a/n: I personally thought that Sage's character was vastly underdeveloped on the show. They could have done SO MUCH MORE with her, and Damon and Finn. I found the 1912 episode to be rather disappointing as it was promised to be a Damon-centered and ended up basically being more about Stefan. Don't get me wrong, I'm loving season three but its definitely getting a bit ridiculous in this whole back and forth thing Elena's got going on with the brothers. It's near getting to the point that I don't care if she chooses either of them. As sad as that is. So, instead of rambling and yelling about things I cannot control, I'm taking matters into my own hands and writing this little fic for you all.

Dedicated to Lil'Rixen for the idea and the inspiration

MORE THAN THIS

Damon couldn't believe his eyes when he walked into the Grill. Elena stood at the bar, her body hugged by a very tight, little black dress, her head thrown back as she laughed. The thing that surprised him most of all, was that she was laughing with Sage. His Sage. Alright, maybe she didn't belong to him personally, but there was nothing he could come up with that would give a logical reason as to why those two would be here, together. As his mind whirled he stepped forward, climbing the few steps from the restaurant level to the landing of the bar. The women spotted him almost instantly, cutting of their laughs but similar pleased smiles stayed on their faces. "Good evening." He said carefully, slowly. "And just what do we have here?"

Elena glanced over at Sage, breaking into a fit of giggles. Christ, she's drunk. Damon thought, coming forward and grabbing Sage's arm tightly. The redheaded vampire shook him off with ease. "Gentle." She soothed, running her fingers up his arm. "Don't you want to see what I made for you?"

"Made for me?" Damon looked between the two women, confusion written all over his face.

"Don't you like it?" Elena asked, spinning in a circle to show off her long lean legs, silver heels and slightly curled hair. At Damon's lack of response she pouted, a sight Damon was not accustomed to. It was as if he barely recognized her.

"What have you done?" he growled, turning his anger on Sage.

"Oh lighten up." She rolled her eyes, going over to Elena and smoothing her hair back from her neck. "It's not like you haven't imagined her like this. She's waiting for you to take her Damon. She asked me to do this."

"I doubt that." He said through clenched teeth, watching with wide eyes as Elena slipped her arm around Sage's waist.

A Few Hours Ago

Elena glared up at the ceiling from her bed, her hands in tight fists at her side. Damon Salvatore, what an ass. He had no right, no right at all to continually invade her thoughts, her heart on a daily basis. She wanted him out, maybe not out of her life but definitely out of her system. With a huff, she rolled over noticing that she'd taken to sleeping on one side of the bed instead of the middle. It had been going on ever since the night he had slept over, as if she was waiting for him to magically appear beside her. That only infuriated her more and she pushed herself up, looking around her darkened bedroom. It was no surprise that she was alone, but she did feel a little upset about. Damon hadn't come to see her in a few days now, and she hated to admit it, but she missed him. His little blast from the past in the form of a sultry vampire had taken up a lot of his time, not to mention searching for the white oak that could lead them to creating the daggers that would in turn kill all of the Originals.

So what if he was busy. He could freaking text her couldn't he?

Deciding that sleep was going to be impossible tonight, Elena pushed herself out of bed and grabbed the jeans she'd been wearing all day. She was going to march right over to the Boarding House and demand just what the hell was wrong with him. One leg in her jeans, she froze in the darkness; her eyes widening as sick realization churned her stomach. What if he was with Sage? Like with her, with her? What if she went and knocked on the door and he answered it half naked with yet another woman standing next to him? Elena shook the memory of Bex's smug look out of her mind and wiggled into the jeans the rest of the way. Screw it, screw him. He had the right to sleep with, beguile, seduce anyone he wanted. He did not have the right to seduce her however, and for that she would set him straight. Let him be in the middle of an orgy for all she cared. He was going to listen to her.

With a huff she yanked off her sleep top and pulled on a sweater. It was quarter to ten, so she had no fear of possibly waking him up if she went over there now. Taking a deep breath, Elena snatched her keys and padded downstairs. The drive to the Boarding House normally took her fifteen minutes. Tonight, it took her seven. "I just want some peace." She murmured to herself, rehearsing what she was going to say to him once he opened the door. "I need some sleep, and some peace and you have to stop."

But stop what exactly? Stop being himself? He couldn't help it if he was so damn sexy. If everytime he looked at her he set her insides on fire. He couldn't help it if she couldn't stop thinking about him; if her daydreams turned into fantasies her subconscious played out almost every night over and over. She could imagine the soft velvety skin of his body, his rough hands holding her tight. She could imagine that deep, sinful voice whispering naughty things in her ear, and she literally had to shake her head to get her focus back on the road. When she pulled up to the Boarding House she could see that the Camaro was gone, but the lights were all still on. He could be anywhere in town, and since she didn't feel like chasing him all over Mystic Falls she killed the engine and decided to go inside to wait him out.

"Hello?" she called as she stepped through the unlocked door. If Damon was home alone he normally had music playing, but the house was silent. "Damon? Stefan?"

"Why hello Elena."

Elena jumped, turning around to find Sage standing directly behind her, shutting the door and locking it in one swift move. "Sage."

"What brings you here at this time of night?"

"I was looking for Stefan." Elena noticed that she'd stumbled over her words, but she hoped the vampire wouldn't catch it.

A futile hope. "Sure you were."

Sage smiled knowingly and beckoned Elena to follow her upstairs. "Come with me."

"Why?" Elena stayed stubbornly in place, not trusting herself to be alone with this particular vampire. From the little Damon had managed to tell about her, she wasn't exactly a girl you wanted to be friends with.

"I'm getting ready to go out tonight. The company would be nice, unless you want to stay down here all by yourself and wait for…Stefan."

Elena found herself shaking her head, knowing that if she just sat alone in the den her mind would go crazy. "Do you know where he is?" Elena asked as she climbed the stairs behind the redhead.

Sage paused, looking down at her for a moment. "Which one?"

Elena conceded, knowing there wasn't much point in pretending right now. Pretending was for when the Salvatore's were around. She had to keep her strength up for that. "Damon." She sighed, following Sage up and into one of the spare rooms she had apparently been staying in.

Sage gave her own little smirk and walked over to her suitcase, pulling out a shiny, red cocktail dress. "I think he's…hunting."

"Oh." Was all Elena said, not sure how she felt about the fact that Damon was still feeding on people. Not that she'd expected him to change for her, she hadn't exactly given him much incentive to do anything about his 'lifestyle'.

Feeling absolutely no shame at all, Sage pulled off her shirt and tossed it on the bed just as Elena sat down. Elena shifted her eyes around uncomfortably, settling on a lacy black dress that was half hanging out of the suitcase. "It's pretty isn't it?" Sage asked, sliding her jeans down her legs now and leaving them in a heap on the floor.

Weren't vampires supposed to be neat? Elena supposed not all vampires held the same traits as the brothers did, but she could never see either of the Salvatore brothers ever leaving clothes balled up on the floor. "Very." Elena murmured, her fingers toying with the fabric.

"Try it on." Sage encouraged, nodding her head as she stepped into the red silk.

Elena shook her head violently. "No, thank you."

"Oh come on." Sage sighed, fighting with the zipper at her side for a moment. "Damon will drop dead if he sees you in that."

"Damon's already dead." Elena murmured, but she couldn't help imagining the look on his face. "Besides, when would I ever wear it?"

"Tonight. Come to the Grill with me. Damon's bound to show up there eventually."

Again Elena shook her head. "I can't. Damon and I…it's complicated."

With a roll of her eyes, Sage pulled Elena up from the bed, shoving the dress against her chest. "It's only complicated because you're making it that way. Trust me, I get it. Damon is sexy, and scary with equal measure. He's worth it though, that I promise you."

"I'm well aware that Damon is fantastic in bed. I've heard the reviews."

Sage shook her head, stepping back slightly to give Elena some space. "I'm not talking about that, although it's true. Damon loves you, and when Damon loves someone he does it with his whole heart. I saw his devotion to Katherine a hundred years ago, his obsession. That wasn't pure, it was insane. However, what he feels for you…that is the purest form of love I've ever seen." The smirk came back and even Elena had to smile. "And I've seen a lot."

"It's…it's just that he's…well he's Damon!" Elena felt like stomping her feet. "He's rash and he's bold and he can be a complete ass."

Sage nodded. "He's also kind and smart and can be the most gentle man I've ever known. Give him a chance Elena. Just one chance, and I promise you won't be disappointed."

"You can't promise that." Elena mumbled, looking down at the dress.

"Hey," Sage shrugged and dug for a pair of red heels. "if in the end you decide you two don't want to be together, at least you both get a good lay out of it."

Elena blushed at the words, chewing her bottom lip till it was swollen. Screw it. She thought and toed off her shoes. "Alright, I'll go."

A pleased smile crossed Sage's lips. "We better get you ready then."

The next hour was a blur to Elena as she let the woman primp her into something she barely recognized once she looked in the mirror. At first, she just stared at her reflection, searching for Elena Gilbert somewhere beneath all the makeup and hair. She didn't look overdone, she just didn't look exactly like herself either. Which was alright, because she didn't want to act exactly like herself. That Elena Gilbert, the jeans and tshirt Elena Gilbert was terrified of her feelings for Damon and what they meant. This Elena Gilbert was determined and sexy and when she slipped her foot into the second strappy, metallic heel she had to smile. "It's amazing what a little lipstick and lace can do."

"I know." Sage smiled, her hands on Elena's shoulders as she stood straight in the mirror. "Damn, I do good work."

A lump formed in Elena's throat and she began to panic. "I don't think I can do this."

Sage sighed, turning her around so they were facing each other. "Yes, you can."

"What if he gets angry? Thinks it's all a joke? Or worse, believes that I'm trying to seduce him and gets furious that I let you talk me into this?"

"Look Elena, Damon is not going to wait around for you forever. He's just not. Sure, it's in his track record to sit and pine and search for almost two hundred years for a girl, but you…you are not Katherine. You have not loved him and teased him and promised him things. You are unattainable, you are mortal and he sees that. One day, you will be old…and then one day you will be dead. He on the other hand will still be perfect and beautiful and sexy…and alone. And you know what? So will Katherine. So will I. You don't have forever to waste, you don't have the time to sit around and mope about weighing the options. It's ironic really, vampires have an eternity to fuck up, to love and lose and make mistakes and yet we act rashly and do things without thinking. For a human, the clock is always ticking, but you all just sit around with your head in your hands waiting for answers. Don't be like that Elena. Take charge. Damon could never be angry at you for that."

Elena closed her eyes for a moment, nodding. The nervousness was still there however and she could feel her hands shaking. "Can you do something for me?"

"Perhaps." Sage crossed her arms, looking at the girl intently.

"Can you compel me to relax? I still want to be me, I still want to feel everything but I'll never get through this being a basket case about it."

Sage shook her head, smiling and drug Elena towards the door. "Honey, a few drinks and you won't need any compulsion."

Elena tripped on her heels on the way down the stairs wondering just what the hell she'd gotten herself into and just how Sage had influenced her into doing this. When they arrived at the Grill, Elena got out of her car and quickly tugged the dress down her legs. It was one of those awful ones that snuck up every time you stepped and she cursed herself for choosing this one. She looked around quickly for Damon's car, but he was nowhere in sight. She wasn't sure if that pleased her or not, but she did want some time to get used to the idea a little more before she saw him. Sage was already at the door, calling her to hurry up. Elena followed, doing her best to navigate the stilettos she wasn't quite used to yet and slipping into the Grill behind her new companion.

The new bartender waved at Sage, smiling at her as she came over. Elena followed, surprised to see just how different this place looked at night when most of the restaurant closed down, and the real fun began. "Hey darling." The bartender drawled. "You want the usual?"

"Two please." Sage smiled, winking in his direction.

"Oh, I don't know about that. She hardly looks twenty one." He said, eyeing Elena carefully.

Sage leaned over the bar, capturing the bartender's eyes in hers. "It's alright Andy. She won't tell no one."

Twenty minutes later, Elena had sucked down four shots and was well on her way through her second beer. The old Elena, the one that everyone knew before her parents accident was coming out and even she had to admit, it felt good to loosen up a little. The jukebox in the corner played one of those songs you just had to dance too and so Sage grabbed her hand, pulling her out onto the floor. Elena wasn't sure exactly what she was doing, but she moved with the music anyway, one eye always on the door for Damon. One hour passed, and finally he arrived, but by then she had nearly forgotten what she was doing here. She was much too interested in hearing all about her new friends life. "So you're telling me you beat up guys for a living? And they paid you to do it?"

Sage nodded, licking the salt from her wrist as she knocked back another shot of tequila. "Oh yeah, they loved it. Men like it a little rough you know, lets them know where they rank in the scheme of things."

Elena laughed, her head fairly dizzy and she had to lean against the bar for support. "And just what do we have here?"

Was it actually possible that his voice made her feel even drunker? She stood up straight, unable to clear the smile from her face as Sage tried to sooth the Salvatore's obviously frayed nerves. Elena considered pulling her dress down, but left it; knowing that if Damon was as pissed as he seemed to be, she would need every advantage she could get. "…She asked me to do this." Sage finished, moving back to the bar next to Elena.

For sheer support, Elena wrapped her arm around Sage's waist; barely hearing Damon. "I doubt that."

It wasn't the truth, but he didn't need to know that. "I did." Elena smirked, or at least did her best, drunk attempt at a smirk. "I needed to loosen up a little."

"You seem pretty damn loose alright." Damon glared, reaching out and yanking her away from Sage. "Did you really have to corrupt her like this? Look at her!"

Sage held up her hands in surrender, so it was up to Elena to defend herself. "Hey!" she shook off his grip and glared up at him. "If you don't like this, then why don't you just leave? We were having a great time until you came in here all doom and gloom."

"This is my bar." Damon said, his eyes darkening.

"I lived here first." Elena taunted foolishly, realizing just how wrong she was when Damon's lips curved into a smirk. "Alright fine, but you know what I mean!"

"Oh do I?"

His eyes did that thing, that thing that haunted her and she felt the frustration she'd been working so hard to keep down. The familiar feeling of anger from earlier in the night came barreling back and she shoved against his chest hard, not caring that he didn't budge. The speech she'd practiced in the car was long since gone thanks to all the booze, but she made up a new one on the fly, not caring if she sounded foolish and crazy. It was his fault anyway, he made her foolish and crazy. "You know exactly what I mean! You're not stupid."

Damon quirked an eyebrow at her, wondering just where this was going. "Are you trying to insult me, because you aren't doing a very good job at it…"

Elena heard Sage's laugh from behind her, but didn't respond to it. "You have no right Damon Salvatore. No right!"

"No right to do what?"

He actually had the gall to look confused? Even drunk she knew she was making complete sense, at least to herself. "To…to, to make me want you. The way that I do."

Damon crossed his arms over his chest. "Go on."

Elena stumbled over her words, grabbing onto his sleeve in hopes steadying her body would still her brain as it banged around inside her head. She doubted he was moving, but if she tried to focus on his face, the room just spun. "I haven't slept properly in…years! Thanks to you." She poked one finger into the center of his chest, her eyes focusing on that as best they could. "You're everywhere and I'm sick of it!"

He laughed, actually laughed at her and she reached up to slap him, but her drunk state made her movements to slow and he grabbed her arm in mid air. "Alright, that's enough. I'm taking you home."

"No." Elena shook her head, trying to fight him off. "No, I'm staying here with Sage."

Elena looked back for help, only to find that the redhead and disappeared onto the dance floor. "I'm taking you home." Damon repeated, trying to pull her towards the door.

"You can't tell me what to do." Elena slurred, stumbling over her heels.

"The hell I can't. You're making a fool out of yourself."

"You're the fool." She said, looking up at him and before he could do something rash like kiss her, he picked her up and tossed her over his shoulder.

Elena let out a yelp and beat her fists into his back as he carried her through the bar and outside. "Stop that!" he ordered, taking her straight to his car.

"You put me down right now!" she screeched, hitting him harder, wondering if he even felt it at all. "Damon, I mean it!"

He gave a little chuckle depositing her in the passenger seat and slamming the door shut. "There, you're down." He called through the window, standing there for a minute to stare at her through the glass.

She reached for the handle to find it locked, glaring up at him. "Let me out."

"No." he crossed his arms and simply stood there. "Calm down first, and then I'll take you home."

"Go to hell." She spat, glaring up at him.

"Already there honey. Now settle down, or I'll call Alaric to come and take your drunk ass home. Do you really want him to see you like this?"

Elena looked down at herself and shook her head. "No."

"Good." Satisfied that she was going to be on seemingly good behavior, Damon walked around the car and slid behind the wheel. "Now sit there and be quiet. Let some of that alcohol seep out of your system."

"I am not drunk." She mumbled, letting her face fall against the window. The cool glass soothed her heated skin and she ached to hug an iceberg. She was hot everywhere.

"Sure you're not." Damon shook his head and turned up the air conditioning for her.

By the time they got to her place, she'd passed out. He pulled the car to a stop and shut off the engine, just staring at her for a minute. What a strange girl she was, and just what the hell had she been yelling about in the bar? Shaking his head, he got out and walked back around. If it wasn't for the seat belt holding her in she might have slumped out of the car when he opened the door. Her mouth was open and she let out a less than attractive snore when he lifted her into his arms. "Damon?" she murmured, her arms tightening around his neck.

"I'm right here. I got you. Go back to sleep." She nodded softly, her mouth falling open again and he shook his head. "Not one of your most attractive looks." He teased, even knowing that she couldn't hear him.

At the bar she'd asked him if he liked how she looked. To be honest, on a primal level he had. She looked like sex on a stick and if he hadn't been so confused and angry he might have asked her to dance, flirted with her and then gone home with his own fantasies to deal with. Instead, she'd started bellowing at him and blaming him for things he had no control over. Her feelings were her problem, just as his feelings were his. He didn't bother her with his, so why the hell was she taking out her frustration on him. Carefully, he opened the front door, shutting it gently behind them with his foot. Her drunk dead weight didn't strain his arms, but he did adjust her tighter for the trip up the stairs. Once they were in her room, he pulled off the shoes she'd nearly broke her neck in and slipped her into bed.

He considered taking the dress off her, but knew she would freak out if he did. Instead he pulled the sheet up under her chin and pressed a kiss to her forehead. At the last second her hand reached out, wrapping around his wrist. Her fingers were tight, a sign that her body was awake and on alert. "I'm sorry." She mumbled, unknowingly smearing makeup all over her face as she rubbed her eyes.

"It's alright. I know I'm no picnic when I'm drunk."

"I'm not drunk." She glowered at him in the darkness.

"Oh yeah?" he reached over and flicked her bedside lamp on. "How many fingers am I holding up?"

Elena tried to focus on his hand, but it appeared that he had two of them and she gave up. "Screw you."

Damon laughed and tried to pull away. "Goodnight Elena."

"Don't go." She whispered, her grip tightening. "Please."

He sighed, looking down at her. "Alright, not yet."

Elena watched from the bed as he went into the bathroom, coming back with a cloth. When he pressed it to her skin she found it warm and let him wash all the dark makeup from her face. "So you really don't like the way I look tonight?"

Damon was surprised to hear just how hurt she seemed at his rejection and looked down at her as he moved to a cleaner section of the cloth for her other eye. "I never said that."

"You never said anything."

He took a deep breath, figuring she would be to hung over tomorrow to remember any of this anyway and shrugged. "Alright, you look very fuckable."

Elena blushed at the word and looked away for a moment. "I've certainly never been called that before."

Damon smirked and cleaned the rest of her face, folding the cloth and placing it on the night stand. "This is much better though."

She scrunched up her nose and shook her head. "I probably look like a drunk mess."

He smiled, brushing a curl back from her forehead. "You're always beautiful to me."

Her eyes closed as she leaned into his touch. "Stay with me tonight?"

Damon felt the urge to take a deep breath even though he didn't need it. "I shouldn't."

"I want you to."

His hand dropped as she sat up on her elbows. "That's why I did all this, to get your attention."

"You don't need to do anything to get my attention." He said softly, but she only glared at him.

"Tell that to my phone. I haven't heard from you in days."

He didn't want to fight with her, but her comment infuriated him a little. "The dial button works both ways."

"So does the road." She said, sitting up against the headboard.

"What?" he shook his head, hoping she wasn't going to start drunk babbling again.

"I came over tonight to see you. To talk to you."

"Yell at me is more like it."

"That too." Elena nodded and pulled her knees up to her chest. "You confuse me Damon."

"You confuse me too."

Elena sighed and threw back the covers, getting out of bed a little faster than her body was ready for. She was on flat feet, but she swayed all the same as if she were still in heels and Damon reached out to steady her. "Don't touch me." She said, moving away from him.

Her fingers fumbled with the zipper on the dress and she growled. "Let me help." He said, gently pulling her to stand between his legs.

"I'm fine."

"Sure you are." He smoothed his hands over her hips and up to her shoulder blades. In one smooth move he had the zipper undone and she was clutching the front of her dress to her chest, her eyes on him intently. "There, was that so hard?"

"No." she admitted and shook her head. "But you know what is? Having you in my life."

Damon nodded, understanding that. "You're no easier."

She was silent for a few minutes, just standing there looking down at him. "Can you do me a favor?"

"What's that?"

"Kiss me."

Damon's eyes narrowed and he looked at her sharply. "What?"

"You heard me." She set one hand on her hip, the other still clutching her dress. "Sage gave me some advice and I thought I would test it."

"So what, now I'm like an experiment for you? Is that what tonight was about? Getting me into bed so you could try me out?"

"No." she shook her head, wanting to reach out to him. "Well, yes…I guess so. It sounds bad when you say it like that."

"How else can I say it?" he stood up, their bodies nearly touching.

"I…I don't know." She looked down at the floor, but his finger found her chin, pulling her face up so he could look at her.

"I'm not just an experiment Elena." His voice was much softer, but she knew he was upset. "You can't just have one night and then throw me away."

"I know." She whispered. "What if I didn't throw you away? What if I kept you?"

"You shouldn't make promises that you can't keep." He said softly, reaching up to caress the side of her face. She closed her eyes, feeling the sensation of his skin against hers and nodded.

"I want more Damon. More than this, this ridiculous game we've been playing. I don't know if it will work. I don't know if we will work…but I need it."

"I do to." He stepped closer, their bodies flush together.

"Kiss me?" she repeated, hoping that this time he would react differently.

He did, cradling her face in his hand, his free fingers moving up into her hair and bending her head back. She wrapped her arms around his neck, letting the dress fall to the floor and pressing her bare chest against his clothed one. The leather of his jacket was cool and it shocked her, causing her to suck in a breath. Quickly, Damon removed it, surprised to find her fingers were already working the buttons of his shirt open. He meant to stop her, he did but she was fast and the second he felt the warmth of her breasts against him, he nearly forgot how to speak. "Elena." He managed to moan out her name, pulling her tighter against him, lifting her up so her legs were around his waist.

"One more favor?" she mumbled, unable to stop kissing him for even long enough to say those three words.

"Mmm?" he turned, laying her gently on the bed, letting her slide his shirt down his arms.

"Make love to me."

Her voice, those words, the look in her eyes all did him in and he knew he had no hope of convincing her she didn't want this. He didn't want to convince himself he didn't want it either. "Are you sure you're not just drunk and horny?" he teased, nibbling on her shoulder.

She shook her head, her fingers threading through his hair, guiding his kisses down lower. "I've thought about this every single night. If you leave now, I'll go crazy."

"Every single night?" he sat back, caressing the inside of her thighs with his thumbs.

She nodded, feeling embarrassed that she'd admitted that out loud. "Yes."

"And what have you thought about?" he teased, letting on finger lightly brush against her through the fabric of her panties.

First all she could do was moan as he applied a little more pressure, but when he pulled away and she looked up to glare at him, she saw how pleased he was with himself. "What it would feel like for you to touch me, to kiss me…to love me. What it would feel like if you bit me." The last admission was probably the most personal of all and she felt like hiding her face in the pillow.

Damon's eyes widened, but he didn't tease her. "And what do you do while you're thinking about this." Elena's blush deepened and she looked away. He watched as she quickly flicked off the light, leaving them in darkness. "I can still see you, you know."

"I know." She nodded, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath.

"Will you show me?"

He watched through the black air between them as she bit her lip, slowly nodding her head. One hand went up to her neck, caressing over her pulse point, her fingers gentle and smooth, trailing down and then back up. The other hand slid over her stomach, hesitating for a moment at the line of her panties. "Damon?" her voice shook with worry and he did his best to sooth her.

"Close your eyes." He whispered and carefully dragged the lace down her legs. "You're safe with me."

She nodded, knowing that was true. Damon watched intently as she slipped her hand between her thighs, playing with herself, teasing herself. Her back arched, her head fell back and her mouth opened. This time, it was sexy. This time, he did want her. Her first few moans were silent but he dug his fingers into her hips, wanting to hear her. She got the message, letting first a sigh slip out and then his name. "You, touch me." She demanded, finding his hand and replacing her own with it.

He nodded, his excitement growing when he realized just how wet she was. Gently he slid a finger inside her, hearing her pleased hiss as she tightened around him. "Holy shit Elena." He whispered, bending down to kiss her.

"What?"

"I need more. I need to be inside you."

"Then do it." she whispered, nearly whimpering when he slid from the bed.

Her body tingled with unreleased pressure and he whispered for her to continue. She followed his instruction, peering through the dark to try and catch a glimpse of him as he finished undressing. She saw enough to know that Sage hadn't been exaggerating when she'd so graciously described Damon in the sack. Elena's body trembled with fear, with anticipation, with need and she wondered if he could possibly feel as out of control as she did right now. Truth was, Damon was doing his very best to stay in control and as he climbed back onto the bed he considered reciting the alphabet backwards in French in an attempt to keep himself from simply entering her immediately. "Are you ready?" he whispered, letting her be the deciding factor.

"Yes." She gasped, opening up for him.

"Don't stop touching yourself." He ordered, easing into her gently.

She nodded, hissing as he slowly killed her with his teasing pace. Damon felt her orgasm almost before she did, surprised when her already tight walls further held onto him. He fisted the sheets on either side of her, watching her face as she came undone beneath him. When she couldn't take anymore, she dropped her hand, but he only began thrusting; keeping her orgasm expanding and going. She cried out, clutching him tightly and holding herself up to him. He pulled her body up so she was straddling him as he kneeled on the bed, his strength working to their advantage. Elena let go, trusted him to hold her as he moved faster. Her nails dug into his shoulders and she wondered if she drew blood when he hissed, cursing her name. She shivered, her body on fire and freezing all at once. She barely knew which way was up and then he slowed his movements and laid her back down gently, kissing along her throat. His thrusts were slower, but they were deeper and she arched up every time he filled her.

"More." She gasped, wrapping her legs around him tighter and doing her best to move with him.

"There will be plenty of time for more." He promised, and as she felt the scrape of his fangs on her neck, she knew plenty of time would never be enough.

He drank from her, bonding their very souls together even further when he offered her his wrist. She surprised him, barely hesitating to drink his essence. They crashed over the edge together, then lay tangled in a heap of sweaty limbs, holding the other tightly and trying to sort it all out. She'd meant tonight to go an entirely different way when she first got out of this bed. Never had she imagined that she would end up back in it a few hours later, her world thoroughly rocked and her decision made. The realization hit her when she figured out it had been made for her all along. Damon was her choice, and now that she'd discovered it she could hardly imagine life any other way. Still, Sage's voice played over and over in her mind. One day, you will be old…and then one day you will be dead. He on the other hand will still be perfect and beautiful and sexy…and alone.

She wasn't ready to turn, but she was ready to consider it as an option. Elena sighed, curling up against him, listening to the slow, almost nonexistent beating of his undead heart. His fingers played with her hair, a low hum coming from his throat as he coaxed her to sleep. Tomorrow she would deal with the threatening hangover, but right now she was going to enjoy the sensation of being in this arms and memorizing the perfect beauty of the moment. Even if they didn't share eternity in the end, they would always share this night. "I love you Damon." She whispered, pressing her lips to his bare chest before sleep took over.

a/n: holy crap! That was waaaay freaking longer than I intended, but I hope it was good. I didn't really get to do a lot with Sage in this fic which disappoints me a little, but I don't think I could have standed to make this any longer. If you enjoyed, let me know, and if you have any requests my inbox is open.