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Chapter 06: P.S. We are not dating

ELENA POV

Would you believe me if I told you Damon redecorated a room for me to move in? Because he did. I thought the Apollo 11 keychain had been the kindest welcoming gift he could've got me, then, after Lilian left, he took me to show my new bedroom, and holy shit, it was incredible.

It held the perfect balance of a girly grown-up woman's room. He painted it all in a cold palette of white and purple, which matched the lilas blankets in the bed. This particular wall was covered with posters of my favourite tv shows and movies (yes, he added a Twilight one just to tease me), along with concert tickets and medicine stickers. There was this white wooden-made window seat that reminded me so much of my childhood bedroom. In one of the corners, a white writing desk was equipped with a new macbook, pencils and enough space for me to work on my thesis. Above, in the mirror, there were a bunch of pictures, mixing me and Jeremy, me and Damon, me, Kol and Bonnie.

And I just couldn't begin to put in words how perfect it was, how much I had adored it. Because it was so… me. I'm serious. Not even the old one at my old loft seemed to be made just as perfectly for me as this was. It warmed my heart the second he opened the door and my lips said a very astonished "Oh my god!"

My mouth was still agape when I turned to a smiling Damon who was watching me from the door. — So… — He walks towards me looking quite insecure. — Did you like it?

I shake my head in disbelief. — Are you kidding me? It's perfect!

— I know I should've asked you first. — He pouts, burying his hands into the pockets of his dark jeans and giving me an apologetic shrug. — But you would have said "no".

— Yeah. — I agree, sighing as it hit me the money this whole thing probably cost. Yes, I know he's rich enough to the point that it doesn't make that much of a difference, but I… I don't know, actually, because I let Kol give me expensive dresses all the time, but everything always seems to be more amplified when Damon's concerned. — This is too much.

He raises his eyebrows hopefully. — But…?

I laugh. — But I loved it so much that I can't even be mad at you. — I gently punch his chest before hugging him. He puts his arms around me and of course it feels right, as it always does. — You spoil me too much, Damon. — I tell him as I drift apart.

— You better get used to it now that we're living together. — He winks.

I let go of his arms to look around the room, my perfect new bedroom. And it's not just the money he spent that is too much, it's not even that, it goes beyond. Because I can only imagine the time he spent thinking about all these details, buying the furniture, painting the walls since I know he never trusted anyone to touch his house, printing the pictures to decorate the mirror… He did it all to me. And I have no idea what I ever did to deserve such a good friend.

Damon's hands rest on my back as he looks at me kindly. — I wanted you to have something that looked like you. — He gestures to the Edward Cullen poster and I roll my eyes. — I wanted you to feel like this can be your home too.

And I'm hugging him again. This time, resting my head in his chest while his hands are caressing my hair. — I loved it, Damon. It's beyond perfect. And it is very me because you know me that well. But… — I look up to his confusing baby blue eyes, speaking the next words as softly and gently as they need to be spoken. — It feels like home because of you. Because I will be living with you.

He smiles, not taking the opportunity to give me a teasing reply, though. Instead, he kisses my forehead, taking his time as his lips press against my skin, then he pulls me into another hug.

And… The doorbell rings.

Damon groans loudly. — Ugh. It's bad enough that we both need to work on your first day here, do people need to keep showing up?

— How late are you? — I squinted my eyes at him because not only did we take Jeremy to the airport, but we also had breakfast with his mother and spent another hour at my new beautiful bedroom. Yes, I will keep using adjectives along with the word, try to stop me.

He answers really, really slowly which only confirms my theories. — I kind of needed to be at the Grill an hour ago.

— Damon!

— What, it was my mother and you. How could I leave the two women of my life?

I smile. — Fine. Go change then, or whatever you need to do. — Noticing I haven't let go of him yet, I take a step back doing just that. — I will get the door.

Of course, Damon follows me. I swear to you that boy just can't help himself and his curiosity. Or, maybe, just maybe, he wants to see another shocking face staring at us while I reveal that I'm also living here now. Oh, and when I complain about him already being too damn late? He takes off his freaking shirt and throws it to the floor, arguing that he is, at least, undressing himself to the shower.

I roll my eyes. — Funny, but you already took a bath when your mother told you to, remember?

My hands go to the doorknob, and, when I do open, a very puzzled Stefan Salvatore is staring at me. — Hi. — I say shyly, letting him come inside to the sight of his shirtless brother standing in the living room with the bottoms of his jeans open. Great.

— Uh… — Stefan frowns, looking even more broody than usual. — I… — He turns to me. — I didn't know you were… hanging.

Damon has a smug smirk that I would like to punch out of his pretty face, if I wasn't already too busy turning into a tomato because it's his brother, his very serious self-righteous brother, so it's still a bit awkward, ok? — Actually, I'm… — I plead for my roommate to explain to him since I seem to be incapable of forming words.

He laughs, but saves the day. — You know, Lainey, I should probably give you a "I'm living with Damon" t-shirt to make things easier. — And when Stefan's eyes widen, he adds. — With a "P.S. We are not dating" right below.

Stefan opens his mouth a few times, finally setting up with. — It's fine, it's not my business.

— Touché.

— Damon's just being a jerk. — I tell him, ignoring the hurt faked expression on my best friend's face. — Do you want to drink anything? Your brother is late, so…

Damon interferes, coming closer and putting both of his hands on my shoulders. — Ah-ah. Stefan knows the place. — And then he's taking me away from the living room! Seriously?!

— But… — I try to protest.

— You're late too, Elena. So we are both taking a shower, changing clothes and all, getting ready, while baby bro steals my beer, 'kay? — His head goes to where Stefan is standing, even more confused, and he shouts in clarification. — We're not doing all things together, though!

— Damon!

And he is laughing.

Eventually, we left the apartment.

Damon insists on driving me to work, because "Elena. I own the place. I'm sure my boss won't mind my lateness." And I can't really argue with that, can I? Besides, I don't own the hospital and my boss will certainly be pissed if I'm not there to look after my interns, so I could use the ride. And when Bonnie narrows her eyes at the view of my best friends dropping me at the front of the New York Presbyterian, listening not so secretly to our brief small talk, I'm actually considering the t-shirt to be a good idea.

I gave her a look. — I will explain later, ok? We are already screwed right now, so let's just go.

By the way, and I can't believe I'm saying this, but it's our first day at work without Kol and I'm already missing him. Most of the time, Bonnie is on another floor since she's always chasing a heart to fix, meaning that my Original boy was the one who kept running around with me. Plus, he always knew exactly what to say to light my mood. Not that I need it today, I'm very much relaxed and happy thanks to Damon and the surprised redecorated bedroom he gave me. God, I really can't shut up about it, can I?

Anyway, this gives me plenty of time to bond some more with my interns. You have already met Tyler, so let me introduce you to the others: a shy cute girl named April, Liv and her twin brother Luke, and to top all that, a crazy dude that goes by Kai. They are a weird team, to be honest, but they are good kids and really good doctors, so it works for me. And no, it doesn't matter if they are not much younger than I am, our interns will always be like our children. Even if I need to stop Kai from smiling eagerly when I'm talking about the terrible wounds of my patients in front of the said disease and dying patients! What did I tell you? Children.

At our break, I head off to the cafeteria to grab a snack with Bonnie. And, of course, at the moment we sit at the table, she's already asking. — Now, please, do tell.

I take the nonchalantly path. — It's not like it's the first time he brings me to work. — And take a bite of a green apple, thankful for the fact I had a divine breakfast since I will spend the day relying on this awful hospital food that, spoiler alert, it tastes just as bad to the doctors.

— Yeah, except that it is Monday. And he told you to text him when you leave so he can pick you up and drive you to, and I quote, "our home."

Wow, she did listen and memorize every word he used. Jesus.

I sigh. — I moved into his place.

— You did what?!

— It's not a big deal, ok? — I'm using a tiresome voice because I really don't know why everyone is acting so surprised. — Jeremy moved to Paris, I needed a roommate, he suggested for me to move in, so I did. No big deal.

Bonnie doesn't say anything, and believe me when I say I would much rather have her spilling out everything. Even if I don't know what she could have to spill out in the first place, because her quietness is never a good sign. So I sigh again, deeper this time, feeling the need to explain myself and already preparing the speech that I will probably be compelled to repeat it to someone else at some point.

Then I give up, saving for later because Bonnie knows me well enough, so just one sentence, this one sentence, will certainly do. — He's my best friend, Bonnie. — I shrug, giving her my best fake worried-expression, because I'm not worried at all if I made the right decision, this morning just proved it that it was the right one. — Is it really such a bad idea?

She sighs too. — No. It's just… Well, it's Damon.

— Exactly. It's Damon. There isn't anyone more perfect to share a place with me and you know it. — And I'm definitely acquiring my best friend impatience's habits too.

She raised her hands in defeat. — Fine. I will drop it. How's your research going, then? Did Jeremy get to France okay?

I tell her that Jeremy sent me a text before turning off the cell phone on the plane and that I won't know more until a few hours because it takes seven to fly from New York to Paris. And Shane loved the last draft I e-mailed him, which means I'm ready to begin writing the third chapter of my thesis that Damon is helping me with.

And, about her new gossips: she will assist on a heart surgery later — it even made her clap her hands, I'm not joking; but one of her interns made a mess bursting a old lady vein which made her really, really angry; and her grandmother is insisting on meeting Enzo, but she doesn't know how he will feel about it.

— Please, do you really think Enzo would miss the chance to win your grandmother's heart with his hot British accent?

She laughs. — Yeah, but grandma will make him work harder than that.

— Like you did? — I tease.

But she just drinks her coffee, looking at me innocently, which it's enough of an answer.

Exactly forty minutes before the end of my shift, Liv paiges me to the emergency room. Apparently a kid was bought from the local orphanage with shortness of breath. Our main pediatrician of the day is performing a surgery, so my interns were sent to call me. And when I open the door of the room Luke had quickly taken the patient to, I'm very thankful for being the one doing this because the adult accompanying him is none other than my roommate.

He's sitting in the bed with a little boy that I instantly recognize as the new patient he's treating, the one from the news; and he turns to me as Liv opens the door. — Damon. — I say, getting closer, suddenly worried due to his frightened expression. — What happened?

— I was at the Grill when I got a call from the orphanage. They told me he wasn't feeling well since the morning, and when I got there he started having breathing issues. — He looked briefly at the boy, then back to me. — Honestly, it only stopped in the car drive to here, but I thought it was better to come anyway.

I nod, turning my attention to the grey eyes of the boy in front of me. — Hi, Adam. — He turns to Damon who gives him a reassuring smile. My best friend's big hands push back the blonde curls from the kid's sweaty forehead.

— She's a good doctor, I promise. — Damon says.

— She's pretty. — Adam looks at me with a smile and Damon chuckles.

Adam seems a bit more tired than he supposed to be and he certainly needs a shower or something to freshen him up, but other than that he seems just fine. I look at Luke. — Can you grab him a glass of water? — And when Damon frowns, I explain. — He's too hot.

— I will buy him ice cream later. Right, Adam? — Damon winks at the boy.

With my hands on the edge of my stethoscope, I ask Adam. — Can I take a look on you now?

He agrees. I take the stethoscope off my neck, plugging in my ears and positioning in his heart, his chest and his back, while Damon is watching it all with concern. It doesn't take much for me to know what's wrong. I had my suspicions at the moment I got the description of the attack he had at the orphanage, and now the buzzing coming from a very heavy wheezing chest confirms it. I let the stethoscope drop on my nape. — He's asthamic.

Damon sighs in relief, ruffling Adam's curls with a smile. — You're okay, Spider-boy.

— Did you give him a nickname already?

He shrugs. — What, he likes Peter Parker, doesn't he?

I smile at a happy Adam who's nodding in response, then I ask Damon. — Didn't anyone tell you about it? Or, at least to the ladies at the orphanage?

— Nah, I suppose they didn't know.

— Alright, I will prescribe him inhaled corticosteroids. — I look at Adam who is staring at me with the cutest heart eyes ever and I'm sure I just won the lottery because he's adorable with those grey pools. — You can use it whenever you feel like it's getting hard to breathe, okay?

He nods again. — Thanks, pretty doctor.

And I can't help my smile. How unfair is it that this boy had been through so much already? If seeing the news hurt my heart, actually meeting him in person and knowing how lovely he is just makes it worse. I'm glad Damon is the one looking after him, though.

— And you can call me Elena. — I say.

Damon squints his eyes at me. — Can he still eat the ice cream, right?

— Of course. That is just a myth.

I look at my watch, noticing that my shift will end in two minutes, then I watch as Damon climbs the boy out of the bed and fixes his clothes and hair, sooo… why not, right?

— In fact, — I stand up from the mattress, too. — If you boys wait for me, maybe I can join and eat ice cream as well… — Adam's eyes widened, but I still joined my hands together in a pleading gesture. — Would you let me come? I really like the vanilla one.

Adam grins at Damon. — Best doctor ever.

— I will go change at the dressing room, then I meet you at the entrance in ten?

Damon agrees, putting his hand on Adam's shoulders, just as he did with me this morning, and the two walk out of the room. I can still hear a bit of the conversation before they turn around the corridor. — I didn't know doctors could go out with us like this.

— She's just in love with your grey eyes. — Damon tells him. Yeap, he knows me way too much. — And with mine too. Plus, she's my roommate.

— Do you live with her?!

Damon puffs. — Still can't believe I'm that lucky.

— Is she still single, though?

Damon cracks in laughter, and I can see his head going backwards even though they are out of sight, and also out of my hearing now.

I glanced at Luke and Liv with a sigh. — Thank you for calling me. You both did great today. — And it is true because she saved an elderly woman from having a heart attack in the emergency and he made the same old lady melt with his caring persona. — Tell Kai and Tyler they're free. You are both with Bonnie tomorrow, we are trading it. See you guys after that, then!

The prettiest eyes of New York City were waiting for me outside the hospital. Damon told us he wanted to go to the Grill so he could make a homemade ice cream, but since it's too crowded the guy at City Hall Park who sells it would have to do it.

Adam's eyes grow bigger. — Do you know how to make them?

— He's the best chef I know. — I say.

Damon smiles, but soon he is on his knees so he could speak with the boy eye to eye. — Let's make a deal. If you let me choose the game we're playing in the next session, then I'm taking a huge one for you. How does that sound?

— It works for me. — Adam says wisely.

And, when we are sitting on a wooden bench with vanilla, strawberry and chocolate mustaches, a knowing face pops up. Stefan Salvatore is looking puzzled at us for the second time this day.

He opens his mouth a few times before finally finding the words. I feel like I'm having a deja vu all over again. — Please tell me there's a "P.S. We didn't adopt a child" on that shirt too.

But this time I'm the one laughing. — Hi, Stefan. Do you want ice cream?

Damon grins. — Adam, meet Stefan, my baby brother. Stef, meet Adam, my favorite patient and Elena's patient for today.

— And spider-boy. — Adam adds, giving me a cute pout. — Can I have another?

— Hey! — Damon complains as his brother asks for two more, gesturing to the ice cream guy. — I'm the one paying for them!

Adam shrugs. — Yeah, but Elena is my doctor for the day, your words.

— I… — He trails off just as astonished as I with the kid's cleverness. Throwing his hands in the air and declaring his defeat, he hands another ten dollars to the man who is giving both Stefan and Adam their dessert.

My hands go up. — I will have another one, too.

Damon groans, rolling his eyes. — Unbelievable.

But he still pays and with a smile on his lips.

The darkness of the night arrives too quickly for our own liking, which means that three ice creams later for Adam, two for Stefan and one more for me, the fun is sadly over and Damon is driving Adam back to the orphanage. I can't help the sadness that it hits me when he hugs me goodbye before following the lady that met us at the door.

Damon notices my tears and gently wipes them off my cheeks with his thumbs. — He had a nice day, don't worry.

— It doesn't change the fact that his pile of bad things is huge. — He opens his arms at me and I gratefully accept the hug. — Bigger than it should be allowed.

— We added something to his pile of good things today. — He tells me, sighing. — It won't soften the bad things, but it doesn't mean that the bad will spoil the good either.

I take a deep, deep breath, wrapping my arms around his waist. — I know.

And I think about the texts Jeremy sent me while we were at the park, to tell me he was safe and well in Paris, promising he would check in with me to call on the next day. I think about the picture of a bottle of whiskey that Kol shared with me, just two seconds later sending the full print of his instagram revealing it was an old one from last month and he was just trying to piss me off. "Jer is boringly sober" written on the subtitle of it. I think about Adam cleaning the vanilla from my chin with his small fingers while Damon laughed teasingly. I think about the beautiful bedroom that is waiting for me at my roommates' place, at our place.

I think about Damon and how tightly he's hugging me. — You know… — I told him. — You add something to my pile of good things every day.

— And you are my entire pile of good things, Lainey. — He says sincerely. And with a cozy warm feeling in my chest, I realize that, at this moment, I love him more than I ever should.

He's not just my best friend, or the guy who spends his nights helping me with my thesis, or the dork who dances my favorite ballads even though he hates them, or the caring roommate who gives me a redecorated bedroom. He's the boy who is giving me goosebumps, whose eyes are darkening brightly at the moonlight, whose raven hair feels soft between my fingers and whose arms are holding me like they were made for it. He's more, so much more. And it's terrifying me completely like nothing ever did, but the consuming it's speaking louder, and in this moment I loved him more, in this moment, I loved him louder, too.

She's finally realizing her feelings go beyond friendship, huh?

But, remember, it's Elena, she loved him on s3 and only admitted for real on s4, so her growing love will still burn slowly. Plus, she's just as scared as he is!

And yes, Adam will appear in the future too! He's much more outgoing on this one than in his last appointment with Damon; but it's only because he's shutting down his traumas 'cause it's too damn difficult for him to face them at the moment. It's his coping mechanism, but Damon will break through his barriers.

Anyway, it's kind of my birthday today so I'll totally use this to blackmail you all to leave a comment ;)

Have a nice week!