Hi all! Yes, I am aware that I absolutely suck at replying to reviews. I've been packing like crazy because I move in TWO DAYS! GAH! So I hope you will all be okay with me giving you a big THANK YOU SO FREAKING MUCH right here and now. Seriously, your reviews have gotten me through the writer's block I had all week.

Another big, giant thanks goes to Layla Reyne who is my amazing beta. Her advice is invaluable. She also just posted TWO new AH/AU stories and you should all check them out The Left Coast and Four Tragedies. They are both going to be awesome.

And thanks to Kate for her prereading assistance. Go read her stories as well, she is so talented.

Okay, onto the good stuffs...

Elena never showed.

Damon had practically fallen on his knees and begged her to go with him and she'd never shown. Had he misread all of her signals? The way she'd trembled when he kissed her the first time, the way she'd nearly leapt on him in his apartment, the way she'd relaxed in his arms after he'd assured her he did indeed want to be with her. He hated admitting it, but he was hurt and far too prideful to call or text her. He didn't want to hear that she'd cast him aside just like his father had done.

Needless to say, his sour mood carried him all the way to Monday. He'd been a grump to Alaric that morning, only muttering one-word answers to all of his questions. He berated himself for letting a girl affect him so much. He was a big boy who'd dealt with plenty of girls before. Elena was no different.

He sighed out aloud; even his brain was screaming that he was a liar.

He was trying not look like a stalker, despite leaving his class early and high-tailing it to the dining hall just to catch her before she walked in. He stayed as close to the main entry way as possible so she'd be able to find him easily without him looking too eager. When he finally spotted her, she had her head down, her hair hanging like a shield around her. It was the complete opposite of how she usually held herself on campus. She looked... defeated.

"Elena!" He called her name before he could think twice about it. Her head snapped up so fast that some of the strands of her hair went flying around her face and shoulders. Her eyes grew wide with surprise before he watched her go running behind that shell, behind whatever she thought could protect her.

"Can I help you?" she asked, sounding bored as she tried to maneuver around him.

He blocked her path and scanned her face. She was giving nothing away. "What happened on Saturday? I waited for you."

She took a step back as if he'd slapped her. When her shock cleared, she crossed her arms over her chest and laughed humorlessly. "I'm sure you found somebody to bide your time with."

What the hell did she mean by that? He was about to ask her to explain when a familiar accented voice rang out.

"Hi baby!" Rebekah said, plastering herself to his side and overwhelming him with the smell of her perfume. God, did she bathe in it? She smiled up at him, pressing her breasts more firmly into his arm when she noticed Elena standing there. Rebekah's gaze was pure ice, though Elena looked completely unaffected.

"What are you doing with the slut?" Rebekah asked and if it was possible, pushed herself even closer to him.

Elena snorted and rolled her eyes before they collided with his. "I rest my case."

With that, she turned on her heel and disappeared through the dining hall doors.

"Wait!" he called out as the door slammed shut behind her.

"Let's go inside, baby," Rebekah purred, sliding her arms around his waist. Ever since he'd caught her when she tripped at the party Saturday, she'd been clinging to him like a drowning passenger would a life raft.

"Don't call me that," he spat, prying her arms off of him. Her perfume was giving him a headache and her accent grated on his nerves.

After blowing Rebekah off, Damon sat with his teammates through lunch and watched Elena like a hawk. Like a stalker was more like it and if he had an ounce of dignity left, he'd stop, but he didn't. He was in deep trouble where Elena was concerned. He'd never, ever wanted a girl more than she'd wanted him. He wanted to run across the room and ask her why she was giving him the cold shoulder, what had he done wrong? But he wouldn't, he'd be a man about it - at least on the outside, longing stares notwithstanding. He wished he could say something like it was her loss, but it wasn't. It was his.

He took his time walking to class after lunch, his feelings for Elena at war inside him. What he felt for her went way beyond what was normal after only knowing someone for a few weeks, but there was something in her that called to him. He wanted to be her light just as much as she was becoming his. But since he was a child, he'd been told feelings meant weakness. Though being with Elena made him feel strong.

He entered the classroom just before their professor and hesitated before deciding to be a man and sit in his regular spot - right next to Elena. He was pleased with the surprise that flashed across her face right before she schooled it into a mask of indifference. It gave him a little hope that he could still affect her.

Their class and lab went by quickly since they were busy gearing up for their next practical and lecture exam. Though Elena studiously ignored him, he couldn't say the same. He kept glancing over at her in the dark classroom, watching her hands move as she picked through different bones and noticing how her brow scrunched up when she had trouble remembering the name of a particular muscle or ligament.

She brushed off his every attempt to speak to her, and he could feel the hostility rolling off of her, despite her best attempts to pretend she wasn't bothered.

When their lab was dismissed, Damon followed Elena out the door, hot on her heels, determined to find out what was wrong.

"Elena!" he said, wrapping his fingers around her arm to stop her.

She snatched her arm away from him with a glare. "What?"

The venom in her voice stopped him short. What could he have possibly done to make her so angry? How had he been so wrong about her feelings for him?

"What's wrong? What did I do?" he asked, taking a defeated step away from her.

She choked out a humorless laugh.

"Damon! Get your ass moving, we have practice!" somebody called down the breezeway, cutting Elena off before she could reply to him.

He let out a heavy sigh, running a hand through his hair. He glanced behind him to see Tyler and Matt at the end of the hall, waving him down. He stifled a groan before turning back to Elena, but she was gone. All he saw was her retreating back.

With a muttered curse, he turned and stalked off toward the pool, looking forward to swimming away some tension.

Damon's plan failed. Where he wanted to take his aggression out in the pool, it just made it worse. His performance at practice was sub-par at best, only adding to his already shitty day.

He stomped into his apartment, nearly nailing Stefan in the face when he threw his bag on the couch "What the hell is the matter with you?" Stefan snapped, tossing Damon's bag onto an open armchair.

Damon wandered over to the refrigerator, grunting an unintelligible reply. He glared at the cans of Dr. Pepper that he'd stocked up on with Elena in mind. What an idiot he'd been. He snatched a can of Coke before slamming the door shut with much more force than necessary.

"Where's your study buddy?" Stefan asked as Damon collapsed onto the couch next to him.

"Pissed at me," Damon grumbled, taking a long swig of his soda.

Stefan closed his textbook and set it on the coffee table, giving Damon his full attention. "What did you do?"

Damon shook his head and then dropped it onto the back of the couch. "I have no fucking clue."

A pounding knock on their door cut off Stefan's reply. He got up off the couch and opened the door without bothering to check who was there.

"Hey-" Stefan's greeting trailed off as Elena pushed her way into the apartment.

"You need to put a muzzle on your bitch," she snarled at Damon, her face was red with rage and her chest heaving. He had to admit, it was kind of a turn on seeing her so worked up.

"I'm going to go," Stefan said awkwardly, grabbing his keys and wallet before slipping out the door with a muttered, "See you later."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Damon sat up straight, setting his can on the coffee table.

"I trusted you, Damon, and you lied to me!" she cried, her voice cracking a bit before she covered it with a look of sheer ice. "I don't need your goddamn pity." She pointed a finger at him and then ran her hand through her hair, lifting her gaze to the ceiling. "God, you know what, this, this is why I keep everyone at arm's length."

Confusion settled like a fog in his mind. He had no idea what he'd lied about; if anything, he thought he'd been too honest, that he'd scared her away and that was why she'd never showed on Saturday.

Damon rose up off the couch, unable to stay so far away from her when she was hurting. "Elena."

"Stop, just stop!" she said, shaking her head and taking a step back just as he took one toward her.

She looked like she was about to bold. "Elena, wait," he begged. "Talk to me. What is this all about?"

Tension rolled off of her in waves, nearly suffocating him. But he couldn't let her leave, not like this. Not when there was so much left unsaid between them.

"Rebekah!" she nearly screamed. "I saw you with her at the party holding her like you were never going to let go. I showed up to tell you that I wanted you too, and after the other night, I thought you felt the same way about me. But I was so fucking wrong." She shook her head sadly, the fight and rage leaving her voice. "You just pitied me. You pitied the psychopath that everyone hates. Well, I don't need your pity."

Her revelation rocked his world. She had shown up. For him. Because she wanted to be with him too. He closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. And of course she'd walked into that party at the exact wrong time, taking what she'd seen completely out of context.

"Rebekah tripped and fell, and I caught her before she smacked her head on the tile," Damon tried to explain, but Elena was already shaking her head, her brown eyes filled with anger. He could also see the hurt inside them.

"That's a great story, but she told me the rest." She crossed her arms over her chest like a shield, like she needed to protect herself from him. Like she was afraid of him and that implication hurt like a bitch. "How you were nice because you felt bad for me. How you planned to take Jeremy out with the guys to get him away from the psych patient. To give him a normal night for once."

It was Damon's turn to shake his head. He took slow, careful steps toward Elena, praying she wouldn't run. "I didn't say any of that. God, I don't even like Rebekah, damn it! I waited all night for you. I only want you!"

His words hung between them and all he could hear was the sound of his heart pounding. He could see the shock in her eyes - all of her defenses were down now. In the silence, the pull that he felt toward her only amplified and as if on their own, his feet carried him closer to her, physically unable to stay away.

She didn't move as he approached, only stared up at him with those big startled eyes and her lips parted. He slid his hands into her hair, cupping the back of her neck and forcing her to look up at him.

"You're the only one I want," he whispered, laying himself bare and hoping she could see the truth in his eyes.

The shock and surprise in her eyes morphed into wonder. Her hands ghosted up his sides, her fingers trailing along his arms before wrapping around his wrists, either to hold him to her or to push him away, he wasn't sure. He didn't have to wait long to find out.

"Me too," she replied, her voice soft and shy, so unlike the strong and steely girl that she presented to the rest of the world.

He stared at her in awe, savoring the privilege of seeing the real Elena. Leaning in slowly, he watched in satisfaction as her breath hitched and her eyes fluttered shut. He waited only a second, soaking in her reaction to him, before finally pressing his lips to hers. They were so soft, so pliable, and so unlike the kiss she initiated in this very spot. This time, he was in control and she all but melted against him.

He held her gently, moving his lips against hers slowly, unwilling to rush this moment. His fingers threaded into her hair and tilted her head to the side, allowing him to deepen the kiss. He loved the taste of her, and he was sure he'd never get enough of it. The moment his tongue slid across hers, Elena came to life. Her hands trailed down his arms and to his stomach, her fingers burning his skin, even through the cotton of his T-shirt. One of his hands ventured down her spine, resting at the base and pulling her into him. He couldn't get close enough, couldn't feel enough of her body against his.

Her hands ran up his chest and tangled in his hair, driving him to the brink of insanity. He backed her into the wall, the same wall they'd groped each other against just last week. And yet, so many things had changed since that night. He finally had Elena, all of her, walls down and everything. If he didn't want to get attached, that was shot to hell the moment she told him that she wanted him too.

His lips blazed a trail down her throat while his fingers slipped under her shirt and pressed against her warm silky skin. When he nipped at her collarbone, he was rewarded with a moan from deep in her throat. She was always so put together and the fact that he could undo her only fueled the fire. She pressed her body against his, rubbing him in all the right places. Her hands made their way down his chest again, but this time slipped under the hem of his shirt. He gasped a little when her fingertips brushed his bare skin; it felt like firecrackers were erupting from each point of contact.

He pulled away from her briefly and she took the opportunity to push his shirt up his torso and over his head, discarding it on the floor beside them. She leaned back and drank him in with her eyes, ratcheting up the tightness in his jeans to an almost unbearable degree. When her eyes rose back up to meet his, she gave him a sassy smirk before curling her fingers into the hem of her own shirt, pulling it over her head and tossing it aside.

Damon's mouth went completely dry, and he was mesmerized by the pale pink lacy bra that made her skin look even more inviting. Wrapping her arms around his waist, she leaned forward and sucked on his raging pulse point, nearly bringing him to his knees when she used her teeth to gently score the skin there. Like a match being thrown onto gasoline, they ignited. Her lips were back on his, sucking and biting, while his hands went right to her ass, lifting her up so he could grind himself in the warm V of her legs.

He stumbled down the hall to his room, his lips still fused with Elena's as he carried her. He kicked his door shut behind them and shuffled across the dark room to lay her on his bed. He'd be lying if he said he didn't like the way she looked on his sheets with her hair spread out around her. He leaned over her, planting a knee on the mattress, and kissed and licked and nipped his way down her chest, teasing the swells of her breasts. He wasted no time doing away with the scrap of fabric.

Damon loved the way her breasts fit perfectly in his hands. When he leaned down to take one of her nipples in his mouth, Elena's fingers threaded through his hair, spurring him on. He alternated between the two until she was squirming and moaning almost uncontrollably. His mouth continued down her stomach, enjoying the taste of her skin.

His fingers quickly worked the button and zipper of her jeans, pulling them and her panties off in one easy tug. He ran his hands up those legs that went on for days, teasing her inner thigh as he crawled up next to her on the bed and captured her lips once more. His fingers found her center hot and wet and ready, causing him to growl, and her throaty chuckle was nearly his undoing. But, when he dipped a finger, then two inside her, she wasn't laughing any longer. He kissed her all over while he drove her to the edge again and again until she was digging her nails into his back and gasping in big gulps of air.

"Damon, please," she whispered breathlessly, pulling him back by his hair and nailing him with those big brown eyes.

"I've got you," he replied, sliding off the bed and smiling at her mewl of objection. He dropped his pants and underwear so fast it probably set a record. He felt Elena's eyes on him as he reached into his nightstand and rolled on the condom he found there. Lowering himself over her, he kissed her again, unable to stop himself even if he wanted to.

"Are you sure?" he asked, propping himself up on his forearms so he could look her in the eye.

The sweet smile that tugged at her lips was like the sun breaking through on a cloudy day.

She wrapped one hand around the back of his neck and pulled herself up. "I'm sure," she whispered, pressing a soft kiss to his lips, as her other hand slid down his stomach and grasped his erection. He let out a strangled moan as she positioned him. With a deep breath, he pushed into her slowly, nearly passing out from the perfection that engulfed him. Elena's nails dug into the nape of his neck and into his ass as he started to really move . She moved with him, wrapping her legs around his waist and crying out when he pushed back into her, rubbing her in all the right places.

They moved together like they'd known each other for years rather than mere weeks. Her lips pressed into every inch of his skin that she came in contact with, making him feel like a king. Somehow he knew that no matter how many guys she'd slept with, they'd never seen this side of her. The sweet, beautiful person that he got to see.

"Oh God, Damon," she panted, her voice inching up in octaves as his speed increased. He pulled his head back from where it was resting in the curve of her neck and watched the pleasure build on her face. He could feel his own brewing inside, like an animal trying to claw its way out.

The sounds of skin sliding against skin and their heavy breathing filled his room. He couldn't look away from her eyes. He framed her face in his hands, kissing her softly while his body powered into hers. She cried out and threw her head back as she tilted her hips, accepting all of him and taking all the pleasure she wanted. Her hand pulled his head back to her neck and her teeth gently nipped his ear.

"Please don't stop," she begged softly, almost shyly.

Damon buried one hand in her hair while the other went to her hip, pulling her tightly him, pushing her toward the release he knew was coming. Calling out his name as she finally exploded around him, her nails scored his back and her inner walls milked him greedily. Her moans and gasps fueled him on and with just a few more thrusts, he hurdled over the edge as well, groaning into her neck and collapsing on top of her.

They laid there for several minutes, getting their heart rates under control. When Damon began to roll off of her, Elena tightened her arms and legs around him, grunting in displeasure.

"Don't move, not yet," she said lazily, and he was happy to oblige, especially when her fingers were gliding softly up and down his spine and her lips were pressing light kisses to his shoulder. Several minutes later, once she loosened her grip, he pulled back just enough to press his mouth to hers before rolling off of her to clean up.

He wasn't sure what to expect when he crawled back under the covers, afraid that she might shut him out again. But when he settled on his side facing her, she immediately closed the distance between them, snuggling herself into his chest and tangling her legs with his. Her little sigh of contentment when he wrapped his arms around her had him set for life. He could live off the happiness brought from that sound alone.

"I haven't felt this in a long time," she whispered, her head still nuzzled into his chest.

"Felt what?" he asked, running a hand through her silky hair.

He felt her smile against his skin. "Peaceful."

XXXX

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