Damon

Shit. This is not happening. But then again, maybe it is. I mean, Ric is madly in love with Jenna. It's really disgusting actually. They're all mushy and romantic, and he gets all googly-eyed when she walks in the room. So he's gotta know what he's talking about on some level.

But me? In love?

I don't do love. I do friendship, lust and sex, and that's all. And Elena of all people? No fucking way. I mean, yeah, Ric basically explained my whole head to me, but that doesn't really mean anything does it?

I must've been doing something highly strange with my mouth this whole time, because Ric started laughing at me as he refilled my glass.

"You made the connection yet?"

I furrowed my brow. "What connection?"

He put the bourbon back on the shelf behind him. "That you're in love with Elena."

What? I choked and spit out my mouthful of alcohol on the bar. Ric sighed and picked up his rag again. "Nice one, man."

I didn't believe my own ears. "Say that again?"

He placed both of his hands on the counter and leaned towards me. "You. Are. In. Love. With. Elena."

I gave him an incredulous look. He continued. "Damon, are you serious? Right now is the first time that you've figured that out?"

I nodded mutely. Jesus, even Ric knew. How did he know before me?

He laughed a bit. "God, Damon. It's pretty obvious. Whenever I see you two together, you look at her like a lost puppy.

"Damn it Ric. I do not!" I almost chucked my glass at him.

He ducked behind the counter and gave me a victory grin. "Yes, yes you do."

Ric picked up the broom from the corner and waltzed around with it, crooning in a horrible falsetto. "When a man loves a woman!" He dropped his voice "Deep down in his soul…"

This time, I actually did throw my glass at him, narrowly missing a blonde sitting a few stools down from me.

"Shut up!" I hissed. He laughed at me before putting the broom back in its corner. Calling someone from the back to sweep up the broken glass on the floor, he poured me another drink. "So when'd you start wanting to bang Elena?"

Damn this guy.

"Like a month ago." I stuck my pointer finger inside of the glass and spun it on the countertop.

He gave me a look. "And why haven't you?"

Is he a complete idiot? "Cause that would severely fuck things up?"

"You don't know that. Maybe she loves you too."

No way. "Elena does not love me, not like that I mean."

Ric looked at me dubiously. "Did she tell you that?"

"No." I huff. "But I just know. We've been best friends since we were little, I would know if she had feelings for me. She's like my sister."

He raised his eyebrows. "So you want to fuck your sister senseless?"

"Oh, shut up. You know what I mean. Besides, she's far too good for the likes of me anyway."

"Whatever, man. To quote my wife, 'You'll never know till you try.'"

I laughed. "I'm pretty sure somebody said that before…"

I felt a hand slap on my shoulder. The pointy manicured nails dug into my skin and spun me around on my stool. "Let's go."

Katherine stood in front of me, looking like a stripper. Her curls looked crunchy and her make-up was caked on her face, with dark rings rimming her eyes. Her dress rested right below her ass, making her look like a common street whore. The plastic bags in her boobs didn't look too great either, and her chest was starting to sag.

"Hey." I turned back to Ric to pay my bill and she interrupted again. "Let's go, Damon!"

God, calm down will you! I slammed some bills on the counter and got up to meet Katherine, who had already stalked to the door. Ric gave me a sympathetic look and whispered across the bar. "Just go home!"

"I can't just leave her here! But Ric, has she always been this…awful?"

Katherine tapped her heel on the floor and shrieked at me across the bar. "Damon!"

I cringed. Ric answered. "Yeah. Seems like you've finally come to your senses."

Grimacing, I moved across the room and pushed Katherine out of the door in front of me. I caught Ric's eye as I closed the glass door behind me. He mouthed "Elena" at me, and then made kissing motions with his lips. I threw him the finger before I walked away.

Katherine had already found my car and was waiting impatiently in front of the passenger side door. Being the gentleman that I am, I unlocked the car manually on her side, and moved to open the door for her. However, she had other plans. She basically threw me out of the way and huffed as she hurled herself into the seat and almost took my arm off as she slammed the door.

Okay then.

I got in on my side, and asked her where she wanted to go.

"You mean you haven't gotten reservations anywhere?"

"No, I thought we'd just go to..."

"Whatever." She interrupted. "We just won't eat."

"But…"

She snapped in front of my face. "No, buts. Let's just go to your place."

I put the car in drive and pulled into traffic without another word. Has she always been such a bitch? And she doesn't even look good!

I mean we are dating, but I didn't expect the whole "Honey, I'm home!" routine. A simple hello would have been nice, or maybe a "Hey, Damon" or even a "How are you doing?"

That's what dating is, right?

I drove past Elena's driveway right before I hit mine. Looking down the slope I could see her bedroom light on, though the rest of the house was dark. I'm about a football field away from her window, but I can see her small figure moving around in there. She looks like a little black Popsicle stick from this distance, but she still looks damn good.

Katherine's face snapped in front of my view. "Why are we stopping?"

Honestly, her screeching was threatening to make my ears bleed, she's so shrill. I visibly cringed, and resisted the urge to slap my hands on either side of my head.

Once I recovered, I answered her unwelcome question. "I was just checking something."

Her eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Is that Elena's house?"

I was a little surprised. "Yeah, it is. How'd you know?"

I'd told her a little bit about Elena, I mean she's really the closest thing I have to family. I haven't talked to Stefan in years, ever since that falling out, but I didn't think I told Katherine where she lived.

"Oh, you get chatty when you're drunk." She imitated my voice, "I love Elena, she's the only one that's ever been there for me, she saved me, she's my angel."

She sneered once she was done. "Didn't know you were such a wuss."

I was fuming, that was private! Even if I had been drunk, she didn't have to throw it back in my face!

"I'm not a wuss."

She just laughed, "Oh, yes you are! Moaning your girlfriend's name in your sleep."

What?

Katherine threw herself against the seat, moaning. "Elena, oh Elena!"

"Shut the fuck up!" I didn't moan her name in my sleep. Did I?

I mean, yes, I'll admit, I've had the occasional dream about Elena, and by occasional I mean several times a night. But I didn't know that I was making my own soundtrack.

My knuckles are tight and white on the wheel, but Katherine keeps going. "After I got what I needed, you would just fall asleep. And that's when the fun started…"

I've never hit a girl, but I was about ready to start. How dare she talk about Elena like that, like all she was to me was another fuck? Elena is so much more to me than that, she's…I don't know what she is.

I grabbed the steering wheel harder in order to keep my fist away from her made-up face. "I think you should go."

She looked at me like I was crazy. "Here? No thanks."

I realized we were still sitting in front of Elena's driveway. Katherine dragged her pointer finger down the side of my face. "I'd rather stay here."

She popped the top button of my shirt, but I pushed her hand away. "Katherine," I warned.

Her fingers moved farther down my chest, and she whispered in my ear. "Just pretend it's her."

And for a second, I could. Her fingers moved farther down and palmed me, and I took deep breath. I could see Elena's beautiful face, those eyes looking up at me, her mouth curving into a smile, those warm little hands driving me crazy. She keeps one hand on me, while the other moves up to cup my face and pull me in for a kiss. I wrap my arms around her waist and pull her onto my lap, relishing in the feel of her warm lips on mine. She unbuttons my shirt, and her warm palms explore my chest, and then…

Katherine's back. Her mouth doesn't fit, and her nails are scraping my skin. I pushed her off of my lap, and she laughs a little bit, looking at my lap. I'm still rock hard with the image of Elena in my head. But the second Katherine reaches out, not so much. I'm repulsed with the thought of her touch.

I put the car in drive again and pull into the nearest shopping center. I don't know why I messed with this girl. She's not what I want. She's not who I want. She can't give me what I need.

Leaning over her body, I open her door. "Out."

"But Damon…" She whined.

"You know what Katherine? I'm done with you. I don't even know what I saw in you in the first place. You're selfish, you're cruel, and you're fake. Just get out of my car."

She huffed and balanced on her stilettos, "But, how'll I get home? I don't have any money."

"Oh, you've never had a problem being a whore. Don't let it stop you now."

I reached over the seat, closed the door, and went home to Elena.

I pulled down her driveway, and let myself in to the house. Elena's light was still on in her window, but I couldn't guarantee that she was still awake; she often fell asleep while she was reading. Closing the door behind me, I made my way to the stairs in the dark, used to it after all these years. I went up the steps and quietly walked into her bedroom. She'd fallen asleep with her book in her hands. Her body was only half covered by her sheet and a whole bare leg stuck out from under the covers. Her hair spread out over her pillow and her face looked so peaceful.

I moved over to her and gently pried the book from her fingers, dog earing her page and setting it on her nightstand. She shifted a little, and a small smile broke out on her face. I smiled with her, hoping that whatever dream she was having was one she would tell me about in the morning.

Oh God. That's such a mushy thing to say!

I stripped off my shirt and decided to take my jeans off too; sleeping in them has never been comfortable. Slipping into my side of the bed, I looked at Elena for a second, before I realized that her bedside lamp was still on. Damn it.

I reached over Elena's body, trying not to touch her and jolt her out of her dreams, but I couldn't quite reach it. Just a little bit farther. I moved my fingers a few centimeters forward, and I could feel the plastic of the turning switch but I couldn't work it. As I tried to grasp the knob, my upper body slipped. My chest and my arm collapsed on top of Elena, jerking her out of her sleep.

I could feel her whole body tense for a split second with the weight before she reacted. She threw her muscle into my arm, springing her knees to her chest and then ramming them into my body.

"Elena!"

Her eyes found mine and she visibly relaxed. "Damon! God, I'm so sorry, I thought you were…him."

She broke eye contact with me, and looked away. I grabbed her chin and gently brought her face back to mine. "Lena, it's okay."

And then I realized where we were. I was still slightly on top of her, and our faces were a mere inch apart. Her breath was warm on my face, and her eyes were fixated on my mouth. I could kiss her. Right now, I could kiss her. I could take her in my arms and kiss her senseless, ruin her for any other man. I could kiss her, and make her mine. I could kiss her, I could love her.

But then I remember. That Elena doesn't love me; that she's far too perfect for the likes of me. So I move away from her, and scoot to the other side of the bed, leaving a good foot of space between us. But she's still pulling me to her, like a magnet. All I want to do is get back over there and rip her clothes off.

But I won't. I'm better than that, because all of my life she's been pushing me to be the better man. She looks at me with those eyes though, and it makes her even harder to resist.

"Hey." She tucks her hand under her pillow while she speaks, moving so were parallel to each other.

"Hey."

The light is shining behind her, and I swear it's giving her a fucking halo. She's an angel.

"Why are you here?"

When I didn't answer she pressed farther. "What about Katherine?"

I frowned, I'd forgotten all about her till now, which just proves the difference between her and Elena. I haven't been able to keep Elena off of my mind for a month, and Katherine left my head after a few minutes.

"I dumped her." Elena gives me a weird look, like she's trying to hold in a smile. "It's okay, you can be happy about it; I know you didn't like her."

She let out a laugh, and gave me a smile. "I just didn't think she was the one for you."

Got that right. "What do you mean?"

She looked at me for a second before she answered. "I don't know, she just doesn't fit with you. And you can do so much better."

As usual, Elena's praise makes me smile. "I can?"

She rolls her eyes, "Of course you can. Are you kidding? Any girl would be lucky to have you."

"Well thanks Lena."

"So what happened?" I'd already forgotten about Katherine…again.

"She drove me crazy, and not in a good way." I laughed. "The sex was good, but the rest wasn't."

Elena cringed and looked uncomfortable. "How many times did you sleep with this girl?"

I sighed. "More times than I've ever slept with anyone else, let's just leave it at that."

She settled even closer to me. I don't know if she was doing it on purpose, but her heat was sending blood straight south. "How can you do that, sleep with all of those girls?"

I pulled a smirk. "Well Elena, you put Tab A into Slot B and then…"

She whacked my arm. "You know what I mean, you ass."

"Well I guess some of us aren't like you. We don't want the true love and the happily ever after."

"Some people might not, but you do."

"Do not."

"Do too."

But I did. How did she even know that? I paused for a second. "How do you figure that?"

"You love having heartfelt talks when you're drunk." She giggled.

"Oh, shut up!" I took a pillow and hit her with it. Elena laughed and pummeled my chest lightly with her fists.

I grabbed both of her hands in mine and trapped her where she was. "There was one more thing I wanted to ask you. I don't have a date to the fundraiser thing this Saturday."

"Isn't that like in three days?"

"Yes ma'am, it is."

"There's no way Klaus will be there right?"

I moved her hair out of her face. "No, love. He's locked up, and he will be for a very very long time. He can't hurt you."

She took a deep breath. "Well then yes, Damon. I would love to go with you."

I almost breathed a sigh of relief, but I remembered to keep it inside. "Excellent."

Elena smiled and turned off the light. But she was hesitant to meld into me like she usually did.

"Hey. Come here." After my encouragement, she moved toward me and snuggled into my chest.

"Don't let him get me okay?"

"I wouldn't dream of it."

AN: Okay, I know. I'm getting super sappy, but I don't really care! Thank you so much for reviewing!

Thoughts? Liked it? What should the fundraiser be like? Should this be the last of Katherine? And most importantly, what should Elena's dress look like?

Song: Angel with a Shotgun - The Cab