A/N: I really didn't think I'd get two one-shots completed during the summer holiday, so I'm really proud that I have and they've both been over 3000 words, which doesn't happen a lot with my chapters! I'm still not sure about the ending, I feel like I rambled a lot. I wrote a lot of this in the middle of the nights over the last week, so there could be errors. I have proof read it several times though, so hopefully there aren't any mistakes! Rated M for lemon, adult content/language - the smut isn't particularly extensive this time. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own the Vampire Diaries or any of it's characters.

** "All love that has not friendship for it's base, is like a mansion built upon sand." **


~Control~

Amazing isn't it, how a single look can set everything in motion? The first time he locked eyes with Elena Gilbert, he knew his life was about to change forever. That single look was the catalyst for destruction; it was how it all had started. Since they had met, he'd continued to fall in love with her more and more each day. The problem? She had only recently ended her relationship with his younger brother. This shouldn't have bothered him, since he was so used to coming second to his brother, it'd been the same with his Father and Katherine. But with Elena it was different… it was almost unbearable to know that he couldn't have her because she was probably still hung up on Stefan. What made it all worse for him was that he knew she had feelings for him too. When they were together, you could almost taste the sexual tension that lingered in the air. Sure, they fought a lot, but that was just how their friendship worked. They were both so stubborn and passionate, they were bound to clash. Their arguments always got heated, she would slap him and scream in his face, he would lash out and kill other people. However, despite all of this, she still considered him to be her best friend. She could tell him anything and vice versa, but their friendship did have one unspoken rule, which was to never, ever speak about their romantic feelings for each other.

"Damon, what are we going to do?" She sighed, running her fingers through her wavy locks. Her shiny, chocolate eyes were staring into his cobalt ones, and once again he felt his heart break a little bit more. God, he wanted her so much.

I turn my head
I can't shake the look you gave
And I'm good as dead
Cause oh those eyes are all it takes
And all I want is you

"We're not doing anything, Elena. He's made his decision, and we have to respect it," he said in frustration. He was fed up of talking about Stefan.

"Damon, you know as well as I do that he still can't control his hunger. He could be killing people left, right and center!" Elena cried, stepping closer to him and holding onto his arm. He desperately tried to ignore the electric current that her touch sent through his body.

"Elena, he's been working hard to get off the human blood. He'll be fine, you need to stop panicking." She looked up at him and bit her lip nervously, clearly struggling to believe him.

"You should've seen his face when we broke up, Damon. He kept switching from rage to sadness. He could do anything whilst in that emotional state," she whispered, gently removing her hand from his arm.

"He just needs space to clear his head. He thought you guys would be able to work things out, so he's in shock. Give him time, he'll come around. For now, we need to focus on killing Klaus." She looked like she was finally listening to him, which was a relief. The last thing he needed right now was Elena disappearing to find Stefan.

"Thanks, Damon. You always know the right thing to say," she murmured, as she wrapped her arms around him and pulled him to her for a hug. When she pulled away, their eyes met again. He noticed how hers drifted to his lips, and could clearly see she was having an internal battle with herself. He knew she had a lot going on right now, and them kissing would just complicate things. So, even though he knew he'd probably regret it later, he pulled away. Being the better man really did suck.

So I pull away
All I do is sit and wait
And I might as well write the words right on my face
That all I want is you, oh is you

He had tried to ignore his feelings for her, but it never worked. He didn't want to feel like this, he'd love to be able to just go back to how he was before he had met her. Living carelessly, doing as he pleased and not having to worry about his damn humanity.

He'd then tried to hide it from Elena, not wanting to start another love triangle. She had figured it out eventually though, what with him trying to kiss her and all.

"What are you thinking about?" She whispered, her inquisitive eyes searching for answers. He couldn't exactly lie to her, but he didn't want to scare her off either. "Just… everything we've been through together the last few months," he sighed, giving her a sad smile. It was true, they'd suffered a lot since Stefan left with Klaus. Even when he finally earned his freedom, things still didn't get better for either of them.

"Well, we can never say our lives are boring, right?" She joked with a half-hearted smile. Damon chuckled lightly, and nodded his head in agreement. "No, we certainly can't."

"I think I'll stay here again tonight. I can't sleep when I'm at home," she said, frowning slightly. She would never feel at ease there again. It seemed like everyone who lived in that house was doomed to die because of some supernatural entity. "Sure. You can choose a different room, if you don't feel comfortable in Stefan's anymore."

Damon watched her as she thought about it. She looked as though she was too afraid to answer him. Then, without saying a word, she climbed into his bed and made herself comfortable. He watched her, totally awestruck when she patted the spot next to her invitingly. It was like she was doing it on purpose… forever testing his control. How could he pretend he didn't want her, when she was planning on sleeping next to him?

Because I've kept my heart under control
Oh but lately all this time has taken its toll
Said I tried to but I can't hold back what's deep in my soul
So darling please forgive me
I want you and you'll just have to know

"I sleep better knowing you're here," she said softly, pleading with him to understand and not walk away. She always knew exactly how to break his resolve.

"Fine," he sighed, shaking his head, annoyed at his own weakness. "I'll get you something comfortable to wear. You can't sleep in jeans." He walked into his closet, and pulled out one of his shirts and a pair of boxer shorts. After handing them to her, he watched her walk into his bathroom. If he was going to sleep next to her all night, he was going to need some bourbon to calm his nerves.

Elena could hear him pouring whiskey from the bathroom, and she immediately felt guilty. He was obviously not overjoyed about her sleeping in his bed, and she could understand why. She was pushing him, like always, and she knew the day when his control snapped was fast approaching. That thought should scare her, but instead it sent a hot jolt of excitement down her spine.

After stripping out of her clothes, she stood clad in her black lace bra and panty set. When she pulled on Damon's shirt and started to button it up, she was instantly enveloped in his heavenly scent, and it brought a relaxed smile to her face. She was eager to get back to him, so she quickly yanked on his boxers, only to have them fall back down to her ankles. There were no ties on them, and she had no idea how she was going to get them to stay on her petite frame.

Damon could hear Elena's huffs and one-word complaints and wondered if he should check to see if she was okay. "Elena, is there a problem?"

"Err, no. I'll be out in a minute!" She yelled, and he couldn't help but laugh at how she always forgot about his sensitive hearing. The sound of her gentle footsteps shook him out of his thoughts and made him turn around, only to be met with a sight that made his jaw drop. There she was, stood directly in front of him, in just his shirt.

"Elena," he said, in an almost warning tone. He couldn't have her sleeping next to him like that; he'd be able to touch the smooth, silky skin of her thighs. He wouldn't be able to control himself, of that he was certain. "I'm certain I gave you some boxer shorts."

"They're too big, I can't stop them from falling down! I have my own underwear on underneath, I promise," she said urgently, worried he would tell her to sleep in a different room, or even worse… go home.

And all my fears creep and crawl across my skin and
These four walls are after me and moving in
And all that I want to do
Is give up, give in, let this one stay where it is
But I don't suppose I will

He allowed her to crawl back into his bed, because even though he wouldn't admit it to her, he could never turn her away. If she wanted to sleep in his bed, then she could any time she wanted to… and he would never be able to put up a fight.

He slid under the comforter, and they immediately turned to face each other, as if there was something that needed to be said. Elena ended up being the one to break the awkward silence, which very rarely surrounded them when they were together.

"Is this… is this difficult for you?" She whispered, carefully analyzing each word before it fell from her lips. The last thing she wanted to do was say something that Damon could take the wrong way, after all this was a sensitive subject… one they never dared talk about.

"Is what difficult for me?" He knew exactly what she was talking about, but wanted to hear her say it, being a masochist and all.

"This… Being near me in this way? I don't want to make you uncomfortable," she said softly, feeling like she was treading on egg shells. His love for her was always a hard subject to address, even more so than discussing her obvious attraction to him. He seemed to be carefully thinking about his answer, clearly having the same problem that she had. Even though they knew they could talk to each other about anything, the one thing that they truly struggled with was their feelings for each other. One of them always seemed to say the wrong thing, and they'd get into a huge fight.

"Yes and no," he finally answered. She raised her eyebrows questioningly, silently telling him to explain. "The lack of clothing doesn't make me uncomfortable… it's knowing that I can't take advantage of it." He said, being honest and blunt. He was exhausted… tired of hiding his feelings from her when she knew full well that he wanted her.

Elena stared at him, unsure of what to say. She hadn't expected that answer. If they'd had this conversation six months ago, she'd have pushed him away and told him that she couldn't go there with him. But her feelings for him had strengthened a lot in the last few months, and now that she was no longer with Stefan she found herself more conflicted than ever before. Sure, she was single now and free to do as she pleased, but in a way it still felt like a betrayal to Stefan. She'd never wanted to be the girl who went from one brother to the next, and knowing that she had the power to worsen the Salvatore brother's already strained relationship absolutely killed her inside.

Because I've kept my heart under control
Oh but lately all this time has taken its toll
Said I tried to but I can't hold back what's deep in my soul
So darling please forgive me
I want you and you'll just have to know

"What makes you think that you can't?" She asked curiously. When she'd broken things off with Stefan, she'd assumed that Damon would be all over her, but if anything he'd been more distant.

"Because… when you're ready to accept this thing between us, when you really want it, that's when you'll be ready for me to take advantage of situations like this. I'm keeping my hands to myself until that day arrives." She instantly felt guilty after he spoke. He thought she didn't want him… how could she not want him? He was everything to her. He'd stood by her through everything, even when she was unintentionally hurting him. When she was around him she couldn't focus on anything else, he consumed her.

"What if I want it now?" She whispered weakly, her voice cracking slightly. She wanted to be reckless with Damon, she wanted to take the risk. Denying her feelings for him was getting them nowhere, so the alternative was to take a chance on him and see where it took them.

"You're confused because Stefan's gone… you don't know what you want," he sighed, and turned off the bedside lamp, silently telling her that the conversation was over. Even though he was trying to put on a display of annoyance, he still turned back to face her before laying his head on the pillows.

"Goodnight, Damon," she whispered, planting a light kiss on his cheek. His eyes snapped open and he started at her, completely bewildered. He couldn't understand why she was making things so difficult for him? Did she want him to struggle with his control? Did she want him to snap and jump her? "Goodnight, 'Lena," he replied, his voice breaking. He sounded like he was in physical pain.

One of these days I'm gonna find myself a way
I'll find the courage and I'll find the grace
And I'm gonna know just what to say
And you'll walk on up when you want this love
When you've had enough and you've given up

Damon woke up in the middle of night when he'd felt a kick to his leg. He glanced at the clock on his bedside table and groaned slightly when it read 3am. He then looked over at Elena, to see if she was awake. He stared at her face, and smiled. She looked so peaceful when she slept. He was about to go back to sleep, when he felt another kick to his leg and heard a moan come from Elena. "Damon!" He quickly sat up, thinking she was awake and something was wrong. When he noticed that her eyes were still shut and her breathing even, he frowned slightly.

Another moan escaped her mouth, and some quiet words. "Damon… feels so… good!" Her fists clenching onto the bed sheets as her back arched the tiniest bit. It was instantly obvious what she was dreaming about, and who she was dreaming about.

"Don't stop!" Her voice was breathy and incredibly sexy; he could feel himself getting hard just from the sound of it. He wasn't sure whether or not to wake her up. He knew he wouldn't be able to sleep whilst she was moaning his name like that, and he was fighting the urge to jump on her, so he only had one option.

"Elena," he murmured, gently nudging her. She didn't even stir, just moaned a little louder. "Elena!" He said again, and this time tapping her arm with a little more force. Nothing happened for a few seconds, and then her eyes began to flutter open. She instantly stared at him, looking completely dazed. "Wow," she whispered, so quietly he only just about heard it. She knew he'd heard her, and amazingly she didn't blush… she didn't even look slightly embarrassed

"Good dream?" He asked, unable to help himself. He bit back the smirk that was dying to form on his lips.

"You have no idea."

"Sure was loud," he chuckled, finding entertainment in the way she began to squirm under his scrutiny. "Care to tell me what happened?" She could've taken it as a rhetorical question, since he obviously knew what happened in her dream.

When she noticed the broad smirk on his face, she decided to have a little fun of her own. "It'd be easier if I showed you," she breathed into his ear seductively, feeling proud of herself when his body tensed. The next thing she knew, he was on top of her. His erection was pressing against her inner thigh, and she smiled smugly up at him, showing him that she knew exactly how much she affected him.

He'd tried hard to keep his control all night, and all she'd done was encourage him to take her… so that's exactly what he was going to do. He reached underneath the shirt she was wearing, and tore her black lace panties from her hips, wasting no time at all. He felt her hand trailing down his stomach, her fingers feeling the V of his hips, before finally reaching the elastic of his boxer shorts and pushing them off him with his help.

She pulled his face down to hers, and their lips met in a passionate kiss that had them both seeing fireworks. Cliché, but true.

"Damon, now!" She whined, arching up into him. He ripped open his shirt that she was wearing, sending buttons flying all around them. He pushed it off her shoulders and threw it on the ground where their underwear was. She began crying out as his mouth tortured her, kissing, sucking and nipping at her neck before slowly making his way down to her exposed breasts. His lips closed on one of her rosy buds, swirling his tongue around it as it hardened in his mouth.

"We can play later!" She moaned, grabbing hold of his rock hard member and moving it towards her tight opening. He chuckled at her lack of patience, but complied with her wishes. He plunged into her, and groaned loudly when he felt how snug she fit around him. "Oh God!" She wailed, digging her nails into his shoulders and drawing blood.

Because I've kept my heart under control
Oh but lately all this time has taken its toll
Said I tried to but I can't hold back what's deep in my soul

Pulling her leg around his hip, he thrust into her powerfully over and over again, hitting her special spot every time. He moaned out her name when he felt her tighten around him, signaling her imminent release. His hand moved in between her thighs and started playing with her clit, to ensure that she went over the edge before he did.

"I love you," she murmured, as their sweat-coated bodies rubbed against each other and he continued to drive into her without abandon. Her inner walls clenched around him more, and as he hit that spot one more time, she fell hard into oblivion, taking him along with her. He yelled out her name as he spilled his seed inside her, and she dropped her head onto the pillow, clenching her eyes shut as she was overcome by the intense pleasure.

He collapsed beside her, dazed and awestruck from what had just happened. He'd had sex many times in his long life, but never had he made love to a woman like that, and it was so amazing that it left him completely overwhelmed.

She immediately curled up into his side, laying her head on his chest. "That was amazing," she whispered, tracing invisible circles on his chest.

"So good that you blurted out those three words in the heat of the moment?" He asked, trying not to reveal how hopeful he was.

"Damon, I don't blame you for not believing me, after everything I've put you through… but I did mean it," she said gently, looking up at him and staring straight into his eyes.

"Where does this leave us?" He couldn't help but ask.

"I don't know… I guess we'll just have to figure things out along the way."

So darling please forgive me
I want you and you'll just have to know.


A/N: Thank you for reading!

Song: Under Control - Parachute.

Reviews appreciated, let me know what you think!

- Mia.