Elena was aware of voices downstairs, but she wasn't quite ready to open her eyes yet. She knew what would face her as soon as she did. The last thing she remembered was Stefan carrying her to her bed last night. Elena wanted him to stay with her, but she knew she had no right to ask him, so she didn't. It took a long time before she fell asleep, and when she did, she had nightmares of Alaric as an evil vampire.
The thought of opening her eyes made Elena pull the covers over her head and bury her head in her pillows, trying to block any sunlight trying to come in when she heard a soft knock on the door.
"Elena."
It was Damon.
"Can I come in?"
"Come in." Elena said, only loud enough for Damon's ears to hear.
Damon slowly opened the door and approached Elena's bedside table and set down a tray.
"I brought you breakfast." He stood by the bed, not sure what Elena wanted.
Elena threw the covers back and looked up at Damon and down at the tray.
"You made me breakfast? I thought Stefan was the cook in your family." Elena reached over and grabbed a piece of toast.
"He is. Stefan made it, I just brought it up."
"Oh. Why didn't Stefan bring it up?" Elena asked, and immediately regretted it. Damon already looked exhausted, and Elena asking about Stefan seemed to bring him down even more.
"He's making some calls. I heard you stirring so I just thought I would bring it up. Sorry to disappoint you." Damon started heading for the door when Elena stopped him.
"Damon don't go. Stay. Please." Elena's eyes were wet with tears, and Damon couldn't resist them. Elena sat up in a cross legged position on the bed and Damon sat down beside her.
They sat there for a few minutes in the silence, both of them thinking of the night before.
Elena reached out and touched Damon's hand that was hanging off the side of the bed, and he squeezed it tightly.
She had no words of comfort for Damon. She knew exactly how he was feeling because she was feeling the same way. She knew nothing she could say could make him feel better.
"Damon." Elena said softly.
Damon turned to her, his own eyes wet now, which made Elena cry even more.
"I.." Elena shook her head and closed her eyes. The tears were coming faster now. No matter what she did she couldn't stop it. She let go of Damon's hand and buried her face in her hands, not able to face Damon anymore.
Damon wanted to hug her, but he wasn't sure she wanted that so he put a hand on her back and rubbed it gently.
Elena welcomed the touch and leaned into him. Damon put his arms around her as she wept, not saying a word while fighting his own tears.
Finally Elena quieted down but didn't move from Damon's embrace. Damon let go of her and looked her in the eyes.
He touched her face and pushed her hair back and then slowly wiped away her tears with his thumb, never once breaking his gaze with her.
"Elena." Damon's hand caressing her face was strong but his voice was shaking.
Damon's tortured voice broke Elena's heart, and that's when she snapped out of it. She pulled Damon's hand from her face and held it as tightly as she could even though she was trembling.
"Everything's going to be okay." Elena said it firmly, because she needed to believe it herself.
Damon nodded slowly, a small smile playing on his lips, even though that was the last thing he felt like doing.
"We always survive." He murmured.
A silence fell between them again. Damon felt closer to Elena than he ever had before.
"I'm scared, Damon." Elena broke the silence, looking down at their intertwined hands.
"Hey." Damon let go of one of her hands and put his hand under her chin, pushing it up gently so that she would look at him again.
"Everything's going to be okay." Damon repeated her words back to her, and then reached up and kissed her forehead before looking at her again, searching her face to see if she was okay with it.
Elena closed her eyes. "I'm so tired." She whispered, leaning her forehead against his.
"Then sleep." Damon pulled away and gestured at the bed.
"I can't. I have nightmares." Elena admitted, a little embarrassed.
"Then I'll stay with you, if that's okay with you." Damon said slowly, waiting for her reaction, waiting for her to kick him out.
Elena breathed a sigh of relief and nodded. "I think…. I think I would like that."
Damon stood up and Elena got under the covers, her eyes never leaving Damon's. He put the covers over her and then he walked over to the window to sit down.
"Damon." Elena called to him.
Damon turned, his eyebrows raised in questioning.
"You have to be tired too." Elena quickly covered for herself, although at this point she didn't know why she was still denying it. She was realizing how much Damon meant to her, and the thought of him not being close to her killed her.
Damon got in the bed and stared at Elena. They laid like this for a few minutes before Elena scooted over and rested her head on Damon's chest and closed her eyes immediately.
They slept deeply throughout the day, even with Stefan coming in to check on Elena at one point. When he saw the pair holding each other in the bed, Stefan quickly backed out of the room and shook his head.
He knew things were never going to be the same.