Damon and Elena entered the front room, where the piano stood, seemingly untouched for years. She thought back to a time years ago, she was still human. She remembered a man came in t tune it. At the time she didn't think much of it, now she realized Damon must have played it many times without her even noticing. There was still so much about him that she didn't know. So much she longed to discover, to make her fall deeper and deeper in love with him. After all the time they spent together, he didn't tell her the most important things, she had to find out about his first lost love from his little brother. She wanted to know his side of it. When they met. When they fell in love. She wanted him to tell her of his mother. Of his past. He knew everything there was to know about her but she felt she had only scratched the surface of what Damon had to offer. This was her chance to see him. She would take it.

"You really loved her." She decided Celia was her best gateway to opening him. His answer was less that satisfactory.

"Yes." He didn't look up, didn't turn to face her, didn't stop shuffling the papers, didn't do anything.

"You would have married her?"

"Yes."

"And you would have been happy?"

He sighed but still didn't look up from his work, "Yes."

She waited a bit. "Did you love her more than Katherine?"

At that, his hands stilled. He turned his head but still didn't look at her. After a few moment's hesitation, "Yes."

Elena grew nervous with her next question. She needed to ask it but didn't want to scare him away.

"Did you love her more than me?"

In an instant, he was an inch away from her. Glaring angrily into her eyes, "You have absolutely no right to ask me that."

"I know, I know.. I'm sorry. Forget I asked." She didn't hesitate to take it back. She knew she was pushing her luck but she couldn't help herself. It needed to get out there. If he wasn't willing yet, she would wait. He waited a really long time for her, it's the least she could do.

Damon slowly walked back to the piano and sat down, leaving her standing in the middle of the room. Confused if she should follow or not, she contented herself by sitting on the couch closest to the piano. Damon ran his hands over the keys, getting the feel of them again. His fingers twitched, as if they were literally itching to play. When he finally spoke, Elena needed to take a minute to process what he said. It was so quiet, even she, as a vampire close by him, had a hard time hearing it.

"No."

The weight of his words came crashing down instantly. He loved her more than the woman he thought of as a soul mate years ago. He loved her more than the woman he spent 145 years trying to free from a tomb, the woman who tore his relationship with Stefan apart. He had loved her so much, that even after she chose his brother time and time again, broke his heart fifty times, he stayed and waited for her to come to him. Now he was about to share one of his most intimate memories with her.

The song began with a peaceful calm. It reminded Elena of spring time. Then it became hopeful and fast. Soon, the innocence transitioned to passion. It was still joyful but it was a deep joy.

It was love translated into sound.

The passion turned lustful and angry. With loud strikes and troubled chords.

It was pain and loss.

The passionate love came back in and clashed with the angry hate. It ended slowly, the same tune as the beginning but slower, sadder.

It was mourning.

The story had come full circle.

Fully conscious of her own tears, Elena made her way to Damon, who was surprisingly calm. He leaned in and stroked her hair as she sobbed in his arms. He was comforting her over his own loss. Over his own pain that she felt.

He lifted her up and carried her to the couch. She stayed on his lap and they relaxed against each other. Before she knew it, Elena felt the familiar pull of being brought into a memory. Damon was going to share his memories with her.

Young Damon was sitting in a dark tavern with a group of his friends, it was lower-class, defiantly a place Giuseppe would disapprove of. She could feel the excitement of disobedience pumping through her, she felt as Damon felt. The maid came to the table and handed their drinks out. "Thank you, sweetheart," Damon said without looking up. He only looked at her when his hand brushed against hers as he accepted the drink. The attraction was instant and Elena could feel the connection Damon shared with this beautiful girl.

"You're welcome, handsome" And she turned and walked back to the kitchen.

It only took him about five seconds of sitting there blankly before he shot up and ran after her telling the boys he'll be right back.

He was in an empty field with her. Elena could tell it was late winter from their clothes and the crisp air. It wasn't snowing but wasn't really spring yet.

She screamed as Damon chased her, she didn't make it far until he caught her picked her up and spun her around in circles. They both fell to the ground laughing. Their laughter died away and they were left sitting in each other's arms smiling.

"May I kiss you?" Damon asked, begging her to say yes.

"Can we wait a little longer?" Celia was obviously nervous.

"We can wait as long as you need to. I'll always wait for you."

It was a warm summer evening and they were swimming in the river with friends. Most of them were boys because the women were too conservative to get in the water. Celia was at the edge teasing with Damon about coming in or not when one of the girls "accidentally" pushed her in. She screamed as she fell and landed on/ was caught by Damon.

Now soaking wet, in dress and all, Damon leaned in and whispered, "May I kiss you, now?"

"I think I would be fine with that." She whispered back.

And just as they were about to kiss, the memory changed.

Elena could feel Damon's nervousness.

It was cooler, probably mid-fall. Damon knocked on a door and Celia immediately answered. She gave him an excited smile and opened it fully to allow him access.

"Father, this is Damon. The boy I told you about." Celia began.

The man in front of them stood up held out his hand and said, "A Salvatore, huh?"

"Yes, sir. But I assure you I am nothing like my father." Damon said confidently and shook the man's hand. He may have sounded confidant but Elena could tell he was terrified.

"Good. How did you two meet?"

"I frequent your tavern and met her there. We started spending time together and then it just happened."

"What happened?" The man looked guarded for a moment.

Celia stepped in at that point and took Damon's hand, as she looked her father in the eye, "We fell in love."

Elena sensed the relief that washed over him as the words left her mouth.

"You know the hardships you're in for?"

"Yes, sir. We do. I know I might lose everything but," Damon began and looked at her wide hopeful eyes, "She's worth it."

"I can't promise much of a dowry…"

"All I ask of you is your blessing and support of our decision when I face my father."

"That, I can give."

They met when it was too dark to see, outside the church, where the whole town was gathered. Snow was falling and they couldn't help but kiss their greeting, even though anyone could walk out the door the stood in front of.

"Merry Christmas, my love."

"Merry Christmas, angel."

Damon pulled out a simple, beautiful necklace. It wasn't too expensive, enough to show he cared. Cheep enough for her to feel comfortable wearing it daily.

Instead of responding with words, she kissed him hard on the lips, wrapping her arms around his neck, gripping his hair. Damon slipped his hands inside of her jacket and grabbed her waist, leaning against the door for support.

She pulled back and whispered, "tomorrow night."

"Really? Don't say it if you don't want to. It's your decision." Damon sounded hopeful but didn't want to be disappointed if she lost her nerve.

She cupped his face and looked him straight in the eye, "Yes, Damon, I love you. You've waited so long. I'm already your bride, why wait any longer?"

"You know I will always love you, no matter what happens." Damon tried to put everything he felt in that one sentence.

"I know."

It was the next night, Elena assumed. Damon, thankfully, spared her the memory of their first time. When they were finished, though, they stayed there for a long time, just being together. Basking in the feeling of pure bliss and love and satisfaction.

Then, there was a gasp and a clanking sound. The couple saw Clara at the door with a tray and food on the floor around her.

"Master Damon! What if your father sent Stefan up here with your dinner? What if he, himself brought it up? How could you think to bring her here?" She whispered angrily, scolding him like a mother would.

"Clara, please don't say anything!" Damon begged

"Of course, I won't! I don't want this poor girl in the middle of your feud! Just promise me that you won't bring her back here!"

"I promise!" Damon knew this was an empty promise. He also knew that Clara knew it was.

"Master Damon!" Clara scolded halfheartedly.

"Giuseppe's not here! Won't be for another week." Damon laughed, defending himself.

"OUT!" She sent the two teens running down stairs, laughing and fumbling with their clothes. "If I don't have enough to worry about! Now, I have to clean your father's desk!"

"Damon!" He shot up in his chair and looked at his tutor. "Honestly, if you're not going to pay attention, I should just leave."

"No! I'm sorry, sir. I'll pay attention."

"Where is your head, boy?"

"It's not his head that's the problem, it's his heart." Clara came into the work room with their lunch.

"He's such a bright boy. If only I could get him to listen."

"Maybe if you invited a certain girl over to recite his lesson, he'll pay attention."

That was the last thing Damon heard. He wasn't listening. He was thinking of soft brown hair and bright blue eyes.

It was spring again. Giuseppe was taking his favorite son to the lake for fishing.

"And you really don't care?" Celia asked for the third time that day. They sat in the kitchen; bored enough to offer Clara help chop vegetables when she went to the market..

"I told you, no. He and I would end up fighting anyway."

"So you don't mind being left here all alone?"

"Well, I'm not alone, now, am I?" He smirked at her.

"No, I suppose you have decent company to keep you entertained for a while."

"A while? Planning on going anywhere?" He asked sarcastically.

"No, but I'm interesting now, but after you get what you want from me, you'll tire of me and I'll be sent away like the rest." She said it with a joking tone but he could hear the genuine insecurity in her voice.

"I don't' think I'll ever tire of you."

"Promise?" She hoped on the counter in front of him.

"Promise." He smiled and kissed her. The kiss deepened slightly but before he could move his hands from her face to her waist, they heard Clara clear her throat.

"You two are going to get caught one of these days. You're getting careless."

"Wait in here." Damon told Stefan pointing to a small dress shop next to the tavern.

When he entered looking for her, the bar keep immediately looked pityingly at him, "She's not here. You should probably speak to her parents."

The sad look on all of the workers and frequents' faces were enough to worry him.

He made it panting to her house, reminding himself just in time to knock instead of barging in. Her father opened the door and gave him one look then turned around leaving him in the doorway.

"We know it's not your fault, son." Son…. It was an affectionate name he had started to use for Damon as they became closer.

"What? What happened?"

"It is his fault! You had to pick her!" Celia's sister charged over and almost hit him before their mother stopped her and instead she broke down in the middle of the room.

"What happened?" Damon was already tearing up. Fear was taking over.

"She was poisoned. A man came in this morning and all but forced it down her throat. The man was said to have been to see your father yesterday."

"No." Was all he could say. He said it over and over, running into her room, seeing her lifeless body on her bed. He ran to her and held her. Rocking back and forth. He cried it, shouted it, and whispered it. It was all he said for about an hour…. And finally he stood and shouted it angrily, "NO! He won't win this time! He can't get away with this!"

He bolted out of the house and down the street.

The whole town was there for her funeral.

No one asked why Damon sat with the family or why he left in the middle of the ceremony. No one asked why he stayed sitting by her grave until nightfall that day and many days to follow. No one said anything. Because everyone knew.

Damon pulled back, gauging her reaction to this first hand account. Elena couldn't help but feel out-of-place in his arms. Sensing this he pulled her tighter to him.

"It was so long ago, I've loved since then. She would be happy I found you."

"How can you stand being treated so horribly by everyone? Your father, Stefan for so long, Celia, Katherine, me? How can you still love after everything we put you through?"

"I don't know. Probably because I know you didn't mean to hurt me. My father was arrogant and selfish but he didn't what he though was right by me. Stefan was betrayed just like I was. Celia died in love; she didn't even know it was my fault. And you? You, I can't help but love. I can't stop even when it hurts me more than anything my father ever did to me."

"You still love me?"

"It's not really something I can consciously stop, not for lack of trying though." He laughed.

"What about her?"

"It's a painful memory but that's all it is. I can't waste my time mourning a one hundred-fifty-something-year-old loss."

"I'm sorry, Damon. You have every right to hate me, but you don't."

"I can't"

"I love you. I'm sorry you had to wait so long."

He took her face and looked at her seriously, "I will always wait for you."

Well…? What do you think? Is it horrible?

By the way, Mr. O'Connell was my freshman music teacher, I'm so original.

Anyway, thanks for reading! I hope I didn't ruin it! You guys are so nice and I really wanted to write this for a while. I'm not really a musician but I felt the song I described, I didn't hear it, but I felt it.

Okay I'm done. Please review!