Feel Again
"Bonnie! Caroline! We don't have all day. Get down here so we can go, already!" Tyler called, as he stuffed his hands into the pockets of his suit jacket, and Damon sipped his drink before rolling his eyes, and continuing to pace the floor.
"In a minute!"
He honestly had no idea why Tyler even tried. At the rate these girls were going, it'd be the year 2025 by the time they got to the dance at Mystic Falls High School. "Punctuality" wasn't exactly in either Caroline or Bonnie's vocabulary, and even with their looming plan to defeat Tatia that was about to be underway, there were still other things to worry about.
Like whether or not those nude heels matched that dress.
Damon was sick to his stomach about it already.
He polished off his glass of bourbon quicker than Tyler could give him a look of dismay, and he shook it off.
He had never been so nervous about anything in his entire, and here he was; shaking in his dress shoes as if he was having some type of mild seizure.
They were going to kill Tatia, tonight.
And though the plan to kill all been discussed, researched, strategized, planned and perfected between him, Elijah and Bonnie as they sat in his living room with volumes of grimoires and records in hand, he couldn't help but think about the real outcome of all of this once Tatia was finally dead and gone.
He was going to go on a date with Bonnie tonight.
Sure, it may have been bad timing, but who really cared? He was grateful to finally have this opportunity—one that would hopefully put him on the same level playing field as Elijah—and he hoped it would all count for something, even if they were crime fighting in-between.
Having a normal time would be absolutely impossible, but he realized he was fine with that; Bonnie was anything but ordinary, so it only served them right that their first "date" would be one where they were doing what they did best to save Mystic Falls—teaming up.
He and Bonnie were used to being reluctant comrades, but it wasn't tonight that they would actually be working together as two people who had deep feelings for one another that he still couldn't wrap his head around.
Damon never believed he'd see the day where he fell for Bonnie Bennett, but alas, here it was.
And he even got her a corsage.
"We're ready!" Caroline called from somewhere beyond her staircase and Damon took in a deep breath as he placed his glass down, and stopped pacing.
Tyler smirked into the air at the vampire's motion.
"Don't even start, Wolf Boy," Damon warned immediately, and the hybrid gave him a wordless brow raise, but returned his attention to the steps where they heard the clinking of heels descending from the second floor, and finally down towards them.
Caroline came down first; dressed in a beautiful mint green gown that brought out the hues in her eyes, and made her shiny flaxen locks brighter than ever. She smiled happily as she made her way over to Tyler, who was grinning like a little kid on Christmas day, and Damon fought the urge to smirk at the exchange between them.
Tyler was an ass, and Caroline was—well, Caroline—but there was something refreshing about seeing two people as crazily in love as these two were. Sure, Klaus ,may have been a tempting option for Caroline, given the world he could show her, but perhaps Caroline didn't want any of that, right now.
Maybe she wanted a small town life with a small town boy, and she actually desired to be typical. She'd have her "normalcy" ripped away from her the minute she became a vampire, so perhaps it was just what she needed, at the end of it all; maybe she needed Tyler, to hold onto that.
It wasn't that bizarre of an idea, at all.
In fact, Damon couldn't say that he was a stranger to that notion, as he thought about the way that Bonnie made him feel, and he exhaled when he heard her heels coming down the steps.
Bonnie made him feel normal; not like somebody who needed to be fixed, or changed, or anything else. She made him feel like someone who was capable—someone who could do good without actually being good, because he wanted to; because he knew he had it in him.
Bonnie made him feel like his choices were his own—and not anybody else's to decipher, change, alter, or replace. She knew him, much better than he would have liked to admit, and though she didn't necessarily approve of the way he did things sometimes, she liked him—for him—and she never desired for him to be somebody else.
He found a simple comfort in that. He found comfort in her. And he never, ever wanted to let go of that.
And she would be his; just for tonight, at least. Tonight he would have everything that he wanted.
It literally felt as though his world stopped when he saw Bonnie now standing at the top of the staircase, with her hands at her sides, and her eyes locked on his.
She offered him a soft reluctant smile that he couldn't help but gleam at, as she continued down the steps and over towards him.
Her dress, as white snow, made her look like the purest of creatures to ever grace the planet, as it hugged her body tightly, and easily trailed down to the floor. Her hair, as dark as coal, draped over her shoulders into elegant curls, while her long lashes fluttered with each blink that she took.
And her lips; those lips that he'd so dearly remembered kissing—they were painted as red as a cherry Corvette, and they nearly made his breath stop.
He was prepared to see Bonnie look beautiful—she always was—but there was something about the way that she looked tonight that affected him in more ways than one.
Perhaps because every other time Bonnie looked "nice" it was for the occasion; whether it was a dance, party, school, whatever, she looked nice just because. Right now; it was different.
She had done this for him, and his heart palpitated when he slowly came to comprehend that.
Bonnie dressed up for this date—with him—and he felt like the luckiest man on the planet when she finally stood before him, and offered him a casual smile. He was enamored—breathless, even—as he took her hand into his own, and rubbed his thumb gently over her smooth caramel skin.
He felt Bonnie's goose bumps rise—he watched them, in fact—all over her the bare shoulders and arms, and he sent her that devilish smirk that he did all too well to constrain the nervousness that now afflicted his own thoughts.
She was unequivocally stunning.
"You look—"he started, and Bonnie stopped him with a stare, and tilted her head.
She was never one for compliments.
Damon bit his lip and pulled the box with the corsage out of his back pocket, and opened it quickly. Bonnie's face almost lit up with amazement that he'd even gotten her one, but he silenced her thoughts quickly with a shrug.
"Stefan's idea."
"Of course."
Bonnie pursed her lips as he slipped it onto her wrist before looking up into his shining blue eyes, and she smiled once more after he extended his arm to her, and awaited her response.
"Shall we?"
Bonnie nodded as she hooked her hand through his arm, and she could feel Tyler and Caroline's eyes burning through her as they finally walked out of Caroline's house, and into the limo waiting outside that already housed Rebekah and Matt, as well as Elena and Stefan, that the Blonde Original had chartered herself.
To say Rebekah had gone overboard would be an understatement, Bonnie thought, as she stepped into the car, and saw the filled with a ridiculous amount of alcohol and snacks to feed an entire party.
Rebekah grinned when the four stepped in, before clapping her hands together and smiling at them all.
"And now, we're finally altogether."
Bonnie sighed at the awkward tension that passed between her friends, as Elena avoided eyes with nearly everyone in the limo, and Damon tried to remember why he even agreed to take the trip to this thing with a bunch of teenagers.
He immediately regretted that decision.
"Shall we toast?" Rebekah asked, as she held up a bottle of champagne, and Damon shook his head in response.
"Let's… toast afterwards. After we have something to celebrate," he said, referring to Tatia's demise.
Bonnie nodded in agreement before clearing her throat and looking away from Elena's daggering stare.
She and Elena hadn't truly talked since God knows when, and she knew that the doppelganger probably wasn't too thrilled that she and Damon were going to the dance together. She had voiced her concern to Caroline numerous times, apparently, but when it came to confronting Bonnie herself? Well, she declined on that.
Bonnie figured they could probably discuss just what was going on after this was all over, but not tonight.
Tonight, they had bigger fish to fry; and their target came in the form of Elena's own ancestor.
"We have to focus if this is going to end well," Bonnie finally said informatively, and everyone straightened up to listen to the young witch. "I've spelled all of your jewelry to prevent Tatia from being able to hop into any of your bodies. Matt, Tyler—here are your rings, too," Bonnie said, as she reached into her clutch and handed them replica lapis lazuli rings. "Don't take them off. For anything."
Matt and Tyler both nodded, and Damon sat up straighter as he cleared his throat and looked around the car.
He wouldn't admit it aloud, but Team Mystic Falls actually looked quite prepared to take this on, and he was relieved by that.
There weren't many times when everyone was on the same page, but tonight, they were, and he could only hope that would be indicative of what was to come.
Aside from those in the car, Elijah would be in contact about his whereabouts, as well as Klaus and Kol, and they would help them defeat this demon—literally —once and for all. They would all out their differences aside, at least for the night, to fight this, and when it was all over, things would go right back to the way they should be.
Damon just wanted to end this as soon as possible. The sooner he could go back to not giving a damn about Elijah, the better.
It seemed like seconds had only passed by the time they pulled up to Mystic Falls High School, and Rebekah grinned at the expressions of all the students walking in from outside, as they marveled at the Cadillac Escalade, and whispered their praises loud enough for her accelerated hearing to pick up on.
They were the talk of the dance, even before it had begun.
When the driver finally stopped the vehicle and opened the door, Bonnie pulled in a deep sigh to calm her nerves, letting out a short groan when it didn't work.
She soon felt a strange sense of relief, though, when she looked up to see Damon's eyes cascading on hers, and his hand extended from the outside of the limo as he waited for her to come out.
And again, she couldn't control the smile that formed onto her lips. He smirked back when he realized he was the reason.
"C'mon, Judgy. We may have demons to kill, but we also have a dance to attend."
Bonnie flashed her teeth as she nodded, slapping her hand into his, and climbing out of the SUV with his aid, before she finally offered a response.
"I suppose that we do."
XXXX
Elijah stood there quietly, as he ran his finger slowly over the blade of the carvings on the pure iron blade before him. His charcoal eyes studied the silver decorations that formed into it as Bonnie read the spell from the grimoire in front of he and Damon, and the knife seemed to take on an identity of its own.
It'd taken hours, but they finally found their solution in book number fifty four of Sheila Bennett's extensive occult collection, and Bonnie wasted no time working her magic on the weapon that Damon provided from his very own cutlery collection.
To kill a demon like Tatia, there were three steps; first, she would need to be trapped at her location with a salt barrier, which would prevent her from teleportation, and escaping once they had her within their grasps.
Elijah's plan to draw Tatia to the dance?
Make her believe that Elena Gilbert was in danger.
Though her reasoning for wanting Klaus and Elijah dead was to save Elena, Elijah's clairvoyance told him otherwise. Tatia needed Elena alive probably to sacrifice her, in exchange for a chance at her own human life. What better way to draw her near than to make her believe that her only chance at becoming human again was vulnerable to death?
The second part of killing a demon? The iron dagger.
Spelled by Bonnie, the blade needed to pierce directly through Tatia's heart, long enough to incapacitate her so that Bonnie could bring her to the final stage of her death: an exorcism.
The witch was the most nervous about this part, but with encouragement of both Damon and Elijah, and a night full of studying from her grimoires, she believed she was strong enough to do it. Once Tatia was exorcised, her spirit would be forced back onto the Other Side here she would no longer be able to crossover ever again.
It was a dangerous situation, but Elijah was willing to do whatever it took to kill her, once and for all.
She had been responsible for Finn's death, and if she had her way, the rest of them would be lifeless, as well. This needed to end, now, and with Bonnie's power, it could.
As always, Bonnie was the key to everything. And though it unnerved him how much pressure they were putting onto the young girl, she masked her insecurity well.
She pledged she would do this—could do this—and even if they believed it were too reckless, she would go for it anyway. Bonnie stated that she would stop at nothing, and Elijah believed in just that.
Elijah was knocked out of his thoughts when he heard footsteps enter his bedroom behind him, and Klaus was standing there, donned in a black suit, with a serious look on his face.
His face was unshaven, but his blonde hair was slicked back neatly, as he adjusted his tie before stuffing his hands into his pockets.
Elijah slipped the blade into the back pocket of his suit, as well.
"Kol's being a bit of a prima donna, but I figure he'll be ready within the next ten minutes or so," Klaus announced, and Elijah nodded in understanding before picking up his freshly poured glass of Gaja Barbaresco, and placing it to his lips.
"We have a deal of time anyway, before Bonnie and her friends are expecting us. I imagine they'd like to enjoy what they can of the dance before we must go to battle," Elijah said, and Klaus let out a short laugh. "What do you find your latest amusement in, Niklaus?"
"Nothing, brother," Klaus responded, before grabbing the bottle of red wine, and examining it curiously, "…Except for the matter that you're foolishly pretending as if Bonnie's date with Damon, tonight, doesn't aggravate you at all, when I know you much better than that," he stated, as Elijah's eyes slowly moved to meet his. "It worries you, doesn't it?"
Elijah licked his tongue across his teeth, and bit his lip.
Of course it worried him that Bonnie was giving Damon a chance, and here he was, the outsider between the three, when he shouldn't have been, at all. He'd done everything humanly possible to make Bonnie believe in a future with him, and yet, she was still interested in the silly little Salvatore boy, who could provide her nothing more than a mindless squabble on his best day.
What Bonnie saw in Damon, Elijah would never know or understand.
He just hoped after tonight, she would be over it. He prayed that one date would be enough to make her realize where she belonged, and that was with him. He just needed to have faith."
"I… am not worried," Elijah fibbed, and Klaus' smile turned to one of amusement. "I've simply decided to be patient with her, is all."
"And it is the very reason why you're losing," Klaus said, and Elijah's eyebrows furrowed. "You don't fight the way that he does—not when it comes to her. Have you even had the courage to tell her how in love with her you are, yet?"
Elijah's face nearly turned a ghostly white as he listened to Klaus' words, and almost spit out his drink.
"I beg your pardon?"
"You love her, Elijah; there is no use in denying it. But for some reason, you're hesitant about this; as though you're unsure if she loves you, as well."
Elijah gulped as he mindlessly spun his lapis lazuli ring around his finger that Bonnie spelled to protect him from Tatia's possession, but he remained quiet.
Klaus moved in a bit closer towards his older brother, and smirked when they were nearly nose-to-nose, before lowering his voice.
He was taking actual enjoyment in this; in the fact that Elijah could be just as cowardly and consumed as the rest of them when it came to falling for someone. His brother may not have had many flaws, but this was definitely one of them; when Elijah was in love, a strong part of his resolve weakened.
It was no wonder he was here, instead of already at Mystic Falls High School, immaturely breaking up a dance that Damon and Bonnie were probably sharing; because when it came to love, Elijah became just as panicked as the rest of them.
The only difference? He wasn't willing to risk making a fool of himself, like Klaus probably would tonight, the moment when he planned to steal Caroline away from her ordinary boyfriend for a dance.
Elijah was too calm and too calculated to take chances.
"I don't believe anything, concerning Bonnie or myself, is your business, Niklaus," Elijah said sharply, as he finished off his drink, and set his glass on the coaster. "Not after what you've done to her."
Klaus took in a sigh, and shook his head as he looked down to the ground, and then back up into Elijah's eyes.
They shone so brightly as he glared at him seriously.
"I… am regretful about what happened that night," he admitted. "I truly am—"
"Then prove it, Niklaus," Elijah said firmly, and Klaus' eyes narrowed. "Do everything in your power to protect her, tonight, and perhaps I'll believe you. Perhaps she'll believe you."
Before Klaus could offer a response, Kol strolled into the room, in a perfectly tailored designer suit, with a smirk on his face, and his brown locks slicked away from his forehead.
If the two didn't know any better, they would have sworn he was attending Fashion Week in Paris.
"Are we ready to go? I look unbelievably handsome tonight, and it would be a pity if I wasted my good looks on you two," Kol said, garnering a gentle smile from Elijah, and a roll of eyes from Klaus.
Typical Kol.
"Yes, we are ready," Elijah nodded, with the clap of his hands, and without another word, the three headed out of room, down the steps, and away from the house, as they got into Klaus' Bentley Continental GT.
When he roared the engine, Elijah folded his hands over his lap, and gazed outside of the window.
They were as ready as they'd ever be.
XXXXX
"Elijah's on his way," Bonnie said to Damon, as she looked up from her cell phone, and typed a quick message. "So, I guess once Tatia gets here—"
"It's 'Game On,'" Damon finished, as Bonnie sighed. "Everyone's on watch, so I'm sure she won't be able to slip in unnoticed," he added, and Bonnie nodded.
"And once she's in, I've got the salt, Elijah's got the dagger, we've got our rings, and—"
"Everything will be cake," Damon interrupted, and her olive eyes shined. "I promise."
Bonnie shook her head as she tucked a curl behind her ear, and scoffed lightly.
"I'm… sorry, Damon. I am basically the equivalent of a lousy date, right now," she said, as she glanced around the gym at the white, silver, and gold decorations that Caroline personally masked the room with, to make it as "heavenly" as possible.
Damon smiled as he looked into Bonnie's eyes, and he folded his arms.
"You're not that bad, Judgy—"
"I am," she cut in, as she exhaled. "And I just… Thank You, for dealing with it. I know this isn't your ideal 'date' between us, fighting demons and all, but once it's over… I'll… make it up to you," she forced out.
Damon didn't say a word as he continued to stare at her, before glancing around at the scenery before him.
This was ridiculous, he realized; as his blue eyes traced from the near three hundred balloons floating around the gym, to the sparkles of glitter that masked the tables. He looked on as many of the kids were dancing, laughing, or smiling with their dates—Bonnie's friends, included—and he observed the "Golden Gates" that had been set up for the students to take pictures in front of.
This entire thing was crazy, by his calculation, but he didn't expect anything from Caroline Forbes.
Better yet—he didn't expect anything less from he and Bonnie's first date together.
Sure, these were less than desirable circumstances, but why not at least try to make the best of it?
Damon Salvatore had never been an optimist, but with Bonnie, he wanted to be one. He wanted to believe that things would work out for the best, because they should, and in the end, he could show her a good time, no matter how much he would have to sacrifice to get it.
He wanted to make this a night to remember, and not just because of their plan to kill Tatia; because he wanted to make her happy, and while she was freaking out like this, she at least deserved that much.
Bonnie Bennett deserved to be happy.
"There is only one way you can make it up to me, Bonnie. And I think you know how," he said with a wiggle of his brow, as she turned up her nose, and snorted with disgust.
"Okay, first off, ew. Secondly? Ew—"
Damon rolled his eyes before he took her hands into his own, and Bonnie stopped abruptly.
The feeling of his fingers against hers stopped her words, cold, and the look in his eyes completely silenced her.
Maybe she didn't know what he was thinking, at all.
"Damon—"
"Dance with me," he said boldly, and her eyes widened. "Just once. And I will consider this the best night that I've ever had."
Bonnie opened her mouth in objection as she heard a slow song beginning to kick up, and she gulped.
"I—I'd do that, but it's probably not the best of ideas, right now, while we're waiting—"
"When will it ever be right?" he asked, and Bonnie's lips pressed closed. "You and me, Bonnie… this… wasn't ever supposed to happen," Damon said, and she breathed when she felt his fingers tighten against hers. "But it is—it's happening, because we both want it to, fate be damned… And I'm holding onto that… Aren't you?"
Bonnie didn't say a word as his oceanic eyes studied hers in an accusatory way.
He was right.
She was never supposed to want Damon Salvatore; she wasn't even supposed to like him. They were supposed to remain the two who got things done and took chances when the others couldn't because that's just who they were. She and Damon were supposed to remain two sides of the same coin, and all that they did was supposed to be to protect the people that they cared about, and nothing else.
But somehow, as Damon pulled her out onto the dance floor, and his hands wrapped at her waist, while her own cautiously crept around his shoulders, she'd realized it all changed.
It all changed, because she'd fallen for him—hard—and there wasn't a thing she could do to change that.
The words to the song finally kicked in, and Bonnie tried her hardest to ignore them, though they blared throughout her head accordingly.
You want your independence
But you won't let me let you go
Bonnie let out a gentle breath as she felt his hands grip at her sides even harder—protectively—as she forced herself to look into the eyes that were already so transfixed on her, all the while.
You think that you're the sun
The whole world revolves around you
The center of attention
And everything is drawn to you
Bonnie snorted at that, and Damon bit his lip in amusement.
"What's funny, Witchy?" he asked, and she shook her head quickly, as she shrugged her shoulders.
"Nothing," she said, and Damon followed her eyes. "I'm just… actually enjoying this, is all," she confessed.
Damon grinned as he spun her softly, and then recaptured her just as quickly, in tune with the song. He didn't remember the last time he'd really danced with anybody, but he knew that it couldn't have been as important as this.
Not a chance.
"You didn't think I'd be a fun date? I'm offended," he said lightly, and Bonnie laughed at the soft twinkle that caught his eyes, before he moved in closer, and she took another breath.
"I didn't say that," she pointed, as Damon smiled, and they continued to dance slowly. "I just… I didn't expect it, at all. Not from you. I expected none of this from you."
Damon nodded his head as he continued to watch her before he spoke again.
"Fair enough… And I suppose I didn't expect you to… take my breath away, the way that you have, tonight."
Bonnie stopped moving, and she stared at him. Damon stopped moving as well, and the faint traces of the music still reached her ears, though if she were honest, it was completely overshadowed by the sound of her own heartbeat, as his perfectly blue eyes glowed, even in the dim light of the gymnasium.
But I'll take my time if you want to
And I'll give you whatever you need
And I'll wait a lifetime to give it to you
Give in to you
"Damon, don't—"
"Why not, Bonnie?" he asked as he stepped in, and his face suddenly became so close, she could feel each and every breath expelled from his lips landing on her skin. "Why… can't I tell you that when I look at you… I see everything that is right in this would—everything that I want?" he asked, and she swallowed hard as his gaze continued to press hers. "Why am I not allowed to tell you that… it's probably the dumbest thing I'll ever say, but, when I think about the stupid theme of this dance—'Heaven on Earth'—I think of you? Because you are my heaven, and there isn't a thing in this world that I wouldn't do for you… Why am I not allowed to tell you all of that?" he asked, and Bonnie's stomach tightened as she felt her eyes begin to water.
I would wait a lifetime
And I would wait for you
Damon's hands smoothed up Bonnie's neck, and landed on her warm cheeks as she blinked furiously to escape herself from the emotions threatening to spill from her eyes. His thumbs grazed softly along her jaw, and Bonnie let out an incredulous laugh as her brows scrunched, and Damon's eyes continued to hammer away at hers.
"Bonnie—"
"You can't tell me that, Damon, because if you do… I just might fall in love with you… Even deeper than I already have."
Damon's thumbs stopped, and she watched as the color drained from his face as he stared at her in disbelief. Bonnie took in a deep breath as she shook her head, and felt an inevitable tear roll down her cheek.
"I'm sorry," Bonnie whispered, as she broke away from his grasps, and quickly walked off, and out of the gym; leaving a shocked Damon Salvatore to stand there, as he tried to gather just what the hell Bonnie had said to him.
Bonnie loved him? Just when had that happened? Drama with undead demons be damned, he needed to know how—or why—and he needed to know now.
He couldn't rest until he did.
Damon made his move to march out of the gym, and he was quickly stopped by a firm hand on his chest, and a concerned gaze that he knew all too well.
Stefan.
"Damon, where the hell are you going? And where's Bonnie?"
"I'm going to find her—"Damon said as he attempted to push past his brother, but Stefan stopped him again.
Elena's eyes narrowed with worry as she glanced at him and exhaled softly.
"Is she okay? What did you say to her?" Elena asked immediately, and Damon pressed his lips as he glanced between his brother and the doppelganger.
"It what she said," Damon informed, and both Stefan and Elena's eyes squinted in confusion. "She's… in love with me."
Stefan's hand dropped and with that, Damon moved past him, almost at the speed of light. Elena turned to face Stefan, and her hands dropped hopelessly to her sides as she gazed into his emerald eyes.
"Stefan—you can't just let them both run off like this—not when Tatia is such a threat. What's going on between them—"
"Is just an important," Stefan cut in, and Elena's eyes widened to the size of saucers, as her boyfriend let out a deep breath. "What Damon and Bonnie have… is just as important," he said."
XXXXX
"Bonnie!" Damon called, as he walked out into the hallway, just in time to catch the witch moving furiously, even in her heels. "Judgy, wait—"
"Leave me alone, Damon," she responded roughly, without even turning back to glance at him. "I—I don't want to talk about this; I really don't."
Damon didn't heed to her requests though, as he vamp-speeded his way over to her, and finally blocked her path, as he placed both hands against her shoulders, and pushed her up against the wall of lockers.
Bonnie didn't even as so much let out a gasp when her back slammed against them, much to his surprise, for she already had tears streaming down her face, and her angelic green eyes were rimmed in red.
Damon frowned as he stared at her, and she quickly wiped the water from her cheeks with the back of her hand. She refused to look at him, as well.
"Bonnie, look at me," he almost begged, as the witch continued to stare at the ground, without letting even a breath escape from her lips. "We need to talk about what you said—"
"Why?" she asked roughly, as his fingers continued to pin her shoulders to the cold surface behind her. "So you can tell me how much of an idiot I am for falling in love with somebody like you?" she asked, as tears threatened her eyes again. "I know the drill, Damon. You want things; especially women. They're like shiny new toys that you work so hard to get, but once you finally do—you don't care anymore. You never care—"
"You're wrong," he stated, and Bonnie laughed in incredulity.
"Am I, Damon? Just name it. Name one time when you've actually gotten what you wanted, and that was good enough for you?" she challenged, and he bit his lip.
"Right now," he said gently, and Bonnie's head whipped up to meet his eyes, as Damon continued to watch her in careful calculation. "Right now," he nodded in assurance. "I… love you too, Bonnie. I love you… so much."
Bonnie blinked slowly, as Damon placed a hand to her wet cheeks, and brushed away the tears that stained them easily. She was sure a look of bewilderment masked her face, but he didn't seem to mind, as he moved in even closer, until he was just a breath away.
"Say it again, Bonnie," he said softly, and she sniffled once, before her mint eyes finally captured and completely ensnared his.
"I love you, Damon Salvatore," Bonnie said smoothly, before shutting her eyes, and his chest tightened. "I am… in love with you."
She didn't get a chance to finish her words, as his lips pressed against hers, and Bonnie felt something similar to an explosion happen within her heart.
She'd done it; she'd declared her love Damon Salvatore, and just like she'd imagined, everything inside of her was boiling, from her blood, to the sensation in her fingertips, as they grazed across his skin, because he admitted it too.
Damon actually loved her.
It felt different than what she'd felt for Jeremy; as Damon's mouth formed against hers, and she struggled to keep her balance, because of her pure dizziness. What she'd known before didn't compare to this, she realized, as she could quite literally feel her soul opening up, and her heart threatening to leap out of her chest with each kiss he administered to her lips.
It was crazy, rapid, and it was frantic; but it was just the kind of love that she believed she always wanted.
When it came to loving Jeremy, she'd risked everything for it, as she formally got pushed onto the bad side of the spirits, and opened up a can of worms to the consequences just because she wanted to save him.
With Damon, it was as if he were saving her.
Each time his mouth curved against hers, and his hands slid against her sides, she felt something she'd craved to feel her entire life, the deeper and deeper she got into it.
Kissing Damon—loving Damon—made her feel alive, again, and there was no other emotion that could top this, she knew, when he slowly pulled back, and looked into her eyes.
Damon swallowed hard, and Bonnie traced her fingertips along his lips in easy fascination, while he glanced at her curiously.
Bonnie smiled softly.
"Just… making sure you're real," she said, and a smile finally cascaded along his lips, and met his eyes in the most brilliant of ways.
Damon nodded as his forehead pressed to Bonnie's, and he let out a gentle whisper.
"I'm… completely real… and completely yours, Bonnie Bennett."
Bonnie bit her lip, but with that, drew him in for another sweet kiss that melted him down his core.
She moaned tenderly, as the firm hold of his hands slid down the sides of her dress, and his mouth planted against her neck.
Bonnie shut her eyes to the sensation of Damon's lips kissing along her veins, and she clutched onto him even tighter, as they traveled up to her ear, and spoke very softly.
"I need you. Now. Please."
Bonnie took in a deep breath, because she knew exactly what he meant by his words, and in which way he actually needed her. The only thing that surprised her about his words was that he'd truly asked as nicely as he did.
She licked both her lips, and clutched onto his raven hair, while her fingers grazed along his scalp. She waited for him to scold her for that, but it was a though he actually liked it, as he seemed to be pushing her further against the lockers each time she did it.
Duly noted.
Instead of verbalizing her response, Bonnie answered with another heart-searing kiss to his lips, and Damon growled against her mouth when he felt her hands tugging at his tie, while she pulled him in closer.
It wasn't long before she was slowly unbuttoning his dress shirt, and he was feeling his way up her thighs, as his hands slipped beneath her dress.
Could it be that she actually agreed?
He wouldn't get the answer to that, as the clearing of someone's throat ruptured the moment, and Bonnie and Damon's lips separated from one another's the instant they heard it, and glanced down the empty hallway.
"Good evening," he said, as he walked slowly towards them, and Bonnie's hands released Damon's tie. "I—didn't mean to interrupt."
Bonnie suddenly felt nauseous as she took in the thinly veiled hurt that masked his face, as he looked between her and the Salvatore, in unwritten pain.
Damon let out a sigh as he looked at Bonnie, and she smoothed her dress as she stared at their visitor with apologetic eyes.
It was probably the worst aching that she'd ever felt in her entire life, as it pierced through her heart, and she felt like a golf ball lodged within her throat.
She attempted to speak anyway.
"Elijah," she started, but stopped, suddenly realizing that she had no idea what to say.
What could she say, at this point? He'd witnessed her kissing Damon Salvatore, but she was more concerned about what he'd heard. Did he actually hear she and Damon's exchange on the way that they'd really felt about each other?
She guessed "yes," when Elijah's charcoal eyes seemed to harden when he glanced into hers, and he reached into his back pocket to retrieve the dagger.
"Tatia is on her way," he said simply, as Damon re-buttoned his shirt, and The Original seemingly shot daggers at both of their eyes. "I believe we have some business to handle."
A/N: Hey all! So, I haven't updated in a fortnight, and I really, really apologize about that! This story is nearing its end, so it's pretty tough to update as much as I need to, seeing as I want the ending to be just right, but never fret! I didn't give up on it. I did, however, leave you with a nice cliffhanger to think about until I post the next chapter. What did you think about Bonnie FINALLY confessing her love to DAMON? Did you all expect that, or did you believe she was going to say it to Elijah? Why or why not? And how about Damon confessing that he feels the same way? And what exactly di Elijah hear? Do you think this is the end for him and Bonnie? And do you think the plan to kill Tatia will go smoothly once she actually arrives? Only time will tell…. As always, THANK you for reading (if you're still reading, hahaha) and for being patient with me! I know I am a super pain in the ass, but I am also very lucky to have people like you reading my fics! I have already begun work on the next chapter, and I hope it'll be up within a week, so brace your selves! Once again, THANK YOU, and don't hesitate to comment with your thoughts and speculations! I love reading that stuff, haha. Until next time, everybody! ;) P.S: The song Damon and Bonnie were dancing to is called "Center of Attention," by Jackson Waters—one of my absolutely FAVORITES that makes me think of Bamon every time I hear it. Take a listen if you're interested!