A/N: little one-shot thingie after TVD 2x18: the last dance. I loved it. I loved it so much that I went a little more crazy.
The Vampire Diaries and its characters do NOT belong to me. If they did, I'm not sure if I'd share.
Always can be Forever
"I will always choose you."
Why would he have said that? Why those words? Those words had been wandering in her head for the past 2 months, ever since he spoke them out loud.
Suddenly, as she was sitting on her window sill, looking out over the tree in the front yard, leaves being blown away by a fierce northern wind, she realized. Her mind took her back several months, to a moment in this very room.
Damon was standing right in front of her, his hands cupping her face.
"It will always be Stefan." She had whispered to him, right after he tried to kiss her. The look in his eyes was something she would never forget. It was as if she could see his heart break in a million pieces. But at the time, those words were true.
She just couldn't have thought always wouldn't last forever…
"Are you alright?" a soft voice asked. Jeremy was leaning against the door. Slowly, Elena turned to face him, her cup of tea still in her hands.
"I'm fine, Jer." She said ever so soft. Jeremy looked at her in disbelief, but he kept silent. With a single nod of his head he was off to his own room.
It was over. Things would never be the same again. The battle had been fought, the enemy was slain. Everyone she loved was safe now. Or that's what she hoped for. In order to defeat Klaus without getting Bonnie killed, Elena needed the help of Elijah, who needed the help of Katherine. Stefan had promised to keep an eye on her, and that's what he did.
The pair of them left when all was done, and Stefan was right in saying that in the end, they weren't right for each other.
"I will always love you, Elena. You will always be in my heart. But we're not right together." Were his words. The young woman would never be able to forget those words. Even though once she dreaded to hear something like this, she was surprised by her own reaction.
"I know. I love you too, Stefan. But you belong with Katherine." Stefan had held her for a long time, and the day after that, he and Kat had skipped town, not even telling the others.
Caroline was heartbroken by it. She lost a person she considered her big brother, someone who'd keep her safe at all times, whatever the cost.
"I will always choose you." She heard again.
"And I you." With a jolt she sat up. There it finally was; the truth had come out. She would chose him. She did chose him.
She got up, and before she noticed, she was standing in front of the Salvatore boarding house. In fact her house. The deed was still in her name, so the premises still belonged to her. Without knocking, she opened the door and walked in.
"Damon?" she called softly, but there was no response. She walked up to his room.
"There you are." She said, a small smile on her face.
"Here I am. Stefan has left, in case you still don't know." He said, without looking at her. Okay, she could have seen that one coming. Elena hadn't talked to Damon after his brother had left town.
"I'm sorry I didn't come by earlier, it's just that…"
"Oh, I understand, Elena. You are grief-stricken, on the verge of dying from a broken heart, blah blah blah. I know the drill."
"Not exactly what I was going to say."
Damon was lying on his bed, looking at the tv. Elena was leaning against the door. He hadn't even looked at her since she walked in, but now he sat up, looking at his hands.
"I choose you." Was all she said. Her eyes eventually found his, and when they did, Elena could see fireworks exploding. Damon stared at her in surprise.
"You what?" he asked in disbelief.
"I choose you. I will always chose you."
Damon was so baffled that he couldn't cross the room to her before she herself was kneeling in front of him.
Her hands lay on his knees, her eyes fixed upon his.
"Did you hear me?" The young woman couldn't help but smile at the sight of him. Damon, unshockable Damon appeared to be... shocked.
"Do you mind… repeating yourself?" Damon asked, holding her gaze.
"I. choose. You. Always."
It was only now that Damon scooped her up onto his lap, his arms surrounding her and holding Elena close to him. He didn't say a word.
They sat like that for a long time, enjoying each other's company in complete and utter silence. Cause that's how it had become with them.
"Say it again." Damon demanded, and Elena gladly obliged.
"I choose you, Damon, always."
Maybe always can last forever...