AN: Hello! Musie came out to play and this is the chapter I think you've all been waiting for. Have fun reading it! Drop me a review and let me know what you think of it.

A drop in the ocean,

A change in the weather,

I was praying that you and me might end up together.

Elena woke up to the colored walls in her old room and she wondered what was she doing there. That was the room where Damon was supposed to sleep, while she slept in the living room, on the couch. And then she remembered. He has come late last night and carried her upstairs, tucked her in and cuddled with her.

She turned on her side and watched Damon, who was still asleep. It was the second time since she met him that she had slept with him, the second time she had wanted to touch his face, to feel his skin while he was still asleep, because when he was awake, he would put on this façade that transformed him into a cold man, incapable of love or caring. But somehow, he cared about her and she was so happy that he still wanted her to be his friend.

Elena laid there for a few more minutes, contemplating, trying to figure out what secrets was he hiding, what was going on into his mind and soul. But as much as she tried to decipher him, he became a bigger mystery.

Damon shifted in the big bed and she retracted her hand from his chest, where she kept it since he carried her upstairs.

"Good morning." Elena breathed out and Damon looked at her and he seemed surprised she was still there.

"Hey."

"So are we alright now?" Elena dared to ask but she didn't look into his eyes until he chuckled.

"We're alright." His blue eyes danced with amusement and bore into her chocolate ones. She smiled and for the first time in days it was a genuine smile, because she was so damn happy to hear him say those words.

"Oh, thank God. I though I was going to have to put my master plan into action if you wouldn't have forgiven me."

"And what's your master plan, may I ask?" Damon pouted his lips together and narrowed his eyes, looking pretty interested in what she was about to tell him.

"I'll tell you if we're ever in another fight."

"Then I shall find out someday, because you and me, we're going to burn a place down." Damon said amused but this didn't sound as fun from her perspective. Somehow, it made her think about the worst things and she didn't want to fight with him anymore. Two times was enough, especially because the second time was pretty bad.

"I'm going to go see my parents today." Elena simply said and she watched how Damon's face changed. She supposed he remembered about his mother as well.

"Can I come with you?"

"Sure. It's not a pretty place to go to but-"

"Elena. I'm visiting my mother weekly at the cemetery. Do you really think I'm so afraid of one?"

"Oh.."

"Good morning, Damon. Breakfast is ready." Stefan knocked at the door. "Do you have any idea where Elena is?"

"Uhm, yes. She needed to use this bathroom and look for some of her things here. We will be down in a minute." Damon said and Elena jumped from the bed, going into the bathroom.

"Shit! What are they going to think now?" She freaked out and searched for one of her many bathrobes. When she finally found one, she pulled it on.

"What does it matter anyway? It's not like we did anything wrong. Like I said last night, it was cold downstairs." Damon shrugged. He was right, it wasn't a big deal. They just shared a bed because it was cold downstairs. At least he claimed it was.

After breakfast, Elena got dressed in a pair of jeans and a thick sweater that would help her get through the cold outside. She put on her coat and waited for Damon to get ready. They walked to the car in silence. Minutes later, she said something.

"Please stop here. I'm going to go buy some flowers."

She got back a few minutes later, holding a bouquet of white and red roses. Elena smiled as she gave Damon directions to the cemetery.

"You know, the girl selling flowers, she recognized me. It wasn't pretty. She asked me if I was Elena Gilbert, the suicidal girl who killed her parents." She scoffed as she tried to pay attention to the road in front of her.

"People are stupid. You shouldn't listen to what they say." Damon said as he stopped in front of the cemetery.

They walked to her parent's grave in silence. When Elena stopped in front of the headstone that read Miranda and Grayson Gilbert, Damon stopped right behind her, not saying anything. She got down on her knees and arranged the flowers.

"I've missed you so much," Elena whispered through the tears flowing down her face. "I'm sorry I've never visited you. I know I should've done it. But I felt so bad about your deaths that I just couldn't come here and put flowers on your grave and act like everything was alright when it wasn't. I am so sorry!" She cried out, her face full of tears and smeared mascara. Damon put a hand on her shoulder and she grabbed it, holding it tight before he could retract it.

"Look at what I've done, Damon."

"You didn't do this, 'Lena. It's not your fault. When will you learn that it's not?" Damon got down on his knees in front of her, making her look at him. He brushed his thumb on her cheek, wiping away the tears. "Don't. Don't hold yourself responsible for something you didn't do."

She nodded shortly and a new wave of tears hit her. Elena leaned her body against his and he allowed her to rest her head against his shoulder. She was so tired of crying, of living. She was tired of everything. She just wished she could go somewhere where no one knew her and where she knew no one, somewhere she could start again.

"Thank you for being here for me. You're the only one that knows what's going on inside of me. You're the only one that I trust enough to tell you these things."

"What about Caroline?" He asked, completely in awe of what he has just heard.

"Caroline stopped understanding everything about me a while ago. She started to change since she's known Stefan. And I don't blame her. She loves him, she really does, Damon." She said as she got up, helped by Damon. They walked back to the car and he didn't say anything while she talked about Caroline.

"But somehow, you seem to understand me like no one ever does. Maybe it's because we've been through similar situations, but it just feels good to have someone to share this with." Elena continued. "That's why I didn't like the thought of losing you, that's why I've tried so hard to fix things. Because when Caroline gets married, when she's busy raising her kids, I know that you will be here for me. If you don't get married as well. Or fall in love."

"That's not going to happen, I can assure you. I will be there for you whenever you need me." He chuckled lightly and she smiled. Damon pulled a napkin from the glove and wiped away the dried tears and mascara. He gently brushed his thumb against her cheek and she parted her lips instinctively, breathing out. Elena stared at him like it was the only thing she needed to do to keep living and he smiled confused.

"We can go now." Damon broke the silence and started the engine, driving back home.

"Damon, I need to apologize for last week. I led you on and I shouldn't have done that. I am sorry, I really am."

"We don't have to talk about it anymore. It happened, it's okay. I don't get upset so easily. Though I was angry that you couldn't admit it in front of Caroline."

"Caroline...she can be judgmental. And I don't want to be judged, not anymore. My whole life I've been judged and I'm so tired of it." Elena sighed and he nodded shortly, making her think that he understood what she meant.

"Okay."

"So can we forget about the kiss?"

"What kiss?" He asked, making her smile. In less than five minutes, they were back home, where everybody was waiting for them. Elena wondered what plans they had for the rest of the day. It was only 10 in the morning and she was already tired, even if she had just woken up two hours ago.

"I talked to Stefan and tomorrow we're going skiing." Caroline said enthusiastically, while clapping her hands. Elena rolled her eyes amused and looked at Damon, who looked like he was about to choke the blonde. Truth was that she could be annoying; and she could really act like a child.

"That sounds good. I miss skiing, I haven't done it in years. I don't even know if I can get on a slope anymore." Elena said and she collapsed on the couch noisily, stretching her legs. "I need a massage. Maybe I can talk Jeremy into it." She smirked devilishly and looked to her brother who was playing some video games behind her.

"That's not going to happen." Jeremy said, without bothering to look at his sister.

"What are you playing?" Damon asked and sat next to Jeremy, taking the free controller.

Fifteen minutes later, they were still playing and Damon was beating Jeremy every time.

"Man, I give up. You're a professional gamer."

"See, Stef? Told you that if father fires me, I can find something else to do." Damon said and stood up, stretching his arms in the air.

Elena looked at her friends. They all looked so calm, so peaceful and that made her feel the same. Seeing every single gesture, every smile, seeing Caroline sneaking a kiss on Stefan's cheek and then him turning around and pressing a soft kiss on her lips. Watching her brother drawing and looking at her aunt trying to make a coffee and throwing stuff around.

And then there was Damon, who was on the porch, talking on the phone and looking pretty angry. Elena stood up and walked to the window, looking at him. He looked so beautiful even when he was angry. She smiled and put her hand on the window, trying to touch him even though she couldn't. He turned around and saw her and his eyes opened wide before his lips mimicked a smile and she quickly let her hand down. A few moments later, the door opened and he motioned for her to come outside.

Elena exited the house and leaned against the wooden railing, looking at Damon, who was pacing the length of the little porch. He ran a hand through his hair and she knew at that moment that something upset him, because that was a tell he only did when he was nervous.

"Katherine." He simply stated and Elena sighed, wondering how she got in this situation in the first place. When did she start to worry about Damon's ex-girlfriend? And then she remembered that she was dating her ex-boyfriend and it enraged her, not because she still cared about Dylan, but because she knew how mean and ruthless Katherine was. She was afraid that she might ruin Dylan's life like she did Damon's. And sometimes she thought that Katherine was going out with him just to make Damon jealous and there were times when Elena thought she succeeded, but then again, she couldn't be sure of anything.

"Oh. Did something happen?"

"She just called to bug me, like always. I hung up on her after I told her to fuck off." Damon said and he opened the door for them to go back inside. "Come on, it's cold outside."

"Go inside. I'll be there soon."

She stood there, watching the sun set in the sky. The night was slowly settling in and the sky was dark blue as some pale stars started to shine. Elena looked at everything around her; it was so beautiful, she wished she could stay there forever.

Elena opened the door in silence and saw everyone inside watching something on TV in silence. The voices coming from the TV were familiar to her. So familiar, that she could swear she was going insane at the sound of them. Elena took a few more steps and she stopped right in the middle of the living room, watching the screen as if was something sacred. And it was, for her. Apparently, Jenna has found some old home videos of her parents, because there, on the screen, they were. Her mother was braiding Elena's long hair and her father was playing basketball with Jeremy. Jenna was filming it and she turned the camera from time to time towards herself, smiling widely. This video was pretty old, because Elena was about 10 years old.

"Mom, can I get a haircut?" The little girl in the video asked, turning to the woman who was braiding her hair.

"You can, but after a while you're going to be sorry that you've cut your beautiful hair." Her mother explained and little Elena pouted a little but she was smiling again the next minute, watching her brother trying to steal the ball from his father.

"Mommy, mommy, watch me. I stole the ball from daddy."

"Good job, sweetie. Now go and score for mommy and 'Lena, okay?" Miranda smiled and pinched her son's chubby cheek, before watching him run away with the ball and struggle to hit the target.

"Oh my God!" Elena whispered and put her hand on her mouth. Tears started to well up in her eyes and everyone else turned around to look at her.

"Elena, I'm so sorry. I'm going to turn it off right now." Caroline said and she took the remote, trying to stop it as soon as possible.

"No!" Elena raised her hand in the air to stop her and Caroline put the remote down. She took a few steps forward but she never got to them, to the couch. She just stopped a little bit closer and stared blankly at the screen, allowing the tears to wet her face.

"We were looking through the boxes and I found that and I wanted to see what's on it. I'm sorry, Elena." Caroline explained once again and Elena nodded shortly, reassuring her friend that she didn't do anything wrong. And she didn't. It wasn't her fault that those videos and those memories affected her. It was her own fault and she had to live with it. But someday she would look at these videos and she would be able to talk about her parents without thinking she was responsible for their deaths. But right now, she was still that stupid teenager who caused the accident that killed her parents.

"Don't worry, Caroline. I feel fine. I was just so overwhelmed to see this that I couldn't not cry. I haven't watched those videos since they died. I don't know if I would've done it someday. But I'm glad I did now." She smiled and she tried to make it seem real. Her friend looked at her and gave her an apologetic smile and she moved closer to them, sitting next to her brother who was still looking at the video but not saying anything. Elena knew that over the years, he had watched those videos and he had read every single thing about them.

Over the next two hours they had dinner and played Monopoly. Of course, Damon cooked. He seemed to be a brilliant cook because everyone cleared their plates for the second night in a row. And Caroline insisted to play a game every night so they could cheer up. It was Christmas Eve and Elena felt like she couldn't be happier. She didn't need a boyfriend to be happy. She only needed her family and her friends. The Christmas tree was shining brightly in the corner, with it's big star reaching the ceiling.

Elena was left there, alone, again. It was after midnight and this time she couldn't sleep, she felt like she was choking, she couldn't breathe. She only wanted one thing and that was to not be alone. Not tonight. But if she did what she really wanted to do, she would probably end up regretting it first thing tomorrow morning. But the feeling she had inside of her was so strong, so much more powerful than her that she couldn't stop her body from moving towards the place she wanted to be at the most. She got up from the couch and wrapped the blanket around her. Elena slowly walked upstairs on her tiptoes, trying not to be heard. She stopped in front of the door to her old room and cracked the door open.

"Can I come in?" She whispered and saw Damon sitting up in the darkness.

"Sure." He said, his voice hoarse but sounding as sexy as ever.

She tiptoed in the room and let the blanket fall to the floor, remaining in her tight top and shorts. She climbed in the bed and pulled the sheets over her slim body and looked at Damon, who was watching her every move, probably trying to figure out what she wanted.

"Can I sleep with you? I don't want to stay alone downstairs."

"You can stay here. I'm going to go and sleep downstairs." Damon offered and he was ready to get out of the bed when Elena grabbed his hand.

"No, stay here. I said I don't want to be alone. Not there and not here. Stay with me, please." She begged him and he nodded shortly, before laying down again. Elena closed the space between them and she rested her head against his chest, using his pecs like her own makeshift pillow. He was so warm that she never wanted to leave his side.

After minutes of laying awake and thinking, Elena rolled on her front and inhaled in his scent, deciding what to do. She couldn't sleep and that was because his presence there was bothering her. And what would bother her even more was if he wouldn't be there, breathing the same air as she did, sleeping in the same bed that she did.

"Damon, are you sleeping?" Elena ran her hand on his upper arm.

"What?" He growled, but she could tell he wasn't angry but instead tired.

"Let's do this." Elena said and she was probably going to regret it later on, but right now, she hadn't been more sure of something in her entire life.

"What are you saying?" Damon asked as he rubbed his eyes and tried to find the switch for the lamp. Elena grabbed his hand to stop him and make him pay attention to her.

"I'm saying that you are right. You've been right all this time. I should've seen it before but I didn't because I...well, I don't know why. But I want to do this. It may result in a massive disaster but I'm in." She looked into his eyes and she noticed how confused he looked. "Damon, I don't want to be just your friend anymore. I like you and we should try and see if this is going to work. And I really hope it's going to last for a while."

"Wait, are you really saying what I think you are?" He asked, completely amazed by what she was telling him. His blue eyes bore into her chocolate ones and she nodded shortly. There was no going back; that was for sure. She wanted to do this so badly that she could listen to all the critics in her life and not give a damn about what they had to say, because for once, it was her free will that made her do this, that made her say those words and start this.

The next minute, he was hovering above her and crushed his lips against hers. His lips were intoxicating and she wanted to feel them there forever. God, this felt so good that she couldn't remember why she didn't she agreed to it earlier. She could've saved days of misery.

Damon pulled out the hair tie from her hair and tangled his fingers into her brown tresses, feeling it's soft texture. She pressed her chest to his, that way that he could feel every beat of her heart like it was his own. Elena brought her hands to his face, cupping his cheeks and slowly slipped her tongue into his mouth. Their tongues brushed, igniting a fire that she had no idea existed inside of her. It felt so unreal that she was afraid that if someone pinched her, she would be out of her dream and left with nothing but tears to dry and beautiful fantasies.

"I want you so badly," Damon whispered through breaths of fresh air and she hushed him. Instead, Elena pulled on his bottom lip, making him groan in pleasure. "Jesus!"

His hands moved to her hips, warming her, protecting her, while she gripped the back of his neck with one hand and gently scratched his scalp with the other. Damon's lips tenderly moved to her neck, kissing her softly and sending shivers down her spine, causing her to tremble slightly. Her back arched when his hands traced her curves and she felt her body tingling in anticipation to what was coming next. As much as he wanted to be inside her, he wanted to tease her, to make sure she was his and then give her all he had.

Elena allowed her hands to move along his stomach to explore every inch of his upper body. He was so hot and not only physically, but mentally as well. She wanted him with every piece of her body and she couldn't stop thinking how stupid she had been that she hasn't realized it earlier. She was so in awe of him that she wasn't sure she could ever forget about this. His hands traveled from her thighs to her stomach and he slowly pushed her top up and up, and he stopped right underneath her breasts. With a moan, she crushed her lips against his and in a matter of seconds, he got rid of the thin material that covered her breasts. Damon cupped her breasts in his hands and teased her nipples until they were hard under his touch. He smirked devilishly and pressed kissed down her neck, until he found that one spot that no one even had found before him.

Elena grazed his shoulder with her teeth, her hands in his black tousled hair, pulling at it for life. Damon's face was buried in her stomach, kissing every inch of her skin, not wanting to leave a millimeter untouched by his lips, by his fingers. "You're teasing me." She groaned and looked right into his eyes, trying to show him how desperate she was for him to touch her, to make her his.

"Yes, I am. I can't stop it." Damon said and lowered his eyes to her hips and then her legs, at the way her legs trembled beneath him, like they were made of jelly and not of flesh.

"I want you," she whispered and without saying anything else, she grabbed one of his hands and positioned it on her thigh. "Now."

"Are you sure?" Damon asked, trying to catch his breath and he hoped she would still say yes because there was no way in hell he would be able to stop now. Even if all Hell broke loose in the next minute, she had to be his. Elena nodded, because she felt like she couldn't open her mouth to say anything else.

Without another word, Damon gripped her hips and positioned himself at her entrance. She was looking him right in the eyes as he slowly slid inside of her. Her walls tightened around him and that moment he knew that she was everything he needed; she was the perfect fit for him. Elena moaned in pleasure as she remembered the dream she has had the other day. Then, all of this sounded ridiculous and impossible, and not only because Damon was so mad at her, but because it would have been wrong. But right now, it was perfect and she couldn't wish for something else in her life.

Her hips started to move seductively beneath him and that was his cue that he needed to speed up the rhythm. Their breaths were shallow and rare as they tried to find the perfect rhythm for both. Damon tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear and brushed his lips against her softly. "You are beautiful," he whispered and she smiled warmly. He could feel all of her emotions and that was something that amazed him. She wasn't the simple girl he had saved at the bar anymore. Now she was his girl. He always thought that after sleeping with her, he wouldn't feel the same about her, he thought that she would become a girl like all the others one, but now he knew it wasn't like that. Having her here, now, sleeping with her had only made him want her more, because she wasn't like everyone else. She was Elena; his Elena.

Moaning one last time that night, Elena called out his name and she came, quickly followed by Damon, who still had his hand on her cheek. Her face turned red and a new wave of tingles hit her body, making her clench on the inside. How was it possible to feel this turmoil of emotions? She had never felt that way with anyone and she wanted to believe that he was the only one that could make her feel that way. Damon rolled off of her and pulled the sheets over them and she obliged, but because she wasn't ready to let go of him yet, she pressed her lips against his one more time before she leaned into his body, her curves fitting perfectly with his. Face to face, their foreheads touched, Elena draped her leg over his and his arm rested on her waist.

She looked up at him and she knew that what he felt for her, he didn't feel for any of the other girls he had in the past. That was the reason why she had to say what she said. "Please don't hurt me." Before she could add anything else, he brushed his thumb against her sweaty face, making her shiver, because that was the effect he could have on her.

"I won't." With these last words, their world-yes, their world, because she wasn't alone anymore-fell asleep and she knew, deep down, that he would try his best to keep his promise, because as bad as some said he was, Elena knew that she could be the right one for him. She just had to prove that to him and most importantly, to herself.