Protecting At It's Finest || SEQUEL

Six;

Damon tucks his arm underneath his head, closing his eyes slowly. His expression is soft, and his demeanour empty. His black strands fall about his head, thoroughly messed up by the hour and a half of mind-blowing sex we just accomplished. The moonlight streaming in through the windows reflect off of his skin, lighting up all of his perfections. His bare chest is toned, and the moonlight only enhances the fact beautifully. He is beautiful, Damon, so very beautiful that it physically pains me sometimes. He's a fallen angel, who got battered a bit on the way down by life, and hardships (and Katherine, but I try not to mention her often). He's a good man, Damon, a really good man. He was just dealt a bad hand at life and reacted just as badly. Though he's at peace, here in his room, with the sounds of the forest drifting in through the open balcony doors. Mystic Falls has always been his safe place, I know. It's where he comes when he's defeated, when he's lonely, when he wants to go home.

God, he's so beautiful.

"I can feel you getting turned on by my good looks, you know."

And then he opens his mouth, and an asshole comment follows.

I prop myself up in my elbow, staring down at him humorously. My hair falls around my shoulders softly, the strands encasing my face.

"You should probably get that checked out," I retort, smiling softly down at him as he opens his eyes to look at me, "Mental illness is a serious thing."

He rolls his eyes, reaching up a fingers to brush a few strands of my hair from my eyes, and tuck them behind my ear. He commits the action so kindly, so slowly, as if he's afraid of hurting me.

"Yet you're still wandering about." He says quietly, smirking at me.

I laugh, tilting my head to the side. He stares at me, his eyes glancing to either side of my face over and over again. A content expression settles across his features, his hand resting against my cheek. I turn my head into it, keeping my gaze on him.

"You're so beautiful," he whispers, sending a blush across my cheeks, "Your silky hair, your soft skin, your sparkling eyes, your laugh... everything."

"Now you're just looking to get laid again." I grin, spreading my fingertips across his chest and outlining patterns across his skin.

He laughs, his thumb stroking my cheek softly, "Don't you ever stop talking to me, Fire Starter."

I'm not entirely sure what he means by that. Never stop talking as in ever? Because I know I don't need to breathe, but that's a little extreme.

And then he's looking at me so intently, and trailing his fingers along my skin, and whispering, "Promise me."

And I don't have it in me to say no.

I take his hand, press it against my chest, where my unbeating heart resides, and smile at him, "Cross my heart and hope to die."

Oh, and I would die, over and over again, just to be here in this moment with him.

"I love you," Damon whispers, and everything around me freezes, "I love you so much that it consumes me."

He loves me. I don't think anything has sounded better to me in my lifetime. He loves me. This may not seem very big to the normal person, but Damon doesn't do feelings, let alone tell people them. Yet he loves me, so much that it consumes him.

It consumes me too.

I lean down, my hand slipping up to his neck, and I kiss him softly. He reciprocates, his lips pressing gains mine slowly, but firmly all the same. His hand slips to my waist and pulls me closer. His touches are light and soft.

"I love you more." I reply.

Damon smiles, kissing me again, "I have waited a century for you, El, you've got a long way to go before you can beat me out at this."

As long as I'm with him, I'll wait forever to be able to win at that.

💉💉💉

I wake up to the sun streaming in through the window, and my hair spread about Damon's chest. Damon sleeps peacefully, he always has, and he barely shifts as I lift myself up from my resting place quietly. The whole house is quiet, the birds chirping outside on the balcony, the glass doors open. His chest rises and falls rhythmically, almost calmingly.

I look around the room at the dark wood furniture, watching as the sunlight highlights all of its imperfections and age-old scratches. I've always felt most at peace in the morning, which is one of the reasons I was so upset when I first changed into a vampire. I thought I wouldn't be able to go in the sun again, wouldn't be able to feel it, but Bonnie made me my ring and I spent the whole day lounging in the sun.

I slip out of bed, my feet hitting the laminate flooring softly. I don't make any noise as I walk toward the balcony, slipping Damon's shirt over my arms along the way. The air outside is chilly, but sunlight is warm against my skin. I lean on the railing of the balcony, listening to the peaceful sounds of the forest coming to life, feeling the warmth against my face. My hair is around my shoulders, not brushed, but the strands still silky. A few frame my face, falling over my cheeks.

I look out across the grounds, the driveway; with Caroline's, Stefan's and my own, cars pulled into it. The grass is cut — who even cuts that anyway? I've never in my life seem Damon work a lawnmower — all the way until it reaches the forest edge, where it becomes less maintained. The trees are dark green, and reach so high that if I were a less intelligent person, I could believe that they went on forever. The sun reflects of the leaves, making them seem slightly lighter.

I hear a creak behind me, before two arms encase me, hands slipping around my waist and pulling me closer. I lean back, resting my head against the shoulder behind me and slipping my hands along the arms around my body.

"One night stands aren't your thing, remember?" Damon says in my ear, his breath against the back of my neck.

I grin, "It's a bit late for that, don't you think?"

Damon shrugs, "The spontaneousness of life never ceases to surprise me, so I wouldn't put it past you."

"Oh, wonderful," I retort, "your trust astounds me."

"It should," Damon says, spinning me around swiftly and resting my back against the railing, he leans closer to me, and I feel his hands on the small of my back, "I love you."

The words provide me with as much elation as they did last night.

"I love you." I reply instantly, my hands slipping around his neck as he leans in to kiss me.

Here, at the Boarding House, with the sun against my skin, and Damon's lips against mine, I am content. I could spend forever here, in Mystic Falls, with Damon, and forget about everything else. I would leave it all behind (I'm going to have to, at some point, either way) for this, to be this happy. Oh, and I'm so happy. He makes me happy, even if he's a cocky little shit, he makes me so happy.

All we need to do now is get through Caroline's problem, and then everything will be fine.

I hope.