Thank you for your wonderful support, everyone! As you can see, the rating has been bumped to 'M.' Enjoy – and remember if you're reading this story, please review. It means a lot that you take the time to voice your thoughts, opinions, etc., just as I take the time to write. : )

With that said, the next chapter will be the last...I'm sad, too!

Happy reading, guys! : )

Ice
Part IX: Deliquescent, Part I

She sits him down in a stiff chair
Rubs his back and strokes his hair
Telling him it's okay to cry
But he just sits and stares
The merciless moon outside
Has nothing now he's come to realise
Only the desolation he feels
The cold distance inside

But you and I now
We can be alright
Just hold on to what we know is true
You and I now
Though it's cold inside
Feel the tide turning

While the priest just sits and weeps
Lamenting the fact that he can see
Darkness and light in so much detail
He has given himself over
Refusing what he knows to be real
He turns away from every meal
Starving himself of goodness
He doesn't think he can heal

But you and I now
We can be alright
Just hold on to what we know is true
You and I now
Though it's cold inside
Feel the tide turning

"What if I lost all I had?"
Said the stranger to his dad
And the witness was confused
He can't tell what is bad
Instead he runs up to the nearest girl
And he comments on her glorious curls
Says, "Darling come with me
I'll show you a whole new world"

But you and I now
We can be alright
Just hold on to what we know is true
You and I now
Though it's cold inside
Feel the tide turning

-Mumford & Sons, "Feel the Tide"

Damon stepped out of the now lukewarm bathwater and stood in front of the tub, letting the water roll slowly off of his damp, warm skin and drip onto the tile. He ran a hand through his freshly washed hair before giving his head a shake to try it slightly.

Sighing softly, he stepped forward and reached for the clean white towel hanging on the back of the door. He wrapped it around his waist and secured it at his side with a tight. His over stimulated mind whirred and hummed in disquiet, keeping him from clear and coherent thought. He needed sleep or anything that would make the sounds in his head stop; there was a constant dark presence that had not left him alone since his return and he was worried that he would somehow be manipulated into giving into that darkness.

God, when had he become so weak? It had only been days ago when he was his smirking, laughing, sarcastic self. And now...now he ached, not just in his bones, but all over – especially his heart. He'd been drowned and resuscitated so many times that the line between nightmare, dream, and reality had become incredibly blurred.

Damon swallowed his fear for the moment and walked into the adjoining bedroom, and saw Elena lying on her stomach on his bed. She was reading one of his books – Notes from Underground, by Fyodor Dostoyevsky. The only light in the room came from the moonlight shining through his large window and several candles that had been lit and put in various places in his room, giving it a soft, ethereal and welcoming glow. His keen eyes had also immediately noticed that she had changed the pillow cases, sheets, and comforter. He almost smiled – that had been a very sweet thing to do.

Elena looked up at him, her dark, damp hair tumbling over her shoulders. She closed the book and placed it carefully on his nightstand before standing up. She walked towards him, wearing a red tank-top and matching pyjama shorts. "Hi," she said quietly, stopping in front of him, reaching out to cup his cheek with her hand. She felt a little shy, but pushed the feeling away immediately when she noticed the extent of bruising on his pale, lean body. Earlier, she'd been too wrapped up in his the absolute nearness of him to notice them, and now, she was almost afraid to touch him for fear that he would either shatter in his fragile state - like ice - or reject her.

Damon answered her unspoken questions, though, when he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close to him. "Hi," he whispered in return, kissing her forehead. God, she was so warm, so inviting that he never wanted to let her go. He ran his hand down her back, stroking her a little, enjoying the little shivers he could feel in her body.

Elena rested her cheek against his chest, loving the feel of his bare skin. Earlier, in the bathroom, there had been an undeniable air of awkwardness between them and now there was none; now they were just two people sharing a quiet, relaxing moment together. She lifted her hand and began to trail it down his back - the same thing that he was doing to her – before wrapping her fingers around his wrist and guiding him to his bed. "Sit with me," she said softly.

Damon nodded and they sat down together. Her hand was still on his back and he relished the feel of it moving in slow, soothing circles. He let his head drop forward slightly as his breathing became languid and steady. He felt her press her fingers into his back, massaging the sore and strained muscles. Yesterday, he could never have imagined Elena touching him like this - lovingly, gently, and he was once again back to feeling like he was in a dream. He didn't want it to be – Elena's love was the only thing keeping him grounded.

"Damon," Elena said softly, suddenly clasping one of his hands between her own. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you what happened between us. I wanted to tell you what happened, but..." Her eyes filled with tears. "But I was so frightened and I knew that we needed to concentrate on Klaus and – "

Damon shushed her by putting a finger to her lips, suddenly turning to face her fully. He leaned in close, putting his other hand on her cheek. "Don't apologize to me, Elena. You did what you thought was best and I am certainly not one to judge somebody else for their actions."

"But," Elena continued, lip trembling, "but if I had told you, maybe none of this would have happened." She suddenly reached out so that she was touching his face, too.

Damon shook his head, trembling. "No, Elena. Sometimes things happen for a reason and I can willingly accept that this happened so that I could be closer to you." His entire resolve almost crumbled as he gazed into her dark, teary eyes. "I know that I can fight the pain I feel, if only you'll stay by my side."

"I don't want you to feel pain," Elena murmured, leaning forward to kiss his cheek.

He smiled briefly, but his lower lip quivered as he suddenly pulled her into his arms and held her tightly against him. "I love you." He looked at her for a second before claiming her lips, gently moving his own over hers and whispering, "It's so relieving to have you love me the same way that I love you."

She pulled away and traced her fingertips over his lips before moving her mouth to kiss his neck and heard his small noise of contentment upon contact. "We don't ever have to hide from each other again."

"No, we don't," he whispered, reaching up to caress her hair as she kissed him. He remembered the fire - a thought, a concept - that had seemed so foreign and far away only hours before and now it suddenly came rushing back at him in full force. He felt it in his suddenly flushed skin, felt it sink down into the dark part of himself and light him up through and through. He inhaled sharply in surprise and took Elena's face between his hands, as ocean blue eyes soulful brown eyes locked gazes in a jolt of electricity. "We're twin flames, Elena, and that's all we'll ever need to be."

"Yes, Damon," Elena whispered, "you're the fire in my soul." She carefully brought her lips to neck again before crawling up behind him, her fingertips stroking his sides lightly. She kissed the back of his neck and dotted kisses along his shoulder blades, trying to relax him. "Is this okay?" she murmured, her shyness suddenly replaced with a newfound boldness. She breathed in the scent of his skin – vanilla and citrus and something just so inherently Damon that it made her want to weep.

Damon brought his own hand up to touch the one that was now resting on his shoulder. "Yes," he whispered back, shivering when he felt her lips touch his ear, just below the lobe. He felt her mouth, the sweet little kisses she was trailing down his back and he made a small sound of pleasure as he closed his eyes, letting every single feeling wash over him like a tidal wave.

Elena kissed him once more and then she was suddenly climbing off the bed and standing in front of him. She placed her hands on his shoulders and brought him closer to her, bending down slightly. She pulled his head forward and leaned her forehead against his before kissing his mouth sweetly.

He opened his mouth over hers and deepened the kiss, encouraging her to reciprocate. Their tongues touched and suddenly he was gripping her tightly, never wanting to let go, as he leaned further into her, trying to tilt her head, to get the best possible angle.

Elena pulled away, flushed and hot, as she stood up to her full height again and placed her hands on his shoulders. She pushed him down on to the bed, and when he had adjusted himself suitably, his head on one of the massive pillows, she crawled onto his body and began to kiss his neck.

Damon raised his hands to grip her waist. "Elena," he said softly, "I don't know if we should be doing this." His voice was barely restrained with raw passion. It was amazing how quickly their situations could drastically change when they were together, from cold, dark isolation, into inseparable closeness; pure and untamed fire lapped at their bodies.

She simply smiled at him, meeting his eyes. "It will be okay, Damon. I just want you to feel." She needed him to experience some kind of physical pleasure, so she could show how him how much she cared about him; she wanted to take away his hurt, if only temporarily. She moved her mouth down his neck, kissing his collar bone as she slid her body down his as well. Looking up at him through heavy eyes, she bent down and captured a nipple between her lips, sucking hard and biting lightly. She could feel his body straining and fighting for control underneath her. She did the same to the other one, while trailing her hand down his stomach.

Damon tilted his head back and finally groaned softly, his grip on Elena going slack as his hands dropped down to his sides. He had never felt anything quite like this – to feel this kind of pleasure so intensely at the hand of someone who truly loved him was nothing short of divine. Every single one of his senses had magnified and he could feel the bad thoughts being pushed almost completely out.

Elena continued to move down his body, teasing him with her mouth, planting soft kisses down his chest and stomach, occasionally swiping her tongue across the heated skin. "Mmm," she said softly, smiling against his navel when she felt him arch up against her slightly. Sitting back on her knees, she locked eyes with him before touching her hand to the knot at his waist, hand grazing the soft material of his towel.

Damon's eyes widened as he sucked in a sharp breath and swallowed hard. Was it smart to be this intimate with Elena, especially after everything they had gone through? She was looking straight into his eyes, seeking some kind of permission, her hand trembling at his side. He hadn't felt like this in a long time – he was connected to Elena in every single way, and he did want to take it further. He just didn't know if he was ready, or if even she was ready, and was just trying to ease his pain. Something in him whispered that he needed this; he deserved to be physically intertwined with the woman he loved. He slowly nodded his head.

"I love you," Elena whispered before tugging at the towel, letting it fall open on the bed, completely exposing his body. She watched his face carefully, and noted the slight color in his pale cheeks. God, he was beautiful. His body was lean and defined; the hardened lines of his stomach and thighs would be enough to detract from the dark bruises and red lines currently tarnishing it. She moved closer, caressing his hip before slowly dragging her fingertips down the top of his left thigh.

Damon watched her, his breath coming quicker than usual as he felt her breath on his sensitized skin. He felt even more exposed than he had in the bathroom with her, and he had never felt this vulnerable in his entire life. He was paralyzed, helpless – he didn't know what to do but to trust her. "Elena," he said softly, the name falling from his lips, almost like a prayer. He wanted to chant it.

Elena flicked her eyes up to his briefly before lowering her mouth to his stomach again. This time, though, she grabbed his thighs with both of her hands, sliding her thumbs up and down the insides of them, not touching that part of him that was so beautiful, so glorious and now wholly hers. She kissed his hip and moved down, trailing wet kisses and licking up and down the sensitive skin. He tasted sweet, completely unlike anything she had ever had tasted before.

Damon whimpered, his hands clutching at the cloth underneath him. He had closed his eyes, completely lost in the pleasurable, teasing sensations that Elena was providing him with. He was positively aching for her, but in the best way possible. He could feel everything straight down to the pit of his stomach.

Elena suddenly sat up again, and squeezing his leg, she said, "Sit up." She saw him blink and raise an eyebrow before he sat up slightly, relaxing his body against a pillow that was propped against the headboard of his bed. She then crawled over to him and settled herself on his right leg, splaying either one of her own legs over it, pressing her core against the hardened muscle. She gave an experimental rub and groaned softly, biting her bottom lip.

Damon made a small noise in the back of his throat which slowly transformed into a growl. He took her face between his hands and kissed her fiercely, moving his leg up slightly she was pressed even harder against him, and he could feel her wetness seeping through her shorts. He moaned, his body oddly flushed, his skin crawling with unbridled desire.

Pressing her forehead against his, Elena reached down, between his legs, and closed her hand around his stiff, aching member. Never breaking eye contact, she began to move her hand up and down, very slowly, teasingly, letting her fingers drape over it, feeling it twitch in her hand as it obeyed her will. She moved her head down and kissed his neck.

Damon hissed softly, instant pleasure shooting up his spine. The hot, overwhelming desire was so unlike the frigid cold he had felt earlier that he was afraid his body would go into shock. He hadn't felt this good in a long time; the physical pleasure was helping to ease his emotional distress and he didn't know whether he should feel guilty or relieved because of that. Through half lidded eyes, he was able to note her slightly ravished appearance – hair sticking up, her own eyes barely open. He could feel her moving rhythmically against his leg.

Elena watched him as she touched him and realized it was a truly fascinating thing. She couldn't help but notice the way that he writhed under her ministrations unashamedly, moving with her hand. His lips were swollen and parted, eyes only half open. His cheeks were tinged with the lightest of rouge and she could see the slight perspiration on his forehead. He was beautiful – so fucking beautiful. She vowed that no one would ever have him again; he belonged to her and she belonged to him, wholly and completely – for eternity.

Actual words had escaped Damon – all he could do was groan in response to Elena's touches as they grew more bold and impatient. "It's...so good, Elena," he sputtered, feeling his body tense significantly. He reached out to push a piece of her hair behind her ear, hissing softly when she purposefully slowed her pace and then sped up again.

As Elena jerked him harder, she saw his head thrash on the pillows, his breath coming in short pants. She groaned softly. Just watching him so uninhibited turned her on, and she could feel the wetness pool quickly between her legs, much like it had when they had first kissed. If she died with this as the last thing she saw, she would die completely happy and satiated.

Damon's body was on fire. He could feel something burning course through him, and he would be lying if he said it wasn't foreign. "Elena!" he managed, reaching up to grasp her around the waist, before pulling her into a bruising kiss.

Elena opened her mouth around his and slowly drew in his bottom lip, sucking lightly, nipping at him, while her hand continued to work him below. She could feel his entire body tighten, heard his muffled whimper as he pulled away from her lips and buried his face in her neck. She pressed them closer together, keeping her hand on him, knowing he was close. She could feel his eyes shut against her shoulder.

Damon felt every muscle in his body tighten, ready to release – finally - the ball of desire that had been continually building in the pit of his stomach. He drew in a sharp breath and suddenly, everything was blank and nothing had meaning except for the name Elena. All he could feel were his over energized nerve endings as the waves of pleasure rolled over his body, his stomach and legs shuddering. He spilled hotly into her hand as he cried out her name in ecstasy.

"Bite," Elena suddenly encouraged, whispering into his ear, one hand stroking his hair as the other moved up and down his length a few more times before becoming still; she was absolutely determined to give him the most pleasurable experience that she could offer. She wiped her hand on the towel still trapped underneath their bodies.

Damon lifted his head and looked at her for a millisecond before giving into her demand, every sense now without a filter, including the sudden, aching hunger that he felt. He bit into her neck, his fangs slowly gliding through her skin easily and shuddered when Elena moaned.

The pleasure was unfathomable. Elena was so concentrated on his mouth at her neck, the way the soft sucking at her skin felt, that she barely felt the initial pang. Her eyes rolled into the back of her head as she tried to press herself even closer to him.

Damon groaned softly, as the warm liquid spilled down his throat, and suddenly, he could remember her taste and he could remember doing this the first time. God, nothing had changed – she still tasted as delicious as before – sweet, pure and just lovely. He felt her press against him in need and, mouth still at her neck, he reached a trembling hand down to her shorts and began to rub over her center. A small sound escaped his lips when he felt the dampness there.

Elena arched against his hand, unashamedly writhing above him. His touch was so gentle yet so precise and it was driving her wild. Combined with the fact that he was currently withdrawing her blood, a little at a time, and the sensations that went with that – Elena moaned against him. Boldly, she took his hand and forced it straight into her shorts.

Oh, fuck. Damon's mind turned to complete mush and all he could think of was Elena's blood in his mouth and the way his hand was now pressed against her without the petty distraction of clothing. The fact that she was clearly not wearing any panties sent a forceful jolt to his barely-relieved nether regions. He grunted softly and pushed one finger into her – and oh, God, she was so wet for him. He began to move his finger in and out of her, feeling the tightness of her mould against him.

"Yes, Damon," Elena encouraged through clenched teeth, the only words she was able to form. She could barely see as she rocked her hips in time with him, felt his hand moving against her, his mouth on her skin. All she could see was white – she didn't know if that was due to Damon taking her blood, or the intense pleasure he was currently giving her. She didn't care. She gripped his shoulders and continued to move in time with him, feeling a few beads of sweat form on her face.

Damon added a second finger and that was enough because he felt Elena spasm around him. He moved them in and out wildly, trying to take her even further, coupled with his lips now moving across her neck and collar bone.

"Damon – ah – ah!" Elena whimpered when she felt the convulsions. She writhed on top of him, pressing herself against him as hard as she could, and felt her entire body spasm – legs, arms, stomach. She used her free hand to tilt his chin away from her skin so she could capture his lips. She tasted the rustic taste of her own blood on them, but that didn't faze her – not one bit.

Damon swallowed her moans, as she finally began to come down from the enormous high, her sensitive body still jerking against his. He hastily removed his hand from her shorts and gripped her hips, holding her tight against him, before flipping them over so he was hovering on top. She looked exquisite right now – hair on his pillow, sticking out in every direction, pink lips swollen, and cheeks flushed. Her eyes were bright and so aware.

Elena studied Damon, too. She could see the not only noticeable red in his face, but the full body flush that her blood had given him. His blue eyes were lighter than she'd seen them in a long time. She groaned softly and pulled his naked body down beside her, hands and body still trembling with adrenaline and pleasure. She pressed herself against him and whispered, "I love you, Damon, and I want you."

Damon bit back a moan, realizing that he was hard again. His body had been from one physical extreme to another tonight and he was so afraid that he would fall apart, just completely collapse under the weight of it all. "God, Elena. You have no idea how much I've wanted you...that was amazing." And he meant it – he suddenly felt alive and the love he felt for this woman could not have been any stronger. "I love you."

Elena smiled at him, bringing her lips to his again, before caressing his abdomen, feeling his muscles jump at her soft touch. "I know." She looked at his cheeks, which were still flushed. "Do you...feel better?" She trailed her fingertips down his arm.

He knew that it wasn't just her blood that had helped him, but also just the presence of her. "Yeah," he whispered, pressing his forehead against hers. "Did I take too much?"

She shook her head, kissing him again. "No." She brought her hand up and stroked his cheek. "Make love to me, Damon. I need you." She gazed up at him through heavy-lidded brown eyes.

For the first time in months, Damon felt fire ignite through his veins - his whole body - as he looked at Elena and then slowly nodded. He was positively burning alive, but as long as he got to be with her, he didn't care. He moved so that he was hovering over her, arms braced against the bed. He bent down and began to trail kisses along her neck...