A/N: Updates will be at least once a week, but I can't promise anymore than that. Without further ado…

I DO NOT OWN VAMPIRE DIARIES OR THE CHARACTERS.

Chapter Seventeen:

Despite the pretense that we left Stefan with downstairs, we kept things relatively innocent. Damon and I cuddled in his bed and kissed. When I say that we kissed, I mean we explored each other's mouths with an incredible amount of gentleness and passion. We only stopped when I needed to come up for air.

Damon kept his word. He didn't try to push me into anything that I wasn't ready for. I appreciate that so much more than he realizes. A night in with him was what I needed. He makes me feel better. It's not so much that we're dating, it's the affect that he has on me as a person.

When I first met him, I couldn't stand him. He was arrogant and I hated it. I had no idea what Elena ever saw in him. He was the polar opposite of his brother. We argued and it always ended on a sour note. I knew that my dislike for him was mutual. I was fine with that.

Sometimes, I'll stop and think about just how much things have changed since he came back to town. If someone had told me that I would be in a relationship with Damon Salvatore last year, I would have thought that they were insane.

Honestly, I am so unbelievably thankful that he's in my life. I know that I wouldn't have been able to see it before, but I'm so glad that I do now. Despite all of the heartache that happened between me and Alaric, at least something good came out of this fucked up mess. Damon showed me that he has a heart – a big one at that – and that he's a decent man.

"Are you gonna stare at me all night?" I asked Damon, as he stroked my hair, lazily. His lips curved into his signature smirk and he kept watching me.

"Maybe I am, you should feel lucky that you're getting all of my attention." He teased me. I rolled my eyes.

"Yeah, because it's clearly not creepy… at all…" I retorted. He shrugged.

"You know that Klaus isn't going to give up on you." He sighed. It was my turn to shrug.

"What do you expect me to do about that right now?"

"I never said that I expected you to do anything."

"Mm," I looked at him, not really believing him. "I told him that I only wanted you and if he tries anything else… I'll ask him to back off as that favor that he owes me. Okay?"

"Fine," he agreed, but he didn't look satisfied.

"Don't do anything reckless, Damon." I tried to caution him. He laughed.

"When have I ever done anything reckless? I think you're getting me confused with someone else, Judgy." He asked with mock hurt. I snorted.

"Please, we both know you and that you have and that you will. I'm asking you not to. Things run so much smoother when you're not picking fights with an Original."

"Fine, but only for you."

"Thank you."

"Women," he complained.

"You love me." I told him, impassively. He shrugged.

"Love, hate, it's all the same thing." He argued. I charred his hand and tore away from me. "Hey!"

My phone ringing ripped me out of my slumber. I groaned and cursed my luck. I didn't even bother checking the Caller ID before accepting the call and placing the phone to my ear.

"What the fuck do you want?" I huffed into the mouthpiece on my cell.

"Good morning to you, too, sweetheart." Klaus mused on the other end of the call. I sighed.

"Really? It's early, Klaus. This better be important." I griped. He laughed.

"After you spoke to me last night, I thought it would be best if I paid Marcel a visit, myself." Klaus told me. My tired eyebrows rose in surprise.

"How did that go?" I asked, waking up with that information.

"You were right to be concerned about his interest. Apparently, he isn't accustomed to being denied.
At any rate, I've spoken with him and he won't be bothering you further. If that changes, then I need to be the first to know." Klaus explained. I nodded, without realizing that he wouldn't be able to hear my head move. "I also wanted to know if you had given any more thought to my proposal from last night?" He pried. I sighed. And we're back to that. Again.

"My mind hasn't changed. I'm officially with Damon, Klaus. That's all that's changed. Please, respect that. I've got enough on my plate with Alaric being psychotic."

"I can't make any promises, love. I'm drawn to things that I can't have and you happen to be unobtainable."

"Then, I'd like to use that favor you owe me as backing off." I told him, firmly. He didn't say anything for a minute. I can tell that I threw him. He wasn't expecting that, but I was hoping that he would still stand by his word.

"He really means that much to you?" Klaus asked me, softly in disbelief.

"Yes." I replied, without any hesitation.

"Very well, I'll give you your wish, but I won't count it as your favor. You have my word. I'll leave you to your relationship with Salvatore, but should you change your mind, I'll be around." He gave in. I smiled.

"Thank you, Klaus." I breathed.

"I have pressing matters that I must attend to. I'll be seeing you, sweetheart." He ended the call. I stared at my phone, before putting it back on Damon's nightstand. Damon was staring at me. I knew that he heard everything that was said, so I didn't need to relay any missed information.

"Do you think he's serious?" He asked me. I nodded.

"He sounded like he was."

"You never know with Klaus."

"He gave me his word that has to count for something. I'm chalking it up to a win for us."

"Forever the optimist," Damon mused. I laughed.

"That's not even close to being true."

"Shh, you don't know that." He smirked, winking at me. "I say that we celebrate." He suggested.

"And how will we do that?"

"Well, we start with a bath and then the rest is up for discussion."

"I don't know, Damon…"

"Do you trust me, Bonnie?" He asked me. I nodded.

"You know that I do."

"If you're not ready to be naked together, then I'll run a bath for you and sit beside of the tub."

"We can try it."

A/N: I'm not sure how much longer this is going to be, just because I hadn't planned on it being too long of a story when I originally posted it. I will say that shit is about to hit the fan.
-Anneryn