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I'm sorry for the really late update.. This week has been.. I guess you could say, bad. Real bad. So, I apologise for that. (: Thanks for sticking with it! This chapter is longer, I think. So, enjoy! Drop me a review? (; Thanks guys! I love ye! (: x


"No."

"Damon, please, if you just lis-"

"Did you not hear me, Elena?" Damon stepped away from her, trying in icy vain to cover up his initial shock "I said no." Elena followed his steps instantly, slinking beside him to slip between his arms again. "I did hear you," She returned, leaving a trace of the bitter fear she had been hiding lace through her words, "But I'm just asking you, asking you," She pleaded with him, standing on her toes to meet him at eye level, "to listen to me."

"I think you should go home," He turned away, grimacing against the pressure gathering in his chest. She slid her fingers around his waist and twined them around his front. "I didn't mean you had to do it now, Damon," She murmured against his cold skin. He sucked at the air and held it in deep, restraining himself. "I think you took that step over the edge and we can all call you insane now," He said, his jaw taut.

Elena pressed herself closer to him. "You don't know what you're asking for," He said tightly, ignoring her advances. He felt her stop breathing for a second, and then her arms untangled from his middle. "I guess you're right." She frowned, moving away from him to sit on the bed.

Damon sighed heavily and flexed his fingers, which had been locked in tight fists since Elena had voiced her request. He didn't want to face her again, for fear she'd kill him with her eyes and he give in to her. Just like that.

Despite himself,he turned on his feet to find her struggling into a pair of dark blue jeans, her face hidden under the thick curtain of chestnut hair. "What are you doing?" He asked, gesturing towards her and then crossing his arms across his chest. She glanced up at him -he cursed himself for the breath she stole- and blushed bright scarlet. "Going home," She said quietly, sliding her hands under her long tresses and pushing them over her shoulders. He cocked his head, "Why?" She huffed and tucked the long shirt she was wearing into the waistband of her jeans, biting her lip in the meantime to shield any emotions that beckoned to slip across her face, "You told me to."

Damon unfolded his arms stiffly and crossed the room smoothly to stand in front of her. "Elena," He said gently, "You don't have to leave." He held her soft gaze briefly, swallowing back the urge to give in to anything she asked of him. "I think it's better that I do," She considered her options for a long second before concluding that she needed to go.

Damon lifted his hand to touch her silky cheek but stopped an inch short. "I didn't mean it when I said that," He whispered to her, smirking at her unsteady breathing, "You shocked me. That's all." Elena felt the air catch in her throat as a result of the closeness of his fingers. It was almost like they were emitting a sweet aura that was making her mind twirl. "I.." She began, her eyes fixed on his pale white knuckles, "..think I should." She fought with her emotions and walked out of the room, leaving Damon staring after her.


Elena's Point of View.

"Elena?" Jenna stuck her head around the bedroom door, raising her eyebrows at her silent niece sitting cross-legged on the large bed. I raised my head, lifting my eyes from their vacant gaze at the wooden floor to meet her concerned stare, "Yeah?"

Jenna glanced cautiously around the room, before stepping around the door and closing it quietly behind her. "Anything you wanna talk about?" She approached the question with unease. Yes. I shook my head, clamping down on the bubble of words that were beginning to form on my dry lips. She nodded carefully, watching me with studying eyes, "Sure?" I aimed for a casual shrug, and ended up feeling like my shoulders had crumpled in on me. "I'm sure, Jenna," I tossed her a small fake smile and nodded my head, "I'm just tired." She frowned at me, her brow knitting together, "..I'll be downstairs if you need anything, 'kay?" She left the room, the closing door throwing a light wave of stale air from the hallway over my face.

I slid off the bed, feeling the curled knot in my chest begin to unfurl at the edges, threatening to smother me. What did you do, Elena? What about Stefan?

I felt myself melting into a messy puddle on the floor, one leg bent to my chest while the other lay flat. You just asked Damon Salvatore to change you into a vampire.

My fingers gripped the hair at my temple. You betrayed Stefan. You slept with Damon.

Memories of the night before twisted through my mind, mangling my rare logical thoughts and moulding them until they were putty in it's capable hands. Damon let me evade my life for a few short minutes. My life that I loathed with a hatred that continuously burned strong. He played with my heart strings, infuriated me beyond pure belief. But settled in his strong arms erected a feeling that was foreign to me. It was painstakingly sweet. It comforted me, let me know that I didn't always have to feign that sugary smile of mine so well.

I groaned into my hands, glaring at the mess spilling out before me. You love him. A voice in the back of my head laughed at me.

"Hey, Elena?" Oh.. God.

His voice sliced into me, but with my face enclosed safely in the cradle of my hands, he couldn't see my initial frown of shame.

I plastered on the all too familiar smile, and stood up, shaking myself a little. "Hey Stefan." His eyes widened at my badly concealed torn expression. "What happened?" He asked, concern darkening his light eyes. He walked towards me, picking my hands up and holding them tightly. I laughed quietly, avoiding his eyes and staring at the floor by my feet, "Um, nothing," I lied breathlessly through my teeth, "I just fell." I raised a shoulder and gave a half-hearted shrug.

He cocked his head to the right, eyeing my face curiously. I smiled shyly at him. "Okay." He smiled sadly back and pulled me to his chest. I breathed his forest-like scent in deeply, glad for the familiar comfort it lent me.

You don't deserve him.

The voice was right. I didn't.

The revelation brought with it a heavy weight on my shoulders. I sucked in air sharply, feeling it's heavy fingers press into me like a breathtaking fog. Stefan noticed, peeling himself from my locked grip on him and leaning away to glance at my face.

"What is it, Elena..?"

I shook my head weakly, unable to form a sentence. His brow furrowed in concern again. "I.." My breath caught as tears began to threaten to leak through my eyes and break onto my cheeks. He pulled me to him again, holding my head to his shoulder. His gentle fingers braided through my hair carefully.

"Sh," He murmured urgently in my ear, "Don't cry."

My fists gripped onto the fabric of his shirt while I fought the tears. "I'm sorry." I struggled to say, their persuasive demeanour chipping into my calm exterior. Stefan held me silently, his hands stilling on my back. "What're you saying sorry for?" He said against my neck. My answer tangled in my throat and tumbled out of my mouth as a quiet sob.

"Is this about your family not being safe?" He asked, taking my face carefully from the nest in his shoulder and holding it between his hands. His face was an open book of concern, his thumbs lightly stroking along my cheekbones. He looked fit to break down and cry with me, "Talk to me, Elena."

I curled my cold fingers around his hands at my face and drew them away, "I.. I need to be alone right now, Stefan," I ignored the cracking of my voice, and brushed aside the hurt in his eyes, "I'll talk to you later." His jaw tightened slightly, but he nodded smoothly. "Call me if you need anything," He breathed, kissing my cheek. I thanked him silently, hoping he could see it in my eyes, and watched him leave the room.

Picking myself together, I gripped the duvet spread on my bed to stay upright. My knees were beginning to shake, my betrayal weaving it's way through me and cutting me apart. I bit down on my quivering bottom lip and fell into the bed, curling my knees up to my chest.


"Hey, sweet cheeks."

The voice startled me out of my restless sleep. My eyes opened, blinking into the deep blackness surrounding me. I struggled to make out any nameable shapes in it.

"Over here."

A gasp evaded the barrier of my lips and I jumped to the side a little. The voice chuckled darkly beside me, causing my heart to twist again.

"Damon?" I asked foggily, breaking through the haziness of sleep.

"That's my name."

I could almost hear the grin in his voice. "What're you doing here?" I asked him, squinting to see his face. His silent laughter shook the sturdy bed, "I came to see you, of course," I felt an arm wrap around my shoulders and pull me closer to him, "You left this morning." I let him clear my head of my previous brooding, enjoying just being with him alone while I could.

"I had to sort things out," I said quietly, letting my fingers crawl across the hard muscles of his stomach, stopping when I had him hugged across the middle. His breathing stuttered for a brief second at my touch and I bit back the urge to smile proudly.

"You could've came back," His arm flexed around me and I felt his chin settle atop my head. "It was worth the wait," I countered, wanting to keep him talking so I could fall asleep to the lull of his deep voice, "It's fun to mess with you when you're all fired up." The muscles in his chest and stomach stretched taut and I bit my lip, guessing at the twists he was making with my words in his head. "Not like that, of course," I half whimpered into him, turning my head into his shoulder to hide my embarrassment.

"Hm.."

"Damon?" I asked timidly.

"Mhm?"

"Is coming to see me really the only reason you came?" I heard the undertone of hope seeping into my casual words.

"Mhm."

I sighed contently, turning my face back into his side and closing my eyes. "Can I go to sleep now, seeing as you disturbed me?" His warm lips brushed against my forehead, lingering on the skin there for a moment, "Mhm." I felt his lips turn up into a smile.

"Is that all I'm going to get out of you tonight, hm?"

I felt his fingers of his free hand slip under the hem of the heavy jumper I was wearing. "Possibly," His voice was low in my ear, his hand moving to slide under the second layer of my clothing and meeting the skin of my back. I froze in his arms, his fingers sending cold shivers raking through my body. He chuckled blackly, taking his fingers from me and releasing me from his intoxicating spell. He tightened his arms and drew me up closer to him.

"Now you can go to sleep," He smirked, running his finger lightly across my lips. I nodded, hiding my flushed cheeks from his melting stare.

Seconds before drifting into unconsciousness, I sat upright abruptly. Damon was startled, his face strained as he listened for something that he wasn't yet hearing surprisingly. "About this morning," I mumbled, crawling until I was sitting right by him. The space between us erected ropes, bribing me to collapse into his ready arms, but I wrestled them, wanting to get say what needed to be said as soon as possible, "I'm sorry I sprung that on you." He watched me studiously.

"Don't worry." Flipping me over onto my back, he climbed on top of me. His knees sank into the bed on both sides of my hips while he hovered above me temptingly. His lips curved into a victorious smirk. He bent down to my neck, pausing a tiny breath from my skin. My pulse was jumping all over the place, and I fought with the spoonfuls of lust that were being handfed to me. "Nonetheless," My words hitched and cracked, "I'm sorry." He groaned and covered my lips with his own, breathing a sweet haze into my head.

My fingers crept up his back and secured around his shoulders. His kiss became deeper, moving his hands from their grip around my wrists and returning to slipping under my clothing. I followed his lead, trailing my fingers under his shirt. He shuddered slightly at my advance.

"I think I'll go back to replying with one syllables," He taunted me, removing his hands from under my clothes. Before rational thought could make an appearance, I grabbed onto his withdrawing hands, allowing him no room for escape. "Please," I pleaded with him, squeezing my eyes shut, "Don't." He grinned widely at me, his bright eyes soft and playful, "I like this you," He approved, kissing my mouth softly, "But, you need to sleep." He lounged back onto the bed, ankles crossed.

I moaned and turned away, mumbling curses lethargically under my breath.

"I think it might work."

I curled into my pillow, yawning so wide that it hurt my jaw, "What might?" He caught my shoulder gently and turned me towards him. He was wearing one of those deep in thought stares. His face was stony and unreadable. I blinked slowly, realising the hardening of his eyes wasn't just my eyes playing tricks in the nonexistent light. Waiting patiently for him to continue, I twined my fingers with his free hand.

"I think it might work," He said again, his breath shaky, "If we turned you." I stared incredulously at him, my eyebrows lifting. "Into a vampire, I mean," He finished quietly, his icy stare sliding to catch mine.

He caught me off guard. I knew it had been just a spur of the moment, impulsive thought when I asked him. But now that he had clearly thought it through, I wasn't even sure if I wanted it.

I breathed deeply, bracing myself for his reaction when I turned him down.

"I say we do it tonight," He grinned wolfishly. And my refusal died on my lips. Cold fear began dripping through my system. Hell.


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