Chapter 2: December is for Cynics

So to hell with Holiday romantics
December is for cynics
December is for critics
Let's get by on Nyquil and hibernate
December is for cynics
Damn, it's too easy being great

December is for Cynics- The Matches

The house was silent when Elena finally managed to drag herself from Stefan's bed around noon the next day. In the hallway the door to Damon's room was open, something that didn't occur unless he wasn't in it, the kitchen wielded the same results, he wasn't there. Pouring herself a cup of coffee and leaned back against the counter, wondering for a moment if he had just gone in to town for something. It wasn't often that she had found herself alone- since Stefan had left Damon had been a constant presence by her side, only leaving her when she managed to lock herself in a room-like the bathroom and even then he was usually waiting in the hallways for her. As much as she bitched about it she had come to rely on him being around, just his presence offering comfort. Pouring a second cup of coffee she worked her way into the living room, settling down into what she had deemed her spot on the couch.

Grabbing the blanket off the back of the couch-she still couldn't seem to get warm- she drew her legs up to her chest, her gaze settling onto the wintry wonderland outside. Damon had opened back up the curtains before he had left in the morning, the soft light of the day filtering in through the floor length windows. She let herself zone out while she waited, blankly staring at the falling snow, her mind racing on thoughts of Stefan. She knew that he couldn't be okay, indebted to Klaus the way that he was but she also wasn't sure what she could do to make things better, every avenue that she tired, every lead that she attempted to follow came up empty until that one phone call- the one that had wrecked her and put her in the place that she currently was.

"Stop looking for me." Was all he had said when she had answered the phone. No explanation, no I love you, no I miss you, no anything but a snarled out stop looking that made it feel like her heart had been crushed into a million pieces. Reaching down to set the cup of coffee on the floor next to the couch she shifted, trying to curl herself into a tighter ball, teeth sinking deeper into her bottom lip. She knew that she worried everyone, she didn't care. It wasn't until a sharp knock on the front door drew her attention that she realized just how much time had passed and Damon hadn't come home. Grunting softly she forced herself to her feet, the blanket dragging on the ground behind her as she made her way towards the door.

"What?" She snapped, yanking the front door open without looking. Caroline cocked an eyebrow, folding her arms across her chest as she regarded her best friend.

"What do you mean what?" She snapped back, pushing past Elena into the foyer, her hands dropping the duffle bag that she carried onto the wood floors.

"What are you doing?" Elena questioned instead of answering, glancing from the back to Caroline and back again. She had barely put up with Caroline's need to put up a Christmas tree and she couldn't stand the thought of any more decorations, she wanted to boarding house to reflect her mood and she couldn't do that with all of cheery, sparking items that the blond was known for hanging.

"Damon called and asked me to come stay with you for a few days while he went to take care of something." Elena felt sick to her stomach as she realized that that meant that Damon wouldn't be coming back.

"Where did he go?" Elena knew that she was being a bitch but she didn't care as she demanded an answer from her best friend. Caroline pursed her lips, her hands slipping down onto her hips.

"What do you care?" She sassed, "That man has bent over backwards to try and pull your unhappy ass back from the edge for weeks and you've barely acknowledged him. I don't even like the man and I think you should be treating him better than that." She rolled her eyes, "I mean come on its Damon, but he's doing his damnedest to make things up to you because it's his fault that Stefan left and you can't even acknowledge that all you do is sit there in your 'woe, woe is me, poor little Elena world.'" Turning on her heels Caroline reaching down to grab her bag before quickly disappearing up the stairs, her vampire speed making it so that Elena only had to blink and she was gone. She stood there unable to move in the foyer as she thought about what Caroline had said, the harsh words of her best friend echoing in her head. Had she really been that bad? Closing the door, feeling slightly dejected Elena made her way up the stairs towards Stefan's room and her cell phone. The small electronic device was still plugged into the charger on the nightstand, she didn't carry it often anymore.

Thumbing through her contacts she looked for Damon's name, her thumb hesitating before hitting the call button. The first time it went to voicemail after a dozen rings. The second time- same thing. Finally on the third call it went straight to voicemail after the first ring- the phone had been turned off. Sucking in a shuddering breath she wanted to chuck the phone across the room, but then it was buzzing in her hand, a new message lighting up the screen.

Looking for Stefan-

I'll be home when I have him

Her heart squeezed in her chest as she stared at those words. Damon didn't want Stefan home, she knew that with every fiber of her being and yet he was out there, looking for the one person that he despised all because of her. She swallowed, sitting down on the edge of the bed as his words from the night before kept repeating themselves in her head over and over again.

"When you love someone you do anything for them."

Sucking in a sharp breath her eyes grew wide as she realized what that meant. She had heard Damon say that he loved her before, she had heard it a dozen times before but she always assumed that it was because of Katherine, that it was the resemblance- that if he couldn't have her that Elena would do. She felt horrible, her heart thudding furiously in her chest. If she ever needed proof that Damon loved her then that was it.

Busy right now-

When I have an update I'll let you know.

In that moment while she wanted Stefan home, she wanted Damon home too and she didn't know what that meant for everything anymore.