Haven't I seen you somewhere before?
You look familiar
You wanna dance?
Yeah
I guess I just don't recognize you with your clothes on
What are you waiting for?

Come join the party- yeah-

Let's get this started-

Elena pulled Elijah to her- and he excepted letting loose- and she never had seen him like this before-

Caroline not far from them gave an iced look at Klaus-

Damon and Bonnie were already somewhere in the crowd lost in themselves.

Is this a dream or a very real reality? It was a very real reality!!

Rewind to an hour before the party-

Caroline and Elena had arrived to NOLA and took some time to enjoy the town first. They saw the got out of the car feeling the night coming on for a party-

"EDM-festival- oh yeah!"- Caroline said- "tonight we are going to forget the world!!"-

"Or remember everything!"- Elena said and now hit the speed-dial- "Elijah!" and in very short sentences she explained why they were back in New Orleans. As she hung up, Caroline looked at her surprised-

"Did I hear this right- you invited him to the electronic house party thing?? This is not a Ball?!!"

"He is not that ancient!-"- Elena said

Caroline gave her a look- Are you kidding me?!!

"He said yes!!"- Elena said- "we did the Ball and they can do our thing! Now it's your turn!"

"What?? My turn??"

"Just call Klaus- let's stop pretending that he doesn't make your blood boil?!"- Elena said in a teasing tone.

"Are you sure you are the Elena??!"

"I am sure- me who wants to live and have a good time. Me who feels so free after such a long time- free!!"- Elena said- "need some new clothes for the party!"

Being vampires they managed to shop- get ready and be in the venue in no time. They then texted Bonnie where they were, who accepted gladly to meet them there.

#

Elijah couldn't hide that Elena made his heart jump like a teenager as he heard her voice. She sounded happy, lively and eager to see him. His reserved self stopped for a moment thinking of the venue she had invited him to.
He had always somewhat kept up with the times and although he preferred fine suits and the best of everything, he had moments when he lived like a beatnik with writers and artists away from all the luxury. He now took a sip of blood wine and a drop fell out of his fangs on his pristine white shirt. He took a handkerchief instinctively to wipe it off and then it was like his mind stopped for a milisecond. He flashed back to Esther, to all of him hiding behind his clean cut look - he then tossed away the handkerchief and ripped off the shirt and tie off of him. In his mind now was Elena's voice ringing like a break of dawn-
"We are going to this rave thing -EDM festival thing- see you there?"
Life can change in three seconds and then why not in less then 48 hours- she had not once changed and turned his life around, directly and indirectly- he now grabbed the few casual items he had and put them on. Clothes don't make a man, but in this case it was like he was tossing away an old skin that was suffocating him with the gruesome past that held him hostage. He felt free.

Fast forward to the ultra EDM gig-

"Could this be in a more silent place?"- Klaus now asked Caroline who replied with a 'no'
Juxtaposition.
There was no one on this planet that could so daringly challenge all his emotions, his very being. She made his blood boil to the most feverish extent like no one ever did and never will. And yeah- all could go to hell- his soul can burn forever and he knew it would - now he wanted her kisses, her touch, her everything.

Feel my temperature rising
It's too much heat
I'm gonna lose control
Do you want to go higher?
Get closer to the fire
I don't know what you're waiting for

He took her by the hand and they swished away from the place.

*
Not far away, Elijah now looked at Elena as they now gasped for a bit of undead breath still woozy from the session of kisses that just streamed like waterfall -

"Take me away from here!"- her eyes extended- and her wish was his command.

Elena followed Elijah and soon they stood in front of the Mikaelson schonner ship- it was a magnificent sailing vessel-

"Wow-"- Elena slipped.

Elijah now put his hand out as an invitation to come on board. Elena accepted it- and they swooped on it- he showed her around but didn't want to go much into details about it- he just watched her enjoying the mild night gazing into the dark night. Her heart beat like the electronic music from before. She sat down next to him turning her head meeting his eyes again- all inside of her moved like the breeze that suddenly came out of nowhere from the Gulf. He gently put his hand on her lower back and Elena let a small breath out as her heart accelerated- but before she completely gave herself into him- she had to voice out what she was feeling- but Elijah preceded her-

"You don't have to say anything, Elena. I already know it all-" Elijah said now gently sliding his hand up the side of her neck near her ear to pull her closer as his lips brushed gently onto hers at first, then one more now looking into her eyes again wanting to see and keep the moment of her look of love forever sealed in his heart.

She now stood up holding her hand out to him. He took her hand and they both swished below the deck.

*******

Put your arms around me
When it gets too hot we can go outside
But for now just come here
Let me whisper in your ear
An invitation to the dance of life

Swept by the music and her feelings flying free, Bonnie enjoyed the party time, and Damon has only eyes for her. But a witch within her was very much awake and all of a sudden she felt a terrible pain in the head having to crouch down gasping for breath.

"Bonnie??" Damon now worryingly picked her up by the arms-"what is it?"

"I don't know- I felt- ot's passed"-
she now looked at him again with vision clear and no pain.

"Come on-" he took hold of her hand and they walked away from the crowd.

As they were near their car, Damon now stopped to look at her gently putting his hands on her shoulders checking if she was fine.

"I am fine-really- it must be the effect of using too much dark magic... haven't slept much either lately-"

"Let's go and sleep then!"- he said-"your heart beat is a bit sky high"-Damon said-

"Seriously? My heartbeat, dr Salvatore?"

"Yeah- I know a place where you will have peace"- Damon said-

They now both got into the so called batmobile and drove off.
They were driving north and Bonnie wanted to know what Damon had in mind.

"You will see"- he just said.

"I hate this. We could have gone to a first hotel in NOLA. I still have loads of research to do and study your gramps' Grimoire!"- Bonnie complained.

"And you will do it!"- Damon answered back.

"Uh, wake me up when we get there!"- Bonnie now said and made herself somewhat comfortable and closed her eyes. It didn't take her long and she was asleep. Being so tired she didn't feel when they arrived to their designated place and the fact that Damon nearly carried her to bed.

"Hmmm"- she stretched out as he pulled the blanket over her-"sorry-"

"Shhhh"- he said placing a peck on her temple and carresing her face with a gentle stroke-"sleep"

Bonnie dozed off and Damon now took his jacket off and put it on the chair. Then he sat down. He smiled a little looking at her asleep.

Flashback
Some months ago

"So how did you know that you feel so much more for her than friendship?"- Alaric asked Damon as they sipped down Bourbon of the finest quality.

"It's not like you flip a switch- I...always- she mattered to me- "
"You had the hots for her way back when you were still chasing after Elena??" Alaric concluded.

"I maybe undead but I am still very much flesh and blood- "Damon said snarkily acting like the ladies' man, but Alaric could see the seriousness arise from Damon all of a sudden.

"You didn't try anything with Bonnie cos she would not give you the time of the day?!"- Alaric then added.

Damon was quiet. It was not the first time he would conceal and bury his true feelings because he never coped with rejection.

Then he said to Alaric-"when she died when Jeremy told me - not seeing her again - killed me-"

And as long she slept he stayed there beside her.

"Damon -"- Bonnie uttered as she opened her eyes seeing him sit on the chair.

"The one and only"- he said his eyes chuckling.

"Funny-"- Bonnie said raising her eye brow a bit.

"How long have I been asleep? Where are we anyway? Don't tell me -"

He now cut her off with answers-

"Ten hours. Some 15 min from Laffayette. No, not going to tell you what ever you were going to ask."

Bonnie sat up now rubbing her face and then got up and then walked into the bathroom. She felt like a morning after a three day party- she tossed away her clothes and got into the shower. The luke warm water was helpful in regaining some of the energy back.

She now heard him knock at the door saying-

"I am getting breakfast!"

"Right- Loads of OJ!"- she kind of ordered-

And he was on it. It was cajun country and so he got the real cajun breakfast.

As she got out of the shower everything was ready as she heard him in the kitchen.

"Seriously- what is this place?"- she now wanted to know as she looked at the window outside. They were like in a dreamy southern get away. The surroundings was idyllic - lake, nature in all its splendour. The cottage, they were in, was like they floated away in time to a 19th century romantic deco.

"I saw this B&B cottages advertise somewhere yesterday in NOLA"- Damon said.

Bonnie now sat down at the table, still in the bathrobe.

"Cajun rice and eggs and ham. Waffles. Pancakes. Deviled eggs. Creole coffe and OJ!"- Damon said-" and blood for me!"

"You didn't, did you?"- Bonnie said as she put something of the food on her plate.

"I did. Just a little bit. Didn't drink a drop last night at the mad electronic whatever it was- !!"- he said taking some of the blood now- "It's like OJ- just red!"

"OMG- this is so good!"- Bonnie enjoyed the coffee and the food.

"I thought you would like it- "- Damon said letting her enjoy.

"I hope everyone had a good time-"- Bonnie then said thinking of Elena and Caroline.

"The Original good time!!"- Damon remarked.

"They didn't?!"- Bonnie said now looking at him for confirmation. Being human she couldn't hear or see Caroline taking of with Klaus and Elena with Elijah. Damon nodded in confirmation.

"Why do I even ask?! "- Bonnie concluded.

"They pretty much survived without us when we were in the fake wherever"- Damon added.

Bonnie now gave him the look that said-do you have to be snarky-

"I picked you some clothes"- he said and now turned the had to the bags that were on the kitchen counter.

"You thought of everything"- she then said and now got up to look at the T-shirt and black jeans.

"Thanks"- she picked up the bags and sipping more of the OJ went to get dressed.

Damon stayed in the kitchen. He would lie if he wasn't surpressing his desire burning inside of him. And he felt it from her as well as her feeling tense around him trying acting quite casual. He was not going to rush anything. It should be right.

In the bedroom, Bonnie changed and ruffled her hair a bit. Then sat down on the bed for a moment. Then got up again and and got out taking the bag with her other clothes out. Damon was on the porch.

"All good?"- he now asked.

"Yeah-"- she replied. And then it was strangely awkward. Like they had been fighting.
They stood next to one another and to break the silence- Bonnie, who was now fighting with thousand butterflies flying in her stomach said- "Breakfast was awsome!"

And it felt like the lamest line to break through the sizzling wish and want to tear eachother's clothes off and forget about the world.

"Me- awsome -"- he said and Bonnie now just kissed him. No more hesitation. And the butterflies seemed to fly out as she now felt beautiful release spread all over her. She walked in the cottage and Damon followed.

Invitation to the dance of life