Thank you guys SO much for bearing with me through the Stefan phase! At long last, he's finally left Elena and Damon alone. Now we advance into Delena. Oh and to clear things up about last chapter, yes I know Elena wanted to see Damon's room on the tour and he wouldn't show it to her, even though she's already seen it if you go back to chapters 2 and 3. The thing is, she was so distraught and disoriented at the time that she doesn't remember it at all now. Just explaining the seemingly careless "slip up" there. Sorry, but don't expect any make out scenes just yet. I still don't want to rush it because that would seem phony and there wouldn't be a good enough foundation for the relationship. So we're just gonna take it sweet and slow. I'm praying right now that I don't get way too OOC because keeping them in character is really important to me. Believe it or not, it's actually sort of hard to get Elena's voice right as well. She's not always as predictable as we think, and she usually doesn't really even get mushy much. So here we go! Disclaimer: I don't own any of TVD. I just like getting inside the character's heads and manipulating them into what I wish would really happen.

Chapter 7: Repercussions

Previously:

"Where the hell do you think you're going?" She heard Damon's biting voice from above her.

"To finish what you started. What I should've done all along. I'm going to find her. I have to." Elena looked up to see a yellowed photo in Stefan's hand. It was the picture of her. She felt fresh tears pool over and silently trek down her cheeks. She sucked in a ragged breath, trying to get her vision to clear.

"And what about her? Do you see what you've done to her? She's gone to all this trouble to get you back to normal, and you're just gonna walk? Leave her for some heartless look-a-like bitch?" Damon all but shouted, an undercurrent of fury in his voice. Stefan said nothing, avoiding Elena's gaze.

"Go to hell." Damon's voice was hard with ice and poison. With one final bitter glance, Stefan opened the door and walked out into the night, never looking back.

…

Elena somehow made her way to her feet as the door slammed, dramatized by a clap of thunder and the rushing sound of a downpour coming from outside. Weak-kneed, she robotically went to the front door and opened it. Seeing the bolt of lightning streak across the sky made something in her snap; she took off and sprinted out into the yard, her eyes darting around for any sign of Stefan. Her heart was pounding so furiously she could hear her pulse throbbing in her ears, and the torrential downpour was soaking her to the skin. Seeing nothing, realization sank in; he left her. He wasn't coming back for her; he left her for Katherine. She sank down against a tree trunk and started sobbing uncontrollably. All the stress, lies, and pain she had to suffer through for him…culminated in this. She bowed her head in defeat, not noticing the raging storm swirling around her. With a sudden squelching sound, a pair of black boots came in to view before her. Elena couldn't look up; she couldn't meet his gaze under such shame. After a few seconds, the boots squeaked again and he was suddenly crouching before her, his eyes level with hers. He rested his hands on her knees and leaned in, his otherworldly blue eyes entirely devoid of mocking, amusement, or triumph. All she found there was sorrow and concern and something else she couldn't put a finger on at the moment.

"Elena, you really need to come back inside. There's no use in sitting out here." His thumbs lightly rubbed back and forth over her kneecaps, comforting her. Elena focused on his touch, and slowly felt the tears subside. She noticed that he was getting soaked too, and realized that when his hair was darkened by the rain, it made his eyes look even bluer, somehow. She couldn't rip her eyes away from them.

He drummed his fingers against her knees as he spoke again. "Please come back in. I won't have you getting struck by lightning." He pointed to the sky, and sure enough, another slash of lightning lit up the black sky, as if nature was in his command. Wiping her eyes, she nodded and stood up, slipping a little in the mud. Damon followed closely behind her to the front door, and they both slipped off their shoes and Elena wrung out her hair before walking in. Quietly closing the door behind them, he noted that she was shivering violently and hunching her shoulders, hugging her arms to her chest. He reached up and started to peel away her soaked leather jacket, and she didn't resist. He put hers and his own on hooks by the door, and turned to put his hands on her waist and guide her close to the fire.

"D-D-Damon, I'm fine," she chattered, her voice shaking with cold as she glanced at him over her shoulder.

"Clearly," he shot back in a sardonic tone. He rubbed his hands up and down her upper arms, trying to draw warmth back to her shoulders. Sighing, she turned to face him, taking in his dripping wet form. Unable to hold back her shredded feelings anymore, she stepped in and wrapped her arms around his midsection, pressing the side of her head into his drenched chest. Taken aback but not unwelcoming the gesture, he wrapped his arms around her back, holding her as he rested his chin atop her head. He felt her heart beating against his own ribcage, and he was filled with tenderness and an overwhelming desire to protect the fragile human life that was so near to him now.

Elena closed her eyes and turned her head slightly into him, breathing in the warm scent that radiated from his chest. It filled her mind, leaving it soothed and warm, chasing away the heartbroken thoughts pounding through her head. She thought she felt his lips brush against her hairline, but her mind was too clouded to be sure of anything. At last, she pulled away from him, but stayed close enough to keep her arms around him. She tilted her head up to look him in the eyes, and saw that the walls he usually kept built up in a mask were completely crumbled, and in their oceanic depths she found nothing but earnest concern and vulnerability. She felt her heart skip a beat then follow up with a painful thud; she blushed, knowing he heard that.

"I think I'm gonna just go take hot shower to try and warm back up, 'kay?"

He studied her for a moment, trying to assure himself that she was going to be alright, and then nodded, giving her back a final brief rub. She released him entirely from the embrace, turning and slowly plodding up the stairs to the bathroom. She made a detour and steeled herself before walking into Stefan's bedroom to grab a tank top and some lounge pants out of her suitcase, trying to avoid looking around the room. She couldn't handle any of those memories flooding back just yet. She zipped up her suitcase and dragged it outside, wheeling it to a stop right outside the bathroom door, unsure of what room to put it in.

Once in the bathroom, she shut the door behind her, not bothering to lock it. She knew Damon wouldn't be so uncouth, at least not anymore. Elena stripped out of her freezing, heavy wet clothes and jumped into the steaming shower, her body releasing an involuntary shudder at the shock of the warm water. She welcomed the heat, slowly washing her hair with her head leaned back and eyes closed at the sweet relief. After about twenty minutes she finally turned the water off, stepping out of the shower and quickly grabbing for a fleecy towel. She towel-dried and combed her thick brown locks, letting them twist into their natural messy waves. After slipping on her clothes and brushing her teeth, she padded barefoot down the staircase and into the kitchen to get a glass of water. She opened the cabinet, and to her surprise, she found a box of instant hot chocolate nestled in the corner near the glasses. She reached for a packet and emptied it into a mug of hot water. Wrapping her hands around it for warmth, she sipped from the mug contentedly and walked into the den, looking for Damon. She saw him sitting on the couch, dressed in fresh dry clothes and staring into the fire, no drink in hand for once. She stepped across the carpet, almost reaching him when-

"Ouch!" Damon turned around to see her wobbling, trying to balance on one foot as she clutched at the other.

"What's the matter?" he inquired, getting up and standing next to her, trying to see what was causing her pain. She put one hand on his shoulder to steady herself, her face pinched in discomfort.

"I think I got a piece of glass in my foot or something," she replied, gasping.

"Oops, I must've missed a shard. Go sit down, I'll be right back." He took her hot chocolate mug from her and set it down on the coffee table, then disappeared up the stairs with his vampire-speed. She hobbled over to the couch, plopping down on the middle cushion. She grabbed her ankle and hoisted it up, resting it on her knee in an attempt to see what was digging into her foot. Not finding anything, she looked back up, startled to see Damon sitting on her right, grinning and brandishing a pair of tweezers. She almost laughed at him, as he tried to look dangerous and maniacal with a beauty tool in hand.

"Here we go. Now hold still and this won't hurt a bit." He pulled her ankle onto his lap, grabbing her foot around the instep. She twitched violently and jerked her foot back, snickering. He sighed, rolling his eyes.

"Let me guess: you're ticklish," he said in a half-amused, half-exasperated tone. She blushed, biting her lip as she nodded.

"Well doesn't that just make this sooo much easier," he drawled, his voice heavy with sarcasm. "Now hold still this time, unless you want glass embedded in your foot for the rest of your life." She braced herself, willing herself not to move as he took a firm hold on her foot again. She jerked slightly, but otherwise remained calm as he carefully drew the tweezers near her foot. They surged forward in a quick motion and moved back before she knew what happened. He held up the tweezers to her, revealing a miniscule, rainbow-colored crystal.

"Wow," she said, impressed. "I didn't feel a thing."

"Mhm. I'm just that good." He nodded cockily, getting up to dispose of the glass shard. Elena flexed her toes and smiled. When she was around Damon, it was like all the memories of Stefan were completely erased. His demeanor brought out the more relaxed, carefree side of her, and it was a nice world to escape into. She reached for her hot chocolate, bringing her knees up to her chest to conserve body heat. When he returned, he was carrying a maroon fleece blanket, which he draped over her shoulders carefully before sinking down next to her on the couch. He rested his arm across the back of the couch behind her head, and she leaned against it after setting he mug back on the coffee table. Feeling how comfortable she was with him at the moment, he took the opportunity to speak.

"I apologize on behalf of my brother. That human blood, it really messed him up; I thought forcing him to quit cold turkey would fix it, but it seems it just brought out who he really is. First-class jerk. I don't even understand why he's doing it, going after Katherine after all these years…she obviously has better things to do than return the favor. But no, for some inexplicable reason, he's decided to go back to the Ice Queen, when he obviously doesn't see what he had right in front of him. It's his loss really…because you…I mean you, you're…worth it…" He trailed off, slightly embarrassed at his rambling and suddenly at a loss for words. God, he was losing his edge. Elena's mouth fell open slightly, astonished at what she was witnessing. Damon; speaking like he actually was human, like he actually had a heart…it was stirring. Moved, she reached out and cradled the side of his face that she couldn't see with her palm.

"Damon," she whispered, wanting him to look at her. After a long pause, he looked at her out of the corners of his eyes, not sure what he would find there. "Thank you." It was an all-encompassing expression of gratitude, thanking him for understanding, for healing her wounds, for looking after her and taking her mind off of things, for simply being there. And he knew it. She rubbed her thumb across his smooth cheek, and he turned his face into her hand, closing his eyes as he brushing his lips lightly against her palm, slowly kissing it. She was slightly surprised by the intimate act, but couldn't bring herself to pull her hand away. She felt a soft warm feeling consume her on the inside, and her lips parted slightly, a shallow breath escaping them. He drew her hand away from his face, intertwining her fingers with his own strong, pale ones.

Looking into his beautiful blue eyes, she suddenly felt lonely and exhausted. He was her comfort, he was her rock, and she leaned against his chest, stretching out on the couch, still wrapped in the blanket. She felt him stretch out under her, bringing his arm around to drape loosely around her middle. She rolled over and turned into him, closing her eyes and burying her face into his chest. His other arm wrapped around her shoulders, holding her softly against him. He felt her breathing and heart rate slow, and he knew she was asleep. He laid his head back, tucking his neck over the top of her head. If he still had a heart, he knew it would be exploding right now. Feeling Elena, so warm and sweet, nestled into him at her own free will, reawakened sensations in him he believed he would never feel again. She was so good, so fragile; he knew he would do anything for her, to a further extent than even Katherine. Here, holding this girl, Katherine became nothing but a nasty memory. He would trade a thousand memories of her for just one second with Elena. Engulfed by the power of this revelation, Damon slowly drifted to sleep, the sweet smell of the girl in his arms more soothing than the most peaceful lullaby. And that is what finally settled among the two, for the first time in months or centuries: peace.

Hm…that ending got a little mushy didn't it? I guess that's what I get for writing so late at night. Oh well, I love Damon with his barriers down. I hope this wasn't too dull. Ok so please R&R! I would really love it if you would take the time to leave a review. It means a lot to me; my writing feeds off of feedback. So please remember: Feedback is Love. Thank you again so much for those of you who have been commenting, it's really great of you. Even getting story alerts and favorites messages in my inbox brightens my day. I love all of you! Love, Vampires, and Delena. Forever.