Chapter Sixteen: Under The Influence

2:07 am

That was the time showing on Bonnie's phone when she opened her eyes again. For a moment she was confused about her whereabouts but then she recognized the living room that had been packed with drunken people partying before she fell asleep. Right now there were only a bunch of people left; most of them were entwined and slow-dancing to a random Adele song.

Bonnie looked around to find Caroline or Elena, or any familiar face for that matter. But the only people left in the room were strangers and this one girl she had seen around school a few times but she didn't really know her so she couldn't ask her where everybody was, plus she was just making out with this guy in the other corner of the room so the interruption would turn out to be very embarrassing.

Bonnie set up straight and felt a jolt go through her head and she realized that she had been super drunk when she fell asleep. A little embarrassing that she passed out in the middle of the party after only a few drinks. She really wasn't someone who could drink as much as she liked.

Quickly checking her vitals and her ability to walk Bonnie stood up and took a few steps. When she realized she was able to walk she made her way through the living room to the sunroom, checking if anyone was there. Halfway there she realized that walking was still not the easiest thing to her and a veil of dizziness clouded her head, making her realize she was still quite drunk.

When she arrived at the sunroom she didn't see anyone but she still sad down because she was afraid to fall. Holding onto the edge of the table, Bonnie closed her eyes and waited for the world to stop spinning. Damn alcohol. At that moment she didn't understand anyone who got drunk on a regular basis.

"Bonnie?" She heard a concerned voice from behind her and opened her eyes to it.

Connor approached her from the side and knelt next to her, holding her hair back so he could have a proper look at her. "I was searching for you. I just had to go to the toilet and the next moment you were gone. How are you feeling?"

"Well, right now I am drunk as hell and feeling pretty terrible about it." Bonnie admitted. "Where are the others?"

"Faye, Caroline and Elena left a few hours ago to go partying. Don't worry Elena is sober enough to take care of them. Liza and Perry just left a few minutes ago, and apparently did all the other people." Conner explained slowly so that Bonnie's dizzy brain could understand.

Connor got up and turned Bonnie's chair around. He put his arms around her stomach and lifted her up from the chair.

"What are you doin'?" Bonnie asked as her head was loosely falling to her chest.

"I am getting you home. This party is kind of over and like you said you are drunk. You belong in your bed. I am putting you somewhere safe so I can get the car and drive you home."

"No!" Bonnie raised her index finger to indicate he should hold on for a second. "I am not going with you. You have been drinkin'." She slurred.

"Bonnie, I have not been drinking. I came here by car and I was planning on taking it back home so I didn't dink a single drop today."

"Ooooh, I didn't realize."

"Don't worry. I blame it on the alcohol… and a few other people." Connor nearly whispered the last part so Bonnie wasn't sure she heard him right.

"What did you just say?" she asked but Connor only shook his head and Bonnie was too drunk to get to the bottom of it. They were heading straight to the door. Connor helped Bonnie into her jacket, which took longer than it should have because she wasn't sure which one was hers.

Then they went outside and Connor placed Bonnie onto a bench on the porch.

"You stay here, I'll be right back. I just need to get the car. I won't be long I promise."

"Hmmm…" Bonnie said sleepily and watched Connor leave.

It felt like it took him forever to come back. Bonnie was sure it had only been about two minutes but she was already tired of waiting. She got up from the bench and strayed along the porch that went around the whole house. She traced the handrail with her index finger and slowly made her way around the house. She wanted to stay close to the front door for Connor to find her when he arrived. When she turned around the corner she saw a person sitting on the stairs leading from the pavement to the porch. Due to her condition it took her a second to realize who that person was.

A flash of energy went through her body and she hopped over there letting herself fall next to him with a boom. He hadn't expected that so Bonnie witnessed for the first time how a startled Kai Parker looked like.

"Did I scare you?" she asked with mischief in her voice.

"Not exactly. You caught me off guard. That is a difference." Kai said but Bonnie knew exactly what she achieved and a grin formed on her face.

"Though you had already left, or someone took you home because I don't think you would be able to make it home alone." He continued.

"I was sleeping on the couch for some time. Connor is actually getting his car to take me home." Bonnie explained and Kai nodded. He was awkwardly quiet and after that so Bonnie leaned forward to have a better view of him.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

"Of course, why shouldn't I be? I'm wasted and waiting for Jo to pick me up."

"It's in the middle of the night."

"And?"

"Jo is okay with playing taxi for you in the middle of the night?"

"Let's just say she owes me. Big time!" Kai said cryptically and let himself fall backwards so his upper body lay flat on the porch, eyes closed. For a moment neither of them said something and Bonnie used the comfortable silence to take a proper look at Kai. Something about him was off. Maybe it was just the fact that he was drunk and probably high as shit and the fact that Bonnie had never seen him that way, but she couldn't shake the feeling that there was something else going on.

Then Kai opened his eyes and the bright blue of his eyes connected directly with hers sending a stitch through her stomach.

"Why does she owe you?" Bonnie asked. She knew Kai wasn't one to open up easily but maybe his current condition was going to make it easier for her to get some info.

"It's a long story. Actually it is not, but…" He turned his head and faced the ceiling. Bonnie couldn't help but think that he looked so vulnerable right now. Kai looked back at her. "I can't tell you, I promised her."

"I understand." Bonnie said. "Just want you to know that you can talk to me. Whenever you need to." Bonnie reached out for Kai's hand and squeezed it lightly.

"So did you enjoy yourself today?" He asked her after a while, changing the topic.

"Well… as far as I can remember I guess yeah."

Kai sat back up in a smooth movement. "You were so wasted." He said.

"So are you right now!"

"True! But I do this all the time."

"And you were mean!"

"I beg your pardon but I think I was pretty deliberate denying you the right to join the big boys."

Bonnie pouted still a little annoyed by his move earlier but she was more grateful now. He did the right thing. Who knows what she would have thought about herself in the morning. "I guess your right!" She admitted quietly, not wanting to give him too much satisfaction about the topic. To her liking, he only grinned at her and kept the comment to himself.

"I ran into your friends by the way." He said a moment later and Bonnie turned to him curiously.

"Elena and Caroline? When?"

"When you were already taking a nap. Elena literally fell into my arms and Caroline convinced her to go clubbing. But I guess she just went with her to make sure she didn't do anything stupid."

Bonnie nodded she could picture Elena being torn between staying and taking care of her or leaving with Caroline, who was probably super drunk at that point.

"I liked them. They were kind of fresh air in here. I get why you spend so much time traveling to this shit hole of Mystic Falls to spend time with them." He said.

"Well, we'll see if I'm going to keep on visiting there as often." Bonnie said, turning sad thinking about all the things that went on with Jeremy lately. Kai picked up on her mood change.

"How come?"

Bonnie hadn't felt the need to talk to anyone about her feeling that Jeremy wanted to end things with her, but right now right here, sitting next to a drunken Kai and being drunk herself her barriers were torn down and the words just came out of her mouth. Kai rested his head on his palm listening to her closely.

"I don't know. I have a feeling that Jeremy isn't into our relationship anymore. He rarely takes my calls, he doesn't text. He has never even visited me here and we have been together for quite some time now. I don't get it. The last time I saw him it was already weird. I mean, I can't describe it but it felt different. And…" Now Bonnie's eyes filled with tears. She tried to fight them back in but she couldn't. "I think he wants to break up with me!" She sobbed and felt Kai come closer and place an arm around her shoulder.

He hugged her tight and caressed her hair with his one hand. Bonnie cried into his chest. She hadn't expected this reaction from him. He was usually a person to run away from touchy situations like this and emotional encounters weren't his thing but this hug was the best thing he could do right now. There was nothing he could say to make her feel better and he knew that but the closeness to someone she really care about was giving her the feeling of safeness she really needed right now.

She let herself fall completely. Every bad feeling she had these past weeks came rushing to the surface in the form of tears. It took her forever to regain control over her actions. All this time Kai hugged her tightly. When she finally stopped crying she lifted her head off his chest and placed it onto his shoulders. Usually Bonnie didn't open up to people she didn't know for at least 3 years but with Kai it was different. She felt like they had been friends for so long that talking to him and crying in front of him came so easy to her, she never had that before with anyone, not even Caroline and Elena, who she had known her entire life.

Bonnie sniffed and let out a long breath. "I'm sorry, I didn't want to bother you with this."

"There is no need to be sorry. I just want you to know that you can talk to me. Whenever you need to." Kai quoted her in a mocking tone and Bonnie rose from his shoulder to hit him for turning this situation over, but she had to laugh about this and that was probably his goal all along. Now she was looking at him with a smile on her face.

"See, a smile suits you way better than tears." He wiped away the last of it with his thump and after that looked her directly in the eyes with a sincerity she only rarely witnessed with him. "By the way, if Jeremy is dumb enough to let you go it is going to be somebody else's gain. I know this sounds hard but if he doesn't appreciate you, he's not for you. You deserve better."

It did sound hard and with every other person Bonnie would be pissed. But Kai always said what he thought and Bonnie always appreciated it. And a small voice in her head admitted that maybe, just maybe, he was right. That it wouldn't be too bad if Jeremy broke up with her. That she would get through it. It would make her feel horrible but she would get through because there was someone else out there that was going to treat her better.

Bonnie had no idea how it happened or why, maybe it was all the alcohol rushing though her veins and the emotional rollercoaster ride she had been in the past few minutes, but a second later she leaned closer to Kai, closed her eyes and pressed her lips onto his.

She hadn't intended on kissing him and she felt that he was just as surprised by her action as she was because she felt him tense underneath her lips. She should just pull back and apologize for kissing him and blame all of it on the booze but for some reason she didn't. And for some reason he didn't either.

So there they were, sitting closely next to each other, sharing a sweet and soft kiss. Something in Bonnie's stomach moved and gave her a weird feeling. Her brain was shut off, from the alcohol and the feeling that was building up inside her. A feeling arose in her that this wasn't enough anymore, so she took all the courage the alcohol had donated to her and tried to deepen the kiss.

Moving her lips slowly over his she waited for his to join her and for a horrible moment she thought he wasn't going to do it. Right when she decided that she was going to stop this and pull back she felt his mouth join her rhythm.

The kiss was still gentle but Bonnie felt more and more aroused by it. She felt Kai's hand come up to cup her right cheek to keep her in place. Bonnie's own hand wandered to the side of his neck and during all of this they never once let go of the other.

Bonnie's synapses didn't seem to work properly anymore. She wanted to be closer to Kai, she wanted to pull him closer and deepen the kiss further. She was wriggling on the place she was sitting on, her body wanting to get off and climb onto Kai's lap for easier access. She pictured herself doing it when suddenly all her neurons got turned back on and she realized what she was going.

She was kissing Kai. Kai! Not her boyfriend. Her boyfriend was sitting in Mystic Falls not suspecting a thing about her betrayal. She needed to stop this. This wasn't her. This wasn't them.

She slowly drew away from him, letting her hand fall back into her lap and felt that Kai was also letting go of her. Confusion spread in her mind about the past moments and she could see it in his eyes as well. They were still sitting close to one another, this face was only inches away from hers and Bonnie had to fight against the urge to taste him once more.

They were only silently looking in each other's eyes, neither one of them able to voice their thoughts or any kind of explanations about what just happened. Kai's bright eyes were searching hers for some kind of clarification and Bonnie once more realized the beauty of them.

No! She couldn't think like this. She formed the decision to back away from Kai so that she could think more clearly.

"Bonnie."

A dry voice came to her ears. It was clinical and she couldn't place the sound of it. But she knew this voice and after a moment of confusion she turned her face to see its owner. Connor was standing a few feet away from Bonnie and Kai, his face was wiped clean of any emotion so Bonnie couldn't read anything into him. How much had he seen? Was he going to tell someone? Did he see anything at all?

'Well, at least he saw you practically sitting on Kai's lap and looking into his eyes like a love drunk teenage girl.' She said to herself and moved away from Kai a little, who was also looking at Connor now.

"Was searching for you. I thought I told you to wait by the bench." Connors voice sounded unfamiliar with the lack of emotion in it.

"Yeah, sorry. I got bored after like 5 seconds. But I made sure not to go too far so you would still find me." Bonnie tried to defend herself.

"Obviously." Connor's gaze switched from her to Kai and his expression changed into one that contained a little bit of spite.

Kai tiled his head realizing this, he wanted to know what that was all about, Bonnie was sure but Connor wasn't in the mood to have a hassle with either one of them because he turned on the spot. "Time to go, Bonnie."

Bonnie fought her way back to standing with a little help of Kai, who tried to stabilize her from where he sat. When Bonnie finally regained her balance she turned around to say her good bye to Kai.

"So, I guess I have to leave you alone now." She babbled because she was a little unsure about how to react right now.

"Guess so." Kai replied. Bonnie waited a few seconds because she was trying to find out whether she should hug Kai or not.

"Bonnie! You coming?" Connor was waiting at the corner of the house, turning impatient.

"I gotta run. See you around?"

"Sure."

"Okay, bye." Bonnie was almost leaving when she turned around again giving Kai a quick hug because she felt like a short 'bye' wouldn't cut it after what just happened. After that she weaved towards Connor as fast as she could.

He was already at his car, opening the passengers' door for her to slide in. When she sat down he didn't instantly close the door.

"I forgot something back there. I'll be right back, okay? Don't run away again."

Bonnie shook her head suddenly too tired to talk. She watched him close the door and turn around to the house. But she couldn't see where he was going because her lids were too heavy and she couldn't keep her eyes open any longer. The next second she was asleep.

. . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . ….. . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . .

Kai watched Bonnie turn around the corner and then she was gone. He let out a breath he didn't know he was keeping and let his head fall to the front.

What the hell did just happen?

It was hard for him to sort what just went down anywhere. For sure, Kai wasn't new to the kissing girls at a party but this was something different completely. The kiss was initiated by Bonnie, not him. He had never seen her that way. Actually, Bonnie might have been the first girl Kai had a real friendship with and he never had any intention to jeopardize this with anything involving more than friendship.

Kai's hand went though his hair. He was too fucking drunk to thing about this and she probably was too. He decided to put it at rest until tomorrow when he heard someone approach. Quick, heavy steps came towards him and he instantly knew who it was.

Connor's form rushed around the corner of the house, his previously calm exterior now looking furious.

"Shouldn't you be getting Bonnie home safely?" Kai asked, fully aware of his provocative undertone.

"You…" Connor's voice was full of anger and he pointed his index finger towards him. "don't get to talk right now."

Kai decided to play along for a moment. 'Let's see how this goes.' He thought and was already looking forward to the moment where he wasn't going to be able to take Connor's babbling anymore.

"I have watched your so-called-friendship with Bonnie develop for some time now without saying anything but enough is enough. I know who you are but apparently Bonnie has forgotten that. You are manipulative, breaking all the rules, not caring about anybody and all in all vicious. Everyone knows it but somehow you have managed to brainwash Bonnie, and all of our friends, into seeing some redeemable qualities in you, where there are non. I know the stories about you and all these girls. You are incapable of caring for someone and I won't let Bonnie drive right into her doom. She has a boyfriend. You need to stop whatever you are planning on doing to her. You are not going to hurt Bonnie, I'm not going to let you. Leave Bonnie alone." Connor ranted.

"Is that all?" Kai asked and tilted his head in amusement of this little show.

"No, but it is enough for the moment. Just know that I don't trust you and that I will protect Bonnie no matter what. And if I have to I will keep her from seeing you."

Kai had to laugh out loud. This scene was ridiculous. "I would love to see you try." He said, still snickering.

Connor was visibly confused by his reaction. The poor guy had probably worked on that speech for so long and he now managed enough courage to spit it in his face and Kai not being impressed by it at all made him question his words.

Kai got up from the place at the stairs and took a step towards Connor. He was starting to feel more and more uncomfortable in this situation, Kai could see, because he was looking around for the best way to escape this. What did this guy think he was going to do? Smash his head to the ground?

"So you want me to what? End my friendship with her? On the grounds of you not trusting me?" Kai asked him, taking another step towards him, fully aware of the impression he could give away.

Connor stayed silent. He was fighting with himself to stay put so Kai wouldn't see how insecure he was, but he saw it anyways. This guy wasn't really good at hiding it at all.

"I'll tell you something, pal." Kai patting Connor's shoulder while he passed him. "I will keep on being me and I'll let Bonnie decide whether or not she wants to keep being friends with me. She knows who I am and she still likes me, so I think I am pretty safe to say that our friendship isn't going to go anywhere anytime soon."

Kai was done with this conversation. It was ridiculous and even Connor had realized what a crazy idea it had been to confront him about this. He was still standing stiffly and the same spot. Kai started to walk away from the house. He was going to wait for Jo at the main road.

Before he was getting out of Connor's earshot he turned around and addressed him once more.
"I think it is quiet cute how you try to impress Bonnie by protecting her against her will. But I think you are only jealous that she is giving me more attention that she is ever going to give you. Maybe you should start thinking about a way to finally make Bonnie aware of your little crush on her or she will never see you that way. But remember, she has a boyfriend."

Kai saw Connor's head turn all red due to embarrassment that Kai had looked right through him. This wasn't a friend being concerned about another friend; this was a guy being jealous to shit at someone who didn't even try to get into Bonnie's pants. How ironic was that?

Kai shook his head once more and turned his back on Connor. He waved him goodbye while heading to the main road.

Author's note: Oooops, I did it. Ah, this being out there makes me kind of nervous because it is such a huge thing to happen and I want you all to like how it played out. I actually wanted to do the first kiss later on but I figured you guys had been so patiently waiting that I kind of had to give you something to hold on to after all this time and the time to come. Really hope you liked it. Sorry if not. And now I clarified the problem Connor had with Kai. It is such a simple answer: jealousy. Hope you liked the little twist. I am eager to find out how this is going to turn out myself. :D Either way, thanks for commenting and reading, means so much. Until next time, LiLaAir.