A/N: Hi! So, it's my birthday today, and I'm going out with my family, and I've decided to update just slightly earlier! :) So, here's the next chapter. Not a very eventful one, though, just a filler. :)

Chapter 25: All Set

Two days later, they were all set. They were really going to Italy for a week and a half. More precisely, to a small town called Rapallo. The only bad thing – for Damon – was that Stefan was going with them. He needed time out too, as he'd said. Oh joy. Elena hadn't said anything about him going with them, so Damon had no idea what she thought of it.

They were at the airport, waiting to get on the plane. Elena was drinking water, clutching the bottle tightly, growing more nervous by the minute. Damon kept glancing at her amusedly while Stefan seemed worried, as always. Elena wasn't a fan of flying. Never had been. It was like sitting in a flying metal tube, tied to a chair, and, well, metal tubes weren't exactly her thing.

When the boarding to the plane started, Elena's nerves were a bundle. The three walked onto the plane and to their seats. Damon placed Elena's handbag on the luggage rack above their heads, and to Elena's horror, she found out that she was seated just between the two brothers. Well, that flight sure thing wasn't going to be boring.

They sat down, Damon on the window side, Elena in the middle, Stefan on the aisle side. A few moments later the seatbelt light flickered on.

Way to soon for Elena, the take-off started, and she gripped the armrests, her breathing quickening. Stefan, ever the white knight, kept rubbing her shoulder, reassuring her it'd be fine. It seemed to have no soothing affect on Elena.

As the plane picked up speed, getting ready to take off, Elena closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. As the plane lost contact with the ground, she tightened her grip on the armrest. That was when the armrest suddenly started moving.

"Ow," someone complained loudly. Elena opened one eye to see Damon looking at her strangely. She frowned.

"I'm rather grateful I'm not human, with you squeezing my arm so tight."

Elena, surprised, released the death grip on his arm. She had no idea it'd been his arm.

"Sorry," she muttered.

"No worries."

Damon then grinned devilishly, grabbing the armrest with a look of mock horror on his face.

"Ohmygod, we're going to crash!" he fake-squealed in a girlie voice. Elena slapped his arm, sending a death glare his way.

"Stop it," she whispered through gritted teeth. He laughed heartedly.

"Come on," he said. "After all you've been through, you're scared of a harmless plane? You really are strange."

That earned him another glare from Elena. He leaned closer, grinning.

"If we're going to crash, I'll save you. You'll be safe. I promise."

He felt her relax slightly, and he smiled, looking out of the window. Elena brought her hands to her lap, crossing her fingers. She leaned over to the window, and saw that they were already high in the clouds. That sent the previous calmness out the window. Suddenly taking notice of Damon's face just inches from hers, smirking, she pulled back, closing her eyes. She took a deep breath, and then another one. And another one. Damon looked at her, smirk widening into a full-blown grin.

"Just relax," he said, leaning closer, and Elena's breath caught in her throat. Damon chuckled, noticing Stefan asleep on the other side of her. God, he was so weak.

"It's not that bad, once were stable in the air," he reasoned.

"Uh-uh." Elena nodded, pulling her knees up to her chest, wrapping her arms around them. Damon out his hand on her shoulder, saying,

"Relax."

His voice no longer held his usual sarcasm, and Elena lowered her legs back to the floor. Damon pulled up the armrest that separated their bodies and waved her over. She frowned at him, but obeyed. Damon wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulled her tightly against him, and she automatically leaned her head on his shoulder.

"Try to sleep," he whispered, drawing circles on her shoulder. Elena closed her eyes, trying to do as she was told.

"Stop it," she whispered in a minute. Damon's brows pulled together.

"What?"

"That." She motioned towards his hand that was still absentmindedly drawing circles on her shoulder. "It's distracting." Damon smirked devilishly.

"Oh, it is now, huh?" he stopped his movement, but still left his arm securely around her shoulder. At least that couldn't be distracting. Neither of them said anything else.

Soon enough, Damon felt Elena's breathing grow steady. He looked at her sleeping form for a minute, noticing the way she tightened the grip around him, a ghost of a smile appearing on her face. Damon closed his eyes, listening as Elena breathed in and out evenly, and not long after that, he found himself following her into a deep, dreamless sleep.

When Stefan woke up, it was dark in the plane, and most of the passengers around him were sleeping. He glanced to his right and felt his breath hitch in his throat. Damon and Elena were both asleep, and she was completely snuggled up to Damon. The softest smile Stefan had ever seen was playing on his brother's lips. He tried to hide his jealousy, but he knew he didn't quite succeed, and at that moment he was grateful they were both asleep.

He had always known at one point Elena would fall for Damon. It was inevitable. But it still hurt Stefan to see them like that. Should he fight for her? The thought crossed Stefan's mind only briefly, because he realized that he shouldn't. As much as he loved Elena, he wanted her to be happy. And if whom she needed for happiness was Damon, then Stefan was ready to back off. His brother deserved that.

A flight attendant turned to him then, snapping him out of his thoughts.

"Is there anything I can get for you, sir?" she asked.

"No, thank you."

"Anything for the couple?"

It took a moment for Stefan to realize that the attendant was still talking to him and was referring to Damon and Elena. He tried to suffocate his jealousy once again.

"A water would be nice, I guess."

The lady handed Stefan a bottle of water, smiling politely.

"Here you go, sir."

"Thank you."

The lady moved along to the people across the aisle. Stefan sighed. That was going to be one hell of a long trip, and he was already nearly regretting going with them.