Elena literally bounced on her toes, watching between the lighted schedule on the wall of the airport and the busy runway outside. People exited gates from every direction and flooded the main lobby, but none were who she waited so anxiously for. Businessmen, tourists. No armymen.

"Are you sure the letter said nine?" Elena asked Stefan, who looked as calm as could be on the bench behind her.

"Elena, it's not nine yet. It's two minutes until," he chuckled, patting the seat beside him. "Sit with me." She laughed this time, shaking her head but never tearing her eyes from the window peering out. Sit down? It'd been been fifteen months seen she'd seen him. Four hundred and fifty-nine days. And he wanted her to sit down when she was so close to seeing him? He really was funny sometimes.

"I'm glad they didn't extend his deployment again," she heard him say as he patted a brochure against his hand. Again. If they did it again, Elena might go insane. He was only supposed to be gone for six months. Then six months turned into eight. And eight morphed into another seven. She was at this gate seven months ago, waiting just like she was now, and while wives and husbands and children were all clinging to their loved ones, Elena and Stefan were greeted with a note of miscommunication. Damon's time of deployment had been added to and he wasn't coming home. He'd been moved to a new location in lieu of that day. There was an apology, but it helped none. She ached to see him and to kiss him and to hear his voice that wasn't inside a screen. But she was being forced to wait. So, for a few more months, Elena let the video calls sate her need to see him.

"Me too," she agreed, but knew Stefan was inadvertently reminding her of the possibility of it recurring. But they couldn't do it again. It wasn't fair. Could they really expect him to go any longer without seeing his family? Elena started to pace the length of the bench where Stefan was.

"They wouldn't do it twice, would they?" She bit her lip as she stopped in front of Stefan. He peered up at her and gave an aggravated shrug. The idea made him bothered too.

"It's the government. They can do whatever they want." She didn't like that answer.

"But he's been gone so long." Hardly a standing argument, she knew. But that's all she could think about. Stefan slid to the edge of his seat and rose, setting a hand on either of her shoulders.

"He's coming home. Don't get negative." She took a sharp breath. Right. He was. She nodded, squeezing her own arms in a silent pep talk with herself. Over Stefan's shoulder, people were edging closer to the gate where Damon was supposed to be in the next few minutes. People were smiling. Kids were cheering, running the other direction. Already? Elena spun around to see a line of army green already spewing from the exit gate. Her heart kicked into high-gear as she started scanning the crowd for his face. In seconds' time, she saw him. Those piercing blue eyes locked on hers and sent her into a frenzy of excitement. She shot from Stefan's reassuring grasp and towards Damon. Finally, finally, finally! He dropped his bag and instantly pulled her body to his as she left the ground, flinging her legs around him.

"You're really here!" she sobbed into his shoulder, holding him so tightly he thought she might cut off his breathing. "Oh my god, you're here, you're here!" He laughed, half-close to crying himself. He thought he would never get back here to see her again. She finally let her vice-grip hug go to get the kiss she wanted so damn bad from him. She grinned when she saw the five o'clock shadow and lovingly ran a hand over it. She loved that look on him. A whole other layer of hot.

"How did you manage this?" He smirked to himself, rubbing a hand over his scruffy chin.

"I said that since they held me out for nine extra months, the least they could do was let me get away with a little beard for my babe. Would you believe it worked?"

"Damn least they could do!" She shook her head, smiling through tears, and planted a long kiss to his lips. "I have missed you so so much, Damon Salvatore."

"No more than I've missed you, Elena."

In the crowd behind, Damon spotted his brother waiting patiently to see him. His hands were in his pockets. His face was solemn, but he smiled when he saw him.

"You're not here to see me, are you?" Damon prodded. Stefan took a few steps closer and Damon pulled him into a brotherly hug.

"I wondered if they were ever going to let you come back," Stefan said as they embraced. Damon coughed.

"You and me both." He nodded when he stepped back. Elena immediately wrapped her arms around him, afraid to let him out of her sight.

"I have dinner waiting for us," Elena popped in, high on excitement. "It's your favorite."

"Meatloaf? Awesome, babe!" He kissed her cheek, but she wasn't smiling now.

"Meatloaf?" She racked her brain. It wasn't chicken enchiladas?

"Yeah, I love meatloaf. Remember?" No, she didn't remember. Damon was beaming while she was almost upset with herself.

"Uhm..well. I thought-" He grinned so wide she thought he might pull a muscle.

"Babe."

"..yeah?"

"I'm messing around. You know I love chicken enchiladas." Relief may have washed over her a little, but she didn't cut him any slack. She slapped a hand over his broad chest and then crossed her arms. Damn. His chest was like a wall.
"Already, Damon? Come on. We haven't even left the airport." She stifled a smile, trying to be serious. He leaned over, pressing a kiss to her cheek.

"It's only because I love you. You know that."

"So what's changed since I've been gone?" Damon stood at the colossal picture window where he gazed over the houses that lined the twisting road on which they lived. He'd missed this tiny town, miraculously enough. Driving through, it was almost surreal to be back again. He'd only dreamed of his return to Mystic Falls. That, and what he'd do once he got back home with her. In the kitchen, Elena sat two plates of chicken enchiladas on the table. /Meatloaf,/ she silently scoffed, but shook her head.

"Well, a few things." She held up a hand, preparing to count off the rousing events of Mystic Falls since Damon's last departure. The first finger sprung up.

"Remember the Grill?" Damon nodded, making a "pft" sound. "Well, it caught fire a couple months ago. Nothing left but a concrete slab." Damon's head spun to see her.

"No joke? That's a shame! Best damn whiskey sours in Virginia."

"Mhm. And you know Bonnie had her baby."

"Girl or boy? You never told me."

"Girl," Elena smiled a little wider. "She named her Sheila Marie." Damon grinned, leaving the window and drifting towards the table.

"That's awesome, babe."

"She asked us to be the godparents. I told her yes."

"What? When was this?"

"When she was born. Damon, she's precious." Elena was beaming with adoration. He couldn't help but love what it did to her.

"I need to meet her. Soon. Since I'm a godparent and all." He grinned, kissing Elena's cheek as he sat at the table. He scanned the plate, sending his jowls to watering. That hadn't happened since the last time he was here. She thought she couldn't, but the woman could cook.

"This looks amazing. More than that, actually."

"There's dessert, too." Damon started into his meal, cutting eyes at his love across the table as he took that first delectable bite.
"You?" Instantly she flushed. She speared a piece of her own food, casting him a wicked smirk.

When Elena finished her plate, she stood, collecting any thing else that was ready to be cleaned. She felt eyes boring into her as she turned to the sink, but she continued her chore. She was glad to have the presence of another in the house with her again. Since January, the house wasn't home. It was four walls and a roof and nothing more. But now that he was back, it already felt like a completely different place. It was warmer. It didn't feel as empty. She had someone to share it with again. Countless nights she had spent, longing to simply hear his voice or feel that hot touch only Damon Salvatore had. Like he was reading her thoughts, two hands lightly rested on her hips and a mouth settled on the rise her collarbone. Leaving a tiny trail of kisses along the length, his nose skimmed her jaw, inhaled her scent. That glorious scruff on his cheek brushed against hers, sending a splendid thrill though her body.

"You don't know how much I've missed this."

"My horrible cooking?" She chuckled a little at herself as she laid a plate aside.

"You're kick-ass, babe. I haven't ate that much in..a while. It was delicious." She smiled at him, though he couldn't see. She set aside the newly-cleaned casserole dish.

"I'm glad you were on that plane this time," she whispered. "If you were gone one more second I don't think I could have handled it."

"You've been so strong. I'm proud of you."

"It's so hard. I just miss you so damn much, Damon." Elena brushed her face in irritation. Not at him, but at the fact that she wasn't completely relaxed. She was waiting on another letter, another phone call, anything that was going to steal him away from her another time. Even though that, if they did, that would be ages from now.

"I'm here. I'm home. I'm not going anywhere anytime soon. I promise you that. It's done for now, angel," he lulled, gently taking her shoulders and turning her around to face him. "Over. No more deployments." No more deployments. Even he liked the sound of that. Damon's lips pressed into a thin line of hesitance as he glimpsed over her worry-laden face. He couldn't imagine what she went through. Not physically, but inside. She was already a worrier. That's why, when he could, he tried not to tell her when he went on the frontlines. Now she was worried he'd get dialed up again, shipped off to a desert to fight ruthless idiots with guns. But that was not likely to happen again. Ever.

"I'm here, now, with you, and I am /not/ going anywhere." He carefully cradled her face between his hands, making sure she was watching him as he spoke.

"I love you, Elena Gilbert."

Christ, that sounded good falling off his lips. A smile ran over her lips as she brushed them to his.

"I love you too." Those fragile little hands of hers began to work their way under his shirt as they fell into a deeper liplock. She began to outline the muscles of his abdomen in slow, taunting movements, drifting towards his navel and driving him crazy. God, he wanted her. And bad. To feel her would be the icing on this welcome home cake. No, wait! This wasn't where he was going with this. He'd spent the whole damn trip home pepping himself for this moment! He wasn't about to let it go to waste. Reluctantly he pulled away. Elena frowned when he didn't either kiss her again nor sweep her out of the kitchen. Fuck, she'd take it in the kitchen. That was just fine. /More than fine./

"What's wrong?" Damon was just as bothered as she, but he was weird. How, she couldn't quite put her finger on it. He gently squeezed her hips, licking his lips.

"Not a thing. It's perfect. Well, almost." He was smiling now, and she was completely lost. Why had he interrupted this again? She was a little impatient, but Elena played along.

"Almost? What's missing?" She saw his eyes fall, and it took a second for her to register that he was holding something up to her. He had that pensive smirk on his face, like he was laughing at himself. And he was, because he sucked at speeches and this was about to be the shittest one, despite all his efforts. He just knew it.

"Elena, I love you more than anything. You're my second half, baby." /Baby?/ What was this? He never said 'baby' unless it was serious. She suddenly felt the blood drain from her body. Oh my. "You've been with me every step of the way in this army thing. You're the most headstrong person I've ever met. You're the best thing God ever sent to pass my way. And I am /so/ lucky to have you." Elena watched as he sunk to the floor on bended knee, holding out to her the most beautiful golden band with a dazzling diamond cluster settled atop it. It glimmered like sunshine off a lake, and it held her, hypnotized. No prettier piece had she ever seen. Her heart froze in her chest when it registered. /This was it. Oh. My. God./ "Elena Marie Gilbert, will you do me the honor of being my wife?" Elena covered her face, feeling tears well. She couldn't breathe. It felt like she may explode with absolute excitement. She sobbed out a laugh, tingling with joy. And she thought she knew her love for him. /Oh how wrong she was./ Damon was waiting as patiently as he could, and she didn't know if she could get the one word out. Below her, he was doing his best not to shake out of his boots from nervousness.

"Yes!" she finally managed with a crack of her voice. "Oh my God, yes!" She instantly pulled him back to standing, greeting him with a long, heated kiss that was nothing short of one of the best she'd ever given him.

"I was going to wait," Damon said as he broke their kiss, blindly finding Elena's hand as he rolled that filigreed ring between his fingers. "But the more I thought about it, the bolder- and less patient – I got. Either I asked you now or I chickened out."

"Chickened out?" Elena's nerves had immediately been shot. Her hands trembled in the slightest as Damon slid it to rest on her fourth finger. The way it glistened...was this all real?

"Yes, Damon Salvatore has his weaknesses." He chuckled, caring none about anything else at the moment. He clamped his hand around hers, steadying it the best he was able. "It was like our first date, times a thousand." Elena snickered.

"I don't know what you thought you had to be worried about." He snorted.

"Worried about? You were the prettiest thing I'd ever seen. I was scared I was going to run you off." Elena let out a laugh, as if it were ridiculous, and kissed Damon lightly.

"Well you did something right. I'm still here." She finally took the chance to see what he'd given her. "Damon, it's absolutely gorgeous," she cooed, straightening herself up by swiping off those happy paths from her cheeks. He smiled, pleased that she was pleased. Especially since it was so important.

"It's Mom's," he began, brushing his nose for a second like he had to gather himself. "Stefan told me he thought it'd look pretty great on you. I have to agree."

"Oh my- Damon, this is..." Elena shook her head, lost in her own thoughts. Stefan was in on this? That dog. "I love you, Damon. So much."

"I love you." He kissed the fingertips she had raised, smiling at her. "You're making me the happiest man on Earth. You know that, right?"

Elena's alarm started to scream in her ears, startling her from her peaceful sleep. God, why? She stopped the noise and clambered from her bed. Her dream rang loudly in her mind, every detail there as if she lived it. And she did. Only months before. She looked to the ring mounted on her hand, right where Damon left it. She'd never take it off. Whatever became of this. She quickly made her bed and went to the closet to find her outfit for today. The house was empty, silent all but her movements. Another day. She shuddered, folding herself into her robe and trying to evade the chill that still somehow found itself into her house.