"Why are all teenagers so loud? Especially the druggies. I'm serious, every single one I encounter doesn't understand the concept of an inside voice."
Suzanne paused for a moment, taking in a very disheveled looking Damon who had just plopped down on the stool next to her at the Springfield Social. They'd seen each other a few times since the first time they'd met, each time either at the diner or here at her favorite bar.
The man hadn't been lying about the amount of booze he could down.
"It's understandable. Gushing, bloody wounds do tend to frighten small town teenagers. Please tell me you didn't pick any off from Springfield. I'll have a ton of foot traffic at the hospital."
Damon rolled his eyes and leaned forward, resting his forearms on top of the wooden bar top and looking every bit the definition of relaxed.
"No, Suze. Your town is safe from big, bad vampires. You can thank me with some bourbon."
Suzanne huffed but let the nickname slide. It was better than "princess" at least.
"I bought your drinks last week. As a 'thank you' for not killing me. Show appreciation, d-bag. I feel like this friendship is very one-sided."
Damon froze. Then a mocking smile took over his face.
"That's what this is? We're friends?"
Punching a vampire on the arm probably wasn't a smart course of action. But he hadn't taken off the hypnotism thing he'd used against her, so at the moment he scared Suzanne about as much as her dog Louie did when he jumped up on her.
"Of course we are. I'm not very good at making them, but I've watched enough Lifetime movies to know that we're buds."
Damon didn't respond right away, but when he called the bartender over and ordered her a double vodka diet Coke – the same drink she'd had last weekend – she knew they were fine.
"So tell me, have you seen any more of Saint Stefan?"
Damon whistled lowly and wagged his eyebrows suggestively at her when he responded, "Oh yeah. Good call about not confronting him yet. Things got juicy. The clone's parents died, and from what I can tell Stefan has started stalking her."
Suzanne immediately felt disgusted. It was horrible that the young girl's family was dead, and she was sure to be incredibly vulnerable. Stefan trying to swoop in and get to know her – maybe even try to get in her pants - was absolutely revolting.
"If he tries anything with a traumatized 15 year old I'm going to track him down and kick his ass."
Damon burst out laughing and by the time he finally quieted their drinks had arrived. He took a large swig of his bourbon and replied.
"Nah, he's not that suave when he's on the Bambi diet. He'll just brood even more than usual."
Suzanne snorted in response but felt relieved at hearing this.
"Ah. Early onset forehead wrinkles? Unfortunate. From what you've told me he seems like a looker."
Damon raised a questioning eyebrow and asked, "What do you mean?"
"Well if your bitchy ex – don't look at me like that, she hurt your feelings so I'm obligated to dislike her – had to have somebody else when she already had you he has to be hot as hell."
Damon opened his mouth to respond, clearly looking pissed off, but she interrupted whatever it was he was going to say when she shivered and said, "Jesus Christ I feel like a child molester talking about the attractiveness of someone seven years younger than me physically."
She took a few gulps of her drink, satisfied when she felt the resulting warmth in her chest. The angry look on his face, probably a result of Suzanne bad mouthing the ex he was clearly still in love with, melted at her statement and turned more pensive.
"He sure doesn't act like a seventeen year old, if that makes you feel any better. I swear it's like he considers himself a goddamn judge. If he wasn't such a white knight he'd have staked me years ago for my reign of terror. A reign of terror that now includes befriending a pedophile."
Suzanne laughed at that and shoved him with nearly all her strength. It was immensely unsatisfying when the vampire barely moved on the barstool. However she quieted and looked at him seriously as he chugged the remains of his drink and ordered another for the both of them.
"In all seriousness, you'll be okay when you finally confront him, right? I'm not going to have to sweep up your ashes one day courtesy of your brother?"
The corner of Damon's mouth twitched up into a genuine smile and Suzanne felt a surge of satisfaction.
"I'll be fine, Suze. He's weak on animal blood and I'd wipe the floor with him in a fight. Your concern is touching."
With a resigned sigh she realized the nickname had stuck. At least it wasn't "Suzy". Her concern hadn't entirely vanished though. She felt strangely protective of the vampire that had inserted himself into her life. Maybe it was the cliché tragic back story or their matching love of leather jackets, but Suzanne was going to see where this friendship took her.
"I know you've been staying with that rich old lady you compelled, but if you ever need a place to crash in the future you can have my pull out couch. Less fancy than you're used to, but I make fantastic French toast."
Damon's eyes widened and he sounded nothing short of incredulous when he said, "I can't tell if you're too nice or just stupid. That would mean an all access pass to your apartment. I could just swing by if I got hungry to eat you, even if your blood does taste gross. You'd be palate cleanser."
Suzanne paused for a moment, weighing her options. She could try to assess what she'd be feeling if he hadn't compelled her fear away, or she could obnoxiously call him on what she was pretty sure was his bluff.
Second option it was.
"Aw, you'd miss my never ending wit, Mr. Salvatore. You're one of my closest friends at this point and I'm pretty sure the same goes for you. It would be uncouth to kill me."
Damon froze before slowly turning to face her. He was squinting and looked her up and down with an unreadable expression on his face. However a moment later a cocky grin took over and he said in a falsely affronted tone, "Why, Suze! Are you trying to seduce me?"
Suzanne groaned but couldn't suppress her own smile as she kicked his shin and rolled her eyes.
"No, you moron. I have a habit of taking in strays."
Their second round arrived, and both of them started drinking once more, the atmosphere becoming much less serious.
It was only when Suze got home hours later that she realized he had never denied that she was one of his closest friends.
Hello, lovelies! To address a few questions I've been getting: This will not be Delena - I truly think that if Damon had someone supporting and caring about him he would not have emotionally latched onto her. Most of this will remain canon, but from an outside perspective of someone who doesn't spend all her time with the teenagers of Mystic Falls, so the events will pass much more quickly with her only moderately involving herself - usually for Damon's sake. Suzanne's face claim is Esther Heesch.
Let me know your thoughts thus far, I'll be taking plot suggestions into account!