Damon watched as Elena's eyes drifted closed, unable to fight against her body's weakness.
"I've got you. You're going to be okay," he reassured her.
He looked to Jeremy, who had also noticed his sister's inability to stay awake and had quieted.
"I'll take her to bed."
Damon gently lifted Elena's prone form into his arms, cradling her close to him in order to avoid jostling her awake. He noticed some of the color was returning to her complexion and again he felt relief that Jeremy had called him. Unfortunately, the jarring red streams of blood still covered her face and coated her hair, serving as a reminder to the night's events.
Damon walked slowly to Elena's room, Jeremy trailing close behind, and as he crossed the threshold into her bedroom he turned to Jeremy.
"I've got it from here. Get some rest. We can talk about all of this in the morning."
"You're staying?"
"I'm going to stay with her through the night. Just to make sure nothing else happens."
"Okay. Good night then."
"Good night."
Damon gently laid Elena on her bed, her hair fanning out beneath her. She let out a small groan as he released her, obviously in discomfort. Damon moved toward the end of the bed and gently untied the Converse on her feet, sliding them off one at a time. She was still in her day clothes, and he wasn't about to cross any lines, so this would have to do. He grabbed a blanket from the foot of the bed and covered her with it, making sure the blanket was secure around her feet.
Damon walked to bathroom and retrieved a warm washrag. He gently cradled Elena's head as he did his best to wipe away the blood from her face and neck. He rinsed out the rag in the bathroom sink and came back to get what he could of the blood out of her hair. His next task was to wash away the paint from her body, which had nearly covered her arms.
With the blood and paint cleaned from her body and her small form resting in bed, Damon thought of how young she looked. Barely eighteen. And monsters after her blood. He took a seat in the chair by her bedside and let her heartbeat lull him to sleep.
Elena awoke to the soft light of the morning. Slowly the nights events began coming back to her.
Being constrained to a chair while Klaus drained her blood from both arms. Tyler helping her to get away. Klaus dying. A small party with her friends. Jeremy vowing his loyalty. Then pain. A brief moment in Damon's arms, his soft words, and then nothing...
Elena looked to her left and noticed the sleeping man in her chair, the light of the room igniting shadowy lines on his face and form. How had she gotten to bed? Had he stayed all night? Damon's eyes fluttered open, briefly disoriented by sleep, and his blues met her browns.
"Good morning, sunshine," he said as his smirk came out to greet her, all signs of sleepiness slipping away.
"Damon, what happened?"
"You tell me, sweetheart," he drawled back in response. "Jeremy found you on the floor of Aunt Jenna's room unconscious and bleeding, covered in paint. Have a disagreement about paint swatches?"
"No, it was my head. I remember now. I was painting and all of a sudden the pain in my head was so intense. I must have passed out."
"I'll say. You scared Jeremy half to death."
"Oh my gosh, Jeremy! Where is he?" She moved to step out of her bed, but her body still weak from the blood loss, she stumbled. Damon caught her before she hit the ground, his hands steadying her around her waist.
Damon placed her sitting, back on the bed.
"Elena, slow down. You're still not fully healed. Your body needs time to rest. Jeremy is asleep in the other room. I can hear his breathing through the doors. Just sit down awhile."
"I'm fine, Damon."
"Sure you are. Says the girl who can't even stand without keeling over. Your wounds may be healed, but your body still needs to recuperate. Stay put."
Elena sunk back into her covers, accepting defeat. Damon could be so damn stubborn.
"You hit your head yesterday when Klaus threw you across the room. I think that's what caused your accident last night. I knew we should have given you blood after all that you'd lost. I'm calling Meredith."
"Damon, you don't need to call her. I'm fine now. See?" She attempted to swing her legs over the side of the bed, but Damon beat her to it and had her pinned to the bed before she had time to even register his movement.
"Stay put," he said lowly. "I'm not taking no for an answer."