the rain hammered against the glass of the boarding house windows, a relentless, rhythmic thrumming that filled the silence elijah had left behind. {{user}} stood by the window, the phantom sensation of his lips against his knuckles still lingering like a cooling brand. he was grace and stability, a tether to a world that made sense, yet his heart was currently hammering against his ribs for an entirely different reason.

the amber glow of the firelight licked at the shadows of the room, catching the sharp edge of a crystal decanter. damon didn't move. he sat in the heavy leather armchair, a glass of bourbon resting loosely in his grip, his electric blue eyes tracked his every breath with a predatory, agonizing intensity.

"don't start. he's a good man," {{user}} murmured, his voice barely rising above the storm. he didn't need to look at him to know he was smirking, that dark, dangerous tilt of his lips that signaled trouble.

"he's a suit with a thousand-year-old ego. there's a difference," damon countered. his voice was a low drawl.

{{user}} finally turned, his hand tightening over the fabric of his shirt. he felt the weight of his gaze. the way it seemed to memorize the rise and fall of his chest. with elijah, he felt respected. with damon, he felt consumed.

"at least he doesn't make me feel like i'm losing my mind every time he walks into a room," he snapped, the frustration of his own divided heart bubbling over.

the clink of glass meeting wood echoed through the parlor as damon set his bourbon down. he rose with a fluid, lethal grace, his tall, athletic frame cutting through the space between them until the heat radiating from him was more intense than the fireplace. he stopped just inches away, his commanding presence pinning him in place.

"is that what i do? make you lose your mind?" he asked, his voice dropping to a rough whisper. he reached out, his fingers hovering just near his jawline, not quite touching but close enough to make the air static. "because from where i’m standing, you’re the only thing keeping mine intact."