A/N; Hi there. Surprise for you a little late for Valentines day. I hope you love it as much as I loved writing it… Enjoy.
Damon pulled the door open, nearly running up the stairs to the loft. The anticipation of tonight had grown stronger all day long and he could not wait for their date.
It was Valentines Day and almost exactly 6 weeks since Stefan had been born on that cold, stormy, winter night at Elena's family lake house. Their little angel had been growing so fast and he wished there was a way he could slow down time right now. Being human made time so much more real for him.
Time as a vampire had hardly felt like anything before, except during the years he had been trapped by the Augustine's. That was the only part of his life that he actually felt time because of how agonizingly slow it had gone, each and every day of his endless torture.
Now he wished time would slow down, so Elena and him could enjoy their son more. Each day as they were in it felt long and busy, but looking back, he could hardly believe it had already been almost two months.
Damon flicked the lock and swung the upstairs door open, debating calling out to his beautiful bride. But she might be asleep. The baby might be napping so he knew not to burst in and risk the peace of his little angels sleep.
They both knew how overtired Stefan could get if he missed a nap. They had spent nights on end holding and rocking him to sooth him, even more than normal when he had not gotten the rest he needed during the day. And today of all days Damon did not want to take any chances with the special night he had planned for his wife.
He shut the door and walked soundlessly through their kitchen. He could see his Elena curled up on the couch, the TV on in front of her, playing a mindless cooking infomercial. Stepping around the couch he was in awe of the sight before him and knelt to his knees.
His little son was curled up in his mommy's arms laying on the couch, wrapped in the baby wrap tight to her chest. Stefan's little hand was scrunched up against his face, his eyes flickering in deep REM sleep as he sucked hard on his little soother.
Damon smiled, loving watching his son sleep. He looked like such an angel and they had both used that as a very prominent nickname for him.
The baby's foot jerked slightly and rubbed up Elena's stomach, his little sock almost slipping off his small foot. Damon reached out to curl it back up where it belonged and lifted his head more to see Elena's peaceful expression.
She was asleep too by the looks of it, a pillow under her head against the arm of the couch, her one hand splayed over their babies back, her feet curled up. Her eyes were closed, hiding the warmth of her chocolate orbs from his loving gaze.
Damon sat down on the rug at the edge of the couch, leaning in closer to her, reaching for the remote to turn off the dull drone of the TV. Neither of the two most important people in his life stirred and the room was plunged into silence.
Elena looked tired. He knew she had been up half the night with Stefan. He seemed to be in a growth spurt and was nursing more often and sucking slower and slower so feeding time took much longer than normal. He wished he could help her but feeding their son was not something he could do. She had wanted to nurse and avoid bottle feeding at least for awhile and he loved that. He wanted to do whatever he could to support her.
So at night he would bring Stefan up from his little bassinet in their room and rock him and walk him to his mommy to nurse. Then he would change him and wrap him back up to go back to bed. Sometimes Stefan would be asleep before he was even done nursing and other times Damon would walk him out to the living room, hit play on the stereo to the one and only song Stefan would fall asleep to and dance around the room rocking him.
He loved those moments with his son. The little bright blue eyes looking up at him, so full of love and trust as they fell closed in peace, as he held him cradled on his chest rocking back and forth around the room.
Damon cast a glance around the room now. There was basket of half folded laundry on the coffee table, a coffee cup that looked full and was cold, another soother and blanket on the couch beside her, the diaper bag open and rifled through at her feet. He bent to even see Elena had a slipper that looked to have fallen off her foot and was laying on the floor and he picked it up and slipped it back on her foot.
The kitchen had dishes on the counter, the coffee maker on, the dishwasher running quietly and what looked like a half eaten piece of fruit on a plate with a sandwich with only one bite taken out.
He smiled at how normal life had become. He loved everything about his life with his wife and baby.
He loved that she was home on maternity leave now and was always there so close to him every day.
He loved owning a bar and restaurant, living above his business so he could zip upstairs when it wasn't busy just to put in another load of laundry for her, or bring her breakfast or sneak in a quick kiss as she just put the baby to bed.
Quick kisses would very often turn into heated make outs, with him carrying her to the couch or island, having her straddle his lap, her arms wrapped around his neck as he would revel in the taste of her. Never getting enough. They hadn't made love yet since that night in the cabin in the big tub. The encounter that most likely pushed her to deliver early and with no one but Caroline and him to help her.
Damon smiled at the memories of how hot she looked then; her huge belly between them, her fingers gripping the edge of the tub, her head back, exposing her long luscious neck to his wet and hungry kisses. He remembered her hips rocking against him, the suds slipping down her smooth skin, his hands molding the skin of her curves in his fingers as he watched her mesmerized by her in the throes of their passion. She had looked radiant in the candle light and that image of her had been burned in his memory.
He reached up now and ran the back of his hand across her cheek. He was struck by how much life had changed since the first time he had done that years ago.
Damon had been standing in her room over her bed after he had been invited in and had jumped up through her window just to watch her while she slept. He had been able to guide her dreams, protect her mind, but most of all he just loved the freedom to be able to touch her. She had been Stefan's then and he had fought his attraction to her for so long.
But now she was his in every way. Mind, body and soul. His wife, his lover, the mother of his baby. His everything.
Damon's breath caught in his throat as his tender caress caused her lashes to flutter before she opened her deep brown eyes. He loved how she looked at him whenever he woke her. The smile of recognition, the love in her eyes, the sparkle. The heat of her gaze was sometimes more than he could take. Especially now when they had not been able to be intimate in far too long.
That smile he was waiting for, spread across her beautiful face as she yawned. "Damon," she breathed out.
"Hey yourself baby," he murmured softly, making sure not to wake the baby curled up so tight on her chest. The hand that he had stroked down her cheek now teased her, pulling on her bottom lip till her tongue darted out to suck it into her mouth.
A little moan escaped Damon's lips as his eyes remained locked on hers. She always knew how to drive him wild. And right now something that simple; the raw need in her eyes as she sucked on his finger was making him so damn hungry for her. She popped it out of her mouth, giving him a sweet and sexy smile.
He ran his fingers through her soft brown locks, tucking a loose strand behind her ear. "So sorry to wake you Lanie, but you told me you wanted to have time to get ready for tonight. Shower and shave and get all hot for me." He licked his lips, grinning at her. "Although you are so hot right now and don't need to do a damn thing more for me to throw you on the island and have my way with you."
She laughed softly, running her hand up and down their baby's back. "I love the sound of that honey. But something tells me throwing me against anything is not as easy as it used to be."
He smiled more, nodding with the most adorable pouty lips at her. Damn she missed being with him so much and could not wait for tonight.
Damon had gotten them a reservation at one of the most expensive restaurants in the city, made sure he had plenty of staff for their restaurant to run smoothly for all the couples that would come by or the lonely singles at the bar, hoping to meet that perfect connection.
They had just had a doctors appointment and weight and measure for Stef and everything was on track. He was healthy, she was healing nicely and when Damon out of the blue asked their doctor about the safety of sex, the man had laughed and assured her husband that anytime would be fine by now as long as she wasn't in any pain.
Damon had not been able to contain his grin at her and they had rushed home. Elena had nursed Stefan and laid him down but he had not liked being out around town and had only a short nap as they had been out to the doctors and so the Salvatore's little angel had very much announced that sex for them was not happening that night.
He had fed more, needed to be rocked a lot and Damon had gotten a call to come in a work for a staff member that had gotten sick, so he took the late shift at the bar just shortly after Stefan had actually fallen asleep.
Knowing it was Valentines day today she had planned ahead a bit and called Caroline to see if she could watch the baby for them to be able to go out. It was a short flight out from Mystic Falls to Chicago and Care had promised them a night like this as her treat as a baby gift. It had been so long since they had enjoyed an evening together just the two of them and their sister-in-law had squealed with glee to be able to watch her little nephew.
Elena shifted up slightly, her hand still on the sleeping babies back as she sat up more on the couch. Stefan was still so peaceful against her chest and they both leaned in to watch him. His little soother popped out of his mouth to lay beside his head, his mouth still sucking in reflex, even with nothing close enough. But before Elena could put it back in, he found the side of his little hand and they both heard strong slurping sounds from his tiny pink lips.
"You're right babe. I need to get ready. Care was going to be here in less than an hour." She shifted more, still trying to keep their son asleep. "Can you?"
Damon's arms were open and ready before she needed to finish her sentence and he reached down behind her to untie the baby wrap. It loosened enough from around her slim frame to pull herself out and stretch her sore arms. Stefan was still so little, but holding him in the same position for a long time still made her muscles ache.
He cradled his son's head, holding his body in his other hand as Elena maneuvered the baby wrap from around her and threaded it in and out of Damon's arms to tie in the back, pressing Stefan to his chest against his black v neck shirt. He still could not get over how small his baby was in his hands. His little head cradled in Damon's palm and his body not even to his elbow. He had grown so much already and regained his birth weight and then some but he still looked like he disappeared in his daddy's arms every time time he held him.
Elena smiled at him as she extracted her arms from her husband's and shook them and he knew she must have been holding him a long time.
"Thank you hon, it feels good to get my body back, even for a few minutes. I can't even remember the last time I had a shower by myself for more than 2 minutes. I keep thinking I hear him crying even if he is fast asleep while I'm in there."
Damon nodded and bent down to accept a kiss as she leaned in toward him. His mouth opened instantly to her, molding their lips together, while cradling their son in his arms. He wanted more, so much more but for now was happy for just the feel of her lips on his. He could wait till tonight for the rest.
Pulling back he did his sexy eye thing she loved so much. "Just don't you forget how much you love showering with me, beautiful. The thought of you in there without me is not doing good things to me right now."
Elena smiled seeing his pout was back, his bottom lip out so much more than the top one, just begging for her to keep kissing him. She groaned and it only made his face melt into a grin.
"Ahh Damon, you know I would never want to choose to shower without you." She narrowed her eyes and wiggling her brows at him. "But you will just have to wait for Caroline to get here before you can have me all to yourself."
His ocean eyes were so clouded with lust as he pulled his lip back in. "I know," he relented. "And I can't wait..."
She bent to kiss their sleeping angel on his head, the blonde softness of his hair tickling her nose as she pulled back. She loved the baby smell. Their miracle smelled like freshness, new beginnings, hope and innocence all wrapped together.
Elena lifted her head once more, curling her fingers around her husband's neck and pulled his lips back down to hers. She was careful to not get too close, to in any way startle Stefan from his sleep but managed to tease Damon with her other hand, running it along the edge of his tight shirt and up to feel the warmth of his skin.
Damon moaned, his eyes closing as his one hand came up and buried itself in her hair, pulling her head even closer as they were both still careful to leave plenty of room for their son to lay peacefully between them. His one hand was up, cradling Stefan's head and neck, keeping him protected. His other hand clenched in her hair as his tongue tangled with hers.
He wondered if after the last few really long nights why they didn't just decide to stay home. He didn't know if he could bear to not kiss her senseless every chance he got once they didn't have their baby between them. Being somewhere public would mean it would take even longer for them to finally be together again.
But he knew she was looking forward to him taking her out. Her beaming face as he had told her to dress up and prepare to enjoy dinner and dancing had been all the confirmation he needed that she was very much overdue for a night like this. He needed it too.
However kissing her right then, his fingers tangled in her brunette locks, all he wanted was to take her to their bed and not come out till every damn inch of her remembered him again, after almost 2 months.
Reluctantly he pulled back from her lips as he heard a slight cry from where Stefan was tucked in on his chest. He watched his wife look down, a fearful expression on her face.
"Oh no, I had just got him down not even an hour before you came up from the bar honey. He needs to sleep so I can nurse him just before Care gets here otherwise we won't be able to go out, cause he will need to nurse again too soon." Elena rambled out anxiously, while her hand went to rub the baby's back.
Damon shushed her with a finger to her lips. "It'll be okay Lanie. I've got this. You just go shower and get ready. We'll just do a little dancing to settle back down here."
He knew that was his secret weapon when it came to Stef and he was pulling out the arsenal to get them to their night out.
She nodded to him and started turning around before facing back to him once more to see his reassuring smile at her.
"We will get to our night together baby. You have no idea how badly I want to take you out and just relax with you. No rush, no pressure. So just scoot your cute ass up those stairs and get ready for me. Us men need some bonding time here and we'll be fine. I promise Elena."
He nodded almost sternly to her and she nodded back and turned to leave again, passing him the soother from the couch and a blanket and spit up cloth. Damon took them, curling the blanket over Stefan's body and tucked the soother in his mouth just as they heard another louder cry as he started to move around and wake up more.
That caused Elena to turn back around again but Damon was already shooing her with his hand and motioned her that he could handle it. She watched him glide over to the stereo to flick on the switch and kick off his boots by the couch as he spun around again, while bouncing their baby more in his arms.
Elena was in awe watching them and stood at the base of the staircase seeing Damon tip himself more forward so that Stefan was looking at him as he cradled his head and body in his hand. Her husband was making shushing faces at their son as he rocked him. He rubbed the soother back against his mouth as Stefan spit it out with another cry.
"Elena," he scolded, his eyes narrowing. He was not going to let her think she was needed now, he knew how to care for his son and loved every minute of it. Damon exhaled deeply when his wife finally did turn and head up the stairs. In no time he heard the sound of the shower running. Good, she finally did listen to him.
Stefan was struggling in the baby wrap, his head going back and forth against Damon's shirt getting more restless. But then the music came on, slow and steady and instantly Stefan's face stilled and his little eyes almost seemed like they were looking for where the familiar sound was coming from.
The familiar sound came in the way of a boy band...of all things.
A boy band's song from the year of the millennium, N'Sync's 'This I Promise You'.
Elena had laughed so hard the first time he explained the fricken magic of that song and he could hardly believe it himself.
He had been rocking Stefan one night a few weeks ago after having the TV paused at the end of a movie and it unpaused an hour later, at like 3 in the morning. He couldn't reach the remote to turn it off while holding Stefan, who was moving around fitfully in his arms and he ended up hitting the wrong button. The TV jumped to a pop music station before the remote was flipped out of his hand by his son's flailing arm. It skidded under the couch and Damon had looked at it while rocking and shrugged, leaving the music on to focus more on Stefan.
The next song to come on was the miracle song and he had watched in amazement as Stefan's eyes started to slowly close almost right away, his little lips suckling hard at his soother. Tiny hands fell from being clenched hard by his face to lay at his sides as he was asleep before the song ended.
Damon had tucked him in that night and moved to nuzzle in against his wife and actually got a few hours of peaceful sleep, his arm curled around Elena's body, pulling her in, his nose against her neck in her hair. He breathed her in and loved that he could lay with her as long as he had.
Then the next day he was curious and the raven haired new dad tried that same music station the next time Stefan was fussy to see what happened.
But it wasn't the station... it was that song, those voices.
A couple of N'Sync's other songs worked too he discovered, but this one took the cake. He never thought he would say it but God bless Justin Timberlake for the sound of his voice.
So...the man that had been a 160 year old vampire when the boy band's song came out in the year 2000 became their number one fan. He memorized all the words by the next night and played it over and over every time Stefan was needing to sleep. It was incredible how it worked.
And it was about to again so that he could have his romantic night with his wife on Valentines day.
When visions around you..bring tears to your eyes...
And all that surrounds you...are secrets and lies…
He was already singing to him, knowing Stefan loved his favorite song even more if daddy sang it. It had soothed him to sleep more nights than he could count already.
He looked down at the tired bundle in his arms, rocking him side to side away from his chest so he would see his daddy's eyes as he sang; something he never dreamed he would ever do for anyone. But this was not anyone in his arms right now and his son had softened him so much already.
"I'll be your strength. I'll give you hope. Keeping your faith when its gone…
The one you should call...was standing there all along..."
He smiled at the symbolism of the song being so true for his brother; dragging him back from the edge, protecting him. Damon being that solid force that would keep him from being destroyed by his lust for blood and the guilt from all his failures.
He smiled softly at his brother's namesake, holding the soother in as Stefan halfheartedly spit it out again and now began sucking more, his little hand gripping his daddy's pinky and holding tight.
Damon kept singing, cradling him close.
"And I will take you in my arms, and hold you right where you belong.
Till the day my life is through...this I promise you...this I promise you."
Stefan's eyes started to close more as he fought the sleep and likely wanted to just keep watching his daddy and Damon kept singing.
"I've loved you forever...in lifetimes before.
And I promise you never, will you hurt anymore.
I give you my word, I give you my heart. This is a battle we've won,
And with this vow, forever has just begun…."
Damon, ran his hand down his son's face, seeing the baby's eyes falling more.
"Just close your eyes, each loving day. And know this feeling won't go away…
Till the day my life is through, this I promise you. This I promise you."
He heard a creak and turned his head to see Caroline leaning against the door frame of the kitchen with the biggest smile on her face. Damon frowned at her, holding his one finger to his lips and she nodded looking like she was biting her lip to keep from bursting out laughing at him.
He was so close to getting Stefan out and he was not going to quit now on account of being embarrassed by his sister-in-laws shocked expressions. He glared one more time at her, warning her to not dare make a sound and looked back at his son.
"Over and over I thought, when I hear you call…
Without you in my life baby, I just wouldn't be living at all…"
He gritted his teeth, ignored the looks he was getting and stifled a scowl as he saw Caroline take out her phone and turn it on toward him. Was she fucking video recording him?! He would make her sorry for that. This whole soft daddy thing was really ruining his bad boy image he once had. Caroline was grinning at him and stuck out her tongue.
But he was so close to his goal here and reminded himself of Elena getting ready upstairs right now...so turning away, he did what his son wanted...screw what anyone thought or who she was sending that damn video too. Ric? Klaus?
Oh shit. He was going to look so whipped, but he really didn't care. He knew Elena loved him singing to their baby and that was all he needed to know.
"And I will take you in my arms and hold you right where you belong.
Till the day my life is through, this I promise you…"
Damon ran his hand down his son's face once more, closing his eyes further and he rocked slowly.
"Just close you eyes, each loving day. And know this feeling won't go away
Every word I say is true, this I promise you.
Every word I say is true, This I promise you...Ooh I promise you..."
True to form Stefan was out as the song started again on repeat like every night. Damon reached down with the hand not under his baby's back and head and turned down the volume before turning back to the blonde vampire.
He couldn't be too upset...she was after all the only way they were getting their night out. And he wasn't a vampire anymore and couldn't just snap her neck because he was pissed at her. It had been quite the adjustment to learn to handle anger and frustration without violence.
His sister-in-law walked slowly into the room to peek into the blanket he had around Stefan as he slept. She oohed at him and he could tell she already wanted to hold him. But there was no way in hell he was risking him waking up now. He made his way to the couch and sat down so carefully almost sitting on a squeaky toy before moving it to the table.
"You are SO lucky I'm not still a vampire sis," he practically hissed out, flipping his dark hair from his eyes before adjusting the blanket more over Stefan to hide the light from his face. "That pretty neck of yours would be snapped and your phone would disappear so fast." He felt his one arm under Stefan getting slightly numb at staying in one place a long time but refused to move in case he startled him.
Caroline just laughed almost silently keeping her voice down too. "Well aren't I lucky then Damon that you can't just snap necks anymore when someone does something you don't like."
She made a face at him and he scowled again.
"Awe C'mon it wasn't that bad. You should be proud of yourself and how damn adorable you are with him. It's nothing to be ashamed of."
"But Ric and Klaus?" he started and she jumped in coming to sit beside him.
"Ric tells the girls stories and he uses the funniest voices for each character and there was one night he even dressed up and played tea party with them and they put make up on him, and clip on earrings and a girlie scarf and they drank tea with their pinkies up! I was in the doorway and took pictures before he could stop me. He was so embarrassed and begged me not to ever tell you about it. So now was the perfect time to share that juicy unmanly secret."
Caroline was chuckling more as Damon saw her open her phone again and look a few moments before turning the screen toward him. And there was Ric all dressed up, with green eyeshadow and the darkest red lipstick and he could even see some hair clips in his hair as he sat at a tiny table holding a tea cup.
Damon had to fight not to laugh about loud as his little boy was curled up on his chest. That was fucking hilarious! "Oh I so am going to rub that in his face the next time I see him."
She took the phone back and scanned through more to turn it back to him again. Damon bit his lip so hard he tasted blood. No, no he was not waking Stefan. But what he saw could have had him choke on his own breath.
Klaus was sitting on the floor with his hand out holding a handful of elastic ties as Hope was slowly and meticulously giving him tiny braids all over his head. She did not look to be much younger than when she came to the Salvatore school the fall after Stefan had died and the town was almost burned to nothing. Oh shit seeing the Original all powerful Mikaelson like that!
Hope was sitting on a chair behind him and he held the elastics in one hand and a mirror in the other. The moment the picture was snapped it looked like he had just seen Caroline and he was positively glaring at her.
Damon tilted his head up and she was smiling more. "This was me stopping by their room in the mansion the first week he came out to see her and how she was doing. See compared to them...not that embarrassing right? Be glad you have a boy or those pics could very well be you in the next few years!"
Strangely it didn't sound too bad to have fun with kids like that. It was just the thought that the guys would dare make fun of how whipped he was now. Caroline turned off her phone and leaned in and Damon felt her head on his shoulder.
"I miss this stage. I wish Stefan had been there when the girls were so little," she whispered staring down at the sleeping baby named after her husband. Damon leaned his head to hers too. His heart still hurt every time he thought of his brother and how he could be the one here now and be another dad to Caroline and Ric's girls. He had always wanted a family. But he had chosen to give Damon a future and was torn away from his own as a husband and father too.
Damon looked down at the angel in his arms and nodded in total agreement. It wasn't fair that Stefan missed this, missing living now or even then when he was running from Rayna Cruz.
But Stefan had wanted to give him his future with Elena and Damon had promised himself he was going to honor that the best he knew how.
They stayed there like that in comfortable silence before he heard more noises upstairs. Caroline jumped up and with a brief nod said she was going to help Elena get ready.
Damon watched her head up to their room and leaned his head back on the top of the couch. He had wanted to tidy up for Elena before they left, clean the kitchen and fold the laundry. She needed the break but he just wanted to close his eyes for a moment. His azure eyes fell shut as his palm cradled his sleeping baby as he sat back, hearing Stefan's soft little sighs…
He awoke to gentle prodding and opened his eyes, blinking slowly. Caroline was nudging him awake. He rubbed his eyes and saw that it was over an hour later. Stefan and him had enjoyed quite a good nap.
"Wake up," Caroline called out. "Elena's ready."
That thought brought his eyes from half mast to full alertness much quicker than he thought possible. Stefan was starting to move around too right then and Damon lifted up enough for Caroline to help him out of the baby wrap and she snuggled Stefan in her arms as he stood up. She moved to sit down and he heard her rummaging around in the diaper bag and laid Stefan on the floor on the change mat to change his diaper. Damon heard Stefan shaking a rattle in the air as he cooed at his Auntie Care.
His muscles ached from staying so still and he felt lightheaded as he stepped forward.
"Careful Damon, we don't need an accident yet before we go out."
His head snapped up at the soothing sound of her voice and he found her standing at the top of the stairs. He blinked, focusing his vision as she started walking down toward him.
She was radiant.
Damon swallowed the growing lump in his throat as he took her in as she stepped down the stairs. She was wearing the same black lace dress she had on at the Miss Mystic Falls Pageant the day they made love for the first time. His blue eyes widened as she walked closer, stepping daintily down the stairs toward him.
He thought he was having deja vu because everything about the way she looked reminded him of that moment so long ago. She had her hair flowing down her one shoulder in a loose but elegant braid. She was wearing the same little white tear drop earrings and was actually wearing the same clunky boot heels. He could not remember the last time he had seen his wife in anything more than sneakers since she had started her residency.
"Elena," he breathed out her name as if he was caressing her skin.
She smiled bashfully at him. "Caroline helped," she mumbled. actually looking shy. "She told me I should recreate a moment we had before we were pregnant and it would help me remember that I am still beautiful even with the extra..." She squeezed her tummy a bit and he knew she hadn't lost all the baby weight yet and had stretch marks along her stomach.
"You are still beautiful, more beautiful," he choked out, his voice rich with emotion. He didn't care one bit that she had some tummy fat. She had carried his baby! The baby that he never dreamed of having in his life any more than he dreamed of ever being human again.
He reached out his hand and she set hers softly in his palm. "Elena you look stunning...if it isn't obvious." He grinned at repeating what he had told her at another dance they had enjoyed.
She walked into his arms and he pressed his lips to hers, his arms wrapping around her as they stood at the landing. She curled into his body seamlessly and he held her while teasing her lips with his tongue, till she opened to him.
Elena loved how Damon always made her feel so beautiful. She had been worried the sexy lace dress would not even fit after having Stefan but to her surprise it slid on like a glove and stretched in the few areas that it needed to. Her chest being the biggest change. Her breasts felt so big and even right now as she was pressed right against her love, she felt how full they were, ready for their baby's next meal.
Pushing all things baby aside for a moment, she could hear Caroline talking and playing with Stefan as he lay on the floor and she focused all her attention on her husband. Damon stepped closer, and she felt her hips against the large post of the banister as his lower body melted with hers. He was still just dressed in jeans and the tight black v neck but she could feel how very badly he wanted her.
"Damon," she gasped out, her breath weak in the air cracking with electricity around them. He still had the power to make her get lost in the taste of his kisses every damn time. She could think of nothing else once his mouth moved surely over hers, his tongue tangling with hers, his breathes, his rasping moans into her mouth. She felt his chest press against her breasts, his hands sliding down around her waist, pulling her closer.
He had to pull back to allow them to both breathe and his head was bent by her ear, his nose nuzzling cheek. "Ohh baby I have missed you so much," he mumbled hotly against her ear.
Damon bent to kiss down her throat from where he had sucked her earlobe in his mouth when his son decided to announce that he was not impressed that daddy was not sharing mommy.
They pulled apart as a second cry came from on the floor beside the couch, out of view.
"Sorry! I tried to give you guys some time. I can't exactly feed him," Caroline stood up, holding Stefan against her shoulder. She had her pinkie finger in his mouth and he was sucking hard on her finger. "Mommy is being called!"
The couple still embracing by the stairs turned to look at each other and smile before Damon nodded and Elena hurried over to them. Right then he had a thought that in such a tight and lacy dress how was she going to nurse their son?
Elena had been self conscious of herself while pregnant and those hormones and insecurities were still there. So besides him she never even nursed in front of anyone without being as discrete as she could. With this kind of dress on she would have to shimmy out of the whole top or lift it all the way almost over her head.
He didn't push her at all to do anything she wasn't comfortable with and was already going for the nursing cover that had just been washed and laying in the laundry basket.
"Umm baby, here you will want..." But before he could finish his sentence his wife had sat down and pulled up her dress at the waist and unhooked her bra. The bodice of the dress covered her right almost till the top of Stefan's head as he rooted around for his supper. Once Stefan was happily suckling, his one hand playing at his mommies mouth as he stared at up at her, Damon remembered that this dress was not a two piece before. And here he was seeing her bare midriff and that she could lift it so she could nurse.
Elena saw the puzzled look on his face. "Care's idea. She thought the dress would look cute as a two piece anyway and so she cut around the edges of the lace. You can't even tell when I am standing up at all." She ran her hand over her sons head, feeling the softness of his blonde hair as he slurped noisily, with fingers now curled tightly around thick ends of his mommy's braid.
"It looks amazing Elena." He looked to first her and the blonde vampire. "Very creative." His sister-in-law smiled proudly. "SO much easier access for not only the baby hon...but me too." He winked at her doing his eye thing again and she blushed...again.
Damn he loved being able to make her blush like a teenager talking to her crush.
"Oh yes we always need easier access don't we Damon?" Elena teased him.
He was insulted. "Umm yeah. Anything that doesn't involve our son between us; in bed, on the couch, at the kitchen table, in the shower... is better than I've had in far too long sweetie."
She fake pouted at him and he was ready to pout again too, till he realized Stefan was almost done monopolizing his wife. It was so totally his turn without any interruptions and it couldn't be soon enough.
Caroline held up a clear bag she picked up from the chair nearby and held it out to him. "Umm big brother..." She was holding up a fancy suit and he saw it too was the same one he wore that night, with the simple thin tie and the crisp black pants. "Its amazing what you guys still have in your closet from back then."
He had to agree and was glad now that he had kept it. Hell, he knew that she had kept the shirt that she had ripped off of him that night and it too was tucked away in their closet upstairs.
But the suit? Yes he could definitely wear that for her. He wasn't planning to get that dressed up but seeing how she was already nearly drooling at the suit on the hanger, he damn well was not going to leave it there.
He had loved how she looked at him that day. It had been the first time he thought she truly looked at him with a sense of freedom. Before that, any glances or longing looks or touches were always tainted with guilt. And that day while she walked down those stairs toward him, he saw peace in the same heated gaze she had given him a thousand times.
Damon felt himself turn to mush inside anytime she looked at him like that; the last time being when he had helped her in the tub in the cabin just shortly before Stefan decided he wanted to crash their romantic weekend.
With a wiggle of his eyebrows at her he rushed away upstairs to change and freshen up and was back downstairs in record time. Showered, changed, shaved, his teeth brushed, a dash of his favorite cologne and he was downstairs almost faster than he would have, had he still been a vampire.
And even while she was busy tending to Stefan, he did not miss her head coming up as he made his way back to her and saw the intensity in her chocolate eyes. The needy, aching look he saw made his human pulse race in his veins, to flood his pounding heart.
He never wanted to forget how they were looking at each other in that moment.
Elena was jolted from his magnetic stare as Stefan pulled roughly off her nipple and sneezed hard against her breast. They all looked down at him and Elena giggled as she sat him up to burp before he spit up all over her dress.
They left lots of instructions for Care and it surprised him how careful they both were in so many ways now. Once Elena was done listing all the things that Stefan liked just so and how he was wrapped up or what toy he needed if he was fussy and not to forget to play Damon's song.
That was what it had gotten called by her...Damon's song.
They left everything out for his bath later, creams and baby oil and his favorite blanket was laying on their bed and the crib toy ready, that shone on the ceiling that she could try first before resorting to the song on unending replay in their living room.
"We will be fine," Care said holding Stefan up to burp him again as he squirmed in her arms. She rubbed his back and wiped his mouth as Damon helped Elena get her newer gray leather jacket on.
Damon had bought it for her when her belly was too big but she loved it so much was excited to finally wear it after she had their baby. That and her favorite jeans someday too. But she was not going to think about that. Not today.
She felt so beautiful now; having showered and put on body lotion and Caroline had had her relax and painted her nails. Her fingers were a shiny ivory color to match her earrings and her toes were a deep rich red like she knew Damon loved. She had put on her very sexy red lace panties too even though she couldn't use the matching bra right now since it wasn't a maternity one.
Her best friend had plucked her eyebrows and helped her with her make up, applying a smooth almost plum red lipstick, soft blush and smoky hot bedroom eyes.
Caroline was waving little Stefan's hand as he squirmed around in his fuzzy blue sleeper. She had put the cutest little soft hat on him too and wrapped him in a plush velour blanket.
Elena suddenly gasped out and without a word zipped upstairs and was back right away carrying a knit sweat shirt. "Here. I was wearing this all day. Wrap him in it if he gets fussy. He will be able to smell me on it and it should help."
"Okay momma," Caroline took the sweater. "Now go before he gets hungry again. Have fun!"
Damon curled his arms around his love. "Oh we will..." His expression took on a soft look and not the normal snarky tone. "Thanks for this Care, really. You are the best."
She smiled. "Thanks Ric and Klaus. They actually were having a night with all three of the girls at the mansion and can't imagine how scary that could go with Klaus having killed Jenna. I doubt that Ric will ever forgive him for that. So I can't stay here all night and have to fly out late evening or early morning yet. Here's hoping they don't drink too much at least till the girls go to bed. Jer is there too so hopefully he can be a buffer.
Both Damon and Elena's eyes widened at all that she just dumped out. And he saw Elena look like she wasn't wanting to leave now. But he gently laced his fingers with hers and pulled her toward the door.
"Don't worry really," Caroline said, curling Stefan against her shoulder and rubbing his back. "I promise to give you as long as I can. So get out of here. Enjoy each other." And with that before anyone was allowed to respond to her comments, she shooed them away and out the door.
Supper was delicious and Elena could not believe she was having hot food at all. It felt so weird to eat without hearing crying and then push away from the table to feed her baby first and come back to cold food. Damon had tried to engage her in conversation and she had done her best to contribute. She had enjoyed her salad and ribs with fries and he got the steak and baked potato.
He had pulled her with him onto the dance floor of the beautiful dimly lit restaurant, There were candles all around and soft romantic music. But as crazy as it sounded, Elena missed 'This I Promise You.'
She loved being with Damon and yet now having him hold her so close and nuzzle into her neck she still thought of their baby.
She wondered how he was. If he was gassy because he often got that way just an hour or so after his early evening feed. Sometimes just as she laid him down he would wake up with a sharp cry and he needed to be burped again too.
She wondered if Caroline had given him the soft little teddy bear that he loved and was always in the bassinet by their bed. But then she remembered that she had seen it on the rug as she was getting ready and forgot to put it back in his bed. Would she not know where it was? She knew Stefan loved to suck on the one arm and the nose of the teddy bear when his soother fell out during the night and sometimes that was enough to sooth him back to sleep and not wake him fully enough to be fed.
Her head was leaning against her husband's, her eyes closed and yet all she could see was Stefan's little eyes staring up at her as he suckled and held so tight to her hair. She swayed back and forth in Damon's arms and felt him kissing down her neck, his lips against the hollow of her throat as they held each other so close.
Dancing with him felt amazing, it always did. But something was missing…
Damon could feel that something was wrong. She was so quiet and he knew she missed Stefan. He knew because he missed him too, so much and could not stop thinking about if he was okay. He lifted his head from her throat and found her eyes. They were glassy and wide and he could see she could be seconds from tears spilling.
His thumb grazed her cheek and he felt that exact same way. "You wanna go home, right baby?" He knew it before she said it and he didn't blame her in the least.
A tear slipped down her cheek and she nodded at him as he brushed the tear away with the pad of his finger. "I'm sorry..." she mumbled turning her head to lay on his shoulder.
He pulled her head back up and waited for her eyes to find his again. "Don't be...I want to go too...I miss him too, SO much."
A slow smile spread across her face..."Let's go then Damon. I need you both."
And not even a half hour later, they had apologized profusely to Caroline for her flying up and she scoffed back at them that the flight was barely an hour and they could afford it no problem. The school was doing well.
She understood completely how they both felt and as Elena was cradling their sleeping angel, Damon had hugged Care and send her home. She had been so understanding. They were both so lucky to have her.
He had turned back to his wife and crossed the room to envelop his family in a hug, knowing this was where he wanted to be. Sure who the hell knew when they would ever have sex again, but this right here was what they both needed.
Damon could see the contented look on his wife's face and he leaned down to kiss her tenderly. She lifted her head more to accept his lips as they held their baby in their arms.
There was some scrambling between them, both taking turns getting into comfy clothes, Damon changing first as Elena fed Stefan again when he woke up and her sexy husband came back down in soft black PJ pants and a tight gray t shirt.
Then Elena passed Stefan to him and he changed and burped him as she went to change and came back in his favorite purple plaid shorts and purple lace tank top and threw on an oversized gray sweat shirt that hung seductively off one shoulder.
Damon had his son curled up on his chest, his little feet in his fuzzy sleeper all tucked up under his body as daddy held him close. His head came up as she tiptoed in the room, her hair up in a messy high pony tail and she turned down all the lights and lit a few candles before she walked into his arms, to hold their son between them.
This was what she wanted all night. This was all she needed in the whole world.
Elena was just about to push up to her tip toes to find her husband's lips again, missing the taste of him but knowing that right now she needed both of them for things to feel right.
But Stefan had other ideas and coughed suddenly and puked all down Damon's shirt, the curdled milk dripping down his daddy's chest. They both jumped back and Elena raced for the blanket on the couch to wipe it up as he gagged and spit up more milk again. Damon was smiling and grimacing at the same time and Elena laughed while trying to wipe up the mess on his shirt.
"Here, take him Elena and I'll take care of this," Damon was holding the squirming baby toward her as Stefan looked like he totally knew what he did, a hint of a smile on his lips.
Elena took him and Damon, still chuckling, reached back and pulled his shirt over his head in one fluid movement.
He heard a damn cute little gasp come from his wife's lips and they locked eyes, as the candlelight flickered teasingly over his naked chest. The stare was wrought with the desire they had been feeling before they both wanted so desperately to come back to home to Stefan.
He saw Elena swallow hard and he felt his own throat tight as his mind raced in remembrance of everything that she made him feel when they were together.
"Damon," his love whispered and he was reaching for her sweat shirt. But just as he was about to tug it up over her body more puke just jumped from their little angel's mouth and soaked Elena's shirt too!
They both could not stop smiling and laughing as she now held Stefan up more after wiping his mouth and chin and amazingly nothing got on him at all! Damon helped her out of the sweat shirt and tossed it aside wiping the blanket between the middle of her breasts. But it looked like no puke had made it down her shirt.
Stefan started crying more now and Elena wondered if he was hungry again after throwing up so much but he kept pushing her away when she tried to nurse him. So she changed him and wrapped him back up in the a fresh blanket and passed him back to daddy.
Damon smiled at her and couldn't not get over how normal and perfect their life was. "Well at least its never boring," he laughed. No it was not boring. He pulled them both closer in his arms, reached for the remote and 'This I Promise You' started playing again. Stefan's cries slowed as they rocked him between them, just like before.
Elena lay her head down, feeling the warmth of Damon's skin on her cheek and he bent his head to her, leaning down to gaze on both of the most important people in his life.
Nope it wasn't boring that was for sure. And normal suited him just fine now.
Elena's was singing now as they danced, her hand stroking Stefan's hair as Damon bent to nuzzle her and she lifted her head. Their lips met over their son's head and they kissed lazily and peacefully...right where they belonged.
Till the day my life is through. This I promise you...This I promise you...
A/N; This story is close to my heart. Alot of this was pulled from my life. My husband sang that song to our daughter many many nights when she was a baby back in 2003. It was sometimes the only thing that settled her, was rocking in his arms and him singing This I Promise You.
Much of the motherly thoughts are all my own too. Wanting to be out on a date and missing our baby so much that first time. Thinking of everything that could go wrong leaving them with someone else. Nursing at night and having him bring me the baby, dancing together and holding each other, and we actually lived that exact puke scene with our oldest! Except that it did go all down the inside of my shirt and we couldn't stop laughing. That was us and we lived so much of this story in our lives with our babies!
I really hope you loved picturing them like this. Let me know any requests you have of things you would love to see in their future together or even any other couples future too. I plan on making many more stories for this series exploring their life that we didn't get to see.
I will go back and do a wedding and proposal yet too.
For those of you following Captive of Her Beauty I am hoping to get the next chapter up before the end of the long weekend. It would have been done already but I just could not get this tender story idea out of my head and it needed to get written first.
Especially with it being dark and intense right now in COHB. But I promise you a happy ending there too and I have ideas for a sequel.
Did you want this to stay as a one shot? I actually purposely tried to see if I could write a touching story without needing any lemons so I can leave it no matter how much Damon was waiting for that night. Or if you want me to do another chapter here me know in your review and I will see what the response is.
I will be waiting for your thoughts. I treasure each review. It doesn't have to be long and detailed, even just Love this or Yes I'd love more or Great job if you feel you enjoyed it makes my day too.
Thanks so much in advance!