Two punk kids up against the world

-Mikky Ekko

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When Damon woke up the Tuesday after the weekend, he knew he was beginning to spiral out of control. He'd spoken to Bonnie on Saturday morning when she told him something about Central Park and dinner along the Hudson with Katherine. That was it, after that he'd gone to some promotional thing with the band and played a few solo notes before hitting the after parties. He grimaced at the gash of light piercing through his drapes before bolting up to the bathroom to vomit.

"Morning, you handsome devil" he slurred at his reflection in the mirror as he wiped the mist off with his palm. He looked ruddy and ragged and his red rimmed blue eyes had seen better days. Sticking his hands under the gushing water of the faucet, he dipped his head and splashed water on his face. The cold spray did nothing to alleviate the raw tingle of his skin. He grabbed a towel from the railing to towel himself. Cursing at his reckless behavior, Damon padded back into the bedroom and flung himself on the rumpled bed. His head hurt something wicked and he was too weak to get into his truck. He head a remedy for his ailment and he could find it in the nearest convenient store. Damon clenched his eyes shut, trying to shut out a crack of sunlight that managed to worm itself through the closed drapes. He couldn't stop thinking about that ice cold beer, his only remedy. Damon propped himself up on his elbows before the nausea knocked him back down. That's when he remembered Bonnie's stash of headache pills in the drawer on her side of the bed. Bonnie was always well prepared for everything. It wouldn't have surprised him one bit to learn that she had stashed away canned food in the basement in order to prepare for the apocalypse. That's who she was and it was one of the many things he loved about her. Slowly he crawled over to her side, her scent on the pillow smacking him in the face harder than the next rush of nausea. He jerked the drawer open and plucked out a container of pills. He unscrewed the lid with trembling hands, tossed two tablets down his throat and washed them down with last night's beer. When he finally felt sane enough to check his mobile phone there were several missed calls and one text message from Bonnie.

Damon slapped his hand to his forehead, a groan escaping his chapped lips.

"I got the job"

He read her message and dragged breath back into his lungs.

So that was that. Bonnie wasn't coming back. He wanted to tell himself that it was only until January and that after the New Year parties she'd be back in Seattle, back in his arms. She would be around to take care of him again and to give him something to do like taking care of her too. Pull your socks up, Damon. She's not your keeper; you should be able to take care of yourself because you've done so practically half your life. She was not his mother and she never would be even though she shared so many similarities with Lily. He punched in Bonnie's number and waiting for the oncoming wrath.

"Alabama, "her greeting was sharp but restrained.

"I'm sorry I missed you" he explained, rubbing the back of his neck with a nervous hand.

"Have you been drinking?"

Damon rolled his eyes, slightly flinching at the criticism in her voice.

"Things might have gone out of hand" he snorted.

"You think?"

"I don't need the lecture, babe"

"Did you get my text?" she changed her tone to a flirtier tenor and he knew that it took a lot out of her to do that, to let things like that because Bonnie never let things slide.

"Yes, "Damon cleared his throat, "I guess congratulations are in order"

"Don't be an ass"

"How am I being an ass?" he smiled because he could feel her huffing and digging in her heels in protest.

"I know you and this is you being a snarky fucktard"

"I think New York is a bad influence on you, your vocabulary is growing filthier by the minute" hee chuckled, flipping to his side.

"You wanna hear filthy?" her tone changed again and leveled down to something raspier and he knew she was attempting to excite him.

"Dare I say no?" he teased right back.

"Look, I know this sucks but we talked about this" she tried to justify and Damon sighed.

"I know" he replied.

"Hey" she breathed, the purr of her little exhalation making him shiver.

"Hey" he replied and slipped a hand down his pants, "We're going to L.A next month and by we, I mean you and yours truly" he told her.

"Los Angeles?" Bonnie squealed into the phone and Damon grinned because a smile on her face brought a smile on his face.

"The band's been nominated for an AMA award"

"You're shitting me! That's fucking awesome, Alabama!"

"It's surreal" he sighed, biting his lip, "You should be here to celebrate with us"

"I know" she whispered and then asked, "Are you keeping my side of the bed warm for me?"

"You just go do what you need to do" he chuckled, scratching his head.

"I can't wait to see you" she murmured again.

"I love you" he whispered.

"I love you too" her smile broke through the mobile phone and he could almost see it.

xXx

When Bonnie landed at LAX it was raining. She laughed at the sheer irony and rain seemed to be the mantra for their relationship. It had been a month and a half; a whole six weeks since she'd left him in Seattle. She hadn't kissed him in six weeks, not beyond their juvenile heartfelt kisses over the phone or her bashful attempts at phone sex. It had been difficult with their hectic work schedules and the time difference but Bonnie was happy that it seemed to be working. They made it work because they always made a good team. She swung her backpack over her right shoulder and plodded past the arrival gates.

She saw him first, his hair stuffed inside a ratty grey beanie and his eyes shielded with dark sunglasses. Bonnie assumed it was to hide from the paparazzi that were always haunting LAX to bombard celebrities. She felt sure that Damon qualified as a celebrity now because the AMA's would catapult the band to A list status. Restless Soul was no longer the legendary band most up and coming musicians looked up to, they were current again and relevant and in L.A that meant A-list. She picked up her pace when she saw him, her cheeks growing ruddier by the minute. She could scarcely feel her feet as she weaved between the thick matted crowds to get to him. When Damon caught sight of her, he advanced toward her, pace hastening until they were in each other's arms. He breathed her, soaking in everything about her and before she could utter a word, he was kissing her. His kiss was urgent, a hot pulse that seemed to flow from him to her as though he was transferring his energy to her. Bonnie pressed closer to him, her fingers entwined in his hair as she relished the big lusty gulps he took from her. When their kiss morphed into husky chuckles and smiles pressed against each other's lips, she finally breathed.

"I can't believe it's you" he smoothed her hair back frantically, cupping the back of her neck as his eyes traveled around her flushed face.

"It's me" Bonnie slid her hands to his arms, fisting the sleeves of his flannel shirt. She'd missed flannel, missed the soft texture under her hands. She'd missed his rain smell but he smelled different now. He smelled like California but underneath it all, he was still her Damon.

"You're here" he framed her face in his hands, laughing and sighing all at once.

"I love you" she cried, touching him everywhere to make sure that he was real. She'd had too many dreams like this and she need to be sure.

"I missed you" Damon breathed, draping his arms around her once more before she pulled back, her own hands flying up to frame his stubble chin, to grope his broad shoulders and to smell him.

"It's you" she shook her head, raking her fingers through his hair.

"I'm here" he said, steadying her face between his hands before he kissed her again. Their kiss was slow this time, more precise as if his lips were trying to recall the map and structure of her lips.

xXx

That evening she stood in front of a mirror, his phantom kiss still lingering on her lips and the cleft of her thighs. She closed her eyes and recalled Damon's lips on her again, the trail of kisses he had bestowed on her stomach, the flat of his heated palms inside her thighs and the strokes of his tongue as they triggered her climax. She smiled, her cheeks flushing a color she had never thought possible. He's made love to her like the first time, eager and unquestionable.

She spun around to glare at the dress over her shoulder. It was unforgiving, long, black and sleek as it exposed her shoulder blades right down to the ladder of her spine. Bonnie admired her ink before gathering the flared hem of the silk gown.

"Wow!"

She looked up to find Damon leaning against the frame of the door. His lips quirked up, his eyes flashing back at her. He looked disheveled in a Restless Soul tee-shirt, ratty jeans and a leather jacket. Bonnie was about to question his choice of outfit when she remembered that rockstars had a haphazard way of dressing. She was sure that a after a few months on the awards circuit and with stylists working on him, he'd get on the right track.

"Too much?" Bonnie smiled, raising both eyebrows.

"You could never be too much" he advanced toward her and her eyes glanced down at the thing in his right hand.

"Hey, you think you guys will get invited to MTV anytime soon?" she chuckled, smoothing down the front of her dress, "I'd like to try out a naked look next time"

She was about to add another witty phrase for his entertainment when Damon dropped onto his right knee, his eyes leaping at to her.

"What're you doing?" she asked, backing away from him.

"You're my anchor, you calm me and you steady me. You found me and you saved me without even knowing it because you love and you give without even trying. I love you and I want sculpt my life around your love, your heart and your grace" he said looking anguished as it he was pouring his flesh, his blood and his heart into the proposal.

Bonnie pushed a hair behind her ear, gulping air as she stared down looking so utterly vulnerable with his messy hair and flushed cheeks. This wasn't happening, she told herself. Damon wasn't proposing because how ready were they for marriage.

"Will you marry me?" He asked, his hand trembling as it held the emerald ring. Bonnie took a deep breath, biting the inside of her cheeks. Her thoughts were chaotic.

"Let's be logical here, how would this work?" she answered and Damon seemed to be taken aback. His brow furrowed a look of uncertainty flashing across his face but he remained on the floor.

"Why can't we just fly by the seat of our pants?" he offered with a shrug hoping to alleviate her fears.

"That's your area of expertise, I'm being pragmatic" Bonnie explained as she made her way toward the bed.

"You're being overly cautious and boring" Damon rose to his feet and followed her. He grabbed her shoulders to fix her to the spot so he could engage her fully and she writhed under his touch, shaking her head and trying to break free from him. She was scared in fact she was terrified because since New York everything had been glaringly obvious to her. She loved Damon but she was fiercely terrified of her future with him. People changed, people left and people died. Bonnie wasn't willing to take another risk at goodbye because goodbyes hurt too much.

"Marry me" Damon pleaded, holding out an open her toward her and she glared at it. Bonnie took a deep breath and clenched her hands into tight fists.