Its morning, you wake, a sunray hits your face smeared makeup as we lay in the wake of destruction.
Eminem ft. Rihanna; I love the way you lie part 2.

The sunlight shone in through the window bathing the room in soft sunlight. The large windows were open and the white curtains were billowing in the breeze. The light bounced off the white bedspread, sending the room into a golden haze. Elena Gilbert lay awake, staring at the tiny dust particles floating around in the stream of golden light. She felt happy, blissfully happy. This was the most happy she'd felt in a long time; since her parents had died. Since then, she'd always had a small feeling of foreboding, as though she could sense that something bad was going to happen to her. Something bad had happened to her, but that was all behind her now, she'd left all that behind when she'd hopped in Damon's car in the midst of that thunderstorm. Now she was just happy… and slightly sore, but she wasn't complaining; she liked it. She wasn't usually a masochist, but she was willing to reconsider; this was heaven. Speaking of heaven; that was exactly what last night had been; heaven and more. She twisted around with a smile on her lips to face the boy sleeping next to her. God he was beautiful, no, beautiful wasn't colourful enough a word; he was exquisite. And she loved him, more than anything. He was still sleeping soundly, which Elena thought was slightly funny, him being the forever alert vampire and all...

She ran her fingers up his forearm, letting the baby soft skin glide under her fingertips. He looked so peaceful, so content. She let her eyes linger on his face for another second before they slowly slid downwards, she got a glimpse of perfect ice-white chest, then some ribs and then finally the trail of hair that led down to regions hidden beneath the white duvet. Regions she was desperate to explore once again…

Damon didn't wake for another hour, but Elena didn't mind, on the contrary, she enjoyed herself, she was extremely content just watching Damon sleep; the way his fingers clutched the sheets, the way his thick eyelashes sat on his cheeks, the way his toes wiggled. He really was the most constantly interesting person she knew; he just couldn't seem to stay still, she could sit for hours just watching him. She lazily trailed her fingertips along his stomach, and then let them go higher; brushing over ribs and then finally resting on his chest, the skin baby-soft under her fingers. Suddenly, the duvet was pulled up over her head, strong arms were encircling her waist and fingers were scrabbling on her ribs; ticking her mercilessly. She screeched, giggling manically and kicking out at Damon, whose hands slid lower, now attacking her bare hips. She pulled the cover off her head and emerged laughing breathlessly, Damon had stopped now, his hands merely caressing her.

"Stop it!" She giggled into the pillow.

"Make me" He countered, nipping her shoulder.

He rolled her on top of him, so she was straddling his waist. Elena looked down at him and a blush crept onto her cheeks as she remembered her naked state. She tried to grab the sheet to cover herself, but couldn't gather enough to gain herself even a stitch of modesty. Damon spied her efforts and cocked an eyebrow at her quizzically.

"Elena, darling, what are you doing?"

Elena's blush deepened; spreading across her neck and shoulders.

"Wait, no, you're embarrassed?"

She nodded her head slightly, her eyes downcast.

"You're embarrassed after last night? Really?" He chuckled, placing a finger under her chin gently, to lift her head to meet his eyes.

Once again Elena nodded, this time gazing into Damon's black orbs.

"You have absolutely nothing to be embarrassed about. You're the most beautiful, perfect thing I've ever seen, and that's saying something; I have been around for quite some time" His signature wickedly beautiful grin crept onto his face and Elena couldn't help but smile back.

"I love you Elena. I love your lips" He brushed his lips against hers softly.

"I love your neck, I love your stomach, I love your waist and your hips and your belly button; I love everything about you"

He rolled on top of her and laid his hands on her, and once again, Elena was completely lost in oblivion…

Sometime later Damon and Elena were back to where they had started. Elena's head was rested on Damon's chest as he threaded his fingers through her hair. Elena closed her eyes and let her mind wander, she thought about her and Damon and everything that had led them to this point of complete bliss. She could barely remember a time when they hadn't been like this; completely in love. She felt as though they had loved each other since the beginning of time, and in a way they had; they had started off as one when their spirits were formed, then they had been separated, destined to search until they found each other. Elena had searched, albeit unwittingly for Damon, she hadn't known what she was looking for, but she'd always had this sort of anticipation, she'd always known that something better was coming for her, and that when she found it she would finally be home. For a long time, she had thought that something was Stefan, but then Damon had come along, and everything had gone to Hell, the most glorious of Hells. He had fucked her whole life up, but she'd loved every minute of it, he'd set her whole world on fire, submerging everything in his out of control blaze.

Elena just lay there for a while, barely even thinking, lost in a lazy state of bliss. The thing that made her rouse was the realization that Damon's hand had stilled in her hair and his breathing had got deeper and heavier. She lifted her head slightly to look to Damon's face and found that he was once again asleep. He looked like an angel or a God or something; so peaceful and serene, with his black hair contrasting against the white pillow and the milky white of his skin covered haphazardly with the white of the sheet. Elena was suddenly struck with a sort of agitation, no, a desperation. A desperation to capture this beautiful moment before it was blown to pieces, but that was insane right? Nothing bad was going to happen. But still, she couldn't stop herself from carefully manoeuvring herself off the bed and walking across the room to pick up her iPhone. She kneeled up on the bed beside Damon and took a picture of him sleeping. She flopped back down and smiled dreamily at it; he looked gorgeous. She didn't hesitate before saving it as her screensaver, God she was whipped! She's always thought that girls who had pictures of their boyfriends on their phones were pathetic, but now she could see the appeal, especially if said boyfriend happened to be the most beautiful boy in the world and now she got to see his face whenever she checked her phone.

She was, well she was beyond anything she had ever been before, happier than she'd ever been before. She wanted to write this down in her diary; to record it, to remember, but alas, she had left her diary behind with her old life. But she had survived without a diary before hadn't she? On the way to the dark dimension she had recorded her thoughts on her… phone. Elena scrolled through her apps until she reached the voice recorder button and then pressed play, preparing to spill her heart out.

"Dear diary, or should I say phone? I can't deny that I feel slightly ridiculous doing this; spilling my innermost thoughts out to a piece of technology, but oh well, it's the best I've got right now. Usually, I would write all this down in my diary, like I have done every day for more years than I can remember, but I don't have a diary right now; that got left behind. Anyway, the reason I'm… speaking? To you right now is because I feel the need to tell you how I feel right now. Okay, right now, on the 18 of February 2011, you Elena Gilbert are happier than you have ever been, seriously, I'm that happy, and it's all down to one boy, a very special boy. That boy is Damon, and he is more than you could ever have asked for, he's sweet and kind and loving and dangerous and he makes you feel free, he's that thing that you've been waiting for, for your whole life. Right now? Right now I feel… perfect, brilliant, in love? Yes, all of those and so much more, I think that maybe this is my reward for all that I've been through; this is what the Guardians are giving me back. About that, I still don't even know how Damon is here, alive, after the Guardians said that he was gone forever, though I'm not complaining, it's a miracle that I got my love back. My theory is, that he came back to life, because it simply wasn't yet his time to die; me and Damon hadn't been together back then, we hadn't got the chance to be together, and that's why he came back, because me and Damon had unfinished business. The most important thing that I have to tell you is that I am engaged! I am going to be Mrs Salvatore, and I guess I've known for quite some time that I'm going to be Mrs Salvatore, I just never thought I would be this Mrs Salvatore; Mrs Damon Salvatore. There is also something else that I should confess… I lost my virginity last night, and it was everything, complete perfection and bliss and oh! I love him so much, and I could keep on talking about how much I love him forever, but right now, although I feel perfect, I'm sweaty and my hair is knotty and I'm in serious need of a shower, so I'm going to leave it there for today. Just remember that right now, Elena Gilbert, you are the happiest you have ever been, don't ever let him leave you; follow him to the ends of the Earth if you have to, just love him forever, because that's all you'll ever need; his love.

Elena locked her phone, smiling softly at the picture of the sleeping Damon that now served as her screensaver, took a look at the real thing, who was still out for the count and then shuffled off the bed, heading down the stairs for the bathroom. She'd never felt so… comfortable? Yes, that was it; she felt comfortable. She had to be comfortable to walk around the house butt-naked, but the way she saw it; this was her house, so she could do whatever she wanted. As she walked to the bathroom, she opened all the windows she came to, letting in golden February sunlight and taking deep breaths of the fresh air. She entered the bathroom and walked over to the large, free-standing tub; she turned the taps on and filled it to the brim, tipping in masses of vanilla bubble bath. She slid in slowly, letting the warm water relax her tired muscles. As she let the warm water surround her and the smell of vanilla tickle her senses, she was transported back to another time, and another bath. A bath she had taken one night in a cheap motel in the middle of nowhere, a bath she had taken before a row, and then a night of cuddling, a night where she had made some realisations.

"Room for one more?"

She was brought out of her thoughts by Damon who was leaning against the doorframe, grinning suggestively. His hair was rumpled and perfectly messy and the only thing he was wearing was the white sheet wrapped around his waist, dangerously low, looking as though it was going to fall off any second…

Elena giggled softly and nodded her head, moving up slightly to make space for him. Damon didn't need to be told twice, he was in the tub in a second, sheet flying to the floor and taught muscles and white skin blurring. He smiled suggestively at her from the other side of the tub, gazing at her through the bubbles. He leaned forward and she did the same, so that their foreheads were resting against one another, she gazed into those midnight eyes and everything was right. She's waited so long for this, and been through so much, and now, finally, she was truly and blissfully happy. Damon closed the gap between their lips and kissed her lazily and languidly, his hands moved under the water to capture her waist and scoot her forwards so her legs were wrapped around his waist. The kiss gradually heated up, turning Elena's stomach into a pool of hot mush. Before Elena knew what was happening, her back was pressed against the bathroom floor, and Damon was on top of her, his hands roaming sensually over her body. He slipped his tongue into her mouth and she was sure that things were going to head the same way as last night and this morning, and she wanted it, she wanted-

Knock, knock, knock.

Damon snapped his head up, their lips disconnecting with a suctioning sound. He growled low in his throat and then stood. She watched him as he wrapped a white town around his waist. She stood and did the same, giving Damon a questioning look.

"I'm going to go and get that, you should carry on with your bath" He smirked wickedly as he spied the water that they had slopped all over the floor, then gracefully left the room, walking purposefully towards the door.

Damon stood staring at the front door, contemplating just walking back up the stairs, picking up Elena and running away from this, but he'd never been one to run away from problems, on the contrary, he'd always been one to face things head on with a smile on his face. But this was different, this was more real than all the trivial battles he had taken part in, this was, this was everything. Everything was on the line. Of course he'd known that Stefan had been searching for him, Stefan was weak and not good at shielding his aura from the probing minds of those stronger than him, which was just what Damon was. He had just hoped that he would have a little more time with Elena before Stefan came along and fucked things up, fucked them up. Bracing himself, Damon twisted his face into the arrogant smirk that seemed to fit him just right, and then opened the door.

The door swung open to reveal Damon leaning lazily against it, cocky smirk in place. Stefan's eyes slid down, to see Damon clad only in a white towel; even his attire seemed to be mocking Stefan right now. Stefan's eyes slunk back to Damon's face, and he wanted to do nothing more than to just punch that smirk right off Damon's lips. But then the two brothers met eyes, and just for a second, Stefan wished that it didn't have to be this way, wished that Katherine had never happened, wished that he had died over 500 years ago an old man, with children and grandchildren and wished the same for Damon. Green eyes met black and Stefan realised that he'd never really even bothered to get to know Damon, they had known each other for almost 600 years, and Stefan honestly didn't even know Damon's favourite colour, and he hated it, hated that after over 500 years they were back to this, that they had only ever been this… But then the moment passed, and all the animosity and hate that Stefan had built up over the years rushed through him, clouding his vision.

"I would very much like it, if you would give me my girl back!" Stefan spat, face twisted into a hard mask.

"I'm not going to give her to you brother, and I would not recommend trying to take her" Damon said just as harshly, his eyes boring into Stefan's.

Stefan slammed his fish into Damon's jaw, and Damon fought back, the two of them locking into the same death-match that they had perfected over their many years. As Damon and Stefan fought it was as though they had come full circle, it was as though after 500 years they were finally back to where everything had ended and started. It was almost as though they had gone back in time, Stefan could almost see Damon's blade smashing against his as they kicked and punched, he could almost see his father in the background screaming at them to stop, because they were brothers and brothers were not mean to be this way… Except this time, it was not Giuseppe; it was Elena, and this was not the 1500's, this was 2011. Elena was stood at the top of the stairs wearing only a white towel similar to Damon's, and Stefan stopped mid-punch, because Elena was obviously not being held here against her will. His eyes moved between Damon and Elena, taking in their similar states of undress and it finally hit him that Elena wanted to be here, wanted Damon, and she had left him for this…

"E-Elena?" Stefan choked out, suddenly feeling faint "Come on, I'm here to take you home" he said slowly, trying one last time to win her over, to get her to choose him, to do something.

She didn't reply. She walked silently down the stairs and stopped in front of Damon, raising a hand to caress his split cheek, wiping off the blood that marred the flesh. She then pulled his face down to her height and examined him clinically and even though Stefan could not see her face, he could sense her wince as she spied his black eye and bleeding nose.

"Are you okay?" She whispered softly, affectionately.

"Aren't I always?" He replied, cracking a smile that Stefan had never seen before; it was neither cocky nor seductive, merely happy.

"No, you may think you are, but you're not invincible" She half cried, half laughed, her voice choked up with emotion.

Damon didn't reply, just ghosted his hand along her forearm in a casually intimate gesture.

Stefan stood and watched the scene unfold in front of him, and he saw the way their eyes locked as though they would never want to look at anything else, saw the casually intimate ways they touched each other, that suggested that they had touched each other like that many a time before. Most importantly, he saw the look in Damon's eyes, a look of pure contentment, happiness, and…love? He had never seen Damon look at anyone that way, not even Katherine who Damon had claimed to have loved, but now he saw this, he knew that that was not the case.

"You shouldn't have come here Stefan" Elena said calmly, breaking Stefan out of his thoughts.

There was something scary about the calm in her voice, something threatening about the way she was looking at him, as though he had broken her most prized possession, but of course, he had in a way.

"I- he, I. I came to take you back home Elena, to save you from him"

Elena looked at him; there was certain clearness in her eyes, which seemed to imply that she had everything figured out, and that scared Stefan for some reason.

"But Stefan, I didn't need saving"

"He took you Elena, this is Damon we're talking about, and he'll use you and take from you and never give you anything in return" Stefan was pleading with her now, trying his hardest to just make her stop looking at Damon like that!

Elena shook her head slowly, droplets flying off her damp hair.

"How can he give me nothing, when he's already given me everything I ever wanted?"

"Elena, he's evil"

"I can't believe that after all this time, and everything that Damon's done for you, you could still believe that he is ultimately evil. He saved your life Stefan, more than once, and I can't even begin to count all of the times he has saved me"

"Elena, please don't do this" Stefan begged "Please don't throw everything away for him"

Elena walked up to Stefan slowly; when she reached him she took both his hands in hers and looked him right in the face.

"I'm sorry Stefan, but it's Damon. It's been Damon for a long time now, it's-it's always been him really if I think about it. I loved you Stefan, I'll always love you, you were my first real love, and you never forget that. But I just, he's- he's my everything Stefan, he's my forever"

Stefan nodded slowly, a look of sadness and defeat crossing his eyes.

"When?" He asked slowly "When did you start loving him?" Stefan didn't know why he was doing this to himself, why he was asking a question when he knew the answer would torture him whatever it was.

"When I first met him, I felt this sort of pull, this need to know him. But it really started when we came to rescue you, being with Damon alone all that time, I couldn't help but let my feelings run free and although I still really loved you, I started to love him as well, but I loved him in a way that scared me, that I wasn't able to handle, so I carried on with you"

"That's why you were acting so strange after you rescued me, when Damon went back to the dark dimension with Bonnie, you missed him and you were jealous" It wasn't a question, Stefan was merely stating a fact, but Elena felt the need to answer. She nodded her head softly, letting go of Stefan's hands.

She walked back over to stand with Damon, drawing patters on his hand with her nail in a way the suggested that she didn't even realise she was doing it. Damon threaded their fingers together and squeezed her hand and Stefan couldn't help but notice the soft smile that graced Elena's lips at the contact. He looked at them standing over there; together. The way they were meant to be. The thought popped into his head randomly and it seemed right. Stefan turned on his heal and walked out of the house, closing the door softly behind him. He walked across the small garden and was about to open the gate when someone sped in front of him; blocking his way.

Damon stood there in all his glory, lounging grace and staggering unhindered perfection, exquisite in a way that always made Stefan bit his cheek in jealousy. Stefan stared at his face, looking into those black eyes that he knew had first belonged to his mother and felt the slightest of pangs of regret. He thought back to that day, the day that his human life had ended, the day that Damon had killed him and didn't feel the sting of hate that he usually felt, he felt acceptance. As he looked into the face of his brother, he knew that it would be the last time, the last time that he would ever see that cocky smirk sitting on that annoyingly perfect face. He looked at Damon and for the first time in a long time, wished that he had taken the time to get to know Damon, he had been told by his father from a young age that Damon was a ne'er do well and an idler, not someone to look up to, and Stefan had believed Giuseppe, but standing here now, Stefan wandered if that was actually the case, or if Damon was just complex and misunderstood to the extreme. Stefan would never know, because this was it, and it was alarming how bittersweet it tasted.

Stefan was startled as Damon slowly extended his hand, Stefan grasped it and held on for a second, once again meeting those ominous black eyes. Damon nodded slightly and then Stefan pulled his hand away. Damon stepped aside and Stefan opened the gate and walked away, walked right out of Damon's life forever.

"Goodbye brother" Stefan heard in his mind, but when he turned to look at Damon all he saw was an empty garden, the gate firmly shut.