Three's A Crowd

When the food and the wine was gone they all lingered at the table talking so it was getting late when they broached the issue of sleeping arrangements. "Don't worry little brother," I'll sleep on the sofa," Damon offered.

"Elena would be safer at our place."

"I've got school in the morning guys, I need to sleep in my own bed, no offence Alaric, this isn't your fault," Elena apologised.

"I'll sleep on the sofa, Damon can take my room, if he leaves the door open and Elena locks hers I doubt even a sleeping vampire would miss me breaking in. Or as I said before I could just get a hotel. Maybe I should move out-"

"You're not going anywhere," Elena warned. "It's decided, Damon will sleep upstairs. I'll be fine. I've been fine for weeks, whatever's going on I don't think the Gilbert ring is going to come after me anyway."

"I hope you're right," Stefan warned. "Well it looks like I'm not needed here," he excused himself. "Thank you for dinner Elena," he added formally.

"It was nice," Elena smiled. "Really nice," she looked at Stefan for a moment and he looked right back at her but he didn't try to restart their previous conversation. Elena had been careful not be alone with him all night and she was relieved that he seemed to have let whatever he wanted to say go for the moment.

Stefan held Elena's gaze, looking like he was about to say something, but only nodded to Elena, then to Damon and Alaric and said his final goodnight.

"Well I'd better get ready for bed. Do you need any help setting up the sofa?"

"I think I remember," Alaric smiled. The sofa brought back memories of those first horrible months after Jenna died, but it was comfortingly familiar.

"I'll wash up," Damon volunteered to everyone's surprise.

"Seriously?" Elena queried, eyebrows raised.

"I can be domestic," Damon defended.

"Well I cooked so I should help, you wash I'll dry."

And that was how they ended up standing alone together in the kitchen. Every now and again Damon would bump against Elena as he reached over to put a plate on the drying rack, or Elena would brush against him as she reached up to put something away. "So much for our date," said Elena, finally broaching the elephant in the room.

"Doubling with Stefan and Alaric wasn't quite what I had in mind," Damon teased, turning towards her. He shook the suds of his hands and wiped them on a spare tea towel. Elena was practically throbbing with anticipation.

"Yeah?"

Damon cupped her face, a still slightly damp hand on either side of her cheeks and when she didn't pull away he leant in and started a deep kiss. Elena responded, letting all her worries float away.

A cough startled them as Alaric came in to the kitchen. "Sorry, just getting a glass of water before bed."

Damon and Elena separated suddenly, Elena blushing. "We were just. Um. Goodnight," Elena returned awkwardly and fled the kitchen.

"Would you believe me if I said she thought she lost a filling and I was helping her look for it?" Damon joked. "Let's keep this between the three of us okay?"

"I'm not getting involved, but if your hurt Elena-"

"I get it, you'll go all psycho killer Gilbert on me, ring or no ring. I wouldn't expect any less," Damon smiled. "I'll finish this later," and he followed Elena up the stairs.

Alaric sighed. He had enough to worry about.

Upstairs Elena had just pulled on her PJs, a blue singlet-top and white patterned flannelette pants when Damon tapped on the door. "Visitor," he announced.

Elena padded over to the door, nervous and unsure but let him in anyway. "Damon," she greeted him with an obvious lack of enthusiasm. "I was about to get into bed."

"Well don't let me stop you," he grinned.

"What did you tell Alaric?"

"To keep his trap shut…. And that my intentions are honourable," he said, giving her a serious look that was full of promises. It was oddly similar to the way Stefan used to look at her.

"Since when?" Elena teased, his blazing blue eyes softening her.

"Since you stopped telling me to leave you alone."

"We shouldn't be doing this. Stefan could find out, I don't want anyone to get hurt."

"You're always worried about everyone else, what do you want Elena?" Damon asked, his hands holding her head so that she held his gaze.

"I'm still not sure, I don't think I understand any of this," she answered so honestly she wondered for a moment if he'd compelled her, but of course he couldn't.

"But you like this?" he asked, leaning in and kissing her deeply.

When he finally drew just a fraction away she nodded. Unconsciously her hands had slipped around his waist and she was leaning against him. They had moved slightly out of the doorway and into Elena's room.

"So, let's just try this," he whispered and kissed her again briefly, then her hair and her neck and her shoulder.

Elena's breath caught in her throat. She began to protest but only mumbled his name.

"I liked that little dress you had on, but this is nicer," he whispered, bending so he could kiss across her chest to the other shoulder before reengaging her lips in a longer harder kiss. Elena responded and his hands slipped under her singlet and up her back. His strong smooth hands felt incredible against her skin though her common sense was screaming at her to slow things down. There was no question in her mind that he wanted more than this, and that scared her a little, the idea of Damon losing control was intimidating.

When he stopped he was panting hard. "I'm going to sleep very well tonight," he teased. "I'm not used to having to wait, but you're worth it."

"You bet," Elena gulped trying to sound resolute. Her own resistance was feeling pretty weak.

"Were you reading?" Damon asked, eyeing the novel on her bed.

"To Kill A Mockingbird, some of us still have to study."

"Let me read to you?" Damon suggested, he almost sounded shy.

"I'd like that," Elena responded slowly, surprised.

Damon lay down on the bed and Elena shut the door behind them, timidly she crawled onto the bed and snuggled up to him and he began reading about Scout and Jem and Atticus in his thick warm voice. At first she was distracted by his nearness, all the places where her soft warm body pressed against his firm one but his voice was mesmerising and before long she was transported into the story. He read until she got drowsy and he put the book down and stroked her hair until she fell asleep.

A/N – so here we are. I hope it's not too sappy but I think they deserve a few happy moments. It's not all going to be easy though. What do you think? The favourites and alerts have been amazing but nowhere near the number of hits so I'm really curious how many people are actually reading, so I challenge you, post anything on the reviews, even if it's just "like" or "more" (anonymous reviews are enabled). It's okay to let me know if there's something you don't like too. I was going to end this chapter with Alaric having another "episode" but I didn't want to ruin the moment but I haven't forgotten about him….