You should all go and thank SweetWillowTree for putting this idea in my head. It sort of goes nowhere but I hope you enjoy it...

Twitter: asinsaviour_

It wasn't the ice cold lemonade in Elena Gilbert's hand that was threatening to send shivers down her spine on this particularly hot summer's day, nor was it the droplet of condensation that was trickling its way down the glass and onto the soft skin of her fingers. No, it was the fact that if she turned her head another 30 degrees to the right, away from the lush garden attached to the back of the Boarding House, she would be able to see the enigmatic, dark haired, blue eyed vampire who was currently standing in his kitchen, pouring himself a glass of bourbon.

But she didn't need him to sense her shivers or catch her watching him from the corner of her eye; his ego was already big enough. So, instead, she forced herself to keep her eyes solely on the forest of trees ahead of her, the rose bushes that were each blooming with a different colour of flower and the soft carpet of grass that met the end of the patio.

"What's so interesting out there that's got you knitting your eyebrows together like a scarf?" Damon drawled out in his congenial voice.

Elena blinked, his words breaking her concentration. She turned her head to find him standing next to the garden bench on which she was sitting, facing the land as if it would answer all his questions. Her eyes involuntarily glided from his hands, placed thoughtlessly at his waist while holding his drink, up to his thick hair which was pointing in all directions as a result of their earlier activities.

"Nothing, I'm just… trying not to think." She responded and he raised an eyebrow but thankfully didn't push the issue any further.

They both looked back at the garden and downed their drinks in one gulp, so in sync yet neither bothering to notice.

"I'm up for another round when you are," he winked at her, turning back to the kitchen to put his glass by the sink.

Elena rose from her spot, following Damon into the house and mimicking his actions by placing her, now empty, lemonade glass next to his and going into the living room where all the furniture had been previously pushed aside, leaving an empty circle in the middle of the room.

Even though they were currently free of any immediate danger, they had both agreed that it would be wise for Elena to continue with her 'How to Kill a Vampire' training (or 'How Not to Kill a Vampire', as Damon had teased) because they never knew what was right around the corner. They were now standing in the middle of the room, a mere few inches between the two of them, Damon in his usual attire of a black shirt and dark jeans and Elena in a white vest top and lightly coloured denim shorts. They stared at each other for a moment before Damon nodded slightly, signalling that she should start.

Elena picked up a stake from the nearby coffee table and returned to her spot in front of Damon. She clutched the stake in her right hand and took her stance; legs a shoulders width apart and her hands up protecting her face in tight fists. Damon took a similar stance yet appeared more at ease as due to his obvious advanced abilities in strength, hearing and speed, he knew that even if Elena really wanted to hurt him, it would be a difficult task.

Elena took the first move, edging towards her opponent before swiftly turning; balancing on one leg and sending a spinning kick towards his head which he blocked with his left arm. She followed by sending a series of front kicks, sidekicks, turning kicks and hooking kicks towards him and a good few jabs in between, most of which Damon caught in the air. It felt as though she was getting better yet she had a sneaky suspicion that Damon was letting her get a few hits in to boost her confidence, although he'd never admit it.

As they danced on their toes around the room, she continued sending double jabs, reverse punches, hooks and uppercuts to his head, bending her arms this way and that. She delivered another turning kick; twisting the foot she was balancing on to the perfect angle then using her strength to expertly push out her leg. She nudged his stomach with the flat of her foot, enough to make him move a step or two back but not enough to send him flying, then retracted her leg back into her body at its 90 degree angle in the air before placing it firmly back on the ground.

Finally she decided it was time to go in for the kill. She took a step forward and sent another reverse punch towards Damon's chest, this time armed with the stake pointing directly at him. He saw her coming from a mile off, he grabbed her wrist and tugged it upwards so that her arm was now hanging over his shoulder and their chests were almost touching, almost.

Damon bent his neck towards her, his lips a breath away from her ear. "The element of surprise is your strongest ally," he told her.

There was nothing in the world that could explain why she did what she did next. Maybe it was the feeling of him being so close, the burn of his bare skin touching hers where he held her wrist, his hot breath on her ear or how good he still managed to smell despite the current temperature in the room.

She whispered against his skin, "You mean like this?" And for whatever reason, before Damon even had the chance to comprehend what she was saying, Elena grazed her blunt teeth across Damon's neck before pausing for a split second and taking the skin between her teeth.

Damon opened his mouth to talk. He moved his hands down to her hips, clutching the fabric of her vest, trying to push her away but somehow only managing to pull her closer. Both of Elena's arms were now wrapped around Damon's neck as she released him from her playful bite. She tilted her head up to the left and caught his eye.

Need shot through her with his gaze, making every inch of her skin tingle. Her breathing deepened and her eyes shut as she soothed the marked skin by placing a gentle kiss there. Damon pulled away just enough to rest a whisper of a kiss against her cheek in return and when she leaned her head into his he trailed more of them down to her lips, where he paused.

Their arms traded places, hers wrapped around his waist and one of his hands buried in her hair whilst the other cupped her face. Her eyes lifted, landing on his lips and she closed the gap. Within seconds she was pressed with her back against the wall, or maybe it was a piece of furniture, she wasn't sure, but he had captured her bottom lip between his and his tongue was running along it. She melted into him completely, parting her mouth as his tongue slid in and ran along hers. He swallowed the noise of appreciation she made while he explored her mouth and ran his fingers through her hair.

He let her go for a second to allow her to breathe and she took advantage. She angled her right hand upwards then dug the object she was holding into the small of his back.

Damon groaned in discomfort and let go of Elena, who slipped away from him, in order to prop himself up against the wall. "What the- hell-" He wheezed in pain, trying to catch his breath, and reached his arm around to pull the stake from his back. "-Just happened?" He finished.

"Surprise," Elena said, slowly shuffling backwards with a hint of a smirk on her lips. She had finally beaten Damon Salvatore.

A cynical grin spread across Damon's face. "So that's how you want to play it then? I will get you back for that, you know?" He promised her and the sound of laughter erupted as he flew across the room to the mischievous, dark haired, dark eyed girl whom he loved so much.

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