Hello there! Told you I wouldn't take long this time ;)

Huge thanks to Lorena for being an awsome beta!

Thank you so much to all reading this, and to all who wished me a happy birthday, you guys are truly the best. I'm starting my very first job tomorrow (as a highschool teacher) so please wish me luck, I'm super nervous!

I'm so exited for you to read this, it's definitly one of my favorites and I really hope you like it.

ENJOY!

Passed the point of no return, no going back now
Our passion play has now at last begun
Passed all thought of right or wrong, one final question
How long should we two wait, before we're one?

Passed the point of no return, the final threshold
The bridge is crossed, so stand and watch it burn
We've passed the point of no return

The point of no return

.

Elena had lived in a state of complete stress the entire week while Caroline had squealed on the other side of the phone when the brunette told her about Damon's plan of going to the theater on Friday. She had Facetimed her to help her pick the perfect outfit and by Wednesday Elena already had a flawless ensemble ready to wear.

Damon had been extremely busy because of the new hotel they were opening, or that's what Stefan told her, so they barely saw each other during the week, he even wasn't available for their nightly trips to the kitchen. She only hoped he hadn't forgotten about today or her heart would be truly crushed.

"Why are you so quiet Lena?" Briar asked as Elena brushed Violet's hair gently. They were in the girl's bedroom and since their homework and chores were already over they asked for her to braid their hair.

"I am not being quiet Briar Rose" Elena offered with a smile as she started to move her fingers through Violet's soft hair

"Yes, you are" Violet answered "Are you nervous about going out with daddy?" The youngest girl asked and Elena could detect a hint of mischief in her voice

"Excuse me?" She asked in surprise. The only person she mentioned going out with Damon was Caroline and she was more than sure that her friend didn't say a word to any of the girls.

"The theater" Briar answered with a smile that made her resemble deeply to her father

"And how do you know about that?" Elena asked feeling the nerves starting to bubble in her stomach. If the girls knew about it then surely he hadn't forgotten about it.

"Daddy and Uncle Stefan were talking yesterday-"Violet started talking

"Girls you know that it's not right to be hearing other people's conversations" Elena admonished them, both girls looked at each other with regretful eyes and nodded.

"We know, but it wasn't intentional" Briar said "And we heard daddy tell Uncle Stefan about going with you to Broadway"

"'Can't wait to Friday' Daddy said and Friday is today" Violet said and Elena felt her entire body turn into butter at the words. He hadn't forgotten and he was as excited as her.

Elena placed an elastic to hold Violet's braid in place and then kissed the crown of her head softly.

"Do you love daddy Lena?" Briar asked and Elena's eyes almost fell out of her sockets. What was it with these girls and their questions?

"Umm what do you mean by that Briar?"

"It's just that daddy's all alone all the time… and when you're here he smiles all the time" Briar's eyes looked deeply at her and Elena felt the little girl's words pull at the strings of her heart "He looks at you like prince charming looks at Cinderella"

"Or beast to the beauty" Violet said

Elena laughed softly and her cheeks warmed with color. Could they be right? Could Damon want something different with her, something more than a booty call? After all, aren't children perceptive of these things?

"Who is the beauty and the beast?" Stefan's voice said from the doorway and Elena blushed deeply just thinking that he heard the conversation between her and the girls.

"Uncle Stefan!" Violet shrieked and ran towards the youngest Salvatore who lifted her in the air and twirled her around the room.

"It seems I'm on nanny duty today, girls" Stefan said as he winked to Elena "Your daddy and Lena here have something to do today"

"Told you" Briar whispered into Elena's ear

Stefan placed Violet onto the floor and headed towards Elena "I think it's time for you to leave Ms. Gilbert" Stefan extended both of his hands to her and she took them so he could help her get up from the ground.

Elena gave him a questioning look and he only shrugged "The boss sent me, told me to let you go so that you could get ready" Elena could see that there was something else he wanted to say to her but he restrained himself.

"Okay then, I'll see you tomorrow girls" She told them and they both went towards her and hugged her

"Maybe you should let him hold your hand" Violet whispered in her ear and Elena couldn't help but laugh at the innocent words of the girl. Briar placed a soft kiss on her cheek and smiled at her, and in that moment Elena felt herself being chocked up with all the love she had for these girls.

"Good luck, Miss Gilbert" Stefan told her with a wink before she exited the room. Shaking her head she opened the door to her own room across the hall and her breath got stuck in her throat at the sight.

A beautiful silk black dress lay on top of her bed, it was strapless with a tight bodice and a wide skirt, hints of gold adorned the hem and the breast area. It was without a doubt the most beautiful thing she had ever seen. She released a breath she didn't know she was holding as she walked closer, she placed her hands and felt the soft fabric, her eyes were instantly dragged towards the tag and when she spotted the words Monique Lhuillier she knew this was way out of her league.

"Oh God" She placed a hand on top of her chest when she saw the shoe box resting next to the dress "This can't be real" She opened it and the most beautiful pair of gold sandals stared back at her. "Oh boy" She whispered when she took the little note that was tucked between the sandals.

Hello there, I can almost see you hyperventilating right now Elena, please calm down. There is no way you're returning these shoes or the dress so please just get excited and wear them, I chose them thinking about you. I know without a doubt that you'll look gorgeous with them. This is a gift I want to make you and if you feel uncomfortable with that…well just think of it as a work benefit.

I'll be waiting for you downstairs at seven pm, please don't make me wait too long.

D.

"Holy crap" Elena muttered as she folded the note again and sat on the bed. What did this mean? Elena thought to herself. Does he want us to be something else or are we still just friends? Damon sure was sending her all kinds of signals and she didn't want to misunderstand them.

She turned her head towards the dress and again ran her hands through the fabric. It was too much but she couldn't help the excitement building inside her, never in her life had she even contemplated wearing something so delicate, so elegant, especially not to be on a date with a man like Damon, it was as if she was living her own Cinderella moment, hopefully the spell would hold longer than midnight this time.

With a childish laugh she took her phone out of her back pocket and snapped a picture and sent it to Caroline with a message attached.

"Damon got this for me, for tonight"

Within minutes the response from her blonde friend arrived

"Shut up! Why didn't I decide to seduce him first?"

"Because you're dumb Caroline"

"Oh my God I'm picturing this already, maybe he'll seduce you in a very phantom way and you will end up caving like Christine should have"

"Shut up"

"Oh come on you know you want it and he doesn't even need to buy you a dress to do that"

"I know…"

"You're so getting laid tonight"

"Caroline, of course not! This is barely our first date. I don't even know if it's a date"

"Okay that's enough, I'm calling you"

Elena shook her head with a smile on her lips as her best friend's number flashed on the screen.

This was going to be a fun night

Elena looked at herself in the mirror and couldn't believe what she was seeing, she wasn't vain or anything like that but she couldn't deny that she looked absolutely stunning. Her soft hair was in curls and placed delicately on the side of her neck, leaving her slender neck uncovered on one side. She went for a smoky look on her eyes and nude for her lipstick.

She gave herself a small pep talk before spraying 'La vie e bella' on her body and walking out of the room. As she walked down the stairs, her hand gripping the balustrade she spotted him at the end of the stairs and she couldn't help but think that this was truly her Cinderella moment. He was wearing a black tux that made his skin look paler and his eyes bluer, his hair was perfectly styled and a gentle smiled caressed his lips.

"You look absolutely stunning Elena" He whispered with a hint of awe as his eyes roamed all over her figure. She blushed under his stare and smiled at him.

"You look pretty good yourself" She offered and he smirked at her praise.

"Let's get going" he said before offering his arm to her. She took it with a smile and they left the house. Unbeknown to them three pair of eyes watched them leave with smiles on their faces from a window in the second floor.

Elena chatted all the way to the theater, she was incredibly nervous and couldn't stop, thankfully Damon didn't seem to mind, he listened to her with complete attention as she blabbed about why this play was her favorite and of how she and Caroline watched the movie every year on Christmas eve.

When they sat down inside the theater Elena's skin was tingling with excitement, both from the man sitting next to her and from the anticipation of seeing the play she had wanted to see for so long.

"I can feel your giddiness all the way from over here" Damon said with a chuckle

"I'm sorry, it's just that I've been wanting to do this for so long" She answered while looking at him with a wide smile "Thank you, thank you so much for bringing me here" She told him and squeezed his hand gently but for Damon it felt like she was squeezing his heart.

It was so refreshing to be with a woman like Elena, in his world every single woman he had contact with expected for good things to happen to them and took everything for granted, God knows that Katherine had been like that, but not her, not Elena. He knew her gratefulness came straight from her heart and made him like her even more than he already did.

As the lights dimmed and the curtains started to part he stared at her feeling mesmerized, her eyes growing big and such a childlike excitement appearing in them. Every single eye in the room was fixated on the front but not his, his were only on the woman sitting next to him.

Elena felt transported into a world of pure sensuality and fantasy, mystery and passion. Her whole body was enveloped by the sound of the music and magic the actors accomplished with their work. She couldn't help the goosebumps that appeared on her skin when they started to sing "The phantom of the opera" or tears to leave her eyes as she watched with rapt attention as "The music of the night" developed in front of her. This was without a doubt a magical night and it was all thanks to the man next to her.

Damon watched with fascination the whole story developing in front of his eyes, his whole life spent in New York and he never contemplated the chance of watching this play but now he knew why Elena loved the story so much, it was magical, full of passion and mystery and it was so well developed that it made your whole body sing with the magic in it. He didn't even know how but he found himself taking Elena's hand and he felt her grip at it tightly when "The point of no return" started. And for a brief moment he thought that this was also the point of no return for them.

"This was the best night ever, thank you so much Damon" Elena beamed at him and he felt his chest constricting at the sight. They were walking together through Times Square, their hands resting at their sides and almost touching each other. The lights of the city illuminating her face as her dress swayed in the night air and he swore he never before saw something so beautiful.

"It was my pleasure, in fact I enjoyed it quite a lot, more than I thought I would honestly" He answered truthfully and she couldn't help but smile at him.

"What was your favorite song?" She asked as they walked a bit more towards the place where the driver was supposed to pick them up.

"Music of the night" He answered

"Mine too" Elena chipped happily "It's always been a favorite, there's just something about that song that manages to hypnotize you, it engages all of your senses and just transports you to another place"

'Just like you' Damon wanted to say. Seeing her talk so passionately about something stirred things inside of him that had been asleep for too long. Seeing her so happy made him realize how right his choice of bringing her to Broadway was.

"I agree with you, there's something so magical about that song, the whole play actually" He took her elbow in his hands when he saw the car approaching and then helped her inside the car. Elena felt tingles in the part of skin he touched with his fingers.

Damon greeted the driver, gave him an address and put up the privacy screen so he and Elena could speak alone.

"But you don't really like the ending right?" Damon asked her, remembering something she had told him earlier in the night.

"Nope" She said while shaking her head softly "I was totally rooting for Erik and Christine"

"But he was kind of a psychopath killer" Damon stated as he moved a bit closer to her in the cramped space of the car. Elena could smell the leather of the seats and the minty scent of him; she almost wanted to get closer so that she could breathe him in.

"He was a misunderstood and tortured soul" She said with half a smile "And I liked them because she brought out the best in him and he made her face the darkest parts of her, and come on, everyone loves a mysterious man like Erik"

"They do?" He smirked at her and his eyes turned bluer while staring at her "would you say I'm mysterious Elena?" He asked in a low voice as his face moved towards her

"I would say…" She closed her eyes as he pressed his cheek to hers, it was warm and smooth so she guessed he had shaved before coming "I would…"

"What would you say Miss Gilbert?" His sultry velvety voice whispered in her ear and Elena felt a rush of wetness dampen her underwear. How could a man's mere voice do that to a woman?

"You are a very mysterious man, Mr. Salvatore"

He smirked against her skin as his hand gently caressed her arm, he knew he was taking this a bit too far but he just couldn't help himself. Not after being so near to her the entire night, watching the slender curve of her neck and the soft skin of her shoulders, he needed her.

"Damon" She moaned softly as he made his way onto her neck and ran his lips through the length of it, not quite kissing but awakening things inside her. Her eyes were closed and she threw her head back as her hands gripped at his bicep

"My sweet Elena" He murmured as his lips moved through her jaw and then an inch higher and just when his lips were placed at the corner of her mouth the car came to a stop and brought them out of that sensual spell they were caught in. "My apologies" He murmured with a soft smile as he moved around to adjust his pants.

Elena blushed furiously and averted her eyes to the window, she couldn't believe what had transpired between them in the car. She had never done something so bold but she was sure that if he had asked her she would have let him fuck her in that backseat.

Damon stepped out of the car and afterwards helped her to do the same, she could still feel the sensual energy buzzing between them, stronger than it ever was before. Elena lifted her eyes and stared in awe at the fancy restaurant they were at, Damon was truly treating her with a night she never expected.

"Come on" He whispered in a raspy voice and tugged at her hand so she would move forward. Elena's gaze moved to their joined hands and she couldn't help the smile that grazed her lips at the sight.

They were seated in a very secluded and private part of the restaurant and Elena wondered briefly if Damon had pulled any favors to get such an exclusive table so soon in a place like this.

With the delicious food and the wine flowing in the air around them they soon became more comfortable, they talked and talked like they'd known each other for years instead of just weeks. Damon loved to talk about the girls and Elena was fascinated with the way his eyes shined while referring to them, there was no doubt that he was a devoted father.

"Violet showed me the portrait you made of them" Damon told her before sipping his wine "It is beautiful, Elena, you are very talented"

"Thank you" She answered while blushing slightly "Painting or sketching has always been my passion and I was lucky enough to count with a family that supported my dream"

"That's very important indeed" He told her "I want to be that kind of father for the girls, I know I can be strict sometimes but I just want what's best for them, I want them to know that I will support them no matter what" Elena could see an edge of vulnerability when he spoke about them and it made her heart ache, she had no idea what had transpired in Damon's past life but it surely left a big scar on him.

"They do Damon, trust me" Elena said to him "Those girls adore you, they talk about you about half of the time we're together"

He laughed genuinely and Elena fell in love with his smile right there "I imagine that must be awful to you" He said in a flirty voice

"Awful? Now why would you say that?" She answered in an equally playful voice and a twitch in his eyes. Damon looked at her over the rim of his glass and shook his head in silent laughter.

"So… can I know who the person you went out with last week was?" He asked as he looked down and concentrated on his food. Damon knew he probably shouldn't be asking this, they were not in a relationship after all but she had asked him about Andie so he felt he had some kind of right to know who the man was.

"He was Elijah Michaelson" Elena said while moving a bit in her seat, a little uncomfortable with the answer "He's a friend of a friend and he had seen some of my work, he owns an art gallery and wanted to talk with me about my work"

'I bet he does' Damon thought and then chastised himself. He had heard a lot about the Michaelson brothers, they were incredibly successful and Elena was incredibly talented so of course they would want to collaborate with her. But Elijah Michaelson was also handsome, single and loaded, without children or any kind of emotional baggage. He was every girl's dream and that made him feel a little bit uncomfortable.

"He's just a friend Damon" Elena said in a soft voice and that's when he realized he had zoomed out on her.

"Of course" He smiled tightly at her "You owe me no explanation Elena" Thankfully the waiter interrupted them by placing their dessert in front of them, Elena had claimed to be too full to eat more but Damon stated that you couldn't leave dinner without dessert so he had ordered a single piece of chocolate fudge cake so they could share.

Elena cut a piece with her fork and brought it to her mouth "Oh God" She moaned with closed eyes when the chocolate hit her tongue. Damon felt himself growing harder in his pants for the second time tonight, he was going to end up with a severe case of blue balls.

"I thought you were too full" He joked

"I thought that too" She told him with a wink

He laughed and the night continued flowing with the same ease as before, Damon was having more fun than he remembered having in his entire life, never had he enjoyed a woman's company like Elena's. She was like a ray of light in a dark night, everyone was drawn to her, to her eyes, her laugh and he was no exception. She had casted a powerful spell on him and he knew he never wanted to be free again.

But of course because nothing in his life ever came easy there was a nagging feeling in the back of his head reminding him he wasn't being completely honest with her. Also this looked way too good to be truth and he knew more than anyone that things didn't always turn out to be perfect. Could he risk himself to such pain again? What would happen if things didn't work out between them? He couldn't watch her walk away, not her.

"Damon?" Elena's hand placed on his arm brought him out of his daze, the car was already parked in front of the house and the driver was waiting for them to step out.

"Sorry" He muttered and helped her out of the car. They entered the house in complete silence and then he offered to walk her to her bedroom. Elena laughed softly at this, she knew he had no intentions of sleeping with her or he would be leading her towards his bedroom instead so Caroline had been completely wrong and would be devastated the next day since she had ordered for Elena to call her first thing in the morning with a description of Damon's performance in bed.

"Thank you Elena" He murmured when they were outside her bedroom "You gave me the most wonderful night"

"No, thanks to you Damon, you made one of my dreams come true" She told him with the brightest of smiles and his chest felt like it was about to explode. 'I want to make all of your dreams come true'... He thought to himself

"Good night Damon" She said with a half-smile and he just couldn't restrain himself any longer. He took her face between his hands and pressed his lips to hers in the most gentle of kisses.

Elena closed her eyes as she felt his lips moving with hers, his hands gripping her face as if she was mere porcelain and would break at the touch. She was surrounded with the minty scent of him and wanted nothing more than to melt into him and never let go.

"Good night, Elena" He murmured next to her mouth once their lips were parted. He dropped his hands and left after giving her one last smile.

Elena entered her bedroom and dropped herself next to the door. That kissed had moved the earth from underneath her. What was happening between her and Damon? She let out a carefree laugh as she looked herself in the full length mirror directed towards the door. Sitting in the floor with her crumpled beautiful dress and dolled up like a movie star.

The clock had struck midnight a long time ago but somehow she still felt like a princess.

So what did you guys think?