Cure. Oh, how I hated that word. Cure was supposed to be a positive thing - like a cure for a disease. Which vampirism was. However, lately, I could feel nothing but the huge burden upon me when I thought about it. Everyone wanted me to be human, each for different reasons. Jeremy - so he didn't have to face the urge of wanting to kill his last living family member, Klaus - so he could create more hybrids. Although, Klaus did confess to wanting to retrieve the cure and destroy it, so his intentions were a little on the uneven side. And even Stefan - though I'm not sure why. He had said to me, plain as day, that he wasn't in love with me. I know that he wants me human for one specific reason...to break the sire bond. To see if my feelings for Damon are real. Which they ,as I've told anyone who asks, are. But no one really believes me – not even Damon himself. And it makes me so angry, because Tyler is a prime example of the sire bond having no effect on feelings. Sure, becoming a vampire may have heightened my attraction to him, but I know damn well that I loved him, even as a human. It was buried at the back of my mind - until the night when I was forced to choose. When Matt's truck went off of Wickery bridge. When all of this started.

The Cure brings nothing but misery now.

"Take the cure with me. That's how much I know this is real. That's how certain I am that I'm going to love you, even after this is all over. Take the cure. Be human with me. We can be together, grow old together...this doesn't have to be hard anymore." Her own words echoed in her head, building a bridge of hope. But Damon's snapped back at her, crumbling it.

"That's not me, Elena, that's Stefan. You know, I used to miss being human. Now, I can't think of anything more miserable on earth." and the vivid crunch of the twigs beneath his feet as he walked away triggered the tears, because she could almost imagine the twigs breaking in unison with her heart.

A few hours later I saw Damon walking past, almost sneakily, to his tent. And I knew immediately that he was trying to get past without me noticing. Well, I wouldn't stand for that. He was going to have to own up to what he said to me.

"Damon!" I yelled, getting up and fast-walking to the enticing vampire, who was opening his tent door. His sculpted head turned and his hands moved more frantically down the zipper as he saw me coming closer.
"Don't you dare run from me." I ordered, moving almost inches from him.

"Shouldn't I be the one telling you what to do, you being sired to me and all?" he said, disinterested. He was ready to dismiss me away like a maid. Perhaps that was what he thought I was to him now. He wanted me to have my own free will.

His crystal eyes were directed down, which really showed me how short I was. But at least his eyes were looking straight into mine, so I could make sure he wasn't lying.

"What you said back there, Damon, I want to know why."

He gulped, expecting a huge explosion from her.

"Look, Elena," he breathed, bowing his head, "I'm tired, we can talk about this tomorrow-" he made a rushed grab for the tent flap.

"No!" I went for his hand to stop it moving. "Damon, do you love me?"

He paused. "I love you."

"And you could never lie to me, right?" I said, feeling my eyes narrowing.
His eyes darted left, and I knew straight away what he would say.
"Well."
"You want to be human more than anything, and you know it. So why'd you lie to me?"

And right then, I swear, Damon's face could never look more pained, except perhaps when I first awoke from being drained by Klaus in the sacrifice.

"I love you, and you love me. Why can't we be human together? Better than that, Why can't we be together at all?"

I could sense his sadness from the intricate lines in his forehead creasing.

"Im frightened."

Her lips parted in surprise. Never would she expect Damon Salvatore to admit he was scared.

But perhaps for her.

"Frightened of what, Damon?" I pressed, my other, un-preoccupied hand landing on the side of his face.

His bright eyes wouldn't release the grip on mine throughout the minute or so he stood, silent.

I stood with him, my hands shaking slightly.

Suddenly, he croaked,

"That, when you turn human, you'll go back to Stefan."

And he ripped himself away from my embrace and swiftly got inside of his tent and zipped the door.

I didn't know how long I spent there, staring out into the forest, on the verge of bursting into tears.

All this time, he was scared of becoming mortal, only because he was afraid of me turning to Stefan and leaving him to grow old and die?

Oh, Damon. Once this retched sire bond is broken, I'll show you how it really is.

A/N: Thank you for reading! This is my first fanfic, so i was sweating buckets while publishing this. I would appreciate any reviews or favourites, just so i can improve my writing. Have a pleasant day! Oh, and Delena all the way! :) *EDIT* Thank you for reviewing, I totally squealed! Ive decided to carry this on! :)