This was a tough time for all of them. Everyone made their way back to Mystic Fall, but there was tension, sadness, and confusion. Damon and Stefan made their way back to town before everyone, having a tough conversation with Lily. She wept as the brothers told her they were staying with Bree and Giuseppe. Lorenzo thought this was great having the boys' head to New York to live with their own father. Lily rushed off to her room, heartbroken. Of course Lorenzo's mood changed once his own son returned to have a talk.
Enzo told his father he too was planning on staying in New York, how Bree Salvatore was helping him break into the music industry, and how Giuseppe offered him a place to stay until he started his first tour next year. Lorenzo raised hell for an hour, threatening him and his mother, planning on cutting her checks. But Enzo spoke to his mother before this conversation, warning her to lawyer up because there would be a fight heading her way. His mother was prepared to go to war with her ex-husband, letting her son know she's willing to support him and his dream. This left Enzo heartbroken over leaving his mother in favor of his dad.
Lorenzo eventually got even more heated once he saw Damon lurking around. Lorenzo excused himself, saying he was going to check on Lily. Once his father left the living area, Damon came in. They stood in silence until it got more tense. "Roommates again, huh? Never thought you'd have the balls to stand up to your pops. I'm proud though." Enzo turned to face the fireplace.
"I'm tired of living for others, I have a chance this time to do things differently." Enzo knew this was his big break, and his connection with the Salvatores was finally paying off.
He heard Damon fall onto the sofa near him. "What about Bonnie, you two finally found true love? Are you really willing to risk it?" Damon asked. He was curious.
Enzo just chuckled, he's happier than he's ever been, but he couldn't have it all. He had to choose. "Your inspiring words got to Bonnie. Not only that, but Matt's decision for Sarah. She knows if I don't do this, I'll regret it for the rest of my life. If I make it huge, I'll come back for her, and if I don't, I'll have a home to come back to. Either way, I'm coming back." He told Damon, he and Bonnie made their choice. "I'll never stop loving her, but I'll never stop loving music. We'll make it work."
Damon just nods. "When Giuseppe told me and Stef that he changed, I couldn't believe him. Bree was just so damn sure, she had that look in her eyes. It reminded me of Bonnie." Enzo slowly turned towards Damon. "It was nothing like when I saw him embrace Stefan, I've never seen him like that, not with any of us. Like he was a different person." Enzo was pleased to hear about Giuseppe's new found personality. When the man invited him to stay with him and his wife, Enzo was shell-shocked and startled. Stefan gave him a look that told him he could trust Mr. Salvatore, and he seemed genuine.
"Rehab can do that to a person. I'm glad he's seeking help, and you too. I think that's brave of you." Enzo was pleased to hear that Damon was serious about changing his life around. Giving himself a break with Elena and patching his relationship up with his father. They were all going to family counseling with Dr. Lexi Branson. "I'll meet up with you and Stefan. I have some more goodbyes before I leave."
Damon stood up and reached out towards him, going in for what felt like an awkward hug. And it was completely catching Enzo off guard. Enzo accepted it anyway. He and Damon were going to make things right.
"So you're leaving us." Rebekah Mikaelson hated not having her way. She could be spoiled and bratty when she felt like it, and now she felt very much like taking a knife to Stefan's heart, like he was doing to her.
Her brother rested himself by her doorway as Stefan explained himself to them. Klaus figured he should have seen this coming. "Look, things changed for my dad. He gave up a lot of property for Lucien's business and left my mom in charge. He's turned over a new leaf. Damon and I plan on attending family counseling with him. And I never planned on having a life in Mystic Falls. You guys are setting something up here. The Mikaelsons and Bennetts are finally getting the recognition they've always deserved, and it's time the Salvatores remove ourselves from everything." Klaus listened while Rebekah just scoffed.
Her lips were pressed and her face harden. "No, you're just punishing me, punishing me for his mistakes." She pointed out. "I love you Stefan, I've never felt like this with anyone. I'd kill for you." Rebekah choked out, whipping her head around to look at her brother. "You did this. Everything was fine until you fucked it up for me. Why couldn't you just stay away from us?" She blamed Klaus. "You know what, just leave. You never loved me anyway, Stefan." Having the last words, Rebekah stormed off, leaving the two alone in her room.
Klaus didn't know what to say or how to comfort Stefan. He was cheerful. Things were turning around for him, but something wasn't right.
"I care about your sister, but she's right I don't love her." Stefan confessed. "I tried to love her, I really did…" Stefan broke off. "I love you." Those words shook Klaus's core. He averted his eyes from Stefan. "I told my dad, about us, about me." Klaus felt his own breathing change. He and Stefan never spoke about their relationship or their sexual orientation. It was to protect themselves from really having to face the truth. "I'm dealing with my issues. I can't keep running away from them, not with my dad, Damon, Rebekah, or you. I need to come clean to you, Klaus. I love you, and I know you have your own shit going on with Mikael and Hayley. I just wanted to tell you."
Klaus was so shaken. Stefan had always been a better man than he was. The Mikaelsons had moved back to Mystic Falls when Klaus was twelve, going to middle school with Damon and Stefan. This was when Stefan's father was still living in town, ruining everyone's life. Mikael and Giuseppe, as similar as they were, hated each other. Once Giuseppe moved away, Stefan, who once was a shy boy, started coming out of his shell. Once they reached high school, Stefan joined the football team, and Rebekah joined the cheerleading squad to get closer to him. Klaus was a known loner, but soon as his sister became friends with Stefan, things changed.
The three of them were always together. Klaus graduated from high school a year before them, but he had the opportunity to go to college, away from Mikael. He left them behind, of course. Soon enough, after Stefan and Rebekah's graduation, they moved up to Chicago with him. That's where the lines blurred for him and Stefan. Chicago allowed them to be free and explore themselves. They'd sneak off, leaving Rebekah behind, just to catch some alone time in the dark, hiding in the shadows. But once the lights were back up, they'd split up. Three years of sneaking around, even when Klaus was seeing Kieran, who broke up with Klaus and became a Priest in New Orleans. Klaus felt for Kieran what Stefan felt for Rebekah, probably even less than.
"You know, I don't regret many things, but I regret turning you away. I've been pushing these feelings away since I was fifteen." Klaus disclosed to Stefan. "My feelings for you heightened throughout the years. Neither Kieran nor Hayley could change that. But I also want what's best for you, and maybe that's not me." Stefan rested his head on Klaus's shoulder, his hair gently tickling Klaus's cheek. Leaving Klaus smiling to himself, enjoying the warmth and comfort Stefan's body brought him.
Klaus stroked his hair softly, and a small hum of contentment sounded deep in his throat. Stefan looked up at him with a burning fire in his eyes. Klaus didn't hesitate. He placed his hand under Stefan's chin and roughly brought his lips onto his own. A small groan escaped Klaus as he felt Stefan's warm hands travel under his shirt and up the sides of his torso. An electricity shot through him, and before he knew it, he lowered Stefan to the floor and hovered himself over him.
Lightly Klaus traced his tongue down his neck and revealed the feel of Stefan's shivering beneath him. Stefan was the beacon of light he had always searched for in a world that had been so bleak and dark for most of his life. Klaus and Stefan both sat back up against the wall, breathing heavily and glistening with sweat. Stefan smiled widely and his eyes were lit with so much love Klaus felt like his own heart would burst. Stefan leaned over and pressed his lips softly on Klaus's cheek. "I love you, Niklaus," he said in a gravelly voice as he pulled away. Klaus watched Stefan get back up and slowly stroll out. No need for goodbyes.
Bonnie met Enzo outside of Gram's place. She had a long conversation with both Caroline and Elena on the whole: Stefan, Damon and Enzo living in New York, along with Sarah and Matt. Caroline was so angry, she yelled at Matt for half an hour about how he was ruining their future. Not until Tyler put her in her place did she quiet down. Elena spoke her peace, saying she and Damon had a long conversation and both agreed it was best for him to get help. While Elena was looking to forgive Damon in the future, Bonnie didn't feel that way. Maybe one day, but not now. He even dropped off a letter at her Grams, which Bonnie just stashed away. She wasn't ready to read it.
Tyler supported Matt and Sarah's decision, even had a going away dinner for them. Caroline stayed mute the whole dinner, while Elena gushed about fresh changes and her rooming with a new friend she met in New York named Meredith. Liam wasn't the good friend everyone thought, he was mostly a party boy. Elena wanted to get serious once she moved, realizing she had to leave Liam behind.
Bonnie was mostly happy for everyone. Happy that Elena was making smarter choices. Happy for Sarah and Matt for working it out together. Happy for Stefan and Damon for getting a second chance with their father, the chance she never got. But mainly she was happy for Enzo for facing his fears and living his dream. When he arrived at her home, they glanced out at each other. Bonnie took in the scene in front of her, Enzo leaning on his Audi, Bonnie moved forward towards him. "Let's not say goodbye, let's just say I love you."
Enzo reached out for Bonnie's hands. "I love you, Bonnie Bennett. I'll come back for you." Bonnie threw himself in Enzo's arms, Enzo rested his chin on her head. "I'll never forget you."
"You made me the happiest woman. I'll be here when you return." Enzo lifted her chin up towards him and laid a kiss on her lips. Bonnie let out a soft moan and bit his lips. Enzo knew he had to break this up before it got messy in her Gram's driveway. Bonnie's green eyes stared back at him. "I love you, Lorenzo." He'll never forget the woman who changed his life. He's already written their love song. It's a smashing hit.
I wrote this fic once Bonenzo became canon on TVD. And it took a million years for me to complete it, but this is the end. Right now, I'm working on a summer Bonkai fic, that will feature a few similar pairings like in this story. So look out for some next month.