A/N: Thank you for the many reviews, guys! I'm so glad you had fun reading the last chapter! :D

I know some of you heard about my little predicament, so what do you say we make it to 570 reviews (570! Wow...) before I post another chapter? It would give me some time to sort it all out. What do you say? :)

Anyway, I hope you're gonna really enjoy this one as well...more gay Damon to come, and oh! What was that Maya? ;P

PS. Oh, and hey- I didn't forget about all of you...here's a little treat, guys! The picture of what Maya could/would look like has been posted on my Tumblr and my Twitter! ;) The links are on my profile page. For those of you who are still watching TVD, have fun watching the season premiere tonight! ;)

Disclaimer: I do not own The Vampire Diaries or any of its characters. This is a work of fiction written for entertainment purposes, but the original characters and original storylines present in "My Paper Heart" are my own work.

As soon as Damon and I entered the nightclub, a mixture of alcohol, sweat and arousal invaded my nostrils. The scent was so overwhelming that it made me instantly dizzy. The reaction of my body made it blatant that my abnormal abilities had increased since the last time I had been in such a place. It suddenly felt like it had been ages ago.

I forced myself to breathe again. Slowly at first, so I could get used to the smells surrounding me. Damon sent me a questioning glance before offering me his arm like a true gentleman.

"Shall we?" I wrapped my arm around his hesitantly.

"We shall, Dave," I answered, notifying him that I hadn't miss the name he had called me earlier in the line. An amused grin curled the corner of his mouth as a silent chuckle passed his lips. He moved aside the black curtain separating us from the main room, and stepped behind it, taking me along.

To my surprise, the club was pretty classy. The entire atmosphere was dark but intimate. All of the walls were white, as well as the leathered sofa chairs and loveseats. The bar and coffee tables were made in an opaque white glass, lit up from below. As expected, the music was really loud, but the DJ spinning the party seemed to favor low beats to high sounds, making it easier for my super-hearing ears to handle the volume.

We snaked our way through the sweaty crowd dancing on the floor and finally reached the bar. There was a very busy redhead behind it. She was gorgeous. The lighted counter was highlighting her slim figure from below, making her hair look like it was on fire. I glanced sideways at Damon and nudged his side discreetly.

"Stop it."

"Stop what?" he asked, confused.

"Looking like a pervert who's about to have a snack on her body."

"I'm not-"

"You are." He narrowed his eyes at me and leaned his arm casually on the counter.

"Well, I never said I'd look for that perfect girlfriend right away!"

"Me neither. But you're supposed to be gay and keeping a low profile…hitting on the bartender is not exactly the smartest move, is it? Unless you want the Hulk to get in and kick you out of the club."

"Point taken." He didn't get the chance to add anything else as the bartender suddenly showed up in front of us.

"What can I get you girls?" she asked in a flirty voice, before looking up and noticing Damon. "Oh…so it's true. There is a guy in the club tonight."

"Did Mister sexy body out there rat us on?" Damon inquired, a seductive smile on his lips, giving his full attention to the barmaid. Despite the fact that his words were matching his lie, his attitude was still very straight Damon. I kicked his leg with my knee, causing his smile to freeze on his lips. He cleared his throat and straightened up from behind the counter.

"Of course he did. I'm the one who calls the shots on who's staying and who's kicked out." The redhead was oozing confidence, and I had the feeling that she was not the kind of woman you should mess with. "You're lucky, you know. Eric is not exactly the most accommodating bouncer around, and he has practically never come into the club on a girls' night only day himself. You better not screw up or he's going to take a nasty pleasure to come and beat your little ass."

"Oh, stop flattering me…I already know I have a smoking hot ass," he shot back in a girly manner, slapping his own ass playfully. It took everything in me not to roll my eyes. "Don't worry. It'd take every drop of alcohol this bar contains to make me consider the idea of kissing a girl. So I think we're pretty safe here."

If only…

"Good! This little stunt made you both famous, though." She let her green eyes slide from Damon to me and leaned forward on her elbows, accentuating her cleavage to my benefit. "I hear a lot of customers talking about it. You should take this opportunity to…mingle." She fried my brain with an intent look and winked seductively at me before straightening herself up. "So, what do Bonnie and Clyde want to drink tonight?"

Damon bent over the counter and looked her straight in the eye.

"Neither of us need ID. You'll serve whatever we ask for. Do you understand?"

"Yes. I'll serve you what you want. No questions asked," she repeated, compelled.

"Perfect! So, what will it be, Molly?" He turned to the side to flash me a mocking grin. "And if you say a coke, I'm the one who's going to beat your little ass."

"Tequila shots, please," I answered to the bartender, ignoring his taunting.

"Two tequila shots it is, then!" He slammed his hand on the counter enthusiastically.

"Make it four." My addition to the order put a bit of a damper on his mood and made him look at me suspiciously.

"Coming right up!" The barmaid slammed four glasses quickly on the counter, threw a bottle of tequila in the air, and snatched it by its neck to pour the liquor in one fluid move. Every single of her gestures was fast, precise and graceful. I was aware that everything was studied, from her serving technique to the revealing crop top she was wearing. Sexy bartenders always got bigger tips and their good looks pushed people to buy more drinks, those idiots hoping that it would get them a date. I was sure that this particular barmaid was selling a lot of drinks. Her little ballet routine was mesmerizing. I tried to snap out of my lustful haze by reminding myself that I was probably too young for her taste anyway.

When she put the salt shaker and lemon tray in front of me, I finally came back down to earth. I licked my hand swiftly, sprinkled some salt on it and grabbed my glass to gulp it down.

"Looks like I'm not the only one who's hot for the redhead." Damon's comment made me choke on the tequila running down my throat. I quickly shot my hand up to wipe the liquid escaping my lips and glared at him. It wasn't so much his words that had caught me off guard, but what they made me realize. We oddly shared an attraction to the same people. Elena. Katherine, to my dismay. Each other, to a certain extent. And now, the bartender. The idea was rather upsetting, added to our already unnervingly close resemblance. I shook my head to get the thought out of my mind and coughed a little.

"You ruined the lemon part," I complained, before grabbing another shot and throwing my head back to swallow the alcohol.

"Why so nervous?" Damon was eyeing me- and my way of knocking back drinks- warily.

"I'm not nervous." I slammed the newly emptied glass on the counter.

"Yeah, I can see that…hey! That's mine!" he exclaimed when I snatched up the third shot.

"When I said four, I never mentioned that you'd get two of them."

"OK, don't get me wrong…I like that you're getting yourself into a party mood. But if you were willing to relax a bit, you'd probably enjoy it a little more." He handed me a slice of lemon and raised an expectant eyebrow at me. I stared at him for a second and took the fruit, biting eagerly into it.

"It's just…" I sighed forcefully and tossed the lemon peel onto the tray. "I haven't been single and inside a gay club for at least three years! It's kind of intimidating. I'm not even sure that I still know how to flirt...if I ever knew. I feel like I'm here to hunt." I shivered and wrinkled my nose at the thought.

"Three y- You were going to night clubs when you were fifteen?" he asked rather loudly, his eyebrows disappearing into his hairline.

"The big sister of my best friend had that pretty cool friend. She was helping us sneak into clubs through the restrooms windows," I explained elusively. "And I got…curves at a pretty young age." I cleared my throat and pretended to fix my top so I could avoid his gaze and the wicked smirk on his lips.

"I bet you did! Wait...you've been in Mystic Falls for only two years. So why has it been three years?" He frowned and searched my face for a few seconds. "Let me guess…Mommy and Daddy figured out that their little girl was sneaking out to go to wild night clubs, and they grounded you for an entire year."

"No, they didn't," I sneered childishly at him. "The key word here was 'single', Damon. I was still going to those kinds of places a couple of months before moving to Mystic Falls, but I wasn't alone. I had a girlfriend…"

He looked at me like I had grown a second head.

"You had a girlfriend?" My eyes snapped up at his astonished tone, my forehead scrunching up with incredulity.

"Okay, so...you're surprised that I was clubbing at fifteen but you're certain that I'm a party girl. And now you're shocked to know that I had a girlfriend when you're convinced I've collected one-night stands! You should clearly re-think your way of putting two and two together."

"What I meant was I never heard of an ex-girlfriend before!"

"You never asked…" I shrugged one of my shoulders slightly.

"Well, I'm asking now!" He waved to the bartender and gestured for her to serve us another round, before giving me his full attention again.

"Definitely the right place to talk about that," I pointed out sarcastically. He flashed me a knowing smirk that annoyed the hell out of me. "What?"

"You just confirmed what I already suspected. Your girlfriend omission is totally intentional." I rolled my eyes playfully and chuckled.

"Maybe…but you already think I'm a wild girl. I wouldn't want to add more fuel to your crazy fire."

"Oh, seriously? You're going to play the goody-two-shoes act with me, now?"

"I never admitted I had one-night stands, damn it!"

"You want to deny it?" He leaned closer to me to bore right into my soul.

"No…" I mumbled, uncomfortable. "But I could've had ten times as many after an overly boozy night, as far as you know!"

"Well, even if it had been a one-time thing, it's just like riding a bike- you never really forget how. No need to be nervous!" he reassured me, handing me a shot glass. He eyed me sideways before gulping down his own. "So…how many are we really talking about, exactly?" I ignored his last question to focus on the reason why I was so nervous.

"I never flirted in a club…"

"What?" His hand holding the slice of lemon froze halfway toward his mouth. "Where did you find your one-night stand, then?"

"At school, Damon! Like any other teenager," I replied, offended. The fact that he seemed to forget that I wasn't a hundred years old vampire was extremely annoying.

"Right. You're such a little minx that I easily forget you're only eighteen…" He bit into the lemon and turned his body to the side to face me. "Considering your hotness, the way you're dressed, and the fact that we're apparently famous tonight, I'd say that you've practically got nothing to do. Just pick a girl you're attracted to and smile…"

"I can't find one."

"Oh, no?" He grinned broadly at me. "Not even the girl you keep glancing at behind me?"

"What?" I pretended that I didn't know who he was referring to, but even though I hadn't realized I was eyeing her, I knew exactly whom he was talking about as soon as he mentioned it.

"But honestly, long curly hair and big brown doe eyes…you're a little obvious."

"Shut up! She has light brown hair, and her skin is pale! Not to mention that she has an oval shaped face and…" I trailed off, suddenly realizing that I had taken the bait like a fool. "And a butt chin." I laughed at my own stupidity and slapped his arm in retaliation for tricking me.

"Yeah…you clearly don't like that girl." He laughed with me before drinking the last shot. "I never thought you were into the uptight overachiever type, but I must admit that you have a good eye…there's something really feline about her beneath her stuck up facade."

"Feline?" I repeated ironically. I knew exactly what he meant, and he was right to assume that I had noticed that about her. But I was not even close to confessing it, because that would mean admitting that I was no better than him or Katherine, and their obnoxious habit of classifying people by their sexual potential.

"And from the way she leers at you, I'd say she spotted something interesting about you too…" he continued in a suggestive tone, completely ignoring my sarcasm.

"Maybe. But it doesn't mean I'm on board to show up in front of her and ask 'Wanna make out and see where things take us from there?' I'm not that bold. Or desperate."

"Really? I thought you were all hot and bothered because of Miss Katherine," he shot back, a mocking grin on his lips.

I was. I really was. Despite the fact that he had done a great job taking my mind off things all day, the mere mention of her name made my wet dream about her flood back into my mind. And I was pretty sure that if I could blush, I would be crimson.

"Again. It doesn't mean I'm comfortable with your devious plans for me…it feels a little too 'Club her over the head and drag her back to your cave' for my taste."

DAMON'S POV

It was the first time I had ever witnessed Maya not being determined or confident about doing something. I knew she felt insecure and scared sometimes, just like anybody else, but she always covered it up with an unshakable attitude. Being shy and hesitant was definitely not her style.

I had the feeling that it had nothing to do with using seduction. She might keep saying over and over again that she was like any other innocent teenage girl, but I knew better than that. This was about letting herself be intimate with someone else. Emotionally or physically, it didn't really matter.

Ever since her parents had died, the only person she allowed herself to be intimate with was Elena. Breaking this circle was probably terrifying for her, even more so since it would imply she was opening herself up to the world again. At least a bit more than the last two years.

But Maya hadn't come with me on this road trip because she expected me to pamper her. The sexual temptation she was experiencing toward Katherine was waking up a side of her that she hadn't dealt with since her parents' death- except for that one time. And I knew her well enough to know that she was very aware of it. If she had finally agreed to stand in that club with me, it was because she wanted to reconnect with this side of herself again. Because she hoped it would make it easier for her to control it around Katherine.

I wasn't sure if it would be enough to resist the she-devil's tantalizing game, but if it meant bringing Maya's fun and carefree side back to life, it was definitely worth it.

Since she didn't seem to be ready to unleash the party girl inside herself just yet, I would do that for her. I caught the bartender's attention once more and asked her to serve us a third round.

I sprinkled some salt on my hand and did the same on Maya's without asking. I grabbed a shot and clinked it with the one I had put in her hands.

"Are you trying to get me drunk?" she asked suspiciously but amused.

"You already had five shots of tequila and you're barely tipsy. I doubt two more shots will get you wasted."

"So this is not your way of trying to turn me into a womanizer?" She leaned on her arm and stared at me with a knowing grin on her lips.

"Nope! But since we're here, let's make the best out of it." I took my second glass and gulped it down. "I hope you're ready to burn up the dance floor!" I grabbed her hand and got up. Walking toward the middle of the room, I gave her no choice but to follow me. She drank her two shots in a hurry before the tugging on her arm became too hard to resist, and stumbled behind me before catching up.

When we were finally surrounded by sweaty moving people, I released her hand and started to dance. She mimicked me and followed the beat half-heartedly. She was still holding herself back, so I decided to put on a good show to loosen her up. I showed off my dancing skills and rocked my hips while letting my hand slide along my chest, doing my best parody of a sexy-girly-music-video dance. I wiggled my eyebrows at her and she snorted despite herself.

"If you told me that you changed teams in the seventies to experiment, I'd totally believe you right now!" she said through chuckles, mocking my moves and acting skills. I grabbed her hand and pulled her toward my chest.

"A man never tells his secrets." I wrapped the arm holding her hand around her waist and pulled to spin her three times in a row. When I caught her again so she wouldn't fall, she was laughing. A genuine and spontaneous laugh; a childish one. And I realized I had never heard such laughter pass her lips before. It was a beautiful sound. The joy radiating from her face was priceless. I promised myself at that moment that I would do everything in my power to make this Maya stick around.

After a while, the beat of the music- and the alcohol- finally got to her. She was waving her body, shaking her hips, and running her fingers through her hair damp with sweat, all in flowing and sexy moves. Completely oblivious to the crowd around us, she didn't even seem to notice how many eyes were burning with desire for her.

Without her noticing it, I had moved us backwards. We were now a couple of feet away from the girl she denied having an attraction to earlier, and I was convinced she was finally ready to meet her. When Maya closed her eyes, losing herself in the music, I took the opportunity to take a huge step back, and as intended, bumped into the girl. I turned around quickly, pretending to be surprised.

"Oh my god, I'm so sorry darling! I didn't realize there was someone so close to me." My little trick caught the girl and her friend's full attention, and I could see from the corner of my eye that Maya had snapped out of her little trance as well.

"It's okay," the girl said quickly.

"Are you sure?" I reached out but stopped before actually touching her arms, pretending to be concerned.

"Yes. Yes, don't worry." She gave me a reassuring smile and was about to turn around to dance with her friend again.

"What can I do to make this up to you?" I insisted, channeling the most genuine charm I could pull off.

"It's fine, really."

"What about joining us to dance together? This way I won't stamp on your feet again." When I saw the two girls exchanging a look, I knew it was a done deal and restrained a knowing smirk.

"Sure, why not?"

"Great!" I grabbed her hand, and before she could react, spun her to innocently place her just next to Maya. The girl chuckled but Maya shot me a dark glare. I made room for the other girl and everybody started dancing hesitantly.

"So, what are your names, ladies? I'm-"

"A man," the girl's friend cut me off.

"Someone here is observant," I replied, trying to not sound too sarcastic. When I saw Maya and the girl bite their bottom lips in sync to hide an amused grin, I realized that those two might actually be a perfect match. "I hope my presence doesn't bother you…" I added in a gentle tone. I was pretty sure the girl was about to assure me that she had no problem with me being inside the club, but her friend beat her to it before she could even mutter a word.

"You should ask that to her foot."

"Amy!" The girl scowled her before flashing us a polite smile. "Sorry about my friend here. She can be very protective of me."

"No, she's right. I feel awful about it…how about I buy you a drink?" I asked enthusiastically.

"You don't have-"

"I insist! What can I get you?"

"Well, in that case…I'm Spencer. And a margarita would be fine." The girl ordered for a cocktail without even blinking. Though she looked older, I was pretty sure she had a fake ID buried somewhere in her purse. I nodded anyway, since I had the bartender wrapped around my little finger. I turned my head toward Maya.

"Same for you, Molly?"

"Yes, please," she answered, a glint of suspicion shining in her eyes.

"Amy, right? Would you mind coming with me to help carrying the glasses around?" She glanced at her friend again to make sure it was okay with her, and eventually agreed to follow me. Maya and Spencer were finally alone. I smirked inwardly at my own genius.