Suzanne was squinting down at her phone, occasionally throwing it onto the couch and trying to avoid it before inevitably picking it back up. Finally, she hopped backwards so she was entirely splayed out across the cushions.

She shouldn't feel weird about it. Really, she shouldn't, even though she was making a huge change in her life and it felt kind of weird not to tell Nik about it. Especially when it was a decision that was sort of a huge deal. But – she was Suzanne fucking Sinclair, she didn't need permission from any girlfriend or boyfriend to do things.

The random men in her apartment that were compelled to be packing up her things into boxes were silent, and Suzanne had admittedly been using them occasionally to ramble out loud to for the sake of pretending she was having a conversation and they were affirming her life decisions.

Damon striding into her apartment broke her out of her confused thoughts, and after looking her over for barely a second, he snorted. Walking over to the couch, he picked up her feet before sitting down and letting them fall back into his lap.

"You still haven't told Nik, have you?"

Suzanne tried not to pout, but Damon was supposed to be on her side, not laughing at her avoidance and flaky tendencies.

"No."

Damon sighed in response and relaxed further into the cushions, tapping out a random beat against Suzanne's shins.

"It's up to you. Feel free to dig the grave of your relationship, I'll be sure to toast the crash and burn and laugh at your inability to function like a person."

Suzanne felt a spike of anger - god, he was such an asshole - but tried to push it down when she admitted that her best friend did have a point.

"I know, okay? But – fuck. I shouldn't need his approval for shit like this, you know?"

Damon hummed in response, something Suzanne had no idea how to interpret, but he kept a fairly even tone when he answered her unspoken questions.

"He'll be more pissed that you didn't tell him until the last minute, though. You two are gross, it's like you have middle school crushes on each other."

Suzanne let out a sigh and sunk further into the couch, not really wanting to answer just yet. A minute or two of silence passed that was only disturbed by the hypnotized guys packing away her stuff and her dogs barking and trying to play with said workers. But when one of the guys took something out of a cabinet below her TV and walked in front of them with it, Damon broke the quiet atmosphere.

With a voice that was equally baffled and completely judgmental, Damon spoke in what was phrased as a question, but was clearly a statement.

"Suze. Please tell me you don't have VCR. I need to hear that you haven't had a VCR the entire time I've known you."

Suzanne didn't want to answer him. So instead she grabbed one of the pillows that had been under her head and instead shoved it over her face.

"On a scale from, 'you sometimes make important phone calls without crying' to 'you have a steady job, a picket fence, and 2.5 kids' you are pretty much the worst adult I've met in decades. You're below the scale. You are a toddler who –"

Suzanne finally cut him off smacking him across the face with a pillow and saying in what she knew was an incredibly defensive tone, "All of my fucking Disney movies are VCR tapes. I don't see the point of buying new copies on DVD."

Damon snorted but remained silent. When he spoke again, it was in a voice more serious than he had used in their conversation thus far.

"You have to tell him. I won't - the dude seems like he could hire a fucking assassin - but you have to."

Suzanne groaned childishly, but sat up to face Damon.

"You said he was already weird about us last month in North Carolina, right? Nik is totally going to take this the wrong way or be annoying."

"You don't know that."

Entirely grumpy and knowing that if she waited any longer she'd back out, Suzanne picked up her phone and scrolled down to Nik's contact information. Just before pressing the call button, she narrowed her eyes at Damon and said, "If he breaks up with me right now I fully expect you to be the shoulder I cry on."

Leaning back nonchalantly, Damon shrugged before saying, "As long as you let me change into a cheaper shirt, I'm your man for the job."

When Nik picked up after only two rings, Suzanne felt a surge of nausea. She hadn't cared about someone this much romantically - maybe ever. But -

Fuck it.

"Hello, love. What are you up to?"

"Damon and I are moving in together in a house in Springfield. There's a yard for my dogs and Damon can get away from the weird family drama he's trying to stay out of."

That... might not have been the most graceful way to break the news.

Damon had to physically cover his mouth with his palm to keep from bursting into laughter. After speaking Suze's face had shifted into the baffled expression that was usually followed by something like 'why the hell did I just do that' although since she was on the phone with Nik she refrained.

"Hm. Was it a good investment?"

Damon was actually a little baffled by the nonchalance in Nik's voice and he could see Suze was as well. Deciding to simply listen in on the conversation, he settled into the couch. Suze, realizing what he intended, shot him an annoyed look but continued the conversation in front of him.

Besides, she probably guessed that if she tried to stand up and walk into out of the apartment for privacy he would pin her to the couch.

"It - yeah, actually. It was. And I'm really excited about it. How... what are your thoughts?"

Damon could hear Nik making a contemplative noise, and remembered suddenly the last serious conversation he'd had with the man. It had seemed like they were on good terms. Damon knew how much Suze liked this guy. To be honest, he was a little worried for her. She wasn't very good at expressing herself and Damon really didn't want this to end badly. He liked Nik. And for him to approve of a guy - obviously not good enough for Suze, but close - was kind of a big deal.

Nik's response, however, made his respect and liking of the guy double.

"Well I'm concerned for both of your blood pressure since you'll likely kill each other. I hope it works out, though. I have to go, but we can chat later."

A wide, relieved smile covered Suze's face and Damon knew that a smirk probably mirrored hers.

"Alright, talk to you soon. Mr. Salvatore and I have to continue packing."

"...Salvatore?"

Hello loves, I know this chapter is a bit shorter than usual, but the following one diverges a bit and to add on the beginning would seem a little awkward. Let me know what you think of characterization, plot, my OC thus far! Happy belated holidays!