Author's Note: Written for a challenge on LJ. Take the first line of any book/short story and use it as a prompt. This story's prompt is: "What do you think? Should we put the bar over there?" Elizabeth Wakefield gestured to one end of the ancient, run-down ballroom. - Kiss of the Vampire a Sweet Valley University thriller by Francine Pascal
"It's weird to be back here," Damon mutters as he walks with the blonde through the Salvatore Boarding House.
Caroline giggles, "It hasn't been that long, Damon," she chastises. "Only two years."
"Two years in which Stefan had free reign of the place. He could have destroyed it, for all we knew!"
Damon and Caroline had gone traveling after graduation. She wanted to see the world, and Damon was the only one willing to come with her, much to her initial surprise. As it turned out, it was a very good decision, and after many arguments, the two managed to work out their issues and got closer than they have been since they've known each other.
"Elena's never even mentioned a party," Caroline defends the younger Salvatore.
Damon just rolls his eyes. "So, what are your plans for the place?" he asks her instead. In exchange for returning to Mystic Falls for a few years, Damon promised she could help him renovate the boarding house.
Caroline's eyes light up and she starts talking about color schemes and carpeting and wood flooring and lights and a whole bunch of other shit that only half interest him. The truth that he'll never admit to her is that he likes seeing her happy. It had come as a shock to him when he discovered on their travels that being with him made her happy.
As she talks, he steers her in the direction of the master bedroom, curious to hear her thoughts on the subject. "And, this room?" he asks, breaking her diatribe on the future beige walls of the hallways.
Caroline breaks off in confusion and looks around the room, and Damon realizes she hadn't even noticed they'd changed rooms. "I—I hadn't really given any thought on our bedroom," she says. "I figured I'd ask you before making any plans."
Damon quirks an eyebrow both at her use of the pronoun our, and her out of character indecisiveness. "And why is that, Blondie?" he asks, using the nickname he'd given her long before. Somehow, it has stuck.
"Kinda figured you'd want a say in one of the most important rooms in the house," she answers with a smirk.
"I like the way you think," he says, pushing her up against the nearest wall. Caroline moans and pushes her lips firmly against his. "We have to christen the house," he whispers hotly in her ear.
He hears her giggle again, her hands threading through his hair. "The house is a million years old, Damon. I think it's already been christened."
"Not by us," he retorts, kissing along her neck.
She pushes him away suddenly, and he's looking at her with mock annoyance and he loves the sound of her laugh. "Come on," she says, pulling him out the door. "We haven't even gotten to the coolest room!"
"I thought this room was the coolest room," he mutters low, following her anyway.
She leads him to one of the back rooms—one he hadn't even used since he'd been here the last time. An old fashioned ballroom. Suddenly, he notices she's looking at him expectantly. "What?" he asks, not able to read her for the first time in a while.
"Well, you have more experience with ballrooms than I do," she starts. "I was hoping you could tell me what we should do in here."
"You want to throw a ball in here?" he asks, surprised, although he probably shouldn't be. Caroline Forbes is the fancy hair and ball gown type, after all.
"Yeah, wouldn't it be exciting?" she asks, and he can already see the very elaborate plans forming in her head.
So Damon, determined to make her happy, starts planning the layout of the ballroom. He tells her what he remembers from the original Salvatore estate ballroom from when he was human, deciding he wants to modernize that theme. "What do you think? Should we put the bar over there?" Damon gestures to one end of the ancient, run-down ballroom. And suddenly, Caroline's jumping up and down, making high pitched noises, and beaming because he just assented to throwing a ball in his house.
She pulls him close to her and whispers, "Thank you," in his ear and he starts moving back in forth, as if rocking her into calmness again and it's not till she's kissing him that he realizes they're dancing to no music.