Title: All I Want Is You This Christmas
Summary: Damon and Elena drifted apart and haven't seen each other in years. Fate brings them back together on Christmas Eve in the most unexpected place of all, the Barbie isle in Toys R' Us. Written for the A2A Holiday Exchange. Prompt by sauriemilia.
Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended. No profit is being made from this work.
The store was chaos. Christmas Eve shopping had to be one of the worst ideas she had to date. People shoved passed; not even mumbling apologies, customers yelled at employees demanding toys which were no longer in stock. It was sickening considering it was the season of kindness and goodwill yet people were being so cruel. Another person slammed into her carrying a huge box as he shoved his way into one of the many long lines.
"You just had to wait until the last minute," Elena whispered to herself as she maneuvered her way down the toy aisles.
It was her own fault, really. She had taken up an extra shift at the Grille to save a little Christmas money and completely forgot to set aside time to actually buy the presents. With her tips from bartending, she had plenty of money to spend and only a few hours left until Christmas to use it. Her baby cousin had asked her for just one thing and it turned out to be the most difficult present to find. She had already been to four other Toys R' Us stores with no luck.
Her phone vibrated in her pocket and Elena quickly fumbled for it before answering. "Hey Jenna! You'll have to speak up. It's a madhouse in here! What's up?"
"Any luck with Beth's present?"
Elena maneuvered herself so she was against an empty wall. Far away from the chaos so she wouldn't be in anyone's way. "Nope. This is the last store in the area that says it could carry it. I'm hoping this one has it." She sighed. "Please tell me this isn't the present."
Jenna laughed on the other end. "Do you honestly think Ric would leave the big present up to you? No offense, Elena. He spoils little Beth rotten. She's got him wrapped around his finger. No worries if you can't find it. She has plenty of toys she'll go crazy over. She just wanted her favorite cousin Elena to get her My Size Barbie since she doesn't have you to dress up anymore."
The memory of her last night at her aunt's house was bittersweet. After her parents had died, Elena had no other choice but to move in with her only remaining family member. She was too young to live on her own and raise her younger brother and Jenna had been a godsend. Jenna never rushed her to move out even after Elena had finished school and secured a bartending job at the Grille. Having a live-in babysitter had its perks and Elena was more than happy to have tea parties and runway shows with her favorite baby cousin. It was only after he kept coming around that she knew she had to move out and build a life for herself. It was too hard after everything.
Beth's crying face as she pulled out of the driveway reminded her of the very reason she had to get this doll. She had to make up for years of being too busy to play life-size Barbie. Across the way the pink aisle seemed to laugh at her. It sparked a challenge inside of her. She was determined to get that toy for her baby cousin. Come Hell or high water. "I'm on it."
"Oh, I know that tone." Jenna laughed, knowing all too well of Elena's competitive side. There was a Pictionary incident that she would never live down."Have fun! Call me later."
And with that, Elena hung up. Now with her newfound determination she marched down the Barbie aisle; complete with pink plush chairs and it's very own runway. She walked past the various Barbie dolls in their array of occupations and vacation wear until she reached the accessories. Right down the next aisle she saw a huge sign that read "My Size Barbie" and nearly raced towards it. She frantically searched to find the huge box only to find empty shelves and then suddenly she saw it.
At the end of the aisle stood the only remaining My Size Barbie in her pink tulle skirt and silver bodice, her newly shortened and curled hair styled to display her pink crown. After hours of searching through store after store, she was finally within reach. Elena marched towards the doll and just as her hand reached to pull the last remaining box free, she felt it being pulled in the opposite direction.
Elena looked up and found herself face to face with the last person she expected to see. And in the Barbie aisle of Toys R' Us of all places. "Damon?"
"The one and only," he smirked in that all-too-familiar way.
Giving a quick glance to the doll they both had their hands on, Elena raised an eyebrow and stated, "Run out of girl's pants to charm your way into? Decided to go plastic? You know, Damon. They do have blow-up dolls… for that sort of thing. Something a lot more gentle."
Damon's eyes narrowed. "I get accused of having a dirty mind yet you're the one talking about blow up dolls and my sex life in a children's toy store."
"The only child I see present is you," Elena accused.
Standing straight up, Damon stared down at her. He towered her average height and with her view from below she could clearly see the pain her words had caused. It did little to mask the pain she felt at all the heartache he had caused her. Not that Damon knew about. Damon gripped the box tighter and severely invaded her personal space. "So what have you been up to, stranger?"
"Oh, this and that." Elena pulled the box closer to her.
Damon sighed, tugging it back towards the middle. "Are we ever going to discuss how you just one day disappeared without any calls or texts to yours truly."
"Did that wound your ego?" She rolled her eyes. "Let's get back to the matter at hand. What on Earth do you want with a My Size Barbie?"
He shrugged. "Christmas present."
"For whom?"
"My goddaughter."
Elena balked. "Beth asked you, too?"
Damon nodded. "Look. I'll make you a deal. You explain what happened two years ago and I'll give you the doll."
Stepping back, Elena shook her head. There was no way she could reveal the real reason behind her disappearance. She wasn't going to confess in the Barbie aisle of Toys R' Us of all places that she had stupidly fallen for her best friend only to find out he didn't think of her the same way. It had been a long time building, followed by months of living in denial. Not only was Damon her best friend, but he just happened to be Ric's as well. When she had no choice but to accept the realization, she told Jenna who urged her to come out with it. With her and Ric's blessing, Elena raced over to Damon's house only to find out he was in bed with someone else. Two weeks later she had secured a place that was all her own and made her aunt and uncle promise to keep her secret from the man they called friend.
Even with Beth's present so close, Elena couldn't go through it all again. Damon was some charmer and if she continued to listen to his story and be in his presence she would only find herself giving in only to be duped once again in the future. "No way, Salvatore. You can have it. It's not worth it." She let go of the box, disappointment filling her up. "I hope Beth likes it," she muttered before turning and walking away.
"Merry Christmas!" Beth sang as she collided into Elena, nearly knocking her to the ground.
"Shouldn't you be sleeping?" Elena stated, picking up her little cousin and spinning her around. "Santa will be here any minute!"
Beth gasped and feigned sleep causing the entire room to erupt into laughter. The whole family was gathered together at Jenna and Ric's. Even her little brother had returned from Colorado just in time for Christmas. It was a tradition to have a Christmas Eve sleepover so that the entire family was together Christmas morning. They were all donned in matching Christmas attire and Ric was nursing his bourbon just to survive the fact that he had dancing polar bears on his legs. It was one of the things she missed about living here: the whole family together.
"I think it's time to tuck someone into bed," Jenna said, taking Beth from Elena's arms.
Beth nodded like crazy, waving goodbye to everyone. As Jenna walked her up the stairs she continued to ask the questioned most kids do the night before Christmas. "Did you leave out cookies and milk? What about carrots for the reindeer?" Jenna humored her and soothed her worries as she continued to ask question after question more awake than she was a few minutes ago.
Elena turned towards the tree, admiring the twinkling lights and the reflection against the window. As her eyes scanned the room, truly lost in the beauty of Christmas, they landed upon the dreaded Beth sized box. "Is that what I think it is?" Elena asked.
Alaric followed her gaze, mumbling in agreement. "Damon dropped it off before you came over."
"Beth's gonna love it."
"You should read the card."
She looked at him, confused, as he made a gesture as if to say 'get a move on'. Begrudgingly, she listened. Walking over to the tree, Elena maneuvered herself to the present in question; being careful not to step on any of the other ones surrounding the tree. Leaning over she read the writing on the gift tag which was etched in Damon's brilliant script.
Merry Christmas, Beth
Here's your very own doll to play with when I'm not around!
Love, Elena xx
Elena could only read it over and over again, completely stunned. He had given the present to Beth in her name even though she had refused to listen to his story. "I don't understand," she whispered.
"He's in love with you."
Shock evident on her face, she turned to Ric. "No. That's impossible."
Ric sighed. "I promised Jen I would stay out of this. We both did."
Stepping away from the present, Elena sat beside him on the couch. This time she reached for the bourbon and poured herself a fingers worth. Downing the glass, she shivered when it burned her throat. "Ric, I'm your favorite niece. I'm practically a daughter to you…"
He interrupted. "Precisely the reason why we shouldn't be having this conversation."
Elena gave him her best doe eyes. "Please."
Ric groaned. "He missed you a hell-of-a lot when you were gone. He's been miserable ever since, Elena. Poor guy has been just a walking version of himself. I had to help him out."
The pieces clicked together in seconds. "You told him."
"If you had seen the way he was after you left you would've thanked me. Damon went and confessed the whole thing after he heard the reason why you left. He was just as scared as you were. He's not supposed to fall for the girl that's practically my daughter. But he did, Elena. He fell hard."
Elena looked down at the glass in her hands. She hadn't sipped a single sip of bourbon since the awful night she decided to hide away her feelings for Damon. This drink only reminded her of the man that broke her heart. On the other hand, it filled her with drunken memories of skinny dipping in the falls and random road trips to Georgia. With Alaric's plea in her head, she couldn't deny that her heart was already wanting to run over to his place. It was only her head that reasoned with her not to.
"This can't be happening. I shut that part of myself off."
He reached out and took the empty tumbler from her hands. "I don't think that's possible; even for someone as determined as you."
After a long beat, Elena finally asked "What should I do?"
After taking a long drink, Ric looked her in the eyes with such a soft gaze. "I can't tell you that. What I will tell you is that the truck is filled with gas and the keys are on the coffee table." With that said he stood and stretched before making his way upstairs and leaving Elena to her thoughts.
After bouncing in her seat for all of five minutes, she grabbed the keys and exited her house.
Waiting for Damon to answer had to be some cruel form of torture. There was no way he was going to answer after the way she treated him at the store. Or for the last two years. She had disappeared from her best friend without so much as a goodbye or a reason behind it. To have him be kind would be wishing for too much. Even if it was Christmas.
Finally, the door swung open and there he stood. His hair was messy with sleep and he wore a pair of flannel pajamas and a black Henley. The side of his face was imprinted with his pillow and he reeked of bourbon. "Elena?" he questioned, in a daze.
"Hi," was all she could manage.
He lifted his arm and squinted at the time on his watch. "It's nearly midnight. What are you doing here?"
"I'm sorry," she whispered out.
His eyes opened wide, clearly shocked by her quieted words. "You're sorry? Elena, I—"
Elena nodded, covering his words with her own. "I should've told you why I left. I should've been honest with you the way we've always been. You were the only person who understood me after my parents died. The only person whose been real with me from the start and I just up and left and shut you out of my life. I mean what kind of person—"
Damon's finger went to her lips, silencing her rambling speech. "I shouldn't have let you leave."
"There was no way you could've prevented that."
"Yes there is, 'Lena." Her heart melted at the sound of her old nickname. "I could've told you the truth I could've told you that—"
"You're in love with me," she finished without hesitation.
He halted for a second before Elena closed the distance and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him down to her and kissing him hard on the mouth. He body relaxed into hers as his arms circled her waist. Their bodies fell into a rhythm and dance as if they had perfected a thousand times before. She sighed at the feeling of him fisting her sweater and her body tilting closer to his.
When she pulled back for air, Elena felt moisture at the tip of her nose. They both looked up to see the beginnings of snow fall from the sky. Damon leaned down and pressed his lips to her forehead, refusing to let go until he felt her lips against his chest. He pulled back just enough to tuck his finger under her chin and lift her head up towards his.
She saw a million things pass through those eyes and she could only think of one response. "I love you. I never stopped. Even being away from you didn't stop me from thinking of you and wanting to be with you."
Damon rubbed his nose against hers in an Eskimo kiss. "I love you, Elena."
"I love you, too," Elena whispered.
He leaned forward once more and kissed her. "Do you want to get out of the snow?"
She nodded, slipping her lip between her teeth.
Leading her inside, Damon brought her upstairs to his master bedroom. The large room that was once familiar and welcoming now seemed to be a cause of nerves. The large custom bed stood before them beckoning. Nervous energy filled her as she suddenly stopped just before it.
"Nervous?" Damon questioned.
Elena reached up and took his face in her hands. "Good nervous."
"We don't have to do anything you don't want to."
"You're sweet," she giggled. "But I've waited far too long for this."
She kissed him once again and this one lead to places she had before only imagined. His hands roamed her body as hers explored the contours of his chest. Things that before had been taboo and forbidden were now at her fingertips. They took their time and teased each other. Slowly the clothing came off and they found themselves on the bed, tangled in each other and finally one.
They stayed like that for what seemed like hours, lost in each other, before they were finally tired. It was Elena who took notice of the time and quickly hurried to get dressed only to be postponed by Damon's mouth against her skin. Whatever had tired them out had suddenly been reawakened by his tongue between her thighs and then again when her mouth enveloped him.
Completely spent they lay on the bed, staring up at the ceiling, their legs entwined and their hands clasped together. "I have to get home."
"Spend the night," he pleaded.
Elena frowned. "I can't. Beth—"
"She'll want you to be there when she wakes up." Damon stood up and began to get dressed. Elena followed suit and when she saw him throw on his boots she stared at him in confusion. "I'm part of the family, too. Only this time as your boyfriend. Hopefully."
She walked over to him and smiled. "Are you nervous?"
"Kind of. You haven't answered yet."
"Since it's Christmas…" she teased, wrapping her arms around him. "Yes!"
Damon smiled and spun her around the room. As he tickled her sides, they collapsed back on the bed and were even more late getting to Jenna and Ric's.
"It's Christmas! It's Christmas!"
Elena awoke with a start as the little girl came barreling on top of her. She felt a hard body stir beneath her and realized her and Damon had fallen asleep on the couch. As she picked Beth up she turned her towards the tree which was light up and filled with presents. "Look at everything Santa brought you!"
"I know! Can I open them? Can I?"
Damon rustled Beth's hair. "We have to wait for the others. Why don't you go wake them?"
"Okay, Uncle Damon!" And with that Beth was a blur as she ran up the stairs screaming holiday greetings and demands.
In a few minutes the whole family was downstairs and Beth began attacking her presents. Wrapping paper covered much of the floor as her pile of toys and clothes grew and grew. When she reached the large box at the back she read the card aloud. "From Elena and Uncle Damon! What is it? What is it!"
"Open and find out," Elena laughed.
She caught Damon's eye as he smiled and mouthed thanks. Elena leaned over and planted a firm kiss on his cheek just as a flash went off. They both looked over to see Jeremy snapping away and giving them a boyish smile before turning the camera back on Beth as she squealed over her My Size Barbie. A joy filled Elena's heart at the sight before her and the family around her. It was truly a very merry Christmas indeed.
When the unwrapping of presents was finished Jenna clapped her hands together and stated, "I hope everyone got everything they wanted."
"I did, Mommy!" Beth screamed, racing over and wrapping her arms around Jenna's legs.
"So did I," Damon whispered, pulling Elena close.
Smiling, Elena reiterated the sentiment with a joyful "Me too."
After years of wanting, Elena finally got the thing she wanted most for Christmas: her best friend as a boyfriend.
A/N: R&R and a Merry Christmas to you! xx