Pressure


The tension in the Salvatore's main room could be felt from miles away. Both beings were still in silence, both were trying to figure out what the next move would be, who would crack first and Damon was sure as hell that it wouldn't be him.

Being uncomfortable wasn't something that bothered him, at least not anymore, and he knew he wouldn't give in into whatever it was that Bonnie was playing at. If she wanted to be all secretive and closed off then he'd have to resort to other means of getting what he wanted.

She was still acting as if she was the righteous one; so selfless, so good, so damn perfect, but he knew better. No one was that good, not a single person on this planet. Bonnie, with all her uptightness, judgmental and hypocritic behavior, was no exception. She was faulty. Not like him, that would go without saying, but still she wasn't this holier-than-thou person she'd like to act like. She could be just as deviant as the next person, the only thing stopping her was her own nature, her consciousness and her unmoving spirit.

She was an antithesis; she was both good and bad, and everything in between. A true enigma.

She was also an annoying pain in the ass. He would never understand how someone so small, so invisible, could be so opiniated, so set in her own terms. Well, truth be told, he could understand, after all he was the same. But since she was supposed to be the good one, the saviour in a white gown and cape, it came off unexpected. She was so bold with it, but only when it came to him. He just knew she would never give Elena the same treatment, or Stefan for that matter.

Guess that's why they would never get along. She liked to challenge him and sometimes, he would respond to that because it was part of their routine. Engage in this witty and passive-aggressive banter that made things fun. It kept him entertained because he never took them seriously unless those exchanges led to more serious arguments.

In this precise moment however, he was fuming but he kept his inward storm to himself. There was no need to let Bonnie know just how much he was close to push her against further and force the truth out of her. Besides, he had been trying to cook up a plan to spy on her. It shouldn't be too difficult seeing that they were the only ones in this hell of a town, there wasn't much for her to do. Furthermore, they would be spending some time together in order to advance their own plan.

That was another thing that was on his mind. Before Bonnie showed up looking all bothered and hurt, he was feeling confident about this plan. He trusted that it would work and they would have some type of leverage, but now, he wasn't so sure and it was all her fault.

Unfortunately, Damon knew all too well how witch's emotions could tamper with their abilities and he'd witnessed firsthand how Bonnie had become an evil witch controlled by Silas. He didn't want a repeat of that, especially when he was sure that she'd target him first – no doubt about that.

Not only that, but now she didn't have magic so they'd have to trust that her being in the house later tonight would do the gig but she was in a very weird place now. No matter how much she tried to mask it from him, he could feel it.

The look she had on her face when he opened the door was a terrifying one. It was a look he hadn't seen in a while, not since she became too acquainted with Expression. At the same time, she looked scared, frightened about something... her life maybe? His life? Both? Whatever it was, it had her trembling and that was not a fun thing to see.

Gulping his favorite mix – blood and bourbon – Damon recalled that incident a couple of days ago. Bonnie, so petite, so human, but still full of anger, falling flat on the floor in front of him. Her body gave away and in that second, he actually panicked. What was happening? Was this a side effect from this world or was she actually in danger?

When he picked her up, he took a peek at her living room and sighed – it was full of books and other stuff he couldn't quite place. Leave it to Bonnie Bennett to work herself to exhaustion.

That had been his reasoning, but now, he also remembered how disturbed she was with her very vivid hallucination. That was the first time he knew that something was wrong but didn't actively do something about it.

To be honest, he didn't feel bad about not having done anything about it. He wasn't feeling like his usual self lately; his thirst was getting out of control and they had to weave out a way out of this world. Last time he checked, he wasn't her babysitter so, yeah, he wasn't giving those incidents much thought though they were still very much on his mind.

He glanced at her, sat on the sofa with her feet tucked under her, with a book on her hands. She looked lost in it but she also looked lost – period. The certainty and surety that she used to walk around with had vanished and now only hesitation and something else remained. And still, under those layers of insecurity – cause let's face it, Bonnie was probably one of the most insecure people he's ever met – even then, she managed to lie to him like it was nothing.

Like it was easy.

Sure, he wasn't against lying; he used to lie all the time but the fact was, now they were (or could potentially be) in danger and here she was trying to cloud his judgment as if he didn't know better. As if he didn't know her better. Even if he didn't, he could tell that she wasn't being truthful when she said those words. The shakiness of her statement, the way her eyes moved slightly to the left and her hollowed gulp afterwards. He could tell. He could hear the way her heart was pounding, or when she stopped breathing for a second to see if he'd bought that bogus story and the breath of relief when he walked away. He knew!

He licked his lips and looked inside his glass. There was a reason why she lied and he was going to find out why. Maybe it could be side effects of being here or maybe it was something else entirely. Whatever it was, he was sure it wouldn't be a good omen. If she only stopped being so stubborn.

God damn it, Bonnie! He thought angrily and slammed his glass against the side table.

That action made Bonnie jump in her place and she reacted by pressing the book tightly against her chest and standing up quickly. She was breathing hard for a few seconds before she realized it had only been Damon making too much noise as usual.

She had been so lost in her book, she almost forgot where she was. After Damon cleaned up her wound, she decided to stay in the boarding house, and much to her pleasure, Damon didn't ask why or make an unnecessary comment about her choice. In fact, he hadn't even said a word to her all day. He'd been always around; she could feel his energy surrounding her. Even when he would leave, it wouldn't be for long and Bonnie made sure to not let herself ask why he wasn't leaving at all.

Honestly, after seeing Silas again, she preferred if Damon wouldn't leave for now, until she was strong enough again. If tonight went like they hoped, maybe she would get back up again, or at least be brave enough to spend another night in her house.

Gulping, she sat back down quietly and opened the book but was no longer motivated to read. Damon snapped her back to reality and now she was hyperaware of her surroundings. What she thought would've been just a few minutes turned into hours and she realized that that had been the most time they'd spent together without arguing.

Mostly because they were ignoring each other, better yet, Damon was ignoring her and she was busy with her Grimoire. Now that she was back and out of her trance, she could feel the tension building up again and she knew it wouldn't take much until it burst. Bonnie wasn't sure if they would survive such explosion, at least not now.

She knew why he was acting like that, giving her the silence treatment. And call her childish or paranoid but she couldn't trust him. It was one thing to partner up and find a way out, it was another to let him know just how deep Silas cut into her very essence, how deeply he entered her brain and rearranged its mechanisms in such a way that she was sure they were irreversible, and most of all, she didn't want him to see her falter – weak. That was something that she vowed to never do – let Damon see or even know her weaknesses.

From the day he forcefully bit her, she had been crying for days, she had been terrified and dreaming about it until she decided to never give him any power over her whatsoever. For the most part, it worked and she didn't have to spare him so much as a single thought but now he was the only other ally she had. Despite everything, that didn't mean that she trusted him.

She knew how Damon had betrayed Enzo, someone whom he claimed to be his brother, and she also saw the countless times he actually betrayed his own brother. She wasn't even someone he considered highly on his list of priorities; she would take it further and say she wasn't even on any of his lists and she was okay with it because she felt the same. However, that also meant that he could easily dispose of her and Bonnie just knew that the only reason he hadn't done so, was because she was going to get them out of here one way or another.

How was she supposed to trust him with this Silas thing? He'd probably make a joke out of it or berate her, whatever his reaction would be, it wouldn't be helpful at all. So, she decided it would be better to let him wonder, at least he'd still be somewhat focused on their plan.

She still hadn't forgotten how strangely he acted a couple of days ago when she asked him about his blood. He looked very out of it, and though he didn't exactly hurt her, she wouldn't rely on his good heart to not cross that line eventually. So, she was prepared and her gun was her best friend now.

She lifted her head and traced him with her eyes. He was by the pool table, his glass sitting on the side and he was eyeing the cue balls with intensity, cue stick firm in his hand. Sighing, Bonnie put her book aside and went over to rest against a small table. Though they were spatially closer, there was still a more than decent amount of space between them.

Bonnie contemplated on what to say. She didn't want to go over what had happened again, and though they were still on a mission, she didn't feel like having yet another conversation about the plan they knew too well by now. Instead, she would take advantage of Damon's knowledge and ask him what she wanted to know.

Clearing her throat, she said "Can I ask you a question?"

Damon snickered but the only response she had was the sound of the stick hitting the ball.

She waited a few seconds but when he remained silent, she added "Damon?" again, he didn't reply and so she crossed her arms "I know you're pissed at me and... I know I came sort of unannounced and... agitated but–"

"But what Bonnie?" he asked, coming to his full height now "More excuses? More lies?"

"Damon look–" she started but didn't get a chance to finish because he interrupted her again.

"No Bonnie. You don't get to do that; you don't get to decide when we're partners and when we're not" he said with heat "You don't get to come to my house and start barking orders from left to right like I am your boy toy cause let me be clear Witch, I am not"

She inhaled deeply. Guess we're going to have that explosion after all, she lamented.

"Damon, I didn't mean it like that"

He shook his head upset "Of course you didn't Bonnie, you weren't even yourself but you wanna act like everything's fine and ask me a question, right? So go ahead, ask" he argued, placing a heavy intonation in the last word.

"Damon..." she started softly but then ran out of words for a second there. This time she knew he was right; she knew that but she couldn't tell him just yet.

He put the cue stick down and took his glass again shaking his head. He was not about to engage in another fight with her, it was useless and she was right – he was pissed off. If they kept at it, he wouldn't be to blame for whatever happened next.

Besides, they were supposed to be at The Witches house in a couple of hours and then they had an hour drive to the bar. He was choosing his battles and so should she.

He needed to get out of the house until then.

That was also a problem, being stuck in the damn manor with her witchy self even if she had barely said a word. It infuriated him and he needed to clear his head and blood, he really needed blood right now.

He took his leather jacket and soon was out of the house.

Bonnie was standing there feeling guilty. She had the words lodged in the back of her throat, she did but they wouldn't come out. Gulping again, she went back to her place in the sofa and closed her eyes. At some point, this nightmare would be over.

I'm sorry.


She was sitting by the porch looking at the full moon when she heard him and her mouth went dry almost instantly.

She looked in his direction and with her bag secured, she made her way to the Camaro and entered the car. The whole ride was awkward, the most awkward moment she had ever experienced but they somehow made it through without fighting, actually, they weren't speaking at all.

It was only when he parked the car and turned the engine off that she said "I'm going to need your blood"

"Okay" was all he said before he exited the vehicle.

Together, they went down to the basement and Bonnie smiled when she saw the necklace still in the same place "I knew it" she whispered proudly.

The young witch had a walk around the room, feeling it, even if not fully feeling its energy. She inhaled and had a sense of security that blanketed her entire being, and that assured her that their plan was going to work.

She started placing the candles she brought in a circle as close to that necklace as possible, she made sure the herbs were neatly placed as well as the salt and crystals. When she was done, she addressed the vampire "You can come now, sit there" he obeyed and she added "Now, give me your hand"

Damon bit his hand "What now?"

She was supposed to bring a bowl from her place but because she left in such a haze, she forgot about it. Luckily, they had enough bowl at the manor so she brought a very small one "Here, pour it there"

Again, Damon obeyed and eyed her with curiosity when she took out a small knife and cut her palm. In that moment, he almost forgot what it was that they were doing because he could only concentrate on her hand and the blood dropping into the bowl. He looked away and breathed in deeply; he had more control than this! He would be crazy if he was to ever let himself shift in front of Bonnie and in a hotspot of Bennett magic. He had to keep it together.

She drew a symbol on the floor, right in the middle of the circle, she took his hands and chanted the words hoping this would work.

The chant felt alien to her. She was so used to have her magic react from within her that the lack of it left her unbalanced, amiss. That grounding feeling of having something beyond matter connecting her to everything around her was exhilarating, almost like a free fall that never truly ended. The release she would feel starting from the depths of her core and all the way to the tips of her fingernails was electrifying, and in those moments, she felt connected. She felt seen and she felt free.

Now, it was as if she was just an empty vessel. Not really there. Just a channel or a portal waiting for something to pass through it. She hated not having an active role in this spell, not being able to guide her magic to where she wanted it go.

The words fell out of her mouth like a poem and she felt like a cheater.

Bonnie was trying hard not to think about how empty this felt, she had to be focused after all and remind herself that she had Emily's necklace right there with her. She was in one of the most important and highly overlooked sites of her family. She belonged here, even if she wasn't fully herself.

She inhaled and repeated the words with a stern and confident voice. She had been through so much already, she could and would make this work.

The candles' light drank from the newfound energy Bonnie had in her and aimed higher, the crystals became animated and suddenly, everything was as it should be – bonded.

It is complete.

Damon was so focused on the smell of her blood that he didn't hear her at first, so when she said "I think it's done"

He had to say "How do you know that? There was no juju wind or something?"

The young witch smirked "Look around you"

He did and noticed that everything looked exactly the same "Not seeing the point here"

"Look down" she groaned "And around us"

Oh, that. The previously lit candles were now faint and the blood from the bowl was gone. Yet, he could still smell her in the air. Her energy and the way her body exuded her confidence and power despite being devoid of it was alluring. He literally felt it in the air. He felt it when Bonnie went from being unsure to being in complete control. It was unbelievable.

"So, it worked" he stated.

She nodded happy "I think so yeah"

"Is there any way we can actually be for sure and prove that?" he reiterated because even though the evidence so far showed that the spell had worked, he just couldn't really risk it. He needed some reassurance, that was all.

Bonnie squared her shoulders and started packing her things "Damon, I can't do that. You're gonna have to trust it"

He chuckled because of the irony of it all "Just what I needed" Bonnie knew that was a dig at her but she ignored it.

After she was done, they both started made their way out in silence.

Bonnie was still tingling from the flow of energy that went through her but wasn't really hers. She felt lighter despite her steps almost branding the floor.

I did it, she thought happy, I really did it.

Her hand was on the door handle when she felt something on her back. It wasn't a graze, let alone a touch but she felt something and that prompted her to almost melt against the blue car's door. It was cold and completely foreign, yet strangely familiar. She turned around fast; her green eyes moved rapidly trying to see if she could identify whatever it was that she felt. All her human eyes could see in the dead of the night was the forest surrounding the old house. It looked quiet too, eerily so.

It took her a couple of moments, but when she finally turned around to get in the car, blue orbs held her in her place. She gulped down because his stare was paralyzing.

"You okay?" he asked serious.

Bonnie looked back one last time before facing him again "Yeah... I-I think so" and proceeded to get inside the car fast.

It was only after a while that Damon finally asked "What was that about?"

"I–I'm not sure" she said honestly "I felt something"

Damon looked intrigued "What do you mean you felt something? Is it because of the spell?"

She shrugged "I don't know but I don't think so. We just did a protection charm; I've done it before with Klaus and... I don't know, this just felt... weird"

Damon squinted his eyes as he stared at the empty road. So maybe this world had a lot more to it than he first anticipated. He was aware of it from the get go but now, things were getting a bit clearer. Even if Bonnie was no longer a witch, he would never second-guess her dreams, premonitions and these feelings. So, they had to be on the lookout, even more so than they both knew.

At least that charm's done, he thought.

Looking at the way she stared at the window and how her heartbeat kept drumming in his ears, he could say she was still quite jumpy. She also kept moving her leg incessantly and fidgeting so much that he almost yelled at her to stop it but then noticed how she was shaking a little bit. You couldn't see it with human eyes, but he could – Bonnie Bennett was scared. Perhaps for the second time today and he was trying to juggle that information in his head.

Bonnie – scared – anxious – nervous.

That was so not like the Bonnie he knew from before getting here. That Bonnie was uptight and self-righteous. That one, as much as he found her annoying, he could also admit – to himself alone – that she was made of steel. Nothing seemed to take her down or have her shook.

This one looked like a deer caught in the headlights. She was still somewhat the same Bonnie, sometimes, it was just this other side that he didn't really associate with her. That vulnerability. She always looked so ready to fight the world – or him, but again, minor details – she looked ready to save the everyone, so why would he think of her as vulnerable? Or scared? So scared that her heart was almost leaping out of her chest.

He wouldn't cause he doesn't usually think of her or about her, but now he's being forced to acknowledge her and so, it's almost like a second nature to him. To analyze people, find out what makes them tick so that he could make them tick. And Bonnie was no different, just way more complicated and complex. Most of the time, they couldn't tolerate each other and working together had just one purpose, but mostly, there was a lot of bad blood between them. So much so that Damon wasn't sure if it would ever be possible for them to be anything other than frenemies – if that.

He was still very much stuck on his ways and she just couldn't stand the sight of him. They both made their peace with that and would happily carry on with their lives. All he had to do until then was make sure that she wouldn't die and that he managed his urges better. Way better.

Keeping his eyes on the road, Damon tuned the radio and quickly found something that he assumed would be of Bonnie's liking. When she craned her neck to look at the radio, and then him, Damon turned the music up and refocused on the road again.

Bonnie looked surprised and then relaxed against her seat. She knew this song but hadn't heard it in a while and found it surprising that Damon would choose that one station. She had a small smile and continued to gaze out of her window.

She couldn't understand why she was so fixated on doing that because it was dark outside and nothing interesting was happening, yet she couldn't take her eyes away from all the greenery that went by them. She loved it. It was like being in a movie, or better yet, like being away. Away from home, away from danger, away from herself. The sad reality of it was that now she was truly away and still she wanted to escape.

Whatever it was that she felt just a while ago left her wondering if this was another way Silas had of tantalizing her. Just that mere thought sent her into a very tense position and she could barely even listen to the song anymore.

Pitifully, Bonnie was already too familiar with Silas' touch, it always felt like death was surrounding her all over. Like she was being trapped and she had no way of ever getting out. That was the feeling that was so frightening that pierced her all the way to the bone.

It was like he had imprinted himself on her DNA and she didn't have a way to erase him from it. They too, were somewhat bonded. Wherever she went, he'd follow like a shadow. She would never be truly alone because he'd always be there lurking and poisoning her until she became so weak, she couldn't move.

Distressed, the young girl could feel the tears coming and she was fighting them hard. She was not going to cry right next to Damon. This whole experience was already bad enough.

Taking several much needed breaths, she managed to keep her tear ducts from doing what they wanted. She would be lying if she said that didn't feel like a win, because in a world full of lost battles and buried feelings, this victory was a sweet one, even if short-lived.

They were on their way to that bar now and they were protected. So far, the plan was working so she was choosing to focus on that.

As soon as she stepped out of the car, she felt this energy that she couldn't quite explain but, unlike what happened earlier, she didn't feel scared, only intrigued. It was like a warm embrace and it felt good. But she knew better than to trust it right away.

From where she stood, the place was alight with light signs reading Bree's and the music coming from inside was inviting, just like your average local pub. Bonnie eyed Damon but he looked lost in his own mind, his face was a blank canvas. Sighing, she decided to take that plunge and go inside. He didn't seem to follow her but she didn't care, they would end up meeting inside either way.


He watched her enter the pub but he wasn't really seeing her. He too was feeling that wave of energy calling him, pull him in like a magnet. He let Bonnie to go inside first because he wanted to experience that feeling again, he wanted to hear her voice and smell her perfume. He wanted to see her again.

Pull me in, pull me in, pull me in.

The older Salvatore licked his lips in anticipation and forgot completely about his smaller witch companion. And then he heard her, he heard her voice and a smile graced his perpetually perfect features.

Damon.

This would never get old.

He loved it; it was like his own private oasis. He wanted to bask in it for longer, much longer. He wanted to stay there and hear her moan his name like it was sacred, like it was a secret they only shared. Damon wanted the feel of her again, that need for her doe eyes and her delicate touch. He wanted her to call him, to hold her.

He was so engulfed by all of it that he was sure he could almost see her. Fragments of her figure started shaping up but they quickly faded, making him frown. He was brought back so abruptly and unfairly.

He wanted more, he needed more, he would take more. But not tonight, he knew he had to move forward and get inside the place if he wanted to experience the real thing again.

"Not tonight baby, but soon. I promise" he whispered into the wind.

He then took strong steps to the bar and pushed the door in. The artificial light caressed his face tenderly, the lively music made its way inside his ear drums, and for a few seconds, he was overwhelmed with different emotions. He had been so tuned with his own feelings, Bonnie's irritating voice and heartbeat, that he felt a bit out of place.

He scanned the room quickly. The bar looked very much alive, there still some used napkins on some tables along with glasses, what he assumed to be cold fries and some peanuts. However, the only person there was Bonnie, she was sat by the bar area taking everything in, just like he was. He walked further into the pub, not too sure now because it felt like such a contrasting picture: the tables that had been clearly used not too long ago and the lack of people there. It was strange.

"It looks empty" Bonnie said when he joined her "But it doesn't feel like it, does it?"

Nodding, he said "No, it doesn't"

"Was it like this when you were here?" she asked curious.

She hadn't even bothered to go check the bathrooms; she was sure they'd be as empty as the rest of the place was now. But the empty cups and leftover food suggested otherwise. Could this mean that there were more people in this place after all? And if so, where were they?

Damon shrugged. There wasn't much that he remembered from that night, everything was a blur except that one man "I guess so"

Awesome, she thought bitterly.

"Do you think we should still wait for that man to come?" she asked worried "I mean, I want to, obviously, but what if he doesn't show up? Or what if he does show up with a bunch of people?"

Again, Damon shrugged "As long as he shows up, I don't care if he brings company or not"

Bonnie shifted in her seat and faced him completely "But what if they're evil?"

"That's why we did the charm, remember?" he said at once and then swiftly grabbed a bottle from the bar.

"What are you doing?" Bonnie accused fast.

"What does it look like? We have to wait here for however long and I refuse to stay sober for that"

She huffed "But what–" and suddenly stopped herself. Why was she even admonishing him? It wasn't like there was anyone around, and even if there were, who were them to tell her what she could or couldn't do? Besides, she was already stuck in here with Damon and losing her mind, so she might as well try and forget about the day entirely.

"What was that?" he teased "Go on Bon Bon, let it all out"

She snickered "Nothing. I want a drink but I don't want bourbon, it's too much"

"Yet, you had no problems wasting mine" he said matter-of-factly and proceeded to prepare himself a drink.

The young girl crossed her arms "I needed something to take the edge off and you only have bourbon"

He chuckled and grabbed a couple of bottles "That is my signature drink Judgy, you should know that"

"I do, but I still don't like it. What are you doing?" she asked while he moved around behind the bar.

He was still going through the different cabinets "You said you wanted a drink; I'm making you one. Why are you being so obvious?"

She sat back in her stool taken aback by his response.

"Don't look so offended Bon, just making an honest observation. Found it" he added juggling a couple of limes in his hands. He cut them swiftly and put them aside. He then took a metal cup and mixed the right amount of alcohol and juice. When it was done, he poured in a couple of ice cubes and mixed it before pouring it in a tall glass with ice cubs using a drink strainer.

Bonnie was mildly impressed with the way he moved around the bar like he knew it by heart but then again, this was Damon, so she shouldn't be at all surprised.

"One drink for one undeserving customer" he said placing said drink in front of her.

"You are beyond annoying" she said before sipping on the drink. As soon as she did so, an unexpected moan came out of her and of course Damon looked smug about it.

"You're very welcome" he said making his way over to her side.

She rolled her eyes at him "So, how long do you think it'll be until he shows up?"

He hunched his shoulder "How should I know that?"

"I don't know but you were the one that met him" she said calmly.

"Yeah, but I already told you, I was high on blood and drunk" he stated "Not the perfect recipe for... well, anything really"

She sighed into her glass and took a couple of sips. She wanted to take it slow, even though she was indulging and drinking with Damon – go figure – she shouldn't be careless and overdo it.

"Alright, so we'll wait then" she finally said after a few moments.

"Yep" he said popping the 'p'.

They fell into this silence again. Both of them were very much aware why they were at that bar; it wasn't like they wanted to hang out together, they had business to take care of. That and they had a fight earlier that was still very much on their minds.

Bonnie was staring ahead, not looking at anything in particular while Damon turned his back to the bar and admired the emptiness of the dining area. His eyes narrowed when he remembered the last time that he had been there with Elena. She had been furious at him but soon gave into the world of wonders that was Damon and alcohol – a dangerously potent mix.

They sat by the bar as well, drinking beer and eating. After a while, his lover was feeling the glorious effect the beers had on her and she truly let go of all inhibitions and worries. It was beautiful. Like watching a painting coming back to life and he knew in that moment that he wanted to provide her the same feeling forever. She shined in happiness, her energy was contagious and he was embarrassingly smitten. Him. Damon Salvatore was crushing on her and he should've known then that there wasn't turning back, but he didn't and he was somewhat grateful for that.

As much as he fought against his growing feelings for the doppelgänger, they still took him whole and after so many hurdles, he had his happy ending. He got the girl. Only to lose her all over again. That was the Damon Salvatore curse. To break everything he touched.

He shook his head. He got the girl and he did lose her but not because of him. It just so happened that he was whisked away into Shit-Ville Part II by one Bonnie Bennett. He scoffed, even if Bonnie hadn't held his hand, he would have been turned into dusk and be gone forever.

Now, that was finite.

He emptied his glass and was quick to refill another. He took a glimpse at Bonnie's and noted that she still had a half of her drink sitting there.

She felt him stare because Damon loved to make people uncomfortable – especially her "What?"

"I thought liked it" he said opening up another bottle.

"I did but I don't have to down it all in one go" she replied.

He chuckled "Of course you'd say that"

She scoffed at him "Sorry, I don't want to destroy my liver just yet, and we're here to meet someone. I want to keep my head in the game"

He squinted his eyes but said nothing. After all, each person had their own way to deal with things and he enjoyed giving free reign to all of the forbidden sins.

Surely, Bonnie wouldn't understand. Miss Purity just didn't know how to get out of that thick shell she wore at all times, and he didn't have any interest in breaking it.

He caught something in the corner of his left eye; a shadow that moved so quick that he couldn't make out if that was the man he had spoken to or a figment of his imagination. He followed it regardless, and he could smell her scent – all of her sweetness, her tenderness and he could almost hear her Damon in her breathy way.

Damn, what he wouldn't give to be with her again and make her say his name in all of the different pleasurable ways.


Bonnie caught the moment he left to do whatever it was that he liked doing, and found herself exhaling the air she didn't know she had been holding. She sipped on her drink, with a bit more assurance than before, and decided to move to one of the tables and sit on the chairs.

Despite having their quick banter moments, Bonnie still felt the weight of the tension between them. It wasn't like before where she was either enraged at him or when they had agreed on being partners. Now, she knew she was screwed because Damon had even more reason to obsess over what was going on with her, and if he kept acting like that, then he would be too much of a liability.

Realistically, she wished she could count on him to actually help her and not gaslight her into making up yet another plan or do something against her will, she really wished that but she knew he wouldn't. That was not his nature and though she was feeling guilty, she also had to look out for herself. It wasn't like she had betrayed him or anything, it's just that some things are better kept buried than out in the open where everyone can see.

She had never been on his radar so it was very weird to have him inquiring about her well-being like that, he usually didn't give a single fuck and, for the better or for the worse, she got used to that. That's how they worked.

Nevertheless, she felt like she had been out of line by barging in inside his house like that, rambling like a mad woman. But then she thought, how many times did he do that to me? Actually, how many times did he drag me into whatever mess was happening expecting me to solve it?

Countless times, unfortunately and she had been guilty of enabling him. Actually, of enabling all of them into thinking that her entire purpose was to drop whatever was happening in her personal life and come save them. Day in and day out. Even worse, she thought that too...

That was a heavy realization and that's when she took a big jug of her drink. Well, now she wasn't even the resident witch and she wasn't going to allow anyone use her anymore, she set her own terms, even if it was too difficult for her to maintain those boundaries. But she had to do it, she couldn't keep offering herself up like she was some sort of sacrificial lamb. She deserved to be saved as well!

She huffed hard "It only took dying for me to realize that"

How pathetic.

Bonnie decided to end her drink and poured the rest of the cocktail Damon had prepared. Well, now she was here and though she wasn't dead, it's not like she was technically alive. And even still, she had her battles to fight, but right now, she was trying not to think about that.

What left her intrigued was the fact that, even though Damon wasn't speaking to her for most part of the day, he hadn't left her side. At least not completely and he could have. He would have if they were back in their world, so why stay? Especially when he had been so upset with her?

Damon was a pretty self-sufficient person, after all, he was a vampire. He made sure he let the entire world know that he didn't need anyone, he had his own company. Yet, Bonnie thought that maybe it was his own company that left him so angered all the time. Or maybe his big ego and his inferiority complex.

Either way, whatever drove Damon to stay with her after she showed up looking all sorts of disoriented, she truly appreciated it because it gave her a mild and temporary sense of security. She doubted that Silas would appear in front of Damon – or at least she wanted to think so – because he hadn't done it so far, so that meant that she was safe at the manor. For a little while at least, and that was a huge relief.

On the other hand, Bonnie saw his face, Damon's true face and she knew she couldn't risk being too careless around him. She was certain she'd seen veins under his eyes but she couldn't tell for sure. Her instincts almost never failed so she would go with her gut.

"Deep in thought, as always?"

He spoke into her ear and she jumped "Damon what the hell? Are you trying to give me a heart attack?"

He shrugged "You're too jumpy Bon Bon, live a little"

"I am" she raised her refilled glass to prove her point "And what's that supposed to mean? Actually, we just had this conversation Damon"

"In your case, it's more like an ongoing intervention" he quipped "You're far too gone"

"Not far enough it seems" she muttered under her breath. She noted that the bottle he had opened earlier and was in his hand, was half empty "How did you manage to drink all that and your other drink? In just what, twenty minutes?"

"Tons of practice Judgy, it happens when you're as fun as I am" he added a smirk.

She had the smallest of smiles on her lips and after a few moments she said "Why didn't you leave?"

"What?"

"Today, at the manor, you stayed there the whole day and you could've left" I could've left, she thought, or you could've kicked me out.

The vampire craned his neck and sat straight on the chair, looking her dead in the eyes. His gaze was intense but she held it fearlessly. That was an interesting question, he had been musing about that himself.

She pissed him off so it was only more than reasonable to want some space between them, to send her packing to her own house and just find some way to clear his head. And yet, the way she was all tensed up and trembling, he decided that it would be better if he kept an eye on her and if she wanted to spend the day at the manor, then it would be a benefit for all the parties involved. After all, he hadn't given up on his plan to spy on her.

Keep your friends close and your enemies closer, they say. Though Bonnie wasn't really his enemy, not anymore and actually never was. But he still wanted to watch over her and find out what had her so scared and so on edge all of a sudden.

"Seemed like you needed the company" was his reply "And who am I to deny you of that? Being that I have such a big heart and am so humble and generous"

Her pretty eyes rolled but she had a smirk playing on her lips "Yeah you are widely known for your good and humble heart Damon"

"So I've been saying" he said playfully and took his bottle to his lips.

The young girl took a deep breath and said lowly "Thank you"

Despite the music, he still heard her perfectly and it took a whole minute to register those two words. Thank you. Bonnie Bennett thanked him, in person and it wasn't forced or anything, no one was dying and she didn't look like she was about to pass out. This was genuine.

"I know you were very irritated and probably still are so... yeah" she couldn't even bring herself to say the words properly because the weight of them was too much to bear. Not in a bad way, quite the opposite actually, and the fact that Damon – the lunatic sociopath that drove her crazy – was the one that made her feel like that, was in the very least, scarcely credible. Yet, it happened.

They stood engulfed in yet another silence and Bonnie felt the need to have her drink now.

Yep, this was truly another dimension if she was thanking Damon, genuinely and truthfully. Something she hadn't done in the last couple of months, simply because there was no one that brought that sentiment out of her. Even Jeremy, as much as he loved her, lately there had been certain things that he did that felt more like he was doing them for his benefit more so than hers.

That was something that was very unusual of him, he was actually the one person that made her feel truly grateful and now... Damon had done it.

Weird. She still didn't trust him thought, not by a long shot. But she guessed that after being so used to scraps, the bare minimum felt like common decency.

Damon nodded and took his bottle again. He could feel the overwhelming emotion that poured out of her and the heaviness of those two words. This was indeed a very, very strange place.

"Yeah, no biggie" he said after a while "It's not like I had anywhere else to go" and of course he had to ruin it. Bonnie smiled and looked around the bar, trying to escape that awkwardness. "Hey, witchy, what was that question?"

She looked back at him, her hair framing her face perfectly "Huh?"

"Whatever you wanted to ask me back at the manor. When you so rudely interrupted my snooker game" he added because she looked confused.

"Oh that. Right" she started and giggled out of nowhere "Umm, what do you know about Emily? Bennett, Emily Bennett"

He rested his left elbow on the table "Why did you just say her name like she was a James Bond character?"

"Did I?" she asked stunned and giggled again.

Oh wait... "You did Bon Bon" he said amused.

She shook her head and smiled "Well, she might as well be. I bet she was just as bad ass as he was. Actually, she was even more of a bad ass"

Damon chuckled and rested back against his chair "Yes, she was. She was a strong woman that one, very determined and very talented as you know. She also had quite the temper, I guess it runs in the family"

Her smile was bright "When it comes to nosy vampires, yes it does"

"Of course" he shook his head again, he had never seen Bonnie drunk, this was priceless "Well, I don't know that much about her personality wise, I was more fascinated with–"

"Katherine" the girl deduced. She had thought so.

"–Her magic" he continued and Bonnie was shocked "Don't look so surprised Bon Bon, if I weren't a vampire, I bet I'd be a dashing warlock. Probably even better than you"

"You know it doesn't exactly work like that, right?"

He shrugged "Eh, who cares."

She hunched closer to the table and before taking another sip, she asked "Why were you interested in magic?"

He debated if he should tell her the truth. This was something he hadn't even talked about besides those two conversations with Katherine. Back when he thought he could trust her with all his hurt, before he knew just how poisonous she was, when he was madly and humanly in love with her.

"That, Bon Bon, is a story for another time" he said "Now, Emily was very smart. Probably one of the smartest women I knew and well, when I found out that she practiced magic, I was surprised because I don't know how she managed to keep it a secret for so long"

Bonnie knitted her brows "But she was with Katherine. Elena told me you knew she was a vampire before you turned, so how come you didn't at least suspect about Emily?"

Damon rolled his eyes, of course Elena would tell her best friend that. And, of course, said best friend would be Bonnie Bennett "That was how I found my way to Emily's secret and that's all you're gonna know about that"

She visibly sulked "You know that's cruel. Withholding information about my ancestor, especially when you found her necklace and it gave us protection"

"That" he started with his finger pointed at her "is yet to be determined"

"It's going to work" she said serious "You should trust me more Damon"

"I can tell you the same Bon, but we both know you won't do it, so why spoil a perfectly good conversation?" he countered and the light mood was gone. Just like that. It was like they were always on edge when it came to each other, they just couldn't find a middle term.

"I guess I deserve that" she sighed and put some space between them "But it's not like I don't have the reasons not to Damon" she spoke softly.

His jaw ticked. He knew that, he wasn't stupid. But she wasn't making it any easier "It's different now, we're supposed to be allies and that can't happen if you keep acting like my opinion doesn't matter"

"But it does, we're working together on this Damon" she assured "So, yeah I know I pissed you off earlier but that's done with"

He chuckled but unlike before, this one was dark "And because you decided that, I have to accept it? No, Bon, what we agreed on was partners, not queen and subordinate."

"Damon, come on, I'm not going to fight you again" she said getting up "Things are going just as planned. Can't we focus on that?"

No Bonnie, I want to know what you're hiding "Oh, trust me Bonnie, I can multitask"

She huffed already walking away "Fine Damon, if you want to be upset again then do it"

She was done with his whining and she wouldn't be apologizing for looking out for herself. She took her previous seat by the counter and kept on drinking her cocktail. She wouldn't let him bother her or ruin her mood. They were actually having a conversation – a decent one – and even that was ruined in a couple of minutes just because Damon was moody.

She was getting tired of him lashing out and having to have his way. Today had been the only time she acted out unprovoked and this was his reaction to it?

She turned around fast in her stool; the motion made her a little dizzy but she kept it together "You know what? You are the king of dramatic outbursts and corny displays. I mess up one time and all of the sudden you can't trust me anymore?"

He put the bottle on the table roughly "One time Bonnie? Look around, if that doesn't scream mess up, then I don't know what it does"

"You've got to be kidding me Damon! You know none of this is my fault so why are you even trying?" she said already crossed.

He scoffed "You know exactly what I'm talking about!"

She actually stood up and went over to him fast "Then why didn't you run faster? Why is it on me that you were taken away from Elena huh? I lost everything too! It's not just you and your pain Damon"

He mirrored her "But I had everything I wanted and it was taken away from me!"

"So did I! I had my friends, my boyfriend, my parents, my Grams and everyone was taken away from me Damon! Every single one of them! Now, WHAT?" she screamed, the tears threatening to fall.

He looked deep into that emerald green with fury and then walked away at once. He went straight to the bar to fix something to drink "Why don't you start by telling the truth?"

She scoffed "Why are you so obsessed with something that has nothing to do with you? Leave it alone!"

"You should ask yourself why you keep lying" he shot back "What about that?"

She looked ready to decapitate him and before she could stop it, the word jotted out of her mouth "Because you're an asshole, that's why! You've been so preoccupied with whatever you decide it's worth your time of the day that you didn't even bother to listen to all of the voice mails I left you weeks ago! If you want to know so badly, go listen to them!"

Damon looked confused for a second. He didn't know about any voice mails. To be honest, he hadn't even checked his phone since coming back to town after his impromptu trip - not properly it seems.

Bonnie nodded disappointed "You spent so much time accusing me of being a liar and you didn't even check your phone, not even after I told you I called you over and over again. Who's the selfish now Damon? Because if it had been the other way around, I would've made sure that I at least heard them. Unless you deleted them and if that's the case" sigh "Well, it doesn't really matter because, like I said, it's my thing"

She then took her glass and stepped outside the pub altogether, leaving Damon alone in the bar.


A/N: Hello angels, first of all, thank you to everyone that continues to support this little fic of mine! It means a lot!

I have to be honest. I have no idea how I managed to write in one go but you inspired me, so here is the latest. Again, please excuse any typos.

So, this one was one hell of an emotional rollercoaster, at least for me and now I'm exhausted lol. Not much to say, hope you liked this one and your thoughts and opinions are always welcome. Stay safe and see you next time xx