Title: The Best Man

Summary: Damon and Elena meet at a wedding, which ends hotter than anyone would have thought. Continuation prompt by Lucy.

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended. No profit is being made from this work.

"Mm…."

As he kissed the side of her neck and slowly, agonizingly slow, made his way south, she couldn't help but moan. His mouth imprinted a path to where her hips were bucking up, grinding against him, needing that glorious friction. His hands tried to hold her down but she was wanton with need. It had been too long since his hand and mouth and body were on her and she needed him now. The feelings of his hot breath blowing against her caused her to jerk up and grab hold of his raven strands. She pulled and tugged and screamed out as his tongue darted out and flicked against her and he didn't wait for her to calm down before flicking against her once more. He flicked and licked and nibbled her, his tongue pushed inside her, tasting her and bringing her towards a pleasure she had never felt before.

Turning her head to the side and muffling her groans she stuttered out, "God that feels amazing."

He brought her over the precipice and spiraling downwards and before she could even catch her breath and steady her heartbeat, he brought his mouth to her lips and pushed inside her. She cried out and he bit her lip, rocking his body against hers. She joined him, angling her hips and desperate to bring them both to the place she had just been. The place where there was nothing but the feeling of him against her and the tingles exploding inside her body. She hitched her leg and bit his neck and clavicle, her nails scratching down his back causing him to scream out before getting his own revenge. His hand reached down between them, circling her bud and gently squeezing it between his fingers. She was still sore from earlier and this light touch was enough to cause her to clench around him, not that he was complaining.

His mouth was hot against her neck. "I'm waking you up like this for the rest of your life."

"Oh," she moaned.

"We'll christen every hotel room and hostel around the world." He whispered as his hips quickened and she began to lose control of her own body. "The whole world will know you're mine and that I can do this to you. I can make you feel like this."

She bit her own lip and focused on him. They're eyes were met and nothing else existed. Not the beautiful five star hotel room, not the sound of the crashing waves of the Italian beach in the distance. Not the heavenly smell of freshly cooked herbs. No. All that existed was this man and his love for her and everything that he could do. She loved him. It was enough. Just as she was getting close, he grunted. "No. Not here."

He stilled his movements and placed his arms around her and lifted her naked body up. She was glistening with sweat and her legs felt like jelly. Somehow he had the strength. She felt the cool feeling of glass at her backside and realized they were at the balcony windows. Forgetting all thoughts of broken glass and this entire Italian town seeing the two of them making love, she focused on Damon's deep thrusts and all of it disappeared.

It was amazing how lost she could be in him and right now was no different. They moved together, scratching and biting and grunting as they used their bodies to chase pleasure. And when they locked eyes again it happened. The world imploded, her body seized and suddenly they both were sliding their way down to the floor. They were a mess of tangled limbs and heavy breathing and when she came back down to the world all she saw was the dazzling blue of his eyes full of love and wonder.

Yes. They loved each other and it was enough.

And that's when she would wake up. Knowing that love wasn't enough. Not in their case.

Elena stared up at the ceiling, heart racing and breathing heavily. It was the same dream she had been having night after night since the night in the road with Damon. The location would change, as would the positions, but one thing remained the same. Her and Damon were in love and happy in Italy. Nothing could be further from the truth. Sure, Damon was in Italy. Working. But Elena was home in Mystic Falls. Miserable. She foolishly still loved him but being "in love" couldn't be further from the truth. The fallout of his secret had yet to be resolved. It all seemed so hopeless.

She turned to her side and squeezed her pillow. Her apartment hadn't had that same feeling since the night Damon had spent here. Reaching for her phone on the bedside table, she opened up Instagram and photos of Damon in Italy. He wasn't living the high life like in her dream. He wasn't anywhere touristy. Damon traveled like a local and hit up small towns and Ma and Pop shops. He rubbed elbows with farmers and blue collar guys and captured the true beauty that one missed when sticking to the well-known. His photos were breath taking and seeing him with scruff and shaggy hair dressed in mostly khakis and faded tees brought her back to the very first image she had of him. Before the wedding. Before they had met. Before he turned her into a bet.

He got to get away while she was stuck reliving everything. Yet she still couldn't unfollow him. It was pathetic. She hadn't posted a photo in days because she felt she couldn't compare to the images Damon was posting. Nobody wanted to see her in pajamas and a messy bun shoving spoonfuls of ice cream into her mouth. Frustrated she threw her phone to the foot of the bed and threw her covers over her head.

That's when her phone rang.

Her first thought was Damon. And the panic and anticipation had her jolting up and frozen. She crawled over to the foot of the bed and anxiously looked at the caller ID. It was Caroline. Groaning she fell back against the bed and cocooned herself back under the covers. If it wasn't for the knowledge that Caroline would continue to call until she answered, she would've let it go to voicemail.

"Hello?"

"She lives!" Caroline sang dramatically.

Elena buried further under the covers. "What do you want, Caroline?"

"I want you to remember who the enemy is and open your door."

"You're outside?"

There was a knock. Several. "With Bonnie and Jenna."

Groaning, she hung up the phone and begrudgingly left the safety of her bedroom. Elena shuffled over to her front door and opened it to find three judging eyes staring back at her. They all pushed their way inside. Not even bothering to put up with pleasantries. Not that she had given them the courtesy of any.

"You know just 'because the Zach Siler wannabe broke your heart doesn't mean you shut out your friends." Bonnie stated with arms crossed.

Elena shut the door and meandered over to her couch as her friends and aunt followed her. "I wasn't shutting you out. I was wallowing. A girl's allowed to wallow."

"Do you think Damon is wallowing?" Jenna questioned with a challenging arch in her brow. She sat beside her niece. "He went to Italy without you. He's blowing up Instagram proving just how much he isn't wallowing."

Caroline sat on the ottoman across from her. "Speaking of which. Unfollow that asshole. Or if you have some sick need to be updated on his life at least post some pictures to prove you're having fun of your own."

"But I'm not, Caroline!" Her head fell back against the couch as she felt Bonnie sit on the other side of her. "I'm miserable. This isn't a game. We're not in high school. We don't have to prove who's over who most. I'm hurt and upset and I'm not going to pretend everything is fine when it's not."

"All we're saying is come out with us tonight. You need a girl's night and Jenna only has so many of these left before she's chained to a kid for eighteen years."

Jenna groaned. "Gee. Thanks, Caroline. Now I feel like wallowing."

Caroline sent over a sympathetic smile. "Sorry."

"Just shower, put on some makeup, and get dressed in your favorite outfit. We're headed to the Grille and you're coming with us." Bonnie gave her a look that said she wasn't taking no for an answer. Elena knew better than to challenge that look.

"Fine." She shot up and with a slap on the butt from Caroline, she headed for the shower.

"You go wash that man right out of your hair!" Caroline chuckled.

Elena rolled her eyes. "We really need to get you off show tunes."

She left them and hopped in the shower but as she attempted to 'wash that man right out of her hair' it seemed like all she could do was think of him. Of every moment that led up to their last. If she was being honest, knowing that Damon hadn't accepted the money or told Mason had lessened the pain but it was still the lack of omission from him that had them standing on shaky ground. If he had just been honest or put off their first time just one more night.

Ric and Jenna had raced towards them just as she was telling him so. As they pulled her away she demanded that he go to Italy alone and move on with his life. Why should she be so depressed that he was doing just that? Why should she put her own life on hold because he hurt her? The girls were right. She needed to get back out there.

It was okay to think back on her time with Damon. She had been happy with him. It ended badly but she had overcome worse than a guy breaking her heart. She would survive this. Elena Gilbert was a survivor and the time to wallow was over. She would do as Bonnie said and get her life back tonight. It wasn't about proving to Damon she was over it. It was proving to herself that she could.

Now that she was freshly showered and in her favorite outfit complete with faux leather jeggings and pink tank and moving on booties she could make the first steps to getting her life back. She stepped into the living room to the sound of catcalls from her friends and aunt. They were going to have a blast tonight. There was going to be dancing and drinking and girl talk and she wouldn't spend the whole night wondering about Damon Salvatore.

And they did.

Elena had fun and really smiled for the first time in days. Her friends made it their mission to make sure their girl had a good time and she really had. Her feet hurt from dancing, her head was spinning from one too many drinks and her phone was full of pictures because she was having fun not because she had something to prove. Maybe that's all Damon was doing. He was a photographer. He was just capturing his adventures. It wasn't about making Elena sad or jealous. It was just about capturing moments.

And that's all she was doing. She uploaded several photos from the night. Photos of her being sandwiched between Care and Bonnie and making funny faces and kissing her aunts belly. The final shot was one of the four of them smiling ear to ear because they had a blast. Looking back she realized she had gone the entire night without thinking of Damon. It was a small step but it proved that there would come a day where the pain wouldn't hurt as much and Damon would be just a memory she looked back on once in a blue moon.

Even if the thought hurt now because of how much Damon had meant to her, she knew it was the future ahead of her. When she noticed her notifications she refreshed her Instagram page and right at the top was a photo of Damon looking out of his balcony at a small beach. The caption simply read: missing you x.

Her heart raced as she remembered her dreams and wondered if Damon was having them too.

Shaking her head, she reminded herself that she couldn't go backwards. Despite what he did getting over Damon wouldn't be easy. She just needed to take it one step at a time. The first step being unfollowing Damon. Her finger hovered over the follow button and when she tapped it and the button went from green to clear her heart shattered a little.

She knew it was a step in the right direction.

Baby steps.

A/N: The next chapter may have a time jump. Still debating but that seems to be the way the muses are leading me. As always read and review... I love reading what you all think and hearing your theories about where this is headed. Thanks xx