Title: After Dark

Summary: Elena can't sleep and Damon is dying to find out why…

Rating: M, eventually

Disclaimer: I don't, in any way, profit from this story. All creative rights to the characters belong to their original creator(s) – no copyright infringement is intended.

Ok – so here is the long awaited epilogue and it's bumper-sized, Delena style! The plot is done and now we are left with the hot Delena goodness… I really hope you enjoy as it pretty much killed me to write this and be even half happy with it!

Elijah turned and left the room without a word. Katherine however, stepped around Damon to look at Elena. "Incase you were wondering, Stefan is leaving Mystic Falls with me and Elijah. He said he can't bear to stick around and see you making moon eyes at his brother."

"Congratulations, Katherine. We both got we wanted." Elena replied, her voice steady and firm. "I hope you will be very happy together."

Katherine opened her mouth, a quick retort at the ready. Instead, she closed her mouth and turned to leave. But not before she looked over her shoulder with a smirk and a wink.

"Now, Damon Salvatore, I think your bed-side manner could use a little work."

"Is that so?" Damon growled and allowed her to pull him back down on to the bed.

3 Months Later

Dearest Elena,

I write to you only now that I feel I can truly express my feelings for you and about the paths our lives have now taken. Please understand it was not my intent to make you afraid of me and it certainly was not my intent to cause you any pain. I hope you can understand the reasons behind me leaving Mystic Falls, especially the reasons behind my choice to leave with Katherine. We have spoken much about our time apart, my issues with human blood and our rediscovery of our feelings for each other and she has asked me to pass to you that which you will find enclosed with this letter. Her insight is evidently much more attuned than my own. I would like you to know Elena, that I harbour no grudges against you and my brother and though your bond troubles me, I wish you both an eternity of happiness wherever you may find it. I am sure that whatever course we are both on, we are on it for a reason even if we find ourselves separated in our journey. It may be worth little now but I will always remember the girl I met, who I talked with and how epic it truly was.

With my sincerest kind wishes,

Stefan

Elena couldn't help but blink back tears as she re-read Stefan's neat script. Tipping the envelope, a necklace with two pendants dropped into her lap. On closer examination she noted they were small coins – old coins which she didn't recognise – one double sided and one with two different sides. She couldn't help but smile then. Typical Katherine, ironic until the last.

"What's that?" Damon padded into the room, a mug of blood and a steaming hot coffee in his hands, nodding at the letter and the pendants.

"I got a letter. From Stefan. And a gift from Katherine."

Damon placed the cups on his bedside table and picked up the letter to read. "Always with the formal and flowery prose. And in a letter! Doesn't he know he could just send a text or an e-mail?"

"Oh, please. He's giving us his blessing. It means we don't have to spend our time looking over our shoulders like we have been doing for the past three months."

"I'm pleased to see he addressed it to you here." Damon noted flippantly as he scrutinised the coins. "Who'd have thought it, Katherine is getting all sentimental."

"I think that's her way of giving us her blessing to."

"Like we need it." Damon sputtered.

"We do if we're going to stay alive." Elena replied quietly.

Damon grumbled. "Fair point, but still. How dare they assume that what they do with their weirdo whacked out lives is of any interest to us?"

"I know baby." Elena cooed sarcastically. "Like we're bothered if they're going to try and kill us hmmm?"

"Let them try." His eyes were narrowed and his tone serious, completely oblivious to the mocking tone of Elena's voice.

Rolling her eyes, Elena climbed out of bed and picked up her coffee. "Shower and school for me."

Damon hardly noticed as he picked up Stefan's letter to re-read it.

Elena was in her last class of the day and she was feeling restless. The letter from Stefan had been a weight lifted from her shoulders yet it had stirred up her emotions at the same time. She didn't regret for a moment that she had chosen Damon over Stefan and she had no issue with Stefan being with Katherine.

But what she did have issue with was that now, now the danger was officially over and impending death was not the order of the day, that Damon might get bored of her. They'd spent much of the last three months on alert, researching animal attacks in the hope of at least tracking Katherine and Stefan's whereabouts in the spirit of forewarned being forearmed as well as securing the destruction of the amulet that had caused much of the mayhem in the first place.

But now, it was just them and tomorrow. And the day after that and the day after that. What if Damon realised she wasn't enough for him either? Sure they'd slept in each other's bed a lot and they'd kissed an awful lot but they hadn't quite worked up to actually going the whole way. They'd never gone as far as that night in the motel… She'd originally put that down to the worry and the stress of their circumstances but then she'd realised that while she wasn't actively avoiding it, she was also not encouraging it either.

She knew Damon wouldn't pressure her in anyway and she'd taken advantage of that fact but when she'd read Stefan's wish that they spend an eternity of happiness together, it made the absence of their intimacy incredibly apparent. And it wasn't for the lack of want or desire – well not on her part for sure. She'd craved him so much that at times her skin felt too tight for her body but ultimately, something held her back.

She was afraid.

Afraid what it would mean, that it would consume her, that she wouldn't be able to tell the difference of where she ended and he began.

Afraid that all she could think of was him biting her …. Afraid that she may actually want the eternity that Stefan had referred to. And what he would think of her for wanting such a thing.

Her phone vibrated in her jacket, startling her from her thoughts. Waiting until the teacher was looking the other away, she took it from her pocket and snapped it open in her lap.

1 New Message

7pm, the Boarding House, wear something hot

Her stomach flip-flopped upon reading his message. He was clearly tired of waiting.

She tapped out a reply.

Are you saying I don't usually look hot Mr. Salvatore?

It didn't take long before a response came back.

Ok, wear nothing at all

Elena felt her cheeks flush bright red. She dropped her head letting her hair fall over her face, opting to decline from responding before she got herself into trouble in more ways than one.

When she arrived at the Boarding House, dusk was settling over Mystic Falls. The watery sun had dropped beneath the horizon and a chill tainted the previously warm air. It hadn't been an ideal night to wear her little black dress and five inch stiletto fuck-me heels but she'd sacrificed warmth for 'hot' – the irony. She shifted uneasily in her heels as she stood at the door, contemplating whether to knock or not. Then the door flung open and she almost fell into the hallway in surprise.

"Since when do you knock?"

"Since when do I get formally invited?" Elena shot back, her eyes feasting on the raven haired vampire leaning on the door frame before her. He was wearing an indigo shirt which only served to enhance the cerulean of his eyes and tight black jeans and biker style boots to further add to his bad-boy look.

Damon grinned at her, his gaze appraising her outfit. "Since I have to stipulate a dress code and to ensure you are on time for your surprise."

Elena cocked her head, amused. "You know I don't like surprises."

"You'll love this one." He pulled her into the house and settled his hand on the small of her back, guiding her along the hallway, through the kitchen and into a room she'd never been in before. He followed her closely, his breath hot on her neck causing her to involuntarily shiver. She could feel the tightening already at the slightest of touches and his proximity. She was not going to survive the night, she was sure.

They were in a dining room, slightly smaller than the one she'd seen on previous occasions on the other side of the house and much less imposing. A long mahogany table was set for two at one end, with a feast of mouth-watering Italian dishes on display in the centre. Soft classical music filled the room and a scattered array of candles, bathed the scene in a hazy amber glow.

"Damon – this is-" Elena started, trying to swallow past the lump in her throat.

"I know, I'm a man of many talents right?" He grinned, happy at her reaction and at the same time trying to make her feel at ease. He to felt the arrival of Stefan's letter had lifted a weight from their shoulders and at the same time, gave them the neon flashing light they needed to start looking to the future. No more death, no more danger – just him and Elena, just as he always wanted it to be. But what did she want? He wasn't sure he was brave enough to find out.

"Talented indeed, Mr. Salvatore." She smiled at him shyly as he pulled out a chair for her.

"Only the best for my woman." He murmured, dropping a kiss on the crown of her head. He smirked as he saw her body react at his touch yet again. She was a coiled spring, that much he was sure of.

"What's on the menu?" She peered at the dishes in the centre of the table.

"Homemade Italian Beef Chili of the non-sucky variety topped with cheese and cream served with rice followed by homemade chocolate fudge cake of the Mystic Grill variety." He passed her the serving spoon and held out the dishes as she helped herself to a rather sizable portion.

"Looks delicious." She watched him serve up his own portion and politely waited for him to sit before she began to tuck in.

They ate in a companionable silence, content with the sound of the music playing softly in the background. Only when Elena placed her knife and fork on the now empty plate did she dare to speak. "What's all this in aid of?"

"A celebration of sorts – a marking of an event in time which I am sure when we look back will hold great significance for us." He replied thoughtfully, reaching for the now half empty bottle of red wine to top up his glass. "That and I thought it would be nice if we could spend some real quality time together without us thinking we're going to get our heads ripped off at any moment."

Elena giggled. "As good a reason as any – but that doesn't explain the dress code."

He took a sip of his wine then, his eyes meeting hers across the tall, white candle aflame between them. "That was purely selfish on my part. Any excuse for a good stare."

She gasped and half-heartedly kicked at his shin under the table. "I froze my ass off on the way over here just so you could have a good stare?"

"Well, I did say to wear nothing at all – you could have come in your jeans and stripped in the hallway-" Another swift kick to the shins had him doubled over cursing in mild pain as he attempted to rub away the sharp throb. "Those heels are good for something huh?" He quipped.

Elena was smiling through the whole exchange, loving their banter and the ease at which they exchanged barbed comments.

"Seriously, Elena." He stood and moved around the table, bending down to meet her at eye-level. "I read Stefan's letter a hundred times and only did I figure out why when I realised that he wished us an eternity of happiness together. Not a lifetime, an eternity."

"Eternity is one hell of a long time." Elena whispered, nervously tucking her hair behind her ears.

"Yeah. And it made me think about a lot of things." He was all serious now, his gaze fixing hers as he spoke. "And I need you to know Elena, that whatever happens between us, wherever we end up, I would never ever pressure you into doing something that you didn't want to do."

"You mean like become a vampire?" Her voice cracked and his eyes dulled a little.

"Yes, that's exactly what I mean. I want a future for us but I want you to know that when I talk about the future, it doesn't mean that I want – I mean, need – you to change who you are or what you want."

"I want you." Elena replied simply. Her heart was pounding in her chest now. She had no idea that tonight would lead to this. It was so soon to be opening up her heart to him when they had barely had time to be together, to explore each other properly. Taking a deep breath, she threw caution to the wind and asked him the question she'd been fighting against asking. "Do you not want me? I mean – to become a vampire.

He inhaled sharply telling himself that this girl would be the true death of him. He knew that the response he gave to this question would be the making or the breaking of them. He watched as she searched his face for the smallest clue as to what he was thinking. "Elena, to be with you for eternity would be the biggest privilege you could ever bestow upon me but not at the expense of your desire for a normal life, with children and grandchildren and a husband to grow old with."

Elena blinked at him, her eyes watery as she processed what he had just said to her.

Now he'd started, he just couldn't stop. "I mean, I know you were pretty clear with Stefan about not wanting to turn and you were all kinds of mad when I fed you my blood so I have a clear view about where this is heading." He coughed as he prepared himself to finish what he had started. "So I guess what I am saying is that I'll be here for you Elena, I'll love you for as long as you'll have me and when you don't want me anymore, I'll continue to love you for what is left of my eternity even if you're not there to share it with me."

She gasped then, she couldn't help herself. Her senses were on overload as an emotional tidal wave flooded her body. Just hearing him say the words was enough to squeeze her heart in her chest.

He stood up and stepped back, eyeing her warily as he saw her tears spill down her cheeks. He'd knew he'd end up making her cry and he still didn't have a damned clue what to do about it. He just knew that it was important for her to know that although he would love her and cherish her, he'd let her go whenever she wanted to be freed even if it would kill him in the process. He didn't want her to feel the way she had ended up feeling with Stefan, claustrophobic, imprisoned, and unhappy. He just couldn't bear it. He'd walk away before he did that to her.

"I'm sorry Damon." She sniffled as she wiped the tear tracks from her cheeks with the back of her hand haphazardly.

He waited, deciding the best thing to do for the moment was to stay quiet. He'd said enough and he had to prepare himself for whatever it was she was going to say to him.

"I'm sorry that I have made you doubt what I feel for you, even for a moment. I'm sorry that you don't believe that I could give what you've wanted for so long, true and unconditional love. But you need to know Damon, that that night in the motel – that night taught me something about what I want." She paused, watching his face as he now processed what it was she was saying to him. His arms were crossed over his chest and his expression was carefully guarded. Determined, she continued. "I want to be the person that gives you what you want, what you need. No matter how many times you stand in front of me and tell me that you'll willingly let me go, you need to know that that is what I don't want. You need to know that I can give you what you want because I want it to."

As they stared at each other, him two paces back and standing and her sat curled as small as she could manage on the tall backed chair, the air in the room changed.

"Are you saying-"

"I'm saying that forever is where I'm at. Forever is what I want. But tonight – I just want you to touch me. Because if you don't, I feel like I might actually stop breathing."

He closed his eyes, his arms dropping to his sides as he remembered the dream that they had shared and the wish that he had made that she would not only say those words to him but to really mean them. And here she was, giving him everything that he ever wanted. How could he ever truly deserve this girl?

"Damon."

He opened his eyes to find she was standing now, right in front of him – pressing against him from hip to toe. Unable to suppress his desire any longer he cupped her face in his hands and pressed his lips against hers. The whimper that his kiss elicited from her was his undoing as he slanted his lips over hers more forcefully, his hands threading through her hair.

She stumbled as she felt him guiding her along the side of the table, hearing the thud of a chair as it fell onto the carpet. Passion overwhelmed her like liquid fire as their tongues duelled, his hands dropping to her hips as he lifted her onto the table. Without thinking, she spread her legs and almost immediately, he stepped between them, his hands stroking her bare thighs as he shucked up her dress.

"Is this too soon?" He panted as he bent his head to her neck and licked from the lobe of her ear to her collarbone.

Bucking at the feel of his tongue on her neck, she pressed her hips forward and ground them against the solid bulge in his jeans. "Don't stop, keep doing that." She managed to gasp out as he renewed his efforts on sensually licking the soft skin behind her ear and over the bare expanse of her neck.

The mewling sounds she was making were driving him crazy, let alone the hot way she was writhing up against his body. The press of the seam of his jeans against his cock was creating a delicious friction but he knew he'd rather walk in the sun without his ring on than stop doing whatever it was that was sending her pulse skyrocketing so fast that it was pounding in his ears as thought it was his own.

He gently grazed his teeth over her pulse point and then, as she let out the most wonderful groan he had ever heard did he realise what it was that was getting her so worked up. With difficulty, he managed to lean back a little to look into her eyes, almost coming undone himself when he saw how drugged on pleasure she was.

"Tell me what you want, Elena." He whispered hoarsely.

"You." She cried as she clawed at his back through his shirt.

"Tell me what you need, Elena." He ducked his head and nibbled along her jawline and round to her neck again.

"I need you to bite me." She managed to gasp as he bit down harder, almost breaking her skin.

Her hips bucked even more wildly against him as she felt the pressure blooming low in the depths of her belly. He hadn't even touched her intimately and she was about to come harder than she had in her entire life.

Aware of her increasing and fast growing need and the fact that he was about to lose it in his jeans, he managed to wrestle a hand between them and unpop the button of his jeans. At the sound, Elena moaned low and long as she set to work at his zipper, kicking off her shoes so she could push his pants down to his knees with her heels.

"I need you in me… In all ways." She wrapped her legs around his waist drawing him towards her, wrapping her arms around tightly around his neck.

His eyes darkened at her words and his veins webbed around his eyes. He could feel how wet she was as he rubbed his hardness along her entrance, teasing her bundle of nerves on every upward stroke. "So wet for me…" He said in wonder as gripped her hips and pulled her right to the edge of the table.

Without pause, he lined himself up and slowly slid his length inside her inch by agonising inch. Before she could cry out, he had dropped his head to her neck, his elongated fangs piercing the skin at her throat. Her blood spilled into his mouth, his tongue lapping gently at the wound as she came apart in his arms like a woman possessed. Placing her hands behind her on the table, she lifted her hips and began rolling her hips, thrusting herself back and forth along the length of his cock.

The final thread of his control snapping, his hips snapped quickly as he drank down her essence tasting the pleasure, abandon and fire of her love for him as it poured from her vein and into his body.

Her head was spinning as she felt each pull on the skin of her neck and the thrust of his hips against her own. She knew it would feel like this, like she was aflame – consumed with the need for him to possess her, to take her and to give him a part of herself in a way that she would give to nobody else.

Then he changed the angle and she was soaring off the edge of the cliff. The coil low in her belly unfurled and sparks lit up behind her eyelids as she felt her entire body tense with the onslaught of the overwhelming pleasure he was levelling against her body.

And then she came undone, gracelessly and totally she fell apart in his arms as her body began to shudder and her brain shut down with the sheer bliss of having this man inside of her, body and soul.

At the feel of her tense and her inner muscles clench around him, Damon threw his head back and roared as he pounded quickly – one, two, three times – before exploding deep inside her.

And just when she thought she couldn't take any more she threw her arms back around his neck and bit into his neck as she crested another wave. The taste of his blood in her mouth was enough to force a total body shut down as she gasped and collapsed against his chest.

They were silent and still for a long time, conscious that they were in effect holding each other up, neither daring to move.

Finally, Elena mumbled into his chest. "That was amazing, scary and beautiful… Is it always like that?"

He chuckled at her words, his hands trailing up and down her sides making nonsensical shapes. "Not in my experience."

"Seriously, it's never been-"

He leaned back to meet her eyes, keen to look at her squarely when he responded. "Like my world was ending and beginning all at the same time? No. Never."

"Oh." She answered with a small voice, her cheeks flushing a bright red.

He cocked his head, watching her carefully. "I am the only vampire to bite you… like that, right?"

"Right." She nodded vigorously, her flush spreading down her neck as she remembered the intensity of the experience that they had just shared.

"Good. Because I would hate to think that you had shared that with – anyone else." He looked at her, his expression open, vulnerable and relieved all at the same time.

"I never wanted to. Not before you." She admitted, a coy smile playing across her lips.

He groaned, his pupils dilating at her confession. "I'm going to take you to bed now."

"But we didn't eat the chocolate fudge cake…" She teased, looking pointedly at the untouched dessert.

"We can bring it with us." He raised a brow and smirked. "Now, no more talking…"

And there you have it, the final part of my first fanfic. Just to say again a huge thank you to all of those who have read, reviewed, added me and this story to their reviews… it's been an amazing experience.

I'm still in the process of gathering ideas for a new story and I would be really, really grateful if you could not only review this chapter but also share any ideas/requests as I really would like to write something that not just I would like to read but something you all would like to read to xxxx