Merry Christmas Eva! LOVE YOU!

Intricate patterns of ice float weightlessly downward from the pure white sky above, each flake swirling and dancing, as an icy wind carries it over the landscape. Elena enjoys everything about this kind of weather - from the satisfaction of being the first to make an impression in a pristine blanket of fresh snow to the subtle crunch underfoot as she stomps through it.

As they make their way down the highway, Elena groans, "I can't believe all the lots are closed; we can't be the only dolts who waited for the last minute to get a tree?"

Damon gives her a shooting glance then turns back to the road. "It is Christmas Elena; most people already have one."

"Yeah well most people aren't living with Ebenezer Scrooge. If you had let me get a tree a couple of weeks ago like I wanted, we would be at home right now in front of the fireplace instead of out in the cold," she grumbles, turning her head to scan the empty city streets.

"I told you, several times already that I don't need a tree."

Elena snaps her head to look at him. "What's Christmas without a tree, Mr. Grinch?" Elena drags out the word. "Keep going, there's a tree farm on the outskirts of town..."

Twenty minutes later, she squeals, "They're still open!"

Damon chuckles as he pulls up to the side of the road and parks. Both climbing out, Elena runs around the car to Damon's open arms. He wraps them around her for several seconds and after kissing the crown of her head - releases her. They make their way inside, a little surprised to find out they're not the only people still searching for the perfect tree.

"Look, it's a holly tree," Elena brushes her gloved finger over one of the berries. She's always loved it. While other plants wither and die in cold weather, holly stays green and vibrant with bright red berries throughout the winter. Her mom always insisted on having a real holly wreath to decorate their front door.

"Did you know that the Druids and Celts both considered holly to be a magical and sacred plant?" Damon links their fingers. "They saw it as a symbol of fertility, eternal life, and protection. Cutting down a holly plant was considered bad luck, but hanging its boughs indoors was good luck. Ancient Romans used the plant as a symbol of Saturn, the god of agriculture and harvest, and with its boughs, they celebrated the festival of Saturnalia. Romans also hung holly on their doorways for protection and good fortune. As a result, early Christians did the same."

"You seem to know a lot about it..."

"I've been around awhile, learned a few things," he dazzles her with his eye-thing.

"Let's find a tree," she kisses him and looks over the lot.

Splitting up, they weave between the rows of evergreens, spruce and fir - Damon's a little surprised to find Elena standing by a small one. "So, we're doing the Charlie Brown thing this year?" he teases with a roguish grin.

Elena shoots him a look as she moves towards the taller ones. "I'm going to ignore that remark."

"Hey, Elena!" Damon calls out.

She turns around at the same time he yells, "Catch."

Elena shrieks when a snowball slams into her chest.

"You're in the doghouse now," Elena runs over to a pile of snow and starts making balls as she hides behind a large tree.

Damon laughs, "I'm quaking in my boots... You really think you can hit me with one of those?"

Thwack! A large one nails him in the face.

"Not cool!" Damon yells, brushing the snow out of his eyes.

"Are you ready to surrender?"

"Not a chance, it's on now," he growls, a muscle in his jaw tightening.

"I love that sound," Elena seductively swipes her tongue across her pouty, red lips.

"Save that thought til we get home. Cause right here, right now, this is war..."

"War? Really?" Elena's eyes gleam as she tosses a snowball in her hands.

"Sure is," he returns, preparing a pile of ammunition for himself.

"Show me what you got, lover boy," Elena lobs another one at him, hitting him in the chest.

"You've had plenty of intimate experience with what I've got- but I'd be more than happy to give it a go if you are," Damon smirks at her. "That cluster of trees over there," he points at it, "A little risqué but then again you're the one who..."

Elena laughs, glancing around. "Save the dirty talk, we can play naked 'Twister' later. In the interest of full disclosure you should know that I'm the reigning snowball champion having beaten Jeremy, Caroline, Matt and Bonnie... So Damon, show me what you got unless you're scared that a girl will best you?" her eyes gleam with heat, taunting him.

"I don't want to embarrass you..." his voice trails.

"That's sweet now quit stalling," she replies with a healthy dose of sarcasm before smacking him in the head with another snowball.

"Son of a bitch," he brushes it off of his face. "You're going to be screaming uncle in a moment here."

"You've made me scream many things good and bad...," she winks at him, "but uncle isn't one of them."

"You little vixen," Damon cracks up laughing.

"Quit dawdling, are we going to have a snowball fight or are we not?" she plays with the one in her hand.

Damon throws one, hitting her in the stomach. Elena launches four at him, one after the next. Before she can make another, Damon runs forward and grabs her. He lifts her laughing into his arms and throws her into a snowbank on the perimeter of the tree lot then quickly traps her beneath him.

"Say uncle!"

Elena shakes her head back and forth.

Damon trails a cold finger down her neck, "Say it."

"Wouldn't you rather I scream like I did last night when you did that with your...?" she pokes the tip of hers out.

Damon laughs then presses his mouth to her hand. "You're a naughty little minx... Say uncle."

"Nope," she shakes her head back and forth.

Damon waggles his brows playfully at her, grabs a fist full of snow and lifts up her heavy, knit sweater. Holding the cold stuff over her bare skin. "Surrender."

"Not gonna do it, nana nana boo boo," Elena laughs at the look he gives her.

Damon drops the snow on her belly and mashes it against her skin.

"That's cold!" she shrieks, laughing and brushing it away.

"Surrender."

"Negative!"

"This is your last chance..."

"Gilbert's never say die!"

His mouth twitches, and she's pretty sure he's fighting a smile.

Suddenly Damon pins her arms above her head as he restrains her wrists with one and lazily traces her collarbone with the other, inching closer and closer to her armpit.

"Don't you even think about it," Elena giggles a warning, struggling to free herself. Her wiggling causes Damon to settle more fully between her legs, allowing her to feel his hardness. She groans as their gazes' lock in a heated stare.

"Damon," Elena whispers in a wonton sigh.

That's all it takes and Damon begins to grind against her. He finds her mouth in a wet, open kiss as he rolls his hips into hers, slowly at first then building the momentum as Elena responds beneath him. She slides her hands into the waistband of his jeans, cupping his clenching ass in an effort to situate herself even closer. Her ache becomes unbearable as he ruts against her.

Damon lifts his body slightly to flick open the button of her jeans and slips his hand down into her panties. His fingers stroke her flesh then he breaches her silky wetness. Their mutual groans of satisfaction mingle...

From nowhere comes a playful, barking Great Dane galloping across the lot towards them. When Damon looks up, he's greeted with a tongue swipe full of dog slobber.

"Sorry, he likes to play," a man appears and leashes him. "C'mon, Skipper, let's leave these folks alone."

Damon forces a smile while shielding Elena as much as he can. Reluctantly he removes his fingers from her body with a serrated groan when the man leads the animal away.

"That dog has lousy timing," he sticks out his tongue as he wipes off his face.

"Impeccable really," she agrees as she fastens her jeans.

Damon jumps to his feet and pulls Elena from the snow.

"So not fair, you played dirty," she brushes the snow off of herself.

Damon's eyes glint with mischief, "Oh I'm pretty sure you prefer naughty over nice," he whispers huskily, grinning as a rosy color rises high on Elena's cheeks.

"How much naughtiness do you have in mind?" she asks coyly, inching ever so close to him.

His own grin widens and he does that eye-thing she loves so much.

"Let's pick a tree and get out of here."

Elena takes her time, examining each one, imagining how it'll look in Damon's living room. Her thoughts are interrupted when she hears him call out.

"I found it," he exclaims, "It's perfect."

When Elena finds him, she widens her eyes in amazement at the sight of Damon holding up a Douglas Fir that must be ten feet tall.

"It's huge," she walks around it.

A sly grin covers his face as he moves his mouth to her ear. "We're not talking about me here..."

Elena rolls her eyes.

"How are you going to get it home, let alone into your house?"

"Do you like it?"

"Yes, it's beautiful," she kisses his cheek.

"Then my work here is done," he winks at her.

Elena smiles to herself as he pulls the tree towards the small trailer that's functioning as a makeshift office - to pay for it. As she watches him chatting with the proprietor, she smiles then makes her way to their vehicle. Within moments, Damon loads it on the Expedition. Snow begins to come down heavily, big white flakes dotting the grey sky. Soon they're covered with the white stuff.

Laughing, Damon and Elena jog around to the passenger side. Rather than opening the door, he flips open the back, shoves her in, and climbs in behind her.

"What are you doing?" she asks as he pulls the door shut.

"I'm finishing what we started earlier..."

"You're crazy! It's freezing out here," she shivers.

"I'll warm you up," he offers.

"I'm sure you will," she tosses back, trying her best not to be charmed by him, all adorable as the snow falls.

Damon snags her ankle, skimming his hands up her inner thighs. He removes her boots one by one, then situates himself between her legs. He's not about to let their tight confines deter him.

Elena's eye flare wide. "We're in a parking lot!"

"I can turn on the heater," Damon tosses a glance towards the window. It's mostly empty now, the few cars left are scattered. The snow is coming down hard, limiting visibility. As far as he's concerned, the weather is as it should be on Christmas Eve. "But then there's no steamy windows," his mouth twists into a lopsided grin.

"And you think no one will notice the car rocking?" she raises an eyebrow.

He begins to creep up her body so he can flick the button at her waist. "It's not like anyone can see us and cars have these little things called shock absorbers..."

"You're incorrigible," her words, despite herself come out in a purr.

"Take them off," he coaxes with an adorable pout.

"You think when the windows get all steamy that people won't suspect what we're doing in here?" she arches an eyebrow while kicking off her boots.

"Who cares!?" he smirks audaciously.

Elena loves that he doesn't take his eyes off of her when she disrobes - it's as if the simple act of her breathing turns him on even more. It's more the way her heart beats faster whenever she's with him.

Damon watches observantly as she slides her jeans down her legs.

Her breath catches in her throat when she kicks off her panties.

He lowers his head, brushing his slightly open mouth against hers, their breaths intermingling. When she moans, arching up slightly to deepen the kiss, he threads his hand into her damp hair, letting the strands slip through his fingers.

Damon strokes his hands down the length of her body, his fingers curving around the fullness of her breasts. She moans again, a low throaty sound filled with desire.

All the air whooshes out of her and before she can do anything, Damon is looming close with his hand behind her neck. Elena answers by crushing her lips to his, making him moan and hold her neck tighter. His mouth is hot and needy on hers, his tongue invading.

With his lips still attached to hers, Damon's hand moves down her neck and leaves a blazing trail between her breasts, while the other moves to her back, helping press her body into his. The hand that stays in front inching its way to her breast, her erect nipple poking his palm as he feels her through her shirt and bra.

Damon makes a throaty sound when he separates their mouths, immediately reaches for the hem of her Christmas themed sweatshirt and pulls it roughly over her head. He wastes no time in reaching around to unclasp her bra then separates her thighs and moves lower.

"You're delectable," he mumbles between licks, diving his tongue in and out, shallow and then deep, repeatedly.

She grabs his head, pulling and twisting his hair, making him grunt which tears through every inch of her overly excited body. Elena starts to shake as the force of her orgasm sends shockwaves through her.

Her breathing is uneven. His breaths are hot and flaming over her lower body, the heat they're generating steams up the windows, shielding them even more from the outside world.

"Condom," she murmurs as she moves her hands to open the button on his jeans.

Damon chuckles, before reaching into his back pocket.

A moment later he presses it into her hand. Elena sticks it between her teeth and starts to unzip his jeans and shimmy them down his hips. Noticing the Santa boxers she bought him last year, Elena lifts a brow and her lips curves into a smile. Damon shrugs and kicks off his pants.

Damon drops a kiss to her mouth before moving his to her chest and she feels her nipples harden even more at the sensation of his mouth and what's to come.

"Slide it on," he gestures to the condom with his eyes.

Elena rips the foil, tosses the wrapper over her head and rolls it down his length.

Damon begins to drop wet, open-mouthed kisses on her stomach as he nudges her thighs apart, smiling against her flesh when he feels her dampness on his fingers. He wants to go slow, but his need is overwhelming.

Elena stammers out his name and grips a handful of his hair when he dips a finger in. Damon raises his head and smiles a lazy wicked grin.

"Tell me what you want," he murmurs. When she whimpers a low keening sound, her body arches up to meet the thrust of them. She pouts when he pulls them out, but quickly moves to cover her body with his own then muffles her moans with the pressure of his lips on hers.

"You, always and only you," Elena gasps and he lifts his head, both of them panting hard.

Her words along are almost enough to send Damon plunging headlong into an abyss of blinding light and endless waves of pleasure.

"You'll always have me," he promises and peppers her face with soft little kisses as he lowers himself and sinks into her warmth. He begins to slowly move in long measured strokes. He raises his hands and links their fingers above her head.

Elena arches up to meet his next thrust, opening herself up more and allowing him to push even deeper inside of her.

Bathed in a sheen of sweat, they move together, their limbs tangling, their bodies clutching so tightly that it's impossible to tell where one ends and the other begins. The silence is punctuated only by their harsh breathing.

Damon thrusts harder, urging Elena's legs to wrap around his hips, she feels the tremors begin in her stomach. The pulse at the base of her throat pounds faster and faster as she careens towards her orgasm.

Her body feels overheated, yet is buzzing and she struggles to open her eyes. She sees him mouth the words that have always make her heart clench.

I love you.

And when she plunges over the edge, her entire body ripples from the sensations. Damon follows right behind with the cry of her name leaving his mouth.

For a while, they lay together, intertwined completely, Elena's head resting on Damon's chest while they bask in the afterglow.

"I think Santa came early," Damon murmurs huskily, his hands tangling in her hair. "I must've been a very good boy," he winks at her.

Elena shifts her body, propping herself on her hands, her elbows resting on Damon's chest. "I think he put you on the wrong list," she teases, her warm brown eyes glinting in amusement.

"You think I'm naughty?" he pinches her ass. She yelps as her shoulders shake with mirth. Suddenly though, the laughter drains away, her eyes going soft and serious. Leaning down, she places a kiss on his cheek.

"What was that for?" he asks, dropping another kiss on her forehead.

The corners of her mouth quirk up. "I love you."

Damon places a light kiss to the palm of her hand then shimmies to pull his jeans up.

"Let's get this tree home, I want round two in front of it!" his eyes twinkle with mischief.

The warmth of the fire caresses Elena's cheeks. The thick wood pieces are crackling and popping as the bright flames slowly eat away at them and turns them into ash. The dancing fire licks and spits at the curved ceiling of the hearth with its glowing, bright golden flame, and its red base shimmers across the wood like a dawn upon a summer morning.

"So, did you like your present?" Elena sighs while running her hand over Damon's bare chest, smiling at his sharp inhale when she glides a nail over his nipple.

"I especially loved unwrapping you," he's still grinning at the thought; and when he looks down at her, it's softer somehow, his blue eyes reflecting the Christmas lights on the tree above them. His hand finds hers under the blanket, and he weaves their fingers together.

"I loved all my presents. You filled in for Santa nicely," his words slurring slightly as he fights the pull of sleep.

"Maybe he'll hire me next year?" Elena closes her eyes and slides closer to him.

"Mm, mm," he mumbles, and she can tell that's he's already hovering on the edge of slumber. She raises up on one elbow and gazes down at him, heavy-lidded and heavy-limbed, making such a beautiful picture on the soft carpet beside her.

Elena pulls away to peek outside. Streetlights are misty in the light snowfall. Ice gently blankets the roads and sidewalks as the snowflakes dance and prance in the cold air. When she returns to Damon's side, he curls an arm around her shoulder.

"I love you," Elena whispers, listening to the gradually slowing thrum of his heart beneath her ear.

"Me too," he murmurs, and presses a kiss to the crown of her head. Elena turns to her other side, pulling him with her so they're spooning.

"Merry Christmas," he mumbles just as he tips over the edge and into sleep.

Elena looks up at the window to see the milky cloud covered moon hanging like an ornament in the midnight sky.

"Merry Christmas," she whispers back, and follows him into the land of dreams and ever after's.

Massive thanks to jmfangs for beta-reading and to Florencia7 for pre-reading it. Check out their DE stories, they're amazing.

Also Eva - Siberia21 is her author name - surprised me with a birthday story. She posted part 1. It's called 'Christmas Carol' and it's amazing.

Thanks for reading. Have a wonderful day, we'll see you next with WFASTF 7.