A/N: Hello, here's the next chapter. Hope you like it. Thanks for the reviews :)

Disclaimer: I do not won the characters used in this story.

Chapter 12

Elena scrambled through Damon's medicine cabinet, reading bottle labels as fast as she could until she saw the one she was looking for ;'antiseptic'. She rushed back into the living room where Damon rested, a pack of ice placed on his jaws. Shutting his eyes, Damon felt Elena hovering worryingly around the sofa and sat next to him.

His whole body was aching, some parts on his face stings and he suspect is where he was cut. If he lay perfectly still, the pain would not be too bad. Opening his eyes slightly, Damon watched Elena ready to swipe some alcohol on his wounds.

She was not sure where to start, his whole body was wrecked and concern never left her expression. She bit her lips, scanning which part of him she should aid first.

Damon shut his eyes again and let out a groan "you picked the wrong time to be cute Elena…"

Elena was too focused to pay attention to his teasing; "Don't move..." she cautiously swiped the medicine on a cut on Damon's cheeks causing him to hiss and reflex away from her touch.

"This is really bad Damon, they're deep …" Elena wiped other cuts near his chin and forehead.

"It's not that bad…" Damon felt his throat dry but gather the strength to sit up on the sofa, trying to prove that it really was not that bad. Elena was not convinced; she frowned as she inspected the rest of him. Matt and Tyler really got him good and even though she didn't dare to witness the whole fight, she could tell Damon was punched and kicked a good number of times.

It looked excruciatingly painful and Elena felt a pang of guilt. Tucking a stray strand behind her ears, Elena moved closer to place a pack of cool ice on to his skin. Damon watched her intently, but she neither looked disgusted nor worried, but just sad. "I'm so sorry Damon, all this is my fault. I didn't get to explain to him, I didn't have time to tell him…" she paused because her voice was too shaky and she was on the verge of either crying or exploding with range.

"It's not your fault Elena; he doesn't want to listen even if you tried to explain. He was just itching for a fight; I could see it in his eyes. And his crazy friend too." Damon straightened himself.

"What does Matt have against you?" Elena wondered.

"Matt and that guy Tyler are Katherine's party buddies, who knows what she told them about me…"

"I can't believe Matt would do this…" Elena shook her head, realizing Matt had changed since the last she saw him. Elena looked down her lap, sniffing. She had cherished their friendship and for him to be enemies with someone equally as important in her life, Elena felt deeply hurt.

Damon's heart melted at the sight of her damp cheeks and eyelashes. "I'm fine. It's not that bad…really".

He pretended not to feel every pain in his muscles as he stood up and walked up to a nearby full length mirror in front of the sofa. Elena looked worried and ready to catch him if he suddenly falls but Damon just gave her an assuring smirk.

He carefully studied his bruised and cut covered face "I've seen worst…" Damon said winking at Elena through the mirror. She smiled and felt a little relieved. He then took off his t-shirt over his head, grunting in pain. The real damage was obviously below the neck.

There were large bruises on his back and abs. Tyler managed to slash him with a glass bottle on the sides of his ribs and Damon remembered being kicked while he was down. Elena's mouth dropped and she rushed to him, hesitating if she should touch those painful markings.

She stared at it a little longer before shaking her head and willed herself to act fast; "c'mon, we're going to the hospital…now"

Damon was surprised that the shaky voiced woman just moments ago, gave him orders with determination in her voice. He chuckled and grabbed Elena's wrist when she spun, pulling her close to him.

"I don't really like doctors to be honest…" he gave her a playful smile, gazing into her eyes. Damon didn't expect it but Elena held his gaze. Caught in his compelling gaze, she found herself drawn closer against Damon's chest.

A hint of lust was tainted in his eyes but there was something else behind them, it was desperate yearning. And despite the fear of getting hurt again, he could not help but feel strongly drawn to her.

His eyes persuaded and pleaded her to give in to the undeniable pull between them. They had been prancing around each other long enough; Damon thought and perhaps it's time to make Elena see just how much he wanted her.

Her head told her to pull away but her body wouldn't yield. Elena felt Damon's grip on her wrist getting tighter, pulling her in. Damon had never been so close to Elena like this before and he closed the gap between her heaving chest and his own, their lips inches apart.

In the heat of the moment, a painful image that had been bothering her all day, spontaneously popped itself in her mind, and Elena pulled back; taking sudden steps backwards. Her confused expression matched his but she quickly left the living room.

"I should let you rest now. You should take the pain killers…" she said nervously, making her way across the living room. She disappeared behind her bedroom door before saying goodnight, leaving a very stunned Damon standing alone in the living room with nothing in his mind but question marks.

She spent the night tossing and turning in bed;

'Why does Damon keep a picture of Katherine?'

'Is he still in love with her?'

'Why did he try to kiss her?'

'Why did Matt attacked Damon?'

When none of her question were answered by a higher power, like she had hoped, Elena shut her eyes tight, forcing herself to sleep.

She woke up early the next morning. She wanted to leave the apartment before Damon was up. Pushing his door open ever so gently, she peeked at how he was doing. Damon lay peacefully asleep, bandages wrapped most of his midriff and a painkiller bottle on the night stand told Elena he will be fine. She promised herself to check on him again later that afternoon, despite what almost happened last night between them.

She stopped at a small café in the middle of town and phoned Bonnie to meet her there. Half an hour later, Bonnie appeared in a sky blue sweater and a book bag. She was on her way to class and could only spare Elena an hour to talk. "Talk fast…"she teasingly said, before sitting across from Elena.

"Bonnie, something terrible happened last night. Damon and Matt and Tyler got into a fight….it was horrible" Elena leaned close, looking very upset. After all the details were filled in, Bonnie's expression turned glum.

"I can't believe Matt would be so violent. The Matt I knew, would never hurt anybody…" she looked concerned and she wrapped her arms around herself. She recalled moments in high school when Matt was the sweet guy who carried her books or sit with her at lunch.

"A lot has changed Elena. People change. Matt dropped out of college and worked as a mechanic with his father" Bonnie explained solemnly. "He stopped hanging out with me and Caroline and Jeremy, maybe he felt intimidated or inferior with us college students…I don't know" she continued but not looking at Elena, stirring her coffee idly.

"I tried to talk to him but it was too late, Katherine and Tyler got a hold on him. Soon enough, he was at every party scene with them, causing all sorts of trouble. That's why every time you call me when you were overseas and asked me about Matt, I wasn't lying when I said I didn't know" Bonnie finished with a deep sigh, feeling the regret of losing a good friend.

"Well, he hates Damon for some reason…" Elena fiddled with her cup of coffee.

"Matt dated Katherine. Maybe he's just jealous" she finished before taking a sip of her coffee.

Elena thought long and hard, digesting all the information she heard. She lazed back in her seat, losing herself in deep thoughts, as reality sinks in; not only did she lost Kat, she lost Matt too. After a few minutes of silence, she finally looked into Bonnie's eyes.

"How is Damon?" Bonnie asked when Elena looked worried.

"Black and blue…. But I think he will be okay…" she bit her lip, wondering if she should tell Bonnie about what happened in the living room. Her hesitation was so obvious.

"Anything else bothering you, Elena? I'm all ears"

"No..nothing…" she nervously tuck a stray strand behind her ears, shifting uncomfortably in her seat when a familiar warm feeling travel down her body as the thought of their 'almost' kiss last night replayed over and over again in her head.

I didn't want to go too deep into Matt & Katherine's business..it's in the past.

And Damon in this story is not as vengeful as Damon in TV cause he got better things to do like...

oh i don't know...

like taking care of his son...hehe

Anyway, there you go...hope you like this chap, thanks for reading.