Sometimes a Penguin is Just a Penguin
Summary: oneshot Damon/Elena fluff.
Timeline: Fluff piece pick an episode in season 3 that doesn't end with them fighting and stick this there
Disclaimer: The characters are not mine, the Vampire Diaries book and show are not mine, but I do own a (toy) penguin
Elena flopped onto her bed, fully clothed, fighting the inner battle between wanting to be warm and clean from the shower but not wanting to bother. She'd been half asleep by the time she got to the top of the staircase so she hadn't noticed anything different about her bed but something soft and lumpy was sticking into her back so she rolled over and dug it out from other herself.
It was a small stuffed toy Penguin. "Damon?" she asked out loud, no one more surprised than herself. Elena gave the little penguin a confused smile. It was kind of cute. "Damon, get your ass in here!" she called out, hoping she wasn't disturbing Alaric.
She heard a tap at the window and remembered it was locked. She groaned, forced her tired self, off the bed, and went to open it for him. "Couldn't be bothered using the front door?"
He shrugged, "I was already up here," and climbed in through the window, his black leather jacket and jeans somehow managing to look just as put together as if he'd walked through the door. Even when his clothes creased they managed to look purposeful.
"Spying on me?" Elena queried.
"Like you're so shocked? I just wanted to see if you liked him."
"Him?"
"He's tall dark and handsome, remind you anyone?" he wiggled his eyebrows.
"What's this about Damon? It's a nice thought, I guess, but-"
"You don't like him, should have known, should have gotten you a Labrador puppy, you know cute as a button but rips everything apart, remind you of someone else?" Damon's eyes burned the way they always did when he was angry.
"Very funny Damon. So you bought me a penguin to torture me? Or to have a go at Stefan?"
"Jesus Elena, sometimes a penguin is just a penguin. I saw it, it didn't look unattractive. It reminded me of you, also not unattractive. I could make up some crap about how penguins mate or life and how I'll always be here for you, but sometimes a penguin is just a penguin."
Elena chided herself mentally, she'd done it again, and why was she so careless with his emotions? It was her guilt of course, punishing him for making him want him, for betraying Stefan.
"Sorry, it's just, I'm not sure you should be giving me gifts, Damon, it's kind of creepy."
"Fine, I'll take him," Damon snatched the bird away and began stalking towards the window.
"Wait. I'm sorry. Give him back. It was a nice thing you did. Thank you for thinking of me," Elena looked at Damon with pleading eyes. She felt she had to push him away, to be loyal to Stefan, to protect herself, to stop whatever was between them from running out of control and turning their whole world upside-down. Part of her knew Damon was right, she wasn't ready yet. She couldn't handle confronting her feelings for Damon when she still had Klaus and his family here, in her town, at her school.
Damon hesitated but he couldn't resist. He passed it back. "It's just a penguin. It was stupid. I think I need to go kill somebody; I'm turning into a total sap. Obviously spending too much time around humans."
"Like we're so bad."
"You're awful, the lot of you, can't stand to be around you," he teased.
"I can tell," Elena quipped back, her eyes challenging him as she hugged her gift; the air between them was thick but comfortable. "Goodnight Damon."
"Goodnight Elena," Damon didn't try to kiss her, he pushed a stand of hair behind her ear and gave the penguin a little pat on the head. "Look after her," he whispered to the penguin. "See I told you, too much time with humans, you're horrible for my image you know that right? I used to have credibility. I used to be a proper vampire. Now it's all googly eyes and saving the protecting. I make myself sick."
"I like this Damon. He's pretty amazing."
"Be still my undead heart," he mocked, clasping his hands over his chest. And then, because he didn't want to ruin the night by asking for more than she could give he accepted that. Tonight it was enough that Elena Gilbert liked him, even though he so badly wanted and hoped for more.
Elena crawled into bed next to the penguin. The shower could wait till the morning, she already felt warm and clean. She was tired of feeling guilty, tonight she wouldn't apologise to herself of the imaginary Stefan in her head who still cared and listened and couldn't understand why she was hanging out with his brother all the time, she would just be grateful for what she had.
A/N: The hit counter on my stories isn't working so I can only see reviews, alerts on the story legacy page, so thank you so much to those people for keeping me going. If you've read this please let me know, esp. if you like it.