Disclaimer: Don't own; don't sue. Title comes from the Teddy Geiger song "For You, I Will (Confidence)". Photo credit unknown.
Summary: Damon and Caroline try their hand at domesticity. First in my "ever after" series.
Spoilers: Nothing.
Author's Notes: A prompt done for my drabble table that EXPLODED. Thank you to starzee for the original prompt, which I post at the end. :)
for you, i will
At first, he's too busy trying to shove his way through the mass amounts of harried shoppers to realize that Caroline's no longer pulling on his arm insistently, pointing out that necklace for Elena, or this book for Stefan, or any of the other myriad presents that she wants to get their friends. He slows his steps, despite his desperation to get out of the hell hole that is the mall five days before Christmas. Caroline is looking off to the side, but her eyes are distant, lost in thought. Although she does tend to get a similar look when deciding if a sale item is truly worth it, or which color blouse really matches her complexion, this one is different. He tries to follow her line of sight, but doesn't see anything different. A million and one different people, who all manage to look the same. An overweight mom pushing a double stroller while her five year old runs to the end of his leash. A young son asleep clutching to his father's back. A little girl holding a stuffed bear bigger than herself. It's the same thing they've been seeing for hours, especially when Caroline insisted on going into the video game store to get Jeremy's present. Damon shrugs, and tries to brush it off as yet another way Caroline mystifies him.
It hits him with the weight of a freight train a few hours later, sitting by himself in the living room while Caroline is upstairs resting. She had been staring at the families at the mall. Or more specifically, the children. They'd been together for nearly ten years now, and the bulk of her classmates had long popped out two or three of their own progeny. Caroline had never really brought it up, but Damon is fairly sure this was what had been bothering her for weeks now. She wanted a kid. Damon gulped. Well. He had yet to deny her anything, and he wasn't going to start now.
It doesn't take long to exhaust Damon's patience in looking for a spell or something to get them a kid. He can't say he's surprised; vampires weren't exactly known for being the nurturing type. Meanwhile, Caroline has brightened up considerably; he's allowed her to host Christmas at their place, and she's gone a little crazy with the decorations. Elena, Stefan, Tyler and Matt had already flown in on the 22nd, and Jeremy, Liz, Bonnie and her brood would be coming in a few short hours. Although he'd rather her all to himself, he has to admit that it is kind of nice to be surrounded by people again. There's all the camaraderie from the old days, without the constant fear (although he does attempt to make Tyler and Matt as uncomfortable as possible; that's his job as Caroline's current, and future, love).
He's wandering the mall yet again, scrutinizing all the families as if their sheer presence will tell him what to do. Caroline's eyes almost fell out of her head when he said he was going to the mall, by himself on Christmas Eve, but a few (false) claims about the lack of alcohol in the house put her fears to rest. He may have also wiggled his eyebrows suggestively and promised some fancy lingerie (the lifespan of hers was incredibly short), which sufficiently distracted her from any other questions. Just about when he knows he's given up on getting inspiration, he looks up and sees it. The perfect size, the perfect shape, a look of love in its bright blue eyes. It'll be perfect for Caroline, and no one is going to stop him from getting it for her.
It's a bitch trying to hide his awesome present from the entirety of the household. It cries all the damn time, and he doesn't really know how, or what, to feed it. But people have done this from the dawn of time, so he should be able to figure it out for the twenty or so hours until Caroline "unwraps" it for Christmas, right? Which reminds him of another problem. How the hell is he supposed to attach a bow to something that won't stop wriggling?
Christmas morning couldn't come any faster. He's incredibly lucky that all the people and decorations and food have filled the house with so many smells that even vampires couldn't scent out his special present. Soon the unwrapping has finally slowed down, thanks and hugs have been exchanged liberally (a bit too liberally in the case of Tyler and Caroline, if he says so himself), and everyone has settled down with a mug of hot chocolate (or blood). Bonnie's husband and kids have scampered off for the quick drive to the in-law's house (it's closeness the reason Bonnie was able to join them this year), and he knows it's time. With barely a wink at Caroline, he speeds down to the basement, grabs his present, and speeds back up, presenting it to his love with the cheesiest smile he can muster (it's closer to a smirk than anything, but he gets points for trying).
Silence settles on the group. Not quite the reaction he was hoping for (tears and kisses with tongue were more along his train of thought), but before he can think of something, the thing in his arms lets out a surprised, yet cheerful bark.
"It's a dog," Matt says dumbly.
No shit, Damon thinks spitefully, but he's too focused on Caroline's face to voice these thoughts out loud. Her eyes are wide open, her hand still limply wrapped around her mug. Her mouth is slightly agape, as if she had been saying something right before he had appeared before her. Okay, now he's beginning to worry.
"Everyone get out," he growls. He's got something to say, but he sure as hell isn't going to say it in front of everyone else.
"Damon!" Bonnie and Elena chorus, but the men make quick work of hustling them out of the living room and into the kitchen. The vampires will still be able to overhear, but if they're smart they won't repeat it to the humans.
"Damon?" Caroline questions softly, gently placing her mug on the table.
Damon sighs and sits next to her, adjusting the tiny puppy under his arm a little better. It yelps a little, but gets comfortable soon enough.
"Look, I know you've been… less than happy, lately," he holds up a hand when she tries to interrupt. "And I couldn't figure out why. You're so damn talkative, I knew if I had done something wrong you would have told me. So if it's not me, and you're not fighting with Elena or Bonnie or any of your other friends… what the hell was bothering you?" Damon takes a deep breath before continuing. Caroline is blinking rapidly and he has a sinking feeling she's going to start crying soon. "Then I saw the way you were looking at the families in the mall. The amount of presents you got for Bonnie's kids. How you got after your mom sent you your baby pictures. You want a baby, don't you?" He holds his breath. He's fairly sure that he's correct, but part of him is hoping that he's not.
Caroline peers up at him under her eyelashes. She nods silently.
Damon rocks back on his heels and blows out a breath. This was going to change everything. He didn't even entertain not going through with such a plan. Caroline had been through hell with and for him. She had forgiven and accepted his every flaw and mistake. If this is what it took to make her happy, then…
"I'm sorry," she murmurs. "I never thought that I would be one of those people who would actually want a squirming, crying, poop machine. But with the holidays, and seeing Bonnie's kids getting older… I know we can be happy without them; we have been for so long. It's just that," Caroline grabs his hands, causing the puppy to wriggle out from under his arm and climb into his lap. It looks up at Caroline with its blue eyes, and then swipes it's tongue across her cheek, licking up the tears that have already fallen. Caroline giggles before picking it up and cuddling it towards her. She looks back at Damon and smiles. "It's just that I can imagine a little girl with your eyes, and a little boy with your hair, and I can see them playing and learning and growing, and something inside me just wants it, more than anything." She looks down and gently pets the puppy. "I know it's not what you want. I'm sorry for bringing you down. I didn't think you noticed. And I was hoping that after Christmas, these feelings would go away."
Damon's silent for a few seconds. Part of him is a little hurt that Caroline wouldn't think he would notice that she wasn't happy, and that she thought she could get away with not telling him. Another, larger part of him is too engrossed with imagining what she just said. He sees a girl with his eyes, yes, but also with Caroline's nose and gangly limbs, going to dance classes and soccer practice. He sees little boy with his hair, but curly like his was as a child, planning events as soon as he can walk, because both his parents are control freaks. Just a few minutes ago he had been horrified to hear that Caroline did, indeed, want children. Now, his heart feels like it's thudding out of his chest, and it's all he wants too.
"Think of the puppy as training wheels," he finally says. His voice may be a bit hoarse, but he's hoping she doesn't notice.
"What?" she asks, looking nonplussed as she mindlessly rearranges the bright red bow on the puppy's neck.
"Training wheels. So that when we finally figure out how to have a kid, either with a spell, or science, or hell, even adoption, we'll both be ready."
"Damon?" she asks again, as if she can't quite believe it. The puppy whines, as she's been clutching it rather tightly. Surprised, she lets it go, and it scampers across the couch back to Damon.
He looks her directly in the eyes, because he wants her to know that this isn't a joke, or a temporary promise. This is for real, and forever. "I hated my dad, and my mom wasn't around long enough for me to really remember her. I tried to be a dad to Stefan, and it made me bitter and Stefan didn't exactly benefit either. Before we really do this, I want to make sure that I'm better. And you're going to help me get there."
Caroline let out a gasping sob and threw herself at Damon, wrapping her hands around his neck and squeezing him tight. The puppy began yapping, jumping and trying to lick at it's parents. Clearly it wanted in on some of the loving too. As soon as she pulled back, Damon pressed a hard kiss to her lips. "Merry Christmas," he whispered, a genuine smile on his lips.
Before she could respond, the doors separating the kitchen and the living room burst open. The dog yelped in surprise, but it was buried under the various shouts coming from the group. Jeremy and Matt were yelling some sort of congratulations. Tyler was smiling begrudgingly, as if finally admitting that Damon was good for Caroline. Bonnie was muttering about spells she knew while also trying to tie Caroline down for babysitting. Stefan was just staring at the two of them, while Elena simultaneously grinned and leaned over to gossip with Liz. Liz herself had tears dripping down her face; the first time he'd ever seen her cry. Before he could try to calm them down, or yell at them for eavesdropping, Tyler opened his mouth.
"So, when's the wedding?"
Damon didn't care what Caroline said, wolf boy wasn't getting anywhere near his kids.
Author's Notes: Prompt was "puppy". Yes, this 2000+ word beast grew out of that word. Please feel free to send in your own prompts; you never know what may happen!