I knew it. I feel used, Elena. Betrayed. You like my annoying fur child more than me.
( pls laugh, he can tell you're upset and it's starting to upset him. rather than any more texts, he goes to the nearest corner shop, grabs rum & raisin ice cream because elena is gross but he loves her, and heads over with bunny. instead of knocking, because fuck that, he just opens the door, lets bunny loose into the house, and calls out: )
( the allotted half an hour is mostly spent organising things so the kitchen doesn't look quite as much of a trainwreck when damon arrives. she's smart enough to know she's thrown up some little red flags, even in the short conversation, and she wants to at least appear to be functioning normally.
she's loading the dishwasher when he walks in and quickly snaps the door closed. monster wastes no time in announcing exactly where she is by way of big, rumbly barks before he bolts to greet the guests. and to think elena had got him with the intentions of having a guard dog. )
I'm through here, ( she calls loudly, and she can't help a little smile at how...cliche it all is. elena standing in the kitchen drying her hands, damon walking in with a hi honey. it's ridiculous. it's cute. it's exactly what she needs right now. ) How's your annoying fur child? you're right, by the way. He's stolen my heart.
( the domesticity doesn't escape damon, either, and his face softens when he walks into the kitchen and sees elena at the dishwasher. his heart constricts painfully, and he knows, with absolute certainty, that as long as elena wants him, if she wants this life, he'll give it to her. humanity, mortality, loss of the life he's known for nearly a century and a half — it would all be worth it to give her this. and it wouldn't just be a gift to her — when damon's not terrified of losing the life he remembers best, he knows it's what he wants too. it's what he always wanted, before katherine came into the picture and he became convinced he would never have it. marriage and a family seemed a fair trade for eternity, and damon never looked back — until now. the idea that he can have it now is... it's more than he wants to believe in.
but he can have it. if he's brave enough. if elena wants it too.
for a moment, he says nothing and just watches her, but eventually he smiles. it's a moot point until elena decides for sure what she wants. until then, he's just going to appreciate this, these little moments from a life that barely even feels like his. )
Annoying and furry. I don't know why you decided I needed a pet.
( even as he says it, though, bunny comes and jumps up on his knees, and damon absent-mindedly reaches out to scritch the top of his head. )
Because. ( her response is very matter of fact, as if the one word response solves that mystery entirely. she watches the three of them, damon and the two ridiculous animals, settle into places in the kitchen. as much as elena has settled and made a life for herself here, she's always been hesitant to think of it as home. it's been easier to shelf that line of thought before it developed too much, but right now?
this feels like home. ) Besides, you love him. Don't try to lie.
( she trades the tea towel still in her hands for the tub of ice cream in damon's, because she's a lovely person like that, and fishes a spoon out of the drawer. it's an eat from the tub kind of a day, honestly. it's around here where the other dog of the household, connor's little shibe, comes wandering into the kitchen too. elena hops up to sit on the counter, frowning slightly at the dog, and then pokes out a foot to run kitty's back lightly. )
He's sad. ( she offers after a moment, small furrow sitting permanently in her brow now. ) He doesn't normally come in the kitchen. Too noisy.
"Because". So eloquent, baby. ( damon offers only a moment of resistance when elena takes the ice cream, just enough to pull her in for a quick kiss before he lets the tub go. at her words, he looks down at bunny and narrows his eyes at the eevee, tilting his head. after a second, the corners of his lips pull up in what might just be a small smile, and he shrugs. )
He can stay. We'll have to hope Stefan never shows up, though, he's small enough he might mistake him for a larger-than-normal squirrel, and then where would I be?
( while elena grabs a spoon, damon folds the tea towel and drapes it over the oven door's handle before turning to look at kitty with narrowed eyes. he's never liked kitty — mostly because he hates the name more than anything else — but the dog does look rather upset. coupled with elena's offness, what she said about her roommates... he glances at her out of the corner of his eye, frowning. )
Bunny can protect himself, I'm sure. Look at him, he's a little bruiser. ( as if on cue the eevee takes the opportunity to flop in damon's lap in the most adorable way, and elena can't help but let out a little snort of laughter, quickly stifled by a large scoop of ice cream.
she could probably make some excuse, drag out telling damon about the boys leaving. after all they could come back, right? they hadn't ruled that out at all. there'd be no point in making a big deal if they're only going to show up in the city hall in less than a month. part of elena already believes that she won't be seeing them again any time soon, though. there's that business with the LINKS of course, for when she leaves the city finally, but who knows when that'll be? what's to say that piers and connor would even have chosen to hold onto their memories of the city here?
so she could evade and tell damon that connor is just out. she's not a great liar most of the time, but she's surprised herself on more than one occasion with how convincing she can be. she could sell it, attribute the sadness to something else. she wants to confide him though, as much as speaking it out loud makes it real in a way that just an empty house doesn't really yet. )
He's- him and Piers, Connor's boyfriend... ( she gives a small shrug, working a wry smile onto her face and gesturing vaguely around the room with her spoon. ) Their contracts were up. They...went home.
( yes, fine, bunny is an adorable pile of fluff, and damon does like having him around. but elena is his priority, always, and much as he was never close to connor, he knows that elena was. for elena, he was another brother, family in much the same way bonnie and caroline are. without saying anything, damon gently deposits bunny back on the floor, then reaches out and takes the ice cream from elena just as gently. he'll give it back in a moment, but it would get in the way of what he wants to do — namely, pull her into a hug, one arm around her waist and the other hand cupping the back of her skull. )
I'm sorry, baby.
( he's surprised by how much he means it — damon hadn't thought he'd care if anyone here left, certainly not any of elena's friends, but... she's lost enough. they might not be dead but they're still gone, and elena's lost enough friends to last a lifetime. she didn't need any more. )
I'll stay as long as you want me to. You won't be alone, Elena.
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Bring icecream please x
( she needs to sadeat her feelings away!!! )
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( pls laugh, he can tell you're upset and it's starting to upset him. rather than any more texts, he goes to the nearest corner shop, grabs rum & raisin ice cream because elena is gross but he loves her, and heads over with bunny. instead of knocking, because fuck that, he just opens the door, lets bunny loose into the house, and calls out: )
Hi honey, I'm home.
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she's loading the dishwasher when he walks in and quickly snaps the door closed. monster wastes no time in announcing exactly where she is by way of big, rumbly barks before he bolts to greet the guests. and to think elena had got him with the intentions of having a guard dog. )
I'm through here, ( she calls loudly, and she can't help a little smile at how...cliche it all is. elena standing in the kitchen drying her hands, damon walking in with a hi honey. it's ridiculous. it's cute. it's exactly what she needs right now. ) How's your annoying fur child? you're right, by the way. He's stolen my heart.
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but he can have it. if he's brave enough. if elena wants it too.
for a moment, he says nothing and just watches her, but eventually he smiles. it's a moot point until elena decides for sure what she wants. until then, he's just going to appreciate this, these little moments from a life that barely even feels like his. )
Annoying and furry. I don't know why you decided I needed a pet.
( even as he says it, though, bunny comes and jumps up on his knees, and damon absent-mindedly reaches out to scritch the top of his head. )
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this feels like home. ) Besides, you love him. Don't try to lie.
( she trades the tea towel still in her hands for the tub of ice cream in damon's, because she's a lovely person like that, and fishes a spoon out of the drawer. it's an eat from the tub kind of a day, honestly. it's around here where the other dog of the household, connor's little shibe, comes wandering into the kitchen too. elena hops up to sit on the counter, frowning slightly at the dog, and then pokes out a foot to run kitty's back lightly. )
He's sad. ( she offers after a moment, small furrow sitting permanently in her brow now. ) He doesn't normally come in the kitchen. Too noisy.
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He can stay. We'll have to hope Stefan never shows up, though, he's small enough he might mistake him for a larger-than-normal squirrel, and then where would I be?
( while elena grabs a spoon, damon folds the tea towel and drapes it over the oven door's handle before turning to look at kitty with narrowed eyes. he's never liked kitty — mostly because he hates the name more than anything else — but the dog does look rather upset. coupled with elena's offness, what she said about her roommates... he glances at her out of the corner of his eye, frowning. )
Where's Connor?
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she could probably make some excuse, drag out telling damon about the boys leaving. after all they could come back, right? they hadn't ruled that out at all. there'd be no point in making a big deal if they're only going to show up in the city hall in less than a month. part of elena already believes that she won't be seeing them again any time soon, though. there's that business with the LINKS of course, for when she leaves the city finally, but who knows when that'll be? what's to say that piers and connor would even have chosen to hold onto their memories of the city here?
so she could evade and tell damon that connor is just out. she's not a great liar most of the time, but she's surprised herself on more than one occasion with how convincing she can be. she could sell it, attribute the sadness to something else. she wants to confide him though, as much as speaking it out loud makes it real in a way that just an empty house doesn't really yet. )
He's- him and Piers, Connor's boyfriend... ( she gives a small shrug, working a wry smile onto her face and gesturing vaguely around the room with her spoon. ) Their contracts were up. They...went home.
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I'm sorry, baby.
( he's surprised by how much he means it — damon hadn't thought he'd care if anyone here left, certainly not any of elena's friends, but... she's lost enough. they might not be dead but they're still gone, and elena's lost enough friends to last a lifetime. she didn't need any more. )
I'll stay as long as you want me to. You won't be alone, Elena.