Note: Yeah, I didn't edit this one either

Pretty When You Cry

I didn't really love you

But I'm pretty when I lie

Lafayette wasn't big on secrets. Not only did he wear his heart on his sleeve, but he had just about everything else pinned up there as well. Pogue had always poked fun at him for his openness, which he considered hypocritical in light of the blonde's boundless shamelessness. Two sides of the same coin, he'd say.

"I don't know why you do this with guys every time you like them," Pogue said as they rummaged through Lafayette and Bonnie's make up cases. "You expect them to be as upfront and honest as you and you always end up disappointed." Lafayette rolled his eyes and undid his headscarf so that he could prep his face for foundation, and while he toned his skin he locked eyes with his band mate.

"One," Lafayette raised a pointed finger before swiping the cotton pad across his skin, "I know you are not trying to give me advice with your commitment-phobe-ass-self, and two," he turned his eyes back on himself as he pulled out the tube of primer. "I don't like him, I think he's cute, but I don't like him. Unlike some people," they locked eyes again, "I can recognize that trying to make moves on Bonnie's best friend is a hell-no, from the get-go."

"What is Bonnie gonna do with him?" Pogue frowned, shrugging off his shirt, "Like you said - they're best friends. They seem cookie cutter as fuck, and I'm pretty sure I'm the only one who swings either way, or in everyway between the lot of us, so I don't know why you're acting like there are a bunch of moral obstacles between you and his dick." Lafayette paused in applying his foundation, inhaling deeply before he would allow himself to respond.

"It's like you can see the logic in front of you," Lafayette's brow quirked in Pogue's direction as he held his hands up between them, "And then you try and fuck it, instead of accepting it." Pogue grinned wolfishly at the imagery.

"Look, all I'm saying, is that you've been super tense lately," The drummer hopped onto the counter, leaning toward Lafayette with a cheshire smile. "...We all know what happened last time you got a little too close to the edge." he whispered. Lafayette knew that of all the stupid sexual scenarios he'd found himself caught up in - theirs would be the one he'd never live down.

"Having sex with you is going over the edge, actually." Lafayette corrected him, "And we both agreed that we couldn't be in a band together and try the whole friends-with-benefits thing, because we're not friends."

"We're already more than friends." Pogue said, pursing his lips prettily. "Which is also why you're going to help put some highlight on my chest... nipples especially." He beamed, closing in on Lafayette as he mumbled 'please' over and over while kissing his cheek.

"If you get off me," Pogue pumped his fist in success, "Then you have a deal." Lafayette rolled his eyes, but couldn't help the smile on his face. "You're a bully." He said, swatting at the blonde with his head scarf, "Doesn't change 'cause you're cute."

Bonnie was wriggling her eyebrows at her reflection when there was a knock on her bedroom door.

"Come in!" She called out as she assessed her reflection in the full length mirror.

"Guess what I found," Stefan said, his eyes already back on the scrapbook in his hands. He turned it towards her and her eyes bugged as she read the glitter-penned lettering. It read: The Adventures of the Slut and the Falcon. She could spot Stefan's swirling cursive and her jarring decoupage anywhere.

"Oh my god," she squealed, "Senior year!"

"Senior year," he murmured, flipping open the book, while holding it between them. "Tyler, Caroline..."

"Oh my god, remember your crush on Matt Donovan? You loved him."

"He has a great smile!"

"I prefer yours," she said, eyes still on the photographs.

"You preferred Vicki Donovan's," Stefan teased, poking fun at Bonnie's first crush on a girl as he pointed to a photo of her and Bonnie on the cheer squad.

"Tyler never did get over that." Bonnie giggled, "Oh no wait...He totally did." Her mouth hung open in a wide smile as she remembered Tyler and Stefan's summer fling before the Lockwood boy moved to a different state.

"We're not doing this," Stefan raised his brows at her, "He wasn't gay."

"I wasn't gay when I kissed Vicki Donovan, but that doesn't mean it didn't happen. Besides, you two didn't stop at kissing, did you?" She wiggled her brows.

"No..." Stefan said with a faraway smile, "We didn't. And it was glorious."

"Oh, to be young." Bonnie grinned.

"We're still young!" Stefan gasped, shutting the scrapbook and hiding it behind his back, "Well, you are -"

"You are so dramatic, we're the same age,"

"Tell it to my forehead -"

"How many times have I told you to come visit me, I know a guy who knows a guy." She winked.

"If the guy is Pogue I'm gonna need you to not be offended when I say 'fuck no'."

"Aww, I thought we were friends buddy," Pogue said, announcing himself with a pout, "How can you not trust a guy with sparkly nipples?" He cried, holding his shirt open so the two of them could get an unobstructed view of his chiseled body.

"You are shameless," Bonnie said, sounding far too resigned.

"Can you blame me?" The blonde rock star asked with a wink toward Stefan.

"Nope, I guess not," Stefan admitted, "But I do have a question."

"Hit me." Pogue said, his eyes dancing. Stefan smirked as his eyes volleyed between Pogue and Bonnie before settling on the blonde.

"Do you like dancing?"

"Are you kidding?" Pogue hissed, leaning into the other man's space, "This body was made for the pole." Stefan frowned and held up a finger and Pogue rolled his spine and shimmied his shoulders as he left the bedroom.

"There's no point telling him you meant something else." Bonnie explained, with a hand on Stefan's back, "On the plus side, he's a great dancer and we're definitely in for a good night." Stefan chuckled softly, the sound falling into a small sigh as he spun on his heel to face his best friend.

"Hey." he grinned.

"Hey," she replied with a bright smile.

"I'm really glad you're home again, even for a little bit." He watched her eyes gauge how sincere he was and Bonnie's expression warmed with a slow nod.

"Me too..." Her eyes dropped for a moment, "I'm sorry it's been so long."

"Please..." he waved her off, "After it...I'm surprised you still talk to me."

"Why would I ever stop talking to you?" She asked, taken aback as she closed her hands around his wrists. "Stefan, I don't blame you for any of it, never have, never will -"

"No I know," he assured her, "What I'm saying is that after everything that happened...with my...my mom and me and then you and Damon...I, I just wouldn't have held it against you if I never saw you again." Bonnie swallowed loudly and tried to blink away the quick tears that welled up in her eyes at his words. Pulling their bodies together she held him and she felt so quickly and so acutely all the pain she'd been administering herself in small doses since it happened - and she thought of Stefan's hurt. How his brother had lead to the loss of his mother...how Damon's actions and Giuseppe's reaction had torn their family to shit. She thought of all this and wondered how Stefan had even managed to move and live beyond it. She certainly hadn't.

"Stefan..." she pulled away just enough to look him in the eye, "You're my best friend...the fact that I left you to begin with is something that bothers me to this day...I should have stayed with you, for you -"

"I'm the one who helped pack your bags remember?"

"I know," she smiled sadly as she cupped his cheek, "Just one of the many ways you're a better person than me." They stood like that for a long moment.

"I love you." Bonnie said, her voice small and sweet.

"I love you Bonnaloo." he said, planting a quick kiss on her forehead, "Now let's go downstairs before your band mates get restless."

It took about an hour to convince Caleb to get off the phone with Sarah and then another fifteen for him to find the exact pair of black jeans he wanted to wear. Stefan was rapidly texting someone on his phone as they got into the Uber and didn't notice Lafayette's ostentatious get-up, until he had a mouthful of the feather boa.

"Are you always this...on?" Stefan asked with glittering eyes that slid up Lafayette's fishnetted legs.

"...Are you always this tubful of vanilla?" Lafayette asked with a wink. "Or have you been taking fashion advice from Caleb?"

"I don't even like vanilla?" Caleb defended with a scowl.

"Of course you don't buddy," Pogue said, patting his knee with a sardonic smile, "And you two play nice...I'm gearing up for a party, not front row seats to a lover's quarrel. Especially when no one's fighting over me." With that said, he crossed his legs over and took Bonnie's hand in his and kissed the knuckles. "My Bonnie and I are breaking hearts tonight."

A trilling rendition of Rihanna's 'Rude Boy' announced an incoming call on Stefan's phone. Lafayette's eyes lit up at the song choice and his eyes locked with Pogue who made a show of arranging his features suggestively. Clucking his tongue, he settled in to eavesdrop along with everyone else.

"Tyler?" Stefan and Bonnie locked eyes. "...Hey"

"Stefan... I know it's been a good while but I'm back in town and I heard your other half is too. What do you say to rounding up a few familiar faces for old times sake and have a reunion at Dalliance?"

"You want to meet up at Dalliance?" Stefan echoed. Bonnie's mouth fell open. Dalliance was a glorious far cry from the watering holes that littered Mystic Falls. It was the first queer space within a 100 kilometre radius of their home town - it's reputation preceded itself.

"Got any better ideas?" Tyler asked, and Stefan didn't have to close his eyes to picture the smile he knew was currently on the other end of the line.

"We're actually on our way there right now."

"Perfect. I'll meet you inside." Then, click.

"Tyler's back?" Bonnie wondered.

"Everyone's back." Stefan sighed.

"Man," Pogue chuckled to himself as he took in the various emotions flitting across everyone's faces in the suddenly quiet car, "This is gonna be fun!"

Note: It's been ages man, ages. I know. I'm the worst, for reals. But I finally remembered my intention with the plot a la back story and whatever so the good news is no one has to wait another year for an update. Also. my new fic, How Bonnie Got Her Groove Back is going to be updated next. Whew. It's gonna be a good one.

Reviews get you love all the way from Cape Town. Pretty cool, huh?