"Annalisa." a strong, dark voice came from the door.

I lifted my head from the couch slowly to look at my visitor. Well, I was the visitor, actually, and unexpected visitors were not usually welcome in the Salvatore house. I felt glad to be an exception.

I had been staying in the Salvatore house for two days now. Stefan had found me, just changed and looking for food. He helped me out and that's how I met Damon. I should hate Stefan for that. For showing me something I wanted, but could never have. Damon was clearly shut off and as hard as I tried, the past couple days of me following around and being nosey hadn't opened him up yet. He had started with the 'Maybe if I ignore it, it'll go away' approach and when that didn't work he went to being snarky with me. I definitely liked the snark better; it was sexier.

"Yes, Damon?" I answered lazily.

"You are on my couch eating coco puffs in your pajamas." he states, "You are the worst vampire I've ever met."

"And what are you doing inside this time of night then? I don't see you out causing riots and raising the dead, or whatever it is you do in this town." I answered, trying to shoot some of that sarcasm back at him.

"I just don't get it, I mean you grew up here so that makes sense, but why would anyone else come here? I miss the cities, Damon. The awful traffic and thick, rank polluted air. The pretentious coffee shops." I said sighing.

"It is fun to watch humans destroy themselves." he answered sitting on the other end of the couch.

"You never answered my question, Damon." Now I was getting curious. He was never sitting around inside at night. Not without a drink in his hand.

"I'm inside because I have a situation, and I'm figuring out how to deal with that situation."

I sit up, now interested, at his cryptic attitude. "Well? What is the situation?" I asked raising an eyebrow.

He didn't say anything for a minute and I thought he was just going to ignore me. After another minute of thinking he said, "There's a woman I don't know how to deal with."

I frowned slightly, thinking it must be Elena. "What do you mean?" I asked.

"She's been making me think a lot about what I want. I haven't had this many feelings for one person in a long time." he said quietly "I can't do what I'd normally do. She's different. And she'd see right through it."

I was shocked at his talking so openly with me. But a second later he was back to giving me his usual smirk saying "It kind of sucks."

I decided just to try and help. I'd rather be his friend than have him pissed off at me for ruining something he wanted. He was scary when he was angry, if not a little sexy.

"So do something different. Women like to feel like they're special." I said, "Jeez, Damon with all the women you have falling all over you, I'd have thought you would know that."

"I do." he smirked at me

"I just don't know what I want to do. I'm not used to actually meaning it." he said

"What would you do?" he asked looking into my eyes. I tried to laugh it off with a joke.

"What would I do to make a woman fall in love with me?" I said hoping he couldn't read how uncomfortable I was. Helping him get a woman was the last thing I wanted to do.

"Fine," he said, "what would you want someone to do for you?"

Sighing, I said, "I don't know Damon. Why don't you ask Elena these things?"

"I can't." he said "Come on Annalisa, I really need your help with this one."

He was opening up to me like I had wanted at least, but if I helped it would be to get another woman. I should just tell him, I thought what's the worst that could happen? Oh yeah. He could kill me.

"Well… okay. If you want to get this girl you're gonna have to break out the big guns, so to speak." I said looking at him.

"And what are those?" he asked smiling.

"Two words. Bryan Adams." I said.

He just stared at me.

"Bryan Adams knows what women want. If you listen to him there is no way that girl will not be in your arms in five minutes." I said.

"Where can I find him?" he asked.

I laughed reaching over to the radio I had on the floor and pulled out a CD. When I handed it to him he just stared.

"Bryan Adams is a singer? This is your idea. Put on some music?"

"No, just listen to it. You'll know what to do." I told him. "Especially track two. Barry White would work too"

Walking up to the Salvatore house the next night I felt more tired and confused than I had been when I left. I had been out all night just walking and thinking about what I was going to do. If Damon got his way and he had that woman, whoever she is, there was no way I was sticking around to see them be happy together. It would just be too much. For once I wished I could be more like him and shut down into a scotch drinking, blood-sucking machine.

Just then I heard crashing noises coming from the woods on the Salvatore property, so I decide to go see what was happening. I walked a good ways before coming to a clearing. It was lit up with Christmas lights and Chinese lanterns and I could hear music coming from my radio that was now sitting on a small dining table that was set up. Listening closer I heard Damon cursing under his breath, and when I looked around to see where he was I saw him crouching on the ground near the other side of the clearing. When I leaned forward to get a better look a twig under my foot snapped and alerted Damon to my presence. He was in front of my face staring into my eyes within seconds.

"I was wondering when you'd get back." he said. "I didn't think it would be this soon."

"Sorry." I apologized, thinking I had interrupted his plans.

"No. It's fine," he said pulling me further into the clearing. "This is as good as it's going to get anyway."

As he led me towards where he had been crouching before I noticed a pile of plates with food on them spilt on the ground. Must have been what all that noise was I thought.

"I should go before your company arrives." I said looking at the ground.

He just looked at me and asked, "Think it'll work?"

"Yeah, she'll love it." I said dimly, turning around to leave.

He grabbed my hand before I could get two steps and turned me to face him. He looked at me for a second and then up at the sky.

"You haven't even seen the most embarrassing part. I mean, wrecking the food was bad, but the absolute worst part is yet to come." he said. Then he smirked down at me.

In the time it took me to blink he had changed the music and pulled me into a slow dance.

"Sorry I took your radio. The music really adds a nice touch though, I think." he said, "This is your favorite? Really? It's so… what's the word, oh yeah. Corny."

I hadn't been paying attention to which song it was because I had been concentrating on not giving away how nervous I was. I hadn't been this close to him ever, and I'm sure I was shaking. I listened closer and noticed it was Have You Ever Really Loved A Woman by Bryan Adams; track two on the CD I gave him.

I just nodded and said, "It's a beautiful song."

"Are you cold?" he asked when he noticed I was shaking.

"Yeah, so I should probably just go back to the house. You have plans and everything." I said trying to pull away. He kept me right where I was.

"Annalisa." he said softly.

"You're the only one I would ever do something as ridiculous as this for. I can't believe you don't know that."

I looked up into his eyes for the first time since he caught me spying on him and saw he wasn't just playing with me. The thought that maybe Damon did want me took my breath away and I didn't say anything for a moment. At my silence he started to frown, but I didn't know what to say. Not wanting him to go or think I didn't want him, I put one of my hands behind his neck, leaned up and kissed him.

"Well that took you long enough." he said when we pulled away.

For that I smacked him in the chest and said "You didn't say anything either! How was I supposed to know?"

He laughed at me and tucked some hair behind my ear.

"Thanks for the tips though," he said, "They seemed to have worked."

"I can give you some more songs to use." I said smiling up at him "You still have a lot to learn."

"Hah," he laughed, "I think I can manage on my own."

"Hey, you should be honored. I don't make mixed tapes for just anyone." I told him.

"Does that mean I'm special?" he asked as that smirk returned to his face. It never failed to turn me into a complete idiot. I figured my safest bet was just to nod.

He leaned down close, his lips nearly touching mine and said, "You're special to me too."

We leaned in the rest of the way and shared what I hope will be one of many incredible kisses.