Hi! I didn't write anything for Christmas, so I wanted to do something for New Year's. I hope you all enjoy!
In the To Build a Home gender-swapped alternate universe.
Disclaimer: I do not own the vampire diaries or anything associated with it. I don't own the songs Under Pressure or Sexy Silk.
Warnings: Doctor Who references (I don't own those either).
The one in which it's the year before Stephanie and Damon move to Mystic Falls and they go to a New Year's Eve party in New York.
OR
Stephanie's misadventures on New Year's Eve of 2008 on the Upper East Side.
.
.
.
It's six o'clock in the evening on New Year's Eve and the sun is blocked out by furious winds that blow snow across the entire Upper East Side, icing the roads and helping to convince Stephanie to stay locked up inside her apartment for the rest of winter. She has a mug of hot chocolate in her hands that's been sprinkled with cinnamon and has three fat marshmallows floating on the top of the steaming drink and it warms her chilled fingers.
"When did the heat go out again?" Stephanie asks, still facing the window from her curled up perch on their small, warm sofa. It's midnight blue and has little tassels hanging around the edges that brush the floor and entice their cats to bat them with their little claws and needlepoint teeth.
From the kitchen, there are the clinking of beer bottles and the humming of the fridge just before the power flickers once, twice, three times before going out.
"Five minutes before the electricity stopped working," Damon mutters before he starts cursing and banging around.
There's a plaintive meow at Steph's feet and she turns her head to look down at the Doctor, a little tabby cat with large, luminous black eyes that seem to know everything there is to know about the universe. There's another mewling and suddenly Steph's lap is full of their ginger cat, Donna. Her eyes are bright green and they don't blink as they gaze piercingly into Stephanie's.
"That's it!" Damon roars and he slams into the living room with wild curly hair and a scowl on his face. He's in a fancy black suit and shoes, which make Stephanie arch her brows at her older brother as she rubs Donna's back and the Doctor cocks his head to the side to watch them. "We're going out," Damon decides briskly, "I can't stand staying in this cold apartment with no electricity. It's not happening."
"Where do you suppose we go?" Stephanie asks wryly with a half-smile.
"We were invited to a New Year's Eve party," Damon says satisfactorily and cross his arms across his chest.
"By the snobby people you hate, yet socialize with," Stephanie points out cheerfully, "I thought you didn't want to go?" At this point, the Doctor has grown bored of staring at Damon and instead hops onto the sofa, next to Donna. The ginger cat eyes him and swats the Doctor with her tale playfully, which incites a game of chase between the two – Steph ducks to keep from being scratched as the cats jump over the back of the couch and run around the apartment.
Damon ignores this. "They have heat and hopefully beautiful women to snack on. So come on, get dressed," He eyes Steph almost pitifully, and so she relents.
"Only to make sure you don't kill any of those poor girls," Stephanie grumbles and she slowly gets up off the couch, eyeing the window briefly once more. The weather was still poor, but she doubted something like snow would keep any of the other party-goers from their festivities.
.
.
.
They arrive together; Damon is his pressed grey suit and Stephanie in a red sweater dress and heels, make-up carefully applied. The penthouse is decked out; left over Christmas lights and garland are strung up beautifully, music is being played by a piano, and hors d' oeuvres are served on silver platters. Stephanie can see a few other teenagers milling about, but they're clearly impatient and ready to go elsewhere.
Steph's on Damon's arm as he swans around the room, introducing his baby sister and steadily getting drunk. Around ten, Steph slips away from him and snags something for herself to drink, downing it in a single swig. Out of the corner of her eye, she can see the group of teenagers from earlier picking up their things and slipping out of the party together.
"Bored?" A voice drawls behind her and Stephanie tilts her head to look at Damon's form.
"I admit, I'd thought that you had been invited to some loud, teenager party with drugs and beer," Stephanie says and rolls her eyes. "I had no idea you'd been invited to such a refined party."
"Admit it; you're so bored you're about to scream," Damon smirks and wiggles his brows.
"Fine," Steph deadpans, "It's a little boring. I think the piano player almost nodded off there for a minute."
Damon laughs and takes Steph's wrist, dragging her away. "Then let's get to the real party." Stephanie walks with Damon and can smell the familiar stench of too much perfume and cologne as they board the elevator and go down.
They catch a cab in the cold, blistering wind and snow and drive five blocks away to a night club with strobe rainbow lights and pulsing, pounding music. The taxi driver eyes it with distaste and is happy to go when Steph and Damon step out of the car.
"We're coming here? Seriously, Damon?"
"Here," Damon ignores that and hands Stephanie a mask at the door, "it's a Masquerade party. Gotta have a mask to get it." He slips one on his face; it's black and is slightly sparkly and it reflects the colorful lights from the party.
Stephanie's is a red that matches her dress, and she slides it on only slightly reluctantly. "Have fun," Damon claps her shoulder as she steers her inside and Stephanie can see right away why it's Damon's kind of party; loud pop music blares, girls are stripping on stage, and Steph and hear the chips of gamblers exchanging hands and sliding along tables. Pool tables are being used, along with dart boards and table tops are danced on. The place is dim except for the flashing strobe lights and the DJ is clearly having a good time.
Everyone is wearing some sort of masquerade mask.
"See you when the night is over," Damon says and leaves Steph in the entryway as he sets his sights on a group of girls in scantily clad clothing.
Stephanie sighs and tries to ignore the pulsing blood around her, surrounding and echoing in her ears. She goes to the bar and orders a bourbon, compelling the man when he IDs her, and ends up with the whole bottle.
"What did you do to get that?"
Stephanie takes the bottle from her lips, leaving red lip stick stains on the rip, and sets it on the bar. She looks up and sees a young blonde woman, maybe a little older than her, standing in front of her. Her blonde hair is in ringlets and she's in a skin tight green dress that matches her sequenced mask that covers only her eyes.
"I asked nicely," Stephanie deadpans and takes another swig, making the other girl laugh.
"I'm Bekah," She says and takes a seat.
"Steph," Stephanie introduces and offers the bottle.
"Nice to meet you," Bekah says with a grin and she takes the bourbon, "So, do you live in New York or are you a tourist?"
"I've lived here for a year," Stephanie murmurs and her eyes scan the club for Damon; finds him across the dance floor, doing questionable things with two girls, "with my brother and our two cats."
"My brother and I are just visiting," Bekah says lightly, "We've been before, but it's always a blast to come." She straightened her dress and Steph is hit with a feeling of familiarity and stills. Bekah notices. "Something the matter?"
"No," Steph shakes her head and a familiar song starts playing.
Bekah must recognize it as well. "Let's dance," She says slyly and drags Steph up and out of her stool. Steph eyes her; the girl has a hidden strength in her that she hadn't expected.
They go out onto the dance floor and Steph starts moving a little hesitantly, but Bekah grabs her wrists with a smile. "Come on, Steph!"
Pressure pushing down on me
Pressing down on you no man ask for
Under pressure that burns a building down
Splits a family in two
Puts people on streets
It's the terror of knowing
What this world is about
Watching some good friends
Screaming let me out
Tomorrow gets me higher
Pressure on people - people on streets
Stephanie knows how to dance and if she closes her eyes, she can let herself flow and perform half-remembered steps. Bekah is an enthusiastic partner and she can dance as well as Stephanie, so for the first time of the evening, Steph finds herself smiling and enjoying herself.
"Rebekah, darling," Another accented voice calls out and Steph turns her head to glimpse at its owner. He had a blood red mask painted on his mask with black accents and he wore a black suit. His blue eyes twinkled and he winked at Steph when he saw her looking at him. "Who's your friend?"
"This is Steph," Bekah introduced and her brother took Steph's hand and kissed it gently. They shared a knowing glance and Stephanie wondered about it for a vague minute. "Want to dance with my brother?"
The song has changed to something more seductive, and before Steph can say no, Bekah's brother has swept her off her feet and into motion.
Whoa whoa whoa whoa
Whoa boy you're gonna win!
Say 'yeah, yeah, and yeah' you're under my skin
I got butterflies within
Ohhhh!
I think I like you!
Will you be my medicine man?
Put your hand on my chest
Feel the bump, bump, bump, bump
Will you be my sugar rush?
Make me get high with just one touch
A kiss can last all night!
You'll have to seduce me, nibble and bite
(Aww, yeah)
But oh no no no
Whoa whoa go
Slow baby don't
Ohhhh!
They're not the only ones on the dance floor, but Stephanie feels like they are as Bekah's brother dances with her in his arms, as close together as they can get without being indecent in this day and age.
"Thanks for the dance," He breathes when the song's over and the clock tolls midnight. They watch each other's eyes as she leans up and kisses his plump red lips.
"Happy New Year," Stephanie whispers they break apart and the man smirks.
"It will be," He promises and he takes a step backwards, "Oh, and Steph? I hope to see you again, one day in the future."
"But what's your name?" Stephanie murmurs, but he only winks, before he's gone with his sister using inhuman speed, leaving Steph in the middle of the dance floor with swollen lips and furrowed brows.
"Who was your dance partner?" Damon's voice springs up beside her, "Looked like you guys were having fun . . ." He trails off suggestively and Stephanie smacks him.
Rather than admit she'd just made out with a complete stranger on New Year's Day, Stephanie turns and levels Damon with a look. "Who were your friends? I hope you realize you're not bringing them to our house."
Damon just rolls his eyes. "Live a little," He wiggles his brows, "Go find your mystery man and have a good time."
"You didn't answer my question," Steph says, but Damon only turns his back and goes to find another meal.
Steph gives up and goes to look for Bekah and her mysterious brother, only to come up empty. She steps out of the club and tears off her mask and lets her hand fall to her side. The streets are buzzing, and so even their scents are lost in the traffic.
By the time she goes back inside, it's three in the morning of the new year and Damon is sated and ready to go. She helps her drunk brother get back into a hailed taxi, and gets them home to their cold apartment.
She steps through the door with a slurring and stumbling Damon, only to be assaulted by Donna and the Doctor, both meowing pitifully. Steph nudges them to the side and clothes the front door with her foot, and drags Damon to his room where she tosses him onto his bed. (He's snoring before he hits the pillow.)
Stephanie sighs and shuts the door and fiddles with the heater until it starts up again, blasting warm air through the vents. Donna and the Doctor follow her to her bedroom and make themselves at home on her pillows as she changes into sweats.
Steph pulls out her diary.
This year will be different; we're going to immerse ourselves into society instead of living above it this year. I'll make friends and maybe go to school; I'll get homework and join clubs and get involved with something, anything.
I won't think about the stranger or "Bekah," if that was even her name. I'll start fresh.
We'll go back to Mystic Falls.
And it'll be a year to remember.
Thoughts?