The first story I actually intend on maintaining, not going to lie I am incredibly nervous. If for whatever reason I don't update (which is probable considering I am frequently lazy) please feel free to pm me/review/hound me on my tumblr until you get the update you deserve. ( ask) Anyway, here you go. Enjoy:)

Chapter One – Breakfast at Salvatore's.

Damon awoke with a groan and a familiar pounding in his head as the sounds of laughter flittered through from the room next door. He lay for a few moments, engulfed in self-pity for both his hangover and the events which had led to his excessive drinking, when it occurred to him that he wasn't in his apartment in Chicago, but on an uncomfortable leather couch in the Salvatore boarding house. As he lay there in his hungover state he remembered, he was home in Mystic Falls for the Fourth of July weekend. If there was one thing to be known about Damon Salvatore's return, it was that he most definitely did not want to be there.

Groaning loudly again, with great effort he sat up and surveyed the room. It hadn't changed since he himself had lived there. Typical Stefan, he thought as his younger brother had taken over the house after his father had taken on a smaller role in his company and moved on to a smaller home in Mystic Falls. Again, his hungover mind meant he was struggling to think clearly and thus it hit him, he was about to spend the extended weekend with Giuseppe Salvatore, his idiot brother and whoever else his idiot brother had dragged along. A factor that contributed to last night's ours spent getting completely wasted in a bar with Alaric.

As Damon glanced down he realized that there was a glass of water and aspirin laid aside on the table, there was one person he thought would be so considerate as to leave that for him. The same person he realised whose laugher was currently contributing to his piercing headache, Elena Gilbert. Damon smiled softly to himself, before sharply wincing. Maybe this weekend wouldn't be so intolerable after all.

An hour later, Damon had showered and got dressed, the worst of his hangover behind him. Making a point to be loud, he climbed down the stairs and strode into the kitchen.

"Morning sleepy head." Came the voice he didn't realize quite how much he had missed, but seeing Elena, in casual leggings and a t-shirt for some reason made him smile a genuine smile. He took a moment to gather his thoughts, taking in her small form and her face which, even without makeup, was one of the most beautiful he had seen. Certainly more attractive than the many heavily made up women he had picked up in Chicago. Something about the authenticity of Elena's face made his heart beat a little faster, he shook himself mentally, before re-adopting his usual cool demeanour.

"Gilbert." He smirked. "Miss me?"

"Matter of fact I did." Elena said nonchalantly but as she looked Damon in the eyes she broke out into a grin and closed the distance between them, engulfing him in a hug.

"Good, can't have you forgetting who the best Salvatore brother is." Damon chuckled, releasing the small girl. "Did you spend the night?" he asked, wondering why she was stood in his brother's kitchen at 10am.

"Yep, you have enough guest rooms. Stefan and I spent the evening drinking wine and playing scrabble."

"Invigorating." Damon responded sarcastically, Elena rolled her eyes playfully.

"Say what you will, but I bet we both slept better than you who couldn't even get up the stairs. I bet we woke up happier too."

"Nothing wrong with having fun, Gilbert. As I remember you aren't always averse to drunken antics." He winked, causing her to blush, remembering some of the more stupid things the pair had done together. "Thanks for the water and the aspirin, by the way. You're right, my head hurt like hell."

"No problem. I'm guessing a greasy breakfast may also help cure you." Damon smirked once again.

"The girl gets it."

"Stefan's just left to go buy some eggs." Elena explained. Damon nodded, slowly some residual tension began to sink in, which Damon couldn't quite explain. Suddenly painfully aware that they were both stood awkwardly close after their hug, he broke the slightly uncomfortable silence.

"How about you and I go sit in the family room whilst we wait on the high and mighty baby brother Salvatore?"

"Sounds like a plan to me." She responded. Her smile faded slightly for a moment, she looked him in the eyes looking conflicted "He's missed you, you know." Those five words were enough to make Damon pause for thought, feeling guilt in the pit of his stomach. From the way Elena tentatively broached the subject, Damon was painfully aware that she must have also been collateral damage in his haste to leave Mystic Falls and the life he once had.

It was half an hour before Stefan returned, the stores evidently busy given the number of people arriving home for the holiday. Elena had explained the itinerary to Damon. Evidently his father and Uncle Zack were the other two Salvatores in attendance, and they would also be joined by Caroline who was now Stefan's girlfriend, but they weren't official Elena informed him. Elena's brother Jeremy and Aunt Jenna would also be attending as well as Bonnie Bennett and the one silver lining, Alaric Saltzman. Hopefully Alaric could save him from the painfully awkward tension bound to be evident upon dining with his father.

It caused Damon's insides to squirm whenever he thought about how he had ended things the last time he had seen his father, having stormed out after a heated row, taking the best bottles from his father's liquor cabinet and driving straight to Chicago. In hindsight, he probably should have behaved more rationally, but the phone call he had received from his father that had led him back to Mystic Falls, implied that the relationship was salvageable. Or at least, it was his last chance to salvage it.

After Elena had explained who would be attending tomorrow's festivities, she had filled Damon in on what the past couple of years had consisted of for her, explaining that she now worked part time as an intern for a Parkinson's charity, a disease with which one of her uncles suffered, the other part of the time she was training to become an elementary school teacher. It figured, Damon thought, that Elena Gilbert's career path was helping others, Elena had always been caring and nurturing despite him being seven years her senior. The age gap seemingly had become less pronounced the older they became. Somewhere along the line he had gone from being Stefan's older brother in Elena's eyes to a genuine friend.

Breakfast was odd to say the least. He had not expected Stefan to be so… welcoming. After Damon had left for Chicago he had gradually ceased contact with his brother, sick of all the phone calls being centred on the fact that Damon needed to apologize to his father. Elena's blatant lack of any hard feelings after the elder Salvatore had left, also unsettled him. He had remained in contact with her for longer than he had with Stefan, but as he got busier, and her own career resulted in conflicting schedules, the skype calls, the phone conversations and even the text messages had slowly ground to a halt, exchanging only emails infrequently. Honestly he felt a dull ache in his chest whenever he thought about how the window he had into Elena's world had closed.

He hadn't really thought about it before, but the hustle and bustle of his law career in Chicago had effectively ruined the strongest relationship in Damon's life.

With the two people he felt the most desire to re-establish a relationship with sitting before him eating bacon, eggs, and pancakes as though it was the most natural thing in the world, Damon felt it would be an appropriate time to let them know his big news, the same big news that had resulted in his return to Mystic Falls. Damon cleared his throat.

"I have something I need to tell you guys." Both Elena and Stefan looked relatively concerned both of their minds racing. It was no secret Damon lived a rather 'bacheloresque' life in Chicago, making big money in his law firm which he spent on fast cars, good bourbon and easy women, they were half expecting him to announce the existence of an illegitimate child. "I'm moving back for the next six months."

Stefan and Elena both looked at him with a mixture of emotions. Both looked surprised by his announcement, Elena looking pleased with the news while Stefan looked apprehensive, if not a little irritated.

Elena opened her mouth to congratulate him when Stefan cut in with a sharp "Why, Damon?" He looked at his brother as though he had just announced he had just had a shotgun wedding in Vegas after getting some poor girl pregnant, or something of similar concern. "Have you told Dad?"

"Woah, easy on support, little brother."

"Forgive me for being a little confused. I thought you were happy living with your immoral friends in Chicago and playing hot shot lawyer."

"I'm still going to play hot shot lawyer, just in a relatively calmer setting."

"Why?" Stefan deadpanned.

"Why not? Aren't you thrilled to be working with your dear brother?"

"Does Dad know?" Stefan repeated his earlier question.

"Easy, brother."

"Damon." Stefan warned.

"I'm sure our dear father will explain all at dinner."

"Wait, you aren't going to be working for Salvatore and Associates are you?" Elena questioned, having sat in awkward silence as the two brothers remained hostile, but spoke up now to try and avoid any argument progressing, recognising the two brothers had reached a stalemate neither of the two would back down from, thanks to the Salvatore stubbornness.

"That I am." Elena smiled in response.

"I'm sure Alaric will be thrilled you're back."

"More so than my baby brother, I'm willing to hedge a bet." Stefan glared. "Are you pleased, Gilbert?"

"Hmm." Elena mused. "I'm not sure I can deal with two Salvatore-"

"Enough." Stefan cut in, raising his voice slightly. "What aren't you telling me Damon?"

"Like I said, it's not my place to say." Damon responded cooly. "I'm sure our dearest daddy will let you know at dinner." He looked at his brother properly for the first time, dropping the sarcasm he was using as an automatic defence, uncomfortable with the situation. "Sorry, Stefan." Stefan nodded noticing his brother was being genuine but still stood up to leave recognising that the conversation had reached its end and not having the energy to draw out any small talk. Elena looked at Damon and smiled apologetically before rising and trotting after him.