Everything melts away until it is just them. Minds focused on each other, oblivious to anything else. Bodies melting into each other perfectly. Gwen's head slightly tiled back, eyes closed as Damon leaves a trail of heated kisses down her neck. Each one undoing what little control Gwen has over her mind. Her body tingling everywhere. Desire calling for Gwen to rip Damon's clothes off. Damon lost in his own need and pure happiness. Recaptures her lips, a hand slipping under Gwen's shirt. Exploring her belly his thumb finding her scar.

Like a splash of ice cold water. Gwen is jolted back to reality. Parting from Damon and taking a few steps away. Staring into Damon's eyes that shine with lust and confusion. All vividly clear in his blue eyes. Threatening to pull her back into his arms. And Gwen would gladly fall back into his arms. If life had stayed a straight line instead of a jagged road with sharp turns. His kisses still linger on her skin scrambling her thoughts. Behind a wall of steel Gwen buried what she couldn't face. With one kiss Damon tore through it forcefully. Her emotions and thoughts spilling out like a rushing river.

I never got over him. Damon claimed my heart long ago, never giving it back. And not giving me his.

"Gwen," Damon's voice pulls Gwen out of her head.

"I can't."

"What, can't allow yourself to be happy?"

I want to fall so bad, but I'm afraid.

"You won't make me happy Damon and I won't make you happy."

Damon quickly closes the distance between them. Recapturing Gwen's lips, wanting to drown on her vanilla scent. With some effort Gwen pushes him. Damon can see something threatening to break in her dark blue eyes.

"After a hundred-forty-five years of unresolved issues you can't just kiss me and except me to jump in your bed for one night of fun."

Anger rises in Damon at her words. That she would assume he didn't care for her on a deeper level "You think I just want a one night stand."

"I don't know what you want," Gwen raises her voice "You were supposed to be ten feet ungrounded, dead. Not walking around making me second guess what I want."

"Like its been so easy for me to have you show up. Screwing with my head until I can't think straight," Damon's eyes narrow "Would you prefer to be kissed by the all great brother of mine?"

Gwen hand slaps across his cheek, before she can fully gather her thoughts. Damon stares barley feeling it. More shocked at the action then anything.

Gwen speaks through clenched teeth "My brother died and you were gone, fighting the war. Stefan was the only one who let me cry. Who didn't demand I bottle it up. And if you look beyond jealousy. You would see Stefan is a brother to me," Gwen slowly breathes out "If I fog your thoughts up so bad. why keep being near me?"

"Because I love you and I can't stop!" Damon's words catch Gwen by surprise. Tugging at her heart like a fishing line. The words bait her heart the catch. She is stunned into silence "That's why Katherine tried killing you. Because no matter how much compulsion Katherine used. I still felt the desire to be around you."

For so long Gwen desired to hear those words. To be the one Damon choose over any other girl. Now they terrify her. Stefan's words tearing into her heart, He came back for Katherine. Then when Damon figured out Katherine didn't love him. He started bonding with Elena and kissed her the night before you showed up.

Gwen tone is full of bitterness "And what about Katherine. The girl you couldn't stop thinking about for one hundred forty five years. Came back to free from the tomb. Even without compulsion you still wanted her. "

"Because I desperately believed Katherine could erase the pain of losing you, it was a mistake. I thought you were dead, gone for good!"

Gwen's eyes drop torn between doubt and wanting to believe. Question springing to mind Gwen asks "Did you ever think about raising me from the dead?"

"I didn't know about Necromancers until years later and by the time I tracked one down. They said it was too late. Devastated I didn't know what else to do, but forces on Katherine."

Damon steps closer hands gently gripping her arms. Gwen looks Damon's blue eyes with specks of silver. She can see overwhelming affection in them, no its love I see. Gwen can always see guilt, pain and hope. All of it mixing together like ingredients to a cake that can break you or heal with one bite. The desire to give in and try to heal each other is bearable.

Gwen stands on a invisible edge wanting to jump. Believing Damon will catch her, but Gwen jumped before, and Damon turned away instead of catching. Gwen steps back from the invisble edge. Turning around and back into the arms who always catch Gwen, her family.

"I can't afford another distraction from my family."

"Why does it have to be a choice?"

I don't know anymore. All my life that is how it's been.

"It just is," Gwen doesn't elaborate instead slipping out of his grip.

Pushing past him, trying to bottle up every bit of her pain. Intending to walk away.

Until Damon voice calls out her deepest scar "Your afraid to take a chance on us," Gwen pauses "But I know you feel something too. That kiss wasn't nothing. It didn't feel like nothing. Don't you see Gwen we get a second chance."

Gwen wipes around "For what, Love?"

Damon stands there so sure and hopeful, How quick will he change his mind once finding out I helped Elijah. End it now, deal with the pain now instead of later.

"Half the time we are arguing or annoying each other. Both of us have changed. Do we even really know each other still? " Gwen voice cracks "That night my teacher returned for Katherine. I slipped into town during the morning under a cloaking spell. And found you glowing with happiness, Katherine on your arm. Tore me up all over again," Her voice is full of unrestrained agony "I loved you and wanted us so damn bad. I never gave up on you. The hope you would see me, but all I got was my families ashes."

Damon's chin dips, eyes looking to the floor in shame. Her words cutting deep to his core. Pain twist and stabs both their hearts repeatedly. Crashing into them like harsh ocean waves against rocks. Any belief they can pick up the pieces of their relationship and weather the storm. Crumbling inside them. Gwen's vision blurs as her eyes begin to tear up. Quickly she turns away as a tear falls.

"Do you still love me?" Damon asks.

Yes, I don't think it will ever change, but I'm afraid to bet on love again and be left behind. I'm afraid I can't have both family and love because of the lines I've crossed.

Tears freely falling down her face. Agonizing pain deep in her soul.

Gwen refuses to turn as she answers with a lie, "No."

Gwen hurries to the front door. Leaving without a protest from Damon. Who drowns in pain worse then Katherine's or Elena's rejection. From where his heart really belongs walking away. Gwen barley holding herself together drives to Trent's hotel room. Needing a shoulder to cry on. Without questions immediately being thrown at her. Trent answers the door. Concern quickly appearing on his face. Stepping inside Gwen let's Trent pull her into a hug. Finally breaking down as her heart shatters like glass. Maybe a permanent problem that no one can fix.

Damon dressed in his blue military shirt and pants with gold buttons. Tightly holds Gwen close. She holds him back just as tight. Neither wanting to let go. For fear this might the last time seeing each other. Damon inhales her vanilla scent memorizing it. Despite knowing they can't control what is to happen on a battlefield.

Gwen makes a demand "Don't care how you do it. Come back breathing."

Damon makes his own selfish demand "Don't let everyone talk you into marriage, wait for me and we will go explore the world together."

Gwen titles her head up eyes looking into his "Promise."

"Promise," Damon repeats.

A bitter sweet smile gracing both their faces. Damon almost confesses his love in that moment. Until he remembers he might die. Instead he presses his lips to her temple. Squeezing his eyes shut promising to make it back. To confess what his heart desires. They part with hopes of a brighter future. Unaware of all the pain they would need to swim through. To find each other once more.

Is this the end of Gwen and Damon?

Would love to hear what you all think.

Thank you to everyone who takes time to read this, vote and comments. Also to everyone who has added this to their reading list. It means a lot.

Also so sorry for taking a taking a long time to update. Converting things to 3rd POV took awhile.

Dedicated to Calista_Eden. Thank you for the comments and voting. I'm very happy to know you are enjoying this. <3 <3 <3 <3 <3

And to __thecivilwars for the encouraging comment and voting on my prologue. Also go check out her Harry Potter fanfiction. It's really a awesome read.