Damon spat out blood screaming in agony as yet another vervain soaked stake pierced his skin. Hanging suspended from a tree branch by his arms, blood pooled on the ground under Damon's feet, his blood spilling from the numerous stakes that were imbedded in his body. Damon felt completely defenceless watching his four torturers circle around him like vultures. No longer capable of holding his head up, Damon's chin pressed into his chest as he struggled to remain conscious.
"Tell us where to find the Petrova doppelganger or the next stake is going through your heart!" yelled one of the vampires as he positioned himself directly in front of Damon.
Damon lifted his head weakly, intending to tell his attacker to go to hell, when he was distracted by a sudden blur in his line of vision. Before Damon could register what was happening his tormentors were dead and the rope above him snapped. Damon held his breath expecting to hit the ground hard, but before he could fall he felt hands on either side of his body, suspending his weight.
Damon fought to open his eyes as his body was slowly lowered to the ground. Damon groaned in discomfort before he felt a hand cup his face, slowly lifting his head off the ground. Damon pressed his head into the comforting hand and focused his eyes. As Damon's icy blue eyes met Elijah's warm chocolate brown eyes, a wave of relief spread through his body. He instantly felt safe. Damon sighed, allowing his body to relax.
Damon and Elijah stared at each other intently for a moment before a small smile played across Elijah's lips. Elijah had always considered Damon an attractive man but as he lay helpless on the ground with his head supported by Elijah's hand, Elijah found himself reconsidering his prior assessment. Damon was more than merely attractive, he was beautiful. Elijah's smile broadened as he shook his head slightly at his thoughts. Damon was a total mess, nothing like his normal immaculate self. His face was paler than usual, his hair muddled, and blood stained his lips and the left corner of his mouth. Yet somehow his fragile and vulnerable state only seemed to add to his attractiveness.
Elijah was aware that Damon had been trying to get his attention from the moment he pulled the dagger out of Elijah's chest. It started with the note Damon left in his pocket, complete with hugs and kisses. Then came the flirtatious comments; from Damon causally mentioning that Elijah was his favourite Original to complimenting Elijah on his new look. Damon efforts intensified the night Klaus had arranged dinner with the brothers under the pretence of negotiating a truce. Throughout the dinner, Damon smirked suggestively at Elijah and even went so far as to wink at him from across the table.
Elijah simply ignored Damon's advances suspecting that he was merely playing one of his little games. But now, as he took the time to examine Damon's expression as he stared back at him in the moonlight, Elijah was no longer so sure. Regardless of the intention behind his actions, it seemed that Damon had succeeded with his efforts. Damon had Elijah's full attention now.
Damon blinked a few times as he began to lose the battle to stay awake. The fluttering of Damon's long lashes drew Elijah's mind back into focus. Elijah slowly lowered Damon's head to the ground and began to pull out the imbedded stakes. As Damon cried out, his body contorting with pain, Elijah found himself feeling strangely protective and regretted killing Damon's attackers as swiftly as he had.
When the stakes were removed, Elijah knelt down beside Damon's head. He wrapped his right arm under and around Damon's shoulders and lifted him up slowing, using the crock of his arm to support his head. He then bit into his left wrist and placed it against Damon's mouth. Damon hesitated for a brief moment before spreading his mouth over the open cuts on Elijah's wrist. When he began to drink, Elijah noticed that rather than biting into his wrist Damon was slowly sucking the blood from the cuts. Elijah tightened his hold of Damon and closed his eyes as he felt Damon's lips against his skin.
The thick, warm liquid was like nothing Damon had ever tasted before. As it ran across his tongue and down this throat Damon felt an overwhelming sensation that was more intense than the first time he drank human blood. Damon was only able to swallow a few drops, before his body fought against him trying to cough it back up. Damon removed his lips from Elijah's wrist and took a few deep breaths, attempting to calm his body.
Giving up the struggle to stay conscious, Damon allowed his eyes to drift shut while rolling his body further into Elijah's arms. Elijah gently picked up Damon, holding his head and shoulders tight against his body before taking off at vampire speed out of the woods.