Damon sat very still, listening to excited voice of his baby brother echo throughout the hallways. Sure, he was damn well excited they got Stefan back, but there was sorrow among him. The unbreakable bond of friendship he and Elena had managed to create for the while his brother was gone and the heated romantic tension that had been so close to being acted upon was suddenly spiraling down the drain. She would forget all about him and everything would always be Stefan again.

And it's not like he didn't expect it, because he did. He knew the very moment Stefan was able to come home and turn on his humanity, Elena would melt into his arms with sighs of content and adoration that made Damon weak in the knees. His fist clamped around his bed post as he leaned against it. Why didn't she fall into his arms? He had done everything for her and for his brother purely out of the need to have his brother back. Purely to be the better man. He had tossed aside his feelings and done the better thing. The Damon Salvatore he knew five years ago would have held down his brother's girl the first moment he got. He would have snatched her away and made her his.

But he didn't do that because he wasn't the Damon Salvatore he once knew.

And why didn't Elena notice that? Just because he cast away his feelings surely did not mean they weren't there. Because they were. So many times he had watched her cry over Stefan. So many times her chest erupted in tiny whimpers and all he could do was watch. He would have liked to take her into his arms. But he didn't, because she wasn't his to hold and he wasn't hers to clutch onto. They were close friends with one single goal: to bring Stefan home.

And look, they did it. Stefan had been home for three days now.

"…sure. I'll be right over." his brother's voice whispered. Damon drifted toward the living room that held all of his bourbon and eagerly poured himself a glass. Something to poison his mind and settle his nerves. He managed to keep his jealous eyes away from his brother and the cell phone he held in his hand. "I just have to take care of something first…Alright, I'll be there in a bit. I love you."

Damon waited for the famous "I love you more, Stefan."

But it never came from the opposite end of the line.

"Elena?" Stefan asked warily. Something must have distracted her, for she snapped back to reality quickly and Damon heard the soft voice of his angel breath out,

"Love you."

Click.

Damn, Damon thought. That was cold.

Stefan set the phone aside and looked toward his brother. "I'm going hunting. See you in a bit?"

Damon smirked to himself. "Don't rip off too many heads, Stef. Old habits die hard."

Stefan gave him a dark look. "Rabbits, Damon."

"Mmmmmhm." his brother moaned against the glass his lips were pushed against. Bourbon scolded his throat on the way down. The front door was already being slammed and Damon felt a twisted knot form in the pit of his stomach. His brother hadn't been home for very long. With a heavy sigh, he realized that he should be concerned. Stefan was probably going to go out and rip off the jugulars of five people in a matter of seconds.

Not quite the ripper.

Yet not quite the saint.

Just because he still had those cravings…Oh, shit. Did he really expect Stefan to hunt just bunnies?

…You know what? He did. He damn well did expect Stefan to hunt rabbits. Because after everything, his brother owed both him and Elena that. They both worked their asses off to get him off of his blood high and get him back on track.

No, he worked his ass off.

And you know what's worse? The fact that, once his brother is done, he's going to run off to Elena's house and do everything with her that Damon wished he could. His fists clenched and shattered the glass in his hand. It dug into his skin and tore out chunks of flesh, but he didn't care. In several quick movements he was already out the door with his leather jacket on. His hand reached out and flung the door open.

Only to see brown eyes gazing at him in surprise and perfect red lips forming the perfect 'O'.

Elena.

"Stefan's not here. He should be by your house by now." Damon snarled through gritted teeth, pushing his way past the girl. She smelled like raspberries; a scent that Damon had grown to like.

"Damon..wh..are you okay?" She asked eagerly, her human legs trying to keep up with him as he stormed to his car. Once his hand touched the handle, she spoke louder. "Damon! Where are you going?"

"I'm leaving."

Her eyes bulged and her voice broke. "Leaving? What the hell does that mean? Don't be an idiot, Damon. Just tell me where you're going."

"I'm leaving, Elena. Do I have to spell it out for you?"

Elena flinched. "Why?"

"Because I'm tired." he snarled. "I'm tired of sitting here and watching you giggle and smile and touch Stefan. It's only been three days and I can't take it anymore. I'm done with this. I can't sit here and pretend it doesn't bother me when it does." He pulled the door open, but before he could get in, she was suddenly next to him. She reached out and tugged on his arm.

Did she know how close she was to getting her face ripped off? If it had been anybody but Elena…Damon frowned. "."

"No! Are you drunk?"

"Elena. So help me God. If you don't let go of my arm, it's coming with me."

She gripped it tighter. "You promised you'd never leave me again." Tears formed in her eyes and she blinked past them furiously. Her brown orbs bore into his and he found himself suddenly unable to look away. He was a bug under a microscope; a pitiful love-struck soul caught in the grasp of his lover.

"Why do you even care? Stefan's back. He's been back."

"I know, Damon, I just…don't leave. You can't leave." she begged. "Not after everything. Will you come back?"

He sat there, mystified by the silence of her cries, and then replied, "No."

"Damon!" she cried.

What was wrong with her? Why did she care? Her precious Stefan was here and here she was crying over him and what he was going to do. It just didn't make any sense. Why was she so damn confusing?

"I have to leave Elena." he decided at last.

She shook her head. "You don't. If you walk away, it'll be for you, because I know what I want."

He turned toward her and frowned, wondering where all of this could possibly come from. This was Elena, wasn't it? If it hadn't been for her heart pumping furiously he would have believed it to be Katherine playing tricks on him.

Before he could speak, she was still desperately trying to convince him to stay. "I came here because I needed to see you. Do you know how frustrating that is? To have someone ripped away from you for months…and then returned to you in an instant? Except.." her eyelashes fluttered. "Except you want someone else by then. Someone you shouldn't have and shouldn't be with but you have to."

"What are you talking about?"

"Stay with me," she breathed, pulling him against her. "Don't leave me. You promised to never leave again. Damon, I love you."

And just like that, she was his. Their lips crashed together and for a moment time stood still. The Earth stopped spinning and it was just them. Just Elena and Damon. Standing there in the cold night and gripping each other like one of them would soon disappear. And maybe one of them would.

Their kiss turned heated and her hands began to wound themselves into his hair. This was so unlike kissing Stefan. Stefan had been passionate and gentle but feeling Damon's tongue against hers now, she liked his forcefulness. Although she had seen gentle Damon there was a side to him that was eager and not afraid to do what he pleases. His hands found her waist and he pulled her closer. She couldn't believe this was happening. It was only supposed to be a simple conversation with him.

It wasn't supposed to turn into this so suddenly.

And yet, he wasn't supposed to leave, either.

Damon pulled away quickly, eyes filled with lust and uncertainty.

"Don't." she commanded, gripping the locks of his dark hair between her fingers.

"Elena..I can't."

"Yes you can," she encouraged, leaning into him and touching her forehead to hers. He frowned deeply. "Don't hide from me. Not now."

"But Stef-"

he was silenced by her lips. He kissed her back reluctantly, almost forgetting why he couldn't in the first place. She pulled back and sighed into him, "It's just us. It's just me and you."

And that was enough for him. He spun her around and pressed her against the car door, his body feeling as if on fire. Hers was the same, heated to his touch and getting hotter by the minute. He brushed her hair back and pressed his lips to her neck. She curled around him, the cool night air feeling incredible on her scorching skin.

Her fingers knotted themselves into his locks and he pulled back to look at her, expression clearly demonstrating what he wanted. And she wanted it, too. She wanted it because this was her Damon. This was the man that had done so much for her. This was the man that would never leave her.

"I won't..I can't leave you." he whispers as if he was reading her mind.

She nods and then pulls him back to her, wrapping her legs around his waist. She isn't sure she even felt them move at all, but somehow, he was already placing her gently on the gold comforter of his bed. They consumed each other in pure bliss and Damon murmured against her bare skin, "I'll always love you."

And that was enough for her.