Vampire Diaries Blood Brothers

~Chapter Thirty Four~

"So," I murmured, my voice filtering through the gap above the door of the changing room in the Atlanta Christian Dior store. "Who was he?"
   "Who? The man you hit with your car?" The door creaked as Damon leaned against it, the floor length mirror revealing his crossed ankles beneath. "That's what I'd like to know." I heard the eye roll in his voice as I pulled the branded socks over my feet, wriggling my toes in the soft, warmth.
   "You didn't know him?" I frowned, tying the laces of the black, low top Dior sneaker Clara the shop assistant suggested. When Damon offered to take me shopping to buy some shoes and a jacket I had no objection, but I was thinking somewhere a little less... Pricey. The Dior store was no doubt the most expensive place I had ever been to and despite begging him to take me elsewhere, he was adamant that we came here. Said it was his favourite. Besides John Varvatos of course. 
   "I've never met him I wouldn't know him. It's not like we all hang out together at the vamp bar and grill," he replied wryly. "You almost done in there?" He changed the subject, knocking on the door impatiently. "You're taking forever," he whined. "And you've only got what? A jacket, socks and shoes? You can have done that out here you know. What are you doing in there?" He complained.
   "Hold on-"
   "I still need you," he hummed the words of the song I performed last week in mockery, his voice changing key with every word like a true amateur. "Hold on I still want you."
   I rolled my eyes, sliding my arms through the black leather jacket he'd picked out for me to try on. Standing face forward then side on, I placed my hands on my hips, trying to find a decent angle for me to examine myself. "I'm not sure about the jacket," I doubted.
   "Ugh," he groaned, his head knocking against the door. "You've been in there for ages, you at least have to let me see."
   Shaking my head, I ran my fingers through my hair, gripping the roots before I let my arms drop by my side. I didn't mind leather jackets, in fact, I quite liked them. But the jacket and the boots? My reflection reminded me of those slutty biker girlfriends or something. Leather clad and all of that stuff. "I look ridiculous," I concluded, folding my arms across my chest.
   "Pfft," Damon snorted. "Impossible."
   "You think it's impossible for me to look ridiculous?" I smirked.
   "Uh, no," he replied in a duh tone. "It's impossible for you to look ridiculous in black leather," he clarified. "It's impossible for anyone to look ridiculous in leather, especially Christian Dior leather. Now come on, we don't have all day."
   Taking a deep breath, I spun the lock and stepped out with my hands on my hips. I opened my mouth to reiterate how stupid I looked but he beat me to it. "Spin," he demanded, his expression hard like that of a critic. Feeling my desperation to protest, he grabbed my shoulders and turned me himself. "Spin!"
   "I look ridiculous," I repeated.
   "Well with that frown you do," he decided. "Now, if you don't want to be barefoot and cold you're going to nod, smile and agree and under no circumstances are you to say otherwise."
   "But-"
   "Promise?" He raised his eyebrows.
   "Fine," I grumbled.
   Grinning, Damon turned on his heel and strode to the front of the store, frowning as he pulled five tuxedos from the racks - all black though various styles - along with a few black and crimson neck and bow ties. Piling them onto the counter, he flashed an alluring smile at the desk clerk who blushed, trying to hide her pleased smile as she scanned the bar codes. 
   "Oh," he waved his hand casually. "You don't need to do that." Leaning closer, I watched in horror as Damon held his face inches from hers, her emerald eyes turning oval like his as he spoke. Her smile faded as her flirtatious nature was replaced with a blank look. "Give me these, free of charge," he compelled her, wiping all sense of reason from her mind. I opened my mouth to interrupt but his power had already taken affect. Slowly, she folded the clothes and slid them into a Christian Dior bag, turning it so the handle was facing Damon. "And throw in the clothes for the lady why don't ya," he added.
   "Here you are, Sir."
   "Thanks Babe," he winked.

~~~

The stunning scenery of Georgia flew by as Damon navigated his way through the long, and for the most part, empty streets stretching between Mystic Falls and Atlanta. Aside from the whole compulsion incident in the Dior store, our road trip wasn't so bad. Stefan tried to call me a few times, so I had to turn my phone off, but other than that it was actually kind of nice. Once again, Damon was right. Stepping away from my life for five minutes was exactly what I needed. 
   "Question," I mumbled, my teeth crunching on some chips Damon had stashed in the back. "If your goal in life is to make Stefan's miserable, then why didn't you tell me I looked like Katherine?" I queried. "I mean, surely you would have known I'd break his heart after hearing that."
   He shrugged. "He lied to you about being a vampire and when you found out, you gave him another shot. I figured if you wouldn't leave him after finding out he was immortal and drank blood for a living, I thought nothing could possibly make you leave him."
   I tilted my head as I contemplated Damon's words. He did have a point. The biggest lie, the biggest and most life changing secret he had kept was the one I didn't have a problem with, it was the one lie he told that I never questioned or reassessed our relationship over. As much as this lie hurt me, maybe Damon was right. If I could accept Stefan's vampirism, then maybe, just maybe, I could accept this too.
   "OK my turn," he shoved a handful of chips into his mouth. "Stefan told me, no that's a lie. I read in Stefan's diary that your primary reason for breaking up with him the first time was because he would have to leave Mystic Falls due to his vampirism."
   "You read your brothers diary?" I raised my eyebrows.
   "I do a lot of things I shouldn't," he scrunched his nose. "Anyway, what I'd like to know, is why that was such a big thing for you. I mean, if he had to leave after a month or something then sure, whatever, but seven years? You're seventeen! In seven years you'll be, what? Twenty four? You could leave Mystic Falls. In fact, you probably would have already left for school or even just to widen your horizons, so why was that such a deal breaker?"
   I sighed, placing my elbow on the door of the car and pressing my right temple against my fist. I squeezed my eyes shut, willing the pending tears away. "You wouldn't understand."
   "Try me," he challenged.
   "No," I shook my head. "You hate your brother, you wouldn't get it."
   "I'm guessing it has something to do with your dead sister?" He raised his eyebrows.
   Nodding, I drew an invisible picture on the window, her ear to ear grin and wacky laugh filling my mind. "Elena and I weren't just sisters, we were best friends. I couldn't even imagine going through life without her, I still can't. We lived together in Mystic Falls, all of my memories with her are there. We lived in our house together, played in the park together, went to school together. Seven years is a long time and yes, if it were normal circumstances it wouldn't be an issue but... I can't leave. I know you may think it stupid but I can't bear to leave the place I was with Elena. I visit them, all three of them, all the time. And, I can't even imagine being anywhere other than Mystic Falls."
   He fell silent, his expression thoughtful as he contemplated my reply. He was probably thinking I was stupid and crazy for wanting to live in a small town for the rest of my life just to be close to her, goodness, he probably thought I was nuts for even loving my sister, but I wasn't like him. He hated his brother with every inch of his being, but I had no hate for Elena. Even the thought of hating her made me crazy. She was my other half and she was never coming back. The least I could do was stay near to her final resting place, to the green where she and my beloved parents laid.