After a few hours of talking, Elena fell asleep in his lap, and Damon drove her home and carried her up to bed. Alaric was a nervous wreck when they arrived.
"What happened? Did someone take her? I knew I shouldn't have left…"
"Relax, Ric; I took her… for a drive."
Alaric looked down at Elena, who was sleeping with her cheek pressed against Damon's chest while she lounged comfortably in his arms.
"You took her for a drive? And you didn't even think to leave a note? I was freaking out…!"
"Relax!" Damon hissed. "You're going to wake her up."
He walked up the stairs to Elena's bedroom, and Alaric followed in angry persuit.
"I thought Klaus had gotten her…"
"Klaus hasn't been invited in, and I intend to keep it that way." Damon said, opening the door with his toe and walking in.
"Well, how am I supposed to remember whose been invited in and who hasn't?"
"Isn't that sort of your job? As the residential Buffy and all?"
Alaric frowned. "Why do you have to keep comparing me to some stupid teenage girl…?"
Damon rolled his eyes, grinning. "Chill out, Ric; can you turn down her covers for me?"
Sighing, Alaric did so and Damon gently sat Elena down, covering her snuggly as he sat on the edge of her bed.
He frowned and stroked her cheekbone gently. "She's so worried about everyone but herself; I came here to check on her, and she turned it into an intervention about how I was doing!"
Alaric nodded. "It's just the way she is."
Damon wanted more than anything to kiss her goodnight before he left, but he didn't want Alaric to suspect anything; he didn't know if Elena was being public about their kiss. Or their kisses.
"So… are you going to go?" Alaric asked.
Damon frowned. "What's the rush, Ric?"
"Oh, I dunno; last time I checked, most women find it creepy to have two men watching her sleep."
Damon sighed. "I guess…"
Alaric walked out of the room, expecting Damon to follow. Which he did; but not before kissing Elena's lips softly and whispering, "Goodnight."
VvvvV
"What has you so happy all of a sudden?"
"What?" Elena looked up, startled, to find Bonnie staring at her questioningly across the table at the Grill. "What makes you say that?"
"Oh, I don't know; it could be due to the fact that you're staring down at your coffee, stirring it and smiling like you're…" Bonnie's eyes widened a bit. "Like you're in love."
Elena dropped her spoon in shock. "What?"
Bonnie leaned across the table. "Did you and Stefan…?"
"No." Elena frowned, feeling that unpleasant curling in her stomach that now surfaced if someone mentioned Stefan Salvatore. "No. Absolutely not."
"Well, if not Stefan, who?"
"No one. I have more important things to think about than love right now."
"Fine, whatever."
Elena hadn't noticed Damon, sitting at the bar, listening to what she had just said. She also didn't notice how his face fell, and he quickly walked out of the Grill.