She rested her head on his chest in thought. Stefan was alive—possibly alive, and she couldn't believe it. She knew that she told Damon that they should just let whatever happens happen, but right now she wanted to search for him. He couldn't be that far away since Damon ran into that woman around here so he had to be near.
"I'm gonna go for a run before work," she sat up whispering to Damon.
"Be safe,"
She smiled. "I will. And I expect breakfast when I get back."
He chuckled. "Fine."
She leaned down to kiss him before getting up to change into her jogging gear then was out the door. She did some stretches in front of her apartment building then started on her jog.
Her music was loud in her ears blocking her of all thoughts and her only focus was on her breathing.
-::-
Damon smiled over at her as she walked through the door calming her breathing. "How was it?"
"Tiring but good."
He chuckled then kissed her before she went back to the room to take a shower.
Jennifer smiled feeling his hand run up her back then soon his lips on top of her head. Waking up with him in bed with her was the best, his strong arms, broad chest, and pecs had her thanking her lucky stars each night.
"Good morning."
"Good morning," he pulled her up his body then kissed her.
She smiled then kissed him back before resting her head beside his. "I have to leave soon,"
"No, I don't want my baby gone." He pulled her in close causing her to laugh a little.
"It's my first day at the company, I have to make a good impression."
"You'll do great, babe, I know it."
She let out a breath. "I love you."
"I love you too."
They kissed again before Jennifer got up to take a shower.
-::-
Bonnie was in the middle of editing, when her new intern stepped in. She smiled then walked over to her greeting her with a smile. "You must be Jennifer,"
"I am. Thank you so much, Bonnie for giving me a chance. I know that I don't have much experience,"
"That's completely fine, I love to help striving photographers. This world can be so tricky, there's no telling when you'll land a job."
"I hear ya, I've done a couple gigs, but I really want to expand."
"Which is why I have you here." She smiled. "This is my studio. I recently got hired to shoot a cover for Seventeen Magazine,"
She gasped. "No you didn't!"
"Yes I did! And you'll be my right hand lady for it all."
"Wow, this is amazing, I- thank you so much, I won't let you down, I swear."
She smiled. "Let me give you a quick tour then we'll get started."
Jennifer nodded then followed after her boss.
After a long day of editing and a couple of photoshoots, Bonnie decided to take Jennifer out for a drink. They both had to drive home so it would only be one, or if they get serious enough, they'll call their boyfriends to drive them home.
"Today was everything that I hoped for, I know I keep saying this but, thank you."
"You're very welcome. You're a great person and I couldn't have hired anyone better to work with."
Jennifer smiled and opened her mouth to speak, but her cellphone went off. "Can I—"
"Yes, please."
"Hey, babe… Yeah, I forgot to tell you that I'm out with my boss, Bonnie at the bar we always go to… Yes, Bonnie, why do you ask?… Hello?" She removed the phone from her ear to see if the called suddenly ended, but when she noticed that it wasn't, she put the phone back to her ear. "Hello?… Oh. Okay, bye."
Bonnie narrowed her eyes. "Not to be noisy, but,"
"I don't know what just happened, it's like a switch got flipped after I told him where I was."
"Interesting."
"Maybe I should head home, you know?"
"Yeah, I hope things are okay."
"Thanks, I'll see you tomorrow."
Bonnie nodded watching her leave, but she stayed back until she finished her drink.
She dug in her purse finding her keys when she felt a shift in the air. Someone was watching her. She had two options, ignore it, or face it and she thought that ignoring it was the wrong choice because she wouldn't know who to look out for. Taking a discreet breath, Bonnie looked up but saw no one there. Her eyes narrowed and she looked around a little before shaking her head a little.
"Bonnie,"
Her eyes softly shut and her keys hit the street hearing her name be spoken in a familiar voice. She turned taking a deep breath opening her eyes only to cry them out when they landed on Stefan.
He quickly held her as she was sinking and hugged her close to his chest.
"Stefan,"
He held her closer until her cries subsided then pulled away a little. "It was you, wasn't it?"
"Are you mad at me?"
"I wouldn't say that. I was surprised when I woke up after however long it was."
"I couldn't let you die for me."
"You thought I would lose?"
"No. No, that's not what I'm saying. I put the spell on both of you. I never wanted that battle to happen, ever. That's not how I wanted things to be."
He wiped the tears from her face. "I missed you. Everything about you, I miss so much."
"I missed you too."
"Yeah?" She nodded. "Are you still with my brother?"
"Yes. I'm kind of surprised by it because it wasn't easy. At all, there so were so many dark times, but I guess a part of it was that we short of owed it to you to stay together. What was the point of you dying if we broke up?"
He moved his hand down along her face. "I want to kiss you." He smiled when she did. "I should tell you though, I'm seeing someone. It wasn't intentional, I moved here for a fresh start because I didn't want to bother you guys and I met her. She's actually your intern."
"That makes so much sense now. I was wondering why her boyfriend was so interested in my name."
He chuckled. "I had to know if it was you,"
"And how did you?"
"Your breathing. It's different now since we're together, but it has a different sound that I can pick up."
"Really?" He nodded moving some hair behind her ear stepping closer. "I uh, did you want to see Damon?"
He shook his head, "Not tonight." He moved his eyes down to her lips. "Is it- is it okay if I—"
He held her close once their lips met. Kissing her made all the memories flow and he lifted her legs around his waist deepening the kiss. Bonnie raked her fingers through his hair then shortly felt herself being put in the back seat.
-::-
They kissed as their breathing was heavy but tried their best to stay connected. His hands were on her hips following the rocking of them and his mouth would explore her skin, licking, kissing, and biting certain parts of her that he missed. When her rocking turned to bouncing, he knew her release was near and shortly she came in a quiet scream as he moved her along his shaft a little longer filling her up with his seed.
She collapsed on his chest breathing deeply, but he moved her head over to meet their lips kissing her sweetly. "I love you so much."
"I love you too."
Their lips met again a little rougher this time then she pulled away meeting their foreheads. She chuckled. "We're in so much trouble."
He smiled then kissed her a few times. "I won't tell if you won't."
She smiled then bit down on her lip and he took that as a sign moving her to lay back.
A part of her feels guilty and the other part of her thought that it was only natural that their reunion go like that. Damon was asleep when she got home, so she quickly got in the shower scrubbing her whole body down trying to make Stefan's scent fade. Stepping in front of the mirror she turned her body making her head look back then shook her head noticing his teeth marks on he back of her waist. She smiled a little though and got changed in Damon's clothes, slowly slipping in bed beside him.
"Damon," she whispered. "D,"
"Hm?"
"Never mind, I'll tell you tomorrow," knowing that he was tired.
"No, I'm up."
"I met her. Stefan's girlfriend, I had no idea who she was at first, but she's now my intern."
"You met Jennifer?"
"You remembered her name?"
He chuckled. "Don't get jealous, babe, I'm just good with names. This explains why you smell a little like him."
"I do?"
"Yep. Just a little."
She smiled then moved to rest her head on his chest. "I'm so tired, good night, babe."
"Good night," he kissed her cheek then held her.
Bonnie smiled over at Jennifer as she walked in hanging her purse on one of the hooks. "So, how did everything with the boyfriend go last night?" It was weird to ask, but she knew that as a "friend", she should ask.
"Well when I got home he wasn't there, but he said that he just went for a walk and lost track of time. I asked him what was wrong, but he told me that it was nothing, so I guess I overreacted a little."
She nodded. "Well it's a new day, and a busy one so it should be a good distraction. First we need to brainstorm of where and when were going to so the cover shoot, so I need all the ideas that you have."
She nodded then took out a pad and pen ready to write everything down.
Damon weighed the idea of contacting her brother or not. He wanted to see him, but he didn't know that if he could face him. He killed him after all, and he knows that that's not something that he would take lightly if he were in Stefan's position. Just wanting to get it over with, Damon dialed his number assuming that he kept the same phone.
"Hello?"
"Hey, brother."
"Damon,"
"Now before you get started, I guess I'm sorry for killing you, but it was for Bonnie."
"I'm over that."
"You are?"
"It's been years, brother, I don't like to hold grudges."
He narrowed his eyes but played along. "Anyway, I hear that you have a girl now."
"Bonnie told you that?"
"Well kind of, I ran into her one day and she told me that her boyfriend had a brother who's name matches mine so I put two and two together."
"So you knew about the spell?"
"No, I was just as clueless as you were, she only told me about it two days ago."
He chuckled. "Damn."
"Women." Pause. "So uh, what do you say we meet up for drinks or something?"
"Are you going to bring Bonnie?"
"I'd figure it just be us two for now."
"Alright. When?"
"Around eight. Bonnie usually stays late in the studio anyway which means that your girl will be with her too."
"Alright, sounds good."
Damon ended the call and let out a breath. He doesn't buy it. There's no way that Stefan is over it, no way in hell. The fact that he killed his own brother for a girl, a very special girl, couldn't be forgiven. He'll crack then crack some more until he sees the revenge in his eyes and that's when he'd start sleeping with one eye open.
Damon starts to wonder if this is all one big setup. Maybe he didn't just run into Jennifer that day, he doesn't believe in coincidences so maybe it wasn't one. What if Jennifer isn't really his girlfriend, but someone compelled to act like it, to set him up maybe make Bonnie jealous so that she cou— so that she could leave him for his brother. This is all a way to get Bonnie back, it's the ultimate revenge.
"Game on, brother."
Stefan stood by the door watching Damon for a few moments, then walked up to him placing his hands on his shoulders as he sat down.
"So it's true. You really are alive."
"You can touch me, but you'll have to buy me dinner first."
He chuckled. "So how have you been?"
"I've been adjusting. I had to turn things off for a little, but I'm fine now."
Damon nodded. "So how did you meet Jennifer?"
"It's a boring story, but I was working, actually, at the time, at this shop or whatever-"
"Wait, you got a job?"
"I was bored. Anyway, so she comes in with her friends and I could tell she was interested, you know that look girls give you, so I just went along with it, helped her pick out some bikinis and she came back the next day and we just started hanging out."
"How long ago was that?"
"A little more than a year."
He nodded. "I know that this might be weird, but I need a favor of you. When you see Bonnie for the first time, whenever that might be, can you not…act like you're interested."
"What?"
"I know that when she sees you, she'll be in a vulnerable place and just a hint of you acting interested would put us all in bad spots."
He stopped his laugh. "So you're saying that you're afraid that Bonnie would leave you for me?"
"No, I'm not saying that she'll leave me, but still. I just need this one favor."
He looked at his brother through narrowed eyes, but before he could speak, he hears her. Her voice instantly hits his ear and he turns and their eyes lock. She swallows and he offers her a smile which she gives him a little one back before turning her attention to Jennifer. They start to make their way over.
"Hey, Bon."
"Hey, Stef."
He hears her heart beating rapidly and ignores Jennifer when she asks how they know each other, but Damon explains it all while they just stare.
"Bonnie," Damon says a little loud snapping her out of the staring match.
"Huh?"
"Why don't you come sit over here with me."
"Oh, yeah, sure." She clears her throat a little then moves to the stool beside Damon and he acts like a barrier between the two.
She looks to her right out of the corner of her eyes and catches Stefan already looking at her. She smiles but then looks forward and orders a drink.
"How have you been, Bon, it's been awhile."
"I've been good. I have my own small company now so it's pretty exciting."
He smiles at her.
"Why don't we all move to a booth, so we can all hear?" Jennifer suggests then they get up moving to one of the empty ones.
Damon growls at how the two are sitting across from each other, but decides to kiss her to get her attention.
"You two are so cute. I had no idea, Bonnie, that you were dating my Stef's brother."
"Yeah, neither did I."
Her eyes then look over at Stefan feeling his foot run up her calf and she smiles but wipes it away. He holds in his chuckle but smiles when she kicks him playfully.
"... Oh yeah Bonnie and I figured out where we're going to be shooting the magazine cover shoot." Jennifer finished telling Damon.
"You didn't tell me you were shooting a cover."
"I tried to tell you, but then you wanted to discuss something else." She said referring to the whole Stefan thing.
"Sorry,"
"It's fine."
"I'll make it up to you, I promise."
She only smiled at him not really wanting to kiss him in front of Stefan. "Did you guys eat yet?"
"No, we only got here a few minutes before you two showed up."
Bonnie nodded then called the waiter over to order a small meal for the table. They all started talking and catching up with one another until Jessica accidentally yawned and Stefan decided that it was time to take her home. Bonnie and Damon stayed out a little longer before they headed out themselves.
-::-
When Damon said that he would make it up to her, he definitely didn't hold back. For the weekend, he took her to Hawaii where they did everything that they wanted and Bonnie took pictures of everything that she could. She didn't want to go home, but she needed to get back to work and a part of her wished that she never started a career so that all her days could be like that perfect weekend in Hawaii.
That was the life that she truly pictured with Damon, them traveling all over the world, but things didn't turn out as planned. She needed a distraction from it all so she took up photography and fell in love with it and wanted to expand her passion for it. Damon was supportive, she wasn't sure if he even cared at the time, but he gave her the money to get things started and now she pays for things on her own. He still helps out whenever she lets him, but for the most part, she does it in her own.
"You're glowing,"
"Just a little sun kissed. Damon took me on a small vacation for the weekend."
"Oh how sweet. You two are a really great couple, I got a little jealous watching you two on our little double date."
"No, you and Stefan haven't been together that long, Damon and I have years of history."
Jennifer smiled. "So I was thinking that you and Damon come over our place for dinner. Stefan is an amazing cook, but I guess you already know that."
"Kind of, yeah. And I think we can make it, I just have to check with Damon first."
"How did you two meet?"
"Oh, I was a bartender, and he hit on me. It wasn't anything special." They chuckled. "What about you and Stefan?"
"Oh, he was working at a shop that I so happened to walk into with some friends and, you know, I flirted with him, made him help me pick out some bikinis and the next day, we start to hang out and the rest is history."
"Stefan had a job?"
"I know, he's freakin rich or whatever, when I first went to his place I bout had a heart attack. I asked him why he was working, but he said he was bored." She chuckled.
Bonnie shook her head. "We'll we should get started, the shoot is on Wednesday."
"Oh, I'm so excited!"
They shared a big smile then went over the plans.
-::-
Damon answered the phone as soon as he saw who was calling. "Hey, babe."
"Hey," she smiled. "Uh, Jen actually invited us over for dinner, I was wondering if you wanted to come."
"I kind of wanted it to just be me and you tonight,"
"I could ask if we could postpone?"
"Okay, I'll tell Stefan."
"Alright. I love you."
"I love you too, baby."
Bonnie looked up as Jennifer was walking through with their salads. "I'm sorry, Jen, we can't make it tonight, maybe tomorrow? Or better Wednesday so we can celebrate?"
"Yeah, Wednesday sounds great."
Bonnie frowned. "Is everything okay?"
"Not really. I think. I think he's going to break up with me. He hasn't been the same, he's changed and I just feel like he doesn't love me anymore. I was hoping that with you guys around, he'll be more cheerful and and it could just be like the old times."
Bonnie sighed knowing that this was probably her fault. "I've known Stefan for awhile, so maybe I could tell you some things that can get him a little excited."
"Really?" She nodded. "Thank you, Bonnie." She hugged her close.
Bonnie smiled then hugged her back before pulling away to tell Jennifer some of her secrets.
-::-
Jennifer placed her keys on the counter slipping off her shoes before going to find Stefan. She called out his name a few times but found him taking a nap on their bed. She smiled then laid down beside him smiling even more when his arm wrapped around her and pulled her close into his chest.
"Baby,"
She looked up noticing that he was still asleep and her heart melted a little knowing that he was dreaming about her. Maybe she was overreacting, maybe there was nothing wrong and it was all in her head.
She moved up a little getting face to face with him, placing her hand in the side of his face before kissing him once pulling away slowly.
"Mm." He kept his eyes closed. "How was work?"
"Great, Bonnie let me go a little early."
"That's nice."
"Yeah. So I was thinking that we just have a chill day, you know, just hang out in bed and I'll cook dinner for you,"
"You'll cook for me, baby?"
She smiled. "Of course. Whatever you want." She ran her thumb across his cheek a few times.
He opened his eyes and stared into a pair of brown iris' surrounded by a perfect face. "I'm sorry."
"For what?"
"I've been acting a little…dickish and I'm sorry. I love you."
"I love you too, I forgive you."
He leaned in meeting their lips that first started off slowly then turned rougher their lips stayed connected. He moved on top of her and slide his hands up her blouse.
Jennifer smiled as he kissed her cheek moving his arms around her from behind as she was making dinner. "You're distracting me," she chuckled when he kissed her again.
"I saw some of your photos on the computer. You're really talented, babe."
"Thank you, that means a lot to me."
He kissed her sweetly. "I have a quick errand to run, but I'll be back."
"Okay. I love you."
"I love you too."
She looked into his eyes before kissing him once letting him go off.
Stefan walked two blocks down the street walking inside the cafe to meet Bonnie. She texted him asking to meet up and he took her up on that offer. He finds her seated at the furthest table so there he heads.
When are sees him, she stands and they meet in a hug before they sit across each other. "Hey,"
"Hey,"
"So uh, I think we should talk about what happened between us last week,"
"Yeah, we probably should."
" I miss you, Stefan and I don't regret anything, but it shouldn't happen again."
"I agree. We're both in relationships and we should focus on them and not so much each other. It's gonna be hard, but it's the right thing to do."
She nodded. "I'm not going to lie, it hurts a little seeing you two together, but I would rather that than you in a triangle with me and Damon."
"We were just reconnecting the best way that we knew how and since it feels like I'm back again, there's no need for the physical. I hope we can be friends, Bon. I love you and I want you in my life."
"I love you too. And I would love to be your friend."
He smiled then shortly they were heading their separate ways.
Bonnie walked through the door feeling a lot lighter and better. She thought that things wouldn't go by so smoothly, but she guesses that Stefan felt the guilt as well and wanted it to all go away just as much as she did. She didn't want to be that type of girl, so she had to choose and she chose Damon.
She smiled walking over to him joining him on the couch then snuggled into him.
"Did you find your sunglasses?"
"Yep. Right on my desk where I thought they were."
He smiles then kisses the top of her head focusing back on the movie.
A/N: So this concludes Battle. Thank you all for reading and reviewing and all that jazz!
Until next time!
XO,
Ashlyne