Moving In (a Vampire Diaries fan-fiction)

Getting to know Mystic Falls

It was Friday and I had one day and the weekend before I was supposed to start school. Damon was sweet enough to take me on some sightseeing, for me to get to know the surroundings.

Stefan had stuff to do and was out of the house a lot. He didn't say what he was up to, but Damon didn't seem to mind. He didn't seem like the harsh kind of a guardian, I thought and that suited me just fine. We stopped by the Grill which seemed to be the local hang-around place and sat down by the bar.

"You want a beer?" he asked. "Oh, seventeen, right? I'm not supposed to offer you beer then, am I?" He asked as I was eyeballing him.

"Do you really know what you're doing?"

"Half the time I have no idea!" he admitted with a shrug of the eyebrows, took a big gulp of the bourbon in front of him and motioned for the bartender for another one.

"What are you; a drunk?"

He glared at me. "Not yet!" he said with a wicked smile that made my heart flutter, "But the night is still young."

"I have been told stuff like don't drink and drive!" I glared back at him. "No, wait, I think I read that somewhere..." I furrowed my eyebrows in a pretended frown. "Oh well..." I added, pretending to think about it again and then I shrugged sarcastically.

He looked challenging at me with a hint of a lurking smile. "I think you are a little too much like me, carina..."

"Well, that can't be good!" I said and rolled my eyes in a cocky way, but felt my heart rate pick up under his scrutinizing look; his gorgeous pale blue, scrutinizing eyes...

Then I registered what I heard. "Carina? You speak Italian?"

"Hello, last name Salvatore." He said and looked a little challenging at me. "How about you, Riccitelli?" he pronounced my name with an Italian perfection that made me shiver.

"Certo! Of course I do." My mother had spoken Italian to me as long as she lived; I was a little rusty though. But I sure knew carina meant cute. He tilted his head to the side and it felt like he knew my heart was beating a little extra.

"Damon." a guy took the bar stool next to him and Damon seemed wary in his presence.

"Ric'... and that's our exit cue." he said rude, downed his drink, took me by the arm and left.

"Hey Damon, there's something I need to run by you." he said, but Damon said something about this not being the time or the place. He acted like they were hiding something.

"What's going on?" I asked, well aware of the curiosity that killed the cat and all that.

"Oh, Ric' is my friend."

He seemed more like a non-friend... Hmm... Or was he? No, he couldn't be! Oh God, please don't say he's...

"Your boyfriend?"

Damn my mouth, you should learn to keep quiet!

Damon turned his head to me and just stared at me like he couldn't believe his own ears. "No he's my friend!" He turned to face the car, which we we're closing in on. "Don't you think I would get someone a little better looking, if I was in to guys?" He hissed in my ear.

I swallowed hard, thinking about it as he opened the car door for me to get in, and decided he could definitely go for the more good looking guys if he wished. I watched him as he walked around the car to take the seat by the steering wheel. "Yes, I think you could have done better. He looks a bit old."

At this, he laughed. Great, I'm glad I can amuse people around me, I thought sarcastic.

He looked a bit confused at me, and then with a crocked eyebrow, he stated; "I am definitely into girls!" My heart did a double beat.

That's what I hoped he would say...

Over the next few days I already started to feel at home in the huge house. I found that beyond the flat screen TV in my own room, there was some kind of lounge next to the big parlour, that had a huge TV and the house had a big study, almost like a library. I really enjoyed walking along these bookshelves reading along the titles of these really old books. I was wondering how in the world they had got their hands on all of these old books; several of them were first editions, like 'Gone with the wind.'

There were tiny little incidents over the days that made me doubt the brother's honesty though; there was something going on with uncle Zack and I was determined to find out what.

I had been on a voyage of discovery in the house. Oh well, let's been honest, I had been snooping around... and I met Damon and Stefan who were on their way in through the front door. "So, which room is uncle Zack's?" I said.

They looked surprised at each other and then they pointed in two different directions.

I raised my eyebrows high. "Mhmm?"

They looked at me and at each other a fraction of a second too long for the story of how he just had changed room before he left, would work on me.

"Is he really your uncle?"

Their "Sure!" and "Of course!" also arrived after a fraction too long time to think about it.

"Mhmm..." I said once again and left them alone for a while. I could almost hear them gesturing and mouthing silent at each other as I waited just around the corner, but when I peaked they looked calm and collected at each other.

Were they really good liars or was I going a little paranoid? Well, knowing myself, it was probably the last.

The second thing that confused me was Angel, my cat. I had been sure he would love the outdoors, with the forest close by, but the darn cat refused to leave my room. Every time one of the brothers got close, he hissed at them. That didn't sound like my lazy cuddly cat at all. I was wondering what had happened to him.