Playing With Damon

Summary: Ever wondered what Damon does during the day while Elena's at school? Damon and Elena find a new way to keep in touch during school.

Setting: Mid to late Season 3 but it doesn't really contain spoilers.

Disclaimer - not my characters, borrowing them with respect for their creators and the amazing people who bring them to life, no infringement intended. A word with Friends also is not mine but this is free publicity, sort of. Imagine requesting a random opponent and getting Damon?

Elena felt a mixture of excitement and guilt when she heard the dull buzz of her phone in her pocket. It was lucky that Alaric was deeply engrossed in his explanation of the civil rights movement, she was normally more careful to have her phone on silent, especially in Alaric's class; she didn't want anyone thinking she was getting special treatment and getting into trouble in his class was uncomfortable for both of them both during and after.

Usually if her phone went off during class Elena was flooded with concern and anxiety. Was Stefan calling to warn her about something? Did Damon have information for her? Had something happened to Jeremy? If Bonnie or Caroline where in another class she'd worry it was an SOS from one of them, even though they were usually at school with her and it was a pretty good chance it was just Caroline texting to remind her about the decorations a Winter Ball Decorations Committee meeting or to complain about their new English teacher's latest crime against fashion.

With all of this in mind it was a nice feeling knowing that the dull buzz was just a notification for a game she was playing, not a call about a life or death concern. Luckily it was time for lunch and she had a moment alone so with her phone now on silent she opened up the game and grinned as the words popped up on screen.

The newest entry was DELECTABLE. Damn him, she thought, how did he manage to collect all those letters, it wasn't as if he could compel a phone app yet somehow he managed to be beating her by over a hundred points. It was insulting. Of course he was over a hundred years her senior and while Elena was far from a ditz he'd spent a lot more time reading the classics and lot less reading Cosmo.

Elena was sick of the I'm-better-than-humans-at-everything attitude that vampires tended to throw around, even Stefan, and Damon was the worst, though she knew that much of the time it was a cover with him, a rouse to disguise his own insecurities. Despite knowing this right now she was desperate to one up him at SOMETHING, ANYTHING. Unfortunately that didn't change the letters in front of her.

ME, she sent back.

LUSCIOUS, he returned.

She sighed with frustration, then in a moment of inspiration, SENSUAL.

A PM arrived, "My, my Elena."

A moment later he played SKIN.

Damn, there was only one word that fit. KISS, she sent back, followed by a PM, "How are you rigging this game? Does everything have to be dirty with you?"

"Not dirty Elena, just good clean fun, not that there's anything wrong with getting dirty once in a while, you should try it."

Then another one, from him again, "It's not my fault if playing with me inspires you. So how's school?"

"Fine," she PMed back.

"That good? You could always play hookey with me."

"Don't tempt me; I've missed too much already."

"Interesting word, TEMPT."

"Ha, ha."

Just then Caroline arrived at their table and slid in next to her, "What's with all the grinning and texting?" Caroline asked, giving her a probing look.

"Nothing," Elena replied, "Just playing a game with Damon."

"Nothing new there," Caroline quipped. "I've told you know dangerous that is."

"Very funny Caroline," Elena returned before quickly changing the topic. Her quest to defeat Damon at Words with Friends would just have to wait.

At the Salvatore mansion Damon lounged on the opulent sofa, disappointed by the message, 'Their move.'

"You're telling me," he remarked. At least the game made the school days less lonely.