Broken hearts find your way / Make it through just this day (For Rebekah)

[prodigalsavior]

[ooc: After this.]

Well, that needed to not happen again, Damon thought to himself as he moved through the city, blending with the crowd and shadows. The bright lights were all around, but that just kept even more people's attention off of him. There were too many other things to look at.

He'd forgotten how easy it was to hunt in the city, and he had to wonder why the hell he'd ever left. It wasn't for anything...god. It seemed so long ago. Thinking he'd be the one to free Katherine. That she'd love him forever, that they'd hunt the night and lord it over everyone else, just the two of them.

That he wouldn't be alone, haunted only by the girl who'd been taken and the brother who'd damned him.

Fuck, but what was that saying? The more things changed...

A girl bumped into him, and apologized before thinking she could slip past him. Damon's hand slipped out and grabbed her arm, hard and fast. Before she could bother protesting, he had caught her gaze, compelled her to silence. Then slinging an arm around her, he guided her down the street, looking for a quiet place for a snack.

Maybe that would take his mind off the level of fucking horror these last few months. Or keep him from taking out his phone and sending a text for another night of...not aloneness.

Comments

[prodigalsavior.livejournal.com]

Damon just held her as he waited for his body to recover. Her blood was singing in his veins, making him feel stronger than he thought he ever had. New that, an Original giving him blood rather than making him bleed. Honestly, it seemed to be one of her family's favorite hobbies--Elijah, Klaus, Mikael, Kol--okay. Maybe he asked for a couple of those.

He pressed a kiss to her forehead and tightened his arm around her, keeping up the slow strokes.

[itconsumesher.livejournal.com]

She had made him bleed too out of retaliation for hurting and embarrassing her, so maybe she was trying to make up for it. Still, giving someone her blood was perhaps a foolish decision as she could still feel him echoing throughout her being. It would make leaving just that much harder.

So she wasn't going to leave quite yet. Instead she made herself content to touch him as well, her fingers drifting back and forth over his side in a slow caress.

[prodigalsavior.livejournal.com]

It was a rarity, and it took some doing to get the words out, but after a few moments, he did. "Thank you..."

For trusting him, maybe. Or for giving him this echoing feeling that filled in some of the empty gaps that had been there since he woke up after his father shot him. He'd never wanted to be this, alone. It was only, ever for Katherine, and more than once he had come close to ending it, just because...eternity was too long to be alone.

And forgiving Stefan hadn't come easy.

[itconsumesher.livejournal.com]

Rebekah didn't like to be alone either, it was something she didn't cope with well and that was probably why she clung to people like she did. Of course, he knew about that vulnerability because he shared it. Not just because he had exploited it.

"For what?" She asked softly, wetting her lips as her fingers drifted to his hipbone.

[prodigalsavior.livejournal.com]

He opened his eyes to glance at her, shifting a little uncomfortably. Talking about shit never went well, but he supposed this wasn't really that, right? His fingertips drifted over her neck, healed but with a small smear of blood where he'd bitten her.

"For trusting me enough for that."

[itconsumesher.livejournal.com]

She wasn't sure it was about trust but she didn't know what it was. Her hand stilled as she shifted as well, drawing back slightly to look at him.

"You're welcome." She murmured.

[prodigalsavior.livejournal.com]

He didn't have another word for it, either. Trust seemed the safest. He met her gaze when she pulled back, a wry little smile tugging at his lips.

[itconsumesher.livejournal.com]

"What?" She eyed the wry little smile while wondering what he was thinking.

[prodigalsavior.livejournal.com]

"Just thinking...this is getting to be almost habit," he said lightly, even if, really, it was only the fourth night.

[itconsumesher.livejournal.com]

Rebekah pursed her lips a little as she started to sit up. "And?"

[prodigalsavior.livejournal.com]

"And..." Damon reached to pull her back down to him. "I'm...okay with that."

He wasn't sure what else he could say, yet, but given he'd started the night thinking that this could never happen again...it was something.

[itconsumesher.livejournal.com]

There was no hiding the surprise as he pulled her down to him again.

"You...are?" She looked suspicious. "Why?"

[prodigalsavior.livejournal.com]

He shook his head, just a little bit, and gave her a steady look. "I'm...not sure, yet. I just am."

[itconsumesher.livejournal.com]

"This isn't some kind of trick then?" She asked, not letting go of her suspicion easily.

[prodigalsavior.livejournal.com]

"No," he said quietly. "I don't...I'm not going to say I know what it is, but it's not a trick." There had been too much loss on both sides to even contemplate it, in his mind.

[itconsumesher.livejournal.com]

Rebekah eyed him for a moment longer before she decided to believe him. At least that was how it seemed as she nodded slowly, sinking down beside him again so she could curl up against his side again. "Okay."

[prodigalsavior.livejournal.com]

He was telling the truth, at least. He really had no idea what this was, why he could be so adamant about it never happening again and then...make a clear, easy choice to bring her home with him. Once they'd let the humans go, he could have gone.

He'd danced with her instead.

Maybe it was just that no one else really...got it. They both knew what it was like to lose. They both were lonely. They knew the sex was fantastic. He didn't want to delve farther than that, right now, but maybe he just ought to stop thinking this was so wrong, given what she'd done.

He'd done plenty, too.

He went back to brushing his fingers lightly through her hair when she settled close again.

[itconsumesher.livejournal.com]

Maybe that was why she kept waiting for the other shoe to drop. Because she didn't understand how he could just let it go or how he could forgive her for what she had done. She had pretty much been a pariah after the night on the bridge and she figured everyone would just hate her forever.

But maybe it was because they understood each other. They were pretty much the same after all.

So she didn't move away as he continued to stroke her hair till she felt herself drifting.

[prodigalsavior.livejournal.com]

Damon pressed a kiss to her forehead as he felt her starting to drift. He kept his arm around her as he closed his eyes. He wasn't really tired, but staying awake wasn't going to do him any good, either.

[itconsumesher.livejournal.com]

Rebekah wasn't sure how long she had drifted in and out for but he seemed to be asleep when she opened her eyes again. Tilting her head back, she watched him quietly for a moment while wondering if she should stay or sneak out. She could be gone before he was even aware of what was going on but..she just wasn't sure she could bring herself to do that.

Turning her head slightly, she brushed a kiss over his shoulder.

[prodigalsavior.livejournal.com]

He'd drifted off a bit with the steady rhythm of her breathing, but the kiss pulled him back up to full consciousness. Opening his eyes, he gave her a bit of a smile. "Do you need anything?"

He wasn't, in general, the world's best host, it was true, but she'd been so very wary, he was trying to be nice.

[itconsumesher.livejournal.com]

"No, I'm fine." She reassured him with a shake of her head.

She didn't really know what to do now though and it was clear on her face as she shifted onto her back, brushing some pale strands back from her face.

[prodigalsavior.livejournal.com]

He didn't really, either. It was like the awkward morning after, only still night. The one thing he could come up with to do was a second round, and while he certainly wasn't against that, she wasn't giving off those signals.

Still, he shifted on to his side, facing her and reached out to follow her fingertips and brush her hair back for her. There was an assumption there, but he decided to ask, anyway, even though the words weren't ones he'd ever expected to say to her.

"Will you stay?"

[itconsumesher.livejournal.com]

She didn't mean to make things awkward but she couldn't quite help it either. Watching him, she dropped her hand as he brushed her hair back from her face for her.

Then his words surprised her because she had expected the opposite now that she was up and awake.

"Yes." She replied after a moment.

[prodigalsavior.livejournal.com]

It wasn't like he'd kicked her out any of the other times, but he'd never outright...asked her to stay, either. Somehow it felt different, like not just tacit permission, but a request.

He gave her a faint smile. "I'm not particularly tired..."