This is the first story I've ever written - any comments and reviews are greatly appreciated!

Pairing: Damon/Elena/OC. Hope you like it!

Many thanks to my super lovely beta Kim who proof-read this chapter for me!

The Weekend Deal

Chapter 1: Dinner for Five

"Elena, you have to calm down," Caroline whispered softly while gently stroking her best friend's hair in comfort.

Elena was lying in her arms, her body curled up in a fetal position. Tears were streaming down her face as she tried to compose her mind. The strains of the last weeks were clearly noticeable and her swollen eyes gave her a tired expression.

"Calm down? How can I calm down?" she hiccuped between sobs. "I'm a complete failure. I hurt the two people I love the most. They'll never be able to forgive me."

She lifted her head and nuzzled into Caroline's neck. It felt good to be held by someone and she was eternally grateful to have such a caring and understanding friend. She didn't know what she would have done if she had been alone in this misery.

"Elena, look at me. That's not true. They might need some time, but it will turn out alright, you'll see." Caroline tried her best to comfort her friend.

She didn't say it just to calm her down, though. She truly believed that things would turn out alright, eventually. Not that she could not perfectly well understand the reasons for Elena's break-down; it was a complicated situation. But it hadn't been entirely Elena's fault and surely it wasn't unforgivable.

"I don't know what I'm supposed to do, Care." Elena's sobbing had ceased, but her body was still shaking.

"I can't tell you what to do. You have to choose, you know that." Caroline took a deep breath. "But deep down, you've already made your choice, haven't you?"

Elena looked up at her. It always took her by surprise just how well her best friend knew her. She hadn't been conscious of it until now, but the choice had been made. She could only imagine a future with one of them. "I guess I have," she admitted after a while.

"Then you need to talk to them. It's only fair. Talk to your husband. Talk to Damon. You'll figure it out."

Elena nodded in silence. She knew that this was the right thing to do. She was so scared of their reactions, she didn't want the moment to come. Grabbing a tissue, she let out an exhausted sigh.

What the hell had gotten her into this mess?

Six months ago ...

Elena was just about to finish the lasagna she was preparing when she heard the bell ring. She quickly ran into the bathroom, wanting to change out of her cooking apron into her small, black dress that she liked to wear on occasions like this.

"Jamie - can you open the door, please?"

Jamie had invited his new colleague from the hospital for dinner and as her fiancé seemed to think quite highly of him, she wanted to make a good impression. Dressing appropriately was point number seven on the 'How to make a good first impression' list she'd read in one of Caroline's women's magazines, after all.

"It's Caroline and Stefan!" Jamie shouted from the door.

They hadn't known whether Damon was bringing a date and the thought of the three of them having dinner was a bit too intimate for Elena's taste. That's why they had also invited her best friend Caroline and her fiancé Stefan. Having Caroline around also meant that the chance of having awkward, long pauses was practically zero, which was always a plus.

The bell rang another time.

Elena took a deep breath and made her way into the living room. They'd moved the large dining table on a little plateau in the open kitchen so that she could be part of the conversation while she was cooking. In the middle of the room stood a large cream-coloured couch in front of a huge plasma TV where Jamie and Elena spent most of their evenings cuddled up watching reruns of their favorite TV shows.

She hugged Caroline tightly and gave Stefan a peck on the cheek. Behind Stefan, she saw Jamie talking to a black-haired man who, at that moment, lifted his gaze to look at her intensely. He was dressed in black jeans and a black shirt that accented his perfectly shaped upper arms.

The moment she looked into his eyes she was lost in his gaze. He had the most gorgeous blue eyes she had ever seen and she couldn't take her eyes off him. It was not just his eyes, he was handsome in a way that she could not explain. His face and his dashing physique were appealing, of course, but that was not the reason her heart had sped up. She had seen many handsome men in her life, but Damon was something else entirely. Without having spoken a word to this man, she felt his presence in the room, felt a connection between them.

"Hi," she mumbled inarticulately.

"Hi yourself."

God, his voice was perfect.

"You must be Damon," she said eventually, realizing she'd just broken rule number one on the 'good impression' list: do not stare. What the hell was wrong with her?

"Nicely deduced." He smirked at her and kissed her on her left cheek. "And you must be Elena. You look absolutely stunning."

She blushed, giving him a shy smile in return. Taking a look at her fiancé, she saw him lift his eyebrows and smile at her knowingly. Jamie had told her about Damon and his reputation and he obviously hadn't exaggerated.

They went over to the kitchen and Caroline, Stefan and Jamie sat down at the dining table. Elena cut the lasagne in pieces, putting them on white plates. It had taken years to learn how to make the perfect lasagna and she felt pretty proud of herself when she noticed how delicious it smelled. Damon had followed her over to the counter and helped her carry the plates to the table. Elena sat down next to Jamie while Damon took the seat on the opposite side of the table, next to Caroline.

After the first few bites, Caroline lifted her glass.

"Stefan and I have something to celebrate. So I want you all to raise your glasses to me and my wonderful fiancé."

Elena looked at her in surprise, noticing the sparkle in her friend's eyes. She hadn't mentioned anything on the phone earlier. Jamie looked at her with a smile, shrugging his shoulders. Stefan had obviously not told him either.

"We set a date. For the wedding," Stefan explained.

Caroline and Stefan had become engaged on New Year's Eve half a year ago, like Elena and Jamie had, too.

Elena jumped up from her chair and rushed to Caroline and Stefan, hugging and squeezing them tightly. "I am so happy for you," she squealed. "When?"

"October 1st. I would have gone for an earlier date, but Caroline said she needed the time to make her preparations." Stefan rolled his eyes and Jamie laughed heartily at his reaction. They'd all made the acquaintance with Caroline the perfectionist at some point.

"Of course she does." Elena winked at her. They had spend several nights discussing their dream weddings and Caroline - well, let's just say she had a very exact idea of her wedding.

"Have you talked about a date yet?" Caroline knew she was pushing them, but sometimes people needed a helping hand.

Elena looked at her disapprovingly. "We haven't. It's been a busy time, with moving into the new apartment and all."

"We are not in a hurry. I'm looking forward to the wedding, but being engaged is nice, too," Jamie helped her out. He took Elena's hand and caressed her engagement ring with affection.

Elena looked up and caught Damon staring at her ring. He seemed a bit lost, pouting his lips together in a thin line, and clearly did not feel comfortable with the topic.

"Damon, you must come too," Caroline smiled at him.

How typical of her to invite people she'd known for five minutes to the most important personal events.

"I don't know if weddings are the right place for me," Damon said finally.

Elena almost choked on one of the fresh tomato pieces. She coughed heavily, trying to get it out of her windpipe. What was wrong with him? What kind of person despised weddings?

"Sure they are. You can practise for Jamie's and Elena's wedding. And it's not like you have a choice; I'm not gonna take no as an answer. You can bring a date." Caroline was in her element and sure as hell wouldn't be stopped that easily.

Stefan glanced at Damon apologetically.

"I don't do dates. I don't like committed relationships. That's why I don't like weddings either."

"You'll survive. Trust me," Caroline added.

"Fine, I'll be there," Damon surrendered. He rolled his eyes, lifting his shoulders and letting out a loud sigh of exasperation.

Elena wanted to ask why he did not like relationships, but as the atmosphere was already tense she decided to change the topic instead and asked Caroline about her new job at the spa center.

"It's great, I love it," Caroline began and started describing her new work environment in more detail than anyone would ever be interested in, yet Elena listened attentively. It was her best friend, after all, and she was happy that Caroline was so enthusiastic about her new work.

Elena was just about to ask if her new colleagues were nice when she noticed something touch her foot. She looked at Jamie, but he seemed to be in deep discussion with Stefan, his feet nowhere near hers. Was her imagination playing tricks on her? Just as she was about to dismiss the thought, she felt a clear push, this time on her left feet. Her gaze fell to her feet, then over to Damon who struggeled to maintain a straight face.

She couldn't believe he was playing footsies with her. He was obviously not very interested in Caroline's ongoing rant about her job. Fair enough. But although playing footsies with strangers hadn't been mentioned in the article, it surely went without saying that this was not advisable.

She was about to say something to him when he touched her right foot, just a little longer this time. It was an inappropriate thing to do, but seeing Damon next to a rambling Caroline was such an unusual sight that she had to suppress a giggle. With a quick move, she touched his foot with hers and smiled at him innocently. He looked up, clearly surprised that she was participating in his game. His right corner of the mouth twitched as they indulged in their little fight under the table. After a while, they just couldn't keep a straight face anymore and burst out laughing at the same time.

"Are you two having fun?" Caroline interrupted. She was a bit upset at first, but seeing that her best friend was clearly enjoying herself she couldn't really be mad.

The conversation seemed to flow easily now and Elena felt herself relax. Damon and Jamie talked a bit about work and Elena was able to talk to Caroline about the wedding for a while.

Having finished the incredibly good chocolate cake dessert, Stefan stood up. "Care, I'm afraid we have to go. I have to get up early tomorrow."

Jamie followed him and took the car keys out of his back pocket. Elena knew Stefan's car was currently under repair, so they had asked Jamie if he could take them home.

"I should probably go, too." Damon stood up, walking over to the wardrobe to grab his leather jacket.

"You don't have to. I'll be back shortly. In the meantime, Elena can keep you company," Jamie offered.

Damon looked at Elena who nodded approvingly and he decided to join her at the kitchen counter. "I'd like to help you clean the dishes, if you don't mind."

"I'd like some help," she smiled at him before she hugged Stefan and Caroline goodbye.

She really wasn't sure what to think of Damon. From what Jamie had told her, he was a jerk when it came to women, and she could see parts of that. He was shamelessly flirtatious, used every chance he could get to touch her, but on the other hand she could see a really sweet side of him, too. He was trying to make her feel comfortable and she thought their little footsies game under the table was actually kind of cute. He also seemed to take every opportunity to offer her his help in the kitchen which did not match his appearance at all. She had to admit that she was quite fascinated by this rather unusual combination.

She was pulled out of her thoughts when she felt Jamie's lips on hers.

"I'll be right back, love," he said before he left the appartment.

Damon had already started washing the dishes and Elena picked up a towel, beginning to do the drying up.

"So, no relationships, huh?"

She couldn't understand how anyone would prefer one-night stands over a committed relationship and couldn't help but ask.

"I see that got your attention," he tried to deflect.

"Why? I mean, don't you believe in love?"

"I don't. It's painful and overrated."

She looked up at him, and for a short moment, he allowed her to see the hurt in his eyes. She knew it was out of place to ask something so personal, but she just had to know.

"So you've been in love. And it didn't end well?"

He look at her intensely, his dark, blue eyes boring into her with an expression she couldn't exactly place. It was obvious that it was a very emotional topic for him.

She suddenly realized how inappropriate her question had been.

"I'm sorry. That was out of place. I didn't mean to upset you."

She touched his arm in an innocent gesture that was supposed to calm the tension between them, but it turned out to have the opposite effect. She could not move, could not remove her hand from his arm when she touched him. It felt like electricity running through her fingertips. She could feel him breathing hard and was surprised to feel something in her belly she hadn't felt for a very long time. She draw her hand away and immediately felt guilt rising up inside her.

Damon's eyes were still locked on her, but the tension seemed to have left his face.

"Elena, I've never told anyone about this. To be quite honest, I've never felt the need to tell anyone, but I feel like I have to explain myself to you."

"You don't. It's fine."

"'Lena, I want to. I really do. Just not right now. Some other time, okay?" The way he pronounced her name sent tingles up her spine. "Let's just say I was wearing an engagement ring once myself and it didn't go the way I expected."

This time, she did not only see the hurt on his face, she could hear it in his voice as well. "Damon, I'm so sorry."

Suddenly, his strange behaviour when Caroline had talked about her wedding made sense to her. She had known that there was more, that he wasn't the typical guy who just liked one-night stands for no particular reason.

Damon had never truly understood why people said they were sorry; it was not like it changed anything or made him feel better. On the contrary, he really didn't need anyone's pity, but with Elena it was different. She seemed to understand and he'd immediately known she'd meant it. "Let's not talk about it anymore."

He took her hand in his and squeezed it softly. They stood there for a moment, overwhelmed with the feeling of being physically and emotionally connected to the other, until Damon let finally go of her hand. They continued working in the kitchen in silence. After several minutes of comfortable silence, they both jumped, startled by a noise at the door. A few moments later, Jamie entered the room. He took a look at their faces and frowned.

"Wow, what's going on with you two? You look depressed. Damon, I counted on your ability to make women feel good, what happened?"

It was clearly meant as a joke, but Elena felt jealousy rise up in her. Women, as in plural. She got the feeling that there was definitely more to his reputation than Jamie had told her.

"We're good. Don't worry," she smiled at them and the atmosphere turned back to normal.

Sitting down at the couch, Jamie patted her knee calmingly. "Elena, I have bad news. The hospital called. They want me to work an extra night shift next Saturday." Jamie had to work three Saturday night shifts every month, so they had only one Saturday night for themselves, which had just got cancelled for this month. For a short moment, Elena looked like she was about to cry, pressing her lips together and narrowing her eyes.

Damon picked up her mood immediately.

"What is it?" he asked, sounding clearly worried.

Elena looked at Jamie who nodded reassuringly. If she wanted to tell him, it would be fine with him. He knew he could trust Damon. She normally didn't tell strangers about her problems, but it felt right to tell him.

"Since my parents died five years ago, I'm having trouble sleeping alone," she confessed after she'd taken a deep breath. "I have nightmares."

Damon was shocked by her honesty. "I'm sorry about your parents," he said eventually.

Just like Damon had known a few minutes ago, Elena knew immediately that he meant it. She gave him a genuine smile.

"It's fine. I've learned to live with it. I have a new life now." She looked gratefully at her fiancé. "Jamie's been helping me a lot."

Damon only nodded.

"But unfortunately, he has to work on Saturday nights and I try to sleep over at Caroline's most of the time, but as she's planning her wedding at the moment, I can't keep distracting her all the time."

"I see."

Damon was surprised at the extent to which her panic confused him. He had only just met her tonight, after all, but she had looked so frightened when Jamie had told her about the extra night shift that all he wanted to do was make her feel safe.

"You know what, I'll offer you a deal. There are no night shifts in my department, and I don't have any obligations on Saturday nights anyway. If you want to, we could spend these evenings together, going out, staying in, whatever you'd like. I could stay the night and sleep on the couch if it helps."

Elena felt like her heart was about to explode. She wasn't used to such helpfulness and it overwhelmed her. Tears began to well up in her eyes.

"I didn't offer it to make you cry," Damon said, trying to lighten the mood. "And I have to get your fiancé's consent first, of course."

Elena's face began to brighten up and she gave Jamie a questioning look.

"Anything that makes you feel better, love. I don't mind at all. I think it's a great idea. Thank you for the offer, Damon," Jamie replied.

She instantly knew that it was dangerous considering the way Damon made her feel, that it was probably not the best idea to accept, but she felt so terrified when she thought of these nights. She reached out and placed her delicate hand on Damon's knee. "It would mean everything to me."

"Then we have a deal." He stroked her hand with his thumb and smiled at her.

Later, when she was lying in bed, Elena began to feel nervous. She had always felt nervous when thinking about the nights Jamie spent at work, but she had to admit that her reasons might have changed tremendously. For the first time in a long while, she was looking forward to a Saturday night.

A/N: Thanks for reading! :)

I'm not a native speaker, so there might be a few mistakes and strange sentences in the chapters that haven't been betaed. Sorry about that! Feel free to tell me if you find any!