A/N: This was an idea that I had bouncing around in my head. I hope you all like it. The poetic elements I added are written by me, so please do let me know how I do. You have all been so encouraging and I hope this is up to all your expectations. Feel free to let me know your suggestions and opinions.

DISCLAIMER: As much as I love Damon, he solely belongs to L.J. Smith. A million thanks to her and the team of The Vampire Diaries for this dynamic character...!

UNRESISTING TO ADDICTION

A certain kind of wave

In the emotion of his eyes

He looked at the sleeping girl on the bed. She looked so peaceful, so serene. He contemplated going inside her head but decided against it. He didn't want to see what was most likely to be a dream of Stefan and her. Together.

He shook his head. This wasn't healthy, he was very aware of that. He shouldn't want to sneak in and out day after day to look over a girl who saw him as little more than a monster.

He turned back towards the window, preparing to leave when Elena shot up in bed, shouting something unintelligible. The pain in the cry rooted Damon to the spot.

Elena seemed to find her bearings soon enough and turned to him.

"Damon ?" The question in her voice made something deep within him start to sink. He turned around.

"What are you doing here ?" She asked.

"Mosquito patrol." He gave her his signature half-smile. She rolled her eyes. "Did Stefan send you ?"

The hope in her voice and her eyes broke some of the heart she'd mended recently. He shrugged. "My brother needs time for his brooding, after all." He smirked, but then grew serious. "What happened ?" He asked.

She shook her head. "Nightmare. It felt like the accident all over again." She sighed.

Damon came over to the bed and sat beside her. "You're gonna be okay." He whispered as he hugged her close to him. This seemed to surprise Elena, but she snuggled up against him nonetheless.

A kind of insecurity

Covered up with lies

She felt so soft. Her petite body molded against him like the perfect piece of a jigsaw puzzle. He never wanted to let go. He wanted to stay here. He wanted her. Only she would never have him. Never want him. It was always gonna be Stefan.

He breathed out to minimize the hurt he felt as he remembered Katherine saying those words.

Breaking the hug, he got up and turned to leave. But Elena caught his arm.

"Stay. Please ?" She asked. Her vulnerability made him cave. Not that he ever contemplated saying no in the first place. He could never deny her anything.

They laid together on the bed, her head resting on her shoulder. Damon reveled in the warmth of her embrace, knowing it wouldn't last long.

"Why were you really here ?" Elena's soft voice broke him from his thoughts.

"I came to check on you." He replied, needing to lay it out.

He looked down to where he was stroking her hair as she looked up at him.

"Why ?" The word was more a breath than anything else but Damon caught it.

His hand fell from her hair as he turned on his side to face her and brought his other hand to her cheek. She leaned into his touch. "Damon..." Elena breathed.

"I know." He replied, just as softly. Closing his eyes as if the act physically hurt him, he retreated his hand. Elena didn't move. "I need to go." He said, but Elena didn't let go of his hand.

Hope shining through

The walls of deep slumber

Instead, she brought her hand up and stroked the side of his face affectionately, almost lovingly.

"I dreamt of a different life. Peaceful and quiet and...happy. Without loss. Or grief, or pain. I was happy. Like I was free. Like anything was possible." She said as she traced the contours of his beautiful face.

"Why the cry of the dead then ?" He asked, trying not to show exactly how much that hand was affecting him. He kept his face blank.

"Because the love I had in that dream...a love that consumed me I wanted it to be real." She sighed.

"You have it with Stefan." He shrugged nonchalantly, simultaneously cursing himself for being such an idiot.

She smiled, but it was sad. "It was you."

Damon seriously thought he was hearing things. "What ?"

But Elena only smiled again. A soft, sad smile that tugged at his heartstrings. "The love I had in the dream was with you, Damon." She placed her hand on his cheek. "And I wanted it to be real." She said.

It took a few seconds for Damon to actually comprehend what he was hearing, but when he did, he couldn't stop his heart from soaring. His eyes shone with all the love he'd kept under wraps for over a year now and he reached for Elena.

Followed by the dash

Convincing it to crumble

"But..." She trailed off, not exactly knowing what to say.

Damon's hand halted mid-way. Of course. There was always a 'but'.

"But what, Elena ?" He asked.

"But it wasn't real. No matter how much I wanted it to be. The truth is that we are very different...and-and I can't hurt Stefan like that. He deserves better than that." She was now sitting up and fiddling with the hem of hr shorts.

As the battle so wages

Present and past in friction

"Do you want it to be real, still ?" Damon inquired as he sat up too.

Elena looked up at him. He could see the emotion in her eyes. He knew that it was wrong, this thing between him and Elena and it would most likely hurt his baby brother. But somehow it didn't feel wrong at the same time. He didn't feel guilty. It was like this was finally their time.

But didn't he love Katherine too ? And look where it got him. She'd chosen Stefan over him. Even Elena had, at first. How did he know that she wouldn't just leave after she found out he was nothing like his brother ? That he couldn't be the better man like she wanted him to be ? Would she want to return to Stefan again, like Katherine did ?

"I want us to be together, yes." And those words were all that Damon needed to end the war going on inside him. Yes, it might be wrong but he had never before had something feel so right either.

The heart falls through

Unresisting to addiction

Damon reached out and brought Elena closer to him. He brushed some of her hair back and very gently and reverently kissed her mouth. The soft sigh that escaped her only spurred him on and he pulled her closer still.

The kiss was everything Elena had ever imagined a kiss should be. Her skin felt like it was on fire and her knees were weak from the sensations coursing through her body as she kissed him back just as reverently.

They broke apart. "I love you, Elena." Damon remarked with awe and hope lining his beautiful voice.

"I love you too, Damon." Elena smiled, a happy and carefree smile that hadn't been seen on her face in a very long time.

And with Elena in his arms, Damon let himself do the one thing he hadn't done in years.

He let himself fall to the temptation of hope.

So that's about it. Remember to let me know how you find it...!