Author's note: To those who have read 'Memories,' the next chapter will be up shortly. This is just something I wrote in between. Hope you like it!

Only time

Ten years seemed as if they had never happened at all as Elena saw him walking right outside the window of the restaurant she was having dinner at. She froze mid-bite at the sight of him. He had changed. Gone was the slightly lithe built boy; he was now a man in every sense of the word. It was like he demanded to be noticed. He used to have his boyish charm, now he had buckets of sexual energy.

She noticed his muscular legs and chest and her eyes wouldn't leave his strong, stubbly jawline. She also noticed that he was entering the restaurant. Oh God! Would he recognize her?

Her eyes followed him as he strode towards a table and stopped in front of a blonde. Funny, blondes were never Damon's thing.

"Uhm, Elena?"

Shit, she was on a date here! She needed to pay attention!

"I'm sorry. I thought I saw someone I recognized. What were you saying?"

"Well, I'm…."

Was it a business thing or was he on a date as well? God, he had turned into a fine specimen! It was so unfair! Why couldn't appearance be based on what was on the inside? He had dumped her like the asshole that he was, and she really needed to pay attention to her date!

"That sounds amazing, John."

She gave her company a sweet smile in the hopes that she had answered him right, because she still didn't know what he had said.

Fuck, he had seen her! She watched as the smile dropped from his face as he took notice of her sitting here. Good, she didn't want him to smile. She wanted him to hurt, ache and pine like she had done all those years ago! She couldn't help but sit up a little straighter as he gave her a once over, suddenly highly aware of what she looked like. She knew her appearance had improved since then; no more frizzy hair and she had finally gained the body of a woman.

"So what kind of dessert do you want?" John interrupted her musings.

Her eyes left Damon and she quickly studied the menu in front of her. Ah, desserts. She could still remember Damon's love for them and how he loved it as She licked it from…

Right, pay attention!

Damon's eyes wouldn't leave her; she could feel them burning a hole into her. She licked her suddenly too dry lips as she tried to focus on what was going on at her own table.

"I'll have the crème brulee."

"Excellent. I'll order."

Yes, John. You order, but I don't think that I'm very hungry anymore.

Damon's eyes kept finding hers and it was so annoying what it was doing to her heartrate. Her short dress suddenly felt too tight and she needed to get away. She desperately wanted to run from the restaurant and never look back. So long, John. So long, Damon.

Why did he look so poised and in control over there? Her chest heaved with each breath and after his final glance her direction, she bolted. She quickly excused herself to her date and almost ran towards the bathroom.

Once inside, she looked at herself in the mirror. Her cheeks were bright red and her eyes had the 'deer-caught-in-the-headlights' look.

"Keep it together, Elena. He's the one who left you all those years ago. He's the one who should be uncomfortable, not you. You walk out of here with a sway in your hips, laugh at every joke your date makes and leave with him, never looking at Damon again," she told herself sternly.

After splashing a bit of water in her face to freshen up, she was ready to go. Of course, then she bumped into him, just as she was heading out.

"Elena," he acknowledged her.

Even his voice sounded sexier since then… so full of confidence. He was towering over her and she wanted to run.

"Damon," she breathed.

They were almost chest to chest in the narrow hallway where the restrooms were. He was doing it on purpose, he had to be. Why was he even back in Mystic Falls? He had left years ago to expand the family company. He had made quite a name for himself. Why come back to this small town?

His eyes were still every bit as blue as she remembered them. God, he was hot!

"What are you doing back in town?" she managed to get out.

"Business."

Short and to the point; exactly how he had broken off their engagement.

She held her chin up defiantly as she saw how his eyes landed on her lips. No way he was going there ever again!

"Ah yes, Salvatore enterprises. Give my best to your father and Stefan," she bit at him, before pushing him out of her way.

His hand shot out to grab her arm. Turning back, she yanked myself free, almost growling at him.

"You look good," he offered.

"Well yes, no thanks to you. Stop looking at me from across the restaurant, Damon. This..," Elena pointed towards her own body. ".. Is not yours, nor will it ever be again."

Damon held his hands up in surrender.

"Hey, I apologize. I didn't want to make you feel uncomfortable, I was just surprised to see you."

"Okay, well… the surprise is over. You've seen me, you've said your hello's, now it's time to go our separate ways again. Have a good evening, Damon."

"Okay," he interrupted her exit. "You're mad at me. What happened 10 years ago still affects you. I'm sorry."

"Please don't think that you affect me in any way, whatsoever, Damon Salvatore. I just want to get back to my date," she huffed.

Damon quirked an eyebrow at her. "I don't?"

"Don't be so full of yourself. You decided that you didn't want to marry me, and I got over it. Like you said yourself; it happened a decade ago. I moved on."

She watched as he crossed his arms, leaning back against the wall to make room for her.

"All right. Then I won't stand in your way. Have a nice evening, Elena. It really was good to see you again."

After one last look at his playful smile, she quickly scurried back over to where her date was patiently waiting. She apologized for bolting like that, explaining that she hadn't been feeling well. John gave her a worried frown.

"I'm sorry to hear that. Do you want to want to head home?"

"Yeah, maybe that's better. It's nothing personal; I really had a good time. I think I just need to rest a bit."

Her eyes drifted back to where Damon was just sitting down again, paying full attention to his company. So he was back for business, huh? What kind of business? Was his father back as well? Or Stefan? Ugh, why did it matter to her? He would get his business done and be gone before she could blink, just like he did all those years ago. She shouldn't even worry about it. Maybe that lady was his business.. She had come across an article about prodigal sons who had left Mystic Falls a while ago. He was in it; apparently he had become ruthless, both in business and in relationships. If you could even label them as just that. He was quite the ladies man, now. Sort of a love 'em and leave 'em kind of guy.

"Will you marry me?"

Elena looked at him incredulously.

"Yeah sure, Damon. How about next Tuesday? Can you pencil me in then?"

"I mean it," he said in a serious tone, taking her into his arms. "Marry me."

"You're serious?"

Damon's eyebrows shot up playfully. "I just said that I am."

Her mouth fell open, still not daring to believe his words.

"But.. we're 24 years old. Your father has high hopes for you when it comes to you taking over the company and making it big across America. Don't you want to achieve that first?" she asked him.

"I don't see how those things can't go hand in hand," Damon frowned. "I can't marry you AND take over the company? I know what I want. That's you."

She bit her lip, while looking down at the ground.

"Your father doesn't like me very much. He thinks I'm keeping you from your goals."

Damon smiled.

"Yes, and his goals cost him my mother. I don't want to make the same mistakes that he made. I don't want my work to become my life; always stuck at the office. I want you, Elena. Marry me."

She shook her head at the memory that had just hit her. What had happened to that passionate boy? Why was it that only four months later, he had brushed her off in a business-like matter?

She glanced back over in his direction. He still didn't look at her. Maybe he was taking her irritations about his staring earlier to heart, but why did it suddenly bug her now? Why wasn't he looking? She somehow wanted him to take notice of her and the way she had changed, despite of him. She wanted him to look and realize what a mistake he had made.

"Are you ready to go?" John interrupted her musings.

"Yeah, I guess.."

Picking up her purse, they headed for the exit together. However, she had to look one last time. She didn't know why. Maybe to have some closure, who knew? As her eyes landed on his back, he was just getting up out of his seat. He was helping his date getting out of hers as well. The blonde smiled at him and her stomach turned. Of course, then he looked up and found her eyes.

The earth seemed to stand still as she was helplessly caught in his gaze. Her heart drummed loudly in her chest and chills went up and down her spine involuntarily. She couldn't tell how long it lasted. She could tell, however, that it had been a long time since anyone had made her feel the way that she did in that exact moment. Her legs wobbled underneath her and she wanted to run, because he could not make her feel like that ever again. He didn't have the right. It was probably a game to him; to see if he could still have her after everything. Every woman was a game to him now, she would just be another notch on his bedpost. He was dangerous and she needed to steer clear.

"Elena?" she could hear John utter behind me.

"Yeah?"

Her voice sounded raspy and strained.

"Are you coming?"

Damon gave her a small smile, before paying attention to the blonde woman again. She quickly turned around and followed John out of the restaurant. The entire drive back to her house was silent; she just didn't know what to say to him. Luckily, he took it as a sign that she really wasn't feeling very well.

"I hope you get better soon."

"Thank you," she mumbled, wanting to get inside as quickly as possible.

John kissed her cheek and she said goodnight. Inside, she kicked her heels off and threw her coat somewhere in a corner. She knew she was going to have a hard time sleeping that night. Heading for the refrigerator, she took out a bottle of water and held the cool plastic against her forehead, wanting to cool off somewhat. Why had this evening turned out this way? Why couldn't Damon Salvatore have stayed in Atlanta, where his headquarters was situated?

Suddenly, her cell phone rang. She picked it up and sighed.

"Wow, that sounds like your date didn't go all that well?" Caroline Forbes could be heard on the other end.

"Care… The past has come back to bite me in the ass. My ex-fiancé is back in town and somehow, he's hotter than ever…."

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