"Elena..." Someone was shaking her. Her eyes flew open and she shot out of the bed, gasping for air. As she tried to catch her breath, she felt a hand on her shoulder. "You were just having a bad dream."
She looked over her shoulder and was surprised to find a vampire in her bed. "Damon?" she asked groggily. "What are you still doing here?"
The corner of Damon's mouth quirked up. "Uh... You kinda asked me to stay. I figured you were half asleep, but who am I to refuse a lady?" He smirked at her, as usual. It looked like he had made himself at home in her bed, considering he had his shirt unbuttoned and had kicked off his shoes. She tried not to think about that too much.
Elena huffed at him and turned to lie back down, but suddenly the muscles in the right side of her neck seized up. She gasped and brought a hand up to hold it. "Ow! Dammit... I must have been sleeping weird."
"Yeah, you're a bit of a contortionist. At least you're entertaining while you sleep."
She rolled her eyes and eased back onto the bed. As she did, the ache in her neck spread down her back to her shoulder blade. "Ow ow ow..." She only had problems like this when she was severely stressed, so it wasn't surprising that this was happening considering the day she had just had.
"You need some help with that?" Damon leered as he propped himself up on his elbow next to her.
Elena opened her eyes enough to glare at him sideways before she closed them tightly again. "Please, Damon, not now." She dug her fingers into the spasming muscle on her neck. "This seriously hurts."
"Who said I'm joking? C'mon, Elena, roll ever. I had a masseuse... friend... once, and she taught me a trick or two. No use in you being a cripple tomorrow on top of everything else."
She looked at him again and saw not a hint of his usual machismo. He impatiently made a "roll over" motion with his hand. "Go on. I'm just trying to help. No foolies."
Normally Elena would have turned him down without a second thought, but this was some serious pain. "Alright, fine." She took a deep breath and slowly rolled over onto her stomach. She put her arms under her pillow and buried her face into the fabric.
Damon sat up and then crouched next to her on the mattress. "See? Was that so hard?" He placed his hands on her neck and shoulder and began to gently feel around to find the problem. "Just try to relax."
Elena winced as Damon got to work. She tried to focus on her breathing, but it was hard to relax with his hands on her. If you had told her two months ago that she would be laying in her bed with Damon Salvatore giving her a massage, then she would have said you were a damn fool. What a difference a few weeks and a Ripper ex-boyfriend can make.
After a few minutes, she could tell that Damon definitely knew what he was doing. As he kneaded her flesh, the muscles slowly started to relax, and so did she. As much as she hated to admit it, his hands were magic. Elena groaned in pleasure as he hit a particularly tight spot, and she felt Damon's rhythm falter. She was enjoying herself too much to think about it too much, though.
"Better?" Damon asked, his voice somewhat husky.
Elena nodded into the pillow. "Mmm-hmm." She was so relaxed, she didn't think she could manage actual words.
"Good." Damon replied quietly. His hands kept moving against her skin, more gently than before. He slowly expanded his range to the other side of her neck and upper back, and then she felt him shift on the bed so that he was straddling her thighs on top of the bedding. Damon's hands ran further down her back over the fabric of her tank top, rubbing in slow circles while he manipulated the muscles with his thumbs. It felt heavenly.
Damon began to run his large hands up and down the length of her torso, his fingertips brushing against her sides with every stroke. At first it almost tickled, but the sensation quickly turned into something else altogether. Little tingles ran all over Elena's body, and she suddenly became more aware of his weight on top of her. She knew she should stop this, but it just felt so... good.
Soon Damon had worked his way to her lower back, below the edge of her tank top. As his fingers touched her skin again, Elena's heartbeat sped up. He placed his palms against her flesh and slowly rubbed upward, edging her tank top farther up. Waves of heat radiated from where he touched her, and she couldn't help but arch her back slightly into the bed.
Damon silently kept going, working her tank top up to expose more of her skin. The feeling of his hands covering the width of her lower back was having a profound effect on her, and she didn't know what to do with it. She couldn't deny that she had always been attracted to Damon, but there had always been plenty of reasons not to act on it. Now, with his hands on her skin, she couldn't think of a good one to save her life.
Elena pushed her face harder into the pillow and tried not to whimper as Damon's fingers brushed against her sides again, this time skin to skin. She squirmed underneath him, and Damon inhaled sharply as she accidentally made more contact with his lower body. He gave up all pretense of a massage and started to lightly run his fingertips over her exposed skin.
With a shaky breath, Elena brought her head off the pillow and looked over her shoulder at him. In the darkness, she could only see him out of the corner of her eye, but she could still see the desire on his face. She knew it was a mirror of her own. Not breaking eye contact, Damon slowly ran his hands up the length of her back and continued down her arms as he lowered his torso onto her back.
Elena closed her eyes as his skin made contact with her own. Her breath hitched as she felt his lips on the back of her shoulder. "Damon..." she breathed. "What are you doing?" She let her head fall back to the pillow, keeping her eyes closed.
Damon swept her hair off her neck and then buried his fingers in the strands before he brought his mouth to her ear. "What we both want. Do you want me to stop?" He ran the tip of his nose along the edge of her ear, then placed a kiss behind it. She knew the answer to his question, but she was too prideful to say it.
A shiver ran down Elena's body as his lips moved down the side of her neck. Damon slowly slid the tip of his nose down her spine until he reached the top of her tank top. He kept prowling down her body until his lips found her skin again. His breath on her lower back was one the most erotic things she'd ever felt. She whimpered and arched into the bed as his tongue dipped into the curve of her spine. The covers had gotten pushed off of her as he moved around, and she pushed back against the length of his body.
Damon let out a strangled moan and crawled back up her, his lips never leaving her skin. He buried a hand in her hair again and pulled gently to raise her head off the pillow, his other hand running up her side. "Elena..." he breathed against the skin of her shoulder. "Despite popular belief, I'm not in the habit of forcing myself on women. Answer me... Do you want me to stop?"
Elena allowed him to turn her head so he could look into her eyes. What she saw there scared her, but not in the usual scary vampire way. The few times she had thought about what this moment could be like, she had imagined that it would be the usual cocky, forceful, seductive Damon who would ultimately charm his way into her bed. This Damon was different. He was gentle. He was raw. She felt like she was really seeing him for the first time, and it touched her somewhere she never would have expected.
She let out another shaky breath, then raised herself up onto her elbows. Damon stared into her eyes as they came closer together, Elena finally closing the space with a gentle brush of her lips. They both closed their eyes as they pressed their mouths harder together. Elena felt warmth rush through her body as their lips moved against one another. Her hand came up to the back of his head, and she wrapped her fingers in his hair. She pulled his face tighter into hers, and her tongue dipped into his mouth to meet his own. Elena pushed herself back against his body, wanting as much contact as she could get. Damon groaned against her mouth and tightened the hand in her hair.
Elena broke the kiss, her breath sawing out of her lungs. "There's your answer."
Damon smiled at her through the haze of his desire. For a brief moment, there was just relief and happiness on his face. Then there was a blur of movement, and she was on her back with Damon's body pressing her into the mattress. He was everywhere - his mouth pressed hard to hers, his hands in her hair, his pelvis pressed between her thighs. Her senses were overtaken with all things Damon, and it was a wonderful sensation. Elena grabbed the open front of his shirt and wrapped her legs around his waist to pull him harder into her. She was desperate for him. She had secretly wanted his touch for a long time, and now that she had given in to it, she wanted to be consumed by it.
Elena pushed the shirt off Damon's shoulders and down his arms, forcing him to release his grip on her hair. He pulled the shirt off the rest of the way at vampire speed and threw it off the bed, never losing contact with her lips. He finally pulled back when he brought his hands down Elena's sides to the edge of her tank top. He slid down to rub his face against the exposed skin of her stomach, brushing his lips across her skin before placing a kiss above her navel. He slowly inched up the tank top, his lips following behind it. Elena arched into him and buried her hands in his hair. A trail of fire followed his lips across her skin. She felt like her heart was going to come out of her chest, which was only exasperated when Damon's lips reached the flat plane between her breasts. Locking eyes with Elena, he slowly pushed the top the rest of the way up her body. She arched up to take it off over her head.
As soon as the tank top was discarded, Damon pressed soft kisses along the underside of each of Elena's breasts. He eventually made his way around to her nipple, sneaking the tip of his tongue out to taste it before he took it into his mouth. She moaned and arched into him, reaching her hands up to grab the headboard of her bed. Damon wrapped an arm around her back, holding her tight in his grip. His other hand came up to her unattended breast, palming it gently before taking the nipple lightly in his fingertips.
Elena gasped and ground herself harder against him. She needed more. She brought her hands down to his hair again, pulling him back up to her lips. Their tongues clashed against each other, and the skin of his chest slid against her breasts. Elena couldn't get enough. She could feel his erection grinding against her through their pants, and it was driving her crazy. She reached down to begin unbuttoning Damon's pants, and he got the hint. He quickly shimmied out of them while still kissing her, then began to work his way down her body again. He went more quickly this time, only stopping at her breasts for a moment. Once he was down to her stomach again, he began pulling her pajama pants down her hips. As the edge of her lacy underwear was exposed, he ran his lips back and forth above it. Damon pulled back just long enough to get the pants the rest of the way down her legs.
Damon leaned down to press wet kisses to her hips. "You are so beautiful, Elena..." he breathed reverently against her skin. He rubbed his nose along the waistband of her underwear, and she could hear him inhale sharply. At first she was embarrassed, because she knew he was smelling her arousal. But when he let out a guttural groan and dug his fingers into her sides, she was too turned on to care.
He hooked his fingers into the sides of her underwear and quickly pulled them down her legs before crawling back up her body. He claimed her lips again as his hand stroked down her stomach towards the joining of her thighs. His fingers slowly dipped into her core, making Elena break the kiss and arch into the mattress with a gasp. "Oh god... Damon..." His fingers found her clit as his lips trailed down the side of her neck. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders to hold her in place while his fingers worked her center. His exposed erection was heavy against her thigh. Elena dug her fingers into his back, almost over the edge already.
Damon slowly began to work two fingers inside of her while using his thumb on her clit. Elena wanted him so badly it hurt. As he curled his fingers and stroked inside her, her first orgasm hit her so fast she was almost surprised by it. Elena cried out and thrashed under Damon, who growled in satisfaction. He leaned back to watch the pleasure play across her face.
As she started coming down, Damon leaned in to catch her earlobe in his teeth. "I promise next time we'll take it slow, but right now I just need to be inside you."
Elena was still trying to catch her breath, but she was able to get out a couple of words. "Yes... Please..." Damon brought his mouth to hers again, their labored breath mingling as one. He shifted so that he was back between her thighs, bringing his erection to her core. He gently ran the tip along her folds, making Elena moan into his mouth. She wrapped her legs around him and pulled him harder against her. She felt Damon smile against her lips before he began to push into her. They both gasped and released the kiss, locking eyes as he entered her.
Once he filled her, Damon closed his eyes and leaned his forehead against Elena's for a moment. As he pulled out slightly and plunged back in, his lips met hers again and he buried his hands in her hair. Elena dug her fingernails into his back, amazed at how wonderful he felt inside her. She felt complete. Damon moaned when he thrust into her again, taking her bottom lip between his teeth for a moment. "God, Elena... You feel so good."
Elena whimpered and nodded, unable to speak. As she adjusted to his size, Damon picked up the pace. He buried his face in her neck, running his teeth along the sensitive spot where her neck met her shoulder. Elena cried out and ran her nails down Damon's back. He arched under her hands and groaned with pleasure before thrusting into her harder than before. Elena brought her hips up to meet every thrust.
She quickly felt another orgasm building, and it hit her like a freight train. She threw her head back and screamed his name. Damon growled and crashed into her at a furious pace, milking her climax for as long as he could. Elena convulsed underneath him, moaning almost continuously. When it finally started to ebb, Elena could barely catch her breath. She collapsed into the bed underneath him, feeling like her body was made of jelly.
Damon slowed his pace, exploring the depths of Elena's body while she recovered. He gently stroked the hair away from her face as she came down, pressing soft kisses along her jawline and throat. After a few moments, she opened her eyes and focused on him. She smiled lazily at him, and Damon chuckled. "Well... Don't you look satisfied."
"Mmm-hmm..." Elena wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him for all she was worth. Damon stopped his thrusts to savor the moment. She pulled back and looked into his eyes, suddenly very serious. "Damon... You're amazing."
Damon quirked one side of his mouth, then brushed his lips against hers. "That's what I've been trying to tell you," he breathed against her skin. Elena smiled and pulled him in for a slow, passionate, take-your-breath-away kiss. Damon began slowly moving inside of her again, and their lips turned hungry.
Elena felt more "right" than she had in a long time. If she had known that it would feel like this to be with Damon, then she would have kicked her ass into gear months ago. She did and always will love Stefan in some way, but this was true passion. It didn't matter how infuriating Damon could be, this kind of chemistry was worth it. She was beginning to understand that passion and logic don't always go together, but one will always win out over the other.
As their pace quickened once again, Elena felt like her head was spinning. She didn't know which way was up, and she didn't care. Damon enveloped her in his arms as he thrust into her, making the sexiest sounds she'd ever heard in her life. He seemed to be part animal, but only in the best way. Damon buried his face in her neck and bit down with blunt teeth. Elena cried out against his shoulder, turning her head to expose more of her neck to his mouth. She could feel him run his nose across her skin, following her carotid artery. She wondered for a moment what it would feel like to have his teeth in her throat as he made love to her, but Damon pulled back before she could decide how she felt about that.
Damon threw his head back and groaned as his pace began to falter. Elena pressed her face into his throat, holding onto him with all of her strength. He found her mouth again with his and kissed her like he was starving for it. His wildness started to push her over the edge again, and she cried out his name. Damon growled and thrust into her even harder, pressing his face into hers. They clung to each other desperately as Damon began to climax, which caused another orgasm to rip through Elena.
As their orgasms subsided, Damon rested his forehead against Elena's. His hands came up to cup her face, and he gently pressed his lips against hers. Elena ran her hands up his back, appreciating all of the muscles that she had admired from afar for so long. Damon kissed her languidly before pulling back to look at her. She quietly giggled and smiled up at him. "Did that really just happen?"
His mouth cracked into a grin, but his eyes looked slightly troubled. "No regrets, I hope."
Elena shook her head before pulling his lips to hers again. "Never," she breathed against his skin. It was the truth. It may have taken a lot of time and circumstance for her to end up here in this moment, with him, but she knew it was where she wanted to be. That was the thing with Damon. Even when she hated him, even when he was being his cocky, annoying, bad boy self, she was always drawn to him. This probably wouldn't be an easy road to take, but she knew in her heart that it was the right one for her. She also knew that she shouldn't be using sex as a deciding factor, no matter how good it was, but she felt like she had seen the other side of Damon tonight; one that she could easily fall in love with.
Damon gently withdrew himself from Elena before rolling onto his side next to her. She moved to face him, and he pulled the sheet back over them before wrapping his arms around her. Elena buried her face in the crook of his shoulder and breathed in deeply, savoring Damon's scent mixed with her own. He rubbed lazy circles over the skin of her back and sides, which lulled her into a half-sleep state.
"So what do you say?" he asked, breaking the comfortable silence. Elena pulled back to look into his face with a questioning look. "Did my masseuse skills live up to expectations? Will I get a full recommendation?"
Elena snorted and punched him lightly in the chest before resuming her position against his shoulder. "Well, no neck pain. But I give your seduction skills a 4 out of 5."
Damon scoffed at her in mock insult. "Excuse me, miss, but I don't know what you're talking about. I was just trying to help out a friend in need. You were the one who had to get all sexy with it."
Elena giggled and then playfully bit into the skin on his clavicle. Damon caught her chin in his hand and forced her to look up at him. "Hey now," he said, arching an eyebrow. "No need to get fresh." Elena gave him her best doe eyes, which must have worked. He smirked and brought his lips to hers again. The playful kiss soon turned serious, and both were out of breath by the time they broke away.
Elena closed her eyes and leaned her forehead against his cheek. "What now, Damon?"
She didn't have to explain herself; he knew where she was going. "That's sorta up to you, Elena. It always has been." She pulled back to gaze up at him, and the sad look in his eyes just about broke her heart.
She steeled herself with a breath. "Look, I'm tired of fighting this. We obviously have... something. I don't know what; but I want to find out."
Damon smiled and kissed her gently. "Sounds like a plan."
Elena rested her forehead against his and sighed. "You know I can't make any promises..."
The side of his mouth quirked up. "I'm not asking for any." He kissed her forehead before tucking her head under his chin. "Try to get some sleep, Elena."
She nodded against his skin and snuggled farther into his embrace. No matter what tomorrow brought, she wanted to remember this feeling. It felt like home.
And plus, who would have known that Damon Salvatore is a fantastic cuddler...