The Hunger Games

By: Tracy Cook

Disclaimer: I own nothing. These characters belong to the creators of Vampire Diaries.

Couple: Bonnie/Damon

Rating: M

Chapter Nine

Fallen King

'It's Getting Harder And Harder To Keep It Together,

One More Night, That I Won't Remember.'

The day before his death, Christ broke bread with his friends and downed a bottle of wine. He wanted to enjoy his last day on Earth and to go out in style. They were having their own version of the "last supper." Tomorrow night they would lose their freedom. They would be thrown into an arena, like modern-day gladiators, and forced to kill each other to survive. All eyes would be watching them and cheering for them as they fell to their deaths. The more bloodshed the better.

Of course, Damon doubted that Christ enjoyed his last days on the planet quite the same way as he was.

He doubted that he downed half a bottle of whiskey and tried to drown his troubles in the hottest girls in the room. He smirked at the thought. 'Who knows? He was probably a babe-magnet! Chicks dig righteousness, just look at Stefan.'

Damon danced his way through the crowd of tributes and Capitol residents. His dark hair was no longer slicked back. Pieces had fallen into his face and other pieces were sticking up wildly. He didn't care though. He was too intoxicated to care about his appearance at the moment. He lifted the bottle of bourbon over his head and spun around in a circle.

The tributes were supposed to be limited on the amount of alcohol they consumed tonight.

The Capitol wanted them to be at their best for the games. They didn't want everyone hungover and unable to fight in the arena. But, Damon had used his charms to his advantage. They might not have worked on Bonnie, but they still worked on most girls. 'They worked on that cute bartender who gave me this bottle of bourbon.' His lips curled up into a smirk and he waggled his fingers in her direction.

She was cute.

'Why don't I just hook up with her? She's cute!' No matter how many times he tried to convince himself to just hook up with another random girl, his mind always managed to wander back to Bonnie. She was the one that got away. She was the one he had pushed away. He knew that he had screwed up his chances with her, he just didn't understand why he cared so much.

His eyes landed on Kol and Bonnie as they swayed to the music.

Damon's face contorted in disgust when the young man ran his fingers along Bonnie's spine. They were so close to each other that it was making him physically ill. He wanted to be the one holding her body close to his. He wanted to be the one dancing with her. He could have his choice of any other girl in the room, but he only wanted her. He lifted the bottle of whiskey to his lips and downed another huge gulp when Bonnie rested her head against Kol's shoulder and her fingers ghosted along the nape of his neck.

The alcohol burned his throat and he could feel it taking effect. The more he drank the lower his inhibitions became. And they were already pretty low prior to consuming the alcohol.

His blue eyes hardened as he watched Kol's hands move even lower down Bonnie's back. His fingertips now resting just above her ass.

'Okay, I can't watch this anymore or I'm gonna puke! I need to dance with someone right now. I need to forget Bonnie Bennett exists.'

Damon stumbled drunkenly through the crowd. Running into a few people along the way. His eyes were on his partner. Caroline Forbes wasn't his type. He couldn't stand the girl. She had dated Stefan for years and not once did he ever find himself attracted to her. But, right now, he just wanted to dance with someone and she was there with him. She was the only one who understood what life had been like for him.

He walked up behind her and rested his chin against her shoulder, smiling and whispering hotly against her ear. "Wanna dance, Blondie?"

Caroline could smell the alcohol saturating his breath. It almost made her gag. She knew that Damon solved all of his problems in life by turning to the bottle, and she was worried about it. They were a team and she needed to be able to rely on him right now. "Actually, I kind of want to puke." She told him bluntly. "Why the hell would I EVER want to dance with you?"

"A simple no would have sufficed." He bit back sarcastically.

"No, it wouldn't have!" The blonde turned on her heels and stared up at him with frustrated blue eyes. "Exactly how drunk are you?"

Damon lifted the half empty bottle of bourbon and he waggled it playfully, a devious smirk on his lips.

Her eyes widened as she stared at the bottle. "Are you kidding me!?" She practically screamed. "Okay, that's enough! The games start tomorrow Damon and you are gonna have a HUGE hangover heading into that arena! That is no way to win!" Caroline attempted to reach for the bottle and Damon lifted it over his head and out of her reach, waggling his brow at her.

It was all a game to him.

Everything always was. He could never take anything seriously.

"You aren't my keeper." He told her with a playful smile. "I can make my own decisions."

"Fine!" Caroline shouted, giving up on trying to take the bottle away from him. Damon could be so stubborn and he was always sabotaging himself. Tomorrow was the biggest day of his life. It was all he had ever wanted. And now, he was throwing it all away at the last minute. "If you wanna die, I'm sure as hell not gonna stop you!"

"Thank you." He stated smugly. Lifting the bottle to his lips he took another large gulp, his eyes focused on a young blonde who was dancing in the center of the dance floor. She was the tribute from District 2, and she was hot. "Now, if you'll excuse me."

Damon set down the bottle and started to waltz across the dance floor toward the beautiful blonde.

Caroline watched with confused eyes. He was acting so reckless. Even for Damon. She knew how dedicated he and his brother were to the games, and he was possibly throwing it all away for what? What had him drowning in a bottle of whiskey? Her eyes landed on Bonnie who was dancing with Kol and she furrowed her brow at them. 'He can't be doing all of this just because she said she wasn't interested in him and she has a boyfriend... Can he? Damon doesn't fall for girls. He just uses them... He can't be falling for her can he?'

He twisted his body through the crowd of dancing people. His eyes fixed on one woman in particular. She had long blonde hair. The perfect body. And she was from District 2. She was the perfect woman for him. His father would be proud if he brought her home.

She was the perfect distraction.

"Wanna dance?" Damon asked with a flirtatious smirk and a waggle of his brow. The woman visibly swooned for him. It was what he was used to. Women were always throwing themselves at him. Just not one woman in particular.

"I'd love to." She said, wrapping her arms around his neck. He placed his hands on her hips and pulled her body closer to his, moving his hips to the rhythm of the song. He wasn't a great dancer, and he was even worse now that he was drunk, but the girl didn't seem to mind. She was mesmerized by his beautiful eyes and captivating smile.

Bonnie was smiling as she lost herself in the warmth of Kol's body. She truly felt like she could trust him. She liked having someone there with her, aside from Marcel, that she could trust. Suddenly, she spotted Damon over Kol's shoulder. He was dancing with the blonde tribute from District 2. His hands were on her hips and his lips were hovering above her neck. He wasn't holding back.

Her stomach tangled jealously when she saw him grab her ass.

'Why am I getting jealous right now!? Gah! I don't want that! I don't want him!' Despite her thoughts, she couldn't tear her eyes away from him. She hated the thought of him sleeping with the blonde.

Damon smirked and whispered against the woman's ear, "What do you say we head back to my room for some pre-death sex?"

"Mm... I'd love to." She responded.

He didn't even know her name.

He just knew she was hot and she wasn't Bonnie Bennett.

His eyes wandered across the dance floor toward the beautiful young woman who was still dancing with her "boyfriend" and his stomach lurched back and forth. Damon had been hoping to see her watching him. He had been hoping to make her jealous. But, she wasn't. Instead she was entranced in the British man from District 6. Her fingers dancing through his hair and her hips moving against him. Kol's fingers were dipping lower and lower and now he was practically grabbing her ass.

He shuddered disgustedly and shook his head at the sight. "Okay, that's it!"

"What are you talking about?" The girl he was dancing with asked. She didn't understand. One second he was inviting her back to his room and the next he was holding onto her hand and dragging her across the dance floor.

"Come on." Damon said. His eyes were locked on Bonnie and Kol who were dancing a little more and more intimately as the minutes passed. He was done standing on the sidelines and watching the display. When he wanted answers he got them. Right now, he wanted answers. He wanted to talk to Bonnie about what was going on.

"Are we going back to your room?" The District 2 tribute asked hopefully.

"Not quite."

He let go of the blonde's hand and he stood in front of Bonnie and Kol, drawing their attention away from each other. Damon ignored Kol completely and looked over at the stunning young woman with a playful smile on his lips. Bonnie couldn't deny that she loved his smile. He was a very handsome man, it was his personality that made him ugly.

"Mind if I cut in?" He asked, blue eyes connecting with green.

"Yeah, mate. I do mind." Kol spoke up. Whether the relationship was fake or not, he was going to act like it was real. He wouldn't just allow another man to cut in and start dancing with his girl.

"Oh, come on!" Damon stretched, turning his attention to Kol. He stumbled toward him and wrapped his arm around his shoulders, and then he "whispered" into his ear. "We can totally trade!" He was too drunk to realize just how loud he was being. "She's blonde, hot, and willing." He waggled his brow suggestively at the British man and the blonde rolled her eyes and started to walk away from him. She couldn't believe he was just going to trade her off for a District 11 tribute that received a 7.

"I much prefer my girlfriend." He stated, pulling Bonnie closer to him.

'I much prefer your girlfriend too.' Damon thought to himself. He was too drunk to really articulate his feelings. When he didn't get what he wanted he had a tendency to whine. He was definitely used to getting what he wanted. "Bonnie!" He groaned. "I just need to talk to you for a second!"

She knew that he wasn't going to leave them alone until he got what he wanted. And deep down, she wanted to talk to him. As much as she was enjoying seeing this jealous side of him, she missed talking to him. 'I don't know why I miss talking to him. He's been nothing but a liar and an asshole...'

"Kol." Bonnie's full lips twisted up into a smile and she gave his hand a small squeeze. "Give us a second."

"Are you sure, love?"

"I'm sure." Before Kol walked away from them, she pulled him closer by the hand and she delicately kissed his lips. She could practically feel Damon fuming as he watched the kiss. His brow furrowed and a scowl on his lips. She loved his reaction. She truly believed that he deserved it after the things he had said during his interview.

"Let me just gouge my eyes out real quick." Damon stated sarcastically as he watched the two of them kiss. He felt nauseous.

The British man pulled out of the kiss and he ran his tongue along his lips. His devious brown eyes landed on the District 1 tribute and his lips curved up into a smirk. "We do far more than that behind closed doors, mate." He winked at him.

"Gross." Was all he said in response to that.

Damon didn't want to think about Bonnie and Kol screwing each other.

Kol walked away, but decided to keep up the facade. He was standing across the room with his arms crossed over his chest, watching the two of them closely. He was playing the part of her boyfriend.

Relief rushed over him when the other man was no longer touching Bonnie. His lips curled up into a devilish grin and he placed his large hands on her small hips, pulling her body close to his. He could feel every curve of her flawless body pressed against his body. The tempo of the music had sped up, so he was moving his hips at a faster pace. Again, he was dancing clumsily, but neither of them really minded.

She was too distracted by the warmth of Damon's body pressed up against her, and the way that his fingers were digging into her hips. She hated the way that he effected her. Her heart was racing in her chest. Her skin was on fire. Her stomach was filled with butterflies. 'How does he always do this to me?'

"I can't believe you are dating that guy." He said with a repulsed look. "He is such a jerk!"

"As apposed to you?" Bonnie asked with a smirk and a raise of her brow.

"Point made." He grinned and nodded his head.

She could tell that he was slurring his words and she could smell the alcohol on his breath each time he spoke. It worried her. Tomorrow they would be thrown into the arena and forced to fend for their lives and as much as she hated him a lot of the time, she did care about him. She didn't want him to die. "Why are you drinking so much tonight, Damon? We enter the arena tomorrow."

"Worried about me, little bird?" Damon asked, leaning forward a little bit. His lips were only inches away from hers now and she couldn't help but stare down at them. "I figured you'd be hoping I die first."

Bonnie glanced back up into his eyes and sorrow filled green. She hated hearing him so defeated. She didn't understand. She didn't know him well enough to know if this was a pattern of his. She didn't know him well enough to understand why he was getting so upset about losing a chance with her. Was it just because he lost? Because he couldn't have what he wanted? Or was there more to it?

"I don't want anyone to die." She said. 'Especially not you...' She couldn't say the words out loud.

"Don't worry your pretty little head." He laughed under his breath. "I'll be fine. Even drunk off my ass, I could fight better than half of these people."

His words did little to alleviate her worries. She didn't want Damon to die first. She didn't want him to die at all. He was being reckless, and quite frankly, stupid.

The tempo of the song picked up. Now it was a very fast song.

He smirked and pulled her body closer by her hips. Bonnie had to stifle a moan as she felt his body pressed tightly against hers. She loved the way that it felt. She loved the scent of Damon's cologne mixed with the natural scent of his sweat. It was intoxicating. It caused her body to react in ways that she had never thought possible. She could feel an aching desire between her thighs. She could feel the butterflies swarming in her stomach and her heart pounding loudly in her ears. She hated how badly she wanted him.

When green eyes landed on blue she lost herself in their depths. Behind them she found pure passion. Pure fire. She wanted so desperately to lean forward and kiss his lips. She wanted to feel them against her own. But, she didn't want to give him that satisfaction.

If Damon wanted back in her good graces, he was going to have to work for it.

Gripping Bonnie's small hips firmly in his hands, he twisted her body around easily. He was insanely strong. Her eyes widened in shock when she felt her body twist around and she realized that her back was now facing him. He held her body in place and rocked his hips against her ass to the beat of the music. She could feel his hot breath rushing against her neck. Her arousal was intensifying.

"Damon, this is highly inappropriate." Even as she said the words, she didn't make a move to put a stop to it.

"I know." His eyes widened and he waggled his brow at her.

Bonnie felt his heated breath rush along her skin and she shivered. It felt so good. Better than it should. "I have a boyfriend."

"Don't care." Damon said. "Let him watch."

Him telling her to let her boyfriend watch just reminded her that he was an asshole. He was suggesting that she cheat on her boyfriend with him. Even if she wasn't really dating Kol, Damon thought that she was. 'How can I be so attracted to such an asshole? Why am I not pulling away? WHAT THE HELL IS THAT!? OH GOD!' Bonnie blushed when she felt something hard press against her spine through the fabric of Damon's pants. She knew exactly what it was. He was aroused. 'This is taking it way too far! You have to put an end to this!'

She pulled away from him and twisted around to look up at him. He had a knowing smirk on his lips and a glint in his eyes. He could tell that she was flustered. He could tell that she wanted him.

"That's enough, Damon!" Bonnie insisted. Finding it difficult to breathe. "Whatever this thing is between us has to stop right now!"

Damon took a step toward her and cocked his head to the side. He looked so smug that it was frustrating her. "I thought you said there was NOTHING between us."

"I think it's about time that you sod off, mate!" Kol growled as he walked toward the two of them. He had actually felt jealous watching Damon and Bonnie dancing so intimately. He was angry that the man thought that she had a boyfriend, but he was still obviously making a move on her. It lacked class. It was a shitty thing to do.

He held his hands up defensively and nodded his head. "You got it buddy." He had already got the answer he was hoping for. There was SOMETHING going on between the two of them. And whether Bonnie had a boyfriend or not, she still had feelings for him.

He knew it.

'This Broken Record, Sings My Mistakes On Repeat,

And All The Drinks In The World, Couldn't Make Me Sleep.'

Everyone had left the party, and Caroline had dragged Damon back to his room to get some sleep, despite his protests. But, no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't get to sleep. He was rolling around in bed uncomfortably. Thinking about Kol's hands touching Bonnie, thinking about him kissing her, thinking about him pleasing her. It was making him sick. He hated it.

Finally, he sat up in bed and threw his legs over the side. He had finished off most of the bottle and he was thoroughly intoxicated. He knew he would regret his decision in the morning, but right now, he needed to see her again.

He had so many regrets.

Damon had screwed up his chances with Bonnie just like he had screwed up his chances with every girl since her. Just the thought of his ex-girlfriend caused his muscles to tense and his chest to tighten. She was the reason he had given up on love. She had taught him that people were expendable and usable, but not lovable.

'I need to talk to her before we get put into that arena... I can't sleep until I talk to her...'

He dragged himself out of bed and stumbled across the room toward the door. Hitting a few things along the way and nearly tripping. But, he was determined to get to her. He pulled on the knob and opened the door and then made his way out into the hallway. There were only 24 doors in the hallway. One for each tribute. He knew that eventually he would find hers.

Damon didn't even realize that he wasn't wearing a shirt.

Somewhere along the line between the party and his room he had taken it off. He was now only wearing his pink pants and shoes.

He knocked on the first door that he saw and he leant his hand against the wall to brace himself as he waited for the person to answer. Hoping that it was Bonnie.

It wasn't.

A young man answered the door with a confused look on his face. He had obviously been sleeping and he was pissed off.

"Is this Bonnie Bennett's room?" Damon slurred playfully.

"It's the middle of the night and the games start tomorrow! Leave me the hell alone!" He slammed the door in his face.

"WELL!" He drawled sarcastically. "That was rude!" All he could do was laugh, he was so intoxicated. Again he started to walk clumsily down the hallway toward the next door. He lifted his hand and knocked loudly on it.

'Knock. Knock. Knock.'

This time, the blonde woman from District 2 opened the door. Her smile fell and she looked disgusted when she saw it was Damon standing in her doorway. She didn't want anything to do with him.

"Hello there." He grinned flirtatiously.

"Screw you!" She said, slamming the door in his face.

"That was the plan!" Damon shouted through the door. He shook his head. "Sheesh!"

After knocking on six more doors and getting them slammed in his face, you'd think he would have given up. But, he hadn't. He needed to talk to Bonnie. He stood in front of the next door and he raised his hand, curling it into a fist and knocking.

'Knock. Knock. Knock.'

Bonnie opened the door and her green eyes widened when she saw Damon standing on the other side of the door, barely holding himself up. She was wearing shorts and a tank top that showed off her toned abdomen. But, she wasn't the only one exposed. He wasn't wearing his shirt. She tugged her full bottom lip between her teeth and she allowed her eyes to wander along his chest. She followed his happy trail down to the waistline of his pants and she blushed a little when her mind filled with the memory of his hard cock against her spine while they were dancing.

"Is this the Bennett residence?" He asked drunkenly.

"Damon?" She was confused. 'What the hell is he doing here?'

"Thank God!" Damon stretched the words over-dramatically. "You have no idea how rude people can be when you turn up at four in the morning." He walked past her and headed directly into her room without an invitation.

"Come on in, I guess." Bonnie said as she watched him walk into her room.

He recalled what Kol had said about more happening behind closed doors and he started to look around the room for any sign of him. "Is HE here?" He said the word 'he' spitefully.

"No. He's not here."

She sighed loudly and closed the door to her room when Damon fell back onto the bed and placed his arms behind his head, smiling in her direction. It was evident that he wasn't going anywhere.

"That's weird." He said, his blue eyes widening knowingly. Something wasn't right between Kol and Bonnie. They were missing a spark. They were missing what they had. "I totally thought the two of you would be "doing it" like bunny rabbits right about now."

Bonnie started to approach the bed. "We don't make love every night."

"UCK!"

"What?"

"Make. Love." He stretched the words sarcastically. "Can't you just say, have sex, like a normal person?"

She took a seat on the edge of the bed and she looked over his face. There was something hidden deep in the depths of his eyes. He had been hurt before. He had lost his faith in love. He had lost his hope to ever be in a real relationship. She was curious what had happened. "What's wrong with love?" She wondered.

"I've been in love before." Damon told her. "Once. It's painful. It's pointless. It's overrated."

"Doesn't sound like love in that case."

"It doesn't sound like love, because love doesn't exist Bon-Bon." Damon smirked up at her. "She taught me that. She taught me that there are only two types of people in this world. Those who use others and those who get used."

Bonnie wondered what had happened with his ex-girlfriend to make him feel this way. She didn't dare ask though. Damon was already opening up more than she had ever expected. She moved up onto the bed, so that she was laying next to him, with her back against the headboard. "So, why are you here now?" She asked. "Are you using me?"

"Maybe." He sang.

She glared at him when he said that.

Damon groaned loudly and moved into a sitting position, with his back against the headboard. His shoulder was now pressed against hers and she could feel the heat of his body. He was burning up. Probably due to the high percentage of alcohol in his system. "I don't know why I'm here! I just wanted to fix things between us, before we get thrown into that arena and are forced to kill each other."

He turned and caught Bonnie's stunning emerald eyes with his own. She forgot how to breathe in that moment. Their lips were so close. She could feel his breath rushing against her face.

"The only problem is." He told her. "I don't have a clue how to fix things, just break them."

Bonnie shivered when Damon lifted his hand and delicately danced his fingertips along her jawline. Everywhere he touched left behind a trail of fire. Her heart was pounding rapidly in her chest and she still couldn't recall how to breathe. She was lost in his eyes. Lost to the desire. He smirked and tucked one of her curls behind her ear.

"You could start by apologizing for being such a narcissistic asshole."

"I apologize for being such a narcissistic asshole." He repeated her words. "And for the fact that I will probably be a narcissistic asshole again in the future."

"It's a start." Bonnie laughed and shook her head.

Damon licked over his lips and glanced down at hers and her heart stopped. He tangled his fingers in her hair and dragged her body closer to his, their lips only an inch apart now. She wanted to give in to him. She wanted to feel his lips against hers. She wanted to taste them. She wanted him so badly. But, she also didn't want to give him that satisfaction. Not yet. Plus she had a "boyfriend." 'I just want him to work for it a little longer... Is that so bad?'

Bonnie forced herself to pull away and look down at her shaky hands. She swallowed hard and breathed out, "Damon, I can't. I have a boyfriend."

He smirked and moved closer to her, whispering against her ear, "What he doesn't know won't hurt him."

"You're doing it again."

"What?"

"Being an asshole."

'Exposing Me For What I Am,

A Fallen King, Who Lost His Crown.'

Author's Note :

I want to thank everyone for being so wonderful and supportive with this fic! Your words mean the world to me and I really do listen to everything you say! I know some people are really wanting Bamon to get intimate, and they will soon! But, hopefully this will help hold y'all over! :)) Usually my Bamon centered chapters haven't gotten very many reviews or much feedback... And I worked really hard on this chapter... So I hope that y'all like it and I want to know what y'all think about it! I want to know if y'all like the Bamon chapters! If y'all like the way that I am writing them! If you are excited for what is to come! What y'all wanna see with them!

How did you feel about this chapter? Did you like jealous Damon? Enjoying the Kennett? Do you trust Kol? Did you enjoy the scene in bed when he opened up to her? Did you like the almost kiss and the dance!? Lots of Bamon this chapter!

Really hope y'all liked it! Thank you so much for reading! I love you guys!

-Tracy Cook-