While Damon was showering, Elijah stripped the bloodied covers and the sheets off the bed. Elijah had just finished replacing the bed covers when Damon re-entered the room.
Damon stood by the bathroom door and looked at Elijah standing near the bed. He suddenly felt nervous. Not wanting to allow his nerves to get the better of him, Damon took a few tentative steps towards Elijah. He only got halfway before he stopped, silently cursing himself as he fought hard to gain control of his rising heartbeat. Damon didn't want Elijah to know the effect he was having on him.
Elijah smiled, admiring how Damon looked with glistening wet hair. Seeing Damon wearing his clothes also triggered his possessive side in a way that Elijah hadn't expected. Elijah walked the few remaining steps between them and stood in front of Damon. He paused briefly before taking another step forward, standing a few inches away from Damon. Elijah tilted his head to the side before he slowly lowered his head towards Damon's neck and inhaled deeply.
"You smell… clean", Elijah spoke softly, barely an inch away from Damon's ear.
"I smell like you", Damon responded, calling him out. Damon was more than aware that using his shower products and wearing his clothes had inadvertently covered him in Elijah's scent.
Elijah lent back to face Damon, before stepping away slightly to increase the space between them. Elijah could tell that he was making Damon uncomfortable; Damon's accelerated heartbeat giving him away despite his obvious attempts at trying to hide it. Normally Elijah went out of his way to inspire that reaction in people, but for some reason he didn't like that his close proximity was that effect having on Damon.
"All healed?" Elijah asked, attempting to ease the tense atmosphere.
"Yeah, but I'm still sore", Damon replied honestly, rubbing his hand over his stomach.
"I can help with that", Elijah offered, a sly smirk appearing on his face as his eyebrows rose suggestively.
"Oh yeah. How exactly?" Damon asked as he smirked back, finding it amusing being on the receiving end of a flirtatious comment for a change.
"With my blood", Elijah answered, his eyes narrowing as he waited to see Damon's reaction.
Damon's lips parted slightly as he took a deep breath. His eyes widened as he remembered how it had felt the last time he drank Elijah's blood. Elijah's smirk turned into a satisfied smile as he watched the look of want on Damon's face.
"It's best that you are lying down when you consume my blood. The effect can be quite… intense", Elijah said as he kept his tone even, the glint in his eyes harder to conceal.
A massive smile formed across Damon's face. Elijah had completely set him up to get him into bed. Damon chuckled lightly while shaking his head. He was impressed at how well Elijah had played him. It wasn't often that the player got played, Damon thought to himself as he smiled at Elijah knowingly.
Damon took a moment to consider how best to respond. He decided to go against his natural instincts and not make a smartarse comment. Instead he let his eyes travel down the length of Elijah's body and back up again as he tilted his head slightly to the side. He gave Elijah a crocked little grin, while raising his eyebrows and fluttering his eyelids flirtatiously. Damon's signature look was all the answer Elijah needed.
"Shall we?" Elijah said, motioning Damon to join him as he walked back over to the bed.
Damon waited a few seconds before following. Elijah stopped by the bedside table and switched on the lamp. He then walked to the centre of the room and turned off the main light. As Elijah made his way back to the bed, Damon pulled back the covers and got in. Elijah watched as Damon shifted to the far side of the bed, leaving the covers open and enough space for him to get in. Damon rolled to his side to face Elijah, propping himself up by bending his arm at the elbow and resting his head against his hand.
Elijah hesitated slightly confused as he tried to understand where the apprehension had come from that was now evident across Damon's face. It seemed strange to Elijah, especially considering how cocky Damon had been just a few moments before. Elijah decided to shrug off Damon's change in demeanour, putting it down to the anticipation of drinking his blood. He got into the bed beside Damon and lay on his back. Elijah pulled the covers up loosely around his waist before turning his head to the side to face Damon.
"You have a choice, wrist or neck?" Elijah asked calmly, deciding the best way to put Damon at ease was to allow him to set the pace.
Damon's smile returned as he instantly realised what Elijah was up to. Damon had always known that Elijah was gentleman, but he never appreciated how deep that quality ran in him until that moment. Elijah's gesture was the reassurance Damon needed that he was making the right decision getting involved with Elijah.
"Neck", Damon answered confidently.
Damon slowly moved closer until the side of his body was right up against Elijah's. Damon lifted the top half of his body, placed his hands and forearms on either side of Elijah and hovered directly above him. Damon and Elijah smiled at each other briefly before Elijah turned his head to the right revealing the white flesh of his neck. Damon moved his head to the left side of Elijah's neck and allowed his body to move downwards until he was lightly lying across Elijah's chest.
Damon slowly ghosted his mouth down Elijah's neck until he found the spot on his jugular he wanted to bite. Damon lightly grazed his lips against the sensitive skin, seeking permission to continue. Elijah responded by gently placing his arms around Damon's torso and pulling him in closer to his chest.
Damon softy kissed Elijah's neck before spread his mouth open and positioning his fangs over the vein. Damon bit into his neck so gently Elijah barely felt Damon's teeth pierce his skin. Damon slowly sucked the spot he had bitten, sending a shiver down Elijah's spine. Damon waited for the blood to fill his mouth before he moved his lips away and swallowed.
Damon took a moment to savour the rich, fragrant taste of the blood. Not wanting to waste a drop, Damon delicately licked away the stay stains of blood from the incisions points until the wounds were healed. When Elijah's skin was back to normal, Damon placed another soft kiss on Elijah's neck before closing his eyes and allowing his body to rest completely against Elijah.
As the blood worked its way through his system, Damon felt his eyes roll back into his head under his closed eyelids. Damon pressed his face into the skin between Elijah's neck and shoulder as he felt Elijah's hand stroke the hair on the back of his head. Damon started to breathe heavily as his blood began to pulsate through his body. As the pulsating sensation reached the tips of his fingers and toes, Damon felt his blood begin to warm up. Damon fluttered his eyelids against Elijah's skin as he felt colour return to his cheeks and his lips swell. The warmth spreading through his body making him feel alive in a way he hadn't felt since he was human.
Less than a minute later Damon felt his body slowly start returning to normal. As the warm sensation left his system and his blood cooled, Damon's body began to shiver slightly. Feeling his body shake, Elijah tightened his hold of Damon while his body temperature slowly readjusted.
When Damon felt he had control of his body again, he moved his arms onto Elijah's chest and slowly lifted up his head and shoulders. Elijah smiled as he watched Damon stare down at him with half closed eyes and a relaxed smile on his face.
Elijah gently pulled Damon back down against his body before rolling them both onto their sides. Elijah placed one arm under Damon's neck pillowing his head and wrapped the other tightly around his waist. Lying face to face, they stared at one another for a moment before their heads simultaneously moved forward. When their lips met, the kiss was soft and tender. After a lingering moment they slowly pulled away from each other.
They stared at each other in silent contemplation before Elijah leant in and kissed Damon again, just as before. Elijah then kissed Damon's top and bottom lips separately enjoying how soft they felt. Damon slowly deepened the kiss when he felt Elijah's lips part under his by lightly stoking Elijah's tongue with his own.
Elijah was amazed by how sensual Damon's tender caressing tongue and soft gentle lips felt as they continued to kiss. Kissing Damon felt wonderfully different, compared to the bruising force and fight for dominance kisses he had shared with other men in the past.
When they naturally pulled away from each other, Elijah was relieved to find that Damon looked just as court up in the intimacy of the moment as he felt. As they smiled at one another, Elijah soon noticed that Damon was struggling to keep his eyes open.
"You need to rest", Elijah said, speaking softly. Elijah knew that Damon's drowsiness was an after effect of drinking his blood.
"Come here". Elijah added a few second later before he rolled on to his back, pulling Damon with him. Elijah positioned Damon's head against his chest, holding him close.
"I'm fine. I'm not tired", Damon protested weakly while secretly enjoying how Elijah's fingers felt as they lightly stoked the hair on the back of his head.
"For once in your life Damon, don't argue", Elijah replied, the small smile on his lips evident in his voice.
Feeling warm and safe in Elijah's arms, Damon decided to humour Elijah and allow himself be cuddled for a little while. Despite his intentions, soon after he closed his eyes and relaxed Damon fell fast asleep.
Elijah smiled to himself as he heard the sound of Damon's breathing change. He had held Damon for barely a minute before he had fallen asleep. Elijah reached over to the bedside table and switched off the lamp before pulling up the bed covers over their bodies. He wrapped his arms around Damon, kissed the top of his head and closed his eyes.
When Elijah had woken up that day the possibility never entered his mind that he would end the night cradling Damon Salvatore against his chest. Now however, falling asleep with Damon in his arms, felt like the most natural thing in the world.