A Bridge Too Far

Are We There Yet?

a/n: title refers to how I imagine Kol must be feeling during this chapter.

Damon POV:

We're not far from reaching Mystic Falls now, only about an hour more to go... actually, I could probably get us there in half that but I find myself slowing down every mile closer we get.

Suddenly I throw on my blinker and rush us over a couple lanes pulling the car over.

"What are you doing, is something wrong with the car?" Elena immediately asks.

I look over at her worried face and know I can't put this off any longer I need to know even if it means making her a little uncomfortable, I need to know where I... we stand.

"Car's fine," I tell her before opening my door and zooming around to open hers for her.

She looks confused but unclicks her seat belt and takes my offered hand getting out of the car.

"Damon, you're scaring me, what's going on, why are we pulled over?" she asks.

I sigh hating how "pick me" this is likely about to sound but press on.

"Look, I hate to be this guy but before we get home or I just straight up lose my nerve... I think we should talk about what this means," I say pointing back and forth between us.

She exhales a little losing some of the tension her body was holding when she wasn't sure what was going on... that's a good sign, right?

"What does it mean to you?" She asks and I tilt my head at her.

"You know what it means to me Elena," I tell her.

"Could you say it anyway," she asks looking a little unsure, not that I recall ever giving her a reason to be but she is still just 18... suppose it just comes with the territory sometimes.

"Everything, it means everything, Elena," I say, "The question is what is this to you? All those judgy looks you were worried about are gonna start tenfold the second we step back in town," I point out.

"I know," she sighs running a hand through her hair and pacing a bit walking away from the road towards the front of the car.

"I know no one is going to understand and it's going to hurt Stefan us being together and that's not what I want, I don't want to hurt anyone but especially not someone I used to love who still means a lot to me but... you make me happy, Damon," she admits and I can't help but let a little smile break through.

I make her happy? I don't I've ever been prouder over something.

"And... and if I'm going to feel guilty about something..." she says stealing my line before trailing off and kissing me, not that I'm complaining.

She holds onto my face tenderly before slowly pulling back and looking up to me, "It might as well be because I was brave and maybe even a little selfish enough to go after what makes me happy," she says finishing her thought.

I can't help but secretly reach a hand down and pinch my leg needing to make sure I wasn't alseep at the wheel right now and that this was really happening.

"I love you, Elena."

The words were out of my mouth before I consciously thought them but when I felt the sensation of my skin contracting under my fingertips and proved to myself this was real life they just tumbled out of me.

"You don't have to say it back, I know you're not there yet but I just needed you to know, to say it out loud to you once and not have to compel the memory away," I tell her.