Sixth Anniversary

The cold night's air blew softly against Damon's skin, but he didn't mind it. That day was the sixth anniversary of his realization that he had to feed, that the hunger was too strong for him to just allow himself to starve to death. He didn't know why, but it felt like an important day to him.

His brother had saved him from a terrible half-life, but he didn't approve of his new diet. Stefan was all for animal blood. Not that he actually managed to always follow his own diet. The cravings were too strong, Damon guessed. His brother had fallen in and off the wagon several times. At that moment, he was off it.

Somehow, when Stefan was going through his Ripper periods, Damon felt as though he wasn't so bad, he wasn't as much of a monster as he made himself feel like. Not only that as he felt as though he had to help his little brother. Sometimes he even tried, in his own strange ways that no one would have guessed what he was trying to accomplish.

But that night he wasn't going to do anything about Stefan. It was too much of a sentimental night for him to do it. He still got angry at his brother when he thought about what he had made him go through, even if not directly and even if he could never had guessed what was going to happen. It just angered him.

Sitting down on the grass, Damon just stared at the faraway city, its weak lights only visible to vampire eyes, and sighed. The next day he would take care of Stefan. For that night, all he needed was to allow himself to delve into the past.

Stefan had just finished one of his ripper sprees or was starting another one, and I simply couldn't deal with it. I needed to get away, needed to clear my head - so I ran off. I cared about Stefan so much, but he wont let me get close, he just obsesses over blood - and Katherine.

I wandered around outside of town, sleepily, because I couldn't come out during the day - so I simply sleep. Oh how I missed the daylight, it was beautiful... But I didn't have a talisman so I was stuck. Rubbing my eyes I stumbled around in the dark, until I tripped over something - something big.

My dress was dirty and tattered, and I felt embarrassed - because it was a person. And above all, it was Damon Salvatore. Nervously I looked up at him, blushing as much as a vampire could. I apologized to him sheepishly, trying to get my words out clearly.

"D-d-d-Damon..... I-i-i-I'm s-s-so s-s-orry. I-I thought you were dead..."

I started crying, tears dripping down my face, as I buried down into dress. And I didn't even care if he saw me, I was lonely and upset. My lower lip was jutted out now, as I just stared at him - in shock, but also... in envy - he looked beautiful.

The girl who had tripped over Damon was crying, her face streaked with tears. He didn't know what to do. Though he was quite the girl charmer, he had never been able to deal with crying people, with the exception of his brother, who he had comforted many times throughout their life together.

But before he could quite understand what was going on, he realized that the girl seemed to know him from his human life. There were very few people who knew him from Mystic Falls who ever came out that far.

He tried to figure out from where he recognized that voice. It was melodic to his ears, even though it was all broken up. He just needed to remember who she was. And then it came to him. The image of a young girl trailing after his brother, a young girl whose name he could only find out through his brother, as she couldn't, or wouldn't, talk to him. He'd even tried, but given up after some time.

Vivian Aultman. He still remembered her name. She was the one girl who only had eyes for his brother. Or at least that was the way he'd seen it. And he'd been happy for his brother. He'd finally found a girl for himself. Sure, Damon thought Vivian was cute, but he'd never really gotten to know her, so if Stefan was happy, he was happy as well.

As he looked the young girl, who seemed just one or two years older than she had when he'd last seen her six years before, he wondered what she was doing there. Still trailing after Stefan? It was possible. She'd seemed head over heels for him.

He then took a moment to pay a little more attention to her. No heartbeat. She was a vampire. A vampire who was crying in front of him, but a vampire nonetheless. Stefan had probably turned her. It seemed like that was a habit of his, turning people who were close to him. Damon would never forgive his brother for force feeding him. Never.

His mind snapping back to the present, he turned his attention back to the fact that Vivian was crying. He needed to at least say something.

"Vivian, right?" He asked her. He wanted to add something like 'the girl who was always trailing after my brother and wouldn't talk to me?', but he knew that he shouldn't say something like that to a crying girl. He might have more crying to deal with if he did.

"Why are you crying?" Damon questioned, raising an eyebrow in curiosity. Had his brother done something?

Wait, of course! She sat there staring at him, no - gazing at him, mesmerized. Stefan had mentioned turning his brother, at some point - so that would explain why he was still alive. I felt so silly crying in front of him, the older brother, the prettier one. The brother that I was never able to confront, the one I would have loved to be with - the one guy I wanted, but could have never gotten. But I had forgotten, I was bawling my eyes out - embarrassing myself. I dabbed at my eyes with my dress, trying to pull myself together, for his sake - I could feel something uncomfortable about our situation.

"Yes, Damon... It is me, the young, weak Vivian. The same girl that was terrified to talk to you a few years ago. And I am crying because your brother doesn't even give me the time of day. He goes mad and kills humans left and right, then comes back and expects me to be normal. But he won't even let me have human blood..... That is why I am crying, because nothing is going good for me."

I scooted towards Damon, trying to get as close as possible. I wanted to touch him, hold onto him - I wanted him to hold me, anything to be close to someone that wasn't being awful to me. As I sat next to Damon, seeing as I crawled to him, I sat there - just staring at him. I wasn't trying to hide it, avoid his ridicule or anything I would receive for staring - I just kept staring. Before I could stop myself. I ran my hand down his cheek - his skin.. it was soft, really soft. I blushed though, afterwards and pushed my head into my dress so he couldn't see me blushing.

Vivian seemed to have changed a lot. She could talk to Damon properly, make coherent sentences directed to him. He was glad for that. Maybe he really would be able to get to know the girl. All he knew about her was what Stefan had told him, and throughout the years she had changed. The girl she was then wasn't the same as the girl he'd seen in Mystic Falls.

How could Stefan be treating her like that? Did he want Vivian to be what he couldn't be? It was obvious to him that she just wanted someone to be there for her, to pay attention to her and be nice to her. It couldn't be that hard, especially not for Stefan. Damon couldn't believe that he had bought all those speeches about how awful he was, about how much of a monster he had become. Stefan should be the one listening to them.

When she scooted next to him and just stared at him, he swallowed the million sarcastic comments that came to his head. He didn't want to make any of them. He was enjoying the moment they were sharing. He too, was staring, staring into her grey-blue eyes. He'd never noticed how beautiful they were.

His earlier mood was gone, though he didn't know why. Was it because of Vivian? He didn't want to believe so. It wasn't possible that he was once again falling for his brother's girl. He still thought Katherine had been his, but he had to admit, Stefan had gotten her first. Not that he would ever tell him that.

As Vivian stretched a hand towards his face and ran it down his cheek, a small smile formed on his lips, but Damon quickly hid it. He couldn't let her know anything before he could figure out what was going through his head.

"Is everything alright?" He asked as pushed her head into her dress, a truthful concerned tone showing in his voice. Had he done something wrong?

I jumped at the question Damon asked, for a split second I had forgotten where I was. My eyes were peeping out of the top of my dress as I stared at him, I still couldn't speak to him like I wanted - but it was an improvement from when I was sixteen. Before I could even open my mouth I noticed something, I was twiddling my thumbs - he still made me unbelievably, undeniably nervous - and a smile crept over me, as I pulled my head out of the dress. My mind was like a tsunami of emotions, I wasn't sure what to do - I wanted him, not sexually just... I couldn't place the exact want. If anything, I just wanted Damon to treat me like I was a lady, and not an object that could be tossed away when you got bored, I had feelings - obviously Stefan didn't feel that way.

Trying to keep my voice at an appropriate level of speaking, and trying to keep it calm - I opened my mouth. "Nothing..... Things haven't changed that much, I can talk to you - but... I still get nervous. Even if I liked Stefan... you were always, t-t-the one that I couldn't even get a hold of. But I saw Katherine.. and she had you both, and she took Stefan - and I saw how easily he forgot about me. But that didn't mean anything, you liked her too - so I just... I gave up. For a while, honestly. But I am... I am just going on about nothing, sorry..." As my voice trailed off, I punished myself mentally. I was being such a fool, I would never be able to show Damon that I was a 'big girl now.'

Avoiding the embarrassment of speaking any further, I sunk into my dress - still visible. I wanted to tell him things, share secrets - anything, but I couldn't bring myself to do it. And there I was again, I caught myself staring at him - like how he stared into my eyes, which in turn - made my eyes shimmer. Why had I wasted my time with Stefan... honestly? This guy... Damon, oh my - he was... he was better, in every way - not like how Stefan talked about him. And then I looked down, seeing his hand - I wanted to grab it, hold it... stroke it, anything I could. But a part of me held back, as my hand shook inside the sleeve of my dress, I was still a coward - or maybe, I didn't want to seem desperate and impulsive.

Damon disagreed. She wasn't going on about nothing. What she had said had probably been the most meaningful and important thing he'd heard in months.

Nervous. Vivian was nervous. Damon couldn't understand what she was nervous about. He wasn't being mean to her like Stefan apparently was, or at least he really hoped he wasn't. He was really making an effort to be nice, though the effort wasn't really necessary. By some reason that was beyond him, with her it came naturally to him. Being nice to her was just as easy to him as killing was.

Technically, then, Vivian wasn't really Stefan's girl. She had been interested in him. That changed things a little. He'd been a little afraid that he had once again made the mistake of allowing himself to really look at a girl Stefan was dating. Sure, it seemed like Stefan was being awful to her, but that didn't mean that she wouldn't go back to him once she wasn't all that upset anymore. However, if she wasn't really, completely Stefan's girl, then maybe he had a shot. "Why do I care?" He asked himself mentally. No answers came to his mind other than 'she's beautiful', 'she seems nice' and others like that. He guessed he just did.

The mere mention of Katherine's name was enough to disturb Damon. He'd loved her, he really had, and he was still mourning her a little. It'd been six years already, but that hadn't been time enough. Mentally shaking his head clear of any thoughts related to the vampire he'd loved, he forced his attention back to Vivian.

As she finished speaking, the girl hid in her dress again, making Damon reach out to her shoulder, trying to show her that there was no need for her to hide or be nervous. There was nothing to be nervous about.

"You're not going on about nothing, Vivian." He replied, his eyes softening slightly. "Actually..." He didn't know why he thought he should say that, but he just had to. "I think what you just said was the most... Meaningful thing I've heard in quite a while."

From Damon's words, I could tell I had made an impact - and I was starting to feel less nervous. My face was as bright red as vampires could get, and I had a huge grin plastered to my face, as I stared at his hand on my shoulder. My heart would have been racing if I was alive, but sadly - it wasn't, so I just had to pretend. Out of nowhere, I felt possessed, to grab his arm and put it around me - so he could hold me... and I could lean on him, lay on his shoulder - or in his lap. I was confused, to say the least - they both seemed amazing places to be.

Without even hesitating I pulled his arm off my shoulder, and wrapped it around me - as I leaned into his side, resting my head on his shoulder. This felt nice, and... I felt loved, or was it maybe - I felt like I had attention, and that meant everything. The sad thing was, I wasn't being like Katherine - I wasn't in love with Stefan, I liked him - but I don't know if I do now. Damon was here, he didn't throw me to the side - he is being kind, trying to be affectionate.

While I lay on his shoulder, I tried to speak - in between excitement and that tad bit of nervousness, that was left. "I'm sorry.... I just wanted this. And Damon.... I am happy, that makes me feel really good inside, to know that what I said helped you. It honestly does..."

Had it been any other girl that wrapped his arm around her, Damon would have been irritated to say the least, but being Vivian, he really didn't mind. He was just glad that she was getting over her shyness. By some reason, he liked holding her, he liked the feel of her body on his arm. It was completely different from what it was with any other girl, except perhaps Katherine. But he wouldn't know. Things were different when he was human.

He pulled her a little closer, a small smile appearing on his lips, a smile that he didn't even try to hide. He still hadn't figured out what was going on, why he was acting so different towards that girl, but he was too happy and enjoying the moment too much to really care. Maybe it was safer for him to hide his smile, hide his feelings, but he didn't want to take the safer route. When it came to feelings, he usually did, but not that time.

As Damon heard her, he kept on waiting for the 'but', but it never came. Was it possible that he would actually get to be happy? It had been a long time since things had actually worked out for him. And Vivian, she really did make him happy. He was completely comfortable with her even though they hadn't known each other properly for long. He just liked her, everything about her so far.

"You have nothing to be sorry for." He told her, using his other hand to absentmindedly caress her hair.

I saw that gorgeous smile of his, like it was peering through my soul. Words wouldn't, even form, I wanted to speak but I couldn't. My veins were burning, scraping against my bones - making me cry in agony, and I couldn't choke back the tears. All I could do was lean into Damon as he pulled me closer and touched my hair, it alleviated my hunger pains, somewhat.

My throat seized up, more tears welled up in, my eyes - I felt like a baby. I even tried to communicate with him mentally, but I was to weak to keep up prolonged conversation. I forced myself, draining all my energy, to throw one complete thought into his head, as I clung to him - in an attempt to break his mental barrier.

"Damon.... I'm thirsty... Really thirsty, it hurts...."

The pangs of pain kept hitting me, like I was being bombarded on both sides by brute force. Every ounce of raw power I usually had, was absent - no compulsion, no speed, no immense strength - I was just Vivian. My body kept going tense, my muscles coiling to where they could snap at any minute. My pearly white canines were quivering, they needed sustenance - but animal blood wouldn't cut it, that was what was making me weak. With one more burst of energy, I forced my mouth to cooperate, so I could speak coherently - as I held onto Damon tighter.

"I need human blood... Please. Stefan wont let me have it, please...."

Vivian was crying again, and Damon couldn't think of anything to do other then to keep on holding her and caressing her. Was she crying about his brother again? If she was, then Damon would make his brother pay. How could he treat her like that, just ignoring her when it was so clear that she wanted a little affection? Damon missed human Stefan. He would never have let anything like that happen.

Just as he was about to ask her what was wrong, he felt her trying to speak to him mentally. She was hungry. Had she starved herself? It didn't really make any sense to Damon. If she was hungry, which she surely had been before it got so agonizing, why hadn't she gone hunting? The city was full of choices. Stefan made sure that he never stopped in a deserted place when he was in Ripper mode.

It didn't take long for her to answer his unasked question. Stefan wouldn't let her have human blood. He felt like slamming his head against a wall as he remembered Vivian telling him about it not even half an hour before. He'd gotten so distracted by her that he had completely forgotten her event mentioning it. His brother's hypocrisy was really astonishing. While he killed and drank blood mercilessly, Vivian was left to live of animal blood, slowly and torturously starving herself. Was he the root of all her problems? Damon would need to have a little chat with Stefan. He'd never been so angry at his brother, not even when he forced him to complete the transition.

Of course he would get Vivian human blood. He knew how much the starvation could hurt, he'd been through it. His mind went briefly back to the memories of it, and to the fact that that night was the sixth anniversary of those terrifying weeks, but he pulled it away quickly. He didn't want Vivian to suffer any more than she already was.

"I'll get it for you, don't worry." He replied, his voice soft and sweet, filled with a kind of concern he hardly ever showed. His mind, though, was thinking of all the ways he could torture Stefan for ever letting that happen, for ever letting Vivian in that kind of pain. "Do you want to come with me?" He asked. He knew she was in no shape to go hunting, but he didn't want to leave her alone.

I don't know which fact was worse, one - I was literally melting in Damon's arms, or two - I was starving. Either one was fighting in my mind, constantly bashing each other - and I couldn't even come to a conclusion. I was astonished though, he held on to me - every second he was still there, I even had to blink a few times to make sure this was real - and not some joke. But it was true, he stayed - he cared, so much more than Stefan - and I could swear in that moment, I loved Damon. But I couldn't fall like that so easily, could I? I mean really, girls didn't just meet someone, or well - get acquainted with them and then just fall for them - it seemed highly irrational.

My face wouldn't even let me smile at his words, it fought me the entire time - just shutting me out like I was an invader. Everything inside me told me I was dying, or something of the sort - my brain, my nerves - but my heart felt different, it wanted me... to I have no idea. It almost seemed above everything else, my heart wanted me to kiss Damon - be with him, fuse with him - anything it could to have love, and I wanted it too - but not so soon, I would just get hurt. At the thought of him leaving me to get blood, I cried again - just latching onto him that much stronger, using what force I had left - it was truly sad. And almost in an instant, he asked if I would accompany him - and then I felt more tears, I was happy - I was not going to be left alone, but instead taken on the hunt.

With each step I took to place myself in front of Damon, it felt as if I was breaking - my bones were shattering. I needed to see him face to face though, I needed to be close to him, or have some way he could take me with him. There was no way a weak, little girl like me would last a journey, even a few minutes - to go get blood, not in my current state. I hated feeling like this, feeling so defenseless - it was like when Stefan turned me, I had no way of fighting back at what was causing me agony. As I wobbled into the path I wanted, I cupped his face in my hands, and just stared - I wasn't sure what to do anymore, so I spoke, well tried to as much as I could - avoiding being hysterical, but coming off upset, loving and some other emotion I couldn't exactly pinpoint.

"Yes! Please, I don't wanna be left here, Damon. But you have to carry me, or something - I can't walk.... You even saw, I can barely waddle - I am really weak. And.... I-I-I - I just don't want you to see me like this, I am not weak.... or a child, I never cry like this, Damon... I'm telling the truth. I just feel.... feel agony like when Stefan turned me, but.... I -"

Before I could even finish, my voice cut out and more tears came. I made the best first impression on him, I cried - even after being here with him for a while - I still cried.

The thought of carrying Vivian just seemed too good to be true. Damon didn't think she would let him, but she was asking him to do it. She didn't seem to mind the thought of being picked up and carried away by someone who was still a stranger, an acquaintance if much. He just wished it could be under better circumstances. He wouldn't have any time to really enjoy having her in his arms, and he was sure it would be very enjoyable.

Damon was sure she wasn't weak. He knew how much starvation hurt, and he didn't blame her for just breaking down and crying, and he could understand that being put aside for years when you were once a very important part of someone's life would feel awful. He would never think that she was weak, just in a lot of pain and hurt.

"Shh..." He shushed Vivian, hugging her in an attempt to comfort the crying girl. He needed to get her blood fast. The pain would only get worse, and it would soon become almost unbearable. After that, it was a short way to actually unbearable. "I believe you, Vivian, and I would never think that you're weak, never. I know how much it hurts."

He hugged her a little tighter before he scooped her up bridal style, hoping that she wouldn't mind. It just seemed right to have her in his arms like that, and he thought that it would be easier for him to carry her if he didn't have to worry if she was hurting. Like that he would know if anything happened.

"I'll get you some blood and the pain will go away." He whispered more for his own assurance for her. He didn't want her to be in pain, especially not because of his brother.

Everything Damon said and did instantly made me feel better, but I still felt my pains. Emotionally I was okay, even if I had loved Stefan - Damon was the better one, maybe - or so it seemed. As he picked me up I giggled and wrapped my arms around his neck, and just stared at him - in awe. Nothing that gorgeous needed to go on without a kiss, but I felt impulsive if I gave him one, so I simply kissed his chin - and pulled back, and hid in his chest. My whole body felt better once he said he would get me blood, I think it was more of a mind thing, but my body almost felt reassured to know that it would get blood. The hugs, the holding - it was like heaven, and honestly I didn't want to feed, if I could stay like this - never would anyone have been so comfortable at the time of their death.

While I buried myself in his chest I noticed his hair felt soft, because my hand had wandered into it and began playing with it. He made me feel like my body was acting on his own, even my nose was full of his scent - which was insanely amazing, it drove me crazy. I knew I loved him, I had to - there was no way I would act like this any other way, it was nature telling me that we were meant to be. My words were muffled but they were coming out nonetheless, as I kept my face in his chest. "Thank you... Damon, thank you so much. I officially love you, just for how kind you have been - honestly, you are a gentlemen. And come to think I believed they were a dying breed, thanks for proving me wrong, gorgeous."

Vivian sounded and acted completely different from what Stefan had told him. He thought she was shy and quiet, but it wasn't what she was coming across as. But when he thought about it, he realized that she hadn't been acting like that when they'd first crossed paths. Something was wrong. Was it her hunger? He didn't think so. No, it was something else. But maybe it wasn't wrong, maybe it was just different. He didn't know.

Though usually Damon would have been at very least annoyed by the fact that there was someone playing with his hair, he didn't mind it when Vivian did it. He liked the feel of her hands in his hair almost as much as he liked the feel of her body in his arms. It was all too good to be true, but he knew it was true, because never had he felt like something was so real, so right, then he did as he held Vivian in his arms.

He almost halted as she said that she officially loved him. Damon was almost sure that she didn't mean love as in what he had felt for Katherine, but an over-exaggeration of it. However, he couldn't help but wonder - more like hope - that she had meant it the first way, because as she said those words, he realized what he felt for her, the feeling that had been bugging him for some time. He loved her, he was sure of it, he was more sure than he had ever been.

"Don't get me wrong, but what do you mean by love?" He really, really hoped that she didn't misinterpret his question, that she didn't think that he was scared by the idea of her loving him, that he wasn't open to her loving him. He most surely was.

I had expected my love comment to totally be ignored, brushed off like it was nothing. Oh how I was wrong, because he instantly questioned it. As I pushed myself further into his body, I was speechless - trying to even think of ways to explain myself. In almost an instant my face went from the porcelain white color, to a deep scarlet in embarrassment. What the hell was my problem? I couldn't even think straight around Damon, much less when he had me a few inches from his body, his heart and everything that was good about him. But out of literally instinct of love, I kept my hand in his hair - constantly combing through it, taking it in, in its full softness and volume.

Even through his shirt, I could feel the cool, hard frame of his body - and it seemed to make my skin tingle. His muscles were... they were sexy, even from over the clothing and his temperature made me get chill-bumps, if vampires were even capable of such things. I kissed his shirt, hoping that didn't seem really weird - as I still tried to formulate a way of telling him what I meant. Love was a concept I wasn't really sure about, because I thought I loved Stefan - yet he practically threw it in my face, so I didn't know for sure, what love was. And out of nowhere, I felt the urge - and I went through with it. I hoisted myself up, to his face, my arms around his neck and kissed him - as passionately and violent as I could, while attempting to mask my sheepishness.

And through it all, I loved it, until I pulled myself from the kiss, resting my head back into his shoulder - trying to nuzzle my way in. I was nervous now, unsure of what to do, so I was going to tell him how I felt, or explain myself. My throat was trying to kick me out, lock my words up - but I fought it, and before I knew it, words were spilling out of me. "I meant it like... maybe, I think I do love you? Does that make sense? Because I am so... flustered, I mean - I... I don't know what to say. And now I must sound like an idiot....." I was scorning myself mentally now, I had made a total fool of myself - and I wasn't going unpunished.

A kiss had been one of the last things Damon had expected, but he accepted it completely. And it was quite a kiss. It reminded him of the kisses Katherine used to give him, only that one was much, much better. He didn't want to ever break apart from her, and he made sure to kiss her back, showing her every ounce of whatever it was that he felt for her. It was definitely one of the best kisses he had ever given/received.

When they broke apart, Damon wanted to sit down and just kiss her until he just didn't have the energy for it, but he knew he couldn't. She was in pain, even though it really didn't seem like it anymore, and he had to get some blood for her. They could pick up where they left off later, once she was properly fed.

But what she said next actually made him stop running. She thought she could love him? Was it possible? Because he knew, he just knew, that he loved her. Had he finally found someone? He'd never felt so happy, so absolutely ecstatic, in his whole life, never. She hadn't said that she loved him, just that she maybe thought she loved him, but that was good enough for him. Tears of happiness threatened to leak from his eyes, but he didn't really care. He was too happy to care. For the first time in years he was truly happy.

"No, no, no, you don't sound like an idiot." He quickly told her, an almost maniacally happy grin on his lips. "I think..." He began, finding it hard to say the words, even though they seemed so perfect. Every time he had exposed himself he'd ended up hurt, even though with Katherine it had been her death. He really did think she loved him. But still, he was afraid of saying that he loved her, because if he got hurt, he didn't think he'd ever be able to expose himself again. But knew that he needed to. Otherwise she'd never know how much he loved her, and she would be the one to get hurt. "I think I... No, I know I love you too."

I became incredibly nervous when he stopped moving, and I clung to him. I wasn't sure whether to be scared or shocked, but when he spoke I smiled. He actually did love me, but I couldnt say it back - I was scared to. I had told Stefan I loved him, and then he went ripper, and shoved me away - and I didnt want that with Damon.

I pulled myself up and wrapped my arms around his neck while I looked into his eyes. Before I did what I wanted to, I had to tell him the truth. "I am scared to actually say it. You are amazing, and I do love you - but I can't actually admit it. Stefan turned when I thought I loved him... So whats stopping you from doing the same?"

And after I felt stupid, I just kissed him - again.

Stefan. The problem always seemed to be Stefan. Damon hand't been his brother's number one fan before, ever since he forced him into becoming a vampire, but he was beginning to actually hate him. Stefan had made Vivian's life miserable. He'd broken her heart and starved her while he feasted on human blood. They really, really needed to have a little chat.

Had there been time, Damon would have replied to what Vivian said. He had a million things he wanted to tell her, a million things that he thought could soothe her or make her change her mind. But before he could even get a word out, she was kissing him, and he really didn't want to break the kiss to talk. Suddenly, talking seemed like such a trivial thing.

Each second of the kiss seemed better than the last, but he knew they couldn't kiss forever. He really, really needed to get Vivian some blood. She seemed to have forgotten about the pain, but he hadn't forgotten that she was in pain, and he knew that the pain was only going to get worse. Blood first, kissing later.

He slowly pulled away from the kiss, hating that he had to do that, but knowing that it was for the best. He didn't like to even think about the pain he had suffered when he had been starved, the pain that had changed him forever.

"I need to get you some blood, Vivian." He told her, planting a kiss on her lips softly before continuing to run.

My lower lip stuck out like I was pouting, he pulled away from our embrace. I knew it was for blood, so he could keep me alive - but I wanted him, now blood or no. But Damon was stubborn, and I was incapable of changing his mind. But after he reminded me of our goal, he kissed me again - but then he took off, which wasn't fair. I unbuttoned his shirt a bit as I leaned into his chest - and began kissing every inch of his chest. Soft, muscular sexy bodied Damon - if he probed my mind at all, I would be so embarrassed. I sucked on certain places of his chest for a bit before I took a break to whisper to him. "I do love you, I will continue to love you, even if I get staked... Or die in the sun in a few hours....."

Damon felt his shirt being unbuttoned and smiled. Maybe they didn't have to stop completely. He could feel Vivian's soft lips kissing his skin, and he wished that he could stop running so that he could completely enjoy how amazingly good it felt, but the memory of his days imprisoned in that circus kept him from doing that. He'd never forgive himself if she went through that kind of pain because he couldn't control his lust.

Keeping Vivian alive was his number one priority. Everything else, including his own survival, if it ever came to that, was secondary. She was the world to him, even though he didn't even know her properly. He just knew he loved her, and that was all what mattered.

The faint city lights were getting brighter and closer. They were almost there. Any passerby was a potential meal, and they'd have been done in a few seconds had there actually been anyone out so late. Inside the city, Damon knew that there was a great nightlife. They'd have to go into the city.

He was looking around, trying to spot anyone, when Vivian's words sunk in. She said it. She actually said that she loved him. That time, he didn't have to adapt it to suit what he wanted to hear, he didn't have to make 'I think I may love you' into a perfectly acceptable declaration of love. No, she actually said everything perfectly. For that night, and possibly many others to come, Damon was the happiest person in the world.

"You don't have a daylight ring?" He asked her, raising his eyebrows. Yet another thing in which his brother had failed and yet another thing in which he had been extremely unfair.

As he continued to run, I held onto him as tightly as possible. If I could have my way I would pin him down and dominate him, but I was to weak. And to my surprise he mentioned a daylight ring - what the hell was that? With all my strength I dropped my legs behind me, and pushed my arms into him - trying to stop him. I was furious now as I questioned him. "Dont lie to me.... We can't walk in the sun, Damon... Dont give me false hope..."

Tears poured down my face as I stared into his eyes.

Damon came to a halt, not wanting to hurt Vivian. Why was she trying to stop him? She needed blood, she knew that. She had been the one to ask him for it in the first place. If she wanted to keep on making out, then she should have known that though he did want to continue where they had left of, he needed and wanted to get her some blood. Surely she could hang on for a few more minutes so that they could fully enjoy each other?

But when he heard what Vivian had to say, he understood why she had stopped him. How could Stefan not have told her? Not getting her a ring was already bad enough, but not telling her? That was just outrageous. Where did she think he went every morning and afternoon? His little brother was way out of line. Keeping that information from Vivian had been the last straw. No more procrastinating. He was going to have a little chat with his baby brother, and things weren't going to go well.

"Stefan didn't tell you?" He asked, though he knew the answer to that question. "This ring, an enchanted lapis lazuli ring, which I guess doesn't need to be a ring, allows vampires to walk in daylight. Stefan and I have them, and so we can go out during day." And then, in a furious whisper, he added: "Stefan, I am going to kill you!"

As he told me about the rings, I cried. In four years of being a vampire I had never seen sunlight, except when I allowed myself to be burned - just to see. I threw myself at Damon and held on for dear life - he was the only person I could trust. And now I was crying, because of being a prisoner to the sun when I didnt have to be - and because I called him a liar. In between sobs I attempted to apologize.

"I am so sorry... Please. Help me get one, please? And I'm an idiot... Please forgive me - I love you....."

As Vivian threw herself at him, Damon hugged her, caressing her back and playing with her hair in hope that he would be able to soothe her. No one deserved to be treated like Vivian had been, to be lied to and deprived of things like she had, but to his eyes, she deserved it even less. She was so wonderful, he loved her so much, he just couldn't see what she could possibly have ever done wrong.

He was going to make Stefan pay for making her cry like that, for being so unbelievably cruel with her. There was no need for any of that, there was no need for depriving her of human blood and there was no need for not telling her about the daylight ring. Why had Stefan done it? It couldn't be just because he'd become the Ripper.

Hearing Vivian's words made him want to cry as well. She was so fragile, so hurt, she was afraid that the smallest things would get him mad at her. What had Stefan done to her? He really needed to find his brother, and he really needed to make him pay.

"Of course, of course, Vivian." He said, caressing her cheeks with his thumb, wiping away her tears gently with his thumb. "You're not an idiot, you're perfect. And there's nothing for me to forgive." Hugging her closer and enjoying each and every second of their embrace like he would never have another, he whispered to her, sure that she would be able to hear him. "I love you too, more than I ever loved anyone."