A/N: Thanks to my reviewers! It's funny how writers crave validation through response. Even when writing drivel. =) Damon + rain = sexy. The end.

Chapter 5

He saw her sitting there, on the bench. The clouds threatened rain but she didn't seem to notice- or at least she didn't seem to care. A few drops fell as he moved to sit next to her. She didn't seem to see him or the rain. They sat in silence, fat raindrops falling sporadically around them.

"My brother told me you were dangerous." Emma finally said, still not looking at him. Her gaze was distant and far off, turned away from him.

"Is that all he said?" Damon asked quietly, staring at his shoes.

"No." She shook her head, her gaze dropping to the ground.

Silence.

Damon shifted his hands in his coat pockets. It wasn't really chilly but for some reason he suddenly didn't know what to do with his hands. He finally couldn't stand it any more. "What did he say?"

He felt her gaze turn sharply toward him. He didn't return it. He didn't want to see the disgust and anger in her eyes. He wasn't quite sure why her opinion of him mattered so much to him but he knew if she looked at him like the monster he was it would be like a stake to the heart. Literally.

"He was making a bad joke." She replied. He was surprised at the response; so much so that he automatically looked at her. Her eyes were confused, not scared or showing malice. He breathed easier.

"Maybe it wasn't a joke." He gave her a lopsided grin. "What did he say? I won't be offended."

She didn't smile back. Her gaze dropped again; she was suddenly unable to meet his eyes. Her reply was barely a whisper but he heard it clearly. "He said you were a vampire."

Damon's eyes slid closed as he exhaled loudly. Jake didn't pull any punches apparently. "He said to stay away from me." It was more a statement than a question.

The rain began to fall more steadily but still more of a drizzle than actual rain. Neither seemed to notice. She just nodded her response. After another moment of silence she turned to him.

"But it's a joke, right? There is no such thing as vampires so why would he say something like that?" Emma's eyes were pleading with him, not to make it untrue, just to make it make sense.

Damon pressed his lips together, locking her gaze with his. "It is true."

She blinked, staring hard at him. She squinted at him, unbelieving. She began shaking her head. He realized she thought he was in on this sick joke everyone was playing on her. He decided to play it cool, his usual demeanor taking over.

"It's true." He sat back in the bench, draping an arm along the back, behind her. "Stefan and I are vampires. They aren't fairy tales or horror stories, vampires exist. Not exactly like in the movies but we're around." He shrugged, looking at her. "Believe it, or not."

She stared at him for about 30 more seconds. Then she leaned back in the bench as well, looking out over the park. As far as he could tell she was soaking it in, playing it over in her mind, deciding if she was going to believe it. All he had to do was give her time.

"You walk around in the daytime." That was her first argument. Okay.

"I said its not like the movies."

"All vampires can walk around during the day?"

"Some. We have talismans that protect us." He held up his ring, immediately wondering why he would show her something that made him so vulnerable. He was never this open with people he didn't know well. Hell, he was never this open with people he DID know well.

"You're teeth are normal." That was a different one.

"For the moment."

"They change?"

"When they need to." He smirked, turning to look at her. "When I get hungry."

"All you eat is...blood?"

He grinned wickedly again at her hesitation at talking about his diet. "It's all I NEED to eat. But I can eat regular food, it just doesn't do anything for me."

She was quiet a moment. Then, "how does Jake know?"

Damon's smile quickly vanished. That wasn't a story he was ready to get into. "Stefan and I told him. He was fine with it...at first. Then we had our...troubles. But before that we taught him a lot. Jake pretty much knows everything about being a vampire without actually being one. He's smart, you should listen to him."

"He told me not to invite you into the house." Emma murmured.

"Good advice." Damon nodded, agreeing with the statement. "Don't ever invite ANYONE into your house unless you know them really, really well. Even then it's a crap shoot."

They sat for another moment of silence. Emma held her hand up all of a sudden, catching some drops. "It's raining." She said matter-of-factly. Damon gave her a weird look. She must have been really wrapped up in things if she hadn't noticed before now. She looked at him and smiled. Why did her smile always make him feel so un-Damon-like? "I just noticed. It's been raining for a while, hasn't it?"

"Since I sat down."

She smiled again and turned her face up to it. "I like the rain. It doesn't bother me so I don't always notice it happens, especially when it's warm like this."

From vampires to rain. This girl was full of surprises. He wondered if she wasn't a little daffy. The good thing was, she didn't seem scared of him but he wasn't sure if she believed him or not. He supposed, for the moment, it didn't matter.

"I want some hot chocolate. Do you want to come with me?" She asked, standing. She looked down at him expectantly. He stood, taking her hand.

"I'd love to." He replied, grinning back at her.

The following week was a slow blur for Emma. She was busy with the book store as per usual but it was a doubly troubling week since she was simultaneously seeing Damon without her brother finding out she was seeing him. That was more work than she anticipated.

They weren't dating per se but they were hanging out and having a good time. He was definitely pensive and broody but he also had his fun moments. Emma spent most of her time trying to find ways to make him laugh. She loved his laugh, full of mischief and amusement. Vampire or not, he was a lot of fun to be around.

She couldn't dismiss his bad boy appeal. He was smart, sarcastic, arrogant, and stubborn, but she could see the good he tried so hard to disguise. He told her he could turn that part of him, the good part, on and off at will- if he didn't want to feel he just...didn't. He had lived like that for a long part of his life.

She also could tell he was working on changing. It was more than just what he said, it was more about what he did. There were subtle things but she knew he was working hard on his temper and his opinion some times, especially with his brother.

She didn't broach the subject with her brother at all. After the evening he told her about Stefan and Damon being vampires she dropped the subject and he apparently didn't want to delve into it any farther either. They didn't talk as much as they normally did but when they did speak it was typical, everyday conversation, carefully crafted to be about work rather than personal life.

She got home from work late on Saturday. No sooner had she closed the door when there was a knock at it. "I'll get it." She called so her brother wouldn't have to get up and come downstairs. She opened the door and grinned when she saw who was standing there.

"Well, well." She leaned against the door jamb, folding her arms. "What do we have here?"

Damon returned her grin with a crooked one of his own. "Just in the neighborhood. Thought I'd say hi."

"Hi." She replied. She stayed on her side of the threshold, knowing he couldn't cross it. "Quite the risk taker tonight, are we?"

"Jake doesn't scare me." Damon replied, digging his hands into his jeans pockets. He had his bad boy grin on, the one that melted Emma's heart and made his eyes shine just right. She felt her heart skip a beat.

"You know this is the one thing I promised that I would keep." She pointed toward the floor as she spoke. He shrugged carelessly.

"I didn't want to come in. I just wanted to say hi."

Emma rolled her eyes. "Hello. And goodbye. I need sleep now, it's late." Plus he needed to leave before she did invite him in and up to her bedroom.

"No goodnight kiss?" He turned, eying her with a suggestive nod. So he wanted to play that game, huh?

"Sure." She replied brightly, standing straight and just on her side of the doorway. "If you can kiss me, feel free." She smiled sweetly.

He frowned at her, his eyes darkening a bit. "You're mean." He said it in a way that she knew he liked it.

"Goodnight, Damon." She replied moving to shut the door.

"Night," He winked as he turned to go, the door shutting behind him.

"Good dreams tonight," Emma muttered aloud, thinking about how she was going to replay the scene differently in her mind as she fell asleep.