His kiss seemed to sear my skin, and his hands made me shiver. I wanted him more than life itself. He was my everything. I couldn't belong without him.

His lips found mine and i moaned with want.

"Please, please stop teasing me." I gasp when his teeth graze my neck.

He lifted his head to look at me and i stared back with love and lust. "Damon,"-

I shot up from bed, my whole body trembling. It was the third night in a row that i had dreams about Damon, and i knew for a fact they were my own, because Damon had quit trespassing in my dreams a long time ago.

And his were steamer. More sexual and detailed. My mind wasn't capable of dreams like that.

I shivered and pulled the blankets around me. I was in Stefan's room, and i felt dirty for dreaming about Damon in his bed.

Stefan. I sighed and sat up to grab my I-Pod. I loved Stefan, i truly did, with all my heart. But some things about him...made me...resent him. But Damon...Damon was my equal. He sees all of me, and not just the good.

And i wasn't perfect. I had flaws, many which Stefan didn't know about. He had this made up image of me; i was the perfect human without a smug of impurity on me.

Oh, but if he only knew.

I slipped out of Stefan's bed-i was not sleeping Stefan. We had broken up since it was too dangerous to be together. Kathrine had warned her, and we all didn't take her literally, but oh, she was.

And she didn't want us together. At. All.

So i broke up with him, finding it the best decision. Plus, i was having mixed feelings about him. They had started when Kathrine showed herself more. I realized that Stefan was absorbed in Kathrine, where she was, what she was doing, why she was doing it, blah blah blah.

After awhile, it became annoying, even if he claimed to be protecting me, but i had my doubts. I mean, Damon wanted to protect me just as much, if not more, and he wasn't absorbed 110% into Kathrine's moves.

He made me laugh, made me forget i had a vampire out to kill me. Made me feel normal.

Sighing, i slip out of bed and grabbed my jacket, pausing my I-Pod.

When i started down the stairs, i heard Stefan and Damon's voice, and they sounded strained. They always were fighting. I couldn't remember a time when they weren't.

Sighing again, i pressed play on a song i knew was one of Damon's favorites and plopped on the couch, not caring to know what they were now fighting about. Usually it was over something stupid.

I lip sang the song Smile by AFI, staring at the ceiling, but i could see them arguing from my peripheral vision.

Curious, I look over and watch as they bickered about nonsense. My eyes watched as Damon's muscles tensed as he argued, his eyes bright blue and convincing-

Well, convincing to me. If he turned those eyes on me i would melt in a heartbeat.

My eyes traveled to his lips, and i swore i seen him say my name. Curiosity got the best of me and i pulled my ear buds out. "What are you two bickering about now?" I ask, and they both cut off short and look at me.

"None of your concern, kitten." Damon says patronizingly and smirks, his eyes dancing.

"If i want it to be my concern, then it will be my concern, Damon." I say and stand from my lounging spot on the couch. "Now what's the problem?"

They glanced at each other nervously and i sighed. "Come on, I'm a big girl. I can handle the news. Who died this week?" I snapped, tired of them babying me.

Damon's lips twitched, fighting a smile. I wanted to slap him. Or pounce on him and make him my-

I shook my head. "Just tell me."

"Elena...sweety..." Stefan took a step towards me and i glared, causing him to stop. I didn't want to be babied right now, nor did i want Stefan to try to ease his way out of telling me what was going on.

"Spit it out Stefan." I said dangerously close to exploding.

"I have to go out of town for a short while. Nothing's happened...yet. I just have some...business to handle."

I studied them, wondering why that would cause them to bicker. Then it clicked. "He's baby sitting me, isn't he?" I ask, nodding towards Damon, who smiles.

I groan and flop on the couch. "Why are you leaving Stefan?" I ask, eying him.

He locks gazes with me and i could see the love in his eyes, in plain sight and strongly noticeable. My heart twisted with pain and i glanced away at Damon as Stefan told me it was just to scout out things in a town ragging with vampires.

What, you trying to protect one town isn't enough? I think then immediately regret it. Stefan was a good guy...but he tried too much. I mean, can't he just be happy with keeping us safe? And maybe forget Kathrine for a little while? I mean, she wasn't here, so why couldn't he relax and actually...well, live?

Sighing, my thoughts turn to more dangerous and...scary thought.

Like, say, being alone with Damon...in the Boarding House...for God only knows how long...

Groaning, i sit up and grab the full glass of Burgundy Damon left on the table and sucked it down. I felt it immediately coarse through my veins and fog up my head, and i smiled slightly.

I felt both their eyes on me, but chugged down the rest of the glass without hesitating and filled it up again.

I swore i could feel Damon's approval and Stefan's disapproval.

Stefan left later that night with a awkward hug goodbye. I watched as he left, my mind fogged from the Burgundy . I didn't want him to go because of the danger he was facing, but i also knew Kathrine wouldn't hurt him.

She loved him.

More than i ever did.

The thought had me tensing and gripping the glass in my hand tightly. But i knew it was true. Kathrine loved Stefan more then i ever did. He was her everything; her air, sun, moon, life. She devoted her whole life to finding him, and trying to get him back. And I'm the one who took him away from her. I would do the same for anyone i loved and i would have hated anyone who took them.

Suddenly, i couldn't blame Kathrine for what she was doing. I couldn't hate or, or want her dead.

Was she really, truly as evil and heartless as they all believed her to be? Or was she blinded by hurt because Stefan chose me?

But do you choose Stefan?

I started at the thought, my body going cold. Did I?

No, i didn't. When i looked at Stefan, all i felt was a brotherly love. A love that had me protective over him, but not in a girlfriend type way. Of course i loved him, but i couldn't see myself holding him, or kissing him ever again.

And fear coursed through me when i heard Damon coming down the stairs. My heart picked up, and my hands started to shake, the glass slowly slipping from my hands.

But Damon was there, holding the glass, his eyes worried. "Are you okay?"

I shake my head, trying to clear my fogged up head. Get it together Elena!

He said something, but I giggled and stumbled away. "You know." I say but get side tracked when i got to the liquor table.

"Do you really think that's a good idea?" He asks, going to take the bottle away but i yank away.

"Since when do you care? You encourage this behavior."

"I've never encouraged this Elena. I simply said let loose, have fun."

"What do you think i am doing Damon?" I ask and smile brightly as i poured him a glass. "Letting loose."

Damon smiles and downs the drink faster than i had. I grin and gulp mine, trying to beat him as we both drank up, but every time he beat me by a second, causing me to laugh and glare all at once.

Lat thing i remembered was watching as admirably as he danced on the banister, and wishing i could do that.