Written for a prompt in the Caroline Forbes Comment Ficathon on Livejournal. The prompt was: Caroline/Damon They are both always second-best. Reviews are loved more than I love this pairing!
Disclaimer: Much as I'd like to, I don't own them, but I can use them for my own amusement *evil grin*
"Hands off." Damon drawled, having just caught Caroline in the process of helping herself to his stash of bourbon. "That's mine. And besides..." He ran his eyes appraisingly over her slightly unsteady form "...you look like you've had more than enough already."
"I have not!" She retorted childishly, although the words came out garbled, as if her tongue had suddenly grown too big for her mouth.
Damon snorted, amusement written across his features. "Sure you haven't, Blondie. You're not even legal yet. What would Mummy say?"
"Don't start with that!" Her words were still slightly slurred, but the anger lent them more clarity. "You might see me as some stupid little girl, Damon, but I'm not! You made sure of that when you brought me into this world, so don't treat me like a kid when I find it hard to deal with!"
She trailed off, biting back a sob which she refused to let escape, although he could read the pain in her eyes as if it was his own. His admiration for her went up a notch. Considering what a whiny, irritating, self-centred human she'd been, she didn't make a half-bad vampire. It wasn't like he was going to tell her that though. Damon Salvatore didn't do compliments, not even dubious ones.
"Want to talk about it?" He offered instead (keeping his tone carefully bored, because Damon Salvatore didn't do comforting either). Arrogant smirk firmly in place, he sprawled lazily across the couch as if he hadn't a care in the world. Damn, but he was good at pretending.
"Not to you!" But she slumped down on the couch beside him anyway.
"Then what are you doing here? Unless..." His eyebrows quirked in recognition. "No, that would just be too tragic! Vampire Barbie couldn't have the hots for Stefan now, could she?"
"No!" The denial was too quick, and she knew it but, being Caroline, she kept fumbling blindly on, digging herself an even bigger hole. "I just wanted to talk to him. He listens. He cares, unlike some people I could mention! But even if I did want him that way, he wouldn't be interested. He's in love with Elena."
The bitter emphasis on the last word was not lost on Damon, who knew what it was to be eclipsed by a brighter star.
"You know what they say. Life's a bitch and then you die. Except in our case, death's only the beginning."
Neither of them quite understood what happened next, but suddenly she was in his lap, and their lips were meeting and it might not have been quite the happy ending either of them were hoping for, but it was pretty damn good all the same. After all, if you're going to be second-best, you might as well be on an even footing.