Vampire Diaries Imagines

Lockwood Homecoming - Damon Salvatore

The parlor of the Lockwood mansion was steeped in elegance, the sunlight filtering through lace curtains and highlighting the rich burgundy upholstery of the armchairs. Damon leaned casually against one, swirling the tumbler of bourbon in his hand as he exchanged pleasantries with George. Yet his focus was elsewhere.

YN was returning today.

For two long years, she had been away, staying with her grandmother in upper New York. Those years had dragged endlessly despite their weekly letters. Each one had been filled with her adventures and her quick wit, but none of them had done justice to what he remembered about her presence-her laughter, her spark, her way of making the most ordinary days feel extraordinary.

When the sound of carriage wheels crunching against the gravel drive reached his ears, Damon's casual demeanor faltered. His grip on the glass tightened slightly, and George chuckled.

"Relax, Damon. You're acting like you've been waiting for her as you return from war," George teased.

"Two years with only your company can feel like a war," Damon quipped, smirking at George, though his heart raced in anticipation.

The carriage came to a stop, and Nancy Lockwood wasted no time. She dashed out the front door with the enthusiasm of a woman half her age, her skirts swishing behind her. Damon stood, unable to keep his composure, listening intently as the muffled voices outside grew clearer.

"...fell into a mud hole, of all places! Poor James was so distraught he threatened to quit on the spot," YN's melodic voice floated in, tinged with amusement. Damon smiled to himself, picturing her animatedly recounting the tale, her expressive eyes no doubt alight with mischief. "I thought as much of grandmother or I falling dead, we had laughed so hard."

Her parents laughed along with their daughter.

"I am quite surprised your grandmother had nothing witty to say in return of him letting the sheep loose in the first place." Damon heard Benjamin say as they neared the front door.

"She probably would have had she the air to breathe in between her bouts of laughter, I assure you, father."

The doors swung open, and Mr. Lockwood entered first, helping his daughter step into the house. Mrs. Lockwood was close at her side, holding YN's arm as if reluctant to let go.

As they entered the parlor, Damon's world seemed to still. She was breathtaking, her presence even more radiant than he had remembered. Her auburn curls framed her face perfectly, and her YEC-eyes shone with a warmth that left no corner of the room untouched.

She paused mid-sentence when her gaze landed on him. For a heartbeat, her lips parted in surprise, and then her expression broke into the most radiant smile he had ever seen.

"Damon!"

She released her mother's arm without hesitation, her skirts rustling as she all but ran toward him. Damon met her halfway, his grin widening as she threw her arms around him in an embrace so tight it left no room for air.

"You're here," she murmured against his shoulder, her voice thick with emotion.

"As I had told you I would be," Damon replied softly, his arms wrapping around her slender frame. "I couldn't miss your grand homecoming, now could I?"

YN pulled back, her hands lingering on his arms as she studied his face. "You haven't changed a bit."

Damon chuckled. "I could say the same about you, but I'd be lying. You're even more stunning than the day you left."

YN laughed, a musical sound that Damon had sorely missed. "You have always been the charmer," she teased, though her cheeks flushed prettily.

George cleared his throat, a mischievous glint in his eyes as he watched the reunion. "Well, I see I've lost my audience."