poems. I doubt you would have any interest. My brother bought it for me." Blair marked the page she was on and placed the book down. Her full attention was on Katherine, who smiled prettily. "What one's your favourite?"

Blair open the book and flipped eagerly, trying to find the poem that caught her eye. After a minute of searching, Blair triumphantly announced "Oh! I found it!" Blair pointed to a shot poem, entitled  "The Silent Lover, Part 1 by Sir Walter Raleigh"

Blair read it aloud, quietly...

"Passions are liken'd best to floods and streams:

The shallow murmur, but the deep are dumb;
So, when affection yields discourse, it seems
The bottom is but shallow whence they come.

They that are rich in words, in words discover
That they are poor in that which makes a lover."

It was silent after Blair finished the poem. A comfortable, relaxed silence. "Pick one." Blair's voice was almost to soft to hear. Without speaking, Katherine takes the book, and skims it, her eyes falling on a classic. She begins to read

"Sappho 31 by Sappho

He seems like the gods’ equal, that man, who
ever he is, who takes his seat so close
across from you, and listens raptly to
your lilting voice and lovely laughter,

which, as it wafts by, sets the heart in my ribcage fluttering;

as soon as I glance at you a moment, I
can’t say a thing,

and my tongue stiffens into silence, thin
flames underneath my skin prickle and spark,

a rush of blood booms in my ears, and then
my eyes go dark,

and sweat pours coldly over me, and all
my body shakes, suddenly sallower,

than summer grass, and death, I fear and feel,
is very near."

Katherine finishes, discarding the book, before grabbing Blair's hand and turning to her. They were nose to nose and breathing lightly. Blair's face was pink and dretty, as she stared deep in to Katherine's brown eyes. It was as if, gravity drove them together.

Their lips touched and everything changed.