Title: Confessions of a Baby Vampire

Part: 4

Author: Roguie/ SunSpecOps

Fandom: The Vampire Diaries

Pairing: Damon/Elena

Rating: M

Spoilers: Up to and including Graduation 4x23

Summary: The Boarding House is feeling a little full these days, forcing Damon to dip into his endless well of creativity to see that Elena's dreams come true.

Disclaimer: The Vampire Diaries does not belong to me. The fact that I bemoan this relevant piece of information on a nightly basis does nothing to change the fact that I receive no compensation for writing these words. As such, please don't sue; my house is small, my car is useless and my dogs are pains in the arse, but they're all I have.

A/N: What can I say? My muse took a very long vacation and left me with 7 thousand words of this chapter written and wouldn't come back to finish it. It's been a long couple of months folks, deaths, long hours at work, friends that haven't been at their computers so no one to bounce things off of, family activities, birthdays, tattoos, etc etc. I apologise and I'll try to get the next chapter up quicker. But hey, at least this one is almost 12,000 words long. That makes up for it a bit, doesn't it?

Shameless plug: Just for those of you who don't have me on author alert: with in the next two weeks I'll be posting a new one shot entitled Blood, Sex and Magik, where we'll jump a few years ahead into the lives of our group of Mystic Falls' misfits. For the first time I'll be branching out and including group characters, slightly anyway, although the fic will be mainly DE/DEx. So, if you're interested in an immediate gratification fic, throw me on alert. Hopefully I won't disappoint. ;)

A/N2: Thanks for coming back, even though I left you hanging. But hey, 3 weeks until new TVD ;) Looking forward to your reviews – they feed my muse desperately. ;) Hint. Hint. Hint. Love.

~~~VV~~~

For the second night in less than a week, Damon slipped out from under the covers, leaving Elena sound asleep as he crept through the boarding house and to the library. The acrid scent of smoke lingered in the air as he moved closer to the bookshelf in which he'd hidden the delicious little jewel of a journal Elena had started when she'd first chosen to complete the transition from human to vampire, calling him to it helplessly, as sure as a siren's song would lure a sailor to his death.

He'd been lucky; whether she'd noticed the missing journal or not, she'd not mentioned it when she claimed a bookshelf in his room, organizing the little leather bound treasures in chronological order, running a single soft finger over each binding as she smiled wistfully at the memories each book would hold. He'd cringed and waited, eyes filled with guilt as she opened the first page of each journal, giggling at the childlike writing, often coming over to him to share the dates at the top of each page, letting him into a part of her life that she'd kept far away from everyone else. That fact alone did nothing to ease the guilt gnawing at his soul, and he found his mind constantly drawn to the stolen journal that lay a floor below them, a Poe like heartbeat sounding in his ears, the smoke on the air an almost visceral trail to where it lay hidden. He was certain she'd come to her senses and follow her nose any minute as she continued to pull books from the bag, and yet by the grace of whatever power continued looking out for the vampire, she offered up no questions, sparing him the need to come up with any answers.

Instead, he skulked through the shadows of his house like a demon in the dark, creeping guilt darkening his crystal blue eyes as he poured himself a tumbler of bourbon, drinking it down quickly before pouring another and moving across the room. With quiet ease, he started a small fire, never really feeling at home until the sweet smell of freshly burning wood and the crackling of tinder filled the air. Maybe it was a throwback to when he was a child, to a time when only a warm fire stood between his family and a cold death of hypothermia, pneumonia, influenza, all the horrors winter could rain down upon an unprepared society. It could have been that all the memories of his mother's voice always had the subtle pop of a hot fire in the background, especially the nights spent lying at her feet, listening to the beautiful images spun by Dickenson or Longfellow. He once dreamed of the day he'd find the woman that captured his soul so deeply that the words he'd long memorized would fall from his lips, to enchant her as his mother enchanted him. Even once his mother had passed, he'd continued reading poetry; he'd kept up with each new poet as they published, learning their words, dreaming their dreams. He was twenty years into his vampirism before Yeats appeared on scene, capturing the vampire's attention with the Irishman's belief in the oncoming darkness. When Damon read the warnings of the approaching beast, he related those words to himself and found himself drawn steadily into each new publication. Damon firmly believed himself to be the rough beast and it was his time of darkness that was about to sweep over the world. Unfortunately, Yeats also wrote of deep, everlasting love. It was the only time in Damon's flirting relationship with the Irish poetry that the written word fell flat; he had convinced himself that what he felt for Katherine was eternal, undying love suited for the unending lives of immortal demons, but when Yeats spoke of love, it wasn't Katherine's soul he could see in the words. He'd struggled with it for decades, going as far as to argue with the poet himself in the early 1900s, attempting to force the man to see what true love was without the blindfold of mythology. It had ended in a stalemate, Yeats insisting the impression left by "When You Are Old" was nothing but fact and Damon insisting that time and space could never affect the intensity of love; that the emotion would always be first and foremost, never clouding, shading or changing.

Short of the vampire snapping and draining the poet he had once found most inspiring, they could come to no common ground, and Damon left that meeting in disappointment. He'd gone fifty years without seeing his love by this point, and the pain burned in his chest as sharply as it had the night Katherine had been taken from him. No amount of time had dulled that, and he couldn't for a single second believe that any amount of time would do so.

He swallowed thickly, regretting the century between then and now, wishing that Yeats hadn't been dead ninety years so that he could apologize for his youth and misunderstanding. A hundred and fifty years had clouded his memory of Katherine, clouded his opinion of her, and in the end, he'd been almost irreparably wounded by his misjudgement. It had all changed after spending time with Elena. Suddenly Yeats' words made more sense; he could imagine her at sixty, seventy years old, thinking back over the years and smiling as her thoughts fell upon him. He could see her closing her eyes in a chair by a fire and dreaming of the way he'd once looked at her, of the way his dead heart's beat sounded just for her. It all made sense, striking him with all the subtlety of a freight train; he'd fallen at her feet, her willing puppet, and he'd drowned himself in her humanity, allowing it to shape and change him without remorse.

His heart now stuttered with sudden grief at the loss of Elena's humanity; Yeats' beautiful words, only now understood, would never be meant to be hers again. Her face would never change, her memory would never dim, and nothing would be held with reverence because her life would never end. He had taken her humanity from her; yes his blood had been forced on her, but he'd encouraged her to make the transition, he taught her to hunt and feed and he taught her to enjoy it. In a funny way, Yeats was right again:

Come away, o human child

Through the waters and the wild

With a fairie hand in hand,

For the world's more full of weeping

Than you can understand.

He and Stefan were the fairies that took her hands and led her away from her innocence into death. He sighed deeply, sparing a moment for respect and mourning of what she'd lost before pushing it down and locking it away. He couldn't afford to spend a second regretting the beautiful creature she'd become. Stefan hadn't learned that lesson and she'd slipped through his fingers while he fought to save her, to cure her; Damon wouldn't make the same mistake. She was his now, for eternity; instead of wasting even a second, he'd spend them all making up for what they'd taken from her.

Settling down in front of the fire, Damon carefully opened the little black book of secrets, turning to a page from a more recent time. He traced a single finger over the date, smiling softly with the innocence that always appeared on that particular day, year after year. Of course, considering the string of un-Elena-like curses that opened up this particular journal entry, perhaps innocence wasn't quite the right word.

December 25,

Stupid fucking vampire with his stupid fucking moralistic issues about a stupid fucking sire bond that means absolutely squat in the grand scheme of everything else that we've already been through.

I know he's pushing me away. I'm not stupid. I spent the night in his bed digging holes in the palms of my hands so that I didn't accidentally touch him and scare him away. He's so withdrawn now; it's only been days and yet I miss so very much about him. He used to brush my hair off my shoulders just to rub his knuckles across my cheek. He used to bump his shoulder into mine just to ground me and remind me that he'd always be there. He used to hold my gaze like we'd never see each other again, and it was always ridiculously intimate. He'd do it no matter who was in the room, always like I was the center of his universe, and it hurts so badly now that he won't even look in my direction.

He doesn't believe that I could love him. In desperation to do the right thing months ago, I chose wrong. I've always chosen wrong. I was a stupid scared little girl that had lost everyone and without realizing it, I lost the one person who meant the most. He's planning on leaving if we can't find this cure or find a way to break this stupid sire bond. He hasn't said it, but I can see it in the way he's keeping me at arm's length. He's shutting down on me, and if that happens, I'll lose him forever.

I wish I could prove to him how much I cared before I transitioned. I wish my stupid little mortal brain could have fathomed how deeply I was hurting us every time I turned to Stefan, forgave Stefan, chose Stefan. I wish I'd told him of the nights I spent dreaming of him, how I'd wake up every morning with my sheets tangled around my legs, my body screaming out for his touch, and tears in my eyes when I realized that I was always alone.

I should have told him how badly I wanted him when I was human. Those nights when he'd show up unexpectedly and invite himself into my bed… I never told him that I'd purposely stay awake, waiting, so that I could fall asleep in his arms.

Now I can't tell him how badly I wish I'd said something back then… back when I was alive. Maybe if I was warm with life, he'd go back to being desperate to touch me. Maybe if I bent more under the force of his kisses, he wouldn't be able to walk away. Maybe if he could hurt me, mark me, drink from me like he has all the others, he'd stay with me. Stefan didn't want me like this. Caroline hates me like this. Jeremy sees me as something to kill, and I'm pretty sure Matt is subconsciously terrified of me. Why should Damon feel the same way he did when I was human if no one else does? Why should I expect that of him just because he spent a year chasing me, living in the shadow of who I thought I was just to be near to me? Why should I expect anything of him when I'm nothing more than a killing machine on a timer? Eventually I'm going to snap; eventually it will be more than just an immortal hunter that I kill. Eventually there isn't going to be anything left of the Elena they all claimed to have loved and then what's going to be left for Damon? All I'll end up being is another version of Katherine, so why should I expect him to love me now?

I can't say it doesn't hurt. I love him. I'm stupidly, blindly, put a ring on my finger and sign the license cause there's no going back now kind of in love with him. Of course, how many times did I say that about Stefan? Why should either of them believe a single word I say now? Stefan doesn't believe that we're over and Damon doesn't believe that we're endgame. It's all my fault. I waited too long. I may have broken them both.

I wish Jeremy had slept through the night in Denver. I wish we'd never been given that time to think about where our actions were going to take us if we didn't show some semblance of control. I wish we'd have just gone on instinct. If he knew, honestly knew, how badly I'd wanted him that night, he'd know, sire bond or not, that I've been his since the moment we met.

Even if I didn't remember it at the time.

~E

He swallowed thickly, absorbing her pained words; he'd done as much damage to her as she'd done to him as a human, but rather than whining and sulking about it, she'd found the strength to pick up and carry on. It was sad, really, that an eighteen year old had a higher level of maturity than his own. Maybe he could fix a little of the heartbreak before they pushed any further forward.

He slid the little journal back onto its shelf, hiding it far to the back of old logging journals where it was less than likely that anyone would ever think to look. His jaw clenched momentarily as he quietly glanced around the room, his eyebrow lifted in suspicion.

"Keep this between us, buddy. This is one bump I don't need to deal with, ever."

Whether Ric was there or not he couldn't be sure, but he was pretty confident that his old friend wouldn't sell him down the river like that. Especially after how hard they'd worked for Damon to finally get the girl.

"And quit calling me an idiot. I'd rather think of myself as a genius… at least until I get caught."

He dimmed the lights and put out the fire, tucking a book of Yeats' poetry under his arm. He had an idea, a brilliant idea. Positively Nobel Prize award winning idea.

Maybe they couldn't actually travel back in time, but Damon was a particularly talented individual. Left in his hands, for a while it could at least seem like they had.

~~~VV~~~

God damn, a good contractor could get a lot accomplished in a few simple days, given the right motivation.

The Gilbert house had been completely removed. Not a single trace of the charred two story home remained. Quietly, Damon hoped Bill had listened to instruction and certain items had been allocated to the large aluminum building that had been temporarily erected in the yard. Still, the vampire had been asked not to hover, so he quietly kept his opinion to himself.

A head appeared over the foundation wall as Bill Clovers climbed out of what would one day again be the Gilbert basement. He used the framework for the first floor that was already in place to steady his movements as he hoisted himself onto the front lawn.

"Salvatore," he called, waving the vampire over. "As you can see, demo and disposal are complete. I pulled three full crews out for this. Couldn't have done it faster, probably will never get it done that fast again. The basic frame work is up on the main floor, the second floor should be completely framed by end of day tomorrow." The middle aged man pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and mopped the sweat from his brow. "Bribed one of the city inspectors earlier to clear his schedule. Guy will be here tomorrow to declare the foundation and framework; I'll have building, electrical, water and heating permits mid-afternoon. We'll start proper construction the next morning."

Damon nodded quietly, moving around the foundation to find the tree he'd used to climb through Elena's window, cringing as he took in the burnt limbs and heavily damaged bark. "See that your landscaper makes an effort to save this tree, if at all possible."

Bill shrugged, noting the tree on a clipboard. "Is there a hutch of bunnies in the yard you'd like us to find foster homes for while we're at it?" He had a gruff laugh and a good sense of humour; Damon never regretted keeping the man on call.

"Only if you catch my brother lurking around," Damon chuckled to himself before realizing the inside joke made him look even more ridiculous than his request to save the stupid tree. Fuck. He was getting soft in his old age. "You got the blue prints I sent over, I assume?"

"Sure thing. Only, the design of the home was a bit out dated. Are you certain you don't want to browse through a few options my architect put together? You'd be making better use of the space and it would likely be far more energy efficient, what with heating and all."

Damon sighed. "Listen, I don't give a rat's ass what nifty little energy efficient, water saving, feed the starving toys you people want to put in the house. Put them all in. Great. Fantastic. Whatever. But every single wall, every single window and door, every single last tile and cabinet will be constructed exactly as I've given you. Our contract is signed, Mr. Clovers; if so much as a shower curtain rod is out of place, you won't see a cent of the extremely generous budget I've allotted you." Damon paused, watching the man pale, his friendly demeanor disintegrating under the quiet fury of the predator in front of him. Damon held his gaze for only a moment before turning away and running his hand through his dark hair, staring off into the distance. "Have it finished by the end of August, exactly to my specifications, and save that tree, however? I'll double what I'm paying you as a cash bonus. Are we clear?"

When the man was able to pick his jaw up from where he dropped it, he began to nod vigorously. "Of course, Mr. Salvatore."

Damon smiled. "Glad we have an understanding, then. I'll expect to see the outside walls up by the end of the week."

With no further word to the man, Damon spun on his heel, returning to the Camaro without ever looking back. He didn't doubt Bill Clover's skills, but a good relationship of fear and reward always needed to be refreshed when time dimmed the memory of previous dealings.

Damon now had no doubt that the blue prints he'd provided would be followed to absolute spec. In the end, that was all that mattered.

~~~VV~~~

That night was spent caring for Elena quietly, catering to her human side, one may say. Damon cooked the three of them an impressive meal, watching quietly as the siblings laughed and joked amongst themselves. He didn't even bat an eye when a cherry tomato flew at Elena's head, or when a slice of cucumber slapped Jeremy in the face, sticking ridiculously to his cheek as he stared at his sister in mock horror.

Admittedly, he was surprised when the teenagers rose to help with the dishes. He was less surprised when dishwater suds were thrown in his face and water dripped down to stain his grey t-shirt.

His curiosity, however, was peaked when Jeremy hung back once Elena excused herself from the kitchen to call Caroline. Usually the boy had disappeared by this time to his room, to his Xbox, to wherever recently resurrected teenagers disappear to in the night in a hopeless attempt to deal with the shit life had thrown their way. Tonight, however, he fell quiet, shifting his weight from foot to foot nervously as his eyes flickered between Damon and the empty space two feet away from the somewhat irritated vampire.

"Okay, out with it Junior Ghost Whisperer. What exactly is Casper the Peeping Vampire Hunter pushing to shed his opinion on tonight?"

Jeremy shrugged. "He really won't say. He wants to know if you know what you're getting into."

Damon smirked. "I know who I'm getting into, if that's what he's asking."

Jeremy grimaced, shaking his head in disgust. "Dude, that's my sister!"

Damon shrugged, grinning, daring the boy to challenge him. "Nature over nurture, I suppose."

"Seriously, he wants to know if you've thought about what you're doing. And he means the consequences not the actions. Dick."

"Wait, did he call me a dick, or did you?" Damon's grin was unstoppable now, his eyes shining with true appreciation of the moment.

"It was mutual."

"Yeah, well the two of you sharing a dick is less surprising than it is disgusting. Shame on you, Ric, he's just an innocent boy!"

Jeremy sighed. "He says don't screw this up."

"Keep your mouth shut and we won't have to revisit this conversation for your incessant I told you sos. You know what they say, loose lips sink ships." He brushed off Jeremy's concerned gaze and moved towards the hallway. "Which makes me wonder, can ghost ships sink? You should try going on a cruise, Ric, maybe something from White Star Line, and let me know how that works out for you."

He ran his hands through his hair nervously as he made his way up the stairs. At least for now Ric was staying mum about the journal. Elena wouldn't find out. Fuck, it wasn't like he was doing this to hurt her anyway, he was just indulging in some mutual fun times, made all the better as the remarkably innocent little creature he was lucky enough to call his girlfriend began letting her hair down. They were harmless fantasies that he had absolutely no problem indulging in, especially when they ended with her writhing desperately in his arms.

"Yo, Damon."

The vampire paused, turning slowly to eye the teenager with trepidation. "Yo? Are you serious right now?"

Jeremy waved his hand dismissingly. "We can argue about my vocabulary when I've been alive more than a week. Listen, I want to talk to you. About Elena."

"Thanks for the clarification, Captain Obvious."

Jeremy frowned, shaking his head. "Can you be serious for one minute?"

In a blink, Damon was in front of the boy's face, fangs down, eyes filled with blood. "Never, for one second, make the mistake of thinking that I'm not serious. Especially when it comes to Elena. Who, if I have to remind you, can hear every word of this little brotherly exchange."

Jeremy huffed quietly, but didn't back down as he met Damon's vampire visage without fear. "Jesus, you know I told her to go for you? Even after all the shit you pulled, I figured you loved her enough to make it work. We all fucking encouraged this, except for Caroline and I'm not gonna ask what she's got against you. My sister has been in love with you forever. She loved Stefan, but she went stupid once she got to know you, so don't think I'm surprised to see how happy she's been, living here."

Damon swallowed heavily, clenching his jaw against the rough emotion that swelled over him and threatened to shine through his deep blue eyes that were once again human and vulnerable. He instantly composed his expression, backing two stairs up to put space between him and the teenager that was taunting his heart as surely as if he had a hand deep inside the vampire's chest. Damon swallowed a final time, blinking the emotion from his eyes, glancing down at his watch and sighing heavily.

"Is there a point to this heart to heart, little brother by proxy, because you're about to witness the impossible." He lowered his voice to a taunting whisper, lips curving into a smile as one blue eye winked slowly. "I'm growing old listening to you."

"Jesus, what the hell does she see in you?!" Jeremy snapped impatiently, causing the vampire's smirk to widen.

"Do you want the details? Or just a quick over view?" He pulled his phone from his pocket and wagged his eyebrows. "I may have actual video, if you're really interested."

"Forget it. Just don't hurt my sister. That's all I wanted to say. Ric won't tell me what it is, but I know you're up to something. He's worried which worries me, so just don't."

"Or what?" Damon couldn't help the way his lips curved up or his eyes rolled. It was simple mathematics. Two centuries trumped sixteen years, every time.

"Or I will find a way to hurt you. Vampires can't grow back extremities, can they?" Jeremy's eyes surreptitiously traveled down the vampire's body, lingering for a moment on the prominent display of anatomy that even soft was well framed by jeans meant to acknowledge its undeniable presence.

Damon's lips pursed and his brow furrowed as he frowned at the teenager. Jeremy was tenacious enough to pull off a vervain and hack job, of that Damon had no doubt.

"Your sister would kill you," he muttered quietly as he reached down to blatantly adjust the body part in question.

"Pretty used to that by now," Jeremy grinned, and then shrugged quietly. "Depending on what you're up to, she may help."

Damon was left with no choice but to nod in agreement. Elena's ferocity was unquestionable. "Okay, then. Point made and baby brother bonding time is just about up." Damon turned his back on the boy and took the last few steps to the landing with sleek vampire grace. He paused at the top as he heard Jeremy sigh and turn to head back into the kitchen. "I warned her, you know, that I'd hurt her, and she still chose me."

In tune with the vampire's needs, Jeremy kept his back to the stairwell as he nodded. "Like I said, she went stupid when she met you."

Damon grinned quietly before allowing the hood of eternal fear and concern to cloud his gaze. "I won't do it on purpose. I won't really hurt her if I can help it."

Jeremy smiled. "And that's why you're still alive. Bro."

The tension between them dissipated and both guys carried on to their destinations: Jeremy towards the freezer and a bowl of ice cream, Damon towards his bedroom and a night of Elena's charms.

Neither would speak of the conversation in the morning.

~~~VV~~~

It was late; the room was dark and filled with shadows when Damon opened his eyes. Elena had been on the phone with Caroline for hours. From what he could tell, the blonde vampire was trying to convince his girlfriend to join her on a cross country road trip. Caroline had become obsessed with the idea of college and she wanted Elena to visit several with her before they decided which would suit their needs the best.

He'd watched silently, first as Elena filed her nails as she sat in the center of his large bed while he lay on his back next to her, hands behind his head, an eyebrow tweaked in amusement. He had watched as she painted her toes a deep blood red, the cell phone held on her shoulder expertly as she argued against the concept of a week-long trip where she'd be far from both Jeremy and Damon. He had watched as she changed into the tiniest excuse for boy shorts that he had ever laid eyes on, matched only by what he could only assume was the flimsiest camisole she currently owned. Her phone laid resting on the sink when she started preparing for bed, her vampire hearing sharp enough that the speaker option wasn't necessary to listen to what had to be an endless list of why Elena positively *had* to accompany Caroline on her newest adventure.

He never took his eyes off Elena as she brushed her teeth, laughing silently as she took the time to bring out her inner monster, unsheathing her twin points of ivory death and cleaning those as well. He had swallowed thickly as she bent forward, flipping her hair into a waterfall of silky brown waves before tying it into a tight pony tail. The creamy boy shorts clinging to her delicious ass, the light colour a heavy contrast against her dark skin, forced his mouth to go dry as his eyes pinned to her gracious curves and his body instantly hardened in anticipation.

He'd caught Elena's attention, then, when he blurred out of his clothing and lay back on the bed, one arm under his head, his upper body raised by two fluffy pillows. He was completely back in position and eying her toned thighs and behind before she'd turned to glance at him over her shoulder.

He'd caught her gaze, a slow grin curving his lips as his blue eyes began to sparkle mischievously. Her eyes flicked to her phone in warning as she watched his cock visibly harden and rise from where it had been resting, earning her a shrug as he slid his free hand across his firm stomach, the sparkle in his eyes dying and shifting into something far darker and far more dangerous.

Elena's body had instantly reacted to the ferocity of his gaze, borrowed blood flushing her cheeks, her eyes locked onto the path of his powerful hand, her thumb finding its way between her teeth while his fingers wrapped around his eager cock head, his thumb dipping into the wetness that glistened over the silky skin, tracing down the underside, each inch of sensitive flesh bringing a new shudder of pleasure to his strong frame.

He had refused to listen to her strained words as she attempted to answer whatever Caroline asked at that moment, choosing instead to focus on her lush lips, her thumb still captured firmly between her human teeth, choking back the whimper he could almost see building in her throat. The visceral scent of her arousal filled his hyper aware senses, coaxing a rough growl from his lips, echoed immediately by the swift whine Elena could no longer contain. His face shifted and his fangs dropped in response, his beast struggling for freedom to meet the sudden needs of his mate. His fingers tightened around his incredibly throbbing flesh, beginning a slow, torturous rhythm, his own pre-cum allowing his fist to slide easily from tip to sac.

He had watched as Elena glanced back at the phone on the counter and then back to his fingers as they coaxed his erection longer and thicker, the head swelling and darkening with every stroke of his expert touch.

Come on, baby, he thought silently, willing her with his burning gaze to close the distance between them. He stroked himself harder, fighting the urge to close his eyes as he groaned softly at the pleasure his own hand brought him under the watchful eye of his nearly desperate girlfriend.

When her own fingers snaked down the front of those sinful boy shorts, he knew he had her. Reluctantly releasing his aching cock, he lifted his fingers to his lips, gesturing for silence before using the same finger to beckon her to him.

Damon flashed her a wicked grin as Elena hesitantly left her best friend in mid-sentence, the blonde's voice becoming mere background noise as the brunette crawled over the foot of their bed, and Damon secured both hands behind his head, his erection standing proudly unattended.

If he thought her willingness to leave Caroline hanging surprised him, he was immediately floored when her warm little lips, instead of meeting his in the hot kiss he'd been expecting, wrapped around the swollen, weeping head of his cock. His own bid for silence flew from his mind as he arched up from the bed, an uncontrollable shudder rolling up his body as his fingers moved to tighten around his headboard, the suddenly stressed wood groaning in unison with the startled vampire.

Dirty, uncensored comments filled what was left of his suddenly blown mind. Fuck, how badly he wanted her to suck him deep, he wanted to feel her human teeth scrape against the girth of him, he wanted her to swallow him whole, to take him into her hot, tight throat and groan around him. He wanted her warm little fingers around his balls, squeezing him, stroking him, he wanted her other hand down her shorts, flicking her swollen clit, fucking her tight channel while she pleasured him. He wanted her to come hard on her own hand as she swallowed his pulsing flesh and he coated her throat with his release.

The half whimper, half growl that escaped his lips startled him out of his reverie long enough to realize Elena's dark eyes were pinned to his face, mischief dancing in the chocolate pools filled with desire, and suddenly Damon found himself wondering if he'd spoken aloud. He figured he had his answer when she quite blatantly slid her hand down her body, across her flat stomach, under the flimsy piece of cloth and lace covering her treasures from his view, and slipped her fingers into her dripping folds. She'd gasped around his straining cock as she pinched her clit lightly, closing her eyes in pleasure, taking him deep into the back of her mouth, ripping an echoing gasp and groan from his own lips while she purred against his flesh in satisfaction.

He jerked up, hissing sharply, swelling to an impossible girth as the tip of his cock hit the back of her throat, the fluttering, heated channel sucking at him mercilessly, taunting him until on a sharply hissed curse, his fingers found her hair and pulled her hard onto his tortured member.

White heat built fast, lightening blistering across his gaze, through his brain, up his spine until nothing remained but the over powering urge to thrust into her, deeper and deeper, until her throat closed around every last inch of him, clutching at him, teeth scraping his wide base, fingernails scraping at his tightened balls. When she brought on her own orgasm, groaning heavily around the flesh filling her mouth and throat, the sensation had been just enough to throw him off the ledge he'd been so precariously perched upon, and with one last aching swell, he surged upwards, driving streams of release down her throat, filling her mouth as he began to pull backwards. When he'd finally looked down at her face held firmly between his hands, the sight of her grinning up at him, a small rope of release glistening at the corner of her lips, drove him into blackness on the waves of her sudden giggles that she couldn't deny were filled with female pride.

He assumed she went back to her conversation with Caroline afterwards; he'd gone between a light sleep and semi-alertness for quite some time before she'd finally joined him in bed. He laid beside her for over an hour just listening to her slow heartbeat and the unnecessary breaths she took purely by habit. He grinned to himself as she turned in her sleep towards him, nuzzling her face against his chest, her hand slipping to grip his thin hip as she fought to find the position she was most comfortable, finally attained when one olive skinned, well-toned calf and five chilly toes tucked between his legs, the heat of her lace covered core pressed tightly against his bare thigh.

His chest rumbled softly while she settled against him, her breathing evening out once more, the absolute trust she placed in him to sleep in his arms warming and filling the cavern within his chest. Careful not to wake her, Damon slid his hand gently up her back, her smooth skin like silk against his fingertips. He sighed softly when her hair fluttered across his knuckles, shifting her only enough that he could touch his forehead to hers, breathing in her scent, filling his lungs with her breath.

"I love you, you know?" he whispered softly against her skin before closing his eyes.

It only took a soft push to slip into her mind, the blood they frequently shared smoothing his journey past her infantile defences and within moments he found himself deep within her thoughts. His arms tightened around her as he approached the vision of her in their dream, standing alone in complete darkness, her skin standing out brilliantly against the flowing white gown that wrapped around her slim body.

"Where are we?"

Her voice rang in his mind like the finest note from the most well-tuned flute, and a shiver coursed through him both in spirit and in body. He moved behind her, sliding a hand down her arm until his warm fingers rested against the flat expanse of her stomach. The heat of her skin scorched his cool flesh, her heart beating at the speed of a hummingbird, her breath coming in short gasps as her eyes widened and she shivered against him.

"I… I'm human," she whispered softly, her eyes wide with awe as she trembled against him, the same eyes that fell closed when his mouth moved from her ear to her neck, nibbling softly.

"For tonight," he smiled against her skin, blowing cool breath over flesh that had forgotten how it felt to be warm.

"How are you doing this?"

He shrugged against her, nuzzling her neck, breathing in her sweet essence. "A lot of vampires can to some kind of degree, I'm just better than most."

"Hmm, I see dream you is just as cocky as usual."

He grinned softly, nipping at her shoulder until she squeaked. "Are you planning on being mouthy all night, or would you like to see what I can really do?"

The scenery around them began swirling, stopping only as moments of their lives began clarifying in the space where once only darkness existed. Elena watched in quiet awe as she witnessed herself meeting Damon for the first time; she cringed quietly as she watched herself treat him with scornful distain; she watched as they drank and danced in Atlanta, as she begged for his life when Bonnie held it in her hands, as she crushed his fragile heart when he so tentatively held it out for her.

Her Damon held her close, stroking her hair gently as he leaned down, his lips softly brushing the shell of her ear. "You have your journals, Elena, my memories are my journal." When tears formed in her eyes and an apology on her lips, he slowly quieted her with a soft finger and kissed away the fresh salty trail. "Memories can't hurt me, Elena, besides I was a dick. I know that. Not saying you couldn't have melted a little quicker, but that just means we have more time to make up for." He wagged his eyebrows at her and a giggle escaped her lips rather than the sob that had been forming.

Damon redirected her attention back to the universe around them as they spun through the next months of their lives: his secret confession of love, his downward spiral after Rose's demise, his desperation to keep Elena alive at any cost, and their deathbed moment of truth. Her fingers interlaced with his over her heart as it pounded its unsteady human beat.

"Even though I was dying, this was the most precious moment in my life. Not even my second death could take that from me." He scowled softly as the memory played through and he received his cure. "Not even Katherine."

The memories spun again, and Elena watched all the moments that stunned her out of her teenaged infatuation with Stefan, leading her down the burning path of lust and love where all crossroads led to Damon. She watched as he made her laugh, as he made her heart skip beats, as he slipped his way past all her defences and once again proved that he'd always put her above anyone, including himself. She watched the pleasure he took in the nights he spent in her bed, in the time he spent with her alone, in everything he did that had anything to do with her at all. She watched as he handed her back to Stefan without question, his heart breaking silently while she struggled to find the happiness she was determined to rediscover. He never asked for anything more than her to remember how they could be together, and when indecision finally reared its ugly head in her heart, he was there to catch her as she began to fall. Watching it now without the Stefan shaped shadow of guilt clouding her view, she could see how completely selfless Damon had become for her. Only when Stefan pushed her towards Damon did Damon begin to fight back. Only when it became apparent to everyone around her that she was rapidly swinging on the wrong side of the Salvatore pendulum, did he push her limits. Only then had she found herself unable to avoid the circle of his arms, the warmth of his kiss, the ache in her chest that was only subdued when it was Damon's hands on her traitorous body.

With nothing more than a blink, the scenery faded around her and Elena found herself outside their motel room in Denver, breathing the cool air deeply into her starved lungs, Damon's presence behind her as overpowering as it had been the night it had all happened.

"I don't do regret," Damon mused quietly from his position ten feet away. "A vampire's life is too long to spend it wondering what if? What if I hadn't compelled you the night of the bon fire? What if it had been you that night on your porch instead of Katherine? What if I'd never taken away your knowledge of my love? What if I'd fought harder before Blondie's dog took a chunk out of me? What if I'd pushed that night you had me come to you at Alaric's? Or the night on your porch? Or here?" She could hear the longing in his voice; when she closed her eyes she could feel him reaching for her, his need for her love just as apparent now as it had been then. Everything ached inside of him, every atom of his body, every fragment of his soul cried out for her. He existed to be with Elena, and for once in his incredibly long life he did nothing to dim the desperate want for her that radiated from him with his every breath. "Even still, I regret this night above all our other missed opportunities. I wish more than anything that Jeremy had stayed asleep, that Rose had better timing, that our lives weren't such a soap opera fucking horror show that we'd have had the time we needed to see what we were to each other. Who knows what would have happened? You can sure as hell bet you wouldn't have been in the busboy's truck that night, either way." He paused as he heard her breath hitch, listening to her human responses as naturally as he had when her own fresh blood coursed through her veins. "Don't get me wrong, I don't give a God damn if you're human or vampire, Elena, I never have. I will spend every second of the rest of my life living for you, protecting you, loving you. I wasted a hundred and fifty years on the practice version of you. I've only ever wanted the real you. Elena Gilbert. Human. Vampire. Fuck, we could face a freakishly left field plot twist and find out that you're a dormant hybrid just waiting to wolf out and eat my face and I would still love you without question. You will always still be you." He waited for his words to sink in before he sighed softly. "We all have stupid dreams that we don't deserve to come true, Elena. I just got lucky, I guess."

"Damon, don't." Her voice was pained, filled with the knowledge of the own ache she harboured for this very night to have gone differently. Damon's offer of a redo, no matter how imaginary, pulled her to him with no less pressure than his silent gaze had on this very spot only a year before.

"Why not?" He'd never been one for long speeches, declarations, change, but with Elena only feet away, her body flush with living blood and human trepidation, the temptation proved to be too much. The time for gentleness had passed, and the next word to fall from his lips came out broken, filled with the aching wound of his love that she'd only just begun to heal. Tonight had started out for her, but as they stood there and he lost himself in the memory, something inside him shifted and his last vestige of guilt and regret began to fade, leaving him only with the raw emotion that arched the distance between them with its electric power. "Elena."

She was in his arms before he'd realized she moved, crashing into him with all the force her fragile human body contained. This time it was her lips that devoured his, her need to show him exactly how much he deserved this dream overwhelming her desire for control. Where once he backed her across the balcony, this time she backed him up against a motel room door. They had no fear of being caught, there was no desperation whilst thinking that this could be the last time, no guilt or hesitation that this wasn't exactly what should be.

Her heart flushed blood through her veins with a rapid frenzy, her cheeks flushing red, a light headed dizziness weakening her knees until she remembered that here she had to breathe. When she pulled her lips from his, her lungs convulsed reflexively, drawing oxygen into her at the same time as the whisper of Damon's breath, the scent of leather and bourbon mixing with the drug that was Damon's skin. She groaned desperately, her fingers tightening painfully into his hair, knotting into his raven locks as she forced his lips back onto her own, pouring every ounce of the confidence she felt in him back into his starving soul.

"Fuck, 'Lena," he breathed against her throat when they pulled away for her to breathe again. His lips breezed a cool trail over her heated skin, bringing a path of goose bumps out across her perfect flesh. "Jesus," he whispered, pressing his lips to every inch of skin he could reach, determined to kiss each and every single bump as proof of his devotion to her humanity.

Not for the first time, he cursed the unforgiving denim that trapped his suddenly too hard and too sensitive cock in a death grip of rough fabric and aching flesh. The tiny mewls of pleasure that escaped from Elena's kiss swollen lips did nothing to help his situation, rather the way her now unfamiliarly heated body curled into his, the way her fingers pulled his head exactly to where she wanted his lips, the way her molten core rode the single knee he'd forced between her long legs, every single tiny human reaction she had to his lips against her skin only served to force him harder. The head of his cock wept pre-cum against the zipper that threatened to imprint each and every single metal tooth into skin already stretched too tight.

Allowing her to take lead lasted a total of three entire minutes; when his lips grew frantic for more than just the pulse of her frantic heart beneath them, when his hands itched to find more flesh than was available to his desperate fingers, when he wanted nothing more than to tear the clothes from their bodies and drive himself into depths hotter and tighter than anything he could imagine, his eyes faded from blue to blood before she had a chance to draw in a simple, shaking breath.

The moment his vampire face appeared, Damon stripped Elena of any control she may have had. His fingers dug into the curve of her behind, lifting her against him as he spun them, wrenching a gasping groan from her lips as he slammed her back into the door hard enough that the wood bent in protest, splintering slightly around the hinges. He lifted her high enough to grind himself wantonly against her heat, nipping at her jaw, her throat, the shell of her ear with razor sharp fangs, tongue darting out to lick away the small droplets of blood that he drew from her tender flesh.

"Back then," he groaned hoarsely into her ear on a breath heated by the rush of borrowed blood through his pounding heart. "I'd have had you that night, right here, where God, Jeremy and both our dead mothers could have seen. You consumed me, Elena. Every tiny little bit of control you thought I had was faked. I could've killed Jeremy that night… again. You'll never know how close I came to just snapping his neck, shoving you back into that room and taking what I wanted so fucking badly, but I couldn't. I couldn't be selfish. I couldn't force you to be with me, you had to want it, it had to be real."

He grinned against her skin, nipping her lightly once more. "Tonight, however…" He pulled away and opened the door behind her, moving them both into the small motel room that he'd recreated down to the tiniest detail.

The rabid need to tear cloth from flesh dissipated as the air between them crackled with the familiar energy of their passion. Damon's lips curved into a self-satisfied smirk as he spun Elena out of his arms and into the center of the room, her movement stopped only by the touch of his fingertips to her own.

Gentle music poured from the walls around them, surrounding them in the light notes of a piano melody older than Damon himself. He pulled her back to him, her small body smoothing flush against his strong chest as they began to move in slow circles. He spun her again, slower this time, catching her by the shoulders, his fingers splayed out across her stomach, the curve of her ass moulding to his groin, steel against silk, as he urged her hips to move in time with his own.

Gentle fingers brushed long tresses of hair from her shoulder and cool lips lowered to suckle the warm flesh at the junction of her neck. The smooth scent of her arousal coupled with the rush of blood below his lips taunted his monster. Dark veins skittered across his face as his eyes filled once again with blood and wickedly sharp fangs descended to lightly pierce soft skin.

"This is what you do to me, Elena," he breathed into her ear, monster and man united as he turned her in his arms and walked her backwards to the bed. "This is what you've always done to me, what you'll always do to me." He lowered her gently onto the mattress, kissing and nipping a path from throat to breast, only to return almost immediately to her lips, drinking from her as a man even as he craved drinking from her as a monster equally as desperately. As she writhed beneath his larger form, her legs wrapped around his thin waist, her nails digging into his shoulders, her own human teeth pulling at his lower lip until a tiny semblance of his control slipped and his hips lurched forward, driving the painfully hard evidence of his own arousal against the welcoming warmth that was all Elena.

The gasping moan that escaped her lips was sweeter than the most pure musical note as yet discovered, at least to Damon's ears. He dragged his mouth from hers, across her cheek to her ear, sucking heavily on her soft lobe while he struggled to rein in his rampant desire. When he finally spoke again, his voice was breathless, barely more than a whisper, but it sent a distinct shiver down her spine and her skin erupted in a maze of goose bumps.

"There will never come a time when I am not utterly," he nipped at the plump lobe of her ear gently. "Completely," his tongue traced the shell, bringing on a whole new series of shivers. "Stupidly," he lifted one hand to palm the ample curve of her breast, squeezing softly. "Recklessly," his hips began grinding in a slow, determined circle, ripping fresh whimpering moans from her nearly boneless form. "Eternally in love with you, Elena Gilbert." He returned his lips to hers, kissing her so gently that they met with the barest of pressure. "Even if the day comes that you no longer want me."

He watched her eyes fly open, denial warring with lust in their deep chocolate depths, her lips parting on a protest that he silenced with his own. She was eighteen years old, she had no idea how long eternity could be; he, on the other hand, would always hear the incessant ticking of time in the back of his mind, counting down the seconds until she realized how much more she deserved than the damaged vampire that she consumed entirely with her every smile.

Rather than let her dwell on the resignation that swam in the bleeding ocean of his eyes, Damon returned his attention to the thin scrap of fabric that covered Elena's body. Reverent fingers drew the cloth from her skin, baring more and more of her flawless olive flesh to his hungry gaze. In this single instance, fantasy was just as perfect as reality.

Cool lips danced across warm skin. He pulled her dark nipple between his lips, teeth and tongue ripping the most delicious of moans from her throat as he suckled her hungrily. Each flick of his tongue across her pebbled flesh drove her hips up into his, forcing him to smother his own wanton growl of lust as her moist core heated him even through the shelter of his jeans.

In a flash he was off of her, tearing his clothes from his body, pinning her in place with a smouldering, lust filled gaze that promised her a forever filled with all the pleasure he could provide.

Once free of all constriction, his erection standing proud as Damon gazed down at her, her olive skin flushed pink from arousal, her scent filling the room in a deliciously thick musk as she opened her legs to invite him home, he took his time returning to her arms.

He started with her toes, one gentle finger tracing a cool path over the arch of her foot, kneeling at the edge of their bed so that his tongue could follow suit. He breathed a cool stream of air across her ankle, chuckling against her as he shivered in response before resuming his travels up her long leg. He drank in the sweet sound of her whimpers when his tongue slipped under her knee, lapping away the salty sweetness of sweat he found softening her skin. When his sharp fangs nicked the inside of her thigh, Damon's heart sacrificed multiple beats. Blood rushed from his brain to his cock, his already hard flesh stiffening impossibly more, swelling and pulsing when a flood of excitement escaped her tender folds. His eyes darkened with inhuman need as he lost himself in her arousal, fangs that had only nipped now sunk into skin so soft that he could feel the layers separate smoothly around him before the intoxicating taste of her blood filled his mouth and the room filled with the music created from their simultaneous groans of pleasure.

When he'd drunk his fill of the beautiful little human that lay beneath him, he withdrew his fangs with care, lapping at the tiny droplets of blood that followed before they could stain the sheets with their crimson brilliance. It was a mischievous smirk that curled his lips when he met her clouded gaze, her lust addled mind so murky with pleasure that she offered no resistance as he spread her thighs further, redirecting his attention to the dripping flesh that begged for his ministrations. Her entire body arched beautifully off the bed at the first touch of tongue to her overly sensitive folds.

With a muttered curse that was filled with the sounds of awing pleasure, Damon buried his face between her legs without grace, nipping, licking and sucking soft flesh and sweet nectar like a man starved. Unintelligible words dripped from Elena's lips as she writhed beneath him, his one hand pinning her hips easily to the mattress while her fingers curved into his hair, holding him to her, shamelessly grinding herself against his face. Damon managed to edge even closer to her, driving his tongue into her dripping depths, his cool flesh a shocking contrast to the heat he found within her clenching body. A shift of his shoulders spread her further still and he slid a single long finger inside her, grinning for the briefest of moments before withdrawing and entering her with a second finger the exact second his tongue found her clit, grazing over the sensitive bundle of nerves with just enough pressure to make her scream.

Her body clenched tightly around his fingers, her whimpering moans telling him exactly how close she was to her release. As much as he enjoyed tormenting her as he played with her stunning body, his own body was begging for relief; even the small amount of friction he could create from grinding his aching cock into the mattress did nothing to take off the desperate edge that was keeping his eyes flooded with blood and his fangs hanging low in his mouth. Damon slid a third finger inside her, sucking her clit heavily as he curled his fingers, hitting the exact right spot to push her over her peak, sending her headlong into an abyss of release, stroking her firmly as her inner walls clamped down on him, capturing him in a desperate grip hotter and tighter than any fist. For a single moment he paused, watching the bliss filled expressions cross her face as she rode the high of her orgasm, brown eyes shining with unshed tears, ruby lips plump and swollen from her own teeth, knuckles turned white from the death grip she had on the sheets, all in the second before her body arched out before him and he freed his fingers, burying his tongue inside her as he greedily drank all she had to give.

With a single, final lap up her swollen folds, Damon shifted, giving her absolutely no time to come down. Before she could form a word, he flipped her over on the mattress, pausing only long enough to adjust the pillow to support her before stretching out over top of her, settling against her parted thighs.

"Hold on tight, beautiful girl," he whispered hotly against her ear before filling her completely with a single thrust of his hips.

He'd like to say he had enough sense of mind to take her on a second slow burn to release, but every muscle in his body cried out with the agony of holding back, and for the first time in a year, he refused to rein in the ridiculously heated passion he had for his girl.

He slid her knee slightly further up the bed, opening her wider to him before digging his fingers into her hip, cutting half-moons into her delicate skin just seconds before he began to move.

In a hundred and seventy years, he'd done it all; he'd fucked and rutted, made love slow and soft, he'd fed and been fed upon, been both human and vampire, but never had he done it all at once. Even while he moved within Elena at a brutal pace, his cock swollen and aching, his balls pulled tight with pending release, he could feel the tangible connection between them that brought tears of love and joy to their eyes while they moved in unison towards a shared orgasm that promised a white flame of pleasure that would consume them but never burn out.

The curses that poured from his lips were tender and filled with adoration as he hung on the very precipice of release, her name a distinct prayer that tumbled from his throat on a coarse cry the moment before he moved his fingers beneath her, unerringly finding her swollen clit, three firm strokes over the sensitive nub all it took to wrench an echoing cry of his name from the girl he would love until time ended.

She pulsed around him, the wet heat of her inner walls tightening on his cock as she came apart beneath him all he needed to reach his own peak of release, shouting out her name instead of whispering as he poured into her in short, jerking thrusts that ended only when he had nothing more to give.

He came back to himself slowly, panting unnecessary breaths into her ear as she stretched beneath him, both of them groaning softly as he slid from the warm comfort of her body. He moved carefully until his back was up against the headboard and he pulled her into his arms, their sweat drenched skin sliding and blending together as they took a simple moment to enjoy her human warmth.

"What," she asked softly, adjusting her head against him to gaze up into the now crystal blue depths of his eyes, "Brought all this on?"

He couldn't know what she saw in his eyes in that moment, all he knew was the emotion slowly bleeding through everything that made him who he'd become. When her eyes filled with bright tears, he was almost positive she could see his endless well of love that existed for her and her alone.

He shrugged softly, breaking some of the seriousness with a wry smirk. "Figured we could try a little vamp on human action before you got all involved in being your nearly immortal badass supernatural self." His smirk widened into a teasing grin. "Spice things up a little before you go all leather cat suits, black mascara, creature of the night, 'sticks and stones may break my bones but chains and whips excite me' kind of girl. Not that I wouldn't support you every single step of the way." His eyes narrowed and his brows wagged with suggestion. "I'll even give you my credit card. No questions asked. Promise."

"Damon," she murmured softly, letting him know his joking deflection wasn't going to work. If Elena Gilbert wanted serious, then serious was what she would get.

"Elena," he mimicked softly, his smirk dissolving into a tender smile that lit up his eyes with all the possibilities he found himself promising the girl in his arms. "We spent so long looking for the cure, we were so determined for you to be human, that I never got the chance to tell you before tonight."

"Tell me what?"

"That it didn't matter." When confusion clouded her gaze, he smoothed away the frown line that formed between her eyes with a gentle finger. "It never mattered to me. Not for a single second did I care if you were human or vampire. I needed to take tonight to show you that there was never any difference for me. I loved you human. I love you vampire. I'll love you when we're both ashes and dust. End of story."

She smiled at him tenderly, reaching up to stroke his jaw softly before placing a light kiss on his lips. "You said all of this earlier," she chastised lightly, settling down against his chest and closing her eyes as she yawned.

"Yeah but that was before the mind blowing sex," he grinned down at her cockily, revelling in the tired chuckle that escaped her lips. "I figured you'd believe me now."

"I believed you then," she murmured sleepily.

"Elena, when it comes to you, I'm not taking any chances." He grinned into her hair. "Besides, call it indulging a fantasy, if you want. Now I never have to wonder exactly how hot it would've been to have sexy times with human you and vampire me. And it was hot." He grinned wider. "H.O.T…. you get the picture."

"Damon?"

"Elena?"

"Stop talking."

He chuckled softly and as Elena fell asleep in his arms, he let the dream world fade away, coming back to himself in exactly the same position, cradling Elena tightly to his chest.

She murmured softly in her sleep, shifting position just enough that the scent of her arousal filled the air around him and Damon's cock responded with an instant twitch and throb. When he reached down to adjust his swelling dick, his fingers came away damp and he groaned softly before grabbing a cloth from his nightstand and cleaning himself off as best as he could without arousing himself any further. The sheets would require washing, but he figured, fuck it; he'd take care of that in the morning.

Elena shifted again, her dark eyes fluttering awake, her lips curving into a gentle smile. "I guess it's only fair to tell you that you may have hit on another of my fantasies."

Damon grinned down at her, his blue eyes sparkling mischievously. "Oh, really? Do feel free to tell me all the smutty details."

She slapped his shoulder lightly, rolling onto her side, facing away from him as she closed her eyes again. "Don't push it, Salvatore."

He slid down beside her, spooning her into his body, making sure his rapidly hardening flesh slid smoothly against the crevice of her behind. "Oh, I think you like it when I push, Elena," he murmured with a cocky confidence that his body was more than ready to deliver upon.

She ignored him completely, curving her body into his, letting the beginning of sleep already claim her as she murmured, "I just don't get how you keep doing it. I mean, nobody's this good."

"Nobody but me, you mean," he forced his lips into a smirk, breathing a sigh of relief when sleep finally took Elena out of the conversation. She never saw the once crystal blue beauty of his eyes descend into a sea of stormy grey as he realized he may have just stepped over the line.

Any hope of sleep that Damon had before speaking to Elena rapidly vanished, and he slipped silently out of their bed to a waiting tumbler of bourbon beckoning him to the library.

When the sun broke over the horizon and Elena's eyes fluttered open, she was able to stretch out completely, enjoying the moment of languid warmth before confusion clouded her chocolate eyes.

"Damon?"

This was the first morning since committing everything to Damon that she'd awakened alone.

"Damon?"

Elena began to wonder why.

~~~TBC~~~