Disclaimer: If I ever see a shooting star, my wish will be to own The Vampire Diaries. But for now I don't.

Shooting Star

Elena sat in the grass, staring up at the sky. New Year's fireworks still went off every once in a while, lighting up the starry night. But, for her, the best thing about the display was the peace it gave her. She could almost feel the magic penetrating her veins and circulating through her body. A new beginning. A new chance to get things right, to have the year of her life. Maybe she would meet the boy that was right for her, or maybe she would just find out that he had been there with her all along. Maybe she would manage to stay out of harm's way. She could only hope.

She wished that night could last forever. She didn't get tired of the feeling that everything was going to be alright. It was so rare for her to actually believe in it. Every time someone told her that, something bad happened. That was the way things worked in Mystic Falls. Just when you thought the worse had passed, something bigger and harder to defeat came along.

She allowed her head to fall back. She couldn't quite make out the constellations in the sky because of all the dust that the fireworks released, but she had an idea of their locations. Elena had just started to try and figure it out when she heard muffled footsteps approaching.

- You see over there - Damon said, plopping himself down beside her and pointing to the sky - That's Andromeda. There, that shiny star in it, is Sirrah.

Elena stared at him, pleasantly surprised. She hadn't taken Damon to be someone interested in astronomy. She waited for him to say something to show that he was kidding, but he just stared back at her, smiling. He seemed to be genuinely interested in helping her out with the constellations. Elena sighed. It looked like she wasn't getting her peace back, so she might as well let Damon enjoy himself.

- Andromeda, right. I know that it's close to Pegasus. - She mentioned, letting her body rest on the grass.

- Yep. And that's over there. - He went on, his smile getting bigger as Elena became more comfortable.

Just as he was about to point out another constellation, a small line scratched the sky. Elena grinned. She loved shooting stars. The first time she had ever seen one was when she was no more than a baby and her mother had taken her camping. They had spent the whole night outside, stargazing. When she saw the shooting star, her mother told her that she had the right to make a wish and, if it really came from her heart, it would come true soon. And baby Elena wished herself a little brother. A few minutes afterwards, she learned that her mother was pregnant. She wasn't sure if it had been just a coincidence or if shooting stars really did grant wishes. After so many of the things she believed to be only myths turned out to exist, she couldn't be sure.

She watched as the shooting star moved on, leaving her sight. If she was going to make a wish, she had to be fast.

Elena thought of all the things that had happened in the previous year. Klaus, the sacrifice, Jenna's death, Katherine. But what seemed more important, what hurt her the most, was Stefan. She had loved him with all her heart, she had trusted him more than anyone. When he gave himself over to Klaus, she kept looking for a way to save him. When Damon lost all hopes, she didn't give up. And they did it. They managed to free him from the compulsion that kept him with Klaus. He just ran away.

With a frustrated sigh, Elena decided that she shouldn't wish for Stefan to come back. If he was to rejoin them, she wanted the decision to come from his heart. Also, she wanted to get over him, she wanted the pain to go away. But none of those things were things she wanted to wish to a shooting star.

Then a thought popped up on her mind. Ever since Damon had told her that he loved her she had wanted to kiss him. She didn't out of fear that she would become like Katherine and respect for Stefan. She had wanted to hang on, to resist her impulses because she truly believed that he would be back. But knowing that he wasn't coming home and that she had to let him go, she decided that it was time for her to admit to herself what she had been hiding for so long.

" Shooting star so high above, please grant me my wish. I want Damon Salvatore, if honest when saying that he loves me, to reveal it"

She waited for something to happen, her heart beating frenetically in her chest. The suspense was driving her mad. She had no idea how much time could pass before it was too much, before she had to give up hope. She looked around to find Damon eyeing her with a worried expression.

- What? - She asked, trying to keep the hopeful note out of her voice.

- Nothing. - He replied - Anyway, over there it's Delphinus and...

Elena's heart skipped a beat as Damon trailed of. Maybe her wish had really worked. She closed her eyes for a second, hoping that she would calm down a little. If something was really going to happen she wanted to enjoy it. She could feel her breaths coming out shakily as she opened her eyes. She was afraid that she had been too late, that she had missed her chance of really knowing whether Damon loved her or not. Though she wouldn't admit it even for herself, what she feared the most what he might not love her, that he might have said that he did just because he thought he was never going to see her again.

Another round of fireworks exploded in the sky. Elena glanced up, wondering if Stefan could see them from where he was. She didn't want to think about him, but the shooting star had opened up the wound, making it almost impossible for her to forget him. The only thing that made her feel better was that Damon was there with her.

She sighed, tears almost pouring out of her eyes. Nothing was going to happen. Either she had been too late or Damon didn't love her. Frustrated, she started to get up. She didn't want to think about any of what had happened that night. She didn't want to think about new beginnings, shooting stars or fireworks. She just wanted to be alone. But she quickly changed her mind once she felt Damon's lips meeting hers. She could have sworn that the fireworks went of just for them, to illuminate the night's sky so that everyone could admire the wonder of the moment.

But, like all good things, the kiss ended. As they broke apart, Elena could see something strange in Damon's eyes. She raised an eyebrow as she identified the emotion. Sadness. She didn't understand why he was sad. The kiss had been wonderful. He had done what she knew he had wanted to do for over a year.

- Elena... I know you love Stefan and you will always love him but I just felt like I had to do it. I didn't want to start another year without knowing what it would feel like to kiss you. - He said, his eyes locked on hers.

She didn't know what to do or what to say. She wanted to tell him she loved him, that she would get over Stefan, but she wasn't sure. She had spent so long trying to ignore her feelings for Damon that she didn't know what was true and what she had fooled herself into believing. She wished another shooting star would pass so that she could ask it to tell her what to do. She knew she couldn't take too long thinking. If she did, Damon might take it as a signal that she didn't return his feelings, and she knew that somewhere deep inside his mind he still hoped that, one day, even if decades from that year, she would love him back. He had been toyed with for so long, he had chased the same woman for so long, believing that she loved him, that Elena was sure that he couldn't take another blow. She was his last grip on humanity.

She was still thinking about what to say when she realized Damon wasn't beside her anymore. She got up with a jump, afraid that she had missed her chance of winning the vampire's heart. She still wasn't absolutely sure if she loved him, but she wasn't going to leave him thinking that she wasn't at very least attracted to him. She ran back into her house, hoping that Damon would be there. She sighed in relief as she saw him sitting on a couch in the living room, his head on his hands.

- Look Elena, - He started, looking up - I made a mistake. I shouldn't have kissed you like that. I'm sorry.

No words came out of her mouth as she attempted to reply. She had hardly ever seen him looking so vulnerable. He seemed to genuinely regret what he had done.

- No. Don't be. I... I'll get over him, Damon. I want to be with you, I know that now. I'm the one who should be sorry. And I am. I'm sorry for lying to you and to myself, I'm sorry for never telling you and I'm sorry for letting you think that I didn't feel anything for you. - As Elena let the words pour out of her mouth she approached Damon.

She had no idea what had made her realize what she felt for himself. Maybe it had been seeing him vulnerable or maybe it had been time. All she knew was that she was sure. She didn't understand why it had taken her so long to admit to herself what she felt for him. It had been so obvious. Everyone had seen it but her.

Damon walked closer to her, his eyes widening as he realized she wasn't kidding.

- But... Stefan? - He asked, the words coming out of his mouth in a mere whisper.

- I'll get over him. - Elena replied, a smiled stretching across her face.

- Are you sure? - Insisted Damon, his eyes shining.

- Yes. - She whispered

He raised a hand and brushed a strand of hair out of her face, a small smile starting to appear on his lips. Elena got even closer to him, so close she could almost feel his chest. And then it happened. Damon bent down a little and gave her another kiss. She knew that kiss didn't have the same meaning as the one he had given her before. This one meant that he loved her, that he wanted to be with her and that he was willing to open his heart to her.

That was when she knew that she may have loved Stefan and he may have loved her, but their love was weak if compared to the one she shared with Damon. Nothing could ever top that.

Author's Note: Happy New Year to everyone! And please, read and review!