Chapter Thirty Three
Elena had jerked awake around six in the morning so she was pretty sure that her dad would be asleep when she got to her house, she was right. Before he mom had died she wouldn’t have been able to get away with any of this. Not staying over at Damon’s place or disappearing for the weekend to go on a road trip with him. Granted even now she wasn’t actually telling her dad any of that, as far as he would know she would be staying over at Bonnie’s to finish a project for school.
Her parents had always been able to see through her lies immediately, maybe her dad had lost that ability when he lost his wife or maybe he was too withdrawn to care. If she hadn’t been so focused on everything supernatural that was going on in her life Elena didn’t doubt that she would be spending all her time worrying about how her father was doing.
Lately he had taken to spending most days at his office sometimes not even returning until her and Jeremy were asleep. He always had bags under his eyes and looked as though he was sick. Elena hadn’t seen in father eat in weeks and was certain that if he kept that up he would have a nervous breakdown.
After she finished packing a few things in the back pack she usually used for school Elena went through the bathroom she shared with Jeremy and peeked into his room. He was still fast asleep and she couldn’t help but smile as she watched him just lay there peacefully.
Before leaving she wrote a note for her dad explaining that she was going to spend the weekend at Bonnie’s house and then after thinking about it wrote a note for Jeremy. It explained where she really was and told him to watch their dad and try and help him. The thought of leaving her dad alone made her feel incredibly guilty but she wouldn’t be gone for long and she knew that Jeremy would be able to handle things while she was gone.
It only took her fifteen minutes to get in and out of her house and before she knew it she was sitting in the front seat of Damon’s car as they drove out of Mystic Falls.
“So where are we going?” Elena asked as she watched the trees they were passing blur by the car.
“I was thinking Georgia, Atlanta to be specific.” Damon replied.
“What’s in Atlanta?” Elena asked.
“I guess you will have to wait until we get there to see,” Damon answered with a smirk.
Elena couldn’t help but smile as they effortlessly bantered back and forth. When they were alone in the car it was like none of the problems outside of it even existed. This was the first time in ages she had really let go and had fun without worrying about something in the back of her mind.
It was hard to believe that she had never thought of doing something like this just to get away from it all. Talking to Damon was always effortless and she was completely relaxed as they sped down the highway.
Damon had just finished telling her about New Orleans in the 40’s. He had been telling her all about the various decades sans the parts he spent murdering people. However no matter what he said about being a monster most of the times his thirst was kept in check even back then.
It was easy to laugh at his stories and it was amazing to hear about those time periods from someone who had actually been alive during them instead of just reading about them out of a book.
With the couple stops they made it took them about seven hours until Damon was pulling into a parking lot just outside of an old brick building just outside of Atlanta. The words over the door said ‘Bree’s Bar’.
“You took me to a bar?” Elena asked trying to hold back her laughter, this was definitely something Damon would do. Travel to another state just to go to a bar.
He smirked at her as he parked the car, “of course I took you to a bar. This is our time out remember? For five minutes?” He reminded her of what he said last night and she rolled her eyes as she followed him into the bar.
The lights were dim and there were already some people there sitting around the bar at the tables and some people were playing pool. Some of them looked up when they heard the door open. One guy winked at Elena who tried to hide her shudder. As they made their way to the bar Elena glared at two girls who looked much too young to be in a bar who were gawking at Damon without even trying to be subtle about it.
A tall dark skinned woman with curly brown hair glanced up at them and did a double take when she saw Damon.
“It can’t be Damon Salvatore.” She said with a grin.
Without hesitating she swung her long legs over the bar and launched herself at Damon. Right before she could plant a huge kiss on his lips he turned his head so she got his cheek instead.
“This man changed my world.” The woman said unfazed by Damon’s subtle rejection.
“Yeah I rocked your world,” Damon replied with a smirk, “it’s nice to see you again Bree.”
“It’s been too long Damon, you only ever visit me if you need some of my special help.” Bree said.
Damon shrugged, “what can I say I lead a busy life. But no business this time, we’re just here looking for a distraction. Am I right Elena?”
Elena smiled and nodded.
“Does that distraction need a beer?” Bree asked.
Damon nodded and Elena followed him to the bar where they sat on the nearest stools and watched Bree pull out two bottles of beer.
Just as she was taking her first sip Elena heard her stomach growl and turned a light shade of pink when Damon chuckled at her.
“Hungry are we?” He asked in a voice to let her know that he was only teasing her.
“Hey a girls gotta eat.” Elena replied sticking her tongue out at him.
Still laughing Damon called Bree over and ordered two burgers and fries.
Even the bar was quickly filling up it didn’t take long for Bree to get their food to them. Starving Elena immediately lifted her burger to her lips and took a huge bite. As she chewed she made a face and struggled to swallow. Well aware that Damon was watching her she took off the bun and carefully removed the pickles with a look of disgust on her face.
“What you don’t like pickles?” Damon asked, “what’s wrong with you?” He added after snatching the pickles Elena had just removed from her burger and popping them into his mouth.
Elena made a face at him but ended up laughing, “I’ve never really thought about it but how can you eat if you’re technically...” Elena trailed off to look around and make sure no one was listening to her.
Before she could finish her questions Damon said in a stage whisper, “technically dead? Well if I keep up a healthy diet of blood I can live a perfectly healthy non-human human life.” He bit into a fry after her finished talking as if to emphasize his point.
By the time they finished eating the bar was crowded with what seemed like the regular crew as they all greeted Bree like they were old friends as the ordered drinks.
Elena wasn’t exactly sure how because she had never really been much of a drinker but Damon managed to convince her to line up with some other people who were doing shots. Bree handed out all the shot glasses that were so full they slopped over Elena’s hands when she lifted it to her mouth.
As soon as Bree said go everyone hurried to down their shot faster than anyone else. After five shots Elena had beaten Damon five times. After the sixth she slammed the shot glass down and jumped back with her hands in the air and did a little victory dance. “That’s six Damon, do you need a bib?” She asked him when she saw the bit of alcohol he had gotten on his chin in an attempt to beat her.
He rolled his eyes, “sorry I can’t unhinge my jaw like a snake to consume alcohol.” He replied.
“Whatever,” Elena said with a huge smile, “okay who’s next? Another round Bree?”
A blonde who had joined them about halfway through slurred, “honey you should be on the floor.”
“I am not even drunk,” Elena replied still smiling widely, “my tolerance is like way up here.” She held her hand above her head like she did in class when she was asking a teacher a question and jumped to make her point clearer.
Damon laughed because that was definitely something sober Elena would never do. Bree refilled the shot glasses and Elena downed it like she had the six before that.
After one more shot which made her total eight Damon decided it was time to steer Elena away from the bar. She didn’t need to be completely wasted to have a good time. They ended up wandering over to an empty pool table.
“I bet you think that you can actually beat me at this but think again pretty boy.” Elena said giggling as she picked up a pool stick.
“Pretty boy?” Damon asked his eyebrows raised.
“Yeah, you are pretty and a boy thus pretty boy.” Elena responded like it was obvious.
Shaking his head good naturedly Damon put all the balls on the rack and after her insistence let Elena break. Maybe sober Elena was good at pool but it took drunk Elena about five tries before she hit the cue ball and when she did it barely moved a couple centimeters.
Elena frowned at the pool table, “I think it’s broken.” She said completely serious.
“Here why don’t I help you?” Damon asked.
Elena shrugged and Damon leaned his pool stick against the wall. He walked up behind her and grabbed her hands in his so that he could line up her shot for her. He couldn’t help but smile at the look of concentration on her face, the fact that his entire body was pressed against hers was definitely a bonus.
With his help she was able to send the cue ball rolling into the triangle of balls. The shot sent one of the striped balls into the corner pocket. When she saw it go in she cheered and turned around to kiss Damon. After that every shot she took she got him to help.
It was starting to get late and Bree offered them one of the rooms she rented out above the bar. She gave him the key and he took it gratefully, by this point the only way Elena could make her way around the bar was if he was supporting her.
Since it was easier not to mention it and quicker than trying to drag her along Damon swept her feet out from under her and began carrying her bridal style up the stairs that were located at the far end of the bar.
“Why are you carrying me? I can walk just fine.” Elena complained feebly.
Damon rolled his eyes, “sure you can.”
Elena mumbled something incoherently and Damon just chuckled at her as he used the key to open the door to room 4.
It wasn’t exactly a master suit but it was nice enough. The furniture was old fashioned and the room was very homey.
Gently Damon set Elena down gently on the bed and told her that he would be back just as soon as he grabbed their bags from the car that way she could change into her pyjamas. Even though no one in the bar would probably notice if he vamp sped through them Damon walked down to his car at a normal pace. Elena would be fine alone for the few minutes it would take him to fetch her bag and change of clothes for him for tomorrow.
Bree smiled at him as he walked back in with the two bags.
“Where’s your girl?” Bree asked.
“Upstairs probably sleeping off all those shots.” Damon replied.
“Never thought I would see the day when Damon Salvatore was tied down.” Bree said casually.
“Yeah me neither.”
As he began walking away Bree said, “she must really be something.”
Damon turned back to face her before disappearing up the stairs, “yeah she really is.”
The sound of Elena’s soft snored filled the room and she still laid exactly where he had put her. She was still wearing her jeans and tight fitting jacket and she was on top of the covers. Gently as to not wake her he slid the blanket out from under her sleeping body and wrapped it around her so she wouldn’t get cold.
He pressed his lips to her forehead and couldn’t help but smirk when she smiled as he did so.
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So this one is pretty short but I like it. I thought I did somewhat okay with the whole Delena roadtrip thing which was my goal considering those are the best things ever! This just seemed so happy and everyone knows how nice it is to just get away for a bit.
So I had my track meet today and there was alot of blue ribbons for me. Second in hurdles, 200m and 4x100m relay. Oh well I'm goin to zones next week and that was my goal so I'm happy :).
Hope this chapter was liked, if there are a good amount of reads/votes/comments I might update after I go to my sister graduation. OMG I cannot believe she is graduating!!!!