Bonnie sat up in her room at the boarding house reading a book. She heard a car door slam shut outside, and she instantly shot up and ran downstairs, already knowing who it was. She didn't even let him get inside first before she was out the front door and running towards him.

"Damon!" she shouted with a huge smile on her face.

Damon smiled slightly, "Hey, Redbird."

She stopped inches from him, "I'm so glad to see you again. I missed you." She said with a smile.

Damon chuckled softly then reached up to stroke her cheek, "I'm glad to see you again too." He let his hand drop and then took a deep breath, "You'll be the only one." He mumbled to himself.

In the doorway, Elena appeared. She stood watching Damon with a smile. Damon looked over and saw her. Walking passed Bonnie, he swiftly walked over to Elena and wrapped her in a tight hug. Elena returned the hug, gently wrapping her arms around him.

Bonnie watched with sad eyes as her best friend and the man she was in love with embraced. Bonnie sighed with longing, wishing that it was her he was hugging instead. Turning around to Damon's car, she reached in to unload the pile of gifts he had stacked in the passenger seat.

Suddenly…she was being yanked back by the arm. She looked up to midnight eyes.

"What do you think you're doing, Bonnie?" he asked playfully, mischief sparkling in his eyes and a smirk playing at his lips.

"U-Umm…I-I was just…getting the presents. I-I was gonna bring them inside." She explained in a stumbling mess.

Damon pulled her away from the car, "Ah, ah, ah…no. You're not allowed to touch the Christmas gifts, Ms. McCullough."

"Why?" Bonnie whined.

"Because I said so. Now scurry along so I can bring all the gifts inside." Damon shooed.

Bonnie huffed and crossed her arms, "Fine!" she snapped, and then stomped back inside and upstairs to continue reading her book.

Damon chuckled at the sight of her marching inside like an angry little kid and brought all the gifts in. There were 5 gifts from Damon under the beautifully decorated tree they had set up, but Damon refused to let anyone near them.

Christmas eve, the gang sat around the fireplace, roasting marshmallows.

"Oh!" Damon exclaimed and stood up, "Elena…I want you to open up your gift."

Elena looked back at him, "But then I won't have anything tomorrow morning." She countered.

"Actually, you will. I bought you two presents." Damon clarified with a cocky smile.

"Oh. Well, ok…if you really want me to." She said and then got up and sat on the couch, awaiting Damon to come back with a gift from under the tree.

Stefan got up too, "Ok. Well if your opening one of Damon's gifts, I want you to open one of mine too." He said with a loving smile.

Elena smiled lovingly in return, "Ok." She agreed easily.

Damon returned with his gift first and handed it to Elena. The others watched intently as they sat around her. Elena smiled and tore the paper open to reveal a black felt, square, box. She opened it to reveal a beautiful silver, snowflake necklace laced with diamonds.

She gasped, "Damon it's beautiful! Thank you." She said as she leaned forward and threw her arms around him in a hug.

Damon chuckled, "I knew you'd love it." He whispered to her.

As Bonnie watched the exchange, she couldn't help but feel hurt as Damon had seemed to have forgotten she was even there. He had gotten Elena two presents. Although she was trying so hard not to, Bonnie couldn't help but feel jealous of Elena in this moment.

Elena had a huge smile as she sat back in her seat. Stefan then went and sat down beside her and handed her his gift. After unwrapping it, it too was a smaller square, black felt, box. She lifted the lid and inside was a gorgeous lapis lazuli, diamond cut, stone in the center of a silver ring accented with small diamonds along each side.

Tears sprang in Elena's eyes as she pulled the ring out to examine it more closely. It was the most magnificent piece of jewelry she had ever seen. "Oh, Stefan." She sighed, "Thank you so much! I love it!" she exclaimed and then kissed and hugged him.

Damon rolled his eyes and sat back in his chair.

Bonnie sighed and solemnly went back to sit by the fireplace with a few more marshmallows.

Meredith turned to Bonnie, "You gonna stay up and roast those?" she asked.

Bonnie nodded with a little, "Mmmhmm."

"Ok. Well, I'm gonna head to bed, myself." Meredith replied.

"Ok." Bonnie said.

Matt got up from the couch and stood next to Bonnie, "You know I would stay up with you, but I'm really tired tonight. I have to go to bed, sorry bon." He said sorrowfully as he reached down and patted her head.

Bonnie smiled up at him, "It's alright, Matt." She told him.

Elena and Stefan stood up as well, "We're heading to bed too. Night!" they called as they walked up the stairs.

"Night!" Bonnie called as she stuck another marshmallow on the metal prongs and held it over the fire.

Damon watched her from his seat, "So, you're just gonna sit there and eat those all night?"

"No. I'm just not tired right now." Bonnie shot back, trying not to look weird…or stupid.

Damon got up and then sat down beside her, watching curiously as she shoved another gooey marshmallow in her mouth. "Are those things actually good?" he asked skeptically.

Bonnie nodded and then stuck another one in the fire. She pulled it out, charred and gooey, "Try one!" she said as she held it out to Damon.

Instead of taking the marshmallow from her like she thought Damon would, he leaned over and took a bite right out of her hand, his lips enclosing around her fingers as he did so.

Bonnie gasped softly and her eyes went wide. She blushed as she looked at the leftover sticky residue on her index finger and thumb, "Uh, Damon…c-could you get me a napkin to wipe my fingers on?" she asked nervously, her head still spinning from his previous actions, not wanting to lick her fingers after Damon's mouth had been on them.

Damon sat back casually, "Lick em." he stated simply.

Bonnie's blush deepened, "B-But…y-you just…I…I can't just-"

Damon rolled his eyes at her nervous rambling and cut her off by sticking her index finger in his mouth and licking the leftover marshmallow off of it.

"There! Now you get your thumb." Damon said once he was done.

Bonnie paused for a moment, just staring at her finger, and Damon took the opportunity to say, "Unless you want me to do it again?" he asked suggestively with quirked eyebrows and a smug smirk.

"N-No! I'll do it." Bonnie answered quickly.

Slowly, she raised her thumb to her mouth and then licked the marshmallow off of it, savoring the taste of Damon as she did so.

"See now…was that so hard?" Damon asked as she pulled her thumb out of her mouth.

Bonnie only stole a glance at him as she sat back, not answering the question.

Damon snickered and stood up. He extinguished the fire and then strolled up the stairs, "Goodnight, redbird." He told her, trying to hide the amusement in his voice.

"Goodnight!" Bonnie called shyly, softly…but Damon heard and smiled.

The next morning, Christmas day, the group was all sitting around the tree exchanging gifts. Matt had gone first, giving a single present to each girl…making sure to give Bonnie hers first. Meredith went second, giving everyone a gift…even Damon. Stefan was next…he gave everyone a gift, saving Elena for last, presenting her with two more gifts. Elena was fourth, presenting everyone with a really nice gift. Bonnie went after her. She gave Stefan and Elena theirs first. Then, she gave Meredith and Matt theirs. She had gotten Stefan a $50 gift card to his favorite clothing store, Elena and Meredith a ticket to a pricey spa, and Matt a ticket to a sold out concert for his favorite band. She saved Damon for last, handing him a wrapped box. She eagerly awaited his reaction as Damon tore the paper off and then opened the lid.

He pulled out a leather jacket.

"I saw you looking at it one day and then heard you talking about how much you wanted it another." Bonnie said.

Damon stared incredulously down at the leather jacket, "H-How did you get this? I went back for it a week ago and they were sold out."

"When I went back to the store I got the last one they had." Bonnie explained.

Damon smiled at her genuinely, "Thank you, redbird. I love it."

Bonnie's smile widened, "I'm glad you like it."

Damon set the jacket aside and got up to take his turn handing out gifts. He gave Elena her other present first, which was a $100 gift card to her favorite clothing store. Then, he gave Stefan his, which turned out to be an old family heirloom that Stefan had apparently been wanting for a long time. Third, he gave Meredith hers. He even handed a gift to Matt.

Matt looked shocked beyond belief as he opened the envelope with his name on it. He pulled out a card and opened it. A piece of paper fell from inside, Matt picked it up to reveal a coupon for Iam's dog food. He could feel his blood boiling as he looked up at Damon with a glare.

Damon smirked cockily and shrugged, "Figured it'd fit you well…Mutt."

Matt shot up, ready to fight him, but Stefan put a hand on his shoulder. "It's not worth it, Matt." Stefan tried to calm.

Matt sighed and sat back down reluctantly, still seething at Damon's arrogant face.

Stefan turned to Damon, "Was that really necessary?"

"Absolutely." He answered smugly.

Stefan rolled his eyes and sighed as he sat back down.

Everyone stared at Damon, waiting on him to give a gift to Bonnie.

Damon looked around at everyone, "What?" he asked.

"Aren't you gonna give a present to Bonnie?" Meredith questioned in an obvious tone.

"Uh" Damon gestured to the tree, "Do you see anymore gifts under there?"

"So you didn't get Bonnie a gift?" Matt asked, his anger with Damon rising once more.

Damon rolled his eyes as he huffed and sat back, "Here we go." He mumbled.

Stefan stood up and looked at his brother in bewilderment, "You didn't get Bonnie anything?" he shouted.

Damon sighed and then looked at Stefan, "Look-"

The entire group, Elena, Meredith, Matt, and Stefan, all cut him off at once, yelling at him for not treating Bonnie right and not getting her a gift too. However, Bonnie did not yell at him as tears ran down her cheeks at the overwhelming disappointment. She wasn't upset over not getting a present, she was upset over the fact that Damon, the man she loved with all her heart, had purposely not gotten her anything…nothing! That her more than anything he had done since he arrived back. She ran upstairs to her room crying and hurting terribly.

No one noticed she had ran upstairs until they all heard her bedroom door slam shut really hard, making a loud bang vibrate throughout the house.

Throughout the rest of the day, each of them took turns trying to get Bonnie to let them into her room to talk to her. Everyone except Damon, of course. Hardly anyone talked to Damon the rest of the day, only yelling at him or giving him snide remarks if anything. Damon just rolled his eyes and played it off as no big deal.

That night, he went up to Bonnie's room and knocked on her door. "Bonnie? Will you please open the door so we can talk?" he asked.

"No." Came her muffled reply through a thick voice. She was still crying.

Damon huffed and then walked away.

Bonnie plopped back down on her bed…he wasn't even going to put up a fight? She guessed maybe he didn't care about her as much as she had originally thought. As that settled in her mind she cried even harder and buried her face in her pillow.

Bang!

Something hit her window and she jumped off the bed with a small yelp. She looked over to see a black crow perched on the window seal outside. She clutched her chest as she took deep breaths, trying to calm her racing heart. Hesitantly, she walked over to her window, with a sigh she unlatched the hinge and swung the small glass panels open.

Turning her back to him she walked back over to her bed and sat down, facing away from him. She heard Damon's black boots hit the hardwood floor as he had shifted back into human form.

"What do you want?" she asked with a sniff.

She felt the bed sink behind her as he sat down next to her. "I brought you something." He told her.

Bonnie scoffed, "I don't want it."

Damon frowned, glad she couldn't see it, "Why?"

"Because you only went out and got it because you felt guilty for not buying me a present in the first place." Bonnie explained.

Damon scooted closer to her, she could feel his cool breath on the back of her neck and the light feather touch of his clothing as it brushed up against her back. He reached his right arm around her and presented her with a small, wrapped box.

"Bonnie, I didn't forget to buy you a present. I wanted to give you yours in private without any scrutinizing eyes. This was the only way I knew how to do that." Damon explained gently, trying not to hurt her anymore than he already had.

Bonnie's eyes widened, then she placed her delicate hands over Damon's hand on the box. "Really?" she asked with another sniff.

"Yes. Bonnie I would never forget to buy you a Christmas gift. I'm sorry for hurting you, though." Damon apologized, his voice just above a whisper.

Bonnie could hear the seriousness in his voice and knew what he was saying was true. Sniffing once more, she reached up and dried her tears before taking the box from Damon's hand. She tore open the paper to reveal a plain little, white box with a lid. Slowly, she lifted the lid and saw a beautiful piece of mistle toe inside. Bonnie scrunched her eyebrows in confusment, but before she could ask a question, Damon had taken the mistle toe from the box and was leaning casually against the wall in front of her examining it.

"I pondered over what to get you for the longest time…but then it hit me… The one thing you want most..." Damon held the mistle toe above himself, "An excuse to kiss me." He paused before adding, "So, Merry Christmas. I just gave you the perfect excuse."

Bonnie blushed the deepest shade of red as she stared at him in disbelief. "I-I-I…y-you…" she stuttered.

Damon watched her stumble, mortified he had caught onto her feelings, amused. "Bonnie just come over here and receive your present before it expires. I'm not going to hold this thing above my head forever."

Bonnie was conflicted, having an inner argument with herself on whether or not to take Damon up on his offer. It wasn't that she didn't want to…she just didn't know if receiving a kiss from Damon this way seemed appropriate.

Damon jiggled the mistle toe above him, "Better hurry…your time's almost up, redbird." He said with a playful edge to his voice.

Bonnie huffed and then quickly got up and stood in front of Damon.

He smirked, "I knew you would snag the opportunity." He teased.

Shame flashed across Bonnie's face quickly before she composed herself, "Well…it's your gift to me. It would be rude of me to not take it…wouldn't it?" she countered, trying to make it less embarrassing for herself.

Damon snickered, knowing what she was trying to do.

"S-So…what are the stipulations of this kiss?" Bonnie asked a bit shyly.

Damon shook his head back and forth slowly, "Only rule I have is just one kiss" he held up one finger then shrugged and dropped it, "other than that…I don't care what you do. Do what you want."

"Whatever I want?" Bonnie asked suspiciously, wanting him to confirm it.

Damon nodded once, "Anything."

Taking a deep, slightly shaky, breath, Bonnie moved forward until there was only an inch separating her and Damon. Standing on her tip-toes, she nervously placed one of her hands on the back of Damon's neck, tilting his head down to hers, and placed the other hand softly onto his chest. Neither of them closing their eyes, Bonnie softly pressed her lips to his in a gentle kiss. Fire ignited through her and spread like wild, her eyes fluttered closed at the intensity. Damon's eyes swirled shut shortly after, and he found himself getting lost in the soft kiss. Bonnie pulled away much too soon for Damon's liking as he wasn't ready or expecting it. Bonnie lingered close to Damon for a moment, both breathing a little heavier, before pulling away completely and turning to walk back to her bed.

Damon stood bewildered at the small, barely anything kiss…he had been expecting more. He still held the mistle toe above himself, he lowered it before asking, "That's it?"

It caught Bonnie off guard and startled her as she jumped slightly, "Well…yeah…" she answered meekly as she turned back around to him, afraid he was gonna tell her he had felt nothing.

"I give you an opportunity to kiss me however you want and all you do is chastely kiss me for about ten seconds?" he exclaimed in disbelief.

"U-Uhmmm…" Bonnie mumbled, not knowing what to say in response, not knowing what he wanted her to say in response.

Angered, Damon threw the mistle toe to the floor and marched over to Bonnie. He grabbed her face in his hands and smashed his lips to hers. Bonnie went stiff, but soon relaxed as she began moving her lips with Damon's. His hands left her face and he quickly dipped down, wrapped his arms around her middle, and lifted her up against him, holding her tight. Bonnie quickly melted into him with a soft hum of approval and wrapped her arms around his neck. They kissed passionately and fire raged between them as a smoldering heat swept throughout their body's. A growl erupted low and sultry in Damon's chest. Bonnie felt the vibrations emanating from it and fisted one hand in the back of Damon's silky locks, while the other fisted into the back of his thin, black t-shirt. Their kiss became desperate and filled with longing as they both knew it would end soon. Damon clutched her tighter as they both practically clawed at one another, trying to make the kiss last longer than possible. Bonnie hated to, but she had no other choice, she broke the kiss gasping for air. Damon held the back of her head as she went limp and dizzy in his arms, he watched her panting as he himself was, and he couldn't help the lust that rose in him at the sight of Bonnie's flushed heated form.

Damon walked over and laid her down on her bed gently. Not having the strength, or will power, to move…he simply let himself lie on top of her. Being careful not to put too much of his weight on her, he held himself up by his elbows on either side of her head. They were both still breathing heavy as Bonnie looked up into his dark, seductive eyes. She reached up agonizingly slow and placed the tips of her fingers to the side of his face. Damon instantly collapsed. With a groan, he buried his face in the side of her neck as Bonnie tangled her fingers in the back of his hair once more, holding him there. Damon nuzzled her neck and it was obvious to Bonnie then that, probably unaware of it himself, Damon just wanted to be cuddled and loved tonight. He had always been so deprived of it. Bonnie had no problem in fixing the issue, she was a bit deprived herself.

Bonnie nuzzled her face to the side of Damon's and twirled her fingers in the back of his hair. With her right hand, she began rubbing his back soothingly. In second's she had Damon purring under her touch. They laid like that for a while before deciding to ask something risky.

"Damon?" she breathed.

"Mmmm." He hummed in response into her neck. It sounded a lot like a moan though.

Bonnie's head swam at his response, "I-I just wanted to ask you if you wanted to sleep in here with me tonight?" she asked shyly, trying to form coherent thoughts.

Damon pulled his face from her neck and instead placed a sloppy kiss just behind her ear, making her moan softly. He put his lips to her ear, "Yes." He breathed, sending tingles all over her body.

Bonnie smiled and then they reluctantly untangled themselves. She slipped swiftly into the bathroom and changed into a tiny, thin, cotton nightgown…then came out only to have the breath knocked out of her when she saw Damon standing there in his black boxer briefs, no shirt, no nothing. Damon smirked at her as he plopped back down onto her bed, watching her intensely as she walked around to the other side of the bed and crawled over beside him. She propped herself up with her left elbow as she moved her right hand onto Damon's nicely toned abs. She ran her hand slowly up to his firm chest. Damon's breath hitched and he opened his mouth to protest, not wanting Bonnie to see him in his vulnerable state that he was inevitably heading towards.

Bonnie put a finger to his lips, silencing him, "Shhh. It's ok. Just let me take care of you for once tonight, Damon. You need it." She whispered in a pleading tone.

Damon didn't protest, so Bonnie continued carefully, still not sure if Damon was going to let her do this. She slowly drug her hands across his defined arms and he let out a sexy groan he had obviously been trying to keep in. Bonnie smiled, that was all the reassurance she needed to feel secure about continuing this. Whatever it was. A love-fest?

Suddenly, Damon tangled his fingers with hers and pushed her onto her back. He dipped his head into the crook of her neck and drug his wet, parted lips up her throat to her ear. Bonnie shivered.

"What if I wanna take care of you too?" he asked in a seductive whisper.

Bonnie whimpered and that was all Damon needed to hear as he sat up and pulled her in front of him, between his legs. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her back flush against his bare chest. Bonnie moaned and let her head fall back into his shoulder. She was consumed with his scent and completely locked in his snug hold. It gave her the most content and secure feeling she had ever had. It just felt…right. Damon began placing wet kisses along the back of her neck and down her shoulder as he pulled down the sleeve of her nightgown to get to it.

"Damon." Bonnie breathed.

Damon reached up and tilted her head back further before placing wet kisses along the front of her throat. He got all the way up to her chin before changing course and heading down her jaw to her ear. He stopped and took her earlobe in his mouth, sucking and licking it. Bonnie giggled as it tickled her, but that abruptly stopped as Damon licked the shell of her ear…instead she whimpered again.

"I-I'm supposed to be helping you, Damon." She reminded him breathlessly as he worked on the other side of her neck.

Damon moaned, "You are." He answered between kisses.

Just like that…Bonnie relaxed back into him again, letting him have control over the situation. Damon kissed every inch of skin he could before things slowed down and they both retreated under the covers, still tangled and meshed together. As Damon closed his eyes to go into a peaceful sleep, Bonnie whispered to him.

"Damon?"

His eyes snapped open and looked into hers, "Hmm?"

"Thank you for the wonderful present." She beamed.

Damon slowly leaned down and pressed his lips to hers once more in a sweet and loving kiss. It was so slow and wonderful that they both became dizzy from the fuzzy warmth it created between them. Their lips lingered close to one another's as they broke the kiss…and then they both smiled. It was certainly the best. Christmas. Ever.

The End