Oh, my god VD was ahhhhhmazing last night! I love Damon so much3 If they don't start Delena on the show soon, I'm going to freak out.

So there is some major sappiness in this chapter but I can't help it. Delena brings it out in me, which I have to say is something pretty hard to do. LOL. So I think I got over that writer's block I had for this story and will be updating much more often. Thanks for all the reviews, they mean so much! And thank you to kat, who kinda inspired this chapter. Enjoy and R & R!

Elena didn't know she fell asleep until she woke up, dim light streaming in through the dark curtains. Still dazed from sleep, she looked around the room for a moment, confused. Then she realized where she was and the beginning of panic withdrew, leaving her feeling calm and happy and complete and utterly right, the pounding in her head almost completely gone due to the sleep. She was in Damon's room, snuggled up underneath the thick, warm covers. She'd woken up plenty in the Salvatore Mansion lately, though never in Damon's room. Drinking vampire blood was a lot like drinking too many glasses of coffee much too quickly. It always left her feeling somewhat high, sick and it always gave her a headache. Damon said it was because her body wasn't meant to have vampire blood and it sharpened all of her senses, more than they ever should be, while making her stronger. It was necessary, but Elena didn't particularly like it. After drinking it, she often had to stay in one of the guest bedrooms and sleep the headache off.

She felt her face heat up as the memories of the day came back to her, especially the kissing Damon part. Kissing him was just… wow. She has had her fair share of kisses, but nothing compared to the feel of Damon's lips moving in synchronization with hers. She felt like sparks and fireworks were going off in her head. Nothing like that had ever happened with Stefan or Matt. Kissing Damon was pure ecstasy. Kissing Damon was epic. And as soon as he bit his tongue and she tasted the bitter sweet copper, she was floating and there was nothing but Damon and blood.

Laying there, she couldn't help but wonder why she never felt that with Stefan. Why did kissing him not feel epic? Why did it not make her forget everything but him? She couldn't deny that Stefan wasn't a good kisser because he was, but he had nothing on Damon. She didn't feel like she was on top of the world when she kissed Stefan. She didn't feel like she was in heaven running her hands through his hair. After kissing Damon, the thought of kissing Stefan again was disappointing. It was like the thought of kissing a boy after kissing a man.

Maybe that was the problem all along. Maybe she needed someone who didn't strive to be normal and fit in, to be an average high school kid; to be human. Maybe she needed someone experienced and mature and epic like Damon. Maybe she needed someone who strived to be bigger and better than anyone else and would do anything for it.

Stefan had been great, but Stefan wasn't epic and neither was their love. She knew that now.

Elena also couldn't help but notice that she didn't feel so lost and abandoned anymore. She didn't feel like a part of her was missing because Stefan was gone. Her heart didn't ache for him anymore. Thinking back on their time together, Elena couldn't help but compare it to Matt after their breakup. It was fun while they were together, she wouldn't go back in time if she could and change it, but it would not happen again. Stefan had been replaced in her heart. No, not replaced. Being replaced by something would mean that something was never in your heart. She knew now that she had always loved Damon- she just wouldn't admit it because the thought scared her. She was scared of having feelings for Damon. She was scared of being Katherine. But she knew now that she wasn't Katherine. Katherine had said it was always Stefan. For Elena, it was Damon.

From this day on, it would always be Damon.

Elena came back to reality and felt another presence in the bed beside her.

Smiling and biting her lip, eyes still closed, she rolled over on her side and rested her forehead against his chest. She could faintly hear his heart beat, what with his blood coursing through her veins, heightening her senses. He put one of his arms around her waist, pulling her closer to him and the other tangling in her deep brown hair. She sighed contently.

"How long have you been awake?" he asked, quietly. She was memorized just by the sweet, seductive, silken sound of his voice. How had she never been affected like this before?

"I don't know," she breathed, trying to snuggle closer to him, something that was nearly impossible. Head to toe she was touching him and it still wasn't enough. "A little bit."

He was quiet for a moment and Elena wondered what his face looked like right now, what his facial expression was. She was curious enough to angle her face to see his. His face surprised her. It was vulnerable and hesitant, something she had never seen in Damon's face, at least not through a dream. She instantly wanted to know what was wrong.

"What's wrong?" she asked, blinking up at him.

His face shut off for a moment and it made her heart skip a beat and not in a good way. After everything that had just happened, she couldn't bare to see his face lacking emotion, especially directed towards her. It was too much like the old Damon who didn't trust anyone. He could trust and open up to her.

"Nothing," he said. It was strange seeing his eyes so empty after just awhile ago they were filled with love and heat and passion.

She struggled to sit up and he released her, allowing her to sit up. She let the vertigo pass before she spoke.

"Please, please don't shut me out," she said, quietly.

His eyes softened just the slightest and he sat up, the dark sheets pooling in his lap. He gripped her upper arm gently and ran his hands up and down, causing her to shiver, like his touch was electric. He held her gaze with the sudden weight in his eyes and said, "I'm not trying to shut you out. I'm sorry."

"Then what's wrong?" she asked.

His eyebrows furrowed and he looked like he didn't quite know either. She watched as he struggled for a moment, trying to figure out the words that would fit what he felt. Finally he said, "Elena… you have to understand… I've haven't felt like this-"

"Since Katherine," Elena said, distastefully.

"No," he said, firmly. His eyes were so intent Elena felt like she couldn't breath. Two perfect circles of ice, filled with so much heat Elena wondered how they didn't melt. "Not since Katherine. Never. What I felt for Katherine is nothing compared to how I feel for you. Not even a fraction."

His words warmed her heart, but she still wanted to know why he looked so distant just a moment ago. "Then why…?"

"I keep waiting to open my eyes and realize this is all just a dream. I keep waiting to open my eyes to find Stefan never left and you two together."

Elena shook her head, her hair brushing his arms. "Stefan's gone, Damon," she said, firmly. "He's not coming back and-"

"But what if he did?" Damon interrupted.

Elena continued without acknowledging his interruption. "-I don't want him to come back."

Damon's eyes widened.

"I don't want him to come back," she said, intently. "He made his choice and I was upset at first, but I've realized that I'm glad he left."

"Why?" Damon asked, looking skeptical, like the words coming from her mouth were too good to be true. She couldn't blame him. He had been lied to, let down and hurt so many times, how could he not have trouble believing someone actually might care about him? Might actually love him without an agenda?

That broke her heart and she wanted to make sure he knew that she would never hurt him.

"Because if he had stayed, I would have continued to stay content with normal, with comfortable. If he had stayed, today wouldn't of happened and I would have never realized how much better things can be. If he had stayed, this-" she motioned to the two of them "-wouldn't have happened."

"What is this?" he asked, looking like he was on the verge of hoping. He motioned to the two of them, just as she did.

She bit back a smile and shrugged. "I have no idea," she said, leaning forward. "But I don't want it to stop."

Their lips were just a mere inch apart and she wanted to kiss him with every ounce of her being but she needed to say something first, to clear something up.

"Damon Salvatore," she said, looking into those blue eyes that suddenly held her to Earth. "I will never hurt you, I will never lie to you, I will never leave you, I will never try to change you and I will give you back what Katherine took from you. I will make you happy and I will give you the family you deserve. I love you."

He gave her a smile that stopped her heart and took her breath away before pressing his lips to her's, the fireworks starting again.

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