Wind howled outside their window, picking up snowflakes and sending them swirling around the yard. Elena moved the dark red curtains out of the way, and pulled her sleeve over the heel of her hand and wiped the fog from the window so she could see outside. "Crap." The snow was at least a foot deep at this point. They had been moved away from Virginia for about a month and she still wasn't used to the frigid weather.

"What?" Damon asked creeping up behind her, his arms snaked around her waist and his warm breath tickled her ear.

"The snow is getting really deep out there." She said concerned.

"Oh no!" Damon said dramatically. "I guess we will have to stay home. Darn." He said snapping his fingers, unable to hide his growing smirk.

Elena rolled her eyes and pushed away from him. "We are going, Damon." She shut the curtains.

Damon let out a loud, dramatic sigh. "Why?!" He whined.

"Because we promised Caroline. Everyone will be there and we should be there too. Even Stefan is going." She added at the last moment.

"So? Just because Stefan is being a do-gooder again doesn't mean we have to." He pulled her against his chest. "I just got you back, Lena, and I'm not ready to share you yet."

"Well I'm going. And I just got you back, too. In case you forgot." She said placing a gentle kiss on his lips. "And sense I'm going you also need to go, because I'm never letting you out of my sight again." She grinned. "So go get ready. Caroline bought us Christmas sweaters to wear to the party."

Damon made a face. "You women are cruel."

Elena made a face at him and pointed to the hideous Christmas sweater. "If I have to deal with it so do you."

"Don't worry, you're going to want to come home soon enough." He said throwing the sweater on.

"I highly doubt that." Elena said smugly.

Damon smirked. Challenge accepted. He thought to himself.

The Michael Buble Christmas soundtrack pulsed through Caroline's apartment. "Oh come on." Damon complained as he walked through the threshold.

"Oh, look. The Grinch has arrived." Caroline said sarcastically before handing them both a glass of eggnog. "Aww! Elena you are wearing the sweater I got you!"

"I'm standing right here." Damon pouted. "Literally also wearing the sweater."

Caroline rolled her eyes. "You look beautiful, Lena!"

"Thanks, Care. I love it." Elena lied with a big smile before she hugged her friend.

"Its itchy, too." Damon mumbled.

Elena reached her boot back and kicked him.

"Ouch." He huffed.

Stefan walked into the kitchen, holding a bourbon. He was chuckling.

"Hello brother." Damon said, raising an eyebrow. His eyes grazed the apartment and pursed his lip trying to hide his smile. "How long?" He asked his brother.

"How long?" Stefan questioned.

Damon chuckled, "How long have you been shacking up with blondie?"

Stefan coughed slightly. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Yeah, okay." Damon laughed with a smirk permanently attached to his lips. "But once this bastardly holiday is over I expect details." Damon grinned like a teenage girl at a sleepover, ready for the gossip that he was sure to get if Stefan ever decided to spill.

Caroline shot the brothers an angry look, as if to say 'over my dead body' and that made Damon grin wider. "I guess this means she has forgiven you, brother."

Stefan couldn't hide his slight smile. "I better go check on the fire." He said raising his eyebrows and turning on his heels.

Caroline raised an eyebrow. "I'll help him." She said. Elena giggled slightly and patted Caroline's butt, making Caroline squeal.

She walked up to Damon lacing her fingers with his. "See, this is fun." Elena said with a grin.

"No." Damon said moving his lips to her ear. "This" He said running his fingers down her back, grasping her ass in his hand. "Is fun."

"Damon!" She scolded him quietly, and her eyes widened as she looked around making sure no one was watching. She met his eyes, and he shrugged slightly letting go.

"Little Gilbert." Damon said, his eyes never leaving Elena's. "And Judgy, nice of you two to join us."

"Whatever, dick." Jeremy said, his arm around Bonnie, holding her possessively. He still wasn't excited that she had been stuck for months with Damon.

"Hey, Damon." Bonnie said with a smile. "Hey, Lena. Where's Care?"

Elena swallowed hard and pulled herself away from Damon's gaze. "Her and Stefan are in the living room." She said, her voice weak.

Bonnie raised an eyebrow and tried her best to hide her amused expression. "Come on, Jer." She said tugging him along. "By the way." Bonnie said quietly, "Ric and Jo are right behind us, so don't get too comfortable."

Elena blushed bright red, and Damon chuckled darkly under his breath. "Maybe we should join the rest of the group?" Damon offered, Elena responded with just a nod as she let him lead her into Caroline's large living room. She kicked off her boots and settled onto the couch. Only the fireplace lighted the room. Stefan was seated on a chair and Caroline was sitting at his feet, directly next to the Christmas tree that was dazzlingly lit by white Christmas lights. Bonnie and Jeremy over took the other chair, Bonnie perched in Jeremy's lap.

Alaric and Jo came in next taking up the love seat, he gently cradled her hand in his. Luke, Liv, and Tyler were on a ski trip since it was the anniversary of Tyler's Mom's death, he didn't feel very festive, and no one blamed him.

Damon's hand was in Elena's hair, twisting it in his fingers, as they listened to Caroline drabble on about something that Elena couldn't place because his fingers were trailing her neck and sending chills up her spine. "Are you cold?" He asked, his lips against her ear, and his tone low.

Elena nodded slightly, without looking at him. He pulled the blanket off the back of the couch and draped it over them. He let his arm move from the back of her neck to around her waist, pulling her closer to him.

"I love this town!" Caroline said excitedly. "I miss Mystic Falls, of course. But you can't beat the snow, its just beautiful." She exclaimed, Elena was focusing better, now that he had stopped stroking her neck.

"I'm glad we decided to come here." Elena said, her voice steady.

Caroline beamed at her friend. "Me too! And Ric I'm so glad you guys could come." Caroline gushed.

And suddenly Elena sat up a little straighter, somehow Damon had snuck his hand under the blanket and was unbuttoning her jeans. Her eyes were wide, but for fear of causing a commotion she just glanced at him, he looked totally unfazed, his gaze still forward and interested in Caroline's conversation.

His fingers slid into her jeans and under her lace panties, gently stroking her core. Memorizing every inch of her. Elena held her breath, as his fingers moved from touching the outside of her, to sliding between her folds and slipping inside of her. She closed her eyes and before she knew it her pants were buttoned and his hand was back out of the blanket, resting on the arm rest of the couch.

Elena swallowed hard and looked at him, this time he was grinning at her. No one had seemed to notice what was happening under the red knit blanket, but she was clearly flustered. She stood up, her knees a bit shaky as she walked back into the kitchen. Damon exhaled with a smile and followed her.

Elena threw some ice and margarita mix into the blender and turned it on. "What was that about?" She asked, only low enough for them to hear, allowing their voices to be muffled by the blender.

He pressed her against the fridge, her eyes wide as his hand gripped her left breast. "I want to fuck you, Elena." He said low, and dark.

"I.."

"I want to rip that ugly ass sweater off your gorgeous body and lick every inch of your body." He growled low, his lips seconds away from brushing hers.

Her heart was fluttering, and beating wildly.

"But we should be here, right?" He said low, his lips brushing her ear. "Caroline worked really hard on this party, right?" He said, pressing his hard dick against her.

Elena gasped slightly, meeting his eyes, want growing the longer he touched her. "Yea..yeah we should.. should.. stay." Elena barely gasped.

"Come on, Elena." He said, his lips, tongue, fangs, barely brushing her neck. "You're allowed to be selfish." He said, his voice rough.

You know all I want for Christmas is you…

He pulled away a bit, he was dripping with sex, and not only was the lust burning in her chest, but she loved this man and months ago she would've given anything for this moment. "Take me home." She instructed him.

"Yes, mam." Damon said scooping her up.

Elena was lying on their bed, her red bra and panties were becoming increasingly uncomfortable the longer he was away. He had thrown her in the room and told her to get undressed and wait for him. "Damon?" She called, wondering what was taking him so long.

Then she heard his boots on the floor and she started to throb just thinking about him. She watched the door eagerly, and then there he was.

Wearing a Santa Suit.

Elena raised an eyebrow. "What is this?"

He wiggled his eyebrows, he had a Santa hat covering his dark hair, and an undone Santa jacket, pants and boots to pull the look together, his toned chest looking edible under the red coat. "I'm Santa," He said gesturing to himself. "Obviously." He rolled his eyes, snark thick in his voice.

"I can see that." Elena said, trying not to giggle. "But, why?"

"Because, you've been a naughty girl, Elena. And I hate to say it but you are definitely not making the nice list this year." He said, his voice thick with lust as he walked toward her.

"Really, now?" Her voice was a sensual whisper.

He nodded frowning and shaking his head. "It's the unfortunate truth, my sweet Gilbert." He said hovering over her. "But." He said with a smirk. "There is a way you can get yourself back into good graces." He said raising his eyebrows.

"Oh? And how do you propose I do that?" She asked, innocently.

"Say yes." He said smiling down at her.

"Say yes to what?" She asked but before she knew it he had her hand and a single knee was on the floor. "Ohmygod." She breathed.

His eyes were glistening blue, and he held a diamond ring in his hand.

Elena's head was spinning, was this why he wanted so desperately to get her home?

"Elena Gilbert." He began, his voice trembling. "I never thought that I would be so lucky as to be allowed to love someone like you." He said slowly. "When I was in my prison, Bonnie asked me every day what I would do if I got back to you… and in the back of my mind I always knew what I wanted to say, but I was too afraid to say it… I wanted to tell her 'I'll marry that girl' but it seemed too unrealistic. Me: Damon Salvatore, the bad brother the guy who never gets it right, marrying Elena Gilbert. It seemed like a pipe dream."

Elena swallowed, his hand was shaking as he held hers, she had never seen him so nervous.

"But here you are. Even after all the hell we have been through, even after everything I'm done you're still here. We have beaten Originals, dopplegangers, travelers, compulsion, The Universe, and hell I even beat time and space. And I didn't used to understand what that meant, but now I'm sure. You're crazy, Elena, I've known that for awhile. But now the question is.. are you crazy enough to call this homicidal vampire your husband?" He asked, his voice soft, his eyebrows coming together. "Will you marry me, Elena?"

A tear escaped Elena's eye and he quickly wiped it with his free hand. His other hand hovering over Elena's ring finger, ready to slide the ring on the moment she said yes.

"Why?" Elena asked.

He looked taken aback as he asked, "Why, what?"

"Why did you tell me to take off my clothes? Why are you dressed like Santa?"

Damon looked down and chuckled sadly. "Two reasons. One, if I decided to chicken out, this seemed like the way to do it. Two," He met her eyes. "if you said no, then at least I would get to see you like this one last time."

Elena smiled a little. "To answer your question.. No. I will not marry a homicidal vampire." Elena said sternly.

Damon's hand dropped in defeat, pain growing on his face.

She dropped to the floor in front of him. "Let me finish. Look at me." She instructed grabbing his face.

He looked at her, his mouth downturned sadly.

"But I will marry you." She said breathlessly. "I will call you my husband, Damon Salvatore. The man that was capable of greatness, the only man to ever make me feel like anything is possible. The only man that I've ever contemplated forever with. That is the man I will marry."

Damon smiled and shook away the urge to cry. "So is that a yes?"

Elena grinned. "Yes."

He slid the ring onto her finger and picked her up spinning her around.

Elena laughed as he pressed his forehead to hers. "Holy shit." He whispered, smiling.

"What?" She asked softly.

He scooped her up bridal style. "You really must want to be on the nice list." He said grinning, cheekily.

Elena laughed. "So desperately."

"Well, Miss Gilbert, I guess we will have to make that happen." He said laying her down.

She took the Santa hat off his head and placed it on her own head. "I guess so." He kissed her lips, something was changing within him, joy was almost erupting from his every pore.

"Mmm.. Elena Gilbert." He whispered, as if he couldn't really believe he was allowed to say her name.

"Enjoy it." She whispered against his lips.

"it?" He asked pulling away slightly.

"Calling me that." She said her smile growing. "Because soon enough my name won't belong to me anymore."

He looked into her eyes. "Elena Salvatore."

"With that name how could I possibly make the nice list?" She asked mischievously.

"You make a valid point." Damon smirked, and leaned down and kissed her.

He made love to her that night, but this was different than every other time, it was desperate, he needed her, every inch of her. But not in the same way he used to, not for confirmation. Because for the first time she was his, all his. She wasn't walking away this time, they were going to have a quiet life, as quiet as they could possibly have, being them. He held her against him, their chests brushing as he thought about how satisfying it will be to wake up next to her every day for the rest of eternity.

His thoughts drifted to years ago, when he was a different man. It seemed like a life time ago that he sat in the bathtub with Andie and admitted that he was in love with Elena.

And she wants me to be the better man, which means I can't be who I am.

Maybe that's who you are now, love does that Damon, it changes us.

Love changes us. That stuck with Damon, and in this moment he knew she was right. Love had changed him into a dark creature when it came to Katherine, but true love, the love of Elena had changed him too. But this time it had brought him into the light, it had made him realize that he deserved more than what his father had damned him to deserve.

And he would be damned if he messed that up.

He met her eyes, they were both panting and laying together now. "You are everything, Elena." He breathed, stroking her arm protectively.

"Merry Christmas, Damon." She said, closing her eyes, listening every beat of his heart.

"Merry Christmas, my Warrior Princess."