The Gilbert Twins

Chapter 4: Friday Night Bites Part III

"You don't have to help me, you know I'm perfectly capable of washing dishes," Holly scoffed as she and Damon entered the kitchen. She was trying to mask how uncomfortable Damon made her. It seemed that nothing made the guy blink.

"Excuse me for being a gentleman," he said snarkily as he placed the dish in the sink. "But I thought you could use some saving after Miss Queen Bee took a shot on you. Is she always this judgy?"

"I don't know you tell me, you're the one who is dating her, perhaps she's not a complete bitch when you're around." Holly huffed as she started washing dishes. "Besides it's not me, you should be nice too. Would it kill you to give Stefan a break, I meet the guy for five minutes and I know that you enjoy making him miserable."

Damon's jaw tightened. "Believe me, Stefan deserves more than just petty words."

"And what did you mean by her?"

He relaxed. "Well, aren't you a little gossip?"

"It's called curiosity," she defended herself. "Though, you don't have to tell me if you don't want too, it's probably private."

"We were talking about a girl, Miss Know-it-All." Damon teased her as he rested his back against the counter. "I told your sister, already but since you're dying to know, I'll tell you. Her name was Katherine and she died."

Holly frowned. "How did she die?"

"Fire. Tragic fire. Seems like yesterday." His voice lowered. "Katherine was Katherine, there was no one like her. She was sexy and seductive, but also very complicated and selfish and at times not very kind. But she was very beautiful, kind of like you in that department."

Holly let out a small chuckle and shook her head. "Don't. Compliments don't work on me."

Damon shrugged. "I didn't think so, but I thought it was worth a shot."

Holly felt herself relaxing a bit, maybe he wasn't that bad. "I'm sorry."

Damon looked surprised.

"Look, I don't know what happened between you, Stefan, and Katherine and believe me I don't want to know, but I can see that you really cared for her and it must be hard, but blaming Stefan isn't going to solve anything."

"Thanks for the tip, Dr. Gilbert," he took an apple from the fruit basket and chewed it slowly. "Anyway, my turn to give advice, quit cheerleading."

Holly raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

"What do you mean why?" he snorted as if it should have been obvious. "You hate it, you're completely miserable, and no offense but you completely suck at it. Bonus-you don't have to deal with Caroline anymore."

Holly rested her elbows on the kitchen counter. "Elena, thinks I need a distraction. That I need to move on and socialize with people...and be basically something that I'm not."

He looked at her closely. His eyes were so blue. "Here's another piece of advice. Don't be anything anyone else wants you to be, otherwise you will never be happy."

Bonnie cleared her throat. "Need some help?"

Elena followed behind her.

Holly looked up, completely dazed. "Oh, yes sure, Damon already helped me bring the dishes in, you can help me dry them."

When Damon walked back to the living room, he found Stefan trying to convince Caroline to take off her scarf. But Caroline like a good, compelled pet didn't let him. "Hey, Caroline why don't you see if the girls need help in the kitchen?"

Caroline rolled her eyes. "Does it look like I do dishes?"

Damon compelled her. "Go see if Holly needs help in the kitchen." He smiled in satisfaction as Caroline left a minute later.