Vampire Diaries Imagines

You Belong - Damon Salvatore

The evening was quiet, the sort of serenity that Y/N had always cherished. The dim light of the small studio she'd set up in what used to be her dad's office cast shadows over her latest canvas-a sweeping landscape with vivid colors that seemed to bleed off the page. Every stroke of her brush was intentional, every color carefully blended until it felt alive.

"Are you ever going to come up for air?" came a familiar, teasing voice behind her.

Y/N smiled but didn't look away from her work. "You're early."

Damon leaned against the doorway, a half-empty glass of bourbon in hand and that trademark smirk plastered on his face. He watched her for a moment, taking in the focused crease in her brow, the faint smudge of paint on her cheek. She looked so different from the whirlwind social circles he often found himself in. And he loved it.

"I had to escape the party. Too many people. Too much noise," he drawled, stepping into the room.

Y/N finally turned to face him, setting down her brush. "You? Avoiding a party? That doesn't sound like the Damon I know."

He shrugged, walking over to her, his movements fluid and deliberate. "Maybe the Damon you know has changed for the better and would much rather spend his night here with his wonderful girlfriend than out galavanting with other much less interesting people." He gestured toward her canvas. "So, what masterpiece is this?"

Her cheeks flushed faintly, but she turned the canvas toward him. "It's nothing special. Just... something I saw in my head while walking in the cemetery the other day. I couldn't get it out of my mind so it was canvas here I come." she explained with a slight giggle that always seemed to make his heart warm at the sound.

Damon tilted his head, studying the piece with genuine interest. "Nothing special? Y/N/N, this is incredible. You could put half the Louvre to shame."

She rolled her eyes, but a small smile tugged at her lips. "You're exaggerating."

"I'm not." He set his glass down on her desk, his hands finding her waist as he pulled her closer. "You're amazing, you know that?"

Y/N's smile faltered for a moment. "I don't always feel amazing," she admitted quietly. "I'm... different. Everyone else is out there, living their lives, and I'm here, painting or cooking or at the precinct with my mom. It's not exactly exciting."

Damon frowned, tilting her chin up so she was looking at him. His blue eyes softened, a rare vulnerability flickering in them. "Y/N, listen to me. You're not different. You're you. And that's better than anything else anybody in this town has to offer."

Her gaze searched his, doubt lingering in her expression. "I just feel out of place sometimes. Like I don't belong."

"You belong more than you will ever know," he said without hesitation, his voice firm. "You don't need to party or pretend to be someone you're not. I love you because you're real. Because you'd rather make some insane meal in the kitchen than eat a greasy burger at the Grill. Because you see the world in colors and stories, not just black and white. Don't ever think for a second that you're not enough."

Her throat tightened, and she swallowed hard. "You really mean that?"

"Have I ever lied to you?" he asked, his smirk returning as he leaned in closer. "Okay, maybe I have a time or two. But not about this."

Y/N laughed softly, the tension in her shoulders easing. "You have a way with words, Salvatore."

"I have a way with you," he countered, brushing a strand of hair from her face. "Now, what do you say we stay in? You can paint, I'll watch with dramatic enthusiasm in the corner-it'll be perfect."

She laughed again, shaking her head. "You're ridiculous."

"And you love it," he teased, pressing a quick kiss to her forehead before grabbing his bourbon and settling into the armchair across the room. "Go on, keep painting. I'll be here."

Y/N picked up her brush again, her heart lighter than it had been in days. She wasn't like everyone else, and that was okay. Because Damon loved her just the way she was. And for the first time in a long time, she felt like she truly belonged.