A/N: Hey guys. Sorry if you feel like I don't appreciate your reviews and follows, because I really do. I'm just a sleepy MFA student with not as much time to write as she would like. So I worked extra hard to get this chapter to you and hopefully I will have another finished and ready to go before the end of the month. Thanks to everyone that told me I pasted the same story in like a million times lol. I'm too sleepy to even operate a computer! Hopefully when I finish this current session I will have more time to write!
The two former lovers walk silently down the wooded path. Neither daring a glance at the other.
Bonnie's mind currently preoccupied with the fiery frenzy Mr. Salvatore had ignited in her body just this morning.
And Jeremy's teenage awkwardness clouds his thoughts as he concentrates on the best way to address their relationship status or rather non-status.
Finally, overwhelmed by the deafening silence and annoyed by her fantasies of the older vampire, Bonnie speaks, "nice day huh?"
"Are we really going to talk about the weather?" Jeremy questions with a giggle.
"I don't know Jer. I seemed like as good a place to start as any," she shrugs
The silence returns.
Jeremy intakes a gulp of fresh air as he readies himself for what he is about to say.
"Look Bonnie I know that I hurt you-" he begins
No. God no. Too early. To heavy. They can't start the conversation by jumping headfirst into the water.
"How about we talk about sports? Or school? Or anything less heavy than hurt feelings and breakups," she suggests
"Bonnie…I want us to…I don't know to maybe we can go on a date or something. Or at least try to pick-"
"Don't finish that statement!" she demands, coming to a complete stop so that she could properly issue the boy a warning glance.
"Why not?" he questions surprisingly, also halting his trek.
"It we were to "pick back up" Jeremy do you know where we would be picking up from? Do you remember where you left my heart shattered and smashed? We broke up because spent most of your time with your female ghostly companions and then lied to me about it. That's where we would pick up. You kissing Anna and me believing like a fool that seeing your dead ex-girlfriends couldn't really damage our strong bond."
He pauses. An anguished look appears on his face.
"So let's start over then. No ghosts. No ex-girlfriends. Just Bonnie and Jeremy," he says looking a tad bit less pained.
"I can't…I" she hesitates
I can't start over with you Jeremy, because there is a homicidal vampire that would rip out your throat if he even heard what you were purposing.
"No promises okay. No official Facebook statuses. We'll go out for a bite to eat and to a movie. We can start as friends and maybe we can grow into something else or not. It's up to you," he explains sweetly.
"I don't know," she sighed truthfully
She didn't feel the same pull to Jeremy as she did with Damon. Her stomach didn't do somersaults when he said her name. She didn't dream of diving into the pools of blue that were his eyes.
No Jeremy was definitely not Damon Salvatore, but was that really a bad thing?
Sure the younger boy lacked the skill, sex appeal, and mouth talent that his competitor seemed to possess in tenfold.
But at least Jeremy was an age appropriate suitor. He could take her to public places. He could hold her hand in the movies and not go to jail for it or lose his job.
Jeremy was the safe choice.
But these days, Bonnie Bennett had found herself feeling more and more reckless.
"There's a 6 hour ride back to town. You have all the time in the world to think about it and if you decided you'd rather not try this with me then I'll respect it. I'll hate it, but I'll respect it," he finished sweetly offering her a kind smile.
Another glaring difference, Jeremy brandished her with kind and innocent smiles that warmed her very soul. Damon on the other hand only showered her with seductive and dangerous smirks that made her core melt and her temperature rise.
She wasn't sure about Damon, but she wasn't sure about Jeremy either. The best thing that she could do in this situation was to sample both boys equally. Then weigh her options and choose. What she could not do was, make an uneducated choice.
Maybe she was feeling reckless because of Damon, but being with Jeremy brought her back to her senses.
"No need. Give me a time and a place and I'll be there," she said finally
"Really? Umm….how about tomorrow after school at the Grille?" he responded with honest disbelief at her willingness.
"Sounds like a date," she smiled.
"Little brother, it's nice to see that you were able to survive in the wilderness for two whole days without your necessary supply of hair gel," Damon comment as he joined Stefan in the living room, the older brother swirling a syrupy brown liquid in a glass.
Stefan looking up from the book that'd previously captivated his attention, greets his brother with an eye roll before saying, "I'm happy to see you too Damon."
Damon slides easily onto the couch opposite the sofa on which Stefan currently reclines, he crosses his dark-washed denim clad legs before speaking again, "So do you have any naked camp stories that you would like to share. I promise to only imagine the good parts of the story, i.e. Elena and not you."
"I prefer not to kiss and tell, but would I would like to discuss is Bonnie Bennett."
"I think I recall us already having this discussion."
"Yes, and it ended with you hanging up in my face."
"He who is always prying has a dangerous life. Spanish Proverb. You should take heed and get back behind the safety glass."
"Damon, I asked you to come to Mystic Falls to help me protect Elena. Not so that you could play games with her best friend for your own amusement."
The dark haired man scoffs at his brother's comments while he downs the remaining contents of his glass.
"Have I not done everything in my power to help keep Elena safe? Did I not get a job as a damn history teacher at the high school just so I could keep an eye on her?"
"Yes, but-"
"But nothing. I did everything you asked of me so I expect the same in return. Stop asking questions about my intentions with Bonnie Bennett and stay out of my private affairs."
"I can't let you hurt her. She doesn't deserve to be caught up in all of this. She's innocent."
"I don't aim to hurt her. In fact, I aim to please her."
"What does that mean?"
"Well you see, she and I came to the realization that our bond extended further than the normal teacher/student relationship," he smirks
"Damon," Stefan growls
"Lighten up. At least know you don't have to worry about me draining her dry and killing her."
"No, but I do have to worry about telling my girlfriend that my brother is planning on seducing one of his students who also happens to be her best friend!"
"Calm down. I told you brooding at your age isn't cute. Anyways, you don't have to tell Elena anything. What I do with Bonnie Bennett is none of your girlfriend's business."
"They talk about everything. She'll tell Elena eventually and then Elena will want to know why I didn't tell her."
"I'm trying really hard to concern myself with your little teenage soap drama, but I have a date tonight so I probably should go washing your brooding off of me. I can't leave the house like this or Bonnie would never let me get into her pants."
"Damon!"
"Joking. Only Joking. Look, I care about her okay. A lot actually. She's the only interesting thing in this miserable little town. I don't plan on hurting her Stefan or mistreating her. I'll have you know that she is very strong-willed and I seriously doubt that she would hesitate to kick my ass if I tried to force her to do something she didn't want to."
"This is…"
"So unlike me. I know. I hate it. I feel like I might as well draw BB + DS on my briefcase."
"Well this is a welcomed change," Stefan says, his mood brightening
"Yeah rest assured Bonnie has nothing to worry about where I am concerned. Jeremy Gilbert, well that's a different story. That kid could stand to be taught a lesson," Damon says rising from his seat on the couch and trekking up the stairs before his words could settle on his brother.
"Damon!" Stefan yells from the living room
Bonnie was nervous. Very nervous.
She'd invited Damon over. She'd even left her window unlocked, but she was still nervous of what his presence in her bedroom might do to her.
She was even more nervous envisioning a reality in which he declined her invitation and didn't show for their late night rendezvous.
What did she care if he didn't show?
She had agreed to a date with Jeremy.
She had decided to take entertain offers from both boys.
Only she wasn't sure how she would explain her decision to Damon.
She wasn't sure even that he wouldn't use his cruelly persuasive mouth to convince her to cancel her date.
Bonnie heard her window slowly raise and shut all within a matter of seconds. As Damon gracefully entered her room. As he did so she hid underneath safely her covers as though he were the boogie man.
The vampire slipped off his leather jacket and his boots before climbing onto the empty space on Bonnie's queen bed.
He ducked his head underneath to covers to find her beautiful face, which he was sure she was hiding on purpose.
"Boo," he said softly, his eyes finding hers even in the dark.
"Damon," she whispered in response.
"So I love what you've done with the place, very canopy chic."
She giggled as she removed the cover from both of their heads.
"You came."
"Well, it's not every day that I get invited into to the boudoir of the most beautiful girl in Mystic Falls. Sure the second and the third are always inviting me over, but my preference is for the first."
"Oh you are so smooth."
"Are you saying that you want to feel me up?"
"I'm saying that your little flattery filled pick-up lines won't work here Mr. Salvatore. See I have a no bullshit policy that is strictly enforced."
"In that case, why don't you tell me about your walk with little Gilbert?"
Bonnie sighs.
Damn.
She walked right into that one hadn't she?
"Nothing much to tell. How was your day?"
"No bullshit remember? And my morning could have gone a little better, still thanks for asking."
"The walk went…I…he and I…we"
"I know that I'm a history teacher, but God Bonnie your oratorical skills need some work, are you in speech?"
She lightly slapped his arm.
"He asked me out on a date and I said yes," she rushed out as quickly as she could.
She ducked her head as Damon released a primal growl.
He was displeased. He was very displeased.
"I thought that this was a platonic friendly walk. No kisses. No dates. No hand holding," he said in an almost shout
"Lower your voice. My aunt and uncle are down the hall."
"You tell me I can't kill Jeremy so I say fine he can live. You say that I can't flunk him out of school, so I say fine he can graduate to the next grade. But through all of this you also said that your feelings for him were in the past and that I had nothing to worry about."
"You don't. I…"
Damon pushes himself up from the bed and begins to slip his jacket and shoes back on.
"Where are you going?" she questions
"To pay Jeremy Gilbert a visit. Since you apparently have such a difficult time articulating your feelings, I'll do it for you."
"No!" she said climbing out of the bed to impede his steps.
She stands in front of him, her back to the window, her hand pressed firmly against his well-sculpted chest.
Damon sighs. The majority of his anger settles at her touch, still some of it festers just beneath the surface.
Her warm hand and soft green eyes managing to calm him some.
"Bonnie, what do you want? Who do you want?"
"I don't know."
"Yes you do. No bullshit."
It takes her a while, but finally she says, "Fine. I want you. I know it's wrong and dangerous and illegal and everything else bad in the world, but I still want you. That doesn't mean I don't care about Jeremy though"
Damon takes her roughly into his arms, his mouth pressing hot wet kisses over her own. His tongue licking her bottom lip softly as she tangles her hands into his black t-shirt pulling his body closer.
When their kiss was finished, she pressed her head against his shoulder, holding onto him tightly.
"Bonnie Bennett, you have to stop kissing me like that if you want me to stay a gentleman."
"When you say to stay it implies that you ever were one to begin with."
"Trust me, if I wasn't a gentleman or at least trying to be one, you would already be naked in this bed."
His words sent shivers down her spine.
"I have school in the morning and a date with Jeremy. I need rest."
"You have school, but you need to cancel that date with Jeremy before I take matters into my own hands."
"It's not that simple."
"It is. You've made your choice, now you just need to tell him that."
"I've made my choice privately, but publically I'm still single and he is still my friend. Also I can't go around tell everybody that my much older vampire teacher is my quasi-boyfriend."
"Valid point, but let's remove the quasi and just say that I'm your boyfriend."
"To be so much older, you never seem to think clearly or wisely."
"Only when it comes to you."
"If I cancel on Jeremy, he'll want to know why."
"I'll just give you detention."
"Ha."
"I've very serious Ms. Bennett. You have been behaving very badly, I think some one on one time with me would do you some good."
Playing along,"Mr. Salvatore I have plans after school you can't just give me detention."
"Speak out of turn like that again and I'll give you detention for a month."
"My apologies."
Damon loses his stern teaching mask, and tries on one of seduction.
"Maybe we should invest in you a school girl's outfit, you know for practical reasons and whatnot," he says throatily, his hands roaming along the sides of Bonnie's petite frame.
"Name one practical reason why I would need to dress up like a slutty boarding school student?"
"Firstly, I was thinking more sultry than slutty. Secondly, we might need to go undercover one day and it would help if you already had an array of costumes at your disposal if such an event were to arise. I mean maybe a nurse's outfit wouldn't be such a bad investment either."
"And what about you?" she questions teasingly
"What about me? I have the ability to compel people to forget my face, I would never need a costume."
"Too bad."
Intrigued.
"Why do you say that?"
"Oh no reason, I just always had this fantasy of playing secretary and boss."
"Well that can be arraigned. I mean one costume wouldn't kill me."
"You know that I'm the boss in this scenario right?"
"I wouldn't have it any other way? I'll let you order me around anytime."
"Unfortunately, it's a school night."
"Good thing, I have a change of clothes in my car."
"You're not sleeping here?"
"I mean I was thinking since you did make a date with your ex while you were on a secret romantic walk with him, as your boyfriend I think we need to spend a little time kissing and making up."
"I'm not angry."
"But I still am. Compromise Bonnie, don't you remember."
"Fine, if you want to crash on the floor by all means."
"Not exactly what I had in mind when I abandoned my California King and travelled all the way across town to see you."
"You're not sleeping in my bed."
"Why not?"
"You don't like to keep your hands to yourself. Or your lips. Or your teeth for that matter."
"I'll be on my best behavior. Scouts honor."
"I have a pretty strong feeling that you were never a boy scout."
"No I wasn't, but I did order a 100 boxes of Thin Mints one year. Does that count?"
"No. Sorry sir, girl scout cookies won't convince me to let you sleep in my bed."
"Just as well. I have other methods of persuasion that I've been meaning to test out on you."
