𝑪𝒍𝒖𝒕𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒅 𝑯𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒕𝒔

Griomiores and Trust

I was helping Jenna and Elena clean up after dinner. It wasn't as uncomfortable as I thought it would be.

You know, aside from the glances from Damon, side-eyes from Elena and the occasional scoffs from Jeremy when Aunt Jenna said something he didn't like.

Other than that, Damon actually managed to keep up a conversation. Asking Jenna what she does for work, asking Elena about school. Of course, all her answers came with a hidden attitude towards him.

Now, he's sitting on the couch playing video games with my little brother. I empty the dishwasher, handing clean plates to Jenna for her to dry, while Elena puts them away. We always make a one person job require three people.

"He is ridiculously hot." Jenna whispers, but knowing Damon's super hearing, he heard her.

Elena quickly shushes her. "He's an ass."

I can't help but giggle to myself and we move onto another conversation. Once the dishwasher is empty, Elena moves on to hopefully find something related to our birth parents in the boxes of our parents closet. I, not having any interest to find out who they are, join Jer and Damon in the living room, watching their little video game.

After a little while, the doorbell rings. I glance over the couch to see Elena still talking to Jenna so I get up to answer it. Damon follows me and Jer calls after him.

Opening the door, Stefan stands on the other side. He must have been expecting Elena to answer, or at least, one of us without the presence of his brother. But his eyes switch back and fourth between the both of us.

Elena quickly joins us in the threshold of the door, "What did you find out?" She asks.

Stefan fills us in on how the journal is gone. He couldn't find it. No leads.

"Who took it?" Damon asks as we round the front porch, out of earshot.

"I don't know." Stefan answers.

"It's that teacher. There something really off about him." Damon states, clearly suspicious from the start.

Stefan crosses his arms. "No. He doesn't know anything. Somebody got to it right before me."

"Who else knew it was there?" Damon instantly asks.

Stefan instinctively glances through the open blinds and straight at Jeremy. Of course. Damon follows his line of sight and as soon as he takes a determined step forward I try to stop him.

"No, Damon, leave him out of it." I say as more of a groan. I know he won't listen to me but I was kinda hoping on that fifty fifty chance.

He walks back into the house and straight towards Jeremy. Elena, Stefan and I not far behind him.

"So," Damon begins as casually as he can muster, sitting on the arm of the couch. "I heard you found a really cool journal from back in the day. Who else did you show it to?"

"Huh?" Jer asks distantly, immersed in the game. His eyes haven't left the living room tv once.

"Don't ask questions. Just spill." I cross my arms over my chest, ready to get defensive.

If you couldn't tell, Jeremy is my little bear. My baby brother. The only other person aside from Elena that I would do anything for. Jenna of course is included, that goes without saying. But Jeremy specifically has a special place in my heart.