She couldn't pinpoint the exact emotion she was feeling that night.
She was still in disbelief, a part of her finding it ridiculous that she'd be slow-dancing with this man, that to a blood-thirsty murderous vampire, of all people.
She was slightly nervous. Bonnie Bennett could take down a vampire and look terrifying while doing it, but in that moment she felt like mush; ready to melt into a puddle on the floor.
She kept trying to tell herself that she was just desperate, that she wasn't thinking straight and that her hormones were screaming curses because it had been far too long since she'd had any physical intimacy with another man.
She was giddy and warm, the red wine during their dinner and the champagne Enzo had pulled out afterward were having a combined impact on her senses. She knew she should have restrained herself but she was already too far gone, she was the second she stepped out in her dress into the beautifully lit room.
She also knew that the alcohol probably had almost zero effect on Enzo, but she found herself not caring. She knew he could hear her heart thumping erratically but she didn't care. She knew he could almost feel her blood coursing through her veins, could hear the blood rushing to her face when she watched his brown eyes darken more than she thought possible.
She feared these feelings bubbling up to the surface and failed to ignore the soft, cool feel of his palm, his scent emanating from his chest, and the sound of his deep breathing which Bonnie knew to be uncharacteristic for a vampire; something, or rather someone else being the reason for the deep rumbling sounds.
So she rambled. And he humoured her weakening resolve with a growing smirk that was so hard to resist. She thought she doing well for a mortal in this position.
Until he dipped her so fast that her heart got caught in her throat.
He pulled her back up with ease till her face stopped inches away from his. Her hand had automatically tightened over the bicep that she used to catch herself gazing at whenever they'd do their work in silence in their cabin.
I dare you to move, I dare you to move.
I dare you to lift yourself up off the floor.
She couldn't bring herself to pull away. She realized she had been waiting for this moment long before she even knew she wanted it. She simply smiled up at him and could feel her own eyes dilated and glossed over. He looked down for a second as she brought for her face slightly closer. When he looked back up, his lips were just a few breaths away from hers.
Everybody's watching you now.
Everybody waits for you now.
What happens next, what happens next?
She waited a few moments but nothing happened. She felt Enzo glide his fingers out of her grasp and then drop his arm, taking a small step away from her, but it wasn't enough to break the spell.
He mumbled something about leaving and Bonnie's internal organs were crying out in protest. "It's not even midnight yet" she managed to get out in a whisper, scared that anything louder would shatter the moment before it had even sprouted wings. She smiled at him again and he laughed, mentioning that godforsaken 'cousin' of his. Why was he so intent on leaving?
"Forgot, being a double agent must be a full time job" she quipped, getting a hold of herself and smirking playfully at him. He stared at her with a small smile and brought his hand to cup the side of her neck. Her smile dropped and her heart burned wildly as he brought his face closer.
Welcome to the fallout.
Welcome to resistance.
The tension is here, the tension is here.
She was hyper aware of his lips pressing against the corner of her mouth in a soft kiss. He brought his face up to her ear and whispered, "Happy new year."
Her insides were yelling and screeching. Her face was blank. She supposed she should have drawn away, should have smiled and said goodbye. But for some reason the fire inside of her refused to be put out. She could feel the moment slipping away and she was tired of holding back. She was tired of denying these emotions to herself. She was tired of thinking it was just pure lust or infatuation each time they locked eyes when she knew that he had a much deeper and meaningful hold on her. She was tired of staying put on that couch, letting him walk out and staying out of her life for weeks on end. She was tired of acting calm and normal around him, and this extensive arrangement in the name of New Year's Eve told her that her feelings were far from one-sided.
Enzo had, quite literally, all of eternity to take things slowly and surely, to be delicate and careful. But Bonnie didn't have that luxury.
She was tired of waiting for freedom, she was tired of waiting for the moment she'd start living again. She never knew when the next big bad was going to pop up and off her prematurely yet again.
She impulsively bent her hand up and grabbed the arm which was still gripping her neck. He turned to look at her with raised eyebrows.
Between who you are and who you could be.
"Stay" she heard herself saying, quietly but firmly. She was scared out of her wits but had never felt such conviction her entire life. This time he froze, he didn't speak or attempt to leave, his expression impassive. They kept their eyes trained on each other, his hand still cradling her head and hers still on his arm.
She counted down the seconds in her head as she inched closer. By the third second their bodies were pressed against each other. By the fifth she withdrew her arm and placed it on his shoulder. By the eighth she let her lips ghost over his, giving him a chance to bail, but teasing at the same time. By the thirteenth she heard a low growl from somewhere deep in his throat. Before she had the opportunity to swoon over it he had brought his other hand up to her head and was kissing her so passionately that she could feel it deep in her bones.
Between how it is and how it should be.
Her arms tightened themselves around his neck as her toes strained to hold her upright. His arms slid down to grip her waist before she fell to the floor. She'd never felt this intoxicated before, there were so many sensations that they were bleeding into each other. His scent was so overpowering that she wanted more of it. The champagne on his tongue tasted so much better than what she had been drinking earlier. She moaned involuntarily when he his fingers dug harder into her hips, sure that the bruises wouldn't fade for days.
All at once, there was a loud gasp and Enzo stumbled back a few steps. Bonnie's eyes flew open and her heart jolted at the sight ahead of her. His eyes were pitch black and dark veins were protruding across his cheeks. In that moment she understood his reluctance, his need to get away from her, his lame excuses. He'd be around her so much these past few days that she hadn't realized that he hadn't been feeding regularly. All the food and alcohol in the world would never be enough to keep him going. She thought about how her heart had been racing and her blood pumping almost violently the whole night and how agonizing that must have been for him.
Maybe redemption has stories to tell.
Maybe forgiveness is right where you fell.
"I have to leave. Now." He growled and she jumped at the sound. A second before he vamp-sped away from her, she faced him and brushed her hair away from her neck. The pills she'd been taking made her practically human, there was almost no magic in her system.
"Take it"
Where can you run to escape from yourself?
He faltered. "Are you mental? I'm not going to hurting you!"
She just smiled with tears in her eyes. "We both know that you can never really hurt me. I've handled worse."
Where you gonna go?
Where you gonna go?
He knew she had. He had seen her go to literal hell and back and watched her feel the pain of the deaths of every supernatural being, his included. She was braver and mentally stronger than any vampire he'd come across. He was fast losing control and her neck was just there, waiting and…
"I'm so sorry"
He kept a steady hold on her waist to keep her from falling while he plunged his teeth into her neck. Bonnie cried out in shock, the pain uncomfortable. She began to drift in and out of consciousness, her grip on his forearms loosened. She found it crazy that she revelled in the feel of her blood being sucked out, her head spun in a weird state of pleasure and fogginess.
Enzo pulled back and Bonnie slumped to her knees on the floor. He quickly bit into his wrist and tried to pry open her mouth to let his blood heal her. After a few moments of disorientation, she realized what he was trying to do. She latched her mouth and closed her eyes, sucking deeply as she felt her skin patch up over her neck.
When she was certain it had healed and when her mind was clear once more, she opened her eyes and found herself staring into a half-angry, half-terrified tear-stained face.
"Never. We are NEVER pulling such a stunt ever again, I swear to god…"
"Hey. I'm fine. My blood helped you and your blood helped me. Win-win for both of us" She smiled, half laughing as she wiped his cheeks with her thumb.
"If you think I'm going to risk this again then…"
"You don't. We don't have to do anything like this in the future. But I trust you Enzo. You can't hurt me."
He drew her closer and rested his forehead against hers. "You're awfully optimistic for such a tiny little witch."
She simply smirked and looked him straight in the eye, "Don't act like you don't love it"
He wrapped his arms around her and in a flash brought her to her bedroom, kissing her and pulling teasingly at her lower lip. The way her body was responding, he knew exactly the way she wanted him. His lips feathered over her neck, his tongue darting out to caress the place he had bitten her. Her fingers grasped tightly at his once-perfectly gelled hair and she ground her hips reflexively.
They both knew that there was no looking back.
Salvation is here.
Bonnie had never felt more soft and beautiful than she did that night. The way his hands and eyes raked over her body ignited a flame in her. She'd never felt more alive than when he let her take control, when he would let out groans and expletives, when he'd say her name in such a reverential tone. It made her skin glow and her eyes sparkle.
Several hours later she found herself lying on top of him, both their eyes heavy with sleep and, in Bonnie's case, exhaustion.
"We probably missed the countdown to midnight, you know." Enzo finally spoke, voice gruff and low, absently stroking down the length of her back.
"Well, our way of celebration might have been a tad bit unconventional" she whispered, leaning back a bit to cup his face and kiss him with whatever strength she had left.
"Time to rest, love" he said, pulling her down next to him and holding her loosely.
She rested her head upon her shoulder and mumbled, "Good luck explaining to evil step-mother Alex where you were tonight"
He laughed along with her and kissed the side of her head. "Good luck trying to walk tomorrow, Miss Bennett" he bit back.
Her eyes widened and she elbowed him in the ribs, laughing loudly in disbelief.
"Unbelievable" she whispered, mock-shaking her head as she lay her head back down, drifting off to the land of dreams with a smile on her face.
I dare you to move,
Like today never happened,
Today never happened,
Before.
Fin.