"Alright, I'm out of here," Damon said, lugging a couple of bags down the stairs. "You two lovebirds have fun. Don't do anything I wouldn't do."

I giggled and ran over to Damon with a smile on my face. "Bye, Damon."

"Goodbye Elena. I love you," he whispered bending his forehead down until it rested against mine. I could feel Stefan's eyes boring into my back but I didn't care. All I knew was his breath mingling with mine and his thumb wiping a tear from my cheek that I hadn't even realized was there.

"Don't cry. You've got Stefan now."

"This is so hard."

"I know. But it was the right thing to do. Never forget that." Damon cupped his hand around my neck and brought my ear close, "And don't forget my maneuver on that couch. I guarantee you Stefan can't pull that off."

I slapped him in the arm and he went on his way, shutting the door behind him so I could no longer see his face. I turned back to Stefan who was eyeing me warily.

"I shouldn't have come back. I didn't realize you two would be..."

"Shh," I whispered, placing my index finger on his lips. "Don't worry about Damon. This is about you and me."

Stefan smiled and pulled me in for a hug, his hands resting on the small of my back. I wrapped my arms around his neck and held on tight. But I realized it wasn't because I missed him, it was because I missed Damon and I felt like I was about to topple over and turn into a sopping wet puddle on the floor.

"I'm glad your back," I said.

"Me too. I missed you, Elena."

I pulled out of his hug and grasped his hand in mine. "Well you're just in time. While Damon was packing I managed to whip a little something up. Follow me."

I led Stefan into the kitchen of the Salvatore house that was decorated from head to toe in candles of every color that were lit. A soft romantic glow took up the entire room and on a table with flowers in a vase was a bottle of bourbon and two bags of blood.

"I thought we could just talk. Catch up and all that."

"Sounds great."

We sat down across from each other and Stefan, as gentlemanly as always, poured to glasses of the bourbon before taking a seat and sliding my glass over to me. I took a swig before resting my chin on my hands and smiling at him. "So, what did you do?"

"Nothing much. If I'm being honest I mostly just moped in self-pity. I've never been very good at controlling emotion. Caroline came and visited me a couple of times just to check in and I hit the local bar a couple of times. There wasn't much to do. What did you guys do?"

"You want to know?"

Stefan shrugged noncommittally and I sighed deeply before answering. "Well, we watched movies, went out for lunch, had mud and french fry fights. I don't know. All sorts of stuff. Damon's pretty good at coming up with stuff to do."

"Sounds like fun."

"It was," I said, remembering the mud fight especially. That had been an absolute blast, and jumping from that cliff too. "How are you holding up?"

"I've been better. I just wish I knew what you were thinking."

"Honestly," I murmured, "Right now I would choose Damon, but you haven't had your time yet. That could change, Stefan. We have a history. It wouldn't be that weird. Don't ever count yourself out, okay?"

"Okay," he whispered still managing to look thoroughly dejected. He reached across the table and captured my face with his hand and leaned across to give me a lingering kiss. I kissed him back, peaceful and satisfied with the kiss. It was calming and very reassuring. It felt nice.

I grinned lazily and looked into his eyes. "Thanks."

"Sure. So what's the plan?"

"How would you feel about a movie? Damon just got me started on The Godfather so I've been obsessed with good movies. He told me to watch Breakfast at Tiffany's or Lord of the Rings. What do you think?"

Stefan laughed and shook his head. "What?" I asked.

"Damon hates Breakfast at Tiffany's. It's me who has the weakness for that movie. He's a lot more selfless then I ever gave him credit for."

"I'm not even going to pretend to know what you're talking about. Let's just go watch the damn movie." Within minutes the movie had begun and I was curled in Stefan's arms on the couch. When it was over, I was half asleep and ridiculously happy with where I was. Stefan lifted me up from his lap gently and kissed me. It wasn't long before he was on top of me and his hands were underneath my shirt. He only stopped when I started laughing unnecessarily.

"What?" he smiled half-heartedly.

"First your hands are really cold and second I'm just remembering...ah never mind."

Stefan sat up and awkwardly stared at the wall to the left of the t.v. I placed my hand on his arm and watched his stony profile. "Stefan, come on. I didn't mean anything by it. Damon had to move on from moments I remember us having too. I know it's hard but just know that it's like a clean slate. They don't matter to me right now, okay?"

Stefan nodded and grabbed my waist, tugging me on to his lap. "I can't do this on this couch, though," he whispered.

"Seems fair." Stefan stood up with me still in his arms and carried me up the stairs and to his bedroom kissing me all the way. I didn't know how difficult that was but I decided that took major talent. He was on top of me once more and I felt under his shirt making his muscles waver beneath my touch. A dull ache pooled in my lower abdomen and I quickly tugged his shirt over the top of his head. He had my shirt done in a slow, almost chivalrous manner and cupped one of my breasts in his hand, massaging it gently as he removed the bra. I groaned lightly and brought his head down for a kiss. My hands were weaving through his hair and I was distracted by his luxurious kisses up and down my neck that I was hardly aware of my panties sliding down to the bottom of my legs. I managed to undo his jean's button without too much difficulty and pushed both his jeans and boxers down as far as I could without his help. He finished by wriggling slightly and arching his back so that his erection ended up slipping up and down my tummy. I gyrated up against him and brought him back down and arched my head back so he had better access to my neck. Small groans were escaping both of us as I traced his nipples and pinched them and he slowly darted down my stomach, reaching my belly button. The anticipation was growing and he kissed my nub before sliding into me. The pace was slow and calm like that of a rocking chair and I held on around his neck pleasuring in the sensation. I moaned his name and pleaded for him to pick up the pace. He did and I was about to come. When I did I screamed out Damon's name, unable to picture anything else in my mind. I didn't know why but I realized then I would've rather had done this with him. He was so much better at teasing, building up the feeling, until there was nothing else on the planet you wished for. Stefan quickly slipped out and sunk beside me on the bed, he didn't say anything and I knew he heard. Of course he did.

"Stefan," I sighed, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to..."

"I know. Elena, I'm not sure I can do this."

"We were never that good at sex anyways."

Needless to say, the remaining couple of weeks were much the same. Stefan never reached a point where he was incandescently happen with the situation and I could hardly remember a moment I'd ever laughed. We'd tried sex one more time but Stefan had trouble getting involved. We talked a ton about everything and it was amazing and incredible to have someone who could listen but I couldn't see anything other than a relationship similar to the one I had with Bonnie or Caroline. That was when I knew. Maybe Stefan had been off his game recently but it didn't matter. He was just a really good friend who I cared about deeply. But there wasn't the passion, the fun, the challenge, or even the deep level of connection on an extremely intimate and vulnerable level like I had Damon. Maybe that was because Damon had a lot more to be vulnerable about.

A week before Damon was scheduled to come back I was done with trying so hard. I pulled Stefan down on to a couch with me and held his hand tight as I glanced up at him.

"You don't have to say it Elena."

"Yes, I do. I owe that much to you. You were the most amazing boyfriend in the world, Stefan, but that's just what you were, a boyfriend. Someone I could always depend on and always talk to about your problems. But Damon is so much more than that. He might very well be the love of my life and I didn't really see it until now. I don't want to hurt you, Stefan, but I thought you deserved the truth."

He nodded slowly and a tear ran down his cheek. "I understand Elena. Do you need me to leave?"

"No. I want you to stay if you're up for it. I still love you, Stefan, just not in the way that I used to. It's different now. Are you up for it?"

"I might take some time alone for a bit, but I could never leave your life Elena."

"Good," I smiled. "I don't want you to."

"Are you gonna call Damon?"

"Yeah," I said guiltily. "Is that okay? Because we can totally finish your week if that's what you want."

"It's fine. Damon wouldn't appreciate that if he ever found out."

"You're taking this particularly well."

"What am I supposed to do?" he asked. His eyes finally met mine and I saw what a broken man he was. He was just acting like he was okay. I felt my eyes watering over and I felt awful. He bit his lip and wiped the bottom of my eyelids. "Don't cry, Elena. I'm not worth that."

"Shut up," I laughed shakily, slapping him on the shoulder, "You're with a plethora of tears. I just wish I could give that to you."

"Call Damon. I'm gonna go take a shower."

Stefan disappeared upstairs and I grabbed my phone from the coffee table and dialed Damon's number. I tapped my foot against the ground impatiently as four rings passed by. On the final ring before it would've gone to voicemail he picked up.

"Elena? You should be with Stefan right now."

"Don't chastise me. Come home, Damon. I love you. I love you, I love you. I want to be with you forever. I choose you, Damon."

"I'm on my way," he practically yelled into the phone and then there was the crackling of a dead line. I smiled, glad we didn't have to conduct the rest of that conversation over the phone and began counting up from one. It was something to do until he got here.

Damon's POV

I nervously knocked on the door. I could hardly think straight I was so surprised, humbled, honored, excited, and amazed. I hadn't ever felt so happy in my life. Not with Katherine, when I had sex with Elena, the first time she told me she loved me, anything. This was the greatest moment of my life. The door flew open and before I could even say hello, her lips were locked around mine. I brought her legs up around my waist and carried her in the house, shutting the door behind us.