Foreword: The idea for this one-shot was inspired by the claim of some people that since Damon and Elena were dead in the flash-forward, their story is to be considered as "ended"... and by those people who claim they can't be considered endgame because they went separate ways once they entered the afterlife. This is my answer to those claims.
Post 8x16. Takes place some time after Damon and Elena reunite with their loved ones.
Easter Eggs: I've paid tribute to some Delena moments that happened on the show (some lines and some gestures). Can you find them all?
It's A Good Thing We Have Forever
Staring at the names engraved on the tombstones in front of him was filling him with feelings of melancholy and loss, but mixed with a strong sense of fulfillment and, ultimately, peace.
As he traced his fingertip along the words of the epitaph, he heard footsteps approaching from outside and he smirked knowingly.
"Hey." He said without turning his head.
"Hey back." A voice replied from the crypt's entrance. "I figured I'd find you here." She then said walking towards him. She stopped for a moment to look at the tombstones too, then silently took his hand, lacing her fingers through his. She absentmindedly leaned her head on his shoulder, and he instinctively turned to place a soft kiss on her forehead.
"So, where did you disappear to earlier?" She asked after a few moments shared in companionable silence.
He smiled at the slightly amused hint in her voice that told him that she already knew the answer, but he decided to play along.
"There was someone I needed to see." He replied, keeping it intentionally vague.
"Oh, really? And who is it, pray tell, that you needed to see with such urgency that made it OK to abandon your wife like that, in the middle of the road?" She asked feigning annoyance.
Damon smiled at her antics and rolled his eyes. "You know I'm not falling for that. I can practically feel you grinning inwardly."
"I don't know what you're talking about." She replied as the ghost of a smile graced her lips.
Damon sighed heavily. "You're gonna make me say it, aren't you?"
"Oh, I so am." Elena teased, smiling broadly.
Damon groaned softly and released her hand to put his arm around her shoulders and hold her close to himself. "I found Stefan." He said resting his chin on her head as she hugged him back.
"And?" She asked.
"And..." he started, hugging her tighter, "he's fine and at peace, he's reunited with his long-time friend Lexi too and he's been fine all along." He said placing a soft kiss on her head.
"And?" She pressured him.
Damon sighed. "And, you were right. Ok? You were right, you're always right. Happy now?"
Elena raised her head to look him in the eyes and smiled tenderly seeing his raw emotion. "I'm happy that you got to meet each other again, like I always knew you would." She rose on her tiptoes and gave him a quick peck on the lips. "And I hate to say that I told you so, but I did tell you so, you dumbass."
Damon scoffed and rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah, I know you did, you smartass. You and that super annoying eternal optimism of yours."
Elena put her arms around Damon's neck and absentmindedly started playing with his hair. "But was it ever wrong?" She asked.
Damon pressed his lips together and took a deep breath. "Like I said, super annoying."
Elena smiled at his mock annoyance and leaned in for a kiss. Damon playfully drew his head back as if he wanted to refuse the kiss, but then chuckled and closed the small distance between them, kissing her passionately.
When his hands started roaming her body, Elena broke the kiss, giggling. "Damon!"
"What?"
Elena rolled her eyes. "This is hardly the appropriate place for that!"
Damon stared at her questioningly for a few moments, then raised his eyebrows. "Why?"
"We're in a crypt." She said matter-of-factly, waving her arms to point out their surroundings.
"So what? They're all dead."
"We're all dead, Damon." She stressed, pointing at their own tombstone.
"Well, Mrs Elena Gilbert-Salvatore, if you must know I happen to feel pretty spry for a corpse. Tell you what, this afterlife thing doesn't seem half bad." Damon said wiggling his eyebrows and pulling her in for another kiss.
Elena sheepishly gave in and kissed him back. "You're the worst." She then said, pulling back.
"That I am. And yet, you married me." He replied, smiling proudly.
"That I did. And I don't regret a single second of the over 70 years I got to live as your wife and mother of our kids."
Damon looked at Elena in awe, even after their 70-year-long marriage still wondering how he ever got to be so lucky that a woman like her would deem him worthy of her love.
He tenderly pushed a stray lock of hair behind her ear and caressed her face, half lost in his thoughts. "You know, there was a time when I would never have guessed, not even in my wildest dreams, that my life would turn out to be like this."
"You mean... standing in front of your own tombstone?" She joked.
Damon turned to look at the words he had been tracing with his fingers earlier. "I mean, beloved husband and father." He said, looking back at Elena. "And I owe it all to you."
Elena beamed lovingly at him, then her expression shifted slightly. "Well then, Mr Salvatore, you'd better start thinking about all the ways you can thank me for that." She teased.
Damon chuckled. "Well, I can definitely think of a thousand ways or two."
"Yeah, that doesn't sound like nearly enough ways, sir. You're gonna have to work harder than that." She dared him, raising her eyebrow.
"Well, then it's a good thing we have forever."
Damon pulled her in for a passionate but at the same time tender kiss to which Elena gave in completely, rising on her tiptoes and holding his face close to her.
A soft pouring sound from outside the crypt made them break the kiss.
"Hey, do you hear that?" She asked. "Is it... rain?"
"Sounds like it."
Elena laughed. "Wait, does it rain in the afterlife, too?"
"Only one way to find out." Damon said taking her hand and taking her outside with him, where they were met by a soft rain.
Elena smiled and giggled, looking up at the pouring sky and letting the rain soak her from head to toe. She turned to find Damon adoringly looking at her, his features graced by the same expression he had worn on that night so many years ago, during their first summer as boyfriend and girlfriend. A whole life had passed since then, a life they had shared through all the ups and downs, through all the happy and the sad moments and all the bumps in the road they faced together, as partners. A whole life that was now coming full circle in that one magic moment that had once already marked the beginning of a love story that she had known would be eternal.
"Forever." She said to him, her tears of joy mixing with the rain on her cheeks.
"Forever."
A/N - Hi everyone, and thank you for reading. This is the very first time that I (try to) write about Delena and I'm really really nervous. One of the reasons why I never tried before is that I've always feared to end up writing them OOC and it's something I didn't want to happen... so I hope I did them at least a little justice with this one-shot *fingers crossed*. The other reason is that English isn't my native language, and even though I'm quite fluent and I read a lot of books, stories, etc in English, I wasn't sure I could write something without making it sound weird or odd. I still am not sure, so if anyone wants to beta and suggest some changes or corrections, feel free to contact me (via PM or on Twitter OhUpsyDaisy). Constructive criticism is welcome and appreciated.