A/N Thank you all for reviewing!
"Sunshine."
Damon's croaked greeting was met with a confused smile. He floundered on his feet in his struggle to free himself of Klaus' unrelenting grip around his throat. Caroline groaned her irritation at the pair, shoulders tense and fists clenched by her sides. She looked frantically between Klaus and Damon with wary eyes.
"Hi, Damon."Cherie greeted brightly. Her eyes then narrowed incredulously."Not to sound rude, but why are you here?"
Klaus reluctantly released Damon with a grunt at Cherie's silent request, rolling back his shoulders and smoothing down his jacket with a put-upon sigh at the presence of the Salvatore. He couldn't help but sniff his amusement when Damon rasped for breath, hand shooting up to massage his bruised throat.
"Yes, Damon, please regale us."
Damon cleared his throat with glassy eyes, glaring Klaus with annoyance out of the corner of his eye. His smile broadened into a grin as Cheire regarded him closely.
"Just missed the sunshine, that's all. And I did bring food, see…"He rolled his eyes, dropping his hands by his sides."Well, I left it back at yours. How about we head back and we'll split it?"
He thumbed over his shoulder with a hopeful grin. It elicited an ominous head tilt from Klaus. Caroline caught this and, on instinct, reached for Cherie's arm. Her sister allowed herself to be pulled in close to Caroline, sensing her concern.
"I appreciate food but please, Damon,"Cherie brandished a pointed finger."don't use it to distract me. And you could've missed me until, I don't know, tomorrow. Tomorrow we're going cake tasting, remember?"
"I was, uh, clearing my head and happened to pass by?"Damon tried with a strained, hopeful smile."Does that sound beli—it doesn't sound believable, does it?"
"No, it doesn't."Cherie promptly denied, turning to look at her sister."Caroline?"
Caroline erupted into a stressed exclaim that made no verbal sense. Cherie took it in with furrowed eyebrows, patient in her silence until Caroline began to make sense.
"I told you! I had no choice because he made me tell him."Caroline squeaked out in one breath."And I told you, too! Not this time but the other time. I told you this is this unmeshable!"
"Sorry,"Cherie murmured when Caroline sucked in a breath. She nudged Caroline's chin with her finger until they met eyes."I'm sorry I stressed you out."
"Not you. You're not stressful to me."Caroline gestured wildly at Damon and Klaus."Your taste in men is!"
"I get that. But..."Cherie laughed between her words, crinkling her nose. Her amusement waned as quickly as it came."I'm still sorry. I love you."
Caroline accepted the apology with a small smile but then gestured between the three of them with a frazzled air about her. Cherie reached out to rub her sister's shoulder with a contrite frown.
"And hey! I mesh with everyone. Just look…"He measured himself with a flourish. All complacency drained out of him when he noticed the tense mood."And before Care-Bear here sells me out completely may I just announce to everyone that my intrusion was way less violent than someone breaking down my door and beating the crap outta me?"
Damon's arm thrust out accusingly in Klaus' direction. His blue eyes flooded red briefly when Klaus' own flashed amber. The sight cause Caroline to lead Cherie away just a few steps.
"By someone, I mean your four-legged friend here. Just because he saw me with you."
Caroline and Cherie's identical blue eyes rounded."I'm sorry, what?"
Their eyes turned to Klaus who's eyes were burning hatefully into Damon. His lips tugged up into a tight smile.
"Thank you for that, Damon."
Damon shrugged his shoulders with a feigned apologetic bat of his lashes.
"And he took it upon himself to decide to boot me outta your life."
"Again, thank you for that, Damon."Klaus deadpanned with a resounding snarl. He turned to Cherie with a contrite hand held to his chest."He's intentionally making it sound more uncouth than it was, sweetheart."
Damon huffed out a resounding, unsavory chuckle.
"Oh, I'm reaaalllly not."Damon held up an insistent hand and jabbed a finger at the hybrid."Just ask my brother. He saw everything because he had broken knees and couldn't stand for most of it."
He spat the words over to Klaus with resentment dripping from each one. Klaus welcomed the abhorrence radiating from Damon with pursed lips, goading him with a beckon of his fingers.
When Damon refused to rise to the bait Klaus' smile twisted, only to be softened when Cherie blinked owlishly at him in confusion. His features soon softened, also. Then his tone followed as he attempted to reassure Cherie.
"I simply wanted to let Mr. Salvatore here know just who you're being courted by."
Cherie's lips parted in a gasp and disbelief crossed her face. Horror swiftly flickered after it. Klaus attempted to step closer, words becoming lodged in his throat when he opened his mouth, but he quickly retraced his step with a frustrated breath when Cherie immediately retreated.
"The word is dating, grandad. Get with it, will you?"Damon bemoaned to the moon above them, teeth glinting in the moonlight when a spiteful grin curved at his lips."I'll use it in a sentence, make it crystal clear—tomorrow Damon and Cherie are going on their third date."
Caroline rolled her eyes at Damon's antics, disgusted with the scene unfolding in front of her, just as an incredulous laugh bubbled from Cherie.
"Hold on right there."
Damon's grin froze on his face when Cherie turned her horrified eyes onto him. He floundered where he was stood. Caroline took notice of the grimace that came from Klaus, and witnessed worry flooding his eyes—it was smoothly covered up with his wonted, stony mask in seconds.
"Is this a jealousy thing? Seriously."
Damon held up his hands."Sunshine…"
Damon's throat closed up as if a mighty grip had been crushing his windpipe when Cherie looked at him. The disappointment he found in her eyes left him speechless. He couldn't bear it.
"Let me make this clear, just in case it wasn't already—i'm not together with anybody."Cherie firmly clarified, waving a hand around, lost in her thoughts."I'm dating, yeah. But if I were with somebody I wouldn't be going out places with anyone else. There's nothing wrong with living my life, okay?"
"What she said."Caroline ground out, her wary stare searing into the men standing across from them.
Managing to free herself of Caroline's grip on her arm, Cherie's steps cut down the distance between herself and the two of them. Her hardened expression yielded to the sympathy that was unsettling in her stomach and she observed their own becoming tender at the sight of her, at the display of her tenderness, as natural as it came to her.
"I'm sorry if any of this has reopened old wounds,"She looked from Damon to Klaus then back again apologetically."but there's nothing exclusive going on. I've put up my boundaries. If there was anything more then I would have said something."
Klaus was the first to lower his defences with a shake of his head. He opened his mouth, snapped it shut, and worked his jaw as he willed the correct words to inspire him.
"Nothing to be sorry for, love."He voiced his thoughts aloud. He let himself feel and display his guilt."If anything you're the one who should be apologized to. This has nothing to do with our history, that I can assure you. Well, I can only speak for myself,"
Klaus' smile sharpened at the edges as he looked at the Salvatore."but i'd think Damon agrees."
A chuckle punched out of Damon, low and despairing, lacking any suggestion of jocularity or warmth.
"Well, the wounds are just scabs at this point. But mostly, yeah. You don't make me feel like I'm not worth..."The words refused to be voiced so all Damon could offer was a smile. A sunny smile. Hopeful that she heard him, anyway.
Damon reached out encouragingly in Cherie's direction without any true meaning behind the gesture, just to see if she'd reach back. Any traces of his smile wilted when she recoiled at the sight. Her eyes rounded once again with disbelief and she could do nothing but scoff at the pair of them.
"Well, and I speak for myself, that makes this worse. Because if it's nothing to do with something genuine then…"Cherie shook her head with a humorless laugh."then it's just gross and cruel and—"
"Toxic masculinity at its worst."Caroline helpfully supplied with narrowed eyes, arms folded across her chest.
"Exactly. I'm done for tonight."
Cherie motioned to her sister with an appreciative sniff, irate gaze burning into Klaus and Damon until they couldn't tolerate it and lowered their own eyes. Once their eyes left her, Cherie's face fell and shaky breath fell from her tremulous lips. Her hands hand clasped her forearms as the chill began to eat away at her.
"So I wanna go home,"She exhaled into the night air, her words spoken through gritted teeth."put on my comfiest pajamas, and watch some Friends with my sister."
"I understand. As soon as it's up and running, i'll be glad to take you home, sweet—"
Cherie interjected with a raised hand and a glare. Klaus' lips pressed together tightly and he turned his face from her. She leveled the glare at Damon when he scuffed his feet against the road.
"I'm perfectly fine with my sister. Come on, Caroline. Speed us home?"
"Yep!"Caroline chirped eagerly. She took Cherie's offered hand with a pleased exhale."Ready when you are."
Cherie pushed past Klaus and Damon with a sigh, pulling Caroline along behind her with a protective hand joined with hers. Klaus and Damon began to tread on their heels, her name on the tips of their tongues, only to come to a sharp stop when Cherie whirled around wielding her pointer finger.
"I'll expect an apology text for this machismo crap by tomorrow because I do not want to see either of you until I say so."
They nodded their heads at the same time. Cherie's blue eyes, pupils blown wide with fury, darted between them.
"Of course, sweetheart."
"You can count on it, sunshine."
Their replies were lost in the air as Caroline blurred away with Cherie in a flash, leaving their words unheard in the darkness.
I am so sorry for the wait.
If you read some of my most recently updated fics then you know that writer's block has just totally ruined any inspiration i have. But I hope that it doesn't ruin any enjoyment you get out of it.
I hope this update was okay, please let me know if you enjoyed it. Reviews make me really happy, you have no idea.