a/n: I'm really excited about this story. I honestly don't know how long it will be or exactly where it will lead, but if there is anything I've learned from writing all this fanfiction, it's that the stories take care of themselves! I hope you can all sit back and enjoy the ride that Delena are about to take us both on!

If you haven't figured this out already, this is a crossover fic for VD and TB. I do so love Eric Northman, and just having him and Damon Salvatore in the room just had to be written. I'm giggling with fan girl glee at the simple thought…could you imagine…ah…anyway! Here we go with chapter one! Happy Reading!

Spot the drabble!

The first snowfall of the year was always Elena's favorite. Her town was coated in wonderful white fluff, seeming to paint it in an innocent glow. For a moment, she could almost pretend that there were no witches or werewolves or vampires. Everything was new, clean and fresh. She could imagine her parents downstairs making breakfast, Jeremy sitting at the table reading waiting for the bus…But then a vehicle would drive under her window and turn some of the wonderful white fluff to brown muck, and she would remember all that had happened in the past three years. Her heart sank once more, deep in her chest and she squeezed her eyes tightly at the tears that threatened to water there.

"What's on your mind?" his voice was deep, and it should have scared her at least a little that he'd appeared out of nowhere, but being used to Damon Salvatore popping up uninvited was something she'd made herself accustomed to.

She shrugged and turned from the window. "Nothing of too much importance. Just looking at the snow."

Damon knew she was lying, he could see it in the faint glistening of her eyes but he let it go. If she wasn't ready to talk about it, he wasn't going to push her. God knew he'd been doing enough of that lately. Since the night in front of the fire where he was sure they'd very nearly kissed, he'd gone back to the teasing vampire she found often charming and infuriating. Something was holding her back though, and he was damned sure he would find out what it was before the end of her winter break. "You're going to be late for school."

He saw her eyes dart to the clock and a flush instantly stained her cheeks. "What!" she ran to the dresser and pulled out a sweater from the second drawer and a pair of jeans from the bottom one. "That's not possible. I was only standing there for ten minutes at most."

As she rushed past him into the bathroom he failed to mention that he'd been standing in her doorway watching the sad expressions flash across her face for a lot longer than that. "Good bye Elena." He called through the door, the faintest of smiles on his lips.

"Good bye." She answered back, her voice muffled by the sweater as she tugged it over her head.

When her head came out of the neck hole she glared at her reflection in the mirror and quickly grabbed for her brush. The fabric had turned her normally straight hair to a static infested mess. She growled and quickly tugged the bristles through the new knots. Damon listened to her grumble and swear through the door for minute, the smile slowly growing on his face. Silently he left her room and closed the door behind him. He was almost halfway down the stairs when he heard someone clear their voice behind them. He shut his eyes and turned slowly to look up at Alaric.

He wasn't sure if his good friend, really his only friend was going to play buddy today, or protective 'father' of his new charge. It was never really truly obvious which identity Ric was going to be in a day until Damon spoke first. "Good morning." He said, shining his best smile up at the gruff looking vampire hunter. Ric's tshirt showed that he wasn't hiding any stakes, but that didn't stop Damon from being wary. After all, he'd certainly killed Ric enough times to deserve a little payback eventually. "Did you get the memo about the snow?"

Ric's teeth were slightly gritted when he spoke, his face set in stone. "What did I tell you about getting caught coming out of Elena's room again?"

Damon sighed, protective father it was. "I told you, nothing happened that night."

"You 'feel' asleep in Elena's bed, snuck out shirtless at three am, and you expect me to believe that nothing happened?"

"Does Elena say anything happened?" Damon challenged, crossing his arms and leaning against the banister.

"Of course not."

"Then nothing happened." Not that it hadn't been for lack of wishing. Damon had watched Elena sleep for hours, hoping and praying that she would wake up and kiss him. Even when he'd leaned down and kissed her forehead before falling asleep himself, she'd barely moved.

"You can't blame me for not trusting you with her." Ric said coming down the stairs and joining him on the step. "It's not like your feelings for her have changed."

"Her's haven't changed either, and until she comes to me with a different answer I'll do my best to back off."

"And you call showing up in her bedroom early in the morning backing off?" Ric walked past him, leading him into the kitchen where Jeremy had already come and gone.

Compared to what Damon really wanted to do when he'd first seen Elena standing at the window in her little sleep shorts and practically transparent tank top, the early morning light on her hair, yes he'd certainly backed off. "Pour me some damn coffee and stop harassing me Ric."

Elena sighed and looked at her reflection in the mirror. She just had to get through today, eight hours and then she would have two weeks with no school, no having to sit in a classroom and struggling to listen to things she had no interest in. This was her last real vacation before the end of high school altogether, and she intended to enjoy it, for she was sure that as soon as donned gown and threw her cap into the air, the new thrilling, terrifying world she'd opened herself up to would completely swallow up her life. She pursed her glossed lips slightly and tucked the small makeup bag she carried with her in beside her binder.

Really, there wasn't much point to even go to class today, no one would really being paying attention, and even the teachers would be anxious for the final bell to ring. A horn honked from the slightly open window and Elena rushed to it, grabbing her shoes on the way. Caroline waved hurriedly from the car. Elena waved back and slipped her feet into her shoes, wondering just where her winter boots were. There was no time to look for them now, and she dashed down the stairs, not bothering to go into the kitchen, not aware that Damon was still there talking to Ric.

"Cutting it kinda close." Caroline lectured as she pulled back onto the slushy road outside of Elena's house.

"Sorry, I got…distracted."

"What kind of distracted?" Caroline's eyes glinted mischievously, the slightest flicker of annoyance behind it as she was forced to stop again at a red light. "Damon kind of distracted?"

"Not really, he was there but he ended up being what got me out of the distraction." Elena answered, making a great production out of searching for nothing in particular in her bag.

"Hmm." Caroline answered, nodding slightly and watched her friend out of the corner of her eye.

"What?" Elena poked her out of the bag, pretending she'd been looking for her lip gloss. "What was that 'hmm' for?"

"Nothing." The blonde shrugged and pulled into the school parking lot. "I just wish you would quit torturing him."

"Damon and I have an understanding."

"Yeah, and the understanding is that you are torturing him while he sits around and hopes you will come to your senses."

Elena sighed and dropped the gloss back into her bag, unused. "Stefan's only been gone for a week. Klaus could come back at anytime, it's not like we all don't have things on our mind other than simple lust and desires."

"Stefan's been gone for a lot longer than a week Elena. You're just playing yourself if you keep waiting around for him."

"How are things with Tyler?" Elena asked, desperate to change the subject. The hybrid jock they weren't sure whether to fear or trust walked past the car, looking at Caroline with pained eyes.

"They're shit."

"Why don't you just talk to him? I know you miss him Care."

"He hates me now, and he has every right to." Caroline pulled into an empty stalled and Elena opened the door, looking grumpily at the slush that was sure to soak right through her old shoes. "I say we grab Bonnie and run to the mall at lunch. I need new boots anyway."

"Sounds good to me." Caroline shrugged and dropped her keys into her purse. She hadn't even bothered to bring her books to school today.

Damon finished his third cup of coffee, not sure what he was still doing in the house. Ric had left not too long after Elena had, but not before giving him a look and a mini lecture on staying away from Elena. God dammit, between Caroline's constant nudging and Ric's obvious dislike for any signs of a potential relationship, Damon felt like a rope in an epic tug of war. He couldn't please everyone, and not only that but he wasn't even able to please Elena. In anyway shape or form. He set the coffee mugs in the sink and grabbed his coat from the banister, glaring at the snow and the cold waiting for him outside. This was going to be a long two weeks.

a/n: ah, first chapter done. Short I know, but I promise there will be more, and this story is definitely rated 'M' for a reason. Just keep reading and I promise it will all be worth it. New chapter coming either later today or tomorrow!