Damon led Elena back into the house by the hand and as they crossed the threshold into the house she wrapped her arms around him kissing him softly. "This place is perfect." she said looking up at him. "The food, the house, the view. You."
"Oh fine." he said. "I rank last."
"No you don't." she said. "You rank first. I was counting down."
"Good save." he said. She leaned into him wrapping her ams around his neck and pulling him down to her mouth. "As much as I like where this is going..." he said. "This weekend is not about me. It is about you. Go have some time to yourself. Read a book, take a bubble bath."
"You want to join me in the tub?" she said grabbing his wrist and pulling him towards the stairs.
"Later." he said. "Take some time for yourself. You need it. With everything that's been going on when was the last time you had an hour or two to yourself?"
"I don't know, I can't remember." she said.
"Then go." he said. "Take some time to yourself. I'll get you in a while." He kissed her gently running his hands through her hair before he released her. She ran up the stairs looking back at him smiling. She turned down the hallways until she found the library and she ran her fingers along the spines of the leather bound books reading over the titles. She finally found pulled one off the shelf and sat down in one over the overstuffed chairs.
She opened the copy of "The Wizard of Oz" in her lap and tucked her feet beneath her. Though she had watched the movie countless times she had never actually read the book before. She flipped through the worn pages smiling to herself. Every few chapters she would stand and walk to the balcony breathing in the view. It changed every few hours with the changing position of the sun each one as breathtaking as the last but the sunrise was still the most beautiful. She was about halfway through the book when she felt Damon looking over her shoulder.
"I remember when that came out." he said. "All the fuss over it. All that fuss over magic and the supernatural. You think they would at least accept the thinking that there is good magic and bad magic and leave it at that but they just have to assume it's all evil."
"Well people always want to put things into boxes." she said.
"Did you enjoy your Elena time?" he said.
"I did." she said. "I can't remember the last time I sat down and read a book."
"Well sorry but I need you." he said pulling her to her feet.
"Let me get a bookmark." she said looking around the room for something to mark the page. Damon walked to the desk in the corner and handed her a photo folded in quarters. "Who is this of?" she said undoing the first. "If it's Katherine I swear to god-"
"It's not." he said. "It's me." She opened it and looked down and the black and white photo.
"I've never seen a picture of you like this." she said. "Was it when you were still-"
"Human." he finished. "Yep."
"I don't want to use this as a bookmark." she said. "Why was this all folded up?"
"I don't really like to look at it." he said.
"Why?" she said.
"It reminds me of life before Katherine." he said. "How simple it all was."
"I'm sorry." she said turning it over. She set the book down on the desk and put a piece of loose paper into the book. "I didn't mean to-"
"Stop apologizing." he said holding her arms. "Now come on I have something for us to do. Just get some shoes and we'll go." He was already dressed in the same black t-shirt he had worn that morning. Elena walked back to their room and into the closet digging out a pair of sandals and slipping them on. She followed him down the stairs and out into onto the back porch again. She turned towards the gazebo but he pulled her back. "No." he said pulling her back. "This way." he pulled her into the center of the expansive backyard and towards the woods.
"Where are we going?" she said.
"You'll see." he said.
"Why can't you just tell me anything?" she said.
"I like surprising you." he said. "I love seeing the look in your eyes when I show you something new." She followed him to the edge of the wood where there was a narrow path cutting through the center. She followed him down the path her hand locked in his.
"You could have warned me to bring better shoes." she said her foot catching on a root.
"But then I wouldn't have got to do this." he said stopping in his path. He put his arm behind her knees and picked her up as she smiled looping her arms around his neck.
"You tricky boy." she said.
"Only a little bit further to go." he said. "I knew the last few yards might get a bit rough. But worth it." he said finally stepping out of the woods and into the clearing. He set her down and she grinned up at him. They were at the edge of the massive lake she had seen from the window and her feet sunk into soft sand. She slipped her sandals off and walked to the edge of the water dipping her toes in the surprisingly warm water.
"This place is paradise." she said walking along the edge looking out across the water. A breeze blew across the surface and her hair blew softly in the winds as the surface of the lake rippled gently. She turned over her shoulder to look at Damon who was standing at the edge of the woods looking at her.
"You look like a goddess." he said looking out at her smiling gently. "I feel like I should be painting you." She blushed dropping her eyes to the water. "I made us lunch."
"I love it here." she said stepping out the water and onto the sand. "No school, no stress, no anyone else and all my meals catered by you." She smiled as he picked up a large picnic basket from behind a tree and opened it up as he sat down in the sand. She sat beside him as he pulled out a pair of juice boxes.
"Juice boxes?" she said giggling.
"The theme of today's lunch is nostalgia." he said. "Snacks of stress free younger days. Well of your younger days, I don't think you'd enjoy salted deer." She made a face and took one of the juice boxes from him.
"No I'm good." she said as he pulled a crustless sandwich from the basket. "I will take-" she opened the sandwich and grinned up at him. "Peanut butter and marshmallow fluff. How on earth did you know these were my favorite?"
"Caroline talked endlessly about your childhood together." he said. "She also told me how much you loved these." He pulled out a box of fruit roll ups and she clapped excitedly wrinkling her nose as she opened the box.
"I will have to thank Caroline for her endless babbling one day." she said unwrapping one and unrolling it and pulling it away from the waxed paper. She ripped off a piece and chewed it happily. "And I will have to thank you now." She sat up on her knees and kissed him softly. "You are amazing." she said sitting back and taking a bite of her sandwich.
"You are amazing." he said pulling a bloodbag from the basket. He pulled one of the straws from the protective plastic wrap on the juice box and stabbed it into the spot at the top of the bag. Elena laughed as he sucked away happily laying his legs out across the sand. She moved across the sand settling herself next to him laying back across his chest.
"I seriously wish I could just live here with you." she said.
"So do I." he said. "And we can come back to visit anytime you want."
"Why can't we just stay?" she said looking across the water.
"Because losing your family is terrible. Abandoning them is worse." She looked back at him and then took another sip from her juice box.
"I guess you're right." she said exhaling. "This is just so much easier."
"You can't just do what's easy." he said. "Any easy life is not a good life, trust me. I think we've proven that. It's our struggles that turn us into good people." She closed her eyes for a moment letting her hands drop to her sides trailing her fingers through the sand. She turned over her shoulder kissing him softly as he held her to him. He lay on his back and she turned over laying on top of him. He rolled over her and kissed her again. "We're going to go all 'From Here to Eternity' soon."
"What?" she said looking over his shoulder.
"You know that movie with the couple kissing in the crashing waves." he said rolling onto his back beside her.
"I never knew what movie that was from." she said. "And it wouldn't exactly be crashing waves."
"We'll have to watch it sometime. It's sad but good." She stood looking out across the water walking out until it was up to her ankles.
"We'll have to come back here in the summer." she said. "I'll know to pack a bathing suit."
"You don't need a suit." he said standing and walking to the edge of the water. "Actually if you try to bring a suit I'll just hide it." Elena frowned jokingly at him and walked along in the water.
"How can a place this beautiful exists and we're the only house for miles?" She said turning around.
"Well thankfully my ancestors had the foresight to buy ridiculous amounts of land back when they were much cheaper." he said walking alongside her on the shore. "And I just never sold any of it. Sometimes I just needed a place I could go to be alone. But it's much better with you here."
"It's not to bad being here with you either." she said. Another gust of wind blew across the lake and she shivered slightly.
"Are you cold?" he said.
"Just a bit." she said.
"We should head back up to the house." he said. "It's going to get really cold out here in a bit." She walked out of the water and onto the sand pulling her sandals on. Before she could take more then a few steps towards the woods he picked her up again. She looked back at the basket.
"Shouldn't we get that?" she said looking over his shoulder.
"I'll get it later." he said.
"You know." she said. "Now that I'm all sandy maybe I will take that bubble bath."
"Well I'm pretty sandy too." he said. "I might have to take one too."
"Well we should save water and just take one together." she said.
"You are so smart." he said.
"I try." They stepped out of the woods and back into the backyard of the house and he set her down. She kicked off her shoes and ran across the lawn looking back at him. He walked after her and she let him catch her as they neared the house. He pressed her against the back wall of the porch as she wrapped her arms around him as he kissed her gently. "You seem so much happier here." she said looking up at him running her hand along his face.
"There are no secrets here." he said. "I've lived my whole life full of secrets and with you I don't have to hide."
"I feel the same with you." she said. "Now let's take that bath." She ducked out from under his arms and into the house. She ran up the steps and into the bathroom and turned on both taps. Damon leaned in the doorway watching her as she searched the cabinets for towels. He turned off the taps as the tub filled to the brim. She slid her hands underneath his shirt lifting it over his head as she kissed his tugged down the zipper on her dress and if fell to her feet revealing her naked body.
"You didn't have anything on under that dress this whole time?"
"I wasn't going to put on that corset again, way too much time." she said putting one foot into the water. She stepped in and sat down in the water looking up at him. She pulled her feet back giving him room to sit. He sat facing her and using the sides of the tub for support she climbed over him, straddling him. She kissed him softly bracing herself on the edge of the tub behind him. She turned her head to the side tasting his mouth, the sensation of heat rising from the water making the situation that much more pleasurable. He slid his hands along her slick thighs gripping her back pressing him into her. With the combination of water and heat he slid inside her swiftly and her hands slipped on the edge of the tub as she gasped. He bucked against her hard, the water sloshing out of the tub, as she thrashed against him. He took ahold of her hips pushing himself deeper into her. She kissed his neck gripping his hair as he kissed her breasts softly. She rocked harder against him her legs sliding back and forth along the smooth porcelain.
"Come for me." he moaned in her ear sucking at her earlobe as he dug his fingers deeper into her. "Come on Elena, I want you to come for me." She threw her head back thrusting him deep into her as she let herself fall apart, moaning loudly. She pulled back from him laying back across the opposite side of the tub breathing heavily.
"You have such control over me." she said running her hands through her hair and looking at him. She ran her foot back and forth across his leg and he gripped her foot. He ran his thumbs over the sole of her foot massaging it gently. "You don't have to do that." she said her eyes rolling back.
"I want to." he said running his hands along her leg. She pulled her foot away from him and lay back against him. He wrapped his arms around her kissing the top of her head.
"I want you." she said breathing deeply. They lay together enjoying the silence running their hands back and forth over each other exchanging soft languid kisses.
"We should probably get out." he said. "I don't want a repeat of what happened in the shower.
"Fine." she said standing up slowly and stepping out of the tub. He stood and stepped out behind her picking up one of the fluffy towels she had set aside and wrapped it around her kissing her softly.
"Now go put on something for dinner." he said. "There is a garment bag in the closet waiting for you."
"There wasn't this morning." she said cocking an eyebrow.
"You don't know all my hiding places." he said. "I'll tell you when to come downstairs. It shouldn't be that long." He kissed her forehead and pushed her towards the bedroom. She walked to the bedroom looking over her shoulder. She stepped into the bedroom closing the door behind her. She dried herself quickly and ran to the closet excitedly. Inside was a large black garment bag and she unzipped it from the ground up. Inside was a silky one shoulder dress in deep teal that draped like water to the floor. She pulled the hanger out of the bag and held the dress out careful not to get it wet. She carried it to the bedroom and laid it carefully across the bed. She stepped back from it grinning so widely her cheeks began to ache. She toweled her body and hair completely dry and pulled it on noticing a long slit that went halfway up her left thigh. She pulled her hair off her face and pulled half of her hair up into a loose halo. She went back to the closet and found a pair of silvery heels which she pulled on. She put on some light traces of make up and stood checking herself in the mirror.
"Are you ready?" came Damon's voice from downstairs.
"Yeah." she yelled through the door.
"Then come downstairs." he said. She opened the door and made her way down the stairs slowly careful not to let her heels catch on the dress. Damon was waiting for her at the bottom of the stairs in a crisp button up shirt smiling up at her. "You did it again."
"Did what?" she said looking down at herself worriedly as she neared the bottom of the stairs
"You got more beautiful." he said taking her hand and leading her down the last few steps.
"It's this dress." she said smiling up at him. "It's so beautiful-"
"It's you." he said. "You make the dress beautiful. Now follow me." He lead her towards the back door again where she could see the sun was setting. He led her through the opened doors off the porch and to the side of the house. The gazebo where they had eaten breakfast was now glowing softly with candles.
"Damon." she said as he lead her to her seat and she sat. "I-"
"You don't need to say anything." he said. "Just enjoy this." He sat across from her and laid his hand over hers. They ate in silence as they smiled at each other. As they started to finish their food Elena set down her fork dropping her head.
"I need to say something." she said reaching across the table for his hand.
"What is it?" he said looking across the table at her. "Is something-"
"I love you."
Damon looked at her across the table unmoving. She didn't blink or seem to take a breath as he looked at her. "Ele-"
"I love you." she said gripping his hand tighter. "I thought when you said it, it was only to keep me from going or keep me from thinking to much about this. I didn't know you-" she caught her breath looking up at him. "I didn't know how much you loved me."
"Of course I do." he said still searching her eyes.
"Everything you've done for me to show me how much I mean to you..." She said standing up and walking over to him as he stood up quickly. She stepped into him and he wrapped his arms around her, his face still unmoving. "I love you, Damon."
"Again." he said closing his eyes.
"I love you." she said wrapping her arms around him. "I love you." His hands ran through her hair. "I love you." He wrapped his arms around her and pulled him into her kissing her.
"I love you." he said pressing his forehead against hers looking into her eyes.
"I love you." she said kissing him again.
"Don't stop saying it." he said pulling her closer into him.
"I love you." she said as he picked her up and carried her to the house. "I love you." she said as he carried her up the stairs. "I'll say it as much as you want." she said as he laid her on the bed crawling over her.
"Keep saying it." he said sliding his hand up the slit of the dress kissing her again.
"I love you." she said starting to laugh. He pulled the dress open at the slit tearing the fabric to shreds. "Damon, I liked this dress."
"Then I'll buy you another one, I'll buy you one in every color. Just say it again."
"I love you." she said now laughing fully as he rolled on his back pulling the shreds of silk away from her. She worked at the buttons on his shirt pulling it open and pushing it off his shoulders.
"I love you." he said running his hands through her hair.
"I'm sorry it took me so long to say it." she said looking up at him. "I'm so sor-"
"It doesn't matter." he said. "It doesn't matter how long it took you to say it."
"I'll never stop saying it now." she said as he pulled the rest of his clothes off. She ran her hands over his chest. "And I'll never forget this weekend or any memory we have created here."
"We'll create so many more memories." he said. He rolled onto his back again and she laid over him kissing him gently. He raked his fingers down her back slowly looking into her eyes.
"I love you." she said quietly. He pressed himself into her swiftly and she threw her head back gasping soundlessly. She thought he would continue at the relentless pace he had shown her earlier but he moved against her slowly. He stroked her skin as he rocked gently against her and she pressed her hips against him in the same rhythm. "I love you." she said and he bucked against her as she said it. "Are you going to do that whenever I say I love you?" He growled against her pressing deeper into her.
"Maybe." he said his crooked smile sliding across his face.
"I love you." she said smiling at him. "I love you, I love you." she said and he flipped her on her back bucking against her each time she said it. She felt herself tipping over the edge and she wrapped her legs around him. "Damon, I'm so- I'm so close. I'm going to-"
"I'm right there with you." he said digging his fingers into her. "Elena, I love you so much."
"I love you." she said and arched her back into him screaming incoherently as he filled her. "God Damon I love you so much." She said falling on top of him her body shaking in the aftershock breathing heavily.
"I love you Elena." he said stroking her hair. He sat up and pulled the blankets over them. She laid her head on his chest wrapping her arms around his chest their legs tangled together.
"I was so worried about how things would change when I said it." she said quietly. "And everything just got better."
"Things will only get better." he said running his hand up and down her back. "This is only the beginning."
"I think I knew I was always going to end up here." she said looking up at him. "Ever since the day I met you."
"I hoped." he said. "Now go to sleep, we still have another two days here and I plan to get the most out of it." She closed her eyes pressing her face against his cool chest.
"Hey Damon?" she said quietly running her fingertips along his chest.
"Yes Elena?" he said toying with the ends of her hair.
"Have a mentioned that I love you?"
"You might have." he said. "Better say it again to be sure."
"I love you." she said.
"I love you too." he said. "Now go to sleep."
I know, I know I haven't updated in FOREVER but I've been studying for midterms and writing papers like crazy. I hope this chapter was worth the wait! Tell me how you liked it!