A/N: I can die happy now that I've seen "Heart Of Darkness". The kiss, the music, everything was perfect. This is just my take on it.

Elena's POV

I heard a soft sound, the tinkling of glass hitting wood. My eyes opened.

It was Damon, getting his glass of bourbon. It struck me as typical, how he would go to a convenience store and bring home bourbon.

As he poured some in a plastic cup and sat down, I found myself staring very unabashedly at him. I first glanced over his chest, exposed by his open shirt. Yes, he was handsome; no one could deny it. However, it was his electric blue eyes that caught my attention. They held a deep sadness. I wondered if it was because of Rose. I had never known about what he had done for her. I had assumed that he killed her as soon as I left, but I hadn't known that he gave her a beautiful dream, a painless memory of her home.

He downed the cup's contents, glancing my way. His eyes widened when he saw me staring. After a moment I shut my eyes and shifted, sighing. Moments later I had to open them.

Damon regarded me quizzically, still looking so heartbroken and alone. I tipped my head, making full eye contact with him. He took the signal and got up, curious, coming over to the bed and lying down next to me. I watched him for a few seconds.

"You never told me about that…. What you did for Rose." I said softly.

He sighed, turning his head away. "It wasn't about you."

"Why don't you let people see the good in you?" I asked. I knew I had always seen it, but Stefan didn't. Bonnie didn't. Jeremy didn't.

"Because when people see good they expect good." He said. He turned his head to face me again. "And I don't want to have to live up to anyone's expectations."

I wondered if he meant me. I always told him he could do better because I believed he could. I had always stood up for him when he did something wrong. I had always known that deep inside he was just someone who had seen too much and lived too long, but he was lonely and afraid that with death would come such aloneness that he would lose his mind. Since vampires could become ghosts, I had a feeling he thought he would be condemned to wandering the earth and watching me, wishing he could be with me.

I felt my breathing speed up, and the intensity of his gaze was too much to take. I rolled onto my side and stretched out my arms.

I felt his hand slip under my, and a thumb ran soothingly across the top of my hand. In his own sweet way, Damon was trying to calm me, but it only made my heart race faster. I glanced over, saw the love in his eyes, and bolted.

Why? Why does he make me feel like this? I ran out onto the walkway between rooms and pulled my coat around me, protecting against the cold. What had I done? All I wanted was to prove to Stefan that there was nothing between Damon and I even though I knew there was. I just had no clue why I was afraid of them.

Behind me the door shut. I knew it was Damon. "Don't."

"Why not?" he asked. I shivered. "Elena…"

I considered his words; why not? What was stopping me? I was supposed to figure out my feelings on this trip, and I decided that I might as well start. I shook my head, hardly believing what I was about to do. Before I could stop or regret it, I turned around and kissed Damon.

It wasn't pity, it wasn't Damon desperately kissing me on the porch and waiting for a reaction that he would never get. I was kissing him, and he was kissing me back. I hungrily explored his mostly shirtless chest, head bobbing as he kissed me so roughly that I knew my lips would be bruised and didn't care.

He pushed me up against the wall, gripping my jacket tightly. I gasped in surprise and pleasure when he traveled lower, nipping my pulse point and kissing my collarbone. When he came up I kissed him light before pulling away to look in eyes. I saw nothing but pure love and devotion. Only one thought came to mind.

Never let me go.