Hey everybody! I was thinking about Damon and Elena and this idea just popped into my head. It's 3:30 in the morning and I'm not fully awake so don't hate! Hey I rhymed! :)

Damon watches Elena as she scurries about the house, gathering her things to leave. He smiles at her when she hops around, trying to put her shoes on and find her keys at the same time. After she seems to collect the needed items to head over to Caroline's house, she looks around, making sure she has everything. She closes her eyes as she mentally checks her list of items and smiles when she finds she has everything she needs. She turns around and sees Damon smiling at her and she smiles back.

"I got to go. Bye, Damon, I'll see you at your house later." She turns to leave, walking out the door and she adds, "Bye Alaric!" It's silent in the kitchen where Damon and Alaric are currently standing in for a few moments. Alaric clears his throat akwardly. Damon's still smiling at the door in which Elena exited several moments ago.

"Damon?" Alaric asks worriedly.

"Sorry, what were we talking about?" Damon snaps out of his Elena-enduced trance and turns back towards his friend.

Alaric sighs loudly. "Damon, you see that girl you just drooled over? Yeah, she's your brother's girlfriend!"

"Since when do you care?" Damon asked, trying to sound angry and menacing, but not really succeding.

"Since number five of her parents died and I realized that technically I am her step dad."

"And it's your duty as step dad to...what exactly? Protect her? Trust me, she's seen worse than me."

"I've accepted that I can't protect her from everything. Including you. I'm just saying that she doesn't need the added weight of your undying love for her when all this other crap is happening." Damon rolls his eyes.

"Undying love? Really? Are you trying to piss me off?"

"You know I'm not. And you know that what I'm saying makes sense too, even if you don't want to admit it."

"Just shut up already, would you? You don't get it, Ric. I-" Damon sighs loudly and sadly.

"What Damon? Don't try to justify hitting on your brother's girlfriend while he's away paying for the blood that saved your life. There is no justifying that."

"I know! I'm not trying to hit on her or justify anything! I don't want to have these feeling for her! I've been trying to surpress them, trying to do the right thing, but it just gets tiring after a while."

"Please say something to make me think you're a better person. Say something to make me remember why I'm friends with you. Because most of what you're saying right now just makes me want to start a fight I know I can't win." Alaric deadpanned. Damon glared momentarily at him, but his face softened after a while.

"I've been trying to let her be with Stefan. Only because she's genuinely happy with him, and I know he's the better man. I've been doing it because I just want her to be happy. That's what I want more than anything."

"Well then why don't you just let her?"

"I've been trying! God knows I've been trying! I want her to be happy, Ric, I really do, but...but is it too much to ask to be happy too? And I just know I can't be happy without her. So where does that leave me?"

"In a screwed situation, buddy." Ric answered with a pat on the back. Damon just gave him an amused and annoyed look.

"You are the worst friend ever." Damon told him, shaking his head and chuckling at the same time.

"Are you sure about that? You did turn my wife into a vampire. And you killed me. God, I almost forgot you killed me!" Damon threw his hands up in the air in exasperation.

"For the last time! There is a fine line between 'killing you' and 'killing you to have you come back to life'!" Alaric and Damon continued to bicker over Ric's death while Elena, who had heard everything, stood frozen outsie the front door. The only thing she could think of at the moment was, 'Thanks god I forgot my purse.'

How'd you like it? If it sucks, I'm sorry. It's four in the morning and I'm fried. I just had to get this out for ya'll! Review please, this is my first attempt at a one-shot and I'd really like to know if it's good!