Fandom: The Vampire Diaries
Pairing: Bonnie/Damon
Rating: PG
Prompt: There was no prompt for this one actually, I just felt inspired by the holidays.

Small, brightly colored lights were strung up all throughout the room giving it an almost otherworldly glow. Loud seasonal music played through tall speakers and the floor was filled with couples dancing and carrying on. The smell of apple cider wafted through the air and were it not for the presence of about a dozen (very unwelcome) heretics this party would have almost felt like old times.

Damon found Bonnie sitting in a room just outside of the larger room everyone else was in. She wore a deep red cocktail dress and her hair was held back with sparkly silver pins. He took a few moments to stand in the doorway and look at her before he entered and made his presence known.

"Y'know... You're missing an absolutely mediocre party." A charming smirk befell his lips and he leaned against the wall next to where she was seated.

"Why are we even here Damon? We aren't planning on 'making peace' with your mom or her insane friends. Why even pretend?"

An annoyed sigh slipped past thin lips and he pushed himself off of the wall. "Because, BonBon, it gives us the upper hand. And it also ensures that we can enjoy tonight without worrying about someone trying to kill us. So c'mon. Stop being a wallflower. Go dance."

The witch rolled her eyes

"I don't dance."

At this declaration he gave her an incredulous stare and shook his head. "I've seen you at school dances, town events, and parties. - You definitely dance."

A barely-there ghost of a smile began to tug at her lips but when she glanced past him and into the room it quickly faded. She could feel the absence of the people she's lost, and they were making her feel an awful emptiness. Jeremy and Tyler were gone. Her father was dead, her mother was absent. She and Caroline didn't seem as close without Elena, and Matt seemed to do nothing more than tolerate any of them these days. Then there was Elena. She was never going to see her best friend again. The weight of it all felt too much and she slumped back down.

"It's not the same," she stated simply, a sullen expression settling onto her face.

Arms crossed, he gave a small shrug and rolled his eyes. "Whatever. Enjoy your pity party. - I'm dancing." And he walked away without another word.

It'd been tempting to sit down and join her in her woe, but he couldn't help thinking of all the times she'd been unrelentingly (and annoyingly) optimistic when they were stuck in the prison dimension. She missed Elena. He did too. He just figured it was time someone stayed optimistic for her instead of the other way around. She of all people deserved a pity party. So he found himself a pretty girl to seduce with a charming smile and dragged her onto the dance floor. If he knew his witch she would come out eventually. She just needed a few minutes.

When Bonnie emerged from the room she couldn't stop a smile from blooming as she watched Damon dance with a stranger. His accusation of pity party had been accurate, but that wasn't her. She didn't want to sit around and bitch about her life while she was still living it. She'd save that for the next time she was dead. Her heels clicked against floor, her steps in time with the beat of the music playing. When she reached the vampire and his "date" she tapped him on the shoulder.

"Mind if I cut in?"

The woman he was with looked annoyed, and rightly so. She was asking to steal away from her a very handsome man. Damon didn't think twice however before be turned his attention toward Bonnie. They'd both said they intended to help each other and he wanted to hold up his end of that as well as he could. He gave a small nod followed by a nonchalant shrug.

"Only if you can keep up."

Her smile turned playful. This was the thing she loved about Damon. When she was with him most of the time she tended to be able to forget about her troubles for a little while. He wasn't the loathsome creature she'd once wished dead. He was kind, he had a good heart, and he was a good friend.

After another upbeat song the music changed to a somber, slow pace. Smile still in tact, Bonnie began to pull away. Her heart was still pounding from just letting loose and allowing herself a little bit of fun. He seemed to hesitate for a moment, but he quickly recovered and held out an open palm as he caught her gaze. A knowing smirk appeared.

"C'mon, Witchy. Let's get awkward."

Bonnie displayed some hesitance of her own before she reached out and placed a delicate hand in his palm. His fingers wrapped around it and he gently guided her in toward him. Their hands remained clasped and she awkwardly placed her left hand on his shoulder while his free hand drifted to her waist. Their stance suggested professionalism, as if they might break out into a waltz at any moment. Instead they kept with a simple sway. Her stomach flipped and she let out a small gasp when he spun and dipped her in the process. She was about to smack his arm and call him a jerk but she looked up at him and found herself staring into a sea of blue eyes. Her stomach lurched again. He was smirking, as always, and when he righted her she moved her hand off of his shoulder and onto his ribs.

"You're such an ass," she chided playfully. Her gaze fell away from his and she gave his hand a small squeeze. "I'm sorry I was being such a killjoy earlier. I just... Everything is so different. And I miss a lot of people." She avoided specifically name dropping Elena. His temper was a delicate thing, and she was enjoying this closeness. She didn't want to ruin it.

He shook his head.

"Don't be sorry. - You could've sat in that room for the rest of the night and I wouldn't have said another damn word."

She smiled then. A genuine smile, and she let her head rest against his chest. And when she felt his chin rest atop her head she closed her eyes. They stayed that way in silence until the song began to fade out into another upbeat tune.

"I do think you were right about this party though. It blows. - Wanna ditch?"

She nodded, relieved. "I really do."