AN: Here it is guys! I decided not to go with my KC/SC story idea, because I think most of you are reading for the DE. Please please do review if you enjoyed! It always makes my day and motivates me to keep writing! :)

Elenas POV

Elena groaned as she heard the distant sound of the toilet bowl flushing. She sat up in bed and glanced at the clock on her bedside table, which read 5:30am. This was the third day in a row that Elena had been woken up before 7am due to Caroline- either she was whispering secretively on the phone, hanging up the minute Elena woke up, going to the toilet, or creeping outside of the door, not bothering to close it lightly. It was Thanksgiving break, and Bonnie had gone back to Mystic Falls to visit her family, while Elena and Caroline stayed in Whitmore College lazing around in their dorms all day. Elena hadn't seen Damon once during the break-she presumed he had gone back home to spend it with his family. If she was being honest with herself, she was furious with Damon. How could he not tell her that she and Katherine looked exactly alike? How was it even possible? She was now beginning to piece the pieces together- that was obviously why he had called her Katherine that night at the party. But what Elena couldn't quite figure out was how it was possible for two people to look so similar. Even if they were distantly related, it was impossible for them to have such a close resemblance. What kind of secret was Damon hiding? That brought her onto the other thing she had found in his classroom. A blood bag from the Mystic Falls hospital. Why would Damon be keeping one in his classroom? It just didn't make any sense. Elena decided that there wasn't any point in trying to go back to sleep- so she got out of bed, through her jacket on and crept outside.

"Stefan?" Caroline said nervously, knocking on his door. "Stefan are you in there?"

After several knocks, Stefan opened the door, wearing nothing but his boxers.

"Caroline! What are you doing here? It's 6:30 and its Thanksgiving!"

"I know, but you just got back last night and I wanted to see you. How was New Orleans?" she said, stepping into his room and lying on his bed.

"Not bad" he replied, closing and locking the door behind them. "I really enjoyed it. Damon on the other hand... well you know Damon. Not really the sight-seeing type."

Caroline nodded half-heartedly. Tears began to well in her eyes.

"Is something wrong Caroline?"

"Stefan… I have to tell you something. I wasn't going to, but I think you should know."

Stefan sat up, an extremely confused expression on his face.

"Caroline… what are you talking about?"

"I'm sorry okay? I didn't mean for it to happen… but you and I? I don't see it going anywhere."

"What are you trying to say Caroline?"

She sighed deeply, preparing for the repercussion of what she was about to say. "I slept with Klaus."

It was unseasonably cold that day- the wind was blowing strongly, swaying the trees in synchronization. Elena hugged her brown jacket tightly around her body. She didn't know where she was going- she just had to clear her head. She walked past the economics sector of the school. A sign just outside the entrance read "Economics Department" "Professor L James, 319. Professor J Taavokski, 320. Professor D Salvatore, 324." Elena's eyes lingered on the last name for a few seconds. Something about it felt so familiar.

"Lost?" Elena swiveled round to see Damon standing before her- dressed in jeans and a red V-neck; a definite change from his usual shirt and tie.

"Umm no I was just umm… looking for the bathroom," Elena said, her cheeks flushing.

Damon pointed to the left. "The nearest one is next to the Math's department" he said.

"Right. Thanks." she said. The bathroom? Why did she say she was looking for the bathroom?

"How has your break been?" Damon asked, much to Elena's surprise. Why was he talking to her? Wasn't she a dead ringer for Katherine?

"It's been good. Been studying for most of it" she lied. She hadn't picked up a single textbook since break had begun. Damon smiled.

"That's the good student I know," he said. Elena smiled awkwardly. Half of her wanted to yell at him and demand answers as to why she looked so much like Katherine- but the other half detected a flirtatious ring to Damon's voice. Maybe the best thing to do was to just leave it be. Maybe she was totally over-reacting. Maybe it was just some huge misunderstanding.

"So umm Caroline and Stefan are going out tonight and Caroline asked if I wanted to join so I thought maybe you might want to come to? Not because of me, obviously not, but you know, since Stefan is your brother and all?"

Damon laughed. "Elena Gilbert, are you asking me out on a date?"

"What? No of course not! I just thought, you know-"

"I'm kidding, kidding!" Damon smiled. "I would love to."

"I need you and Stefan to go on a double date with Damon and I" Elena said the second she stepped opened the door to her dorm room.

"What? Are you kidding me? No way!" Caroline exclaimed. She was sitting on her bed- bits of tissue scattered around her.

"Come on Caroline! Please? For me?"

"Did you not hear me Elena? I said no. Stefan and I are done."

"What? Really? Why?" Elena asked gently, rushing over to her friend's bed.

"I don't wanna talk about it" Caroline said through sobs.

"Care… I'm so sorry. I know how much you liked him."

Caroline sobbed harder. After a minute, she calmed herself down.

"I completely understand if you don't want to go." Elena comforted. "I can ask Bonnie."

"No it's okay. It's fine. I'll go, I know how long you've been waiting for this. You're my best friend. If Stefan doesn't wanna see me, he can just leave."

"Care…"

"Elena! I'm fine! Have you ever seen my cry over a guy for more than 2 minutes?"

Elena half smiled, still not convinced.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes I'm sure!"

"So how are we gonna tell Stefan? About the date." Elena asked.

"Don't you worry about that, I've got it covered. Now slut up! We've got a big night ahead of us."

"Liz! Liz!" Damon came rushing through the front door, not bothering to take his boots of jacket off. "Liz, I told her! I told Katherine about us!" Damon exclaimed, grabbing her hips and kissing her full on the mouth.

"You did? Oh I'm so proud of you babe!" she said, kissing him again. "How did she take it?"

"Surprisingly well actually!" he replied, sitting down on the coffee stained couch in their living room. "I think she was a little shocked, but she didn't seem angry at all."

"See? I told you she would take it well!" She beamed at Damon.

"So I guess that's it then? We can finally start our lives together; do everything we always wanted to do! We could move to New York, or San Francisco, or even Paris!"

"Woah, slow down Damon! What's the rush? Why move out of Mystic Falls! It's been our home for the past 3 years! I don't want to move! We don't have to go anywhere- all that matters is that we're together."

Damon half smiled. He hated how stubborn Liz could be sometimes.

Whenever Elena was nervous, she would have the urge to fiddle with something. On that particular night, Elena couldn't remember a time she had ever been more scared- hence why she was fiddling the crap out of her car keys. Caroline, who was driving her Mazda to the fancy restaurant they had booked, noticed and turned to her.

"Nervous?" she teased.

"What gave it away?" Elena laughed.

"Don't worry, I know he likes you. It's so obvious"

Elena smiled. She had no idea how someone could be so positive after getting dumped. Even someone like Caroline. "Are you sure your okay Care?"
"Are you kidding me? I'm better than okay. I get to be the third wheel at a 5 star restaurant and watch my best friend finally get the guy of her dreams."

When they arrived at the restaurant, neither of the Salvatore's had arrived yet. Caroline and Elena slid into a red booth at the back of the restaurant. Elena stared blankly at the menu. She could only anticipate how awkward the night was going to get. Just then, Damon came through the door. He was wearing a pair of dark jeans, a black shirt and his hair was gelled back. Elena had never seen him look so sexy before.

"Where's Stefan?" Elena asked, turning to Caroline.

"Yeah… here's the thing… I didn't text him."
"What?" Elena exclaimed. "Why?"

"Because! Tonight is about you and Damon. You don't need me and Stefan to third wheel while we bicker about our broken relationship."

"What do I tell Damon?"

"Just say we decided to take a rain check and go see a movie at the theater down the road!"

"Ladies" Damon interrupted, smiling at them both. "You both look lovely tonight."

"Likewise. I'm sorry Damon, but Stefan and I aren't gonna be able to have dinner with you guys. We're actually gonna see a movie at the theatre down the road! So sorry, maybe another time?" and with that, she fled from the table, waving at Elena and giving her a thumbs up behind Damon's back before scuttling out of the restaurant.

Damon smiled awkwardly at Elena. She smiled back.

"Have you got somewhere better to be right now too?" Damon asked jokingly.

"Nope" Elena replied, smiling as Damon sat in the seat across from her.

"Woah, what did that napkin ever do to you?" Damon asked, nodding in the direction on Elena's lap. Only then did she realize she had been fiddling with it so much she had torn it into two halves.

"Nothing" she laughed, throwing it onto the floor. "So, Professor Salvatore, have you ever been on a date with a student before?"
"Date? I thought you said it wasn't a date" Damon joked.

"It's not…" she mimicked his manor. "I just meant being alone with one of your pupils out at a fancy restaurant…"

"Well, if you must know, this isn't my first time."

"Do tell" Elena said, sipping her water innocently.

"Well, Katherine... was…actually one of my students. You know, the crazy psychopath of an ex-wife I told you about?"

"I think you mentioned it" Elena said, pretending it hadn't been the only thing on her mind for the past week.

"Yeah anyway… she was actually one of my students."

"Was she pretty?"

Damon paused for a moment before replying "Absolutely gorgeous." Wow. Absolutely gorgeous, huh? Elena blushed.

"So anyway, tell me more about Katherine," she asked, hoping Damon wouldn't notice her rosy cheeks.

"I told you everything there is to say" Damon replied plainly. "She killed Liz, there's nothing more to it."

"But why? Why did she kill Liz?"

"I cheated on her, why else?" Damon said bitterly. "Sorry" he apologized right away.

"It's fine. I understand. I just hope you don't think it's your fault."

"But it is my fault" Damon replied bleakly. "If I had never cheated on her, she never would have killed Liz. So yes. It's my fault she's dead."

"It's not your fault Damon! Katherine is obviously a vindictive psychotic bitch with a murderous ego! I mean what kind of women kills a man's lover for cheating on her?" Elena's voice was growing louder. "How could she kill her, right in front of your eyes without a second thought?" she was yelling now.

"Elena! Elena stop." Damon hushed.

"I'm so sorry" Elena said, horrified that she had gotten herself so worked up that the entire restaurant was staring at her. "I don't know what's gotten into me." Elena wasn't like Katherine. She wasn't Katherine. She would never do something like that! They were NOTHING alike.

"It's fine" Damon reassured. "Let's just talk about something other than my evil ex-wife, okay?"

Damon's POV

"I'll pay half" Elena said, taking her wallet out of her purse and thrusting a credit card into Damon's face.

"Are you kidding me? No way" he said, shoving his own card into the bill tray and handing it back to the waitress.

"Damon… you didn't have to!"

"Don't worry about it. You're already paying me enough through school fees as it is." Ouch. He shouldn't have said that.

"I'm sorry, that's not what I meant-"

"It's fine! Don't worry about it. You're right" she replied, half smiling. "Teacher, student" she said, pointing to him and then herself. "Nothing more, right?"

"Right." Damon nodded. If only she knew he wish it didn't have to be that way.

"Anyway, I should head back" Damon said, glancing at his watch. "But thank-you for the lovely evening, Elena. I had a really good time."

"Me too."

"Can I walk you to your car?" Damon asked.

"Sure" she replied, picking her purse up from the booth.

"You're freezing" Damon said once they stepped outside. The temperature had dropped significantly since they had arrived. "Here, take my jacket" he said, taking it off and wrapping it around Elena's shoulders. "You can give it back to me later"

"Thanks." she smiled.

"You know, I've told you whole lot about my past relationships but I seem to know nothing about yours"

"Not much to tell, to be honest. Just your usual boring high school relationships" she replied plainly. "Nothing as dramatic as yours"

"Yeah, it's kind of hard to have one as intense as mine"

"Except if your Brad and Jennifer or Rob and Kristen" Elena joked.

Damon laughed. This beautiful girl never ceased to amaze him.

"This is me," she said, gesturing at Caroline's Mazda. Thanks again Professor Salvatore."

"I told you not to call me that." Before Elena could say another word, Damon pulled her towards him and crashed his lips into hers. He placed his hands on her waist, while Elena wrapped her arms around his neck. He tilted his head, his tongue tracing the outline of her lips. After a minute or so, they broke apart.

"What was that for?" Elena asked, looking confused but equally euphoric.

"Just something I've wanted to do for a long time"

AN: I hope you guys like it :) THEY FINALLY KISSED YAYY :D again, receiving reviews is always the highlight of my day because it makes me feel like you guys are actually interested in the story!