It was like nothing I'd ever felt before. It literally felt like every nerve and fibre in my body was on fire. Like I'd been lying still for days and my muscles and bones needed to move. It was like a blind man seeing the sun for the first time and a deaf man hearing the soft melodies of music. It was like a human falling in love for the first time. As the red liquid soothed my aching throat, I looked at Damon with new eyes.
I could see the way his shoulders tensed up when he was on edge about something. I could see the detail of his face. I could see the contours of his muscles through his tight black t-shirt. I could hear things from miles away. Everything was so much clearer. Finally, my eyes met his and I could see the way his blue eyes softened when he looked at me. I finished the blood bag and looked at Damon for some voice of comfort or encouragement. He said nothing. All he did was caress my cheek with his hand and place a light kiss on my lips.
"Hi." I whispered to Damon. He let out a genuine smile before replying.
"Hi," he whispered back.
"How do you feel?" Damon whispered. I couldn't think of anything to say so I settled for wrapping my arms around his neck and pulling him on top of me. He returned my advance by placing his hands on my hips, pulling me up closer onto his body. My hands traced the plains of his chest through his shirt. After a short time of kissing (too short), Damon pried his lips from mine and lightly touched my forehead with his lips before leaning our foreheads on one another. "I guess that answers my question…" he muttered with a smirk. I frowned slightly.
"That…" I gestured between our nearly touching bodies with my hands, "does not even begin to answer your question…" I retorted before straightening ourselves up so I was leaning on the headboard. Damon rolled over to the other side of his bed and propped himself up on his elbow so he was facing me.
"Are you ready to face the mob downstairs?" Damon asked with a smirk. I couldn't help but smile at the thought of my friends and family downstairs, awaiting the news.
"Who's all here?" I asked.
"Uhm…" he thought for a second. "Vampire Barbie, Judgey and emotional Gilbert followed by Wolf-Boy came barrelling in just before you passed out…" he explained. I nodded, faintly remembering explaining what had happened to Jeremy, Caroline and Bonnie before fainting. "And Ric's here but he's downstairs…" Damon began.
"With Stefan," I finished. Damon nodded hesitantly before wrapping an arm around my shoulder and kissing my neck below my jaw line.
"Elena, I promise that he will never come that close to you ever again" Damon told me with conviction. I smiled and a sense of relief washed over me knowing that even despite everything, I could always count on Damon.
...
Elena and Damon shuffled downstairs, hand in hand to face everyone. Once they arrived on the stairs landing, five pairs of concerned eyes studied Elena. Elena twirled herself out of Damon's grasp and stepped forward to face the vampire, werewolf, witch, and two humans.
"Hi," she whispered.
"Hey!" Caroline said, a smile beaming from her face as she skipped forward and embraced her best friend in a tight-bear hug. Elena melted into Caroline's arm and inhaled, grateful for her dear friends love and support.
"Elena…is…is it still you?" Jeremy asked, hesitantly stepping forward. Elena couldn't help but allow the tears fall freely from her eyes at the sight of her close to broken brother. She couldn't say anything, so she settled for nodding her head fiercely in a yes gesture. He immediately enveloped her into his arms. The hug was similar when she was rescued from Rose, Trevor and Elijah. It was safe and normal, and the kind of hug only a brother could give to his sister.
Tyler was the next to step forward, awkwardly hugging Elena in a one armed hug. She couldn't help but let out a small chuckle at the feeling of the hug but smiled when she saw Caroline plant a kiss on his cheek and tugged him along to sit with her on the couch. Suddenly, as soon as Tyler backed away Bonnie wrapped her arms around Elena's neck and began crying profusely.
"Bonnie," Elena said with both a mixture of gratitude and appreciation. If Elena was being honest, she was most concerned about Bonnie's reaction. She remembered vividly the hostility and fear she harboured when Caroline was welcomed into this new life, and was worried beyond belief that her childhood best friend would never forgive Elena despite the dire circumstances prior to her transformation.
"You're my best friend, no matter what you are…" Bonnie whispered into Elena's ear, pulling her closer.
"Hey!" Caroline shouted for the second time that night with a huff. Bonnie and Elena both giggled as they opened their arms, gesturing for the blonde to join. Caroline beamed as she hopped off the couch and embraced her two best friends with a large smile. Elena's heart was so full of love for everyone in the room, she continued to let the tears fall. Bonnie and Caroline squeezed Elena harder, almost as if to offer the new vampire their love and strength.
They were interrupted by an awkward cough from Tyler and Jeremy who were seated on the floor, and Alaric who was standing beside Damon. Elena offered Alaric a small smile and he stepped forward and embraced her the way a father hugs his daughter. She took comfort in this small gesture.
"What are we going to do to celebrate?" Caroline asked excitedly, her eyes wandering towards the liquor parlour.
"Don't even think about it…" Damon said, answering her un-asked question. She rolled her eyes and folded her arms across her chest and went to stand beside Elena.
"Elena, would you like to have a few drinks?" Caroline asked Elena.
"Don't do that!" Damon ordered, instantly flashing in front of the two vampires.
"Don't do what?" Caroline shot back.
"Don't pull the Elena card – I hate that!" he mumbled, folding his arms across his chest as a sign of defence.
"Well it's the only card that works!" she retorted. Elena couldn't help but smile at this, and in response she laced her fingers through Damon's. He rolled his eyes as Elena wrapped her arms around Damon's waist and then muttered to the blonde.
"Fine. You can have one shot, but that's it!"
"One each?" Tyler shot up, his eyes widening with excitement.
"Ric, can't you take them out for ice cream or something?" Damon asked, earning the bird from his best friend. "No? Alright…" Damon muttered.
"How about we celebrate tomorrow? This is a lot to take in, and I just need a minute, I think…" Elena said quietly to the five people in the room, avoiding Damon's gaze.
"What about…" Damon shot Caroline a look and she rolled her eyes.
"What are you gonna do about He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named?" Jeremy asked, his question directed towards Damon.
"Voldemort isn't here…" Caroline said then turned to Jeremy and noticed that he was talking to Damon. "Ohh, right. That dark lord, my bad!" she said, her cheeks slightly flushed.
"Is she drunk already?" Damon asked, turning his head towards Bonnie and Elena. They both laughed and shook their heads.
"It's Caroline," Tyler explained and Damon nodded his head. Tyler got up off the floor and extended his head towards Elena. "I'm happy you're okay," he said with a smile. Elena wrapped her arms around her childhood friend and smiled.
"Thanks Tyler," she said quietly.
"Or leave without me, that's fine too…" Caroline mumbled, giving Elena a swift kiss on the cheek and a tight hug. "Text me!" she hollered to Elena, as she followed Tyler out the door. Jeremy got off the floor and laced his hand with Bonnie's, they both approached Elena. Jeremy wrapped his arms around his sister, and kissed her on the forehead.
"I love you, Elena. No matter what…" Jeremy said to Elena with conviction.
"I love you too Jer…no matter what," she said.
"Ric, you're driving…" Jeremy said.
"Of course I am…" Ric muttered, hugging Elena for the second time that night and then turned to Damon. "Here," he said reaching into his jacket pockets – emptying them. Damon and Elena both looked at him questioningly and he shrugged, a light blush on his cheeks. "You can never be too careful…" he said to Damon, leaving him with ten vervain darts.
"I'll call you tomorrow, okay?" Bonnie asked, tears threatening to spill over again. Elena nodded and then hugged her best friend. "Friends really are forever, eh?" Bonnie asked, trying to lighten the mood. "I guess me you and Caroline should have a girls night soon and change our pact…" Bonnie offered.
"Can I come?" Damon asked with a smile. Elena rolled her eyes and nudged him lightly in the elbow. "You never invite me…" he said with a pout, heading over to the couch.
"Sounds good, bye Bonnie!" Elena said with a smile as she shut the door behind her friends and family, finally getting alone time to take a breath.
…
"I thought they'd never leave…" Damon said, rolling his head back to emphasize his point. I took a deep breath, closing my eyes in hopes to pause life so I could catch my breath. Suddenly, a flash of cool air whisked by and I opened my eyes to be faced with Damon. "Are you okay?" he asked, concern lacing his voice.
"Forever…it's just a lot to take in, you know?" I asked.
"Yeah, I know what you mean…" he said, letting his voice grow distant. Elena wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him on the lips.
The kiss started out as slow and gentle but quickly turned hungry and passionate. Damon flashed them across the room and Elena found her back against the wall. She tangled her hands in his hair and he grabbed her hips in an attempt to bring her closer to him. Even in this new life, only Damon had the ability to ignite a fire in Elena's body. They broke the kiss apart, leaning their foreheads against one another. Elena opened her eyes to find herself faced with his ocean blue eyes. It didn't take long for their lips to be moving in perfect synchronization again.
Suddenly, they were in front of his huge four-poster bed, hungrily undressing eachother. Elena ran her hands over the planes of Damon's bare chest while his hands explored the sides of her perfect body, kissing her collarbone and jaw line.
Lying beneath the sheets with only their undergarments between them, Damon hovered over Elena, his hands supporting his weight while they gazed into each other's eyes.
"Elena?" he asked, breaking the silence. She looked up at him, her brown eyes wide and wondrous. "I've done so many things to hurt you…" he began. She shook her head and placed her index finger on his lips.
"I already told you its okay…" she whispered in a comforting tone. He shook his head defiantly.
"Please, just let me say this…" he asked. She took a deep breath, her eyes on him questioningly. "I've done so many things to hurt you…and you are never going to know how sorry I am…" he whispered, and then reached underneath the pillow.
He opened his hand, revealing a small black, velvet box. "If you let me, I will spend the rest of eternity trying to make it up to you…" he whispered, opening the box to reveal a sapphire blue diamond in the middle of white diamonds, all resting on a silver band.
"Are you proposing to me?" she asked, tears running down her cheeks. He rolled his eyes and smirked at her.
"This ring…" he took it out of the box and held it up in front of Elena's brown eyes. "Can mean whatever you want it to mean. It can be a promise ring where I promise to always try to be the better man. It can be an engagement ring, where you still have time to back out of eternity. It can even be a friendship ring…with benefits though," he added as an afterthought. Elena started to giggle, and he couldn't help but laugh as well. She brought her hand up to caress his cheek, and she kissed him light on the lips.
"I'll let you decide what it means…" she whispered with a smile. He picked up her left hand and slid the ring down her ring finger and then kissed it.
"I've decided it means you're mine forever," he said, kissing her full on the lips. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him with as much passion as she could muster up. Damon and Elena spent the rest of the night exploring eachother, letting their feelings take them to places they never knew existed.
I'm sorry it took so long for me to update! I had a huge writer's block for this chapter. I've decided that the story is only going to go on for another chapter or two unless I can come up with another twist that won't make you guys hate me! Please review!
P.S – Check out my other story "Hanging by a Moment", review that one too!