AUTHOR'S NOTES:
- Answering to comments:
1. This isn't a specific response, just for all the people who commented on the previous chapter, thank you for the sweet comments! I'm glad you enjoyed the content!
2. (READ AT YOUR OWN DISCRETION, CONTAINS ANTI-ELENA AND ANTI-DULLENA THOUGHTS): I'm glad you're enjoying Elena's character in this fic! I know it would've been easy to make her the bad guy, but the trope of girlfriends/boyfriends being an obstacle to the relationship is frankly tiring to me, and it's not what I want my story to be about (also, I couldn't stand to be writing anything dullena). I'm going to be honest, I am very much anti-elena in the show, I liked her in s1-3 and s4 is what really made me hate her (if I wasn't hating her, I was indifferent to her anytime after s4). I just wanted to create an Elena that I like lmao (obviously if you like Elena, that's fine, everyone has different opinions about tvd and I'm always open to hearing them). As for Stefan, he isn't going to blow up or anything. Stelena (in this fic anyway) is cool now, there's no resentment about hiding Lila and they won't be fighting lol. As for Damon maturing, I thought it might seem OOC but I think having a kid also requires you to change your habits (if you put in the effort and thought, of course). As mentioned before, Damon and Bonnie understand the effects of growing up in an unhappy household and it's only natural to me that they would want Lila to have the happy and loving childhood that they never did. Damon and Bonnie's relationship is not just about them anymore, Lila is a part of it and an actual human being; their actions and choices will have a REAL and LASTING impact on someone other than themselves, and both of them are well aware of this fact. Otherwise known as being parents lol
I hope you guys enjoy this chapter, happy reading! You might be a little disappointed by the ending of this chapter, but I promise that the next chapter will provide what you've been waiting for :)
PLAYLIST:
- Summertime Magic by Childish Gambino (Bonnie's present POV)
- Lonely by Noah Cyrus (Bonnie's flashback)
- Close by Nick Jonas ft. Tove Lo (Damon's present POV)
- Switch by 6lack (Damon's flashback)
Disclaimer: I do not own the Vampire Diaries or the characters.
Bonnie has her hands on her knees, bent over panting softly with her chest heaving and Matt bumps her shoulder lightly.
"You are seriously out of shape, Bon," Matt remarks, and she scowls, suspecting that he's secretly laughing at her a little.
"You let me know how fit you are after your body goes through childbirth and you have to raise a kid by yourself," she replies hotly, still trying to catch her breath and he laughs.
"I'll be sure to document every moment when it happens."
"Smart ass."
She finally stands up straight, stretching her back slightly as the morning sun peeks through the pine trees. They're standing in the Mystic Falls Cemetery after a 45-minute run; Bonnie wanted to hang out with Matt again, and apparently he runs every morning at 6:30 a couple times during the week. So far, in between short breaths, she's told him everything that's happened recently and also discovered that she has lost quite a bit of stamina.
"Hey, do you think Elena would like a new perfume for her birthday? I'm still figuring out what to buy her."
"Well, what do you usually buy Vicki? That could give you an idea."
"Uh...I alternate between jewelry and perfume," he mumbles, and Bonnie laughs.
"Perfume is fine. Although, did she tell you what she was thinking of doing for her birthday?"
"Going to a club in Charlottesville?"
"Yeah, you could offer to pay for her entrance fee, pay for her drinks in a friendly, not creepy way."
"Maybe, but I feel like Stefan might cover all that for her."
"Good point. Well, if you're shopping for her, you can always call me and I'll help you out. Wait, how is Stefan gonna cover that? He's not turning 21 for a few months."
"Uh, well Ty's uncle Mason knew a guy that made fake IDs, so we all kinda got one. I don't need it anymore, obviously."
"Does Caroline have one? I distinctly remember she had to secretly drink what I got at the Grille."
"She does have one, but everyone knows she's the sheriff's daughter and no one wants to be held responsible for letting her drink underage. Plus, everyone knows everyone around here. Who would she be able to fool?"
"Wow, and yet you judge me for slipping Caroline my drinks," Bonnie teases, chuckling, "Have you been to a club before?"
"Ha, no. Never really had a good reason to go, and it's not exactly cheap. If everyone goes, then of course I'm down for a first-time experience. You?"
"Once, just with some of my university friends. I don't think I stayed for very long, though. Other than that, the drinks either get brought to me through Lucy or I don't do it at all. Can't exactly watch Lila with a glass of wine in my hand. Also, since we're on the subject of birthdays, what do you think I should get Damon for his birthday?"
"What? When's his birthday?"
"It's in two days. I'm stumped, he said he doesn't want anything but obviously I'm still going to get him a gift anyway."
"Haha, obviously. Well, I don't know, get him a new shirt or some nice leather jacket? A bottle of bourbon?"
"You want me to buy him a bottle of bourbon, even though he's around Lila all day everyday?" Bonnie asks with a deadpan voice, raising her eyebrows and Matt flushes, scratching his neck.
"Okay...maybe not the best idea. I suck at gifts, you know that, Bon. You always give good gifts, just get whatever comes to mind."
"I can't just buy him an expensive shirt or jacket, his gift should be something really special. Like, special as in I'm giving him a gift to show how much he means to me and also to show I'm sorry for royally fucking up."
"A gift to show how much he means to you, hmm," Matt repeats, his eyes twinkling mischievously and Bonnie shakes her head quickly, her cheeks feeling hot all of a sudden.
"As Lila's dad and for moving to Atlanta, that's all. I'm not going to buy him some scrapbook of us or a fancy watch, he's technically my ex-boyfriend so nothing romantic."
"Well, a personal gift doesn't mean it has to be romantic. You guys have Lila, maybe something to do with her? You know that he's missed three years of her life, so maybe find a way to create a gift that has to do with her."
"And you say you're horrible at gifts," Bonnie nudges his arm playfully, and he grins.
"I only gave you advice, I never said what exactly you should get him."
"You should give yourself more credit, Matty."
"Yeah, yeah. Okay, let's jog back to your house. Do you think your dad will mind if I step in for breakfast?"
"Nah, if he can let Damon stay there, then you'll be fine. After all, he's always liked you."
Matt chuckles a little. "Right. Are you ready to run?"
"Physically or mentally? Because it's a no to both."
"Ready? Go!" Matt takes off, glancing back at Bonnie with a grin and she groans, following him after a moment.
FEBRUARY 2010
"Happy birthday, Bon! Holy crap, time flies," Caroline exclaimed, smiling as Bonnie shifted the computer in her lap so she can see Caroline a little better on Skype.
"Thank you, Care. How was your day?" Bonnie asked, resting her hand on her growing belly.
Lately she's been buried under baggy clothes, attempting to hide her bump as long as she can but it feels like it's growing everyday; eventually it'll be too hard to hide, and she'll have to face everyone's stares at her new school. At least all they know is that she's pregnant, not her whole history like everyone in Mystic Falls would. It's been more than a month since she's been in Atlanta, and she's still trying to figure out her new life here. Aunt Emily and Lucy have been super kind and understanding, Lucy's been showing her around the city but sometimes it feels like her head is still wandering around Mystic Falls.
"Oh, you know, it was boring. School is still kinda slow at the moment so not too much work, me and Tyler went to the Grille to shoot some pool and yeah...um, Elena talked about you a little today too," Caroline chewed on her lip nervously, and Bonnie stiffened, before trying to relax her body again. She didn't want her stress and tension to affect the baby, so she's been trying to stay calm whenever she feels like she's getting upset.
"Oh. What about?" She'd received two calls and a text from Elena, but she hadn't bothered to check it yet. There was only really one person she'd been checking for today.
"Well, it is your birthday. The same old questions, why you left and why you haven't been answering any of her calls or messages. And don't worry, I'm keeping my mouth shut," Caroline pursed her lips, and Bonnie sighed, rubbing her face.
"Care, I'm sorry for making you keep this a secret, it's not fair to you or Elena-"
"Okay, you need to stop apologizing because I'm only pissed at Elena for how oblivious she's being! How hard can it be to connect the dots? I know you don't wanna hear this, I just need to let off some steam...I'm sorry, you're literally pregnant and I shouldn't be talking about this. You're going through enough. In fact, you should be celebrating today, Bon. Have you gone out at all today?"
"I just went to school, Aunt Emily made a nice dinner. Nothing special, my dad called earlier too and we talked for a while. He's thinking of coming down for a couple months to help me with the baby."
"Oh, that's great about your dad coming down! Thank god he's stepping up, that's really nice. But that's all you've done today? Anything else?"
"Nope...just waiting for a phone call, really," Bonnie gave her a thin smile, and Caroline sighed sadly.
"Maybe he'll call later? It's not too late, or he's held up at school. University work is crazy."
"Right. Yeah, of course. He'll call me...why wouldn't he?" Bonnie said, more to herself than to Caroline. She couldn't lie to herself, she was starting to lose hope. If Damon wouldn't reach out on her birthday, then what other day could possibly be better than today? Sure, he had just been using her as a distraction, but she thought she'd known him well enough to know that he'd call about something like this. Every day that passed, every day that he didn't call felt like a stab to the heart. Had she really been so blind to what was really going on? She never thought it was like him to walk away, especially not from his own kid, but now she wasn't so sure. She wasn't really certain about anything anymore.
"Just give it time! Maybe he'll call later, he could be busy tonight."
"Maybe...maybe I should call him?"
"No way, Bonnie. The ball is in his court, he's the one that needs to call, okay? Don't call him. It's his move."
"Okay. I should go now, I'm feeling tired. Pregnancy, right?" Bonnie lied, managing a small smile and Caroline gave her a bright smile; it's probably a little forced, but Bonnie is glad that she's letting her end the Skype anyway.
"We'll talk soon, okay? I still want regular updates on your pregnancy," Caroline said, and Bonnie nodded.
"Of course. Bye Care, have a good weekend."
"Take care of yourself, Bonnie. Happy birthday again."
Bonnie ended the call, picking up her phone to check for any new messages or calls. Nothing new. She buried her head in her hands, trying to stifle the tears pricking her eyes. Everyday her fears ate away at her, always wondering how she was going to get through this and if she was even prepared to have a baby. She'd never felt so alone in her life.
PRESENT DAY: 2013
"Aunt Jenna went there once, she said it was really classy and Matt told me that Vicki has been there a couple times too. I was thinking we could go the day of my birthday, since it'll be a Saturday night which will make it even more fun! What do you think, can you come?" Elena asks hopefully, smiling as she takes another bite of cake.
"Of course, I wouldn't miss it. What did you say the club was called again?" Bonnie sets down her plastic plate on the patio table, sitting down and Elena joins her on the opposite side of the table.
"It's called Lux. Caroline and Tyler are coming, and Matt will confirm once he finds someone to cover his shift. I was thinking about inviting Damon too, since our birthdays are close together and I feel kinda bad about all the fights we've had lately. I think he could use a night out."
"Yeah, I think he'd go if you asked. You might wanna let the others know beforehand, just so we don't have to sit through a passive-aggressive car ride," Bonnie jokes, and Elena laughs.
"Yeah, good point."
Stefan and Damon finally step out, carrying a pack of beer and the rest of the gifts for Damon's birthday. They approach the patio table, setting down the beer and gifts before sitting with them.
"How's Lila doing?" Bonnie asks, accepting a beer from Stefan.
"Miranda is teaching her some new game, she's having fun," Stefan replies kindly.
"Hey Damon, I was planning to go to a club in Charlottesville for my birthday, since I'm turning 21 and you should come! We're all going to drive down, it'll be really fun," Elena exclaims cheerily, taking the bottle opener from Stefan for her beer and Bonnie watches Damon, noticing him look her way almost imperceptibly. He's waiting to see what she said, she realizes; the notion almost makes her laugh out loud, but she just chooses to respond with a tiny nod.
"Yeah, I could use a break from being a parent," Damon smirks, taking a swig of his beer, "Who else is going? Stef, will Tom Avery be joining us?"
Stefan rolls his eyes, flipping Damon off. "Tom Avery isn't even a bad fake ID name, and I only have to use it for a few more months."
"I think Tom Avery is kinda hot," Elena remarks coyly, her eyes twinkling and Stefan winks at her, eliciting a groan from Damon.
"Why did I let you guys celebrate my birthday with me again?" Damon complains.
"Because I'm the only one who knows mom's birthday cake recipe that you love so much," Stefan interjects.
"Also, we brought you gifts," Elena adds, smiling. "Here, you can open mine first. Me and Stefan got separate presents for you. Unfortunately, we did not get you bourbon. We thought we'd save it for next year."
"You guys wouldn't be able to buy it anyway," Damon comments, smirking as he accepts a small gift bag from Elena. He takes out the tissue paper, pulling out a card; he reads it silently, before giving Elena a nod with a tiny smile and pulls out two gift cards.
"They're from a home interior store...I know they have a bunch of those stores in Atlanta too. I thought you could use it for when you get a place, to help you with decorating. There's, um, more too."
Damon pulls out a maroon dish towel with an S embroidered on, and a small Mystic Falls keychain with raised eyebrows.
"Consider the dish towel an early housewarming gift for you, and the keychain is so you can remember home."
"Thank you for the gift, Elena," Damon replies politely, both of them getting up to hug, Damon gives her an awkward pat on the back and Bonnie can see Stefan stifling a smile. Stefan then hands his gift and card to Damon with a flourish, trying to keep his face neutral and Bonnie feels her stomach churning a little. She'd told Damon that she wanted to give him her gift at their get-together with Elena and Stefan, but now she was starting to regret it. It isn't a bad gift, which is exactly why she's starting to wish that she'd just given him his gift in private.
"I see you went sentimental, little brother," Damon is holding a small children's chapter book in his hand.
"I thought it might be nice to start a family tradition, you can read it to Lila just like how Mom would read it to us," Stefan explains, and Bonnie's hand inadvertently touches her Grams' ring; another tradition that she hopes to start with Lila. Damon pulls out a thick rectangular envelope, peeking inside and groans, looking up at Stefan with resigned annoyance.
"Aw hell, you didn't."
"Father won't even notice that I took any photos! He never looks at them, and I thought you should have some of your own. They were all in the photo albums, the house is so big anyway that he'll assume the pictures are lost."
"You'll pay if he does find out."
"That's fine with me, brother," Stefan answers, staring back calmly at Damon's vexed face. "Bonnie, why don't you give Damon your gift?"
"Sure," Bonnie hands him her gift, holding her shaking hands in her lap and tries to smother down a nervous smile as he sorts through the bag. He pulls out the large rectangular picture frame, staring down at the cutout photos of Lila from the past three years.
"I thought it might be nice for you to have a picture frame of Lila, like a little collage," Bonnie explains tentatively, his eyes flickering around to the different photos of Lila.
"That's really sweet, Bon," Elena adds warmly, smiling as she peers across the table to try to get a better look.
"Yeah, thank you," Damon turns his head to look at her, his face impassive but his eyes are soft and seem so focused on her.
"I got you something else too, it's kind of the same thing," Bonnie adds, ignoring the heat rising up to her cheeks and he looks through the bag again. He pulls out a smaller picture frame, his eyes widening in surprise at the photo; it's from Lila's birthday party, and Lila is sitting in Damon's lap while he holds her ice cream cone. She's grinning widely, and even Damon looks slightly less broody in the photo with his trademark smirk, which is why Bonnie chose it. "I know there are all these photos of me with Lila, and I thought you deserved to have one too. When you start work or uh, get your own place, it's something for you to take with you."
"Let's see the photos, Damon," Stefan says, and Damon wordlessly sets them down in front of them. Elena points out a specific photo, telling Stefan some story about it and Damon shifts to turn his body towards Bonnie.
"I know it's not a bottle of bourbon or your car, but I thought it might be the next best thing," Bonnie remarks casually, but she's not entirely sure what he's actually thinking. It's not exactly hard to read him, but it feels like her nerves have overpowered her senses.
"No, it's great. They're great, thank you again," Damon replies, almost so quiet that Bonnie's straining to hear and she knows he means it, because he doesn't want Stefan or Elena to hear him.
"I'm glad you like them," is all Bonnie can manage to say, and they hug.
Damon's chin is tucked right on her shoulder near her neck, breathing softly and her hands are around his shoulders; she can't deny that she missed the smell of his cologne, or the way her body seems to fit with his so nicely but she won't say anything. Instead, she just relishes the moment while it lasts.
"Omigod, we're one group away from getting in!" Caroline squeals, tossing her curled blonde hair over her shoulder. "Once we get in, you and me are doing shots, Bon."
"Okay, Care. Don't go pushing shots towards me all night, though," Bonnie warns Caroline from beside Damon, leaning against the brick wall with a faint grin and Damon's having trouble taking his eyes off Bonnie. She's wearing a bright red satin top with a black shirt that seems to be hugging her in all her right places, her makeup seems to make her dark green eyes more intense and her hair is in curls, some strands have been pulled back courtesy of Caroline. No, it's not helping at all that she looks so good right now, making Damon think things that most definitely should not be on his mind.
"Don't worry, I have it all planned out. I'm going to pace myself, I've set increments so I know exactly when I should take a shot. I don't want to rack up my bill, of course, or end up puking in the toilet while I'm still at the club."
"I thought the whole point of drinking was to unwind and relax," Damon points out, smirking and Caroline rolls her eyes, huffing.
"Compared to what, lurking in the dark corners of the room?" Caroline shoots back defensively, crossing her arms over her sparkly gold dress; Damon can hear Stefan chortle slightly, and scowls.
"Better than becoming an overzealous emotional drunk," Damon says loudly, feeling Stefan step into their little conversation with a scoff.
"Would you prefer that I was an angry and aggressive drunk, Damon?" Stefan responds.
"Actually, yes. It would be so much more fun to party with you, then."
"Drunk Stefan is one of my favourite Stefans," Elena jumps in, tucking her chin at Stefan's shoulder with a grin. Everyone else has joined their conversation, Tyler is weaving his way over to Caroline and Matt is standing next to Elena.
"He gives great compliments," Caroline adds, grinning as she hooks Tyler's arm around her waist.
"I think we moved up," Matt chimes in, and Elena squeals as they move right up in front of the bouncer.
"Hey, Tommy, where's your little girlfriend, Katerina? I noticed she's not here," Damon points out mockingly to Stefan, earning him an eye roll.
"Katerina Petrova has permanently left," Elena grins, "I've taken over her position."
"Was that your fake ID name?" Bonnie asks amusedly, stepping away from the wall of the building and stumbles a little, her cheek close to brushing Damon's shoulder.
"Yup. Had a lot of good times with her, but Elena Gilbert is ready to party now," Elena jokes, her eyes shining.
"Guys, pull out your IDs and money! We're going in!" Caroline yells, already turning to the bouncer with Tyler. They all rifle through their pockets and bags, taking out cash and IDs.
"Tom, better keep your ID safe," Damon teases, his eyes widening mockingly at Stefan.
"Shut it, Damon."
They all flash their IDs and hand them the cover fee, walking inside one by one. Damon follows after Bonnie down a dark hallway, the thumping bass of the music growing louder; they walk into the club, tiny bright lights shining down from the ceiling and there are already crowds of people around the room. There's several stairs leading down to the bar and dance floor, with large seating areas. Elena approaches Bonnie excitedly, talking in her ear as they descend the stairs to the main area; Damon can feel Stefan beside him, surveying the club with crossed arms.
"I guess we should follow after them," Stefan yells in his ear. "Bonnie looks nice tonight."
"Don't be a spoilsport, Stef. It's just Elena's birthday celebration, no reason to play matchmaker," Damon responds sharply, ignoring Stefan's smile.
"I saw the way you two were on your birthday. What's stopping you, Damon?"
Damon notices everyone else has already gathered at the bar, clearly ordering the first shots of the night and Bonnie is waving them over with a smile; he walks over to them, Stefan's words still lingering in his head.
MARCH 2010
Damon hurled his jacket on his bed angrily, heading into his closet where a bottle of Bourbon is buried under some old clothes. It's his first day of spring break, and he's spent it so far staking out Bonnie's house like a creepy stalker. No one was home; no car parked in the driveway and the curtains were drawn. Not one sign of movement. Back at school, Enzo had provided a nice distraction, forcing him to go to parties and serving as a wingman but he went back to England to visit his family for the break, and now Damon has only himself. What a depressing thought.
He flicked the cap off the bottle, taking a swig and peered down at his phone. Maybe just a text would make all this over, just a text could give him the relief he needed. But then again, what was the point? She left him with no explanation, she had her reasons for it and why should he hear what she has to say? It would probably just be some stupid long breakup speech, and he'd rather not listen. No, ending things like this was good enough for Damon. If anything, it was the best way.
"Where were you all day? I haven't seen you," Stefan's voice said from behind him, and he quickly tucked away the bourbon; he grabbed a shirt, picking it up as if he'd dropped it and turned to face his brother.
"I've been around. It's my spring break, I'm relaxing," Damon answered, keeping his face blank and Stefan arched an eyebrow.
"Right...you know, maybe Bonnie's spring break is another week, and she'll come home for a week," Stefan suggested, still observing Damon.
"You keep her name out of your goddamn mouth," Damon exclaimed sharply, his face darkening, "I don't wanna hear her name."
"Or, instead of being mopey, you could call her-"
"SHUT YOUR FUCKING MOUTH!" Damon yelled, advancing quickly with rage. "I'm tired of hearing what I should be doing! Stop trying to fix it!"
"I'm just trying to help you, you're clearly mis-"
"I don't need your fucking help! Leave me alone, Stefan," Damon seethed, walking past him and purposely bumped into his shoulder. He grabbed his jacket from his bed, storming out of his room and down the stairs; he can't be in here anymore. It feels all the more suffocating ever since she left.
PRESENT DAY: 2013
"Matt, thank you for driving us home. You're such a good friend, you're so cool about everything. I wish I had a real job like you," Stefan slurs, waving his drink around casually and Matt laughs.
"I have an early shift tomorrow, Stef. I don't mind being designated driver," Matt replies, exchanging amused glances with Damon. They've never exactly been friends, but observing Stefan's drunk antics together has been the friendliest interaction they've had so far.
"Where's Elena?" Stefan pouts, looking around like a lost baby deer and Damon snickers, taking another sip of his drink.
"Can't go five minutes without her, can you? She went to the washroom with Caroline," Damon answers, watching Stefan sigh dramatically and flop back on the cushions of the seats with wide eyes.
"I just love her so much, you know? She has the softest hair ever, did you guys know that? Her eyes look like chocolates, she's just so beautiful, I'm so lucky," Stefan sighs again, looking like someone out of a romantic comedy.
"I do not envy you tonight, Donovan, listening to Stefan the lovesick fool," Damon says curtly, taking another sip of his drink.
"It's good blackmail for the future. You wouldn't believe the dirt I have on some people about drunk decisions. Besides, I won't be sitting in front of a toilet at the end of the night," Matt replies, bopping his head a little to the music
Damon once again tosses a look at the dance floor, zoning in on a laughing Bonnie dancing with Tyler. He knows she's already had a couple drinks, her face is a little flushed and her eyes are bright but she's having a good time; his eyes can't help but rake up and down her body, the way she's dancing is making him feel hot all of a sudden.
"Hey, we're back!" Caroline and Elena appear, blocking his view of Bonnie and he tampers down his annoyance, giving them a tight smile.
"Elena," Stefan sings, "I missed you so much."
Stefan gets up, stumbling a little and wraps his arms around Elena's shoulders, kissing her head affectionately and she laughs.
"Ugh, take the lovefest somewhere else, you two," Caroline comments, but she's smiling and her cheeks still look flushed from dancing. "I need to sit down, my feet are killing me."
"Let's go dance," Stefan says, leading Elena to the dancefloor happily just as a new song starts playing.
Damon frowns, wondering why it sounds so familiar; it's a few years old, but he's definitely heard it before at another party. It's the song that he and Bonnie danced to when they first kissed, he realizes and his eyes snap to Bonnie, but she's already staring back at him, the same recognition written all over her face. She's still dancing with Tyler and Damon is sitting down with his drink, but they're both still watching each other, neither wanting to break the magnetic pull of their stares. He finishes off his drink, barely even registering the taste; all he can focus on is the music and Bonnie's piercing eyes that seem to be burning holes right into him. He gets up slowly, saying something about getting another drink and weaves past the people on the edge of the dancefloor; he glances at Bonnie a couple times, her eyes still on him.
"Another glass of bourbon," he tells the bartender loudly, leaning against the counter when he feels her beside him.
"I'll have a shot of tequila," Bonnie says, and the bartender nods, pouring their drinks. Damon takes his glass, barely focused on his drink as he watches her tilt her head back, downing her shot. He takes a sip of his drink, still watching Bonnie as she looks back to him, a secretive smile on her face.
"Not going to dance?" she asks, turning her body to face him.
"Nah, not tonight," he replies slyly, smirking.
"Hmm, I thought you liked this song. You told me once that you made exceptions when it comes to dancing."
"Sometimes, if I can be persuaded," Damon knows this conversation is heading into dangerous territory.
"Sounds like a challenge to me," she reaches a hand up, stepping closer to adjust the collar of his shirt with a flirtatious look on her face. "What's it gonna take to get you out there?"
"I'm sure you can think of something."
Damon realizes how close she is to him, staring up at him with her bright eyes and long lashes, inching closer and closer towards him. He dips his head, resting a hand on her bare hip when a heavy arm is flung around his shoulder, causing him to jump back.
"Hey guys! My two favourite people together, wow," Stefan says, both his arms around Bonnie and Damon with a lazy smile. So much for making a move, brother. Damon gives him a bitter smile, feeling annoyed at drunk Stefan and even Bonnie looks a little exasperated.
"Don't tell me you're getting another drink," Bonnie remarks lightly, no longer looking at Damon.
"Oh, Bonnie, you're such a good friend. Always looking out for everyone, like a mom," Stefan giggles at his own sentence, and Damon shakes his head.
"Okay, I think you're cut off now, Stef. No more drinks for you," Damon tells Stefan firmly, and Stefan frowns.
"Damon, you're spoiling my fun. You need to loosen up, try to enjoy yourself," Stefan whines, and Bonnie giggles a little as Damon narrows his eyes.
"I need to loosen up?!"
"Yes, Damon. I love you, but it's becoming a problem," Stefan answers solemnly, patting Damon's cheek sloppily.
"Okay, let's go find the others," Bonnie interjects, tugging on Stefan's arm and indicating to Damon to follow; he walks with them back to their table, feeling extremely disappointed and a little pissed off at Stefan.
Thank you for reading, feel free to leave a comment!