A/N:Oh my god, I managed to squeeze in another story before school starts. How?

Not sleeping of course. It's the secret to all success, haven't you heard?

On a lighter note; this story is about young adults, thriving in the big city, both working hard to achieve their dreams but their paths somehow crossed.

Different from "This Thing Between Us" I wanted to make BitterSweet more fun and witty…with less complications.

DELENA-concentrated

Disclaimer: I do not own characters used in this story.

Chapter 1

"Oomf…" Elena carried the largest but thankfully the last luggage up the fifth flight of stairs and was relived to meet with her apartment door. She left it unlock so she could easily tossed her things inside after each trip up and down the stairs.

The elevator had chosen the perfect day to be 'out of service'; her moving day.

She gave the entire floor another scan. There was no sign of life, no curious new neighbors to greet her or welcome her, no one exiting or entering their apartments. There was a janitor sweeping at the far end of the hallway and even he ignored her.

"Hiya! I'm new here…" She waved.

"Eh-hmm" he rolled his eyes.

'Tough crowd' Elena thought.

And it was a beautiful Saturday afternoon.

Maybe it was the city life; people are not as warm or friendly here. Not like back at home.

She was sweating from the vigorous work out and took off her button down shirt to wrap it around her waist. In a white tank top, Elena took a deep breath before dragging her luggage into her apartment. There used to be wheels at the bottom corners of it but they came off in the taxi.

Proving once again, inanimate objects had terrible timing.

The dragging made a whole lot of screeching noises together with her grunting; she sounded like that overly buffed guy pumping irons at the gym.

With hundred percent of effort, the luggage was successful moved…. half an inch forward. She can't even remember what she packed in it.

Rocks?

Tomb stones?

Oh yes! She brought her whole shoe collection…all…of…it!

She collected tons of shoes over the years and could never throw out a single pair.

'Who knows? Maybe a suitable event will come up and I'll need them!' She always said.

"Damn, this is heavy…"she huffed.

Elena tried again but the apartment door across from her opened and someone exited. 'Oh goodie, neighbor! 'Maybe he could help' she thought to herself as she looked at him, well his back anyway.

He was a young male in casual t-shirt and jeans, mid 20-ish; Elena guessed.

He jiggled and twisted his keys, locking his door. Elena straightened herself, feeling her back ached. She waited for him to turn around to introduce herself.

He turned towards the elevator and caught a glimpse of her from the corner of his eyes, under Ray Bands shades.

"The elevator isn't working…" she said politely.

"Thanks…" he said after a pause and stared at her larger-than-Dumbo bag.

"I'm Elena, I'm new in the building" and then silence.

"Could you possibly lend me a hand… with this?" she pointed at her luggage and then silence again.

"Love to, but I don't have the time right now" and poof! He was gone

Her mouth gapped. Outranged… shock…and then anger.

"Well that was RUDE!" she muttered under her breath

"Who wears sunglasses indoor anyways…?"

Anyway it doesn't matter.

She was there, finally there. The bumpy flight, the terrible plane food, the stringent baby cries that could have possible impaired her hearing forever, it was totally worth it.

She had a job, an apartment, some friends to get her by…what else do you need to start a new life in an exciting city? Elena inspected the apartment.

'Small but comfy, dirty but has character, no great view but at least….' her thoughts pause and her body suddenly was stiff as a board. She couldn't breathe.

A cockroach crossed the kitchen.

'Oh god, Oh god, Oh god…it's coming towards me. Maybe if I stay still, it can't see me…does cockroaches even have eyes? But discovery channel had said that…no! It's going towards the door. Oh please, please don't crawl into my luggage! Oh good it's going out to the hall, oh no! it stopped…okay it's moving again…'

Her body froze for a minute until she was sure the cockroach had disappeared.

'Wow that was intense, now where was I? Oh yes…This was it! My big moment to get a shot at success! Make something out of myself and my life. I was meant for something great…I can feel it'

Optimism was flowing through her vain "Look out world here I come…!" she shouted out the window.

"Who gives a shit!" the world shouted back.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Damon met up with his father at a fancy restaurant up town. From outside, Damon could spot him through the windows. Giuseppe was already seated; waiting for his son to make an appearance

Whenever he came to the city to 'visit' his son, Giuseppe will always request meeting him there and Damon suspects it was because of the blond waitress.

Heck, it was the same reason he came there last time. And then came the menu;

Waitress: "Would like the roast chicken or the grilled salmon, sir?

Damon: "What about…. a small uptown apartment? It cost right about the same amount…"

Waitress: "Perhaps you should try a different restaurant"

Damon: "I'm just here for a name and number" *winked*

Waitress: "I only have one name…and I've already given it to that gentleman over there, sorry"

She smugly said and pointed to an old, pompous but rich looking guy with a cigar between his lips.

'Yuk…!' Damon hated girls like that. They were like leaches, they hang on your pocket and never let go.

But she was still great to look at. Damon just hoped his father was smarter than that.

Giuseppe wore an impressive suit to match the vibe of luxury of the restaurant he had chosen, his walking stick loyally at his side.

He didn't need one actually, he was walking just fine. Quite fit for his age…but guess he liked the way it made him look.

In contrast, Damon wore a normal t-shirt with his favorite pair of jeans. The only respect he wanted to show his father was not to show up in his tattered old sneakers.

He took a deep breath and calmly entered the restaurant. His mission: to impress his father and convinced him he was keeping afloat in the city.

As usual, Giuseppe would ask about Damon's work, how much he was making and whether he had any promotions lately, finding any imperfection in his son's life as an excuse to drag him back home.

"If you work for me son, I'd put you in the Vice President's seat. You wouldn't have to start from the bottom like in these big corporations. Not to mention the tough competition you got here…will take years for you to move up the career ladder…" Giuseppe went on and on as Damon nodded silently.

He let his old man vent out his frustrations of not having his eldest run the family business. He wished he could make his father proud and happy but he just didn't want to take easy way to success.

He needed to prove to himself, more than to his family that he can make it on his own.

Sure he'd ride the elevator up the corporate world if he'd joined his father's business, but what if he didn't want to, what if elevator rides make him dizzy, what if he preferred climbing up with his bare hands like in that show 'man versus wild', what if…

"You know son, I've been wanting to ask you a question…" Giuseppe tapped his spoon at the edge of his coffee cup and snapped Damon back to reality. "I think you know how much it will mean to me if you come home and help the family out."

Damon straightened up at his father's serious tone. "And apart from all this business mambo jumbo…I just wanted to ask you…are you happy son?"

He didn't expect that question; it came at him like a curved ball. He gulped unexpectedly, not having a rehearse answer to it; unlike all the other questions.

But soon Damon realized that it came from a rare fatherly tenderness that was seldom seen in his father.

"It's been tough, I admit…" Damon leaned in his chair. "But I'm nearly there. It feels good to be appreciated by your hard work…I think you of all people knew that…"

"Yes, son…Yes I do…" there was a warm silence between them.

Damon's phone suddenly rang and heads turned. A red sign nearby clearly said "Kindly put your phone in silent" but he ignored the judging eyes and the goddamn sign

"What is this? A library? For Christ's sake... It's ridiculous…" he shot a look at his father who just shrugged.

"You better seal that contract fast Salvatore, or the board will cut off both our heads…"his boss, Klaus practically shouted through the receiver. He covered the phone with his palm and excused himself while Giuseppe eyed him suspiciously.

Why the hell did Klaus call him on a Saturday afternoon, in the middle of his meeting with Giuseppe and reminding him about work that he was already aware of?

Either he had something shoved up his ass or someone told him the world will end tomorrow…because Klaus was seriously edgy and anxious.

"Look Klaus, when I say, I'll get it done…I'll get it done alright…" that should have been the end of it, that should have shut him up but noooo…

He went on and on and on to a point where Damon just left his phone opened on the table while he continued his lunch and picked it up in time to say "Okay, boss. See you Monday…"

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Damon was exhausted. After his lunch, he went to Dean's house. Dean said the words 'beer' and 'huge plasma TV' and he was sold, rushing across town to reach Dean's place.

But later he found out that 'beer' meant 'one can of beer' and 'huge plasma TV' was just 'four 20 inch TVs stacked on top of each other'.

"You're an ass, Dean…I'm never coming over to your house again" he hung up the phone and climbed up the stairs, mumbling alone.

When he reached his floor, a girl in a flirty skirt excited the apartment across the hall. She left the door slightly open.

Music…voices…laughter…

Curiously, Damon peered his head inside.

It was a party. Not too many people but a party none the less.

"Alright!" Damon's mood lightened up but the number one rule to crashing a house party…chat up the owner.

He vaguely remembered a small, long brown haired girl who just moved in there today. He spotted her in the kitchen, pouring soda drinks into paper cups.

"Erika! Remember me…your neighbor?" he leaned on the kitchen counter.

"Oh you…its Elena by the way…" she didn't look happy to see him. Why would she? He was mean earlier.

"I'm Damon…" he shook her hand and instantly thought; "cute little creature she is…not too bad in the front side…and the back…' he leaned back a little to check out her ass.

Elena suddenly looked up, her brows raised.

"So…" he cleared his throat. "…first day here and already a party? Impressive…"

"It's hardly a party, just a get together with some of my old friends. They moved here long before I did. So…anything I should know about living here?"

"Ermmm…well, the plumbing sucks, so kudos on your impeccable taste" he mocked a toast.

"If you need a repair guy, Ernie, he's in apartment 15A. Sometimes…okay, a lot of times, there are black outs. So have a flash light with you. Larry…apartment 32B…creepy old guy. Don't go knocking on his door…" he heard her laughed.

It was a heart-warming laugh, a really sultry kind of melody…Damon shook his head.

Time to move in for the kill.

"This apartment is a bit small, probably could fit a single bed in there…not a queen or anything" he casted his bait.

"No, I don't really mind…it's just me."

'Ah-haa…that means she's single' Damon analyzed

"I just need the basic necessities you know? I'm really focused on my new career and I don't want distractions…"

'Which everyone knows was the code for 'commitment-phobic' '

"But I come from a small town call Mystic Falls and this is a big change. I don't want to miss out on some fun either…"

Single, commitment-phobic hottie, looking for a good time. BINGO!

"You know…I can show you a good time…" Damon was grinning like a fool, wiggling his eyebrows at her.

"Excuse me?"

"And since it's so convenient…" referring to the fact that they lived right next to each other. "I think things will work out just great, if you know what I mean?"

"No, I don't know what the hell you're talking about Damon! Are you always such a douche or is it the soda?" She was so pissed.

Damon looked at her like she was an alien. "I got the message loud and clear…you're into me…"

"Oh my god! I am not. There's a loose screw up in your brain…maybe you should go see Ernie in apartment 15A and get it fixed!" she stormed off.

Left gaping like fish on land, Damon snorted seconds after and brush off his ego. "Who needs her?"

Off to his next target; a blond girls standing alone in a corner.

I'm so excited to share this story with you. It's my first go at humor type writing.

Okay, I made Damon a jerk, but don't worry he won't stay that way..

And incase you were wondering, yes. It is Dean from Supernatural, because I just think they'll make great pals.

Like it or not? Leave your thoughts.