Hey there (; This is only my second story, but I am in LOVE with the whole 'Delena' idea :D I'm also glad to say that I've loved the pairing ever since I read the books (back when I was eleven- they were the first books I took out from the library *awwww*). I don't hate Stefan, even if I DO seem like it sometimes (': Anyway, enjoy and review.

Dear Diary,

I hate this. I hate that I gave Stefan my blood. I hate that he's lost control. I hate that Damon and me had to lock him up. Maybe if Stefan and me hadn't gotten so close o each other he wouldn't be this bad. Damon let him out of the cellar last night, but he promised not to let him leave the house for a while. I'm scared, diary. I hate that too ): I cant help but feel that this is all my fault. I pushed for our relationship. I gave him my blood (to save his life, but still…). I look like her- Katherine. Both Stefan and Damon insist that I am nothing like her (personality-wise of course, we're practically twins on the outside), but recently I'm not so sure. Sometimes when I look at Damon… Nevermind. I'm probably just hormonal.

Elena threw down her diary out of sheer frustration. She didn't know exactly how to put her feelings into words. Sometimes when she looked at Damon she'd see… it was hard to explain. His eyes would twinkle and his arrogant smirk would soften into a genuine smile; he looked so happy, and human- so unlike the Damon everyone else saw. Sometimes, a small voice in her head said that she had picked the wrong brother, that she had chosen the easy option rather than true love. Elena refused to acknowledge that that voice existed.

"Elena!" Jenna's calls interrupted her thoughts. "Stefan's here!"

Elena froze. Stefan wasn't here; he couldn't be here. Why had Damon let him out? She tried to calm her breathing, but before she knew it, Stefan was walking through her bedroom door. She could feel her heart pounding against her ribcage, and she knew that he must be able to hear it too, as he was keeping his distance. Let him know that you're not scared, even if you are. Hug him. Their hug was awkward and reassuring at the same time; Elena felt afraid of him, afraid for him and yet the familiar feeling of his cool body pressed against her made her feel comfortable. This was Stefan: wonderful, amazing, would-kill-for-her Stefan. They took in each other's scents, inhaling deeply as though their lives depended on it. Well, her life at least, he was technically dead. The comfort of that action made Elena grin like a love struck fool. Stefan. Then he tensed, and her paradise was ruined. Backing away from her and looking at her intently, he asked her the question she least expected.

"Has Damon been here while I've been locked up?"

Elena could see that Stefan was barely containing his anger. His eyes were changing from that beautiful green that she loved so much to that never ending black that she had learned to fear. "His scent is all over your room Elena. His scent is all over you. Answer me! Why was he here?" Now he was gripping her arms so tightly that she could feel the bruises forming as he spoke.

"Stefan stop. Stefan- please. Damon stopped by last night to check on me, and to let me know how you were doing, that's all I swear!" Elena was terrified. Elena was lying.

Flashback

When Damon had come by last night, she'd been getting ready for bed (in this case changing into her pajamas). He made his silent entry through the window before she had put her bed shorts on. Lounging on her bed, he had watched her quietly before letting her know that he was there. He did this after she had put on her shorts. His way of announcing himself was a quiet cough.

"Shit! Damon-" Elena's shocked response was cut short as she tripped over her own feet in her own panic. She closed her eyes and waited for the dreadful moment when her head would connect with the floor. That moment never came, and after a few seconds of anticipating the hit that wasn't coming, she gingerly opened her eyes. Blue. She was looking into his beautiful eyes that were just a centimeter or so away. He was so close. Elena moved her head away from Damon's, but that didn't help one bit. Now she could see the chiseled features of his face; she could see his perfectly messed up hair; she could see the lines on his face, created out of either laughter or pain. He was beautiful. Before she could comprehend what was happening, they were both sat on the bed.

"What? Aren't you going to tell me off for scaring you? Oh dear, Elena, am I 'dazzling' you? That's what whats-his-face… Misery Guts from Twilight says isn't it? You know who I mean." Typical Damon. Just as Elena was rolling her eyes Damon added in a serious tone, "So, how you holding up?" That took her by surprise, did he actually care, or was he just making conversation?

"I'm… well I'm confused. Will Stefan be okay? Will he ever been the same, Damon?" she could feel the tears clouding her eyes and threatening to cross the threshold and spill onto her face. She didn't want to cry anymore, she'd cried too much already. Damon lifted her face and then did the most wonderful thing- he kissed her cheeks where the tears had fallen. It was very intimate, but for some reason Elena felt comfortable with the action.

"It'll all work out kitten. You and St Stefan shall be glued at the hip for evermore, and live happily ever after." Even though his voice was thoroughly sarcastic, Elena appreciated his comfort and hugged him as a thank you. They had stayed like that, with her sat on his legs cuddling him and him stroking her hair until she fell asleep. When she had woken up he had been gone.

End flashback

Stefan was laughing now, a horrible, sinister cackle that made Elena want to scream. "You always were rubbish at lying Elena. Perhaps you just need some persuasion." With that he vanished, and Elena let out the breath that she had been holding. Unfortunately, Stefan reappeared seconds later, dragging Jeremy by the neck. "Why was he here Elena? Why are you two such good friends? Can't you see how evil he is?" Elena didn't know what to do. Would Stefan really hurt her brother? Elena knew what he wanted. He wanted her to beg to him, to promise that she would never talk to Damon again. She just couldn't do that, and her jaw hardened in determination, and she took a calming breath.

"I told you why he was here Stefan. He is your brother, Stefan. He is not evil, he's just difficult sometimes, and who can blame him after the life he's had? I want to help him be a better person Stefan, I thought you'd want that."

"He is a monster Elena. He only hangs out with you to piss me off; he feels nothing for you. To him, you are just Katherine but quite as much of a challenge. He can't be helped."

"If he sees me as Katherine's replacement then how do I know that you don't too?" That got a reaction out of him. His face twisted in pain. "The only monster I see is you Stefan; threatening my brother," she risked a look at Jeremy who was still struggling against Stefan's grip. "Leave." It was then that Elena realized that she had been overestimating herself. Stefan's face twisted once again into a cruel grin, and she saw his eyes blacken just before he sunk his teeth into Jeremy's neck.

After that moment, things seemed to slow down. Someone was screaming, and then Stefan was being thrown out of the window by some unseen force. Damon. He quickly dived out of the window after Stefan, but returned seconds later. "He's gone." He took care of everything from then on. He cleaned Jeremy up and compelled him to forget everything. He cleaned the glass from her window up, and phoned someone to come and fix it in the morning. Elena vaguely wondered what repair shop would be open at this time. Now it was her time. Damon was kneeling in front of her, talking to her.

"Elena? Elena, we need to get you cleaned up, come on." He lifted her, and when she made no response, he looked deeply into her eyes. Elena wondered what he was looking for; was he checking out his own reflection? "Fuck Elena, I think you might be in shock. Do you even realize that you're bleeding?" Elena looked down at her hands, and sure enough they were bleeding. She'd been gripping the glass on the floor around her. Damon sighed, and washed her hands in a bowl of warm water. Then he placed her in the bed and stroked her cheek. Finally, Elena found her voice.

"Stefan-"

"Stefan can wait until the morning. He wont come back while I'm here."

"Promise you'll stay?" Damon nodded solemnly. "Damon, what can we do though?"

"Just forget about him for now Elena. I should never have let him out of the cellar; he's not himself. He's acting like a monster Elena. He can't be helped." Can't be helped? Had he been listening to her and Stefan arguing? It seemed logical, as he'd gotten there so quickly. She made a mental note to ask him in the morning.

"Damon?" Elena asked timidly. She was suddenly overcome with tiredness.

"Yes, kitten?"

"Stay with me. I mean like… in my bed? Please, no jokes. Just hold me."

"I may be sarcastic and arrogant and RIDICULOUSLY good looking, but I am not stupid. No smutty jokes, I promise. I'll save them until the morning" he added with a smirk.

"Thank you."

Everything felt so much safer with him holding her. Everything about him was reassuring. His scent. His solidity. The slow rise and fall or his chest. Damon.