Damon

I slipped in her window that night while she slept, making sure she was wearing her necklace. I still didn't understand why I wanted so badly to keep her safe. I sighed in relief when my eye caught the smooth, platinum chain around her neck. The sapphire that hung from that chain was coated in a thick layer of vervain that was so thick that some would remain even if the necklace somehow got wet. A small smile curving my lips, I walked over to stand beside her bed. I remember the light in her eyes today when she'd pulled out that necklace. And, standing there, I realize how strong she is. I don't know how I know this, all I know is she is.

I watched the way she clasped the pendant between her fingers like it was a lifeline.

"Damon." She whispered, making my brow furrow. She was still asleep when she said it. Then her face, which had been relaxed in sleep, tightened. Her soft whimpers turned to screams, and I decided to wake her up, not caring that I'd have to explain that I was in her bedroom at 2 a.m.

I shook her until her eyes flew open. Her eyes were bloodshot and look haunted. Her entire body shook when she sat up, and I later decided I was acting on instinct when I took her in my arms. She buried her face in my chest, too shaken to ask why I was even in her bedroom to begin with.

"Don't leave me." She whispered, her fingers clutching the back of my jacket. Not letting go of her, I kicked my shoes off and they landed beside the bed with a soft thump.

And, still not releasing her, I pulled her down beside me as I leaned back. I stretched out, and she curled up against my side.

"It's okay, A.J." I whispered as she pulled her head up on my chest.

"It is now." She said right before she fell asleep.

A.J.

I woke up to find myself curled up next to Damon. He was asleep but still holding on to me. I couldn't help but notice how peaceful he looked when he was asleep. I was too busy trying not to relive the nightmare he'd woken me up from to wonder why he'd been in my room in the first place. I smiled gently and brushed his hair from his face and what seemed like fire flicked under my skin. I had to blink to clear my head. I had never gotten such a strong reaction in myself from anyone. Not even Andrew. My reaction terrified me. I ran my index finger along his jaw line, feeling the fire flicking deep in my skin. I'm a vampire… the words he'd said that first night rang out in my ears. It was hard to see anything crazy in him, he seemed so sane. But there was no such thing as vampires. And I didn't even realize I was leaning over him until my pendant brushed against his face. It burned the skin with a soft hiss, making me jump back. Damon jolted awake and immediately put his hand to his face.

"I-I'm sorry. I don't know how that happened. My necklace…" I stuttered as I looked at the faint trace of steam rising from his face.

"It's no big deal. It's just the vervain." He muttered, still half asleep. He fell back asleep and I watched the burn on his face heal right before my eyes. I laid back down and stared at the ceiling. What the hell is vervain? And why had it burned my Damon?

Then I back up that thought, because Damon wasn't my anything. I'd already gone from thinking of him as "Damon" to "my Damon."

"This is going too far, too fast." I muttered, curling back up beside him and going back to sleep.

Damon

I decided to wait for A.J. to wake up before I left. I didn't want her waking up alone. I tried to brush this off as a side effect of me swearing to protect her, but deep down, I knew that was a lie.

"You're still here." A.J. whispered, smiling at me. Her smile made something twist in me that I didn't totally understand.

"I'll always be here." I said so softly under my breath that I could barely hear it. She got to her feet, pulled clothes out of the dresser, and before she disappeared into the bathroom, proved that she had in fact heard me.

"I know." She said, closing the bathroom door behind her.

A.J.

"I'll always be here." The words he had said rang in my ears as I got in the shower. There was something deep inside of me that was comforted by those words. For the first time in a long time, I felt safe. Or at least as safe as someone like me can.

After getting out of the shower, I toweled off my body and hair and cursed under my breath as I tried to pull a comb through my hair and it caught in a tangle.

"Something wrong in there?" Damon voice said from outside the door, causing me to nearly jump out of my skin.

"No, just have some tangles is all." I explained as I tried to separate one with my fingers.

"Are you dressed?" He asked.

"Um, yeah. Why?" I asked, swaying on my feet. Flashbacks flashed before me, and I didn't realize I'd been trembling so violently until I hit the ground. Damon rushed in and picked me up, looking at me with such a deep concern you'd think I'd screamed at the top of my lungs.

"I'm fine." I choked, holding on to him, my fingers clenched around his leather jacket.

"No, you're not, A.J." He said, sitting me on my bed.

"Please, don't make me explain. Please." I said, knowing he would probably run screaming when he found out how damaged I was. I wasn't ready to let him go yet.

"Okay. But later, I want to know." He said softly, sitting beside me and pulling out the comb that I'd dropped when I'd hit the ground. He leaned back against the headboard and opened his legs slightly, beckoning with his index finger. I rested my head and back against his chest and almost fell asleep again as he started gently pulling the tangles out with the comb. For someone so cocky, he was so… gentle. I'm better near to you… the lyrics of a song by Fine Frenzy popped into my head as I felt him carefully pull the tangles out of my hair, not hurting me once. When the tangles were gone and the comb ran freely through my hair, he gently turned me so that my head rested on his shoulder. His hair softly brushed against my face and I was more than happy to let him encircle my waist with his arms. He ran his fingers through my hair, and the familiar firey response he always sparked in me perked up. Relaxing against him, I realized I would be happy to spend my entire Saturday like this. But I also figured stretching out on a bed with me for hours on end was probably not his idea of a fun day.

"Would you like to do something today?" I asked, my voice slightly muffles by his hair.

"Sure. Do you have something in mind?" He asked.

"We could drive to the mall a couple of towns over and mess around for a few hours." I suggested.

"Sounds like a plan. Let's go." He said, releasing his arms from my waist.

I happily slid my boots on and planned to spend the day with Damon.

"I only know that I am better where you are, I only know that I belong where you are. Near to you, I am healing, but it's taking so long."

~Fine Frenzy