Here's a little one shot for 3x10. Something I think should have been delt with a little bit more.

The logic of the heart is absurd. -Confucius

The clock reads 2:33AM. She keeps tossing and turning. Her mind refuses to let her sleep. It won't let her forget that kiss with Damon Salvatore.

Damon Salvatore. Maniacal Vampire.

Self-serving psychopath with no redeeming qualities. Murdering Vampire.

Salvatore as in saviour. Her saviour. Her perfect unperfect vampire.

He was so many things. He had done so many things. But the only thing that stood out for her was the fact that he would die for her, he would protect those she loved, because he loved her.

She was his achellies heel.

And he was slowly becoming hers.

She had grown to need him, to depend on him. And it scared her to death.

She had tried not to feel anything more than friendship for him, but it was impossible.

And now he had kissed her, and walked away.

She had wanted that kiss as badly as he did. Not only that, she wanted more of them. She wanted him to kiss her into oblivion. She wanted him to make her forget how skrewed up things were.

And he could, because he was Damon Salvatore, and he made her feel safe and alive.

The two things she should never feel around any vampire, he gave to her when no one else could.

The more he showed her of him, the more she craved.

The simple words, the light touches, the smirks and genuine smiles, and his beautiful eye thing.

The eyes...the ones that told her the words he left unspoken. All the truths he was scared to reveal.

He had loved her for so long, and got nothing in return, just a shaky friendship, and now they were closer and had been through so much together at the first sign or her reciprocating any feelings he walks away.

That pissed her off.

He wanted her to remember? She did.

He wanted to feel guilty about something? Now they both did.

For what?

Stefan had left her. He could have stuck around but he didn't. If he loved her so much why tear them apart so badly? Stefan had known that Damon loved her. He left Damon to protect her. What did Stefan expect? All the time working together, being together wouldn't affect her?

And where the hell did Damon get off thinking he could call all the shots? This was her life too.

She throws the covers back, and packs a bag. She wasn't going to be able to sleep if she didn't talk to Damon. Any effort to do so would have been pointless.

She knew that he would be awake. He was probably thinking about that kiss just like she was. He was sitting with a glass of burbon and watching the fire. She just watches him at first, she knows that he knows shes there, but right now she just needs a minute to take him in. He looks almost God-like sitting there, and she can't help but wonder why he loves her, he could have any woman he wanted. Then she realizes that she doesn't want him to love anyone the way he loves her, and it's selfish but they need each other.

"What are you doing here at this hour Elena?"

She doesn't answer him she just walks over, throws her bag on the couch, along with her coat, and takes a seat next to him. She wants to be the one to start this, he needs to know that this is what she wants so she speaks up quickly.

"You kissed me and you walked away."

"You mean you want to talk about it?" He turns towards her perplexed.

"I'm here aren't I?"

"Okay then, you kissed me back." He looks back towards the fire, and she knows that he's afraid of what she's about to say, what her face will show.

"I know."

"Why?"

"It's just...you have been so good Damon."

"I don't think so Elena." Acknowledging it still isn't making him see that she was more than willing, so she moves closer to him and gently turns his head so they are face to face. Her hand lingers longer than either expected. They both know it, but only he questions it.

He thinks she's trying to let him down easily.

She thinks that nothing has felt so good under her touch in a long time. Well becides his lips earlier, but that was still him.

"To me you are. You do drastic things for the right reasons. You get scared and you go all extreme. It's because of how you love. You love huge and with everything. And it..."

"It what Elena?" His eyes are pleading and even if she was scared she couldn't refuse the look he was giving her. She knew that his happiness was tied up in her, but little did he know that her's was in him also.

"Makes me feel so much for you." She tells him strongly. Taking his hand in hers, giving him a sign that she's real, and she means it. When he finally closes his hand around hers she feels the weight lift off her shoulder.

"What about Stefan?"

"Stefan is gone."

"No he's not. He's right here, he's just not the Stefan you know. What happens when he reaches his limit, breaks, and goes back to the Stefan you know?"

"The Stefan I knew wasn't the real Stefan."

"I could never be what you want Elena. I want to be, but I'm a dick, I don't play by the rules, and sometimes I just don't care."

"I know, but I also need you to know that I don't need or want you to be Stefan. Who you are is good enough for me."

"And who am I to you Elena?"

"You are Damon Salvatore, my saviour, my friend. You drive me crazy, and you make me want to stake you sometimes, but I'd go crazy with out you. I meant it when I said I didn't know what I would do without you. I don't know if it's even possible for us to make a real attempt at being an us, but I want to try Damon."

"Your really serious?"

"Yes. This connection we have isn't going to go away, and I know I need you in my life. So we try."

"We try." He smiles, a real genuine smile, it reaches his eyes and it makes her heart soar. "Can I kiss you now?"

"I didn't want you to stop earlier." She smiles back at him as she crawls onto his lap and wraps her arms around his neck. When his lips touch hers she knows that this is more than right.