CHAPTER 10

Elena awoke to the sound of snoring and soft breathing caressing her neck. Her head was spinning as she tried to sit up and then she realised that Damon was on top of her. She remembered his bite and she lightly touched her neck to review the damage. Her neck had healed but was sticky from residual blood. How was she still alive? She had thought for sure that he had taken enough to completely drain her. He should have just finished it. She had put him through enough, he was within his rights to end her. She wondered how long they had been out of it, but with the outside world closed off to them she couldn't tell what time it was. Evidently Stefan and Caroline hadn't come with more blood bags because surely they would have helped her. Then again, maybe they thought she deserved this from Damon. It was her penance.

Damon's body was so warm on hers, she had never been this close to him before without clothing. She placed her arm around him, holding him to her gently. His head was resting on her chest as though after feeding he had just slumped there. She could feel his lips brush her breast every time he breathed. Strange to think how much she had yearned for this closeness only a few days ago, under very different circumstances. She closed her eyes, trying to imagine that they were lying like this because they had just made love. Imagination might be her only friend now that he hated her. Then again, he hadn't killed her. Should she dare to hope it was because he still felt something, or might it just be because he was clearly exhausted and had fallen asleep through the frenzy of feeding? For the moment she elected to pretend it was because he still felt love for her and she began to stroke the skin of his back tenderly, feeling all of his muscle there. She had always wondered what it would be like to touch him like this. He always paraded around comfortable in his nakedness or semi-nakedness, confident that every woman within a hundred miles wanted him. It hadn't escaped her notice that he had an amazing body. She felt him shiver slightly as she traced his back with her fingers, so she ran her hand up to his hair and stroked through it. He seemed to enjoy that as he snuggled his head deeper into towards her arm where he could breathe in her scent deeply. He was coming around now. She slowly removed her arms from him as he took a deep breath, taking in the scent of her skin. Sooner or later he would realise what had happened here, if only he could sleep forever and she could just hold him like this and pretend everything was ok.

She closed her eyes in fear of her imaginary post sex scenario breaking. He lifted his head fully awake and she knew he was looking at her face. She didn't want to open her eyes, but he wasn't moving. His proximity was excruciating.

"Just finish it off. You have every right." She whispered and tensed herself in preparation for another bite. He tensed up and growled again. She held her breath, ready. He snorted cruelly and got up leaving her on the floor. She opened her eyes in surprise and watched as he moved to grab a shirt to put on.

"You'd love that wouldn't you?" He commented, still sounding angry as he turned his back to her and started to dress. "It'd be great just to give yourself to me, cop out and not have to face me anymore. Well…" he turned to face her buttoning up his shirt in front of her "I'm not going to make it that easy for you." He smirked cruelly. She sat up perplexed at his response. She felt overwhelmed by anger. She was trying to make things right and how could she ever do that if he wouldn't let her?

"Isn't that what you were trying to do in the woods?" She shot back at him, stopping him in his tracks as he zipped up his jeans. He looked at her quizzically, so she continued "You knew I wanted to hurt you and you never stopped me! I couldn't control myself but you could have stopped me!" She was shouting now, unsure of where her new found anger had come from but she felt like she was on a roll so she decided to continue further. "I wouldn't have even been in that state if you hadn't rejected me, if you hadn't left me for a whole day not knowing what the hell you were thinking, what everything meant…"

"You're blaming me for this?!" He shouted back incredulously. "How do I get the blame for you nearly ripping my head off?"

"I needed you and you left me! You promised you would never leave me!" She stood up shakily shouting at him. They stared at each other in shock and dismay. You could have heard a penny drop.

"What choice did I have?" He said calmly trying to make his expression blank again but failing miserably "He's my brother Elena. I couldn't just jump into bed with you before the sheets were even cold." Elena gasped in disgust and he smiled in triumph.

"That's not what I expected from you. I still love Stefan, I would never want to hurt him like that."

"Not unless it meant getting what you want, ay?" He chirped in, trying to aggravate her.

"And what's that exactly? You?" she laughed looking him up and down. His smile turned cold as she did so. "I'm not so sure anymore." She folded her arms across her chest.

"Of course not. I'm not a puppet you can play with to your heart's content." He snarled and she couldn't help her jaw dropping to the floor in pain at his words. She couldn't look at him anymore. She turned her back to him and marched towards the door trying to open it again. It was still locked. She turned to face him and caught a brief look of remorse on his face.

"Stefan was never a puppet and neither were you." She sighed and looked down at the floor, starting to feel the blood deprivation now. She felt tired and done in. Caroline and Stefan's plan wasn't going to help matters. How long did they think they could keep them in here together? They would have to let them out eventually. She looked up at Damon again in defeat.

"I am in love with you Damon." She sighed, sitting down on the floor with her back to the door. There, she had said it and it didn't matter what happened now. She had to get it out so they could both move on. Damons' eyes softened slightly and he mimicked her movements, sitting down with his back to the opposing wall.

"I hate myself for what I did to you, what I did to both of you. I just wanted you so much I lost it." She huffed, trying not to cry again. She didn't expect anything from him now, but she wanted him to listen to what she had to say. He finally seemed to be willing. "I wanted to know if there was a chance that we could be together. You've never held back from me before. I guess I hoped you wouldn't now."

"I don't know what you want from me Elena." He grumbled. "You've kissed me and still turned back to him. Do you really expect me to be able to trust that this isn't temporary?" He was speaking earnestly now for a change.

"I know and I'm sorry, but this isn't temporary Damon. The time we have spent together lately, the way that you have been with me, surely you know that what I'm feeling is real?"

"I want to." He said sadly. Finally her Damon was back in the room with her. His eyes had returned to the beautiful ocean blue she cherished, rather than the black pits of anger they had been.

"Stefan saved both of us last night." She commented. He looked up at her in question. "He saved you from me and he saved me from myself." He raised his eyebrows at her in confusion. "When I realised what I'd done to you, I tried to destroy my ring." She looked down at the ring on her hand in shame. He got up and walked towards her, stopping in front of her and offering her his hand. She looked up at him soberly and took his hand as he pulled her to her feet. She felt a tear slip down her cheek as she looked into his eyes. He looked right back into hers and held her gaze. His eyes were so blue, she felt like they had their own magic. He brought his hand up to cradle her cheek gently.

"I forgive you." He whispered as he lowered his mouth to hers gently. His lips brushed against hers softly at first and then she felt herself pull him nearer to get more pressure. They had kissed before but never on equal ground. She had always had Stefan to consider, but now that things between her and Stefan had been brought out into the open and discussed, she felt like she could really kiss Damon now. She held him close and opened her mouth to him as she let her head fall back slightly. He was a great kisser and had her toes curling already. He knew just the right amount of pressure to place on her lips and how to excite her with his tongue. She felt herself fold into his embrace as his arms tightened around her. She started to feel her temperature increasing with every touch of his tongue, every stroke of his fingertips at the nape of her neck and yet she shivered. She began to notice how close his hips were to hers and she tried to pull him forward against her. He reluctantly kept some space between them though and she sighed in frustration. He slowed their kiss and put a little space in between them again before he pulled away from her. She looked up into his eyes dazed and slightly confused by his behaviour. He looked at her hungrily but with regret.

"Stefan." He said gently and she understood his restraint. She put her arms around his neck to stop him from moving too far from her grasp.

"It's ok. Stefan and I talked all night while you were sleeping. He understands how we both feel. He wants us to be together." She soothed, looking up at him lovingly. Damon still looked unsure. "Why else do you think he locked us in here?" She added logically. Damon thought about it for a moment before he realised she was right. He smiled slightly astonished at the turn of events. Stefan wanted them to try this. He looked down at her face again, searching her eyes for permission before he lifted her off her feet and carried her to his bed. She yelped in surprise and laughed as he placed her onto the bed and jumped on top of her.