Disclaimer: I do not own anything!
This was written as a small Christmas present for Danielle Salvatore to whom i owe my fascination with fanfiction. I hope you enjoy it!
Mesmerised
(set a few years after the gang defeats Shinichi; Stefan and Elena are living their happily ever after; Meredith is off with Alaric and Bonnie is going to college; Damon, still human, has just disappeared, until...)
"…And guess what I found out yesterday" Meredith was telling Elena during their usual long phone gossip.
"What?" Elena prompted.
"I called Bonnie just to make sure everything was ok. But she didn't pick up. Can you guess who answered instead?"
"Tell me" Elena squealed. Stefan chuckled somewhere in the vicinity. Meredith remained silent for a moment as though wondering whether to talk or not. Finally:
"Damon"
The short word was greeted by two gasps from Elena and Stefan both.
"As much as I gathered from what he said they have been living together for a while now."
"Together as in…?" asked Elena sounding worried.
"I'll truly kill him if he harms her!" Stefan's voice boomed almost at the same time.
"I don't know Elena" answered Meredith "Couldn't get much out of him. You know how subtle he can be."
"Oh, God" murmered Elena.
"I think it's time we pay Bonnie a visit" interjected Stefan.
"Yeah, you are probably right" sighed Meredith.
***Meanwhile***
"I can't believe school is finally over" Bonnie squealed happily and did a sort of triumphiant dance in the street.
Damon laughed shortly. "Yeah, I can't believe it either. I was beginning to think the semester would go on forever. And it's just a week till Christmas, too. We don't have much time for presents and decoration."
"We'll manage." Bonnie patted his shoulder reasuringly which made him laugh again. They kept on walking down the snowy street in comfortable silence until Damon spoke again:
"By the way, are going home for Christmas this year?" there was hope in his voice.
"Nope" Bonnie answered "Mum and Dad are visiting Mary and her husband and I don't want to stay alone. I was thinking of being here instead. With you." she added after a moment's thought.
"I thought you'd never say it" he smiled. Bonnie was sure there was something else not just the relief of not spending Christmas alone behind that smile but she couldn't exactly put her finger on it.
"What are you doing in the afternoon?" she asked.
"Nothing in particular. Why? You have something on your mind?"
"How about decorating?" Bonnie asked with hesitation.
"Sounds good to me" came the reply. "But we should be careful with the mistletoe" the corners of his lips had gone just a little bit up.
"Definitely" Bonnie's smiled matched Damon's as they walked arm in arm.
It turned out to be a peaceful though rather busy afternoon. Bonnie and Damon laughed more than they usually did but it was to be expected since they weren't studying or working. Decorating proved to be fun and there were some very tricky moments. For example, Bonnie was sure that the artiificial tree they'd bought last year, had tried to fall on purpose just after they'd decorated it lavishly. Damon had dived for it but since he was no longer a vampire his reflexes weren't that fast. Bonnie had surprised them both by managing to levitate the tree just before it smashed on the floor. Or, a few hours later, she had bumped into Damon at the kitchen door. She tried to squeese past him murmuring "I'm sorry" but Damon caught her and kissed her chastely on the lips. When she looked at him questioningly he pointed upwards with a smug smile. There was mistletoe hanged on the doorframe. "This is not fair" she had protested. "I didn't know we were playing a fair game" Damon had answered, the smug grin still plastered on his face.
Mistletoe had become their private joke in the past few weeks. With Christmas approaching their college had been decorated and almost every corner proudly sported a tuft of the wretched plant. It had led to a crazy game of stalking and avoiding which escalated almost to an open war. The only two who seemed to be unaffected by it were Damon and Bonnie. They had in fact found it very funny.
***Next morning***
Bonnie was woken up by the doorbell. Wondering who othe hell was visiting that early she opened the door and gaped at Stefan and Elena who stood in front of her wearing almost identical smiles.
"What are you doing here?" she asked flabergasted "I thought you were going to Italy."
"Well, we thought we might come see you first" laughed Stefan.
"Oh, Bonnie, it is so good to see you! It's been such a long time!" Elena squealed and hurled herself at Bonnie.
"Come on, come inside, Stefan" chuckled Bonnie.
Elena squealed excitedly again.
"Please keep quiet" whispered Bonnie. "Let's go in my room or we'll wake Damon up"
Stefan drew a sharp breath as Bonnie opened the door to her room.
"That is part of why we are here" he said. Bonnie frowned.
"You have to be careful with Damon, you know that don't you?" asked Elena. "You can't trust him to care for you"
Bonnie sighed. So Damon was right when he warned her that their friends would check on her soon.
"Look, there is nothing between Damon and me. We are just flatmates."
"So you are not lovers?" Elena asked in disbelief.
"NO!" Bonnie sounded outraged. "We just met at the college. We were both applying. Later on we both searched for a place to stay and Damon found this flat. It was rather expensive but we decided that we could cope if we lived together. So we gave it a shot and rented it."
"And there is nothing between you?" Stefan sounded suspicious.
"No! Look we even have separate rooms." Elena and Stefan's expressions didn't change.
They were both frowning.
"Nothing you say or do will make them change their opinion" an angry vioce sounded from behind her. They had obviously woken Damon up and he knew exactly what was going on.
"What have you done to her, Damon? What do you want?" Stefan growled threateningly.
"Always suspicious, aren't you? But in case you have forgotten I am not capable of tricks and compulsion anymore, little brother." hissed Damon. "If you don't have anything else to say you'd better go."
Before any of them managed to say or do anything Damon rushed out of the room and Stefan and Elena winced at the slam of his bedroom door.
"I hope you are happy" Bonnie sighed desperately. "I'll try and coax him out later on. Come on, I'll make you something for breakfast."
When Stefan and Elena were settled in the kitchen, Bonnie knocked on Damon's bedroom door. No answer came but she entered, nonetheless.
"Don't you think you are acting a bit childishly?"
"I don't know! Why are they here? Why am I always to blame?"
"You should give them a chance!"
"Why? So that they could ruin what little I have left?"
"He is your brother! Like it or not you have to put up with him. He is your only family. Think about that." said Bonnie before she left the room. She stood outside the door and sighed wondering if Damon wasn't in fact right. She braced herself and went back to the kitchen.
***Later that day***
Stefan was sitting alone in the living room watching the TV set absentmindedly. His thoughts were on Damon and his protest about always being suspected. Stefan realised he had offended his brother and was wondering if Damon was ready to hear an appology. The girls had spent the day shopping and were now giggling in Bonnie's room. Damon on the other hand had remained locked up all day. Stefan sighed and headed to his brother's room.
"May I come in?" he knocked.
"Sure why not" came the cold reply.
Stefan entered and was met by Damon's gaze. To his surprise damon didn't seem angry. He looked somewhat broken and…afraid.
Stefan cleared his throat.
"You know, I… I owe you an appology. I shouldn't be so judgey. You have changed."
Damon nodded. "I have to say I am sorry too. You are my brother – my only family." Bonnie's words echoed in his mind as he spoke.
"But let me explain myself" he said before Stefan could anwser. "You are right I have changed. I lost a lot but I gained as well. Maybe more that I lost. I enjoy my new life. I am happy at school, I am happy here, with Bonnie. I think I love her."
"How long since you like that for here."
"Oh, a very long time. You remember where we first met?"
"Alaric's party?"
"Yes. She caught my eye. If I am to be truthful I have to say I love her ever since. Why do you think I kissed her?"
"Why did you?" Stefan smiled. He had never thought he'd have such a conversation with Damon but there it was.
"Because I was mesmerised by her. And for the last year and a half we've been together. We've started trusting each other and I thought that maybe, just maybe I had a chance with her. But now with you and Elena here, the old doubts and suspicion will arise again. One of you will plant it in her mind and it will be all over. And I don't know if I can handle that loss."
Stefan smiled.
"I think you should tell her what you told me about your first meeting. She has to know. And I am pretty sure that if she does neither Elena nor me would be able to plant doubt in her mind."
"Are you sure?" Damon bit his lip.
"Give it a go."
Damon seemed thoughtful.
"I think I have to talk to Bonnie." he said.
"Yes you do." Stefan closed the door. "Elena, come here for a sec, love" his voice sounded from the living room.
Damon smiled when he heard Elena rush to Stefan. He knocked on Bonnie's door.
"Can I talk to you?" he asked as he entered.
"Sure, what's the matter?" Bonnie was trying on a new dress.
"Do you remember when we first met?" Damon asked hesitatnly.
"It was at Alaric's party back home, right?" Bonnie turned to him.
"And we kissed."
"Yes" said Bonnie unsure at what would come next.
"Have you ever wondered why?"
"To make Elena jealous?" Bonnie blushed.
"No, silly" Damon chuckled stepping closer. "Because I was mesmerised by you. And I still am." A moment of thought, then "But I'll inderstand if you don't feel the same way about me…"
Bonnie closed the distance between them with a very sweet smile on her face and silenced Damon with the tips of her fingers. Then she rose on tiptoes and kissed him.
"I thought you'd never say that" she whispered.
Damon tightened his embrace: "Then we need more mistletoe" he had the smug grin on his face again.
Bonnie blushed but nodded: "Definitely".
PLEASE REVIEW! But be nice - it's my first fic ever!