The response to the last chapter was unbelievable. I keep saying it and will keep on saying it, but thank you so much for reading and reviewing and favoriting. You all are wonderful.

For those of you hoping for some good Damon/Elena one on one time after last chapter - here you go. :)

Disclaimer: I don't own Vampire Diaries


As they pulled into the roundabout drive of the Salvatore boarding house, Damon hit a button on the remote clipped to his car's sun visor. A garage door started to open. He tapped another button, opening another stall door, and motioned for Elena to park in the empty space. She did so and he met her at her door as she stepped out.

"I hope Stefan has that pretty little red Porsche of his under cover," he said. "The radio said to expect hail. It would be a shame to see it fall victim to a hail storm."

"Is that your way of saying you hope your little brother is safe and sound from these storms?" Elena asked. Damon looked at her seriously.

"He drives a 1963 Porsche 356B Karmann Coupe. It should be punishable by death if someone so much as puts a fingerprint on its back bumper."

"You really love cars," she observed, studying him. Despite what he said, she knew he was concerned, at least on some level, about Stefan's whereabouts.

"The cars we drive say a lot about us," Damon told her. Outside, the sky opened up suddenly, unleashing a violent downpour, accompanied by more thunder and lightning. "Come on," he said. He reached for Elena's hand and led her across the six car garage and through the door that opened into the kitchen.

"Thanks for letting me stay," Elena said as Damon released her hand and started to flip on lights, flooding the big home with a soft glow. "Bonnie and Jeremy are great and all, but their place is pretty small. With Ella there, it would have been one person too many to be comfortable."

"I'd rather have you here where I know you're safe," Damon replied, coming towards Elena. He placed his hands on her waist. "Besides, you're pretty which makes you fun to look at."

"You aren't so bad to look at yourself, you know." Elena put her own hands on Damon's shoulders. He reached out and ran a hand through her hair.

"I promise I have every intention of being a gentleman," he told her seriously. "But right now, there is something I have to do."

He leaned in then and captured her lips with his, pulling her flush against him, his arms moving to circle around her waist. She mimicked his moves, wrapping her arms around his neck to pull him still closer. He ran the kiss right up to the edge of taking it too far before he pulled away. He placed one last soft, short kiss on her lips before releasing her completely, feeling the loss of warmth profoundly as she stepped back.

"I've been wanting to do that all night," he said.

"I've been wanting you to do that since our run this morning," Elena countered. Her eyes went big for the briefest of moments then, letting Damon catch on that she hadn't meant to say it out loud.

"Should've said something sooner," he said with a smirk. "I'm going to run upstairs and get my phone charger. Make yourself at home, okay? There's plenty of food and stuff to drink." He paused. "Although, I'm not really sure how it got there. I haven't been to a grocery store and I don't think Stefan has either."

"Your father just died," Elena said knowingly. "Speaking from experience, mysterious casseroles will show up in your fridge for another week or so. Fair warning, some will be better than others."

"The good people of Mystic Falls strike again," he said. "Be right back." Damon hurried out of the room and up the stairs. He didn't actually need his charger or anything else, but he did need a minute to get himself under control.

Elena had been affecting him all night, but it had been easier to push down thoughts of what he'd like to do to her when they were in public, him unable to act on his impulses without risk of being thrown in jail for public indecency. Having her in the boarding house and saying things about how she wished he'd kissed her earlier, it was all he could do not to act on the fantasies that had slowly, but surely, filled his head over the last few days.

Then there was the fact that he wanted to get himself under control. He couldn't remember the last time he'd purposefully made an effort not to take things too far. He'd pretended to be a gentleman a number of times – women loved that stuff – only to let his true intentions show the very moment the woman in his crosshairs dropped her guard. With Elena, he wanted to spend time with her. He wanted to get to know her. He wanted to talk to her and he hated talking to anyone who wasn't involved in making him money. He preferred to be alone, to operate without any attachments.

Whatever Elena was doing to him was confusing the hell out of him. He would need to figure it out eventually, why this woman was proving to be so different than any other of the many women he'd entertained. But for Now, Elena was waiting. He took a few moments to breathe deep before he unplugged his phone charger and returned downstairs. He had instinctively gone to the living room, expecting to find Elena there. When the sofas and arm chairs turned up empty, he frowned slightly and re-routed to the kitchen.

He found her there, her back to him as she stood at the double glass sliding door that led to one of the home's outdoor entertaining areas. He watched as her whole body tensed with an especially loud crack of lightning, the rain pounding relentless against the house. She had wrapped her arms around herself and she tightened them even more as thunder rumbled through the night. It looked as though she were trying to make herself as small as possible.

"Elena?" he asked softly. She jumped, startled by his voice, but didn't turn around.

"Hey," she said. He heard the strain in her voice she was trying to hide. "It's really coming down out there."

"Yeah, it is," he agreed. He dropped his charger on a counter and crossed the kitchen to stand a few feet from her. "You okay?" She nodded but didn't answer. Another crack of lightning elicited the same tense response from Elena. "Elena?" He knew something was wrong. He was in unfamiliar territory, caring about why she was uncomfortable, but he had to do whatever he could to help her. He took another few steps towards her and put a soft hand on her elbow.

"I'm okay," she said automatically.

"Elena."

She finally tuned to him and when she did, he saw the fear in her eyes. The pieces fell into place, Jeremy warning her about the storms and encouraging her to stay with them, her sudden urgency to go home when Caroline issued her storm warning. Elena was afraid of thunderstorms.

"Hey, come here." Damon pulled her to his chest and felt her hands clutch the fabric of his t-shirt to draw herself closer. "You're safe," he whispered into her hair. "I've got you." She nodded against his chest. He continued to hold her, whispering words of comfort that he hadn't known he was capable of saying. Several minutes later, she was the one to pull away.

"I'm sorry," she apologized, wiping at her eyes. "Storms scare me."

"No need to apologize," Damon said with a shake of his head. He smoothed a hand over her hair. Yet another crack of lightning sounded and she jumped again, a gasp of surprise escaping. Outside, hail joined in with the pounding rain.

"I'm sorry," Elena said again as she wrapped her arms around her once more. "I just… It's just…" She stopped talking for a moment and took a deep breath before looking back to Damon. "It was storming the night my parents died. Ever since, storms… They bring that night back."

Damon didn't know how to reply to that so he just pulled her back to him and held her a little longer. He noticed the scent of coffee and glanced around the kitchen to see a freshly brewed pot that Elena must have made while he was upstairs. Seeing the pot gave him an idea.

"Come on," he said, pulling away just enough to slip an arm around her waist and guide her out of the kitchen. He'd intended to lead her to the living room and deposit her on the couch, but he had another thought and re-routed them up the stairs. "Let's get you into something more comfortable."

In his room, he let go of Elena and left her to wander as he rummaged through his drawers for a t-shirt for her to sleep in. She made a beeline for the stack of books on his nightstand.

"First edition?" she asked, gingerly picking up his copy of Gone With The Wind.

"It was my mother's," he confirmed. He laid a t-shirt and a pair of clean boxers on the bed. "These will probably swallow you whole, but they'll be way more comfortable than those jeans."

"Thanks," she said. "For everything." Damon nodded once.

"Meet me in the living room," he told her. He pointed towards an open door off of his room. "Bathroom is just through there." He left, closing the bedroom door behind him. With the click of the door, Elena blew out a breath and gingerly sat on the edge of Damon's neatly made bed.

The day had been one long roller coaster ride. She had started out on a high, thanks to her run with Damon. From there, things had coasted along fairly smoothly as she'd gone to Jenna and Alaric's to shower and get ready for the day. She'd parted ways with Jenna a little more tension than she would have liked, thanks to Jenna's fixation on Damon, but she'd still been in a good mood.

Helping Caroline had been a lot of up and down. She loved Caroline dearly, but when she was in charge of virtually anything, she tended to become a tyrant, demanding perfection and finding someone to yell at until she got it. While none of Caroline's rants had been directed at her, she'd still had to endure a day full of the blonde's to-do lists, time she could have used to work on her next book for which she'd been experiencing a lot of inspiration for as of late.

The day had taken a plummet when she'd ran into Matt Donovan as she'd placed the final touches on the elaborate fall decorations greeting festival goers at the south end of the town square. She'd known him her entire life and recognized the hurt expression in his eye almost instantly. Without thinking, she'd asked him what was wrong and he in turn asked her if she was dating Damon Salvatore. She'd told him the truth – that she'd had dinner with him – and reminded him that while she had been on a couple of dates with him since moving back, they weren't a couple. Matt had agreed, but she could tell she'd dashed his false hopes pretty thoroughly, just by dining with the elder Salvatore.

Her feelings of guilt for hurting Matt had subsided fairly quickly when Ric and Jenna had shown up with Ella and placed the toddler in her charge. She adored her niece. Ella was smart and curious and had a vivid imagination that made Elena wish she were that innocent again. She had loved watching Ella take in the festival, dazzled by the lights and sounds. At one point, while standing beside Ella as she'd giggled happily on the merry go round, she had even thought about how someday, she wanted her own child to bring to town festivals, dress up at Halloween and tuck into bed on Christmas Eve, only to be woken up by shouts of "Santa came!" a few short hours later.

The night skyrocketed when Damon showed up. She'd hoped he would, but hadn't let her hopes get up so high that she'd be crushed if he didn't. But then he was there, taunting her throwing and taking her challenge to prove he could do better. He'd been positively charming from then on out, playing second fiddle to Ella who dictated their every move. He'd won the little girl over handedly, not only because he'd bought her cotton candy, but because he'd interacted with her, listened to her as though she were an equal and not a small child.

Elena had been floored by his interaction with her. She'd had to cut him off a time or two, his habit of dropping curse words or lewd comments into conversation not one that was easily broken, but he'd been a natural with Ella. She hadn't expected that. He came across as dangerous, a bit reckless. He'd even looked the part, dressed all in black again, right down to his leather jacket. Yet Ella had wrapped him around her finger, brought out a softer side that Elena had glimpsed during the dinner and when he'd walked her home.

The night had only gotten better after Jeremy and Bonnie had left with Ella. Something as simple as sitting on a hay bale and sharing a funnel cake had been wonderful. He'd made her laugh, challenged her, listened to her. Then the storm had come up and she'd plummeted down another hill, fighting not to fall victim to the memories that haunted her ever since the night her parents had died. Damon had been there then too, showing his soft side again, holding her and soothing her.

With a sigh, she stood and began to change. The t-shirt, black of course, hit her mid-thigh and smelled like Damon. The boxer shorts were far too big, no matter how many times she rolled them. She gave up, deciding the shirt was long enough, and headed downstairs. Damon wasn't in the living room, but he had already cued up Fight Club, the start screen's music playing on loop. She could hear him in the kitchen, but waited for him in the living room as he'd instructed. The storm, which had died down for a few minutes, had picked back up, the rain lashing at the windows, another round of hail pounding the house.

"You ready for one of the greatest coming of age movies of all time?" Damon asked, entering the room with two coffee mugs.

"Easy on the 'greatest of all time' claim, Kanye," Elena said, accepting a mug from him. He laughed as he settled in next to her. He too had changed, now wearing plaid pajama pants and a white v-neck t-shirt. It was the first time she'd seen him in something besides black or navy. She took a sip from her mug, assuming it was coffee, but was surprised with a different yet familiar flavor she couldn't place mingling with the strong coffee she had made earlier. "What's this?"

"Coffee mixed with hot chocolate," Damon answered, taking a drink from his own mug. "In this case, salted caramel hot chocolate because that's all we had. My mom used to make these."

"It's good," Elena said, taking another sip. It was the second time he'd mentioned his mother that evening. She wasn't sure how she knew it was significant, but she did. Stefan never talked about their mother, but she'd always assumed that was because he'd never known her. "Start the movie?"

"As you wish," Damon agreed. He leaned forward, picked up the remote, and pushed play. Outside, the wind whistled around the corners of the house.

At first, Elena and Damon remained in their respective spots on the couch, sipping their drinks and watching the movie. Elena sneaked looks at Damon who was engrossed in the movie although he had seen it many times over. While she didn't hate it, she wasn't particular drawn in by the story unfolding either. It kept her mind off the storm that raged on outside, however, for which she was grateful.

She leaned forward to place her empty mug on the coffee table and deciding to be bold, tucked herself into Damon's side. He smiled and took that as his cue to wrap an arm around her. As the underground fighting on screen grew more intense, she found herself more sucked in to the filmn and unconsciously draped her legs over Damon's which were propped on the coffee table. He responded by pulling a throw from the back of the couch and spreading it over them, placing a feather of a kiss on her head as he did so.

The movie was just reaching its climax when the loudest pop of lightning yet cracked outside, followed by a rumble of thunder so loud it shook the house. There was another pop and the house was pitched into darkness.

"Oh, come on!" Damon exclaimed, irritated that his movie had been interrupted. He looked towards Elena. "It was almost at my favorite part."

"You could rival Ella with that pout," Elena quipped.

"Funny," Damon replied although he was glad to see Elena seemed to have relaxed from her earlier scare. He blew out a breath, knowing he needed to be responsible and find them a light source until the power came on. "You stay here. I think there are some candles in the kitchen. Maybe a flashlight too."

"They can wait," she told him, placing a hand on his chest to stop him. "I'm comfortable." Part of her was still reeling from the storm but for the most part, she wasn't quite ready to let Damon off the couch. He looked at her through the darkness.

"Well, who would I be to argue with a beautiful woman?" he asked, settling back against the couch cushions. Elena settled back into her place at Damon's side, her head resting on his shoulder. They remained like that for a while, both lost in their own thoughts. Elena jumped every once in a while when the storm would unleash a particularly violent rumble of thunder or pop of lightning and each time, Damon would wordlessly tighten his arm around her, letting her know she was safe.

"So you and Stefan," Damon mentioned after a while. He busied himself by playing with the fringe of the throw.

"What about me and Stefan?" Elena asked.

"You dated him."

"I did."

"Why'd you break up?"

Elena pushed herself into a seating position and even though the only light she had was the frequent flash of lightning, she could see the slightest hint of vulnerability in Damon's eyes. Under the cover of near pitch black, he was letting his guard down just a little more.

"Because we were eighteen," she answered. "We had our own plans. He was going to UVA to be a doctor. I was going to Columbia to be a writer. We weren't willing to do the long distance thing and ultimately, we knew we were better friends than boyfriend and girlfriend. It may disappoint you, but there were no hard feelings or big, dramatic blow up arguments. It was a mutual 'hey, we've had a good run, but let's be friends' kind of split. And he's been one of my best friends ever since."

"I am a little disappointed that Stefan didn't do something to cause you to throw things, slam doors, at the very least, storm out of the room," Damon said. "I like it when he's the bad guy."

"Instead of you?" Elena asked. Damon looked at her and she could tell, even in the darkness, that she'd caught him. "You aren't fooling me, Damon. Underneath those tailored black suits and the 'I always get what I want' attitude, you're a good guy." Damon continued to study her for a few more long moments. Then he shook his head, almost sadly.

"I'm not the good guy, Elena. Never have been, never will be."

"I don't believe that," Elena replied, moving towards him.

"You stick around long enough and I'll prove it," Damon said as though she'd issued a challenge. He pulled her closer. "I have a tendency to live up to everyone's worst expectations."

"Or you're good at self-sabotage," Elena said, her lips mere inches from his.

"I'm also good at this." He buried a hand in her silky hair and pulled her lips to his, kissing her deeply. Her lips parted with a sigh and he seized the opportunity, deepening the kiss even more, his tongue slipping in. With one hand still buried in her hair, he looped his other arm around her waist and pulled her into his lap. Straddling him, she placed a hand on either side of face, her fingers playing through his hair.

Damon pulled away, but only to start pressing soft kisses along her throat. He heard her sigh again and grinned against her skin. He wasn't good at talking about feelings or letting people get close to him, but he was good at this, at making a woman feel good. Pulling his lips from her skin, he moved back towards her lips, letting his stubble tickle along her throat.

"Damon," she whispered. His lips found hers again and this time, he laid back on the couch, pulling her with him.

Elena didn't know how much time had passed, whether it was five minutes or an hour. All she knew was Damon, his lips on hers and occasionally along her throat, his hands in her hair, moving up and down her back, venturing to her hip a time or two. She kissed him back with just as much fervor, her own hands moving along his hard chest. She pressed her body along his, making it clear that she wanted him. He kept himself in check, however, his moves purely PG. Finally, he pulled away, his breathing heavy.

"Lena," he said in a husky voice. He kissed her forehead and then laid back on the couch to catch his breath. She placed a soft kiss on the skin exposed by the v of his t-shirt and then laid her head back on his shoulder, her own breath starting to even out.

"You are the devil," Damon said softly. "Or an angel. I'm not sure which."

"You're definitely the devil," Elena replied. "Of that, I'm absolutely sure."

"You're not wrong." Damon kissed her forehead once more and then pulled her back into him. Elena let out a content sigh and settled against him. She realized that the storm outside had dulled to a peaceful rain with the occasional gentle rumble of thunder or flash of lightning. She didn't mind. Laying in Damon's arms, she was content. Another unknown amount of time passed before Damon spoke again.

"It's late. Let's get you in a bed."

Against her body's will, Elena forced her to a sitting position. Damon stood and took her hand to lead her through the still dark house, unfamiliar to her but as familiar to him now, years since he'd lived there, as it was to him as a small boy. They climbed the stairs and went down a hallway, entering Damon's bedroom.

"You sleep here tonight," Damon said, dropping Elena's hand once they were in the room. "I know for a fact that the bed is comfortable."

"And where are you sleeping?" Elena asked, turning to him in the darkness. She could just make out his form a few feet in front of her.

"With you."

Elena's jaw dropped ever so slightly. She had planned to protest, to insist that he sleep in his bed. They were adults, after all, and could surely be trusted to sleep next to one another. But Damon was as forward and as surprising as ever. He moved passed her, jarring her out of her thoughts. He flopped unceremoniously onto the bed, resting his head on the arm he'd bent behind him. The fact that it was completely dark added an element of danger to the situation.

"You coming?" he asked. Elena nodded even though she knew he couldn't see her and walked around to the other side of the bed. She pulled the covers back and slipped under them. Beside her, Damon pulled his t-shirt off and then joined her under the covers.

"Thanks for letting me stay tonight," she told him.

"Best night I've had in a while," Damon replied. He moved then, sliding over to her. Wordlessly, he rolled her gently onto her side and then pulled her to him, her back against his chest. He kissed her shoulder. "Goodnight, Elena."

"Night, Damon."

Outside, the storm blew itself out. Inside, spooned together in Damon's king-sized bed, Elena drifted off to sleep, her busy mind crowded by the feeling of Damon wrapped around her. Damon, however, lay awake well into the night, his mind racing. He was falling for Elena Gilbert. And it was starting to look like there wasn't a damn thing he could do about it.


Damon is starting to realize he's in over his head, I do believe. How will this shake out?

Let me know what you thought!