So this is a one-shot set a few days after 2x21. I cried a lot during that last episode and while writing this. Please enjoy and please review!
"It's not over." Stefan mumbled into Elena's hair as she clung to him.
"I know it's not." She whispered back. "Klaus is still alive and he's out there."
Stefan paused, the pain in his chest growing. She had no idea what was on his mind. She didn't know what he was going through. His brother was dying. And as much as he wanted to find a way out—as much as he tried to convince himself that he would find a way out, there wasn't. Damon was dying. He was going to die. After everything they had gone through, everything he had done Stefan couldn't imagine living without his brother. The pain of just thinking about it alone was excruciating.
"Stefan?" She pulled away when she noticed how tense he had gotten. And Stefan wished she didn't because she saw the tears rolling down his cheeks. "Stefan what's going on?" She asked cautiously, yet her tone was already drenched in worry. She had endured so much and had gone through so much within the past few days she didn't know if she would be able to take any more bad news.
"Elena, please… Let this go…" He wanted to honor Damon's wish. But he couldn't help but feel like Elena deserved to know. At the same time, he agreed with Damon. The last thing she needed was another death. But if this was inevitable, it would only hurt her more when he died.
"No…" It was as if she could sense the gravity of the situation. "Tell me." She begged.
"Elena…" He protested, the tears returning.
"Stefan, tell me!" She cried, her eyes watering too. She was scared. Part of her didn't even want to know.
"It's… Damon, Elena. Tyler bit him."
And then she felt numb. Elena couldn't feel anything for the next few seconds. She didn't want to feel it. She was still processing. This had to be a joke right? This couldn't be happening. It couldn't be possible.
"No…" She hadn't realized that she was sobbing. "No, no, no, no, NO!" She was losing control. She was losing him.
"Shhh… Elena…" It tore him apart to see her like this and to see his brother slowly die.
"NO!" She repeated. But she relented back into his arms. "You're lying!" She said after a few more moments of sobbing. "He can't be! NO!" She pushed Stefan away.
He only shook his head sadly at her. He knew there was nothing he could do to make the pain go away. "Elena, I am so sorry. I'm sorry for everything." He told her. "Go to him. He loves you and I know you love him… Even if you don't know it yourself."
After Stefan dropped her off at the boarding house (she was way too unstable to driver herself there), Elena stepped into the house and started half yelling and half sobbing.
"Damon!" She sounded angry too. How could he let this happen? How could he be leaving her? Why didn't he tell her himself? "Damon, get the fuck out here NOW!" She was a mess and she barely knew who she was anymore. She wanted it to go away. She didn't want to feel as if she was being torn into pieces that never got smaller.
When Damon showed up, he was extremely confused. She was upset and she was pissed. It pained him to see her like this. "Elena… What's wrong?" He asked quickly, automatically looking over her to see her physical state. "Look… I'm sorry Jenna was killed. I wish I could have stopped it from ha—"
"Let me see it!" She hissed as the tears continued to flow. "Let me see the fucking bite!" There would be no way else she could believe it. Maybe Stefan was lying… Or maybe he just didn't know what he was talking about. Maybe Damon would look at her and ask her what the hell she was talking about.
"He told you." Damon's eyes went dark for a second but then sad again.
"Damon, damn it, let me see it!" She stomped closer to him.
Damon lifted his arm and pulled his sleeve up to reveal a nasty bite.
She gasped, freezing as she stared at it. Her hands flew up to her mouth to stop a scream and the sobbing only grew heavier. "No, Damon. NO! You can't leave me Damon! Are you that selfish? You can't fucking leave me!" She began to pound on his chest, shaking her head and repeating the same thing over and over again.
He let her do this for a little while before his temper began to rise too. "I'm the selfish one?" His eyes flashed with anger. "I did all of this for you. I've done everything for you. I'm dying for you."
"Yes, you're the selfish one." She snapped. "I never asked you to die for me. I would never want you die for me."
"Nice. Great 'thank you', Elena." He said and walked over to his liquor stash. "Why do you care, anyway?"
"You know I care about you, Damon." She told him.
"That doesn't sound like you just care about me, Elena." He glanced over at her. "Why are you acting like this? You'll be perfectly fine without me."
"No. Don't you ever say that." She walked over to him, glaring as her eyes sparkled with tears again.
"Why not, Elena?" He said dryly.
"I can't live without you, Damon. I can't." The anger had evaporating and she only looked helpless now.
"You can. You'll move on and you'll be happy." He assured her.
Elena shook her head. "You're wrong. I'll never be happy if you die now, Damon."
"Why's that?"
"I love you, Damon." She started sobbing again. "I love you so much. I can't stand to think of living without you. I won't let you die. I can't let you die."
"Elena…" But she shook her head and continued.
"I'm sorry it took so long for me to realize that." She laughed hoarsely. "I'm sorry it took you getting bitten by a werewolf me to realize that but it's true."
She looked up and noticed how close he was. His eyes were filled with so many emotions; regret, sadness, lust, love, anger. Without hesitating, Elena filled the space between them, pressing her lips roughly to his.
Damon kissed her back with matching her passion but being more gentle than her unexpected roughness. He licked her lips, asking permission to enter her mouth and she parted her lips invitingly before entering his quickly. Elena wrapped her arms around his neck and he wrapped his around her waist, pulling her tightly against his body.
"I love you more than you can imagine." He whispered against her lips. Elena shuddered at his words.
"Don't ever leave me." She reminded him.
"I can't do that, Elena. I'm sorry."