(AN: Another random Damley one-shot. It's not as good as the last one (which got SO much attention! Thank you guys, SO MUCH!), so I hope you guys still enjoy it.)

Disclaimer: I do not own OTH, TVD, or 'Mine' by Taylor Swift – which is the song I use.

()()()

"I was a flight risk, afraid of fallin'
Wondering why we bother with love, if it never lasts"

()()()

Dan Scott was a proud man. He had a beautiful wife, and a talented son. Not to mention the fact that he was Mayor of the town dubbed Tree Hill, and the town loved him. Life was good for him. He used to be a basketball star, but then he hurt his knee and ruined his future career. He thought that was the end of his life, but then he met Deb Lee and learned to let go of the past. He wouldn't change anything about the past. Well, he would change a few things, like what he had to agree to, to get to his position, but that was in the past.

Or he thought it was in the past, until the proverbial devil he made a deal with appeared in his study. Damon Salvatore was sitting across from him, with an evil glint in his eyes.

"Come on, Danny Boy. A deals a deal," Damon reminded him of the fact that he did agree to his terms years prior.

"I'm not the same man that made that deal," Dan insisted. "I was desperate, and…"

"Blah, blah, blah. Save me the sob story. The point is, I took care of your competition all those years ago, and it's time for you to take care of me."

"I'll take care of you," Dan threatened, pulling a stake out of his desk drawer. "I had this made especially for you."

"Oh, I feel so special," Damon gushed in a sarcastic tone. "No really, Dan. It's going to be a blast to rip that out of your hands and stab it into your son's chest, whose going to be here in…three…two…one," he counted down, and smirked when there was a knock on the door. "This is going to be fun," he said with an evil grin, his teeth gleaming white in the light.

"No," Dan rushed out. "I'll do it. I'll do anything. Just don't hurt Nathan," he pleaded.

"Humans. You're all so easy," Damon teased, leaning back into his chair. There was another knock on the door.

"Dad? Can I come in?" Nathan called to his dad, opening up his study door and peaking in a little bit. Haley James, who was standing behind him, sighed. She hated Dan Scott with a burning passion.

"Come on in, Nathan," Dan welcomed. "And Haley," he added grudgingly when he saw his son's girlfriend behind him. He didn't approve of the girl for a couple reasons. One, because she was below them on the social ladder. She was middle class, while he and his family were rich. Two, because he saw how his son looked at her with complete and total adoration. A look she didn't return.

"Hey Dad," Nathan greeted, slinging an arm around his girlfriend.

"This is Damon Salvatore." He motioned towards Damon, who was then standing. "And this is my son Nathan and his girlfriend Haley," he finished the introductions.

"Hey Man," Nathan greeted, while Haley just smiled.

Damon looked at the two, nodding his head at Nathan in greeting, while starring at Haley intently. He grabbed her hand, and in an old gentlemanly fashion kissed it before looking up at her. "Well aren't you just," and he paused, looking her over again. "Short," he finished.

Haley ripped her hand out of his roughly, and fixed him with a fierce glare. "How charming," she sneered.

"I try," he bit back. There was something about the girl that made him want to rip her throat out, and if he thought hard enough he could figure out why. She seemed sugar, spice, and everything nice, but then he could tell there was something cold about the girl. How she looked at the Scott boy did not yell love. She was faking it with the boy for her own personal gain. Just like Katherine did with him. He resolved himself to ripping out her pretty little throat before he left. He would do the Scott's a favor after shaken up their world.

()()()

Hours after the awkward meeting with Damon, Dan called Nathan back into his office. The meeting had been a disaster. Haley obviously didn't have any self preservation skills, and while Dan didn't particularly like the girl, he didn't want her dead. But that was what was going to happen to her in the end, he could already tell. Every word out of Damon's mouth Haley had shot something sarcastic out, and vice versa. The two just had an instant hatred towards each other, and it worried Dan. Why? Because he knew what Damon was, and he knew the other guy had no qualms with killing.

Nathan walked into his father's office and the older man beckoned him to sit down, so he did. He had no idea why his father wanted to speak with him though. "What's up dad?"

"I need to talk to you about something important, Son," he started, and Nathan felt a feeling of dread sweep over his body. This could not be good.

"Shoot."

"This does not leave this room. Do you hear me?" Dan asked, his tone conveying the seriousness of the situation.

"Yeah, you're scaring me here, Dad," Nathan informed him, shifting in his seat uncomfortably.

"Good. You know that man you met today?" He eased Nathan into the, what was bound to be, scary conversation.

"The one Hales couldn't stop fighting with?" Nathan questioned back, a smirk firmly on his face. His girl had an undeniable spark to her that made her pretty sexy. He loved seeing that spark on display.

"Yeah. Son, he's dangerous. And I'm talking dangerous. I've done some things in my past that I'm not proud of, and he was apart of them. I want you to stay away from him, and keep Haley away from him. He could be the end of you both."

Dan's words terrified Nathan so he agreed; he just didn't realize how hard it would be to honor them.

()()()

It was only a day later, and Brooke Davis decided to throw a bonfire down at the beach. She wanted to celebrate life with her friends. Nathan and Haley were sitting on a log together, when Damon decided to interrupt them.

"If it isn't the happy couple," he snarked lightly, making it seem like he was just kidding. Just being a friend.

Nathan tensed visibly. "Yeah, you're Damon, right?" He questioned, but already knew he was right. He wanted to play along and get the hell away from the intimidating older man. If his father warned him away, then it was a for a good reason.

"Aw, you remembered me. I'm touched," Damon shot out sarcastically.

"You should be," Haley finally spoke up, but she didn't even look his way. Instead she was starring out at the water, as if hypnotized.

"She speaks!" Damon enthused in an over-the-top voice. Haley chose to ignore him.

But he caught Brooke Davis' eye. "Yeah, quite often, actually," Brooke teased, moving to stand in front of the blonde. She wanted Damon's full attention. "Can't get her to shut up half the time. I'm Brooke Davis," she introduced herself.

He looked the raven haired girl up and down appreciatively. She was hot. "It's an honor to meet you, Brooke," he charmed. She would be a good midnight snack. Literally.

"I know," she chirped, her narcissism coming out into full view. She smiled happily when she saw Nathan stand up, ready to defend her like he always did. He made any guy who wanted her work hard for it. She loved that he still cared for her.

"Brooke can I talk to you for a moment?" Nathan requested, grabbing onto her arm.

"Sure," she grinned. "We'll be back soon you two," Brooke told Damon and Haley as her and Nathan started to walk away. Only then did Haley look up. She watched her friend and boyfriend walk away with emotionless eyes. She felt, rather than saw, Damon sit down next to her.

"Aren't they cozy," he teased, trying to make her paranoid. Mind games were his favorite type of games to play. He learned that from Katherine. He inwardly scowled at that thought.

"Yup," she said no emotion in her voice, yet still popping the 'p'.

"I wonder how long until they sleep together."

"Negative two years," she informed him, finally looking over at him. She got a good look at the mysterious man and felt her heartbeat speed up. He was…indescribable. Dark hair, light skin, striking blue eyes, and obviously a fan of leather and the color black. He was the classic bad boy stereotype, and Haley loved it. She shocked herself by reacting to him the way she was. She wasn't the type of girl to get mushy over a guy. She was an Ice Queen, she didn't swoon. But swooning was her reaction to Damon. She automatically hated him for it. Her wall of ice was up for a reason. Was up to protect her heart.

"Oh, so their ex-lovers," he realized. "Want to know what I think?" He questioned, leaning up right into her beautiful face. Invading her personal space.

"No," she said without hesitation.

"I think they still love each other," he goaded, a self-assured smirk firmly on his face.

"Maybe," she allowed, looking away and catching Nathan's eye in the distance. "But he loves me more."

"Too bad you don't feel the same."

She didn't bother to respond to his words. They both knew he was right.

()()()

Over the next month, Haley and Damon formed a strange friendship. Most of the time they were fighting or flirting, but it was how they liked it. They could be their selves together. They didn't have to hide, or pretend to be something they weren't. Deep down they knew they were falling in love, but they didn't have the strength to stop. Not when they needed each other fiercely.

The unexpected friendship scared Dan and Nathan. Dan was worried about Damon killing Haley, while Nathan was scared about losing his girl. They tried to warn her numerous times, but the warnings fell on death ears.

Falling in love wasn't part of the plan, but it couldn't have been ignored. Damon's plan was to visit Tree Hill, torment Dan Scott, shake up the town, and leave – never to return again. Haley's plan was to wait out a loveless relationship with Nathan, avoid love at all cost, then leave town and her dysfunctional family as soon as she turned eighteen. Neither souls wanted to fall in love, but they did. They had never been happier than they were together.

They truly hated each other for that.

()()()

He's running from his past. Running from Katherine's memory. Running from Stefan – who's finally happy. Running from Elena – who was making him feel again. He's running from the humanity within himself. While Haley is hiding. She's hiding from love, from happiness. She's hiding from her parents past. She doesn't want to make their mistakes. Doesn't want to end up getting a divorce in the future. She doesn't want her heart broken.

So, they make a completely dysfunctional non-couple. Their always together, and yet she's still with Nathan. As long as she keeps dating Nathan, then nothing will happen with Damon. Then she won't get hurt.

When two more months pass, Damon's finally had enough. He's no coward. He's not going to act like one.

"When are you going to admit the truth?" He questions one afternoon, as Haley sits on his couch doing her math homework.

"What's the truth?" She questions, obliviously as his hand massages her leg. His hand feels so good on her skin.

"Come off it, Hales. I see how you look at me," he goads her. He just needs her to admit it. He needs to be picked, to be wanted. He needs her to stop fucking hiding from him.

Startled brown eyes found his blue ones. "I…" she struggled for words. "How do I look at you?" She questioned, playing dumb. She just couldn't admit the truth. That would be giving him the upper hand, and she needed to be in control.

He leaned up until his mouth was at the shell of her ear. "Like I'm going to save the world," he told her. He pulled back until he was looking into her scared eyes. "You love me. Stop being a coward and admit it," he advised her.

Her heart started beating erratically, and her breathing was labored due to his close proximity. "I don't love anyone," she lied.

He smirked victoriously, calling her bluff. "Liar. You love me. So, what are you going to do about it?" He challenged, knowing that she wouldn't back down.

And she found she couldn't. And she also found, as she kissed him passionately, that she didn't care. She wanted to be with him.

He found himself silently admitting that he loved her back.

()()()

She felt so guilty after her kiss with Damon, because she was still dating Nathan. But she didn't love him. She resolved herself to breaking up with him the next day, and she did. It was hard, because he loved her. But she had never felt the same. She had just been using him as a way to never fall in love, to never let herself be vulnerable with anyone. Because she knew she could never fall in love with the man he was. They didn't fit together. With Damon falling in love was effortless, the way it was supposed to be. When Nathan asked about Damon, asked if she was leaving him for Damon, she told the truth. She wanted to be open about her relationship with Damon.

After the breakup she willingly runs into Damon's awaiting arms, and things are great. They get their relationship down to a science that works blissfully to them. Life will be going great, then he'll mess up, and after a lot of fighting, he'll use sex to get her to forgive him. And Vice versa. Their both overly jealous, 'cause Nathan is obviously still in love with her and trying to win her back, and every woman seems to be sexually attracted to Damon. Not that Haley blames them or anything. Her man is fine.

At the end of the day, they couldn't be happier. Together.

Nathan knows though. He knows something's not right about Damon. How could he strike the fear of God within his tough father? It makes no sense, but he resolves himself to finding out the mystery that is Damon Salvatore. He's going to prove to Haley that he's not worth her time, and she belongs at Nathan's side. Always and forever.

()()()

After a lot of researching, and a lot of bribery, Nathan finds out the truth. Damon Salvatore is a vampire. Yeah, a vampire. He didn't believe it at first either, but it's the truth. It has to be. He goes to Haley's house to see her, and tell her. Her mother loves him; she won't mind him stopping by. Haley's father is long gone.

As expected, Nathan gets into Haley's room without a problem. He makes his presence known, and she looks up, shocked that it's Nathan and not Brooke in her room.

"What are you doing here?" She questions awkwardly. She hasn't talked to him since the break up.

"I have something I need to tell you," he starts.

"Go ahead."

"I'm just going to spit it out, ok?"

"Nathan, just say what you have to say," she says with a laugh.

"Damon's a vampire," he tells her and she dissolves into hysterical laughter.

Later, after she got finished with the crazy talk with Nathan, she goes to visit Damon. As soon as she walks in his place, she's pressed up against his door, being ravished with hot kisses. She lets her head roll to the side as he pays particular attention to her neck, not even tensing up after Nathan's accusation. She didn't take it to heart, but she thought Damon would find it funny.

"So," she sighs, as he continues to make her knees go weak. "I got a visit from Nathan today," she finishes, and he automatically pulls away.

"What did he want?" He demands in a firm voice, his neurotic jealousy coming out to play.

"He told me some crazy story. I think he was on something," she laughs, remembering Nathan's serious face.

Damon relaxes. He boxes her in with his arms, and his lips hover inches in front of her own. It's torture. "What story?"

"He told me you were a vampire," she said with light laughter that stopped as soon as she saw the look on his face. He wasn't laughing. He didn't find it funny. In fact, he looked mad. As if someone told her a secret about him that she wasn't supposed to know. But he couldn't be…

Damon shrugged, figuring she might as well know. "I knew I should have ripped out his throat when I had the chance," he says casually.

Haley's eyes widen and she starts to push on his arms that are boxing her in. For the first time ever, she gets to see his true strength. His arms don't move an inch. "Not funny!" She hisses, hysterically.

"Not joking," he says with a smirk and a tilted head.

"You're…you're a vampire?" She whimpers out, complete with a quiver in her voice.

"Guilty," he whispers up against her neck. That pushes her over the edge and she starts freaking out. She starts yelling at him to get away from her, and he finally does after three minutes. She cowards near the couch, as he stands in the same place.

"What do you want with me?" She questions, tears pooling in her eyes.

"Haley," he sighs, rubbing a tired hand over his face. He didn't want this.

"Damon," she whimpers out, instead of staying strong. He's in front of her in a second, and her eyes widen at the display of vampire speed.

His hands cup her face tenderly, and her hands come up to unclose his wrists. "So, you know," he sighs out sadly.

"Don't hurt me," she begs.

"I'm not going to hurt you!" He yells, tired of her not getting it. She whimpers in fear, and his demeanor softens. "I love you," he confesses. "I'm not going to hurt you."

"You're a vampire," she whispers, and something within him snaps. She's going to reject him, he realizes. She doesn't love him, like he loves her. She's just like Katherine.

He vamps out, and she screams. His face goes back to normal. "What are you going to do now? Run? Like a coward?" He hisses out, and speeds to the other side of the room. Far away from her. Away from his heart.

"You did! Why can't I?" She bites out, and he lets her run away. It's probably the most selfless thing he's ever done.

()()()

Haley's acting more irritable then usual, and Brooke has no idea why, but she's going to find out. So she confronts her friend, and gather's that it was a fight with Damon. She gives the other girl advice. Tells her to forgive him. Tells her that love will conquer all. Tells her all these sweet, romantic things, all the while thinking of Nathan. She had never before felt like a worse person.

As Brooke turns to leave, guilt written all over her face, Haley's voice stops her.

"It's okay that you're still in love with Nathan, 'ya know. I never, could never, love him like you do. You have my full blessing, Tigger."

Brooke goes in for a hug, proclaiming that she's, "the bestest friend ever," and it gives Haley her first laugh since her fight with Damon. She really does love Brooke Davis more than anything else, she realizes.

Days later, Damon cracks under the pressure and goes to visit Haley, while her mother is of on one of her many dates. She walks into her room, and is shocked to see him sprawled out on her bed.

"You've been avoiding me," he accused, instead of greeting her.

"You're a killing," she spat out, in a disgusted tone. She gasps when he's suddenly in front of her. He grips her chin forcefully, and glares into her face.

"Do not," he warns in a terrifying tone, "pretend that you are any better than I am, because you're not." He shoves her face away from him, and turns around.

"Yeah, because I go around killing people for fun," she spits out sarcastically.

He turns around and his face is emotionless. "I have killed for fun, for food, and for revenge. And I do not regret it. But at least I don't play with peoples emotions."

"Yeah, just their lives," she stresses, and she's suddenly pressed up against the wall, his hot breath in her face.

"Are you mad because of what I am? Or because deep down you know you don't really care?" He questions, and slams his mouth against hers.

Clothes are shed and words of hatred are spewed.

But she knows he's right.

And he knows, she knows.

()()()

Haley comes to a conclusion that he's startlingly like a little boy. He needs to be, to feel loved. He needs attention, and he needs her all to himself. He believes and he loved with a nativity that's commonly saw in children, and it astonishes her that he's a killer. He brings out her motherly instincts that she's sure she'll never get to use, because he is where she belongs. And, more often, he's bringing up turning her into a vampire. And she has no objections to share about that possible future.

Their relationship shocked everyone around them, but most of all her. She wasn't supposed to find love, and neither was he.

And for a girl afraid of love, she sure fell hard.

()()()

"You made a rebel,

Of a careless Man's careful daughter,

You are the best thing,

That's ever been mine."

()()()

(AN: Tell me what you think! And BTW I started up a blog, that'll keep my readers informed on my upcoming projects, outtakes, extras, trivia, sneak peaks, and reasons for delay. It's writingandotheruselessskills at blogspot. Let me know if you check it out!)