I had big plans to update more than once this week, since I have completed the story. Our internet line was cut on Monday, however, and it took two days to repair. Amazing, how my roommate and I, two twenty-something women, can't entertain ourselves without internet... Once it was back in business, I was so far behind in the job I'm paid to do that I didn't get a chance!
All that said, here we go - the moment I think a good amount of you have been waiting for, based on the comments I'm seeing. :) If you will notice, the rating has been turned to "M." Go easy on me... I haven't written many lemons!
And thank you - SO MUCH - for all of your comments and love and PMs. I'll get back to those PMs this week, promise!
Disclaimer: I don't own Vampire Diaries.
"Look!" Molly shrieked, pointing her finger. "Look!" Damon and Elena looked.
"What…?" Damon started, confused as to what Molly was so excited about. All he saw was the beach, the ocean breaking against the shore. The sea air had already bolstered him, and the sight of the ocean added a bit of a spring to his step.
"It's a crab," Elena said, even as she held Molly back from running toward it. "Look, right there." She pointed too. Damon saw it then. It was a small sand crab, scurrying back and forth over the same few feet of sand.
"Want me to catch it?" he asked Elena, just loud enough so only she could hear. He didn't want to give Molly any ideas. "She can have her first pet." Elena glared at him.
"Don't you dare."
Damon laughed and squeezed her hand as they walked along the plank sidewalk towards the beach. They had arrived in Beaufort a couple of hours ago, the ride long and more eventful than he would have liked. As Elena had predicted, Molly grew tired of riding about four hours in, and made her dissatisfaction about being in her car seat known. He learned the car stopped a lot more often with a kid, and if he were being honest, Elena wasn't much better, growing cranky as the road stretched on. He outright asked her how she had managed to drive across country with both her and Molly's attitudes. She hadn't spoke for thirty minutes, until finally sighing and asking him to stop for a restroom.
"Hurry!" Molly ordered, pulling at Elena's hand, eager to get to the beach.
"We're going, we're going," Elena said. She led the way down the stairs over the dune, letting out an audible sigh as her toes reached the sand. Molly jumped from the last step and landed in the sand, giggling. Damon followed, pausing just long enough to remove his sandals. Elena and Molly had gone barefoot.
"Let's swim!" Molly said, already darting towards the ocean. Elena lunged after her, managing to grab her by the strap of her dress.
"Nope," she said. "Remember our deal? We are just going for a walk on the beach this evening. We will go swimming tomorrow, after breakfast." Molly frowned. Elena could see the beginning of a temper tantrum. "We talked about this," Elena reminded her. "It's been a long day of traveling. We are going to go for a walk to stretch our legs, and then we are going to go back to the house and order in dinner."
"Fine," Molly huffed. "Can I put my toes in da water?" she bargained. Elena nodded.
"That you can do," she agreed. "But, you have to stay close to Daddy and I. Got it?"
"Got it," Molly said with a nod. She turned and continued on her path towards the ocean.
"Mama is a hard ass," Damon commented, catching up to Elena and taking her hand once more.
"Mama is going to change her mind about where Daddy sleeps tonight if Daddy doesn't stop with the teasing," she retorted. Damon raised an eyebrow.
"And where exactly is Daddy sleeping tonight?" he asked. He thought, maybe, he knew, at least after last night. But, he wasn't going to assume anything.
"With me," Elena said. It was as obvious to her as it should have been to him, at least in her opinion.
"Then, I will straighten up and fly right," Damon said, winking at her. Elena laughed.
"Molly! That's far enough!" Elena called. The waves were lapping at Molly's ankles and Elena knew how much her daughter loved the water. If Molly had it her way, she would already be soaked from head to toe.
Elena's parents' cottage grew smaller as they walked. It was a picturesque scene, the sun sinking opposite of where it rose that morning. The sea breeze lifted Elena and Molly's hair and filled Damon's senses with not only salt and sand, but also of his girls, Elena's lavender and vanilla shampoo, Molly's baby lotion. He kept Elena's hand in his as they walked in the surf, Molly a few feet ahead of them. They chatted about nothing in particular, pausing occasionally to call Molly back when she ventured too far.
"It really is beautiful here," Elena commented after a while. "I didn't really take it in the last time we were here."
"It is beautiful," Damon agreed, looking at her. "The scenery isn't so bad either." Elena smiled and rolled her eyes. "You doing okay with being here?" he asked. He hadn't missed the wistful look in Elena's eyes when they first arrived. He knew it would be hard for her to be in the last home her parents had shared, but he hoped she would be able to make new memories there, happy ones.
"It's – okay," Elena told him. "I'm glad we're here. There are so many reminders of my parents in the house, but it didn't hurt as much as I thought it might. I think that's because you are here, with me. And Molly, of course." Damon responded by slipping an arm around her and pulling her close to his side.
"I'm glad we're here," he agreed. "We need this." Elena smiled up at him.
"We do," she agreed. She kissed his cheek.
"Daddy, can you hold dis for me?" Molly asked, running up to them with her hands full of seashells.
"Let's see what we've got," Damon said, holding out his hand. Molly dumped the collection of colorful shells into his hand.
"Hey, this one is really cool," Elena said, reaching for a spiraled shell Molly had found. It was barely in her palm before she let out a squeal and dropped it. "There's something in it!"
"Lemme see!" Molly cried, diving for it. Damon managed to snag it first, just in case there really was something living inside the shell. He turned it over to check while Molly jumped, trying to snatch the it from him. "Daddy!"
"Look at that," Damon commented, observing a few small legs. A hermit crab was calling the shell home. "Check this out." He squatted down to Molly's level and held the shell out so she could see it. "It's a hermit crab." Molly peered at the legs flailing about.
"It a crab!" she said. "Dat's so cool!" She looked at Elena. "Can we keep it, Mama?"
"No," Elena said automatically. "Absolutely not. Crabs live at the beach, not in houses." Damon wasn't going to argue with her, but he didn't think it would be the worst thing in the world to keep the hermit crab.
"But…"
"Mama is right," Damon intervened. "This little guy needs to be here, at the beach. Why don't you put him in the sand so he can find his way back to his family?" Molly considered him for a moment and it looked like she was going to argue. Instead, she stuck out her hand.
"Fine," she grumbled. Damon transferred the crap to Molly's hand and she scurried off to return it to its home. He stood and wiped his hand on his shorts, pocketing the rest of Molly's shells. He had realized his pockets were a lot like Elena's purse these days – they carried everything Molly didn't want to.
"That poor little crab scare you?" he asked Elena. She glared at him.
"I wasn't expecting the shell to move," she informed him. He laughed and put his arm back around her, pulling her into his side once more. They resumed walking, now heading back towards home. Molly skipped along the shoreline, kicking at the waves, pausing every now and again to observe something or pick something up. "You are quiet all of a sudden," Elena commented after a few minutes passed without commentary from Damon. He pressed a kiss into her hair.
"Just thinking," he said.
"About?" Elena prompted. Damon gave her a wistful smile.
"Your parents, actually," he admitted. "I was wondering what they would think of me, being here, being a part of your life, a part of Molly's. I can't imagine I was there favorite person."
"You weren't," Elena said without pretense. "But, they knew you were worming your way back into the picture. We talked about you a lot, mostly about how you were doing with Molly, but also a little bit about how things were between us. I think, if they were still here, they would be open to having you in the picture, especially as you continue to show Molly and I how much you love us."
"I do happen to love the two of you," Damon agreed. "Even when one of you is pouting about being out of coffee and the other one is kicking the back of my seat, mad because her movie is over, her doll's hair is tangled, and she wants to sit on the other side of the car." Elena laughed.
"You managed to keep your cool for the most part," she said. "We were difficult."
"I'm already looking forward to the drive back home," he quipped, drawing another laugh from Elena.
"Mama! I gots more shells!" Molly arrived, holding her shells out to Elena.
"Those are so pretty," Elena commented, taking the collection from Molly. She made to pass them to Damon.
"They are for you!" Molly said happily.
"Well, thank you!"
"Look at that," Damon commented. "Mama and I both have pretty shells." Molly frowned.
"Dey not you shells," she told him. "Dey my shells."
"So, wait, the shells you gave me aren't for me, but the ones you just gave your mom are for her?" Molly nodded. "You are a fickle little girl," he told her with a smile to let her know he was teasing.
"What do fi-kle mean?" Molly asked.
"It means you change your mind a lot," Elena explained.
"Oh, like Aunt Care," Molly stated. Damon grinned while Elena laughed.
"That's my girl," he said, reaching down and scooping a sandy Molly into his arms. He looped his arm back around Elena as they continued their walk. He had realized he had a tendency to keep Molly and Elena close to him when they were together. He knew it was because deep down, he had a fear that he would lose them again. He needed them close, to calm his own wounds.
Back at the cottage, Elena took Molly to give her a bath, leaving Damon with a few moments to himself once he called in their Chinese order. He found the soda he had remembered to put in the fridge when they got there, and, after taking in the next to empty fridge and wondering if it had really been one of their better ideas to wait until the next day to go grocery shopping for the week, he went out on the porch to wait for their food.
Elena had been right to suggest they come to Beaufort. Not only would it be good for them, as both a couple and a family, it would be good for them individually, as well. Molly needed a break from their constant traveling, two days here, a few days there, and being shuffled around from parent to grandparent to aunt to uncle and back again as they all worked together to make their hectic schedules work. Elena needed a break from his family, no matter how much she loved them, and her job. And he needed a break from life.
He knew what he wanted from this week. He wanted to fully focus on his relationship with Elena. Their life in Mystic Falls was a good one, but it was also busy, traveling to a different racetrack every week where they all hit the ground running and had minimum downtime. When they were home during the season, it was usually just long enough to unpack their suitcases, swap out cars, re-pack, and head to the next track. Somewhere in the middle of it all, they were juggling parenting, relationships. For just one week, he wanted to slow down and just be with the two people he loved more than anything.
For the first time in a very long time, he felt like he was close. Everything he ever wanted – whether he knew he wanted it or not – was right there.
He wasn't going to let it pass him by this time.
"Are you hiding?"
Damon turned and smiled at Elena as she stepped out onto the porch.
"No. It's just too beautiful out to be inside," he answered.
It truly was a stunning night. After returning to the cottage from dinner at a seafood restaurant, they had ended the evening with a walk on the beach, something they had done all three nights they had been there so far. Molly had tired out all on her own, barely staying awake through a bath before she was tucked into bed. Elena herself had gone to shower, leaving Damon to his own devices. The air was comfortable, the humidity low, and so he had found himself sitting on the swing on the back porch, listening to the waves crashing in the distance.
Elena settled onto the swing next to him, tucking herself into his side. They had both started to look forward to the time they had together after Molly went to bed. It was their time alone, time to connect and focus on the other after a day sent as a family. Damon noticed what she was wearing.
"Nice shirt," he quipped, recognizing the gray t-shirt as one of his. She had paired it with a pair of stripped sleep shorts.
"I like it," Elena replied. "It's comfortable."
"It looks good on you," Damon told her. Her damp hair tickled his arms. "I checked on Molly before I came out. She hasn't moved since we put her in bed."
"We wore her out," Elena said. "Between the beach, sightseeing, dinner, and our walk, I'm surprised she didn't fall asleep sooner."
"She gave Mama and Daddy some alone time," Damon commented. He gave her a quick kiss. He kissed her often, trying to make up for lost time and perhaps, trying to convince himself that she was really there. She sighed contently and leaned against him.
"Damon?"
"Hmm?"
"How are you doing?" Damon looked at Elena.
"What do you mean?" he asked, confused.
"I mean, how are you doing?" Elena countered. "With everything? You told me a few weeks ago that it would be nice if someone asked how you were doing every once in a while. I'm making sure I'm that person." Damon gave her a small, timid smile and laced his fingers through hers.
"I'm good," he told her, making a feeble attempt to skirt around the issue. "Getting away, being with the two of you, there isn't much better." Elena returned his smile, but gave a little shake of her head.
"That's not what I'm asking," she said. "How are you doing? With everything?" Damon sighed. He knew he needed to talk to her, tell her how he felt, how he was dealing with things. But, it was hard for him to vocalize it, to admit that he struggled. His mistakes were his, and he felt responsible for shouldering them. "Talk to me," Elena prompted gently. She knew him, and knew he was struggling to open up.
"Physically, I'm okay," he said after a few moments. "My shoulder gets sore sometimes, especially for a day or two after a race. It's probably always going to be a little sore. My leg bothers me once in a while, but only after I have been cooped in a car or played too much basketball with the crew, or something. I'm damn lucky I don't have any major physical issues after everything I managed to break or bruise in that accident."
"I can tell when your shoulder bothers you," Elena said. "You carry yourself a bit differently, and when you pick Molly up, your grimace just a bit." Damon let his lips turn upward slightly. Elena really did know him inside and out. "So, physically, you're okay," she said. "But?" Damon blew out a breath.
"I know I said I wanted someone to ask me how I'm doing from time to time, but it's hard to talk about, Elena," he admitted.
"That probably means you should talk about it," Elena replied. "I think we have both learned nothing good comes of keeping things bottled up inside." Damon pursed his lips for a moment.
"I don't know where to start."
"How about why its so hard to talk about it?" she asked. Damon leaned back against the swing.
"I did it all to myself," he said. "I made the choices that got me here. The guilt and shame I feel? That's mine to shoulder. I don't want to burden anyone else by dumping my issues on them." He looked at her. "I have already burdened you enough." Elena rubbed her thumb along the back of Damon's hand.
"You told me we have to talk," she reminded him. "I love you, Damon. Talking about hard stuff comes with the territory, especially if we are going to be together." Damon nodded in agreement. He took a deep breath.
"I carry around a lot of guilt," he admitted. "I look in the mirror, and I have a hard time accepting what I see. I can't look my own reflection in the eye. Sometimes, when I'm playing with Molly or tucking her in at night, I get this overwhelming feeling of guilt. I missed so much of her life, and I will never get that back. I will never get her first steps or her first words or her first birthday. I missed all of that because I chose my career and myself over the people I love.
"And then, I start thinking about how someday, she is going to find out that I wasn't there when she was born. I mean, she knows that I haven't always been around, but someday, she is going to start to understand what that actually means. And worse than that, she is going to find out what I did. She is going to find out that her daddy, instead of being by her incubator when she was born, was partying his way through Daytona." He ran a rough hand through his hair. Elena could feel him growing angry with himself.
"Damon, one day, Molly will truly understand that you weren't there the first few years of her life," she agreed. "And, she will learn about your past. We can't keep that from her. Not only because it isn't right, but also because everything is right there online for her to read about on whatever device will be invented by the time she is old enough to own one.
"But, I don't think it will matter to her," she continued. "You are such a good father, Damon. She already knows she can count on you to be there for her. She reaches for you when she gets hurt or scared. You are the one she wants in the evenings when she's sleepy. She brings you her seashells for safekeeping and likes to hold your hand when we go places. That is the daddy she's going to have all of her memories of – the guy who carries her when she doesn't want to walk and lets her help make pancakes in the mornings. She will know that you made mistakes, but she will see that you overcame them and are a good man. That is setting an example for her, Damon. A good example."
"You say that with so much conviction," Damon said. Elena heard the disbelief in his voice.
"Because it's true," she said. "Molly won't remember the three years you weren't around. She will remember all the years you have been there since." Damon sighed.
"She is the only person I love that I haven't hurt or disappointed," he said. "I want to keep it that way. I don't want her to ever doubt that I love her." Elena gave his hand another comforting squeeze.
"Then don't," she said. "You are doing okay, Damon. Give yourself some credit. You have come a long, long way in the last several months. Its okay to cut yourself some slack." Damon shook his head.
"My relationships are better," he said. "Things are okay with Stefan and Caroline and my parents. You and I are working through things. Molly is the best thing that has ever happened to me. I haven't felt this good about my racing career in a long time. On paper, things are good. Things are really, really good, compared to how they were even just a few weeks ago.
"But, in my head, I'm the guy that screwed up. I'm the guy that walked away from my family and the love of my life. I'm the guy that wasn't with you through your pregnancy. I'm the guy that missed his daughter's birth. I'm the guy that wasn't with her in the NICU, or there to hold her hands when she learned to walk, or to tuck her in at night. I'm the guy that kept making bad choice after bad choice, even when I knew I was making bad choices.
"I'm working through those things, with you, my family. But, in my head, there is this loop that keeps playing, over and over, showing me all the mistakes I have made, reminding me of how far down rock bottom really is and that I have been there. I try to shut it off, tell myself that I have changed and things are different now. But, it just keeps playing and sometimes, the volume gets turned up to eleven and the guilt overwhelms me. I don't know how to deal with that.
"I can apologize to you and my family all day long, day in and day out, and hear you all saying you forgive me or that you are at least willing to give me a chance to prove myself. But, when I look in the mirror, I hate the guy I see. I actually hate him, Elena. He is the very worst version of me. You just finished telling me all these ways that I'm a good father to Molly, and I know you are right. But, I can't believe it. I can't believe that I'm capable of being a good person – a good father, boyfriend, son, brother, friend. I'm too far buried under the guilt and shame of the things I've done."
Damon blew out a breath as he finished his monologue, running a hand through his hair once more. Silence stretched between the two for several long minutes, their hands still linked. Finally, Elena squeezed his hand again.
"Damon," she started softly, "I forgive you. I forgive you for leaving and for everything that has happened both before you left and since. I forgive you for not being there when I was pregnant or when Molly was born. I forgive you for all of it, Damon, not only because I need to, but because you need me to."
"Elena…"
"Shh," she said, putting a finger to his lips. "Let me say this." He nodded and she moved her hand to cradle his cheek. "I forgive you, Damon," she told him again, her eyes on his. She could see the storm of emotions that Damon was tossing around in his head. "But, ultimately, you need to forgive yourself. You can't hold on to all of this guilt and shame."
"I know," Damon admitted, shifting his gaze away from hers, too aware that she could read him better than anyone else. "I don't know how to do that, though. I try to, but I don't feel like I deserve it." He brought his eyes back to hers. "I don't feel like I deserve any of this."
"Any of what?" Elena prompted gently.
"You," he answered. "Molly. The chance to be a part of your lives, be a family. My parents, taking care of me after my accident. Dad, giving me the chance to drive again. Stefan, being my crew chief, but also my brother and my friend. All of it." Elena felt her heart twist for Damon. She was starting to see that he was not only hurting, but struggling with his own self-worth. She tightened her grip on his hand as though she were trying to anchor him to the moment.
"And what do you think you deserve?" she asked. Damon sighed.
"My penance should be total abandonment," he answered honestly. "I should have to crawl on my knees and ask forgiveness, only to be turned away. I should have to live a life of loneliness and be forced to watch my family, you and Molly included, go on without me. I deserve for you all to treat me exactly the way I treated you." Elena knew, in that moment, he was being absolutely, brutally, truthful.
"I want you to listen to me," she said after a few moments. She waited until he nodded to continue. "You hit rock bottom, Damon. In fact, you busted it wide open. You stayed there for a long time. And then, Talladega happened. Just when you thought you couldn't get any lower, you did. I know it was really, really hard those first few months. I know that. But, you made it.
"When I came back here, you were distant from your family. You were holding on to what you could of the life you knew before Talladega, drinking too much, partying, sleeping around. When you found out about Molly, you had a choice to make. You could have turned your back. You could have told me you wanted nothing to do with her. Frankly, that was the option I expected…"
"I could never turn my back on her," Damon interrupted. "She's my kid." Elena smiled softly. He was proving her point without even knowing it.
"I know," she said. She reached out and pushed a lock of his hair off his forehead. "You are a good man, Damon. You are a good man and a good father. You do deserve this. You deserve your family. You deserve for people to love you."
"That's hard for me to accept," Damon confessed. Elena nodded in understanding.
"You have to forgive yourself," she told him. "I can't tell you how to do that. You have to figure that out on your own. You have to figure out how to let go of the guilt you feel." Damon removed his hand from hers, but only so he could wrap his arm around her and pull her into his side.
"Talking helps," he said. "I think I let go of a little bit more of that guilt each time Molly asks me to pick her up or you reach out and take my hand. I let go of it a little more when I laugh with Stefan or have l lunch with Dad or let Mom make me a sandwich. It's a slow process, but I think, maybe, I'm getting there. It's just going to take me some time." He snorted. "I was so frustrated at one point, about how I was trying so hard to make things right and everyone kept telling me they needed time. Now, I'm the one who needs time."
"I guess I'm going to have to hold your hand a little more often," Elena reasoned, making Damon smile. She laced her fingers through Damon's again. He squeezed her hand.
"Know what else helps?" he asked.
"What?"
"Kissing," he answered seriously. "Kissing definitely helps."
"Oh yeah?" Elena asked, already shifting so she could move towards him.
"Yeah," Damon confirmed as he placed his free hand on her cheek and drew her closer. "Lots of kissing."
Their lips met. They both felt the heat as it rushed through them. Each of them made a move to pull the other closer, Elena ending up straddling his lap. She used the leverage to deepen the kiss, the swing swaying underneath them, causing her hips to rock against his. She could feel him reacting and moved her hips against his again, sighing contently as he groaned in response.
"Lots of kissing," Elena muttered as she pulled away to take a breath.
"So much kissing," Damon agreed, moving his lips along her jawline and down her neck. She lulled her head to the side, giving him more access, her hand threading through his hair to hold him to her. He switched to the other side of her neck, determined to leave no inch of her untouched, at least up until the moment she told him to stop.
"This feels so good," Elena sighed, pulling Damon's lips back to hers, wrapping her arms around his neck and moving against him again.
He made a choice in that moment. He was going to go as far as she would let him. He wanted her. He had been nothing but a gentleman up until this point, but his gentlemanly behavior had gone on long enough.
His decision made, he slipped a hand under her shirt and moved it up her side. She shivered at his touch, despite the trail of heat he was leaving. Tentatively, he let his fingertips brush along the curve of her breast, surprised to find she wasn't wearing a braw. She sighed and pressed herself against him, kissed him deeply, her tongue sliding against his.
Emboldened by her reaction, he cupped her breast in his hand. "Damon," she breathed as his fingertips brushed over her nipple. He pulled away, just enough to speak.
"Too far?" he asked, even as he continued to roll her nipple between his fingers. She grinded her hips against him a little harder as she shook her head.
"Not far enough," she said. She placed her hands on either side of his face and kissed him deeply. "Take me to our bedroom, Damon." Damon's heart stuttered.
"You sure?" he asked huskily.
"Entirely," Elena promised. He could see in her eyes that she was. He was suddenly lost for words. He nodded and stood, keeping her in his arms, her legs wrapped around his waist as she continued to kiss him. "Quiet," she muttered as they entered the house. "Don't wake the baby." He smiled against her lips at the fact that Elena still called Molly "the baby" from time to time, even if she was three years old.
"You are rather vocal from what I remember," he said between kisses. "You will have to keep it down."
"Shut up and hurry up," she muttered back. He reached their bedroom, thankful the house was only one story, and entered, quietly shutting the door behind them and turning the lock for good measure. He made his way to the bed and gently lowered Elena to it before climbing onto the bed himself.
"I have been waiting for four years to have you again," he told her as he prowled his way up and over her body. "If you think I'm going to hurry anything about this, you have another thing coming." He sent up a silent prayer that Molly would stick to her usual good sleeping habits and not interrupt.
Without waiting for her reply, he kissed her again, this one full of the passion he had kept restrained since he turned up in her office doorway on her first day at Salvatore Racing in January. She responded in kind, parting her lips for him. He tried not to shiver as her slender hands worked their way under his t-shirt. He realized, as her hands explored his abs and chest, just how starved he had been for skin on skin contact.
"Off with this," she said, tugging on his shirt. He pulled away only enough to allow her to pull the shirt over his head and toss it aside. She let her hands trail down his back, feeling every muscle, and then worked them back up his sides as he kissed his way down her throat. She paused when her hands reached his left shoulder. The skin was rough there. She ran her fingertips lightly over the long, wide scar. "Is this where…?" she asked softly. Damon moved so he could see her eyes.
"That's where they went in to fix my shoulder after the accident," he confirmed. "I've got enough metal in there to outfit a stainless steel kitchen." The orthopedic surgeon had used a metal plate to repair his shoulder and warned him he would likely need a shoulder replacement down the road. Elena rose and gently pushed him so he was upright.
"Elena?" he questioned.
"Shh," she replied. She moved so could better see the scar in the moonlight. She ran her fingertips over the surface once more before placing a soft kiss over it. Damon closed his eyes and sighed as a wave of comfort washed over him. "Lay back," she instructed, placing her hand on Damon's chest and giving him a little push. He did as instructed and watched as she straddled his hips once more.
She began a slow inspection of his arms and torso, looking for any scar or imperfection that hadn't been there four years ago. She quickly found a round scar in the crook of his right arm. She paused, her fingertips on it, and looked at him.
"A cigarette burn," he confessed. "I passed out with one in my mouth after a night of binge drinking. I'm lucky my arm is the only thing that burned." She looked him in the eye, then leaned down and pressed her lips to the burn before resuming her inspection. She knew the birthmark on his forearm as well as she knew her own name, but still, she placed a soft kiss there.
She moved her inspection to his right arm, picking up his hand and turning it so she could see his palm. She couldn't believe she hadn't noticed the thin, deep scar that ran just below where his fingers met his palm. "Here?" she asked. Damon slipped his free hand under the hemline of her shirt and grazed his fingers back and forth over the skin above the waistband of her shorts. He couldn't remember feeling this vulnerable, this exposed. Somehow, it both scared him and comforted him.
"I cut my hand with a knife trying to make a sandwich after my accident," he told her. "I was too stubborn to ask Mom to make it for me, so I hobbled into the kitchen as best I could with a broken leg and a shoulder in a sling. Turns out, slicing a tomato one-handed is damn hard. Mom's kitchen looked like a stabbing scene and I needed three stitches."
Again, Elena kissed his wound. Each time her lips touched his skin, he felt a little more healed, like the small parts of his heart, or perhaps his soul, that were still scattered about were slowly finding their way back home. He thought that was her intention. He ran his hand up her torso, trying to get her back to the place where she was a few minutes ago, pulling of his shirt and rubbing her body against his.
"Slow, remember?" she reprimanded gently, even though she allowed his hand to stay where it was. Her exploring fingers found a fading bruise on his upper arm.
"Kentucky," he said. "After the 20 got into me." He had squeaked out an eighth place finish in his last race, but had been in third before the 20 car bumped into him on the last lap. He removed his hand from under her shirt and moved her hand to another, fresher, bruise on his arm. "I did that yesterday, playing with Molly." Elena smiled at him before leaning down and kissing first his Kentucky bruise, and then his Molly bruise. She then moved her lips to his.
"Thank you for living through Talladega," she said when she pulled away for air. "I'm so glad you're here, Damon."
"I'm glad I'm here," he echoed. "It was worth all the pain, to be here now." Elena only nodded before she started sucking and nipping along Damon's throat. He couldn't help but groan, his hands going to her hips to hold her more securely to him. He was wearing gym shorts, making it obvious to Elena just how he felt about their current situation.
He kept his hands on her as she worked her way down his body, kissing what felt like every square inch of skin. As he thought she would, she stopped when she reached another nasty scar. She looked at him, peering through her lashes.
"Emergency surgery to keep you alive ends in some not so pretty scars," he told her. He was surprised to see tears fill her eyes as her finger tops once against trailed along the scar near his belly button. "Hey," he said, brushing her hair out of her eyes, "don't cry, 'Lena." She just smiled at him and kissed this scar as well, moving her lips over it to kiss the length of it. "Hey," he said again, noting her tears were falling faster. "Come here." He sat upright, pulling her to him. She settled into his lap, wrapping her legs around him so they were chest to chest. "What's wrong?" he asked, once more brushing her hair away.
"I'm okay," she assured him with a smile. "It's just – you're here, you know? After everything… And then you nearly died. What would I have done if you died, Damon? Molly wouldn't know you and we wouldn't…"
"Hey," Damon said, taking her hand in both of his to quiet her. He placed her hand, still in his, over his heart. "Feel that?" Elena took a moment to just feel the beating of his heart, then nodded. "I'm here. I'm right here, with you. With Molly. I'm not going anywhere, not again. You are stuck with me, Elena."
Their eyes met. They both just looked at one another, taking the other in. For the first time, it hit them both that they were together. They had both made mistakes. They had each hurt one another. But, they loved each other. They had a daughter together. They found their way back to one another, even if the path was crooked, steep, and full of unexpected turns. What walls that remained between them fell away as Elena leaned in and kissed Damon softly, him returning the gesture. He pulled away and placed his hand on her cheek, looking into her eyes.
"Let me love you, Elena." She blinked away the happy moisture that formed in her eyes as she nodded.
Without another word, Damon turned them and eased her down to the pillows once more. He lowered himself over her, using his forearms to bear most of his weight. This night was going to be about her. He was going to show her just how much he loved her.
He started to kiss her jawline again, this time with intention. He let a hand begin to roam, feeling her hands returning to his body once more as she sighed in contentment. She whispered his name as his lips found the spot on her neck she had always liked.
"Let's get this thing out of the way," he said of her t-shirt. He removed it, Elena raising her arms overhead to help him. He discarded the shirt and had to stop his jaw from dropping at the sight of her bare breasts. "I've missed these," he admitted, sliding a hand up her torso to palm one. He gave it a gentle squeeze as he lowered his lips back to her. He worked his way along her body, exploring her in a similar way. She buried a hand in his hair, holding him to her. His kisses alone were threatening to push her over the edge. It had been far too long for her.
"Don't stop," she said breathily. Damon merely groaned in response as his lips slid over her heart and to the top part of her breast, all while massaging the other one. He didn't stop his lip's descent until he reached her nipple. His tongue darted out, tasting her. She sucked in a breath. He smirked, just before he took her nipple between his lips.
He paid her chest a lot of attention, making sure to swap sides eventually. He knew she had breastfed Molly as best she could during Molly's NICU days, pumping breast milk until she could actually hold their daughter and teach her how to nurse. He had always had a fondness for her breasts, but there was something more intimate about them now that he knew they had fed his daughter.
Eventually, he moved down her torso with his lips. "Damon, please," Elena begged, subtly pushing his head lower, to where she wanted him most. She wasn't even aware she was doing it, too wound up from his explorations of her upper body.
"Slow," he breathed.
Mimicking her, he ran his fingertips along her c-section scar.
"Damon…" Elena's voice had changed. She was suddenly self-conscious. Damon now understood her newfound love of high waisted bikinis. She looked great in them, but he had been a bit bitter about not seeing more of her during their days on the beach. He made sure he had eye contact with her before he spoke.
"You are beautiful, Elena," he told her in a husky voice. Elena shooj her head.
"I have scars and stretch marks…" Damon had also noticed the faint stretch marks, visible only to him because he knew her so well and to Elena, because she knew herself so well.
"Other than your heart, this scar," he ran his fingers along it, "is the most beautiful thing about you. You gave me our daughter with this scar." Like she had, he leaned down and kissed along her scar. Elena quickly wiped away a stray tear, hating that tears kept falling, even if they were happy ones. It was overwhelming, being with Damon this way again, when not too long ago, she had thought she would never see him again. This was, by far, the most intimate moment of her life.
Damon followed her scar down her abdomen and kept going until he was at the waist of her shorts. He moved forward and kissed her lips as fingers grazed along waistline of her shorts. "I'm going to take these off," he whispered. She nodded and returned his kiss as she lifted her hips from the bed to help him. Feeling bold, he removed both her shorts and her panties in one motion. He settled in beside her, slipping an arm under her head as he used the other one to cup her cheek and kiss her again.
"You are wearing too many clothes," Elena said when she finally broke away from him to breathe. Her skin was flushed and Damon's hair was messier than usual. Her hand moved for his waistband. He grabbed her wrist, stopping her.
"In time," he said, almost bashful. "I need this to be about you."
Elena understood. After their talk earlier, she knew he was battling his own demons. Making love to her wasn't something he was taking lightly. He wanted this, their first time together in four years, after a lot of hurt and pain, to be special, important. He needed tonight to seal his apology, to let her know not only how much he loved her, but how sorry he was. She gave him a single nod and pulled him down so he could continue kissing her.
He was sure he would never get tired of kissing her. It was everything good and right in the world, feeling her lips moving against his, her tongue mixed with his as they traded breaths. He let a hand drift down her body, both of them aware of its destination. He moved and looked in her eyes long enough to confirm that she was still okay before he slipped his hand between her legs.
There was nothing on earth that could have stopped the groan that escaped him as he felt how wet she was. "God, 'Lena," he breathed.
"For you," she whispered back. He let his forehead fall to her shoulder and closed his eyes, focusing on how her folds felt. He tenderly ran a finger over her clit. She gasped in reaction and let her legs fall open even further, giving him more access.
"That's my girl," he whispered to her. She smiled in response. He ran his finger over her a few more times before finding her entrance. He watched her face relax in pleasure in response to his finger sliding into her. He was deliberate in his ministrations, moving his finger in and out.
"Feels good," she sighed. He chuckled and kissed the crook of her neck.
"It's about to feel even better," he promised. He added a second finger and she groaned, relaxing still further. She was tighter than he expected, than he remembered. He kissed her again as he crooked his fingers forward, looking for a specific spot
"Damon," Elena breathed again as he pumped his fingers in and out of her. She was squirming, signaling to him that he was hitting all the right spots.
"You are so tight," he muttered. He kissed her ear. "I'm going to have to make you come a couple of times before I even think about sliding into you." Elena smirked.
"Still proud of your….Oh, God! That feels good!" Her eyes rolled back into her head. Damon chuckled, speeding up his ministrations.
"I'm as large as I ever was," he confirmed.
"Gonna… have to… prove…. Ugh!" Elena wrenched her head from side to side, clutching the bed sheets with one hand and burying her other hand in his hair as an orgasm washed through her. Damon kept pumping his fingers, drawing her out, only letting her come down when he was good and ready. "God!" she breathed when his fingers finally stalled. "I thought I remembered how good you were at that."
"Oh, darling," Damon drawled as he pulled his fingers out of her. "Just you wait." He flicked her clit, making her gasp and jump. He chuckled again, then just looked at her for a long moment. "God, you are beautiful."
"You aren't so bad to look at yourself," she said, running her hand through his hair. Damon licked his lips, now unable to get enough of her. His shorts were almost uncomfortably tight now, but he had a plan all the same, and he was going to stick to it.
"Ready for more?" he asked, ghosting his hand over her body. She reached for his waistband again.
"Let me…"
"In time," he assured her. "But right now, we focus on you. I want you to come again." Elena felt a ripple of pleasure rush through her. He was shedding some of his earlier inhibitions, his swagger and confidence in the bedroom starting to return.
"Then you should get naked and get in me," she retorted. He had always been able to bring out her inner siren when they were in bed together.
"All in good time," he said again, his fingers once more playing with her folds. "Lay back, sweetheart." He leaned down and kissed her once, soundly on the lips, before he moved his way down her body, kissing and nipping as he went. Knowing where he was going, Elena opened her legs as wide as she could, giving him full access. She moved one arm over her head, but let the other one twist itself back into Damon's hair, urging him lower.
As he kissed along her c-section scar once more, he slipped his fingers into her and began to pump. Elena let out sound that was somewhere between a mewl and a growl when his lips landed on her clitoris.
Molly and Elena were his primary reason for existence, but being between Elena's legs had to be the secondary reason. She tasted better than he remembered and it drove him over the edge, intoxicating him, causing him to forget his desire to be gentle with her.
It became primal as he sucked and pumped, took her clit between his teeth before releasing it to lick and kiss it some more. He curled his fingers, pumped harder, sucked harder. His shorts were painful now, but he was determined she would come at least once more before he entered her.
On her part, Elena had lost control. It was pure sensory overload, the feel of Damon between her legs, biting and pumping and licking, occasionally blowing a puff of air that would startle her and make her all that more sensitive. She knew what he was doing. He was driving her up to the edge before backing off, keeping her on the verge of orgasm without going over.
"Don't stop," she groaned, both hands fisting in her own hair. "God, Damon, don't you dare stop." His response was to growl, the vibrations of his voice causing her to come that much closer to losing it. He decided it was time.
"Come for me, sweetheart," he ordered. He took her clit back into his mouth and sucked while driving his fingers into her fast and hard, hitting her spot over and over.
She came hard, her walls tightening around his fingers as she called out his name. He removed his fingers when she was finished and prowled up her body again.
"Shh," he reprimanded with a smirk. "You don't want to wake the baby."
"Shut… Up…" Elena panted. He chuckled.
"I'm going to have to kiss you to keep you quiet," he mused. Elena beat him to it, grabbing his head in her hands and pulling him to her. She decided to hell with whatever his plan was. She wanted him. Knowing she had him distracted by her lips, she managed to flip him onto his back and straddle him.
"Your turn," she informed him. He wasn't going to protest. He wanted this to be about her, but what she wanted in that moment was to please him. He wasn't going to deny her, even if he reasoned it did make him selfish. "These shorts are coming off." This time, he let her remove them, lifting his hips as she had done to help the process.
Still straddling him, Elena reached for his member. He groaned and let his head fall back. Perhaps coming now was a good idea. If the feel of her slender hand merely wrapping around his shaft felt this good, he didn't know how he would handle being inside of her.
Elena could feel the blood pulsing as she began to work her hand up and down. She truly had thought she remembered him well, but again, she was proven wrong. He was thicker, longer. She had a fleeting schoolgirl thought, wondering if he would fit inside her.
"You are right to be proud," she teased. Damon smirked.
"It's all for you, baby," he told her.
She stopped working him with her hand and leaned down to kiss him. "This is for you, too," she told him. With that, she moved down his body. He thought, maybe, he should stop her, continue pleasuring her, maybe just slip inside her and make love to her the way he wanted. Before he could make up his mind though, he was groaning.
Elena's mouth was warm and wet. She took more and more of him with each bob of her head. He reached down and swept her hair to the side so he could watch. Shamelessly, he fisted his hand in the hair at the back of her neck and guided her up and down.
"That's my girl," he breathed. "God, Elena, you're fucking good at this." She always had been. He had fantasized about her sucking on him many times over during their time apart. But, reality was so much better. She hummed in response, the vibrations making him jerk. "Suck, baby. That's it. Suck."
Elena felt him beginning to twitch in her mouth and knew he was getting close. She knew how to get him all the way. She wrapped a hand around his base and began to squeeze and work her hand up and down as she bobbed her head, sucking harder and harder, taking him as deep as she could.
"'Lena," he groaned. "I'm going to…" He tried to pull her away so he could come, but she sucked sto;; harder, letting him know where he was going to come. He couldn't refrain. He exploded, several months' worth of celibacy spewing from him. Elena drank him down until he was spent. She kissed his tip before crawling up his body to lie beside him.
"You doing okay?" she asked, taking in his happy, relaxed expression. He looked at her through hooded eyes and lazily played with her hair with one hand.
"You are perfect," he informed her. "And we haven't even gotten to the main event yet."
"I need to recover before we get there," Elena said. Damon grinned and shook his head.
"Oh no, you don't," he said. He rolled over so he could kiss her. She sighed happily, her hands exploring his body, pulling him closer. She hitched a leg over his hips, suddenly feeling a lot more alert. "I have been waiting four years to have you again. I will be damned if I wait much longer."
His body was over hers now, his weight comforting, but not as comforting as his skin against hers. They were both slick with sweat, but it felt good, right. She rocked her hips against him, letting him know what she wanted. He responded in kind, his tip brushing against her. She was dripping, ready for him. He was certainly ready for her.
"Damon, please," she groaned.
He wasn't one to deny her anything. He slipped his hand down between them and fingered her folds, searching blindly. He found her entrance and slipped two fingers in, stretching her a bit more. He removed his fingers once she was starting to purr into his ear once more. He chuckled when she let out a frustrated huff. He moved and stationed himself at her entrance. With his tip brushing against her, he took her hands, laced his fingers with hers, and brought them over their heads.
"This might hurt," he warned. "It's going to be a tight fit."
"More friction," Elena responded, rolling her hips against him. A thought occurred to her. She knew the answer, but she still had to ask. "Damon?"
"Yes?" he asked. It was taking everything he had in him not to thrust into her in that moment.
"You are – clean, right?"
It was a fair question. He had slept around. He hadn't always been safe, although the times he had been without a condom were far and few between. He also knew the answer. Between his accident and NASCAR's drug testing policy, he had enough blood drawn from him to diagnosis anything that may have been wrong with him. Still, as soon as he realized he had a real chance with Elena, he went to the doctor and requested to be tested for every STD there was.
"I'm clean," he promised. "I got tested a couple of months ago, just to make sure. I was hoping we would have this moment again, and I wanted to make sure you were safe." Elena smiled at him.
"I'm on the pill," she told him. "And clean."
"I know," he said. He had seen the birth control pills, heard her phone chime when it was time to take them, witnessed her covertly slip them out of her bag and take her dose while in the middle of her work. He was never concerned about her being anything other than clean. He squeezed her hands. "You sure?" he asked, giving her one more chance to back out. Elena leaned forward and kissed him.
"I'm sure," she promised. She looked him in the eye. "Make love to me, Damon."
He had intended to slip into her inch-by-inch and savor the moment. He couldn't wait that long though, not when his tip had been teased by her entrance for the last few minutes. He kissed her as he entered her with one long, solid thrust. She cried out, her head falling back.
"Dear, God," she breathed. Damon forced himself to stay still, giving her time to adjust to him.
"You feel amazing," he told her, resting his forehead against hers. "God, Elena, this feels good." Elena smiled and raked her hands through his hair, savoring the moment, the feel of him simply being inside of her. She moved her hips a little, testing the fit.
"I want you," she said into his ear. He kissed her passionately. There was something bugging him, though, and he had to ask. He had to know what he was dealing with, how far he could push her. He didn't want to hurt her.
"How long has it been?" he asked softly.
"Since what?" she replied.
"Since you were – with someone." He hated the idea of her being with another man. It was the definition of hypocritical, but he had always had a jealous streak when it came to her. Still, he knew from how tight she was that she hadn't exactly followed his lead of sleeping around.
"Damon…" She didn't want to answer him.
"I need to know," he said, letting his hips move just slightly. "You are so tight, Elena. I can tell it has been a while. I don't want to hurt you." Elena looked embarrassed. "It's just me," he reminded her. "You know you can tell me anything." Elena sighed.
"It's been since you," she admitted. This time, Damon couldn't stop his jaw from dropping. Molly was three years old. It had been four years since they were last together. Had she really not been with another man? "I haven't exactly had time to do much beside from having a casual dinner date," she told him. "Between raising Molly and then everything that happened with my brother, I only wanted to sleep when I finally had some free time."
It had been almost four years. He had once told her, long before he took off to Florida, that he would be the last man she ever slept with. It looked like he still stood a chance at keeping that promise. "I'm going to make sure you don't forget tonight," he promised her. He kissed her again.
Together, this hips started to move, slowly at first, Elena matching him thrust for thrust. He kept his eyes open and on her, taking her in as her eyes fluttered shut and her mouth parted. He picked up his pace, unable to get enough of her. He had been every version of drunk or high there was to be, but being with Elena – that was a whole different kind of high.
Their sweat slicked bodies slid back and forth over one another as they picked up the pace still further. "'Lena," Damon groaned into her collarbone as he pounded into her. "'Lena, I love you. So much. So damn much."
Elena clutched at his back, her legs wrapped tightly around him as she urged him on. She had forgotten how good sex could be, especially with Damon. "Love you…. Too….," she breathed out. "Don't… Stop…"
Her words and mewlings encouraged him, drove him on. As her words started blurring into a string of jumbled sounds, her brain too full of Damon and friction to form sentences, Damon knew she was close. He was determined that this time, their first time in so long, they would come together.
He let instinct overtake him, pounding into her with a passion and a desire he hadn't felt since the last time they were together. He lost track of time and self, focused only on the sensation building inside him.
"Damon… Close…" Elena groaned.
"Come… With… Me…," he choked out before he sealed his lips over hers, both to show her how much he loved her, and to cover up her shouts to keep from waking Molly.
Elena beat him to the point of eruption by mere moments. She cried out, her shouts swallowed by Damon's mouth covering hers as wave after wave of pleasure washed over her. He followed quickly, exploding into her with a loud groan of his own, his lips slipping off hers as he let out a curse and pumped himself into her.
He collapsed on top of her, both of them spent. He remained inside her, not wanting to lose the connection, nor did he have the energy right then to move. He kissed her jaw softly, drawing a sated smile out of her. Elena found the energy to pick up her hand and run it through Damon's hair, recalling that he had always found comfort in the gesture. His content sigh as he rested his cheek against her shoulder told her that hadn't change.
"You okay?" he asked after a few minutes passed. He lifted his head so he could see her. She knew he needed her confirmation. She knew his insecurities would return in the afterglow. She found his gaze with hers as she nodded.
"I'm okay," she promised. She smiled bigger. "Better than okay. That was amazing, Damon." He smirked.
"Still got it?" he asked. She laughed.
"Still got it," she confirmed. She lifted her head and kissed him lightly on the lips. "You may even be better than I remember."
"You are really stroking my ego," he informed her. Elena laughed again.
With some effort, Damon pulled out of her and rolled over so he was lying on his back next to Elena. He admittedly felt proud of himself, but the possessive part of him wanted to puff out his chest for spilling himself so deep inside Elena, claiming her as deep as any man could get.
"Still like to cuddle after sex?" he asked her with a cheeky grin. Elena blushed.
"I do," she admitted, moving so she could rest her head on his chest, an arm thrown over his waist. He wrapped an arm around her and pulled her close.
"Good," he replied. "Because there is no way I can be apart from you now." She smiled at him and nestled still closer. They stayed like that for a while, both exhausted, but neither of them wanting to sleep, too consumed with the other and the events of the last couple of hours to want the night to end. Moonlight poured in through the open windows and if they listened hard, they could hear the ocean.
"Damon?" Elena said after a while.
"Hmm?"
"I meant what I said earlier," she told him. "About you being a good father and a good man." Damon kissed her temple.
"Thank you," he replied. "For letting me have another chance. I know it wasn't easy to come back to Mystic Falls, especially with Molly in tow. I'm so glad you did though. You and Molly saved me." Elena shook her head.
"You saved yourself," she insisted. "Molly and I are merely lucky enough to get to spend our days with you." Damon kissed her hair again.
"You and I are going to have to disagree on who saved who," he told her. "But be sure that I'm not going anywhere, ever again. I can't lose the two of you."
"We are as here to stay as you are," Elena promised. She kissed him again before returning her head to his chest. Damon's hand trailed up and down her back. He was already envisioning all the ways he planned to have her in the few days they had left in South Carolina before it was back to the real world, with schedules to keep and races to win. Tonight, though, he would let once be enough, at least until morning. They were both growing too tired to stay awake, but he wanted to say one more thing before they fell asleep.
"Elena?"
"Yeah?" He pursed his lips, unsure if this was the right time to broach the topic, but he had been thinking a lot about it lately. He couldn't stop himself from following through.
"Not long after I got to know Molly, she told me she wanted a sister," he started. Elena shifted so she could see him better. "And, well, someday, down the road, I would like that to happen for her. I would like for her to have a sibling. Stefan is my best friend and I just… I want that for Molly." Elena studied him for a few moments before a slow smile spread across her face.
"Are you asking me if I want to have more children?" Pursing his lips, Damon nodded nervously.
"Not right now, obviously," he said in a hurry. "I mean, we have a lot to work on still and I would rather us be a lot more, I don't know, settled, than we are now. But, yeah, I would like to have more kids." He paused, aware that he was stumbling over his words, and blew out a breath. "I would like the chance to be around for it all – the pregnancy, the birth, the sleepless nights, first steps, first words, all of that. I feel so guilty about missing all of that with Molly and I know I can't make up for it with another baby, but, well, I just… I like being a dad and you are such a great mom and I know Molly would be a good big sister…"
"A bossy big sister," Elena said. Damon grinned.
"Probably," he admitted. "Just like you were to Jeremy." He gave her a little squeeze as she smiled at him. She propped herself up on her elbow so she could see him better.
"To answer your question, I would love to have more children," she admitted. She bit her a lip. "With you." Damon's heart skipped a beat.
"Really?" he asked. Elena could hear the vulnerability in his voice. She nodded.
"Like you said, we still have some stuff to work through. But, someday, yeah, I would love to have more kids. I have always wanted a big family." She reached out and brushed Damon's hair off his forehead. "Besides, the proof of what happens when your genes combine with mine is sound asleep just down the hall, and she's pretty perfect." Damon was beaming at her.
"We do owe it to the world to produce more perfect beings," he stated. "Make this ugly world a better place, and all that." Elena laughed.
"Someday," she told him again. "When we are more settled." He knew what that more settled meant. Someday, when they lived under the same roof, shared the same last name, and he and Elena wore matching rings on their left hands, they would have more children. He wondered how mad she would be if he dragged her to the courthouse in the morning and made her marry him so he could speed that process up.
"We should get some sleep," she said, stiffing a yawn. "It's so late, and Molly is an early riser."
"We have got to teach that child the beauty of sleeping in," Damon said as he moved so he could spoon Elena against him. "Especially if we're going to have more little ones one of these days. Mama and Daddy are going to need their alone time to make that a reality." Elena laughed lightly.
"Daddy isn't fooling anyone," she said. "He will lock us in a closet to ensure his baby making abilities stay top notch."
"Damn right," he stated, kissing her shoulder. "I have a lot of missed time to make up for." Elena laughed again, making him smile. He leaned down and kissed her lips. "I love you," he told her. "So much." Elena had noticed he tended to add a "so much" each time he said I love you, as though he were trying to make sure she knew.
"I love you too," she replied. "So much."
Peeks out from behind hands...
I really wanted this moment between them to be about both closure and new beginnings. I hope that came across. It was actually pretty fun to write. :)
There will be one more chapter and an epilogue - stay tuned! I have a pretty full week, so I don't know if I'll get to post twice, but - here's to hoping!
Please let me know what you thought!