Elena was tired after this day. So, so tired. Damon refused to get off of her bed. She sighed, threw the covers on top of him, and got into bed. She turned on her pillow to face him.

"Can I tell you the rest tomorrow?" She asked.

"Sure," he responded.

She closed her eyes, ready to fall into unconsciousness. She was asleep in under a minute. Damon stayed turned towards her, studying her face. She finally trusted him enough to sleep next to him. This perfect, beautiful creature was so close and yet so far away. Memories of Katherine flashed in his mind, and he pushed them away. He was sick of Katherine and her lies. He thought he had loved Katherine. Maybe he had. But it didn't compare to how he felt about Elena.

He lie there quietly for a long while, lost in thoughts. He had no idea how much time had passed since Elena had fallen asleep, but she began to stir. She made unhappy noises and writhed around, still asleep. It looked like she was having a nightmare. Damon instinctively reached out and smoothed back her hair, stroking her hair and face to calm her. It seemed to work, so he stopped. Twenty minutes or so passed, and she started twitching and making little noises again. Damon was about to stroke her hair again, but she woke up. Elena looked frightened. She saw Damon, still on her bed, and cried out lightly.

"Damon…"

"I'm here, Elena. I told you I wouldn't ever leave you again." He knew it was a risk to say something like that, but she looked so scared.

"I dreamt that…that Stefan killed you!" She cried. It looked like she had tears in her eyes. Damon was shocked – she had been dreaming of him? And more, her dream of him dying had brought her to tears? Damon reached out his hand and touched her face lightly.

"I'm here. I'm fine. Everything is okay." Elena looked at him with something new in her eyes. More than fear, not hate, but something else. Affection? No, it couldn't be that. He knew how Elena felt about him, not to mention about his brother. Suddenly, she hugged him.

"I was so scared…it was so real…" Her voice was muffled in his chest. Damon wrapped his arms around her, trying to still her shaking. He lightly kissed her head, hoping it would calm her.

"I'm not going anywhere," he whispered to her. She pulled her head up from his chest and looked him in the eyes. He searched her eyes for meaning, for what she was thinking. That's when she reached up and kissed him.

This kiss was more than need. This kiss was passionate and fearful and wonderful. Elena was so frightened by her dreams. So frightened that Damon was no more. That she'd never look into his azure eyes again. The dream combined with waking up next to Damon made something click for her. Something she had been pushing down and away and out. She cared for Damon, more than she would ever admit to anyone. The fear of losing him was so real in her mind that she realized what she had been denying. She loved Damon. Maybe not the same as Stefan, maybe not forever, but it was hot and real and terrifying. She kissed him with all the fervor, passion, terror and longing she felt. Then he broke the kiss.

"What is it?" Elena asked. Damon looked her in the eyes, a clear question in his.

"I thought…" he trailed off.

"I love you, Damon. I love you too. I know you can't possibly feel the same but I just need you to know. I know that I shouldn't…" He stopped her words with another kiss. This one was different. It was sweet and caring.

"Elena. I love you. I've always loved you."

That was all she needed to hear. She kissed him again, with all the passion and love she could put into it. Damon kissed her back gently, tenderly. It was so different than what she had expected. Elena thought kissing him would be rough and demanding and cocky, but this was sweet. But the sweet kisses quickly turned more heated. Elena was perfectly fine with that. Damon kissed her with all of the desire he had been holding back for months. He knew he shouldn't. He knew his brother would kill him. But his brother wasn't here. The Stefan that Elena loved was gone; maybe temporarily or maybe forever. Neither knew and right now, neither cared.

Damon slowly pulled Elena on top of him, never breaking their kiss. One hand stayed on her back and one against her neck. He could feel her pulse beneath her skin, hot and fast. Elena sat up, straddling his hips, and pulled Damon into a sitting position, leaning him against her headboard. Damon moved his hands to both her hips, one going slightly underneath her shirt and resting on her bare skin. Elena felt a thrill go through her as Damon's hand touched her skin. She wanted his touch, needed his hands on her. She wanted this more than anything. Elena trailed her kisses away from Damon's mouth. She made her way to his neck, kissing and biting. She began grinding her hips against his lap, and she heard Damon's breath catch. Damon gripped her hips tightly, keeping her still. He knew where this was going and didn't know if she would regret any decisions tomorrow.

Damon growled in her ear, "Elena…If you keep going this way, it will be very hard for me to stop if you change your mind."

"I'm not going to change my mind." As soon as the words left her mouth, his hands went further up her shirt, feeling her smooth skin. Elena continued moving her hips, smiling when she felt the hardness growing in his jeans. She pulled her tank top off and continued teasing Damon. He growled again, a low throaty sound that sent a chill of excitement through Elena. Damon grabbed her and flipped them over so he was on top. It was his turn to tease her.

Damon pinned both of Elena's hands in one of his own above her head. He slowly started kissing down her body, across her chest, between her breasts, and down her stomach, finally stopping just above the line of her shorts. Damon could hear Elena's pulse racing even faster than before. He could hear the blood rush to certain parts of her body. Damon released her hands and began to slide one hand under her white bra. Elena took the chance to pull off his shirt and start fumbling at the button on his jeans before Damon pinned her hands again.

"Ah, ah," Damon said. "We're not there yet." Elena gave him a displeased look, and he chuckled lightly. "Patience," he said. Damon pulled her up and nipped at her neck while unhooking the pesky piece of clothing keeping her amazing skin from his. He eased her back on the bed and hovered above her. He took one of Elena's breasts into his mouth, sucking lightly on the nipple, making her squirm. He cupped her other breast with his hand, worrying the nipple between his fingers. In one lightning fast moment, he removed Elena's shorts. He pressed himself down on her, grinding his hips and his hardness against her. Elena groaned into Damon's neck. She wanted more. The fire in her core was burning low and hot, begging to be attended to. But she could tell that Damon was going to draw this out. She was glad for that; she wouldn't have the control to hold out this long.

Damon felt Elena's hands travel down his chest, down his stomach, and rest on the top of his jeans. This time, he let Elena undo the button and pull the zipper down, let her push the jeans past his hips. He stood up for a moment and stepped out of them. He was back on top of her in a flash. Now there was only the thin fabric of Damon's boxers that was holding back his impressive erection. Elena subconsciously licked her lips when she watched Damon take his pants off. She wanted him so badly it almost hurt.

"Damon, I want you. I need you. I'm ready," Elena whispered to him. Damon flashed her his signature cocky half smile, not saying a word. He kissed down her body yet again, not stopping at her breasts like she thought he would. He continued down to the top of her panties. He looked up at Elena, looking for permission in her eyes. Seeing it, he pulled her panties down slowly. Elena thought he would come back up to her immediately, but Damon had other things in mind. He spread her legs apart and moved his head in between her thighs.

"Damon, what…oh…" she let out as Damon gave her a slow probing lick. Elena's words quickly went out the window as he continued. All she could think about was how incredible this felt. Damon licked her slowly at first, but progressed to quicker licks centered on her bundle of nerves. He could feel her pulse on his tongue, and it was driving him crazy. Elena let out little moans, low "Oh, Damon..."'s while he explored her with his tongue. When she started to tense up, he stopped. He knew she was close to the edge, and he didn't want it to be over that quickly. He wiped his mouth and moved back up her body. Elena had never felt the fire burning stronger in her core than she did at the moment. She was hot and horny and wanted Damon like crazy. She pushed him over, letting him know that she wanted to be on top again. He let her, and Elena straddled his legs. Her hands travelled down his chest and lingered just above the top of his boxers. She started to feel a bit nervous, but nonetheless, she continued. Her hands grasped his hardness through his boxers, and he gasped. His head fell back against the pillow, but his eyes never left her face. He wanted to see her reaction to seeing all of him for the first time.

Elena was surprised by what she felt touching him. He felt absolutely huge through the boxers. She tentatively tugged down his boxers, and he raised his hips up to help her out. Her eyes widened slightly when he was fully exposed. She had never seen anyone quite this large before.

She wanted to return the favor that Damon had given her. She lowered her head towards him, and before he knew it her hot mouth had enveloped his tip. He groaned with pleasure. How many times had he imagined what it would feel like to have her perfect lips wrapped around his cock? The actual feeling couldn't compare. Elena moved her head up and down, covering what she couldn't take in her mouth with her hands. She loved the feeling of power and control it gave her to do this. One of Damon's hands grasped the sheets tightly while the other moved to the back of her head, cradling it gently. He didn't know how much longer he could last with her doing this. After a few minutes, she pulled her head back up and looked him in the eyes, smirking at him.

"Oh, you think that's funny?" he quipped. In the blink of an eye, he had flipped them over again, him on top of her, with the tip of his hardness pressed against her wetness. She gasped.

"Vampire speed…this could be fun," she said, with a devilish look in her eye. Damon knew what she wanted. She wanted him inside of her. But he was going to make her say it.

"Tell me what you want…" he whispered seductively in her ear.

"You know what I want. I want you," she said back.

"Tell me exactly what you want."

"I want you inside of me. I want you to make love to me."

With those words, Damon thrust into her, never breaking eye contact. They both gasped at the feeling. Elena was surprised he could fit completely inside of her; she wasn't completely sure he would. Damon stayed like that for a minute, letting her acclimate to his size.

"Ready for me to continue?" He asked. Elena nodded. Damon kissed her head tenderly and slowly started rocking in and out of her. Elena was biting into his shoulder to stifle her moans. She had never known this level of pleasure before. It was incredible and intoxicating, and she didn't want it to stop. They were both completely wound up tight from the foreplay, and they both knew they wouldn't last long.

Damon's thrusts became faster and harder, and Elena was loving every second. She gripped him tightly, nails digging into his back and biting his shoulder with quite some force. "More," she would moan into his ear. "Harder…faster…" Damon wasn't going at vampire speed, and wasn't intending to. He didn't know if she could handle it. Damon flipped them yet again so that Elena was on top, riding him. Damon put his hands on her hips, watching her move on him. She was a vision, all velvet skin and raven hair in the light of the moon coming in through the windows. He loved watching her move fluidly up and down on him.

Elena wanted something more intimate. She moved off of Damon and pulled him to his knees. She moved in front of him, drawing his arms around her waist. He knew what she wanted. He entered her again, and she cried out in ecstasy. Damon pulled her tightly into his body, holding her close and moving in time with her. He leaned down and whispered in her ear, "I love you, Elena."

Elena couldn't hold her orgasm off any longer. Her muscled tightened, and then she shattered into a million pieces of pleasure and warmth and utter satisfaction. Damon followed close behind, groaning as he came hard. Elena collapsed back into his chest, breathless. She moved to lie down, and Damon lay next to her. He drew her into his arms.

"That was…indescribable," Damon said. Elena nodded her head and kissed him lightly.

"I love you, Damon." Damon felt something he hadn't allowed himself to in many years. He felt happy. More than that, he felt love and contentment. He kissed Elena's forehead as she sighed with happiness.

"Stay with me?" Elena whispered.

"Yes," Damon whispered to her as he drew the covers up over them. "Sleep now. I'll be here when you wake up, I promise. I told you I'm not leaving you again." Damon saw the smile on her sweet face as she fell asleep in his arms. Elena knew that she was his now, and she was happy.

"I'll always be here for you," he whispered, barely audible. And he meant it.