Elena heard Stefan go back into the house, but her eyes hadn't left Damon's face since her confession. Tears and all, she waited for his reaction. She waited for the world to implode at loving him. It wasn't the right time. So much was wrong, there was so much damage and hurt between them. Hurt that Damon had been keeping bottled up from her and she so desperately wanted to take away. They needed each other. She needed to be able to completely trust one person. She knew that one person was going to be Damon.
Damon stared at her for a few long moments, his brain still processing what was happening. At first he didn't believe her, but Stefan had gone back inside, and she was still here. She was waiting for him to say something, to do something. He should tell her to go back inside, to go back to Stefan and he'd walk out of her life forever. But how many selfless acts did she expect him to make? He just wanted her and she seemed to want the same thing. He needed her. In three strides, he had her face in his hands, his lips on hers. Both their faces were streaked with tears, but he didn't care. As much as it pained him, he had to pull back so she could breathe. His thumbs stroked her cheek as his forehead rested against hers. "Oh Elena," he whispered.
"I'm so sorry Damon," she whimpered. "I didn't want to hurt you, I was just scared. I'm so scared." She'd been denying herself this for so long, she was afraid of losing everyone she cared about because she felt for him.
He pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead. "Shhh," he said softly. "Let's just go inside and talk to Elijah." He was going to have to make nice with the older vampire but he'd be damned if he was going to roll over like Stefan did. He made the hard decisions, like he said. He wasn't going to apologize for trying to protect her. He had to do what he had to do, no matter what the consequences, even if Elena hated him in the end. If everyone was kept safe, including her, she'd eventually understand.
She sniffled and wiped her nose. "I know you don't want to do this," she mumbled. But she knew he would do it for her. She had made a conscious decision to wake up Elijah, and he hadn't killed any of them yet. He had to trust her a little, even if she was very stubborn sometimes.
"Come on," he said. He slid his arm around her and guided her towards the door. He squared his shoulders and nudged her upstairs. "I'll be up in a few minutes." She stole one last kiss from him before doing as he said, and he briefly thought about Stefan cornering her upstairs, but she could hold her own. He sighed and headed through the parlor, finding Elijah on the sofa.
"Elena is a very smart girl," Elijah said.
"I know she is," Damon said, folding his arms. She was too smart for her own good, and sometimes a little slow. "Look, you were going to take her away from me. I couldn't let you do that."
"Klaus is my brother," Elijah said. "He was willing to sacrifice Katerina, and I was not. But as you can see.. She ruined it all by turning herself."
He had not been expecting that. So Katherine had not ruined them, but others as well. Just to get what she wanted in life. She was willing to hurt anyone in her path, people he cared about. "And Elena is paying for it," Damon growled. "I swear I'm going to rip her apart as soon as this is over."
"Do you hate your brother?" Elijah asked, raising an eyebrow.
What kind of question was that? Sometimes he wanted to hate Stefan. Stefan was perfect, Stefan had everything any man could ever want. Or did have. But still… Stefan was his brother. And at some point that had started to mean something to both of them again. Damon clenched his jaw. "Not about Katherine," he said. "She's not worth it."
"And Ms. Elena is?"
Damon could have rolled his eyes. Anyone who knew her for more then five minutes, knew how special she was. "She is worth so much more then that," he said firmly. "You can keep your deal with her. To protect everyone around her, but don't you ever put her life before mine. No matter what she says. She won't die for me."
"You're a good man Damon," Elijah said, rising to his feet. "Tomorrow I will fill you in on what I've told Elena. You have my word, I will do my best to keep her alive."
Damon watched carefully as Elijah extended his hand and his heart clenched as he grasped it, knowing he was entrusting Elena's safety to someone other them himself. But he had to do this. She met him half way, he had to do the same for her. "I'm trusting you," he said.
Elijah nodded once and then he was gone, allowing Damon to finally go upstairs. He was tired, exhausted, but they had to talk. He quietly entered his room and paused, a small smile forming on his face. She was curled up under his comforter with one of his shirts on it looked like, sound asleep. He changed into pajama pants, knowing she wouldn't appreciate him sleeping nude next to her so soon, and slipped in beside her. His nose buried itself in her hair, his arm going around her waist, his eyes finally closing.