E, C and B's plane crashed; D&E are stranded on an island. E escapes to get to J; meets A&G. D&E reunite, E&A fall out. D&E bond, make plans to escape, meet K. D&E sleep together; D admits caring for E, runs. A is mysteriously healed; forgives E.

Chapter 25: Jackass

Elena spent the whole day searching for Damon. She went to every place they've ever been - which were a lot. Even still, she couldn't find him.

He was gone. Vanished.

Elena reminded herself that even though she was tired, she needed to see him once before they left together tomorrow evening. She also needed to confirm if the escape mission was still on.

Suddenly Elena felt the need to call out for him. She noted on time that she didn't want to draw attention for herself. The witches did not look particularly friendly. Why give them a legitimate reason to hurt me? Realizing she couldn't do anything if he didn't want to see her, Elena sat under a cool tree in the market place, still bustling with people after the party.

Then, something weird happened.

Maybe it was the paranoia talking, the exhaustion or even simple delusion. But for some reason, she thought Damon was secretly watching her.

It had happened before. Her misapprehending and overactive brain decided to convince itself that someone she loved or feared was watching her from afar. This time, it wasn't irrational fear. There was a light sudden breeze that only rustled her tank top.

It was probably nothing.

Elena thought again. It could be something. If she knew anything about Damon, it was that he loved playing games.

Putting that theory to a test, she invested her last vestiges of energy in walking to where the road ended. She was almost on the edge before she closed her eyes, clutched her head and collapsed on the ground.

Come out, come out Damon.

She simply lied there in the middle of the road, pretending to be unconscious. Elena didn't know why she thought it would work but she wasn't backing out then. She felt no breeze nor shadow. More sweat trickled down her face. The place was so darn humid all the time. Not to mention, the sun was dipping over the horizon.

'Oh my god,' said a voice.

It was someone else.

Elena was almost about to open her eyes before the tiny voice in her head screamed that it could be part of Damon's plan. The strange man was taking her pulse. He was listening to her chest for a heartbeat. Elena tried not to breathe and slow down her pulse in that uncomfortable state.

Thankfully, she heard the man's footsteps get fainter and fainter. Was he going to call someone for help? What do you do when you find a strange woman lying unconscious with no injuries in the middle of a road?

'Elena, open your eyes,' she heard an insistent voice.

Elena had to bite the inside of her lower lip to stop herself from smiling.

'What an idiot…' Damon mumbled to himself. 'Elena, you can stop pretending. I know you're not really unconscious and your pulse isn't fooling anyone.'

Silence.

'I am a vampire Elena. I can hear breathing, even a shallow one.'

Motionless.

'Fine! I didn't want to have to come to this nor do this but... you asked for it.'

He began furiously tickling her sides.

She tensed her body to get the hands off her. But the jerk knew she was very ticklish.

'No Damon, stop!' Elena yelled, finally breaking her ruse.

'There she is!' he said, fondly. She sat up and slowly rubbed her forehead.

'I could say the same thing, Damon. Where were you all day?'

'A: You would say the same thing? I'm offended that you'd refer to me as 'she'. And here I was thinking, I'd proven my masculinity.' Ignoring, Elena's red cheeks, he lifted off his knees and continued on with his list. 'B: That's... none of your business.'

'Yes, it is,' Elena retorted, also standing. You can't just tell me you care about me and then take off! You didn't even let me say anything back. Silence is not always a response, Damon.'

The sarcasm and chill in his eyes morphed into pure discomfort. He appraised her.

'I didn't want to know.'

He looked away from her, as though ashamed at his behaviour. She grabbed his face and forced him to look at her.

'Yes you do, Damon,' she assured softly. 'You told me how you feel, it takes courage to do that. Or adrenaline, but whatever,' she added on second thought. 'And let's not skim over the fact that... I owe you a speech as well. You know, a reply to what you said earlier.'

Damon didn't seem too excited at that.

'Okay! Fine. Let's listen to this. Break my heart, crush my soul and any other poetically destructive thing you could do to me. Tell me no matter how much I try to make amends, it will never be enough. I've heard it all, Elena.'

For some reason, a part of Elena died.

Something else reignited in its place.

Did he honestly think so low of her and himself?

She wanted to roll her eyes at him. She wanted to punch him till he admitted how impulsive and stupid he was. But the difference between Damon and Elena is that she knew better.

'Fine! You are the most annoying jackass I have ever met. You compelled me multiple times, drank my blood without my permission, made me climb fifty feet out of sheer boredom; to sum it all up, you are a giant d-bag.

'You saved my life, you respected me and apologized to Caroline. You willingly offered to stay with me and involve me in your plan rather than let me be a burden. You were a good friend and comforted me when I was upset about Aaron, without knowing the full story. True, you went about fixing that mess in a wrong way, but I understand that you did it because you thought it was the right thing to do. You put my mind off of my problems, told me that hurdles don't have to be a crisis.

'You taught me to enjoy life when I could not even comprehend being happy again. Oh my god, Damon! I thought happiness is a concept for the happy, something you were born with. You can only enjoy so much and eventually you run out. It was the only rational explanation for me. But rational and you... don't go well together, I've realized. You are my new happiness, Damon.' she whispered, to the flabbergasted person standing before her, listening to her with reverent fear.

'I know I am extremely mean to you a lot of the time but I'm not so heartless as to chastise you for caring about someone, even if it is me.'

Damon stared at her incredulously. Elena knew this must be shocking. He'd gone so long without love, only receiving heartbreak; it must be hard to suddenly receive all the positivity. He strided forward and closed the distance between them. He spun her off the ground and crushed her in his embrace.

'Did I really say 'caring'? Oh man. I'm losing my edge here, Gilbert.'

Elena grinned into his chest and returned the hug as tightly as she could. She felt him chuckle before she heard it. They held each other for a pleasant while.

'Do you think we're going to make it out alive?' Elena mused. 'I don't even know your plan. Remind me why I'm trusting you again.'

Damon nuzzled her head and stroked her sides.

'Because I'm a vampire and you're hopeless.'

Elena smiled fondly. She'd miss his cockiness when they separate.

When they separate.

'We're not going to Aaron's,' Elena said immediately.

Damon looked confused. 'Why?'

'He forgave me. He said, Katherine was way worse than I and he wasn't the type of guy to hold grudges. And I don't want to impose on him. Yeah, yeah, you can just compel him,' she said cheekily, 'but you're stuck with the good girl now so we're doing this my way.'

Damon seemed to have an opinion. 'Wow so he forgave you? Just like that?' He mulled it over in his head. 'He's a ray of sunshine, isn't he? Well, that's good then. Yayy! Happy ending!'

Elena giggled incredulously. 'I guess. Where else could we go on Google Maps?'

'I know a place or two,' he grabbed her shoulders, wrapping his arms around her and sheltering her body with his and whizzing off without a warning. Elena shrieked before she felt her hair drop down over her shoulders. She felt her watering eyes, her instant headrush… and her iron-hold around Damon's waist. Immediately, she slapped him.

'You jackass!'

He simply flashed her a I-know-and-you-love-it smile. She shook her head, unable to resist smiling at him.

'You could have told me!'

'Sorry, it was too good an opportunity,' he kissed her forehead. 'I love seeing you all flustered for me.'

'Damon?'

'What?'

'Don't ever change.'

As Elena looked around, she noticed they stopped outside a small motel. It had two floors, each with about eight rooms each. She turned to Damon.

'You are scarily good at finding deserted areas.'

He smirked. 'Call it my specialty.' He opened the door before Elena stopped him.

'How do you know there isn't a spell on this place? Or someone inside?'

Damon turned around and looked at her skeptically. 'Well I don't but we better find out right?'

Instantly, he pulled her over his shoulder, butt pressing against his cheek. He man-hauled her inside the motel. Elena felt the blood rush to her head and immediately lifted her head, as he carried her over the threshold. She knew there was no point in asking him to put her down. Damon didn't do polite and nice.

As he briskly walked ahead, Elena tilted her head sideways to see where they were going. She recognized the curtains guarding the entrance to the bedroom.

'Damon! Put me down!' He didn't reply.

'Damon, I have to go to the washroom. I'm itchy, irritated and I need a bath.'

That stopped him. Placing her down swiftly, he searched her face for something. Probably the truth. Elena decided to take her opportunity and pushed him away. When he tried to catch her again, she held up one finger.

'Ah, ah, ah,' she chided him. 'I'll be back in half an hour. I want to be alone, Damon. Don't make me give you a lesson on personal space.'

When Elena said this, she anticipated lots of persuasion to get him off her back. He was just as, if not more, stubborn than her. What she didnt expect was that he could melt her heart with one look. Panty dropping smirks and wanton eye contact she'd seen and gotten, but pouting?

How could anyone with a heart ignore that face?

'What am I going to do until then?' he asked, as cutely as he could. Elena was struck silent. She didn't think he could ever be so out-of-personality but still look himself.

'Get food, make the bed, admire yourself in the mirror, I don't know.'

The words felt wrong in her mouth.

'I am offended that you think so low of me, Elena. Consider your lover's feelings hurt.'

Elena's cheeks were on fire. She didn't think his flirting affected her that much but it was a day full of surprises. First, she wakes up in bed with him, he tells her he cares about her, runs for the hills, they make up and then they're in a motel having flirty banter. That escalated quickly.

She turned her back to him. 'You're not my lover Damon,' she said, not as assertively as she'd hoped.

'I was last night,' he replied.

He almost instantly had to duck to avoid the handful of pens Elena had chucked in his direction.

Jackass.

HAPPY 36TH BIRTHDAY IAN! :D :D :D Go to my Twitter for a feel storm of birthday tweets. Also, text THURSDAY to 80077 now. You will automatically donate $10 to ISF.

6x09: BONNIE NOOOOOO DELENA PLEASE GO RESCUE BONNIE PLEASE :'( Also, Delena was so married this episode! Having food together... I now realize that the writers were cleverly making a pun. The whipped cream on his pancake symbolized Damon's (wait for it) whippedness for Elena?

Eh? Eh? Whipped puns anybody? Nookay.

I dont usually promo other people, but I'd really like it if you went to the tumblr: bluebellsandblackroses dot tumblr dot com and read all the meta essays about Delena and TVD. You will love them as much as I do, I'm sure of it.

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