"What? How? When?"
"Stop it. You're gonna hurt yourself. Just let me really take care of you for once." he says, removing my other boot.
"But, I just-"
"Nope. Don't talk. Don't think. I'm doing the talking and thinking. You just relax." he smiles. "Now about that jacket." he says, taking my hands to pull me into a sitting position, unzipping, then sliding my jacket off my shoulders.
"Damon, I-"
"I told you, no talking." he grasps my head as kisses me all to briefly, before removing my extremely tight, aqua, lace top. "You went all out, didn't you?" he says seeing that there's nothing separating me from the lace.
Why is he being like this? There's no possible way that he could know how I feel.
He mouths the word no and gently pushes me back onto the bed and peels my equally tight skinny jeans off. Seeing again that there's nothing to separate me from my jeans, "We will talk about this, you know?"
I nod and he bends to scoop me into his arms. What is going on here? Just a few hours ago, he was on the verge of dying, and now he has me in his arms.
I'm in his arms and I'm completely naked. He carries me over to the bathroom and for the second time since knowing him, he surprises me with a room filled with candles.
"I hope you don't mind. I ran a bath." he says, setting me on my feet in the tub. I sink into the foam when he strips out of his jeans and lets them fall to the floor.
"What are you-?"
"You didn't think I did this just for you, did you? I don't know if you've heard Kitten, but I've just come back from the dead. I need to be clean." he says climbing in behind me hugging me to him.
"Am I allowed to talk yet?" I ask glancing over my shoulder at him.
"Not yet. I have a few things I have to say that'll probably come at you rapid fire to avoid an argument." he says.
"Like what?" I ask already knowing.
"I wanted to ask about the stunt you pulled to get the cure. Judging by the outfit that I literally peeled you out of, you did a number on Klaus. Caroline called Elena and said you were on a crazy mission to see Klaus. But why? Why would you do all that?" he asks close to my ear. I can feel his smirk.
"I had a feeling that Stefan was in trouble so I borrowed Matt's truck and I went." I say.
"Remember when I told you that I know when you're lying? Why'd you really go see Klaus?" he asks.
"Because I love you." I breathe.
"You what?" he asks astonished.
"Stefan told me you were bitten and I'd been on overdrive ever since. I made the decision that I'd do anything to get you better because I love you." I say leaning my back into him and look up at him.
"You love me?" he breathes.
"How could I not love you? You're my everything." I smile the brightest I've ever smiled.
He grabs my face and we kiss as the flame quickly turns into a wildfire. I turn in the tub and straddle him as the kiss deepens even further. He breaks the kiss after we've taken all the air from each other.
"Why are you stopping?" I breathe.
"I want you to be sure about this. It seems the last time I did something like this for you; maybe I coerced you into telling me you loved me. I don't want that this time. If you really feel this way, I want you to tell me on your terms. Not mine." he breathes, cupping my face.
"Damon, it doesn't matter who's terms it's on. If I didn't feel this way, I wouldn't say it. I wouldn't have said it the last time if I wasn't sure. I'm sure you've found that you can't coerce me into anything. Everything I've done has been on my impulses. What I did today was my choice alone. I would never do anything I didn't want to or wasn't sure about. You know why?" I ask searching his eyes.
"Why?" he asks almost frowning.
"Because I love you, silly." I say bumping my fist to his chest. "Everything I've ever done, I'd do it all again in a heartbeat. Because no matter how bad it was, it lead me to you." I say smiling.
"I don't wanna hurt you again. I loved you so much and I hurt you even more. Ever since you left I've beat myself up trying to understand why I would even think, let alone say the things that hurt you." he frowns.
"Don't you do that. Don't you start with that. We are not looking back. You hear me? You hurt me because I was weak and frail. I was so terrified to let anyone in, that when I did, I loved with everything I had. You were right. I built a skyscraper around my heart and my emotions. I got burned, but I'm better and so much stronger now." I say kissing him briefly.
"You've proved that you are in deed stronger than ever. That I admire you for." he says still frowning.
"Well, if it'd make you feel better, I'd stake you the second I thought you were thinking of ever hurting me again." I smirk at him and he laughs.
"I'm over 150 years old Kitten, you wouldn't get that close." he smirks.
"If I recall, I sliced into you with a letter opener once." I continue to smirk.
"How was I supposed to know you rank high in aim?" he asks.
"You're a dick." I respond.
"You're infuriating." he responds.
"You're an ass." I respond.
"You're crazy." he responds.
"Crazy about you." I say.
"Yea? Crazy about me?" he asks smirking.
"The craziest." I smirk back and soon we find ourselves completely lost in each other right there in the bathtub.