Earned It
"We've already seen the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, the Pitti Palace, and the Basilica of Santa Croce… so what should we do today?" Bonnie asked, as Damon dragged a lazy kiss along the nape of her neck. She looked up to see the clock on the bathroom wall as they remained soaking in a freshly prepared bubble bath by Damon, himself. "It's almost 8 AM, which means— "
"Way too early to be thinking about sight-seeing," he whispered onto her ear and she smiled but didn't argue, as he held her on his lap in his arms and her eyes shut as his mouth traveled across her sudsy shoulder.
She'd be lying if she didn't say this was absolute bliss, waking up to this and him, in a beautiful villa in Florence, Tuscany, without the pressures of mundane repetitiveness that was Mystic Falls, Virginia—the very place they were taking a well-deserved break from, for a little while.
She lifted her mimosa to her lips with a grin when his firm hands pulled her in even tighter and he spoke in soft, sensual, and chillingly seductive Italian onto her ear. He did it just because he knew it drove her crazy, even though she had no idea what the hell he was saying.
"Amo il tuo sapore."
For all Bonnie knew, Damon could have been telling her all of the ways that he was going to slice and dice her up to store her in a walk-in freezer and she'd have absolutely no idea, as the hypnotic words rolled off of his tongue and fell onto her greedy ears with such ease. She was convinced she would've fallen in love with him ten years ago had she known that among the many things he was talented at doing with his mouth, speaking another language fluently was one of them.
They'd been in Italy for about two weeks now, and had started their journey in the North, already seeing everything from Milan to Verona—taking in all of the sights, attractions, artwork, architecture, and most importantly the food, as Damon and Bonnie both stuffed their faces with enough pasta, cheese, cured meats, and sauce to feed a small village, with each place they'd gone. Bonnie believed she had positively fallen in love with the country, because everything amazed her, and Damon couldn't help but smile at the childlike excitement and girlish charm in her eyes when he announced their next destination—each one better than the last—and made sure to be the best tour guide he could be, as he explained the rich history and cultural aspects of everything they saw, just as his mother and father had done for him, when he was a kid.
They spent their days wandering through cathedrals, visiting the markets, and dining at different restaurants, in search of their next favorite meal or bottle of wine. When she thought back to the gondola rides in Venice or the tortellini in Bologna, Bonnie couldn't help but be anxious for what was to come next. Especially when Damon told her their next stop would be to Tuscany, where his father and Gail lived, and Sarah and Matt were currently visiting, so they could have an impromptu family reunion, minus Stefan, who he had only heard from when he shot him a brief Happy New Year text.
Damon responded, quickly, by wishing him one in return and asking how things were going in the states but his brother never answered. And he left it at that. He promised Bonnie he would keep an open heart, but that didn't mean he was going to be a welcome mat and allow Stefan to walk all over him like he had been for years. Besides, he was way too busy, and way too happy with how things were going with Bonnie so far, that he couldn't be bothered to harp on why his brother was still being so cold.
Either way, it was none of his concern for now because he and Bonnie were finally connecting on a level he hadn't known was possible; especially when he thought he'd already known all there was to know about her. After all, she had been his best friend for close to thirty years and he could successfully name all of her favorite songs, movies, and books, without a second thought, and in the blink of an eye.
But there were now the tiny nuances about her he was getting to know. And the more time they spent alone, without any of the distractions or interruptions from back home, the more he truly saw her, and she saw him, when they talked each morning about everything and nothing at all, over a cup of coffee.
Another thing he discovered about her? The fact that she always took a small bite of everything that was on her plate, as if she was taste testing it, before diving into the meal and treating it as a whole. She also didn't like when her food was touching until she pushed it altogether and he couldn't help but laugh at the fact that it'd taken him years to notice how particular she was, especially because she'd never mentioned it was something that bothered her before.
And for him? Dimples, dimples, dimples.
She knew he had them. She'd seen them so few times over the years she could count it only on one hand before coming to Italy. But in the past two weeks, they seemed to be showing up all the time, when he smiled or laughed—he had about five different laughs—and she caught him covering his cheeks or turning away when he did because he knew she was fucking staring at them. She finally asked him why he did that, and he answered that they made him feel slightly silly and self-conscious. He even spiraled into a verbal thesis about the science behind them—and the fact that they were genetic defects—and Bonnie only realized he was just fucking with her, when he erupted into a mixture of laugh 3 and 1, and admitted he only looked away because she sometimes made him nervous. And again, his dimples appeared when said that.
They'd finally drowned out all of the noise and the sense of clarity was liberating. The more time they spent together, the more they discovered one another, and not just sexually, but spiritually and mentally, too. Damon started to learn her love language—hers were Acts of Service, his was Physical Touch, obviously—and they found a way to meet in the middle, as he took it upon himself to do the little things that she never asked him to do, like her laundry, the cleaning, and cooking Italian meals—with none of the components on the plate touching one another, of course—when they were too tired or hungover to go out and sit at a proper eatery.
As for him, Bonnie was reciprocating by doing more of what he liked too, like holding his hand in public, kissing him while he was in the middle of a thought or sentence—successfully distracting him what he was going to say—and most recently, waking him up with her mouth traveling across his skin, on more than occasion, as he gradually came to his senses out of deep sleep. It thrilled him when he realized he was drifting out of his slumber but waking up to a real-life dream, when he found her underneath the blankets and in-between his legs, going down on him, just before he worked up enough energy to pin her to the mattress and return the favor. He spoke Italian words onto her hamstrings when he pressed them to his forearms and her legs wrapped around his shoulders, trailing his tongue deeply inside of her, and he made sure she came, every single time, no matter how long it was that he had to wait.
He was easily dismantling the bomb that was Bonnie Bennett, and she couldn't say that she was shocked at all that he had gone all out when it came to impressing her for their very first trip alone together. From flying first-class to now planning their stay at this beautiful villa, he made sure she was nothing short of comfortable and Bonnie couldn't thank him enough for that, considering the fact that she didn't sleep the entire night before the flight because she was too excited and so busy packing, she was running on fumes until they boarded their plane.
On their first night in Venice, she napped immediately due to the jet-lag, only to awaken to a candlelit, four-course authentic Italian dinner that he'd cooked himself, after said 13-hour flight.
The following day, he took her sight-seeing, and had the entire day planned out to the minute, including dinner and drinks before they went back to the hotel and he tried to teach her a few common phrases in Italian that she could use when they went back out and about on the town. They didn't make it very far with the phrases thanks to the wine and when they walked into the bedroom to get changed into their pajamas, she was welcome with yet another surprise Damon had planned, thanks to the help of the hotel staff.
The bed was covered with fresh red rose petals, there was a fresh bottle of Dom Perignon on ice, and a tray of chocolate covered strawberries on the table. Bonnie's cheeks flushed and she bit back a smile, when he had already unbuttoned his shirt, turned on some soft music, lit a few candles, and urged her to open the giftbox that sat square in the center of the bed.
Bonnie watched as Damon took a sip of his champagne, though his eyes never vacated hers, and she finally looked down long enough to tug at the big red bow and open the box. A grin crossed her lips when she saw what was in it and he smiled as well, when she pulled out the Leica 35 mm camera and an empty photo album beneath it, and he sat on the bed beside her while she stared into his eyes.
"I figured you'd want some way to hold onto all of your new memories," he said shyly, and Bonnie grabbed his hand at that; her thumb slowly rubbed against his palm before she leaned in and gave him a kiss.
The nervousness in his eyes slowly subsided, when she put the book down, handed him the camera, and began to unbutton her blouse slowly. Damon watched on in quiet fascination, until the woman before him was dressed down to her lace, mauve underwear and matching bra. Bonnie loosened her long dark curls, as she laid on the bed and bit her lip when she met his stare. Damon's eyes remained wide, all the while.
"I'll let you take the first picture. And maybe a few more after that, if you're lucky," she said.
And they had a wonderful time, breaking in Bonnie's new camera that night. It was going to be even more interesting when it came to getting that film developed.
They spent New Years Eve in Verona in Piazza Bra, where they got to see the fireworks and a live concert with a lineup of local Italian singers. Damon kissed her exactly at midnight, and she couldn't think of anywhere in the world that she'd rather be, than in his arms, bringing on another year of friendship with the man she loved so intensely, she could hardly think straight when talking about him.
Flash forward to this morning, where he had plied her with mimosas, as they made good use of the hot tub in the spacious master bathroom in their villa in Florence, while a stream of morning light filtered through the windows. Damon gave her a slow massage to awaken her muscles and senses before they started their day, although if he were honest, he was doing everything in his power to urge her to cancel their plans as he sucked gently on her neck and eased her iPad out of her hand, laying it carefully on the ground as she crumbled at the distraction.
He was getting to her, with every calculated touch, word, and stare, and for the first time in her life, she wondered how she'd lived this long without truly living; without feeling so deeply, madly, outrageously in love, that she had settled for anything less than what Damon was making her feel right now, as his hands smoothed under the soapy water and into the space between her legs, before they roamed back up to her breasts, while she moaned softly and bit her lip.
If Damon had his way, they wouldn't go anywhere for weeks; he'd keep her locked in here, like a princess in a tower, begging for an escape, though the only escape was him. They were in one of the most romantic places he could think of and he wanted nothing more than to prolong this experience—just the two of them—for as long as he could, seeing as Bonnie hadn't yet decided on how long they were staying and he had to make every moment count. Especially with not knowing which day could be their last—metaphorically speaking, of course.
"How about Ponte Vecchio today?" Damon asked as Bonnie turned around in his lap and straddled him; her arms wrapped comfortably around his broad shoulders as she listened. "It's a bridge, that runs over the river. There's a bunch of shops, and vendors. Jewelry… you'd like it. It's beautiful."
"Okay, we'll go then," she said, and he smiled as she traced a finger across his chest, "What time is dinner at your Dad and Gail's place?" she asked lightly, though she felt anything but.
It would be the first time they were going to see his parents since getting here, and she knew she shouldn't have been nervous but she was, considering the fact that they had no idea Damon and Bonnie were dating because he hadn't said anything yet; it was something he wanted to talk about it person, respectfully, after the whole FaceTime fiasco with Sarah on Christmas.
His sister had been pretty cool about it, considering the fact that she'd seen worse living with Damon in -between semesters—like Krystal with K, who he was sleeping with when he was rebounding off of Elena—and seemingly trying to fight his feelings for Bonnie. That girl regularly and loudly did her Walks of Shame out of the Boarding House when she knew Sarah was home, in an effort to establish her "relationship" with Damon, and she never let him live it down that he was actually having sex with someone who still wore Juicy Couture velour sweat suits, low-rise jeans, and trucker hats, when popping in for another late-night booty call.
For Sarah? Bonnie was a much better—and much more tasteful—option. And it didn't hurt that she didn't act like she was trapped in the year 2001.
But Bonnie knew it'd take more than good fashion taste for Giuseppe to buy into their relationship; especially when she'd so recently been engaged to somebody else before diving headfirst into this.
For as long as Bonnie had known Damon's dad, he was pretty straight-faced at all times, and never really seemed to loosen up much; he'd just always had a very firm and serious demeanor about him. He wasn't a bad father by any means, but he was hardly as emotional as Damon and Stefan were, and she resigned herself to the fact that they had definitely had gotten that from Lilian Salvatore, because Giuseppe was almost as impenetrable as they came. He always liked her, and according to Damon, he regularly praised Bonnie for being the good influence that she was on his son, because Damon very well had the potential to be a disaster, when they were kids. But she honestly wasn't sure how Giuseppe would feel about her now, knowing that she was a liar and a cheater, who had two-timed her ex-fiancé with his son, instead of doing things the right way, and leaving Enzo before she got Damon wrapped up in her mess and seemingly around her finger. Damon was hardly a rebound, but she wondered if Giuseppe and Gail would warn him that he could be, though she knew more than anything that, that wasn't the case at all.
And now she could only hope Giuseppe still felt the way he did at her engagement party, when he urged Damon to be honest with himself and her. Because had it not been for him, they might not have been here today. And there was no worse fate that she could imagine, at this point. The thought of not having Damon in her life equally devastated and terrified her.
"Dinner isn't 'til 6 PM. We have tons of time," he said as his hands crawled along her skin and he grinned. "If you wanted to… you know."
"I think I'm all sexed out from last night if that's possible," she smiled, and he pouted as she pursed her lips. "Even though you are really, really tempting."
"The really tempting, dangerous, bad guy, who's only gonna break your heart, at your service," he said jokingly and Bonnie shook her head as she recalled the words her Dad had said to him during their drink after Christmas dinner. "Have you heard from your parents again?"
"Of course not, they're still pissed off I decided to come here with you instead of staying home for the New Year," she said as he listened on. "As if I don't have the next six months to make it to New York to visit them… They're… not taking this as well as I'd hoped."
And that wasn't an exaggeration.
The morning of her flight, Bonnie had stopped by her Grams' place to inform them of the surprise news of her departure in just a few hours and while Sheila was super supportive and urged her to have a wonderful time before heading out to breakfast with her new beau, her parents were not fine with it and found every reason under the sun why she shouldn't go to Italy with Damon. Much less, even be seeing him, at all.
Their list covered an array of reasons like it was "too soon," "she needed to stay single and focus on her career," "he was just a rebound from Enzo," "it would really hurt Elena, hearing that her ex-best friend and ex-boyfriend were now openly dating," and of course her all-time favorite, "he's a bad guy who will inevitably break your heart, because that's what they all do."
And she couldn't be any more annoyed.
It wasn't like she expected her parents to welcome their relationship with open arms and an open heart, but she did expect them to keep an open mind. Especially considering the fact that her entire life they did nothing but preach to her about moving past your mistakes and forgiving not only yourself but other people for their indiscretions if they were genuine and sincere, which Damon absolutely was.
They surely weren't putting it into practice when it came to giving him the chance he deserved, though, and it put her in a unique position because her parents didn't flat out dislike him as a person like they had with some of her ex-boyfriends. They'd always gotten on just fine, before it came out that she slept with him. But they thought he was a poor boyfriend choice for her and made it clear had this been under different, more honest circumstances, they could've felt differently about it.
But under these circumstances? They wanted no part of it.
To them, Damon showed his true colors. And now he was just some guy she lost her job and glowing reputation over, even though he only punched Enzo out of defense for her. In their opinion, he was reckless, impulsive, and "changed her" from their sweet, darling girl with upstanding and unshakeable morals, to a skank—for lack of a better word—who cheated on poor, unsuspecting men like Enzo, and broke girl code with lifelong friends like Elena, all because Damon talked her into it.
Damon was her "side piece," not marriage or even boyfriend material, and for the life of them, they couldn't understand why she'd not only given up a "perfect life" and cheated on her fiancé, but was also willing to drop everything and fly away to Italy with him, for an undetermined amount of time, with no concrete plans or decisions in place for the future.
Her father nearly had a heart attack when she told him that she didn't know how long they were staying, and her mother all but called her insane for putting her life on hold for a boy, though she knew hypocritically enough, that they would have been thrilled with her dropping everything to start a family had she indeed married Enzo, and found out she was pregnant, just a few months later. They'd be helping her pick out baby names and plan colors for the nursery, no questions asked.
It thoroughly confused her how they could be aware of all that he'd say to and about her—and even be privy to the fact that he grabbed her, threateningly, before Damon got in the middle of them—and they still somehow found a way to victimize him for his shitty reaction. But she figured it had something to do with the fact that Enzo was now a Good Christian, just like they were, so they found it more easily digestible to forgive his transgressions, instead of just calling them out for what they really were. Because that's exactly what they did, when Bonnie finally opened up to them about the incident that happened the night of the gala.
When she revealed the fact that he'd gotten in her face and probably would have gotten violent if Damon weren't there, they asked if this was the first time. She said yes, as far as the physical part went, and that was when the excuses for his behavior began.
They called it everything from a lack of good judgment, to devastating heartbreak that blinded him in the moment, and Bonnie was nothing less than infuriated when the victim-blaming started and her own father insinuated that perhaps Enzo wouldn't have called her all of those terrible things out of anger if she hadn't been acting so out of character lately.
So basically, that translated to, if she wasn't such a fucking whore, maybe he wouldn't have called her out on being one.
And that was when she decided it was time to leave, because the last thing she needed to do was catch a case in her Grams' kitchen because both of her parents were behaving like brainwashed, ignorant, psychopaths.
She hoped some time away from them would not only give them a chance to mull it over, realize they were wrong about their beloved Enzo, and change their minds about Damon—especially after they saw how happy they were together. The time away also would give she and him a chance to actually have a shot at this, without having to deal with the constant negativity, commentary, and opinions from everyone around them who was so convinced that their relationship ought to be a community project and everyone should have a fucking say.
They didn't and wouldn't, she decided, and if they wanted to start things off on the right foot, they'd need to get away from it all, just for a little bit, and she couldn't have been happier than she was right now, because Tuscany was beautiful and peaceful. And so was her time spent with him, even if it had only been 48 hours in Florence. She was happy, and there was nothing anyone could do to stop that, short of ripping her heart out of her chest.
And even still, she was convinced it would continue to beat for Damon, as she took her one last, dying breath.
"They'll come around," she said, as he followed her green eyes and tucked a loose strand from her bun behind her ear. "Or we'll have to just move here. Either one is fine."
"You'd move out of Virginia, away from everyone and everything you know? Can't say I ever pegged you for the type," he said with a lifted brow. "You're basically the shining star of the shitty town we live in."
"Yeah, but not for good reasons anymore," she replied as she stroked his hair. "Besides the friends I haven't lost, and Grams, and you—what do I have left there? With my luck, I'll go back to Whitmore in the fall, and the PTA parents will realize the slutty winter gala harlot got reinstated and I'll be fired. For good," she said in a joking tone though he knew she wasn't kidding and that probably was what was going to happen. "I'm sorry. We don't need to talk about this right now."
"We can, if you want to. You know I'm here to listen, Bon."
"But you shouldn't have to. We're on vacation. And I'm with you. And I'm happy," she said, and Damon smiled though he couldn't help but feel sad at the prior hopelessness in her tone.
Bonnie had always been one of the best people he'd ever known. Despite the fact that her Dad was the mayor and her family was loaded, she never relied on the privilege that she did have to get her anywhere in life; she always worked her ass off and gave everything 110 percent. She was their high school salutatorian—she missed valedictorian by a 10th of a point, and in college she went on to graduate Magna Cum Laude and was now going for her PhD after successfully completing her master's degree.
She was one of the most intelligent people that he knew, and the fact that she had been reduced to a rich girl who relied on Daddy's money to get her anywhere in life definitely undermined all of the hard work she'd put in to establish herself and her career. Because even though people should have known that, that couldn't have been any further from the truth, they'd argue that she received special treatment because of her race, gender, and socioeconomic status. And to know that she felt this way even though she struggled to talk about it made him angry for her. Because for whatever wrong she had done, she didn't deserve the way Enzo treated her that night, though he knew a part of her believed that she did.
And it was also clear Enzo hadn't thought about the bigger picture, and the massive implications he had created for her by lashing out, because in that moment, he'd only been thinking about himself, and how she hurt him. And still, Damon believed in his right to be upset, but for him, there was no excusing what he had done. And he hoped never to run into Enzo again. Because he couldn't promise that he wouldn't be leaving the conversation in handcuffs if he did.
"I love you," he said, and she smiled as she still played with his hair, before offering a response.
"I love you too."
Bonnie leaned in and gave her a chaste kiss as she got out of the tub, much to his dismay, and he watched as she pulled on her robe and headed to the mirror to start to get ready for the day, while he watched her for a few moments silently; his eyes meeting hers in the reflection of the mirror and Bonnie smiled at him gently before finally breaking the silence.
"What did you say before, in Italian?" she asked curiously, and Damon smirked as she followed his eyes and shook her head, "You know what? Never mind—I probably don't want to know."
Damon finally stood up at that and she didn't peel her eyes away when his completely naked, and sudsy frame stepped out of the tub, dripping onto the tile, not bothering to grab a towel or his robe, as he approached her slowly.
Bonnie smiled as she looked straight ahead at herself in the mirror in an attempt to ignore him when he appeared behind her. She didn't say a word when his hands wrapped around her shoulders and his body pressed to the back of her robe; her eyes fluttered shut when she felt a soft kiss land on her temple and then cheek before she reopened her lids and looked back at him. His sapphire eyes were on fire when he slowly spun her around and her back pressed to the countertop of the sink when he looked at her.
Without a word he leaned in and kissed her.
He nearly took her breath away when his tongue slipped into her mouth, and she smoothed both palms up his bare chest to his cheeks while they continued, lapping each other up for the next few minutes, with the fresh taste of orange juice and champagne on both of their lips. He easily lifted her onto the sink and her thighs were wrapped around his waist while it took everything in him not to be in her, when she tugged his bottom lip between her teeth and looked into his eyes when she finally pulled away.
They stared at each other for a silent—but heated, and heavy—moment, as his hands dipped beneath her robe and she let out of short gasp when she felt his index slip inside of her. He worked against her so devastatingly slowly, she immediately felt wet, as she clutched onto the sink and tried to hold in the moans that threatened to escape her lips.
When he inched his finger out, she watched as he stuck it into his mouth and sucked on it deliberately, as her heartbeat sped up, because if that wasn't a way to get a girl horny, she didn't know what was.
"I said, I love how you taste," he translated in a low but assured tone, and Bonnie felt her breath hitch when he drew her in closer and tilted up her chin so she was meeting his eyes; his thumb brushed along her bottom lip and she knew her cheeks had instantly flushed because the warmness she felt between her legs had traveled up to her face, and now she felt like and now she felt like she'd been laid out bare, in the middle of the desert, soaking up the summer sun.
His thumb continued to drag across her cherry lips, until she grabbed it with her mouth; her teeth and tongue seductively captured his skin and Damon smiled as she stared back at him wickedly.
"Have you changed your mind?" he asked with scrunched brows and she slowly let his thumb go with a soft but audible pop of her lips before she untied the robe and let it fall onto the countertop, as she pulled him in closer with the firm grip of her hands.
"We can see Ponte Vecchio tomorrow," she reassured, and he smiled happily before he leaned in and met her mouth with a kiss.
It was a good thing those plans for dinner weren't until 6 PM.
XXXXX
"So, let me get this straight," Sarah said, after she swallowed down her shot of whiskey and looked into Damon's eyes, when he put his empty shot glass on the counter as well. "You slept with Bonnie the night before her wedding and no one bothered to tell me before I spent the money on my hair and makeup? Honestly D, you could've given a girl a heads up." Damon snorted at that aS he sat at the bar next to her and turned to face her with incredulous eyes, while she shook her head. "What?"
"I tell you that Bonnie and I had been engaged in a secret relationship for months, starting the night of her bachelorette party and your only response is that we should've told you sooner, so you could've spent less money?" he asked and Sarah shrugged. "Not the reaction I was expecting."
"I'm a poor college kid, I could've put that cash to good use."
"You are the furthest thing from poor. You have a trust fund."
"Be that as it may," Sarah started with a grin and he rolled his eyes playfully, "I'm happy for you, Damon. And I'm sorry Stefan had such a shitty response when he found out because I think it's great. You and Bonnie have always been soulmates. Anyone with a pulse could see you two were bound to get together, sooner or later. Though this is much, much later."
Damon smiled at that as Sarah clinked her glass to his and he took a sip before his eyes wandered around the cocktail bar they had found themselves in, after he and Bonnie finished exploring the city—and each other— for the day and his sister had given him a call to meet up for a drink before heading over to their parents' house for dinner. Bonnie was across the bar with Matt, playing pool and he felt his heart do a gentle pitter-patter when she looked up from their game at him and grinned before continuing to trash talk her opponent, while Matt laughed on all the while.
The girl was always the fiercest competitor that he knew.
Sarah followed his eyes to Bonnie, and she grinned knowingly before he turned back and realized she was staring at him the entire time. Damon took a sip of his bourbon and shook his head.
"What are you looking at?"
"You, being absolutely in love with her," Sarah beamed, and he rolled his eyes. "Admit it. You're 1000% smitten. And all smiley. This is gross, and I mean that in the best way possible… I've never seen you like this."
"I don't get like this because of reactions like yours," he said, and she scoffed as he shook his head. "Makes me feel like a sap."
"It's a good look on you," Sarah pinched his cheek and Damon couldn't help but smile in return, as he followed her light brown eyes. "After Elena, I wasn't sure you'd be able to open yourself up to anyone, again. But I'm happy you did. And I'm thrilled with the selection. Bonnie's pretty amazing and slightly out of your league, but it's nice that she's so philanthropic, giving you a chance and all," she joked as he bit back a grin as she did as well.
"Well, I wouldn't have had the courage to move on from Elena if it wasn't for Dad… And I probably wouldn't have ever told Bonnie how I felt about her, either."
"And does he know the fruits of his labor have finally paid off?"
"No. I haven't even told him Bonnie and I are together."
"Why not?! He'd be thrilled. You know, he once said she was the best thing to ever happen to you and he's not wrong… She's smart, funny, doesn't put up with your shit, and not to mention, super-hot," Sarah noted, and Damon nodded with a laugh.
"I am inclined to agree with all of that— "
"So why haven't you told Dad? I mean, you told Stefan, and we all know he's the biggest Debbie Downer of them all… But Dad isn't. And he saw you guys coming from light years away. It'd make him happy, you know. Maybe he'd actually even emote."
"I guess… but with how bad Bonnie's parents reacted to it after finding out the how, I'm kind of a little hesitant. I just… don't want to let him down. And what I did, breaking Bonnie and Enzo up, was pretty shitty…. So was getting into that fight with him, and costing her, her job."
"Enzo cost Bonnie her job, when he decided to go off the rails and slut-shame her, in front of the entire academic community. Don't blame yourself for defending your girl," Sarah pressed an assertive finger to his chest. "Besides—we all know cheating is wrong, and yes, you two maybe should've told him sooner but what's done is done and her cheating doesn't change the fact that he needs serious help if he thinks the way he treated her that night was remotely okay."
Damon nodded at that, briefly thinking back to his conversation with Alaric once he'd gotten to Italy. His best friend had informed him that Enzo had apparently left Virginia and was currently staying in Boston with old college friends, to clear his head and get a hold of his emotions. Alaric, personally, saw it as him running away from his problems and told him just that when he saw him last, before his departure, and urged him to seek help for his anger issues. He wasn't sure that Enzo was going to listen, but he'd tried his best and both Bonnie and Damon were grateful to have someone who was not only seeing things with a bit of clarity because he'd witnessed Enzo's behavior that night, but agreed that his actions went way beyond being cheated on and he needed to do something more than pretend like it never happened.
Damon snapped out of his thoughts as he gazed at Sarah and cleared his throat before uttering a response.
"You know how Giuseppe is… he's all about honesty, integrity, and loyalty— "
"And you're trying to make the best of it, now. You and Bonnie are in an open, honest, and healthy relationship with each other. That counts for something, D. I don't think Dad's gonna hate you because you took his advice but went about things the 'wrong' way. He knows you mean well. You always do."
Damon sighed at that and Sarah pursed her lips as he slowly moved his glass; the ice cube pinged off the side.
"You are incredibly supportive of Bonnie and I, considering the fact that I've been giving you hell about dating my bartender," he nodded in Matt's direction and Sarah smiled as she met his eyes. "What gives?"
"Nothing. I know you're looking out for me, because Matt's IQ is questionable to you, and I appreciate that, even if I'm an adult and ultimately I'm going to date whoever the fuck I want," she said and Damon smiled. "Just like Bonnie is an adult and she's not going to let her parents tell her who she can and can't see… So, don't let it get to you that so many people are so against this. You two are happy and you deserve to be. You've both been through so much to get to this point. Don't screw it up, dummy."
Damon didn't reply to that, but he did reach in and give her a tight hug and Sarah laughed happily when he pulled away and met her eyes, smiling gently all the while.
"What was that for?"
"For being wise beyond your years, sensei," he shrugged and she snorted, as Bonnie and Matt finally made their way back over to the bar and Damon's eyes immediately transfixed on the girl who was bouncing happily on her heels in victory as she ordered a coke and looked into his eyes with a smile.
He was instantly enchanted.
"Bonnie won. All three rounds. I'm back in retirement," Matt said, and Sarah laughed before placing a sympathetic kiss on his cheek as he pouted. "I'd say good game, but I absolutely sucked."
"Don't feel too bad. Not even Damon can beat me at pool," she revealed, and he scoffed as his arm snaked over her shoulder and pulled her in closely; protectively.
"I came close once."
"Yeah, back in 2003," she chirped, and Sarah and Matt laughed at that, as she met his eyes and pursed her lips. "Were you two all done with sibling talk? Or did we interrupt."
"We're all done. And we should probably close out if we're gonna catch the metro," Sarah looked at her watch and Damon immediately pulled out his wallet to pay.
"It's on me. I owe Bonnie a drink for getting my ass whooped back in '03."
She shook her head at that as both Sarah and Matt thanked him. They all slipped into their jackets and grabbed their things; Sarah and Matt ventured outside to wait for them as Damon signed his receipt and he felt Bonnie's eyes burning against his skin, before he looked up and straight into them.
"Why is everyone staring at me today?"
"I like seeing you in big brother mode. You two are cute," she said, and he bit back a smile as he placed the pen down on the countertop and slid his card back into his wallet, before taking her hand.
"That pain in the ass? She drives me insane."
"Nice try, but I'm pretty sure you're obsessed with her, and that's fine. I've never had a sibling, so I don't know what that's like—having that connection."
Bonnie's fingers immediately interlocked with his as they started to walk to the exit, hand in hand.
"She's different than Stefan is… less judgey, more forgiving. Makes me feel like an actual person, as opposed to the idea of one," he said as she listened on and they stopped just shy of the door. "Just like you do. You… remind me that I'm human, all the time, and I appreciate that. And you. I appreciate you."
Bonnie smiled as he leaned in and kissed her forehead gently; her toes tingled and heart skipped a beat when he pulled away, still looking deeply into her eyes.
He was a dream; a manic and unpredictable yet steady and life-changing fantasy, that she knew she should have treaded carefully with, but what was the point and what was it really worth if she couldn't get hurt in the end? She wanted something that she'd be devastated to lose. She wanted someone who kept her up at night. And she'd found him, right here, in a sweet, but stormy man, who was just reckless enough to keep her on her toes, but also safe, too, because he loved her without limit, and protected her well-being when she needed it, even without knowing it.
"I appreciate you too," she said, rubbing her thumb against his jaw, and offering smile. "No matter what happens, I'll always remember right here and right now, with these memories. Our memories, Damon."
Damon smiled at that too before he placed one last kiss to her lips.
"With our luck, this is only just the beginning, bellissima," he said, and she smirked at that in response.
And with that, they were headed out the door.
XXXXX
"When my Dad said he was living modestly on the Italian countryside, I expected Little House on the Prairie. Not the Versace Mansion."
"I think this picture of you in the 4th grade is very Little House on the Prairie. Look at your suspenders. Is that the year I beat you at the spelling bee?"
"It is. Give me that," Damon snatched the picture frame out of Bonnie's hand as she smiled innocently; he flashed a grin in return as he placed the photo back onto the mantle of the fireplace. "You're a troublemaker, Bennett. Always have been."
Her eyes continued to wander around the medieval but modern mansion in amazement; her stare coursing over the stone walls and high arches in Giuseppe and Gail's living room, before she met Damon's gaze and slowly licked her teeth.
"But that's why you like me," she winked and he couldn't refute that, as his eyes roamed over her body, dressed in that form fitting olive green turtleneck dress, that matched her eyes and hugged her curves so perfectly, he ached to get back to their villa, just so he could peel it off of her.
He settled for his hands wrapped around her waist, and Bonnie smiled when he pulled her in closer and placed a chaste kiss against her jaw.
They'd had dinner at his parents' home in Lucca; a three-story mansion that Damon had to admit had Giuseppe's name all over it, from the pristine floors, rare artwork, and high ceilings that made him feel like a little boy, at 31 years old. They sat at the long rectangular table in the dining room over a five course meal and endless bottles of Sangiovese, mostly with Sarah, Matt, and Gail steering the conversation—thank God—because it kept Giuseppe's attention off of he and Bonnie and the fact that they had still not yet admitted to being together, though Gail gave them the look the second she greeted them both at the door with warm hugs.
His father hadn't had a chance to grill him with 21 questions, thanks to Gail's insistence that they get started with apps and dinner—she probably just knew Damon was scared shitless—and now, post-dessert, Matt had asked for a tour of the grounds, again, as everyone went along, leaving Damon and Bonnie inside alone, for just a few stolen moments.
He knew his father knew something was up, and he promised he would explain what the hell he and Bonnie were doing on a two-week long trip in another country, alone together, but he just needed to work up the nerve to be open and honest. Especially if his reaction was going to be just as bad as Stefan's, for not telling him the truth and sneaking around with nearly married woman the past few months.
Damon's hands slowly trailed across her waist and finally dropped when they heard voices approaching, and within moments Giuseppe, Gail, Sarah, and Matt were walking into the room, as his father held a bottle of champagne with a bottle opener. Gail handed them each an empty flute.
"I thought we should have a toast to getting two out of the three of my kids here at the same time," Giuseppe started and they all smiled while he cleared his throat, "and of course, the lovely presence of the people they care about," he added and Damon swallowed hard when his father met his eyes for a second, before darting his gaze to Bonnie and Matt. "Thank you for joining us."
"My pleasure," Bonnie and Matt said, almost in unison and they watched as Giuseppe popped the champagne with ease and poured them each a serving.
They clinked their flutes for a quick cheers, before raising them to their lips and Bonnie sighed after she took a gulp. Damon cleared his throat and stuffed one of his hands into his pocket. Sarah, Matt, and Gail vacated the room to go get the TV in the den ready for karaoke—Sarah's idea, of course—and Giuseppe turned to face his son and Bonnie.
He hadn't asked any questions during dinner, but they knew it was time, now, as he rolled up the sleeves of his button-up and sipped his drink gingerly.
"So, what's new Bonnie? How are you liking Italy?" Giuseppe asked as he faced her and Damon and followed their eyes. "I hope that Damon's been a good tour guide."
"It's been fantastic. He's been… great," Bonnie said genuinely, as a smile crossed her lips. "The food is amazing, and the museums and cathedrals we saw, I just... I'm in awe, is all," Bonnie continued, and Giuseppe nodded in understanding before he responded.
"How long are you two staying? One more week in Tuscany, like Sarah and Matthew?"
Damon looked at Bonnie briefly and began to formulate a response that didn't really answer the question, but she answered first, much to his surprise.
"Another month. I'm… on leave from the university until the Fall actually, and Damon's bar is closed at the moment. So, we're not really in a rush to head back home. Besides, there's so much more to see. We haven't even seen Rome yet," Bonnie said as she met Damon's eyes and he smiled softly though on the inside, he was positively bursting at the seams because she had finally decided.
Bonnie was granting him another month of this; 4 more weeks, on their own, to do and live however the hell they wanted, and he couldn't be more thrilled about it. He half expected her to want to jet-set off after spending the rest of this week seeing his family but it seemed that wasn't the case and that excited him more than he could even put into words. She was having just as much fun as he was, and it was clear that she didn't want this to end. And neither did he. If it were up to him, they might never go back, and they'd just spend the next year traveling to different places with one another, exploring all it was that the globe had to offer.
But another month? That was generous enough. Especially when he realized the fact that Bonnie's birthday was almost exactly a month from today, and that meant she wanted to spend her 30th with him, which warmed his heart even more, because this was a milestone for her. His smile remained on his lips as he turned back to face his father, who was eyeing them both curiously. Damon cleared his throat, before offering a flippant shrug, as his heart continued to pound so quickly, he was sure Giuseppe could see it through his white button down.
"Whatever the lady wants, she gets. I'm just the tour guide."
"Well, you know what they say; happy wife, happy life," his father replied, and Damon inhaled a deep breath at that as he watched Bonnie nervously tuck a strand behind her ear, before she offered a quick smile as well.
And that was gonna be her cue to give them a minute.
"I'm… going to run to the bathroom—one of the many bathrooms," Bonnie said as she polished off her champagne and walked away, with Damon's eyes following her every step in her heels before she disappeared.
He turned back to face his father whose eyes hadn't dropped—or blinked—for what felt like a century as he stared straight back at him.
"So…" Damon trailed off licking his lips and Giuseppe's gaze remained firm.
"You two are seeing each other now," his father said, not asked, and Damon pursed his lips before slowly nodding scratching his black hair, "That's a big deal. Since when?"
"Officially? About three weeks… Unofficially, a few months," Damon revealed, and Giuseppe lifted a brow. "She… called off things with Enzo, at the wedding, as you already know. And we…" he started and stopped, because ew, was he really about to jump into the gory details of his sex life, headfirst, with his 67-year-old father?
He didn't want to because that was just weird. But he also knew he was pretty incapable of lying to him, because he always had been, even as a kid. And he knew if he didn't tell him the truth now, Giuseppe would be able to figure it out anyway, because he always saw right through his shit. Damon ticked his jaw and followed his eyes, as he began again.
"The night before the wedding, I may have told her how I felt, finally. And she… seemingly felt the same way. So… we made a mistake—one we should've waited to make until she was single. But… ever since then, we haven't been able to stayaway from each other and now that everybody knows, because of a super messy fight at Bonnie's job with Enzo that I just don't want to get into, again, we made the choice to be together," he said carefully as his father remained quiet. "I'm… sorry I waited to tell you, Dad. I just didn't think it'd be an appropriate conversation to have over the phone. Or FaceTime. That's how Sarah found out. And I… know you're probably not proud of me, for how this whole thing started, because she was still with him when I swooped in and changed everything but—"
"It's not about me being proud of you or not, Damon. It's about what you feel… Are you happy, son?"
Damon stopped, as his father's question took him off guard and he swallowed hard, as the elder man's blue eyes looked straight into his. "Because what I can tell you, as your father, is that you look happy. You… have a light about you now, that I haven't seen since in your eyes since your mother passed away and honestly? I wasn't so sure you'd ever get that back after things got so hard. But you did. You have it, with Bonnie. She makes you happy. And if you're both happy, I'm happy. That's all I need to know."
"I am happy—we are happy, I just… guess sometimes I'm a little afraid of other people's opinions. Sarah took it well and so did her Grams. But Stefan didn't. And her parents hate this. So does Enzo, obviously, and Elena… I really hurt her. Which in return, she tried to hurt me. With reason, I know."
"I'm sure. She loved you. Even though you two were doomed from the start," Giuseppe said as Damon looked down, "But you and Elena were never going to work Damon, no matter how hard either of you tried because you and Bonnie were already all that you ever wanted... Everyone has always been able to see that—whether they wanted to let themselves admit it, or not. I've always seen that. And so did your mother."
Damon looked back up at that and shook his head.
"I know, I just… I-I don't get it. Aren't you upset with me? I mean, I did what you said, and I was finally honest, but the night before her wedding? When she was going to marry my ex-best friend?"
"It's not my position as your father to judge what may have happened with Lorenzo, or to make you two feel badly for what you may have done. My job is to support you, because I know it wasn't easy for you to tell her… And it wasn't easy for her to leave him... No part of this should have been easy for either of you," he said as Damon bit his trembling lip. "But just because it wasn't easy doesn't mean it wasn't worth doing… It doesn't mean that she wasn't worth the risk or throwing it all on the line for, Damon, because you love her. And I know that aside from making you happy, you make her happier as well… That's just the way it's always been with you two. You've wanted her your entire life. And she's always loved you, too."
Damon felt his eyes welling up with tears that.
Happy tears. Because his father was right.
He loved Bonnie; he always had, and he always would. And knowing that someone had not only seen that his entire life, but believed the same about her—that she'd loved him forever, too—stirred every emotion inside of him, all at once, from gratification to appreciation not just for Bonnie, but for his father, for always seeing who he was, and loving him anyway, even when he hadn't been at his finest hour. He'd made mistakes with Elena. He waited unbelievably long with Bonnie. He fell into a bit darkness when his mother died. He fucked up a friendship with Enzo. But that wasn't all he had to be defined by, and it didn't negate the fact that he deserved love too, even though he often felt undeserving and unworthy of it. She loved him, as unconditionally as he loved her, and he needed to accept that. He needed to be open to the fact that sometimes, things really were this simple, even if the road to get here had been far from easy.
"I am proud of you, you know," his father said as he placed a hand on Damon's shoulder and he inhaled deeply, as he finally saw a true gentleness in his eyes as he watched on. "Running your own bar, going after the woman of your dreams who has always been a good fit for you, taking care of your brother," he added as Damon pressed his lips shut. "I never thanked you for what you did, after your mother died, I… never thought I had to say the words, but I realize that I should have… You needed to hear them."
Damon felt his eyes get watery at that as he shook his head and offered a knowing smile.
"I know, Dad. And you don't have to say it. I know after we lost Mom, things changed—"
"And you kept it together when I couldn't," Giuseppe answered, as Damon remained silent. "You protected Stefan; you were his hero. And that's probably why he's upset about you and Bonnie… Not because he doesn't think you deserve happiness with her—he knows that you both do—but you could never do any wrong in his eyes; not like me. And he's just not used to seeing you as anyone other than the person who he's never had to question. He puts you on a pedestal. One he created because I failed him, too many times… Not you, Damon."
"You didn't fail him. Or me," Damon said with furrowed brows. "You were a great Dad, you still are. You just went through a hard time and I forgive you for it… I don't judge you for that. I know it was hard, but we made it through. We all did, and we found happiness after it… We all survived the worst of it and we got to have a family again, when you met Gail and you gave me and Stefan Sarah… So, call me foolish, for not caring how we got here… The most important part is that we did. With you. I'm who I am today, because of you, Dad; you didn't fail me, at all."
Damon watched as his father smiled at that, his eyes glistening, before he leaned in and pulled him into a tight hug. Damon's chin landed on his shoulder and he beamed as well, when he saw Bonnie standing in the doorway of the room; biting her lip and grinning in his direction as her eyes met his. She didn't say a word as her arms folded over her chest and she just watched them hugging silently. Damon continued to watch on, as Sarah, Matt, and Gail slowly appeared behind her—all of them now smiling as well at the sight of Giuseppe holding his son in a strong embrace.
"Welcome to the family, Bon," Sarah whispered as she pulled her in for a hug and Bonnie laughed softly as Sarah's head landed on her shoulder and she squeezed her tight before releasing her and clapping excitedly as she turned on her heel. "Hey Dad and D—I hate to break this up, but I'm really itching to destroy everyone in karaoke. Are we ready?" Sarah interrupted with a smirk as Damon and Giuseppe finally departed and the room laughed as she flashed a devious smile, "Sorry not sorry Damon, but you're going down."
"In your dreams, twerp. Have you even heard this voice? You'd mistake me for Prince."
"If it's anything like you're singing at the bar, I'd call you the Prince of Tone Deafness. No offense," Matt commented, and Damon scoffed as Bonnie giggled with a shrug.
"Bonnie?"
"I'm sorry but that's probably true. You don't hear you, in the car," she said as Damon widened his eyes and Bonnie smirked, pinching his cheek.
"You said you loved my rendition of Elton John that one time."
"Yes, but have you ever considered being a mime? I think you'd be wonderful."
Damon, Bonnie, Sarah, and Matt continued trading insults as they left the room, and Giuseppe turned to face Gail with a soft smile, as she placed both hands to his jaw and looked into his eyes.
"I should tell them, tonight," Giuseppe said softly, and Gail followed his eyes. "The longer I wait, the worse it'll be."
"I know. But… let them have this. Just today. Especially Damon," Gail replied as he bit his trembling lip. "He deserves some good to remember you by. You have time."
Giuseppe nodded as she planted a soft kiss to his cheek and without another word, they walked out too, to join the others.
A/N: hi y'all! Back with another installment and I hope it was worth the wait. I've been super busy with the new year, but I wanted to make sure to get this one out for everyone who may have been waiting so I hope you enjoyed it. How are we feeling about Damon and Bonnie finally getting to explore their relationship and happiness outside of Mystic Falls? Do we think they'll be able to keep this up when they get back? Also, yay for more Sarah as some of you advised you liked her and wanted to see more and of course Giuseppe (and Gail!) finally make an appearance and are we happy with how his talk went with Damon? I feel like Damon has been long overdue for a moment with his father, so it was nice to give them that before whatever it is to come. But what was with the ominous vibes at the end? I'll never tell. As always, thank you so much for your feedback. I am incredibly grateful, and I appreciate every single one of you who reads my story as well as those who offer reviews. Keep them coming! What do we think is next for Bamon? Bonnie's bday is coming toooo so that's gonna be fun to write. You guys have now gone way too long without any drama LOL. Until next time! R/R. Xoxo.