Chapter 9

Your beautiful eyes stare right into mine

And sometimes I think of you late at night

I don't know why, I

Want to be somewhere where you are

I want to be where

You're here; your eyes are looking into mine

So baby, make me fly

My heart has never felt this way before

Beautiful Eyes – Taylor Swift

Elena awoke to the feeling of a body wrapped protectively around her. She felt warm and safe, perfectly content in this secret cocoon. As the events of the day came rushing back to her she realized that of course it was Damon who was holding her tight against his chest. She was surprised to find that she didn't care. It felt right, he smelled familiar and homely and she didn't want to move.

Instead she snuggled deeper into his arms, pushing away thoughts of Stefan and what it was that she was doing. She had died for god's sake; she deserved a little slack.

She rested her head in the dip just below his chin and sighed. Every muscle in her body was aching, her hands hurt and her mind was struggling to understand what had happened. A painful throbbing began in her head and she closed her eyes. Damon's stubble brushed against her forehead, without thinking, she touched her lips to his throat in a whisper of a kiss.

"I'm scared." She murmured.

His breathing was deep and even. His face relaxed in sleep.

He mumbled something incomprehensible and she shifted to look at him.

"Elena."

In that moment so many feelings and realizations overwhelmed her. She disentangled herself and hastily scrambled off the bed. She realized in horror that she was dressed only in a towel that was doing very little to protect her modesty. Guilt wracked through her body and she fought tears. What was she doing? What was she thinking? She was confused, that was all it was. She was confused and Damon was there to look after her, nothing more, she felt nothing more than gratitude and friendly concern. Even as she thought the words she knew they weren't true.

She found one of Damon's shirts and pulled it over her head, it wasn't ideal but it was better than the towel.

She ran out of the room and headed for Stefan's. She pushed open the door and went inside. It was exactly the same as she remembered it, but a few things were missing from the shelves and some clothes were gone from the closet. She sat down on the bed and cried, she needed her boyfriend; she needed a constant that would tell her that everything was going to be ok. With a sickening feeling she remembered that Stefan wasn't her boyfriend anymore. But worse than that was the realization that it wasn't his arms she craved around her, wasn't his comforting words she needed to hear.

Damon reached across the bed, his hand yearning to come into contact with her soft body. The cool sheets were like a bucket of iced water. His eyes snapped open and he sat up, searching frantically around the room.

He felt dizzy as he came to terms with the possibility that it had been a dream; a vividly cruel, taunting dream.

His mind refused to accept it, he jumped out of the bed, and ran out of the room

"Elena!" He yelled.

Please let her be alive, please let it be real.

"Elena where are you?" He yelled again, his voice frantic.

She came hurtling out of nowhere and into his arms.

Elena heard the pain in his voice as he called for her, she recognized the desperation and she ran. She ran to him, trying to ignore the fact that it felt like coming home.

"I'm here. I'm ok, it's ok." She murmured.

He wrapped his arms around her and breathed a sigh of relief.

"Thank god." He whispered. "I thought it was all a dream."

She pulled away from him, even though every fiber in her body told her not too.

"No dream. I really rose from the grave." She said attempting a smile.

He rolled his eyes.

"Count on you to find a way to come back and still be human." He chuckled, trying to keep the mood light.

They smiled at each other for a moment before Elena looked away. She made her way downstairs, her heart beating frantically in her chest, she groaned inwardly when she remembered that he could hear it. Damon was taking up her every thought…the Damon she had known before the…death, was beautiful and volatile and worth fighting for, but when he opened himself up completely, when he let her see right into his heart and soul he was breathtaking. Literally.

The things he said to her, the way he showed her how much he cared made her want to lose herself in him. She tried to convince herself that she was probably just confused…or maybe she post traumatic stress whatsit… but the truth was, she had never had that feeling with Stefan.

The thought of her elusive ex-boyfriend snapped her out of her contemplation.

"Where's Stefan?" She asked as she walked into the kitchen.

Damon followed closely behind, staring thoughtfully out of the window.

"I don't know." He said quietly. "I was going to try and get hold of him today."

Elena's head snapped up.

"What do you mean you don't know?"

He sighed.

"No one's seen him since the night you…" He couldn't quite bring himself to say the word died. "And everyone else was too broken up to go and look for him." He finished quietly.

Elena looked at the ground.

"You don't think he might have…taken his ring off, do you?" She whispered.

He swallowed.

"I hope not." Was the only reply he could give her.

She nodded, accepting the knowledge that it was a possibility. She blinked back tears and took a deep breath.

"We've got to find him." She said firmly. "But first I want to see Jeremy."

Damon went to a cupboard and pulled out a box of cereal, he grabbed a bowl and a spoon and set them on the table. He got some milk from the fridge and gestured for Elena to sit.

"First you need to eat. Then I promised Bonnie I would call her when you woke up, and I really don't want one of her witchy little headaches." He said.

"Bonnie knows I'm alive?" She gasped.

Damon nodded.

"I talked to her last night. I thought she might have some answers. No such luck."

Elena smiled at the thought of seeing her friend.

"Do you think she could bring me some spare clothes? I can't exactly wear your shirt all day." She said, remembering her state of undress.

Damon smirked.

"I wouldn't worry. It looks ridiculously good on you." He smoldered.

She looked down to hide the flush in her cheeks.

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