Thank you Lauren for betaing this chapter.
Someone like you
Chapter 13
'He's the air I would kill to breathe'
"Why are your feet always so cold?"
"So you can warm them up."
She placed a kiss on his shoulder blade, feeling him shiver under her touch. A laugh escaped her as she pushed her cold feet against his legs another time, making a growl rise from deep in his chest. She rested her head back on his shoulder blade, throwing her leg over his waist, her arm resting on his strong back.
"And you have to stop using me as your personal pillow." He turned his head over his shoulder, the blue eyes locking with the brown ones. "My back is killing me."
"I'm not surprised." She snorted, shaking her head at him. "How long has it been since you slept in your own bed?"
"Two weeks." He mumbled into his pillow, flinching as the bright sunlight shone into the room. "It's all your and your family's fault. If you all stopped dying, I could sleep in my own bed."
She gave him a look for mentioning her family's condition in such a snarky way, the way he always was in the morning. He waggled his eyebrows at her, giving her his signature smirk, knowing she would forgive him. She rolled her eyes at him, forgiving him with the gesture, and shook her head in amusement as he snuggled his nose back into the pillow and went back to sleep, his breathing becoming her lullaby.
Her hand moved over his muscled back, caressing his skin gently. She smiled as he started purring like a cat, enjoying his skin against hers, the way they were most comfortable. Sometimes when she saw him with his clothes on, it was the weirdest thing ever to her. They weren't the kind of couple that hid themselves behind their clothes or turned the lights off while they were making love, they knew every curve in each other's body, knew to find every birthmark, knew how to please the other one completely.
"You're wearing boxers."
"Some people do that." His blue eyes snapped open, glaring at her. "Unlike you who's been sleeping naked next to me for the past four days."
"I can't wear anything under those hospital gowns when they put me under a scanner for the umpteenth time that day." She rolled her eyes in annoyance. "So from now on I just stay naked."
"Sounds more like my philosophy." He smirked devilishly, turning his head over his shoulder. "But hey, you don't hear me complaining about your lack of clothing."
"That still doesn't explain why you're wearing underwear." She arched her eyebrow at him, wrinkling her nose. "You hate sleeping with clothes on; it makes you feel like a prisoner."
"Well, I need to be held captive."
"What are you talking about?" She pushed herself upright, glaring at him. "You know I hate crosswords."
"I'm saying little Damon might get a little too excited if he meets little Elena somewhere in this small bed."
"Oh.."
She bit her lip as he nodded quietly. When he started spending the night in her bed instead of on the chair next to it, they made the silent agreement that nothing would happen. There were kisses, hugs, sweet whispers, but never something that eventually would lead to a full make-out session, kisses on the lips were even forbidden. Physically he kept his distance, she might sleep naked next to him, with her chest pressed against his but his hands never wandered; they stayed on the safe places of her body. Emotionally though, he was closer than ever. He didn't leave her side, during visiting hours he disappeared into theater only to reappear again once Stefan left the hospital.
They were back like before, talking about everything except for the thing that drove them apart, the one thing that would drive them apart again if it was brought up. Instead they talked about Liam, shared stories about the life they created, compared traits he inherited from the both of them. He was back in her life, went back to being her rock and most of the times it seemed like he never left, like all the hurt in Chicago didn't happen, that they just stayed in Mystic Falls and were still the couple that fell in love behind her husband's back.
"What are you doing?" He turned on his side as she let her hand slide under the waistband of his boxers. "No touching."
"Who are you and what did you do to Damon Salvatore?" She pushed her finger into his chest, chuckling softly. "I just wanted to give your butt a squeeze."
"What meds are you on?" His eyebrows knitted together, his blue eyes studying her. "I'm going to take a look at your chart, they gave you the wrong meds."
"Baby." She sing-songed, wrapping her arms around his neck. "You're the only drug I need."
"You're scaring me." He chuckled softly, tapping her nose. "Stop it."
"But I want to squeeze your butt." She pouted, wrapping her legs around his waist as he sat straight up. "You used to love it."
"You're acting like Liam." He reached to the end of the bed, grabbing the chart. "And that's not a compliment for someone who's twenty-five."
"Hey! Don't insult our kid."
"I'm not insulting our kid, I'm insulting you." He rolled his eyes at her, reading the chart. "You're on morphine? Morphine usually knocks you out."
"And you knocked me up." She looked up at him through her long eyelashes. "I don't know which one is worse."
"Cute." He shook his head at her. "They probably gave you Prozac or something, you're far too happy."
"Maybe they just gave me you." She whispered huskily in his ear, her breasts pressing into his bare chest. "You make me happy."
"You two can't part for five seconds, can you?"
"You two can't part for five seconds, can you?"
"What are you talking about?" Damon looked up, answering the text he just received. "It's just Elena."
"I know it's Elena." Grayson rolled his eyes. "She's been texting you ever since we got here."
"I'm hard to miss." He shrugged indifferently, smirking at the man. "She's on her way over here."
"Why would she spend her night with two drunks when her husband is waiting at home?" Grayson snorted, his breath reeking of alcohol. "That girl doesn't know her priorities."
"Actually Stefan's away for the weekend with Tyler, they went to see a football game." He diverted his attention back to his phone as it buzzed. "She had something with Caroline and Bonnie this afternoon."
"Are you really going to make me ask you?"
"Ask me what?"
"How long have the two of you been sleeping together?" Grayson's lips moved up into an amused smile. "And don't try to deny it, I'm onto you."
"You're wrong." He lifted his shoulders, repressing the urge to run away. "We're just friends."
"How do the kids call it these days?" Grayson tapped his chin, pretending to think. "Friends with benefits? Friends with a plus? In the old days we called it fuckbuddies."
"So how many fuckbuddies did you have?"
"Don't try to change the subject." Grayson motioned the bartender for another drink. "How long has this been going on?"
"A month." He downed his glass of bourbon. "It just sorta happened."
"Your penis sorta happened to fall into my daughter's vagina?"
"You're so going to regret this in the morning." Damon shook his head at him, shaking with laughter. "That's your daughter we're talking about."
"My married daughter." He saluted his glass at Damon. "I'm still sober enough to know that."
"Don't mention it." He grabbed the bottle from behind the bar, filling his glass. "My libido is very aware of that fact."
"Just do me a favor." Grayson looked him sternly in the eyes, suddenly appearing less drunk. "Don't tell her I know, she'll act all weird around me."
"Sure thing."
"Are you both drunk?" They both jumped as the chipper voice interrupted their stare. "Daddy, Mom's going to kill you."
"Look at it on the bright side, honey." He pointed his glass at her. "That means I won't have to spend the rest of my life with her."
"Daddy, don't say such things."
"You know Damon, me and Miranda we're happily married." He got a grin on his face, pointing his attention to Damon. "She's happy and I'm married."
"Matt." She pushed herself on tiptoes, calling for the bartender. "Can you call my father a cab please?"
"Sweetie I don't have enough money with me to pay for a cab." He patted Damon shoulders, his eyes dancing around in his head. "This one here made me buy him whiskeys."
"That means I'm paying for the cab." Damon pulled his wallet out, throwing some bills on the counter while standing up. "Have a good one, Grayson."
"Call me when you get home." Elena pecked her father's cheek. "I'll call Mom if you don't and you know what will happen then."
"Yeah..yeah." He hugged her tightly. "You kids have fun."
"Goodnight."
"Oh." Grayson called them back as they turned around. "Before I forget, Damon is spending Christmas with us."
"What?" Damon arched his eyebrow. "When did I say that?"
"I'm saying it now." Grayson shrugged indifferently. "You're not supposed to be alone on Christmas, you're celebrating with us."
"I don't know if that's such a good idea Daddy." Elena bit her lip. "Stefan will be there and Giuseppe and we all know that Giuseppe isn't a fan of Damon."
"But I'm a fan of Damon." Grayson grinned like a fool. "So he's spending Christmas with us."
"I guess you're spending Christmas with us." Elena looked up at Damon, shrugging.
"I guess I'm spending Christmas with you then." He sighed into the air and turned to Elena. "Ready to go?"
"Uh-huh." She turned around and walked to the door. "Don't forget to call me, Daddy!"
"I won't!"
"Since when are you hanging out with my dad?" She pulled her jacket tighter around her once they stepped into the cold air. "I thought you only hung with the cool guys."
"He's like the only cool guy in town." He wrapped his arm around her shoulders, pulling her into his side. "Besides, he called me and asked me if I was busy; since I was not thanks to you who left me all miserable and alone in my hotel room, we met at the bar."
"What do you do when I'm not around to keep you entertained?" She looked up at him with a devilish grin. "Call prostitutes?"
"Yeah.. and I watch commercials all day and buy stuff from shopping channels." He noticed her shocked face and shook his head in amusement. "I'm practically working every minute you're not with me."
"Good." She let out a sigh of relief, tightening her grip on his waist. "The shopping channels scared me for a minute."
"And the prostitutes didn't?"
"We both know I turned you monogamous." She placed a kiss on the skin on his neck, chuckling softly. "Besides they know you're off limits, I spread the word in the meeting for adulterous women."
"You're not a whore." He placed a kiss on top of her head. "Stop saying such things."
"Then what am I?" She looked up at him, shrugging. "I don't know who I'm supposed to be."
"You're Elena." He paused in his steps and turned to her. "You're beautiful, you're smart, you're funny but most of all you're just very – very confused."
"We make a great pair, don't we?" She rested her forehead against his chest. "We're both screwed up."
"How was lunch with Bonnie and Caroline?" He placed his chin on top of her crown, rubbing her back. "Did you have fun?"
"It was okay." She snuggled into his chest, tightening her grip on him. "I'm just glad I'm with you again."
"Yeah." He wrapped his arms around her, holding her tight. "We can't spend a minute away from each other."
"We can't spend a minute away from each other."
Damon shrugged as Grayson shook his head at them and leaned against the doorpost. Elena pressed herself firmly against his chest, covering her nudity from her father's view. With a sigh Damon pulled the white sheet over her, draping it over her back.
"Why is my daughter naked on top of you?"
"It's nothing new." Damon waggled his eyebrows, finding Elena glaring at him. "But they started her on new meds yesterday and let's just say it's showing."
"I'm just happy, Daddy." She turned around to him, grinning like a fool. "Sooo happy."
"She's like Liam after three cokes." Grayson shook his head. "And you don't want to meet Liam after he's had three cokes."
"That bad?"
"Worse than you on caffeine."
"That's bad."
"I'm here to take you to see your mother." Grayson pointed his eyes at Elena, finding her brown doe eyes looking at him. "She's asked to see you."
"I can't go anywhere." Elena wrapped her arms around Damon's neck, hiding her face there. "Damon needs to be hugged all day long."
"If you stay in this state of undress, I can't say I have a problem with that." Damon waggled his eyebrows at her and gave Grayson a shrug. "I'm still a man."
"I'm going to be clinging like a koala onto you today."
"Damon." Mason appeared behind Grayson in the doorway and took in the intertwined couple on the bed. "There's been an accident, we need a heart surgeon."
"Miller's on call." He pulled the white sheet back over Elena's bare shoulders as it started to slip off. "I took the week off."
"You took the week off?" Elena's head snapped up and she narrowed her eyes at him. "Then where are you during the day?"
"The roads are blocked; Miller won't get here on time."
"But Damon can't go." Elena pouted, her arms wrapping tighter around him. "Then my heart will break into a million pieces and I'll need a heart surgeon."
"Don't look at me like that." Damon snorted as Mason arched his eyebrow at him. "You were the one who put her on those meds."
"She would be screaming in agony right now if I hadn't." Mason took a look at Elena's bruised body. "Be glad she's still here to annoy you."
"I'm sitting right here." Elena turned her head over her shoulder, her voice more quiet. "Can you please not talk about the fact that I almost died?"
She felt Damon stiffen in her embrace and as she turned her head around, she found him staring at her, his blue eyes filled with the agony of the memories from that night. Even as a doctor, he still couldn't cope with the fact that she almost died. A lot of people thought he became immune to it, that he didn't care anymore, it was a common mistake. The truth was that he became a surgeon to save people, losing them was not an option. And anyone who thought he didn't care, should have seen him like she did; find him curled up on the bed in a cocoon of sheets, a growl rising from his throat as she tried to sneak under them, the talks about the patient he lost lasting until the sun came up. He was human and he wouldn't let anything happen to anyone he loved, he'd rather die in their place than to lose them.
"I'll be there in ten minutes, Mason." Damon cleared his throat and gave his co-worker a tight nod. "Prep her for surgery."
"I'll get a nurse to help you dress." Grayson moved out of the way so Mason could walk past him. "Your mother will freak out if you visit her like this."
She smiled as her father closed the door behind him, leaving her alone with the man in her arms. Damon sighed and squirmed out from underneath her naked body, wearing only his boxer briefs. She stared at his bare back as he sat on the edge of the bed and stretched his neck to both sides, the muscles in his body tightening.
"I won't let you in my bed tonight." She sat up behind him and put her hands on his shoulders. "You have a hotel room with a king-size bed, use it."
"If you don't let me in your bed," He moaned as she started massaging his shoulders, feeling his tight muscles. "Then I'll just sleep on the floor, it's about as comfortable as this bed."
"I won't let you in my room."
"Then I'll sleep in the hallway." He shrugged indifferently and leaned back against her chest. "You can't do anything against that."
"I'll call security and tell them there's a creep sleeping in front of my door."
"Then I'll just tell them you're schizophrenic." He turned his head over his shoulder, smirking devilishly. "Who are they going to believe? The surgeon or the patient?"
"Damon." She sighed, defeated. "Just sleep in your own bed tonight, I'm a big girl, I can sleep alone."
"I'll sleep in my own bed once you're in yours."
She rolled her eyes at him, knowing there was no way to win once he put his mind to something. He slipped from her grasp and stood up, finding his clothes on the table next to the bed. She watched him as he dressed himself, something she used to do all the time, admiring his body like a diamond.
"Enjoying the view?"
"I always did." She grinned as he rolled his eyes at her and started buttoning his shirt. "Besides, all my doctors are so old, I have to cherish it when I see someone younger than forty."
"You make me feel so good about myself."
"I would say thirty..." She let the words roll off her tongue, wearing her beaming smile. "But we both know you passed that number a few years ago."
"You're evil." He narrowed his eyes at her and grabbed his leather jacket from the chair. "No bedtime story for you tonight."
"You're treating me like Liam."
"Because you're acting like him." He walked back to the bed and pressed a kiss against her forehead. "Speaking about Liam, call Caroline and tell her I'll pick him up this afternoon."
"That's who you're spending your days with?" She let herself fall back against the mattress. "You're with Liam?"
"Duh." Damon shrugged like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Who else?"
Her mouth fell open at the new information. She searched for words while he just shook his head at her and started walking backwards to the door. A smile played across his lips as he pulled it open and the nurse appeared in the doorway. They crossed paths and Elena took a deep breath before looking at the nurse.
"Are you ready to see your mom?"
"Not really."
"Elena."
Miranda sat straight up in the bed as the nurse pushed Elena's wheelchair inside the room. Elena couldn't hold back her smile as she saw her mother's rosy cheeks and bright eyes. The last time she had seen her mother, her body had been lifeless, pale, weak. Now, it was full of life thanks to the man that lay beside her until a few minutes ago, the same man her mother hated with every bone in her body.
"Hi Mom." She placed her hands in her lap and waited until the nurse put the wheelchair next to the bed. "How are you doing?"
"I'm good, sweetie." Miranda's smile lit the whole room. "How are you? Your father told me about the accident."
"I'm fine." She shrugged her mother's worries away. "Just a lot of bruises, I'm a big smurf."
"That's not funny, Elena."
"I'm sorry." She shook her head, holding her arms up in surrender. "It's just something Liam said, I thought it was cute."
"How is Liam?"
"He's fine." She nodded with a small smile, thinking about her beautiful son. "They had to keep him in the hospital for a few days because he was hypothermic but he went home four days ago and he's doing good now."
"Our whole family in twenty-four hours." Miranda shook her head sadly. "What did we do wrong to the world?"
"We survived." She grabbed her mother's hand and squeezed it lightly. "That's the most important thing."
"We were lucky." Miranda took Elena's hand between hers, rubbing it softly. "So lucky."
"Lucky that Damon was here."
She realized her mistake as she looked up at her mother and saw the expression on her face, the anger boiling beneath the surface. Damon would never be good enough for her, no matter how much money he made, no matter how many compliments he gave, no matter how many times he saved her life, her mother would never accept him for the person he was, she never had.
"So Damon, why is a man like you still single?"
Elena leaned back in her seat as her mother continued her game of twenty questions. She stared from the lit Christmas tree to Damon and wondered how he could stand it, why he still hadn't lost his temper. A sigh escaped her as Stefan took her hand in his under the table and squeezed it softly.
"I'm not always single." Damon glanced in her direction as she rubbed her feet against his leg underneath the table. "Some nights I am, the other ones I'm not."
"You're one of those heartbreakers." Miranda nodded, rolling her eyes in annoyance. "I'm glad my daughter already gave her heart away to a good man."
"I wouldn't worry about Elena's heart." Damon sent a dangerous smirk in her direction, making her mother look at her. "I wouldn't dare to come near it."
Miranda's gaze shifted between the stranger in her house and her daughter, noticing the lingering look they shared. An uncomfortable silence fell as Elena kept her eyes locked with the blue orbs, drowning in them like she had done the nights he wasn't single. He said he wouldn't come near her heart, not realizing he was already in it, that she wouldn't have been able to get through this Christmas day without him beside her.
"So Damon," Stefan straightened his shoulders as he broke the uncomfortable silence. "Since we want to know everything about you, what did you have for breakfast?"
She smiled gratefully as her husband tried to lighten the mood. Everyone let out a soft chuckle while her mother's face fell and she stared daggers at Stefan. Her father couldn't be more amused and exchanged a look with Giuseppe who sat at the end of the table. She swallowed back the lump in her throat as she saw him study Damon, keeping his green eyes on him at all times, like he was trying to make him disappear. Stefan on the other hand had been nothing but nice to him, probably because he didn't know that his wife was spending a lot more time with the blue-eyed-man than he could ever imagine.
"I'm going to clean up." Elena stood up and grabbed the plates from her neighbors. "I made dessert."
"We're all going to die." Damon muttered under his breath, glancing around the room. "Nice knowing you all."
"Oh, shut up." She threw a napkin in his face, rolling her eyes in mock-annoyance. "You survived the cake."
"I didn't eat it."
The smile fell off her face as she remembered the night she brought it to him, the passion and lust that filled that night. She stared at him, noticing the amused smirk that rested on his face, his eyes that twinkled in mischief, in her head she wondered how she had managed to be happy before him. Her husband was standing beside her, now talking to his father, but she didn't feel the attraction towards him that she felt towards the man on the other side of the table, she had never felt that kind of attraction, the need to have his skin against yours every second of the day, counting the seconds until you could be with him again.
"We don't trust her enough to cook the main course." Caroline's chipper voice made her head snap around. "And she's never on time for the first course, Elena's always late."
"Really?" Damon gave her a devilish look, his blue eyes shimmering. "Elena usually comes right before me."
A gasp left her throat as he waggled his eyebrows at her. She looked around the room, finding only her mother watching the three of them interact. Caroline just shook her head at him and went to stand beside Tyler in front of the fire place. Her father, husband and Giuseppe were sitting on the couch, a glass of scotch in their hands.
"Damon." Grayson turned his head over his shoulder, pointing in his direction. "Come, have a drink with us."
"No thanks, old man." Damon shook his head, smirking. "I'm driving tonight."
"Come on." Grayson lifted his glass at the younger man. "You can stay in the guestroom."
"Elena's already staying in the guestroom." Miranda came from around the corner, her eyes wide open. "So the house is full."
"You don't mind sleeping on the couch do you?"
"Thanks for the offer but I'll just drive back to the hotel."
Elena rolled her eyes as she saw them interact and turned to the kitchen with the dirty plates in her hands. She put them in the sink, hearing the men laugh at something that was said, Caroline shrieking as Tyler probably tickled her. She started sorting the dishes when someone came up behind her and she jumped in surprise.
"Shh." Damon's scent hit her nose before his lips touched the skin in her neck. "It's just me."
She relaxed against his chest as his hands traveled down her arms and eventually slipped around her waist, his arms pulling her flush against him. She leaned her head back against his shoulder and kissed his cheek, burying her head into the crook of his neck. Her fingers ran light patterns on his arm, goose bumps appearing on his skin.
"I miss you." He nibbled on her earlobe, his arms tightening around her. "I haven't seen you in four days."
"I know." She turned around in his embrace and gave him a brief kiss. "And I'm sorry, I miss you too."
"Did I miss blowjob week?" He waggled his eyebrows at her and pulled her waist against his. "Because I'd be devastated."
"What's blowjob week?"
"That one week a month your girlfriend suddenly has really bad migraines."
"That week." She nodded in understanding, a smile coming across her lips. "Sorry babe, you missed it."
"No." He pouted exaggeratedly, pulling the cutest face she had ever seen. "I was looking forward to it."
"You'll just have to wait another month." She laughed and pinched his cheek like he was a five-year-old. "But I promise I'll make it worth your while."
"I can't believe you just told me to wait for your period."
"You're the one who called it blowjob week." She straightened his collar and patted his chest. "We should go back to the living room before someone finds us."
"I haven't kissed you in four days." He tangled his fingers in her hair and grabbed it tightly. "You're not going anywhere before I've kissed you senseless."
His lips crashed down on hers, his fingers tangling in her hair, the other hand grabbing her hip, pulling her firmer against him. She wrapped her arms around his neck and held his head against hers, their lips connecting with rapid movements. He swallowed her moans and lifted her up to set her on the counter, his mouth never leaving hers. She wrapped her legs around his waist and pulled him closer so the bulge in his pants pressed against her core.
"Don't mind me."
"Daddy?" Elena pulled her lips away from Damon's and looked up with wide eyes. "Oh no, Daddy."
"I didn't see a thing." Grayson turned back to the door and waved his hands above his head. "And I'll ignore the fact that you were almost having sex on my kitchen counter while your husband is in the living room."
Elena's eyes searched for the blue ones that were staring at her, an amused expression on his face. She shook her head in disbelief and jumped off the counter to follow her father out the kitchen. Damon grabbed her arm before she could walk past him.
"He knows."
"Of course he knows." She pulled her arm free out of his grasp, her teeth clenched together. "He saw your tongue trying to get to my breakfast."
"No, Elena." He rolled his eyes exaggeratedly, shaking his head. "He knew before he saw my tongue trying to get in your stomach."
"What do you mean?"
"He figured it out a while ago." Damon lifted his shoulders, his blue eyes watching her. "He didn't want me to tell you because he knew you'd freak out."
"Of course I'd freak out." She threw her arms in the air, her wide brown eyes staring at him. "He just caught me cheating on my husband."
Damon sighed defeated as she turned on her heels and sprinted out of the kitchen. She looked around the living room but couldn't find her father. After searching the whole house, she found him outside on the porch, his gaze fixed at something in the distance.
"Daddy." She stepped onto the porch, shielding herself against the cold breeze. "I can explain."
"I'd love to hear that explanation."
"I..." She shook her head, searching for words. "I don't know what to say."
"Well, that wasn't much of an explanation." Grayson turned to her and smiled, shaking his head. "You don't have to explain it to me Elena, I'm not your mother."
"How did you figure it out?"
"You carry this goofy smile on your face all the time." Grayson pointed to her face and let out a hard chuckle. "And if that didn't say enough, Stefan has been complaining about all the overtime."
"I'm so confused." She held her palm against her forehead, shaking her head. "I love Stefan, I really do but when I'm with Damon...I don't know what I feel but it feels so good."
"You're young, you make mistakes." Her father came closer and cupped her face in his hands. "I'm not saying that it's right to cheat on your husband, because it isn't. But I get why you're confused."
"I just feel like I'm two different people." She grabbed her father's hand and intertwined their fingers. "When I'm with Stefan I feel like I'm still seventeen and when I'm with Damon, I feel like a grownup."
"I get it." Grayson shrugged, his gray eyes looking down at her. "Damon's beautiful, charming, smart, rich. He's powerful and he made something out of himself, it pulls you in. While Stefan still has to make something out of himself."
"What would you do?"
"Oh no." Grayson shook his head, smiling at his daughter. "I'm not going to choose for you, this is something you have to decide on your own."
"You know how bad I am at making decisions."
"I think you're becoming better at it." Grayson rubbed her cheek affectionately. "We have Damon to thank for that, the seventeen year old Elena would have been too scared to cheat on her husband."
"So you're telling me I should choose Damon?"
"I'm not telling you anything." Grayson let go of her face and put his hands in his pockets. "I'm just saying everyone likes a woman who knows what she wants."
Before she got the chance to answer him, Caroline's voice filled the quiet air, her screams filled with worry and agony. They exchanged a look and pushed the front door open, finding Caroline bent over her mother's body. Grayson's eyes went wide while he crouched down next to his wife who was clutching her chest.
"It's her heart."
"Damon!" She looked around in the room, finding everyone but him. "Damon!"
"What's wrong?" Damon rushed down the stairs, his voice filled with worry. "Elena?"
He crouched down next to Grayson, taking Miranda's wrist between his fingers, feeling her pulse. He took the stethoscope her father handed him and listened to the older woman's heartbeat, his eyes fixed on her face. Miranda's brown eyes widened as another stab went through her heart, the pain making her scream out loud.
"I'm going to call an ambulance."
"Elena, don't." Her mother gathered all her strength to look up at her. "I'll be fine in a minute, it's always like that."
"She's had this for months." Grayson answered Damon's questioning look. "The pain starts and after a minute or two it's gone."
"That the pain is gone doesn't mean the issue is gone." Damon shook his head and placed the stethoscope against Miranda's chest again. "It's not normal, her heart beats way too fast."
"You've had this for months?" Elena snorted and crossed her arms over her chest. "That's it. I'm calling an ambulance."
"Elena, I'm fine."
"Let Damon be the judge of that." Her brown eyes searched for the blue ones, seeing a doubtful look on his face. "Damon?"
"Let's make a deal." Damon looked Miranda in the eyes. "I'll tell your daughter not to call an ambulance if you promise me you'll come by the hospital on Monday to run some tests."
"I don't want your pity because you're friends with my daughter." Miranda spat in his face, the pain clearly gone. "I'm not taking any hand-outs."
"If I find nothing, you can pay me." Damon held his hands in the air like he surrendered. "But if I find something, then you'll let me treat you for free, the medicines alone will probably cost a fortune if I'm right."
"Deal."
"Elena, don't call an ambulance." Damon got up from the floor and took her cell phone out of her hands. "She'll be fine tonight."
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah." He stroked her cheek as a comfort, not caring about who was watching them. "I'm sure."
She nodded and sat down next to her mother who was now sitting up straight. "Are you sure you're okay?"
"Don't think this is going to change my mind about him." Miranda looked at Damon and back at her. "I still don't like him."
"I still don't like him."
"You may have mentioned that before." Elena rolled her eyes and leaned back in the wheelchair. "I still don't get how you can hate someone that saved your life more than once, but then, my name isn't Miranda Gilbert."
"Maybe because he broke my daughter's heart and I knew he was going to do it."
"Good." Elena sat up straighter, the mask now gone. "Finally we don't have to pretend that you don't know about me and Damon, don't worry Daddy already told me you knew."
"He cheated on you, didn't he?" Miranda's brown eyes looked up at her. "He cheated on you and broke your heart."
"No." She shook her head, letting out a hard laugh. "Damon wasn't the cheater, I was the one who had an affair while I was married."
"Then what did he do, Elena?" Her mother searched for her eyes. "Did you realize there was nothing more to him than good looks and Stefan was the better choice?"
"I loved Damon." She clenched her teeth together, holding back the tears that wanted to escape her eyes. "I loved him more than anything."
"Then what did he do, Elena?"
"He loved me." She wetted her lips with her tongue, looking away from her mother. "He loved me and he did everything he could to make me happy, some days I wondered if it was all a dream and I would wake up next to Stefan to realize that Damon never existed."
"Why can't you just tell me the truth?" Miranda's eyes went wide, her fists clenching the sheets. "Why do you keep beating around the bush?"
"Because it's none of your business." She spat at her mother, her brown eyes boring into the other pair. "What happened between me and Damon has nothing to do with you."
"But your father knew." Miranda shook her head at her. "You told him that you were with Damon in Chicago."
"He visited us a few times." She looked down in her lap and started fidgeting with her thumbs. "I knew he wouldn't judge me or Damon but I wanted to wait to tell you until the divorce came through."
"You were going to divorce Stefan?"
"Of course. What did you think?" She arched her eyebrow, shaking her head in confusion. "I wanted to spend my life with Damon, if I hadn't... If I hadn't gotten pregnant with Liam then I would probably be his wife by now."
"What do you mean?" Miranda's eyebrows knitted together. "You came back to Stefan."
"And the week after I came back, I bought a plane ticket back to Chicago." She looked up at her mother and smiled tightly. "My bags were packed and I had a flight for the next day, I was going back to Damon."
"What happened?"
"I found out I was pregnant." She whispered, her brown eyes welling up with tears. "And I knew Damon didn't want to be a father so I wasn't going to force that on him so he could hate me for it. But I wanted Damon's baby so much so instead of going back to Damon, I stayed here and I had his child instead."
"But you hated Liam."
"No." Her voice pitched. "I pretended hating being pregnant for Stefan's sake. I never hated that baby, I wanted him since the moment I found out I was carrying Damon's child."
"You should have known that it would never work out between the two of you." Miranda let out a hard laugh, adjusting herself in the bed. "He's ten years older than you."
"And the only one that made a big deal out of it was you." Elena averted her gaze to the wall. "I loved him and I never counted the years that were between us. I was free with him."
"You weren't free." Miranda stared into her eyes. "He trapped you into going to Chicago with him."
"Going to Chicago with Damon was my choice." Her brown eyes went wide. "Don't you understand? When I chose Damon that was the first time in my life that I really chose something for myself."
"And look where it got you." Miranda huffed, looking at the ceiling. "You almost lost Stefan and you're trying to fool everyone in believing that Liam's Stefan's son."
"I don't think anyone believes it." She clenched her teeth together. "I hear the whispers when I bring him to school, everyone saw me with Damon five years ago and they know I disappeared for three months."
"How do you live with yourself?" Miranda whispered, her voice shaky. "You cheated on your husband, you deceived your friends and family, this is not the person I raised you to be."
"I don't blame myself for anything." She looked at her mother in disgust, her voice harsh. "Yes, I should have handled things with Stefan differently but I don't blame myself for choosing Damon, it gave me Liam, it gave me a piece of myself that I didn't even know was missing."
"You're obsessed with him."
"You call it obsession, I call it madly in love."
"You'll have to carry it with you for the rest of your life." Miranda sat up straighter, trying to appear strong. "Liam will always get dirty looks because his father was a man whore."
"You can think about Damon whatever you want." Her eyes shimmered with anger, fixed on her mother. "But when the accident happened and right before I passed out, I prayed that I would see Damon again, that five years ago wouldn't be the last time that I told him I loved him."
"You still love him?"
"I never stopped."
"How did you find me?"
She stared at him as he came out of the theater, dressed in the green clothes, his hair messy and his eyes bloodshot. His blue eyes took in her form on the bench and she wondered in the back of her mind how it was still possible for him to make her ache with one glance at her. Her heart drummed in her chest as she took in his form, after all those years finally able to hold him again. Her body tingled in anticipation to have his skin on hers again, like the nights before, only with them connected. Her soul finally felt whole again, now the other half was finally home.
"I followed my heart."
"I see the drugs are still working." He sat down next to her with a small smile on his face. "Sober Elena would never tell me something like that."
"Almost dying might have changed that stubborn Elena." She leaned her head against his shoulder. "Plus, I talked to my mom this morning, you know how emotional that makes me."
"So I get a high emotional Elena?" He smirked at her, shaking his head in amusement. "What did I do wrong to the world?"
"Well,..." Elena rested her chin on his shoulder, looking up at him. "I got a phone call from a very upset beautiful little boy."
"How upset was he?" His blue eyes focused on her, filled with worry. "I tried to call Caroline but one accident turned into two and that turned into a heart attack."
"Don't worry, I put in a good word for you." She rubbed his back affectionately, smiling softly. "He said it was going to cost you ten hugs."
"What is it with the two of you and hugging?" Damon shook his head at her, throwing his arms up. "It's like a virus."
"It's genetic." She rolled her eyes at his little outburst. "We're affectionate people."
"You're just using everyone as your personal teddy bear."
"As if you mind it when I use you as my teddy." She nuzzled his neck, chuckling softly. "Want to be my teddy bear again tonight?"
"I thought I wasn't allowed in your room tonight?"
"The bed in my room is better than the benches in the hallways." She giggled as he rolled his eyes at her, a gesture all too familiar. "Come on, Salvatore. Take me to bed."
He got up, the way he always used to do it whenever they were ready for bed. She never went without him and when he was on a night shift, she wouldn't go to sleep without him next to her, instead she slept on the couch with the light on, waiting for him to come home and take her to bed, wrap her in his arms and whisper the summary of his day into her ear.
"You'll have to carry me." She held her arms out towards him. "Some kid asked if he could borrow my wheel chair but he hasn't brought it back."
"I'm not going to carry you."
"But you love carrying me." Her face fell, her eyebrows knitting together. "You used to it all the time."
"Yes I used to carry you to the wall to have my way with you." He scoffed, shaking his head slightly. "But I'm not a mule."
"Then how am I supposed to get to my room?"
"Walk."
"I can't walk, Damon." She laughed at the irony of that. "I'm not strong enough to stay upright besides Mason told me I couldn't."
"I'm telling you that you can." He leaned against the wall opposite from her. "Walk to me."
"What if I fall?"
"Haven't I taught you anything?" He rolled his eyes like she had offended him in the most horrible way. "If you fall, you crawl back up."
She eyes him suspiciously, knowing him well enough to know that he wouldn't change his mind. With wobbly legs she tried to push herself up, using all her strength to get her bottom a few inches above the bench. She put all her effort in moving one of her legs, walking like an old lady with her head to the ground. The pain stabbed through her legs and back like they wanted to knock her down back to the ground, exactly doing that when she was in the middle, her legs giving out from under her and whole her body on the ground. She looked up, seeing the blue eyes staring at her, still waiting for her to reach him. She didn't need to ask for his help, she knew what he was going to say, he didn't tolerate weak people.
"Get up."
"I can't." Her eyes filled with tears, her voice trembling. "It hurts too much."
"Get up, Elena."
"I can't." The tears started rolling down her cheeks. "I can't stand up."
"You didn't even try."
He knew how to push her buttons, to make her stronger than she thought possible. It was what he always used to do, letting her explore her limits, only to discover that she could push them further than she ever thought possible. She had been strong with him, because she knew that at the end of the road he would be there to pick her up when he noticed that she couldn't go any further. She was strong because he had her back, he knew her better than she did and he knew how far he could push her.
"Get up."
She lifted her head up to meet his burning blue eyes. Her arms trembled as she pushed herself up on hands and knees, slowly getting up from the ground. A sense of pride washed over his face as he saw her standing up straight. She clutched her chest and kept her eyes on her goal, the blue eyes watching her every step. While she closed the distant between their bodies, the smile on her face grew wider, his eyes shimmering in pride. She held her arms out once she was only a few feet away from him and he opened his arms, catching her as she let herself fall in them.
"Good girl." He pressed a kiss against her temple, stroking her hair. "I knew you could do it."
"I won't be able to reach my room." She wiped the few tears that had escaped her eyes away. "It hurts so much."
"I know."
She gasped as he picked her up and carried her bridal-style. With a deep breath, she let her head rest against his shoulder, breathing in the scent that always managed to calm her down, make all the pain go away.
"Do you need something?" He put her down on the bed and cupped her face in his hands. "A bath, chocolate, Grey's Anatomy? Maybe a hug?"
"Can you give me my nightgown?" She kept her eyes on his as he stroked her tears away. "I'm ready to sleep with some clothes on."
"Sure." He reached behind him in the small closet and put the silk gown in her lap. "Do you need help?"
She bit her lip as his blue eyes focused on her, everything she ever wanted reflecting in that clear blue ocean. All her dreams resurfaced again as she remembered telling him about those dreams while he stared at her with those eyes. Those dreams were gone now, drowned together with the future she had seen in that ocean, killed with the waves of emotions that were washed away the day she had stepped out of his door. She had been empty since that day, a gap filling her stomach like a black hole that day after day seemed to swallow her whole being. It took him to fix it, it took the owner of her heart and the origin of the black hole to make her breath again. That's how it had been from the moment she met him, he became her lungs and air at the same time.
"Damon." The tears streamed down her cheeks as she looked up at him, finding everything she ever wanted. "Why did I leave you?"
"Because you couldn't stay." The blue eyes filled with sadness. "I hurt you too much."
"Would you have taken me back?" She whispered quietly, reaching for him. "If I had come back, would you still have loved me?"
"Of course you silly." He stroked her hair out of her face. "I waited five years for you to come back."
"I don't know how I lived through the past five years without you."
"We didn't live." He pushed his forehead against hers, their noses touching. "We just existed."
"If I hadn't called Caroline to pick me up at the airport, I know I would have taken a flight back to Chicago." She held his face desperately, her lips trembling against his. "I should have screamed at you and I should have thrown things at you but I shouldn't have left you."
"It's okay." He held her hands in his, smiling at her. "We're here now. I'm not going anywhere."
"I'm so scared that one day I'll wake up and you'll be gone, back to Chicago." She held his face in her hands, their eyes connected. "I'm scared you'll leave me behind."
"No." He kissed her hand, trying to soothe her. "I'm not going anywhere without you or Liam, okay?"
"Okay."
She nodded as he kissed her forehead, blinking back the tears that threatened to leave his eyes. A small sigh escaped her as he reached for the hem of her shirt and pulled it over her head, devouring her chest with his eyes. She smiled and went for his shirt, pulling the green fabric over his head to let it drop to the floor, admiring the abs that came instead. She pulled the nightgown on and shuffled back to the other side of the bed so he could lie down next to her. She closed her eyes once they lay on the covers and her head was tucked under his chin, her whole body pressed into his side.
"Mommy." A chipper voice made her eyes snap open, another pair of blue eyes staring at her. "Why is Damon naked in your bed?"
"Liam." She exchanged a confused look with Damon. "What are you doing here after visiting hours?"
"This little one has a tact for using his last name." Caroline came in the room, panting. "Apparently being named Salvatore has some privileges and he figured them all out."
"I just told the lady that she should let me in or she would get into trouble with Damon."
"Come here you." Damon picked him up from next to the bed. "You're really something, you know that?"
"I know." His young blue eyes shimmered in amusement. "So what are you doing in Mommy's bed?"
"She's using me as her teddy bear."
"My teddy bears usually have clothes on."
"I like my teddy bears better when they're naked." Elena ruffled his hair as he lay down on Damon's chest. "It makes them all warm and soft."
"You're dirty, Mommy."
"You don't know half how dirty your mommy really is." Damon smirked at her, patting his son's chest. "Do you want me to tell him about your anal fantasy?"
"Shut up."
"Liam." Caroline rolled her eyes as his parents bickered. "I think we should go back home."
"But I don't want to go." He pouted exaggerated, whimpering softly. "I want to stay here."
"I can arrange another bed." Damon exchanged a look with the two females. "He can stay here if he wants to."
"You're feeling guilty because you didn't spend the day with him." Elena rolled her eyes at him. "Otherwise you'd never agree to this."
"Just let him stay here." Damon shrugged, looking at the two women. "One night isn't going to hurt him."
"And if I get hurt," Liam looked up from Damon's chest. "We're already in the hospital."
"See?" Damon smirked, ruffling his son's hair. "That makes complete sense if you look at it from a five-year-old's perspective."
"Fine." Elena sighed defeated, falling back against the mattress. "He can stay, but only for one night."
"I'll go get another bed."
"No." Liam pushed him back down. "We all have to stay in the same bed."
"Have you looked at the size of this bed, buddy?" Damon arched his eyebrow, mocking him. "It's not even made for two persons, let alone for three."
"But we're only two and a half persons."
"My back is going to kill me in the morning." Damon plopped down against the mattress, sighing heavily. "Why do I do these things?"
"Because you're madly in love with us." Elena pecked his cheek, pointing her chin to Liam. "And he has you wrapped around his little finger."
"Two statements I can't deny." He kissed her forehead and pulled her into his side, draping his other arm over Liam's back. "Are you comfortable, buddy?"
"Yes, I like hard mattresses." Liam patted his father's six-pack. "Daddy's a soft one."
"I'm glad you like the accommodation." Damon rolled his eyes as Elena chuckled. "Goodnight Liam."
"Goodnight Damon." Liam snuggled closer into his chest, looking at his Mommy. "Goodnight Mommy."
"Goodnight my beautiful son."
She pressed her lips against his forehead and placed her head back against Damon's shoulder, making herself comfortable in the little space that was left for her. She watched the two most important males in her life as they slowly fell asleep, Damon's chin resting on top of her head, his arm locked around her to keep her against him. She snuggled closer and let herself fall into a peaceful sleep.
"Mommy." The timid voice made her eyes flutter again. "Can Damon stay forever with us?"
She looked at her little boy, his blue eyes so honest and open that she couldn't help but to feel the nagging feeling inside of her. She wanted him to know that Damon would forever be there for him, because he was a piece of him, a piece she had taken five years ago. Only to give it back to his father now.
"I think you'll have to ask him that."
"Mommy." Liam's blue eyes bored into hers, his voice sounding young, excited and scared at the same time. "Can Damon be my daddy?"
"Yeah..." She nodded and stroked his hair, keeping the tears back. "Damon's your daddy."
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