A/N: I'm going to apologize in advance, because the part of my brain that's a Film Studies major went a little crazy with this chapter, as well as the music snob in me…oh dear.

Also, on a semi-unrelated note, writing this fic has caused me to spend an inordinate amount of time on YouTube watching interviews with Ian Somerhalder in the name of research. His interpretation of Damon as Mick Jagger meets Cary Grant vaguely comes into play here (although really only in the general music-and-movie theme I've got going on).

And thank you to everybody who's reviewing. I've said it before, but y'all really make my day. =D

"If we're doing this boyfriend thing, you need to develop better taste in movies. That was terrible." Damon complained, as the credits rolled on whatever mindless comedy Jeremy had insisted they watch.

"What would you prefer? Dracula? Interview With A Vampire? Nosferatu?"

Damon grinned, "Ten points to the kid for knowing about a German Expressionist silent film from the 1920s." At Jeremy's confused expression, Damon shrugged. "I audited a couple film studies classes at NYU back in the nineties. But no, I don't consider any of those movies particularly good. Keanu Reeves killed any hope Dracula had, same for Christian Slater in Interview, and Nosferatu was an unauthorized Dracula rip-off."

"I don't need to hear your thesis on vampire pop culture," Jeremy teased. "Just tell me what movie you want to watch next time."

"Come over tomorrow night." Damon said. It was strange to be inviting Jeremy, since the boy usually just showed up.

"Okay," Jeremy grinned. "But if I have to develop my taste in movies, we've gotta work on your taste in music. You haven't listened to anything new since, what? The Rolling Stones?"

Damon elbowed Jeremy in the ribs, "Nirvana, thank you very much. I'm telling you though, Cobain took the good music with him when he died."

"Bullshit. You're just stubborn."

"And you aren't, Mr. It's Not Funny If It Doesn't Have Ferrell, Sandler or Stiller?"

Jeremy laughed, "I'm willing to be proved wrong, so you'd better be too."

Damon rolled his eyes and leaned forward to press a kiss to Jeremy's lips, before pulling away and jumping out of his bedroom window before the teenager could protest. Now that they didn't have to be quite as sneaky, Damon reveled in the teasing a little bit more than he did before, when everything between them was rushed and crammed into what little time they could steal when Elena and Stefan weren't around.

On his walk home, he was already mentally flipping through his movie collection to decide where best to begin Jeremy's film appreciation education.

When Jeremy arrived at the boardinghouse the next night, he handed Damon a flash drive.

"The first step in your music education," Jeremy grinned. "Keep an open mind."

Damon took the flash drive. "Is this your generation's version of a mix tape, then?"

"Probably. What was it back in your day, babe? A dance card?"

"How should I know? I never courted anyone properly, much to my father's chagrin." Damon smirked, but Jeremy could see a flicker of something he couldn't quite place in his eyes. Regret, maybe.

"I was promised a movie night," Jeremy reminded him, and he followed Damon up the stairs into a room he'd never been in, but discovered quickly it was basically a home theater.

Jeremy whistled between his teeth. "Jesus. Stefan buys electronics like it his job."

"I know," Damon flashed him a grin that made Jeremy's heart hammer against his ribcage. Naturally, the vampire heard it and his grin widened.

Damon selected a DVD from the cabinet in the corner and dropped the disc into the player, before he and Jeremy got comfortable on the wide leather sofa.

"What are we watching?"

"Bringing Up Baby."

"Never heard of it."

"I'm not surprised, kid." Damon rolled his eyes. "It's a classic. Most people would probably try and start out with something like Casablanca, but you're definitely not ready for that yet. Besides, I think Bogart is overrated anyway. Cary Grant and Katherine Hepburn are comedic gold."

"I understood maybe a quarter of that."

"Just watch the movie." Damon slipped his arm around Jeremy's waist and pulled him closer.

Jeremy had started out with the intention to dislike Bringing Up Baby. It was in black and white and the premise seemed utterly ridiculous (who thinks it's a good idea to keep a leopard as a pet anyway?), but about ten minutes in, he was already enjoying himself. He would never admit it out loud, of course, but Damon's reactions made the movie ten times more enjoyable than it probably would have been otherwise. He laughed at several points like it was the first time he'd seen it, but then would mouth along with the lines, betraying how well he actually knew the film and Jeremy couldn't help the warm, fuzzy feeling that spread through him at the idea that jaded, sarcastic Damon loved the lighthearted comedy so much.

"So," Damon asked at the end of the movie. "Are you converted yet?"

"I'm not sure," Jeremy grinned. "We might have to watch a few more to properly convince me."

"I think that can be arranged."

"Hey Damon?" Jeremy was almost afraid to bring the topic up, but since they'd only ever joked about it before, the uncertainty was starting to eat away at him.

Damon glanced over at him and made a 'mmmhmm' noise to show he was listening.

"Are we really doing this boyfriend thing? It's okay if we're not."

Damon's lips twitched in amusement. "Are you trying to get rid of me, Jer?"

"No." Jeremy's sincerity took Damon by surprise, as usual. It was hard to reconcile the Jeremy he was getting to know with the sullen, apathetic teenager he'd always assumed the boy was.

"Then yeah. We are."