Chapter Sixteen: Finale

Silence.

That's all she heard. She couldn't bear to open her eyes and see any lack of caring on Damon's face. So she turned to leave.

She almost jumped out of her skin as a hand gripped her arm and pulled her back. Damon was standing mere centimetres in front of her.

"It wasn't my fault," he stated simply.

"I know that," she sniffled, "Well, I realize that now."

"I wasn't obliged to tell you what Stefan was doing."

"I know."

"He's my brother and we've been brothers a hell of a lot longer than you and I have been friends. I have to be loyal to him first."

"I get that," Elena sighed. Well, at least he's not screaming in my face.

"You had no right to yell at me the way that you did."

"I agree."

"I'm still mad at you for everything," he confirmed.

Her shoulders sunk low and she felt fresh tears springing to her eyes. She nodded her head, "I understand."

"But, Elena," he started, his hands reaching up to cup her face, his fingers wiping the tears from her cheeks while holding her eyes with his own. "I love you. I think I've loved you since the day we met. I don't think I truly understood loving someone or what being loved back actually felt like. So, I want to thank you for teaching me that," his thumbs continued stroking across her cheeks, brushing away the tears that kept falling. "Thank you for teaching me how to really love someone."

"Don't thank me," she coughed out, "I don't deserve it."

"Well, you're right," he agreed. "Judging by these last few days, you sure as hell don't." She sniffled in response and nodded her head. "But, Elena, you're a good person. You've always been a good person. Just a good person who's made some terrible decisions lately. I mean really terrible..."

"Yeah," she agreed.

"Like horrifically terrible..."

"I get it."

"I mean awful-"

"Okay!" she shouted at him, a small chuckle escaping her.

"But we can move on from this. Together. We can be together and be happy and be in love. There's nothing more that I want in this entire world, Elena, than our happily ever after."

"I don't deserve to be happy after all this crap that I've pulled..."

"Elena," he looked her straight in the eyes, "you deserve happiness and anything more that you could ever want. And me," he grinned at her. "I'm going to give that to you. I'm going to show you the love that you deserve every day for the rest of your life."

She smiled up at him through her tears.

"You can start by showing me now," she whispered.

He smirked down at her, "Don't mind if I do."

His lips crashed down on hers; persistent, yet slow and sweet. As if they had all the time in the world, yet couldn't get enough of each other. His hands tugged at her hair, his fingers getting trapped in the long strands as his tongue slid along her lips.

She couldn't suppress the moan she was holding in. Her arms reaching up to lock around his neck as he lifted her with ease before setting her down on his bed. He made quick work of removing her t-shirt followed by her jeans until she lay clad in the sexiest white lace set she could find this afternoon.

She had every intention of being sent home alone tonight, knowing what she had done, but the way he had taken her back into his life and his heart made her own heart ache in the best way possible.

He gently cupped her breasts, thumbs stroking across her now hardening nipples. It was just slowly occurring to Damon that this would be it for him. This would be their lives now. Every day he could kiss these lips and down her neck like he was now. He could unhook her bra and remove it from her soft, perky breasts without hesitation. He smiled against her skin before taking a nipple into his mouth.

Elena's back arched, a sigh escaping her lips. If this was what it was going to be like from here on out, she knew she had made the right decision. Damon was right for her. He was the one for her. And she thanked God that he forgave her for the stupid decisions she'd made lately.

She slid her hands down into his boxers, tugging at his cock, slowly but with enough force that he had to release her nipple to catch his breath.

"Damon, please," she sighed, "I don't want to wait anymore."

She didn't have to ask twice.

He slid down her body, his hands gripping her panties to pull them down and off of her. He threw them somewhere to the side of the room before pulling off his own boxers and climbing back up her body.

He placed a sweet kiss on her lips before sliding into her with one smooth thrust. It almost brought tears to his eyes that they fit so perfectly together.

It didn't last long, but it didn't need to. They had all the time in the world to be together now.

They came together, his face pressed into the crook of her neck, her fingernails digging into his scalp.

They lay in each other's arms, trying to catch their breath, smiles plastered to their faces which they both hoped would never disappear.

Who was he kidding? He'd always forgive Elena. After every stupid decision she'd made, he still couldn't get her out of his head. And God only know why she would still want to be with him considering all the stupid decisions of his own that he had made in the past.

They were going to make this work and it was going to be beautiful and passionate and everything that they could ever dream of.

He reached over and turned off the light on the table next to him.

"Damon?" Elena called out to him, her voice at a whisper in the silent room.

He hummed in response, nodding his head slightly.

"Is everything okay?" She asked, concerned briefly that he may have changed his mind about everything, "I mean, are we okay?"

"I love you, Elena. Everything is perfect."

"I love you, too, Damon." He smiled at her and kissed her cheek as he pulled her close to him

They both closed their eyes. They could finally relax as all the secrets were out. There was nothing left to hide. They'd both finally been able to see what they'd been too blind to notice all along - that the right person was right in front of them all along.

FIN.

A/N: And there we have it folks. Thank you to everyone for reading! Special thanks to those of you (if any exist) that have been reading since the beginning of this six years ago. I hope you'll stick around and continue to read my writing and any upcoming stories - not necessarily TVD as I think that ship might have sailed away from me, but I have a few in the works that I hope to get out here. As always, reviews and favourites are welcomes and appreciated! Sending love to you all!