Cousins: Introducing Damon Salvatore

46: Face to Face! 'Closer'

"I'm so sorry. He had to," I told Bonnie. "It was the only way to break the link and let down the barrier so someone could even touch Esther."

"It was my mom, Sky," she sniffled.

"Bonnie!" Someone called. She turned in my arms to see Kol running towards us. She ran to him, letting him embrace her. Damon slowly walked towards me, stepping around them.

"Hey," he whispered. I pulled him to me, kissing him gently on the mouth.

"Where's Abbie?" I asked.

"Stefan has her," he said. Abbie was Bonnie's mom. Tonight Damon turned her into a vampire so she "died" and broke the link to Esther therefore letting the originals be separated too.

"Look at them," I whispered pointing to Kol and Bonnie. She was crying into his chest and he held her so tightly, murmuring words as he kissed the top of her head repeatedly. "You cannot take him away from her... The originals dying... Isn't worth your energy. Plus pretty much all of them are dating our friends."

"Mhm. So I'll have more energy for you," he smirked and I blushed. "More time with you... Less stress. Less seeing all these damn people I only like half the time... Sold. They live. And I get to spend my days with you."

"That easy?"

"That easy. Let's go home."

"As do what?"

"Let's pack our bags. Runaway with me?"

I raised my brows. "You're joking, right?" I asked. "Damon... Where the hell would we go?"

"Anywhere. Alone. Away from all this."

"They're still my friends, Damon."

"Fine. Move in with me?"

"And Stefan? You don't live alone. And I like my house," I frowned.

"Fine. Tell your mom I'm moving in and I'm bringing Moke."

"What's gotten into you?" I asked, taking his hand and leading us back to the car.

"Nothing. I just want to be closer to you."

We stopped then and I turned to face him. I beckoned him to lean down and I whispered in his ear. "After graduation. Yes. Let's runaway together. Get our own place. Get out of this town," I said.

He pulled back looking at me, "are you being serious right now?"

"Depends. Are we going to be together in four months?" I asked.

"Most definitely."

"Then I'm dead serious. My mom moved back after my dad died... She wanted to be closer to family. For me to be closer to them. But you know what the truth is? My bond with Jeremy and Elena always survived over the last 10 years. I visited once a year for mine and Elena's birthday. And even though I'm mad at her. She is my closest friend."

"Okay. And what's that have to do with you running away from home?"

"That I hate this small town," I stated. "I was having a blast in California... And I'd like to go somewhere nice with the man I love. If we don't work we both come back to Mystic Falls."

"And how will we live?"

"It was your idea," I frowned.

"Okay. But now we're making it real."

"You'll compel us jobs and then we will be normal folk. And we will buy a house. Pay our mortgage on time. We will bring all our pets. Get more for sure. And just be happy. Just us two," I said.

"Sky... I don't know."

"What are you afraid of?"

"I don't know."

"I'm scared too. But aren't you the fun brother? Let's live a little. Even if it's only for three months of the summer. I'll even apply to colleges here in case we can't do it."

"I can't let you ruin your life... I want to be selfish. I want to take you to another country and settle down. But I can't. You have so much life in you. Life to live," he said. "You can't settle down with me. No. I won't let you."

"What does that mean? Aren't we going to be together?" I asked.

"Whoa. Sorry. No. I meant you can't settle down with me just yet. Go to college with your friends... That's the right thing for me to let you do," he said and I smiled softly.

"Damon... I really want to leave Mystic Falls."

"We'll vacation."

"That's how much you care for me? You don't want to jeopardize my future?" I asked him.

"Half of me wants to tell you running away is absurd. The other half of me wants to get you I that car and drive until we're out of this town right this second.... I could use a day off."

"So a vacation?" I asked him.

"I wanna leave now... drop out of school."

"How is that not apart of ruining my future?" I laughed and he sighed. He leaned down, cupping my cheeks and pressing a kiss to my lips. "What are we going to do?"

"Let's press pause onto a big future just us two. It's Christmas time... Let's figure it out in January," he said and I smiled.

"I love you. I don't care if we stay or go... I just know I want to be here or there with you."

"God. You're perfect," he whispered.

"Let's go home... Before we seal the deal on an irrational idea," I said.

"I will get you of this small town, okay? One day," he said and I smiled.

"I'll hold you to that."