CHAPTER TEN
As Bonnie stood on the stairs, and watched as Damon slowly coaxed his mother out of the conversation she wanted to have with him. Lily's eyed flickered over to Bonnie, and surprisingly, her lips turned up at the edges just a tad.
Lily looked back at Damon, nodded and walked away, back down the hallway to the main party.
Damon turned to face Bonnie completely, and she finished walking down the stairs.
"You look beautiful." he said with a smile, and took her hand as she stepped beside him.
He eyed her lace sleeves that stopped at her wrists, and lifted her hand up to his face, pressing his lips to it.
"I didn't before?" Bonnie teased and he looked down at her.
"You are always beautiful." Damon assured her and as he linked his fingers with hers, they headed down the hallway.
As they entered into the room, Bonnie could feel eyes on her. Unlike before, when she felt as though everyone was just looking at Damon.
More importantly, Giuseppe's eyes were on her, but she didn't care.
Damon led her out into the middle of the room, and she gasped when he pulled her straight into his arms, placing his hands on her waist. Bonnie smiled up at him, tossing her arms around his neck.
"I suppose you want to dance?" she asked, and he grinned back at her.
"How'd you guess?" he swayed them slowly along to the song classical music playing.
Damon grabbed one of her hands and spun her around watching her curly hair flutter outwards.
Bonnie laughed and took his hand in hers, stepping slowly to the left and the right.
She hummed softly, and Damon pulled her closer, putting one hand on her waist, lifting their other hands upwards, in a typical ballroom dancing position.
As the music ceased, a pause before the next song started, Damon leaned downwards.
"You ready to make everyone here jealous?" he whispered and her lips turned upwards as he leaned back, looking at her face.
"Only if you are." Bonnie replied and Damon gave her a coy smile.
The next song, a instrumental, classical version of "Chandelier" started.
Damon pulled her closer, and they started dancing. Whenever he stepped, she followed, along to the flow of the song.
Spinning her around twice, he pulled her back into his arms quickly, and they danced towards the right, his one hand on her waist. Bonnie moved her hips slowly and pushed away from him, before he pulled her back.
She stood a little higher and slowly ran her fingers down the side of his face. As they danced, more people noticed, and within 40 seconds, people were backing away, a circle surrounding them.
As the song reached one of it's utmost cresendo, Damon spun her out again, before pulled her back into his arms, upwards, and holding her feet a foot or so off the floor, while spinning.
He set her back down and Bonnie whipped away from him. As the song slowed a little, the violins more gentle yet intense, she stepped slowly forward towards him, and ran her hand along his chest.
Damon grabbed her waist softly and pulled her closer, swaying her to the left, and to the right.
They began circling each other, their feet practically intertwining, and finally as the song closed, Damon pulled her back upwards, she put her hands on his face, and he set her down very slowly, before dipping her. At the last second, he whipped her back up, face to face with him.
They were both breathing heavily as the room grew silent. People in the party started to clap, and Bonnie smiled up at him.
There was a whistle or too, and flashes surrounded them for a few seconds. Finally, the next song started, and people spread back out along the floor.
Damon chuckled and loosened his grip on Bonnie, and she put her arms back around his neck.
"Oh, look, your father." Bonnie whispered as she looked behind him a little.
"How's he look?" he asked her.
"In general, unamused." she replied and Damon smirked.
Bonnie just looked up at him, and then stood up a little higher, and pressed her lips to his.
Damon closed his eyes, and used his arm to pull her up, her feet a few inches off the floor as he kissed her. Their lips moved together slowly, Bonnie started to giggle against his lips.
"What?" he murmured against hers.
"I'm just happy." she replied pulling away, and he set her back down to the floor.
Damon smiled back at her, "You know, I am too." he admitted.
They slowly swayed, dancing normally for a few minutes.
"That was dance was, fiery." Enzo's thick accent said from beside them and Damon looked over at his friend.
"That was out intention." Damon replied with a smirk, and Enzo grinned back at him.
"You wouldn't mind if I danced with you lady, would you?" Enzo asked, "Your mother pulled her away from me last time."
Damon looked at Bonnie, "I don't mind." he replied, and Bonnie smiled.
"I would love to dance with you." she told him and was traded over to Enzo's arms.
Damon stepped over to take his suit jacket off and place it over his chair, across the room at the table.
Bonnie put her arms around Enzo's neck, and his hands went to her waist. She could sense disapproval in the room, but she honestly was done caring.
Why shouldn't she mingle, dance with people?
"You're a wonderful dancer, Bonnie." he told her, and she smiled at him, as a matter of fact, ever since she'd gotten back down stairs, she hadn't been able to stop smiling.
"Thank you, it is kind of my living." she chuckled, and he nodded.
"I apologize if I'm not as skilled as Damon." Enzo smirked and she rolled her eyes.
"Oh, please, you're not a bad dancer." Bonnie insisted as they swayed slowly.
"Perhaps you're just a very alluring dance partner." he said in a honeyed tone.
Bonnie's cheeks flushed, and she chuckled, "You're very kind."
Enzo pulled her just a little closer.
"Has Lily been treating you so harshly all the time?" he asked her.
"Pretty much..." she sighed.
Enzo shook his head, "That's unfortunate."
Bonnie pursed her lips, "What can I do thought?" she asked rhetorically.
He nodded, "You certainly don't deserve to be treated that way." Enzo looked behind her head for a second.
Suddenly Bonnie was tapped on the shoulder.
She turned around to see Mr. Wayne.
"You have a call, Mrs. Bonnie." he said with a smile, and handed her, her ringing cellphone.
"Oh thank you!" she chuckled, and turned back to face Enzo.
"I'm sorry, I have to get this. It's my father." Bonnie explained, and Enzo nodded.
"Thank you for the dance." he said, before leaning down and pressing a light kiss against her cheek, and giving her a nod before stepping away.
Bonnie smiled, "He's nice." she mumbled, and looked back down at her ringing phone before hurrying out of the room and into the hallway.
She clicked answer and pressed the phone to her ear as she walked further down the hallway.
"Hi, dad." Bonnie answered, leaning against a wall.
"Hi, Bonnie, I just wanted to call and see how you are." Rudy replied.
"I'm alright, I'm just at the party for Damon's birthday." she explained, "How are you daddy?"
"I'm doing okay, had to cancel a show tonight because Marks more hungover than.. well, it's not important." her father chuckled.
Bonnie clicked her tongue, "And they say young people are irresponsible."
"Yeah, well, I hope I'm not bothering you." Rudy said slowly.
"No, it's okay. No one will miss me for just a few minutes." she assured him.
"Good, good. I can't wait to see you again, soon." he told her, "And Damon."
Bonnie smiled, "Me either, he likes you."
"He's a good guy, I'll give him that." Rudy said, and Bonnie knew he was smiling.
"He is, huh?" she asked softly.
"I can tell you like him." her father replied.
"I do." Bonnie looked at the floor, her cheeks a little warm.
"I better let you get back to the party, I love you little Bon." Rudy called her by one of her childhood nicknames and she giggled.
"Okay, dad. I love you too."
She hung up the phone and inhaled, looking up from the floor.
Bonnie gasped when Giuseppe was a few feet away from her.
"You startled me." she whispered, and he just stepped over, with an expressionless face.
"I see you changed." he eyed her slowly, and this made her uncomfortable, so she took a step back.
"I also saw you dancing with Lorenzo." Giuseppe said, his eyes meeting hers.
Bonnie nodded, "Yes, he's a nice man." she replied.
"But he's not your husband." the man replied, and she blinked, furrowing her brow.
"Enzo is your sons best friend. I don't see the problem." she said.
Giuseppe stepped closer.
"The problem is, that you aren't supposed to speak, unless spoke too, much less dance with another man." he said, quietly, but his voice sent chills down her spine.
"I don't know why you think you can talk to me that way, but this isn't 40 years ago." Bonnie said, trying to defend herself.
The look in Giuseppe's eyes changed, "It doesn't matter, you are supposed to listen." he almost growled, and Bonnie's heart shot all the way up to her throat.
Just as Giuseppe stepped closer, and Bonnie flinched, sure that he was going to hurt her, there was a voice behind him.
"Giuseppe." Lily called, and her heels clicked against the floor.
"What, Lilian?" he huffed.
"Dinners starting, you're wanted at the table." Lily told him, and he inhaled, before giving Bonnie one last unnerving look and turned, walking down the hallway and past Lily.
Bonnie just stood there, and when she looked up, she made eye contact with Lily. There was a knowing look in the woman's eyes.
"Thank you." she whispered, but she new Lily had heard her, because she nodded once.
Lily disappeared back into the room, and Bonnie was left with her heart pounding in her chest.
Once she could actually think straight, Bonnie inhaled deeply and made her way back into the room.
She looked around, until she finally saw Damon sitting at the long dining table, as everyone else took their seats as well.
Bonnie narrowed her eyes when she saw him holding a half glass of wine, sipping from it. She hurried over there and sat down in her seat beside him.
"Oh my gosh." she gasped, and grabbed the glass from him.
Tipping it to her lips and took a sip, "W-what is this?" she said, gasping again.
Damon blinked, a little startled and look at her.
"What?" he asked, a little worried.
Bonnie licked at her lips, "This tastes..." she started, "This tastes..."
"Like you shouldn't be drinking it!" she hit him in the shoulder hard.
"Ow!" Damon jumped a little, giving her a crazy look.
"You're not supposed to be drinking this." she gave him a disapproving look before taking a gulp of it and setting it on the table beside her plate.
"How come you can drink and I can't?" he asked her.
"Because I'm not an alcoholic." Bonnie said slowly.
Damon chuckled, "I am not either."
"Either way, you've been sober a week, I won't let you ruin it now." she moved the glass even further away from him.
Damon smiled a little, "You're cute when you care." he said and reached over to set his hand on hers on the table.
"Are you sure I'm not annoying?" Bonnie asked, and he chuckled.
"Maybe a little." he teased.
"Shut up." she smiled, and flipped her hand over to link her finger with his.
"You alright?" Damon asked after a second as the food was being served.
Bonnie nodded, "Yeah, of course." she replied, not mentioning what had happened with Giuseppe. She didn't want to ruin the moment.
"Bonnie, you look amazing." Stefan said from across the table.
Bonnie looked up and smiled, "Thank you, Stefan."
The dinner was rather chatty, and Bonnie tried to focus on just eating her food, while Damon had the occasional conversation with the people around him.
Lily was smiling, laughing, and Bonnie felt as though this was just a rouse.
"Mr. and Mrs. Salvatore." someone said from behind them as they were just finishing their food.
They both turned around to look at the male, who had a camera around his neck.
"I'm so sorry to bother you, I'm Jerome." he introduced himself.
"Hello." Bonnie smiled a little.
"I would love if I could take photo's of you, and feature them on my website." Jerome explained.
Damon looked over at Bonnie, "I'm alright with that, are you?" he asked Bonnie.
"Oh, sure." Bonnie said, and scooted her chair back, getting up.
Damon got up as well, and took her hand.
"Is there a specific room that would be best?" Jerome asked.
Damon pursed his lips, "The parlor, it's only used for very special occasions."
Jerome nodded, and they followed him out of the room.
Bonnie slowly walked beside Damon, holding his hand.
Damon let go of her hand, stepping in front of them and sliding the parlor doors open.
"This room was the first room built, when the house was built in 1930." he told both of them.
"This is perfect." Jerome smiled, "Sit, or stand anywhere you'd like, just, be yourselves."
Bonnie nodded and slowly stepped over to a dark wooden bench, with a light green colored padding on the seat.
She sat down, fixing her dress at the bottom and Damon sat beside her.
"You are such a stunning couple." Jerome said with a smile and lifted his nikon, snapping a few photos of the two of them just looking across the room.
Bonnie blushed and looked at her lap.
Damon turned his head and looked at her.
"Touch her face." Jerome directed him, and he smiled, putting his fingers along her cheek, and the camera flashed again.
Damon then used his fingers to tilt her face up to look at him, and scooted closer.
"Tell me, what is one thing you love about each other." Jerome said, and Damon blinked.
"The way he smells." Bonnie chuckled, and Damon's smile grew larger.
The camera flashed again.
"I love the way she looks in the morning." Damon admitted, and Bonnie's face grew warmer.
Bonnie lifted a hand, and touched his face.
"Oh, yes, yes. That's fantastic, don't move." Jerome took several frame from one angle, then stepped over, getting the shot from the side.
After a second, they both started laughing and Bonnie moved closer.
She gasped when Damon pulled her up into his lap, and Jerome laughed as well.
"I got you mid pulling her up into your lap." he told them.
Bonnie giggled and pressed her forehead against his face.
Damon wrapped his arms around her waist.
"How's married life?" Jerome asked, taking more photos.
"It's..." Damon started, "it's good." he smiled and kissed Bonnie's cheek.
"You two seem happy." the man replied.
Bonnie grinned and wrapped an arm around Damon's neck.
"There are a lot of rumors that your relationship is suspicious." Jerome started, "No offense."
Damon looked over at Jerome for a moment.
"None taken, it's a tough world. There are always skeptics." he said slowly.
Jerome smiled and the camera flashed.
"If it helps, I think these photos will prove people wrong. You're literally the cutest couple, I've ever photographed."
Bonnie blushed.
"What is your favorite part about being married?" he asked, trying to get more emotion from them.
Damon looked down at Bonnie.
"Just to have and hold her, it makes me the luckiest man." he replied, and Bonnie's eyes just met his.
She leaned up a little, and pressed her lips against his.
Damon wrapped his other arm around her, and kissed her back softly as the camera continued to capture the moment.
Bonnie grumbled, half asleep and as her face was pressed into the pillow, she knew it was only a matter of time before she could need to open her eyes and face the day.
Exhaling she reached a hand out, patting at the other side of the bed she didn't feel Damon there. Her eyelids fluttered open and the sunlight from the open curtains poured into her face.
"Ugh!" she groaned and rolled onto her back.
Exhaling she slowly sat up, and shoved the blanket off of her. Bonnie was still wearing her dress from the night before. Having not gotten to bed until 2am, she had been to tired to do anything but crash into the bed like a meteor.
"Damon?" she mumbled, but as the blurriness cleared, she didn't see him anywhere in the bedroom. There however two black suitcases sitting by his dresser.
Bonnie rubbed at her face.
Slowly getting out of bed, she slipped out of her dress, and walked tiredly over to her dresser, pulling out a large t-shirt and pulling it over her head.
Walking across the room, she opened the door and headed down the stairs.
"Damon?" she called out again.
"In the kitchen!" Damon replied, and when he saw Bonnie walk into the kitchen, her hair was a messy around her head.
"What time is it?" Bonnie asked, not having looked at the clock.
"Noon." he told her.
"Ah." she stepped closer and pressed her face against his suit.
"You don't really have to leave today, do you?" Bonnie asked, voice muffled against his shoulder.
"I'm afraid I do." Damon replied, and turned away from the brewing coffee pot, to wrap his arms around her.
"Can I sneak into your luggage?" she asked, looking upwards at him.
"Sadly no. You would die." he smiled and she laughed.
"I'll only be gone a few days." Damon reminded her, and caressed the back of her head.
Bonnie sighed, "I know."
He reached down, picked her up off her feet and set her on to sit on the counter.
She smiled, "What do you think I am, a doll?" she asked playfully.
"Do you not want me to pick you up anymore?" Damon teased, and stood in front of her, with his hands on her hips.
"Oh, no, no I like that." Bonnie said and put her hands along the collar of his white shirt.
Damon smirked, and leaned down closer to her.
"Do you now?" he asked in a low, gruff voice.
"I like it a lot." she whispered and he leaned down, kissing her lips, and she ran her fingers down the buttons of his shirt.
Damon grinned against her kiss, and ran his fingers along her bare thighs.
"I'm going to miss you." he told her, and she held onto his shirt, keeping him from backing away.
"I'll miss you." Bonnie said sweetly, and kissed his lips again.
"Augh, get a room." Stefan's voice said as he stepped into the kitchen.
Damon looked to the side to see his brother with a kiddish grin on his face.
"You're just jealous." he said.
"Whatever you say." Stefan chuckled and Bonnie looked over at the guy in his pajamas.
"Morning Stefan." she smiled.
"Good morning." Stefan replied, and stepped over to them, opening the cabinet, pulling out a coffee mug.
"You mind?" he asked, and Damon stepped away.
Bonnie hopped up off the counter, and stepped away, running a hand through her gnarled hair.
"Do you often forget your pants?" Stefan teased as he poured coffee into his mug and looked at Bonnie.
She blushed.
Damon rolled his eyes, "If a woman can't go pants-less in her own house, what can she do?"
Bonnie hit him in the arm.
"What? I was defending you." he said and she narrowed her eyes.
"Anway..." his brother shook his head, "Have a nice trip to London." he tilted his mug at Damon before walking out of the kitchen.
Bonnie turned to face Damon.
"You want me to go to the airport with you?" she asked him, but he shook his head.
"No, no. You go, spend your free time with Caroline." he insisted.
"You sure?" Bonnie questioned, and Damon nodded, looking down at her.
"Mr. Salvatore. Your things have been put into your car." Mr. Wayne said from the entrance of the kitchen.
"Thank you, I'll be out soon." Damon said, and Bonnie watched Wayne smiled, and walk away.
"Call me." Bonnie said pointing her finger at him.
"I absolutely will." he promised her, and she stood on her tip toes, kissing his lips.
Damon kissed her back slowly, and then used one of his arms to just hold her there.
"This whole liking each other thing is nice." he grinned against her mouth.
Bonnie giggled, "Yeah, who would've thought?"
Damon kissed her lips once more, before giving her a squeeze.
"Alright, I'll call you when I can." he said and she nodded.
"Can't wait." Bonnie smiled, and leaned against the counter as she watched Damon disappear from the kitchen.
Bonnie sat on the couch in Caroline's apartment, drinking wine from a blue mug, rather than a wine glass.
"I've missed hanging out with you!" Caroline chuckled, sitting down beside her.
"I know, I've missed it too. Everything's changing more and more." Bonnie pursed her lips.
"But, for the better, right?" her friend asked, curious.
Bonnie sipped at the wine, "I suppose..."
Caroline gave her a look, "You and Damon like each other! You kissed, which I can't believe. I thought it would never happen."
"Hey!" she narrowed her eyes.
"What? I'm just being honest." she chuckled.
Bonnie smiled a little.
"I am glad that, you're not married to someone you hate, though." Caroline brushed her hair behind her shoulder.
"Me too." she admitted, looking across the room for a moment.
"Have you... had sex yet?" Caroline asked, and Bonnie coughed.
"Oh my god, no. If we had, you'd be the first know." she laughed, her face flushing deeply.
Caroline laughed as well, "I was just making sure!"
Bonnie shook her head, and took one more drink of her wine before setting her mug on the coffee table.
"You really like him, though. I can tell." Caroline smiled, and tilted her head to the side.
Bonnie nodded, "I do, I really, really do." she grinned and rested her chin in her hand.
"He's patient, kind, charming, silly." she whispered, and her eyes flickered over past Caroline's head.
Damon really was such a good man. Bonnie already liked him so much, and their situation was weird, but hell, did that even matter anymore?
"I'm happy for you." Caroline reached over, touching her friends hand.
Bonnie smiled, and looked back at her.
"Thank you..." she started, "How are you and Matt doing?" she asked.
Caroline pursed her lips, "We're alright."
Bonnie narrowed her eyes, "Don't lie to me."
"Well..." the blonde inhaled, "I miss him, I want him to come visit."
Bonnie blinked, "Okay, what's the problem?"
"He doesn't have the money." Caroline told her.
"The give him the money." she chuckled.
"He doesn't want to take any money." she frowned.
Bonnie looked to the side, "Then, why don't you go visit him?" she suggested.
Caroline exhaled, "I don't know, he says he'd rather visit here."
"Huh." she replied, furrowing her brow.
"That sounds weird." Bonnie admitted.
"Really?" Caroline asked.
"Uh, yeah, like really fishy." she chuckled, shaking her head.
Matt and Caroline had been together for a while, Bonnie had known Matt since before he even starting dating her chest friend. And, Bonnie knew that Matt was usually one to always want to see his girlfriends, no matter what he had to do.
"Thank God, I thought I was paranoid!" Caroline exhaled and threw her hands in the air, they landed on her lap with a smack.
"You need to talk to him, because, if he hurts you, I'll hurt him." Bonnie said slowly.
Caroline smirked, "Yeah sure."
Bonnie raised her eyebrows, "No, I'm serious!"
Caroline laughed, "Alright, I'll talk to him."
"I. Am. Serious, Care. I will fight him!" she put her fists in the air, and Caroline nearly tipped over when she giggled.
Bonnie grinned.
Although Caroline was nervous about her relationship with Matt, and Bonnie hated that she was going to be away from Damon for even just a few days during the beginning stages of their relationship... They were both happy in that moment.
"So, how is the whole situation with his parents going?" Caroline asked, curiously.
Bonnie exhaled, "I don't know. I think Lily is brainwashed by Giuseppe." she admitted.
"Oh?" she furrowed her brow.
"Something isn't right about him. He acts like women aren't supposed to speak, talk to other men. He's really, hard core, traditional." Bonnie replied with a frustrated look in her emerald eyes.
Caroline shook her head, "That sucks. Men who are like that, need a swift kick in the ass."
"He kind of scares me." she admitted.
"Why? What did he say, or do?" Caroline said quickly, scooting closer.
"I swear to God, if he hurt you-"
Bonnie cut her off, "No, he didn't! But, I thought he was going to to, for a few seconds."
"Did you tell Damon?" she asked.
"No... I'm worried it'll start more drama." she sighed.
"You need to talk to him about it. You being scared of your own father in-law is screwed up." Caroline frowned.
Bonnie nodded, "I know... I need to talk to him about it."
Sighing, she looked across the room.
If only she hadn't waited until Damon was on a plane headed to a different country.
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