I've got this friend
I don't think you know him
He's not much for words
He's hidden his heart away

Oh, I've got this friend
A loveless romantic
All that he really wants
Is someone to want him back

Ohh, if the right one came
If the right one came along
Ohh, if the right one came, along

I've got this friend
I don't think you know her
She sings a simple song
It sounds a lot like his

Oh, I've got this friend
Holding on to her heart
Like it's a little secret
Like it's all she's got to give

*I've Got This Friend – The Civil Wars*

"Dani!"

I halted on my way up the porch steps. I was just getting back to my house after a long run and all I wanted to do was go inside and wash the sweat from my body. I turned to face the street and saw a light blue Camaro parked against the curb, top down and Damon in the driver's seat.

"You have got to be kidding me." I grumbled. "What are you? A stalker?"

He laughed loudly before responding.

"I was driving down the street and I saw you jogging up. Figured I'd say hi."

"Okay. Hi. Now, if you don't mind, I was about to go take a shower."

"Is that an invitation?" Damon asked with a smirk. I had to fight the urge to roll my eyes at his cockiness.

"Are you really hitting on me right now?"

"Well, I'm trying to."

This time I did roll my eyes, taking the last few steps towards the door.

"All right. I give. No more hitting on you. Now, will you come over here?"

I paused with my hand on the door knob, contemplating just going in without saying anything else to Damon.

"Please?"

I glanced back and noticed that he wasn't smirking anymore. Sighing, I went back down the stairs and walked over to his car. When I was just a few feet away from the Camaro, he got out and moved so that he was leaning against the passenger door.

I could feel myself blush a little when I saw him standing there. He was wearing a simple black t-shirt and blue jeans, but he wore them well. I, on the other hand, only had on a sports bra and workout pants. Not to mention the perspiration.

Like the day before, he didn't hide it when his eyes roamed over my body, leaving me feeling exposed. When his gaze met mine again, they held a hint of lust.

"So, how was your run?"

I rolled my eyes again and crossed my arms.

"What exactly do you want, Damon? I thought I was clear yesterday that I don't date strangers."

"Oh, you were. I was just hoping that I could change your mind. I figured, you don't have any plans, I don't have any plans, so why not do something together?"

"First, why would you assume that I don't have plans? And second, why would my answer be any different today?"

"Call it a hunch."

"You're impossible." I let my arms rest at my sides.

"Do you have plans?" He asked, wearing a smirk again.

"Uh... not exactly. But something could come up."

"So, you'd rather stay at home during your summer break on the off-chance that someone might call you to do something with them?" He chuckled. "What if I told you that I'd leave you alone, if you want me to, if you agree to go out with me, just once."

"Once?" I asked in confirmation, while biting my lip. I was certainly impressed with his persistence.

"Once." He repeated with a nod.

"I'd say if it'll get you to leave me alone, then sure. But how do I know you won't kidnap me or turn out to be some psycho serial killer?"

"If that were the case, I'd have already had you in my car and out of here."

"Good point. Fine. I'll go."

"Great! I'll pick you up. Is 5:30 okay with you?"

I glanced at my watch, seeing that it was 3:15.

"Yeah, that should be fine."

"I'll see you soon, then." He said, going to the driver's side of his car.

As he drove away, I made my way inside and up the stairs to my bathroom.

A knock sounded from the front door at exactly 5:30 PM. Before leaving my room, I took one last look in the mirror.

I was wearing a black dress with a crisscross sheath in the front, ending at mid-thigh. My shoes were black platforms, the heels a neon pink. Grabbing a matching pink clutch already containing both my real and fake IDs, some cash, and anything else I thought that I would need, I made my way downstairs.

The sight of Damon was enough to cause a blush to spread across my cheeks. He had on a dark blue button-up shirt, dark blue jeans, and a black leather jacket.

"You look..." He paused, running his eyes over my body. "... appetizing."

On the inside, his comment thrilled me. On the outside, I rolled my eyes at his look of satisfaction.

"Can we just go? I have some things that I have to do later and I'd like to get some sleep tonight."

"Well, not too much, I hope. I was thinking maybe we could swing by the hotel I'm staying at and –"

"Let me stop you right there, Damon." I said, holding up a hand. "I agreed to dinner. That's it. Do not expect me to 'put out' on a first date. Doesn't work like that with me."

"I think I could persuade you into it. But I was just going to suggest getting a drink or two. The hotel has a bar. I'm actually a little hurt that you would think so low of me." He pretended to look the part, sticking his bottom lip out just a little.

"See, that's the thing. I don't really know anything about you, now, do I?"

"Well, that's what tonight's for. Shall we?" He held his arm out in an invitation for mine.

I stepped out onto the porch and linked my arm through his as we began walking to his car.

"You know, I pictured you in something more along the lines of a new Corvette."

"No way! The classics are way better." He responded with, holding the passenger door open for me.

"Well, look at that. We actually have something in common. I love my Tahoe, but older cars will always own a small piece of my heart."

Once Damon got in and started the engine, he popped a CD into the player while backing out of the driveway.

"Modern English? Wow. You are seriously surprising me tonight."

"Right back at ya. Figured you would listen to Taylor Swift or Kelly Clarkson." He said with a smirk.

"You caught me. I'm a little picky when it comes to music, to be honest. I won't listen to anything related to techno, house music, rap, or that scream-o crap. Other than that, I don't mind."

"Noted."

When we arrived at the restaurant, I glanced out the window and realized where we were: Cibo. An Italian restaurant that I had driven passed many times and always wanted to try, but never actually got around to it. It was too fancy for a girl's night out, and at 16, the boys in town couldn't really afford a place like this. I tore my gaze away and looked back at Damon when I heard him chuckle.

"I take it I picked a good place?"

"I love Italian. It's my favorite." I couldn't help but laugh. He continued to amaze me more and more with each passing moment.

"Hold tight."

He got out and walked around the car to open my door, holding out a hand for me. Taking it, I stepped out of the car carefully.

It didn't matter though. My heel got caught in a crack in the sidewalk and I started to fall backwards. Before I could make impact with anything, however, Damon had managed to catch me.

I ended up pinned against his body. He had an arm wrapped around my waist and his free hand was holding my wrist, my left hand resting on his chest. I blushed at both my clumsiness and at how close we were.

"Uh, thank you." I managed to breathe out.

"No problem." He said, still holding me.

I waited until the embarrassment faded.

"Um... Damon?"

"Yeah?"

"You can let go now."

"Oh, right. Sorry."

He dropped his arms and took a step back. After straightening my dress, he linked his arm with mine and led me towards the restaurant.

"Do you trust me?" Damon asked as we were stepping inside.

"I have a hard time saying yes to trusting a stranger. You should be thankful that I even said yes to dinner."

That earned me another chuckle. I found the sound of his voice, his laugh, to be quite alluring.

"Humor me?" He requested. I noticed a devious glint in his eyes.

"How can I refuse?" I responded, with a smile. There was just something about a 'bad boy' that could draw a girl in.

After being seated, a waiter came over with glasses of water for us. Damon placed our order without bothering to look at the menu.

"Come here often?" I asked, as the waiter walked away to get our drinks.

"I've been here a few times." He said, placing his elbow on the table and resting his hand on his chin.

"Enough times to memorize the menu." I pointed out, making him smile.

"Ya caught me. This is my favorite place to eat at when I'm in California."

"Where are you from?"

"Virginia. Mystic Falls, to be exact."

"Mystic Falls? Never heard of it." I said, taking a sip of water while glancing around the restaurant. It was beautifully decorated.

"I'm not surprised. It's a small town. I grew up there, but I like to travel. I haven't been home in quite some time. What about you? You live in Monterey your whole life?"

"Actually, yes. But I've been thinking about getting away, at least for a while. I could use a break. Though, I would feel bad leaving Ryan alone, now that he's used to having someone else around."

The waiter returned with our drinks and asked to see our IDs. Damon had ordered a sweet Zinfandel wine. As I was pulling mine out, he looked at Damon.

"You don't really need to see our IDs, do you?" Damon asked, his gaze locked onto the waiter's.

"No. I don't need to see your IDs."

The waiter walked away, seemingly in a daze, to check on another table. Damon turned his attention back to me, smiling devilishly. Just as I opened my mouth to ask him what that was about, he spoke.

"Don't ask. Let's just say that he realized I'm over 21, and that you look to be as well. So, tell me, exactly how old are you?"

"21."

"Mmhmm. Try again."

"16. Well, 17. It's my birthday today." I smiled sheepishly at him.

"A minor? I won't tell anyone if you don't." He winked at me, and I let out a small laugh.

"And what about you?"

"23." He responded. He smiled as if he was hiding something, but I let it go as the waiter returned and placed our food in front of us.

"What is this?"

"Al Ceppo Bolognese. Just try it. It's delicious."

With hesitation, I took a bite and was relieved when my taste buds agreed with him.

"See? What did I tell you?"

I smiled at him in response.

"You know, I'm starting to think that this wasn't such a bad idea after all."

"Considering your alternative was to spend your birthday alone, I'm not surprised. Plus, my good looks definitely help the situation." He smirked.

"There you go again, being a cocky ass." I said, smiling to let him know I was joking. Well, half-joking.

By this time, a jazz band started to play music. After taking another bite, I realized that Damon was staring at me. I looked up at him.

"What?"

"Nothing." He said, wearing the smirk that I was starting to get used to.

I took a few more bites, and finally became annoyed enough to look at him again. This time, he looked down at his plate and took a bite of his food.

"Okay, seriously. What's the deal? And do not say nothing, because you were staring."

"Who's Ryan?"

"My guardian." I said, the tone of my voice letting Damon know that this was not a subject I wanted to go further into. Much to my relief, he took the hint.

"So, if you do end up leaving Monterey, where would you go?"

"Not sure. Far away from California, I suppose. Maybe Montana or South Dakota."

"Virginia's not too bad. And it's clear on the other side of the map." He stated with his smirk back in place.

After that, we finished our dinner in a comfortable silence. Every once in a while, I would catch him staring at me again, but didn't make any more attempts to find out why. When the waiter came to check on us and take our empty plates, Damon surprised me once again by ordering dessert: Tiramisu. When I took my first bite, a small moan escaped my lips, causing me to blush again.

"That good, huh?" Damon asked with a slight chuckle, the lust from when he pulled up after my run earlier back in his eyes.

"I've always had a weakness for the flavor of coffee. This is absolutely amazing."

After we left the restaurant, Damon held the passenger door open for me. When we were both in the car and he was driving me home, I surprised myself when I broke the silence again.

"Can we not go back just yet?" I asked, biting my lip.

"Any place specific in mind?" He asked with a slight nod.

"You mentioned something about a bar at the hotel you're staying at?"

"Yes. It's not very far from here."

"Good. Let's go there. I could use a drink."

He chuckled.

"You just had wine."

"Yeah, but I need something a little stronger than that. Just don't get the wrong impression here. One drink. Maybe two. And then you take me home. Got it?"

"Got it." He said, laughing.

A few martinis later, I had a good buzz going and was really hoping that Damon wouldn't take advantage of my impaired state.

"When do you plan on going back home?" I asked. Damon looked away from whatever had caught his attention to glance at me.

"Not sure. Like I said, I haven't been there in a while. Haven't really wanted to go back."

"Don't you have any family or friends there?"

"An uncle. I have a brother, but I doubt he's in Mystic Falls still. We sort of... drifted apart years ago."

"That's... sad. You haven't tried to work things out?" I asked, finishing my fourth apple martini and signaling the bartender for another.

"No." He said with a shrug.

I looked out the window and thought about my parents.

"You should try. Family's extremely important." I said, looking back at him. He met my gaze and I looked away when my drink came.

"You're on your fifth martini. That mixed with the wine from dinner... I'm surprised you're not on the floor passed out at this point."

"No way. I've built up a pretty high tolerance. I should be good for a few more." I said with a smile and a wink. Then, with a sigh, I added, "Honestly, though, I probably should get back home. Ryan didn't really want me staying out this late."

With a nod, Damon paid the bartender for his still-full glass of Bourbon and stood up. A short time later, he was pulling up to the curb outside my house. He got out and walked over to the passenger side, opening the door for me. Stepping out, I ended up having to grab onto Damon's arm to steady myself.

"Okay, so maybe I had one too many." I giggled.

"Can you walk, or do you need help?"

"Help, please." I said.

With a chuckle, he leaned down to bend my knees and pick me up. I wrapped my arms around his neck, resting my head on his shoulder. When we reached the door, Damon set me down, keeping a hold on my waist to make sure that I stayed standing while I unlocked the door.

"Do you think you can make it from here?"

"Not completely sure at this point. You can come in. I might need your help getting to my room."

Once inside, I attempted to get up the stairs and fell backwards. Damon was right behind me and ready to catch me.

"Sorry. Maybe I should just sleep on the couch tonight." I said, unsure if I'd be able to make it to the second story.

Without another word, Damon picked me up again and climbed the stairs effortlessly.

"Second door on the left." I whispered, not wanting to wake Ryan up.

Once in my room, Damon walked to the bed and dumped me on it.

"Not cool!" I said, gasping when I bounced off and onto the floor.

He let out a quiet chuckle, and I glared at him as I stumbled my way over to my dresser.

"Okay, you have to turn around now. You do not get to watch me change."

He gave a mock pout and then turned, looking at the pictures of my friends and family that were taped on my wall. I pulled out a matching gray tank top and shorts pajama set that I had ordered from a Victoria's Secret catalog a while ago. I walked over to the bed and crawled under the blankets.

"I should go." Damon said, his eyes stuck on one of the pictures.

"I'm not ready to sleep yet. Stay for a while. Talk to me. Let's get to know each other better."

"It's after midnight. You've been drinking. You should get some rest." His gaze never left the picture.

"Which one are you looking at?"

"You're with a blonde girl at a park."

"That's Riley. She's my best friend."

"And the guy that you're kissing in the picture next to it?"

"Adam." I sighed.

"You went out on a date with a complete stranger when you have a boyfriend? That bored with him, huh?" He asked, finally looking at me, a smirk on his face. I rolled my eyes.

"Shut up."

"I thought you wanted to get to know each other? Your whole life seems to be on this wall. Just trying to figure you out. But I really do need to get going."

"Damon, I –" I caught myself.

"Yes?"

"Maybe it's just the martinis talking, but... stay? Please?"

He gave me a slight nod and moved to sit in the bean bag chair I had by the window.

"No... here." I said, patting the space next to me on the bed.

After a moment of hesitation, he took off his shoes and jacket and joined me. I moved so that I was curled up against him with my head in the crook of his neck, one arm under his torso and my free hand resting on his chest. I sighed in satisfaction when his arm wrapped around my waist.

"Damon?" I asked quietly.

"Hmm?" His hand had moved up to my shoulder, and he was softly rubbing in a circular motion on my skin.

"Umm... thanks. For tonight. I had fun." I smiled up at him.

"You're welcome. I'd ask to see you again, but I'm actually leaving in the morning. Got someone in Georgia that I need to visit." He started running his fingers through my hair.

"Mmm." was all that I could get out. I was beginning to feel just how tired I was.

"Hey, Dani?"

"Yeah?" I asked, shifting my head a little to look at Damon.

"Happy birthday." He said, smiling and kissing my forehead.

The last thing I remembered before falling asleep was his touch as he caressed my cheek.