High Enough
"I think this is the one," Bonnie said as she spun around, holding a black t-shirt over her frame, with a serious look in her eyes. "What do you think? Did I finally find a winner?"
Stefan chuckled, reading the screen-printed words across the fabric before meeting her eyes.
"I Heart Roma. Definitely Damon's style," he nodded, and Bonnie laughed with an eye roll before placing the shirt back on the rack of the Colosseum gift shop.
"I'm so bad at this. Gift giving is not my forte," she admitted as she wandered through the aisles of the store.
She and Stefan decided to partake in a guided tour of the monumental amphitheater today, with Damon's blessing of course, as he hung back at the hotel to mysteriously "prepare for her birthday," while he urged her to spend some quality time with his brother.
Bonnie wasn't sure what that meant, and she was slightly bummed he hadn't joined her and Stefan on their expeditions today. But she had more fun with him than she cared to admit, as the two grabbed breakfast at the hotel's restaurant, walked around the city sightseeing, and finally visited one of the places Bonnie had always wanted to see in person—her eyes flashing in amazement as they walked up, paid for the tour, and immersed themselves in the rich Italian history of the centuries old structure.
She picked up an apron and snorted at the words etched on the chest, Rome is for Lovers, and Stefan seemed to remain just as amused as he watched her checking out the items before he finally spoke again, with hands eased in the pockets of his charcoal Levi's.
"I suck at gifts too. I once gave Caroline a snow globe keychain for Christmas," he offered, and Bonnie smiled at that. "She picks her own gifts now—I just hand the credit card over."
"In your defense… she still has that stupid little snow globe," Bonnie revealed, and Stefan lifted a thick brow at that. "Surprised?"
"Very. I thought she threw it out. She's never let me live that one down."
"Doesn't mean she didn't love it. Or you. It's… sentimental," Bonnie answered, as she remembered the day her best friend showed up at her door freaking out over the fact that Stefan had just come back from a holiday with his family spent in Antigua and—much to her surprise—he got her a Christmas gift.
That stupid snow globe keychain that she pretended to hate, but Bonnie knew deep down coveted, was Caroline's latest obsession, as she watched her twirling the sphere in her pale hands from the couch while she talked about how weird it was that he'd even been thinking about her, considering the fact that they didn't talk for two weeks.
She spent hours dissecting the meaning of it—if there even was one—until Bonnie finally got Caroline to admit the one thing that remained unspoken in their friendship until now; that she cared so much about what this meant and why he'd gotten it for her because she liked Stefan.
She more than liked him—she was actually kind of in love with him.
And that plain and simple fact was still true today. Caroline may have hated the item itself, but it was the thought behind it. Shitty gift giving be damned—she loved her man that had never quite grown a penchant for picking out presents, just as much as Damon loved Bonnie, despite the fact that she wasn't as grand or creative as he was when it came to this sort of thing either.
Maybe it was okay for Stefan and Bonnie that they had balance. After all, most relationships really only could survive one drama queen, at best. And in each partnership, it clearly wasn't them.
Bonnie looked up from a quilt she had in her hand, and she guffawed as she watched Stefan grabbing another snow globe; a smirk flitted on his lips as he tested the weight of it in his palm and looked her in the eyes.
"I wasn't at all urging you to get her another one."
"She might kill me, but I think it's worth the risk."
"So, you want to provoke her on purpose."
"Don't act like you haven't been provoking my brother for 30 years straight."
He was right. And she planned on doing it for the next 30 as well.
A few minutes later they exited the gift shop onto the cobble stone street, bags of goodies in hand, walking in comfortable silence to the next destination—a quaint corner café that looked like it came straight out of a Nancy Meyers movie. Stefan politely pulled out her chair and within minutes they ordered coffees, an assortment of pastries, and one serving of hazelnut gelato that they shared with two spoons in amicable silence.
Bonnie glanced over Stefan in the middle of their sugary feast, and she pursed her lips when she noticed the distant look of longing in his eyes. It took a moment to feel her stare, but it roused him out of his thoughts, and he nodded gently in her direction before taking another spoonful of gelato into his mouth.
"You okay?"
"Yeah," he toyed with his spoon, offering another here and gone smile. "Just… all that talk about my wife makes me miss her and the boys. I've never been away from them for this long," he admitted.
It was Bonnie's turn to nod in understanding.
"Are you going to go back to Lucca?" she asked.
He shrugged softly, as his acutely worried green eyes shone.
"I haven't decided yet. I should—I don't want the stress of the move to weigh on Gail. And I know if I don't go…"
"Damon will," she filled in, and he didn't respond to that. "He's convinced himself that he can wait for your dad to show up in Mystic Falls before they have their talk. But I know he doesn't want to wait that long, just in case— "She stopped, and Stefan swallowed hard at that; his father's mortality suddenly looming over the café table like a musk no one could quite decipher or ignore. "Are you okay? I haven't asked you how you're doing with all of this."
Stefan clicked his jaw at that and shrugged gently in typical fashion.
"Is anyone ever okay when they realize their parents are dying?"
"No. I guess not."
Silence danced between them as she leaned forward and took both of his hands into her own. The warm feeling of his fingers conjoined with Bonnie's, and she exhaled a soft sigh, finding his eyes.
She and Stefan had been friends for years—for just as long as she'd known Damon, his brother had been a constant in her life, even enough they weren't nearly as close as she and Damon ever were. They had a lot in common—mostly their opinions and reactions to the things that plagued the friends' group—but they never really did this one-on-one type of bonding. Not even when he got engaged to Caroline. And certainly not when she started dating Damon.
And she half wondered if that was the reason why her boyfriend forced her out the door and into custody of his brother. Because the two weren't all that close, but they were the most important people in his life. And Damon needed his brother and his girl to get along if his life was to remain copacetic. Damon and Caroline fought and simultaneously loved one another like they were already blood related. And though she wasn't quite there yet with Stefan—who knew if she ever would be—today felt like a step in the right direction.
She hoped their time spent together would serve as the foundation for a friendship they could both rely upon in the future.
Especially because he wasn't going anywhere. And neither was she.
"I'm here for you," she said simply, and Stefan looked up at that, thoughtfully, while she spoke. "We're… like family, at this point, Stefan. Anything that you need from me, I'm here— "
"Take care of him for me, while I'm gone," he said and Bonnie's brows furrowed at that, searching his eyes. "When I… go back to Lucca, to help my dad and Gail…take care of my brother. He'll need you—with everything that's about to come. Stand by his side."
Bonnie swallowed at that—at Stefan seemingly making up his mind right then and there. She quietly nodded in agreement; her chest slowly swelling when she felt like there might have been more to the story than just Giuseppe's imminent fate the longer she searched his eyes.
If there was, she needed to tell Damon immediately. She was no longer into the secret keeping thing, especially after what happened the last time.
When she was about to ask, his cell phone rang, puncturing the silence.
Stefan smiled politely as he snatched it off the table and he stood to his feet.
"Excuse me. I have to take this."
Bonnie nodded as he walked off, placing his phone to his ear the second he stepped outside. She watched through the window as he paced, deep in conversation; his face expressive as he answered whatever queries he'd received from the caller on the other end—the veins in his arms popping while he gripped the device tighter when he spoke. He suddenly stopped in in his tracks, passion filling his eyes—as much passion as she'd ever seen out of Stefan since he spoke his vows at the altar on his wedding day to Caroline.
Except the look in his eyes wasn't loving as they had been on his special day.
He was angry, and clearly growing by the second, before he finally ended the call, inhaled a deep breath, and then walked back into the café. His formally rage-filled eyes bursting his sunshine and warmth, leaving her to wonder if she'd just imagined the entire thing.
Bonnie shifted uncomfortably, as she self diagnosed herself. What the hell was even going on?
"Is everything okay?" she asked when he reappeared and Stefan waved off her suspicions, with a look of content falling on his features.
"Nothing to worry about. School stuff," he stayed, referring to the academy he and Caroline owned before quickly downing his coffee. "We about done here?"
"Yeah. I-I'm good," she said.
Stefan smiled again, and Bonnie watched as he collected their trash, deposited it into a nearby receptacle, then walked out the door taking long strides.
Bonnie's tiny legs struggled to keep up as she walked beside him, quietly observing him as they went the rest of the way home.
Nothing else was out of the ordinary.
XXXXX
When Bonnie walked back into the penthouse suite back at the hotel Damon had booked in the heart of Rome, she was immediately accosted with the smell of vanilla as she toed her way in.
The hallway had been littered with rose petals, a few candles lit, and she lifted a brow when she heard soft music playing from the kitchen as she neared the room, in search of the source and her raven-haired beau.
She found him at the marble countertop facing towards her. He was in nothing but an apron, with a spread of food freshly prepared on the island between them.
He smiled and she melted.
Damon spun around to uncork the bottle of champagne in his hands, and it took everything in her to push away every filthy thought that suddenly crossed her mind when she saw the muscled curve of his ass and toned dips in back.
She cleared her throat instead and remembered she was supposed to be mad at him for ditching earlier with his brother.
"Why are you naked?"
"Why aren't you?" he asked, and Bonnie nearly jumped when the pop of the champagne startled her—his grin still plastered on his lips. "Strip."
"Excuse me?" she asked, and Damon poured two flutes before dropping the bottle back into an ice bucket and searching her eyes.
"Take off your clothes," he said slowly, and Bonnie couldn't deny the things the timbre of his tone did to her, as he walked past her, too closely and whispered onto her greedy ear. "Meet me in the jacuzzi. I'll be outside."
Bonnie breathed in that; noticing the way the bag that she still held from the gift shop had now imprinted her hand. She dropped it on the floor as Damon walked out. She exhaled and shrugged out of her shoes and jacket but kept everything else on as she walked outside and pulled door shut behind her as she approached him, already.
"You still have your clothes on," he observed, and Bonnie looked down at her tee and jeans. "What do I have to do to get you out of those?"
"Tell me what you're up to," she said stubbornly, and he smiled taking a sip of his champagne from the jacuzzi, while his eyes roamed over her frame. "Is this why you couldn't come to the Colosseum? Because you were too busy prancing around the penthouse?"
"I was up to plenty more," he said cryptically, and Bonnie huffed at that when he offered no further explanation. "Come on in. Water's perfect."
Bonnie bit her lip but finally relented as she pulled her shirt and pants off, leaving just her grey lace lingerie on as she stepped into the hot tub much to Damon's delight.
Bonnie tied her hair into a messy bun and Damon watched her silently before walking over. His hands landed on her hips, and she pressed her hands to her chest when he gave her a sweet and simple kiss.
"How was your day with Stefan?"
"Good. Weird... Weird, at the end," she clarified. "I think something's wrong."
"What happened?"
Bonnie glanced into his eyes and Damon seemed to be seriously asking though his hands were causing another distraction beneath the water; slowly circling the apex of her thighs as she tried to breathe—concentrate even—on anything other than the pleasure he was making her feel.
She exhaled a deep breath and offered a shrug.
"He was… arguing with someone, outside. I didn't hear the conversation."
"Caroline?"
"I… I don't know. He seemed upset. But when he came back in, he acted like it didn't happen. It made me feel like I was crazy," she said, and Damon cupped her jaw, thumb stroking over her chin. "I don't know if I'm overreacting or if maybe there really isn't anything to worry about. But just wanted you to know."
"I appreciate that. I do."
"He… also more or less told me he's going back to Lucca after this trip is over—to help Gail with your dad," she added, and Damon licked his teeth in response. "We said no more secrets between us. So…"
"Thank you," he replied, and Bonnie looked up at that—his blue eyes soft as they studied hers. "I'll talk to my brother. I'll make sure everything's okay."
"Okay."
They remained in silence for a second before Damon shifted their positions in the tub. He moved Bonnie in front of him, into his lap, and she hummed softly when his arms wrapped over her shoulders protectively and his lips landed on her neck.
Her eyes snapped close for a second as he softly kissed her skin and she grabbed onto his forearms to steady herself. She may have been pissed with him seemingly missing the tour today for secretive reasons, but she was happy he was here.
Even happier he'd heard her out.
"I was out—getting your birthday gift," he said, and Bonnie nestled into his arms at that as his lips brushed against her hair. "You shot down the idea of a Range Rover, so I had to go back to the drawing board."
Bonnie laughed at that; moaned in satisfaction when his lips met her earlobe and kissed it softly as she still held onto him.
"Give me a hint. What's your backup plan?"
"No chance. You'll find out tomorrow. Less than 24 hours to go, Birthday Girl," he said, and she smirked while he continued to adorn her with opened mouth kisses. "What do you think I got you?"
"Knowing you? My birthday gift will be something that equally benefits you. So… I'm gonna guess it's see-through. Or leather."
Damon twirled her around at that, so she faced him, and amusement danced behind his eyes as he drank in her voluptuous curves.
"A sheer dress and a riding crop? That's not it but I like the way you think," he winked, and Bonnie smiled ruefully before he kissed her deeply; his hands exploring her ass before he lifted her into his arms, following her eyes. "What do you want for your birthday?" he asked, and Bonnie breathed deep at that as his voice remained gentle though the look in his eyes was growing sinister—more carnal by the second. "Diamonds?" Kiss. "Pearls?" Kiss. "A puppy?"
"You," she spoke clearly, and Damon's brows furrowed at that, as her arms wrapped around his shoulders. "I want all of you."
"You already have me," he whispered and Bonnie bit her lip. "You have to know that."
And she did. For all intents and purposes Damon was everything to her and her him, as she couldn't think about one void she had in her life that Damon hadn't already filled at this point.
He was her boyfriend. Her best friend. Her confidant. Her ride or die. He meant everything to her—and more—and a part of her was terrified that having one person check off so many boxes could only lead to bad news if this ever took a turn for the worst one day.
She'd be devastated to lose him.
But what if she never did? What if Damon really was meant to be hers, forever?
It was somethingshe was utterly ridiculous for even thinking about at this point but couldn't get the thought out of her mind after her talk with Stefan today; when he mentioned taking care of his brother while he was gone.
And just how much easier that would be if they were—
She blinked the word out of her mind and offered him a smile. Damon continued to study her for a second until Bonnie planted a smoldering kiss on his lips. It was sweet but sultry; soft but aggressive as she wrapped around him even tighter; her legs like vices around his waist. He stood up with Bonnie in his arms and she slowly ground against him as they climbed out of the jacuzzi, and he walked them back inside; their lips never parting the entire way as he led them into their bedroom and tossed her onto the middle of the bed.
Her skin was wet and warm, and she ached to ditch the rest of her clothing immediately. And lucky for her, Damon was on the exact same wavelength.
She arched her back for him to unhook her bra. He parted her legs to shimmy her out of her underwear. Bonnie immediately pulled him onto her and worked his erection with her hand between them while Damon slid a scorching finger into her center that made her cry out in satisfaction—especially when she watched him pull it out and suck the juices off point blankly with his mouth.
"I need you," she said onto his ear and before Damon could respond, she had him on his back, arms pinned overhead, while he gazed up at her with equal parts astonishment and desire.
"Go crazy."
She heeded to his words.
Sucking, riding, pushing, and pulling—they seemed to do it all, as Bonnie convinced herself she was having an out of body experience because she wasn't quite sure what had gotten into her, besides Damon obviously.
She'd always wanted him—and it didn't take much to turn her on when it came to him. But something about this, something about right now, was different and he felt it too as he looked up at her and Bonnie bounced on his dick desperately; a woman on a fucking mission—literally— with her hands pilfering through his hair that surely was going to be ripped out at the scalp if she continued like this.
Damon finally employed enough strength to flip her beneath him. Bonnie never lost her stride as he took her from behind; her hips still plunging against his and he wrapped a tight grip around her hair and used his free hand to sting her ass with a few slaps.
The noise that escaped her lips was heavenly. He was sure he was going to hear it in his dreams tonight.
He spread her cheeks apart when Bonnie dipped her stomach towards the mattress in almost a downward facing dog position to open up even further.
He nearly came based on the view alone.
When he felt the telltale tremble of her body—heard the unintelligible words escape her lips into her satin pillow—he was ready for his release as well. His thrusts increased in speed, and before he knew it, he was coming so hard his eyes nearly rolled to the back of his head when he deposited it all into Bonnie. She moaned in approval as he eased forward, only steadied by his shaky forearms for a second, before they finally collapsed into the sheets next to each other still shaking.
He was out of breath and so was she. Damon could barely lift his arms behind his head and Bonnie attempted to sit up but gave up as she stared at the ceiling silently; heavy breathing the only sound between them before he finally spoke.
"Is it almost my birthday or yours?"
Bonnie chuckled at that as she turned to face him, and he bit back a smile as her olive eyes studied him for a bit before leaning in for a kiss.
His mouth was still scorching when she pulled away. And apparently so was she as she grabbed his hand, slid it between her legs, and Damon immediately grew hard again when he felt how wet she still was, even after everything they'd already done.
"I want you to fuck me again," Bonnie said in a whisper. "And this time, don't be so nice about it."
He smirked—that familiar devious glint in his eyes as he parted her legs and held her down hard against the bed by the throat.
"Make no mistake Bon Bon—I may be in love with you, but I will still, always, be the bad guy. It sounds like you need a reminder."
XXXXX
Elena drummed her fingers against the table at the corner café before taking a sip from her coffee cup, staring blankly and quietly ahead. Her head was spinning.
The past 48 hours had been a mind fuck to say the least.
She shamelessly became lost in her own thoughts—still feeling the trace of Nora's lips on her fingertips before she slipped out of her bed in the morning the night after their sleepover and walked home.
She hadn't even awakened her to tell her she was leaving. Her mind and heart were in way too much of a dizzy as she remembered her confession. She wasn't ready to face what that all meant when Nora opened her eyes and inevitably told her maybe starting something with Elena wouldn't be such a good idea after all. Because she was messy. Because she was shady. Because maybe she really didn't like her back, and she'd just said it to get her safely into and Uber and bring her home.
She was terrified of the possibilities.
Mainly because this had been the first time she'd felt this—an actual emotional attraction to a woman that wasn't just a celebrity "girl crush," or the result of a sloppy college hookup that didn't mean anything at all.
But this time it did, as she remembered Nora kissing her on the cheek goodnight before they both fell asleep. Nothing nefarious had happened, but it felt salacious watching Nora sleep peacefully, temptation ticking in Elena's brain as it urged her to wake her up with her fingers or her tongue. She didn't do either and instead left before she could say anything else that was stupid, because she was already fearing this entire thing would be unrequited or untouchable to Nora, at best.
She didn't know what that made her; gay, pansexual, bisexual, bicurious? —and she needed some time to digest that before she made any declarations to Nora again. She also wasn't stupid—she knew there was no real way to move forward with Nora if she didn't make things right everywhere else as well.
And to Elena, making things right undoubtedly started with Bonnie Bennett. And that's why she was even here in the first place.
She inhaled a sharp breath when the door opened and she saw him—a painful, repressed, but familiar memory in her adolescent mind—walk in. She reminded herself why she was here—why she needed to do this—when he made eye contact with her briefly; his longing gaze saying everything and nothing at all when he entered the café silently.
He walked to the counter to place his order—he always ordered a cortado, she recalled. She pursed her lips but forced a smile when he finally appeared before her with said drink. His eyes danced over her face as he pulled a chair out and sat down across the table.
"Long time, no see Elena," he was the first to talk.
Elena exhaled, a nod and a response.
"It has been, Dr. Maxfiel—" she stopped herself when he lifted a brow. "Wes," she said instead, with more confidence in her tone than she'd ever truly felt around him. "How are things?"
"Good," he answered simply, blue eyes looking into hers as he studied her again and she felt like she might actually be crawling within her own skin. "How's your brother? And the hospital? … Enjoying your residency?"
"Jeremy's great, thought I admit I don't see him much these days. He travels a lot. As for me…it's been my dream to pick up where my dad left off," she said and he relented, a hint softness finally falling over his stoic features at the mere mention of the late and great Grayson Gilbert. "Thank you for meeting with me, on such short notice," she changed the subject. "I know you're probably so busy— "
"I figured this was urgent. We haven't talked in… a really long time," he replied, and she bit her lip at that, looking down at her suddenly shaking hands.
"Is that why you came?" she asked before she could stop herself.
Amusement danced behind his eyes.
"I was interested in what you had to say."
Was it really his innate curiosity that led him here?
She wanted to say yes, as his blue eyes continued to rake over her features; committing each piece of her to memory, while she didn't need to look at him to remember the things he'd made her feel, once upon a time.
He was just Professor Maxfield back then; a young, brilliant, MD-PhD candidate and the man who her father mentored before his death while working at the hospital.
She'd met Wes before attending Whitmore at Grayson and Miranda's funeral. He was kind when she remembered their interaction that day, as he advised her to reach out if she or Jeremy were ever in need of anything. She didn't reach out to him again though until she decided to enroll in his Organic Chemistry course during her sophomore year.
Soon after, Elena became his lab assistant not just for the extra credit, but because she had high hopes of impressing the admissions faculty as she battled for a spot in the coveted and competitive Whitmore Pre-Med Program that she planned on applying to ahead of her junior year.
Wes became to her what her dad had been to him; a teacher, mentor, and even a sounding board, as she often vented to him about not only her academic troubles but her personal ones as well—including the ones concerning her on again, off again boyfriend, Damon Salvatore.
Wes didn't like Damon—at least not what he had heard about him. The two crossed paths once at Whitmore, at a charity drive she'd organized for the hospital with Professor Maxfield's help. Damon attended, much to her surprise because they were still broken up. But he made more than enough quips throughout the day to let her know he didn't care for her mentor—even though he couldn't quite pin his finger on it as to what bugged him about their blonde elder.
Wes, upon hearing that Damon wasn't his biggest fan, reassured Elena that the feeling was mutual.
But he was supportive, despite his disdain. He listened to her, and he offered her advice though she often did the opposite of what she should have done when it came to her volatile relationship.
Her missteps often resulted in her showing up to his lab or office hours in tears over her broken heart, and it made her feel like an idiot looking back on it, because how many times was it that Damon had to show her that he didn't want her? That he had no plans on being with her forever, just as she had imagined.
Despite her idiocy, Wes helped her get through it in more ways than one; by telling her stories she didn't know about her dad, laughing at the mundane and trivial undergraduate gossip she subjected him to, and showing her the wonders of modern science, which further cemented it for her that a career in the medical field, following her father's footsteps, was exactly where she wanted to be in her life.
It also didn't hurt that medicine gave her something else to focus on, that wasn't the anger that she felt over Damon or his newest fling, Meredith Fell—a fellow Pre-Med program hopeful that they'd known since they were kids, who'd seemingly been so nice to her for years because she actually had a crush on her boyfriend, and now was flaunting said relationship right in front of her face by dating him.
Bonnie and Caroline reassured her that Meredith was just another flavor of the week. But that didn't make it hurt any less when she saw them walking through the quad together hand in hand. Or, when she spotted them making out at a tailgate before Damon whisked her away in his Camaro, not even bothering to stay for the game because they couldn't keep their hands off of one another.
Wes was good at reminding her that she deserved better. He was also good at distracting her —probably too good at it—because it wasn't long before the lines blurred, and things were no longer so black and white with her professor.
Late night texts back and forth, that were innocent in nature but flirted with crossing the line was how it began. Next were the illicit smiles exchanged during his lectures when he felt her eyes on him, and he made sure to hold that contact for just a second longer than he needed to, before peeling his stare away and continuing to address the rest of the class.
Bonnie and Caroline teased her often when they noticed the the way she gushed about him. They didn't know anything— she refused to admit to anything other than finding him jarringly attractive and smart just like they both did. But deep down, she knew it was more than just a schoolgirl crush to her.
She admired him and that made her nervous—in a good way. Because he was snarky, because he was older, and because he seemed to know exactly what he wanted out of life, unlike Damon, who'd given her severe whiplash just from how hot and cold he ran at any given moment.
Professor Maxfield made her feel seen, during a time when she felt virtually invisible to everyone; her friends, her family, Damon, and sometimes even herself.
Things with Wes were officially grey after she kissed him for the first time in his lab.
She meant to just give him a hug after she found out she had indeed made it into that Pre-Med program she'd worked so hard to be accepted to. But instead of a warm hug, she'd gifted him with an accidental kiss—her knees immediately buckled when she realized her psyche took over and planted one right on him, with no regard or even any warning as he gently pulled away.
She apologized, profusely, when she realized her mistake. She was horrified and the surprise on his face did little to quell the nausea churning in her stomach as she stuttered that it was time for her to go, grabbed her things, and stormed out of the room, never once looking back.
He caught up to her, in the dark and deserted corridor outside of his lab and before she could apologize again, he kissed her this time. Greedily, brazenly, and unapologetically as he pushed her up against a wall and molded his tongue against hers; expertly drawing out every inch of desire she'd been burying the past few months with just one touch as he devoured her.
His hot, heady hands found their way underneath her sweater, damn near ripping it off her right then and there. He pulled her into an empty lecture hall where he kicked the door shut behind them and Elena learned the first thing about having sex with someone who'd obviously had lots more practice than she had and was very well-versed in the matter—something she hadn't been, because the only person she'd slept with was Damon.
Wes made her feel like she a strung out only after one time. But luckily enough for her, that wasn't the end of things— it was only just the beginning.
Their second time happened when she showed up, unannounced, at his off-campus apartment after a party that the girls dragged her to when she wouldn't explain why she was in such a funk, and they tried their best to cheer her up.
They assumed it was Deredith-related.
The truth was she was drunk and emotional because Wes had been avoiding her since their tryst a few weeks ago. He didn't say the words to her, but she knew he regretted sleeping with her because there were no more late-night text messages— no more secret glances during class, and he'd canceled their next few lab sessions, citing his schedule though she knew it had absolutely nothing to do with that.
But she wasn't going to let this go. She refused to, without at least talking about it, although the second she saw his face the last thing she wanted to do was just talk. And she could tell by the look in his eyes, he was thinking the exact same thing.
He was surprised when he came to the door, but he allowed to come in, as she trudged past him in her makeshift toga, wrapped tightly around her body thanks to one Caroline Forbes.
When Wes returned from fetching her a glass of water, she was already stripping the white contraption off, which garnered an involuntary lip tug as he gave her lingerie a once over, handed her the drink, and she gulped it down as desperately as she kissed him the last time, they were alone.
He kept a safe distance from her that night—even let her sleep it off in his bedroom as he took the couch—but a few hours later when Elena woke up more or less sober from her drunken stupor, she found him, still awake with a thick book in hand, and his reading glasses on.
He pulled them off silently as she slowly approached in one of his Whitmore t-shirts grazing her naked thighs, and her brown waves laying effortlessly across her chest.
She sat down next him, too close, and exhaled a deep breath when she met the concern dancing behind his eyes.
"Are you okay?"
"Are you joking?"
"I'm sorry," he said, and she swallowed hard moving in closer, until he was a breath away. "I apologize for avoiding you, Elena. It wasn't the right thing to do after…everything, and if I could take the past few weeks back I would. I want to make it up to you."
"Show me then," she challenged him.
And he did, as he pulled her swiftly into his lap and promptly slid her underwear down to her feet.
"So, what's going on?" he asked breaking through her thoughts, and she met his crystal blue eyes. "Is everything okay? Are you okay?"
She itched at that—his familiar words still stung.
"I'm fine. It's… about Bonnie, actually," she said, chasing away her memories and Dr. Maxfield pursed his lips at that but didn't respond as he allowed her to continue. "I know you met with Nora about the petition to get the suspension lifted. And I know that the board voted, and it wasn't overturned… but I think we should try again," she said, and he furrowed his brows at that as she met his eyes. "I would really, really appreciate it if you talked to them, one more time. You know that she didn't deserve this, Wes. And I'm asking you to force another vote for her, for… me. Please," she concluded.
Dr. Maxfield sat up straighter in his seat, taking a sip of his coffee and licking his lips before he responded.
"I'm… surprised to see you here, advocating for her, considering who her boyfriend is."
"It's not about Damon. It's… not about him, for me at least," she said, and Wes knitted his brows. "Is Bonnie being punished because you… hate him?"
"I would never," he said, and Elena bit her lip at that, listening on. "I may not be fond of Mr. Salvatore or his actions at the Winter Gala but I'm not a caveman. Women don't deserve to be punished for the actions of the men they're entangled with."
Elena pursed her lips, tucking a strand behind her ear.
"You really believe that?"
"Of course, I do. Bonnie is one of our best educators at the college—if not the best, since her grandmother Sheila—and in my honest opinion? The punishment was harsh and misguided. She shouldn't have been suspended over what happened because she didn't do anything wrong," he said before shaking his head.
"So, why can't we tell them that?"
"I did. Trust me, I have. But it wasn't up to me, Elena... I'm the president of the university but I don't make the decisions on my own. There are so many people even I have to answer to, and they've made their minds up on this…. I'm afraid that trying to push this will just result in a termination altogether. And I don't want that. I'm sure Bonnie doesn't either. I'm… sorry that I couldn't do more; that I can't do more."
Elena swallowed hard that as her index finger tapped again her mug and she shook her head as well, looking into his eyes.
"What was your vote?" Elena asked and he furrowed his brows at that before she asked again. "When you met with the board, how did you vote?"
He sighed heavily in response.
"Elena… the votes are privileged information— "
"So, you voted for the suspension?" she cut him off and Wes ticked his jaw as she continued to press him. "You didn't want to be the only odd man out, so you voted for it. Even though you say that you completely disagree; that women shouldn't be punished for things that men do."
"I don't know what you want me to say. Just because it was inevitable doesn't mean it's what I wanted," he responded as the frustration finally seeped into his tone and her eyes stared at him so intently, she could have burned a whole right through his navy cardigan. "Yes. Yes, I voted because it was a lost cause, Elena. I fought for hours. I tried. They disagreed. I told them it was the wrong decision— "
"And still, in all your feminist glory, you voted for it anyway."
"You'd rather I single myself out? Risk my own job, just for the principle of it? I know that I had all of the reckless abandon in the world back when we used to be, Elena, but I don't anymore. I have a family now. What was I supposed to do?"
She didn't respond to that.
Instead, she glanced down at the platinum wedding band on his finger. Her eyes then traveled to the handmade bracelet on his other hand—the beads spelling out the name of his daughter, Gigi, before she looked back up at him and ticked her jaw.
When things ended with Wes years ago, he'd given her a textbook list of reasons why the two were ultimately doomed, despite the fact that he was one of the few people she could talk to for hours, and still have so much more to say.
She was too young. She was his student. His career was demanding. He'd never be able to give her all that she deserved. He saw a bright future for her, but he wasn't sure she'd reach her true potential if she continued to bank on him being in it.
In other words, she was no longer a shiny, unattainable toy. And like the fickle intellectual that he was, he was on to the next best thing—his next big discovery—once he'd figured Elena Gilbert out and fucking her was no longer exciting to him.
Their breakup didn't stop him from writing her a glowing letter of recommendation for medical school when she applied, and though she would've liked to believe it was because he still had residual feelings for her, it was because of his guilt. And not because he'd bent his late mentor's teenage daughter over his desk, but because he'd met somebody else and fallen in love, with plans to propose even though he'd known her for less than three months. His now wife, Sloan—a woman his own age, with a career and aspirations even bigger than Elena's own—was aggravatingly stunning, and she could see why he was head over heels. But Elena now knew better than to believe he'd remained faithful to the mother of his child this entire time.
After all, he'd done very little not to stare at her chest during this entire conversation. And she'd even gone through the trouble of being as demure as possible, in a fucking turtleneck sweater.
"Are you sure this was about family, and not just about you?" she asked suddenly, and he lifted a brow.
"I beg your pardon?"
"I didn't want to believe it—because of the way I've… felt about you; because of everything you've done for me. And I am thankful," she said, and Wes remained silent and curious, drinking in her every word, "but you don't get to save yourself while the women in your life suffer for your mistakes," she said, and his forehead wrinkled before taking a sip of his drink.
"Elena, enlighten me. Because I have no ideas what the hell are you talking about."
She pursed her lips, reached into her bag, and pulled out a folder filled with paperwork, dropping it on the table between them—Wes' confusion growing even more.
When she flipped it open his eyes darted down to the name of the person on the patient intake form and he swallowed hard. Wes' voice remained even though the look in his eyes told her otherwise.
He was officially fucking terrified.
"Why do you have April Young's hospital file?" he asked, and Elena folded her hands and leaned in.
"I think you and I both know the answer to that, Wes. But the better question is… does Sloanknow that you got a student pregnant, then left her for dead when you crashed her car into a ditch?"
XXXXX
Enzo leaned down towards the table and inhaled a sharp snort with a rolled up hundred-dollar bill.
Instant exhilaration shot through his veins as he wiped the excess powdery white substance away from his nostrils and reveled in the fleeting feeling for a moment; quietly reminding himself that it would soon pass, but for now he should enjoy it. Because after all, he didn't have many things he could be happy about anymore.
And Bonnie's 30th birthday was just another reminder that he'd lost it all.
He tossed back an entire rock glass of whiskey, and without missing a beat poured himself another. It was the distraction he needed against Julian and Vicki making out on his recliner within earshot—saliva swapping, muffled giggles, and several slaps and moans that transported him to his college days when his blonde best friend doubled as his roommate and Enzo regularly suffered this exact same fate.
He couldn't take this anymore.
Enzo rose to his feet, grabbed his phone, and that finally got Julian's attention as he tore himself away from Vicki mid-kiss with a frown.
"Mate, where are you going?"
"I need fresh air. It's… quite crowded in here," he said, and Vicki fixed the strap on her tank top and smiled hazily; clearly too drunk, high, or both to catch his drift.
"Amber is on her way soon. I promise. She got stuck at work," the brunette spoke of her best friend they'd along met with her the night where Enzo Elena in a hallway and proceeded to make a complete jackass of himself attempting to apologize.
When Julian had finally pulled him away and led him outside, he ended up alone for 20 minutes waiting for him to close the tab so they could go the fuck home.
Julian returned with his bar receipt and two girls he'd just met on his arms—Vicki and Amber—and now here they were; doing this pseudo double date thing again, because they'd saddled her blonde best friend to him, though he couldn't have been less interested in the mousey girl that he had nothing in common with, aside from the fact that they both had a pulse.
This was really all about Julian—like it always was—because he liked Vicki. And if he wanted to be her lover, he had to take a note from the Spice Girls and get with her friends.
And Enzo typically wouldn't have minded—playing the wingman was perfectly fine with him—but today was the one day he wanted a pass and for good reason, when he signed onto social media that morning and the first thing he saw was a post from a usually inactive Damon Salvatore, with his hands all over a laughing Bonnie Bennett in several slides recapping their trip through Italy, and the caption wishing his girlfriend a very happy 30th birthday.
It was the first time he'd actually seen them together as an official couple. And it stung just as much as he thought it would, as he promptly clicked the tag, looked at Bonnie's page, and found dozens more pictures from their travels—each one cutting him deeper than the last, because she seemed to be falling even harder in love with him with every photo they snapped.
And Enzo hated everything about it. Especially the fact that he still hated it. He still cared, so fucking much. And it was absolutely killing him.
Seeing Bonnie's smile was once the only thing that could pull him back from the precipice. Now seeing her smile at Damon—in an even more loving way than she ever looked at him? He might as well throw acid into his open fucking wounds.
And Damon—he'd never seen Damon look at anybody the way he was enamored by Bonnie in these photos. Goofy grinned, soft-eyed, but possessive, with palms on her ass at any given moment. That had been him once, he realized.
Maybe they really were brothers after all.
Enzo shrugged the pending DNA test out of his head, grabbed his leather jacket off of the couch, and he saw Julian was already at his feet approaching him, while Enzo neared the doorway.
"When will you be back?"
"One hour," he responded, not really knowing if that was the truth or not, as he swiped his motorcycle helmet, and his friend ticked his jaw. "Just a quick ride to clear my head," he said looking into Julian's blue eyes. "Today is… difficult and I just… need a little bit to get into the mindset for this," he motioned, and Julian nodded in rare understanding.
"Fine," Julian said, placing a hand on his shoulder and squeezing hard. "Just this once am I going to allow you to run off because of her," Julian alluded to Bonnie and Enzo swallowed hard. "But when you get back— "
"I'll good as new. I promise," he said, and his friend didn't respond to that as Enzo cradled his helmet under his arm and waltzed out the door.
XXXXX
"Almost ready, Bon?" Damon called, as he strapped his Rolex into place and straightened out his black suit jacket from the living room. "Stefan is running a bit late, but he said he'll meet us there— "
His words were cut short in the same moment it felt like his heart stopped, as Bonnie's heels clicked against the hardwood floor, and his eyes traveled the length of her body, speechless, when she stood in front of him and offered a calm but confident smile.
The blood red, off the shoulder, mermaid gown hugged her hips perfectly, as it just touched the floor thanks to the help of her shoes. Her breasts, perfectly plump and elevated by the tight fabric were begging him to take just one bite, as if she were the juicy apple that'd fallen from the tree in the Garden of Eden.
And he was perfectly happy to play the Adam to her Eve.
He held his hand out towards her and Bonnie allowed her fingers to drop slowly, teasingly, into his own, where he gently interlocked them, and spun her around to get a full 360 look at her.
Her ass was exceptionally perky, her dark waves parted down the middle were cascading, and her exposed skin was dewy and golden, as he inspected every millimeter of it, before trekking his way back up to her full lips. They curved in a polite but seductive smirk, accentuating her Cupid's bow even in nude lipstick that should have made them the most subtle thing about her right now, considering what the rest of her body looked like.
Nothing was subtle. Including his boner, that threatened to punch its way out of his Canali suit pants the longer he studied her and found another section of her body that he was absolutely going to worship on an altar later.
Bonnie Bennett had no idea just what she'd done.
The circulation slowly came back to his legs, and he breathed in the scent of her Chanel No. 5 perfume, followed by a nervous gulp that Bonnie definitely noticed and chuckled at when he finally looked back up into her saucy green eyes.
"You are… lethal."
Bonnie's heart fluttered at that, just as his lips gently kissed her knuckles before he cleared his throat, in an attempt to get his bearings.
"Before I forget," he said, and Bonnie watched as he dropped her hand and walked over to the table by the front door. He grabbed the bouquet of two dozen roses and a card and handed both to her as she lifted a brow when she scanned the author quickly.
A smile lifted on her suddenly pink cheeks. When she looked up at him, Damon was smiling as well when he was certain she'd read the words.
Her veins suddenly filled with warmth.
"My parents and my Grams sent these?" she asked, and Damon nodded, as she reread the note again from her family and she inhaled to keep from crying. "How did they know the hotel?"
"I've told you before—Miss Sheila and I text," he said, and Bonnie laughed at that as did Damon when he placed a gentle hand on her cheek and caught her tear before it rolled from the corner of her eye. "I… reached out to your dad when we got here; to break bread. Send him some rated G photos from our trip and even emailed him a copy of our itinerary. He asked to FaceTime you later, after dinner. But… they wanted to send something, to make you feel special in the meantime," he said gently, and Bonnie swallowed at that blinking back her emotions that threatened to ruin her makeup.
"It worked. I'm a mess."
"You're happy. And I don't think you've ever looked better," he whispered, and she didn't hesitate to lean in and press her lips to his.
The sweet, slow brimming heat rose between them, even though it was just a moment. She pulled away and looked into his eyes, shy but but sure of herself for what felt like the first time in a long time.
And it felt good.
"I love you so much."
Damon smiled, planting one more chaste kiss on her lips, which left Bonnie dizzy, despite her best efforts to keep it together.
"I hope you love the rest of the night too. Let's go, Bon. Your chariot awaits," he winked.
Fifteen minutes later, Bonnie felt for Damon's hand as he led her out of the car. She gently tugged at the blindfold over her eyes and Damon stopped her from removing it as they walked, a sigh emitting from her lips.
"Aht, aht. Not so fast Bon Bon."
"Why can't I see where we're going if we're already here?"
"Patience," he said before leaning in, dangerously close to her ear. Every hair on her skin stood on end when he spoke softly onto the lobe. "Besides… since when have you hated being blindfolded?"
"I neversaid that I did."
"Good girl," he eased, and she almost growled out loud at the way her g-spot purred. "Going up a few steps now. Hold onto me."
Bonnie did as she was instructed—allowing Damon to take the lead as she followed him into the dark—literally—before he finally stopped her in her tracks, stood behind her, and very slowly untied the blindfold from around her eyes.
When it dropped, Bonnie's mouth did as well, when her eyes met six pairs of familiar eyes and her throat immediately dried up when she realized they were on a plane. A jet, specifically. With Caroline, Stefan, Lucy, Marcel, Jo, and Alaric staring right back at her.
"Surprise!" their voices filled air, along with an eruption of cheers, whistles, streamers, and ear poppers that made Bonnie simultaneously burst into laughter and tears when she was engulfed into multiple hugs.
She turned back towards Damon and eyed him wildly. He was beaming all the while.
"What are we—where are we going?"
Before he could answer the pilot spoke into the speaker and Bonnie's heart skipped a beat as her friends and lover smiled at her knowingly, while she awaited news on their destination.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, good evening. We will be departing for Ibiza, Spain, shortly. Please prepare for take-off."
A/N: Hi everyone! It's been a while LOL. I know I've been away for a bit and I apologize for the neglect to this fic—I've been incredibly busy with my job so I haven't had much time to write even though I've missed it so much. I hope this update was worth the wait. How did we feel about the Stefonnie bonding moment? Who was Stefan talking to on the phone? Also Elena's hatched a plan to get Bonnie her job back, but will it backfire? Where's Enzo going and is he coming back? And Bamon, Bamon, Bamon—I hope their interactions were satisfactory, I promise, more sweet and sexy to come for them. Read, review (if you're still here lolol) and keep me posted on what you think happens next. I have a few ideas on how this story will ultimately end, but believe me when I say there's still plenty more story to go. Until next time! Xoxo.