Denial ✘ Stamon ✘ Defan

Part 4

A/N Song choice of the chapter: War of Hearts- Ruelle. 

Damon left the bar with Elena at his side giving wary glances back at his drunken brother. Elena pulled him out before he could step inside where the rest of their friends were still sitting- all of them seemingly had forgotten about his brother who was drinking the bar dry.

The car ride was short, Elena driving as Damon stared out of the window- sacrificing the ability to be behind the wheel for thinking. He needed some time alone, he thought, as they pulled up at Elena's house. But, it seemed, with Elena around, he wasn't going to be alone for a while. Not unless he could escape. Although, he doubted he could do that without raising some concerns.

Damon trailed behind Elena who purposefully walked to the door, a flurry of brown hair flying behind her as the wind pushed the trees.

She unlocked the door carefully, calling out quietly to see who was home. It seemed, no one. They were alone- Damon cursed the world for it being so. He didn't want to be alone. He needed someone to give him a chance to run. He didn't want to be near the girl- he wanted to be near his brother. He needed to know what was wrong before it was too late. Something was on Stefan's mind, something was always on Stefan's mind and Damon was determined to find out what it was.

Damon found himself in Elena's room when his final thought fleeted him, leaving him feeling empty. 'Elena, we need to talk.' Damon stated blankly, staring at the cracked ceiling. He resisted the urge to gag as his senses picked up the brown liquid oozing out of the thin lines where the paint had split.

Elena looked over at Damon curiously, laying down on the bed, Damon following suit, giving him an obnoxiously clearer view of the ceiling. 'What about?' She asked, a small smile on her face. She didn't suspect a thing. Unfortunately, for Damon, that only made him feel worse. Despite a lack of innocence- having lived a life full of violence and blood- she still seemed rather naive and was overtly not the best at reading people, despite what many thought. She always saw the best. An optimist, she was. An optimist and a vampire. Damon could almost see the word 'dead' written in blood in his mind.

Damon sighed, burying his face in his hands. He didn't have the courage, did he? He was an insecure coward who couldn't bear to break a girl's heart. All he had to do was say they were better of friends. That would work, right? No, it wouldn't. He sighed. It was enemies or lovers now. He had no out- that would be too easy, wouldn't it?

He groaned, drawing an odd look from Elena- which he ignored without a care. He knew this wasn't hard for fear of breaking her heart. The truth of it all made it all the worse. He wanted to leave her for his brother.

His brother.

Brother...

Damon cringed, the word sounding wrong on his tongue. Even in his blinded perception of his love for his brother being purely platonic, he knew he was leaving Elena to be closer to his brother. He would rather be with his brother and single than with Elena and parted from him. The reason, he refused to accept. You don't fall in love with your brother. Even after centuries. That just didn't happen. But it had. How? Damon didn't want to know.

He didn't want to believe it at all.

Damon cringed at his thoughts. He was disgusting, wasn't he? He opened his mouth to speak again, Elena sitting up in anticipation but he just closed it again. He couldn't find the words he wanted. Or any words at all for that matter. He was stuck in the limbo of his mind- a paradox of thoughts.

'What do you think of us, Elena?' He asked, looking up at her as he lay as comfortably as he could on her, unfortunately, rock hard mattress. He was being a coward and he knew it as Elena looked back at him, confusion evident in her eyes. He was trying to make this breakup mutual. What was he thinking? Elena loved him, she wasn't just going to end it because he suggested it.