The One Who Saved Me

Chapter 14: Never feel guilty

Seeing Elena suck the blood out of a deer's neck was bittersweet for Stefan. He was happy that she hadn't gone off to kill a human. But he was also sad that she had been targeted so much to the point of anger.

Caroline raced to the Salvatore Boarding House. She watched as Stefan walked downstairs, sighing.

"She's in bed, resting. I think she's fed enough for one night." Stefan sat down on the couch.

"Damon, can I talk to you for a minute, outside?" Caroline asked as Damon hesitantly stood up, following her outside the house.

"What's up?" Damon asked, confused.

"Your feelings for Elena, are they real?" Caroline was concerned.

"What do you mean, 'are they real'? They're my feelings, feelings that I can't fake no matter how hard I've tried." Damon faced away from Caroline.

"Damon, Elena is your brother's girlfriend. It's not uncommon for guys to have crushes on their brother's girlfriends. But it's just that, a crush. Usually after a few weeks, months or years, the crush will go away. Or maybe the guy finds another girl to crush on. There's a difference. You either have a crush, or your feelings for Elena are real enough that they won't go away." Caroline explained, making Damon feel even worse for even thinking that he'd have a chance with Elena.

"I've secretly loved Elena since she and Stefan got together. I just- I didn't express my feelings until just before I turned her. And no, my feelings for Elena do not stem from the fact that she looks exactly like Kathrine. They're completely different people personality wise. Over time, watching as Elena's love for Stefan grew, my love for her grew." For the first time since he met Elena, he was expressing his feelings. He was telling someone how he felt.

"Caroline, do you think that I'd ever have a chance with her? I mean, she's kinda out of my league." Damon admitted, watching as Caroline smiled.

"I'm not supposed to say this, considering I'm technically supporting Elena and Stefan, but maybe. Oh and you are not out of Elena's league. I feel like her league is as simple as adventurous, loving, protective, and vampire. You've pretty much got all of those things covered. You're always looking for adventure, even if it's on the dangerous side. You're loving, because you could never hurt Stefan, Elena or any of your friends as much as you threaten to. You're protective, considering you saved her from dying, even thought she's now a vampire. And the last point. You're a vampire. She's a vampire. There's a heightened connection that I think even Stefan can sense." Caroline made some good points.

"But, simply, I think that if all else failed, resulting in Elena and Stefan breaking up and never wanting to get back together, you and Elena could have enough good-ish memories that could possibly pull you two closer together. Nothing is impossible, except a cure for vampirism. If you just wait, and be a little more patient, you'll get what you truly desire. Love." Caroline was acting like some sort of therapist or guru. It weirded Damon out, but he was happy to know that someone who once hated him actually believed that maybe he and Elena could work, if all else failed.

"Thanks Caroline...I appreciate that." Damon smiled, hugging Caroline for the first time in ages.

Walking back inside, Damon noticed that Stefan wasn't in the living-room. Heading up to Stefan's room, he wasn't there either, but Elena was sleeping on his bed, her eyes red and he cheeks stained from crying. Damon hated seeing Elena like this. She hated being angry now that she was a vampire, since she was more likely to accidentally take her anger out on some poor unsuspecting victim.

"Stefan?" Damon heard Elena's faint voice as she sat up, looking around.

"Nope, Damon." He was slightly sad knowing that Elena would always hope that Stefan would be there when she was like this.

"Oh. I'm sorry, for how this all went down. I mean, I did have feelings for you, but I love Stefan. If this whole situation made you feel uncomfortable, I'm so sorry." Elena looked at Damon as he sat next to her, trying to remain as calm as possible.

"No need to be sorry, Elena. But, Stefan has made me feel guilty for having these feelings for you. There are things that I feel guilty about, like not giving a eulogy at my mother's funeral, becoming friends with the Sheriff of Mystic Falls just to protect myself, even using Caroline for my own selfish reasons. But there is one thing that I will never feel guilty about, and that is having feelings for you. I will never feel guilty about loving you. Which means I will never feel guilty for doing this..." Damon prepared himself to be slapped in the face, but instead, his lips met Elena's.

For the first time ever, his feelings for someone weren't manipulated. His feelings were his own and he was finally kissing the girl he had been madly in love with for years, even if it might not ever happen again, and he might get his ass kicked because of it.

"I'll be downstairs if you need me." Damon smiled, pulling away from the sweet kiss he had just shared with Elena.

He didn't care if Stefan found out. He didn't care if Elena never wanted to be more than friends. All he cared about was that he got to share one kiss with her.