AU Background: Damon never followed Stefan to Mystic Falls in 2009 and therefore, never met Elena. The year is 2012 now.
Atlanta, Georgia. He remembered coming through during the Civil War. Fire had taken everything as its own prisoner, families were on the streets, covered in ash like the rest of the city had. Damon remembered frowning at the scene before his eyes and thanking God that his own town had not been destroyed. The war never turned out to be his thing; he could deal with the late night gambling with the boys and winning the ladies over with his uniform, but the amount of hurt he had to witness was what made him quit. Who needed 'eternal glory' as his father put it, when you only live one measly life?
Damon chuckled to himself. He had expected to live only one short life and now here he was, nearly a hundred and seventy years later. It was odd how one could be so affected by living forever.
"Can I get you anything?" A pretty bartender pulled him out of his thoughts and he looked up, his blue eyes meeting hers.
"Sure, can I get a bourbon? On the house." He compelled the blonde and she smiled brightly, nodding, and scurried off. Damon twirled his stool around and looked aimlessly about the bar. Nobody really caught his eye. He sensed the bartender placing his drink before him, but she went off to help someone else.
"Let me get a beer." An almost familiar voice rang through his ears as he whipped around, his eyes meeting a girl, no older than seventeen. She was stunning. Dark hair, big brown eyes, and almost a glow about her. But that wasn't what surprised him, it was the fact that she looked almost exactly like Katherine Pierce, the vampire who had turned him. He must have been staring because she acknowledged it.
"I'm Elena." She said simply, extending her hand, a soft smile playing on her face. Damon hesitated, but took it in his own.
"Damon." He said, a smile of his own tugging at the corners of his lips. This wasn't Katherine. She was soft-spoken and sweet; nothing like the cruel monster he had given his heart to so long ago.
"So Damon, what brings you to Atlanta?" She asked, settling on the stool beside him and accepting her beer with a nod and taking a sip.
"Who's to say I'm not from around here?" Damon asked, one eyebrow cocked and taking a swig of his own drink. "I could be a southern gentleman." Elena laughed.
"You don't have the accent." She spoke very matter-of-factly. He nodded and smiled.
"My family moved here from Italy when I was young. No accent." He said. It was the truth. His family settled in Mystic Falls, Virginia just before his brother was born. Damon was already past the point of obtaining any sort of accent.
"So you live here?" Elena asked, not entirely buying it.
"Nope." Damon said with a smirk, sipping on his drink. She laughed and shoved him a bit, taking a gulp of her beer. Damon watched her carefully. "There's no way you're twenty-one." He commented slyly.
"Maybe not, but I'm hard to say no to." She concluded with a wink. He chuckled as they fell into a silence, each sipping at their own drinks. It was odd. Usually, when he felt an attraction to someone like this, the hunger would come over him, but at the moment, he didn't want her blood; he only wanted her.
"I'm pretty stubborn." He said challengingly. She raised her eyebrow at him.
"You won't be saying that after a few shots." A mischievous smirk playing on her face as she called the bartender over and ordered them some shots of tequila. Damon found himself highly amused by her, she was feisty and knew how to laugh. He really liked that.
A few hours and several shots later, Damon and Elena were laughing and sharing a burger. She was picking off anything nutritious off her half, causing Damon to narrow his eyes at her.
"You don't like pickles? What's wrong with you?" Damon picked up her discarded pickles and popped them into his mouth. She smiled up at him, shaking her head, and taking a big bite of her burger. Damon followed suit.
"Oh my God!" Elena exclaimed, mouth full of food. She swallowed quickly and jumped up, causing Damon to look alarmed, his predatory instincts kicking in.
"What?" Elena took his hand in hers.
"This is my song!" She said simply, pulling him out onto the empty dance floor of the bar. Damon chuckled as she began to dance around him and he found himself swaying to the melody as well, using moves he had acquired over the years in order to impress her. Grabbing her hips and swinging her about earned him a small squeal from her just as the song was ending.
They both stood, smiling almost stupidly at each other. He couldn't remember the last time he had felt this way about another person. He was so sure he had extinguished any humanity left in him long ago. But here it was, bubbling back up to the surface again, and as much as he hated to admit it, he had really missed it. Feeling this way? It was something in both his wildest dreams and his worst nightmares, but he let it in; let it fill him up.
As if reading his mind, Elena smiled and stood up on her tiptoes, planting a kiss on his lips. He quickly reciprocated, wrapping his arms around her and deepening it. His vampire senses were on overdrive, he felt everything. She pulled away, breathless.
"Where are you staying?" She asked, faintly whispering it aloud. Damon realized what she was asking immediately and was thankful he had rented a room next door instead of staying the night in his car like he usually did.
"Right next door." He breathed, almost afraid to speak even as loudly as she had whispered. She nodded and took his hand, pulling him out of the bar and into the cold February air that met them.
The short walk from the bar up to his room seemed to take far too long, but once they were there, he found himself shoved against a wall, Elena kissing him hard on the mouth. He groaned, feeling her small frame against him. Pulling her closer, he kissed her passionately, feeling an amount of need in her that he thought only he could possess. She pulled her lips away from his and started to kiss his neck, causing him to moan at the feeling.
"No!" A hushed whisper and she pulled away quickly, turning her face away from him. He looked at her, confused and took her face in his hands.
"Hey…it's okay." She refused to face him. It was as if some thought or memory was haunting her. "Elena…what's the matter?" She turned back to him, an almost pained look on her face. Her eyes locked with his.
"Listen, I want to do something…It might hurt at first, but then it will feel good, I promise." Her voice was smooth and silky and something in her eyes twinkled and Damon found himself nodding curiously. He leaned in and kissed her cheek sweetly.
Taking her hand in his, he felt the smooth rock in her petite ring. She returned to kissing his lips, down his jaw, and to his neck. As she did, he felt an overwhelming amount of pleasure, and the bloodlust he was always fighting resurfaced as he pictured himself assaulting her neck. He felt his face change and his fangs elongate as he thought of her blood. He focused now, listening for the consistent thu-thump of her heart. But it never came. He couldn't place her heartbeat at all actually.
His eyes widened suddenly just as he felt teeth scrape his neck. At super human speed, he turned them around, pinning her against the wall and for a moment, they both stared at one another, fangs barred and shock fall all over their faces. He let go of her and stepped back.
"You're a vampire…" He said, surprise still overcoming his features. Elena swallowed hard and nodded.
"So are you…"