A/N: Here's chapter 3. Thank you so much for your reviews. They really help me keep writing.

A couple days passed before I saw Damon again. By being ignorant about his intentions, he had decided to shut me out completely. I would try to go and see him at the boarding house, but he'd either not be home or he would take one look at me and walk upstairs to his room and lock the door. I was getting sick of it.

It was a couple minutes after midnight and I was once again tossing and turning in my bed, unable to sleep, but for different reasons this time. I couldn't get the image of Damon kissing me out of my head. It made me feel tingly all over and I would revel in the way my lips had been swollen in the dream, making me want more.

I grabbed my phone off my nightstand and dialed his number. It rung once then went to voice mail. He hadn't missed my call, he'd hung up on me.

Why are you avoiding me? I sent the text, sitting up in bed, my blankets dropped into my lap. The cool air felt good on my skin and I pushed my comforter down further so the cold could envelope me. I closed my eyes and took in a deep breath of fresh, crisp air that was flowing in from my open window.

My phone didn't buzz after several minutes. I sighed and put it back on the nightstand, depressed that I probably blew it with Damon by unintentionally insulting him.

"I'm not avoiding you," a voice said from my window, causing me to jump. I looked over and saw Damon lounging against the window, his arms crossed over his chest which was exposed because he hadn't bothered to button up his shirt all the way. He looked like shit, his hair disheveled and his clothes wrinkled.

"Then what are you doing?" I asked, turning towards him, unconsciously rubbing my hand on my thigh. My skin felt hot and rubbing it helped remove the heat.

His eyes locked on my hand for the briefest seconds, before returning to my face. He looked pained.

He shrugged. "Why do you think everything's about you, Elena? Can't I be miserable for some other reason than you spurning me?"

I looked down at my lap, saddened by the confirmation that I had hurt him. Part of me wanted to curl up into a ball, but the other part of me wanted to comfort him.

I got up from the bed and padded softly towards him. He watched me through guarded eyes, unsure of what to expect from me. I didn't even really know what I was going to do when I reached him. Before I could think about what I was doing, I wrapped my arms around him and pulled him into a hug.

Damon stiffened at my touch, I could feel his face straining to pull away from me. The more he fought, the tighter I held him. After a few moments, he sighed and relaxed against me, but didn't return the hug.

"Why are you doing this to me, Elena?"

"Because you're my friend." I whispered, giving him a little squeeze.

"I don't mean the hug."

"Oh. What am I doing then?"

He put his hands on my shoulders and pushed me back enough so I didn't have to break the hug, but I did have to look at him.

"Why are you messing with my emotions?"

I looked in his strikingly blue eyes and saw the utter sadness embedded there. I wanted to take his pain away, and I knew that a hug just wasn't going to do it. I wanted to make him feel happy and give him a reason to live. I wanted to give him love.

I sighed and leaned against him, my head resting on his shoulder and my arms dropping to my sides.

"I'm so sorry, Damon. I was only trying to be your friend."

"My friend? Why would you want to be friends with me? I'm a heartless monster." The last part he said with a growl, as if annoyed at the title he'd been given.

I looked up at him again and shook my head. His hand brushed my cheek and I realized he was wiping away a tear.

"You're not a monster, Damon. And you're not heartless." I put my hand on his chest, not feeling anything moving beneath his skin, but praying that I could. "It's in there, Damon. Somewhere underneath that shell you've built around yourself is a heart bigger than anything I've ever seen."

His hand closed around mine and squeezed. He rested his cheek on the top of my head and rubbed his skin against my hair, taking in a deep breath.

"Only you can bring it out in me, Elena."

I was going to say [i] what about Katherine? But stopped myself. She had hurt him, and I didn't want to bring up any more suffering for Damon.

I felt his lips press into my hair and I sighed. I wrapped my arms around his torso, and he wrapped his arms around me, holding me tight. I buried my face into his chest, and took in all that I could of Damon.

Without realizing what I was doing, I tilted my chin up and placed the most tender of kissed on his neck, right where his pulse was supposed to be.

He froze at my touch. I nuzzled my nose against his skin, and kissed his neck again. When he shivered, I smiled. It was nice to be able to have that affect on him, even if it was misleading. After all, I didn't really love Damon.

But then what was I doing there in his arms, kissing his neck, and wishing away his pain? Didn't you do that for the people you loved?

Could I even love Damon?

I pulled back and looked into his face. He was regarding me with eyes full of trust and hope and I realized that yes, I could come to love Damon. In a way, I did already.

Oh so slowly, I lifted my chin up and closed the distance between us. He hesitated before leaning forward as well, closing his eyes as our lips touched. I sighed into his mouth when our lips connected, and he took that as a sign to deepen the kiss.

He pressed hard against my lips, using his teeth and tongue to play with my bottom lip and make it tingle and throb. It was beyond heavenly and so unlike anything I had shared with Stefan.

Once the barrier had been broken, Damon began moving more urgently against me and I followed, pressing ourselves as close together, and I moaned when my tank top dipped lower on my chest, allowing his chest and mine to caress each other.

His hands roamed my back, slipping in and out of my shirt, leaving searing hot trails of need along my skin. I did the same, though I explored his abs and played with the trail of short hair that lead down into his pants. When my hands pushed below his belt and explored the sensitive skin, he gasped, pulling away from me.

"What?" I asked, out of breath and eyes unfocused. He had a similar expression, except he was pushing me away at arm's length.

"We can't do this." He closed his eyes and took a step back.

"Why not?"

"Because you're just doing this out of pity." I winced when he said that.

"I'm not doing this out of pity, Damon."

He opened his eyes and looked me over, searching for a lie that wasn't there.

"Then why?"

I took a step closer, glad that his hands on my shoulders gave when I moved, and took his face in my hands.

"Because I care about you, Damon."

In an instant I saw a flash of relief swarm his vision. He looked like he was ready to cry, and probably to prevent me from seeing that, he pulled me into a hug and kissed my hair.

"Oh Elena. You're the sweetest creature I've ever met. Why are you so kind to me?"

I rubbed my cheek against his hard chest, taking in a deep breath of his cologne. "Because I love you, Damon."

Both of us froze at my words. I hadn't meant to say them, but as soon as they were said, I knew they were true. I did love Damon. I loved him and I trusted him with my heart and soul.

He looked down at me, again seeking the lie that for whatever reason he was expecting to be there. When he didn't find any, he smiled and kissed me tenderly, savoring my lips. He pulled away and whispered into my ear, "I love you, Elena. More than you could ever imagine."

I smiled and kissed him.

A/N: Think it was maybe a lil too mushy? Please review.