Elena rocked baby Stefan and he sounded like he was almost asleep as they floated in the water. She felt such calm in her heart and mind as the waves gently lapped up and down against their bodies. Damon's smooth, hard chest, his arms around her and their baby made him feel like a wall of safety around them.
He was theirs, for the rest of her human life and she was in awe of his strength, despite being a vampire and all the power that had given him. His human strength, his character, the way he loved her and was so in love with their baby and how he worked so hard to be the best husband and father he could be, paled in comparison to his previous self.
She rested in the familiar calm of those strong arms around her, allowing the stresses of the day to fade away; hoping Stefan would sleep enough, rushing to pack up everything, racing in her head to not forget anything they needed for their first trip to the beach as a family of 3.
Elena had been worried, on top of everything else about what to wear and trying to push aside her feelings about her body changing so much. The young mother wanted to enjoy this day with her little family and focus on them and not her.
So in that moment with Damon's arms around her, she shut her eyes and let it all go. All the stress and worry and fatigue of the last few days or even weeks that she had been holding on and being strong.
Before she realized it Elena had tears slipping down her face, the small drops sliding down in tiny trails. Her emotions had been so up and down the last few months. Mainly once Stefan started teething and how much harder it had been to get him to sleep. She had even told Damon things were great some nights when they were far from it, just to get him to stay at work when she knew they needed him just as much at home. She knew he had known and could always see it on her face when she was struggling with anything, but the two parents were always too exhausted to talk about it or they tried and were interrupted by their baby's needs coming first.
Elena had tried to mimic Damon's amazing ability to put their son to sleep. She loved the cuddle times with Stef and would treasure just holding him to her chest as she rocked. With the sound machine on she would hold their baby for hours when he wasn't happy, nursing and rocking him to his favorite song.
She knew she should have told her husband how hard some of those nights had been, being awake for so long, or even barely sleeping when he did cause he was sleeping on her and she was scared of him squirming and falling. Or if they were laying down she was scared of rolling on him. She was worried too of nursing him and falling asleep and him not being able to breath. Elena worried about anything and everything and yet still wanted to be strong and push through it and show Damon that she could take care of Stefan by herself. After all she was the one that was home on leave from work and he still had the business to run. She knew his job was important too and he couldn't just take off from the restaurant anytime she called.
Elena sniffled up the tears the second she felt them on her cheek and moved to wipe them away. But her husband bent down, spinning around gently to face her in the water. His gorgeous blue eyes looked full of questions as she shook her head, her eyes falling to their sleeping son. Damon was silent in his inquisition but she knew he would ask her about it. She couldn't hide and pretend nothing was wrong. He knew her too well and she loved that about him. She knew he had let it go too many times already seeing her like this. And he would ask her what else he could do, even if he hated the answer, because he loved her and wanted her to be happy.
Carefully Damon helped her stay steady as they made their way out of the water and back up the beach. Kneeling down she draped the thinnest baby blanket on their angel as Damon quickly popped open the little sun shade they had brought and set it up around all three of them. She made a make shift bed of towels and a few soft blankets that she motioned silently for Damon to lay on the floor of the little tent as she cradled the baby against her shoulder, careful not to move too much.
Elena slowly laid their tired sweetheart down, covering him with only the thinnest blanket. He was holding the corner tight in his little fist and before he could open his eyes more Elena gave him his soother as she rubbed his tummy. He was out faster than at home, his deeper breaths could he heard from where she had laid down beside him, his little feet kicking off the blanket and pressed against her face as she kissed his toes as his eyes fell closed. The young mom let out a deep breath herself seeing that moving him to the blankets had not woken him much and she was so glad.
She knew her and Damon needed to talk. And if their baby was actually giving them time then now was as good a time as any. Her husband had stayed quiet as they got Stefan settled but now was laying down on his side, his arm propping up his head and she knew he was waiting for her.
Elena swallowed the lump in her throat, knowing she was going to make this worse first, but did it anyway and reached in their bag, pulling out a black sheer printed type dress and slipped it over her head, hiding her body from him...again.
She didn't miss the frustrated sigh that escaped her husband's parted lips but he didn't say anything, at least right then as she leaned up checking on Stef again, pulling the blanket more over his bare legs that had kicked it off before.
Damon snuggled in behind her even as she was still focused on their baby and brushed feather light kisses down her neck, and across her collarbone, above the dress that now prevented him from kissing further down her bare body. Elena felt her breath catch as he pulled the dress down kissing along her spine till he had to let go and reluctantly kiss her on top of the sheer fabric. His hands slid down her bare arms to cradle her waist as she lay on her side away from him.
She shut her eyes slowly, knowing what he wanted and it wasn't to kiss her through her dress, especially at the beach. She scrunched up her face, mad at herself and her actions before turning around to face the puzzled expression on her husband's handsome face.
He smiled, like the kind and understanding man he was, even though Elena could see that this was hard on him too. Her very clear insecurities were taking center stage and there was no baby to distract her from finally talking to him about this, and she knew he was waiting for her to bring it up.
They stared at each other silently for a minute, Elena struggling to begin a conversation they should have had a long time ago.
"See I told you he would love it," Damon whispered, breaking the silence, but not with what they needed to talk about. He glanced above their heads and she saw Stefan's arms had fallen back, his hands open in peaceful sleep. When Elena looked back down she saw Damon's eyes searching hers.
The brunette was nodding and smiling in agreement, her fingers up stroking her husband's cheek, playing in the hair at the base of his neck. "He did. I'm just so glad we could get him to sleep."
Damon smoothed a lock of her wet hair from her cheek, his eyes so wide, the blue just a thin rimmed circle from his pupils that was full and dark. "Mmm hmm, me too," he groaned, leaned in, dipping his tongue between her lips, spinning her under him on the blanket.
She whimpered, tasting him and tugging at his hair by his ear before she pulled his head down harder, kissing him back just as hungrily. Elena knew he was testing her, to see what she would let him do. She wanted to let go and just let his hands explore. She wanted him to see her in the light and felt a shiver down her spine as his warm palm slid down her side, His other hand held his full weight off her and he slowly edged the sheer dress up over her hips, his fingers featherlight on the bare skin he found.
She could do it. She knew this had nothing to do with doubting his love at all. It was all her. She was the one that didn't like what pregnancy had done to her. She didn't even fully believe her own head and thoughts. Her hormones were making everything so much more complicated.
Maybe it had nothing to do with her body at all? Maybe this was just the rambling thoughts of her hormones and exhaustion talking. But despite her determination to let him explore her, she did stiffen slightly at his touch and he pulled back.
Elena watched him shake his wet hair from his eyes before leaning to rest his forehead to hers. "Tell me..." he breathed against her cheek. "You know there is never anything that would change how much I love you. So please talk to me...What can I do?" he pleaded, his eyes wide and focused on hers.
She drew in a deep breath knowing she had to open up to him. "I don't know what you can do Damon," she whimpered. "I believe you. I do know you love me. I don't doubt that at all. It's me. I'm struggling to accept my new normal. At least the normal I am now. I trust you Damon. But then I see 'this' when I get out of the shower or now out of the ocean and all the stupid insecurities come rushing back."
Elena sat up, slow enough not to disturb the sleeping infant but fast enough for Damon to startle before he sat up too. She proceeded to shove the sheer dress till just below her chest and show her husband the ribbons of broken skin along the sides of her belly and how squishy and wrinkled her whole stomach was. She knew he had seen it a few times but she had covered up with a towel quickly or a blanket or she loved wearing his shirts and they were always long enough to hide any of her stretch marks. This was the first time she was letting him explore her changed body in the light of day.
Damon had always been careful, more tender in touching her there anytime they had been intimate in the dark in their bed, but now she was finally letting him see her, trusting him with her fears as unfounded as she herself thought they were.
She looked up into his wide blue eyes as he slowly pulled her in to kiss the crown of her head. She watched him move back and shift his body lower til he was hovering above her bare stomach. His finger traced lightly over one of the thicker, white lines in her skin at the side of her hip. Elena was watching him and she felt her heart racing more at his touch, but this time she didn't pull away.
They needed to talk too but letting him touch and kiss her there was saying a lot without words and she knew it.
She loved that he was being so sensitive and understanding of her crazy emotions and insecurities. He used to tell her straight out how he felt about anything. They could be raw and honest and real with each other and she loved that about them.
But this baby and all the changes in her had made her more sensitive and she was so glad he understood that and didn't view it as a weakness. He knew she felt different about herself and he wasn't going to just call her on it the way they used to talk.
Damon lowered his mouth down to the whitish skin that spread from her belly and down her hip and thigh. His eyes were on hers like he had a thousand things to say at the moment but instead of uttering a single word, his lips fell to tenderly kiss the damaged skin, following its path down her body.
Her heart was pounding in her chest and to her surprise she wasn't pulling away from his tongue on her scars. It felt good, cleansing, like a release of pain that was let free to soar up into the clouds never to find her again. Her one hand slid down from his forehead to tuck a strand of hair behind his ear, before gripping the back of his neck and actually pulled his mouth closer against her skin.
Anytime he would try to kiss her there before, even in the dark she would pull him back up to her mouth and not let him continue. She would distract him by even going down on him and making him writhe and moan at the feel of her mouth on him. He always tried again the next time but wordlessly she pulled him back up and he let her, till today he finally said something about her pulling away from him.
Elena didn't realize how much she missed him exploring, tasting and kissing her all over. It felt incredible and she let out a moan of bliss. Her eyes still watched him as he kissed down till where the mark was hidden under her bikini bottom before lifting his head, moving back up to her stomach to kiss and suck another mark between his lips. Her fingers clenched behind his head as he repeated the tender ministrations till every mark on both sides of her hips and belly had been taken in his mouth and lovingly tended to.
Some of her scars even felt sensitive and tingled where his mouth had fallen, while others were slightly painful when he sucked on them. But she was proud that she hadn't pulled away and instead let him revel in her. Seeing the peace and contentment on his face made any little bit of fear that tried to creep back up melt away at the feel of his kisses.
Their baby was still sound asleep above their heads and she swallowed thickly as he finished kissing the last stretch mark before trailing his lips slowly back up from her thigh, pausing to suck in the skin of her bellybutton. They had some privacy with the sun shade covering them unless someone walked right up in front of them but she knew he wasn't going to be in any way inappropriate on a public beach. They were responsible now and she didn't even like being intimate with their baby in the same room.
Damon's soft voice floated through the air, his words barely a whisper against her skin. "You feel incredible Elena. Your skin tastes salty and yet so fucking sweet on my tongue." He trailed kisses all around her belly, his lips peppering the loose wrinkly skin with more kisses. "Thank you for letting me be with you like this again." His eyes were locked on hers as his tongue darted out again. "I missed you," he breathed against her belly.
Elena felt her throat dry and she struggled to swallow, feeling the heat of his gaze on her in that moment. She nodded wordlessly, biting into her bottom lip before she pulled her eyes from his, her head falling back as his fingers pulled her belly up closer to his lips.
This was what they needed.. what she needed. She needed to trust him and that nothing would ever change how much he loved her. She knew too that these marks could be like stripes of honor and she had heard other women say they wore them with pride. She wanted to feel that way and knew it probably would only take time.
Watching Damon, with his mouth, his tongue on her loose and wrinkly belly with his eyes closed in what looked like pure bliss, was everything she needed. That image was washing away the worry and the fears like the waves she could see washing up and down on the shore in front of her.
Damon wanted to soothe her fears. He believed her that it wasn't about him. He had read a few postpartum books himself during some of those long nights holding their baby asleep in his arms. He knew everything she was feeling was normal and would just take time to overcome. Her body was flooded with hormones and had been through one of the most challenging experiences a human could survive.
Waiting, being patient and letting her come back to him at her own pace was all he could do. He had tried to reassure her by kissing down her body, telling her he loved her whenever they had the rare time to be intimate. But she had to love herself again and come to her own conclusions in her time.
His beautiful wife had winced and pulled back the first time he had kissed her breast and even tasting the milk and he saw her cringe that he would hate it. He had to admit it was different and new but nursing was a decision they both were more than happy with and it was a part of her. He had shown her that he was okay with the changes, the new tastes that were his girl.
Now however she had after more than 6 months let him kiss and pay attention to the parts of her that had changed. He was in awe of her strength and could see the worry in her eyes still but she was fighting it and trusting him despite it. She did not know how strong she really was and he was so happy to be a part of this journey with her.
Sure physically she had changed, emotionally too and it was all to bring his precious son into this world. Her body still called to him just as it had before they went on this crazy and even unplanned journey to become human parents. He could feel each shiver and every movement she made. He reveled in being able to see her like this and touch her in the light of day.
Damon focused his heavy lidded gaze on her belly now and not her eyes, taking in the soft and squishy loose skin that had accommodated their baby. He kissed and sucked all over her now flatter belly that had been so full with his baby barely half a year ago, till that cold winter Christmas night.
He was in heaven that she was finally allowing him to worship her body the way he loved to do and had missed so much. Damon heard her sigh and he lifted his eyes to lock back onto hers as he kissed up the salty skin in the valley between her breasts. He held his weight off her, leaning mostly on his side and had slowly tugged the lace cover up higher as he kissed her.
Now he had paused, his eyes seeking answers from her, answers he needed so badly so that he knew what she was thinking about what he had just done. They needed to talk. He knew it would help, she just had to trust him in that too.
"Elena," he breathed out finally not being able to take another second of the heavy silence between them. He could count on his son waking up 9 times out of 10, anytime they needed to talk about something this important, but to his surprise Stefan was still sleeping deeply.
"Elena, please..." he pleaded, his eyes locked on hers. She swallowed thickly again.
"Damon, can you just...hold me..." she began, her voice trembling.
He nodded instantly. "You never have to ask Elena. I'm always here, however you need me." Damon moved up closer, lifting his arm and pulled her in against his chest. She sat up more first and pulled the cover up over her head to toss it aside, before leaning back down and slipping in under his shoulder. She whimpered as she buried her head against the hard planes of his muscles. He felt her hand slide across his stomach to curl around his body.
They were laying on the blanket, and Damon could feel the warm sand between his toes. She hadn't pulled a towel over her or wrapped her shirt or anything to hide her body from him and just lay there in her red bikini, her body curled in against his.
His mind was racing. It was such a huge step that she let him see the stretch marks and the wrinkled loose skin on her belly; what pregnancy did to her young body. And now she was laying against him in nothing but her bikini. She was slowly coming back to him.
Damon knew nothing physical that had changed had to be permanent, if she didn't want it to be. They both could exercise more and go for walks and she could have fit into her jeans that she loved the most again.
He had seen her angrily and tearfully toss them in the closet one day when he was supposed to be at work but he didn't bring it up, slipping back down the hall before she saw him. He wasn't about to push her at all about anything. They both hardly got any sleep as it was and exercise and even the thought of getting up earlier sounded insane right now.
Eating better too was a far cry from reality when after a long night of rocking Stefan or dealing with his next new tooth or projectile vomiting took all their energy. Then a bowl of cereal was sometimes all the energy either of them could muster.
Sure he could get her food from the restaurant more often too and he did when he could but he knew there was more important things than eating better and staying fit right now. Namely the little boy snoring just above their heads.
He actually thought he might have put on a few pounds lately, the horror! He had stifled the chuckle he felt building in his throat. Drinking now too was not just going right through him like it had when he was a vampire. So he was seeing some ever so slight changes in his human body too. Just not as drastically as she saw with herself.
He took in a deep breath and determined to at least try to say something that would reassure her. "Elena, can you look at me?" He felt her shifting around in his embrace till her glassy eyes met his. She was quiet but he knew she was doing her best with all of this. He had even began stroking up and down her side as he held her and she hadn't pulled his hand back from her body. He began to absently draw circles on the skin of her lower back as she looked up at him.
"Elena do you think I see you differently?" His voice was soft and he hoped soothing as he gazed deep in her eyes.
She bit her lip and slowly nodded her head at him with a resigned sigh. "I see myself differently, so there is this stupid doubt, these thoughts that I constantly push away that I think you might. I know it's stupid, I do."
He let out a deep breath and stroked his finger down her cheek. "I don't see what you see baby. I see you." he said with a hint of frustration in his tone. He wanted her to hear him and see past her tired, defeated thoughts.
"I see that you gave up your body to make room for our child. We have 'our sunshine' because of you and all those nights and mornings throwing up, all the pain and swollen ankles and sore muscles, you always said were worth it cause we would have a baby soon. And we did." He put the finger under her chin and tilted it up so they could both see their baby sleeping soundly above them.
He pulled his body up to sitting, and she sat up with him, her head resting gently on his shoulder as he held her. Her nearly bare back was against his chest and he felt her breath pick up. He moved her hair to one side and pressed his lips to her bare shoulder.
"Elena," he continued, nuzzling his mouth to the hollow of her throat. "I didn't think I could love you more than the night we finally saw each other again after so long when you came back to me from the sleeping beauty curse. But then I loved you even more watching you walk up the aisle to me on our wedding day. And then still more when we found out we were going to have a baby." Her head had leaned to his shoulder and he saw her looking up at him from the corner of his eye.
Damon nuzzled in closer, his lips by her ear. "There was this moment, like it could have been frozen in time. Back at the cabin in the snowstorm when you were holding my hand so tight and then you just fell back in my arms all sweaty and your hair sticking to your face. That moment when you were panting and groaning to push our baby out."
He pressed a kiss to her hair by her ear, breathing heavily. "God Elena, you had never looked more beautiful to me. Right then, fighting all the pain to birth our baby." His mind took him back to that time and he could still see her face, so full of determination and fight awash with the exhaustion of labor.
"I have loved you more with each moment we have had with our baby. Watching your smile as I held him the first time, seeing your sleepy expressions when you rocked him to sleep, watching you two bond as you learned to nurse him. I loved you more and more with every new experience we shared."
She didn't look at him now but he could feel she was letting go...ready to let her walls down, trusting him with her insecure thoughts. "I love you too Damon. So so much." He could feel a but coming and not for lack of love, but her lack of loving herself.
"But you see my body after having our baby and I feel like I got run over by a truck. That I just have to live with what I got left with. I want to see it differently and I'm trying too. I really am."
Her voice was shaking now and he wanted to comfort her but he knew she needed to get this out.
"I keep pushing them away but these are the thoughts I have that I don't even believe. That I'm not the girl you fell in love with all those years ago. I'm not beautiful like Katherine was. I'm not the doppelganger everyone wanted and I'm just a mom without even a job now. I miss being a doctor or becoming one since I've been on leave from the hospital. I miss saving people. I'm not even a vampire that can heal instantly. It's so stupid to want to heal instantly but I could before and now I can't."
She sighed in clear frustration, slowly reached for the cover up and pulled it back on, not seeing the sadness on his face at the demons of her thoughts winning again. He hoped he could help her with his words and his touch, his love, but she still wanted to hide her body. But she was starting to share with him so he wanted to take whatever she was offering.
Damon watched her pulling the sleeve of her cover up in her fist and he stayed quiet, even though he was glad she didn't see that his mouth had nearly fallen open at her mentioning being jealous of Katherine. That was crazy!
"I know it's stupid and my hormones still feel all over the place." She laughed, her eyes still avoiding his. "You probably think I'm nuts even thinking about wanting to look like Katherine, but I can't help how I feel Damon. I don't want to feel like this but I do! I'm scared of all the change. I'm scared that I liked being a vampire, all strong and indestructible and not hardly needing sleep. Full of power and unending energy."
He heard her swallow sobs as more tears fell and he ached to make everything right again.
"I'm so tired all the time Damon!" his wife cried out softly. "I feel like the living dead without the magic healing and you already do SO much and I know we are in this together and I love our life and our baby, our family. But I just..." Her head fell to her knees she had now tucked up in front of them and he cradled her closer, rubbing his hands down her arms.
"I just... tell myself every morning I am going to get up and exercise, go for a walk, before Stefan is even awake. I used to love jogging and I miss it and I know it would help my stomach get tighter again. But every morning I bail and I stay in bed, snuggled up to you just a bit longer, or I want just a few more minutes of sleep after Stef nursed as slow as ever just an hour before. I want to fix it but I just give up!"
He opened his mouth again but she was not done, the floodgates seeming to be open and the emotions now crashing to the surface.
"I knew you wanted me to wear this today Damon," she sniffled, indicating her red bikini and wiped her hand to hide any tears. "So I did. But standing in front of the mirror I hated that I could see my stomach fat literally curl over the waistband. I hate that I know how to fix at least some of my body but I'm just too weak. So it's easier to hide in the dark when you want me and then I don't have to see it or see if you hate it as much as I do."
He was shaking his head faster and faster at the last things she spoke and he turned her more around in his lap. "Never," he breathed out. "I could never hate anything about you. And you think you are weak?" He could hardly believe it as she nodded meekly.
Damon cupped her face in his hands. "Elena Salvatore, you are the strongest woman I have ever known!" He was almost shaking her now. "You gave birth to our son with no pain killers, nothing to numb that excruciating pain. You cringed at watching the hospital birthing videos during our prenatal classes and you buried your head in my shoulder making me very aware how you didn't want to go though it medication free."
Elena laid her head down against him, her eyes still studying him intently as he continued and he thought he saw a hint of a smile on her parted lips.
"You have held our baby for hours, your muscles must be like steel I think sometimes, watching you ignore yourself to soothe him. You carried him for nearly 9 months and worked at the hospital till a few weeks before was born. You still find time to make me meals sometimes and have coffee made, cause God knows this human body didn't know how important coffee was till he wasn't immortal anymore." He chuckled at her teasing him how desperate he became for his morning coffee to survive his day at the restaurant and with all the responsibilities as a husband and father.
"Your body fed our baby Elena and despite you throwing up so much and barely keeping anything down for months he was growing in you strong and healthy, taking from you what he needed to grow. You tossed and turned and could hardly move sometimes and slept with far too many pillows and yet you still got up the next day, sometimes giving me the few precious minutes you could have slept more so you could satisfy me with a morning quickie. You have sacrificed so much. Your body stretched to keep up with our baby growing and I don't see those marks as ugly Elena..."
Damon paused drawing in another breath, seeing her eyes teary and locked on his. "I see them showing your beauty and your incredible strength. I see them as marks of life being lived to the fullest, our human life together."
He was stroking up and down one mark at a time on her exposed hip as he held her in his arms, her head against his shoulder. "There is nothing sexier than my beautiful wife in her raw and gorgeous humanity, and I am in awe of all that your body is capable of. Those marks show your determination and selflessness and that is something to be treasured. Something truly beautiful, and brave. You let that baby take over and stretch and grow and push your limits and you did it so he could come into this world Elena. You gave up so much to give me...me...an arrogant selfish, vampire that never dared to dream I could be a father…"
Damon felt a tear slip down his cheek as he was so wrapped up in his emotional plea to her. "You gave me everything...You gave me you... and you gave me a son Elena. You and Stef mean the world to me."
She was sitting up more in his arms and leaned in and Damon closed his eyes slowly and moaned as he felt her lips touch his. He lifted his head back up. "I would trade places with you in an instant. I would take the marks, the imperfections on myself I would..."
Elena started shaking her head and he sniffled up more tears wanting to fall as he felt her stroke his cheek. "No, its okay Damon. Really," she mumbled. "I think I understand more than I ever did before." She sniffled more. "I never thought of it that way or any of the ways you said."
She pointed ahead of them turning more in his arms. "I don't even believe it but my thoughts are telling me I miss being like that..." her voice trailed off.
Damon saw where she was pointing, indicating a group of teenagers that were playing volleyball. A young brunette with a striking body jumped up and slammed the ball down on the other side, jumping and squealing to her teammates, her shorts so short on her slim and tanned legs. Her belly was tight too and he saw Elena looking longingly back at her.
"What... do you mean you like that?" Damon scoffed and pulled her head away from them. "C'mon Elena, that isn't real. Those kids have just as much insecurity as you do right now even with tight young bodies. They don't even know who they are yet or what they want to become. I much prefer this..." And he zeroed in on a family just a short ways from them on their own blanket.
Damon saw the father giving a little boy belly kisses, making the boy shriek with laughter. The mom stood up and walked a few steps past the blanket and sat back down beside a little girl kissing her cheek and helping her with her sandcastle. The girl couldn't be more than 5 or 6 and her mom had a light orange bikini on and when she stood up Damon could see the white marks all down her belly like stripes and the loose skin around it. The woman turned to a whistle and the man blew her a kiss and she beamed and blew it back only for the little boy to steal it from his daddy and run up to his mommy's arms.
Elena was watching, mesmerized as he turned her head more again. "And this..."
Next he saw a woman straightening a scarf that almost blew away and the man she was with caught it before it did. She was bald beneath and the man helped her secure it around her head before bending to wrap his arms around her and the couple just lay in each others embrace.
"And this..." He saw another breathtaking scene. She saw the teenagers and young adults all perfect in their physique but she needed to look deeper…
He steered her eyes to a man and woman just to their right. Damon saw scars all down the man's face and neck. He had been in a fire, burned badly and yet his smile at the woman he was with was awe inspiring. They were clinking glasses, toasting to something and he took the glass from her hand and she gazed lovingly at him.
Damon nearly gasped aloud as he saw before the woman did that the man untucked a small black box from his back pocket...a ring. The man held it up as he stood up and knelt to one knee on the blanket.
Elena sharp intake of breath he could hear clearly as she curled her arm around his and sniffled.
No words were needed in this moment. The scene in front of them was speaking volumes.
The woman almost jumped in the mans arms and accepted his proposal and they watched them hug and then kiss passionately as a few people around them clapped and they did too, quietly careful not to disturb their sleeping son.
His eyes caught sight of one more… "And my favorite..." he turned her more to a couple who had just been walking by on the beach and paused to smile and clap for the newly engaged couple. Damon could see the wedding rings and saw the husband help his wife with his arm up so she could hold tight to him as they continued walking.
They must have been in their 80's or so and caught his gaze toward them and smiled politely. The old woman even gave a little wave. They continued on, the mans wrinkled hand reaching for hers and she laid her head on his shoulder. He was mostly bald with a small sprinkling hair high on his head. The wife's hair was brilliant white and flowed back behind them like a magical curtain.
Damon bent his head to Elena's, his breath against her skin. "I want that to be us someday Elena...more in love than ever, supporting each other, growing old together and embracing the changes as tightly as they are embracing each other. I want that… with you."
She looked up at him, her eyes shining and tears slipping down her cheeks. She put her hand on his and lifted their joined hands to stroke down her belly, over the loose skin and white marks. "I want that too Damon...with you."
A loud cry came from close by as Stefan woke up and was already squirming and fussing. Elena scooted out of his arms, but not before placing a soft kiss on Damon's forehead and then reached for the baby. She passed him to his daddy and Damon took their son from his wife as he made faces at him and kissed his little belly. He changed him while Elena got ready, tugging her clothes aside and in minutes she was nursing him.
Damon started getting food from the cooler after his stomach rumbled. It was well past lunch time. They had been so wrapped up in each other to have eaten before when their baby was sleeping and he now started getting ingredients for sandwiches out and the bottle of juice and fruit salad.
The older couple came over as Stefan pulled away from his meal and Damon watched as Elena smiled at them and the lady oohed and ahhed over their little boy, bending down to kneel on the blanket to offer her small bony finger to the baby. Elena sat him up and Stefan grabbed it and made more burbling sounds as he smiled at the old lady.
"Enjoy it dear," Damon overheard the woman say to his wife. "Every day seems to go on forever, but the time passes so quickly," she continued.
Oh how right she was. Elena was nodding. The older man nodded to Damon and helped his wife back up.
"How long have you two been married," he found himself asking the couple.
"Oh 65 wonderful years," the woman said while laying her head on her husbands chest. "Full of every heart break and joy imaginable, love and laughter and pain and tears and loss and so much life and happiness. I wouldn't change anything for the world."
"We almost lost my sweet Eleanor when she gave birth to our first when we were probably not much older than you are", the older man said sadly and moved his head to kiss his wife. "I treasured everything more after that. Every trial or trouble I was thankful she was still there with me to face together."
Damon saw Elena smiling more at the lovely couple and he smiled back as she stood up and passed the baby to him.
The old lady smiled again. "Oh he's is going to be a heart breaker when he grows up isn't he? With such beautiful parents how couldn't he be?" Damon saw Elena blush at that and nod to the woman in thanks.
"Never lose that love look you both have. Hang onto each other, trust in your love and you can make it through anything," Eleanor said with a twinkle in her eyes.
The couple left as quickly as they came and Damon smiled cuddling Stef to his chest. She sure was right...all they needed was faith in each other.
He watched, his mouth slowly falling open as Elena lifted up the cover up and pulled it over her head to toss down on the blanket. She shook her hair out and smiled, at him and he beamed back at her.
She walked in just her bikini over to the cooler and began to make up the sandwiches from the ingredients he set out. She motioned him to come back closer and leaned in to kiss him.
"We can get through anything together..." she breathed as she let go of his bottom lip. And he nodded numbly holding their baby against his chest.
Yes they definitely could…
Elena was smiling widely at him. "And maybe we should get a sitter tonight Damon and dance like we did on our honeymoon..."
Oh hell yeah, he knew what that meant…
"And enjoy a hot tub… by bright candlelight..."
Damon felt a lump growing in his throat as another part of him started growing too. "Elena..." he breathed out heavily, already hardly thinking he could wait till that night.
Elena looked back at him with equal heat in her eyes. "I trust you Damon. I want to love this body and believe I am strong and brave."
"You are..." he rasped out. "You have no idea how strong you are." Damon shifted the baby to his other shoulder as his wife passed him a grape in his mouth and he sucked her finger between his lips.
"I'm yours Damon and I'm not going to be afraid anymore, lights on or in the daytime...making love on the hood of your car. I can get past this fear...as long as we're together."
Damon felt his throat get raw as so many delicious images of her came to mind. He couldn't wait… He leaned his forehead to hers feeling his heart pounding harder. "What are we still doing here?" he asked her in complete seriousness, his blue eyes wide and dark with lust.
Elena giggled and he wanted to just scoop her up in his arms and run her to the car and take her in the bright sun just like she said. They hadn't been that daring and adventurous in far too long.
He cleared his throat. "Call Melissa, and see if she can watch Stef at their place while Troy closes up. He said they had no plans today… and you know how much his wife loves our baby, especially since they are trying for one of their own."
Elena looked surprised but she had started this train of lustful thoughts and he would be damned if he wouldn't take advantage of all she was offering.
His wife smiled at him, passing him a sandwich and he grinned back at her. "Okay. Okay Damon...okay. I trust you and I'm ready to show you."
He nearly choked on the bite of his sandwich and sat back down, putting their son down between them on the blanket so he could lay and kick his little feet. Stefan was smiling widely too and pulled his foot up to his mouth and started sucking on his toes, bringing a huge smile to both his parents before Damon reached over their baby and pulled Elena's lips to his, hard, aching and sweet, demanding entrance and plunging his tongue into her mouth. She whimpered at his hunger for her.
Baby Stef was watching his parents and two sucks later those little green eyes squinted and he let out a loud cry and sucked harder on his little toes. Obviously not getting what he wanted from them.
Elena pulled back from Damon's warm lips, her breath heavy, her skin flushed. "Someone is still hungry..."
Damon nodded and moved forward not wanting the kiss to end, and pulled her bottom lip between his, biting it gently. "Yes someone is..." His blood was pounding in his ears as his eyes reflected the absolute heat and want he had for her.
Elena backed away at the sound of another cry from their angel. "You husband...will have to wait...mommy duties are calling." Their son's cries were getting louder and he knew he needed to let her go.
Something resembling a growl left his lips and he sat back, pouting like a child. Elena chided him with a simple look.
"You call Troy and Melissa...and I'm all yours tonight baby. All yours..."
Damon reached in the bags where he left their keys and fumbled for his phone. Scrolling the numbers he found theirs and hurriedly hit send.
This really had been the most perfect summer day and he was so glad he took his little family to the beach. It had been amazing to watch Stefan's first time in the water and seeing his little toes in the sand. The pictures they took had been incredible and he knew he would remember this day for a long time.
His baby son suckled happily and Damon saw Elena gazing deeply at him before she blew him a kiss. She was still only in her bikini and she looked radiant and beautiful, imperfections and all. And she was finally ready to trust him with how she had changed…
The night could not come soon enough… and he couldn't wait for some real alone time with her. It had been far too long…
Lemony goodness coming up. They really needed this talk and for Damon to show her how he felt. She needed to open up to him too.
Everything got too long thought so I decided to make it one part more yet and will give them that night alone that they have been very over due for.
Hope you liked the tenderness and intimacy already. Please take a minute to review and share your thoughts. I'm trying my best to capture their human lives and all the struggles and feelings in different stages in life that they might face.