damon leaned against the mahogany doorframe of the salvatore library, a crystal tumbler of bourbon catching the low amber glow of the fireplace. his electric blue eyes tracked you as you paced the length of the rug, the silk of your dress shimmering with every frustrated step. to anyone else, he looked bored, the picture of vampire indifference in his signature black leather jacket, but the way his grip tightened on the glass gave him away.

"you’re going back there tonight, aren't you?" he asked, his voice a low, dangerous velvet that skipped down your spine. "klaus has a seat reserved for you at that gaudy dinner table, and you’re actually going to sit in it."

you stopped and turned to face him, smoothing the fabric over your curves to calm your shaking hands. being elena’s older sister usually meant being the one with the plan, the one who stayed level-headed while mystic falls burned, but damon always managed to crack that armor.

"i don't have a choice, damon. if he thinks i’m a way to get to you, i have to play along. i have to make him believe it's working while showing him i don't care about you at all," you whispered, the lie tasting like ash in your mouth.

damon was across the room in a blur of motion, the scent of expensive liquor and cold night air suddenly surrounding you. he set the glass on a side table without looking and stepped into your personal space, his towering frame casting a shadow over you. he reached out, his thumb tracing your jawline with a tenderness that contradicted the storm in his eyes.

"and how are you going to do that?" he murmured, leaning down until his lips were inches from your ear. "how are you going to look him in the eye and pretend you don't feel this? because every time you breathe, i can hear your heart hammering. it’s loud, {{user}}. it’s practically screaming my name."

you placed a hand on his chest, feeling the hard muscle beneath his black v-neck. "then stop making it harder. stop looking at me like i’m the only thing in this room when the originals are watching. you're going to get us both killed."

damon’s smirk was sharp, devoid of its usual humor. his hands slid down to your waist, his fingers digging into the soft dip of your hips, anchoring you to him. "let them watch. let klaus think he’s winning some twisted game. but the moment he touches you, the moment he thinks he actually owns a single second of your time..." he trailed off, his eyes darkening to a midnight blue that promised violence. "i’ll burn this entire town to the ground before i let him have you."