Real Life

Chapter 9 - I'll Make You Feel Like A Woman

The excitement Elena felt on planning her wedding to Damon couldn't be measured up or put into words. She felt all giddy and Caroline matched her every feeling. She had been with Elena for the past five years and she had seen her best friend struggling to recover from what Tyler did and to rebuild what he broke. At some point the blond lost hope that the writer would actually move on and start over. And now she couldn't be any happier to see Elena so radiant and ecstatic. It even helped her get over her own pathetic personal life, focusing on her friend's wedding would probably help her to be less anxious about finding Mr. Right. Maybe for other girls in her place it would only make it worse and lead her to be more depressed but that wasn't who Caroline was. She was happy for her friends' accomplishments and happy as much as she would be for herself. Especially if that friend was Elena Gilbert. Caroline used to say that nobody in the whole world deserved to be happy more than her best friend did.

Elena's newly found cheeriness also helped her with the book. She was trying her best to start taking care of the wedding plans and to make good use of her inspiration to write but her main focus was Damon's birthday. It was crazy but also a good thing that she didn't have a nine-to-five job. She wanted the first birthday they shared to be special. Hers would be in a month but in the between there was Stefan's and Elijah's birthdays. She talked briefly to Katherine in the morning who confirmed she was doing a huge party for the blonde's third birthday and if she wanted they could celebrate hers too. There were only five days between the three people's birthdays and Elena actually considered it would be great to spend some time with his family. Hopefully by then there wouldn't be much – or any – work for him to do with the movie and she hoped to extend their visit there for a week and then head to visit her own family. It would be great to be closer to her family than she had been in the past years and she already loved the Salvatores too much, especially the small ones, not to include them in her hopefully more constant family getaways.

She didn't want to do anything fancy for his birthday and everything Caroline suggested involved sex and seduction. She didn't want that either because they had a very active and creative sex life. She would save the sex filled celebration for when they needed to heat up things between them, probably too long down the road seeing how they were nearly addicted to making love to each other. She just wanted something special and intimate. Damon had taught her again what intimacy was. She shared things with him that she never felt or experienced in her whole life and she just wanted something like that. But what would do it? It was actually Rose who came up with an idea that she kept improving and now she felt like she had something to start with.

They were still living in the penthouse because Elena didn't want to move to their house until they got married. She knew it was stupid but she wanted their first night as a married couple to be in the house and although they had plenty of sex there the afternoon she was there, she was deleting that little piece of information and keeping her bubble intact. She was going to start a new life, with a new man, in a new house and the future never looked brighter. Also she was positive she was going to get a lot of gifts to their house and only after accommodating them all in the house she was going to see what else she wanted to change. Damon's and hers style of decoration couldn't be any more different. He had good taste but while she preferred more modern interior design, he preferred classic and she wasn't sure if they could mix both. There was also the fact that despite the house being renovated recently, it still had something classic about it too. Maybe they shouldn't take anything from her apartment, except an object or too she was more attached to, and buy everything else they needed in the new house. She could rent her penthouse with all the furniture as she didn't have the heart to sell the place she had been so proud of buying with her money alone.

But just because she wanted to save their new house for when they were already married, it didn't mean they couldn't visit sporadically, on special occasions such as his birthday. She was going to worry about the wedding in the following week, after her doctor's appointment. There was a small concern in the back of her mind about her fertility. She didn't know why she was thinking about it but both Dr. Karev and Katherine said it was expected for her body to resume its proper working and her period was suppose to come naturally at some point. But it had been nearly a month and nothing. The reason why they advised her to wait for it before she started with birth control again was to make sure there was nothing wrong with her body. But it was taking too long and she was already getting worried. She thought about pregnancy but she and Damon didn't have unprotected sex since she found out she wasn't pregnant. There was this odd feeling that she couldn't brush off but she wasn't going to think about that yet. She had an appointment in a few days and she hoped everything was okay with her. She felt much better now, being back in the US solved all her physical illness, she didn't need any doctor for that diagnosis – she was indeed Damon-sick.

But now she was close to him again and she couldn't be more excited about his birthday. She wasn't sure of everything she would do but she definitely was looking forward to use her house keys for the first time. She felt like she was almost stealing a moment they should share when she came back to the house and made yet another tour. Although there was none of the furniture she saw the first time she had come there, she could still feel the warmness and relate to everything those walls witnessed in the many years they stood there. It was like there was something in the air, maybe a smell or something but even the fact that Damon's furniture filled most of the rooms in the house, didn't take away what enchanted her the first time she had been there.

It wasn't about the objects but about the stories Jessica shared with them. She could imagine the young couple getting old there and seeing their family grow up. The house somehow screamed family. Maybe because of the many bedrooms or the swing in the backyard. One thing she definitely missed was the frames hanging on the wall by the staircase. Jessica had a big family and she supposed all of them that met Lea and Anthony used to be represented in those pictures. For a moment she wondered about she and Damon filling the very same wall with their children and someday their grandchildren. She didn't care that they were dating for just a few months and she already had a diamond ring on her finger. Everything with him seemed to right and perfect, there was no reason for them to wait for the right time. The right time was now because she wanted to share those things with him. There wasn't anyone else she wanted to be in the picture by the top of the staircase other than him. He was the man that restored her dreams and added so many more. Looking again at the beautiful ring he chose for her, she felt her eyes tearing up. They were going to get married, probably in the summer, preferably in the spring. They were going to get married and someday start their own family and write their story in the same house that seemed destined to shelter such love and dreams.

She loved that man more than she thought possible. As she passed by each of the many bedrooms and bathrooms in the second story she couldn't stop thinking how much she loved him. Jessica had seen it so easily back at that day. She remembered when he took her in his arms and dragged her to a bedroom before they headed to the master suite. She loved him and she loved that place and she would never forget their first time on the beach. Of course they had sex the night they met but that was the one night she was going to keep with her forever and maybe someday shared with her grandchildren – keeping it all PG, of course. She wanted to fill that house with little Damon's and maybe little Elena's but she was definitely looking forward to having their children inherit as much as possible from their father. The infertility fear quickly crossed her mind again but she wasn't going to let it destroy the tender moment she was having as she walked into her dreamy house. Her house. Their house. Suddenly she couldn't wait for the weekend to come around already and for them to be there together. Thinking of it while she stood there, waiting until they got married sounded like stupidity. She couldn't wait to share that house with him, to see his mesmerizing blue eyes and his charming grin as they do any domestic and ordinary thing. Like him cooking for her. She loved it when he cooked for her and as she held a content smile on her face she thought about the perfect night for them.

It was a good thing she decided to go down there one day before the day she saved for his birthday surprise. She hoped the place would inspire her and if it didn't she would certainly go with Caroline's sexy escapades but Elena was a romantic person at heart even if she hadn't practiced or believed in romance for a very long time. She gave many surprises to Tyler back when they were together – one of them that actually made her decrease her shame by being abandoned by her fiancé. At least she was the one who called the wedding off. Damon was restoring things that she didn't even remember. The reason why she hated surprises for so long was because of her big disappointment when she found out Tyler was going to leave and that was why she said to Damon she didn't like them. But the blue-eyed man was right when he disagreed. She used to love surprises and it was a nice feeling to feel up to keep surprising the man she loved and she loved when he did it for her too.

She stayed in her safe and happy place for another hour and checked a few things she would probably need and then she left. What she had planned wasn't big or extravagant but she didn't need those big gestures when she was with Damon. The small things in their relationship were what made her the happiest and she had a feeling he felt the same way.

Damon had had a hell of a day. He really couldn't wait until that movie was finally and officially finished. It wasn't because of the movie itself. He loved the story they were telling and the actors delivered exactly what he expected them to deliver. The timing was what he had a problem with. He wanted to be with Elena for a month or two, be lazy at home, schedule their trip to Vegas and just enjoy his newly found happiness by her side. The movie was so consuming, his hours were crazy even if he did his best to keep his moderate rhythm but with the many delays because of bad weather and his slower and unfocused work for the two weeks they waited for Elena to have the laparoscopy and write off the cancer threat, really messed up his plans. And the worst part was that he was probably going to take four to six weeks to finally wrap up production and relax. And he needed to relax. Next month was Elena's, Stefan's and Elijah's birthdays and he didn't want to be a zombie while celebrating some of the people he loved the most in the world.

He was exhausted and need the break but especially he needed Elena. It was finally Friday and at least he managed not to work this weekend. After all his birthday had been two days ago and any celebration he might want to have would have to be done Saturday or Sunday as he arrived pretty late the whole week. Elena asked him to let her know when he would leave the studio as an attempt to be awake when he arrived. Unlike the other days he was home before nine but she wasn't in the penthouse. It nearly broke his heart but when he finally entered their bedroom the red sheet of paper on their bed and her sloppy writing put a smile on his face.

There's a healing, relaxing, luxurious bath waiting for you. Don't forget to hit play on the stereo. I love you,

Elena

And she wasn't exaggerating at all in the description of the surprise she prepared for him, although he would have enjoyed it much better if she was by his side. The music in the background was classic, one of his favorite styles and she of course chose his favorites. Nothing too loud, just soft song after song. When he stepped out of the bathtub over thirty minutes later and reached for the white towel another red paper fell from it when he unfolded the soft fabric to cover his body.

I'm sure it helped. But I'm not done yet. Open your side of the closet and dress up for me, Damon Salvatore. I can't wait to see you,

Elena

There was a smirk on his face. She sounded like the bossy Elena he loved, even in her written words that were supposed to be sweet as he already figured she prepared some surprises for them to celebrate his birthday. He wasn't complaining. It was nice to be spoiled by someone for a change and she definitely knew him well to pick every little thing right.

He finally moved to the bedroom and was surprised to see his tuxedo hanging on the inside of the door. When he brought his furniture to New York he also got all of his clothes delivered and he wondered if Elena was curious to see him dressed up or if she planned something fancy. There was another paper waiting for him in the jacket's front pocket and he was absolutely surprised by the words. He already had his car with him for weeks now but she was so thoughtful that it touched him.

There's a limo and a chauffeur waiting for you downstairs. I hope there's no traffic anymore because I can't wait to kiss you,

Elena.

It didn't take Damon too long to know where he was headed out. Of course she would be waiting for him in their house. He wouldn't have it any other way. No fancy restaurant or famous chef would come close to their house. That was their spot, their nest, where their dreams would come true. There wasn't any other place he wanted to be with her other than there.

It took him a while but the car finally stopped in front of their house near eleven in the evening. The lights were all on and the house looked beautiful at night with the extra lamps on. It was a magical place, one that he felt was reserved for him and for Elena long before they even met.

He didn't knock on the door and when he entered the house he could hear soft music again, though this time it was Norah Jones or something like that.

"Finally, I thought you wouldn't make it here, you definitely took your time," Elena announced her presence as she came down the stairs. She was wearing a beautiful white dress. It was definitely fancy but it had a beach air about it. She probably planned for them to go outside at some point. But it was still too cold in mid-February and she just wanted to be comfortable with the fabric flying around her perfect frame.

"You spoil me," he said as he offered his hand for her when she approached the last two stairs.

"You deserve much more," she said and there wasn't time for any other word as their lips brushed each other's. They kissed like there was no tomorrow, it was intense and deep but not as passionate as other kisses. It was filled with love and affection and sooner than they wanted they stopped to get some air. It wasn't unexpected to either of them as their lips broke apart their bodies got even closer as he held her in his embrace.

"Thank you, Kitten, that's just perfect," he whispered.

"You deserve much better, Dan," she offered with a smile on her face, "But now it's time for dinner," she said breaking apart totally and stretching her hand for him.

He followed her towards the back yard but instead of getting outside they went to the dining room that faced towards the beach. It was a beautiful night, there was no snow, though it was very cold and they could spot a few stars in the sky and the new moon was like a faint brushed line hanging in the dark blue canvas.

This part of the house was totally dark except for the two candles lit over the set table for two. Everything looked beautiful and cozy, just like Damon loved it.

"It's been a while since I cooked for you. I saw this lamb recipe on a TV show the other day and I remembered you said you love lamb meat. Don't worry I did a sample of this yesterday and it was actually edible," she offered almost sheepishly and Damon couldn't grin any broader. He felt like his lips would touch his ears.

"It's perfect, Elena," he said kissing her gently and briefly on the lips before pulling out a chair for her, "I can't even thank you enough," he said as he moved around the table and sat too.

"Good thing you don't have to because I love you and it's my job to make you happy, especially on your birthday," she offered and he reached her hand, kissing it tenderly as she loved him to.

"Mission accomplished."

AN: Sorry for the long delay, I'm working to make it faster.

I wanted to do things all the other way around. Normally - stories and real life - woman are spoiled with those things but it was Damon's birthday and his work is consuming him and Elena is trying to be who she was before Tyler broke her. I raised something that I'll explore more in the next chapter. Also I'll continue from almost where we stopped here.

Thanks a lot to my amazing beta, Avecia, and all the kind and great people who reviewed last chapter.

xoxo

Babi