Chapter 21

Hold Me Close

Damon let out a faint sigh as he stood there, watching over Kali whilst he stood against the wall. He'd originally planned on taking her back to her apartment, but upon further inspection, he'd decided against it. Instead, he'd placed her in one of the warmer rooms downstairs.

He was still upset though every time he looked at her. Yes, her lips were no longer a faint blue as they once were, but she was still shivering. She had a fever and it was still holding strong. The only thing that he could do was watch her, make sure that she was warm, and continue to change the rag on her forehead that he'd taken the liberty of setting up. He'd even changed her clothes originally, pulling her from the wet and muddy attire. No doubt had he left her in them any longer than necessary, she would have gotten even worse.

"Mmm…"

Damon's head shot up at the sound, eyes flickering toward Kali's sleeping form. It was just that too, still sleeping, her body still shivering as she laid there in a mass of blankets. To her, it felt as though it were freezing, even though it wasn't. In fact, once Stefan had finished gorging himself with blood, he'd managed to come downstairs and take a look. Given all his reading and other things, his younger brother had determined the possibility of mild to moderate hypothermia. Sadly, Damon had to agree with him.

"Do you think we should take her to the hospital?"

Those had been Stefan's words. Damon had told him no though, not trusting the doctors to take care of her properly. Instead, he'd do it himself, along with the help of his brother if need be. After all, over the years, they'd both dealt with many things. Hypothermia and fever were nothing new to them. In fact, they'd both attained one or the other at least once before when they were still human. Fever more so than anything given the attempt in advances to modern medicine.

One thing that he couldn't dispute though was the fact that she'd been stupid enough to run off into the rain without a jacket. Granted, that was also due to Elena, but still. If she'd just grabbed her jacket instead of leaving it behind, then perhaps, she wouldn't be in the situation that she was now. Then, there was also Elena. If the girl had only stayed in the car, then none of this would have even happened.

"That girl is going to be the death of me," he muttered, shaking his head as he pushed off of the wall.

He strode over to the bed, coffee in hand as he took another drink. It was probably his third one today, but at least it was better than alcohol. Those would have been Kali's words, not his.

Damon sat down on the edge of the bed, reaching out and brushing Kali's forehead with his fingers. She was still warm though, a sigh escaping him. The cloth needed to be changed as well, so he grabbed it, getting up and walking into the bathroom. He ran it under cold water, turning the sink back off afterward and wringing it out a bit. He didn't need it dripping wet.

"All right, back you go," he announced, placing his mug down on the nightstand.

Carefully, he crawled up onto the bed, settling himself down beside her. He placed the cloth back on her forehead, the cold chill of the fabric making a noticeable change in her current comfort level. This made him smile a bit. As long as it made her feel a bit better, then it was good enough for him.

T

I felt hot, suffocating even as I laid there. I wasn't even sure where here was. What had even happened last night?

I laid there for a moment, thinking things over. Stefan had been kidnapped and Damon and Alaric went to get him out. I remember Elena running, causing me to run after her into the woods, the rain pouring down on me. I had run through the woods blindly in search of her, slipping and falling in the mud. I remembered being chased, the feeling of my heart as it pounded in my chest.

"Mmm…" I groaned, curling up against the space beside me.

It was firm, but welcoming, my hand slowly trailing over it. I felt something twitch, the feeling of what could only be described as skin meeting my touch. Again, I felt a twitching feeling beneath my hand as I slid it over the surface. It felt smooth and warm. I could only guess that someone was laying next to me, a feeling of confusion hitting me. Slowly, I peeled my eyes open, blue staring back at me.

"Damon…?" I whispered, gazing up at him tiredly.

He just laid there, leaned back on the bed with a book in his hand. His chest was bare and he had a faint smile on his face, one of his arms lain over top of me. He didn't say a word though as he laid there, flipping over to the next page of his book.

"Damon…" I murmured, poking at his side.

Again, he did nothing, only furthering my attempt. This led me to poke and prod at his side tiredly, poking at the abdominal muscles, feeling them twitch beneath my touch.

"Damon," I groaned, closing my eyes.

I heard a chuckle this time, peeling them back open and glaring at him.

"Sorry, just making sure you knew what you were doing," he told me.

"And what's that supposed to mean?" I inquired, taking in a shaky breath.

I was still tired. Not to mention, I felt funny.

"Just wanted to make sure that you weren't delirious," he offered.

"Please, no sarcasm?" I groaned, burying my face against his chest.

I could hear the faint sound of his heart beating as I laid there, fingers curling lightly against his skin. It was comforting, having him there with me. It was far better than being alone.

"How long have I been asleep?" I asked, my voice scratchy.

"A while," he supplied, answer vague.

A yawn escaped me. I wound my leg around his, pulling us just a bit closer. I didn't want to let go of him.

"You're still a bit warm," he voiced, laying his book down and touching his hand to my forehead.

"I'm cold," I whispered.

I felt his chest rumble a bit, vibrating as a chuckle broke through. He pulled his arm around me a bit better, pulling me to him and rubbing my arm. It felt nice.

"Better?"

I nodded my head, letting out a breath of air. It was a feeling of contentment that held me, his lips pressing against my forehead after a moment. The gesture itself was reassuring.

I felt like a child, laying there in his arms, curling up against his side. He gave me a feeling of safety; security. The warmth of his arms kept me close, clinging to his body as I laid there, a shiver running through me. It was the first time that I actually noticed that I was shivering, but as I cuddled against Damon, I felt it slowly starting to melt away.

T

Walking down the steps, Stefan slowly made his way to the ground floor, moving forward and into the hallway. He walked down to the end of the hall, his hand reaching out and gripping the door knob. He pushed it open, quietly stepping inside. He found his brother laying on the bed with Kali, her body curled up against his, clinging to him like a small child.

Stefan noticed that her shivering had stopped, only a faint twitch from her shoulders staying behind as evidence. Damon's arms were wrapped around her though, keeping her close, one of her legs laying intertwined with his. If it weren't for the fact that she still had her clothes on, or clothes anyway, then he would have gone after his brother.

"Stefan?"

He could hear her heart beating, the sound of her blood pumping through her veins as he stood there. He could feel the hunger eating away at him.

"Stefan."

His eyes flickered toward his brother, snapping out of it.

"Sorry. I just wanted to check and see how she was doing," Stefan told him, walking further into the room and over to the bed.

He stood on Damon's side, reaching a hand forward and pressing it gently to Kali's forehead. He made sure to keep his eyes on her face, keeping them from her neck.

"She's still a bit warm," he voiced. "I think it's gone down some though."

Damon nodded his head, gazing down at Kali. He brushed a bit of hair from her face, trailing his hand lightly over her skin. He needed a drink.

"Do me a favor. Get me a drink?" he asked, glancing over at his brother. "Assuming that you haven't drained it all," he joked.

He noticed the twinge of guilt on his brother's face as he teased him.

"Yeah…sure," he nodded, slowly walking out of the room and down the hallway.

T

Damon watched as his brother left the room, his eyes following after him. There had been something strange in the way that he'd stared at Kali, something that he hadn't seen before. Honestly, he wasn't sure what to think of it to be honest.

"Hmm…"

He glanced back down at Kali, running his fingers over the skin of her arm. It was smooth to the touch. It was also something that he'd found himself growing fond of as time passed. He didn't want to admit it, but he felt as though he were slowly becoming addicted to her. Sadly, he knew that that had already come and passed. He was already addicted, right from the get go. It was an addiction that reached passed the taste of her blood, running far deeper.

"Damon," Stefan called, causing Damon to snap his head in Stefan's direction.

Stefan threw him a bag of blood a moment later, the bag molding around Damon's fingers as he caught it, gripping it in his hand. He gave a short nod in thank you, leaning back again and pulling at one of the cords. He bit down afterward, the delicious taste of blood entering his mouth.

"Why is it you still taste so much better?" Damon asked randomly after Stefan had left the room.

The question had been directed toward Kali, even though she was fast asleep and unable to answer. Not that she'd be able to give him an answer anyway. It wasn't exactly something that one could give an answer for.

Looking down at the bag of blood, his thoughts went back to her again, that little question nagging in the back of his mind. Vampire. What would she be like? She would drink his blood willingly, so why not? His fingertips brushed her neck gently, curling. Could he really do something like that to her? Turn her? Damon shook his head, slowly draining the bag of blood and placing it on the nightstand. He had to remind himself that in the end, it would ultimately have to be her choice, not his. He didn't want her to end up the way that he did, having someone force her into transitioning. It was the exact reason why he hated his brother at times. Stefan was the reason why he was a vampire, practically forcing him to drink and finish the transition. He'd never forget that and it was that reason, why he pushed these thoughts to the side. He wouldn't push Kali into becoming what he was, he wouldn't push her into feeding and 'giving up' her humanity. After all, her humanity was the part that he loved the most. It was something that Katherine never really had, merely pretending to hold.

Sadly as time went by, Damon began to realize bits and pieces of what Stefan had been trying to tell him all along. Katherine had tricked him, leaving him searching for a way to 'free' her for the last 145 years. He'd found out that she'd known where he was all along. She hadn't bothered coming to him. She'd left him to his own self-destruction. Even with that though, there was still a part of him that was holding on, hoping that it was all a lie. He hoped that it was just some big misunderstanding.

Again, he looked down at Kali, pulling her closer to him. She was so small, so fragile, yet at the same time, she was still strong. She was like a child in his arms. There it was, that word. Child. When compared to him, she was a mere child, still taking her first breath. She was still taking her first steps in the word and yet, he knew that it wouldn't last. He'd been 24 for the last 145 years. She'd only be 22, 23 once, and then it would pass right on by. She'd grow older and surpass him physically. After that, she'd eventually fade away like everyone else. That wouldn't happen if he turned her though. This was how he knew that he was selfish. He was selfish when it came to Kali because of his desire to turn her, his desire to turn her out of loneliness. Perhaps, that desire was from something more than just that though. Perhaps, that too was a feeling that traveled far deeper than he what he wanted to admit.

Damon's thoughts were interrupted though as a violent cough suddenly tore its way through Kali's body, robbing her of air. It woke her up immediately, her hands clutching at his lean frame, eyes wide and scared.

"Kali. Kali, look at me," Damon said, gripping her shoulders in his hands.

She continued to cough, rubbing her throat raw, the harsh movements jarring her ribs.

"Kali," he snapped, getting her attention. "Breathe," he said, cupping her face in his hands.

Damon's eyes dilated as he stared at her, their gaze unblinking.

"Try to take a deep breath," he instructed, holding her as still as possible. "Focus on me and breathe. It'll be all right," he promised, refusing to break eye contact with her.

"D-Damon," she coughed, wincing painfully.

"Breathe," he ordered.

T

I sat there, coughing, Damon's voice compelling me. Even if I wanted to, I couldn't look away from him, his endless blues compelling me to listen.

"Breathe," he told me. "In and out. Just breathe."

I coughed again, the feeling recoiling in my chest. It hurt.

"It will be all right," he promised, eyes never leaving mine. "Just calm down," he told me, pulling me forward, his arms wrapping around me.

My hand clutched at his shoulder as I coughed, trying to bury my face between the space of his neck and shoulder.

"Breathe," he said once more, patting my back.

After a few more minutes of this, the coughing subsided, my shoulders shaking a bit.

"Look at me," he said gently, pulling me back a bit.

Our eyes met again, a faint cough escaping my burning throat. I felt his thumb stroke my cheek gently, comforting me.

"Look at me," he said again, getting my attention.

I looked up at him, my breath uneven.

"Good girl," he whispered, stroking the side of my face.

He leaned forward, pressing his lips to my forehead, before pulling back.

"I have to pee," I told him, the look on his face turning to one of humor.

It wasn't my fault. The coughing did more than jar my ribs, it also jarred my bladder.

"I swear, you always have the worst timing, don't you?" he asked, raising a brow in question.

"Damon…please?" I whined.

"All right, come on," he sighed, pulling me into his arms.

I wrapped my arms around his neck as he stood, holding me in his arms. I'd never get over how strong he was. He always seemed to do things like this with such ease. I was disappointed though when he placed me on my feet, my legs shaking as I grabbed hold of him.

He chuckled in response, standing there as he looked down at me.

"Well? Are you going to go or not?" he asked.

I felt my face go red with embarrassment as he said this, shoving him pathetically.

"Come now, it's nothing I haven't seen before," he teased, only making it worse.

His words hit me though as I looked myself over, finding certain pieces of clothing absent and replaced. My whole face practically went red as I pulled at the shirt I was wearing a bit. The only thing covering my front was one of his button up shirts, that's it.

"Damon…" I breathed out, swallowing as I looked up at him.

At that moment, he broke into quiet laughter, his hands coming to rest upon my shoulders after he sat me down on the toilet.

"I promise you, I didn't look, alright?"

I eyed him for a moment. The man had changed every single piece of my clothing, meaning that at some point or another, I was stark naked in front of him.

"Kali, you have my word," he assured me. "I swear on the manliness that is me," he joked lightly, a small smile slipping onto my lips.

"Alright," I nodded, closing my eyes for a moment. "Now, get out so I can pee," I told him, pushing my foot at him.

T

Chuckling, Damon left the bathroom, walking back into the room that he'd been in originally. He let out a sigh though upon sitting down on the edge of the bed, raking a hand through his hair. She wasn't as strong as she was trying to make herself seem at the moment. Her legs were still weak and shaky, strength nearly none existent. She was putting up a front in an attempt at keeping him from worry.

Damon shook his head, allowing himself to fall backward on the bed, his back bouncing slightly on the mattress. He then glanced over at the nightstand, reaching over and grabbing his discarded mug. There was still a bit of coffee left in it, so he downed it, setting it back afterward. He then got back up, walking back over to the bathroom door.

"You done?" he knocked. "Kali?"

"Y-yeah?" she stammered.

Damon pushed the door open afterward, stepping inside. She was sitting there, waiting for him, arms wrapped around herself. She still looked exhausted.

"Up we go," he announced, scooping her up in his arms.

T

I let out a faint groan as Damon carried me back into the room, setting me down on the bed. He then took a seat beside me, stretching out on the bed.

"So…" he started, glancing up at me, his hands behind his head.

"How is Stefan?" I asked quietly, looking down at Damon.

"Ah, Stefan. Well, let just say, his diet no longer exists of squirrels," he told me, a faint smirk on his face.

"What happened?" I inquired, allowing myself to fall forward on the bed, crawling over and laying my head on Damon's stomach.

"Well, he had his first taste of human blood in years."

I closed my eyes for a moment, letting out a sigh. I brought my hand forward, tracing random patterns out upon Damon's skin.

"That reminds me…" he started, glancing over at me. "Ever thought of being a donor?"

"You mean blood?" I asked, brows furrowing slightly.

"It'd be easier than filching it from the blood bank at the hospital," he told me, shrugging his shoulders.

"I suppose…" I breathed out, tracing my nail lightly along a faintly lighter patch of skin. "But not right now," I told him.

"Of course not."

"I'm guessing that it's mainly for Stefan?" I assumed. "I mean, since you drink from me on a regular basis at this point."

"Kali, I came back and checked on him and found empty blood bags scattered around his room," he pointed out. "In fact, I went and looked in the fridge and my two liter of blood was gone."

"You're kidding me?"

"Nope," he answered, popping the P.

I swear, it was kind of strange that we could talk about this so casually. It was almost like a normal conversation between the two of us.

"Should I worry?" I asked, glancing up at him.

"I wouldn't," he told me. "Just let him work through it. Besides, its about time he started drinking blood again. He was too weak," he said with distaste.

"Damon," I chided.

"What?" he looked down at me, pulling a hand free from behind his head and placing it on top of mine. "I'm serious."

I sighed, running my hand lightly up his chest while his ran through my hair, soothing me. I had to fight to keep my eyes open, the warmth of his skin putting me at ease.

"How much coffee did you drink?" I asked quietly, yawning.

"I don't know, three or four cups, why?"

"No reason," I said, shaking my head. "You're just warm…"

"I know something that would make you warmer," he joked, wiggling his eyebrows at me.

It was just a jest though, no real seriousness put into it. It was merely an attempt to get a rise out of me.

"Not right now," I yawned, pressing my lips to his skin for a moment.

"Oh, really, then what was that for?" he chuckled.

"Just showing you…" I yawned again. "That's all you're gonna get."

"You're so mean to me," he whined.

"Deal with it…" I murmured, biting back yet another yawn.

As much as I didn't want to go back to sleep again, I knew that I'd be stuck doing it before too long. It was just a matter of when.

"Why don't you just go back to sleep?" he suggested, continuing to brush his hand through my hair, combing it out with his fingers.

All of a sudden, there was a buzzing sound coming from inside the nightstand, something that could only be that of a phone.

"What's that?" I asked quietly.

"Don't worry about it," he told me, brushing my cheek. "Just go back to sleep."

T

Rolling his eyes, Damon reached over, opening the drawer to the nightstand. The blasted phone was still ringing, Kali now fully asleep, her head laying on his stomach. It was the exact reason why he'd placed it on vibrate. He flipped the thing open, looking it over. She had a few different messages, a few from Elena, Alaric, Jeremy, and Matt. The current one was from Alaric though.

Hey, just thought I'd try checking on you again. How are you feeling by the way? – Alaric

Damon snorted as he looked at the message, typing in his own.

Kali is fine, but I'm afraid that she doesn't want to talk to you right. She's busy, with me. –Kali

Damon grinned as he read over his handy work, sending it out. He hoped that the history teacher got the meaning of his words, regardless if they were true or not. Then again, even without his little double meaning, she really was busy. She was busy sleeping, sleeping with Damon on the bed.

Her phone started going off a moment later, vibrating in his hand.

"Well, this should be fun," he mused, flipping it open and placing it to his ear. "Kali's phone," he answered, biting back the smirk on his face.

"Where's Kali? I want to talk to her," Alaric said.

"Oh, I'm sorry, but she's currently…" he glanced down at her for a moment, watching her chest rise and fall. "Indisposed," he finished, catching the intake of breath on Alaric's end. "I'm sorry, Rick, did I hit a nerve?" he asked.

"I want to talk to Kali," he repeated, trying to keep his cool.

"Sorry, but no can do," Damon answered.

"What did you do to her?" Alaric asked, his voice full of accusations.

"Nothing. She's sleeping. Exhausted after our little excursion," he replied. "Exactly the reason why you can't talk to her," he pointed out.

"I know where you live," he threatened.

"And I know how to kill you," Damon countered. "Painfully."

"Personally, I could care less what Kali feels for you. Either way, I will end you."

"Oh, really, wasn't that punch in the face enough?" he inquired, teasing him.

Damon heard the sound of the line going dead a moment later, a chuckle escaping him. How he loved pressing that man's buttons. Granted, Kali didn't appreciate it much, but she wasn't awake right now to right him on it.

T

Alaric glared at the phone in his hand, shoving it into his pocket a moment later. He wasn't sure what Damon was doing, but he didn't like it. Even worse, the blasted vampire was always trying to get under his skin. Sadly, it seemed to work at times, much to Alaric's dismay.

"How does she put up with that bastard?" Alaric grimaced, shaking his head.

He'd never understand what Kali saw in that man, that monster. No matter how many times she stood up for that, thing, he'd never understand it. In Alaric's mind, he was still a murderer, no matter how many times that Kali tried to convince him otherwise. In the end, Damon would still meet his end, one way or another.

T

She was laying on his stomach, face peaceful, sound asleep. For three hours now he'd laid there, merely watching as she slept. The caffeine in his system kept his body warm, the warmth of her touch only increasing the feeling. Even in her weakened state, she still pulled at his 'cold' heart. She even chased away the demented thoughts swimming in his head.

Damon reached out, dragging his fingers over the delicate flesh adorning her face. He watched as she moved a bit, her cheek pressing further against his stomach. Her fingers curled, nails scratching lightly at the skin of his abdomen like a cat. He didn't really mind though, the corner of his lips twitching upward.

"Damon?"

Damon's eyes glanced over toward the door.

"Is she still asleep?"

His voice wasn't quiet and they both received their answer when a faint groan echoed through the room.

"Not anymore," Damon narrowed, his hand rubbing her back as she opened her eyes.

"Sorry…" Stefan chuckled nervously, rubbing the back of his neck.

T

I could feel his hand rubbing my back lightly.

"What's wrong?" I asked quietly, hearing the sound of their voices.

I found myself curling a bit closer to Damon, nuzzling my face against his stomach. He was warm and I was drawn to the warmth.

"Apparently," Damon started, letting his hand rest against the small of my back for a moment. "Stefan needs you for something," he said, voice sarcastic and annoyed.

I let out a faint groan as I rolled over, the back of my head now resting in Damon's lap.

"What, Stefan?" I asked, letting out a small yawn.

I didn't move from my spot though as I laid there, closing my eyes. Even after all of the sleep I had acquired, I was still tired.

"Elena, she needs to talk to you," he told me, holding his phone in his hand.

He came closer to the bed, setting the phone in my hand.

"Hello?" I groaned out, rubbing my eyes a bit.

"Kali…Kali, I need your help," Elena cried, my brows furrowing together in confusion.

Slowly, I pushed myself up, sitting on the bed.

"Elena, hun, calm down," I told her. "What's wrong?"

"It's Jeremy," she choked out.

"Wait, what?"

"Last night, they found the body," she told me. "They found Vicki's body," she cried. "He…he just…"

"W-what?"

I looked over at Damon, brows knitting together. I'd known from the start of my own discovery that he'd taken care in burying Vicki's body, burying it somewhere far away so that no one would find it. If that was the case, then how? How is it that they found the body.

I felt a wave of sickness wash over me, my eyes screwing shut.

"I-I think I'm gonna be sick," I cried, dropping the phone on the bed and pushing myself off of the bed.

I ran to the bathroom, stumbling and falling to my knees, the small reserve of energy that I'd had now gone. I then let out everything that I still had in my stomach, tossing it up into the toilet as tears fell. I could only imagine what Jeremy was going through right now. He'd been made to think that Vicki ran off and left town. Now, he knew that she was dead, body rotting away into nothing.

Again, I cried, pushing my back against the bathroom wall. I gripped my head, crying into my hands as my shoulders shook. I heard an exchanging of words, before the bathroom door was pushed back open, footsteps sounding against the tiled floor.

"Kali?"

It was Damon, his voice getting closer, before I caught sight of him falling to his knees in front of me.

"Damon," I choked out, throwing my arms around him.

I felt him pull me close, his arms wrapping around me. I felt like I couldn't breathe, the pain of Jeremy knowing something so terrible running through me. This was why Damon had wiped Jeremy memory of Vicki being a vampire, that way, he wouldn't be in pain. Now, he knew, Jeremy knew that she was dead and I wasn't sure which was worse. Would it have been worse, him knowing she was a vampire, that she was killed in order to protect him? He didn't even know that she'd nearly killed me, that my life had come so close to dying that night.

"Shh…" Damon cooed gently, keeping me close.

"I don't feel so good," I whispered, burying my face against him.

I felt sick, but there was nothing left in my stomach, merely leaving me with dry heaves.

"I know. I know," he breathed out, kissing the top of my head.

"I…I thought…I thought that you got rid of it," I cried, my hand curling around his upper arm.

"I did," he told me, pulling me back a few inches. "I went far enough away that no one here should have found her."

"B-but…" I choked out, looking up at him.

I felt his hand press lightly against my cheek, stroking it softly. His eyes were locked with my own, staring down at me. The whole thing was depressing, even as he pressed his lips to mine in a short kiss. He was trying to comfort me, that much I knew, but it still hurt. It hurt, knowing the pain that Jeremy was in. He was like a little brother to me and I couldn't stand the fact of knowing that he was in pain.

"It hurts," I whimpered, looking up at him.

I watched as his eyes softened, his hand running through my hair. It would have been so easy for him to compel me, compel me to forget these feelings, but he didn't. No, Damon just pulled me closer, standing as he held me.

Allowing my legs to work on their own, he walked with me back over to the bed, his arm still wrapped around my waist.

"Get out," Damon hissed quietly toward Stefan.

He watched his brother's face fall, but he nodded nonetheless, stepping out of the room and closing the door behind him.

"Shh…" he whispered, pressing his lips against my cheek.

I closed my eyes as he did this, his lips continuing a trail along the side of my face, before moving to my neck. It was like he was trying to kiss away the pain, almost like a mother does for a small child's cut or bruise. Shockingly though, it was working, his touch sending my thoughts elsewhere. Granted, they weren't sent to one place or another, but merely pulled away from the depths of my pain. It was melting away.

"Shh…" he cooed, nuzzling a place against my neck.

He kissed it, a faint groan escaping me as he leaned me back onto the bed, my eyes closed. I felt the mattress mold around me, cushioning my back as I let out a sniffle.

"Shh…"

His lips pressed against mine once more, the feeling sweet and gentle. I found myself reaching a hand up, pressing it lightly against his chest. He pulled away, pressing his forehead to mine, our eyes locked with one another.

"He'll get through this," he told me. "And so will you," he promised.

"How?" I whispered, my hand resting on the back of his neck as he set hovering over me still. "How, when I have to look him in the eye…when I have to look Matt in the eye and lie to him?" I asked.

"They'll see how strong you are and they'll get through it," he told me, his words almost sounding foreign to my ears.

It sounded more like something that Stefan would say, not Damon, but that didn't mean that its value was lessened.

"You always say how good I am to you," I whispered, leaning up and kissing him. "You've no clue how much I receive from you."

I pulled back as his hand trailed up my arm, closing my eyes. He was so gentle, the kisses he place upon my skin soothing the heat. How I wanted to speak those three words right here and now. Those three little words in one breath. Instead, I settled for kissing the skin upon his chest, tugging him down beside me as I wound my hands behind his neck. He seemed pleased though as I did this, allowing my advances as I kissed his shoulder, pulling my lips back down his chest. I then pressed a kiss to the skin at the base of his neck, a faint groan escaping him at the feeling. After that, I drew back to his face, cupping his cheek as I kissed him. I wanted to tell him. God knows that I did.

"Hold me close…" I whispered.

Alright everyone, that was chapter 21. It was a filler chapter, but I hope that everyone liked it?

We got to see Damon's softer side, but he's still fighting with himself. What do you think about his silent decision to change Kali at her own choice? He's deciding to give her the option that he didn't have. At the same time, he's acknowledging that he is selfish. Doesn't he have a right to be selfish though? What do you think about his attempts to comfort Kali? What about Stefan's thoughts of hunger while looking at Kali? What about Alaric's grudge? What about Kali's love? Will Jason be making his next appearance soon?

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO SEE HAPPEN NEXT?

All of these questions. Anyway, let me know what you think? I NEED REVIEWS AND MESSAGES PEOPLE! YOU DON'T HAVE TO HAVE AN ACCOUNT TO REVIEW!