Elena couldn't remember the last time she'd been for a real walk. She usually never had the time for it but she was finding this particular walk rather enjoyable. Damon was pushing the pram and he was filling her in on his life story. He had a younger brother, Stefan, who was away in North Carolina playing college basketball. They weren't close but still caught up at the holidays. Their parents were both dead and from a young age Damon had become independent. Elena wasn't that surprised to find that Damon used to be in a band, nothing major just playing local clubs and bars until the band split when he went off to college. He just oozed that sexy rocker vibe.
They rounded the corner and walked into the park. There were several kids playing in one corner but none of them were around the swings because they were currently being used by a group of teenagers.
Elena lifted Jenny from her push chair "Let's go down the slide!"
Damon smiled
"Wait, she might be too small for that, what do you think?" Elena asked
"I think you might just have to get on with her." Damon grinned
"What? No!" Elena protested, looking around "There are far too many people around."
"Oh come on." Damon smiled "Live a little."
"Fine." Elena said not wanting to lose face. She handed the baby to Damon and climbed the ladder up the slide, she sat down and Damon reached Jenny onto her knee.
"Come on Jenny!" Damon said sitting on his hunkers at the bottom of the slide. Elena pushed herself off the top and together they slid down.
"Yay!" Elena couldn't help but say as she slid down and Damon stopped them at the bottom. Jenny giggled.
"See are you telling me you didn't enjoy that?" Damon grinned
Elena bit her lip before she answered "I might have enjoyed that."
"Told you." Damon gloated "Haha, your hair has gone static from the slide. "
"Oh no." Elena laughed trying to flatten her hair.
"Here. Let me." Damon gently stroked her hair but then they jumped apart.
"Ouch!" Damon said
"Ahh." Elena called at the same time as she jumped "Did you feel that?"
"I did. You shocked me." Damon laughed, but Jenny began to cry
"Aww, did we scare you baby?" Damon said gently as Jenny sobbed
"It's okay." Elena said rocking her
"I think we should go on the swings to cheer up." Damon said
"Oh, I dunno, I think those kids are using them." Elena said
"It's okay, I'll ask them to move." Damon said
"Are you sure? It doesn't matter."
"It's fine." Damon said walking towards the swing set.
Elena lingered by the slide but and strained to hear.
"Hey would you mind moving off the kiddie swings guys? We have a baby here who needs a turn." Damon said
The three guys and one girl didn't move. "We were here first."
"Yeah, I can see that. But there are plenty of kids here and no one can get a turn." Damon went on
"Are you going to make us move?" one of the guys said in what sounded like a threat
"If I have to." Damon said coolly
"Can you believe this guy?" one of the boys said to another
"Listen buddy, you have ten seconds to move. My kid wants a turn on the swing and she'll be getting on whether I have to kick your ass off the swing or not." Damon said in a dead voice
The girl stood up and walked off, and two of the boys followed her. One however stood up but squared up to Damon who looked completely calm.
"Ten…" Damon began counting aloud " Nine. Eight. Seven…"
"You're not going to do anything." The boy spat
"I'm at seven, stay around and find out what happens at one." Damon laughed "SIX. Five…four…"
The last boy finally moved off and walked away.
"Wow. Your husband is really something." A lady said to Elena "My kid has been waiting for an hour to get on the swing."
"Oh he's not…" Elena began but the woman cut across her "Come on amy, the swings are free!"
Damon walked over and took Jenny from Elena. "Let's go on the swing!"
Elena pushed Jenny gently on the swing.
"That's cute. Give me your phone, I'll take a picture." Damon said
"Thanks." Elena smiled handing it to him.
Damon took the picture. "That's a good one." He smiled
The woman from before was at the next swing. "Let me take one of the three of you?" she offered
"Sure." Elena said
"Okay, cool." Damon handed her the phone and walked to Elena. The both crouched down at either side of the swing.
"Put your arms around each other." The woman instructed
Elena looked at Damon but he was already putting his arm around her and pulling her closer.
"That's beautiful." The woman said "That's a picture for the front of the fridge."
Elena retrieved the phone and thanked her.
"Shall we make a move?" Elena asked "We could go to the store and pick up something for dinner?"
"Sure. Why don't I cook? I make a mean spagbol."
"With cheese?" Elena asked
"Of course!" Damon replied as if she was crazy
"Sounds perfect." Elena smiled
"If I eat another bite I might actually burst" Elena said as she stretched
"Me too." Damon agreed.
They were sitting out on Elena's balcony. Jenny was asleep inside and they were discussing Elena's job over dinner.
"Thank you for that. It was delicious." Elena said
"Thank you for having me." Damon nodded in her direction
"Would it be really unprofessional of me to ask you to stay for some more drinks?" Elena said
"Probably." Damon said "but I'd like to."
Elena's stomach flipped again for the tenth time today. "I'm afraid I've only got red wine."
"What kind?" Damon asked
"Merlot." Elena said "I think"
"Sounds good." Damon nodded
Elena retrieved the bottle and some glasses while Damon cleared the table he went back to the balcony while Elena checked on the baby.
"She's flat out." Elena said as she returned
"She had a busy day." Damon said
Elena poured the wine.
"This is good." Damon said after a sip "I like it better than white wine."
"Me too. " Elena agreed "it's funny cause Matt, that's Jenny's Dad, he hated wine."
There was a few moments of silence
"Does Jenny see her dad?" Damon asked quietly
"No." Elena admitted, "he only saw her once. I get the odd drunken text but he's young, he's busy living the celebrity life…"
"He's a celeb?" Damon said sitting up. "No way."
Elena blushed "Well it depends on what you consider a celebrity. His names Matt Donavan…?"
"Matt Donavan is your ex…Jenny's dad?" Damon choked "Wow, didn't see that coming."
"You're a fan?" Elena grimaced
"Not really. I don't really follow baseball but sometimes the game is on in the bar I work. I've seen his under wear advert… and the fragrance one."
"Yep." Elena sighed "That's Matt."
"He seems like a douche." Damon said "No offence."
"He is." Elena said flatly. Then without meaning to she told Damon everything about Matt, how they'd met, the accidental pregnancy. How they tried to be a couple for a month but then she found out he's been cheating on her…
"I can't believe he did that to you." Damon said angrily
"He's a lot younger than me." Elena said waving her hand dismissively "it was to be expected."
"I wouldn't do that to you." Damon said quietly
"That's because you're a good guy, Damon." Elena said looking him in the eye
"You're too good for him anyway." Damon said seriously placing his hand over hers.
Elena looked down at their hands.
"I should go. It's getting late." Damon said moving his hand away
"Okay, if you're sure." Elena replied setting her glass down
"I'll see you in the morning." Damon said
"Thanks for today, it was really great." Elena said seriously
"It was my pleasure. I just want to get to know you and you to know me. I really want this to work out, I already adore jenny and I'm looking forward to working for you." Damon said
"I'm looking forward to us working together." Elena said kindly.
Damon smiled and then she showed him out.