Daisy Chain
Jeremy Gilbert: now there was a mystery of the universe that couldn't be solved. Who'd have thought Elena's annoying little brother would have grown up to be – well, so grown up?
Bonnie let her mind wander to thoughts of Jeremy as she walked down the back-lanes towards Mystic's library. The balmy morning sun simultaneously warmed the nape of her neck and lifted her spirits. She wore a pretty summer dress with buttons down the front, cowboy boots, and her hair tied up into a jaunty ponytail which bobbed pleasingly as she walked. Daisy-Duke chic was not her usual style, but heck, she felt like today was her day to break free from the norm. And the beautiful day demanded relaxation, even from her dress sense. Today was about doing what she pleased.
The walking itself was a habit she had picked up from her cousin. She had visited her in England during the last spring break. They had hiked everywhere; meandering miles and miles a day through London's ramshackle streets. Her cousin had said "better walk than rely on the bloody British transport system", (or something equally begrudging), but she had liked it anyway, feeling it was a more civilized way to view the world. It was unhurried, more engaging.
She walked most-everywhere now, except for when she was giving one of her girlfriends a ride to school. It gave her time to think, and head space was just what she needed right now.
Jeremy Gilbert. She still couldn't quite believe it.
He was…well, frankly he was hot.
There. She had allowed herself to think it and there was no going back. And as if on cue, she blushed to her roots.
Bonnie quickened her step and decided to concentrate on a safer subject. She settled on categorizing all the books she had ordered in from the state library in her head.
She considered the look she would get from the conservative Mystic librarian when he handed over such titles as "The Seasonal Witch", "A Witches' Almanac", "Wicca, Covens and Magick", and so on. His eyebrows would raise so high over his glasses, they would disappear into his hairline.
It was enough to make her snigger.
"Jer, are you ready yet?" Elena was yelling at him from the bottom of the stairs.
She was using that voice that she saved especially for when she was pissed.
"Just go ahead, I'll catch you up." He yelled back, pulling the bed sheet further over his body.
"Oh for pity's sake." He heard her mutter to herself, then twenty seconds later the front door slammed.
Jenna and Alaric had already left an hour before, so finally he was on his own.
He wriggled a bit further down the bed, and pulled the duvet over his head. He spent a moment fully appreciating the darkness as it cocooned him, closed his eyes and finally allowed himself to think about her, recalling her face in all its beautiful detail.
Bonnie was a serious girl who always seemed to have the weight of the world on her shoulders. It had been a long time before he had seen that there was anything more to her than being his sister's best friend and (frankly) the class swat. He'd never thought of her in any other terms. However, ever since she had embraced her familial abilities, she seemed to have found a womanliness and confidence that he found himself powerfully drawn to. She had bewitched him, he thought with a wry smile.
It was not that long ago since he had asked her on a date, and for a while at least, it had seemed as though things were going well. He had made her smile, and he quickly realized that just one smile was not enough. It was like sunshine breaking through the clouds and lit up her whole face. But it was fleeting, and quick to fade.
The date quickly became a disaster when her attention had drifted to someone else. Jer had been left on the outside looking in. He couldn't help but be jealous. Maybe that guy was finding ways to make her smile right now…
He put the thought aside as quickly as he could. There was no point dwelling on things he couldn't change. He preferred instead to focus instead on what he would do to make her smile again.
He allowed his thoughts to drift on in that vein, and was not surprised when his body began to respond.
The harsh insistent beeping of his cell interrupted his pleasant reverie. Jeremy threw back the covers and yanked it from its charging dock. It was a text from Elena.
r u coming?
yes. stop harassing me
bonnie is here… she's asking 4 u
Ok, that put a different spin on things.
ok. b there soon. tell her not 2 leave
whateva
Putting aside his irritation with Elena, he realized he had to get ready, and quickly. The Historical Society fete had already been on for a couple of hours, and now he had no transport to get there. He would have to walk.
"So is Jer coming?" Jenna asked Elena as they strolled through the fete.
They had left Alaric in deep conversation with one of the older residents about the civil war and after five minutes of trying to follow the discussion/argument, the women had made their apologies and continued to move on. They fell into a comfortable pace side by side.
"Who knows? But, I did do something which perhaps I shouldn't have done." Elena admitted.
That got Jenna's interest. She raised an eyebrow.
"Should I be worried?"
"No, no nothing like that," she said, "but I may have told a bit of a lie…."
Jenna gave her best disapproving and parental stare.
"What kind of 'lie'?"
"Oh just the teeny-tiny-white variety. I just was trying to find something out. I may have told Jer someone was here, who isn't, just to see if he would come."
"Oh? And who might that someone be?"
Elena looked briefly ashamed of herself. She considered not saying anything more, but the cat was half out of the bag now, so she may as well fess-up.
"I may have suggested that Bonnie was here…" she looked guilty. Jenna's interest was piqued.
"Seriously, Bonnie and Jer? I had no idea!"
"They've been really strange recently. I think they're into each other. He won't tell me if they're dating. So, I thought I'd just, well you know - find out…"
Jenna laughed and took her niece's arm, pulling her closer into a conspiratorial huddle.
"I didn't realize you were so devious Elena Gilbert! So, don't keep me in suspense. What did he say?"
"Oh he's coming all right!"
They fell about into giggles like a pair of first graders.
The sun was already overhead when he set off, so he struck out at a reasonable pace - but not so fast that he would sweat. He didn't want to miss Bonnie, so if he saw an opportunity to hitch with a passing neighbor he would take it.
He realized that if he stayed on foot, he was going to have to cut across some of the Lockwood land if he wanted to make up time.
He headed straight for the meadow Mayor Lockwood had once planned to keep as a paddock, but had died before he had ever gotten the chance to play at being rancher. It made Jer sad to think of it; it reminded him of his own parents passing and all the things they would never get to do either. His eyes welled at the thought.
As predicted Mystic's parochial librarian had given Bonnie a hard stare as he had handed over the titles she had ordered. As she was about to leave, he slipped into her carrier a leaflet from the local Bible Study group. Bonnie snorted with derision. This wasn't about religion for her, it was simply family genetics.
She put him firmly out of her mind as she struck out for home.
She had made good time and considered that she would hit the Lockwood meadow around lunch. Carol Lockwood had said she could use the meadow any time she liked, so she planned on making the most of it on this beautiful day. She would stop and spread out her picnic rug in the warmest spot she could find and sample the delicious looking food she had bought from Mystic's one and only Organic deli. She would then make a start on her extra-curricular reading.
Jeremy spotted her first.
Bonnie was sitting in a patch of sunshine, her legs lightly crossed at the ankles.
She had a book open on her lap and was leaning back on her hands with her face tipped upwards towards the sunshine, eyes closed. She was the picture of peace and contentment.
A shiver of pleasure ran through him, which started south of the border and took him by surprise the depth of his feelings. For a moment he could not make himself move, but then he realized if she spotted him first it he'd look like 'creepy stalker dude', which was not the mood he was going for…
He took one final moment to draw her in, then strode towards her. He was careful to announce himself so as not to startle her.
"Hey stranger. Looks like you have found a good spot there," Bonnie opened her eyes and smiled at him, "can I join you?"
"Sure you can," she closed her book quickly and discretely popped it in the carrier at her side, "have a seat."
Jeremy noticed that she seemed uncomfortable with what she had been reading, but let it pass.
"What are you doing here?"
He considered the answer to her question, and then that familiar shy smile broke across his face.
"Let's just say, it seems as though I am the victim of an elaborate prank."
He lowered himself to the ground beside her and made himself comfortable. She looked intrigued, but didn't push him to elaborate.
"Well, whatever the reason, its good to see you. Do you want to have something to eat?" she indicated the food. "I bought way too much for just me. There's cherries and some strawberries there – oh those are really good."
She offered him the carton and he reached for one. He accidentally held her gaze as he took it. They both looked away, blushing. Jeremy felt his heart thundering in his chest. He tried to stay calm.
Bonnie felt a wave of energy hit her, definitely a sort of force: she looked at Jeremy, suspicious that the feeling she had experienced had come from him. It lingered and she felt it pass into her body, like a throbbing and painless ache. Before she could put it into words, she knew it was his desire for her.
They both spoke at the same time.
"So what happened…?" "I'm so sorry about…"
He laughed.
"After you."
She blushed, which he found completely endearing. He found himself yearn for her again, and she felt another surge of energy roll off of him.
"I just wanted to say, I am so sorry about, you know, our date. It was really wrong of me to leave you there. I just wanted to tell you that, I'm sorry."
"Its ok, you don't need to apologize."
"Yes, I do. It was rude of me."
"Hey, its ok. Forget about it."
He gave her a small smile, meant to be reassuring, but once again she felt the energy coming off him. This time it was different. It was like she was receiving radio-waves, but now they were at a slightly different frequency and buzzing with white noise.
Suddenly she knew that what she was feeling was his embarrassment, and a deep buried hurt from her actions. She felt sincere shame burn through her. She hadn't meant to be cruel, but she had been.
Jeremy changed the subject, by nodding towards the bag of books.
"What're you reading?"
"Oh nothing much, just some novels." He didn't buy it, she could tell. He began to lean over her and stretched his hand out to open the carrier, she slammed it shut before he could look. He was shocked.
"Why don't you want me to see them?"
When she couldn't find the words to answer him, he frowned. He leant forwards and gently removed her hand from the bag.
"Let me see." He said firmly, but with kindness.
Jeremy picked out one of the titles and turned it in his hands. He read the front and back covers, and perused a couple of the pages inside.
"Why did you hide this from me?"
"I don't know," she admitted honestly.
She looked at the ground, and realized that if she concentrated, she could tell exactly what he was feeling. The energy coming off him was buzzing with a sort of low-level anger, but still with that warmth and overriding sense of longing.
"I guess, well I guess I was ashamed." Jeremy looked at her for a long time when she said that. When he finally spoke, she felt a strong and steady surge of the energy coming from him and linking to her.
"You should never be ashamed to be yourself in front of me. Or anyone else for that matter," he lifted her chin to meet his gaze, "not ever." She met his eyes, and felt them burning with a deep intensity.
It took her by surprise that at the moment her eyes met his, her whole body lurched with desire. Her energy met with his and she felt it run in currents between them. It was the oddest sensation, but once she had noticed it, she could not switch it off. She found herself not wanting to.
He hesitated, then lowered his hand from her face.
"Its just that I'm still coming to terms with what I can do. It's all so confusing."
He thought about that for a while.
She knew she couldn't truly explain, so she looked at the ground and gave him a demonstration. She had earlier spotted a daisy, which had wilted and whose petals had fallen on the ground. She concentrated and the petals floated back to their place on the little flower's head and it stood bolt upright facing the sun.
Jeremy's eyes opened wide. "Did you just make that come back to life?"
"No. I can't do that, but I can put it back together again. I don't know why, I don't even know how."
He nodded thoughtfully. "So you're looking for answers." He indicated the bag of books. She nodded.
"You can talk to me, you know. About this stuff. You don't have to be on your own."
She knew that not only did he mean it – but that he was desperate for her to believe it.
The atmosphere had suddenly become very intense, and so he decided to lighten the mood. His hand reached for another of the sun-kissed strawberries. He ate it happily, then offered her one. She took it from the offered carton and nodded her appreciation.
He thought for a moment, then placed the carton on the floor. With a boldness that he didn't really feel, he raised a strawberry to her lips.
For a moment he thought she would refuse. He had moved too fast - misjudged her. But she merely hesitated, and blushed deeply as she ate the strawberry from his fingers.
This time with no hesitation, no embarrassment, he looked her deep in her eyes – his meaning as bold and clear as if he had hired a plane to write it in the sky. The waves of energy began to pulsate, and threatened to overwhelm her.
Jeremy suddenly knew like a bolt out of the blue that it hadn't been like this with Vicky. Sure, she had taken his virginity and he had followed her around like a love-sick puppy waiting for scraps where he could get them. He had really and truly thought it was love, and maybe it was, of a kind. But this, this was something else. He wanted Bonnie in ways he didn't fully understand. It was so primal, the feeling didn't have a name.
He leaned in so close she could feel his breath touching her lips. He paused millimeters from her and waited for her to come to him. She did so willingly, and soon his mouth was on hers.
For a kiss which started shyly, it soon became consumed with a deep and urgent hunger. Bonnie felt her whole body respond as he pulled her into the planes of his body. Her hands explored his chest as his slipped the ribbon from her hair. Before she had caught her breath, they were on the ground together; the weight of his body pushed against her, his arousal impossible to hide.
Their passion enveloped them and all thoughts of shyness disappeared in the energy-filled haze. Jeremy flicked open the buttons that stretched the length of her summer dress. His fingers roamed her body insistently, and his lips kissed everywhere his fingers had been.
She knew she should resist this, out here in the open where they could be so easily seen, but it was impossible to stop her wish for him was that strong.
It took all his will-power to pause, but he did so and in a low and breathless voice asked her,
"Are you sure you want this?"
Oh my god yes.
Soon she was arching her back in response to him, and he knew she was completely lost in the moment. If either of them had cared to notice, they would have seen the sky light up like a thunderstorm. It turned from a feverish fuschia, through rich ambers, into a deep indigo flecked with gold. The air became heavy with a scent much like incense.
He looked up at her and watched her fight to regain control of her body. A soft dew of perspiration had formed over her exposed and beautiful auburn skin. He waited to see where she wanted to go from here. This time it was she who put a hand lightly under his chin and guided him to her.
After, as they both lay breathing heavily, he lightly stroked her face. The sky had returned to a pale and cloudless blue. It was peppered with the sound of birdsong. When the energy came to move again, she shyly began to rearrange her clothes. He helped her with her buttons.
She looked at him and wordlessly knew that now was the moment to 'send' some of her energy to him. She did so, and after a moment he seemed to stop and look at her in a questioning way, as though he knew something had happened, but could not tell what. In response, he leaned in and kissed her lightly on the lips.
"It's never been like that before." He admitted, his body and mind still firing on all cylinders.
"Nor for me," she paused and considered very carefully what she planned to say next, "because you were my first."
Jeremy tried to hide his shock, but failed to do so. So he reached out to her instead and drew her into a big bear hug.
And she lay with her head on his shoulder, her body still reacting, she realized had connected to him on the deepest physical and spiritual level. It was the most powerful magic she had ever performed, and it had taken nothing from her – only given.
He looked at her and was at last rewarded with that beautiful smile.
As she did so, hundreds of daisies appeared from nowhere, floating gently down from the sky. Jeremy looked at them and laughed.
"You are something else." He whispered gently.
"I think I am, when I'm with you."
He took her in his arms and kissed her again and wondered at the chain of daisies lying at their feet.