A life in the shadows

21

"Okay, so what is on the agenda today?" Damon asked and he and Matteo left the boarding house.
"First, we're not spending the day in Mystic Falls."
"We can't just leave-"
"Hey, we're not going far. Just got some shopping to do," Matteo started driving the car.
"Why, in the hell, are we going shopping?"
"Ring shopping, Damon. I'm going to propose to Siobhan, and I want you to help me out."
"You've been dating the girl, how long now?"
"Honestly, the whole dating thing isn't different from before when we weren't, except now that we're official I can tell her that I love her and she knows I mean it as more than friendly love and when we go out it's a 'date'. I want to take it to the next step, and marry her, and show her she really is the only one for me. And I want everyone to know."
"So basically you guys dated for over a century but didn't realise it?"
"Basically." Matteo shrugged.
"What about the ring you were going to give Katherine? Wasn't that mom's ring?"
"Yeah, it was, but I gave that ring to Katherine, and it belongs in the past. I want to get Siobhan a new ring, to symbolise a new beginning with her."
"Poetic." Damon scoffed. "Does Katherine know?"
"No, and you're not going to tell her. I want this to be the perfect day. And I want you and Stefan to be my best men."
"Really?"
"I know having multiple best men isn't conventional, but I love you both equally."
"Well, I'd be honoured. Who else knows about your marriage?"
"We haven't told anyone yet, I was going to propose to her tomorrow. I was also wondering if you'd help me set it up?"
"Okay, give me some of your ideas."
"In the morning I'm going to go pick up these special chocolates she likes, and I was thinking of a nice romantic dinner, give her the chocolates and-"
"You won't put the ring in the chocolates, will you, because I have to say, that is too cliché."
"I won't do that. I don't want to give her a sticky ring. Don't worry. Anyways so when we finish, the waiter will come with a cake that says "will you marry me, darling" and while she reads it, I will get down on one knee, tell her everything I love about her, and ask her to marry me."
"That's a gutsy move."
"Then, she'll either say yes, or she'll say no to get back at me and say yes after I've followed her out."
"Get back at you?"
"Every time Siobhan and I go out- to dinner or a simple walk through the park, we humiliate one another. Last time I accused her of being pregnant with my father's baby at the Louvre in Paris."
"What?" Damon chuckled.
"The time before that, she slapped me and accused me of being married and cheating on my wife with her."
"I'm never going to understand the two of you." Damon shook his head. "So are your friends going to be coming? You know, the ones from your top-secret job that isn't a job?"
"Yes, Damon, I will be inviting them."
"What's about Klaus?"
"We're not sure yet. That's up to Siobhan."
"When do want to get married?"
"Summer. Or maybe winter."
"Okay, so you have the wedding date down. Venue?"
"Um, Siobhan wanted to fix up the old Salvatore estate, but have the ceremony was outside on the fields."
"Matteo, it's going to take a hell of a lot longer than three months to rebuild a bunch of ruins."
"Not really, we've done more in less. It's no big, and that's all we've figured out so far."
"Why are you so sure she'll say yes?"
"We've already talked about it, really, but she wants a proper proposal. It's a girl thing, I think."
"You really love her?"
"Yeah, I really do." Matteo sighed. "So, enough about me, what's up with you and Elena? I keep sensing some awkwardness."
"She kissed me." Damon shrugged.
"She what?"
"Before Katherine came with the cure, and I was dying, she kissed me."
"Oh, wow." Matteo parked the car and the brothers headed to the jewellers across the street. "Isn't she dating Stefan?"
"It was a pity kiss." Damon replied.
"Okay, we need to get your mind off Elena."
"I've tried." He sighed. "She's stuck in there."
"What about your girlfriend?"
"Andie isn't really a girlfriend. She's a distraction." The boys looked at a display of rings.
"Damon!" Matteo groaned. "Look, you're never going to get over Elena, if you don't try to make meaningful connections with people."
"Yeah, well meaningful schmeaningful."
"Hi," A young woman walked up to them. She pointed at Matteo. "I take it you're the one proposing."
"What gave it away?" He chuckled. "I'm Matt, this is my brother Damon."
"What kind of ring are you looking for? Or are you just browsing?"
"Do you have marquise cut diamond?"
"Yeah, we do." She looked at him in surprise. "Usually the guys don't know anything."
"Yes, well, I'm sure you'll find that my brother isn't the usual guy."
"I asked a friend for her preferences. I was looking for one preferably on a gold band?"
"Yellow gold or rose gold?"
"There's different kinds of gold?"
"Rose gold has kind of pink tint to it. Yellow gold is the only gold you know about." Matteo explained to his brother.
"How do you know that?"
"What do you mean?"
"There is no hope for you," Damon scoffed.
"Just help me out, Dames. If you're a good boy, I'll even buy you cookies."
"Shut up!" Damon glared. The woman, Alicia her name tag read, hid a laugh.
"Here are a few choices." She went behind the counter and brought out a box of rings.
"What about that one?"

"Alright, how do you plan on getting Stefan to come to your wedding if he's busy playing fetch to the half breed dick?" Damon asked as they left the ring shop.
"I'll talk to Klaus." Matteo shrugged
"So you'll go to the most unreasonable guy, and politely ask him if you can have your brother back for the wedding he's not invited to?"
"Trust me, Damon. There'll be nothing polite about it. And he might be invited."
"You said it was up to Siobhan. Siobhan hates the dude, doesn't she?"
"She does, but she'll always love him."
"Wait Siobhan and Klaus? They..? Really?" Damon asked.
"Gross, no. Siobhan's uh-"
"Another secret?"
"Klaus is her brother." Matteo shrugged.
"What?!"
"Yeah."
"Nice, sweet, slightly scary Siobhan is Klaus Mikaelson- evil psychopath who daggers his siblings whenever they annoy him's big sister?"
"Little sister actually."
"Why does she hate him so bad then? Never mind, it's Klaus."
"She didn't really want to advertise it."
"I can understand why."
"She hasn't seen three out of five of her sibling since she was human, and she hates the other two."
"So... she's an older woman?" Damon raised a brow grinning at his brother, poking fun. "So why does Klaus hate her?"
"Because he's an idiot." Matteo rolled his eyes. "Damon, you do realise this will technically sort of kind of make you and Klaus related. Me marrying his sister? You'll be his brother in law's brother. You'll be family."
"Stop it!" Damon shuddered.
"Some might even call you brothers."
"Ugh, god no!" Damon shoved his brother slightly. "Where are we headed?"
"Bowling." Matteo said, starting the car.
"Bowling? We're going bowling?"
"Trust me. You'll love it." Matteo chuckled.

For two hours, the brothers made conversation as Matteo drove.
"Matteo, if you wanted to go bowling, I'm sure we drove past a hundred alleys."
"You want to know who I've been for the past hundred and forty five years?"
"Aside from a sickeningly 'good' guy who didn't realise he had a girlfriend, that is... when you weren't out helping witches?"
"Funny. That's not all I was," Matteo parked the car in a lot full of other fancy cars.
"Oh, my bad, you spent a lot of time with a bunch of fancy people who bowl in a fancy place."
"It's not full of fancy people. Just come on." The men got out of the car and Matteo led Damon to a side door. He punched in a code and gestured for Damon to go through the door first.
"Okay, some sort of weird, secret fancy people. Wait! Is this-"
"No." Matteo rolled his eyes. A man clapped him on the back as they walked past.
"Matt!"
"Hey Devon," Matteo nodded at the guy. "This is Damon."
"Your brother?"
"Yeah. We bumped into each other a while back."
"How many people did you tell about me?"
"Let's see, carry the one.." Devon mock counted. "Just about everyone."
"Shut up."
"Damon Salvatore. What a surprise!" A girl walked up to them.
"Marianna?" Damon asked. "Aren't you supposed to be.."
"Dead?" She chuckled. "Been there, done that."
"But-" He was cut off by Matteo bringing her into a hug. "How do you two know each other?"
"Like I said Damon, I always looked out for you. Brace yourself you'll see a lot of familiar faces." Matteo dragged him deeper into the building.
"Aight everyone, look! It's the guy who abandoned us!" A man in a biker jacket called. "How long's it been man?"
"Corey, stop being so dramatic." A woman slapped his chest slightly, with a laugh.
"Damon, this is the lovely Jessie and her her husband Jackass."
"I see you haven't changed a bit, Matt."
"What can I say? Change is overrated."
"I'm Corey Jackson. Everyone else calls me Jax."
"Jessie, Corey, this is my brother-"
"Damon, right?" Jessie asked. Damon looked at his brother.
"Okay, so I talked about you guys. Sue me."
"What exactly did my brother tell you about me?"
"A lot, mostly good things though."
"Well, that was when I was human. I've changed a lot since then. Get to know me now, you'll see how much of a dick I can be."
"I'd recognise that self loathing, nonchalant attitude anywhere." A voice called from the crowd.
"Damon, you remember Alan, don't you?"
"You know him too?"
"Quite a few of the people you met in your life was mainly because of me."
"So do any of these people know Stefan?"
"Sure, of course." Matteo said.
"Although, most of the Stefanites are elsewhere." Alan remarked.
"Stefanites?"
"We're the Damonheads." Another familiar voice came out of the crowd.
"Kelli?"
"Nice to see you, kiddo." She walked up, giving him a hug.
"Alright guys, we came here to bowl. Mingling is for later. Milan, you know what to do."
"Yeah sure." A girl walked over to them and led them to a lane. She muttered a spell and smiled at him.
"She's hot." Damon said.
"Please," Matteo scoffed, "you couldn't handle her."
"I think I'd be fine. Anyways, aside from the company, what's so special about this bowling place?"
"Those pins are spelled."
"Spelled to do what?"
"That's the thing. It could be anything. From moving at the last second to throwing a ball back at you. Hard."
"Okay, so how many times have you played this?"
"Once."
"So I have a chance?"
"Are you challenging me, little brother?" Matteo mocked.
"I don't know, am I?" Damon grinned taking a ball. "My go first."
"Knock yourself out."