A/N: I'm sorry the update took me so long but there are times when I have no inspiration at all and then there are times when it just bubbles. Thank you for reviewing, you always make my day with it. Also thanks for the story alerts, favorite story and everything. I'm so happy about each one of you who reads my story and likes it as much as I do.

So, I thought after we've mainly seen Elena's POV on the things that happened maybe we should get a glimpse of Damon's POV and in this chapter we will.

By the way, I changed one of the genres from Humor to Drama as the storyline rather developed in that direction than to the Humor one that I was actually planning on.

Read and enjoy.

Chapter 7

So tell me now,

Where was my fault?

In lovin' you with my whole heart?

"Damon, I really do need your help. Now...?"

His eyes lingered on my face, still trading off pro against con.
"All right."

I was already jumping for joy but his hands took a hold of my shoulders, trying to calm me down and he continued.

"I will help you, but I have a bad feeling about this." He paused. "The best bet is to leave it to me and you just play along. It has to look natural and believable."
"And especially you who mainly avoids relationships, except for the one time, knows how to play lovey-dovey?" I lowered my head to the aside to look at him in doubts. "I'm not very sold on this."
"Good for you, I'm the optimist from the two of us." He let go of me. His gaze drifted to the ground and he seemed kind of distant now.

A bad feeling grew on me that I had just hit a nerve there with my comment about Katherine. He was over her but it still messed him up.

"And yes, although I'm not delighted with relationships I do know how they work. So all or nothing, your decision." He offered in a blank voice.
"No guts, no glory. So, yes." I agreed uncertainly, holding back my anxiety about the entire situation. "But you will not make full use of the misery, will you?" I warned him.
His eyes now glowing again, met mine and with a mischievously smirk he sealed our deal. "Never would I dare."

G"ood morning, babe." His hand traveled around my waste and pulled me close to his body. "Had sweet dreams? I bet I was the star in them."

Damon enjoyed monkeying around like that but but today he downright gloried in it . Moreover, Caroline didn't know that Damon was helping me to get rid of my problem with Stefan.
"Care, you know Damon. He's just-"
"Her new boyfriend." Damon said, shrugged like it was nothing special and leered at me.
"He is what?" Caroline screamed excited. "And you didn't tell me why?"
Oh no, this was getting out of control. I was torn between slapping Damon because he had blared it out like that and had brought me into this awkward situation or telling her the truth. I didn't want to lie to her, acutally I had planned on further behaving exactly the way we used to, only different in Stefan's presence. Of course, now I could forget that completely.
"How come? I mean, yesterday everything was different. I knew you were-", Caroline prattled but I cut her off before she could possibly blat out something concerning my feelings for him. "Yeah and now things changed, right Damon?" I glared at him.

He was responsible for this, so he could at least help me out a little. Also I was afraid that Caroine would only make things worse because she knew that I was in love with him.
"Exactly." He confirmed and squeezed me even tighter towards him. I finally realized that she's the one for me."
"Oh my gosh, this is so exciting and amazing, isn't it? Like a fairy story!" It burbled from Caroline's mouth like a waterfall till it was shortly interrupted for a few seconds when she squeezed me. "Awwww, you can't believe how happy I am. All this time, now it's finally paid off."
I froze and thought that that one was most likely too much of an hint. Damn it, Caroline! Just shut up and let it be, my inner voice screamed. After endless questions of perforating where I could as good as possible avoid her blowing my cover, she ultimately full of vim and vigor departed. As much as Caroline's enthusiasm was enviable, I was relieved when she was gone.

"And Care?" I yelled after her to make her turn around.

"Mhm?"
"Please keep it to yourself. It's still very new and we don't want to hang a lantern on it." I didn't want to lie to her as she was my best friend, yet I couldn't bring myself to blow her delusions since she still had a crush on Stefan, keeping her in the dark was probably for her own best.

"Oki doki." She winked at me, her smile gleaming like the sunshine.
"I hope you're aware of the fact that the whole town will know it within 10 minutes." Damon commented sullenly and let go of me.
"That's rich, coming from you." I gave him a look of reproach.
"Me?" He pointed at himself, puzzled. "Have I ever not been loyal or trustworthy?"
"No, but it was you who immediately boasted to Caroline about us being a couple." I crossed my arms over my chest. "I'm not very fond of lieing to her."
He nudged me, making me smile a little. "I just told her I'm your new boyfriend, I didn't say anything about us being a couple and the less she knows, the better."

I wasn't really upset with him, rather with myself for the tragedy I always brought myself into. However, his eyes and the way he talked to me had a soothing affect on me.

His eyes bored into mine, all serious now. "Do you trust me?"
"Yes."

"Damon, he's not buying it!" I was huffed how stubborn he was.

We had given our very best. Holding hands the entire time, flirting and even kissing, not on the lips though. It seemed to impress him like a drop in the ocean.
He frowned. "We have to be more convincing then."

"And how do we do that?" I regarded him with curiosity.
"Give me a second to think about it."

Actually both knew exactly that there was only one way to be more convincing but they were both too afraid to cross that line which each of them had their own reasons for.
He dropped his gaze and looked me over, making his eyes shine. "By the way, are you already looking forward to prom night?"
"Not really. I'm not even sure if I'll go there at all."

"What?" He seemed downright dismayed at the news. "Why?"
"I don't have anyone to escort me and I won't show up all alone for sure."
He smirked. "Not even Matt?"
"Well, Matt did ask me to go with him but I declined with thanks and despite Caroline dragged me shopping, I fear my dress will only gather dust in my cupboard." I shrugged.

The thought of not going there didn't bother me that much, I didn't mourn after it. "Why do you ask? Are you looking forward to it?"
"I have the most beautiful escort. So yes, pretty much." He smiled to himself.
I caught my breath at his confession. He hadn't mentioned any other girl lately, let alone one he'd have interest in. To be honest, there wasn't even time for him to look for one because we were nearly spending every minute possible together. Be it to keep up our charade or for our own pleasure. In my mind, I enjoyed it very much and so did he. We had been close before but we had converged so much that it was nothing compared to the bond we shared now. Several times we had been so close to each other and he was presumably too caught up in the act that I thought we were about to kiss. In that case I wouldn't have been able to garantuee anything. I wouldn't have been able to not give in to my desire of having my way with him then. Therefore his statement about his date was quite out of the blue.

"May I ask who the lucky one is?"
"My girlfriend." His eyes met mine and made me melt right there. "It would be a shame if her dress would never see anything but the inside of her cupboard."

"Are you regretting your decision of coming with me?" He asked, looking down at me. I had rested my head on his shoulder as we danced very close to a slow song that was playing.
"Not at all." I smiled brightly and locked my eyes with his. "Thank you."
"No problem." He answered, beaming at me.
The song gradually faded away and we carefully parted, not able to separate the connection of our eyes. His eyes scanned over me, somehow surprised yet full of certainty and in the moment the certainty outweighed, he leaned in and his lips met mine, sending waves of joy and tingling sensation through me. First it was just a tender brushing, showing how much care and love there was but the longer we held on to each other, the more intense it became. All the longing, waiting and desire broke loose and changed into passion. A moan escaped my lips which made it quite clear to him how much I wanted him and gave him permission to slid his tongue into my mouth. Moving there, melting with my tongue. I didn't care why he was kissing me in this moment or if I'd get hurt again, I had wished for this to happen for so long. This time it wasn't me kissing him while he was alseep and afterwards whispering someone else's name, no. This time he was well aware of who he was kissing. This time it was us kissing each other. Just him and me and it felt beyond good, long overdue. Even after our lips had detached, our eyes weren't able to do the same. I felt like I was in a daze, completely overwhelmed with wonder and a shimmer of amazement spread in his eyes.
An abrupt clapping sounded which pulled us out. "Really ecstasizing your little game."
Damon shook his head in annoyance, his lips were pressed together and one could see how much Stefan maddened him. He turned around to face him. "Let it be, Stefan."
"No Damon, you let it be. I know you two are only pretending." He said, his eyes wandering to me. "But I've given up on Elena long time ago because I saw that it was hopeless."
"Didn't seem like that." I answered upset, holding back my anger. "You still hit on me."
He had just ruined a perfect moment that I'd been waiting for for ages. How dare he to say some nonsense like that at the moment.
"I enjoyed watching your acting way too much. Well, at least yours." He justified himself, paying his attention to Damon now.
"We're not acting anything."

He flicked his finger at Damon. "Whatever, I had my fun." He gave them a last wink and disappeared as quick as he had shown up.

"I'm sorry but I need a drink first." Damon said and then walked off towards bar.
Thrown off track, I decided to find Caroline. She shouldn't be too hard to find and really, seconds later I had found her, surrounded by guys. I was just about to talk to her when my eyes caught Ric and Damon standing nearby. Damon was obviously as jumbled as I was and completely baffled staring at his glas.
Though, they hadn't noticed me.
"So you're just friends, huh?" I could hear Ric say.
"Do you want me to write it down for you?" Damon answered with dry sarcasm.
"And you don't have any feelings for her?" Ric poked.
"She's my best friend, Ric. It would be weird if there's no lost love between us."

"Mhm-hm, tell it to the marines."

"What is this, Ric?" Damon snapped at him. "What do you want to say?"

"That you're either blind, stupid or both."

"Well, thanks."

"The point I was trying to make is that you're into her." Ric said in a soft voice.

"I'm not. I never was." He replied abruptly. "We were only pretending, I could never be with Elena." Damon downed his drink in one. "Never."

Elena started from her sleep. That dream had haunted her ever since prom night. She couldn't get his words out of her mind, they were branded on her mind.

Too bad, there's neither a redemy for memories, nor a cure for love.

Elena's eyes moved to the nightstant to her left. 10am. She was supposed to leave in about 7 hours.

Suddenly her eyes caught a note left on it. She reached out for it and looked all over it but there was no sender on it. Suspicious she opened it.

"I believe that you are meant for me.

Take care of yourself, Elena.

I never meant to do those things to you,

Damon"

Damon's POV

Damon was sitting on his couch, playing with the glass of Bourbon in his right hand. He felt exhausted, physical as well as emotional. He'd been up all night long, the old memories had mingled with the present ones. Too much for him to handle.
One face on his mind the entire time - Elena. Her doe eyes filled with tears gazing at him, telling him how much misery she was bearing because of him. Her pained face that used to carry the most beautiful smile on it all-day that lit up everyone's world.
He closed his eyes, trying to wash away the gut-wrenching picture off of his mind. Without success. It felt like it was burning him, eating him up on the inside. He wasn't supposed to cause her pain, he had never wanted that. He was supposed to make her the happiest person alive because she deserved it. It pained him even more to know that he was able to give her that happiness if she would just let him in a last time.
He had known her his entire life and even if they weren't close in the beginning, he had always been watching her. Secretly, without letting her know because he had felt too embarrassed. Somehow unconfident to speak to her, a way girls usually never achieved to make him feel.
Since the day he'd met her, he had known that there was something about Elena that made her different from every other girl, there was something special.
Her personality that excstasized everyone, her beauty that cast a spell over everyone. She had everything and nearly every door was undone for her, waiting for her to enter.
Still she was too committed to the wrong door, the locked one.
To him.
He knew there was something going on between the two of them. The looks they shared were more intense than with others, whenever they touched a little bit their bodies were electrified. It felt different between them. They had an understanding like no one else had, yet he had been trying to not let it get between them. Their friendship was the most important thing in his life. The only thing that was solid and mattered, his lifeline. Though, too long he had been trying to ignore it. He had been suppressing his feelings for her, for her own best. He was afraid he wasn't able to give her the things she deserved. He wasn't good enough for her. There had been days where he even thought that he wasn't worthy her friendship.
No, she did deserve someone better. Someone that was capable to give her the love she deserved, to make her dreams come true and much more. He had thought some day she'd understand and give up on the idea of them being together because it was wrong, being with him was wrong.
He was no good and would only spoil her. Still, somehow they couldn't seperate from each other for long. It felt like they were like two pages of wet paper - stuck together, not able to let go of one another.
Till that one night that changed everything. The most horrible night in his life. He had no idea why or what had happened or what he had done wrong back then but it had destroyed everything. It had crushed him.

"So you're just friends, huh?" Ric asked eagerly.
"Do you want me to write it down for you?" I answered with dry sarcasm. Didn't he get it?
"And you don't have any feelings for her?" Ric poked.

Oh, of course I had. Too many for my own good and at the moment they were driving me crazy and not making sense at all. Some of them had been there ever since I'd met her but suppressed, brewing under the surface. Only now I'd lost control of them and wasn't able to cut them out again. I couldn't help it.

"She's my best friend, Ric. It would be weird if there's no lost love between us." I downed my drink in one.

Hell, I should have never kissed her. This wasn't supposed to happen. I couldn't let this happen. I couldn't be in love with my best friend.
"Mhm-hm, tell it to the marines."
"What is this, Ric?" I snapped at him. "What do you want to say?"

"That you're either blind, stupid or both."

"Well, thanks."

"The point I was trying to make is that you're into her." Ric said in a soft voice.

"I'm not. I never was." I replied abruptly. "We were only pretending, I could never be with Elena." I downed my drink in one. "Never."

"Oh come on, that's a lie." Ric retorted.

"What do you want to hear? That I love her? Will you shut up then?"

"Give it a try it."

Would it change anything? Saying it out loud or even telling her? No, it wouldn't. She would still be my best friend and I couldn't screw our friendship up. Unfortunately, I tended to exactly that, screwing things up. Like my father once said to me "All I've got is disappointment". I let down the people I love, I disappointed them because I wasn't good enough and only brought more harm over them if they got too involved with me. I could count myself happy that she was even friends with me. Still, I couldn't shake off this feeling. Why? Why couldn't I flip the switch this time like with all those other girls? Right. Because it wasn't just another girl, this was Elena.

"I'm in love with Elena."

"And what are you waiting for you idiot? Tell her! Now!"

He shook his head at himself. Oh how much he had wanted to tell her back then. How he'd been such an idiot and denying it for too long already but the moment he finally allowed myself to give in to the feelings, she'd decided to push him away. He had looked everywhere but she had left him standing there. The evening had started so perfect and ended in a downright disaster. No one knew where she had gone. She had ignored his calls, his visits, she had simply started to ignore him. Since that night and it killed him. Every single day, he was missing her and this strange darkness from the hole she had left, came chasing him every time.

Suddenly the door bell rang. Damon had no intention to open the door at all. Should they ring as much as they wanted, he wouldn't open. He was hurt. Angry. Smashed.

As the ringing got more irregular, urgend and too annyoing, Damon ultimately braced himself up to answer the door.

He gulped. "Elena?"

Being all churned up, she scurried past him into the house. "What was your plan in showing up at my house, huh? Did you expect me to jump right into your arms? It's not that easy, Damon."

"I told you already." I threw my arms up in surrender. "Oh and it would be if you weren't so eager on making things more complicated than they are."

"Who do you think you are?" She spat out. "Just now you changed your mind? Now that I'm about to leave? Why didn't you sooner? Prom night would have been the perfect opportunity."

"Because it was you who left me on prom night, it was you who cancelled me out of your life." He approached her. "I tried to tell you so many times how badly I needed you but you didn't give me a chance before."

Her eyes welled up with tears. "Because I was hurt!"

He affected a dry laugh. "Can you imagine you weren't the only one hurt?" His voice become more strongly, stifled pain sounded. "You wouldn't even look at me and I didn't even know why. I had no idea what happened to make you hate me."

"I never hated you Damon." She backpedaled, lowering her gaze to the ground. "I just had my reasons."

"I'm all ears."

"There were problems I couldn't deal with anymore." She made an desperate effort to explain her behaviour.

His heart ached like someone was squeezing it in his fist. Even then she had so little confidance in him? "But that's no reason, Elena! You could have come to me with it, we would have figured it out somehow."

"No, we wouldn't because the problems had to do with you!" She confronted him, her eyes filled with defeat. "I mean, didn't you see it?"

"See what?" His voice softened, seeing how much she was still hurting. He wanted to hold her tight, make her feel better, erase the ache.

"The regret, the pain. I couldn't handle it anymore. Getting my hopes raised and crashed eventually and that again and again. I was exhausted."

"Is that why you made me suffer like that? To make me pay for the pain I caused you?"

"No!" She shook her head. "I did it for myself, to protect the small amount inside me that wasn't broken yet. I decided to finally let go."

"You couldn't have chosen a worse moment."

"After what I've heard from your conversation with Ric, I had made my decision. You can't blame me for that."

His conversation with Ric? He hadn't said anything- Oh.. oh.. it hit him like a blizzard. Everything was a dire mistake and hadn't it caused so much damage, he probably would have laughed about it. It all made sense now. He had to fix this right now, they'd wasted too much time because of this already.

"Next time you eavesdrop on somebody, you should at least listen to the entire conversation."

"Why? To hear you saying more cruel things? 'I could never be with Elena' was enough, believe me."

"No. Know why?" He stepped even closer and looked at her affectionately. "Because I told him something that I was about to tell you afterwards as well. Unfortunately, you decided to escape."

"It wouldn't have changed anything either way." She glanced at him before she averted her eyes.

"It would have." He said firmly and took hold of her hands.

"How do you know.."

"Because I told him I'm in love with you." His gaze met her wonderstruck eyes. "You heard right. I love you, Elena and you should have known this months ago."

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