Jackhammers going off in my head, and what felt like someone stepping on my rib cage roused me from unconsciousness. I blink my eyes as sunlight temporarily blinds me, slowly sitting up. I look around the room, confused. I was in California King bed, the entire room done in black, dark cherry wood, and different shades of red. It was Obviously a mans room, but, whose? The last thing I remember is seeing Damon, Stefan, and Caroline running towards me, and I thought I heard Damon calling my name but... I'm not sure... I look on the nightstand, smiling when I see my phone, a bottle of prescription strength pain medication, a bottle cold water, and a note. I grab the bottle of pain meds and read the directions, popping two of the pills in my mouth and downing half the bottle of water, relishing the cold liquid as it re-hydrates my very dry mouth and throat. I pick up the note next.

"Elena,

Hope you slept okay. We brought you back to my house after you blacked out since my place was closer. I wanted to be sure that your injuries weren't serious, so I had a doctor come and check you over before everyone went to bed. Besides a busted lip and bruised jaw, you're fine, although you will be sore for a couple of days since that fucking asshole kicked you and threw you to the ground. If you're feeling up to it, Stefan, Caroline, and I are all spending the day hanging out on the beach and my back deck. There's a bag of stuff Caroline brought over last night sitting with your leather jacket and shoes on the chair at my desk. Hope to see you soon.

-Damon."

So that's where I am. I'm at Damon's, and.. I'm in his bed...! I can feel myself blush. No wonder the room was so extravagant. I get out of bed and grab my bag of clothes from the chair, going into the bathroom. After I finish with my morning routine, minus brushing my teeth, I quickly change into my black and neon blue string bikini, pulling and clipping my hair up off my neck, I slip a pair of neon pink athletic shorts and a lose fitting white tank top on over my bikini, grabbing my phone and setting my bag of clothing back on the chair. I take my time as I leave Damon's bedroom, exploring the huge, two story manor. It's, well, I couldn't think of a word to describe the way it looks. Everything was done in dark wood, stainless steel, and ceramic tiling, each room big, spacious, and expertly filled and decorated. I stop as I pass a bookshelf filled with photos, some of Damon and Stefan together, some of just Damon, just Stefan, and some of them with what I guessed were their parents. Damon even had a couple photos of Stefan and Caroline that I had taken. I pause, picking up a photo of Damon and a young woman, who looked a lot like me, but had darker and curlier hair, and wasn't as gifted in the body as I was. The glass inside the frame was gone, and the frame it's self was broken. The woman in the photo looked like she was strung out on drugs, a look I knew thanks to dating Matt. Damon looked like he was forcing the smile on his face.

"You're up and out of bed, that's good to see." Comes Damon's voice from behind me, and I jump, dropping the photograph in my hand. I turn and face Damon, blushing.

"G-good morning, Damon. Sorry if it seemed like I was snooping, I wasn't. I just walked passed these photos and..." I trail off as Damon picks the photograph I dropped up off the door, looking at it with a disgusted look on his face.

"It's fine, Elena. I don't mind. Mi casa es tu casa." Damon answers, giving me a smile that makes my heart flutter.

I follow Damon out into the kitchen, watching as he drops the photo in the trash, going to the fridge and pulling out four bottles of water. He turns and hands me one, brushing a lock of loose hair from my eyes.

"I'm glad to see that you hardly bruised after what that asshole did to you last night." Damon comments, giving me another smile.

I blush, looking down at my bare feet before looking back at Damon, who only wore a pair of black swim trunks that sat low on his hips, his hip bones, 6-pack, and perfectly toned upper body exposed. I look away again, sure my face was as red as a tomato.

"I.. I'm glad too. If you don't mind me asking, who was the woman in that photo? You don't have to answer... I'm just.. I'm just curious..." I stammer, opening my bottle of water and drinking some, suddenly feeling shy and very embarrassed.

Damon gently lifts my chin so I was looking at his ice blue eyes instead of the floor, a smile still on his face.

"It's okay, Elena. I don't mind you asking." Damon takes my hand, leading me out of the kitchen and out onto the back deck of his place.

I could see Stefan and Caroline out in the ocean, which was about 100 yards away from the end of the huge deck, which held an in-ground pool, hot tub, and two picnic tables with umbrellas, as well as several sun lounge chairs, a large place to lay out on a towel, and a grill. Damon places the two bottles of water in the cooler by one of the picnic tables, opening the other one and taking a drink. Damon and I sit across from one another at the picnic table, in the shade of the umbrella. I sit my phone and bottle of water on the table.

"The woman in that photo is my ex fiance Katharine Pierce. We dated for about three years, and shortly after I proposed to her, I found her shooting Heroine in my bathroom with... Well, with your ex. She's my age, twenty-eight, and we broke up about three months ago. I thought I got rid of all the photos of her, but I guess I missed that one." Damon explains, sighing heavily as he takes another drink from his bottled water.

I reach across the table, laying my hand on his. "I.. I understand. I left Matt cause I found him shooting up in my bathroom at my apartment. You already know where I live, seeing as I'm in the apartment right beside your brother and Caroline."

Damon looks up at me and smiles, and I can see the pain leaving his eyes.

"So, tell me about yourself Elena. We never did get to talk last night thanks to the ass-wad interrupting us."

I chuckle, brushing the stray lock of hair behind my ear once more. "Okay, well, I'm three years younger then you, twenty-five, I graduated last year with a major in business financing and a minor in business management. I'm currently not working, I got fired from my last job because of said ass-wad coming in and trashing the place. I love hanging out at Lux, and singing, as you could see last night." I blush, wiping the sweat from my face. "I love reading, writing, taking photos, hanging out at the beach, drinking, having fun, and...Well, that's all there really is to know about me." I blush again as Damon runs his thumb over the knuckles of the hand that was resting on his; now my hand was in his hand. "What about you? What do I need to know about the man who saved my life not once, but twice in a matter of months?"

Damon chuckles. "Well, you know about my past relationshit, I mean relationship." Damon and I both laugh at his quip about his past relationship. "And you know my age, lets see. I work for a company called "Sounds of Salvation", a company that builds and furnishes houses for homeless veterans. I'm an on sight manager and the accounting manager at the corporate building, but I spend most of my time on the sites supervising and helping the other employees, I'm currently looking for an assistant slash personal secretary to help me with all the financial papers and site book work that I can't ever seem to get to cause someone is always taking off and I have to fill in. I love to spend my free time at the beach, here on the deck, out at Lux drinking, singing, and having fun. I restored, re-furnished, own, and live in the house we're at now, this manor has been around since the early 1860's, and, well..." Damon pauses, catching my gaze and giving me a lopsided grin. My heart does a little flip in my chest.

"I hope this isn't too forward of me, but I would like to do two things; offer you the job as my assistant slash personal secretary, and," Damon blushes, causing me to blush as well. "I would also like to, if you'd like to as well, start darting you, Elena."

I gasp, stunned at Damon's words. I think about the offer for a moment. Damon reaches across the table, brushing the annoying stray lock of hair behind my ear once more.

"I'm sorry, Elena. Was I too forward? I mean, you don't have to accept either off-" I place my finger to Damon's lips, stopping his apology.

"Yes, Damon, my answer is yes, to both offers."

Damon lets out a whoop of joy, grinning like a cat who just caught the biggest rat in the city. He stands up, knocking the picnic bench backwards and hitting his head on the umbrella, and I can't help but laugh as Damon comes around to my side of the table and picks me up, spinning me around in his arms. I drape my arms around Damon's neck as he sets me on my \feet, his arms wrapped around my waist. Damon smiles and leans down, placing a soft, almost timid kiss on my lips. Stunned for the second time this morning, it takes me a moment to register that Damon had kissed me, and I blush deeply as I return the kiss. When we pull apart, both of us are blushing.

"So, now that we've talked, how about a day of fun and relaxation? It is Saturday after all, and I'm sure Caroline and Stefan are wondering what's going on." Damon inquires, looking down at me with a grin still on his face.

I grin as well, leaning up and kissing Damon once more. "It's a date."