A/N: Just a cheesy, Valentine's Day themed one-shot. Hope you like it!

Much love and thanks to my wonderful beta Kim (kimbuhlay) for her amazing editing work, all her suggestions and unending patience with me and my repetitive vocabulary. May you be showered with kisses, flowers and champagne! :)

*~ Kisses, Flowers and Champagne Showers ~*

"Damon!"

Elena stood nervously in front of the bathroom, rocking on her heels back and forth, as she shouted through the closed door. No reaction.

"You've been in there for an hour!"

She heard a rustling noise inside. It was times like these when she hated sharing an apartment with him. Living together was the best part of her life and she wouldn't want to change a thing about it yet sometimes she couldn't help but wish to have at least her own bathroom.

"Would you please let me take a shower?" she added, slightly annoyed that he was ignoring her.

"Damon!"

She knocked on the door so hard her knuckles hurt.

Damon unlocked the door and Elena entered the steamy bathroom. He showed up behind her, grabbing her wrists together and pulling her against him. She closed her eyes, enjoying the feeling of his warmth sweeping into her skin. The scent of his shower gel and his favorite cologne surrounded her while she relished the sensation of being this close to him.

"Could you be any more annoying?" he whispered, his breath fanning against her neck, brushing away her hair with his hand.

Immediately, she tensed up as she felt the goosebumps rise up where he'd touched her. She knew she shouldn't have this reaction; she always felt guilty when her emotions were running wild, but she couldn't help it.

She took in a breath to compose herself and prayed he hadn't noticed. He couldn't know about her feelings for him, couldn't know that she had been in love with him for over five years. She didn't want to jeopardize their friendship; it meant everything to her.

"Excuse me, but I have a date to get ready for," she said in a serious voice, trying to shake off her traitorous thoughts.

Her best friend Caroline had given them a voucher to a Valentine's evening at the French restaurant just around the corner because, apparently, she hadn't been able to go herself, and Damon and Elena had agreed on going there together. They'd been out for dinner a thousand times, but as this was a formal dinner with a black tie dresscode, it felt more like a real date than any of the times before.

Elena was nervous, although there wasn't really a reason to be. She knew they'd just spend it like every other evening: laughing, talking and goofing around together. It was nothing special, really.

"Your date will just have to wait, I guess," Damon smirked at her, putting his arms around her waist. "Besides, you would've been finished by now if you had accepted my very generous offer to join me."

It was a running gag between them. Ever sinced they'd moved in together, Damon was trying to get her in the shower with him. At the beginning, Elena had shaken her head at him or shoved him in the chest when he'd mentioned it, but after a few years, she didn't even react to it anymore.

Ignoring his teasing comment, she escaped his embrace, whirling around to be able to look at him. He stood there barefoot, wearing nothing but a pair of jeans, and she used the opportunity to let her gaze glide over his perfect body - his chiseled chest, his muscled arms, his happy trail...

She quickly looked up and tried to focus on the little fish that they'd stuck to the wall to make the white room more decorative, but almost immediately, her gaze fell back to the half-naked attraction in front of her.

"What the hell have you been doing for so long? You're not even dressed," she said while shaking her head at him.

Damon chuckled, raising his eyebrows playfully, before Elena pushed him out of the room, locking the door behind him.

When she came out again she'd put on a long, black dress with elegant lace accents on the neckline. Her hair was pulled up in a bun, small, curled strands of hair falling out to frame her face.

Without seeing Damon, Elena stopped to check her appearance one last time, glancing at the ornate, full-length wall mirror in the hallway and smoothing out invisible creases in her dress. Damon looked at her in awe, thinking she looked even more amazing than usual, if that was possible. With one last longing gaze, he abruptly left the apartment. Elena whirled around as the door snapped shut with a loud bang.

"Damon? Where are you going? Are you ditching me?"

Before she could make it to the door the bell rang and she opened it to see Damon standing there, a huge bouquet of flowers in his hands. Elena could feel the butterflies in her stomach when she took in the sight of her roommate. He was wearing a black suit, a white shirt and a bow tie, and to say he looked fabulous was an understatement.

"Be my valentine?" he smiled, kissing her on the cheek before he handed her the bouquet.

She took the red roses and gave herself a moment to savor the amazing smell of them. He had never given her flowers before, let alone roses. She placed them in a vase in their living room and returned to the wardrobe to pick up her handbag.

Maybe it did mean more than their usual dinners to him?

"Thank you, Damon. They're lovely."

He held out a hand to her.

"Shall we?"

She nodded and smiled, closing the door behind them before she lay her hand in his.

"You're stunning, if it isn't obvious," he said when they had left the building.

"Thank you," she responded shyly.

He wrapped an arm around her waist as they walked to the restaurant Caroline had picked out for them.

"I'm sure that must've taken a while in the bathroom." Damon gestured at her hair. "Your poor roommate must be so annoyed," he grinned and she pinched him in the side like she did so often.

He caught her hand and they drifted to a stop, and Elena could feel the heat pumping through her veins as they stared into each other's eyes in an open challenge. She didn't have the courage to lean forward and kiss him. She couldn't. Not when their friendship was at risk. She didn't know if he was interested in her that way, anyway.

After what felt like an eternity, Damon blinked and looked away, and they resumed walking. He'd desperately wanted to kiss her, but he wasn't sure that it wouldn't freak her out, and he didn't want to lose their friendship. He didn't know why she had agreed to go on this date, after all, maybe she'd just been too polite to decline. That was totally something Elena would do.

When they were sitting at the little table in the corner of the small, classy restaurant, Elena felt herself relax. It was a beautiful place, piano music playing in the background, modern art decorating the walls behind her. It was fancy, but still really cozy. Paper heart garlands were hanging from the ceiling, symbolizing the occasion of the evening.

Their waiter had lit their candle, given them the menu for tonight and quickly left to give them their privacy. It was obviously an event for couples, Elena realized, and she wondered whether Caroline had known and set them up on purpose.

She returned her attention to Damon, giving him a genuine smile. She saw him taking in the settings around them, shifting uncomfortably in his chair. He had probably noticed the intimate atmosphere and was considering leaving and going to Pizza Express instead.

Wanting to distract him, Elena asked the first thing that came to her mind.

"So, what do you usually ask your dates the first time you go out with them?" She cocked her head to the side.

"Depends."

"Depends on what?"

"On the kind of woman I'm dating."

Her hands made a gesture for him to continue, but apparently, he didn't want to get it out on his own.

"Okay, so what did you ask the girl you went out with a few months ago?"

Elena's stomach still clenched at the thought of his last 'girlfriend'. He'd dated one of Mystic Falls' most famous fashion models, a beautiful, tall brunette that had the most gorgeous legs you could ever imagine. It didn't last for some reason. Somehow, they never did.

He glanced at her in a 'you-don't-really-want-to-know' kind of way, but sighed in surrender after she gave him a pointed look.

"What type of underwear she's wearing," he replied eventually.

Elena choked on her drink.

"You're kidding."

"No, that was my first question."

"I can't believe it."

She knew Damon wasn't shy when it came to sex; he enjoyed having one-night stands and short-term affairs from time to time. He never brought them home, he always stayed at their place, but Elena knew he wasn't ascetic. The frequency of his sleepovers had decreased over the last few years, though.

"Well, she was the bold type, you know. She liked it. I wouldn't ask you that."

The way he pronounced the word 'you' gave her shivers, and not of the good kind. Like she was a prudish, forty-year-old virgin who did not have the slightest interest in the other gender. It was true, she hadn't really dated anyone in the last five years, but that was because she was living with the person she loved. Of course, Damon didn't know that.

"Why? What's the problem with me?" Elena tried to conceal the fact that she felt a trifle annoyed by his words.

Damon didn't seem to notice. "You're ...different. I'd ask you something innocent."

She blew a strand of hair out of her face. "Like what? What's your favorite color?"

"For example," he chuckled. "But I already know that it's red."

"I don't want you to treat me like a wallflower. Just treat me like a typical date of yours. Ask me the stuff you're really interested in."

"Okay."

He paused, his fingers tracing the bridge of his nose as if he was in deep thought.

"What type of underwear are you wearing?"

She hit him hard on the knee underneath the table. "Is that all you can think about?"

"You're not wearing that black thong of yours, that's for sure; I've seen it in the laundry today."

He laughed out loudly at the sight of her face turning red in embarrassment.

"I'll never let you do my laundry again."

She hid her face in her hands before she looked up at him again.

"Don't be embarrassed." He was still smirking. "So, which one? The panties with the small, red hearts? Haven't seen them for a while."

"Forget it; I'm not gonna tell you. Next question."

"Are you this bossy on all of your dates?"

She sighed in annoyance.

"Okay, I think we should do a reset. Let's start again. Pretend like this was a normal date."

She held out her hand to him.

"I'm Elena. Nice to meet you... finally," she smirked, giving him her most flirtatious look.

"Nice to meet you too, Elena."

Damon brought her hand to his mouth and kissed it softly. He pretended to look at the menu and Elena had to laugh at his bad attempt to fake a serious expression.

"So tell me, Elena." He looked up from the menu, raising his eyebrows in mock interest. "What's your favorite color?"

Elena burst out laughing. The way he asked it, as if it was the most fascinating thing, cracked her up.

"You're such a child sometimes." She shoved him hard in the chest.

"I'm sorry; I couldn't resist. Let's do it again. I'll behave."

He held out his hand for her.

"I''m Damon. Nice to meet you...finally," he said, repeating the words she'd just used to introduce herself.

Elena didn't know whether to laugh or to cry out in exasperation. She loved his humor, but she really wouldn't mind a proper conversation for a change. She let out a sigh and shook his hand.

"Are you okay?" Damon asked, with faked concern.

"Yes, fine."

She could see that Damon was about to make another one of his jokes, but he paused, looking at her and trying to figure out her mood. He didn't say anything, giving her the chance to decide on the direction of their conversation.

"So, Damon..." she started.

"Yes, Elena," he cut her off with an ironic tone.

"Stop mocking me, I want to ask you something."

"Okay."

"How do you feel about tonight?"

He wrinkled his forehead. He didn't know where she was going with this and the way she was looking at him made him slightly nervous.

"Good. Great. It's nice to go out with you; you know I love being around you." He smiled at her genuinely.

She forced a smile, nodding. Was that all it was to him? An innocent date between friends?

"What?" He looked at her, taking in her disappointed expression. "Did I say something wrong?"

Shit, he'd noticed.

"Not at all. I love being around you, too," she replied. "And this place is great," she added, trying to distract him.

She took a deep breath. She'd wanted to talk to him about something tonight, but she was nervous about how he would react.

"I need to tell you something. It's good news, I think." She chewed on one of her nails. "Well, depending on how you look at it."

"You're making me nervous. You're not pregnant, are you?"

"How could I get pregnant?"

She hadn't slept with anyone for over two years, so she was completely out of the danger zone. She was quite certain that Damon was aware of it, too.

"I'm glad you asked that. It's an important subject." He coughed to stifle a laugh, before he went on. "Look, I don't know if you've noticed, but there is a significant difference between men and women. You cannot see it with clothes on, so it's only understandable that you forgot. When the man puts his -"

"Damon, oh my god!"

She put her hand over his mouth to stop him from talking, looking around to see if the other guests had paid attention to his little speech.

"I'm gonna die of embarrassment if you don't shut up immediately."

Damon chuckled, pulling her hand from his mouth and placing a kiss on it.

"So what was it you wanted to tell me?" he asked when he had calmed down again.

"I got offered a promotion," she said finally.

"That's amazing!"

She looked down at the empty plate in front of her.

"Why are you not happy about this?"

"I am happy. It's a great opportunity, one I've waited ten years for." She faked a smile and paused for a while.

"That's good, right?"

"It's in Chicago," she added quietly.

"Oh." His beaming smile faded from his face.

"Yes, oh."

"But you want to go?"

She sighed for a moment, before she nodded.

"Then I'll just come with you."

"You don't have to; it's not as if we're married."

Damon's smile froze, his gaze turning cold as he gritted his teeth.

"Yeah, I guess we're not."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing."

He raked his fingers through his hair in distress.

"I just thought, I don't know. You have your job here, your family and friends. I don't want you to leave all that, just for me. I don't think it's a good idea."

"Well, I disagree. It means that I can be with you. And I can visit them from time to time, it's not that bad. The other way round would be much harder for me, trust me."

"Why? I mean, I'm your best friend, I know that. I'll miss you, too, of course -"

"You're so much more than just my best friend, Elena, and you know it."

His quiet, husky voice sent tingles down her spine. What exactly did he mean by that? This conversation confused her more and more.

"And you can't stop me from going with you to Chicago, so -"

"I don't want to stop you," she cut him off, rolling her eyes at him. "I would love it if you came with me, don't be ridiculous. I just don't want to force you into anything. Your job..."

"I'll find another job."

"Can I ask you a serious question?"

"Anything."

"What do you think the future holds for you and me? For us? Twenty years from now, are we still going to live together?"

"I hope so." He smiled at her, bringing his hand up to caress her cheek. "I guess our relationship could change over the years, but you'll always be my soulmate."

My one, true love. Except, of course, he couldn't say that.

"Do you really want to come with me?"

He nodded excitedly, and she couldn't believe how lucky she was. Not thinking about what she was doing, she entwined her fingers with his, squeezing them tightly.

She didn't say anything for a long while. "Well, then I guess it's good news."

A big smile grew on her face, replacing the sadness that had been there moments ago. "This makes me really happy, you know that?"

"When have I ever not made you happy?" he teased.

She grinned at him in response before she raised her glass.

"To many more years of living together. To the pleasure of sharing a bathroom, doing our laundry together, having to pick up your socks from the living room every day…" she laughed.

"Don't ruin the moment," he scolded her, offering her a lopsided grin.

They clinked glasses and for a second, they seemed to be lost in each other's eyes.

The waiter brought their first course and they started to eat in silence. Something had changed between them, tension was crackling in the air like static electricity.

Damon tried to ignore it, making light-hearted conversation instead of thinking about her in ways he couldn't allow himself to think. If she knew how he fantasized about her, she'd probably have a heart attack.

He managed to get himself back in control, until the waiter brought their dessert. The sight of Elena chewing on a chocolate coated strawberry discomposed him. He lifted up his thumb to remove a tiny bit of chocolate on her upper lip. The moment he touched her he knew it had been a bad idea. He was unable to break the touch, his thumb resting on her lip for a ridiculous amount of time. He felt currents running through him, and after a few seconds, he finally managed to get his body under control and snatch his arm away.

"I'm sorry," he gasped. "I'll be right back." He got up and made his way to the bathroom.

He leaned over the sink, his hands on the counter. She must have noticed, his reaction had been completely obvious. He splashed some water in his face when he saw Elena in the doorway.

"Are you alright?"

He just nodded. When he made a move to leave the room, she grabbed his arm.

"What's going on?"

"Elena." He paused. He didn't know how to approach the topic. "Are things changing between us? It feels like they are. Tell me if I am just delusional, and I'll never talk about it again, but something feels different tonight."

Elena took in a deep breath. She would never have expected him to bring this up, yet here he was, starting the conversation that was sure to shake up the foundation of their friendship for good.

She brought her hand up to his cheek, softly tracing his face. "Yes, I can feel it, too."

"Are you worried about it? Do you want to ignore it? Just tell me. I'm so confused."

"Yes. No. I don't know."

He looked up at her questioningly.

"I don't want to ignore it. I am worried about it, I guess. I don't want to put our friendship at risk. But I can feel it, too," she explained.

A flash of relief went over his face.

"Come back to the table."

She took his hand in hers, leading them over to their table. She didn't let go of his hand for the whole evening, and slowly, the atmosphere changed back into a cheerful one as they fell back into their typical banter.

When they left the restaurant they were laughing, slightly affected by the wine they'd consumed.

"I bet they'll never let us eat here again," Elena giggled. "We've constantly been annoying the other couples with our laughter and I'm sure the waiter heard parts of our conversation. Did you see his face when I went after you into the men's bathroom?"

Damon nodded, giving her his lopsided smile in amusement.

"So. Your place or mine?" He arched his eyebrows, trying to suppress his laughter.

She chuckled, pinching him in the side again. The second time this evening he caught her wrists, bringing her closer to him. This time, he couldn't help but lean in and kiss her softly on the cheek. His mouth lingered there for a few moments, and he could hear her little gasp.

"Elena."

"Yeah?" she whispered.

He could feel her breath on his skin.

"I'm going to kiss you now."

"Yeah."

Her brain was a mess; she couldn't think straight. He was so close to her she could feel the warmth radiating off his face. His hand came up to cover hers, locking their fingers and caressing her skin with the pad of his thumb. Elena breathed in the smell of him, felt him intoxicating her senses.

Even after five years of desperately waiting for him to kiss her, she still felt completely unprepared for what happened next. He brought his mouth down to her throat and softly sucked on her sensitive skin. She closed her eyes, her head falling back. Slowly, his lips wandered over her jaw to her mouth, brushing hers gently. Elena felt like she exploded from all the bottled-up emotions being released.

Shocked by the sensation of feeling her lips against his, Damon pulled away for a moment. Seeing the questioning look on his face, Elena brought herself closer to him and kissed him passionately. Damon groaned in response, placing his hand against the nape of her neck so that their bodies were molded against each other.

His tongue ran along her bottom lip and slowly, he captured it between his own. Elena parted her lips, giving him access to the contours of her mouth and she could hear Damon moan into her mouth at the sensation of their intertwining tongues. She put her arms around him, her hands caressing his back tenderly.

When they finally broke the kiss, Elena buried her head in the crook of his neck.

"I've been waiting five years for this moment to happen," she admitted, looking up at him shyly.

"Me, too."

Damon gazed at her with an expression of amazement and wonder before he leaned in to give her another peck on the lips.

"Let's not waste any more time."

They stumbled into their apartment and made it to the couch in their living room before they resumed kissing. Elena lay down and Damon rolled on top of her, his body pressing her against the pillows beneath her. After a while, Damon broke away, all breathless and clearly affected by their hot and heavy makeout session.

"Wow," he gasped.

She offered him a shy smile.

"Would you like a glass of champagne? To celebrate our evening? And to cool down a bit?"

"Since when do we have champagne?"

They always went grocery shopping together. It was never just shopping with Damon, though; it meant having an exhausting discussion about every article she put into their cart. It was one of the highlights of their week and she secretly loved every minute of it.

"Since I bought it."

She gave him a surprised look. Seemed like he'd gone without her.

"Yes, I would like that."

Damon went into the kitchen and came back with an expensive looking bottle of French champagne.

Removing the foil and the wire cage, he slowly twisted the cork around. It emerged from the bottle with a loud explosion, the champagne spilling all over Elena's dress.

"Whoops." He gave her an apologetic shrug. "Well, at least you're cooled down now."

For a moment she looked puzzled and incredulous before she snapped out of her apathy, snatched the bottle away from him and started pouring it over his head.

"You're going to regret that."

Damon's husky voice made her shiver.

He picked her up bridal style, carrying her through the open bathroom door.

"What are you doing?"

Realizing his intentions, Elena started to yell. "Damon. No!"

"Oh yes."

Ignoring her screams, he put her down in the shower and turned on the water.

Elena squealed at the cold water soaking her dress, but managed to grab Damon's shirt, hauling him in the shower with her. Beneath the flow of the water, they started tickling each other, trying to get away from the water while getting the other as wet as possible.

After a while, Elena pushed him away, putting her hand on his shoulder to get some distance between them.

"You're an ass," she said seriously before a slight smirk appeared upon her lips.

In the next moment, she attacked him, kissing him passionately, her hands clinging to his wet, transparent shirt.

His mouth started to explore her body, wandering from her neck to her collarbone. He quickly pulled down the strap of her dress, letting it glide to the floor.

"So you are wearing those panties..."

With one swift motion, she took them off and threw her red-hearted underwear in his face.

"Shut up, Damon."

Not that he could argue, anyway. The sight of her, standing gloriously naked in front of him, had rendered him speechless.

Exploiting his current state of confusion, Elena reached for his pants, her shaking hands trying to yank them off. She gestured at the huge bulge in his underpants, thinking about his little 'the birds and the bees' speech.

"What's this?"

She had to bite her lip to prevent herself from starting to laugh.

"Shut up, Elena," he growled while pulling down his boxerbriefs and throwing them at her.

He shook his head in amusement. They really were a match made in heaven.

A big grin grew on his face as he stared in awe at Elena, water cascading down her olive-toned skin, her cheeks flushed and her eyes bright with excitement.

He had her where he'd always wanted to have her: in the shower, with him.

But much more importantly, it seemed like he had something else he'd always wanted, too.

Her heart.

Happy Valentine's Day, everyone!