DELENA ONE-SHOT: ONE MORE DANCE (5X12)

Damon entered the boarding house after a long night at the bar. He heaved an enormous sigh and threw his leather jacket on the couch. He missed. He sighed again as he stared at his jacket on the ground. He stumbled slightly before slumping down into his reading chair and gazing at the fireplace, a few tears escaping his bloodshot eyes.

One word left his lips before he closed his eyes, "Elena." He smiled slightly as her picture made its way into his head. All he wanted to do was fall asleep so that he could dream about a world where he hadn't broken up with her, where he hadn't left her sobbing in front of the Salvatore fireplace, where he had gone down to her and pulled her into his arms and apologized over and over again for his sudden lapse in judgment.

Stefan walked into the room only to find his brother snoring in his chair, his hair completely dishevelled and signs of distress on his face. He couldn't bear to see Damon this way – drinking all night, miserable during the day, all because he felt he was bad for Elena and decided it was in everyone's best interest that they broke it off. It was the exact opposite of that. Caroline had even told him that Elena was miserable without Damon as well. Matt wished Damon and Elena would get back together so that Damon would stop being such an ass because he was much more sweet-tempered when he was with her. Stefan wanted Damon to quit being an idiot and apologize to Elena because he knew that his brother couldn't live without her. Stefan purposely made lots of noise as he cleaned up Damon's mess in order to wake his brother up.

"Mmm," Damon groaned as he turned over and woke up, "What's with the ruckus?" He slouched forward and then stood up slowly gazing around the room to find his brother.

Stefan strode forward and put Damon's cell phone in his hand, "Call Elena. Apologize. Fix this. Please."

Damon looked confused at first but took his phone, "Of all people, brother, I wasn't expecting you to be the one to tell me this."

"Yeah, well I saw Elena today, Damon. She's miserable. You've broken her heart, brother," Stefan stopped when he saw Damon's eyes droop and get watery at the thought that he had hurt Elena so much.

"Look, Damon, I'm not saying this to hurt you, but both of you are miserable without each other. I went to see Elena because Caroline thought company would help her, but all she could talk about was you. Literally, the entire time, Damon's smile, Damon's jokes, this, that, I was getting sick of it myself!" Stefan laughed a bit when he saw Damon smiling.

"Does she really miss me that much?" Damon asked, crossing his arms over his chest, his smile still present.

"Brother, I'd get into details, but basically Elena couldn't stop talking about you. When she wasn't talking about you, she was just silent, probably wondering what on earth she had done wrong to make you leave her. Do you have any idea how much she loves you?" Stefan was pushing Damon emotionally because he knew his brother was about to crack under the pressure. He had to. This was getting ridiculous and everyone knew it, not just him.

Damon shook his head, his eyes falling, "I messed up, Stef. I gave myself too much credit...thinking that I was so bad for her. But she – she changes me. She makes me better."

Stefan nodded as Damon spoke. He knew the effect Elena had on everyone around her. She was truly a light, full of positivity. But he also knew that Damon didn't take enough credit when he did anything good.

"Call her, Damon. She perks up every time her phone rings, thinking it might be you."

Damon smiled at that and nodded, "You're right, Stef. I need to fix this, thanks brother!"