Authors Note: I feel that I should clarify something. Damon is not hurting Elena. It's just collateral damage from him being so strong.

The lyrics are from the song Nobody Puts Baby In The Corner by Fall-Out Boy.

The story title is from the song by The Pretty Reckless.

Rated M for language, sexual content, sensitive matter, and dark themes.

So wear me like a locket around your throat. I'll weigh you down. I'll watch you choke.
You look so good in blue. You look so good in blue.

Damon had propped Elena up on the pillows, and kissed her, hard at first, then gentler until she fell asleep. He wasn't surprised at how exhausted she was. She was always exhausted now. He was surprised that he hadn't seen it before.

So wear me like a locket around your throat. I'll weigh you down. I'll watch you choke.
You look so good in blue. You look so good in blue.

He undressed her, and pulled one of his t-shirts over her head before curling around her and feeling her sleep. She was right, and he knew it. He had thought that he had made changes for her, but he really had only been treating her like some fragile possession. He was still out hunting humans, although she ignored it. And he still had his guard up, a bad habit to shake after so long, and she was so very patient with him when he shut her out. And she had had to deal with interrupted sleep because of his sleeping patterns, and his refusal to socialize with her friends at all because, really, if you weren't going to eat the girls, why bother with them at all? And the injuries that came from simply being that much stronger than the person that you're with. Any time he touched her she would bruise.

So wear me like a locket around your throat. I'll weigh you down. I'll watch you choke.
You look so good in blue. You look so good in blue.

It occurred to him them that nothing could have prepared him for this. Meeting Elena, and screwing with her to screw with Stefan? Plenty of experience there. Learning about her and loving her? It was tough, but he at least had something to draw from. Protecting her? He'd had to dig deep for that one, but, little known fact, he'd once been extremely overprotective of his baby brother, given their age difference and the fact that their father was an ass.

But trying to keep on even footing with Elena? When she was so much better than he, and he was so different from her? Elena would know, he thought, but this was something that he would have to do for her. It would be meaningless if she had to guide him.

Keep quiet, nothing comes as easy as you. Can I lay in your bed all day?

When Elena woke, she looked around, and saw Damon sitting in an armchair, watching her. He looked more vulnerable than any time before. She was scared, wondering what could possibly have caused it. She didn't have to wait long for an answer.

"I don't know what to do. I don't know how to fix it."

Shocked, Elena shuffled over on the bed and patted the still-warm spot next to her, smiled gently. "You could start by holding me."