The barbecue was going well. Her nerves hadn't eaten her alive yet. She greeted Mason with a smile like she greeted everyone else and she might have drank one too many shots of alcohol, but she couldn't help it. It was like she was back in high school, having people encourage her to drink and have fun.

   But she had a low tolerance for alcohol which was not good. They were playing Pictionary and she was curled up on the couch next to Jenna with her knees pressed to her chest while Damon was drawing what looked like some form of a dog with a tutu on it. Maybe.

    Laughs bubbled out from within her at Damon's horrible drawing, but also at the guesses Jenna and Caroline were calling out for what he drew; she also laughed just to laugh. She was having fun and it also made her happy that other people were happy.

    Damon fixed his stare on her and she felt like the room became a thousand times hotter. Her eyes widened as he smirked, "Jen, since you know me so well, why don't you tell everyone the correct answer?"

    She was flustered, probably having a blush on her cheeks, and before she had a chance to answer, Mason, who looked angry, answered from the other couch the correct answer, "Dances with Wolves."

     "Mason wins...again," Damon turned, looking at Mason and at the clear anger on his face. Damon smirked, loving this game; he got to flirt with Jen, make a werewolf angry because of it, and make innuendos of said werewolf's hidden self that only came out on a full moon. He felt like he was living up to his best self.

     "How is that a wolf?" Jenna questioned.

      _______________

   The game of Pictionary was over and Damon brought Jenny to the dining table just outside of the kitchen, helping her sit down. She didn't need any more alcohol or he was sure she would pass out. He took the glass of alcohol she had in her hand and replaced it with a glass of water; she didn't even notice.

     She took a sip of the water as she looked up at him, "I'm a sucker for blue eyes, you know."

     "Really?" he smirked, and leaned down whispering something in her ear that made her blush more than she ever had in her whole life.

   Elena was in the kitchen, taking out the pie that was for dessert, so she had a complete view of Damon and Jenny and their flirting. She smiled slightly and rolled her eyes, knowing this was the typical behavior Damon had when he was around Jenny.

    Damon came into the kitchen with a proud smile on his face, "I think Jen likes me a little too much."

    "She doesn't need to get attached to you, Damon. She shouldn't deal with the drama we have to deal with," Elena explained, giving him a pointed look.

     "Relax, she'll never know about the 'creatures of the night'," Damon reassured. "I'm flirting with her. Not dating her."

     "But you want to?" she questioned.

    Damon gave her a look like she was an idiot, "I'd be stupid if I didn't."

    Before Elena could respond, Jenna arrived in the kitchen, looking at Elena, smiling and feeling a little tipsy, "There you are. Isn't this fun?"

    But Damon answered the question like she had asked him, "Yes, thank you so much for inviting me."

     "Did I have a choice?"

    "I know what you must think about me," Damon started to say, but Jenna interrupted.

    "No, you don't. You've never dated you; I have dated many you's. And Jenny certainly doesn't need to be dating any you's," Jenna glared at him.

     "I'm a work in progress," Damon said as Elena gave Jenna a cake knife for the pie from a set. "And Jenny is safe from me."

     "Good."

   "These are fancy," Damon commented on the silver set, his interested piqued because silver was rumored to hurt werewolves.

   "Thanks. My mother's silver set."

    _____________

    Mason and Alaric came into the kitchen, sitting at the dining table where she was seated at. Alaric sat at the head of the table and Mason across from her one seat over. She was still sipping on her water and starting to sober back up.

    "Are you already drunk?" Mason commented, smiling at how she was still a lightweight.

     "Just because my friends are alcoholics doesn't mean I am," she answered, looking at Mason and Alaric pointedly.

     "Ouch," Mason acted hurt and looked at Alaric. "I guess we're alcoholics, man."

     "But, no, seriously, are you okay?" Mason worried. "Do you need more water? Anything?"

    She was about to respond when Damon came to the table and set the pie down as he said, "You're fine, right, Jen?"

      Alaric shook his head at the obvious jealousy act going on from both men. Jenny's face heated up as she remembered what Damon whispered to her, "Yep."

    "Good," he said and then looked at Mason with a smirk, gesturing towards the pie he set down that had a silver knife. "Mason, why don't you start us off?"

    "Sure," Mason agreed and instead of taking a slice of the pie out with the knife, he took it out with his hands which proved to Damon that silver hurt werewolves.

    Mason saw the looks he was getting by doing that so he said, "I apologize, I'm an animal."

   "So Mason, you and Jenna never dated?" Alaric questioned and Jenny's heart started beating faster at the mention of dating that occurred in high school.

    "She was always lost in Logan Fell land," Mason answered before looking at Jenny. "That and I was dating Jenny."

   "My first mistake," Jenna said, setting down beers for everyone which probably wasn't good for Jenny to drink but she started drinking it anyway. "Mason and Jenny were adorable. They even won Homecoming Queen and King."

   Damon tightly smiled towards Mason, a fake smile, "Really? I always pegged you for a lone wolf."

  "What can I say? Jenny was a catch. She still is," Mason answered making Jenny blush, Damon glare, and Jenna laugh quietly into her palm at the love triangle occurring. "How about a toast? To new friends."

     They all clunk their glasses together as Alaric and Mason both said, "Cheers!"

    _____________

    Damon was in the kitchen pouring more alcohol when Mason came into the kitchen with two empty beer bottles saying, "Jenna just brought out "Guitar Hero". Might be time to mutiny!"

  "Well, I just happen to like "Guitar Hero". So you, my friend, are barking up the wrong tree."

   "Okay. Enough with the innuendos, you win, you're hilarious."

    "Thank you," Damon said sarcastically.

    "Come on, man. You don't think I know what this barbecue is about?"

   "How do you know about me? Your brother was completely clueless," Damon asked.

   "It doesn't matter; I'm not your enemy, Damon."

    "You tried to kill my brother."

    "That was a mistake."

     "Really?" Damon questioned, not believing it.

   "There was confusion; I couldn't chain myself up in time. I have no control once I shift."

    "What, no obedience school?"

    "I'm serious. Let's not spark some age-old feud that doesn't apply to us," Mason tried to attain peace.

   "You expect me to believe that you are in Mystic Falls for what? Trying to win back Jenny?"

    Mason shook his head, "She doesn't need me. She doesn't need you either."

     "Then why are you here?"

   "I lost my brother, my nephew lost his father. I'm here for my family. Let's be above this," Mason held a hand out and Damon shook his hand, agreeing to peace. But once Mason left the kitchen, Damon took out a silver knife from the silver set.

    _____________

    They all played a couple rounds of Guitar Hero and she drank even more during that time which made her have a slap-happy smile on her face. Mason was now leaving to go get more drinks at The Mystic Grill.

    Damon was putting away Guitar Hero, taking the disc out and putting it back in its case. She put the guitars back in there place and when she took a step back, she tripped over the corner of the rug. Damon steadied her, holding onto her arms.

    "Okay, Miss Tipsy," Damon said, picked her up suddenly and holding her bridal style in his arms. "I think I need to make sure you get home alright."

     "I tripped. I'm not dizzy," she argued, but didn't try to move from his hold.

    "Exactly. I need to make sure you don't trip on your own carpets," he said and she shook her head, before laying it down on his chest.

     Damon walked to the hall that led to the front door where Mason was just leaving and he spoke to Alaric and Jenna, "I need to head out, too. I gotta get this one home in one piece."

    "Put me down," she demanded and he set her down. She wasn't going to leave without hugging Jenna goodbye.

     "I'll see you tomorrow, Jenna. After the hangover that I'm sure I'll have," Jenny said as she pulled away from the hug she gave Jenna.

    "I'll check on you. Make sure you make it out alive," Jenna said. "You haven't had a hangover since you were in high school."

     "God, I know," she said and looked at Alaric. "Bye Alaric. I know I'll see you Monday."

     "Bye Jenny," he smiled, fondly.

     Alaric and her were coworkers, so if she didn't see him tomorrow when she saw Jenna again then she'd for sure see him Monday. Jenny went to the door opening it and waiting for Damon to come with her.

     "Jenna, you are a wonderful hostess," Damon said, grabbing her hand and laying a chaste kiss on the back of it. She quickly ripped her hand out of his hold.

     "And you," Jenna said, looking towards Jenny as she said quietly. "Remember what you said."

    Damon held his hands up, "Yes, ma'am."

    "Alaric, I'll see you later," Damon nodded towards his friend and then left with Jenny.

    "What did Jenna say to you?" she asked as he walked with her to her house next door.

    "Just reminding me to keep my hands to myself," Damon spoke from beside her.

    "Will you?"

    "That depends. Do you want me to?" he said seductively, leaning over so his lips were close to her ear.

    She pushed him away, smiling, and looking at him like he was crazed, "You're so dirty."

    "And you like that about me," he said as they got to her door and she didn't deny it. She unlocked it and gestured for him to come inside.

    He followed her to her bedroom and she turned to him once they entered her room, "See, I didn't trip over any carpets."

    "No, you didn't," he said, looking around her room before smirking at the outfits she had hanging on her mirror for this day. "Were you worried you wouldn't impress me?"

     She rolled her eyes at his remark and he kept staring at them, speaking again, "You put in this much effort for him."

     He said the him, meaning Mason, as if it put a bad taste in his mouth which it did. He didn't like the thought of Jenny with Mason.

    "Why wouldn't I? He was my first love," Jenny answered.

    "So?" he questioned with his brows raised as if it didn't make any sense.

    "So?" she questioned back, wondering what he meant.

    "He may have been your first love, but he didn't deserve to be," Damon answered. "That's why he doesn't deserve anything from you now. I thought you would've known that."

     "Why would I have known that?"

    Damon took a step closer to her and looked at her intensely with his bright blue eyes. He lightly brushed a strand of hair behind her ear before saying, "Because if anyone had that honor, they would've never let you go. I wouldn't have. And he did."

     Jenny frowned at his words. She might've smiled if she was younger when she was fresh in college, but not now. She could've seen herself being with Damon, maybe because he was so much like Mason: the hothead filled with arrogance. But she had been with Mason and she was done with guys like that. But there were other parts of Damon, like right now, the caring, unselfish Damon. She thought that if she had met Damon when he was younger she would've only met the caring, unselfish Damon. She could've been with that Damon.

    But her smile soon came back as she stared into his eyes with same softness that he held in his eyes, "I would've never let you go, either, Damon."

     A small, almost pained, smile came into his face because he wished he'd met her earlier, too, but in 1864. Katherine Pierce would've never even have been a blip on his radar if she was around.

   He leaned over, kissing her on the forehead, "Goodnight, Jenny."

  AN: Just to remind you, yes, you are reading an Elijah Mikaelson fanfic. It's just Damon is going to be a really important person in her life.