Ugh, okay, rant.

My new computer is having malfunctions, so I'm stuck with my old, old one.
Seriously, it doesn't even have Microsoft.
So there may be more typo's, and the chapters may be shorter, because I can't measure the word count on this computer.

Sorry in advance.

Anyway, I'm trying to update more quickly, but the computer swap, on top of the holiday has been an adjustment.

Thanks for hanging in there :)


It was early when Damon woke up. Too early.
The sun was barely in the sky, and the alarm had yet to go off.

He blinked a few times, taking in his surroundings.
He was in Elena's bedroom, wrapped up in Elena's sheets, holding Elena in his arms.

If last night wasn't so suddenly clear in his mind, he would have believed he was dreaming.
Too many times in the past had he imagined this exact scenario, only to wake and find it gone.

Except now, his dreams were empty, and reality was his deepest desire.
As complicated as it may seem.

He settled into the pillow, allowing himself a moment to appreciate the beauty next to him.

She was laying on her side, but was no longer pressed against him.
However, his arm was asleep from where she was laying on it.

He didn't mind though, not when she looked so damn peaceful.

Her lashes were long and thick, even without makeup, and curled on the top of her cheekbones, which were high and delicate.

He wanted to touch her, but knew that that would risk waking her up.
And he didn't want to do that yet.

Lazily, his eyes drifted over her body.
Her hair was just as silky as it had always been, falling around her face in tumbled waves.
She was older, her features having noticeably changed some, but it looked good on her.

She was beautiful.

Her body had changed too.
Rounded out, probably by the pregnancy, curvier, sexy.

He wondered if she knew just how tempting she was, without even trying.
But Elena had always had that aura about her.
The innocent wild child.
It was part of her charm, and one thing he loved so much about her.

And being with her, like this, was so much better than anything else in his thirty-plus years on earth.
She was his flawed perfection.

Elena began to stir a little, and he watched as she opened her eyes, her lashes fluttering.
Then she stretched, before finally seeming to realize that he was there.

Her expression was blank, and he wondered if she was having regrets about letting him stay.

Which was why it surprised him when she moved closer to him, lightly pecking his lips, before settling into his arms.

"Good morning."
He smiled back, "Morning."

"What time is it?" she wondered, and he reached behind him with his free arm, to feel for her phone.
Grabbing it, he checked, "It's a little past six."

She nodded, "I have to leave for work by eight."

Damon had forgotten that she was going back today.
But then again, he already had plans, "So you're still cool with me getting Chris out of school early, right?"

She blinked at him, "Early? Did we say that?"
Damon shrugged, "I figured I'd pick him up a little before school let out. The Grill should be less full by then."
She shrugged, "That's fine. Just make sure he doesn't have a test or anything."

She snuggled into his chest so easily, it was like no time had passed.
He stroked her hair, loving the feeling of it sliding through his fingers.

They laid in comfortable silence for a moment.

"I've missed doing this," he finally stated, and she moved back, to look at him.
A casual smile graced her lips, "Damon, you already told me you've been with other girls, remember? I'm sure there were tons of nights where your bed was plenty warm."

He could tell that she was trying to make a joke of it, but he was serious.
"That's not what I mean," he assured her, "I wasn't exactly a saint, true, but the other girls I've been with…it was just sex. Meaningless one-night stands."

He motioned between them, "This, us…whatever's going on…it's more. Hell, we're cuddling, Elena."
She giggled a little, and the sound brought a smile to his lips, "And I'd rather be right here, cuddling with you, than anywhere else."

She raised a brow, "Who knew you'd prefer cuddling to sex."
He smirked, "I didn't say it was preferable…I just prefer cuddling with you over sex with strangers. There's no emotion behind meaningless sex, so there's nothing to miss. But cuddling…lying next to someone that you care about…that's what I miss. The intimacy."

Her eyes closed at his words, and he cupped her cheek.

He waited a minute, and she finally looked back up at him, "You've never loved anyone else?"
He could hear the slight insecurity in her voice, so his answer was firm, "Never. It was only you, Elena. You were the only one I ever really loved."

The relief was evident in her features.

"Same with me," she admitted.

He was grateful for this fact, but it also saddened him.
Elena was a relationship kind of person, and going without because she had to raise his son, did nothing to settle his guilt.

"You dated," he remembered her saying.

She nodded, "Yeah, a little. It took a while before I wanted to again. It was weird, being a mom. I guess I felt like I was betraying Chris somehow. But when he was a little older, Mom or Caroline would watch him for me so I could go out."

She swallowed, as though this was hard for her to talk about, "It was slow, at first. I went on a couple dates with this guy at work, but it really didn't feel right, so we decided to just stay friends. Then there was this friend of Stefan's. He came to one of the town's events, and we got talking, and he asked me to dinner. I didn't see him again afterwards, but we had a good time. I guess it encouraged me to get out there again."

She straightened out, her eyes glazed over as she spoke, "Matt came home for a while, you remember him right? He got his Bachelor's in Architect and was taking a post-school break for the summer. We talked quite a bit, and went out a few times. He'd just broken up with a girlfriend at his school, and I'm pretty sure I was a rebound, but it was fun. We went to dinner, a few movies, cooked at home. He was great with Chris, even though it had been a few years since he'd seen him."

She blushed a little, "I wasn't planning on sleeping with him. In all honesty, I kind of wished that I hadn't. Chris was at my Mom's and we'd both been drinking…he was the first person besides you that I'd ever been with. In a way, I guess it's good, that it was with someone I'd known forever, someone I cared about, but I was so afraid that it was going to ruin our friendship…so I called it off, shortly after. He moved a couple of years ago, with his job, but he still keeps in touch."

Damon didn't say anything, afraid that she'd close up, but his mind was irked.
Matt Donovan? Really? Mystic Falls' all around boy next door.

He couldn't stop the slight jealousy, but made himself ignore it.
Elena could be with whoever she wanted.

Besides, it wasn't like he was blameless.
At least she knew the names of the guys she'd been with.

It was torture, but he needed to know these things.
Needed her to be comfortable with telling him.

"You said you'd been with three guys, right?" he encouraged.

She nodded, "Yeah, though at least the last two were planned. Not that they really meant anything. They were both nice enough guys, but I didn't love them. It was sex for the sake of sex, which like you said, was meaningless, pointless. After the last time, I remember laying there, wondering why I was even doing this. I figured that I was just wasting time that I should have been with my son. So ever since then, I focused on him. I love Chris more than anything, and with that, sex dimmed in comparison. I dated a few times since, but eventually it just wasn't worth the hassle."

"When was the last time you went out on a date?" he asked, "Like a real date?"

She thought, "A few weeks ago, I let my boss take me to dinner. It's the first time I'd been out in a year, and we had a pretty good time."

Damon's eyebrow raised, "Your boss?"

She nodded, "Elijah Mikaelson. He's great, really…but not really it for me. I don't think Chris liked him, and besides, the whole workplace thing could have gotten weird, and it just seemed easier to leave it professional. Elijah agreed, so that was that."

Damon nodded, "Probably a smart choice."

Even he could hear the possessiveness in his own voice, and wasn't surprised when Elena chuckled.

Still he asked, "Something funny?"
She smirked at him, "I think it just kind of hit me."

"What did?"

She sighed, "That I'm really having the awkward ex conversation while in bed with my ex."
He ruffled her some, "Is that all we are to each other? Exes?"

She shrugged, "To be honest, I really don't know what to call us, Damon. We dated, we were lovers, we had a baby…but we haven't seen each other in a really long time, and now apparently we're cuddle-buddies. So if you find a word that fits that, by all means, let me know."

He smiled, "Cuddle-buddies?"
A smirk crossed her face, "Shut up, you know what I meant."

Still smiling, he leaned forward, kissing her lightly.
Her hand came up, caressing his cheek, and he pulled away, "I like being your cuddle-buddy."

She stroked his face, smiling softly, "I like having you here."
He kissed her again, "Then I'll never leave this bed."

She smirked, "Promises, promises."


Okay, a cute little morning after scene.

Everyone needs a little fluff ;) But I promise, things will heat up before long!

So what did you guys think? Review please!