Thank you for the ongoing kind reviews. This chapter is entirely Delena, we will see more of the rest of the Mystic Falls gang next chapter.
Warning for smut. In fact, this entire (long) chapter is fluff and smut and I'm not sorry!
x-x-x-x
As they pulled up in his Camaro, Elena stilled beside him. The entire drive over, she'd been fiddling with one thing or another, constantly making conversation; the topic of choice had been how food had changed over the centuries.
She'd decided to make them stop for groceries on the way, and had a full menu planned to cook for their evening meal; worryingly this seemed to include a Gilbert family recipe. He'd have to intervene surreptitiously to ensure the food was edible, but he had to admit he was looking forward to cooking with her. It was so incredibly normal and bland, yet it excited him immensely.
The lack of movement worried him and he turned to face her, resting a hand on her knee.
"I'm okay." She mumbled, "I just haven't been back here since…"
He should offer to turn around; Jenna and Ric could come for the journals. Anyone else. But he was too selfish, he wanted this time with her. The time to cook, to be alone away from the drama. A little voice in the back of his mind reminded him that he also wanted them to be out of town before Stefan arrived, but he attempted to silence it.
This was their night; he'd tell her about Stefan on the drive back.
Offering her an option out was the right thing to do, but he sucked at doing the right thing.
"Tell me about it." He said, getting out of the car and whizzing around to her side at superhuman speed. Opening her door, he offered her a hand, "I want the full tour, complete with all the stories. Especially if they involve embarrassing sneak peeks of little Elena."
He wiggled his eyebrows at her and grinned mischievously, causing her to blush and giggle as she stepped out of the car and looked up to the building.
"Okay. It's a tour." She smiled widely at him, still holding the offered hand; this time slipping her fingers between his.
Leading him up the porch, she let go of him to retrieve the keys and he used the opportunity to quickly grab the grocery bag from the Camaro. As she opened the door, he hovered outside, waiting.
She stepped through the threshold as he watched her from behind. He could tell from the twists and tilts of her head that her eyes were everywhere, taking in the large room he could see. She was breathing deeply, inhaling the familiar scents. When she turned around, he was sure he would see a smile on her face yet tears in his eyes, but she didn't turn. Instead, she wandered over to what he presumed was the kitchen area.
He heard a fridge door open and close.
"Oh good, it's switched on. You can stick everything in there." She said absentmindedly, her footsteps growing more distant.
He cleared his throat and heard her stop and turn. Seconds later she reappeared into his view, a sheepish smile on her face.
"Sorry, I forgot you couldn't get in." She began to invite him but stopped suddenly and her smile widened into a wicked grin. He rolled his eyes at her, knowing she had thought of some ridiculous joke.
"Damon, will… wait. What could I do right now? You can see me, but you can't reach me." He bit his lip in frustration, to stop himself at her, tapping his foot impatiently.
"I could walk around naked!" She squealed, a glint in her eye.
"I'd still be able to see." He let his voice grow deep and sultry as he titled his head forward and gave her a piercing stare. Watching her melt under his eyes was like winning a thousand races.
"But you wouldn't be able to touch," She sang back at him before her eyes darkened and they met his gaze, "I'd have to touch myself." She whispered, biting her bottom lip.
This time, he couldn't stop the growl that erupted from him. "Let me in, Elena." He commanded.
What was this girl doing to him? Didn't she realise how fucking dangerous seducing him would be? She'd said she wasn't ready, and he was still basically following her around like a puppy dog. If he had her? He didn't think he'd be able to let her out of his arms again, never mind out of his sight. She was intoxicating.
"You're right. You do have the food, plus I've got to give you the tour. Come in, Damon Salvatore." She stepped aside, waving her arm in a welcoming gesture.
She must have only seen the blur of him entering, depositing the grocery bag on the counter, and then pushing her against the wall. She blinked and her open eyes found him, his palm against the wall just above her head as he towered over her. The other finger crooked under her chin, lifting his gaze to meet hers.
He instinctively looked down at her lips, her heart speeding as he bit his own lip, fighting his instinct to kiss her.
"Elena," He began to say, his voice deep and breathy. He had years of experience with control, but this girl was making him lose it. Forcing his eyes back up to meet hers, he continued, "You're playing a very, very dangerous game."
She swallowed, her own eyes refusing to leave his; even as he licked his lips. She was staring him down defiantly, "You don't scare me, Damon."
He lent in closer, his breath hovering over her neck. She smelt intoxicating, the rhythm of the pulse in her neck singing to him. He had no desire to bite her though, his mind was in a completely different place.
"Elena, when the time is right; you will be mine. You will scream my name in ecstasy, and I will take you in a thousand different ways."
He heard her breathing stop momentarily, her pulse quicken. He laid his lips on her neck, kissing tenderly, seductively, letting his free hand stroke a line up the side of her body.
She moaned, lightly, "Damon."
Then he was gone, opening the fridge to unpack their shopping.
x-x-x-x
She felt like she needed to melt down the wall, to form a puddle of Elena on the floor. She didn't know why she'd decided to tease him, she'd spent half the afternoon with Jenna insisting they weren't a couple even though there was attraction there, that there was potential in the future but not yet.
Impulsively acting on that attraction was dangerous; he'd shown her that. How was she going to look at him again without going weak at the knees? Asking him to the lake house for a night was a ridiculous idea, they were supposed to be looking for the journals. Instead, she was fantasizing about what it would be like to have him in every room in the house.
She needed a distraction.
"So," she started, heading over to the kitchen, and reaching for a recipe book on a shelf; the action and book itself so familiar to her, "shall we do the famous Gilbert family chili for tea?"
Damon shuddered slightly at her words, then came up behind her placing a hand on the small of her back as he read over her shoulder.
"Nope," he said, popping the p, "I had the original recipe, Gilbert family chili sucks. I'll show you how to make it the Salvatore way."
Elena giggled and closed the book. "You know, my dad made that chili every summer when we came down here and every summer my mum would joke that it was the blandest family chili in town. Then he'd suggest if she wanted different, she could cook it herself,"
"Did she?"
"No, she would sit over there with a glass of wine and a book instead." She smiled wistfully at her mother's favorite seat.
Letting the pain of the loss wash over her, she remembered the tour. Grabbing Damon's hand, she pulled him through the downstairs. She pointed out their height marks on the doorframe, made every Christmas and every summer. She regaled him with the story of how mad she had been when Jeremy started to overtake her.
Leading him upstairs, she showed him her room first. It still had a framed picture of her and Matt in, which he obviously homed in on instantly. Did he ever miss a detail?
"Are you secretly still in love with the football player?" He teased, picking up the frame and wiggling it in front of her.
She pulled a face, "I've moved on."
"Oh really?" He asked. He had a voice that sounded like velvet in moments like this, and she could listen to it for hours.
Elena wished she could turn it into another moment of playful teasing; she hadn't told him anything about how she felt and now would be the perfect opportunity. However, she still felt strangely like jelly after their encounter downstairs and she didn't trust herself that teasing right now wouldn't turn into them making use of that bed.
"Come on," she said, ignoring his question and tone and pulled him around the other bedrooms. "This is Jeremy's, I doubt they'd hide anything in here. Even before…"
She stopped on her own words, pausing, before realizing she was strong enough to say it.
"Even before they died, Jeremy tended to hide things. Not pot, but he'd occasionally try to smoke, drink, teenage boy stuff. We shouldn't look through this room unless there's nowhere else. I'd hate to find a stack of porn."
"I'd quite enjoy it." He grinned devilishly at her, as she led him to the guest room and then finally, to her parent's room.
She paused, spotting her mother's dressing table complete with perfumes. Smelling one, she inhaled years of memories. Months ago, she would have sobbed at the smell, now she smiled. Offering the bottle to Damon to sniff, he took it and inspected the bottle carefully before replacing it.
"We weren't allowed in here much, especially once we were too old to crawl in after a nightmare. We should start the search here."
He nodded, "Tomorrow".
Tomorrow? She knew they planned to stay the night, obviously, but weren't they going to search first. She looked at him quizzically.
"Tomorrow," He said again firmly, before pulling her close to him; his arms wrapped around her, "Tonight is our time. We've earned a night off."
x-x-x-x
The view from the rear deck of her lake house was spectacular, he had to admit. It was the perfect way to end the night.
He'd been able to convince her that Salvatore chili was the way to go for the night and had been able to settle her onto the sofa with a book whilst he cooked.
The tension was hanging thick in the air between them, he could almost taste it. She'd started the evening trying to join him in the kitchen but as every accidental touch they'd both become distracted momentarily. He wasn't about to be the one to initiate anything, she'd asked for time, and he was giving it to her. Elena would have to make the first move.
He wasn't above flirting, however.
Steamy looks were his speciality, and it was obviously far too hot to cook with his shirt buttoned up.
As he stirred the pot, he wondered in amazement at his own self-restraint. Holding back when he wanted something wasn't his usual style, but one look at Elena and he knew he would wait a decade if he needed to. There was something in the way she would stand up to him; fierce like a lioness yet could read his pain. The way she would touch his cheek, hold him when he felt like his world was about to shatter. It was that softness that had made him love her.
Could he tell her that?
He basically had already; planning their future, trusting her with his secrets. He told her that in the way he held her, the way he looked at her, the desire he had shown for her. Would saying the words make a difference? Would it push her away?
The table was laid properly, the candles lit, and he poured fresh wine as he served the food.
They had tonight, their night, to get away from the drama and have a break. He was going to spoil her, show her what it was to be loved by him. If it was too much for her, he could walk away. The excitement in her eyes as she watched him set the table, the desire he'd seen as she'd caught a glimpse of his bare chest, those told him she might be more ready than he had hoped.
"Oh my God, Damon! This is so good." She gushed, after taking her first bite.
He took a sip of his wine and smiled at her. "Salvatore family recipe, clearly it pays to be a Salvatore and not a Gilbert."
She blushed at this, her eyes dipping down to her food. How much he would love to be in her mind, to know what she was thinking, if she did truly want him or if this was just attraction. Looking at her vervain necklace, he momentarily considered snatching it away, compelling her to speak her mind always.
But no, he wanted this to be real.
Instead, he launched into explaining to her why all the founding families formed their own recipes that were now so closely guarded. Many of the families had inter-married in the time since, but the Salvatore recipe had remained untouched. Mostly because he had protested any change with the living generation.
The Gilbert recipe appeared to, if anything, have become blander through the decades.
x-x-x-x
Looking over the lake, Elena couldn't help but remember all the days and nights spent out on the deck. She was standing on the dock as she had dozens of times before, Damon beside her and a blanket tossed over her shoulder.
"I have so many memories here, Damon. It's almost more than at home because these were the moments you live for. Not the everyday life of school and work, but the rest. The family time, the fun."
Wrapping an arm around her shoulders, he pulled her to him and placed a kiss on her temple. "Tell me."
"Did you know my dad taught me to fish, right there? At first, I found it so boring, my mum had to get me a book. As I got older, I enjoyed the time to just sit and talk to my dad. I only remember ever catching a few fish, but he insisted on getting the camera every time. He told me those moments were the special ones that live forever."
"He sounds like a wise man." Damon said quietly,
Elena knew he probably hated Grayson Gilbert, having read what he did to vampires. Yet he was withholding comment and giving her what she needed in the moment. She leant into him, resting her head on his shoulder.
"You know, we're making a new memory tonight." She whispered.
"At the risk of sounding terribly corny and mildly pathetic, I hope it's one of thousands I get to share with you." He smiled down at her, and as she looked up, she could see the pain in his eyes.
He was expecting to be rejected. She couldn't blame him; the last time he'd alluded to the future she'd driven off in his car and they'd not yet recovered. When she'd made the same error, he'd calmly changed the topic. It was no wonder he looked worried.
Turning her body into him, she reached her hand up to his neck, stroking her thumb across his jaw. It was one of dozens of intimate gestures they were sharing regularly now, but instead of comforting him she could see the worry in his eyes grow.
It was like a band around her heart snapped, whatever fear had been stopping her from loving this man eroded instantly and the overwhelming love she had been fighting engulfed her. They were an inevitability.
"Thousands won't be enough" She breathed, before rising on her toes to allow her lips to meet his own. Gently, slowly, she kissed him. It wasn't their first kiss, but it felt like it as she felt him respond with the same softness and compassion.
This wasn't the hungry, firework inducing type of kiss they'd shared at the quarry. There was only tenderness between them now, a brief show of the intensity of their affection before they parted, and she turned once again to look over the dock.
x-x-x-x
They stayed in silence for a while afterwards, she was safely nestled under his arm, her head on his chest. He suspected neither of them wanted to break the peace of the moment or knew where on earth to go from here.
Did he break the silence? He was half tempted to just push her into the water and jump in with her. That would stop any tension. Another part of him wanted to kiss her again, to carry her upstairs and worship every part of her body. Raising one eyebrow, he considered the possibility of both. If she was soaking wet, she would have to take her clothes off.
Neither felt right, he knew what he had to do. He couldn't let her choose him dishonestly. She'd loved his brother; she'd withdrawn a part of herself when he left. Though it would break him to watch her walk away, to watch her choose Stefan he couldn't say he loved her if he didn't give her a choice.
For the same reason he couldn't compel her to be honest, he couldn't keep this from her any longer. He wanted it to be real.
"Stefan is coming back to town." He mumbled into her hair. That may not be the most dignified way to break the news, but it stopped him being able to see her face. He hated it when he didn't know how she would react, he didn't dare look in case she lit up with joy.
She flinched at his words, her arms wrapping around herself, and she took a step away. Her face still out over the lake, her eyes focused on the scenery.
"Why?" She asked.
"Katherine or Isobel might try to use him or use the device on him. He needs to have the potion." He paused, pursing his lips before adding more of the truth, the reason he really risked calling his brother. "Katherine had us both, you know that. What you don't know is that it wasn't an even split. She always wanted Stefan more. I spent centuries ignoring that, denying it, being mad at him because of it. If Katherine is going to be playing games with the Gilbert invention, it will be safer for us if Stefan is on the same team."
She nodded, still not turning around.
"Does he know about us?" He winced at the question.
"I may have suggested something, wound him up. But no, he doesn't know anything."
She spun around, her face lit by the moonlight. He was surprised to not see anger there at all; concern, affection, worry. No anger.
"We have to tell him. We need to explain it to him before he comes back and sees the girl he was obsessed with is now falling in love with his big brother." She said, her worried eyes meeting his own.
Did he hear that right?
Casting aside all thoughts of his brother, he stepped towards her. Taking both her hands in his he looked down at her affectionately, waiting for her heartbeat to slow before he spoke.
"Elena Gilbert; you make the most terrible decisions, and I plan on spending every single day that you continue making them, thanking you for making this one."
She smiled up at him, her cheeks flushing such a beautiful color that he couldn't resist bending to kiss each one gently.
"Will you be mine?" He asked softly.
x-x-x-x
She felt like her heart was doing somersaults. They'd come to escape the drama, and yet this was the most stressed she'd felt all week.
By accident, in a fit of worry over Stefan returning and deciding to rip people apart in anger, she'd confessed the feelings she'd been trying to fight. The ones she knew would rush over her like a tidal wave one day, that she'd been putting up a barrier to in the hopes she could fight it just a little longer.
Now that the wave had crashed, she had no idea why she'd fought it.
It was inevitable she would love him; he was Damon. The beautiful, insanely hot, man who protected her. He made her laugh, made her feel special. He saw her. Even when they first met, he had seen who she was. She was his.
He was a vampire, yes. He wasn't going to suddenly stop killing people, he would still kill to protect those he loved. He'd kill the Whitmore vampire researchers; that she knew. There were so many logical reasons not to be his.
A sensible girl would walk away. Someone who made the right decisions, took the moral high ground, would leave. They'd leave right now and cast aside all dreams of loving a vampire who was so willing to kill.
She was too selfish for that.
She wanted him with a burning hunger. She wanted to heal him, to let him heal her. She wanted a million nights in his arms, a thousand memories of trips to beautiful lakes.
She wanted the danger, the excitement. Hell, she wanted what she presumed would be absolutely mind-blowing sex.
The right choice was to walk away, return to Mystic Falls and give the device to John so that all the vampires left. She, her brother, neither would be at risk of being killed by a trusted vampire. Neither would ever consider turning for love. They would be safe; the town would be safe.
Luckily, she had a habit of making terrible decisions.
"Only if you're mine." She responded.
She was suddenly flying, the blanket falling off her as he lifted her, carrying her bridal style upstairs into the guest room.
A good choice, she didn't particularly want to see Matt Donovan's smiling face right now, or the pictures of terrible boy bands she had plastered on the walls.
x-x-x-x
She was his. He was hers.
It had taken all his self-control to not strip them both naked out there on the dock. No, tonight had to be perfect. For her, he could show a little restraint. Not much, but a little.
Setting her back down next to the bed, he kissed her. It was a kiss like nothing this world had seen before as he poured the intensity of everything, he felt into her, amazed that she was responding with the same unbridled passion.
She was his. He was hers.
Her hands were busy, roaming over his exposed chest, twisting his nipple between her forefingers to elicit a groan from his lips as she continued kissing him.
"I've been wanting to do this for hours," she said, trailing kisses down his neck and onto his chest. "I wanted to throw something at you when you unbuttoned your shirt earlier. It wasn't fair."
He smirked, "I don't play fair, Elena."
At that statement, he spun her around, so she was facing away from him. Smoothing her hair to one side, he planted chaste kisses behind her ear, tracing a line down her shoulder. He pulled back, bringing her top with him lifting it over her head.
Resuming his line of kisses, he worked his way down her neck and across her shoulder. He lifted her arm out to the side and kissed the full length of it, nipping and licking her soft skin as the desire took him, watching for every movement. He listened to every breath, noticing which points on her skin pulled more of a reaction from her. As he reached her hand he turned it, kissing her palm firmly he let her arm drop before repeating the same action on the other side.
When he was done with that side, she tried to turn, but he was not done with his torture just yet. He would learn her body for the first time tonight, and he wasn't about to rush it. Placing his hands firmly on his hips, he stopped her movement. Then he reached around and undid the button on her jeans.
Obediently, she pulled them down, stepping out of them messily. He had to smile at her lack of grace, it highlighted her beauty. She made her own move, laying down on top of the covers, her face resting in her arms as she lay on her front. It was as if she were expecting a massage.
Pulling his own jeans off, leaving his boxers and shirt, he sat on the bed. He started with her back, stroking patterns into her skin as he watched for every detail. Every twitch, every gasp he could find he did. Working his way down to her feet, he investigated her.
She was stunning. She was his.
x-x-x-x
It felt like he was worshiping her, learning every detail he could about her body. As he found a spot that made her gasp, he would lavish it with kisses and playful nips until she whimpered and only then would he move on.
He explored her in such intricate detail that she felt like she was the most beautiful person he had ever laid eyes on. When he was finally satisfied, he had learnt everything, he encouraged her to roll over and the darkness of his eyes confirmed that feeling. She'd never felt so desired, it was exhilarating almost to the point of being terrifying.
She pulled herself up to sit, desperate to hold him, kiss him before he continued the onslaught of exploration. The lips meeting again, it felt like fireworks in the room. She had to feel his skin on her now, and she wrapped herself around him, tugging his shirt off his shoulders as they melted into one another. Pulling herself fully into his lap, her legs around him and her arms secured around his neck she'd never felt safe.
"Elena" he breathed between kisses, "What are you doing to me?"
His voice was wavering, and her mind flashed back to how she had felt hours ago, when she had practically melted in front of him.
"Revenge" She smiled, before pushing him gently backwards. Now she was straddling him. She knew at any moment he could turn the tables, take control. She had no power to fight against him, but she knew he wouldn't. He'd let her do what she wished.
The realization that she was no expert hit her as she looked down at him. She was reminded of waking up to find him sleeping next to her looking like a Greek god. His chest was chiselled to perfection, and she began there, allowing her hands to explore first, her kisses following. She lacked his self-control though.
"Damon, I want you."
x-x-x-x
The words were like music to his ears. Guiding her to her feet smoothly, he undressed her first and then himself. He could tell she was nervous, the deep passion that had led them here abating as her brain began to catch up.
He would give her this time, the time to step away. He knew she wouldn't, he had believed her completely and utterly when she had told him she was his. He knew her well though, and she needed a moment to breathe.
He watched her face as she stood there, taking in his body. It wasn't the first time she'd seen him naked, having walked in on him in the boarding house. However, this time he was fully aroused. Desperate to have her, it was taking more than a modicum of restraint to pause. Her eyes had wandered over every inch of him, her heartbeat increasing as she'd truly looked for the first time at him.
Finally, after a breather that was truly only seconds but felt like a painful eternity, she kissed him. Pulling him roughly towards her the kiss was deep, her arms wrapping around him and the length of her naked body pushing up against his. She stepped back against the bed and they fell onto it, their hands wildly exploring each other.
"I want you, now." She demanded, causing him to chuckle.
"Nope." He said, pulling up on his elbows and stroking the hair out of her face, "Not a chance."
He kissed her again, this time letting his lips wander from her mouth and down to her neck. He found the spot he'd identified earlier, and she moaned. His hand wandered down her body, first finding her breast and then traveling further.
His fingers found her clit and he drew soft circles there, delighted to discover her response as she shuddered in his arms.
Damon's self-control was holding so far, he desperately wanted to slip himself inside her now, knowing how wet she was. But he be damned if he was going to be just another one of the teenage fumbles she'd had, a boy who didn't know how to make her feel ecstasy.
His fingers kept their steady rhythm of circles, her body responding desperately as she widened her legs for him, lifting her hips to him.
"Damon, I…" she tried to speak, but he brought his lips to her. A soft kiss, the tenderness they had shared on the deck earlier showing through again.
It was a statement of love, without the words, and he felt her legs begin to shake.
Lifting his soft kisses from her lips, she moaned at him. Her eyes were closed, and she began to bite her lip as he moved his kisses down her body. A little extra attention on her hip brought the shaking back. She was close, he could tell.
Finally, he paused the steady rhythm of his fingers, replacing it with his tongue. She tasted how he had dreamt she would, like this was home. He would worship at this altar for as long as she would let him.
Her hips bucked slightly, pushing herself up to meet him as she quivered. Each flick of his tongue was causing her breathing to quicken, her hands were grasping at the sheets.
x-x-x-x
The release was pure ecstasy, the wave of pleasure rolling through her causing her toes to curl and her knees to bend as every muscle clenched and relaxed. Her eyes flew open to look for him, and she met his own above her face. He'd moved quickly, hovering just above her.
He was looking at her in a new way, with pure joy in his eyes. She'd not seen him so happy before. For him to look at her like that made her heart swell, he was a million miles away from the broken man she'd held on the floor of the college campus. She knew it was a fleeting moment, a pause in the dramatics of their lives, but it was a moment that would never leave her memory.
He intertwined his fingers with hers, using his free hand to stroke down her face.
"I lo.." He silenced her with two fingers pressed to her lips, kissing her forward.
"Still want me?" he asked, his cheekiest grin spreading across his face, his eyes lit bright as they gazed down on her.
She nodded, enthusiastically, cringing at her own eagerness.
Keeping one hand intertwined with hers, he used the other to reach down and guide himself inside her, slowly. Like everything else tonight, he was gentle with her, setting a slow and steady rhythm as he rocked inside her.
She purred, grateful for the feeling of fullness. The longing desire for him to be there satisfied, and a new desire building around him as he set a delicious rhythm. She pulled her knees up, bringing him in deeper, closer to her.
He was biting his lip, his eyes searching her face for every detail. She could see he was focusing entirely on control, but she trusted him. She wanted him to enjoy her as much as she was enjoying him.
She pulled him down towards her, her lips scattering light kisses on his neck followed by licks, nips and deep open-mouthed kisses. As she moved to his collarbone, he let out a guttural moan and his pace quickened.
The gentle nature of his love was overtaken by his need, his desire for her and she welcomed it, her nails running a line up his bag that made him moan into her ear.
"'Lena" he sighed, breathing into her ear.
"I want you, Damon." She responded, knowing he would satisfy any desire she had. Their eyes meeting, they each reached their peaks only moments apart, their bodies melting together as they flexed in response.
Stroking patterns on his back as he settled down onto her, she enjoyed finding the spots that caused him to shake once again. She herself felt like jelly underneath him.
She was his. He was hers.
x-x-x-x