I know this has taken forever to finally upload, but my writer's block has been really bad for this story. So sorry. I wanted this to be a longer update after such a long time away, but I decided to break the 'date' chapter up into at least two parts. This way I can upload this part tonight, and maybe get the second part up tomorrow. I hope you all enjoy, and please tell me what you guys think about how I portrayed the first part of Damon and Elena's date.

Current Elena's POV

The booths are set up, the games are fully stocked, and the carnival looks perfect, even by Caroline's strict standards, so now I have nothing to distract me from the butterflies doing the cha-cha in my stomach. As I see the source of my nervousness walk towards me, I curse the universe for being too cruel. Damon is wearing a dark blue button down shirt and dark navy blue jeans. His outfit is by no means unusual attire for the fashion forward vampire, but the way his face lights up when he spots me in the crowd, makes him look too sexy for his own good.

No, not sexy, I did not mean sexy. I meant good. He looks good. Good is a perfectly acceptable adjective to think about your ex's brother. I breathe in and out calmly as if recovering from a panic attack. My attempts to slow my heartbeat fail miserably when Damon stops not even a foot in front of me. He notices. Of course, he notices. Damn his vampire senses. It makes it impossible to keep anything from him, and his smugness increases, as if that was possible.

"Someone's happy to see me," Damon states as cocky as ever. "And might I say Elena, you in that dress, puts every other girl at this school to shame, if you don't mind me saying so," Damon compliments as he takes my hand and kisses it. The gesture feels oddly reminiscent of our first meeting, and the butterflies that I tried so desperately to murder all afternoon are multiplying rapidly.

You would think for someone who aspired for years to be a writer, that I would be better at expressing myself through words. But the feeling of electricity where Damon's lips met my skin acted as a type of drug to my system, and I felt woozy from the contact. I just stared back at Damon's amused grin, while he waited for me to say something. In this moment, I don't need profound words, poetic words, or intelligent words. I just need any words, so I utter the first words that come to my mind, big mistake. "You too," I respond idiotically.

Damon seems more pleased with himself by the second, and I want to find a shovel so I can dig myself a hole to crawl into for the next decade, or however long it takes for Damon to forget my nonsensical response. His voice sounds smooth to my ears and the peace that it brings me makes me question if he is compelling me, but I clutch my necklace and dismiss the idea. "You think I put all the girls in this school to shame too? Well I am truly touched Elena. I got all pretty just for you," Damon teases playfully.

I roll my eyes and look away as I blush beet red from embarrassment. "Ha, ha, very funny, is the torture part of our evening over, because future Elena promised me a night of stress free fun? Are you up to the task Mr. Salvatore," I question challengingly?

The stubborn side of Damon makes an appearance, and I know that he can never walk away from such a challenge. Immediately I regret asking, because judging by the look on his face, I have no idea what I am in for. "You're really gonna wish you hadn't said that," Damon warns with a smile that holds a hint of mischief.

Before I have time to ask any more questions, Damon is dragging me along suddenly walking with great purpose. We stop in front of the stage that was set up for the karaoke singers, and his intentions dawn on me. No, he wouldn't, I try reassuring myself. Who am I kidding, of course he would. Damon is gonna make me sing karaoke. "No way," I vehemently make my stand. "I am not singing by myself in front of all of my classmates for your amusement," I claim resolutely.

Damon stares at me as if I have said something silly. "Well of course not Elena," he assures me, but the wave of relief is short lived once he finishes his thought. "You don't really think I would ask you to sing all by yourself. We are singing a duet. So what do you think? Should we go with a modern hit to please the masses or maybe kick it old school with a classic. You pick," Damon graciously offers.

Just I am about to give a brilliantly worded rebuttal, I notice a familiar face amongst the crowd. Stefan came, and he was with her. Damon registers my sudden change in demeanor and he follows my gaze until it settles on our exes laughing together as Katherine not so subtly brushes her hand on Stefan's arm. Stefan catches my eyes, and for a second he almost looks remorseful, but once he looks over to see his brother at my side, he just looks pissed off and spiteful. Perfect. Stefan breaks up with me then shows up at the carnival with his ex-girlfriend, and he acts like the victim.

I'm so engrossed with my hurt feelings at Stefan's betrayal that I almost don't notice the heart break written all over Damon's face. I feel so selfish for only thinking of my own pain. Whatever I am going through, this must be a thousand times worse for Damon. I don't have to deal with the terrible sense of déjà vu that accompanies seeing his brother laughing with Katherine as he watches from the sidelines.

Instead of walking away, Stefan moves Katherine to a booth closer to us and puts his hand on her lower back, while staring daggers at Damon. I feel an unexpected stab of hatred pass through my heart in that moment, not for the pain Stefan caused me, but for the pain he is currently inflicting on his brother. Because this isn't about love, it's about revenge. Stefan must have heard that I was going with Damon, and all his apparent remorse for mistreating Damon goes out the window. I'm now regretting yelling at future Elena for her outburst this morning, clearly she knows Stefan a lot better than I do, because I feel as if I am seeing him for the first time. This isn't the man that I fell in love with. This man is petty and cruel and vindictive.

I turn back around to Damon and whisper in his ear. "Let's show them what they lost," I challenge daringly. Damon nods in agreement as I pull him on stage. I've never sung a single note in front of an audience before, and I feel as if my heart will break free from my chest, it is beating so hard. Damon grabs hold of my shaking hand and squeezes it gently. I smile back at him in appreciation, and I gain a new feeling of strength at his touch. Stefan may be lost to me, but Damon is still right here at my side, holding my hand to make sure I'm okay. I never stop to ask what song we will be singing, but once the words appear on the screen, I realize how appropriate Damon's choice in song is as we both belt out I Got You Babe to a cheering crowd. Neither of us glances back at Stefan or Katherine to see if they are watching. Neither of us even notices the other people in the crowd. For one instant in time, it is just me and Damon singing together like we are the only two people left in the world, and for the first time in a long while, I feel as if everything will be okay.

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