Disclaimer: I don't own the book or television series The Vampire Diaries. All I own is my imagination.

A/N: I've bee MIA from this website for a little while and my Vampire Diaries story isn't turning out as great as I had planned it to be. My passion and excitement for the job was waning, but after seeing the trailers and realizing that the show will be back on soon, I can honestly say that my vampire addiction is back. Of course having a severly Damon obsessed friend helps. Anyway, as for the story, I'll see what I can do to save it, but I will be enthusiastically writing more one parters like this one. I wrote it quickly and in one sitting so it might not be as refined as it could and should be, but I still hope you'll get something out of it. :) Dedicated to the sexiest beast that now officially is Damon Salvatore and to an old friend.

First Encounter

"I am the twist in your fairytale."

Elena was currently residing on the grounds of Mystic Fall's cemetery, her legs crossed Indian style and her journal lying open in her lap, the wind rustling the pages and tugging at her loose locks. She was a sight for sore eyes, or supernatural ones at this particular moment, even when she did nothing to draw the attention of those eyes. She was a budding flower left behind between the trampled on weeds.

He watched her from afar, tucked away behind the tombstones and looking out of place, although as a member of the living dead clan, haunting the graveyard was where he should be right at home. Meanwhile she was out in the open and looking comfortable where most humans wouldn't. He didn't know a lot about her, only what he managed to pry out of his brother, which was why he was fascinated by the journal and made a mental note to read it as soon as he made it past the threshold. He was tempted to simply take it from her, but her likeness to his ex changed his mind; there was no reason to be so cruel, not yet anyway.

He continued to watch her as she seemed to be staring off into space, looking at her parents' tombstones but not really registering with her out of habit. She absentmindedly ran a hand through her dark locks, shaking them as if internally frustrated, while the other hand was set on her upper thigh.

Then he pulled out the smoke and mirrors, the works to startle her and couldn't help but take pleasure in the temporary hitch in her breathing, widened doe eyes, and increasingly quickening pulse. It was exciting and thrilling and his eyes shone roguishly as he followed her quick but clumsy movements as she got up, trying to escape the fog as he only chased her further into it without her realizing it. In her haste she took her bag, but left behind her journal. It was the perfect opportunity, but he left it for later as he changed into his bird form only to reappear right in front of her within a matter of seconds.

Elena rushed into him and their bodies collapsed. He pretended to be affected by taking a step back, his face trying to reflect this faux surprise. She yelped and dropped her bag yet again, stumbling backwards awkwardly and tripping over her own feet the way only humans could. She fell, her arm scraping against a nearby tombstone, but considering all the grey headstones that surround them, she was lucky. She flinched as he tilted up his head just a little as the whiff of blood hit him. Her eyes stayed on him as she pulled her arm closer to her body, though still keeping enough distance so as not to get any of the blood on her clothes.

He shook his head, that's why he always wore dark shades. He charmingly smiled as he held out his hand to her, the other behind his back. "I didn't mean to startle you."

She hesitated shortly before putting her hand in his and letting him pull her up, her head slightly turned as she looked back at where she had come from.

"You okay?" he asked after a few seconds, taking his time to look at her from up close, the resemblance uncanny, although the lines were a little softer and an outer reflection of her inner being.

Her eyes flew back to him, her bottom lip caught alluringly between her teeth. "I could've sworn I saw some… thing."

He followed her gaze back to where he had been standing not so long ago, feigning interest so some part of her would instantly trust him. "Are you sure?" he inquired, his eyes still searching the cemetery while hers sought him out, her expression now doubtful. She shook her head. "I guess it could be chalked up to my imagination."

He now looked at her, his gaze intense, but concerned. "Graveyards aren't exactly the most comforting place to spend your time."

She began to nod in agreement, but then stopped herself. She didn't mind the graveyard, it was peaceful, most of the time, and it allowed her some one on one time with her parents. But she didn't voice this to him, she didn't really know him. He was a perfect stranger, and realizing this she tugged her hand back gently and he released it willingly.

"You should probably go home and get that cleaned up." He nodded at her arm, the bleeding having already stopped.

She looked at it, bringing her fingers to the red liquid to test if it had dried up already, after which she dropped it to her side. "It's fine, just a scrape." She shrugged and went to reach for her bag, but he beat her to it and handed it to her. "Thanks." Their fingers brushed one another as she took it from him and slung it over her shoulder. "So, are you going to give me your name?"

He shrugged. "I didn't hear you offer up yours."

She narrowed her eyes at him. "I usually tend not to talk to strangers… and I've never even seen you around town, so you must be a stranger."

He chuckled and pocketed his hands. "In that case you are completely right. I am new in town, well relatively new." She raised an eyebrow and he continued for her benefit, "My family has a history here, and I used to live here, but I haven't been back in, it feels like ages." He withdrew a hand from his pocket and held it out to her. "I'm Damon Salvatore."

"Salvatore," she repeated while shaking his hand, her eyes widening in sudden realization. "You're related to Stefan?"

"Unfortunately," Damon answered. "Stefan's my younger brother. I'm in town indefinitely to keep an eye out."

"You can't be that much older," Elena remarked thoughtlessly, causing him to chuckle again. "I'll take that as a compliment."

She blushed lightly, but didn't apologize. From what she had seen of Stefan, Damon did look like his brother, although while Stefan had the brooding and mysterious stranger part down right and he definitely had chiseled features, there was something irresistible about Damon. He had the tall, dark, and handsome thing going for him, but there was also an air of arrogance about him, like he had already experienced and been through everything you could possibly imagine so there was no point in him wasting any more time than necessarily needed. Yet there was something about his demeanor that was luring her in, something charming, the twinkle in his dark chocolate eyes, the amusement in his voice when he spoke to her, his relaxed and open stance…

"So, I'm guessing Stefan made it to school okay."

Elena was pulled from the little thought bubble she had been in and quickly nodded, embarrassed, but not showing it.

"And just so we're clear, we are talking about high school here… right?" She gave him a strange look before nodding, a smile creeping in at his follow-up question, "And you go there too?"

She let go of her bag's shoulder strap and put her hand on her hip. "How old exactly do I look? And, more importantly, how long has it been since you've seen Stefan?"

Damon nodded in good humor, bowing his head and licking his bottom lip. His hooded eyes met hers, the instant chemistry shocking her the way the crackle of thunder would. He was like a storm, something she loved, but was also afraid of at moments. "Let's just say that Stefan and I have missed a few of our heart to heart phone calls in the past years. I'm sure he'll tell you all about it when you get to know him. He was always the one wearing his heart out on his sleeve." He made a face.

"There's nothing wrong with that."

Damon smiled; she was already defending his brother who was still practically a stranger to her. What a good little girl with a good heart. For a few silent seconds he zoomed in on the sound of her heartbeat, blood pumping through her veins. He licked his bottom lip again, keeping himself in control, harder now that the blood had dried up, imagine that. "Well, a little mystery never hurt someone," he told her. "Although withholding your name from me is getting a little frustrating, I must admit." He added a charming smile and she looked away, her cheeks turning the color of blood, or close enough at least. "It is only fair, seeing as how you're the stranger now, a beautiful one—" he stopped when he saw her roll her eyes. "Not one for compliments?"

She placed her hand back on her hip. "How old are you exactly?"

"Old enough to be out of high school. Now, how about a name to go with that—"

"Will you stop with the cheesy lines if I tell you?" Elena sighed, dropped her hand from her hip and held it out to him. "I'm Elena… Gilbert," she added as an afterthought. "My family's also part of this town's history."

"Indeed," Damon agreed, placing a kiss on her knuckles before letting go. It was kind of wonderful and beautiful at the same time, a moment to remember and to write about: a handsome stranger who obviously had a thing for secrets kissing her hand like a gentleman, all against the backdrop of headstones and big overhanging trees. "It was nice running into you," Damon said good naturedly.

"Yeah, I should probably head home, before Aunt Jenna completely freaks."

Something clicked in Damon's head and he respectfully erased all amusement from his features. She was visiting with her parents, Elena saw that he got it, but didn't say anything. "Are you going to be in town for a while?"

"Are you asking me to?"

Elena shook her head. "Are you familiar with the expression acting your age and not your shoe size?"

Damon shrugged and smirked. "I have big feet."

Elena didn't know how where to look when he said that, so she simply gestured for him to move aside so she could pass. He did and she passed him, lingering longer than was necessary and for a moment they were in their own little bubble, no longer strangers; there was something between them that attracted them to one another like magnets. She felt his breath against the side of her face and neck and he felt her skin touch his chest. She looked up at him, her shy streak having drawn him in, although he could sense something more underneath. "I'll see you around."

"You will." He watched her walk off before he headed over to where she had been sitting, picking up the journal with a cunning smile on his face. He checked his watch. He shouldn't give her too long.

Elena was upstairs, getting redressed after her shower when Jenna's voice floated up the stairs. "Someone's here to see you! He claims you go to school with his brother! Can I let him in?"

"I'll be down in a sec!" was what she yelled back, a definite affirmative response. She couldn't help throwing a quick glance at her reflection: a pair of her comfiest jeans and a lilac tank top with her hair drying on her shoulder. She pulled at the tank top, straightened out the creases and headed downstairs, not wanting to give Damon the satisfaction of thinking that she was taking a little extra time to look good for him.

"You stalking me now? First the graveyard and now—"

"Actually, yes," he interrupted, surprising her; it wasn't the answer she was expecting. "I thought you might want this back." He held out her journal to her.

She was quiet for a second or so before asking, "Did you read it?"

Damon shook his head, waiting for the relief to hit her before saying, "With the exception of the pages on my brother. It's amazing how much you had to say about him, considering you and I have had a longer conversation." Elena's mouth dropped in shock and she revealed a scowl as he handed her the journal, but pulled it back when she reached for it. "How about we make a deal, I give you your little diary back, but only if you promise to write a little something about me. I am certainly a more interesting topic to write about than my brother," he finished with disdain and a look on his face as if he had just tasted something foul.

Elena shook her head and swiftly took her journal from him. "I can't believe you read my diary!"

Damon opened his mouth to speak, but Jeremy beat him to it as he walked into the hallway, rolling his eyes. "Get over yourself Elena, everyone's read your diary…"

"Jer," she started, turning around to look at him.

"…and you're making a bigger deal out of it than it really is; there's nothing interesting in there anyway. The good Samaritan routine is getting old."

Damon couldn't hide a smile as he looked on with amusement. Jeremy caught it and gave him a once over, wiping the smile off Damon's face. "Is this the best you can do? I mean, I wasn't a big fan of Matt, but this is just getting pathetic."

"Jeremy!" Elena exclaimed. "Matt's—"

"Yeah, yeah, I know, he's a good person, but what's your excuse for him?" Jeremy shot Damon a look before heading up the stairs. Elena could have sworn that she heard Damon growl lightly, but she instinctively placed a hand on his chest to keep him from killing her brother, little did she know that he was literally intending on doing so.

"You have attitude problems!" she yelled after him before turning back to Damon with a sigh. "Don't mind my brother, he's still dealing with the death of our pa—"

"Hey!" Jeremy called to her over the banister, "I'm not the one who spends her time at the cemetery talking to the dead!"

Elena closed her eyes and took a deep breath before opening them again. "Little brothers, sometimes the urge to kill them is almost uncontainable," she remarked.

Damon nodded. "Trust me; I've been there, more than once."

All of a sudden, music started to blast from upstairs. Aunt Jenna stuck her head out of the kitchen, exchanged a look with Elena, but simply closed the kitchen door instead of going up there. Elena grabbed Damon by the arm. "Come on, let's finish this argument outside, shall we." She opened the door and pulled them through.

She closed it softly, but when she turned her expression was the exact opposite and she let go of his arm only to poke him in the chest with her finger. "Okay, so I know that you're expecting me to be thankful for being at the graveyard when I got spooked so you could play white knight or whatever, and for returning my journal to me, but if it wasn't for you I wouldn't have this—" She paused and held up her scraped arm. "And you invaded my privacy by reading this." She held up her journal. "So to answer your question, I will write whatever the hell I want in my journal because it is my journal and if you tell Stefan that I wrote about him, then I… then I…" She looked around hopelessly and then dropped her hand with a sigh. "Fine, tell him, I doubt he really cares since we've only spoken like once, which is less than we have, and I don't know why since I don't even like you."

"You will."

"I don't know, I mean, it doesn't seem like you need a friend, considering that you have yourself and all."

"Who said anything about us being friends? I was insinuating something else, something more…" He leaned in to her, backing her up against the porch railing. He was tempted to use compulsion on her and to have her do whatever he wanted of her, but to his surprise he found himself refraining from the action. He may still have a soft spot after all for his ex, or for the girl who looked so much like her but was much more timid in her actions, though bold when he least expected it. And she had this innocence about her, not necessarily naïve but definitely sweet, too sweet for his standards, but she was proving to be the exception. She was beautiful too, not unearthly so but for a human she managed to attract his wandering eyes. Her skin: flawless and inviting, but he didn't bite her, and wouldn't. Now that he had spoken to her, read her thoughts, and caught a glimpse of her family life, she wasn't just a victim anymore, she was a real person. So much for being as evil as he thought he was.

Even though she was trying her hardest to squirm out of his reach, she had to admit that his proximity excited her more than it should. Maybe she would have to dedicate a page or two to him later… But for now, she had to stop whatever spell he was putting on her and get out of the spider's web while she still could.

"I barely know you," she reminded him, clasping her journal to her chest as a barrier of sorts, though it was a weak attempt. Their eyes met and invisible sparks flew.

He tilted his head, both hands now on the railing as well, trapping her though she was willing. His fingers brushing against the side of her leg while his other hand was gently playing with the ends of her hair. "Give me one good reason why I should so much as want to be near you again after this," she managed to get out, although he was making it difficult on her. He smiled a smile that was the most alluring one she had ever been a witness of and he moved his hand up swiftly, tenderly brushing the hair away from her face.

His smile widened as he felt her shiver beneath his touch and his heart fluttered just the same, it was silly. His lips were pressed against her ear as he seductively whispered, "'Cause there's something about me." He eased off her slowly, but completely and she took a full breath, one that came out shakily. Then she did something unexpected in his eyes and smiled, almost a coy one. "I'm sorry, aren't you the one who's stalking me and following me home?"

Damon cocked his head, the darkness in his eyes gleaming as the light hit it. He nodded, a smirk in place. "I admit there is something about you that draws me in, a certain likeness to an ex perhaps…"

Elena's smile faded quickly and she shook her head. "Okay, I think it's time you leave," she remarked, passing him and heading for the door.

Damon chuckled to himself at the sudden change in her behavior. She had been willing enough until he had told her that, open, but now she was withdrawing as quickly as she could. She was like any other girl and he should have kept his mouth to himself, but he didn't, for no good reason, other than that she wasn't like any other girl, victim. There was a bond, a conscious one on his side and an unconscious one on hers. She had known that the second her eyes had ran into his, there was a certain familiarity, despite that being impossible. Elena shook off the feeling as she stepped back over the threshold and looked at him.

"You're not going to invite me in?"

Elena shook her head.

"And I'm guessing you're not going to thank me for returning your diary to you either?" He nodded. "If there's anything I can do to make it up to you, I hope you'll let me know of course." He shot her a smile, one she returned after having tried for a few seconds not to be affected by him. But there was no use. He was right, there was something about him.

"Should I give your regards to my brother?"

Elena laughed. "I don't think I know Stefan well enough to give him my regards."

Damon bowed his head. "Then, goodnight."

"Night," Elena told him and closing the door behind her, somewhere feeling an emptiness at his departure.

Little did she know that Damon felt the same, only it was almost an aching in his case, and he knew he wouldn't be able to stay away. So that night he went back, flying into her bedroom in his raven form since he had already been invited in before. He changed back into himself and picked her journal up from a chair. He opened it, skipping the parts about his brother and their meeting at the cemetery. He went straight to the last two lines on the page.

I also ran into this boy today and I hate to admit that he was right; there is something about him that pulls me in. He reminds me of someone I've never met and despite the frustrating way he has about him, I do want to see him again.

And so she would.

Please review? As always, I would love to hear from you. Comments and critique are more than welcome because that is how I learn. :) Thank you!