AN: Hello again! And after just two weeks, wow, that's a miracle. But I wanted to give you this little something since it's holiday time. So read it, review it and enjoy it! Happy holidays!

You're feeling like you've got no place to run

I can be your shelter 'til it's done

We can make this last forever

So please don't stop the rain

"I...I'm sorry, Damon's not here." She stumbled over her own words and hung up. Elena ran to the door and pulled her coat over her clothes. Then, in a rush, exited the apartment and looked up and down the block, trying to catch Damon, before he left.

The rain was pouring like never before and she was already soaked. All she could think about while she ran after Damon was the fact that the woman on the phone called him baby. What does that mean? He lied to her? He had a girlfriend? But why would he hide that from her and why was she so angry about it?

When she finally saw the shadow of Damon, she stopped running and filling her lungs with air, she called out to him.

"Damon!"

He turned around, confused. From that distance, she could see the drops of rain pour from his black raven hair and she had no idea why, but she couldn't take her eyes off him. Elena started to walk at the same time as he did, meeting him at the middle of the block. The dark surrounded them and the rain created a symphony for their ears.

"Elena? Is something wrong?" He asked, trying to figure out what was happening.

"You," she sucked in another sharp breath, "you forgot your phone. Here, take it." She held the phone for him to take and turned to leave, without saying anything else.

"Elena, wait. Why are you acting like this?" Damon frowned, but despite her best efforts to shut up, she gave in and told him.

"You don't trust me, do you? I thought we were friends." She shook her head and let out a laugh. She had been an idiot, thinking that he could be friends with her. He just pitied her and that was all.

"What are you talking about?" He asked confused. "Of course we're friends. What happened, Elena?"

"Your girlfriend called. You should see what's wrong with her. She seemed sick." Elena said, her tone cold, her glance somewhere other than him.

"Excuse me, who? You know I don't have a girlfriend. Maybe it was a mistake. I'll check." He said and looked at his phone. He closed his eyes and ran a hand through his wet hair. Elena noticed he was angry and she didn't say anything else. Instead she just stood there, without moving from the spot.

"Katherine..." he mumbled, his voice low.

"Anyway, I've got to go." She said and again she turned to leave but he grabbed her hand and pulled her closer to him. Elena could feel the warmth of his body and his rapid breath, the scent of his perfume mixed with the smell of wine.

Their eyes met and for the first time she could see his eyes clearly, the beauty of them. He raised his hand to her cheek and ran a finger along it, making her gasp at the touch. In the next moment, their lips were suddenly on each other, his fingers tangling in the tresses of her hair. His tongue slowly delved into her mouth, making her moan and he pulled her closer, her chest pinned to his body.

She knew it was wrong but somehow she couldn't stop it because in that moment she forgot about everything that was happening in her world. But just the next second, it hit her like a bucket of cold water and she pulled away from him.

"This can't happen again. We're friends and just that. You have a girlfriend and I...I just went through a breakup." Elena tried to explain but the truth was that she liked it, that she wouldn't have stopped if it hadn't been for that phone call.

"I don't have a girlfriend! And who are you to answer my phone?''

''Don't you yell at me, Damon Salvatore.'' Elena was taken aback by his icy tone of voice.

''You're the one who stormed after me with the attitude.'' His eyes were fixated on his phone again as it started ringing in his hand.

Elena pointed a stern finger at his phone, ''It seems urgent. You should probably take care of her.''

Damon rubbed the bridge of his nose, silencing the phone in his hand, ''I don't owe you an explanation but I'll call you tomorrow when when I can straighten this all go inside. You're going to catch a cold."

"Yeah...Goodnight, Damon."

She turned around and walked back home, pulling the coat tightly around her body. Just a few minutes ago she had been so close to him, so close that she didn't even feel the cold outside and she wished she could have stay there for a little more, but it was impossible. Her place wasn't there, they were just friends and that was all they would ever be. It was for the best. And she still loved Dylan, even if she didn't see a future with him.

Comfortably seated on her bed, she grabbed her laptop and started to write a new chapter of her moments when she wrote were the moments when she could see the complexity of life and the big chain of relationships one can have with the rest of the world. It amazed Elena how much she had grown as a person in the last few years, how much she had grown from being that annoying and selfish young girl to being a dedicated and intelligent woman. But sometimes, despite the fact that she had learned so much, she was being worse than a child.

The next few days she didn't hear a thing from Damon and she was worried and upset at the same time. He probably didn't want to talk to her after what happened so she decided to call Caroline and talk to her about a night out the next day, since it was Saturday and she wouldn't have to go to work.

"Caroline, hi. Yeah, can I come over to you, so we can talk?"

She knocked on the door and stepped back when she heard footsteps. Caroline appeared at the door in her PJ's and with ruffled hair. Elena frowned and stepped inside, almost running to Caroline's bedroom to find the sheets a mess. She didn't really care about that and just threw herself onto the bed and pulled the sheets over.

"And still...what happened here? Were you in a pillow fight with one of your roommates?" Elena asked, looking around.

Caroline smiled awkwardly and jumped onto the bed next to her best friend and then she giggled like a little girl.

"Stefan just left. He spent the night here."

"Oh...that explains everything. Well, I'm glad it's all fairy dust for you." Elena smiled but her smile wasn't a happy one. She thought she had a new friend who would be there for her when she needed him and now she hadn't heard from him in days. The thought of him abandoning her right now depressed her but maybe it was for the best that it happened now rather than later, when she would come to care about him even more.

"What's wrong?" Caroline asked when she saw Elena staring blankly at the ceiling, her expression lost.

"Damon. I haven't talked to him in three days." She confessed because she needed someone to know about this.

"I thought you had a serious problem. That's not even a problem. Why do you have to talk to him?" The blonde deadpanned.

"Because he's my friend, Caroline. And I'm worried that he might be mad at me."

"Damon's not friends with anyone. He just wants to get into your panties. Besides, why would he be mad at you?" Caroline asked, rolling her eyes at her friend. Elena knew that she couldn't understand her relationship with Damon and that was because she didn't know the truth. She had no idea that he was her hero, the one who saved her when no one else would have.

"Because he had dinner at my place the other night and he forgot his phone. Katherine called and I answered. He knows that." Elena confessed.

"Katherine, like in that bitch who came unannounced at Stefan's a few days ago?"

Elena nodded in silence. She couldn't stop thinking what she would do if he wouldn't talk to her anymore. All of a sudden, she remembered the kiss and she smiled at the memory, bringing her finger to her lips as if to check if they were still swollen.

That kiss ignited something inside of her that she never felt before and in that moment she wanted to stop time so his lips could stay upon hers forever. But then she remembered that it wasn't right, because she still had feelings for someone else and his love life was as complicated or even more complicated than hers.

They were both on the edge and if she surrendered to him it would mean the destruction and not only for her, but for him as well. They may have a good time together and forget for a while about everything but when reality set in, their worlds would come crashing down on them and that was something she couldn't afford. So she stuck with her choice; they would only be friends.

Elena stood up and ran into the living room, taking her coat and her bag. She had to fix things while they were still warm. With every minute that passed, her chances of being forgiven by Damon were slimmer.

"Elena! Where are you going? You've just got here. Won't you stay for lunch?" Caroline called after her and followed her into the living room. She seemed to be confused and Elena couldn't blame her. She herself was confused about everything she had at the moment and she had the ability to bring everyone around her down with her.

"I can't sit around and do nothing, Caroline. He won't call me. I've got to go!" She said while struggling to put her coat as fast as she could. Now, she only had to figure out how to find Damon.

Leaving her best friend, she walked out on the streets and fished her phone from her pocket, looking for Stefan's number.

"Hello, Elena," he greeted her his distinct, serene voice.

"Stefan, hey. I was just wondering if you knew where Damon is." She asked.

"Actually, he's right beside me. We're at the office, clearing some things up."

"Oh, okay. I'm on my way." She announced and hung up on him, rushing to find a taxi.

Elena ran to the elevator and pressed the button to get to the top floor, where Damon's office was. She stopped in front of his door for a moment trying to figure out if she was doing the right thing but then her worries came back and she pushed the door open, not thinking about the repercussions.

"Damon? We need to talk." She found him and Stefan going through some commercials while sipping from glasses of bourbon. Typical Damon. She watched how his face turned towards her and his mouth opened in surprise at the sight of her.

"What are you doing here, Elena?" He asked, motioning for her to come inside.

"I need to talk to you."

"I'll leave you guys alone." Stefan said and took his jacket, ready to leave the office.

"Stefan, wait. We're not done here, Elena. I'll call you and we'll talk another time." Damon hurried to say, shrugging his shoulders in fake regret.

"I have to meet Caroline anyway." His brother said, smiling awkwardly as he tried to make his way out of that room.

"You just left her place. What the hell, Stefan? You can't leave me to finish this alone." Damon's eyes flicked to his brother.

Elena stood between the two of them, watching as Damon tried to persuade his brother stay, just so he wouldn't have to talk to her. It pained her to see that now he didn't even want to talk to her.

"We're done with that campaign, Damon. Have fun you two!" Stefan said and exited the door, leaving them alone. Damon sighed and sat in his chair again, pouring some more bourbon into his glass.

"You're avoiding me." Elena finally said and left her bag on the couch, never taking her eyes off Damon. She found him to be indifferent and she was worried that he might not want to hear from her ever again. His eyes were colder, not the same confident ones that a few days ago made her feel so good and self-confident.

He scoffed and let out a ridiculous laugh.

"I'm not avoiding you, Elena. I'm just busy." He said, shaking his head like it was the most normal thing in the world.

"You're so busy you couldn't even call me when you said you would?" She took a few steps forward, until she reached his desk. She put her hands on it and leaned forward until she could look him in the eyes.

"You said you'd be there for me, you said you're my friend, and yet you can't even call me when you say you will? That's not a friendship Damon, that's a disaster!" She almost yelled at him, her voice showering him with all the emotions she had inside; rage, affection, disappointment.

"What do you want, Elena? I've been there when you needed a friend. I am your friend. But I have my own problems too. And nobody cares about that. You can't come here and say that you feel left out, that you're alone, because you're not! You have Caroline, you have Bonnie, hell you even have my brother. I have just one friend who's nowhere to be found right now and my brother, who is obviously too busy to talk to me. So yeah, I'm just too busy, Elena."

His words hit her like a ton of bricks and her legs started to feel like jelly once she realized that his life wasn't as easy as she thought it was. She grabbed a chair from the desk and pulled it in front of Damon, before she sat in it.

"Is this about your girlfriend?" She asked, not looking him in the eyes, worried about what he might say or do.

"For the love of god, I don't have a girlfriend, Elena! Which reminds me, why did you answer my phone?" He snapped, undoing the knot in his tie. Elena was startled by his question but inhaled deeply and tried not to enrage him anymore.

"Because...I thought it was urgent. It was ringing and it wasn't stopping and I got worried that something happened. And I was right. That woman needed to get to a hospital or something, Damon. She said she needed you." She did her best to explain that it wasn't her intention to cause trouble, that she just wanted to help. But it seemed like every time she tried to do some good, it turned out bad for her.

"She needed to get to a hospital, my ass. Katherine is a manipulative bitch. She's a liar. And she destroyed my life!" He yelled, standing up from the chair.

Elena didn't know what to do. He seemed so hurt, so vulnerable right now. She hadn't seen anyone react like this before and she definitely didn't want to see him like this again. Her heart clenched seeing his saddened face. She grabbed his hand and tried to pull him back down to sit.

"Talk to me," she whispered, lifting her hand to carefully caress his face.

"What do you want to know, Elena?" He sighed and after a few moments, she retracted her hand and rested it upon his, drawing circles on it to calm him down.

"Just what you want me to know." She nodded slightly, trying to make him understand that she won't ask anything that he doesn't want her to know, trying to make him believe that she was there for him and that she always would be.

"She was my girlfriend for a long time, up until a few months ago. I loved her more than anything in my life, she seemed perfect for me. Everybody loved her, even my father, who doesn't love anyone except his baby Stefan. I thought that being with her, besides the fact that it made me happy, would restore my relationship with my father. I was a love-struck idiot, I didn't realize what a snake she was. One night, when I got home earlier from work, I expected to find her home, waiting for me, but instead she was doing something else. She was packing her bags to leave me. I had an engagement ring in my pocket. I was planning to ask her to marry me and instead, I ended the night trying to count how many shots I had. I lost track. And I lost her."

Her mouth opened in shock and she had no idea what to say. She wasn't expecting this kind of confession, it was mind blowing. She wanted to ask why was Katherine blackmailing him now but it wasn't the right moment, she couldn't make this worse than it was. Instead, she tried to soothe him, to make him regain his confidence.

"You'll find someone else, Damon. You'll fall in love again and all this will be just a bad memory. You're a great guy. I'm sure women are lining up for you."

"I don't believe in love, Elena. Not anymore. I'm screwed up, I'm not a great guy. But it's the way I like it. Because it's so much easier not to care at all. It doesn't affect me anymore. I learned that she wasn't worthy and she would never be. I'm glad I didn't end up marrying her. It would've ruined my life." He deadpanned and Elena saw how serious he was. But she also realized how right he was; he was screwed up. Caroline has been right. But only because she didn't know the truth behind his flaws.

He may have been full of flaws but he was a good guy and deep down, she knew that he would see that eventually. And she would help him discover it.

"I'm sorry, Damon."

"For what? I don't need your pity, Elena." He scoffed, his eyes shimmering when they met hers.

"No, I'm- I'm sorry for answering your phone. I shouldn't have done that. I don't have the right to go through your stuff. And I understand if you don't want to be my friend anymore."

"Pft, it's okay. I got mad because she keeps calling me lately. But I'm dealing with it right now. Don't be silly, of course we're still friends. Come here, Gilbert." He said and pulled her into a hug, his hands running up and down her back. She smiled, glad that she had managed to mend the situation.

"But I'm not sorry for kissing you," he whispered into her ear and he let go of her, but not before he pressed a kiss on her cheek. She blushed and smiled bashfully.

"Just don't do it again." He nodded before he sighed. She could tell he was feeling better now because the tension in his shoulder disappeared and his eyes had that warmth in them again.

''So, what are your plans?'' He asked, taking another glass and filling it with some brown liquid before topping off his own glass. He offered her the glass and she gladly took it, but put it down on the desk and took off her coat.

"I'm talking with a friend over a glass of bourbon.'' She smiled and took her glass to sit on the couch where he followed her.

''That's a good plan. Why don't you tell me something about yourself? You now know all about my love life. It's only fair, right?" Damon proposed and she inhaled deeply, knowing that this was a long road to go down. It was going to take more than one glass of bourbon to get through her story.

''Hm, well I was born and raised in Mystic Falls. It's a small town in Virginia, which you've probably never heard of. My mother was a writer and my dad a doctor. I have a younger brother, his name is Jeremy and he's living with my aunt Jenna, whom you've already met and not in a pleasant manner. Sorry about that,'' she smiled ashamed of the memory of him carrying her home that night when he saved her at the bar. ''I had a lot of friends. I was popular, the captain of the cheerleading squad, Miss Mystic Falls and all that. But that didn't make me happy, not even the slightest because it wasn't enough. You have no idea what you're talking when you say you're a bad guy, Damon." She shook her head at what she was about to tell him, because she was going to tell him everything about her. She knew that she could completely trust him. At the end of the day, she had nothing to lose.

"I am the bad guy. I was, anyway. I've destroyed a lot of lives, I was so mean I didn't care about anyone but me. Hell, I didn't even care for Caroline who is like my sister. I liked to party and I partied hard. One night there was this party and I wanted to go, of course. My parents were practically begging me to stay home for a family night but who was I to listen to them? I went and that night I got into a fight with my boyfriend; I caught him cheating on me and I had to plot my revenge, which I never got to do. I was desperate to get home, I couldn't stay there anymore so I called my mother and asked her to come get me. They came and got me but we never made it home. My parents died in that car accident and I didn't.''

''How did you get to New York?'' Damon broke the deafening silence after my confession.

''Jenna left her life behind here to raise Jeremy and I. I was getting in more and more trouble in Mystic Falls so when I finished high school, we moved to New York because I got into Columbia. Those four years at university were my wake up call, they brought me back to reality. I studied hard and I finally achieved what I wanted. And that's the story of Elena Gilbert."

She was perfectly aware that she didn't tell him about the black months in her life, that dark period when she would hurt herself not to feel the pain anymore, the guilt, the sorrow. She couldn't go back in that place, not now, not with him.

"Quite the story you have there, Gilbert. I just can't imagine you as the bad guy. Only in short shorts." He smirked his authentic smile and sipped from his glass and she did the same because she needed it.

"Damon!" She started to laugh and threw the pillow next to her at him. "Look, I have a proposal. Tomorrow night, me, you, Caroline and Stefan are going to party, Gilbert style, okay?"

"Ugh, why Caroline? I think the two of us would do just fine." Damon scoffed.

"Don't be a child. I want you and Caroline to get along. You both are my friends and I hate to see my friends fighting. We'll go together and we'll have a great time and you won't even feel the need to bicker with her." Elena explained. She wasn't good at this at all. She hated to see her friends fighting and she would do all that was in her power to see Damon and Caroline bond over something, even if that something was miniscule.

"Fine...just for you." He smiled and that smile made her heart beat faster and showered her face with a smile of her own.

"Thank you!" She stood up and pulled on her, knowing it was time to leave. It had turned into a good day. It was full of confessions and she had learned a lot about Damon. Unfortunately, they both had lives full of sorrow in common. His father didn't want him, hated him. His girlfriend told him she doesn't love him. His life was no better than hers despite his money. This was a situation where the saying "Money doesn't buy happiness" applied perfectly.

"I'll get you home. I'm done here."

"So you were avoiding me, then." She walked down the hallway, a few steps ahead of him but not too far.

"Yeah. I wasn't in the mood to talk about Katherine, but it felt good to." He admitted and opened the front door with the key-card he had in his pocket.

"You know you can always talk to me..." Elena turned to him and she smiled warmly. Her arms tangled around him and she hugged him softly.

"So that's the bitch you're sleeping with now?" A voice coming from behind startled them and Elena turned to face the person talking.