A/N: I just want to say I am so sorry for the late update! I expected to have this chapter updated last week, but time got away from me. Thank you all for your support so far with this story and I really hope you enjoy this chapter =)
"So, you brought us on this long and boring trail to what? Make sure you didn't get the freshman fifteen?" Damon asked jokingly, as he, Alaric, and Stefan walked down one of the long fitness trails at Whitmore.
Damon thought he and Stefan were meeting Alaric to go to a bar, even if it were ten in the morning. What he didn't expect when they met Alaric at the campus was that they would first, walk and second, make a detour to some trail.
"Well since I'm not a vampire anymore, age will catch up with me and I'm not going to have a fit physique forever."
"One, don't say fit physique again, and second, how much longer is this going to take? I have a full day ahead."
Stefan was the next to speak. "Does that full day have to do with the stuff teddy bear in your hands?"
"Yeah, I wasn't going to say anything, but what's with that?" Alaric asked.
For a split moment, Damon almost forgot he was holding Ms. Cuddles and throwing her up and down. He kept the bear close ever since Bonnie gave it to him two days ago, and it wasn't just because of the little ounce of magic she put in it that gave him energy. Since he couldn't see her everyday this was the next best thing. But, he would be damn if he told anyone that; especially his brother and his best friend.
"I think the question that you should both be asking yourselves is why are you not holding a stuff teddy bear? It's a fashion statement." He twirled the bear around and smiled at it.
They both just gave him a look.
As they continued walking, Damon decided to check his phone to see if he had any missed calls or texts from Bonnie. Unfortunately his phone was dry.
"Are you both participating in this Secret Santa thing Caroline is putting on?" Alaric changed the subject
"Please don't remind me." Damon didn't know how he got roped into participating in one of Caroline's games. His plans were to just go to the Gilbert Cabin with everyone and drink, but Elena told him not to be such a Grinch and get into the Christmas spirit. And then to top it all off, he pulled little Gilbert's name.
"Wait," Stefan stopped. "You both got invited to Caroline's Christmas thing?"
Damon smirked. That was a better way of putting it. "Of course, I had to pull a name from the stupid ugly Santa hat. Why, were you not invited?"
"Nope."
Damon couldn't help but laugh. "Oh boy, you messed with the wrong girl's feelings."
"Is that the reason Caroline had me pull two names?" Alaric chimed in. "Because Stefan wasn't invited?"
"See what you did now? We're pulling your weight. I hope you figure this out before New Year's, because I'm 99% sure she'll have something planned as well."
"Well I'm glad you're both finding amusement in this."
Damon suppressed his eye roll. It seemed to be that the only one blind to Stefan's feelings for Caroline is Stefan and Caroline. "Just date her and put us all out of our misery."
"Because I don't think about her that way. She's my friend."
"There are no drawbacks to this woman, Stefan, plus, she likes you. You can't really say that about the women in your life." He joked.
"I think you got me confused with you, dear brother. Plus, she doesn't even say more than two words to me anymore."
Damon smirked, and decided to let Ms. Cuddles do the talking. "Oh no, is Stefan feeling sensitive about ruining his friendship with Caroline? She really liked him and he broke her heart."
Alaric snickered. "See Stefan, even the bear knew."
"I saw it from a mile away and my brain's made of cotton." Damon couldn't help but find interest in this.
Stefan ripped the bear out of his hands before Damon realized, and kicked it.
"Don't get mad because Ms. Cuddles is right."
Bonnie had never been one to dislike running. It wasn't necessarily something she did every day, but she didn't mind it when she started. It was exercise and she wasn't opposed to getting any. But, today was one of those days that she wanted to say to hell with any and all exercising. It wasn't just because it was freezing outside or that she could slide and fall on the ice and snow covering the grounds, but it was due to the fact that there was a good chance she was coming down with something.
She almost had to do a rain check on Caroline because she was the one who originally wanted to get a run in, but because Bonnie was still pumped up on anger and adrenaline, due to the fight she got into with Jeremy, and that Caroline was upset over Stefan, she decided why not? Unfortunately, the adrenaline went away half of a mile in, and now she was ready to get back in her dorm and cuddle under the covers.
After the second mile, Bonnie stopped to take a breather, yet trying not to let the cold air attack her lungs. She had every intention of turning back around and head back home, but every time she allowed the idea to slow down her pace, Caroline would pop back up beside her.
Just like now.
"Sorry, Bons. I did it again." Her best friend held an apologetic look on her face.
Bonnie was still trying to catch her breath. Every time Caroline would get a little angry over her problems with Stefan, she would tap into her speed and then be gone for a few minutes.
Of course they would both be having boy troubles at the same time. In Caroline's case, Stefan apparently tried to mend fences, but she decided she didn't want too. It confused the hell out of Bonnie, because she thought that's all Caroline wanted.
"I don't know why you just don't forgive Stefan and you two start your romantic life together, and stop giving each other moon eyes every time we're in the same room."
"I do not give moon eyes!"
All Bonnie could really do was cough. "Whatever you say."
"And what about you? I'll forgive Stefan when you forgive Jeremy."
"It's not that simple. And in a completely different ball park then what happened between Jeremy and I."
She and Jeremy got into it early this morning at Tyler and Matt's place. She decided to stay the night with him, and was content on just lying in his arms all night. But, around four in the morning, he nudged her awake, wanting more than just a night's worth of cuddling. She told him that she wasn't in the mood for it. A good part of it was because she wasn't feeling too well, and the other part she really couldn't put her finger on it. Well, one thing led to another and he decided that early in the morning would be the exact moment to voice his opinion on how she had been distant towards him and how they had barely been intimate with one another. She explained that their relationship should be more than just sex and that there were other ways to be intimate. It led to him accusing her of someone else and her bringing up the fact that she wasn't the one to sleep with all of Mystic Falls while she was gone. She questioned his manhood and then that was it.
"You should really let him explain." Caroline brought her out of her thoughts. "Jeremy loves you and he missed you so much while you were gone. Plus, he's called me five times and it's not even noon yet."
"Honestly, I really don't care right now. If he's going to act like an ass just because I'm not giving him some touch, I don't even want to be around him right now."
Bonnie was glad when Caroline dropped it, because it was beginning to piss her off again.
As they continued to walk on, Caroline made a suggestion that Bonnie almost wanted to consider. Whether she was joking or not.
"We should just put Mystic Falls and Whitmore into our rearview mirror and run off and travel the world. Live the single life."
Before Bonnie could say anything, a familiar voice entered her ears.
"Look at that, we were just talking about you."
Bonnie's eyes connected with Damon's, and besides the heat that flushed her skin that she couldn't explain, a small smile appeared on her face at Damon holding Ms. Cuddles. She was sure that he got a lot of crap from Stefan and Alaric for carrying it around, but because she knew why he had it, it warmed her a bit.
Not wanting the others to witness their staring contest, she turned her attention towards Caroline and Stefan.
"What brings you ladies out here?" Alaric asked.
"Just getting a run in." Caroline immediately answered. "Come on Bons, don't we have three more miles to do?"
Bonnie was sure she was giving her best friend that 'if looks could kill' stare. To hell with 3 more miles. She was exhausted and wanted to go sit down somewhere. Preferably a warm bath with milk and honey bubbles.
Just standing here was completely awkward as Caroline and Stefan tried to look everywhere else between each other and before Bonnie could say anything, she was being lifted on Caroline's back.
"Gotta go."
And then Bonnie felt like her breath was leaving her body as Caroline used her vampire speed to take them somewhere else.
When Caroline finally stopped, Bonnie staggered a little before falling on her bottom. "Caroline!" She yelled and then squinted her eyes and watched as her best friend hit the ground beside her.
"Ow, Bonnie!"
"That's what you get." She stuck her tongue out. "You know avoiding Stefan isn't probably your best idea. We are all friends, so you will run into each other one way or another."
Caroline leaned back a little. "We can talk about me and Stefan later. But was it just me or was Damon holding your Ms. Cuddles teddy bear you lost when you were younger?"
Bonnie immediately sneezed. She tried to think of something else to say, but because she stayed silent too long, Caroline decided that it answered the question.
"That was Ms. Cuddles wasn't it?"
"It was a stuffed bear, Care. Don't they all look alike?"
"Don't play dumb with me Bons. I know Ms. Cuddles when I see it. You use to carry that thing around with you everywhere."
Bonnie sneezed again.
"You know now that I think about it, you never told me about you and Damon's time in 1994. How did you survive over there with him of all people? What did you guys do?"
She thought about ignoring her questions, but she knew for a fact that Caroline would never back down.
"We bickered mostly. Cooked, ate. He always made breakfast and I was on dinner duty."
"Um, we went through a Tetris phase but I beat it and he got mad." She continued, as she remembered her victory. "We played a lot of games, to which he cheated on almost everything. And we talked. A lot. About almost everything. And when I was talking he was listening, vice versa. We became friends, and it was nice."
When Bonnie stopped explaining their time together, her eyes found Caroline's and the way she was looking at her made her almost regret confiding in her about anything.
Damon had been lost in thought since earlier today when he had a one on one talk with Stefan. After Alaric ditched them to go spend time with his girlfriend of all of three minutes, he and his brother made their way to one of the bars near campus.
His mind replayed their conversation over and over again.
"That's Bonnie's bear isn't it?"
"Why would you think that?"
"The way you two were staring at each other earlier today and the way she looked at it in your hands."
"And here I thought you were too busy making eyes at Caroline to notice." He took a drink.
Stefan smirked. "I noticed. With you and Bonnie spending those four months together, what did you do? I see this difference between you two when you're around each other."
Damon took another gulp of his drink. "Bickered mostly. Cooked, ate. We went through a tetris phase but I beat it and she got mad." A smile formed to his lips. "We talked. A lot. There are a lot of words in the English language and Bonnie knows just about all of them."
He saw Stefan out of his peripheral staring at him. "When she wasn't talking she was listening. She'd listen for hours and hours. And when the opportunity to present itself for me to come back, she made sure I took it."
"And what did you two talk about?"
"To be honest. Everything. At the beginning it was always about Elena or you, and the rest of the gang. Then we just talked about moments from my past… moments from hers. And it was just us. It was nice…."
"I'm glad you two had each other."
Damon took another drink. "And I think the reason I try to keep her close, even though we have established a friendship, is because I don't want to lose her again. She sacrificed herself to save my life. The look in her eyes… the fact that I should have healed her. Coming back without her wasn't worth it. She's so amazing, and she doesn't even realize it."
"Well, I'm glad you two had each other. I'm glad that at the end of the day I have my brother back and that Bonnie is back and safe."
Damon hadn't realized that he sounded a little love sick through the conversation until Stefan informed him. He was quick to object. He wasn't love sick or in love with Bonnie. But it wasn't a secret that he did care for her. His thoughts were quickly interrupted by Elena entering back into the room, after taking a shower.
Currently, he was lying on Bonnie's bed staring at a picture of her with his girlfriend and blondie. He would never admit to anyone that he was just staring at the witch instead of who he should have been looking at.
"So, where are your roommates tonight by the way?"
"Caroline is staying with her mom tonight and Bonnie's at her dad's house going through some old items to give away for the Christmas charity drive." She answered, drying her hair and looking for something to wear. "I offered to help her, but she and Jeremy got into it, and she wanted to be alone."
That sparked his interest. What had that bastard done now? "What did little Gilbert do now?"
"I'm not exactly sure. He's been calling me and Caroline all day just to get in touch with her."
Damon laid the picture frame down and sent Bonnie a text.
Why didn't you tell me about you and little Gilbert? -D
It took a few minutes for her to reply.
I didn't want to bother you with my relationship problems. What are you up too? –B
We're friends Bon-Bon. If you would have told me, I could have snapped his neck or something. You know just for a warning. And I'm lying in your bed. –D
Why are you on my bed? You better not be doing anything or I will set you both on fire. –B
He smirked.
Lol. You know I wouldn't. But what did Jeremy do? –D
I don't feel like talking about it right now. And plus, I think I'm coming down with something. –B
Do you need me to come over? –D
Its okay, I don't want to break your plans. –B
And yet Damon didn't care about breaking anything. If Bonnie was sick, he didn't want her to be alone. He was about to tell Elena that he was probably going to head out, but she stopped him.
"So, I was thinking that after Christmas, since classes don't start up until after New Year's, that we should take a road trip. Just you and me. We could have some alone time together. I think it's needed."
He wasn't expecting that. "You do?"
"Yeah," She sat down in front of him. "I just feel that ever since you've been back we haven't really had a chance to just be away from everyone. Yes, we've had our moments, but I guess I'm just starting to feel like you may have lost interest in me."
And yet maybe he had. But that was him being selfish right? Elena really loved him. And he had finally got the girl. He should be ecstatic. He should be starting to build that life that he so desperately wanted. The look in her eyes held vulnerability, and he felt awful that he really didn't know what to say to her at the moment.
Bonnie's initial plans were to spend the rest of the day at her father's house dusting and going through old boxes full of items for The Mystic Falls Christmas Charity Drive. But, unfortunately after her run and Caroline's obsessive compulsive workout regiment afterwards, she could barely stop sneezing and her throat was scratchy. She had already gone through two boxes of tissues and the dust coming from the boxes weren't helping at all.
She couldn't deny that it was a breath of fresh air when Damon text her. She'd actually been thinking about him since this morning when she saw him holding Ms. Cuddles. And then with her confessing to Caroline about their time in 1994, he had been on her mind ever since. She almost broke down and told him to come on over, but she didn't want him to consider leaving Elena for her. Especially when her best friend was feeling an absence from him.
Her cell phone going off, interrupted her thoughts, and she almost didn't pick up because of the name flashing on the screen.
"What?" Her voice may have been a little groggy and hard to understand, but it still held a firm tone to it.
"Bons, you don't sound well. Are you getting sick?"
"No." It may have been a little lie, but she was sure she would be better in the morning.
"Bons, baby, I'm really sorry."
She really felt like she had been hearing that a lot today. And it was more annoying than it was gratifying. "Look, Jer. I get that you're sorry. I do. And that's great. But I really don't feel like talking about it right now."
"Well, when will you?"
"I don't know!" Her voice didn't allow her to yell like she wanted to. "I just need some space. At least a day." She didn't know why Jeremy couldn't just give her a little ounce of space. It was almost smothering. If you got in an argument with someone, don't you want to just take a moment, at the very least a day to cool off and get your thoughts together? He was so damn afraid he was going to lose her to actually give her what she wanted.
"Bonnie, you know I don't just want sex from you. I value our relationship."
Was she talking to herself? She thought she said she didn't want to talk about it right now. But since he wanted to open up that can of worms again then so be it.
"Jeremy. If that was the case then when I tell you no, or I don't feel like it, you wouldn't get so mad and have a childish tantrum. I get that you were so use to putting your dick in whatever moved when I was dead, but now that I'm back I don't want to have sex all the time."
"That's not fair. I was grieving."
"And I get that! You didn't think I was coming back. I understand that."
"Then why do you keep bringing it up?!"
"Why do you keep bringing up sex?!"
This wasn't going to get them anywhere.
"I just feel like you're pulling away from me?"
"Jeremy, are you kidding me?" She began. "We have been hanging out almost every day since I've been back. Excuse me for wanting time to myself. If you think sex is all that's keeping us going then maybe we should reconsider some things."
Bonnie's head was beginning to hurt and the sneezing was just making matters worse.
"That's not what I want. I want you in my life."
It was silent for a moment.
"Then please….give me some space." She breathed. "I'll call you later."
And before he could say anything else she hung up. She really did love Jeremy, but she wasn't feeling well, which gave her an excuse to be bitchy towards anyone she felt like. Especially when she felt smothered.
When an hour passed and he called again, she turned off her phone. She almost didn't open the door when she heard a knock at it, because there was a chance that Jeremy was on the other side. And if it was then she honestly didn't know what she would do.
Her anger simmered down when she saw that it was Damon with a few bags in his hands.
"Hey…" She could barely get out. "What are you doing here?"
"Checking on you." He walked inside and closed the door behind him. "And I'm glad I did. You look and sound like hell. A cute hell though."
She tried smiling a little, hoping the scowl on her face wasn't too obvious. "I guess I can somewhat find a compliment in there somewhere." She coughed.
When he walked in and saw the couches floating, Bonnie wasn't surprised that his eyes widened. "Whoa there, Bennett. You're sick. Do you really think you should be doing the hocus pocus witch craft right now?"
She gave him a look. "My powers have been on the fritz all day and plus Jeremy is driving me crazy." She waved her hand and they hit the ground with a soft thud.
"Are you going to tell me what happened?" He asked, as she followed him to the kitchen, and watched as he took items out of the grocery bag.
"What are you doing?"
"Making you soup."
Her heart jumped a little, but she tried her best to ignore it, and decided to sit on the stool across from him, as he prepared everything.
"Please don't tell me you ditched or cancelled any plans with Elena to come over here and take care of me?"
When he didn't say a word, Bonnie's eyes widened.
"Before you give me the judgey eyes, in my defense I was with Alaric before I came over here. Apparently Jo, Alaric's girlfriend, is actually Kai's twin sister." He wasn't surprised by the shock on her face. "Come to find out that Kai didn't kill all of his family. Jo lived and his two younger twin siblings lived. And you know them by Liv and Luke." He turned on the stove. "Apparently when they reach a certain age they have to merge together or something, killing one of them. But that's beside the point. Kai grew up with his coven shunning him mostly, and after everything that happened, his own father put him in the prison world. It's just a good thing Kai is stuck there for good now. I don't feel like dealing with anymore hell on earth moments. It's quite repetitive and annoying if you ask me."
"Yeah, it's a good thing." Good thing Damon had super hearing; otherwise he probably wouldn't have heard her. "It must have been hard growing up like that. A father putting the coven above family; Kai getting treated like that, and then killing and torturing his family just for power and to be accepted. And then Liv and Luke… what they have to do…."
Leave it to Bonnie to attempt to find the good in everyone.
"And before you think I feel sorry for Kai." It was almost like she read his mind, and he couldn't help but provide a smirk. "Don't. Because if he couldn't heal himself, I would have succeeded in killing him, and I wouldn't have felt remorse. But I do feel like maybe things would have been different if family was put above the coven. That none of this would have happened."
Damon kept silent in his disagreement from her. Because if things didn't happen the way that they did, he may have never got that alone time with Bonnie. They would have never shared the intimacy of just getting to know one another through words.
"Well, everything happens for a reason."
After he was done fixing her soup and making her the Salvatore famous tea, they made their way to the living room. The secret ingredient to his tea of course had been bourbon, which Bonnie detected immediately.
As she snuggled up in a blanket and let the fireplace warm her skin, Damon took Ms. Cuddles out of his back pack and handed it to her. She smiled as she held the bear against her.
"I told Caroline what happened over there. How it was with us."
"And what did you say? How much I got on your nerves?"
"Well there was that." She provided a smile. "That we bickered, I won at Tetris and you got mad. Oh, and how you cheated on practically every game."
"I think you have it backwards on the Tetris, my dear Bon-Bon."
"Nope. I think I'm right and you're just a sore loser."
"At least my voice doesn't sound like road kill." He joked.
She shoved him a little, causing her to cough.
"I also told her that we talked about everything, and that there was this side of you that I don't think anyone else has seen. You were a really great friend over there. I know for a fact that I wouldn't have been able to make it without you."
He then brought his arm around her, and held her close. "I would have been crazy without you too. Stefan and I had a similar conversation if you can believe it."
"Oh yeah, and what did you tell him."
"That I won at Tetris."
"Oh, you wish."
"And I told him that it was nice having you there to talk too. You're a pretty great listener."
"What do you mean? I'm a fabulous listener." She joked.
His lips turned into a smile.
"So, are you going to tell me about what happened between you and the kid?"
She coughed again. "I think I need to rest my voice." She took another sip of her tea and yawned.
"I could always beat it out of him."
She rolled her eyes and decided to tell him.
"I should still beat him to death." It was probably a better response for her than what he had been thinking. He should still go and torture that idiot. He already didn't like Bonnie stooping so low to be with Jeremy anyways.
When her hand intertwined with his, she leaned a little further into him.
"Thanks for coming here tonight."
"It's never a problem." He held onto her hand a little tighter.
Silence filled the air between them, as Damon stared into the fireplace. He had so much on his mind. He didn't want to admit that being here with Bonnie eased him and made him feel something that he couldn't explain. It was just wrong for him to feel anything but friendship towards Bonnie, especially when he was with Elena.
Speaking of his girlfriend.
"Elena wants me to go on a road trip with her after Christmas until New Years. But I don't know if I should." He really needed some advice and he valued Bonnie's opinion. "Tell me not to go and I won't." He never got an answer from her, because she was sound asleep, something he should have detected earlier.
When he took her upstairs to her room, he laid her down on her bed and tucked her in. He brought his hand to her face and gave it a light caress. She automatically moved into his touch, causing him to still for a moment.
"Damon…." He knew she was still asleep. But his mind went into overdrive over the fact that she said his name.
He decided to answer even though she couldn't hear him. "Yes, Bon-Bon."
"I love you."
Well, he could be honest and say that he wasn't expecting that.
A/N: Thank you all for reading! I hope you enjoyed this chapter! I know everyone is waiting for Bamon to ditch the Gilbert's, but trust me we will get there =) This may have been more of a filler chapter, but I hope you all enjoyed anyways. Also, I know I didn't really say it in this chapter, but Alaric is human again since I'm trying to follow the storyline.
Please let me know what you think by reviewing! Thanks again =)