Summary: Since his parents died and he was taken into the house of the Gilberts, Damon and Elena have been inseparable. But now older and in love, there love is tested when Elena's big brother Jeremy comes back and demands Elena to marry Stefan. Will true love prevail or crumble down?

Giggling and yelling, "You can't catch me!" a fifth year old Elena ran away from the boy chasing her. She was giggling like crazy as she cut right to trick him. Unfortunately he was faster than her and caught her by the waist and pulled her backward so she fell on his tiny chest. She kept giggling and squirming away from his touch but his grip was firm against her. She finally wiggled out of his hold and tried to get up but he pulled her back on the ground and hovered over her. His raven hair hung over his forehead and was swaying with the direction of the wind. His icy blue eyes stared down at her and he flashed her his winning smile that usually caused her to blush and giggle.

Pouting she Elena said, "No fair, you cheated."

His eyebrow arched up, "Really?"

"Yes,"

"Well sorry,"

"It's okay, Damon, but I won and you have to give me my prize,"

Smiling, he bended down and gave her a kiss on the cheek that caused her face to turn red. When he pulled away and saw her blushing, he immediately felt his cheeks starting to burn and tried to hide it. She started giggling and he couldn't help but giggle too. Her laugh was infectious and he couldn't deny it. Truth is he couldn't deny anything she wanted. Ever since her family had taken him into their home when his parent died, he and Elena were inseparable. They did everything together and played every single minute of the day. Every single moment they spent together strengthened his feeling for her, but he knew he couldn't do anything about them.

"Damon, you can get up now," she singed while poking his chest.

He pouted, "But you're so comfy," he rested his head on her chest and pretended to snore. "Just like my pillow,"

"Damon get up…please,"

"Okay," he rose up and extended his hand out to her. She took it and he heaved her up causing her to bump her face into his.

"Ouch," she rubbed her nose.

"Sorry," he leaned over to her and kissed her nose. "All better?"

She smiled. "Much better,"

"Good, now come on," he grabbed her hand and started walking with her to her parent's garden.

…

"Jeremy, where's Elena?" Miranda asked as she maneuvered around the kitchen.

Not taking his eyes off his comic book he shrugged and said, "Probably with Damon. She's always with him."

"Come on, Jeremy; don't be jealous of your sister. You're the one that said you were an eight year old man that didn't want to play baby games with her."

Jeremy looked up from his comic book, "I am not jealous. I just don't like her playing with Damon all the time."

"Don't you go and mess up her friendship with him Jeremy," Miranda pointed the plate she was setting on the table and whispered, "I'll kill you if you do. Now go and get them in here for dinner."

Jeremy groaned and went to the backyard. When he found them, he was leaning against the tree and she was cuddled against his chest with his arm wrapped around her. He groaned in disgusted and rolled his eyes at them. He hated their relationship together and it made him mad that Elena was so close to this kid. So yes he was jealous. He was jealous at how his family treated Damon like their own son and how Elena was so fond of him that she stopped playing with him completely.

"Elena! Damon! Dinner!" He didn't both waiting for them as he made his way back to the kitchen.

… …

After dinner Miranda and Grayson went out with their friends and left Jeremy in charge of the house. Elena and Damon were in the backyard for their "camping" trip. They were sitting on the ground on a sheet talking.

"You know I saw Caroline Forbes today…she looked real pretty."

"Forget her," he moved closer to her. "You look way prettier than her."

Elena giggled at him and pushed him away but he grabbed her hand and pulled her down with him. Turning her so he was on top, he started tickling her.

"Da-Da-Dam-stop." she laughed uncontrollably.

"Never!"

"Please," she tried wiggling out but he kept giggling her.

"Hey get off!" the voice came behind them and before any of them could guess who it was, Damon was pushed on the ground. Jeremy grabbed Damon by his collar shirt and dragged him away from Elena. He punched him in the stomach and when Damon hunched in pain on the ground, kicked him.

"I've been meaning to teach you a less for a long time!"

"Brother stop! Jeremy!" Elena yelled as she went to him and pulled on his shirt to get him stop. He didn't listen and pushed her away from him and onto the ground. He lifted his foot up and brought it down on Damon's face.

"When she tells you to stop, you stop! You leech!" he yelled and made his way back in the house.

Elena slowly got up and went over to Damon in pain on the ground. She kneeled down next to him and touched the part of his face that bleeding a little.

"Does it hurt? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," he said as he forced himself to get up. He held the side of his stomach that was punched and went to sit on the stairs. Elena followed him and sat next to him.

"Why do you let brother beat you so much?" she asked thinking back to all the times that Jeremy took out his anger on Damon. Whether it was shoving Damon out of the way or calling him insult, he never stopped. Damon never fought back and she couldn't understand why. "Why don't you fight back?"

Damon shook his head. "If he tried to hurt you, then I'd defend you, Elena. But I can't fight him…your family would be mad at me and send me away. Then we wouldn't be together."

"We'll never be apart Damon," she threw herself at him and hugged him. His back and his facial expression suddenly went stiff when he heard that. He slowly turned his head around and faced her.

"Really?"

She nodded. "Yes."

"Promise?"

"I promise." she took his hand in hers and got up and led him in the house. She brushed past Jeremy and led Damon all the way up to her room. She sat him down on her bed and went towards her drawer.

She opened it and said, "Mom always kept my bandages in here."

She walked back to him with the little bandage unwrapped in her hands. She placed it softly on his cut and kissed it.

"All better?"

"Much better," he replayed their earlier conversation when he bumped her nose with his face and kissed it better.

"I'm glad," she glanced down at his stomach. "How is it?" she placed her hand on top of it. "Does it hurt?"

"Not anymore…you healed it." he smiled at her.

She felt her cheeks starting to burn and knew she was blushing. She quickly clamps her hand on her face to hide her embarrassment. He grabbed her hand and removed it from her face.

"Don't," he softly whispered. "You're cute when you blush."

She was about to say something when she heard her parents car in the driveway. She ran to the window and saw them getting out of it. Her excitement grew and she ran downstairs to meet them. He followed her downstairs keeping up the same pace with her.

"Mom!" she yelled when they entered the house.

"Hey sweetie, I bought you guys some ice cream and some cones." she handed Elena the bag. "Your father is bringing the rest up."

"Thanks Mom," Elena grabbed Damon's hand and pulled him in the kitchen with her.

"Hey wait!" Miranda called out. "I forgot something in there." she made her way towards him. "I knew I should have…" she started but gasped when she saw Damon's state. She bended down in front of him and held his cheeks, cocking it side to side to examine his face. "What happened?"

"Jeremy," was all Damon said but Miranda understood it. She knew that Jeremy had a hot temper and liked to fight but had never seen him fight Damon.

"Jeremy!" she yelled.

"Yes!" she heard his footstep behind her and turned around.

"Why did you fight with Damon?"

Immediately Jeremy started yelling. "I didn't fight him; he's lying! I saw him on top of Elena and her screaming stop. What was I supposed to do?"

"We were playing," Elena said softly and instantly got a glare from Jeremy.

"But he wasn't! Come on Mom, you got to believe me. He's just trying to get me in trouble. He's trying to take you away from me just because he doesn't have a Mom…"

"Jeremy!" Miranda yelled and stopped him from talking. "You're grounded! Go upstairs in your room and think about what you've done."

"But Mom!"

"Go!"

He growled, glared at Damon, and pointed his finger at him. "Your time will come," and with that he was storming up the stairs and out of sight. They heard the door slam and the echo that followed after it.

"Young man you better not start slamming my doors!" Miranda yelled then turned her attention to Damon whose head was hanging down. She lifted his head up with her index finger and got him to stare at her eyes. His eyes were glossy and his chest was heaving up and down. "Honey don't worry about him. He's just jealous of you and how much you're loved." she couldn't find anything else to say but who knows what to say when someone says something like that to someone so young, anyway? "Hey how about tomorrow you, me, and Elena do something fun? Huh?"

He nodded and Miranda gave him a hug before saying, "I'll be back," and going upstairs.

"Damon?" Elena softly asked while touching his shoulders.

"I'm not that hungry," he tried to leave but Elena stopped him with a hug. His hand stayed at his side until she released him.

"Thanks," was all he said before running upstairs.

… …

13 YEARS LATER

"Damon!" Elena squealed as she ran through the woods further and further. She was laughing uncontrollably while he chased after her. She turned around and saw she was not being followed anymore. Turning around she called, "Damon! Damon I know you're here." she leaned against a tree with her ankles and arms crossed.

"Well then I guess you're wrong." she felt beside her ear and jumped. Two arms were wrapped around her waist and she squealed in joy as she was spun around.

"Damon put me down!"

"Nope," he started walking with her and she started kicking her legs wildly.

"Damon put me down."

"Well if you keep squirming then we'll never get where were supposed to be." he gently set her down on her feet and she instantly hit him.

"Thanks a lot," she said sarcastically.

"You're welcome,"

She rolled her eyes at him and started walking. He jogged to catch where she was. She tried to look irritated at him but with him she couldn't help but have a smile on her face. Hell she could never stay mad at him. They've been real close ever since he moved in with her family and now with her at eighteen years old and him at nineteen they were still closer than before.

But worse was that his feelings for her bloomed faster. He hated that he felt this way about her, but what could he do? It's not like—

"Damon are we almost there?" she groaned at him, snapping him out of it.

He blinked twice before asking, "What?"

"Are we almost to that place?"

"Oh, were almost there alright," he smirked at her and did that eye thing she claimed she hated.

She groaned at him again, pushed him and said, "Ugh, you know I hate when you do that."

"Oh stop lying, I know you love it."

"You know what I love about you?" his heart skipped a beat when he heard that and he had to hide his excitement from her.

Coughing he answered, "And what exactly is that?"

She stopped, put her hand on his shoulder and looked at him with doe eyes. "That you carried me all the way there."

He busted out laughing. "Yeah right. Elena it's about to be dark and you think I'm going to carry you all the way there?"

She looked at him like he was crazy and said, "Damon it's almost night and I am a lady."

"Yeah, I'm still waiting for the test results."

She gasped at him and punched him in the shoulders. "You're an ass." she walked away from him.

Sighing he followed her and kneeled down in front of her. "Get on."

"No." she walked around him.

He followed her and kneeled in front of her again. "Please?"

Sighing she got on and he started walking towards his destination. They walked in silence but Damon's mind was wondering all over the place. He kept worrying about her hearing his heart beat pounding against his chest. Worse was that she was the reason that his heart was pounding like a jackhammer. The way her head rested against his shoulder and the way her hand was roaming around on his chest. He was relieved when they got there and was quick to put her down, although she didn't quite want to.

"I was so comfy,"

"Well we didn't come here for comfy, we came for this." he turned her around and made her face the lake and she could see the sun start to set right before her eyes. It was not as bright as it was in the middle of the day, and its heat was cooler, and the color of the slowly descending disk was becoming more yellowish reddish orange. A huge smile spread across his lips when he noticed her excitement. He was truly happy with himself for discovering this place way past the woods where no one would dare to go past. It was one of the advantages of being an adventurer—or his version of adventurer.

"This is truly beautiful Damon," she whispered, leaning her head to rest on his shoulders.

His hand snaked around her waist and he held her tighter as he whispered, "I'm glad you like it."

She cocked her head to the side to meet his eyes. She licked her lips and Damon groaned in his mind at the sight. God if only she knew what she was doing to him. The chance to play and laugh with her but to never express his true feelings for her was killing him inside. And especially now when he was looking dead at her shiny brown eyes. He couldn't tell if it was because of the sun's lightning focusing on them or just the light color of her eyes but her eyes was truly shining. The sight made his heart soar and he had to skip a breath. He couldn't do it anymore. He unhooked his arm from her waist slowly and turned around so his back was facing her.

"We shouldn't play like this…were not children anymore."

She was silent for a moment but he heard say, "Oh…that's how you feel? Then what do you suggest us to do? Find other people?"

"It's up to you." he started walking away but she quickly ran after him and stopped him. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him close. He groaned in the back of his throat and tried to keep his mind away from the pictures they were painting. Why couldn't she see that what she was doing to him as driving him crazy? The way she held on to him, played with him, and the way she hugged him.

"What's wrong with you? I'm just joking, don't be mad. Sorry," she kissed his cheek and felt him slightly move his head. "Sorry," another kiss. "Sorry," pretty soon she stopped saying sorry and just kissed his cheeks repeatedly. She leaned in to kiss his cheek again but she found his lips instead. She gasped and connected her palm with the side of his face in a bruising slap. Her hand stood frozen in the air as she stared at his face and saw the print of her palm already forming on his cheek. She couldn't believe that she had slapped him. Damon. She had slapped her best friend. But most importantly he kissed her! He kissed her!

"Damon," she whispered breathy as his head turned and his eyes were boring on hers.

"No." he simply said, stopping her. He moved closer to her and she took a step back. She kept taking steps back until she was caught in between a tree and his body. She expected him to kiss her right then and there but he didn't. He only stared at her as the back of his index finger ran on her cheeks so tenderly that she started breathing uneven. Her lip slowly parted and his eyes were fixed on it. He leaned forward slowly giving her time to reject but it never came.

He hesitantly filled the space in between her lip with his upper lip and trapped her bottom lip with his bottom lip. Her eyes instantaneously closed and she found herself leaning her forward when he tried pulling away. Seeing that she wanted it, Damon's hand found her cheek and held it as they lips moved synchronized with each other. Her hand found his hair and she gently caressed it, messing it up in the process.

She felt a sort of swirling and astounding feeling down in the pit of her stomach that she couldn't quite explain. It was like electricity going through her body and she wanted more. She grasped at his shirt in an attempt to get closer and in response he pressed his body to hers. He traced the contour of her lips with his tongue and gently nipped her lower lip. Elena gasped in surprise and her eyes widened then fluttered closed when Damon took the opportunity to slip his tongue into her mouth. His hands went to her waist and moved up and down, caressing it and earning a moan from her.

The need to breath was excruciating and they reluctantly pulled away from each other. When her eyes opened, Elena found a gleeful Damon in front of her. She returned his smile and pressed a featherlike kiss on his lips.

His hand found her cheeks again and he resumed kissing her. She hooked her arms around his neck and pulled him down to deepen the kiss. His arms went around her waist and pulled her closer to him.

After their long kiss, she pulled away with her eyes still closed and rested her head on his shoulders.

"Mhmmm," she purred when he started rubbing her back.

He chuckled and said, "You sound like a cat."

She lifted her head up from him and smiled.

"We should really get home before we forget our trail." He suggested. Elena nodded took his hand in hers, looked at the sunset for one last time, then turned and started walking away.

"Your Mom is going to freak when she finds out where we went."

"Yeah," Elena nodded. Her Mom was so overprotective that even Elena thinks that she had set a GPS tracker inside their—oh no! Elena gulped and immediately stopped in her track. Her Mom!

"What's wrong?" Damon turned around and examined her face. He was taken aback when she ripped her hand from him. "Elena?"

"Oh my God, my Mom is going to freak!"

"About?"

She gestured between them. "You and I! We kissed Damon!"

"And?" he shrugged his shoulders. "It's not like were siblings."

"But Mom is still going to freak out." her hand came up and rested on her forehead. "How could I be so stupid?"

He grabbed her hand and held them close to his chest.

"Elena look at me," he whispered softly and she met his eyes. "We did nothing bad. We're not brother or sisters and your Mom is not going to freak out. Most importantly she doesn't have to know…no one has to know about us."

"No one?"

"Not if you want them to. This doesn't even have to happen if you don't want to." his voice went soft and he let go off her hand. He waited for her answer about them with his heart on his sleeve. And she could crush it now if she wanted to.

She surprised him when she took his hand and whispered, "I want to,"

"Then we won't tell your Mom or anyone else."

"Our little secret. Promise?"

"Promise,"

There will be some flashbacks in this story. The two flashback in the story were to kind of show you how good of friends they were when they were younger.

And if you have the time, review.