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Home is where your heart is

>Mystic Falls – 15 Miles< the sign at the side of the road said. Damon gripped the steering wheel of his blue Camaro a little tighter and swallowed hard.

“I can’t believe Mr. Moore! He actually gave us homework!” Bonnie complained loudly next to him.
“You should have chosen McTaggert’s course.” Enzo chimed in from the back-seat.
“McTaggert is an idiot!” Bonnie continued the familiar discussion.
“But and idiot who doesn’t set homework.”

Damon was incredibly grateful for his two best friends, who continued to bicker as always. The fact that they were acting like usual made him feel a little more normal and almost allowed him to forget his worries for a while. But the closer they got to their destination, the more his worries grew. He had no idea what exactly awaited him in Mystic Falls.

Bonnie and Enzo pretended not to notice his inner turmoil. They continued to bicker and didn’t comment on the fact that he kept staring straight ahead instead of joining in with a few sarcastic comments of his own, like he usually would. He was a little surprised that not even Enzo called him out on it. But his buddy could be surprisingly sensitive when he wanted to be. Either that, or Bonnie had threatened him. Which seemed just as likely. Everyone who knew the couple also knew who was the boss in this relationship.

The last couple of miles seemed to fly by and before he really knew it they reached Mystic Falls. Damon turned off the main street and finally parked in front of a small house.

“Do you want to come in? Say hi to Grams?” Bonnie offered.
Damon was more than a little tempted to agree. But it would only draw out the inevitable.
“No, thanks. I should get going. But say hi from me, okay?”
“Will do.” she promised. “And if you need to get away, just stop by. You’re always welcome. You know that.”
“I know. Thanks.”
“Don’t worry, mate. I’m sure it won’t be that bad. And we’ll see you next week, yeah?” Enzo reminded.
“Sure. See you guys.”

Damon waited until the two had entered the house. Then he started the car and continued his journey.

He really envied Bonnie. Since her father was visiting distant relatives somewhere on the east coast, she would spend the Christmas holidays with her grandmother. The woman who had practically raised her after her parent’s divorce. Sheila Bennett was a great woman. Damon knew her quite well by now, since she frequently held lectures at Whitmore, where he and his friends went to College.

Enzo on the other hand was an orphan. His parents had died when he’d been a child and he had grown up in various foster homes. Since he had started dating Bonnie he spent his holidays with her. Damon suspected it was only a matter of time until those two would be getting married.

For Damon it would be the first Christmas in Mystic Falls for as long as he could remember. His family was from here, but he had grown up in New York. He’d only visited Mystic Falls a few times as a child, back when his grandfather had still been alive. Guiseppe, Damon’s father, had never been all that fond of his half-brother Zach. The fact that Zach had inherited the old family home in Mystic Falls instead of him had been the last straw and they hadn’t spoken since.

But now Guiseppe was dead. The Apartment in New York had been sold, since Guiseppe had had a gambling problem on top of his aggression problem and collected a lot of debts. Thankfully Zach had been more than happy to take his two nephews in.

So Damon had dropped his traumatised younger brother off with their unknown uncle and fled back to College. Not exactly his best moment, he had to admit. But he’d been so lost himself and he just hadn’t known how to deal with Stefan.

To make things even worse, Stefan was not only blaming himself for their father’s death, but also actually seemed to miss the old bastard. A feeling Damon couldn’t comprehend. Guiseppe Salvatore had been a sorry excuse for a human being. He’d drunk too much, cheated his business partners and got violent when angry. And he’d been constantly angry. Damon was still convinced that his father was to blame for his mother’s death. He had pushed Lily into alcoholism, which had cost her life in the end.

Stefan on the other hand had always looked up to Guiseppe. He’d been the good son. The pride and joy. Damon was the black sheep. The big disappointment. So it had usually been Damon who received the beatings. And the few times Stefan had done something wrong, Damon had taken the blame and the punishment. It was his job to protect his baby brother after all.

At least he’d tried. But in the end he’d had to admit that there were things he couldn’t protect Stefan from. He had watched helplessly as Stefan had withdrawn more and more, barely talking to anyone, refusing to leave his room. It had been the feeling of helplessness, of being unable to get through to Stefan, that had made him walk away in the end.

And now he was back and had to face the chaos he had left behind six months ago. With a sigh he finally parked in the driveway of the old Salvatore house. It really was a remarkable building. For a moment he wished that Stefan and he could have grown up here. Safe in the small town, with their uncle and his perfect little family. Far away from Guiseppe and his problems.

He shook off the stupid thought and got out of the car. Time to face the music. He got his bag from the trunk and went to the door, which opened immediately. He found himself facing a dark skinned woman, who greeted him with a warm smile.

“Damon, it’s so good to see you. Come in.”
“Hello Gail.” he murmured softly.
“Stefan is out with some friends. Why don’t you take your bag upstairs and freshen up? You remember where your room is, don’t you?”
“Yes, sure. No problem.”

He forced himself to smile at Zach’s wife, his aunt, before fleeing upstairs. He couldn’t explain it, but Gail always made him nervous. She had welcomed Stefan and him with open arms and did her best to make them feel at home. Maybe it was her motherly nature. He didn’t know how to cope with that. Lily had died over ten years ago and she’d never been the most loving mum.

Gail had obviously cleaned his room and changed the bedsheets. Damon threw his bag into a corner, pulled off his shoes and dropped down onto the big bed, which still felt alien to him. The whole room was still so strange, even if he liked the old furniture a lot better than his stylish room back in New York.

A sound made him look up. Just in time to see a girl slip into his room.
“Hey Sarah.”
“You finally dared to come back.” she commented without returning his greeting.
“Shut up.”

Heedless of the dark look he gave her, she dropped onto the bed next to him. Damon gave her a shove, but she didn’t budge. With a snort he lay back down and closed his eyes. His cheeky cousin was his favourite among the new relatives. She wasn’t overly friendly like her mother or overly worried like her dad. She treated Damon like an annoying older brother. Kind of like Stefan used to. He could deal with that.

“How’s Stefan?” he asked after a while.
“He’s your brother. Ask him.”
“Your mother said he’s out with friends.”
“Ask him later.”
“I will.”
“Good.”

Both were quiet for a while. Damon had no idea how long they just laid there. But it didn’t feel uncomfortable.
“How is College?” Sarah broke the silence.
“Okay.”
“Why didn’t you bring your hot room-mate?”
“Enzo is spending Christmas with Bonnie. His girlfriend, remember?” Damon reminded, rolling his eyes.
“They’re still dating? Pity.”

Damon snorted and changed the topic, asking her about school. Which prompted Sarah to start babbling about her photography course and her friend Jeremy, who had a major crush on some homophobic jock from the football team.

Suddenly Zach poked his head into the room to tell them that dinner was almost ready.
“Stefan just arrived.” he let Damon know, which immediately stole his appetite. He still forced himself to get up and follow Zach and Sarah downstairs.

Stefan looked a lot better. The dark shadows beneath his eyes were gone and he wasn’t as pale as he’d been the last time Damon had seen him. Damon smiled at him.
“Hey baby brother.”
“Damon… hi.” was the rather unenthusiastic reply.
“You can talk later. Dinner will get cold.” Gail interfered.

Damon was glad for the excuse and took a seat at the table, where a young man was already waiting. Their eyes met and for a moment he forgot all about his brother and Gail and everything else.

“Oh, I’m sorry. You haven’t met. Damon, this is Alaric Saltzman. He’s our only boarding guest at the moment and he’s going to spend the holidays with us.” Zach explained. “And this is my nephew Damon. Stefan’s brother.”

“Nice to meet you.” Alaric said with a smile.
“Yeah, like...wise.” Damon stammered.

Why the fucking hell had no-one warned him? It was no secret that Damon was gay (just another reason for Guiseppe to despise him) and Alaric was totally his type. Tall and dark-blond, with a light stubble and a very cute smile. Suddenly Christmas was looking a lot more promising.

Dinner went a lot better than expected. Even though Stefan kept watching him out of the corner of his eyes and barely said a word. Damon learned that Alaric was teaching history at the local high school and that he’d only meant to spend a few weeks at the boarding house, while he hunted for a flat, but that he’d ended up staying permanently.

“The rent for a flat wouldn’t be any cheaper and I even get warm meals.” he explained with a laugh.
“He’s pretty much part of the family by now.” Gail said.

Once the dishes had been cleared away, Alaric excused himself to mark papers (during the holidays!) and Damon couldn’t postpone the inevitable confrontation with his brother any longer. Zach and Gail left the room with a feeble excuse and also shooed Sarah back to her room. And suddenly Damon was alone with his brother.

“I guess we should talk.”
“We probably should.” Stefan agreed.”
“Okay...”
“We could go for a walk. If you’d like.” the younger Salvatore offered.
“Yes, sure.”
“Okay, so… I’ll see you at the door in a few minutes?”
“Alright.”

Damon went upstairs to fetch his jacket, hat and scarf and put on his shoes. It was bloody cold in Mystic Falls. When he returned downstairs he found Stefan waiting by the door and couldn’t help but grin.

“One of these days your ears are going to freeze off.” he joked automatically.
“Don’t care. I hate hats.”
“I know. They ruin your perfect hero hairdo.”
“Exactly.”

The two brothers grinned at each other and for a moment it felt like it used to, back when they’d been close and used to share everything. But the moment was over way too soon and they were left standing there in uncomfortable silence.

“Shall we go?” Damon asked.
“Sure.”

They left the house and started walking quietly next to each other. Damon allowed his brother to lead the way, since he knew the town better. He also hoped that Stefan would start talking. Which he did, after a while.

“I was really pissed when you left.”
“I know. And I’m really sorry.” the older brother murmured.
“You didn’t even call. I haven’t heard from you in almost six months. Not even once.”
“I didn’t know what to say. And I wasn’t sure if you even wanted to talk to me.”
“Sometimes I wondered if I’d never see you again.” Stefan admitted quietly.

Damon felt like the world’s biggest asshole. The urge to run away was strong. Because this was exactly the conversation he’d dreaded. The reason he’d hidden at Whitmore. But he also knew that he owed Stefan an explanation. And an apology. Even if he couldn’t hope to make up for his mistakes.

“I’m sorry, Stefan. I’m a complete failure. I know that. I wasn’t there when you needed me most and I regret just leaving like that. I just… I didn’t know what to do. How to help you. I felt so helpless. So I ran away. Like a coward.”

“You’re not a coward.” the younger Salvatore protested.
“Yes I am.”
“No, Damon. You’re only human. It was difficult for you too.”
“Not as difficult as it was for you. Dad and I never really got along.”
“I know. And you weren’t in the car when...”

“Stefan, the accident wasn’t your fault.” Damon cut in. “You did everything right. The other driver ignored a red light and smashed into you. He was drunk. It was his fault, not yours. And it also wasn’t your fault that Dad hadn’t fastened his seat belt.” he pointed out.

“I know that. Now I know.” Stefan whispered.
“Really?”
“Yes, really. It’s still hard, sometimes. But I know that it wasn’t my fault. And I know that… that you didn’t mean to abandon me.”
“I never wanted to abandon you.” the older brother assured.
“I didn’t make things easy for you. You tried to help me, but I … I pushed you away.”

It was true, but Damon was still surprised that his brother could admit it now. Stefan seemed to have matured immensely in the time they hadn’t seen each other.

“When did you get so damn wise, baby brother?” he asked half-joking.
Stefan smiled. “I’m really not. I’m just parroting what Lexi always tells me.”
“Lexi? Your new girlfriend?” Damon guessed.
Stefan laughed. “God, no! Lexi, Dr. Branson that is, is my psychiatrist.”
“You’re seeing a psychiatrist?”

“Hmm.. Gail convinced me to go. She though I needed to talk about my problems.” he admitted. “I didn’t really want to. At first Lexi totally annoyed me and I gave her a hard time. I was a right bastard, but she didn’t give up on me. In the end I started talking and it… it felt good. She really helped me, Damon.”

“I’m glad to hear that.”
“I only see her twice a month now. But I can call her anytime. She’s really great.”
“She must be, the way you’re gushing.” Damon joked.
“Maybe you should see her as well.” the younger brother suggested.
“Oh. No, thanks. I’m good.”

Stefan looked doubtful, but didn’t push further. He knew that his brother wasn’t the type of guy who easily talked about his feelings. And he also knew that Damon could be damn stubborn.

“I had a lot of talks with Bonnie. And her Grams.” Damon admitted.
“Mrs. Bennett? Elena claims she’s a witch.”
“Elena?”
“Yeah, Elena Gilbert. We go to school together.” Stefan explained.
“Is Elena your new girlfriend?”
“No, Damon. She’s just a friend. She’s dating Matt. Can’t I just be friends with a girl?”
“No idea. Can you?”
“Yes, I can.”
“Okay, whatever you say.”

“And my girlfriend’s name is Caroline.” the younger Salvatore added after a slight hesitation.
“So you do have a new girlfriend?”
“Yes. I thought you knew. Didn’t Sarah tell you?”
“No, she didn’t. Caroline, huh? What’s she like?”

The question made Stefan grin and he spent the next couple of minutes gushing about Caroline. The girl was obviously a goddess.

“Sounds like she’s special.” Damon commented with a smile.
“She is.”
“Maybe you’ll introduce us while I’m here.”
“I’m meeting her and a few others at the Grill in two days. You could come, if you want.” Stefan offered.
“Sure, I’d love to meet your friends.”

By now they had reached the town centre and stopped in front of the large Christmas tree. There were only a handful of people around, but all of them greeted the brothers with a smile and most of them seemed to actually know Stefan.

“Are you happy?” Damon asked out of the blue.

His brother looked confused for a moment. Then he nodded slowly. “Yes, I am.” he said, obviously surprised himself. “What happened is still hard for me, but… it’s getting better, you know? I like it here. Gail and Zach are really nice and I get along well with Sarah. I’ve also found a lot of friends here. And I started playing football again.”

“I’m glad to hear that. I was… really worried about you.” Damon whispered.
“I know. It was hard.. at first. But I’m okay now. Really.”
“And … are you still very angry with me?” the older brother asked cautiously.
“No, I’m not.”
“Really?”
“Yes, really. It’s okay that you went back to College.” Stefan assured and Damon felt like a weight had been taken off his shoulders.

“But… it would be nice if you’d came to visit more often from now on.” the younger one added.
“I will. I’ll visit you regularly from now on.” Damon promised.
“Hmm.. me or my history teacher?”
“How...” Damon started protesting automatically, but one look at his brother told him that it was no use. “That obvious?” he asked instead.

“You were practically drooling!”
“I was not!”
“Were too! And undressing him with your eyes!” Stefan continued.
“Hey, have you looked at the guy? It’s really not my fault.”
“Whatever you say...”

They left the town centre and slowly started making their way back. Stefan didn’t seem shocked by the little revelation. Then again, why should he? He’d been the first to learn that Damon was gay. (And he’d actually managed to keep his knowledge secret for almost a year, before he’d blurted something to their father, which had resulted in a beating for Damon.)

“Do you think I stand a chance with Alaric?”
Stefan rolled his eyes. “Are you seriously asking me that?”
“Yes, of course. So?”
“Yes, I’m afraid you’re chances are high.” the younger one said with a dramatic sigh.
“Really?”
“I never heard him talk that much outside of class. And… he was staring at your ass.”
“He was?” Damon asked excitedly.
“Yes, he was. I saw it. Unfortunately.”

“You could show a little more excitement, Stefan.”
“Why? Because my brother is crushing on my teacher? What is there to be excited about?”
“You like Alaric, don’t you?” Damon checked.
“Yeah. He’s the coolest teacher we have.”
“See. It’s good that you like my new boyfriend.”

Stefan stopped and turned to give him an amused look.
“Boyfriend, huh? Does he know that?”
“Hey, I’ve got about two weeks to get my man.”
“You’re nuts.” the younger brother commented, but he couldn’t hide his grin.

Damon put an arm around his shoulders and pulled him along.
“Don’t worry, Stefan. When Alaric and I get married, you’ll of course be my best man. Even if Enzo is going to pout.”
Stefan’s loud laughter could be heard through half of the town.

***************************************

“Wow, two days. I expected you earlier.” Bonnie commented when she found Damon in front of the door.
“Funny. Are you going to let me in?”
She opened the door and led him into the living room, where Enzo was lounging on the couch and sipping hot cocoa.
“We expected you earlier.” he said in greeting.
“Shut up.” Damon grumbled, dropping down next to him.

“Did you talk to Stefan?” Bonnie asked, taking a seat on his other side.
“Yes, I did. A few times, actually.”
“And?” she prodded.

“And he forgave me. We’re not back to where we used to be, but I think we’ll get there. I was even at the Mystic Grill with him earlier, to meet his football buddies and his new girlfriend.”

“Sounds good.” Enzo said.
“Exactly. So what are you doing here?” Bonnie wanted to know.
“Do I need a reason to visit my best friends?”
“Don’t even try. We know you too well.”

“My granddaughter is right about that.” Bonnie’s Grams chimed in suddenly. She handed Damon a cup of hot cocoa and perched on the armrest of the couch.

“Thanks, Grams.” Damon said politely, taking a sip. Though he knew that they knew that he simply did it to buy himself some time. “Well, spending the whole afternoon with a bunch of teenagers sounded a little exhausting. Especially Stefan’s girlfriend. Caroline. Don’t get me wrong. She’s a cute little thing and he’s head-over-heels, but the girl just doesn’t shut up.”

“Oh yes, that sounds like Caroline Forbes.” Grams agreed. “But your brother is lucky. She’s a real sweetheart. Very active in the community.”
“I know. She told me all about it. In detail.” Damon groaned.
“So you’re here because you ran away from Stefan’s friends?” Enzo joked.
“Sort of.”
“But not just because of that.” Bonnie guessed. “Come on, spill it. What’s bothering you?”

With a sigh Damon gave in. He had come here to talk about it and get some advice, after all.
“I met Stefan’s history teacher.”
“So?” Enzo asked with a frown.
“Mr. Saltzman is a very handsome young man.” Grams chimed in.
“Urgh… you’re honestly here because you’ve met a guy?”

“Enzo, why don’t you help Grams in the kitchen for a while?” Bonnie cut in.
Grams laughed and patted Enzo’s shoulder. “We need more cookies. I could use some help with that. Come on. I’ll even let you try the dough.”

Once the two of them had disappeared into the kitchen, Bonnie turned to face Damon.
“Okay, spill.”
“He’s tall and broad and he’s got a really cute smile.” Damon started gushing. “And he’s so smart. We could talk for hours. And his voice...”

Bonnie was nice enough not to laugh about him. “But he’s straight?” she guessed.
“No, I don’t think so. Stefan claims he was staring at my ass.”
“Oookay… I’m not going to comment on that one. Let me see if got his right: You met the man of your dreams, who also seems interested in you, right? And where exactly is the problem?”

“He lives here. And I’m at Whitmore… A long distance relationship never works.”
“Come on, Damon. Whitmore is a two hours drive from here. With your usual driving style even less.” Bonnie reminded.
“Yeah, but… We could only see each other on weekends. What if he meets someone else?”

“Damon! Honestly. You’re worrying over nothing again. Not every guy is a bastard like your fucking ex-boyfriend. Give the poor guy a chance.”
“You think I should just … give it a try?” he asked.
“Exactly. Just see where it goes.”
“Okay. I guess you’re right.”
“I’m always right. That’s why you come to me for advice.”

Which was true. Bonnie always helped him not to view things from a negative or too emotional perspective. Damon had the tendency to worry too much and see problems where there weren’t any. His best friend was a lot more positive. And she always listened to his problems without making (too much) fun of him. Enzo just loved to rile him up.

As if the thought had conjured him, the dark-haired man turned up in the doorway only seconds later.
“Are you done crying now? Can I have my girlfriend back?”
“You don’t even deserve Bonnie.” Damon shot back.
“Of course I deserve her.”

“Sometimes I wonder how I deserve the two of you.” Bonnie chimed in. But her smile belied the hard words.
“Karma, I guess.” Damon said, barely managing to keep a straight face.
Which earned him a hard punch to the shoulder.
“Shut up and go get your man!”
“Yes ma’am.”

Bonnie and Enzo cuddled together on the couch and started discussing whatever. Probably his love-life, if he knew his friends. Damon shook his head and took a little detour through the kitchen to say goodbye to Sheila. He felt a lot more confident when he made his way home.

******************************

The sound of footsteps crunching in the snow shook Damon from his thoughts. He looked towards the house, expecting to find Stefan coming to look for him. Instead he saw Alaric walking closer. The sight made his heart beat faster.

He had planned to take Bonnie’s advice to heart. He really had. And yet two days had passed since their talk and he hadn’t managed to get any further with the teacher. Okay, they had spent time together and talked a lot, but nothing further had happened. There just hadn’t been an opportunity for more, since he never managed to catch Alaric alone. There was always someone nearby, ready to interrupt at the most unfortunate moment.

“Did Gail send you to fetch me?” Damon asked, once the teacher had reached him.
“No, she didn’t. I think she didn’t even realize that you snuck out.”
“Good.”
“Most of the guests have left, if that’s the reason you’re hiding out here.” Alaric let him know.
“That obvious?”

“I don’t think anyone really noticed.” the teacher said. “I just had the feeling it was getting a bit much for you. And I can’t blame you. If Mrs. Lockwood hadn’t cornered me to talk about Tyler’s grades – again – I would’ve followed you earlier.”

The confession made Damon smile. So at least he wasn’t the only one who hadn’t enjoyed Zach’s Christmas party. It might be tradition, but he couldn’t understand why his uncle had to invite half the town. Stefan had gotten to spend the evening with Caroline and his other friends, but of course Bonnie and her Grams were among the few who hadn’t gotten an invitation.

Of course he could have asked Zach to invite Bonnie and Enzo. His uncle surely wouldn’t have said no. But Damon still had a hard time asking Zach for anything. And he also hadn’t wanted to subject his friends to the party. They were always there for him. The least he could do was not to disturb their holidays.

Even if that meant that he’d been on his own during the party. He hadn’t wanted to hang out with his baby brother and the other teenagers. So instead he’d made small-talk with some other guests (including Mrs. Lockwood, who hadn’t been subtle about flirting with him!) and used the first chance to sneak away and hide in the garden.

“So you didn’t enjoy the party?” Damon asked.
“Not really. Don’t get me wrong, the people here are all very nice, but… they can get really annoying, too.” Alaric admitted.
“Yes, I’ve noticed.”
“Although that.. wasn’t the only reason I came out here.”

Damon’s heartbeat started racing again, after having just calmed down a bit.
“It’s not?”
“No.”
“And… what’s the other reason?”
“The other reason is...”

Alaric took another step closer, bringing them flush against each other. But then he hesitated. Damon took the initiative and pressed their lips together. But it was only a light, fleeting kiss.

“I wanted to kiss you as soon as I laid eyes on you.” the teacher admitted. “But I wasn’t sure if you...”
“I wanted that, too.” Damon cut in, pulling him into another kiss.

He had no idea how long they stood there, making out under the stars. When they finally made their way back inside the party was over and the house was dark. They hurried upstairs and entered Damon’s room without encountering anyone.

“Wait…. Stop.” Alaric gasped, when Damon practically ripped off his shirt and started attacking his neck with kisses and little bites. “Just a second.”

Reluctantly the dark-haired man stopped his ministrations. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. I just need to make something clear, before we go any further.”
“Okay.”
“Even if it sounds old-fashioned – I’m not the one-night-stand type of guy. I need commitment.”

Damon couldn’t help but laugh at hearing that. From the sounds of it he’d been fretting over nothing once gain. At least he wasn’t the only one. But Alaric seemed to take his laughter the wrong way.

“Don’t laugh at me! I’m serious.” he complained. “I know we only just met each other, but… hmmpf!”

Damon cut off his litany with another kiss.

“I’m not laughing at you. And I don’t only want you for one night, Ric. I want you for many, many nights and days.” he promised.
“You… really?”
“Yes, really. Now that we cleared that up, can we finish what we started?”
“Sounds like a plan.”

****************************************

“Call me when you’re home.” Alaric insisted.
“I will.” Damon promised, pulling him into a kiss.
“As soon as you’re home.”
“I will. Promise.”
Another kiss.
“I’m going to miss you.” the teacher admitted, kissing him again.
“I’m going to miss you, too. But we’ll talk on the phone. And you’re going to visit me next weekend.”
“I will.”

“Damon, come on! We’ve been waiting for ten minutes!” Enzo shouted from downstairs.
“You need to go.” Alaric said with a sigh.
“I do.” Damon agreed.

Reluctantly he freed himself from Ric’s embrace and grabbed his bag. Alaric followed him downstairs, where Enzo was waiting with a dark scowl.
“About time. What took you so long? No, wait. Don’t tell me.” he grumbled.

Bonnie, who was standing a few feet away with Zach and Stefan looked amused.
“Come on, darling. Why don’t you put Damon’s bag in the car, while he says his goodbyes?”
“Hurry up.” Enzo ordered, grabbing the bag and marching to the car.

Zach seemed to agree with him, because he surged forward to shake Damon’s hand.
“You’ll visit soon, I hope?”
“I will.” Damon promised.
“See you soon, Damon. And drive carefully.” Gail cautioned, before pulling him into a hug.
“Promise.”

Sarah gave him a hug as well. And so did Stefan, to his great surprise.
“See you soon, baby brother.”
“See you soon, Damon. And call me, okay?”
“I will.”

Everyone (aside from Bonnie, the pervert) looked the other way while he kissed Alaric one last time. Then he followed his best friend to the car. He almost expected the whole family to follow them and stand there waving until they rounded the corner, but thankfully they remained inside. With a smile he started his beloved Camaro and pulled out of the driveway.

“Soo… I guess you’ll be home for a few weekends from now on.” Bonnie guessed.
“Yeah, looks like it.”
“Good for you, mate.” Enzo chimed in. “But tell your teacher to treat you right. Otherwise I’m going to kick his ass.”
“You can tell him yourself. He’s visiting me next weekend.”

“Is he now?” Bonnie asked with a grin.
“Yep.”
“Guess I’m sleeping over at yours next weekend, love. Your room-mate is going home to her parents, right?” Enzo checked.
“Yes, like she does every weekend.”
“Good.”

Damon once again thanked the heavens for his awesome best friends. There were few guys who would willingly leave their room for the weekend so their gay room-mate could have his boyfriend over. There were only few guys who even accepted a gay room-mate in the first place. But Enzo had never been bothered by that fact.

“Why were you so angry earlier?” Damon wondered. Even if Enzo could be a bit grumpy sometimes and loved to rile him up, he was usually rather easy-going. And it wasn’t like they had to be back at a certain time.

“Your cousin was hitting on me!” Enzo said indignantly.
“Oh right, Sarah’s crushing on you.”
“She’s crushing hard.” Bonnie giggled.
“I don’t get why you think that’s funny. Shouldn’t you be jealous?”
“Why, darling? Do I have a reason to?”
“Of course. Just wait. Give it one or two more years and I’ll elope with the girl.” Enzo claimed.
“Sure you will.”
“Just wait and see.”

Damon just grinned while they continued to bicker. After all the bad stuff in the past the new year looked a lot more promising.