This is before Crying Wolf and after Daddy Issues. I'm sorry it took so long to upload another chapter, I've been busy with school work. I'm already started on chapter three, so hopefully you guys enjoy this.

And I want you in my life
And I need you in my life

Aria cursed at herself as she walked up to the boarding house. She hadn't realized how late it had gotten so she quietly crept inside, not wanting to disturb anyone. She slowly removed her boots and left them at the front door, then removed her jacket and hung it up. Aria tiptoed into the den and plopped down on the sofa with a slight sigh. She hadn't seen Damon all day. After their friend Caroline showed up, he had left with Elena to go talk to her uncle John about something while Stefan and Caroline took care of this Tyler character, which had left Aria to fend for herself in a town she hadn't even known existed only until a few days ago. It was exhausting trying to find her way around town. Everyone had known she was new because of her constant need to ask for directions.

She sat up straight once she heard moving around above her and turned her tired eyes towards the staircase. After a few moments, a woman with dirty blonde hair appeared, Damon following closely behind. His hair was wet, as was hers and both of their cheeks rosy. The woman didn't seem to notice that Aria was there, for she kissed Damon quickly and told him to call her before she walked out of the house, shutting the large redwood door behind her. Damon hadn't seemed to notice her either, not until he sauntered into the den and poured himself a glass of bourbon. His icy eyes studied her before downing the entire glass and asking when she had got in.

"Just a few minutes ago." Aria told him. Why hadn't he told her that he had a girlfriend? "Is Stefan home yet?"

"No." Damon shook his head as he took a seat next to her on the couch. "He's with Elena."

Aria studied his face closely. His eyes were slightly red, which made his usual icy irises appear more of an azure color. His lips were slightly curved downwards and his brows pulled together closely; he appeared to be frowning. "Oh?"

"I just don't understand what she sees in him. I mean, yes, he is my little brother and I do love him but come on! Stefan is just as bad as I am! So what if he's better at playing the good guy? I'm trying but in doing so I can't be myself! I just want to be myself.."

"Damon..."

"I mean, I'm not that bad of a guy; I saved you, didn't I? I could have just left you there on the side of the road and no one would have even known! All you'd be is another mysterious death in Mystic Falls! But nooooo, I just had to prove to her that I can be just as good of Stefan but it's never good enough for her!"

"Damon!" After a few seconds, Damon moved his gaze to Aria. "Damon, you're drunk.."

"No, I'm not. I'm just tired, Aria. I'm tired of not being good enough. Not for Elena, not for Katherine, not for anybody. And maybe I'm slightly drunk." He told her as he grabbed her shoulders and stared into her eyes. He waited for her to say something, but her lips never parted and no sound escaped from her throat. Damon moved his gaze downward at his hands; they were so big compared to hers, each one almost enveloped each shoulder. She was so small, so fragile beneath his hands of marble. He could crush her with one twitch of a finger.. one swift move and she'd be rubble at his feet. Damon was quickly overwhelmed with the need to kill and his eyes darted to Aria's throat. Before he could make a decision, he felt warm hands on his forearms.

"Damon.. I think-"

"Yes, Aria?"

She let out a sigh and looked at him apologetically, "What about your girlfriend?"

"Who?" He asked, confused, as he removed his hands from her fragile frame.

"The girl that just left.."

"She's not my girlfriend." Damon rolled his eyes.

"Then who is she..?"

"Just some desperate girl that threw herself at me at the grill." He told her.

Aria sighed and averted her eyes to the Persian rug that covered most of the wooden floor. It was Damon's turn to study her. Her face was tired, and she was now sort-of slumped over on the couch, propping herself up on her folded arms that were laid across her legs. Her eyes were hidden behind thick bangs which had fallen from their usual place, but Damon could see the distinct frown that had formed upon her lips.

"I think," she spoke as she rose from the couch and held out a hand, "that we should get you to bed."

Damon hesitated before taking her hand in his and pulling himself off the couch. They slowly made their way across the hallway and up the stairs to Damon's room. It was dark, and the only light coming in was from the moon outside his window. Aria led his across the floor and helped him into bed. As she tucked him in, Damon got the strange sense that she had done this many times before. He wondered when, and why, but before he could ask about her life before Mystic Falls, she had disappeared into the darkness. Damon closed his eyes only to hear something shatter in his bathroom a few moments later. He quickly got out of bed and found Aria kneeling on the ground trying to gather shards of a porcelain vase he had placed on the floor. She rose, turned, and let out a loud shriek.

"Shit!" She growled loudly, hitting Damon's arm. "You scared the fuck out of me!"

"What are you doing?" He asked, trying to ignore the worsening blush in her cheeks.

"I was looking for a bucket, just in case you through up or something." She sighed, obviously embarrassed, "I'll pay for that, I promise.."

Damon ran his hand through his hair, "It's alright."

"I really am sorry, Damon." She cut him off, "I didn't know where the light switch was and I didn't see it.."

"Don't worry about it, Aria." He told her honestly. They stood there for a few moments, then Damon grabbed her hand once again, "Just come to bed, we'll clean it up tomorrow."

" I'm not going to be second fiddle to you." She slowly pulled her hand from his grasp, "I'll sleep on the couch."

Damon looked deep into her eyes. He was tired and wanted to sleep, so who could blame him for what he was about to do? "You will come to bed with me."

Aria stared blankly at him for a few moments, "You're kidding me, right?"

"What?" Damon asked, mostly to himself. How had he not been able to compel her? He hadn't detected any vervain in her system when she had been dying and.. He let out a loud groan. The ring. "Please, Aria. I don't want to be alone tonight."

"Fine." She sighed, "but if you try anything, I will remove your testicles."

"Understandable."

Damon pushed his face farther into the pillow as the sun began to shine through the large window in his room. He didn't want to get up. He didn't want to face anyone after yesterday. He had so much to do that day but all he really wanted to do was stay in bed and cease to exist. He didn't want to see Elena or Stefan or vampire barbie or anyone else, especially Aria. He growled at disgust; how could he have let himself be that open in front of some mortal girl who had no idea about anything going on in that town. A mortal girl that he couldn't seem to compel. Damon began to clench his fish when he realized what his head was resting on wasn't a pillow.

"You drooled on my chest.." Aria groaned, still half asleep, "that's so gross Harrison. Why do you always have to do that whenever you sleep on my boobs? First on my face when I was sixteen and we were sleeping on the couch in your parents basement and now..." She trailed off, having realized what she had just said and quickly sat up, causing Damon's face to fall into her lap.

Before he could ask about what he had just heard, he found himself being pushed further away by Aria's tiny hands. He looked up at her and caught a look of horror in her eyes before she leapt off the bed and ran into the bathroom. Damon sat quietly, not knowing what to do. Should he follow her, should he ask questions, should he pretend it never happened? There was a time and place for everything, he thought, now was not the time, nor was it the place to start asking questions in which he wasn't sure if he truly wanted to know the answers to. He rose from his soft bed and left his room. A few moments later, he heard the shower turn on and began to make his way downstairs.

It had been awhile since Damon had thought about making actual breakfast at home. Usually he'd just go down to the cellar, drink a few pints of blood and basically be done for the day. But ever since he found Aria, he had only fed once. The thought of drinking blood made his throat ache. He quickly switched his mind to trying to find something in the fridge and cupboards that he could cook for breakfast. He grabbed pancake mix from the shelf and pulled out the waffle iron. It was the least he could do after Aria had taken care of him last night.

"You're cooking?" Damon turned around to see his brother Stefan standing in the doorway, a look of slight concern on his face.

"Oh, don't look so surprised." Damon rolled his eyes as he turned back to the waffle iron, "Haven't you ever cooked for Elena?"

"No, I haven't. I'm going to tonight though. We're heading out to her parent's lake house tonight." He answered honestly. After a few moments, Stefan spoke again, "There's something I can't figure out."

"And what would that be, brother?" Damon asked smugly.

"I can't figure out if she's changing you, or if you're doing it willingly." Stefan answered.

"If who is changing me, Stef?" Damon frowned, "And what makes you think I've changed?"

"Aria." he answered, "And the fact that you're cooking right now instead of drinking your usual three pints of blood."

Damon's movements slowed as he began to stir the chunky waffle mixture. This girl was causing him to go against his nature. To completely abandon exactly what he believed in. This girl was doing the unthinkable. She was doing exactly what everyone, especially Elena, had tried to do. Aria was changing him, and Damon didn't know what to do. It made him want to go out right at that second and tear into the first jugular he spotted.. but it also made him feel something he hadn't felt in a very long time. If Aria was capable of causing this change while Elena, the girl he supposedly loved, was not... What did that mean? Even better, what did he want it to mean?