On gloomy night in the year 1991, the cries of a young girl echo in her room. The calm and peaceful night is interrupted by her troubled heart as she tried to compose herself.

"It's for the best…" She can still hear Stefan as she relives their conversation in her head over and over again.

"It's for the best Elena, I can't be with you…"

"But why Stefan?" Elena asks as her heart shatters into a million pieces. "After all the time we spend together…"

"Elena…you are young, a bright college student with an amazing future ahead of you." Stefan says ensuring he does not reveal his own heartbreak. "I am your professor, something like this could get you expelled."

"I don't care." Elena shouts as she hugs Stefan. "I want you…"

"No Elena…" Stefan says in a cold tone. "We can't…. I am transferring in a few days. This is goodbye." Stefan says as he leaves her embrace and walks away. She looks at him walking away in utter disbelief. Despite being in relationships in high school, Stefan was the first to make her feel love. And now in an instant, he ends everything, their six-month romance comes to an end as she turns and returns home. She lies on her bed and tries to get some sleep, the next day he life resumes the way it normally did. Stefan soon leaves the state and Elena's heart is left empty. Her good friends Bonnie and Caroline try to assure her, it's for the best but can't forget Stefan. As months go by, Elena slowly returns to her normal life. With the help of her friends, she soon learns to live with her heartbreak and soon begins to forget Stefan. All goes well for her, she focuses on classes and her future career. Then one day she decides to take a class where she meets someone she never expected.

"Hello class…" The professor comes in and places his books on the table. He takes the chalk and writes his name on the board. "My name is Damon Salvatore; I will be teaching you economics this semester."

'Salvatore' this name rang in Elena's ear as she is reminded of Stefan. She examines Damon as he stands in front of the class talking. His movements were strong and confident, his looks mesmerizing and his smile mischievous. 'He is nothing like Stefan…' she thought. She soon catches her eye as he continues his lecture, bringing her back to the classroom. She soon notices that everyone in class was in awe of their new teacher. Though many girls clearly had a huge crush on him, Elena couldn't get the name Salvatore out of her mind. After class she jolts out to meet Bonnie and Caroline. They go for drinks out of class and Elena tells them about Damon.

"He sounds hot." Caroline comments.

"He's not." Elena replies.

"I think your into him." Caroline insists as the women chat.

"Salvatore…" Bonnie says. "Don't tell me you're still thinking about Stefan?" Before Elena can give a reply Caroline interrupts.

"It doesn't matter. Focus on Damon." Just then the door of the bar opens and in walks Damon. "He's cute." Caroline comments as she looks at Bonnie and Elena. Elena's shocked expression tells everything. "That's him?" Caroline asks.

"Yes…" Elena says in a soft voice as he looks at the girls and comes over.

"Hello ladies…." Damon says smiling. "May I join you…"

"Of course." Bonnies replies as he sits at their table.

"I hope this doesn't seem forward, but I believe you are in my class." Damon says looking at Elena.

"Yes… I…" Elena stammers at she tries to talk to him.

"You must be Elena. I'm Damon, Stefan's brother." These words stunned the girls as they look at him.

"Stefan didn't mention he had a brother." Elena says surprised.

"Well, Stefan's not one to brag." Damon says smiling amusing Bonnie and Caroline. But all Elena can think about is hoe Stefan didn't mention his brother. She thought back to their time together and felt betrayed that she didn't know such details about him.

"I have to go…" Elena says as she abruptly gets up and leaves. She goes home and looks through her diary. She reads her entries of her time with Stefan and keeps looking through them. She realises how little she knows about him and how she was utterly infatuated with him for the way he treated her. He always listened to her and catered to her every need, always listening to her doing what he wanted. He always wanted her to be happy and as a result, she barely knew anything about him. She feels disappointed. For so long, she thought Stefan was as close to her as she was to him, but that couldn't be further from the truth. She lies down in her bed, realising her college romance with her professor was more a perfect fantasy than a reality. At sundown there was a knock on her door.

"Elena hi…" Damon says standing at her door.

"Damon…. I mean Professor Salvatore…" Elena says correcting herself.

"No that's ok…Call me Damon." Damon says smiling at the door. "Can I come in?" He asks and Elena lets him in. Elena lives with her aunt off campus, but because she is busy with work she doesn't spend much time at home. "You have a lovely home." Damon says.

"Ya…I moved in here last year." Elena says as she notices Damon staring at her. "What?"

"Look I'll just cut to the chase." Damon says. "I know about you and my brother. And I also know they he dumped you felling you were better off studying than, getting in trouble for dating your professor. I also know that you are heartbroken from this and as I saw today, you were hurt that Stefan's brother is in town and not Stefan."

"That's not…"

"I know I am better looking and much better at making decisions, but I think you should let him go for your own sake. He is stubborn and would not want to return… But I think you should consider moving on. I know it might be weird being in your ex's brother class but…." Damon notices Elena's eyes filling with tears. "I didn't mean to upset you."

"No…. I know…. Your right…" Elena says taking a deep breath. "Your right... I should let him go and I finally decided to move on thanks to you."

"To me?" Damon asks mischievously smiling. "Don't tell me you've fallen for me already." He says as they both laugh. Elena explains how little she knew about Stefan and how in a way she understands he always had good intentions for her. Damon stays with her talking about Stefan and his stubbornness and willingness to put others needs before himself. Elena tells him how she now realizes how Stefan treated her and wished, he would let her chose what's best for her and share his problems with her as well. After talking for what seems like hours, Damon goes home and Elena goes to bed, feeling relieved finally sharing her true feelings about the situation.

The following day, Elena goes to Damon's class and starts paying attention for once. She continues her studies and hanging out with her friends with one addition. Her talk with Damon had made her feel close to him and so they often got together to hang out. His charismatic personality drew her in and his great sense of humour often entertained her. At first talking about Stefan but as the months went by, Stefan's name was no longer brought up in their conversations. Stefan seemed like a dream and the reality was right in front of her…Damon.

"Just admit it Elena, you like Damon." Caroline often said as Elena would hide a blush. Though Bonnie was not a fan of Damon, she loved seeing her friend happy. The heartbreak caused by Stefan was now being healed by Damon and Elena's friends could easily see that. Elena soon became aware of her feelings and didn't want to act on them. With what Stefan did, she was worried Damon would react the same way. She soon starts to try and avoid Damon with Damon growing increasingly annoyed at her attitude. He tries to talk to her but she avoids him. This goes on for a few weeks then one night.

"What is wrong with you, Elena?" Damon says standing at her front door with an irritated expression on her face.

"I don't know what you're talking about…" Elena says as she answers the door.

"Don't play dumb with me." Damon says as he lets himself in. "You and I were fine before but now your pretending like I don't exist."

"Damon…"

"Did I do something?" Damon asks. "Did I make you angry? Did I cross a line?"

"No…" Elena says.

"Then what is it?"

"Can't you see that I am falling for you…." Elena says letting out a sigh as Damon stands there silently. "I don't know why but you make it so easy for me to talk to you. You don't just listen to what I have to say, we actually have conversations. We don't agree on everything and that alright, in fact, that's what I love." Elena says as she looks at Damon. "You don't treat me like a child you have to protect, you give me confidence to make my own decisions, my own mistakes." Elena says as she sits down. Damon approaches her and holds her tight. She looks up at him as he kisses her. She feels at an all-time high as she doesn't want to let him go.

"You have no idea how long I wanted to do that." Damon says as he looks at her with passion in her eyes.

"Damon…" Elena says and is stopped by Damon's kiss.

"I would love to go out with you Elena." Damon says as he smiles at her. The two of them look into each other's eyes with joy and fulfilment.

"What if the university finds out? Wont you lose your job?" Elena asks.

"I'll get another one." Damon replies swiftly. "I'm not a one trick pony, you know." Elena lets out a giggle. "What about you?"

"I'll survive." Elena says looking a little concerned. Damon then places her head on her shoulder and whispers.

"All this is 'if' they find out." Elena smiles as she knows Damon well enough. She knows he'll cover it up very well and his words were to assure her of his skills. Elena happy to be with Damon, now thinks back and thinks forward to the future. Stefan's decision to protect her and Damon's decision to be with her were different, but both of them were doing what they thought is best for her. But then why is it, that Damon's decision to stay makes her feel safer, than Stefan's decision to leave.