He never thought he would see her big brown eyes look up at him the way she did in that moment. The love, the intimacy and endearment in her expression was something he had never seen before directed at him. He absolutely loved it. He wanted nothing more but to spend the rest of his life with looks like that, feelings like that. There was an inner battle going on inside of Damon, and his mind was beating his heart. Gut-wrenching thoughts barged into the moment, ripping him from the blissful enjoyment of her affection. His stomach lurched. She was sired to him. The woman he had wanted for so long finally wanted him back…but it was because she had no choice. Did he really want Elena if she didn't REALLY want him? Did he want to enjoy being with her if she had no other choice? She deserved a choice.
"Damon?" Her soft voice repeated, and he was snapped out of his thoughts. He raised his brow in question, not having heard a word she had said.
"Do you think I should help Caroline or do you think I should just stay in and give her and Bonnie some alone time to work things out? I mean, it's not that I don't want to help. I do…but her and Bonnie really do need to talk…I don't know. What do you think?" She asked him, waiting with interest to hear his response. He looked down at her, her eyes so focused on his, and he knew that his answer would determine her actions. Whatever he told her, she would do. He felt no sense of power or control over her, just heavy guilt. Either way, no matter what he told her, he felt like he would be forcing her. He would always be forcing her. "Come on, Damon. I'm lost here." She grinned at him expectantly.
"Elena, I would say…Caroline and Bonnie can have their girly reconciliation bonding any day. Today is the only day she's going to be swamped with her…founder's day festival…crap. But, what do I know? Here today, gone tomorrow. Maybe it's best they work it out now. It's up to you, Elena." He tried to remain neutral.
"Damonnn, don't do that. I'm torn, here." She was practically begging him to make the decision for her, whether she realized it or not. He forced a smile, wanting to satisfy her.
"Just stay in with me." He grinned. "We can bake heart-shaped cupcakes and cry together at the Notebook. I just LOVE that movie." He winked, and she giggled.
"You're right." Of course. "I'll tell them I can't make it." She whipped out her cell phone and spun around, starting her text. Damon clenched his jaw and watched in thought as her fingers tapped across the screen of her phone. She was so amazing, so compassionate, so good, always trying to do the right thing for everyone. He didn't deserve her. He never should have believed that someone so good would truly love him, no strings attached. Of course she was sired. "But…" She finished up her text, set her phone down, and spun back around. "Seriously, what do you really want to do? I know you would never sit through the Notebook." She smiled and approached him. She wrapped her arms around his waist and stood on her tippy toes, reaching her lips to his. "I have a few ideas." She shot him a seductive look before pressing her lips against his. He felt her tongue slip into his mouth and her hands prop up on his shoulders, her hands entangling gently in the hair on the back of his head. He closed his eyes. She tasted so good. Her lips were so soft and gentle, so perfect. He didn't want to live another day without having this girl kiss him like that. Elena was kissing him. Of all the men in the world for her to be kissing, she was kissing him. He kissed her back, relishing in it while he could, dreading the idea of walking out of her life. He had wanted her for so long, now that he had her, he couldn't imagine going back to the way life was before. It would be pure torture. She pulled out of the kiss and looked up at him, their bodies pressed up against each other. Her eyes proclaimed her undying love and devotion for him. He drank it in as if it were a dream that would be over soon. If he told her about the bond and left town, never saw her again, no one would ever love him the way she did. He knew he would never be able to shake the feelings he experienced in this very moment, feelings of complete happiness and warmth, trust and vulnerability. His life would return to a long self-destructive blur of compelling women into being his bimbos, roaming town to town drinking and partying. Just the thought alone was exhausting.
"I love you." She whispered softly, and he felt the corners of his lips curl up. She was happy. He was making her happy, and God, was she making him happy. What was wrong with that? In that moment, he made his choice. He didn't care if she was sired, he didn't care if it wasn't real. He just wanted her forever—this forever. He finally had an opportunity for happiness with her. It wasn't going to get any better than Elena. If they were both happy, what was so wrong about not telling her?
"I love you too." He smiled a smile of acceptance. She was going nowhere. He would love her fiercely and relentlessly until the day he died, and most importantly, she would love him back. No one was going to make him give that up.