2016 June Collection

Damon Salvatore - "I can do it on my own"

"I can do it on my own, ok?" You turned around to Damon, eyes flaring, because once again, he had tried to do something for you. He didn't need to. He shouldn't. You might need the crutch from now on, but that didn't mean you couldn't do anything anymore. You put the crutch against the cupboard, reaching up to get the glasses out you had been looking for, almost losing your balance, but trying not to show that. 

"See? Got them. And I didn't crumble to dust or whatever you might have expected to happen. Stop smothering me, ok?"

"Fine..." Damon turned around and sat back on the couch, feet resting on the table when you poured yourself a drink, got your crutch again and walked over to him. He looked at you when you sat down.
"I'm just trying to help, ok? I know you can do all of that. I've seen you doing it over the past few weeks. And you're doing great."

You pulled up your legs, moulding yourself in the chair, your glass between your hands.
"Then why is everyone treating me like I'm made of glass? I need a bit of help when I walk, I'm not all of a sudden some helpless idiot who can't even sit down without two people helping her."

Damon chuckled. "Are you referring to Caroline who you managed to scare away yesterday? Bravo for that, by the way. I didn't know anyone would be capable of doing that..."

You turned slightly red. You knew she had just wanted to help, but you had been so on edge lately that you might have been a bit too snappy when you told her you didn't need it.
"Possibly..."

Damon leaned towards you, his elbows resting on his knees.
"Look... we know you're still you. But we also see you struggle with some things. We can see how you want to act like you're completely fine and nothing has changed. But it has. You miss a hand when you walk, your balance isn't what it was before... that's not something bad, that's just a fact. You can ask for help if you have trouble carrying something because of that, you know..."

"But..." you started, but he gestured that he wasn't done yet.

"No buts, not for now. Your turn comes later." He smirked that famous smirk of him, one that made you forget everything you were mad about.
"Let's just make a deal, ok? You tell us when we're being too overbearing, because yes, I know you're right about that. Then again, I already was that before this started. When I didn't know what you had. That hasn't changed a bit in a lot of matters. You just see it more..."

You frowned. Was he right in that? He had taken things out of your hands before, but you never paid attention to that back then, because it was the courteous thing to do of a boyfriend. It was only now you started to see it as them not trusting you to be able to make it on your own.

"I'm getting somewhere, am I not? I can see it on your face.". Damon smirked presumptuous, and that made you scoff.

"Don't do that!", but you couldn't help but laugh while you said it. "Fine. I can live with telling you that. That's gonna be the easy part, isn't it?"

Damon nodded. "Yup. Because you will allow us to help you if you need it. Carry something if it's easier. Let us open that door for you. It's not because we think you can't do anything anymore. It's because we want your life to be easier. Like we help Caroline plan, and we allow Stefan his diaries."

"And why we remind you from time to time you're not the centre of the universe?", you couldn't help but adding.

"That too.", Damon admitted. "We all have our peculiarities, Y/N. Yours is maybe a bit more visible than ours. But learning to accept help is something that comes with it. Better to start learning it now."

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