A/N - Okay, this is a warning: FLUFF AND SMUT ALERT! Usually, I don't write fluff because I actually find it quite difficult - it's certainly not my natural writing style - but I wanted ti give it a go because I felt this chapter lent itself to a little respite from any drama. Anyway, I was struggling to complete it but then yesterday the new Next Christmas catalogue arrived in the post (anyone from the U.K will understand the significance of this!) and I was suddenly inspired.

Hope you enjoy. Only the epilogue is left!


Chapter 15

"Five more minutes," Elena mumbled sleepily against Damon's chest. The noise of her morning alarm ceased and she smiled against his skin. Lately, sleeping hadn't been too much of a problem; getting up had been the hard part because Damon's bed was too damn comfortable, but more than that, he was too damn persuasive. He could keep her under those sheets with just a look and his kisses weren't fair because he was too hard to resist. Speaking of, she felt him dust a kiss to the top of her head, followed by her shoulder, and then Elena opened her eyes, tilting her face towards him so that her lips could receive the same treatment. He didn't disappoint. Capturing her bottom lip, he ran his tongue over and Elena let out a soft moan, feeling the tingles he elicited every time dance along her skin. Kissing before had always been something she'd enjoyed - with Stefan, obviously, and others before that - but kissing Damon was something else. He seemed to make it so that every time, she was shocked at just how good it felt. There was no way she was about to let that stop.

"Good morning," he finally murmured against her lips and she felt her mouth curve into a wider smile. His voice in a morning was always so gravelly and laced with sleep and sex that she would gladly listen to nothing but that for the rest of her life.

"Mh huh," she replied, returning her attention to his lips. When they finally broke apart, both a little breathless, he began a descent down her neck, across her collarbone and down further to the valley between her breasts. Elena had discovered, while spending most of her nights with Damon, that her chest was his favourite part of her body. On the occasions where she didn't sleep in his arms, he would nestle his face between her breasts, lips just resting against her skin so that he could breathe her in.

"Ten more minutes," he urged, tracing a circle around her nipple with his tongue. Elena sucked in a breath, already feeling the effect he had on her pooling between her thighs. His lips captured it gently and he tugged ever-so-lightly with his teeth.

"Yes," she moaned. Whether it was in response to the added minutes or to his touch, she wasn't sure. It didn't matter. It was yes to both.

Damon switched his attention to her other breast, repeating the same tortuous motion so that her body was arching off the bed in a move that signalled for him to go lower.

"Time?" she gasped as he placed a hand on the inside of her thigh, nudging her legs apart.

He didn't look up, simply continuing his kisses downwards. "Enough."

"You sure?" She was trembling now as his lips grew tantalisingly close to exactly where she wanted them.

As he curled a finger inside of her folds, she felt, rather than saw, him smile as a louder moan escaped her lips. "I'm sure."

He brushed his thumb over her clit and already, Elena could feel that telltale coil tightening in her stomach.

"Damon... I'm ready," she breathed, lifting her lips in an attempt to have him deeper, stretching more of her. He swiped his thumb over that little bundle of nerves again and that coil tightened further. "Please."

Removing his hand, he placed a single kiss to her clit before positioning himself at her entrance. Greedily, she pressed forward to nudge his cock, earning her a low growl. That was something else she'd discovered about him over the past month: he liked to take his time with her. When impatience got the better of her, he made that noise in some sort of semi-surrender (because it did always make him get to his destination just that little bit faster after all) and it always made her want to do whatever she'd done again because - if it was possible - it just made him even more attractive. Like he wasn't breathtaking enough already.

Damon pushed himself onto his forearms to keep the majority of his weight off of her before entering her folds with a low groan and the narrowing of his eyes. Elena felt her own roll back as she took more of him until he was fully-buried inside of her. There wasn't a better way to start the day. It didn't matter how long her shift at the hospital that day was, because this was how they begun and how they ended. Tiredness was never an issue; if her feet were aching and her calf muscles were sore, his fingers worked the knots so that she became soft and supple and incredibly turned on because his fingers...God, those fingers… did things to her she didn't know existed before him.

Giving her body time to adjust to the fullness of him, Damon inched out slowly before pushing back in. Her hips were already rising upwards to meet his and her jaw was slack. Elena felt him smooth a hand under and along the inside of her thigh to gently coax her legs wider. There was nothing hurried or rough about him in a morning. There was nothing rough about him period. He was always so careful with her, protective and strong that she felt cocooned; her own personal bubble-wrap.

Wrapping her leg around his waist to give herself leverage, Elena urged him to go that little bit faster. He did, bending to offer a kiss to her breasts because he simply couldn't leave them alone, and then - because he always made sure to show, rather than tell her how he felt - to her lips, tightening that coil inside of her until she was only a touch away from exploding. Grinning as she breathed his name against his lips, Damon ran the pad of his thumb over her nipple and that coil snapped, sending her into that utopia where alarms and early mornings and hospitals were non-existent. He followed her as her inner walls spasmed around his cock, collapsing against her chest with his weight pressing her into the mattress; that was her favourite - when he was too sated and heavy to notice almost his entire weight had her pinned beneath him. He'd realise, each time, after a minute or so, but those minutes where all she could smell and feel and hear was bourbon and spice, strong arms and the thumping beating of his heart were heaven. Sometimes, she wondered what she'd do if he wasn't hers, if he'd never been shot that day...and then the time after that, and she'd never met him. If Stefan hadn't done what he'd done and she hadn't left that little apartment she used to think felt like home. Home didn't really have a permanent residence these days. It was less about four walls and a roof, and more about a feeling of being comfortable, safe, happy. More and more, that feeling was when she was with Damon - wherever she was, with Damon. The intensity of it scared her a little. But not as much as the thought of him not being there.

Damon made the low groan he always made against her skin when he pushed himself off of her to free her body from under his. "Sorry, baby." He pressed a soft kiss against her forehead and shifted to the other side of the bed. If he didn't, they got sidetracked and she was late for work. "Alarm's about to go again."

"I'm up," Elena mumbled, allowing herself one final kiss before she rose from the bed, turning the alarm off before its beeping ruined the quiet calm of their post-sex bedroom. She yawned, drawing back the drapes on her way to the bathroom.

"Damon!" she gasped, pressing herself closer to the window. "It's snowed again last night - the roads are so deep!"

She felt his arms wrap around her from behind, covering her body with the sheet from the bed as his lips brushed the bottom of her ear, "So it has. I'll get dressed."

Elena rolled her eyes but said nothing as she continued back towards the bathroom. She was done trying to convince him she didn't need a chaperone to the hospital. One day, a few weeks ago, she'd slipped and twisted her ankle and Lord, you'd have thought she'd been shot with the way he'd rushed to see her after finding out. Ice had now been added to the list of Damon's nemeses and he had insisted on walking her to work ever since. Not that she minded really. It was always an added bonus that after waking up with him, she got to hold his hand and kiss him at street crossings as they waited for the 'walk' sign to turn green.

Christmas was fast approaching and with the colder weather had come increased patients at the hospital. She'd already taken the extra shifts - as had Caroline (though her reason for taking them was very different to Elena's) - but they were still struggling for space and free beds. It was seeming less and less likely that she'd get much time off at all over Christmas, especially enough to stay with Jeremy and Bonnie for more than a few days.

Damon had been working later each evening too; his publishing company had an Italian Christmas cookbook that had just launched and had been well-received by critics, which meant more promotion. He'd made sure though - every night that he'd been working - to be home first so that she wasn't entering an empty apartment. He'd never told her this of course, but she'd figured it out. It was just one of the many, many reasons she had fallen in love with him. She'd tell him that, she decided, soon. But before that, there was the small matter of his Christmas present to figure out. He was spending the holidays in Mystic Falls - with Ric and Jenna who had returned from their honeymoon to Hawaii a couple weeks ago - so they wouldn't be together. Elena just hoped he'd like what she'd picked.

Not long after Thanksgiving, she'd fulfilled her dream of skating outside the Rockefeller Centre. The two of them had joined Caroline and Klaus in the not-so-surprising discovery that the rink was hugely overcrowded and, besides the beauty of the tree, a little anticlimactic. Still, it had been like she was in a movie as her best friend had sloped off with Klaus for what she'd termed "some couple's time" (translating, no doubt, to inappropriate kissing in the middle of a public space; they really couldn't keep their hands to themselves...) and she and Damon had wandered leisurely around the streets, enjoying the festive store window displays. It was on West 47th that she had seen Damon's eyes settle upon the vintage watch in the corner of a small, independent store. It was only the smallest moment - a tiny flicker that she registered - but as Elena had looked herself, she knew the Swiss timepiece would look perfect on his wrist. She'd gone back when she next had the chance, to find out more about the watch she knew she wanted to buy him. It was incredibly expensive, but with enough extra shifts at the hospital, she'd just be able to manage.

X

"Today sucks," Caroline moaned, huffing as she trailed her forefinger along a shelf in the supply closet, looking for the morphine bottles she needed for the patient in 311.

"And why's that?" Elena asked, handing the blonde what she needed before taking a couple of bottles for her own patients. "Too much snow? Not enough sex? Klaus not have any berry butter for his morning waffle?"

"You suck," she pouted, swiping Elena on the top of her arm.

"Aww come on, what's up?"

"Klaus wants me to admit I love him."

"And you don't?"

"It's not that I don't. Just...I don't want to be forced into admitting it just because he needs an ego boost."

"Maybe he -"

"- And until I admit how he wants me to feel, he's withholding sex. And that's why today sucks. Oh, and now Tyler has decided he wants to take me on a date."

"You said no, right?"

"Of course. But Klaus doesn't need to know that."

"Care, you can't play with him like that!" Elena admonished.

"My mom wants him to come to Connecticut for Christmas - or at least for the two days we're gonna get away from this place - and he won't come unless I tell him I love him. He's so weird! Can't he just eat the roast beef and suck it up?" She huffed again and checked her watch. "Maybe it's a British thing, like, they can't eat dinner with your parents until you've proven it means something."

"Or he just wants you to admit how you feel," Elena suggested. "We should probably head back out."

"Meet you in the break room for lunch?"

"Actually, I can't. I need to go pick up Damon's Christmas present."

"Urgh, fine." The blonde rolled her eyes. "I'll just have a pity party for one then."

Elena chuckled and squeezed Caroline's shoulder. "Just tell him Care."

X

A rather loud knock sounded on Caroline's apartment door, making Elena jump. She looked across at her friend who offered a small smile and stood up from her stool, setting her wine glass down on the kitchen counter. Peering through the peephole in the door, she huffed and slid the chain off, opening it to allow Klaus to stride into the room.

"Didn't you think I'd find out, love?"

Elena looked up, noting the way their supervisor's eyes were wide, his jaw tight.

"I'll just…" Elena indicated the door of her room. "Be in my room."

Even after shutting it behind her, she could hear the raised conversation - Klaus furious that Tyler had asked her on a date. Caroline, equally as furious - though why, Elena wasn't entirely sure - kept repeating the phrases "just eat the beef" and "get over it".

After a few minutes, the volume had decreased a little, though Elena could still hear Klaus telling her he loved her, but wouldn't go to Connecticut unless she admitted she felt the same.

"I've only ever said 'I love you' twice," Caroline said. "And both times I got screwed."

Elena's heart ached a little. Her best friend always portrayed such a confident exterior that she'd had no idea. It made her feel guilty and she wanted desperately to put her arms around her.

"I'm not going to screw you, love," Klaus' voice, soft and calm coaxed her. "At least, not in that way."

She could hear the innuendo in his voice and couldn't help but smile. If there was anything to get Caroline to come around, it was that. "But I do need you to at least be honest with yourself, even if you can't with me."

It went quiet after that, and Elena debated how long she should leave it before exiting her room. She hadn't heard the apartment door close, but maybe she'd missed it. Taking a deep breath, she opened her own door a little, peering round to see what state Caroline was in. It turned out, they must have resolved their issue as she was currently atop of his lap, half-straddling him on the couch. Smiling, Elena closed her door again and took out Damon's watch. She could wrap it while she was...waiting.

X

Damon opened the car door for Elena outside of the airport and she pulled her coat tighter around her body. It really was freezing.

"Call me when you land," he instructed. "And have a safe flight."

He seemed to stall a little, searching her eyes for something before he kissed her.

"Uh huh," she sighed into his mouth, closing her eyes. It was going to be a while before she got to do this again. "You too," she managed to breathe out as he rested his forehead against hers and their hot breaths intermingled with the freezing New York air. "I'll miss you."

"Elena, you have no idea how much I'm going to miss you."

Kissing him once more, she took hold of the suitcase handle and dragged it closer to her, over the bumps of ice still unmelted by the grit on the path. Damon tucked her hair behind her ear in a gesture that was so him, she'd recognise it even if she was blindfolded. "Have a great Christmas baby."

Tears stung at her eyes and it caught her off-guard. They were only going to be apart for less than a week, until he visited Smithfield the day after Christmas day. Besides, she was excited to see Jack, and of course, Jeremy and Bonnie. Still though, she hadn't expected to be this reluctant to part from Damon and her voice was shaky as she managed to choke out,

"You too."

He pressed one more kiss against her forehead before stepping back for her to make her way across to the terminal.

She could always tell when he was watching her. And he watched her all the way until she got inside of the airport building. Sighing, Elena tried to shake herself out of the feeling that had washed over her - the one of reluctance to leave him - and made her way to baggage check-in.

She didn't have too long to wait in the airport, which she was grateful for as flying in the snow made her a little anxious. Jeremy had text the previous night to say that the snow in Virginia was deeper than he could ever remember and that if she didn't have some decent snow boots, she ought to buy some on the way. As they taxied on the runway, she thought again about Damon and how he'd be spending the last few days before driving to Mystic Falls to spend his Christmas with Ric and Jenna in the office of his publishing business. Since Thanksgiving, they'd spent barely any time apart; he'd stayed over a few times at Caroline's place but mostly, Elena stayed with him. She loved the feeling she got when she walked in to find him cooking or pouring wine or waiting on the couch for her with a hot cup of coffee and the willingness to rub her tired feet. Whatever she'd thought love was before was a nothingness compared to the way she felt when she watched him look at her after a long day at work. She sighed again. She should have told him.

X

Bonnie didn't greet her on the porch this time. It was even colder in Virginia than New York, and instead, Elena pulled her suitcase along the path Jeremy had shovelled the previous night. Snow had already begun falling atop of the clear ground and her wheels made tracks as she made her way up the steps of the porch. The weather made her worry for Damon. He'd insisted on driving the trip as opposed to flying; he said if he didn't have his car, he wouldn't be able to get to Smithfield after Christmas. As much as she wanted to see him however, she wanted to see him alive even more. Bad weather and cars terrified her now.

"Elena?" Jeremy looked at her questioningly.

"Huh?"

"You're miles away! I asked if you'd had anything to eat at the airport."

"Oh," she replied, "Sorry. Um, no, I didn't eat."

"Just as well Bonnie made a big lunch."

She stepped into the house to find Jack propped up against some cushions, a little unsteadily reaching for various toys scattered around him.

"You're so much bigger!" she cried, bending down to tickle her nephew's rounded stomach.

"You're not kidding," Bonnie said, rounding the corner of the living room. "He eats so much!"

The two women hugged and Jeremy closed the door, shutting out the cold. Jack reached upwards, and Bonnie scooped him into her arms, bouncing him a little as he blew raspberries and gurgled. Elena offered a kiss to his hair which had curled into a little mop of dark brown.

"I might be biased Jack, but you're gonna have any girl you could ever want."

Jeremy laughed and Bonnie shook her head. "Not until he's eighteen."

"Your mom's forgetting what we did before we were eighteen," Jeremy told his son, tickling him under his chin.

"I haven't," she smirked. "Which is precisely why I'm going to impose some dating rules when he's older."

They ate lunch and laughed and joked before Bonnie put Jack down for his afternoon nap and Elena went upstairs to unpack. She'd almost gotten to the bottom of her case when she found the box she thought she'd left in Damon's case: his watch. Silently cursing herself, she realised she must have put it on the wrong case and now he wouldn't get it on Christmas Day like she'd intended.

She thought about what he'd been doing back in New York. The office had pretty much shut down for the Christmas period and so he was taking the opportunity to get as much work done as possible without interruption. There were invoices to be paid and contracts to be prepared and he'd insisted it would spoil Christmas if he knew there was impending work that could have been sorted. It didn't amount to a very merry Christmas, Elena had thought, and now he wouldn't get her gift either. Plus, there was the incredibly worrying matter of his drive from New York to Virginia which she'd spent the whole of her flight thinking about.

X

Later that evening, as she was climbing into bed, Elena's phone beeped, signalling a message from Damon.

The view from the window is beautiful. Wish you were here to watch it with me. How's the family? X

She sighed at the picture he'd captured and sent. She wanted to be there too, curled up on the couch with his arms around her and his chin resting on her head. Really though, it didn't matter where they were. She just wanted to be with him.

Wish I was with you. Everyone's good. I'm worried about you driving to Mystic Falls. X

Only a few seconds after she'd sent her message, Damon replied.

I'll be fine. It's only snow. Don't worry that pretty little head. Sleep, Elena x

It echoed the text he'd sent her all of those months ago - when she'd put the first ever kiss on a message and her heart had leapt at getting one back.

I miss you. Sleep well and drive safe. X

As she turned off the lamp, her phone beeped once more.

Miss you more x

X

Christmas Eve arrived. Damon had called the previous evening to let her know he'd arrived safely in Mystic Falls after an exhaustingly long drive, and Elena had relaxed a little. They'd spent most of their time indoors as an almost continuous flurry of snow floated down outside, adding to the few feet that was already covering every surface.

As the morning turned into early afternoon, Elena couldn't stop thinking about the gift Damon wasn't going to open on Christmas morning because of her mistake, and not only that, there was the fact that she didn't get to wake up next to him either. From her position on one of the couches, she watched Bonnie snuggle into Jeremy, watched the way he kissed her hair like Damon so often did, the way she smiled and closed her eyes in contentment as the television played in the background and Jeremy focused on trailing his fingertips up and down her arm. It was in that moment that Elena decided she had to see Damon.

"Jer, I need to go to Mystic Falls."

"Why?" he asked, confused. "Did you forget something you need?"

"Actually," she thought for a moment. "Yes."

"Are you coming back?"

"After Christmas." The reply was out of her mouth before she'd even processed his question. "But I need to go," she stood up. "Now. Can you call me a cab?"

"Elena, are you okay?" Bonnie asked, sitting up from her position between Jeremy's legs.

"Yes, but I just need to get to Mystic Falls. I need to see Damon."

"Is everything okay with you two?"

Elena was halfway up the stairs before she answered, "Perfect."

"I'll drive you," Jeremy said, following her. "Save you getting a cab."

"It's fine. You should stay here, with your family. I'll be fine. Besides, I need to stop at the store anyway."

"Elena, are you sure you're okay?"

"I'm fine. Really. Better than fine."

"You're going to tell him you love him," Bonnie spoke softly in the doorway. She was wearing a tired smile as she looked at her. Elena simple nodded.

"Promise you'll come back after Christmas day," she said. "And bring Damon. It'll be great to meet him."

"Of course," she replied, stuffing some of her clothes into the overnight bag she carried as hand luggage.

In minutes, she was ready and waiting for the cab that would take her the hour's drive to Mystic Falls. She'd hugged Jeremy and Bonnie and made them promise to give Jack a kiss for her before stepping out into the freezing air. Thankfully, the snow had finally let up and the ploughs had cleared the road so that getting to her destination wouldn't be too much of an issue.

She called Ric on the way to let him know that she was coming, and to find out where Damon was. It turned out he was on his way over to his and Jenna's house, and Ric instructed her to meet him there. Elena had made him promise that he wouldn't say anything so that she could surprise him and he'd agreed, telling her that he was incredibly thankful that she was coming to join them. She hadn't been quite sure what he'd meant, but it didn't matter; she was that much closer to being able to tell Damon how she felt.

X

Almost an hour and a half later, Elena was at the front door of Ric and Jenna's house, her overnight bag in her hand as her heart hammered in her chest. She'd text Ric to say she was here, and would he open the door so she didn't have to ring the bell. Moments later, he met her with a grin and a welcoming hug.

"Damon," Ric called with a knowing twinkle in his eye. Elena couldn't help but grin at his expression - like he knew something she didn't. "There's a gift at the door for you."

"Bring it in then," she heard him say. "You know I can't leave the Gibson Brothers unattended."

"It's heavy," he called and Elena placed her hand over her heart with a raised eyebrow, mock-offended. "You're gonna have to give me a hand."

She only just managed to stifle a giggle as she heard Damon huff, setting the glass he must have been holding down on some surface which made an audible clink. "No strength to pick up a damn parcel…." He trailed off as Ric stepped to a side, revealing her to him. "Elena?"

"I'll just…" Ric nodded towards the door Damon had just come from. "Go."

"What are you doing here?"

"I forgot to give you your gift," She held up the beautifully-wrapped box that housed his watch. "And it's Christmas Eve," she shrugged, leaning against the door as she closed it behind her. "I wanted to spend it with the person I love."

"You…" he swallowed and took a step closer, his eyes searching her own. "You love me?"

She nodded, a lump suddenly forming in her throat. "Have for a while," she swallowed as he closed the gap between them, running his hands along her sides before settling them on each of her hips. He smelled of bourbon. He smelled of home. "Figured I should probably tell you."

He crashed his lips against hers, his hands raising to tangle in her hair as he pressed his whole body against her like he simply couldn't get close enough. A soft moan escaped her lips as they parted to allow his tongue better access to explore her mouth. It had been too many days and she'd missed this. Missed him. He pulled away, only slightly, so that their foreheads were touching and their breaths were rushing against each other, hard and hot and happy.

"God I love you," Damon breathed heavily. "So much."

She kissed him again then, because how could she not when he was looking at her like she'd just given him the world? Really, she figured, it was the other way around.

"You two better not be having sex against my front door!" Ric shouted, and Elena chuckled against Damon's lips as she heard Jenna slap him on the chest.

"Leave them!"

He pulled away from her to rest his forehead back against hers, smiling. "We should probably go in there. Prove we're not...you know." He raised an eyebrow with a smirk. "As much as I really want to."

Elena wanted to too. But she also wanted to see Ric and Jenna, be part of Damon's Christmas. "I know."

X

By the time they'd all caught up, it was pretty late, and the snow falling outside showed no signs of letting up.

"We should get going," Damon mumbled tiredly against Elena's temple. They were stretched out on one of the couches, her head resting in the hollow between his neck and shoulder, legs entwined as Ric and Jenna did pretty much the same on the other couch. "Before we have to wade through this snow."

"Can't move," she mumbled into his shirt. "Too comfortable."

"You'll be more comfortable in bed," he whispered and she smiled. That she knew to be true.

"Okay. Sold."

They made their way back to the boarding house through the blizzard that had begun whilst they'd been tucked up cosily inside of Ric and Jenna's living room.

"It's even more beautiful in the snow," Elena sighed happily against Damon's chest. He held her to him as though a gust of wind might whisk her away, her arm snaking around his back under the heavy coat he was wearing. "I love New York, but I really love it here."

Damon smiled, pressing a kiss against the bobble hat that covered her head. "I love it when you're here."

A stupid ear-splitting grin was plastered across her face and yet, Elena couldn't remove it. Her cheeks stung from the wind and the cold, and even wrapped up in her coat and boots she was absolutely freezing, but there was something so magical about walking through town with him on Christmas Eve having told him how she felt that just made her want to cling onto that moment forever.

"Will you say it again?"

She sensed him smile into the air as his fingers flexed in his gloves and pulled her even closer - if it was possible. "Elena Gilbert, I love you."

"Damon Salvatore," she stopped walking and pushed herself up onto her tiptoes. "I love you too."

He captured her lips in his and she wrapped her arms around his neck, pushing her body into his. They'd mould together if she could. A shrieking wind whirled around them, dumping snow against their bodies and Damon reluctantly pulled away, entwining his fingers with her gloved ones.

"Come on; I want to get you home."

It took longer than usual to get to the boarding house but they made it eventually, stamping the snow off their boots before entering through the solid wooden door. Elena caught sight of the safety latch and smiled at the thought of how far she'd come in the past few months. Because she had Damon.

He pulled his coat off and reached for hers, hanging them up to dry as she set her overnight bag on the floor, unwrapping the scarf from around her neck before repeating her actions on his.

The fire in the parlour was licking its way along the logs nicely - if not a little shyly - and Damon stoked it before adding another couple of logs. In minutes, it roared with more energy and he pulled a blanket from the back of the couch, spreading it out in front of the hearth with a smile.

"I could warm you up," he offered with a raised eyebrow and cocky grin, and Elena couldn't help but laugh.

"I'm sure you could."

"Get over here," he instructed, holding out his hand and she went of course, willingly licking her lips as his eyes roamed her body. She was only wearing jeans and a knitted sweater and yet he still looked at her like he wanted to eat her. It made her insides pool and her legs feel like jelly.

His lips were on hers before she'd even really sat down, yet it didn't matter because the heat from the fire and the burn from his touch were warming her way faster than she'd anticipated. It was Elena who tugged at her sweater first, wanting it off so she could feel his hands on her skin. Damon helped her, pulling the woollen garment upwards and over her head before throwing it onto the couch behind him. The t-shirt she had on underneath came off next, joining the sweater as it left her in the second Christmas gift she'd bought for him: the red lace bra with white trim.

"Jesus," he muttered, smoothing his hands up each side of her body from her hips to her shoulders and back down.

"Jeans," Elena instructed, contradicting her instruction by pulling him back down by his shirt so that she could feel his lips on hers again. Somehow, probably because he was him and he could do everything, he managed to undo the button without breaking their kiss, using the advantage of her raised hips to slide them down her legs and over her feet. They met the same fate on the couch as the rest of her clothes before Damon pulled away to look at her. The panties she was left in matched the bra - red lace Brazilian cut with a white trim and a tiny white bow at the front. Bending down, he offered a soft kiss against the bow, making her hips arch upwards involuntarily.

"Your clothes," she panted, surprised by how quickly her voice had changed from normal to breathless within minutes. "Off."

He obliged and removed his shirt quickly, balling it up as Elena's hands went to the buckle of his belt, fumbling clumsily until he helped her, smiling as she grunted in frustration.

"Your lack of patience is shocking," he quirked with a grin as she used her feet to slide his jeans - and then his boxers - down his legs.

"Been too long," she managed to get out as his lips began a trail of kisses along her collarbone, using his hands to free her breasts from the bra as he kissed down between that valley between her breasts and along the curve to her left nipple. "Uhhhhh," she moaned as he took it into his mouth, sucking and pulling deliciously as her back arched off of the blanket.

Damon's hands smoothed from her waist, down behind her ass until they were cupping it a little less gently than he ever had before. The thought only made her want what she knew was coming more, and Elena pressed herself against him as his mouth released one nipple in favour of the other. She was throbbing and already soaking as his left hand held her in place, the right one making its way round to her clit. Before it even got there, she let out a moan in anticipation and felt him grin against her breast.

"Please,"

Slipping the material to one side, he slid his thumb across her bundle of nerves, earning him a throaty moan that she was powerless to quieten. She could feel his cock throbbing against her thigh as he tugged at the material of her panties, freeing the material from her body. Working her clit with his thumb, Damon slipped a finger into her entrance, quickly adding another to work and stretch her walls. Her muscles were already starting to spasm and she bucked her hips against his hand, crying out as he replaced his thumb with his mouth, grazing his teeth lightly over her most sensitive of spots. At that, she came undone, contracting around his fingers and he continued to glide them in and out of her slowly.

There was a sheen of sweat glistening over her body as she reached for his cock, helping him position himself against her. He nudged forward, feeling her walls stretch and welcome him. Further he pushed, slowly as he unhooked her bra, tossing it to the couch before peppering her skin with kisses until he was fully sheathed inside of her. He paused for a moment as she adjusted to him, waiting for the signal of her hips telling him to move. When they did, Damon rocked upwards, pulling back only a few inches before pushing into her again and again until the nails she was digging into his back told him to go faster, harder. He pulled her with him as he rested on his knees, sinking her down so that he was deeper still and he could nibble her neck. There was something about her pulse point he found absolutely fascinating, and Elena was powerless to the feeling she got when he scraped his teeth over the vein under her skin there. She worked her hips, squeezing her inside walls so that he was closer to his climax. He always made sure her pleasure was paramount; tonight, she wanted to ensure that his was.

"Elena, I can't…" She did it again, smirking as his eyes closed in bliss. His mouth had stopped its assault on her neck, his jaw slack as she focused on his pleasure , rolling her hips before squeezing one more time. "Last if you…"

Using her knees for leverage, she sunk down and squeezed her walls a final time as he catapulted over the edge and into oblivion, shouting her name against her skin before she tumbled into her own release.

Sweating and sated, they collapsed onto the blanket, curled against each other as the flames danced in the fireplace and their bodies heaved with exhaustion.

"Merry Christmas," she somehow managed to murmur against his chest, squinting at the soft lights twinkling across the other side of the room. It was only then that Elena noticed the large Christmas tree adorned with various antique-looking decorations. "When did you have time to decorate your tree?"

"Jenna did it," he mumbled, his eyes closed as her head nestled into the crook between his shoulder and chest. "Obsessed with Christmas."

"She's going to be such a good mom," Elena replied, closing her own eyes.

"Not as good as you."

At that, they flew open again, yet Damon's remained closed. "You'll be amazing."

She lifted her head to look at him, "You want children someday?"

"Of course," he mumbled sleepily, eyes still closed. "Someday. Dark hair, brown eyes, olive skin."

He had to be drunk, Elena conceded. Too much bourbon. She'd never thought about the future in that way - not with Damon or anyone. Still, the thought of the future he'd briefly painted, as much as he'd almost undoubtedly forget in the morning, stoked something inside of her that almost made her wish he'd elaborate. She wanted to know his fantasy - drunken or not.

"Can't stay here," he added, effectively ending the discussion he hadn't realised he'd started. "We should go to bed."

Elena untucked herself from his side and he finally opened his eyes. He narrowed them at hers for a moment as he leaned up on one elbow, "What?"

"Nothing."

"Elena…"

She held her hand out to help him up, suddenly feeling a little chill as she moved out of the direct heat of the fire. "I'm really happy," she smiled as he took it.

"Good," he kissed her hand and pulled the blanket up with him, wrapping it around her as they made their way towards the stairs. "I'm really happy too."

X

Elena woke the following morning to an empty bed. For a moment, she listened with a slightly quickened heartbeat that soon relaxed when she heard Damon down in the kitchen, no doubt cooking breakfast. The bag she'd brought was still in the hallway and so she opened the chest of drawers next to the bed, pulling out a t-shirt of Damon's. As soon as she slipped it on, she was enveloped in his scent. Smiling, she made her way downstairs to the parlour, noting that their clothes from last night had been neatly folded and placed in a pile on the edge of the couch.

"Morning," she smiled in the doorway at him, eyeing the array of pans already on the stove. "I've never seen anyone use so many pans to cook breakfast before."

"Merry Christmas," he offered, greeting her with a soft kiss against her lips that instantly made her want more. "And they're not for breakfast - cinnamon rolls are on the stove." Damon planted a kiss against her temple, then resumed his position at the chopping board. "Ric and Jenna are coming for Christmas dinner."

Elena stood, open mouthed as she surveyed the kitchen. Sure enough, all the evidence of upcoming guests was there to see: prepared joint of beef, vegetables waiting to be sliced, canned cranberries waiting to be opened. "How long have you been up?"

"Couple of hours."

"You should have woken me; I could have been helping."

"I think you've had enough instances of being woken before your body was ready, don't you?"

She crossed the room to the stove, grabbing a cinnamon roll before wrapping her free arm around him from behind. She rested her head against his back, breathing him in in her silent thank you.

"Can I help now?"

"Well," he replied, turning around. "You can finish your breakfast and then get dressed. If you cook in that, this meal won't be ready in time."

She smiled and took a large bite of the pastry. "Mmmm. You make these too?"

"Actually, I cheated. They're from a can. Just cut and bake. Even the most horrific cooks could manage."

"Well either way, they're good. I'll get dressed. Won't be long."

"Elena?" Damon called, and she turned to face him. "For the record, you wearing my shirt? Even better than lingerie."

She raised an eyebrow, "I'll bare that in mind."

X

Ric and Jenna arrived clutching some none-too-expertly wrapped presents towards mid afternoon. Damon had taken care of most of the cooking but Elena had set the large dining table and had managed to find enough candles to create a centrepiece that rivalled the kind she'd seen in Pottery Barn brochures.

"Merry Christmas!" Jenna squealed, pulling Elena into a hug as Ric shook Damon's hand and presented him with a bottle of bourbon.

"Nice," he smiled, patting his friend on the back before taking Jenna's coat to hang up.

"Can we help with anything?" Jenna asked and Damon shook his head.

"It's just about ready. Elena was a great sous chef."

Elena rolled her eyes. "He let me set the table and make the cranberry sauce."

Ric laughed, his eyes sparkling as Damon narrowed his own at his friend. "He's a Christmas dinner control freak. I'm surprised you were allowed to do anything."

"Shut up and get yourself a drink," Damon instructed. "Jenna, do you want wine or are you joining us on the harder stuff?"

"Actually," she smiled, leaning against Ric who looked like he was about to burst with pride. "I'll just have water. I'm pregnant."

Elena's "Congratulations," intermingled with his "I knew it!" and before long, they were all laughing and hugging and Damon had gotten them some champagne to toast the upcoming arrival.

"You'll have to make sure there's space for a high chair next year," Ric said, taking a swig of his drink before planting a kiss on Jenna's forehead as they congregated in the kitchen. "Godfather makes Christmas dinner every year from now on."

"Godfather?" Damon questioned, looking so genuinely touched that Elena couldn't not kiss him. She had no idea how her first Christmas without her parents could have been so devastatingly perfect.

"Of course," Jenna shrugged. "Who else were we gonna ask? Now can we get this beef carved because I'm starving and pregnant women shouldn't be kept waiting."

"All I ever hear," Ric muttered, unable to stop the beaming smile crossing his lips.

The meal was eaten with much laughing and joking and Damon teasing Ric about his parenting skills, questioning how young was too young to get a godson started on a 'bourbon habit for life'. When they'd finished, Elena and Jenna had insisted they would clear away while the boys took a drink into the parlour.

"I've never seen Damon this happy," Jenna told her as they loaded the dishwasher. "It's been so nice to have someone else here as well as the three of us."

"I can't tell you how nice it is to be here," Elena replied honestly. "It's like home."

"It's a shame you're both in New York. It'd be great if he spent more time here; we've seen him more since he met you than we have in the past few years."

"I'll see what I can do," the brunette smiled, shutting the door of the dishwasher. "Come on, there's presents for you guys under the tree."

When she'd decided she was going to spent her Christmas Day here instead of Smithfield, Elena had done a quick bit of shopping in town so that she had a little something to give Damon's best friends. It seemed only right that before they'd got there, she and Damon had wrapped them and placed them under the tree. She placed the box containing his watch there too.

There was a flurry of gift exchanges and gushing and thanks and hugs as Elena handed out Ric and Jenna's gifts from her and then from Damon, before the couple returned the favour, gifting Damon a John Varvatos leather jacket that she knew he look amazing in, and even giving Elena a beautiful navy and lilac silk scarf.

"We'd already got you that," Jenna told her. "Damon said he'd take it to you in Smithfield."

"You guys, it's beautiful," Elena replied, draping it around her neck before kissing each other them on the cheek.

"That one's from me," Damon told her, nodding towards the long box under the tree. "But I'll give it to you later."

X

Later came at almost nine o'clock, after Jenna had declared she was shattered and needed to go to bed. Both Damon and Elena had congratulated them again before they left, and when it was finally the two of them alone in the house again, Damon had pulled her into his arms so that he could kiss her hair and down the side of her neck. She closed her eyes against him and let out a happy sigh, crossing her arms so that her fingertips could graze his.

"I've been wanting to do that all day," he said softly, nuzzling beneath her ear.

"Mmmmmm, well I wasn't stopping you."

"You've given me the best Christmas, you know."

She turned to face him, sealing her lips around his. "Right back at you."

"We gonna do this present thing, or…"

She laughed, extracting herself from his arms to reach beneath the tree. "I'm glad I got to give it to you in person."

"Not as glad as I am," he returned, taking the box from her hands. Carefully, he undid the bow and pulled the lid off, revealing the watch. "Elena," he breathed, picking it up to smooth the face with his thumb. "You shouldn't have. It's too -"

"- Don't," she cut in. "I want you to have it."

He slid it off the leather cushion it had been placed around and fixed the clasp around his wrist, holding his arm out to view it. "Thank you."

Elena smiled, offering her lips to his which he took, rubbing his hands in small, soft circles at her temples. Everything he did was so comforting, she simply didn't have the words.

"Grab that box," he told her, in reference to the long red paper-wrapped gift. She did, and settled herself back in Damon's lap, leaning against his chest as she opened it. Sitting there were two tickets for cooking lessons.

"In Italy?" she gasped. "Seriously?"

He nodded with a smile. "Whenever you can get the time off, we'll go."

"You already know how to cook," she breathed.

"I've never learned how to make proper Italian pastries. Figured we could learn together."

"Thank you," she whispered. "For everything you've done for me. For making me feel like I do now."

I love you didn't seem enough.

"You're forgetting you've done the same for me," he said, kissing her head as he entwined their fingers. "My best friends love you. I can't believe Ric managed to keep it a secret."

"He was under strict instructions. I said there was a bottle of that bourbon he loves in it for him if he kept quiet."

"Come on," Damon said, pulling her up with him. "We both need a shower and I think there's time for another Christmas present...or three."

Elena cocked her eyebrow, "That's very generous of you Mr Salvatore."

"It's the season of giving, baby."