A/N: I love Christina Perri, so here's two of her songs! I definitely recommend listening to her.
how many times will you let me change my mind – Christina Perri, "Arms"
The first time, he leaves her in the Grille, imperfect and useless to him. She takes him back, years later when she's everything he needs.
The second time is in Rome in autumn, and she is wearing his favorite scarf of hers. He gets scared, for absolutely no reason.
She stares as he packs. Doesn't beg, doesn't cry, doesn't do anything except watch.
But he drops his bag on the sidewalk seven minutes later (just leaves it there) and runs back to her apartment (not theirs anymore, because he's an idiot). And he knocks and she opens with a blinding brilliant smile (she doesn't let him see her cry over it, though her eyes do get awfully shiny) and he wonders if she'll always do this.
If she'll always let him back inside her life.
Or if she'll eventually cut her losses and find someone better, like she deserves.
She holds him closer than usual in bed that night, warm and tight, and doesn't let go, even in sleep. He watches her still body, cradling it carefully, praying that he'll always have this perfect view.
(But maybe she'll continue to always let him back into her arms. He hopes so.)
say I love you when you're not listening – Christina Perri, "Distance"
"Stay away from me," she taunts him, twirling like a gazelle, all graceful and mile-long legs. (Hottest gazelle he's ever seen, though that's more Stefan's forte than his.)
"Try to stop me," he snarls, and his face changes, vampire style.
Hers does too, and the next thing she knows, he's leaping and tossing her down and they're tumbling and he's on top of her and she's on her back and he forgot how warm she was. They're breathing softly and suddenly, wondering if this is a dream (it's too good to be true), his hands wrapped around her wrists (just like old times) and his face a few mere inches from hers. So close they could kiss.
She starts to lean forward, ever-so-slowly. (All this time, they've been saying I love you when the other couldn't hear it.)
That's how Elena finds them: almost kissing. "Damon, I need your help," she says, trying to ignore his position. "It's about Stefan. Please."
Damon Salvatore always plays pretend, trying to be a big bad vampire when he's really a protective big brother with bad decisions following him around. "Fine," he says reluctantly. "But just so you know, I was so gonna get some before you walked in."
"You were not," Caroline whispers in his ear. He gets up off of her and she massages her wrists (his grip is not quite as tight as she remembers from her human days, but still plenty firm enough) and he smirks even harder, if possible.
"So was," he murmurs back, where Elena can't hear. (It means I love you.)
"Go suck a bunny." (You love Elena.)
"Think I'll leave that one to Stefan." (That's my little brother's job now.)
She smiles. "Yeah. Can we practice again sometime?" (I love you too.)
Smirking, "Yeah." (Tomorrow I'm gonna make you scream and next time Elena won't be around to stop me.)
(Maybe she slightly misinterprets the last one, but it's probably closer to right than wrong.)
He stalks off. She admires it—she may hate to see him go, but, God, she loves to watch him leave.