Musical Credits: George Micheals – "Careless Whisper"
~*~
-- I feel so unsure,
As I take your hand,
And lead you to the dance floor,
As the music dies,
Something in your eyes,
Calls to mind a silver screen,
And all its sad goodbyes... --
His eyes were dismal as they met her gaze. Cinnamon. That's what they reminded him of. Cinnamon and...Honey. They moved together slowly on the dance floor; tonight's songs were designed to be out of the "norm" -- In other words, they were not heavy metal or punk or rock. It had still drawn a crowd of paying customers, to which Stefan was grateful.
"You're leaving New York tonight?"
"Yes. It's better this way."
A slow nod.
"I hurt her and if I stay here it will only cause a greater rift."
"She'll forgive you eventually."
The redhead before him looked doubtful. "No, I don't think so. This time, I think she's going to hate me forever."
"Do you blame her?"
"No, not exactly. But I can't apologize to her, Stefan. When I still don't see what I did as being wrong."
"Bonnie--"
"Don't, Stefan. You're words won't change my mind. Maybe you should try some of that "pep talk" on your wife."
Stefan sighed, green hues roaming the club for any sign of Elena. They'd come in together; she'd excused herself when Stefan noticed Bonnie and so had left Stefan to say his goodbyes. She understood he cared about Bonnie more than one would for a friend, but she also recognized that his heart was hers and hers alone.
They were silent once again, letting the music drift over them. Bonnie found it suited them aptly.
"I'll miss you, you know..."
"Yes, I know. But I think it would be best if you didn't call for a while. Or write."
"But--"
"Bonnie, you know we can't keep this flame burning. It's time to put the candle out. You know I love Elena and however I feel towards you has got to start ending..."
Brown eyes blinked back tears and Stefan felt a lurch in his stomach. The last thing he wanted was to hurt her.
"Don't cry. Please don't cry," he whispered.
"It's so hard..."
He lightly brushed his palm against her curls. "I know. Be strong."
-- I'm never gonna dance again,
Guilty feet have got no rhythm,
Though it's easy to pretend,
I know you're not a fool,
I should have known better than to cheat a friend,
And waste a chance that I'd been given,
So I'm never gonna dance again,
The way I danced with you,
Time can never mend,
The careless whisper of a good friend,
To the heart and mind,
Ignorance is kind,
There's no comfort in the truth,
Pain is all you'll find. --
Bonnie pulled away before the song could end.
"I love you, Stefan."
He hushed her with a finger to her lips. Lightly, he shook his head. "Don't say that."
"But it's true..." she murmured against his finger.
He didn't answer. Bonnie's lower lip trembling despite her will to stop it. She lifted her chin, looked directly at Stefan, and nodded firmly.
"Goodbye, Stefan. Tell Elena I hope maybe we can start over someday."
With that, she disappeared, and as Stefan watched, he lost sight of her small form as it wandered deeper and deeper in the sea of bodies. She was gone.
***
-- Tonight the music seems so loud,
I wish that we could loose this crowd,
Maybe it's better this way,
We'd hurt each other with the things we want to say,
We could have been so good together,
We could have lived this dance forever,
But now who's gonna dance with me,
Please stay. --
Her body fit against his as though a part of her was made for him and only him. Her blue eyes were closed as they gently swayed and blonde silky strands spilled over his shirt. Arms enveloped her, held her close against him and she could feel his pulse beating with her own.
But regardless of the sense of warmth, of cherishment, of pure and rich love she felt, there was still that lingering guilt. The shame and sense of unforgivable self-condemnation. Elena lifted her head, her eyes met his. Green eyes radiated with adoration and devotion. It only made her heart break more.
The song that drifted through the club made her want to break down. What she had done to this man, this man who had never done anything but love her and forgive her.
But he had done wrong as well. He had betrayed her and it had cut as deep as no other wound could. But she forgave him. Elena just didn't know if she could forgive *herself*.
-- I'm never gonna dance again,
Guilty feet have got no rhythm,
Though it's easy to pretend,
I know you're not a fool,
I should have known better than to cheat a friend,
And waste a chance that I'd been given,
So I'm never gonna dance again,
The way I danced with you. --
Her heart was distressed and blameworthy. Her lust for another was her downfall. Repeatedly.
Guilty. She was guilty. Time and time again she had given herself away to his brother. Over and over she had refused to acknowledge the hurt it caused him. And he had fallen for her best friend.
-- Now that you've gone,
Now that you've gone,
Now that you've gone
Was what I did so wrong,
So wrong that you had to leave me alone. --
Would things be the same again? *Could* things? Even if he forgave her, and she herself, could Bonnie ever be in their lives again? Could Damon?
Bonnie had left tonight. Damon could be anywhere.
Words were left unspoken to these two. Silent accusations remained in the air between them all, each and every one of them.
But as Stefan's lips met hers in a slow, sensual, passionate kiss, she had never felt so at peace.
/I'm sorry, beloved/ she spoke softly into his mind as they kissed.
/I know. And you've been forgiven/
/I love you/
/I love you, too. Always and forever. Don't you forget that/
Perhaps she could forgive herself after all. Bonnie on the other hand, would take some time. Elena had no idea of how long it might take her to be able to trust and allow amends to take place between her and Bonnie. She supposed one day she might be able to overlook it.
Right now, all that mattered was Stefan. He loved her beyond a shadow of doubt, and Elena could honestly say that her heart and soul belong completely to this one man and this one man only. The only exception being that a tiny part of Damon would always have a place somewhere inside, but she would never again allow herself to fall victim to his charms, nor allow herself to fall into his bed.
Her place was beside her husband. From this day on, until eternity ceased to be.
***
The song came to a close and Stefan smiled fondly. Elena returned it, lightly kissing his lips again.
"Let's go home."
~*~
~*~
-- I feel so unsure,
As I take your hand,
And lead you to the dance floor,
As the music dies,
Something in your eyes,
Calls to mind a silver screen,
And all its sad goodbyes... --
His eyes were dismal as they met her gaze. Cinnamon. That's what they reminded him of. Cinnamon and...Honey. They moved together slowly on the dance floor; tonight's songs were designed to be out of the "norm" -- In other words, they were not heavy metal or punk or rock. It had still drawn a crowd of paying customers, to which Stefan was grateful.
"You're leaving New York tonight?"
"Yes. It's better this way."
A slow nod.
"I hurt her and if I stay here it will only cause a greater rift."
"She'll forgive you eventually."
The redhead before him looked doubtful. "No, I don't think so. This time, I think she's going to hate me forever."
"Do you blame her?"
"No, not exactly. But I can't apologize to her, Stefan. When I still don't see what I did as being wrong."
"Bonnie--"
"Don't, Stefan. You're words won't change my mind. Maybe you should try some of that "pep talk" on your wife."
Stefan sighed, green hues roaming the club for any sign of Elena. They'd come in together; she'd excused herself when Stefan noticed Bonnie and so had left Stefan to say his goodbyes. She understood he cared about Bonnie more than one would for a friend, but she also recognized that his heart was hers and hers alone.
They were silent once again, letting the music drift over them. Bonnie found it suited them aptly.
"I'll miss you, you know..."
"Yes, I know. But I think it would be best if you didn't call for a while. Or write."
"But--"
"Bonnie, you know we can't keep this flame burning. It's time to put the candle out. You know I love Elena and however I feel towards you has got to start ending..."
Brown eyes blinked back tears and Stefan felt a lurch in his stomach. The last thing he wanted was to hurt her.
"Don't cry. Please don't cry," he whispered.
"It's so hard..."
He lightly brushed his palm against her curls. "I know. Be strong."
-- I'm never gonna dance again,
Guilty feet have got no rhythm,
Though it's easy to pretend,
I know you're not a fool,
I should have known better than to cheat a friend,
And waste a chance that I'd been given,
So I'm never gonna dance again,
The way I danced with you,
Time can never mend,
The careless whisper of a good friend,
To the heart and mind,
Ignorance is kind,
There's no comfort in the truth,
Pain is all you'll find. --
Bonnie pulled away before the song could end.
"I love you, Stefan."
He hushed her with a finger to her lips. Lightly, he shook his head. "Don't say that."
"But it's true..." she murmured against his finger.
He didn't answer. Bonnie's lower lip trembling despite her will to stop it. She lifted her chin, looked directly at Stefan, and nodded firmly.
"Goodbye, Stefan. Tell Elena I hope maybe we can start over someday."
With that, she disappeared, and as Stefan watched, he lost sight of her small form as it wandered deeper and deeper in the sea of bodies. She was gone.
***
-- Tonight the music seems so loud,
I wish that we could loose this crowd,
Maybe it's better this way,
We'd hurt each other with the things we want to say,
We could have been so good together,
We could have lived this dance forever,
But now who's gonna dance with me,
Please stay. --
Her body fit against his as though a part of her was made for him and only him. Her blue eyes were closed as they gently swayed and blonde silky strands spilled over his shirt. Arms enveloped her, held her close against him and she could feel his pulse beating with her own.
But regardless of the sense of warmth, of cherishment, of pure and rich love she felt, there was still that lingering guilt. The shame and sense of unforgivable self-condemnation. Elena lifted her head, her eyes met his. Green eyes radiated with adoration and devotion. It only made her heart break more.
The song that drifted through the club made her want to break down. What she had done to this man, this man who had never done anything but love her and forgive her.
But he had done wrong as well. He had betrayed her and it had cut as deep as no other wound could. But she forgave him. Elena just didn't know if she could forgive *herself*.
-- I'm never gonna dance again,
Guilty feet have got no rhythm,
Though it's easy to pretend,
I know you're not a fool,
I should have known better than to cheat a friend,
And waste a chance that I'd been given,
So I'm never gonna dance again,
The way I danced with you. --
Her heart was distressed and blameworthy. Her lust for another was her downfall. Repeatedly.
Guilty. She was guilty. Time and time again she had given herself away to his brother. Over and over she had refused to acknowledge the hurt it caused him. And he had fallen for her best friend.
-- Now that you've gone,
Now that you've gone,
Now that you've gone
Was what I did so wrong,
So wrong that you had to leave me alone. --
Would things be the same again? *Could* things? Even if he forgave her, and she herself, could Bonnie ever be in their lives again? Could Damon?
Bonnie had left tonight. Damon could be anywhere.
Words were left unspoken to these two. Silent accusations remained in the air between them all, each and every one of them.
But as Stefan's lips met hers in a slow, sensual, passionate kiss, she had never felt so at peace.
/I'm sorry, beloved/ she spoke softly into his mind as they kissed.
/I know. And you've been forgiven/
/I love you/
/I love you, too. Always and forever. Don't you forget that/
Perhaps she could forgive herself after all. Bonnie on the other hand, would take some time. Elena had no idea of how long it might take her to be able to trust and allow amends to take place between her and Bonnie. She supposed one day she might be able to overlook it.
Right now, all that mattered was Stefan. He loved her beyond a shadow of doubt, and Elena could honestly say that her heart and soul belong completely to this one man and this one man only. The only exception being that a tiny part of Damon would always have a place somewhere inside, but she would never again allow herself to fall victim to his charms, nor allow herself to fall into his bed.
Her place was beside her husband. From this day on, until eternity ceased to be.
***
The song came to a close and Stefan smiled fondly. Elena returned it, lightly kissing his lips again.
"Let's go home."
~*~