DISCLAIMER: I own nothing.
Damon hated that Elena could make him feel so strongly and blindly. He hated that she and only she had the power to rip his heart out of his chest and shatter it in her delicate hands, like it was made of porcelain. This was not how Damon Salvatore lived or functioned. After Katherine (the heinous bitch) he had turned off his feelings because it was no longer worth it. It was easier going through the rest of his immortal life using women like they were objects, toys. Simply turning his feelings off was no longer an option for Damon anymore, not since Elena came into his world.
Damon's immortal life however, was quickly coming to an end, an ironic oxymoron he couldn't help but smile bitterly at. He took a sip of bourbon and looked out his bedroom window, watching as the sky slowly turned dark and dusk fell over Mystic Falls. He ground his teeth and a painful shiver wracked his body. The poison from that mutt's bite was spreading even further and the dark sickly veins were now covering his entire arm. Damon placed the bourbon down and tugged at the sleeve of his shirt, attempting to cover up the veins that were beginning to branch out over his hand.
"Stefan's not here." Damon announced when he felt her presence.
Damon kept his gaze fixed at the darkening sky outside the window, not bothering to turn around to look at Elena. Curiosity however, finally got the best of him (like it usually did) when she didn't say anything for a long time and didn't move and inch.
Turning around, Damon took in Elena's appearance. She was standing in the doorway with her arms folded across her chest, a look of anger, hurt, and confusion etched across her beautiful face.
"Like I said, Stefan's not here."
Elena unfolded her arms and with a few long strides she was across his room standing right in front of him. Without a warning or any hesitation she lifted her hand back and slapped him across the face, hard. Normally it wouldn't have hurt too bad or at all, but because of his rapidly deteriorating condition Damon felt his cheek burn.
"Why didn't you tell me?"
Damon opened and closed his mouth a few times, adjusting his jaw, and looked at Elena who now had tears filling her eyes.
"Tell you what?" He knew exactly what she was talking about and his thoughts began racing trying to figure out how she found out. Damon glared at her but she wasn't backing down.
Elena let out a mix between a huff and a sob and grabbed Damon's wounded arm. He hissed at the pain, but Elena ignored it. She pushed up the sleeve of his shirt and her hand clapped over her mouth when she saw how bad it was.
"Why didn't you tell me?" Elena repeated, this time softer.
Damon turned his back to her. "Because you didn't need to know."
"What do you mean I didn't need to know? Damon I..."
Fed up with it all, Damon spun around and firmly grasped Elena's shoulders. She gasped in surprise but made no effort to try and get away from him.
Damon's eyes bore into hers. "Because you've already lost enough. Because it won't make a difference when I'm gone. Because I did what I had to do to keep you safe, to keep you alive. Because you have Stefan and I know he will always protect you." Damon felt himself run out of steam and he released Elena, his arms falling limply to his sides. "Because what the hell does it matter, Elena?"
"Damon, I know you like to think that you're alone in this world but you're not. There are people who actually give a damn about you! I care about you! You didn't want to lose me, well, I don't want to lose you!" Elena's jaw clenched with anger.
"Well, that's life, Elena."
"No, no! That's not life! This is not how it's going to end. Bonnie! There has to be something Bonnie can do. She can..."
"Do you not remember Rose?" Damon yelled, making Elena step back just a bit. "Do you not remember what happened to her? There is no cure, Elena. There is nothing that can be done."
"No." Elena shook her head furiously. "We'll find something. I can't lose you too, Damon." Tears were now spilling down her face.
Damon couldn't take this anymore. "Why not? Why not, Elena? What the hell does it matter to you. I'm gone... another problem in your life solved. Why do you even care?"
Damon was now glaring daggers at Elena. Her tortured expression mirrored his own and she was so earth shatteringly beautiful it was almost too much to bare, but he refused to look away.
Damon's entire body froze when he felt Elena's warm lips crash against his. Her arms wrapped around his neck and she pressed her body so tightly against his it was almost like she was trying to become a part of him.
Damon's mind was racing. He wasn't sure if it was the poison coursing through him or just complete and utter shock, but he couldn't tell if this was a hallucination or not. When he felt Elena bite down on his lower lip he knew it was no hallucination and he grabbed onto her waist and crushed her to him even further. He pushed her lips open with his tongue and devoured her mouth, tasting her tears.
Elena finally pulled back, gasping for air. Her arms where still wrapped around his neck, holding on for life.
Damon's eyes closed and he listened to the sound of Elena's heart pounding in her chest, and breathed in her intoxicating scent.
Elena finally spoke, her voice clear and unwavering. "I care because I love you. It matters because I love you. I love you, Damon. I wouldn't admit it to myself because I was afraid, but after everything that's happened, after everything we've been through, I can't keep pretending. I'm not afraid anymore."
Damon let out a harsh laugh as his hands roamed up and down Elena's back. "You have impeccable timing."
Elena sniffled and rested her head against his chest. Damon felt another agonizing pain rip through his body and he stumbled. Elena grabbed onto his shirt collar and steadied him. Her soft hand wiped the sweat from his brow and she led him over to his bed. He carefully laid down against the comforter. He felt a long forgotten, and almost completely lost feeling of warmth spread throughout him as Elena crawled into the bed next to him and curled up by his side, resting her head in the crook of neck. After a moment, he turned over and engulfed her slender body in his arms. He opened his eyes and saw her staring at him. Her thumb lightly stroked his cheek and her nose brushed against his.
"I love you." Damon whispered against her lips.
"You didn't lose me. I'm not going to lose you."
THE END? (Probably, I'm only good at one shots)