DISCLAIMER: I do not own the Vampire Diaries, or any of the characters. I simply like to toy with them once in awhile. ;P

Fearless

X-X

It has been 2 days since I last saw Damon or Stefan.

The encounter in Damon's room was enough to make me seriously ponder what I was going to do from here. I loved them both in different ways, and I didn't know which path to take but one thing was for sure:

I was NOT going to repeat Katherine's mistake.

I made a logical decision in my head to not toy with either Salvatore brother until I was sure of exactly what I wanted. I wouldn't kiss them, and I definitely wouldn't sleep with them. Hugs were alright here and there, but only mostly for comfort. Sure, Damon said he was worried mostly of me when Rose died, but that didn't mean he wasn't upset that she died in the first place.

Not much had changed other than that. Graduation was right around the corner, and with Katherine out of the picture, I didn't have many worries other than the occasional full moon. Bonnie, Caroline, and I were closer than ever, and Caroline and Tyler were dating even though they were different species- don't ask me how they make it work. Bonnie is still single, but Jeremy is relentless in trying to be with her- they're trying to keep it from me, but I'm not that stupid.

Stefan is still the sweetheart that I fell in love with, and the more time I spend with him the more I realize that he's a much better friend than a boyfriend, but I can't shun the romantic feelings towards him yet.

And Damon... Oh Damon. He is still the same man- the same sexy man. He flirts with me every chance he gets, and even though I just roll my eyes and walk away, in reality I like it and I get butterflies in my stomach.

I would be lying if I didn't say that these last 2 days of not seeing them didn't suck.

Finally, I had enough. I got into my car and drove over to the Salvatore house. Pulling into the driveway, I kicked open my car door, and ran up to theirs, barging in without even knocking.

"Damon? Stefan?" I shouted and within seconds there was a vampire in front of me, but my heart dropped when I saw the look on his face.

"S-Stefan? What's wrong?"

He was vamped out, and his fangs- which usually weren't too long- were protruding past his lips, making me shiver in fear. The veins on his face were more evident than I'd ever seen them, and he was breathing heavily.

"Elena! Get out!" I heard Damon yell from upstairs, and not two seconds after he'd said it, Stefan was pinning me to the wall, kissing me fiercely and holding my wrists to my sides.

Cold fear ran through me when he shoved his tongue into my mouth, and his grip got harder. I could taste the blood in his mouth and only one thing could cause him to lose control like this- human blood.

Within a matter of 10 seconds, Stefan was shoved off of me by Damon, and I collapsed to the floor holding my chest while I watched Damon hold Stefan back from charging at me once again. My body shook and tears filled my eyes, but I stood up and walked closer.

"Elena, what the hell are you doing?" Damon shouted, trying his hardest to restrain Stefan.

"Stefan... Stefan it's me, Elena. C'mon Stefan, snap out of it." I coaxed him and he seemed to shake his head, trying to gain back his control.

"Damnit, Elena! Get back!" With one swift movement, Damon pulled out a vervain dart from his pocket and stabbed it into Stefan's neck. He screamed in pain, and I clutched my ears not wanting to hear his agony.

"Stay here, I'll be right back."

Seconds later, Damon stood in front of me again and he just stared at me as if I were insane.

"What the hell was that, Elena! He could have killed you!" He practically screamed at me, shaking me by my shoulders.

"He wouldn't have."

"How do you know that!"

"Would you have?"

"I-I... No." He stammered and looked down at the ground, dropping his hands and then pinching his nose with his thumb and index finger. "But I wouldn't have let it get that far in the first place."

"What happened to him? I thought he had it under control." I went and sat down in the den, propping my feet up, and Damon sat beside me, picking my feet up and laying them across his lap.

"He knew the full moon was tonight so he decided to drink more than he could handle to try and power up just in case Mason's friend decides to come back." He spoke in hushed tones, looking at the blazing fireplace. It seemed like that thing was always on when I was here.

A silence followed afterward, but it was comfortable- both of us just lost in our own minds thinking of the same things. Stefan, and each other.

"So, my dear Elena, have you decided which brother to pick? I mean really, it's a choice between St. Killer Stefan, or yours truly. It's not that tough."

And here goes with the flirty banter.

"Hmm, well seeing as though yours truly can be a conceited ass, I'm not entirely sure yet." I quipped at him, and smiled right afterward at the fake shocked expression on his face.

"But, Elena! You love my conceited ass!"

We both started to laugh at that- me outright laughing, and him chuckling to himself.

It was a great night, until I brought my hand up to swipe some hair from my face, and he saw my wrist.

In a flash, my arm was in his hand and he was tracing the bruises with his fingers lightly, it made me shiver knowing that someone who was so rough could be so gentle.

"He... He did this to you?" His tone was low, and slightly angry.

"Yes, but it's fine I don't even feel it." I lied, and he looked up at me offended.

"I'm not stupid, Elena. Let me fix it."

"You can't fix bruises, Damon- they're internal." I sighed, and started to get off the couch, but he pulled me back down by my hips and into his lap.

Before I knew what was happening his wrist was in my mouth and he was staring down at me with that gaze that made my heart flutter.

"Hurry and drink before it closes up." He whispered, and I stared questioningly before I took an experimental lick.

My eyes widened. I had tasted Damon's blood once before and was absolutely revolted. Was it because I thought he was evil? Or was it because the idea of vampires was crazy to me? Or maybe just because I hadn't wanted it at the time. Whatever the case- this was not the same reaction.

My eyes closed, and I began to suck on his wrist. The blood filled my mouth, and where I expected a disgusting flavor, a unique alluring one hit my taste buds, and I greedily tried to draw more. I heard a low groan emit from Damon's throat and I opened my eyes to look up at him. His smoldering gaze was still on me and he licked his lips.

I pulled away from his wrist and stared up at him with hooded eyes.

Closer he got.

Closer.

And then I jumped up out of his lap, and ran to the other couch. My heart was going one hundred miles a minute, and I swore I was going to have some kind of heart attack or stroke. My skin felt like it was on fire, and the bruises were gone completely. I licked my lips and tasted his blood still on there before I let out a whimper. Pathetic.

I looked over to him, and he sat there with his head in his hands, slightly shaking.

"D-Damon... what did I do wrong?" I wondered and he looked up with a playful expression.

"No, Elena. It's... you just... I've had plenty of girls feed from me before... either to heal or to turn into a vampire, but I've never felt anything like I just did with you. It was... great." He finished speaking and I was blushing again. I turned my head away, and I heard him chuckle.

"Thank you for healing me, Damon."

I heard a swish of the wind, and when I looked back over to where he was two seconds before- he was gone.

~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~/~

After that time, I saw Damon almost every day. Now, don't get me wrong it wasn't always like we spend time together- sometimes I would just see him walking around the house, and then others I would be laying in bed writing in my diary, and I would know that he was out there- it was a safe feeling. I knew that no harm would befall me if he were around.

One night, I had had enough.

I got up off of my bed, clad in my black pajama pants and red tank top, and went over to the window before opening it.

"Damon, come inside." I leaned my head out the window and looked around- he was nowhere to be seen.

This frustrated me. What was going on? I KNEW he was out there, so why did he leave right when I was about to let him in. My shoulders slumped slightly and I shut the window before hugging myself- the breeze was a little chilly.

When I turned around I nearly screamed in surprise.

"Damon, what the hell! You almost gave me a heart attack!" I walked over to him and slapped him playfully on the arm before giving him my best "angry stare."

"Aw, you're so cute when you try to act tough. Elena, how many times do I have to tell you that you're like a kitten trying to be a tiger." He smirked down at me, and my mouth dropped open in surprise at his comments.

"You're such a..."

"Hottie? God? Mastermind?"

"Jerk."

It was his turn to glare at me.

"Aw, you're so cute when you get made fun of." I mocked him and laughed slightly. The air was almost knocked out of me when he tackled me to the floor almost immediately after my comment.

I looked up at him with wide eyes, as I noticed our faces were only inches apart. I didn't mind his weight on me, it made me feel even more secure than when I knew he was outside my window. It was the epitome of security- to have his whole body cover every part of me- to be wrapped in his hold.

I didn't much mind the fact that he was looking at me like I was something he could eat either, which I guess in this case hit a little close to home.

"D-Damon... I.. Uhm..." I stammered not being able to say anything even close to coherent.

"Oh, not so tough and snarky now are we, Elena?"

His face got closer and I turned my head to the left, looking towards my desk. I couldn't be put in this predicament, but damn it was tempting to just turn back and meet his face with my own. I couldn't do it though, I promised myself that I wouldn't. I won't be like Katherine.

"You won't be like Katherine."

"W-What? How did you know-" Was he reading my mind?

"Elena, you're so predictable. Your thoughts are written all over your face, and your body language is a dead giveaway too." He nuzzled my neck with his nose as he said this, causing more butterflies to erupt in my stomach.

"D-Damon... I can't... I refuse to be like her." I whispered, and a brief chuckle emitted from his chest and throat.

"Sweet, innocent Elena. You will never be anything like Katherine." He paused seeming to think about this words. "Katherine was a self-righteous bitch. While I'm all for self-preservation, don't get me wrong, she went about it in a completely backwards way. She turned my brother and I against each other, she played us both at the SAME TIME. She was cold, ruthless, and cared for no one."

He pulled back slightly and used his hand to tilt my face back towards him, his gaze sharpening when he saw the tears welling in my eyes. Then he continued to speak, "Elena, you are the exact opposite. You're warm, kind, selfless, and you care for anything that has a heartbeat... or doesn't for that matter. Stefan and I are big boys, and in his state," I winced at that part, "he isn't capable of taking care of anyone but himself. You can't tell me there is anything holding you back."

I just laid there and stared at him. I knew there was truth in his words, I KNEW it, but I couldn't help but feel guilt that when Stefan found out he'd be torn even more. But then there was Damon... there's always Damon. Damon, the man who has saved my life countless times. Damon, the guy who- even though he doesn't like it sometimes- listens to me. Damon, who has been hurt so many times in the past that I didn't want to add another notch to his list of why he should "flip the switch." Damon, the man who was laying on top of me, staring at me, trying to read my expression. Damon, the man I knew I was in love with.

I stared a few seconds more, my mind slightly made up. When Stefan got better, we would all work this out. I would spend time with the both of them, and I would make sure that I knew everything before committing, but for tonight? Just Damon.

"Just Damon..." I whispered, and he looked confused at my words.

"What?"

I didn't answer him then, well not with words anyways. I smiled, hooked my arm around his neck, and kissed him.

And then I knew my decision was right.