With her stomach full of champagne and the most amazing food she'd ever tasted from Clos Maggiore, Elena sat in the back of the black stretch limo, her fingers laced with Damon's, surrounded by the people she loved the most. Caroline and Enzo were whispering into each other's ears, about what she wasn't sure but it probably wasn't PG. Bonnie and Jeremy were laughing as he recounted a story to her about him falling asleep in class and literally falling out of his chair when the professor called his name.

And Damon was sitting next to her, looking all delicious and frustratingly attractive in a grey suit with a baby blue tie. She wanted to claw her way through the fabric to get to him, but he promised her that they would get to that later.

"Can you at least give me a clue as to where we're headed now?" Elena whispered as she leaned her head on his shoulder.

"We're almost there," Damon replied, tenderly kissing her on the forehead. "Your curiosity won't kill you. I promise."

A few minutes later, the limo stopped. Damon shuffled to get out so he could extend his hand to Elena. She gladly accepted it, afraid that the champagne had made her unsteady on her high heels. When she looked up, she recognized the building, all lit up and beautiful in the nighttime. She'd passed by it before, but hadn't had the chance to check this off her London to-do list yet. How could he have known she wanted to do this?

"We're going to see Phantom of the Opera?" she squealed excitedly.

"Yep," Damon responded, the corner of his mouth turning up.

"Opera. Great," Jeremy said sarcastically.

"Oh, you'll love it," Bonnie reassured him. "It's super romantic."

"Just so you know, Elena," Caroline whispered into Elena's ear. "This boyfriend is a major, major upgrade."

She rolled her eyes and planted a kiss on Damon's lips. "Thank you. This is amazing. Thank you."

She should have known that going to the theatre with Damon wouldn't be just an average run of the mill theatre experience. The man rented out an entire aquarium for their last date for crying out loud. Still, she was surprised when they were personally greeted by a butler as soon as they walked into the front door of Her Majesty's Theatre. He escorted them to a private box, with an amazing view of the stage. Their area was stocked with champagne and an array of desserts. She couldn't wait to dig into all of it before the show started.

"Happy?" Damon asked her.

Elena popped a salted caramel bonbon into her mouth and nodded.

"It's thirty minutes until curtain," the butler announced to them. "May I get you anything before the show begins, Mr. Salvatore?"

Damon shook his head. "No, thank you."

The butler turned to look at Elena. "Mrs. Salvatore?"

"Oh, I'm not, we're not," Elena stammered out, her cheeks turning pink.

"We're all good," Caroline interrupted. "Thank you."

Elena gave Caroline a look of gratitude for stepping in on that one. She perused the spread of desserts while sipping from her champagne flute. So far, Damon had planned the perfect evening and she was looking forward to how it would end. He'd been giving her small touches all night, completely innocent to any clueless onlookers, but each small stroke on her lower back or tender kiss on her cheek sent electricity running through her veins.

"Penny for your thoughts?" Damon's voice ghosted into her ear as he settled his arm around her waist and placed his hand on her hip.

"Just thinking about this morning. You started something in your hotel room that you didn't finish," Elena whispered back to him.

"Now, now, Miss Gilbert," he teased. "We're in a fancy place. You'll have to patiently wait. It isn't like we could go for a quickie in the bathroom stall."

The lights flickered to signal that everyone should begin to take their seats. Damon grabbed her hand and led her to two chairs. She stumbled in her heels a little, but he steadied her as she sat down. The lights faded in the audience and illuminated on stage. As the overture began to play and Act I began, he slid his hand onto her knee and allowed his thumb to rub small strokes over her bare skin.

As long as she'd been waiting to see Phantom of the Opera here, she found it increasingly difficult to concentrate as the musical continued on. Goosebumps rose up along her skin, shivers down her spine, and quivers between her legs. All because he was simply touching her knee. The man she loved who loved her in return was touching her knee and it was the sexiest thing she'd felt in ages.

When intermission came around, she couldn't stand it anymore. Her Majesty's Theatre may have been a fancy place, but a quickie in the bathroom was her only option right now. She was too wired to sit still next to him for another hour. The lights in the theatre rose and she snatched him by the hand, dragging him away from their group's private box. Caroline and Bonnie's nosey gazes were on them as they passed by.

In the lobby, he planted his expensive Italian leather shoes firmly onto the carpet. "Where are we going?" he asked her.

She tried tugging him in the direction of the bathrooms, but he was impossible to move without his cooperation. She chewed her bottom lip between her teeth for a moment and shamelessly rubbed her thighs together. People were breezing past them in the lobby, occupied by their own plans for the evening and paying them no mind as they stood there.

"You can't wait?" he asked, the corner of his mouth turning up into a smug smirk.

Elena shook her head no and then nodded towards the bathrooms. Unfortunately, there was a line coming out of the doors of both of them. There was no way they'd get any semblance of privacy in there.

He let out an amused chuckle. "Follow me," he said as he took the lead and exited the theatre. The summer night air was sticky, but the breeze helped to cool her skin as the evening enveloped them.

"Where are you taking me?" she whispered, but he didn't answer.

They rounded the corner of the building and came to a parking garage. He hurried his footsteps and she made her legs move impossibly fast to keep up with him until she saw the limo they arrived in parked next on the third level. Damon knocked on the driver's window and it rolled down.

"Everything okay, Mr. Salvatore?" the driver asked him, looking up from a book he must have been reading to pass the time. "Are we ready to leave? I'm so sorry. Time must have slipped away from me."

"No, Gerard. It's just intermission. Would you care to go grab a bite to eat for a few minutes?" Damon asked him. He reached into his wallet and fished out a wad of cash then handed it over.

Elena blushed, hiding her face behind Damon's sculpted shoulder. There is no way Gerard was clueless as to what was really going on as he looked at Damon and then over to her. Still, he remained professional in his demeanor.

"That's kind of you, Mr. Salvatore. I'll run and grab some fish and chips," Gerard said, stepping out of the limo. As he went to leave, he turned to whisper to Damon. "The back doors are unlocked, sir."

When Gerard disappeared from their view, Damon helped Elena into the back of the limo and his hands were hiking up the coral material of her dress the minute the doors were closed. The backs of her thighs clung to the leather seat as she shimmied her underwear down to her ankles. They weren't wasting any time.

He kneeled between her legs and blew cool breathes onto her center, nipping at the delicate skin of her inner thighs and coaxing her to spread herself wider for him. She complied and let her hands weave their way through his dark hair. He pressed his lips to her swollen bundle of nerves and her grip tightened as she cried out. He was relentless in his assault, his tongue never giving her a chance to catch her breath as it moved with expert skill.

He paused to drape her legs over his shoulders and then cupped his hand under her ass to lift her off the seat. Supporting her weight, he dove back between her legs without hesitation. One of her hands shot up and banged against the ceiling of the limo as she gasped. Christ, this man was going to be the death of her. It felt too good. He was too good at this.

Her world shattered. She exploded on his tongue, her legs trembling as they sat atop the shoulders of his suit jacket, her high heels digging into his back to help anchor her back down to Earth.

After a few seconds, Damon gently lowered her back down onto the seat and looked up at her with his ocean blue eyes. He swiped at his bottom lip with the pad of his thumb and then popped it into his mouth. "God, you taste amazing."

Part of Elena wanted to lay there in all of her post-orgasm glory forever, all tingly and spent. Another part of her ached to touch him back and make him feel as good as he had to her. And the last part of her knew that they'd been gone far too long, missed the beginning of Act II, and had friends who were probably looking for them by now.

She didn't have to choose which to listen to as he chose for her. "We should get back," he told her, placing a kiss on her cheek and then on her lips. He dangled her black lace thong on his index finger and she snatched it from him quickly.

"Don't you want me to take care of you?" she asked, smiling at him.

"I have patience," he teased with a wink. "I'm in charge of my hormones."

Elena slipped her legs through her underwear and pulled the back into place. She smoothed the bottom of her dress down the best she could. "Well, we both know that's a lie," she bantered back.

"Yeah," Damon mused under his breath. "But I have to make a good impression on little Gilbert in there." He hooked a thumb over his shoulder in the direction of the theatre.

"Pretty sure you already did that by flying him to London."

Damon stepped out of the limo and offered his hand to Elena. He pulled her out and she collided with his chest. He smelled like cedar and champagne and her. She could have stood there breathing him in all night, but they had a musical to get back to. They walked the short walk back to the theatre hand in hand.

As they reached the steps, Elena stopped for a moment. "Are you really leaving on Monday?" she asked him. "When were you going to tell me?"

He dropped his gaze to the ground. "I was planning on telling you tomorrow. I didn't want to ruin tonight with goodbyes."

"Please stay," she begged. "I've got a few more weeks here and I don't want to spend them without you."

"I've been gone from the company too long already. I can't expect Enzo to keep running things. I'm sorry, Elena." He really did sound apologetic about it. "I promise we'll stay in touch and if I can get away for even a day, I'll use the time to come see you."

She nodded her head. Damon leaving London sucked, but she understood it. He got to be where he was because of his work ethic. It was one of the many things she loved about him. It was one of the many reasons that she fell in love with him in the first place.

"I love you," she said aloud. She'd thought it several times. She knew it was true. She knew how she felt, but she'd never actually verbalized the words until now.

He brought his hand up to cup her cheek tenderly and without any semblance of reluctance he replied. "I love you too, but you already knew that."

Sunday morning brunch proved to be entertaining as the six of them sat in the dining room of Damon's hotel suite. Bonnie had clearly hit the champagne a little too hard last night, evidenced by her resting her head in her hands with her elbows propped up onto the white tablecloth.

"The bubbles," Bonnie groaned.

Caroline attempted to push an omelet in front of her, but Bonnie pushed it right back. The whole interaction elicited a chuckle from Jeremy, who then received a swift swat on the arm from his girlfriend.

"So what's on the sight-seeing tour today, fancy man?" Caroline asked Enzo as she bit into a piece of bacon.

"The London Eye and then I figured I'd let you drag me around on a King's Road shopping trip," Enzo answered. "I did promise you a present in exchange for that thing last night," he smiled at her with a raise of his eyebrows.

"Guys, I'm already nauseous over here," Bonnie jeered.

"As if we couldn't all hear the bumping and grinding from you two happening in the hotel room next door," Caroline shot back teasingly.

Jeremy blushed, keeping his gaze strictly on his plate of blueberry crepes, and Bonnie cracked a smile.

"And now I'm changing the subject," Elena interjected.

"Oh, don't think you're getting off so easy," Caroline teased. "Your neck looks like you had a run-in with a Hoover vacuum cleaner last night."

Now it was Elena's turn to blush, but Damon lovingly stroked her hand under the table.

"We're among friends. It's fine," Caroline reassured her.

It was strange. As she looked around the table, this circle of people that surrounded her were all so different. They were from different parts of her life, met her at different times and under different circumstances, and yet everyone fit together like a happy family. A dysfunctional family, but still a happy family. Family was important to her and for a while she'd convinced herself that Jeremy was all she had left in terms of family. Now she knew that she could count on any of the people sitting at this table. It felt good to be surrounded by that kind of support.

Damon leaned over and whispered into her ear. "Do you want to join them at the London Eye today?"

In the time she'd been in London, she'd already done plenty of sight-seeing. She and Jesse had gallivanted around the city their first two weeks there and done all of the touristy stuff possible. She'd sat at the top of the London Eye and gazed out at the city landscape with him, enraptured by the magic of England. And yet she was dying to experience that all over again with Damon.

"I'd love to," she said with a nod.

They all finished up their breakfasts in between some witty banter and quite frankly some oversharing. Caroline, Bonnie, and Elena had clearly known each other for far too long and were just too comfortable overstepping boundaries.

Dressed in a flowy, red sundress with her hair braided to the side and a comfortable pair of brown sandals on her feet, Elena held Damon's hand as the six of them crowded into the hotel elevator. It was a hot day, unusually humid for normal London weather, but that didn't stop them from venturing out for the day.

They took the metro, quite the contrast to last night's luxurious limousine ride, over to the London Eye and when they emerged from underground, Caroline's mouth fell open as she stared up at it.

"I think I just realized that I'm afraid of heights," she mumbled.

"You'll be fine, love. We can see the whole city from the top," Enzo reassured her with a hand placed on the small of her back.

Elena's eyes twinkled in excitement. She was practically vibrating on her feet as she stared up at it. She took Damon by the hand and raced her way towards the ticket counter as fast as her short legs would carry her. Damon trailed behind her, trying to keep up with her pace.

"What good is all of that muscle if you can't run towards stuff with me when I need you to?" she teased as they reached their destination. "Is that body pretty much for show?"

He laughed. "Keep making fun of me. I'll wear you out later."

The rest of the group caught up with them as Damon was fished out his credit card to pay for everyone's tickets. Elena balked a little at the total, but he barely batted an eye. Really after last night, she shouldn't have been surprised. This was a drop in the bucket for him.

"I don't' remember this being so expensive," she whispered to him.

"Well I wanted everyone to have their own private capsule," he shrugged as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

When she'd gone before, she and Jesse been huddled together with strangers in a capsule. They weren't fighting to see out the window or anything, but she found that she wasn't able to move around to see all the different angles like she wanted to. With Damon, it'd be just the two of them. She wouldn't have to share the moment with anyone else.

He took her by the hand and led them through the Fast Track entrance. It was a much shorter line than she remembered, maybe only a few people in front them really. As she leaned on the railing next to her to wait, Damon kissed her lightly on the cheek.

"I'm going to miss you. I'm not looking forward to saying goodbye to you tomorrow," he told her, penetrating her eyes with his own.

She felt the same. She understood why he had to go, but that didn't mean she wanted him to leave. "I'll miss you too. We'll keep in touch though, right? Things won't be different when I come back to New York?"

"Of course not," he said, shaking his head. They moved forward a little in the line. "Why would things be different?"

Elena shrugged and looked down at her sandals. She toed a small pebble on the ground. "I don't know. This whole whirlwind, sweep a girl off her feet, romance thing isn't really the Damon I've come to know."

"That was my mistake," Damon explained. "I can't believe I almost lost you because I couldn't just get my head out of my ass and admit that I wanted you from the moment you spilled your drink on me."

"Well you didn't lose me and for that I'm thankful."

When it was their turn, they held hands as the attendant closed them inside of a capsule on the London Eye and soon they were being lifted into the air. Elena moved around the capsule, taking in the views of the city as they rose to the top. Damon stood with a glass of the complimentary champagne in one hand and the other shoved into the pocket of his shorts, staring intently at the view of her instead.

"God, I love this city," she said in astonishment, her gaze out one of the glass walls.

"Move in with me?" Damon said abruptly.

She turned to him and scrunched her eyebrows together. "What?"

"When you get back to the city, will you move in with me? I was just standing here watching you smile and thinking how I'd like to wake up to that face every morning." He pushed himself off of the glass and took purposeful steps closer to her. "Elena, I can take care of you. You won't have to worry if you have enough scholarship money or if you've saved up enough over the summer to cover your rent for the school year. I can protect you from Kai and whatever else might come your way."

"What you're saying sounds like a dream, Damon." Elena took a step back away from him. "It would be a dream for any other girl in the world. Not me though. It's too soon."

"At least let me help you with tuition?" he offered.

She shook her head side to side. "My scholarships can cover it."

Damon downed the rest of his champagne and set the glass down next to the chilled bottle on a table. "You're so damn stubborn."

Elena grinned. "I know."

"It's one of the reasons I love you."

"I know."

He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close to him, so close that she could feel the rise and fall of his chest against her own. "This is not the end of this conversation," he whispered into her ear.

She smiled. "I know."

Getting back to her internship on Monday morning was the very last thing Elena wanted to do. Still, she did it. She pried herself out of Damon's warm arms that morning after he'd slept over at her tiny apartment and proceeded to put on a pencil skirt and a blouse. It was a lot harder to leave him there sleeping than she expected it to be, but she suspected that was due to the fact that he was leaving later that night.

She really wanted to spend his last day in London rolling around in her sheets together and eating take-out food, but she couldn't afford to miss a day of work if she wanted a good reference from Mutual Financial. A good reference from them would be like gold when she embarked on the inevitable job search after graduation.

The minutes of her workday seemed to tick by slowly, feeling more like hours. Each time she looked at the clock on her desk, she wondered if it was indeed broken. Maybe that's why it wasn't moving as fast as she thought it should be. One her lunch break, she walked a few blocks down the street to a small bistro and met Damon for lunch. He asked her what classes she was considering taking and weighed in on any financial professors he knew personally. The conversation was light and as she munched on her salad with the warm summer air beating down on her, she almost begged him to stay about five times. Then he'd say something about work and his blue eyes would light up in excitement so she held her tongue.

They held hands and split a chocolate pastry for dessert outside the bistro at a small table in front of the window. Then when it was time for her to walk back to work, there was an overwhelming sense of sadness that blanketed the both of them. Damon stood and offered her his hand. She took it and he pulled her to her feet. He walked her back to the doors of Mutual, but they didn't say anything. They were saving any and all goodbyes for the moments before he got on the plane that evening.

As he held the front door open for Elena to disappear inside, Elena's boss stepped out of the door next to them, likely going on his own lunch break.

"Mr. Kensington," Elena nodded politely to him. Andrew Kensington had been a fantastic boss to her, not at all a tyrant. He'd trusted her with many important projects and exercised tremendous patience as she tried to navigate her way through them. Still, he was a very formal man and he held tightly to the rules of professionalism in the workplace.

"Ms. Gilbert," her boss nodded back to her before glancing over in Damon's direction and cracking a smile.

"Andy!" Damon exclaimed, a smirk tugging on his lips. "How the hell you been?"

"Damon!" Mr. Kensington stepped toward him and brought him in for a hug. "Rachel's nagging me as usual to take some time off work. I've been meaning to make a visit to New York over the summer. What brings you to London this time?"

Elena quietly stood on the sidewalk in front of the doors watching the exchange. She'd never seen her boss so casual and relaxed before. Then again, she didn't know him outside of a workplace setting. Apparently Damon knew him pretty well.

Damon nodded his head over to Elena's direction. "Came here to win back my girl," he answered.

"Isn't she a little young for you?" Mr. Kensington shot back with a joking wink.

"You're one to talk, you old man," Damon grinned. He turned to Elena. "Andy and I went to boarding school together. We've known each other since we were fourteen," he explained.

"Speaking of boarding school, how's Enzo?" Mr. Kensington asked Damon. "Still working for you or has he come to his senses yet?"

Damon chuckled. "Still working for me. He hitched his cart to the right horse, I guess."

Elena shuffled her feet side to side. She was already late getting back to her desk, but she didn't want to interrupt their reunion and she also didn't want to just disappear inside without saying goodbye. It was then that her boss turned to look at her.

"Miss Gilbert, thank you for having that report on my desk before you left for lunch. It'll be extremely useful for my lunch meeting, which," he glanced down at his wrist watch. "Which, I'm about ten minutes late for."

"Of course, Mr. Kensington," she smiled. "Have a great meeting."

"How long are you in town?" he asked Damon. "We should get drinks. Bring Miss Gilbert. I'm sure Rachel would love someone to talk to that's closer to her age."

"I'm actually flying out tonight at 8," Damon answered him. "We could maybe manage drinks early though."

"I can get out of here early. Rachel should be done playing tennis by 3. Let's say 4:30?" Mr. Kensington responded.

"4:30 works great," Damon nodded. "The Rivoli?"

"Sure. See you both there," he smiled at them. "Which means feel free to end your workday at 3, Miss Gilbert."

"Stop giving my girlfriend bedroom eyes and get to your meeting," Damon laughed.

When her boss finally walked away, Damon reached back to open the door for Elena as if nothing had even happened. She wasn't letting him get off that easily.

"Did you have anything to do with me getting this internship?" she asked as she reached out and pushed the glass door closed.

"I promise you I didn't, Elena. Although if I had known you were working for Andy, I would have definitely put in a good word for you."

"So Mr. Kensington hired me without knowing anything about our history?" she clarified, arching an eyebrow.

He nodded. "Yes."

"Okay, so who is Rachel?"

"Rachel's his wife. He never mentioned her?"

Elena shook her head no. "We don't discuss our personal lives in the workplace."

"Huh, who would have thought Andy was such a hardass?"

"He's a great boss, just very professional," Elena defended. She really enjoyed working for him. "Please don't make the last month of my internship awkward for me?"

"And how would I do that?" Damon asked, seemingly confused.

"Oh you know," she shrugged, "doing that thing where you intimidate people into doing what you want. That serious business stare you get when you're negotiating. Don't use it on my boss to try to get him to be more relaxed with me or anything. I'm an intern. Let me be a normal intern."

Damon put one hand over his heart and raised the other in the air. "Scout's honor, Miss Gilbert."

"Thank you," she replied curtly.

"Now can I have a kiss?" he asked, sticking out his bottom lip to dramatically pout.

"Only if you stop making that face."

"Deal." He wasted no time pulling her closer to him, winding his arms around her waist, and diving in for a kiss that left her blushing and uncomfortably wet as she walked back inside and stepped onto the elevator for the tenth floor of the building.

Elena huffed as she tried on yet another disappointing dress. She stripped it off and threw it onto the floor of her bedroom before charging back into her closet for something else.

It was almost 4, which meant Damon was about to knock on her apartment door any minute now. She searched the internet for information about this bar and soon discovered it was quite expensive, which of course meant that she didn't have anything appropriate to wear.

Just as she was zipping up outfit option number four, she heard Damon's knuckles thumping against her door. She stormed out of her bedroom, looking slightly disheveled with her hair still slightly wild and her pencil skirt barely zipped all the way, and opened the door for him to come in.

"You don't look ready to go yet," he pointed out, taking a step inside and closing the door behind him. He was dressed in an impeccable suit and it made her instantly irritated that he looked so effortlessly glamorous.

"You think?" she snapped, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear.

"Hey," he reached out to tenderly brush her cheek with his thumb. "Give me a kiss, beautiful."

She smiled. How could she resist that? She stood on her toes and gave him a quick peck before pulling away and darting into her bedroom to resume her search for the right thing to wear.

Once she was out of the pencil skirt and blouse and now flipping through her closet for the umpteenth time, Damon's warm hand slid across the bare skin of her stomach and pulled her close to him. He pressed his arousal into her backside and she could clearly feel it through the pants of his suit and her thin lace underwear.

"Let's bail on Andy," he whispered in her ear.

Laughing, Elena shrugged him off of her. "He's my boss. I can't just bail on him."

Damon reached a hand out and plucked a form fitting simple black dress from her closet. It wasn't something she'd considered wearing for drinks. Typically she reserved this one for church and funerals.

"This one," he suggested as he handed it to her.

Elena eyed the dress and scrunched up her face. "It's boring."

"Nothing is boring when you're wearing it." He took a couple steps and sat down on her bed, taking his phone out of his pocket. "I'll text Andy and tell him we're running a little late so you can do whatever other primping you need to do."

She disappeared into the bathroom so that she could slip the dress on and examine herself in the mirror. It fit her well, but there was nothing special about it. She reached into her jewelry box and decided to jazz it up with a baby blue statement necklace and some earrings. Once she slipped on her heels and touched up her hair and makeup, she was surprised. She actually looked kind of stylish.

Elena peered back into her bedroom, where Damon was relaxing on her bed and typing away at an email on his phone. She cleared her throat to get his attention and he looked quickly in her direction before looking back to his phone. Seconds later, his eyes snapped back towards her and he threw his phone onto the bed before standing up and walking closer in her direction.

"Do I look okay?" she asked meekly. "I know this is a fancy place and all."

He looked at her with hungry eyes and reached for her once he was close enough. He pulled her by the hip so close that she could smell his cologne and it made her weak in the knees. "Seriously, let's just bail," he whispered huskily into her ear.

"Down, tiger," she laughed. She planted a kiss on his cheek, which smeared a little lipstick on his skin. Quickly, she took her thumb and rubbed at his stubbled skin to get it off.

"You're killing me, Gilbert," he groaned.

Elena locked the door to her apartment and the two of them rode down the elevator with their hands intertwined. She was going to miss him after he left and she only hoped that things would be the same between them when she came back to New York at the end of the summer. In a way, London had been a utopia for them. New York was the real world and she feared that they may not survive it.

"When are you flying back?" he asked her as they approached a sleek black sports car with tinted windows. He opened the passenger door for her and she slid inside.

"The beginning of August," she answered. "Is this your car?"

"Rental," he smiled, turning it on and bringing the powerful to life. "I've got all my bags in the trunk so we can go straight to the airport after the bar. I've arranged for a car to take you back home from there."

"You think of everything, don't you?" she smiled over to him.

"Basically," he shrugged as he pulled away from the parking garage.

They filled the drive to The Rivoli with small talk, mostly about what classes Elena wanted to take next year, how busy things had been for Damon at work, and how crazy their friends were. It was easy to forget that he'd be getting on a plane in just a few short hours, but Elena found that the thought still lingered in the back of her mind as they pulled up the to the valet in front of the Ritz London.

Mr. Kensington and a young blonde woman no more than a couple years older than Elena were waiting for them when they walked into the beautiful bar that was inside the hotel. The woman was dressed in a beautiful deep red cocktail dress that perfectly complimented the golden color of her curly hair. Mr. Kensington had on the same suit he wore to work, with the exception that he had removed his tie and unbuttoned the top couple buttons on his dress shirt. It was the most casual Elena had ever seen her boss.

"Miss Gilbert, this is my wife, Rachel Kensington. Rachel, this is my intern, Elena Gilbert."

Elena outstretched her hand to Rachel, but was immediately pulled into a tight hug instead.

"It's so nice to meet you!" Rachel greeted. "Finally! Andrew says you're great."

Elena was startled by Rachel's American accent and casual demeanor, which did not match her husband's proper British at all. In addition to their age difference, it seemed that the two of them had very different upbringings. It reminded her of the differences between her and Damon.

"And you already know Damon," Mr. Kensington motioned over.

Rachel pulled away from Elena for a moment and eyed Damon for a moment. "How could I forget? All those Singapore Slings got us in a trouble last time," she smiled. "I promised Andrew I'd behave tonight."

Damon gave her a wink. "Well that hardly sounds like any fun at all, Rach. Rules are made to be broken, aren't they?"

"Negative influence on my wife and it's only been three minutes," Mr. Kensington chided. "Let's get a table."

The four of them were seated and handed bar menus to look over. Elena scanned the drink options, most of them costing about as much as her entire bar tab would be at her favorite bar at home. She didn't recognize half of them.

"What can I get for everyone?" a cocktail server in a white shirt and black pants asked them.

"I'll have the Rivoli 75, please," Rachel order confidently as she folded her menu and handed it to the server.

"And for you?" the server turned to Elena, who was still studying the menu with a furrowed brow.

Rachel must have noticed her hesitance because she spoke up. "She'll have the same."

"Very well," the server said with a nod.

As Damon and Mr. Kensington ordered their own drinks, Rachel leaned over to whisper to Elena. "Gin and champagne," she said with a smile. "You can't go wrong with it."

"Thank you," Elena whispered.

Rachel winked. "Us girls have to stick together."

A few minutes later, a champagne glass was placed in front of Elena with a fruit garnish. It looked like a delicious drink. She looked over to Damon's rocks glass, which was filled with a dark amber liquor and surmised that he'd probably opted for some kind of expensive whiskey.

"So, Miss Gilbert," her boss spoke before taking a sip of his martini with extra olives. "How did you and Damon meet?"

"I spilled a drink on him, Mr. Kensington. He wasn't too happy that I ruined his shirt," she answered, looking down at her glass. It was strange to be talking about personal matters with him. They'd never done so before.

"Oh geez. Can we drop the whole Miss Gilbert and Mr. Kensington thing?" Rachel cut in. "I feel like I'm sitting in a board meeting or something."

Damon chuckled.

"Is it okay to call you Elena?" Mr. Kensington asked her.

Elena nodded.

"Great, Elena. Feel free to call me Andrew."

"Or Andy," Damon added with a mischievous smirk. "He loves to be called Andy."

Andrew raised his glass in Damon's direction. "I only let you get away with it because we've known each other for so long."

After the awkward formalities were no longer, the conversation and alcohol flowed freely between all of them. Elena listened intently as Andrew recounted the story of how he met Rachel while she was in London studying abroad. He took one look at her, standing lost outside St. Paul's Cathedral with a map in her hands that was blowing around in the wind, and he knew he had to talk to her. He convinced her to have dinner with him that night and the following night and every subsequent night after. When her semester was up and she was supposed to go back to California, she decided to stay with him instead. They married each other the following summer.

It was a whirlwind romance, by all accounts, and Elena was too analytical to ever do anything so impulsive. She was a look before you leap kind of girl, a girl who considered all possible variations of outcomes before making such a big decision. Rachel clearly was not and maybe that's why she balanced out the straight-laced Andrew so well.

Damon's hand had come to rest on the top of her thigh and he'd been lightly ghosting his fingers over her skin for the past twenty minutes as she tried to seem unfazed by it in the presence of their company. He twirled his bourbon around in his glass with his other hand and tilted it back to finish the last of it before asking the server for another.

Elena chose to keep her wits about her, pacing herself with the deliciously sweet champagne and gin drink. While the men talked business, she and Rachel discussed their mutual love for Ben and Jerry's, Real Housewives, and fuzzy pajamas. It was a shame they hadn't met sooner. They connected instantly.

"Have you been to Paris yet?" Rachel asked her. "If you love London, then you'll love it there. Andrew took me on our third date and we try to go back at least once a year."

"I've been working mostly this summer. Maybe if I ever make it back to Europe," Elena responded, though she was unsure where her future was headed. With Damon, there was the possibility of this life of glamorous trips overseas and charity galas on the weekends. She'd seen a glimpse of it already, but she wasn't entirely sure that she could be the kind of partner he needed. It seemed that Rachel's entire life revolved around her husband and Elena wanted a career of her own.

"We'll be back to visit," Damon interjected. "Elena's got one more year of school left and we'll have to celebrate with a graduation trip."

"We haven't even talked about that," Elena blushed at his words, at the casual way that he was making plans. Plans for a year from now, as if the thought of them ever being apart again had never even entered his mind.

Rachel clapped her hands together and then tugged on her husband's arm to get his attention. "Andrew! You hear that? Maybe we can all go together next summer?"

"Whatever would make you happy, my dear," he told her before planting a kiss on her cheek. Clearly he was enamored with her.

With that, Rachel began preemptively planning their trip next year to Paris. She listed off all of the sights that they had to see. She asked Elena which part of the city she'd prefer to stay in. She talked about the galleries and the cafes and of course the shopping. Andrew just nodded along, obviously used to letting her excitedly take the reins on such matters. Damon pretended to listen, nodding along while sipping from his bourbon.

She felt his other hand move higher on her thigh, lifting the hem of her dress up as he went. When she felt his fingers dip down towards her inner thigh, she stilled. Surely he couldn't have been planning to touch her there with her boss and his wife seated at the table with them. She was thankful, at least, that they'd gone to a nice bar so that the table was draped with a large white tablecloth to shield what was happening.

Her face flamed red and she tried to remain calm as his index and middle finger crawled their way between her legs. When she glanced over at him, his face remained unfazed. He was looking in Rachel's direction, offering her some kind of suggestion of a place to have dinner in Paris. Elena grabbed her drink and took a large gulp from it to refocus herself as she felt him graze the fabric of her underwear. She held her breath, afraid that she would moan if she exhaled.

"So Elena, do you have your sights set on anywhere specific for a job after you graduate?" Andrew asked her.

It was the most inopportune timing. Damon had just taken his index finger and started to trace light circles on her clit through the red lace. Elena swallowed and tried to focus on speaking without giving anything away.

"My younger brother is in school in Chicago so maybe there," she answered. She paused for a moment when Damon pushed her underwear aside and gathered some of her wetness onto his fingers. "I do really love New York though so I might stick around," she finished her thought quickly before her body could betray her with a whimper.

Andrew nodded. "Well of course, I'd be happy to write you a recommendation for anywhere. You're quite smart for someone of your age."

"Th-thank you," she replied, stumbling on her words for the first time. Her hand flew to his thigh and she squeezed it for dear life, but he remained unaffected as he dipped one finger inside her and then another.

Damon gently moved them in and out of her, slowly and unnoticeably to anyone else in the restaurant, but it felt like a fire was burning inside of Elena. She feigned interest in Damon and Andrew's conversation, nodding along without really listening as she tried not to make any noises that would raise suspicion. Soon she was chewing on her bottom lip to keep quiet, her hand still gripping his thigh while her other laid flat against the tablecloth. She was too afraid to move it.

"Don't you think, Elena?" Rachel asked and the sound of her name meant that she had to speak again, though she had no idea what the conversation was actually about.

"Um, yeah sure," Elena mumbled just as Damon flicked at her clit with his thumb.

She was thankful that a string quartet started to play in the corner, garnering Rachel and Andrew's attention for a few moments. They turned around to look at the cellist as he plucked his strings and filled the air with their own rendition of Wild Horses by the Rolling Stones. The notes filled the air and it was immediately recognizable to all.

Damon leaned over and his breath ghosted over the shell of her ear. "You're going to come, aren't you?"

She nodded, her teeth biting more firmly into her lip and her eyes closing on their own accord as he continued to work her with his hand.

"Then do it, Gilbert."

She came with a shudder around his fingers as she nearly drew blood from her bottom lip, her body tensing and then finally falling into a slump in her chair. Damon withdrew his hand from her underwear and all she could do was just sit still and wait for her body to not be a pile of mush.

When Elena could finally bring herself to open her eyes and calm her breathing, Damon was leaning back in his chair lazily finishing off the last of his bourbon as if he hadn't just rocked her entire existence with three stupid fingers. Rachel and Andrew still had their backs turned, listening to the music. Thankfully they looked to be none the wiser.

"Another?" their server asked Damon, gesturing to his now empty glass.

Damon looked down at his watch to check the time. "I've actually got a plane to catch. Just the check please," he replied.

Andrew turned around and held up a hand. "All on my tab," he spoke. "Not often this bugger shows his face in London."

"You're too kind, Andy," Damon smiled as he stood from his chair. He offered a hand to Elena to help her up, the same hand that he'd just had between her legs a few minutes ago. Luckily, it appeared he'd wiped his hand clean with his napkin. Elena blushed at the thought that the fancy white cloth napkin now residing in his chair smelled of her.

"Can we stay and watch the band a little more?" Rachel pouted to Andrew. "I like them."

Andrew nodded. "Of course."

Everyone stood and said their goodbyes. Damon and Andrew clapped each other on the back as men do, throwing playful insults back and forth. Rachel pulled Elena in for a tight. She assured she'd be getting her number from Andrew to be in touch soon for lunch or something. It was nice to have made a new friend in the city.

Linking their hands together, Damon led Elena outside and they waited out front for the valet to pull the car around.

"Will you come with me to my brother's wedding?" he casually asked. "It's the second weekend in August."

Elena raised her eyebrows. "You're going?"

"Don't sound so surprised," Damon chuckled. "He's my brother. He's kind of a shithead, but he's still my baby brother."

"I'd love to go," she answered with a nod.

"Great. I'll talk Caroline into taking you shopping for a dress when you get back to New York. My treat, obviously." The car pulled up in front of them and the valet dropped the keys into Damon's hand.

"Damon, I have dresses," she objected.

"The attire is black tie and I want to show you off," he insisted as he opened the passenger door for her.

"Fine," she gave in with a sigh as he pulled away from the Ritz and started the drive to Heathrow.

They had an hour in the car together before they had to say goodbye and yet, she had no idea what to say to him. She thought her mind would be racing with thoughts of the future and proclamations of love. Instead, all she could think about was the feeling in the pit of her stomach at the thought of him leaving, even if they'd just be apart for a few weeks before her internship ended and she came back home.

"Aren't you going to say thank you for the meeting with your boss?" Damon asked he cracked a knowing smirk.

Elena laughed. "You mean the part where you fingered me underneath the table or the part where we're suddenly planning a couples trip to France?"

"Both, but especially the orgasm part."

"There's no saving you from sexual deviancy, is there?" she asked, arching an eyebrow.

"Nope," he said with a shake of his head. "Not where you're concerned."

At least now they were bantering. If she could concentrate on that, maybe it would soften the blow when he inevitably kissed her goodbye.

"How ever will you survive without me while I'm here and you're an ocean away?" she playfully questioned.

"Lots and lots of Skype sex." His tone implied he was serious.

Elena feigned offense, toying with him a little. "I am not dressing up in some lingerie alone in my living room just so you can get your rocks off in a different time zone!"

"Then I guess I'll just have to picture the look on your face when I made you come in the back of that limo," he said in a low voice.

She gulped. Now she was suddenly and immediately turned on. Damn him! Though truth be told, that's probably one of the times she'd be picturing too.

Damon let her play with the radio, choosing whatever pop songs she wanted while he drove the rest of the way. She wanted to ask him to slow down a few times, not because he was speeding unnecessarily, but because she didn't want them to ever arrive. She wanted to procrastinate it and Elena Gilbert never procrastinated on anything.

But they went with the steady flow of traffic and soon Damon was handing the keys to the rental car over to the shop next to the airport. He pulled his suitcase behind him and slung his duffel bag over his shoulder as they made their way to the departures terminal. Elena offered to help carry something, but he wouldn't hear of it.

When they rounded the corner, she was met with the smiling faces of Jeremy, Bonnie, Caroline, and Enzo. They all had their bags with them, Caroline's of course twice as big as anyone else's. Her and her outfit options.

"Can't you just ditch the internship and come back home with us?" Bonnie asked Elena as she hugged her.

"Yeah," Caroline added with a nod. "Who needs the UK anyway? America is a better version. That's why all the cool people left in the first place."

"Heard that," Enzo coughed and smirked.

Caroline turned around and stuck out her tongue at him. "So?"

"If you don't put that tongue back in your mouth right now, I'll put it to good use," he teased.

"This is going to be a long plane ride," Damon winced, glancing over to where Bonnie and Jeremy were now kissing each other. "I'm playing fifth wheel here."

Elena shrugged and patted him on the shoulder. "I think you'll survive."

After a parting hug to Enzo and then an emotional goodbye to her baby brother, Elena and Damon were left standing alone outside the terminal as everyone else headed through security.

"So," he said, shoving his hands into the pockets of his suit and rocking back on his heels. The innocent and awkward gesture made him seem younger than he actually was. More like a young man nervously trying to think of the right thing to say than the refined gentleman who ran board meetings and executed million dollar deals with ease.

"So," she replied.

"I think it goes without saying that I'll call you," he joked with a laugh.

She laughed as well. "You better."

"Oh! I almost forgot!" Damon reached into his suitcase and pulled something out, handing it over to her.

Elena eyed the gift and her eyes welled up with tears, tears that she'd been trying to keep at bay all day. She'd been successful until he pulled out that stupid gift.

"I grabbed it from the gift shop on our way out when you were in the bathroom," he explained. "Elena Gilbert, baby, you're a fucking shark."

She looked at the stuffed animal in her hands, a plush shark with the logo for the London Aquarium embroidered on its tail. It wasn't some overtly expensive piece of jewelry or a stupid flash mob that would embarrass her no end. It was the perfect parting gift. It was a grand gesture that somehow fit into the palms of her hands.

He took a step towards her, his hand tucking a stray piece of hair behind her ear before he whispered his words of encouragement. "I love you. You're fearless and a force not to be fucked with. Don't let anyone make you think otherwise."

She grinned. "That's the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me."

"Good. Remember that when we're on the phone in the next few weeks and I'm being an ass," he responded, lightening the mood.

She slipped her arms around his neck and tugged him in for a kiss. She'd been thinking about the moment she had to kiss him goodbye for hours now and this was nothing like she'd imagined it would be. It wasn't a goodbye. It was a see you later. It was a talk to you soon. It was the words I love you so fucking much personified in an action. And damn it, it made her smile to know that he felt the same.

Enzo let out a whistle from the other side of the security line. "Lover boy! You're going to make us miss our plane!"

"Three weeks," Damon breathed.

Elena nodded. "Three weeks."

"I love you, Gilbert. I'll let you know when we land."

"I love you too."

A/N: Hi! Hello! I've been trying to get this chapter finished for awhile now, but The Octagon had my attention for awhile. I'm working on the next chapter for that as well, in between my mounds of work at my day job.

Anyway, I hope the length, smut, and fluff in this chapter halfway makes up for the long wait. This story is wrapping up. Maybe one more chapter and then an epilogue?

If you're still there, let me know your thoughts?