Disclaimer: I do not own the characters (unfortunately) they are the property of the CW.

So this had been sitting on my computer for a while and originally was written because of all the talk of 'blood' sharing over at VD forums.

This chapter takes place between the events of Miss Mystic Falls and Blood Brothers.

It is Delena centric. So don't read on if you want some Stelena time...your unlikely to get much unfortunately. I have a very one-track mind. It goes "DamonDamonDamonDamon" at me 24/7!

"Since love grows within you, so beauty grows. For love is the beauty of the soul." - Saint Augustine of Hippo (354-430AD) Numidian-born Philosopher, Theologian.

Finding the kitchen Elena switched the lights on. The Salvatore boarding house was so huge and she had almost gotten lost. She actually couldn't remember when she had last eaten, maybe if she was lucky she might be able to find something edible. Pulling open the fridge she was surprised to find it fully stocked with fresh food. Her stomach rumbled appreciatively. There was everything she could want in here. Pulling things from the shelves she set about searching the cupboards for the right utensils. It would be good to cook dinner – maybe a stir fry – to take her mind off things. She had been sitting with Stefan in the basement for the last three days. He had been quiet at first, and then had resorted to begging and pleading, and then finally he had become angry. She didn't like to see him like this so she had left him hoping that later he would have calmed down.

"I took the liberty" the soft drawl came from behind her and she jumped startled. Turning around she found Damon leaning languidly against the kitchen counter. He nodded towards the fridge. She wished Damon wouldn't do that he had the uncanny tendency to just appear, completely silently, and it unnerved her to think that there was no way to tell how long he might have been there - just watching. Elena wondered when had he found the time to go and buy food to fill the fridge.

"Thanks" she mumbled tucking her long dark hair behind her ear. This pseudo-concern act of Damon's was getting bizarre.

"Well I thought you might get hungry" he answered sounding offhand.

Damon ran a hand through his dark hair and continued to observe her. There was no discernible change in his expression but if possible his azure eyes grew more intense. Damon wasn't an easy person to read. Usually if he wasn't being snide, he was openly mocking - a malicious sneer on his lips. Even when drunk he was just a brasher, snarky more cynical version of himself. But other than that he just seemed to stare a lot. More than was natural. Scratch that – he was impossible to read. When Damon fixed her with his signature penetrating stare, it could be calculating or well it could be anything she simply couldn't tell what he was thinking. It was a little inhuman, which come to think of it wasn't much of a surprise. However on this particular occasion his gaze seemed to waver almost uncertain.

In fact now that she noticed Damon was looking a little less than his usual polished self. If possible he looked tired...tense maybe...or a little drawn. Do vampires need sleep? Elena wondered realising that she didn't actually know. Damon's charcoal shirt was fastened with a single button undone to mid chest, his dark hair mussed and he wasn't wearing any shoes. Dangling from his right hand was a mostly finished bottle of Bourbon. What a surprise he was wasted again.

"Don't mind me" he quipped swigging from the Bourbon.

Elena refused to be deterred by Damon's presence and also motivated by the fact that she really was starving began to prepare her meal. Having Damon watching her was a little off putting. Occupying the same house as him over the last few days had been interesting. On realising that the Salvatore's didn't have a television anywhere in the house that she could find she'd become very curious as to what Damon did to pass the time but the door to his room was always shut, locked even. It was ironic that for someone that seemed to have no notion of other people's personal space or privacy turned out to be oddly private himself.

She wasn't entirely sure what it was that Damon did sometimes he simply seemed to disappear. A couple of times she'd found him lounging in front of the fire in a chair reading a book. When she had a look at some of the books herself she discovered that some were in Italian, Spanish, French even Russian and that mostly they were well over her head. Talking to Damon had proved even more of a challenge, when she tried to question him about Stefan and his past he was expertly evasive and when Damon decided that he did want to talk his questions were painfully intrusive to the point of embarrassment. She knew he was doing it on purpose but when it came to a battle of wits Damon was going to win hands down every time.

Fortunately Damon didn't look like he was in the mood for small talk. He seemed content to sit there and watch her cook. Seating himself at the foot of the large kitchen table he put his elbow on the table resting his chin on his fist. She hadn't really spent that much time around Damon but even for him he seemed to be acting a little out of character, subdued even.

"I can cook enough for two if you like?"

He seemed to wince dismissing her with a wave if his hand. "No, I'm not that hungry for..." he trailed off leaving the unspoken words...unspoken. Elena knew what he meant – not that hungry for food.

Elena was suddenly painfully aware that she was alone in a house with two vampires. Two potentially very thirsty vampires and only one of them was currently locked up.

"When was the last time you had a drink?" she hoped she sounded nonchalant.

Damon gave her a derisive look gently snorting and pointedly took a long swig from the bottle of Bourbon that had been sitting on the table in front of him.

Swallowing hard Elena tried again "I meant of blood". She sincerely hoped her voiced hadn't shaken when she'd said blood. She didn't think Damon would hurt her but after what had happened to Stefan she wasn't so sure. In her heart she knew that Stefan wouldn't have hurt her because he loved her but despite the fact Damon had rescued her on occasion he had once threatened her life and was well entirely unpredictable.

"Oh that...it's been a little while." His words were slightly slurred "I returned the stolen blood I'm hoping they will chalk it up to an administrative error – might throw the council off for a bit but I doubt it". He gave her that one sided smile he often did "So I've been on rations – low supply and all – no biggie".

That explained the heavy drinking. Stefan had said it takes the edge of thirst.

Hoping she didn't look shocked Elena sighed. She'd never been able to cleanly dice vegetables and her hands might have been shaking slightly so she'd just made a mess of the cooking. Damn it I wish Damon wasn't watching.

Without warning Damon suddenly appeared next to her. Unconsciously she flinched away from him.

"Uggh" he exclaimed. "Relax...I'm not going to bite I was just fed up of watching you make a hack of it" he indicated the mutilated tomato's she'd been chopping unsuccessfully.

Giving her a slight shove towards a chair Elena gave in and sat down. Crossing her arms in a huff.

Damon picked up the knife and deftly starting slicing the vegetables. Once again Elena was struck by the oddity of the situation. Damon just wasn't the type of person you imagined cooking. She knew he ate sometimes but despite having drunken God knows how much alcohol he actually seemed pretty adept and actually comfortable in the Kitchen.

"I was a sue chef once" he told her and for the life of her Elena had no idea whether he was kidding or not.

When he began to fry the meat and stir in the vegetables and sauce the smell made her salivate. It smelt so good.

"Now eat" Damon demanded setting a hot plate and a glass of wine he'd appeared from somewhere down in front of her.

She didn't protest but having Damon watch her eat was even more disconcerting she was constantly aware of how loudly she was chewing and how often she missed her mouth with the chop sticks. Had he given her chop stick just to watch her struggle she wondered? To cover her discomfiture and her lack of skills she reached for the glass of wine but clumsily knocked it over. Re-actively she reached out to catch it as it fell off the table but the glass had broken and it sliced through her finger.

"Ouch."

Blood bubbled up from the small but deep cut and she rushed to run it under the tap. She saw Damon's reflection stiffen in the glass of the window but then he seemed to shake himself and bent over to pick up the broken bits of glass and place them in the bin.

Suddenly she hated that Damon was so in control of himself when Stefan wasn't. It riled her or at least she thought it made her angry. Otherwise why was she filled with this sudden need, this sudden desire to break his composure?

Breathing heavily she spun round and stepped up to Damon. Surprised by her advance he back into the table. When she was only mere inches away she raised her hand between them. What on earth was she doing? They both watched the blood pooling on her finger. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Damon seize the table with both hands his knuckles going white against the table edge. With a sharp intake of breath he lent away from her slightly.

"What are you doing Elena?"

Was it just her or did he sound a bit worried. She didn't answer but looked up meeting Damon's gaze which burned like fiery ice sending a shiver down her spine. It was like her was staring into her very soul. Without breaking his gaze she slowly put her fingers to his lips, they were warm and surprisingly soft, she felt him blanch slightly under her touch but other than that he didn't move. Annoyed she stepped closer and pressed more insistently determined to break his composure. She felt his lips part ever so slightly and a small gasp escaped. He closed his eyes breaking the connection. Abruptly Damon was holding her wrist gripping it tightly – painfully tight. Had she just made a huge mistake? When he opened his eyes again they were sanguine, blood red, frightening and her heart skipped a beat but then with what seemed to take enormous effort Damon's face relaxed and the whites of his eyes returned to normal.

"No" he spoke vehemently around her fingers.

"It's okay" she found herself saying "I want to" and was surprised to find that it was the simple truth. She knew she loved Stefan but Damon definitely stirred something within her as well. She was inexplicably drawn to him. If her Aunt Jenna was here she'd tell Elena that she just had the hots for Damon that he was too irresistible, to delectable to ignore. That she desired him because he was just a physically perfect male specimen. Oh my God Elena thought to herself was she just that shallow that she couldn't contain hormonal urges?

She was standing there between his legs so close they were almost touching, painfully aware of their physical proximity and his sensual maleness and to top that she was practically panting with desire. Once again she insistently pressed her fingers against Damon's lips. Blood now marred his mouth dripping from his chin. This time he complied, his hand closing harder round her wrist like marble, the wet tip of his tongue roughly licked the blood trail from her palm and then his mouth encircled her finger drawing the length of it in - sucking. His other hand snaked round her shoulders gripping the hair at the back of her neck firmly. She moaned softly, enjoying the sensation of Damon's mouth against her skin.

Slowly withdrawing her finger he licked his lips and gazed at her expectantly. The raptors gaze was back, the pale blue shining brightly against his dark hair the red blood on his lips vividly standing out from his white skin. She was suddenly struck by how beautiful he was his features far more delicate and fine than Stefan's. Damon's stare shifted to her arm that he still held between them and Elena became very aware of the fact that she could feel the pulse in her wrist beating strongly against Damon's fingers that enclosed it. She knew what he wanted. Ever so gently he bent his head to her arm and tenderly kissed the soft skin of her forearm. The feel of his lips against her body made her go weak at the knees and she stumbled collapsing into him and Damon held her there - held her to him. The hand tangled in her hair encircling her waist instead. His touch was powerful and strong, yet and the same time tender. The feel of him through her thin top made her shiver in delight.

All of a sudden she wanted this very badly – wanted him to take her, feed from her. "Elena" he murmured against her skin seeking permission. His breath was hot against her wrist, its warmth seemed to spread through her. She slipped her other arm into the open collar of his shirt rubbing along his broad shoulders and down his back. He was taunt and hard, his muscles rippling under his skin at the slightest movement. This apparently was all the permission that Damon needed. With a slight growl he bit into her arm, his teeth breaking through the thin skin easily. She could feel the crimson river of her blood flowing into his mouth as he fed and she moaned again – louder.

There simply weren't the proper words to describe what it felt like. The quickening of her heart beat the feeling like every nerve in her body was suddenly alive with fire. It was like raw sexual energy surged through her body. Her insides pulsated spreading warmth. Elena held onto Damon clutching at him, holding him burying her face in his hair. What was happening? What was he doing to her?

So peeps what do you think? Should I write more? Should it be more smutty? Or should I try and keep a nice balance between plot and the hotness? What would you like to see happen?

I am not entirely sure whether it should just be a stand alone piece or not? I do have ideas of where it could go...might make it an alternative universe piece but I am open to suggestions or ideas.

You know the drill..review please. Tell me what you think. Constructive criticism is always welcome...

However this is my first ever fanfic sooo don't be too critical or I may run away and never come back ;)

Till next time Toodle Pips..