A/N: Upon popular request, I'm adding to this two-part. You know the Beginning, you know the End, but what happened in between?
I'll try to keep it as chronological as I can, but sometimes I get ahead of myself.
Replies to Reviews are at the end.
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the TVD characters OR any other celebrity mentioned in this fic. Warnings: language, angsty vibes
Prompt: "It's almost like I wasn't ready to forgive you. Huh, fancy that."/ "You'll be fine. You have me by your side."(slightly altered)
Word Count: 1839
Center Stage
An impatient knock interrupted Bonnie's concentration. She blinked and got mascara under both eyes. She huffed and went to answer the door without looking.
Classes and exams were officially over, thank whatever deity had been watching Bonnie's struggle to the end of the semester. The Gilberts had already planned a family vacation to Italy, and though they had invited Bonnie, she declined with the lie that she'd actually visit her Grams this Christmas. After some suspicious side-eyeing, Elena made Bonnie promise to get out and have some fun. So, Caroline's invitation to hang with the band was nearly kismet.
"Nice of you to actually knock this time," she said over her shoulder she continued into the room. "I'll be ready in a few."
Bonnie faced the mirror again with a scowl. It actually took her two hours to figure out her outfit—based on the weather and the lack of knowing where they were going—and now, she was tackling the mystery that was makeup. All she knew was the basics, a.k.a. what she learned in the ninth grade, and while it usually did the trick, she wanted more for tonight. Elena usually had makeup duty, and she had hair duty, but she was a little lost without her usual party partner.
"You gave Damon a key?"
Bonnie tore herself away from her despaired reflection and stared at the very not-Damon in her bedroom. Tight maroon pants, a plunging cream sweater with a leather jacket and a loose scarf hanging around her neck, Caroline could easily slay a room with her looks. Her eyeliner alone could cut a man.
"Oh, hi, Caroline," Bonnie finally found her voice. "I thought Damon...?"
"Nope, he and Stefan are meeting us there." Caroline glossed over Bonnie's outfit with a guarded look before disappearing into her closet.
"I didn't know where we were going," Bonnie felt the urge to explain, "so I was playing it safe."
"And though you look super cute, it's time to learn the first rule about hanging out with Blood and Bourbon." Caroline poked her head out of the closet, her mouth curved into a wicked smile. "Never play it safe, baby."
"So, do you know where we're going tonight?" Damon inquired a notch louder and a touch politer than usual.
Stefan, sunken in the farthest corner of the back seat, barely glanced away from his phone since Damon got into the car. The older Salvatore almost panicked without their bubbly blonde buffer accompanying them, but Stefan not-so-graciously fixed that by having his headphones in. He was a vision of his even broodier teenaged years—sickled spine, headphones, furrowed brow, old bomber jacket.
Thumbing through his Instagram feed, Stefan replied, "Center Stage."
Damon frowned; they hadn't been at the star-studded karaoke bar in years. Caroline had declared she was over it, that she sings in front of millions all the time, that she didn't want to do it in her free time too. About to express his thoughts, Damon saw Stefan's shoulder hunch a smidge more.
"All right, you know what? Let's just…" His fingers curled into his palm to prevent him from ripping both earbuds from his brother's ears violently. "Let's just confront this."
He watched Stefan's lips form a thin line… but his shoulders relaxed. That's a start.
"I am genuinely sorry for sleeping with Katherine." Attempting to lighten the mood, he added, "Since when do we let a girl get between us, anyways?"
"Since you slept with my girlfriend," Stefan stated. He rolled his eyes. "You apologized already. I heard it the first time."
"But, you're still like…" Damon waved a general hand about his brother. "Broody."
"It's almost like I'm not ready to forgive you." Stefan pretended to think about it, finger tapping his chin and all. "Huh, fancy that."
When he wasn't shunning him, Stefan's anger was sassy. And when he was sassy, Damon retaliated.
"Katherine wasn't right for you man. She had more in common with me than you—and she's hella older than you. Besides, she played the both of us."
"She was still my girlfriend."
"She said she was going to leave you."
"And how exactly did you think that was going to play out?" Stefan's face twisted incredulously. "We'd break up, you guys would get together, and it'd be all fine and dandy? God forbid the media caught wind of it. What a shit show our careers—"
"I obviously didn't think it through," Damon delivered through gritted teeth.
"No fucking way."
Stefan's anger was also profane.
Damon took a deep breath. "Okay, forget Katherine. I know it'll take time for you to forgive me—" Stefan shot him a dark look "—if you decide to forgive me," he added quickly, "and God knows I don't deserve it, but… We see each other way too often for you to freeze me out."
After a long, painful silence, Stefan pressed the button for the glass panel, isolating them from their driver. Damon glanced at Tom, the driver, a look that screamed if this gets dicey, save me before he met Stefan's deadpanned gaze.
"You're right." Oh. Well, that was easy. "You don't really deserve my forgiveness." Nevermind. "But we do have the band to consider. The people around us shouldn't suffer because you fucked up." Damon nearly tasted blood from biting his tongue. Stefan sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose, much like their father did whenever he was lecturing them. "Damon, this isn't even totally about Katherine, man. You keep doing whatever the hell you want without thinking about the consequences, and I'm your god damn brother. This was a new low for you."
Stefan's gaze was too heavy for Damon to match. All he could say was, "You're right." He scratched the back of his head. "I'm sorry I let you down."
"Save your sorrys, brother. Figure your life out."
They couldn't have arrived at a better time.
After Caroline redressed Bonnie in a red, plunging neckline sweater and smoked her eyeshadow and demanded she wore the brightest, glossiest red lipstick, the girls went to Center Stage. Apparently, it was a haven for all sorts of celebrities, to get blasted and get goofy in a safe environment. Before the brothers had arrived Caroline—after her many oh my gosh hi!'s and hey I haven't seen you in forever!'s—dished on Stefan's seclusion since Thanksgiving, and this outing was more about him than anyone else.
This was Operation Save the Salvabros.
"How long does it take to get another eggnog, hmmm?"
Bonnie's face warmed as Damon's words tickled her ear. She had been camped at the bar, halfway through a soda, giving the brothers and Caroline some space, but, obviously, she had been found out.
"You caught me," Bonnie gave a toothy smile, "I couldn't handle another one."
"I know." Damon's face contorted by disgust. "Poisoning the bourbon with milk and cinnamon like that. Appalling." He motioned to the bartender for his own refill. "But how are you going to sing with me without some liquid confidence?"
"Sing?" Bonnie laughed. "You told me yourself—my singing sucks."
"You don't have to be good to do karaoke." Damon took a gulp of his refill. "Just, maybe, a little inebriated." He raised his glass toward the stage. "Take this guy, for example."
Sean Faris, some B-list actor, was belting out a very mediocre rendition of Gavin DeGraw's I Don't Want to Be.
"You can't come to a karaoke bar and not sing Bon-bon."
"Unfortunately, he's right." Stefan stood behind them, Caroline right behind him. "Which is why Bonnie and I will do the next song."
"We will?" Bonnie shot a panicked look at Caroline, but Caroline's eyes were urgently wide. Remember the plan, they screamed.
"Nice try, brother," Damon stiffly put an arm around Bonnie's shoulders, "but I'm the Clyde to her Bonnie."
Before Bonnie would wonder since when out loud, Stefan simply offered a hand to her, eyes switching to Damon in a dark and mischievous way. "You steal my girl, I still yours."
"His what now?"
Despite her unintentional outburst, Damon's arm retracted after a beat. "Fair enough." Looking down at Bonnie, he added, "Knock 'em dead."
"I'm next!" Caroline called, but Stefan already led her to the stage. He didn't even ask her which song they should do as he went through the catalogue. While she didn't like being a tool in the feud between brothers, she tried to remember Caroline's plan.
"So, um, what song are we doing?" Her voice wavered too noticeably for her liking, but it finally drew Stefan out of his determined trance. He offered her a genuinely kind smile.
"Baby, It's Cold Outside," he answered. Luckily, she liked that song. "Sorry to drag you into this," he said as if he read her mind. "It's just the only way Damon would understand."
Bonnie sighed and replied, "Fine. But this is the only time I'll let this slide."
"Yes ma'am," Stefan laughed. "Besides, I figured since you're friends with Damon, becoming friends with Caroline, it'd be a good ice breaker for us." Bonnie held back her corny joke about ice-breaker and the weather. "Actually, did you know that people who sing together form bonds more easily?"
"Sounds someone is believing everything he reads on the internet," Bonnie teased.
They shared a laugh, and Stefan went over to the DJ to give the song and their names. Bonnie stood in the middle of the platform, clutching her microphone with both hands, and scanned the crowd. Caroline's face was beaming as she held two thumbs up, but Damon had to snap out of his glaring to crack an encouraging smile.
"Hey." Bonnie startled at Stefan's sudden presence. His smile changed from amused to reassuring. "You'll be fine. You have me by your side."
"Very Damon of you to say," she whispered as the music started. Stefan's eyebrows bounced, and he turned to the words on the screen before them.
"I really can't stay," Bonnie began, and the crowd began to cheer, Caroline the loudest of all.
The cheers continued as Stefan delivered his line, "Baby, it's cold outside."
"I've got to go away."
"Baby it's cold outside.
"This evening has been—" Bonnie turned to Stefan, who was already smiling at her.
"Been hoping that you'd drop in."
"—so very nice."
Without warning, he took her hand as he sang, "I'll hold your hands, they're just like ice."
Bonnie felt herself blushing her way through the song, as Stefan turned on the charm for the audience—he touched her hair, moved closer, put a hand on her knee, all as the song prompted. Their act seemed to engage the crowd more than the others.
During the interlude, Bonnie shot a glance at their table. Caroline's hands were clasped before her, and her smile widened. Damon, on the other hand, finally lowered his glass from his mouth and did the eyebrow thing. Bonnie nearly missed the last line, intoned with Stefan's, catching it at the end.
"Baby, it's cold outside."
So, originally, I was going to have a Bamon duet- like I even made the moodboards and everything for it... but then I was like, you know what'd be rad? Some Stefonnie with a dash of Defan rivalry/drama. I hope you enjoyed it! I already have the next chapter written, so maybe I'll have it up by next week. Maybe sooner! Let me know your thoughts, I always value/cherish/desperately seek them! (yikes!)
xo
Cassandra
P.S. If you have a prompt or scenario you'd want to see our beloved Bamon in, leave it in a review! If you have any Bamon song suggestions, please share them! Literally, the only things keeping me motivated recently are your reviews and music!
Replies to Reviews in Chronological Order
JustStockton: Okay, so, when I first read your review, I was like whaaaat because I just picked Contracts because I mentioned all the other law classes I know off the top of my head. I literally thought, Contracts? That can't be too hard to write! Lol, so I'm glad this came across as realistic! I was literally just aiming for that Bonnie's a hard worker vibe lol. Super thrilled you liked the update. Bamon are good for one another, it's true; they bring the best out of one another. Thanks for the reviewing and for reading!
La p-tite Antillaise: Re: Best Shitty Neighbor!Damon lmfao that's a great way of putting it. I actually have some more neighbory shenanigans coming up for these two! Re: song rec, this is a fab song for them! I'm definitely going to add it to my song list. Re: Baroline, here's some for you, and in the not too distant future (I hope?) there'll be the slumber party I've been promising. Anyways, thanks for reading and reviewing!
Bamonfeels: And the award for Best Shitty Neighbor goes to... Lol, I'm glad you loved this update! Thanks so much for reading and reviewing!
beginningtogo: Re: fluffy!Bamon, next update is very fluffy. Like, I'm going to put that as one of the warnings lol. I think you'll like it. It made me lol when I thought of the idea tbh. Re: Bamon's connection, that's true and I'm glad the story is coming across this way; Bonnie is very rigid in her ways, and Damon's go with the flow, and they both need to figure out the balance in their ways. They balance one another out. Re: Bonnie helping Defan, I don't know yet. Originally, I wrote this update with a lot of backstory because folks validating Stefan's feelings (which, you know, they are valid), but it never made the cut. Anyways, super glad you liked it. It's always a pleasure to read your thoughts. Thanks for reading and reviewing! (P.S. I got your msg on tumblr. I'm still cookin' up some ideas lol).
Realstone: Re: the actual contract, that's a good way of putting it. Bonnie isn't a talk-about-her-feelings type of gal (usually); she tries to figure things out on her own. And she's also a very school-driven person, so using her school life to figure out her personal life seems believable... right? Lol, glad you liked it! Thanks for reading and reviewing!
voicegrl: Awwww, that's such a compliment that you missed the story, and I'm sorry I haven't been updating. As you may know, life is the worst and keeps throwing things my way, so I'm trying my best to escape. Besides, canon is a goddamn joke, so I'm a little under-inspired. Anyways, re: Bonnie's eureka moment, Damon's pov is wildly different from Bonnie, and she needed to get out of her head to figure out her problem. Re: Stefan, yeah, I feel bad for him too. I hate writing him this way. This chapter is the beginning of a turning point, so hopefully, things get better soon. I'm glad you enjoyed the update, hope you enjoy this one too! Thanks for reading and reviewing!
DancesWithButterflies: Re: every day!Bamon, next updates, you'll love. Both are hilarious and cute. I'm glad you like it! Thank you for reading and reviewing!
Guest: Lol thanks, I love that you love this story. Thanks for reading and reviewing!
babekitt: Damon is an awfully cute guy when he's not trying to be a badass lol. Bonnie really needs someone to look after her when she's in WorkMode. Re: prompt, love it! I have some ideas about her Spring Break too! Thanks for reading and reviewing! I really appreciate it!
bellavida0213: LOL GURL, I'm gonna have to PM you later tonight. But thanks for reading and reviewing, I'm glad you liked it!
freckled98: Re: sweet!Damon, what can I say, the boy is a bag of surprises. Tbh, though, knowing Damon, it was more of a selfish reason that he's visiting her aka he's bored aka he missed her and didn't care if she wanted visitors lol. But, yeah, know, still sweet. Thanks for reading and reviewing!
Shrilaraune: I'm honored. That is all. (Thanks for reading and reviewing, lol, reviews like this make me so happy)
Sc0rpo0-Karma: Re: song rec, never heard it, I'll give it a listen! Especially the way you're describing it, it's soooo Damon it hurts lol. I can definitely think of a way to work it into the story. Thanks so much for sharing it with me! And thanks for reading and reviewing!
CreoleSiren: Gurl yaaasss, I'm so glad! I'm honored! I'm blessed! Lol, I hope you like this update! Thanks for reading and reviewing!
You guys are totally awesome for sending me your thoughts! I love you guys!
P.S. find me on Tumblr at the story's blog (bloodandbourbon-thefic) or my personal one (lightninginmyeyes)!