I couldn't resist, I had to put in my own two cents as to how the Damon-centered parts of the Season Finale could continue. This won't be a multi-chaptered story, it's just a short one-shot to tie up what I felt were loose ends. I wasn't sure when I started writing if this would be Delena or not and, well, in the end it turned out… canon, I'd say. Decide for yourself.

The title comes from an awesome Elijah fanvid I saw on youtube. It was made by 'TheDesencuentro', so the credit goes to him/her.

The Deepest Feeling Always Shows Itself In Silence

The pale light of the waning moon softly drifted through a small gap in the heavy curtains covering the windows. Every now and then Elena's eyes briefly flickered over to follow the slim sliver of light, watching it gradually come closer, but mostly her gaze was lingering on the still form beside her on the bed.

Damon was sound asleep and, from the looks of it, on his way to getting better fast.

Earlier, after Katherine had left, Damon had taken two more mouthfuls of the cure before he'd suddenly collapsed back on the bed. Within moments he'd fallen into a deep and obviously healthy sleep. For a split second Elena had been terrified but then she'd taken hold of his slack left arm. She'd rolled up his sleeve and had seen the wound change almost immediately. The awful angry red welts had stopped spreading and had slowly begun to retreat. Now, half an hour later, the werewolf bite was almost completely gone.

The cure was truly working. Elena still couldn't believe the luck they'd had. If Katherine had come by only an hour later, or not at all, Damon would be truly dead by now.

Her stomach twisted painfully at the thought of losing him and involuntarily her eyes drifted back to take in his relaxed features. Damon's skin had turned back to its natural paleness and cold sweat no longer clung to his forehead. His head was turned her way with the mouth slightly open and his lush lips twisted into the ghost of a smile.

And it were those lips that she'd kissed earlier. Out of her own free will, and not out of pity because he was dying and she'd wanted to grand him one last wish. No, Elena knew for certain that pity had been the last thing on her mind when she'd leaned in to put the softest of kisses on him.

She wasn't entirely sure what she'd felt then or what she was feeling now, only that it hadn't been a pity-kiss.

No, it had meant something.

But Elena hadn't had the chance to really analyze her motives or her feelings yet. That is, she hadn't allowed her mind to go there. She'd forced every thought away that had wanted to creep up on her but had concentrated on simply watching Damon sleep.

Once he'd wake up and feel better… they'd deal with it. With everything. Together.

But for now…

The sudden dull buzzing of a phone going off somewhere nearby almost gave Elena a heart attack. She looked around, trying to determine where the sound was coming from, and after the third ringing deduced that it had to be Damon's phone. Obviously he had it somewhere on him; most likely in his pocket.

Elena's eyes quickly flew from Damon's black jeans up to his face. He didn't show the slightest sign of waking up and the phone kept on ringing rather persistently. But she couldn't just… could she?

'What if it's Stefan?' Elena's mind supplied and before she was done thinking it she was leaning over Damon's body, right hand trying to wrestle its way into his front pocket without waking him.

The phone still rang.

Elena pushed her hand further into Damon's pocket, nearly lying on top of him in her effort, and she felt a blush spreading over her face. Damn, why did he have to wear such tight jeans all the time? It was nearly impossible to squeeze one's hand inside!

Biting her bottom lip nervously Elena almost wished that the damn phone would stop its persistent noise. Or that Damon would wake up already to get it himself. On the other hand… no! If he'd wake up now he'd catch her with her hand down his pants (okay, not in that way, but still…). Elena blushed further and imagined the shit-eating grin he'd sport if he were to wake up now. She threw a quick glance up again but thankfully Damon remained unaware. He was still out cold. Thank God!

And still the phone just wouldn't shut up! Whoever it was on the other end, he sure as hell was persistent.

"A-ha!" Elena exclaimed when her fingers finally went far enough inside to brush against the buzzing phone. She quickly closed her hand around it and with a triumphant grin pulled it out.

Elena sat up straight and looked at the display. But her hopes were crushed instantly when instead of the longed-for 'Stefan' she discovered the name 'Ric' flashing up.

For a second disappointment seemed to immobilize her and she stared down at the phone in shock. But the feeling quickly turned into shame. Of course Ric wanted to hear how Damon was doing.

Why hadn't she thought of calling him? Elena realized that in the last hour or so she should have told everyone the good news!

The phone gave off another buzzing sound and Elena finally snapped out of her haze and answered the call.

"Hello? Ric?"

A sharp intake of breath was all she heard at first but then Ric spoke: "Elena? Why are you…? God, please don't tell me… Is he…?"

"No, no, no, Ric," she hurried to assure him. "He's fine! Damon's okay. He's asleep but he's healing. He'll be okay."

For the longest moment there was nothing but silence on the other end. And then Ric let out a heartfelt sigh. Elena could hear him take several deep breaths before he was able to speak again.

"Oh God, are you sure?"

"Yes, absolutely. The wound's almost completely healed. The cure really worked!"

"Cure? What cure? What happened?"

Elena felt even more ashamed when she heard the confusion in Ric's voice. God, he hadn't even known about the cure? About Stefan going to Klaus for help? Elena knew that Stefan had talked to Ric earlier today and had asked him to keep an eye on Damon when he'd been still locked up in the cellar, but apparently after that nobody had really felt the need to keep Ric in the loop.

Least of all Elena. And that although she was probably the only person who knew how much Ric really cared for Damon (and vice versa, although Damon would never admit it). She'd often felt like the only person truly getting their weird friendship.

Why hadn't she called him sooner?

"Elena?" Ric pulled her out of her thoughts at last. "Tell me what happened, damn it!"

"I'm so sorry, Ric," Elena replied immediately. "I should have called you earlier. But with everything going on… I was out looking for Damon while Stefan went to find Klaus to ask him for a cure and..."

"I know that," Ric cut her off impatiently. "Stefan told me. So, he got hold of Klaus and he got a cure?"

"Not exactly," Elena felt tears spring to her eyes when she thought of Stefan. She quickly gulped them down. Now was not the time. "Apparently Stefan made some kind of deal with Klaus. I haven't heard from him at all. It was Katherine who showed up with a vial of Klaus' blood and Damon drank it and it cured the werewolf bite."

"So Klaus' blood is the cure?" Ric seemed to process that thought but then he suddenly frowned: "Wait, what? Katherine?"

"Yeah," Elena nodded and threw a quick look at Damon still lying next to her dead to the world. "Klaus compelled her to deliver the cure but she's on vervain, so… still, she brought it here. She said she owed Damon and that… that Stefan… he gave himself over to Klaus in exchange. I don't know… I haven't… I don't even know if he's still alive!"

She couldn't hold back the tears any longer. Throwing a hand over her mouth Elena tried to stop the sobs from coming out but Ric wasn't fooled.

"Shit, Elena, I'm sorry. But we'll find him, I promise," snapping into bad-ass-vampire-hunter-mode instantly Ric reasoned: "Elena, listen. Klaus wouldn't just kill Stefan, I'm sure of it. He has other plans. But we'll stop him. We'll get Stefan back!"

"Yes, thank you," Elena tried to take his words for what they were, comfort, but silent tears still ran down her cheeks and wouldn't stop until suddenly a hand took hold of hers and gave it a gentle squeeze.

Elena stopped crying and jerked around in shock.

Damon, propped up on one elbow, stared back at her fully awake and lucid and his intense gaze bore into her and gave her more comfort than anything Ric could have said at that moment.

"Damon," Elena cried, and her eyes filled anew with tears. But this time they were tears of relief at seeing him awake and healthy again. "Damon," she breathed out, softer this time.

He sat up, still a little groggy but feeling almost normal again, and gave her hand a second squeeze. Then he motioned for her to pass him the phone. Elena complied without protest, she couldn't have said a word to Ric now anyways. She was too overwhelmed right now, as if every feeling she'd managed to suppress earlier was now crashing down on her at once.

Damon pressed the phone to his ear. "Ric?"

"Damon," Ric exhaled loudly. "Welcome back, buddy!"

"Thanks, man," Damon chuckled but stopped when a wave of dizziness took hold of him.

Seconds ticked by in silence, neither of them trusting their voice just yet. Eventually Ric cleared his throat and, voice hoarse, asked: "You okay?"

"Not quite yet," Damon gave back, serious for once. He looked down at Elena's hand in his and then lifted his eyes to meet hers. Elena sent him a shaky smile.

"But I will be," Damon smiled back.

"I'm sure you will," Ric laughed. "Well, okay then. I'll let you get some more rest and we'll talk strategy in the morning. Sounds cool?"

"Yep, you got it, Ric."

Damon was about to hang up when Ric's voice stopped him again. "Hey, Damon?"

"Ric?"

"I'm, well…" he cleared his throat. "You know, you're an asshole most of the time and you probably deserve to die for all the shit you've done and I know that you don't do friends but… I'm really glad you're okay, Damon."

The line was silent for a long time after that and Ric was about to hang up.

"You're wrong, you know," Damon turned his head and looked at nothing in particular.

"About the asshole part or the deserving to die thing?"

"No, that's probably true, both of it," Damon smirked but quickly grew serious again. "You're wrong about the friends thing. I have one and he's…"

"Yeah?"

"A pathetic human that can't come up with a better excuse than 'I have papers to grade' most of the time but he's a hell of a fighter and really bad ass and…" Damon took a deep breath before he finished: "And he's the only one I can think of to share that bottle of Bourbon with that I've been saving since 1912 and I'm really glad to have him on my team."

"And what team is that?" Alaric tried to keep the smile out of his voice but he knew Damon could hear it.

"Team Damon of course," Damon smirked back and before Ric had the chance to reply something Damon finished: "I'll call you tomorrow. Bye, Ric."

"Bye."

Damon closed the phone and threw it onto the bed beside him. Then he lay back down and, still holding on to Elena's hand, pulled her down with him. He dared to put his arm around her and couldn't help but smile when he felt her scoot closer until she could rest her head on his shoulder.

For a long while the two of them remained silent, content with just being there.

"So," Elena whispered eventually and Damon could hear in her voice that whatever she was about to say next it would be a tease. And he was right. "So, Team Damon, huh? What exactly is that?"

"Why do you ask?" Damon raised an eyebrow and smirked at her. "Thinking about joining?"

Elena grew silent and bit her lip. Then her big brown eyes met his again.

"Maybe," she whispered and Damon saw her eyes travel to his lips and back up. She was still smiling that shy smile of hers and he had to push his luck. He leaned closer.

"Or maybe you're already on board?"

Elena leaned in as well.

"Maybe."

Damon could feel her soft breath on his lips; they were that close suddenly. He let go of her hand and very slowly his thumb came up to wipe away the tears still grazing her cheeks. He stared at her, waiting, hoping.

"Possibly," Elena whispered and closed the distance between them.

'Definitely,' Damon thought and, unlike the last time she'd done this, earlier when he'd been barely conscious, now he returned the soft kiss.

Every single new problem that had arisen today, Stefan, Katherine, whatever… all of it would have to wait. They'd deal with it, they'd figure it all out in the morning.

Together.

The kiss didn't last long, and it didn't lead to anything else. Damon and Elena simply lay there for the rest of the night, taking comfort in each other's arms, not saying a word.

There was no need for words because the deepest feeling always shows itself in silence.

The End

Please tell me what you think.