Chapter 1 (Elena)

"By all means… Carry on."

It doesn't matter what he does, he's gotten under your skin, Elena.

I tried to shut out the thoughts. Tried to shut my best friends too honest words out.

I couldn't. I sighed and looked up at Damon again, honestly wondering what he could see in me. Stefan was gone now, his shut off self careless about the heartfelt dialogue Damon and I had just exchanged. He was compelled to protect me he said. He was compelled to do what Damon has always done. Stefan tried to hide the evil of the world with good intention whereas Damon fought it with a brave heart. That was the biggest line between them to me. Their hearts. No one could feel as much as Stefan could, the reason why I loved him. He felt so passionately towards everything, it melted me. But no one could love like Damon. That is what ultimately made me fall in love with him. Damon's heart is fierce, it is dark, it is sometimes hard to understand… but it's pure. The purest I have ever seen. He offered a smirk and his hand to help me up. I didn't meet his eyes, almost afraid he would see my thoughts in them. I slung my arm over his shoulder almost immediately. How much blood had I lost? Just a bag and whatever was sucked out of me? I felt like I had rocks in the empty space. He was carrying me again. Up the stairs, to a spare room I could gather, but my eyes were closed, my head pressed snug into his chest. This had to be, undoubtedly the safest place I could be.

I had watched Damon prepare himself for death to keep me safe. He had sauntered forward to face evils with a strength beyond our knowledge just to protect me from it. I could smell his clothes and skin, and the scent almost made me fall asleep in his arms. He lay me down on a soft, but familiar bed. I opened my eyes and looked around.

"What are you doing?" I asked, trying to sit up, but too weak. He sat on the edge of the bed.

"I didn't want to throw you in some random room, besides, you seemed pretty cozy last time you were here." I smiled weakly and planted my head into his down feather pillow.

"Mmm." He chuckled as I started to drift to sleep. I felt the weight of him lift from the bed, and despite weakness and tiredness, I sat up as best as I could, my head spinning when I did.

"Don't go, Damon." I said, with unintentional tears welling in my eyes. The day flashing through me again. I wiped the tears away and he was there. He lay me back and covered me with his blanket, easing every movement as if I could break at any moment. I probably could. He was beside me then, laying with me, I was in his arms again.

"I'm right here, Elena. What happened to you today, will never happen to you again." He whispered. You don't know that. You can't promise that. I wanted to say, but the words didn't come. What came was a warmth that bloomed in my stomach and spread all the way through me. "You need to rest." He said, then planted a soft kiss on my forehead. Because of Stefan… because of Katherine really, I could only do and say so much to make Damon know what I felt, but somehow there were moments he just knew me. I opened my eyes, and took his hand, holding it up to me. I looked down to it, my eyes closing as I kissed it tenderly.

"I know how much you love me, Damon. I feel it. I want you to know that." I looked up into his eyes, they were wide, and he held the expression I had seen before but rarely. The expression that said 'I'm trusting you' that said 'I know, Elena… I know.' Then his lips quivered for the slightest moment before he caught it in his teeth.

"I do." He said.

Should I continue?