As soon as it was safe, Damon jumped on to the couch and pinned Elena under his body. He hovered only an inch above her lips and Elena impatiently waited for him to make the first move. But he didn't, he just hovered there and stared at her, teasing her with his closeness until Elena couldn't take it anymore. She quickly joined their lips and placed her hands on his bare back. She felt his muscles flex with each movement under her fingertips and she moaned against his mouth.
Damon ran his outer hand down the Elena's side. He traced over the curve of her waist and then stopped on her thigh. Elena's body immediately responded when she felt Damon gently tug on her leg. She hiked her leg up and around Damon and used the leverage to pull him closer to her. She began kissing down his neck and Damon growled deep in his throat.
"Well, well, well…what do we have here?" A sly British accent spoke from the archway. Elena broke the kiss and turned around under Damon to see Klaus with his smugly laughing eyes.
"It's called knocking, Klaus," Damon got up and protectively stood in between Elena and the Original hybrid.
"My bad, I can see you were…preoccupied," Klaus said, eyeing the two, "Rebekah did tell me that you two were together now, but I thought it was some attention-seeking rumor. She is fickle like that. But, I can see now that she was in fact, telling the truth." Klaus smiled suggestively.
"We're not together, actually," Elena stood up next to Damon who gave her a side glance; as if he was making sure that she was still completely safe.
"Oh really?" Klaus asked, "So, we've got ourselves a little scandal now?" Elena narrowed her eyes at him and Damon gritted his teeth angrily.
"What are you doing here, Klaus?" Elena asked.
"I was just wondering if we are getting the pleasure of your company at the ball tomorrow," Klaus inquired, "I had assumed that you and Stefan would be attending together, but now I'm unsure. Is that still the case?"
"Yes," Elena said, "But Damon's coming, too."
"Hmm…I seem to recall another girl who used to do the exact same thing to the Salvatore brothers. You two actually look quite similar," Klaus hinted, smugly smiling.
"I'm nothing like Katherine." Elena stated.
"If you say so," Klaus countered. He paused and scanned her body before speaking again, "How about your lovely friend Caroline? Has she said anything about attending?"
"No," Elena responded, "Not to me, at least."
"What's the deal with this ball, anyway?" Damon interrupted, trying to uncover the real reason behind the dance.
"Can't we just have a normal, civilized ball without some big underlying scheme?" Klaus questioned.
"No, actually, we can't," Damon said sarcastically, "So what's the deal?"
"Ah, you got me," Klaus laughed and shrugged his shoulders sarcastically. "Well, if you must know…there's a little something, or rather, someone that I have to retrieve from the Other Side. And I require some doppelganger to perform the spell."
"Well, you can't have her." Damon said, placing his hand instinctively on Elena's arm.
"I can, and I will," Klaus stated, "But none of that matters unless I can lure back your little doppelganger buddy." Elena's eyes widened and she stepped forward.
"Katherine?" Elena asked, suddenly confused, "But why?"
"Unfortunately, I need two doppelgangers for this particular spell. And luckily for you, love," Klaus referred to Elena, "The best way to bring our lovable Katerina home happens to be with the one thing that she's always wanted, but could never have…" Klaus began and Elena immediately caught onto what he was suggesting.
"Stefan…"
"But what would make Katerina decide now to come and retrieve the love of her life?" Klaus rhetorically asked, "None other than the announcement of an engagement."
"No," Elena gasped.
"What?!" Damon exclaimed, "No way!"
"Sorry to disappoint you lovers, but it's the only way…because if there's one thing that Katerina Petrova wants more than Stefan Salvatore, it's ruining your life," Klaus gestured towards Elena, "And this gives her an opportunity to do both."
Elena stood frozen in shock next to the man that she loved and wanted more than anything. She had finally made her decision and was so close to fully obtaining the man that held all her happiness, but Klaus barred her from it. Instinctively at the thought of losing Damon, Elena entwined her fingers in his and squeezed his hand. Klaus watched the gesture and smiled his typical wicked smile.
"Is this actually more than just lust?" Klaus asked, raising his eyebrows. He crossed his arms, "Is there any way that you've fallen in love with this vampire, Elena?"
Elena did love Damon, but it occurred to her that she hadn't actually told Damon yet. She figured that now, in front of Klaus, was probably not the best time to let him know, so she skirted around the question.
"What if I say no? What if I refuse to lure Katherine back to Mystic Falls?"
"I get it. Now that you're a vampire you think you're invincible." Klaus's voice lowered and became threatening. "But remember that you are in the presence of the most powerful creature on Earth, and I can hurt you and everyone you love as quickly as this." Klaus ran over and within a millisecond, he snapped Damon's neck and Damon fell to the group in a heap. Elena dropped to her knees next to him and pulled his head into her arms. She looked up at Klaus with angry eyes.
"If I get engaged to Stefan, you will never hurt Damon." Elena negotiated.
"Wow. You're willing to sacrifice your future for the life of Damon?" Klaus asked, spitting out the last word as though it were some poison.
"Yes," Elena said without thinking, "But only if you give me your word that you will never hurt Damon."
"I can't guarantee that, love." Klaus said, "Your boyfriend can get pretty annoying. But I can give you my word that I will never kill Damon."
"Deal," Elena conceded. She would do anything to keep Damon alive, even if it meant forsaking her own happiness.
"Glad we could reach an agreement," Klaus walked away from her and stopped at the front door, "And if you would really rather not marry the younger Salvatore, although I don't know why you wouldn't, that's fine. Just convince Katerina that you are engaged. I need her in town long enough for this spell to happen, and I need her here by her own free will. That's the annoying part of the ritual." Klaus left, closing the door behind him. Elena nodded in understanding, and with the opening he gave her to fake the engagement, she felt a little hope reenter her heart.
"Elena?" Damon slowly rose from the couch that she had placed him on. He had been out for about three hours. At the sound of his movement and voice, Elena rushed over to his side and kneeled next to him.
"Damon! Are you okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine. Where'd that little bastard run off to?" Damon stood up slowly and Elena stood up with him.
"He left," Elena said. She took Damon's face between her hands and turned his face towards her. "Damon…"
"Oh, Elena…" Damon read her expression. He'd seen the same face on her many times in the past; it was her martyr-face. "You didn't!"
"He was going to kill you, Damon!" Elena argued.
"I don't care, Elena!" Damon countered, "I'd rather be dead than watch you walk down the aisle with my baby brother!" Elena silently stared at Damon. She knew that he was just hurting.
"We can fake it, Damon," Elena reassured, "Klaus just wants us to convince Katherine that it's happening, long enough to get her and keep her in town." She watched as Damon's face relaxed and he looked at her with his electric blue eyes.
"I'm sorry that you have to do this," Damon whispered, resting his hand under her hair on her neck.
"I don't care," Elena whispered back, "I don't care because in the end I'll be with you."
"What about this person that Klaus is trying to bring back from the Other Side?" Damon asked, his brow knitting together in worry yet again. Elena traced her fingers over the creases on his forehead and instantly his face relaxed. She was looking at him with so much love and adoration.
"That's not our problem. Not right now."
"It's always our problem, Elena," Damon insisted and Elena shook her head 'no.'
"We can worry about that later," Elena rested her hands on Damon's neck and gently massaged the back of his neck.
"You never answered Klaus's question," Damon pointed out and Elena smiled.
"I know," She said. Damon stood expectantly, waiting for her to say something else. Instead, Elena walked closer to him until her whole body was braced against his. After all, Damon had always been Elena's brace, both metaphorically and literally.
"Damon," Elena whispered. She rested her forehead against his, "I love you."
Damon smiled as he listened to her say those three words to him for the first time.
"I love you, Damon." Elena repeated.
He was so overwhelmed that the only response he could muster was trapping her lips in a gentle, long kiss.
A/N: So, she told him. Anyway, please review! It's really appreciated and helps me decide whether or not/when to post the next update. Thanks for reading!