This one-shot is a part of the DE A2A Holiday Exchange 2013 on Livejournal. The prompt was written by LaylaReyne. Rated M for language.

Disclaimer: I do not own The Vampire Diaries.

Chances in the Sky

Part of the DE Holiday (A2A) Exchange 2013

"Last call…" Damon Salvatore mumbled a shitload of curses as he made his way to the gate. To say he was having a bad day was the understatement of the century. The entire fiasco started when he got a frantic phone call from his sister-in-law twelve hours earlier.

He'd been sitting in an important business meeting with one of his company's most valuable clients when his secretary suddenly burst into the room, her fingers clutched around a phone. Damon immediately suspected something seriously bad had happened. Rose would never walk into the conference room during a meeting except when there was a company calamity or a serious emergency.

After he apologized profusely to his client, Damon took the phone out of Rose's shaking hands and walked out of the room. The sound of Caroline's voice had surprised him. He'd been certain it would be his CFO contacting him with some work crisis. The reality of what really happened shook Damon to the core, something that rarely if ever happened.

While crying her eyes out, his sister-in-law informed him his younger brother, Stefan, had been in a severe car accident and would likely not survive. The doctors had put Stefan into an induced coma after his surgery to protect his brain, but were uncertain whether Stefan would wake up or have brain damage. According to Caroline, they did everything they possibly could to save his brother's life. What happened now was up to Stefan. Unfortunately the doctors admitted the chances of Stefan surviving were small. They'd tried to prepare Caroline for the worst in case she lost her husband, the father of her unborn child and her best friend in the whole wide world.

Damon ended his business meeting, booked the first flight home after receiving the news and immediately drove to his hotel to pack his bags. The timing of the accident couldn't have been worse since it had him outside the country, half a world away from his family. When he arrived at the airport he received the second blow of the day. The flight was overbooked. Four of the passengers had to wait until the next flight and sadly Damon was one of them. To make matters worse, the next flight was at 6 AM in the morning, at the time it was only 10 PM at night.

Damon hadn't just been mad, he was furious. His mind filled with rage as he yelled at the clerk who told him the flight was overbooked. The guy had been scared out of his mind and called security. Damon was brought to a small office at the custom services and told to calm down before they had to ask him to leave the airport.

When they were certain he'd calmed down, Damon had been able to leave the room. Exhausted after the emotional turmoil, he'd looked for a bench he could sleep on for a few hours. As if he hadn't had enough bad luck that day, a woman with a small child decided to take a seat a few feet away from him. It shouldn't have been a surprise the kid started crying just when Damon started to fall asleep.

In the end Damon decided fate was battling against him and he just started mindlessly walking around the airport, praying time would pass faster. Regrettably time seems to stand still when you're waiting. Each time Damon looked at his watch only a few minutes had passed.

Around 4AM Damon finally found a decent spot to rest his feet for a few minutes and of course he had to fall asleep. The moment he shot awake, he immediately knew something was terribly wrong. One look at his watch confirmed it, as did the final call of his flight a minute later.

"Sir," the flight attendant nodded, looking relieved as Damon finally arrived at the gate and showed his boarding pass. The woman seemed to want to lecture him, but decided against the idea when she noticed the state Damon was currently in. To say he looked wrecked was probably putting it mildly.

"I'm afraid we weren't able to get you a seat in first-class as you initially booked," the woman smiled apologetically as she lead Damon to the plane. Just great. Damon was already majorly pissed off and in a bad mood, now he would have to sit for over eleven hours next to a complete stranger.

Annoyed beyond measure, Damon didn't even look up when he finally arrived at his seat. He simply plopped down, sighed deeply and closed his eyes.

Elena Gilbert watched wide-eyed as a handsome man walked down the aisle and halted at her row, not sparing her a single glance as he sat down next to her. Someone is in a bad mood, she thought warily. It wasn't like she had the greatest day of all days either.

The night before she received the awful news that one of her best friend's husband was fighting for his life. Caroline and Elena always had been close in high school. Due to some personal issues, Elena decided to leave her life in the States and move to France after she turned eighteen. She hadn't seen Caroline in years, but that didn't mean the woman meant any less to her. They still phoned each other weekly and sent emails every few days.

Caroline's desolated call had torn Elena's heart in two. Without thinking, she'd immediately bought the first ticket to her hometown she could find online. Fortunately her boss had been very understanding when she called him and explained the situation. Elena loved her job, but she would've gladly gotten fired if it meant being there for Caroline. If the tables were turned, Caroline would have dropped everything to be at her side.

After being delayed for ten minutes – in all probability because of the man sitting next to her – the plane finally started to taxi its way towards the runway. The stewardess explained where the emergency exits were, how to find the oxygen mask and life jacket. Usually Elena would carefully listen but her mind was preoccupied. Partly because of the news about Caroline's husband, mostly because of the annoying sound the man next to her was making by nervously tapping his fingers against the armrest.

"Could you please stop that?" Elena asked after a few minutes, not able to contain the words from tumbling out. Sleep deprivation made her cranky and she hadn't slept a wink the previous night.

"Excuse me?" Damon snapped, turning his head to the side. For a moment he was taken aback. He'd fully expected to see some whining bitch sitting next to him. It was quite the surprise when he was met with a stunning brunette instead. In normal circumstances, he would've noticed her right away and tried to charm his way into her pants, maybe even enjoy some mile high pleasure. All the shit that happened the past few hours had his mind focused on other things.

"Could you stop that?" the brunette repeated, pointing at Damon's hand. It was then he realized what she meant and he curled his fingers into a fist.

"I could," Damon remarked with a smirk before opening his hand to continue tapping his fingers against the armrest. He didn't feel like being his usual charming self. He was on that plane to get home to his brother as fast as he could, not to make friends.

Elena shot the guy next to her a death glare, not at all amused by his smartass remark. She was trying to get some rest and calm down before she would be confronted with her friend. Caroline would need her and Elena wanted to mentally prepare herself to help the woman out.

"Then perhaps you should," Elena retorted, looking the blue-eyed stranger in the eye. The man grinned – yes, he actually grinned – before turning his attention to the stewardess who just finished the safety instructions. Elena gritted her teeth, trying to control her fury as the plane took off. Eleven hours. Eleven hours she would have to endure this misery before they finally landed in California.

Fifteen minutes after their departure the fasten your seatbelts light was turned off. Deciding she could use a bathroom break – meaning she desperately wanted to get away from the man next to her and his annoying behavior – Elena stood up. "Excuse me, I'd like to go to the bathroom," she said, unable to pass if the man didn't stand up and move aside.

Blue eyes locked with her chocolate ones – Damn, did that man have pretty eyes! Then the stranger scowled. "Seriously?" he asked with a raised eyebrow, looking annoyed. "They do have bathrooms in the airport, you know?"

Elena rolled her eyes. "Could you move aside so I can pass?" she insisted, her back starting to ache from standing slightly bent over due to the low ceiling of the plane. As much as she loved sitting at the window and watching the sky, she would've gladly taken an aisle seat if it meant not having this ridiculous conversation.

"Please tell me you're not the kind of woman that needs a bathroom break every hour. You do realize this is an eleven hour flight, right?" the blue-eyed stranger commented, still scowling.

"Sadly, I do," Elena mumbled under her breath as she impatiently started to tap her foot against the floor. With a loud groan the man finally started to move aside when suddenly the plane started to shake due to turbulence. Caught off guard, Elena lost her balance and ended up tumbling over. Before she could hit anything, however, the man took a hold of her arm and pulled her into his lap.

Embarrassed, Elena looked up, her cheeks a cherry color. Her savior was staring down at her, his clear blue eyes intense and his pupils slightly dilated. A wave of heat coursed through her body as she openly stared at him, unable to advert her gaze.

"Due to turbulence we ask you to please remain seated and fasten your seatbelts," a voice said through the intercom before the fasten your seatbelts light was turned back on.

The moment lost, Elena quickly stood up, almost losing her balance again when the plane did another dip. Cursing under her breath, she tried to get back in her seat without casting another look at the stranger. Her cheeks turned a darker shade of crimson when she heard a low chuckle. Undoubtedly the man next to her was finding this situation amusing. Ugh.

Damon watched in amusement as the woman tried to get back in her seat, her balance lost while the plane shook. He had to admit it was probably a good thing he was seated next to this woman. She effectively caught him off guard and preoccupied his mind from thinking about his brother.

When he'd heard another 'Excuse me', he'd wanted to strangle her. After the rough night he endured, Damon was in the desperate need of some relaxation. Not feeling like getting up, he'd tried to intimidate the woman, but it was clear she had a strong will and wasn't easily persuaded.

Annoyed or not, when the woman started to lose balance, Damon's hand immediately shot out to help her. Damon was raised well. His mother would have his balls if she knew he'd let someone fall facedown without moving to help.

It was safe to say once the brunette was seated in his lap, the irritation and annoyance quickly left Damon's body and was replaced with something entirely different. Even in a foul mood, Damon could not deny how utterly perfect that woman fit against him. If they hadn't been interrupted Damon probably would've done something stupid, like let his hands wander over her curves, see if her olive skin felt as soft as it looked.

Fortunately, none of that happened. Damon had more important matters to think about. Sighing inaudibly, he took a few files out of his case once the turbulence was over and started looking through the stash of papers. Work always took his mind off things.

Elena watched as the man beside her started to look through files, completely shutting out the people surrounding him. She didn't dare to ask him to move aside, still needing a bathroom break. It would probably majorly piss him off. In normal circumstances she wouldn't hesitate to disturb him, but she was still slightly overwhelmed by what happened earlier. How embarrassing! Why did it always have to be her who needed to make a fool out of herself?

"Would you like some coffee?" the flight attendant asked politely as she halted at their row.

"Yes, please," Elena replied politely, not at all surprised that her neighbor didn't bother to answer and just kept skimming through the file he was reading.

"Milk? Sugar?" the woman questioned as she poured a cup of coffee.

"Both," Elena smiled before the stewardess handed her the cup. Deciding she could wait another few minutes before taking a bathroom break, Elena took a sip of her coffee and stared outside. All she could see was a mass of clouds, thick and fluffy. It looked beautiful.

It had been a while since Elena had been on a plane. Due to her busy job as an editor, she rarely took time off to go on a holiday. The last time she considered buying a ticket was when Caroline got married two years ago. Unfortunately, that same week Elena caught the flu and was unable to step on a plane. She'd asked one of her friends in France to cancel the flight for her. It sucked, but it was the way it was. Luckily, Caroline took the news well and wasn't mad that Elena cancelled last minute.

Nevertheless, Elena had been extremely disappointed. She had been looking forward to finally seeing her best friend back after so many years. The fact that Caroline informed her Stefan had a cute older brother would've been a nice bonus. Sadly, you didn't always get what you wanted in life. Fate had definitely been battling against her.

Reaching out her hand to take the cup of coffee, Elena was surprised when she couldn't reach it. Looking aside, she noted the man took a hold of her cup. "Hey! What do you think you are you doing?" she exclaimed, her eyes widened.

"What does it look like? Drinking coffee of course," he replied before taking a sip. "What the hell is this shit? It tastes like rubbish," the man grunted as he made a face.

"This is a plane, you moron, not Starbucks," Elena retorted, angrily glaring at him. How dare he drink her coffee? The guy must have a death wish. No one messed with Elena's coffee!

"I can see that," the man replied with a frown, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. At his horrified look, Elena had to refrain from bursting into laughter. It was obvious this guy was high maintenance. She probably should've realized that when she noticed he was wearing a hand tailored suit and sleek Italian leather shoes.

Damon frowned as a smile appeared across the woman's face. If she had been stunning before, she was a definite beauty when she smiled. He'd known coffee on airplanes wouldn't be tasty, but the reality was worse than he'd anticipated. It seemed that first-class seats were indeed a guarantee for better quality.

"Can I have my coffee back now?" the brunette questioned with a raised eyebrow, her patience running out. He was getting on her nerves.

"Are you sure you want it back? I would just donate it to the nearest trash bin," Damon remarked. What a waste of coffee beans and water!

"I'm sure," the woman stated before forcefully tearing the cup from his hand, making it drop in the process. Damon let out a loud groan as the still warm liquid splashed down his pants, soaking the onyx fabric in cheap coffee. "Oh my god, I'm so sorry," the brunette apologized, her eyes wide.

Before Damon could say anything, the woman started to wipe his pants without thinking. Another groan left Damon's lips, this time a few octaves lower and caused by something else entirely. At the sound, the brunette's hand immediately halted its movements as she undoubtedly processed the fact that her fingers were right above his crotch and were seconds before rubbing against him. "Oops," she muttered, clearly horrified seeing as her cheeks turned beet red. If Damon hadn't been so damned turned on he'd have probably laughed.

Rock hard and drenched in coffee, Damon stared at the woman's pink lips, her hand still frozen above his crotch. For a moment all rational thoughts left his mind and were replaced with hazy, erotic images of the brunette on her knees, his cock driving into her sweet cunt with powerful thrusts as he shot them both to the moon and back. Damn. It had been way too long since the last time he had some decent pussy.

The loud cry of a baby somewhere in the back of the plane worked like a bucket of ice water on Damon's libido and his lustful gaze immediately turned into a blank stare. "You can take your hand off my pants now," he gritted out. "Except of course if you want to cop another feel," he added with a shrug.

The woman's hand immediately disappeared as a scowl appeared across her face. "I'm sure it's a tough job to be a jerk at all times," she exclaimed, her cheeks still a few shades darker.

Elena glared at the man, her lips pressed into a thin line. How dare he? Was it too much to ask to spare her the embarrassment and just act like nothing had happened? No, instead he had to embarrass her a little more by acting like a complete and utter asshole.

"You have no idea," the man replied, his eyes cold as he stared at her before adverting his gaze and pressing the call light. A few minutes later one of the stewardesses appeared at their row.

"Can I help you? Would you like some refreshments? Your meal will be served in thirty minutes," the woman smiled politely, oblivious to what had happened.

"Could you please bring us some napkins?" Damon asked, his voice slightly irritated as he pointed at the coffee that was spilled all over his pants and part of his seat. He would never – ever – get on another plane without being certain he'd get a seat in first-class. What an utter fiasco!

The flight attendant's face turned slightly pink as she took a peek at his crotch and hastily nodded. "Of course, sir, I will be right back." Damon nodded, not bothering to thank her. If it wasn't for that stupid overbooked flight he'd be only 3 hours from being with his brother by now. Fucking airlines. He should've invested his money in a private jet.

Not even a minute later the woman was back with a few napkins and a blanket in her arms. "In case you get cold," she muttered as she handed him the blanket. Damon didn't reply, he only prayed the flight would be over soon.

"Please fasten your seatbelts, we will be landing in Los Angeles in approximately ten minutes," the voice on the intercom spoke, successfully bringing Elena back to the land of consciousness. As her eyes slowly blinked open, she was surprised to find a blanket covering her. The next thing she noticed was she was resting on something warm and firm. Her eyes widened.

When the realization of what – or better yet who – she was leaning on hit her, she immediately shot wide awake and almost jumped out of her seat. "Good morning to you, too, sleepyhead," the blue-eyed man smirked as she watched him, her eyes still wide and her lips slightly agape.

The past eleven hours had contained constant bickering, snarky remarks and insanely embarrassing incidents. Elena was surprised after all of that, she'd been able to fall asleep. The blue-eyed man certainly proved to be a piece of work.

"I fell asleep on your shoulder and you didn't push me off or wake me up?" Elena asked shocked, her eyebrows raised. That didn't sound like the asshole she spent the past eleven hours with.

"I decided I rather enjoyed the silence. Waking you up would mean listening to your constant whining and yapping," the man replied shamelessly, apparently having no problem being rude. Not that it surprised Elena. She'd heard worse the past few hours.

"Believable answer," Elena nodded, a small smile playing at her lips as she sat up right and fastened her seatbelt. All in all, the hours had gone by much faster thanks to mister 'Extremely annoying and Arrogant'. He'd successfully preoccupied her mind during the flight.

Every time her mind would wander off to Caroline, probably sitting scared as hell next to the bed of her husband praying he would wake up, the blue-eyed man did something that would infuriate her. The fact that she still referred to him as the blue-eyed man said enough. He – not overly friendly – let her know it was none of her business what his name was. Elena decided to take his advice and kept her name to herself as well. Jerk.

Ten minutes later, after a smooth touch down, Elena could finally leave the plane and get to her best friend as soon as she possibly could. Following the signs Elena made her way to the baggage claim. Not surprisingly her neighbor followed her. "What are we looking for? A large pink suitcase?" he asked in his annoying voice.

"Why? Are you afraid you won't be able to pick out which one is yours?" she remarked with a grin. "Don't worry, our bags won't get switched up. I don't use Barbie suitcases."

"Very funny," she heard him mutter under his breath. A few minutes later Elena finally spotted her suitcase. Relief washed over her. If her baggage had been lost, she probably would've killed the person culpable. It was a setback she did not need!

"It was nice meeting you, mister 'whatever your name is'," Elena stated as she looked at the blue-eyed stranger she met on the plane. Maybe in different circumstances she would've asked for his number, but today she just had too much stuff on her mind. He was extremely handsome and – if in a better mood – probably a good guy. The fact that he covered her with a blanket when she fell asleep was an indication of that. His attitude had definitely intrigued her and she would be lying if she said she hadn't enjoyed their banter. Too bad the time just wasn't right.

"Until we meet again," Damon grinned as he watched the stunning brunette walk away, not knowing that might be sooner than either of them expected.

The end

Layla, I hope you liked the twist I gave your prompt. I wasn't in the mood to write a 'happy, fluffy, we fall in love at first sight 'OS, so I hope what I did write was still good.

To all my other readers, thank you for reading! I know I said SL would be my last DE story, but I just had to participate in the A2A Holiday Exchange. I hope you all enjoyed reading this little piece. I'm not a great OS writer, so I decided to go for an opening ending. Anything could happen after this OS, I'll just leave you to your imagination.

Don't forget to review! ;)

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