Thank you all for reading; I really appreciate it and all of the feedback too.

This is a fun little chapter which I had fun writing. The beginning we learn a few things about Damon's family but there is a nice bit of Delena towards the end.

Enjoy!

Chapter 10: Buddy

Damon and Stefan were sat on stools by the kitchen counter, Stefan drinking coffee and Damon was texting on his cell phone taking occasional sips of his own coffee.

Their mom, Mary Salvatore, walked into the kitchen in her burgundy dressing gown with her silk, burgundy pyjamas underneath. "Who are you and what have you done with my sons," Mary joked.

Damon stood up from his stool and kissed his mom on the cheek. "Morning mom," he greeted before putting his mug in the sink.

"Good morning," she said while pouring herself a mug of coffee.

Stefan stood up and put his mug in the sink before kissing his step mom on the cheek. "Morning," he also greeted.

"So what are you two up to today then?" Mary asked her sons as she sat on the empty stool.

Stefan sat back down in his previous seat. "Going out with Rebekah after dinner," he answered.

Mary peered over at Damon who was leaning back, crossed armed on the counter. "Oh, uh, just hang out with some of the guys."

Giuseppe Salvatore entered the kitchen. "Good morning," he hugged his wife from behind and she held his right cheek with her hand.

"Morning dad," Stefan spoke up.

"Good morning son," he said and then looked over at Damon who was staring at the floor. "Morning Damon," he said while grabbing a mug and pouring his coffee.

He looked up obliviously, "Uh, yeah, morning." Damon uncrossed his arms and left the room.

"What's wrong with him?" Giuseppe asked Mary who shrugged her shoulders.

"He's a teenager what do you expect."

"Yes but Stefan here doesn't act like Damon, maybe he should take a look at Stefan here," Giuseppe placed his hand firmly on Stefan's shoulder.

Stefan pushed his dad's hand off his shoulder. "There's nothing wrong with Damon dad," he spat and began to leave the room but turned back around to his dad. "Actually, yes there is something wrong with Damon. Do you want to know what it is?" Giuseppe nodded. "He is fed up of your crappy attitude towards him. For some stupid reason he feels he needs to impress you even though you're only his adopted father so he has no reason to. Give him a break." Stefan huffed out before exiting the room leaving Giuseppe and Mary speechless.

Stefan began to walk towards the living room when Damon came out from the bottom of the stairs and grabbed his shoulder. "Whoa, Damon, you scared me." Stefan said startled.

Damon smiled one sided towards Stefan, "Thank."

Stefan nodded his head. "You're welcome,"

"I'm not even your real brother, technically I'm your cousin, why did you stand up against your father for me?" he asked curiously.

Stefan placed both his hands on Damon's shoulders. "Because, brothers or cousins, we're family and family stick up for each other."

Damon smiled. "Thanks...and just so you know, I think of you more as a brother than a cousin anyway," he half smiled.

Stefan nodded in agreement and smiled before walking into the living room, leaving Damon in the hall.

xxxx

Elena, Damon, Caroline and Luka, along with the other students in the class, are sat at their desks listening to Ms Jenkins, their Creative Writing teacher, talk about their assignment. "I am going to be setting you an assignment for this semester. I want you to write me a 10,000 word story of the genre and plot of your choice. However I don't want this to be an individual task, you're going to be working in pairs for this." Caroline nudged Elena and she smiled back. "I will be splitting you up into pairs; sorry you don't get to choose who you work with this time." Caroline and Elena looked at each other with slight sadness but they didn't really mind. "Okay," Ms Jenkins continued. "You're pairs are all on this sheet," she gestured to the white sheet in her hand, "I'll leave it on my desk for you to look at before you go."

Creative Writing was one of Elena's favourite subjects. She wanted to be a writer, ever since her mom gave Elena her very first journal when she was ten years old. Her mom loved writing too however history was her first love so she stuck with that but writing was Elena's first love. She wanted to be an author so this assignment excited her, no matter who she would be working with for the whole semester.

The rest of the lesson went by faster than expected. The bell rang and all of the students rushed towards Ms Jenkins desk to see who they would have to work with. Elena and Caroline lingered at their desks for a while not wanting to get lost in the crowd. When there were only a few students left Elena and Caroline both looked at the sheet.

Caroline smiled happily, "Yay, I have Jess, who are you with Elena?" she asked curiously.

Elena scanned down the list until she found her name and her jaw dropped slightly when she saw the name written next to her own. She hesitated before replying. "Uh, I'm working with Damon," she said and began to walk out of the room with Caroline following her.

Caroline held a mischievous grin on her face. "Well if I didn't know any better, I'd say that's fate," she stated. Elena rolled her eyes but remained silent with thoughts running through her mind of what Caroline had said.

Elena was stood facing her locker, placing her binder inside. She felt warm air hit the back of her head and instantly she knew there was someone behind her, however she remained in her locker.

"Hey writing buddy," a husky, velvety voice spoke. A shiver skipped down Elena's entire body, she knew who the voice belonged to.

She turned around to face him closing her locker. "Hey," she smiled and leaned against her locker holding her book to her chest.

Damon smirked. "I guess we're working together then."

"I guess we are," Elena noted staring directly into his eyes. She could easily get lost inside his beautiful, blue orbs. "But let me make this clear," she spoke firmly. "I'm not doing all of the work for you just so you can get an easy grade. You have to help or your name won't be going on it, understand?"

Damon mock saluted. "Load and clear ma'am," he ended with a smirk appearing on the right side of his lips which Elena couldn't help but stare at.

She suddenly shot herself back to reality, rolling her eyes at Damon's foolishness. "I'm being serious, Damon," she declared.

Damon loved the way his name rolled so beautifully off her tongue as if she was the only one who should be saying it. It quickly came out of his thought, shaking his head to let them out. "So am I, Elena," he head onto her name a little longer than he should have.

Elena smiled firmly. "Just so I know we're on the same page."

Damon laughed at her unnoticed pun and she gave him a confused questioning look. "Nothing," he said shaking his head."

They began to walk in silence down the hallway together. The silence felt awkward at first however it soon fell into a comfortable zone. After a while, neither of them could bare the silence, "So," they both said in unison and began to laugh.

They laughed for a while before Damon spoke again, "So..."

"So..." Elena repeated.

"Any ideas on what we could write our little story about?" he asked.

Elena shook her head, "Not yet no, but I'm sure we'll come up with something when we start to plan it."

Damon nodded his head. "So how are we going to do this? My house or yours?" he asked slightly hesitant wondering whether asking that question was too soon.

However Elena didn't seem to notice. "Uh, my house?" she replied just as hesitant, "if that's okay for you?"

Perfect he thought to himself. "Yep, fine," he said popping the 'p' making Elena giggle a little. He couldn't help but smile genuinely at her, he loved her laugh, it's as almost as beautiful as her he thought. What are you doing? He asked himself, you're just friends, F-R-I-E-N-D-S, friends. He said spelling it out in his mind.

The warning bell began to rang, causing their conversation to end. "I'd better get to Biology," Elena said stopping before turning the corner.

"Yeah I should get going too," he stated looking at her.

Elena began to turn around and walk away when she stopped and faced him again. "I'll see you later," she said before smiling and walking down the hallway towards Biology.

Damon smiled and couldn't help but watch her as she walked. What am I doing? He asked himself.

xxxx

Elena was sat in the library; she had another free period today so made the most of it by doing her homework. Every time she would try and concentrate on her work in front of her, her mind spontaneously kept flipping back to Damon. His beautiful raven hair, she liked it when it was slightly messy. His gorgeous bright, blue eyes which she would get lost in if she looked deep enough and his cute smile, not his mysterious smirk which also made her tense, but his genuine smile which he didn't show many people. The way his t-shirt fitted around his biceps and abs perfectly, how you could faintly see them.

Elena was suddenly stolen from her thoughts at the vibrating of her phone in her jeans pockets. Speak of the devil she thought.

From: Damon

Hey, what you up to?

~D

Elena smiled and quickly responded before trying to get back to her work.

From: Elena

Trying to work!

Elena laughed humorously as she felt her pocket vibrate again.

From: Damon

Well I'm bored, talk to me inside... I'm a lot more interesting, I bet.

~D

From: Elena

I don't know... this biology is pretty interesting...

From: Damon

Okay then, I'll leave you two alone... Have fun together!

From: Elena

Wait, I was joking... you are more interesting.

From: Damon

Well, that's what I like to hear.

From: Elena

Shouldn't you been in class anyway?

From: Damon

Nah, I have a free, I could say the same thing about you...

From: Elena

I have a free...and trying to do my homework before I was so rudely interrupted.

From: Damon

Haha! Where are you? I'll come and meet you; maybe I can help with your homework...

From: Elena

I don't need help!

From: Damon

Well at least tell me where you are... I can keep you company.

From: Elena

Library... but don't you dare try and disturb me!

A second later she left cold, firm hand covering her eyes, she held them trying to pulling them away. "Guess who?" a husky voice said from behind her.

Elena laughed. "Stop it, Damon, I'm trying to work."

Damon removed his hands and sat down in the seat next to her. "Spoil sport," he said jokingly with a smirk across his face. Elena rolled her eyes and began to work again. "If I had known you had a free I would have been here sooner." He said picking up the biology book Elena was working from.

She rolled her eyes trying to get the book out of his hands as he held it away from her. "That's exactly why I didn't tell you," she said frustrated because she couldn't reach the book.

Damon stood up from the table holding the book high above his head. Elena stood up trying to reach the book but he was too tall for her too reach. He held one hand to his chest, "I'm hurt," he said mockingly, smirking at her failing attempts to reach the book. "I might just leave; I know where I'm not wanted." Damon walked away smirking with the book still in his hand.

Elena rolled her eyes. "Damon," she called after him. "Damon, you have my book," she called but he didn't listen just carried on walking towards the door of the library. She rolled her eyes and began to follow him. "I'm not playing this game Damon, give it back," she said following him out of the library and into the empty hallway.

Damon turned to look at her while walking backwards down the hallway. "Who said I'm playing a game," he said wiggling his eyebrows.

Elena rolled her eyes and laughed humourlessly. "That's it," she said running up to him but he turned and started to run. He turned quickly into the boys' bathroom. "Sorry no girls," he said laughing mischievously.

She huffed. "Well I guess that rule is going to be broken," she said walking into the boys' bathroom. She looked around to see that only one of the toilet doors was locked.

"You know that what you're doing is kinda perverted, right?"

Elena could hear a chuckle in his voice and she rolled her eyes. "I just want my book back so I can work," she stated in a frustrated tone.

The door of the toilet suddenly unlocked. Elena burst in to see Damon had already slipped underneath the side of the cubical. "You've gotta be kidding me," she huffed before walking out of the boys' bathroom.

She began to walk down the hallway in search of Damon. Damon was watching her from behind and slowly sneaking up behind her, he was good at that. When he was right behind her he took his moment. "Boo," he whispered and Elena jumped around.

Elena put one hand on her hip and own hand out in front of her, palm upwards. "You're so immature, anyone ever tell you that?"

Damon smirked. "Yep," he said popping the 'p'

She began to tap her foot, "Hand it over," he snapped.

"Here," he said handing her the biology book and a wave of shock floated Elena's face. "You're welcome," he smirked. "I've had my fun, I'll leave you work now."

"Oh, how kind," Elena managed to say still a little shocked by Damon's actions.

"I'll see you later," he winked and was already half way down the hallway before Elena could respond.

She watched he walk away and turned around with a smile escaping her lips. She held the book to her chest and walked back towards the library.

Hope you all enjoyed this fun little chapter. As you can see Damon doesn't really get along with his adopted father but you'll find out some interesting things as the story goes on.

Chapter 11 will be up soon. Please keep reading and reviewing I love reading the feedback!

Thank you!