Elena sat on the couch in the boarding house, flipping through her History textbook with the stereo blaring. No one but she was home, so it wasn't like she would bother anyone. Pressing a button on the remote, she switched CDs and waited until the next one started. She raised an eyebrow to discover it was One Direction. Since when did Damon listen to British boy bands? She wasn't going to complain; she happened to rather like the band. Shrugging it off, she decided that maybe Caroline or someone had left it here after her birthday party a few weeks ago.

Sighing, she shook her head. Her birthday party. Her party that had ended in disaster, with Stefan returning and killing Andie. All this time, she had thought that if anyone would hurt her aunt's old friend, it would be Damon himself. She still couldn't believe Stefan would do such a thing. Now, they had returned from Chicago a few days ago in attempt to bring him back, only to discover he didn't want to return. What was she supposed to do now?

Study, a voice in her head that sounded surprisingly like Alaric urged, you have midterms next week.

Shaking her head, she turned up the music louder and tried to focus on the pointless drabble that, to her, was American History. She had been studying so intently that she hadn't even noticed Damon walk in the house and smirk at her music choice, walking into the room and beginning to sing along.

"Baby you light up my world like nobody else, the way that you flip your hair gets me overwhelmed, and when you smile at the ground it ain't hard to tell, you don't know; you don't know you're beautiful!"

Elena looked up at him, eyebrows raised. Was it Damon's CD? "You listen to One Direction?" she asked, trying not to grin. Damon shrugged, still smirking at her.

"I try to be diverse. I listen to Taylor Swift, don't I?"

Elena rolled her eyes, her grin pulling at her lips. She shook her head, giggling slightly as Damon flicked his hair to the side, singing along again. "So girl come on; you got it wrong. To prove I'm right I put it in a song! I don't know why you're being shy,"

Elena blinked rapidly when Damon was suddenly in front of her, singing directly to her. "And turn away when I look into your eyes!"

Raising an eyebrow, she gasped slightly when he took her hand, pulling her up with him, sending her History book clattering to the ground.

"Everyone else in the room can see it; everyone else but you…"

Giggling, Elena gave a small squeal when Damon pulled her to dance with him, still singing along at the top of his lungs. "Baby you light up my world like nobody else! The way that you flip your hair gets me overwhelmed! But when you smile at the ground it ain't hard to tell, you don't know; you don't know you're beautiful!"

Elena shook her head, grinning as Damon fell to his knees and took her hands, still singing to her. "If only you saw what I can see; you'd understand why I want you so desperately! Right now I'm looking at you and I can't believe you don't know; you don't know you're beautiful! That's what makes you beautiful!"

Grinning, Elena called over the music, "You're crazy!"

Damon grinned and pulled her down into his lap, tucking her hair behind her ear. "Crazy for you…"

Elena felt herself blush and look away, frowning slightly. Why did he have to do that? She looked up as the song shifted to the next track, biting her lip when she realized just what song it was. To make her feel worse, it didn't look like Damon planned on stopping singing.

"Girl I see it in your eyes; you're disappointed. 'Cause I'm the foolish one that you anointed with your heart; I tore it apart. And girl what a mess I made upon your innocence, and no woman in the world deserves this! But here I am asking you for one more chance…"

Frowning, Elena stood up and turned away from him. "It's not funny anymore, Damon…"

But, he was standing up, too, and he was still singing. God, she just wished he would stop…

"Can we fall one more time? Stop the tape and rewind? Oh, and if you walk away I know I'll fade, 'cause there is nobody else…"

"Damon!" Elena shouted over the music in complaint, but he still didn't stop.

"It's gotta be you! Only you! It's got to be you! Oh, only you!"

Glaring, she stormed out of the room and into the kitchen, leaning against the wall. She knew he was singing these songs for a reason now; they expressed how he felt about her. But it was making her feel awful. To know he felt this way? To make matters worse, the moron was still singing in the living room!

"I'll be here, by your side! No more fears, no more crying! But if you walk away, I know I'll fade, 'cause there is nobody else… it's gotta be you! Only you…!"

Glaring, Elena clutched the stereo remote tighter in her hand; two could play at this game. Storming into the living room, she switched the CD to something that suited her current mood a bit better. Finding the Avril Lavigne song she was looking for, she tossed the remote on the couch and started to sing, "Chill out! What'cha yelling for? Lay back, it's all been done before. And if you could only let it be, you would see! I like you the way you are, when we're driving in your car, and you're talking to me one on one, but you become somebody else, 'round everyone else. You're watchin' your back, like you can't relax. You try to be cool; you look like a fool to me! Tell me…!"

Damon raised a curious eyebrow at her, leaning against the wall and keeping quiet as she, appeared to, sing her heart out.

"Why'd you have to go and make things so complicated? I see the way you're acting like you're somebody else gets me frustrated! Life's like this you; well you fall, and you crawl, and you break, and you take what you get and you turn it into honesty! Promise me I'm never gonna find you fake it… no, no, no…"

Picking up the remote once Elena seemed to have blown off her steam, Damon switched the songs again.

"You are… my fire. The one… desire. Believe… when I say; I want it that way."

Elena gave him an exasperated look that clearly screamed, The Backstreet Boys? Seriously? But Damon just kept singing. As odd as the situation was, it was the most they'd ever truly talked about their relationship.

"But we… are two worlds apart. Can't reach to your heart. When you say… that I want it that way! Tell me why! Ain't nothing but a heartache… Tell me why! Ain't nothing but a mistake; tell me why. I never wanna hear you say! I want it that way!"

Elena sighed and shook her head, taking a seat on the couch again.

"Am I your fire? Your one desire?"

Elena gasped, her eyes wide, as Damon took her hand and pulled her to stand in front of him, gazing into her eyes. "Yes I know… it's too late. But I want it that way…"

"Tell me why! Ain't nothing but a heartache… tell me why! Ain't nothing but a mistake; tell me why. I never wanna hear you say; I want it that way!"

"Now I can see that we're falling apart… from the way that it used to be, yeah. No matter the distance, I want you to know, that deep down inside of me…!"

Elena blinked rapidly as Damon took her hand and placed it over his heart, giving it a gentle squeeze as he sang, "You are… my fire. The one… desire. You are… you are, you are, you are…"

She gasped yet again with shock as he twirled her out and into his arms, wrapping them around her waist and singing into her ear, "Don't wanna hear you say…! I never wanna hear you say… I want it that way! Tell me why! Tell me why! I never wanna hear you say! I want it that way! Tell me why…! Tell me why, I never wanna hear you say; I want it that way. 'Cause I want it that way…"

As the song ended, and the next track began to play, Elena remained motionless in Damon's arms, her heart beating rapidly in her chest as he panted in her ear, moving to nuzzle his face into her shoulder. "I think… we need… to talk…"

"Damon, please…" Elena whimpered. "I can't do this… I don't want to hurt you again…"

"Then don't," he begged. "Stefan is gone, Elena. He doesn't want to come back. It's just us now… why not?"

"Because he isn't gone, Damon!" Elena cried, pulling out of his arms and glaring. "Klaus has him brainwashed! As his brother, your number one priority should be getting him home, too; not seducing me with love songs!"

Glaring, tears in her eyes, she whirled and ran up the stairs, slamming the door to Stefan's room. Groaning, Damon sat down on the couch and flicked through songs again, dropping the remote and lying on his back, closing his eyes, singing softly, "He takes your hand, I die a little. I watch your eyes, and I'm in need of; why can't you look at me like that…?"

Fin