Rumor Has It – Part I

Summary: Damon and Bonnie live in small-town Mystic Falls. They have always been good friends, and they both longed for more, but the timing was never right…until now. This will be Part I. I'll follow this up with one or more chapters. I thought it would be a one shot, but it just keeps going and going and I want to get something up for you now!

Song Inspiration: Rumors – Lee Brice

AN: Hey Fam! First of all, before I forget! Thank you, thank you, thank you for all the reviews and positive responses on my last few posts. You truly make my day when I see the reviews and they are inspiring me with new ideas all the time.

This story I originally thought of doing as a Delena fic, but I just couldn't get it going once I started writing Bamon so I decided to switch it up and see how it turned out and I am much happier with the outcome! I think my Delena days are over haha. Anyways, enjoy! – Vanessa

There's a rumor going 'round about me and you
Stirring up our little town the last week or two
So tell me why we even trying to deny this feeling
I feel it, don't you feel it too?
There's a rumor going 'round, and 'round, and 'round
What d'you say we make it true?
We make it true
Oh, we make it true, yeah

Well, I can shut 'em down, tell 'em all they're crazy
I can do whatever you want me to do, baby
Or you could lay one on me right now
We could really give 'em something to talk about

…

Damon laughed and drank with his best friend and brother, posted up at his favorite spot at the bar. It was Friday night, and they, along with everyone else that started to mill in, were shaking off the work week, putting on their dancing shoes and meeting up with their friends. He loved this about this town…and he'd always know she'd be there.

He couldn't keep his eyes from darting over to the entrance every so often, hoping that the next time he did, she'd be walking in, flanked by her friends, that infectious laugh echoing through the room.

"Could you be any more obvious?" Stefan chuckled, sipping his beer, pinning Damon with a knowing smirk. "I thought this was supposed to be a guy's night, and here you are waiting on Bonnie." he teased as he gestured for the bartender to bring them another round.

Damon rolled his eyes. "I'm not waiting on Bonnie."

Ric chuckled. "Could have fooled me. Dude, she's taken, time to move on." They had been having this conversation for months and no matter how many times they tried to push a new girl in his direction, he always found himself right back here.

Damon slammed the shot in front of him. "Look, we're friends; she's happy and I'm happy for her." That was a lie. He hated her boyfriend, Mason Lockwood, from the moment he found out they were dating last year. He was the mayor's son; privileged, basically Mystic Falls royalty and no where close to good enough for her. But, being the friend he was, he'd shut up and let her be happy and kept his feelings to himself.

But he knew she was aware of what she did to him, and he could tell by the way she looked at him that he was wasn't the only one holding back. It was their song and dance; ships just passing by each other, always missing their moment, something getting in the way of each chance they had. Damon resigned himself to that fact after a while; but living in a small town, she was always there, haunting him with the could-have-beens.

Damon leaned against the bar, an elbow resting on the counter, trying to ignore the nagging of his brother and Ric to start dating the cute blonde from the bookstore that had eyes for him. "I prefer brunettes." he joked, earning a scoff from both of them. As if on queue, Bonnie walked in with Elena and Caroline, and he straightened, a ghost of a smile curling his lips as her gaze scanned the room quickly and immediately found his. Her smile brightened into a toothy grin, as she looked at him from under her lashes. She was wearing a sleeveless short white dress with a lace overlay, bringing out the mocha of her skin, her favorite brown knee-high flat boots and a red and black plaid button up tied around her waist. Her hair was in beachy waves and parted on the side, falling to her shoulders like a chocolate waterfall. She was a southern boy's dream. She said something to her friends quickly before skipping down the steps and over to the bar.

She stopped when she was in front of him, her eyes subtly looking him over before smiling at his friends. "Hey guys." He was in a grey v-neck t-shirt, and dark blue jeans, donning his usual Frye Harness boots. "Hi Damon." she said softer, before slipping passed them to lean on the counter and signaled the bartender.

Damon turned and leaned beside her. "You look stunning if it isn't obvious." He cast a sideways glance at her, catching her duck her head and blush.

After taking a breath to compose herself, she turned to him a longing look in her eyes. "Thank you." Her eyes darted to his lips before she looked straight ahead and ordered the drinks for her and her friends. "Soo…" she started with a hint of a smile. "Tonight's supposed to be a girl's night, but maybe later we can catch up? It's been a while." Three weeks to be exact. He'd done his best to distance himself after a considerably heated fight they had. It brought up some things that he didn't care to entertain at the moment.

.

"Have you completely lost your mind, Damon! It's Rebekah…she's like Satan in stilettos!" Bonnie watched as he rolled his eyes as he poured himself drink at the bar.

"What's the big deal, Bon? It's three months." He responded with a shrug, before taking a sip.

"It's three months in a country you've never been to with a woman who is quite easily the most infuriating person I've ever met." She shot back crossing her arms. "I honestly don't know how you do it."

Damon smirked. "I'm not dating her for her personality, Bonnie." He drawled intentionally with a raise of his brows.

Her face contorted in disgust. "Are you trying to make me puke?" She huffed. "Look, I just think you should think it through more before you give up an opportunity doing what you love, for some stupid fling with a girl you even barely like!" He was offered an apprenticeship working under a high-end chef in Richmond over the summer and when she found out he was prepared to blow it off to follow Rebekah around in England, she was furious.

"Hey!" He snapped, dropping his glass to the surface with a coming around the sofa to stand in front of her. To anyone else, his towering height would have been intimidating, but Bonnie tipped her chin up defiantly. "First of all, you don't know anything about me and Rebekah." Bonnie's brows raised with attitude and her head canted to the side. "Second, it's my choice, Bonnie. If I want to go to England, I'll go to England! I don't need you weighing in on every decision in my life! I certainly don't get to weigh in on yours!" He barked back at her.

Her mouth dropped open. "What the hell does that mean?"

The blue in his eyes widened with anger, and the vein in his neck bulged. "It means I think you have made terribledecisions when it comes to relationships – current one included, but I sit back and keep my mouth shut because as much as want to shake some sense into you, I know that it's not my place."

Bonnie stared at him with a look he was very familiar with. Her green eyes were narrowed into slits, and her lips we set in a defiant purse. It was the face she gave him when he crossed a line and pissed her off, and he immediately regretted the words that flew out of his mouth. "You're right, Damon." She started in an even, surly tone. "It's better when you keep your mouth shut." She leaned forward, looking up at him unflinchingly with an icy smile. "Go to England." She turned and stormed for the door, ignoring his calls out to her.

"Bonnie…I'm sorry!" he apologized but the sound of the door slamming was the only response he got. Yup…he fucked that up.

.

She looked so hopeful, her front teeth worrying her lower lip, staring up at him with wide green eyes. How could he say no. "Of course. You know where I'll be." Damon shot her his charming lopsided smirk, and she nodded with a shaky sigh.

Bonnie handed the bartender her cash, and placed her hand on Damon's briefly. "See you later." Just as quickly it was gone, and she scooped up the drinks with both hands and headed over to her table.

She glanced back over her shoulder, and wasn't surprised to see his eyes still on her, watching her go. Bonnie placed the drinks on the table, doing her best to avoid the judging eyes of her friends. "What?" she asked when they both just stared at her.

Caroline crossed her arms and leaned back in her chair. "I'm surprised you're still fully clothed with all the eye-fucking I just witnessed." Despite her harsh words, there was a slight smile curling her lips. Bonnie shot her a scandalized gape stare. "What, am I wrong?" she turned to Elena for back up.

Elena canted her head, wincing as she grabbed her drink. "Sorry, Bon…"

Bonnie rolled her eyes. "Well can you blame me; look at him." she mumbled to herself, taking a deep pull on her straw. She sighed in frustration. "He says things…and it's like all my resolve goes out the window."

Elena felt for her friend. She'd seen the ebb and flow of their friendship for many years and she, along with many other people in town had always thought that the two would get together at some point, but Mason swooped in ever the opportunist, and things had been strained between them ever since. "Bon…what about Mason?"

"I know." She snapped with more tension than she intended. "Nothing's ever happened, and I do care about Mason. I guess…" she let out a sad breath, risking a glance at Damon as he laughed at the bar with his friends. "I just feel that Damon and I never really got to have our moment. We were so close, and then…" her eyes dropped to her hands as they spun the glass nervously. "He was always the one that got away, you know?"

Caroline scoffed. "Bonnie…he didn't get away. He's right there." she nodded in his direction. It was no secret that Caroline was their biggest cheerleader. She and Damon had been friends since elementary school. "Look, I respect the fact that you and Mason are a thing…" she rolled her eyes skyward. "I also think that he's a total asshole and you can do better." The blonde saw her friend about to get on the defense and raised her hands. "I digress. But I know that what you feel for Damon isn't just going to go away, so stop pretending that it will and do something about it."

"What am I supposed to do, Care? Throw away a decent relationship with a man that loves me when I don't even know if things would work out?" Bonnie said exasperatedly.

Caroline's brows furrowed. "Decent? What, are you buying a car?"

She shook her head. "It's too late." And that frustrated her to no end. Mason was a good man, a suitable boyfriend, albeit spoiled and a little entitled, and she was…satisfied with where their relationship was going. He was stable, predictable, she felt safe with him. Not just physically, but emotionally. She knew where they stood, and Bonnie knew that should things go south, her heart wouldn't break over it. She'd already lost so much…

Her heart wasn't safe with Damon. The things he made her feel…she wouldn't be able to bare losing him. It was better this way.

Damon watched from the bar as Bonnie danced around with her friends, bouncing to the high energy song that they knew all the words to. Her cheeks flushed, her hair flowing around her, her mouth parted in a genuine laugh as they spun around each other. It was good to see her like this. Her life had been filled with so much tragedy that she deserved to enjoy whatever happiness the world had to offer.

Her mom skipped town when she was a little girl, unable to handle being a young mother, leaving her with her grams as her main caregiver for most her life. But two years ago, when Sheila passed, Bonnie had no family…so, her friends became her family, and slowly over time, she learned to live with the pain.

Hours later, Elena and Caroline stumbled out to a cab with some of their other friends and Bonnie waved them off. Damon slammed back the rest of his drink, hopped off his stool, ignoring his brother's sarcastic comments. The crowd was starting to thin, as the patrons were moving on to other parties or home, but he'd close this place down if it meant he'd get to spend time in her presence.

He slid into the chair across from her, and she smiled at him, pushing one of the two tequila shots in front of her to him. "Cheers." Bonnie clinked her glass to his, and they simultaneously tapped the bottom to the table before tossing it back. Damon laughed when she made a face, and he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. "I missed you." she admitted, holding his stare boldly.

He nodded with a weak smile. "I missed you too. I'm sorry."

Her eyes dropped to her hands, fidgeting on her lap. "I was out of line. I shouldn't have laid into you like that." She swallowed deeply on a heavy sigh and met his gaze again. "I have no right to tell you what you should or shouldn't do."

Damon frowned and couldn't help the ironic laugh that rumbled in his throat. "Maybe not, but your opinion does matter to me. And you were right…the apprenticeship is a good opportunity." He leaned back in his chair. "I'm not missing much; what the hell was I going to do in England anyways?" He signaled for the server to bring them a round of drinks.

She shot him an incredulous look. "Don't lie to me, Damon. You could have been halfway around the world by now, living it up. It was selfish of me to hold you back." Her eyes shifted. "Although Rebekah is a total bitch and she would have broken your heart…still, you're a grown man; you can make your own decisions."

Damon laughed to himself, snapping his eyes up to hers. "You think I cared about her enough to let her break my heart?"

"Well, you two seemed awfully close. Borderline girlfriend status." she countered dropping her gaze back down to her empty shot glass; spinning it between her fingers nervously.

He stared at her openly. "You know there's only one woman I'd let close enough to my heart to break it." he stated nonchalantly, but with a raspy tone that told her more than he was saying.

She met his eyes and her gaze penetrated through his nakedly. Hearing words like this from him never scared her; it was no secret, and selfishly, she was happy to know he felt the same way. She offered him a little smile before breaking eye contact. "Don't." she whispered.

He smirked. "Why not? I know you love hearing it, and I love that look you give me when I do." he wagged his brows at her and she let out a shaky exhale.

"I'm with Mason." she said, unnecessarily, almost as a reminder to herself.

He rolled his eyes, playfully. "Don't remind me." She canted her head, giving him a look he'd seen a hundred times; a cross between amusement and disapproval, her head tilted, glancing up at him through her lashes. "Don't worry…" he crooned. "I know where we stand, and I'll behave…for now."

She laughed breathlessly. "Very convincing." The server came back with their drinks and she quickly took a deep pull from the straw.

"So where is the Fortunate Son tonight? Off galivanting with the other Brad's and Chad's from his frat?" he teased with a lopsided smirk. On paper, Mason and Bonnie made sense. She was that girl you brought home; the one you wanted to settle down with and he was your classic All-American, privileged, rich kid that basically had his future handed to him on a silver platter. Damon was the exact opposite, but maybe that's what drew them to each other.

She rolled her eyes. "He's at a gala." she uttered, waiting for the cheeky response she knew was coming.

"Ooh, a gala! Fancy…and why aren't you at this gala, hm?" Damon sipped his bourbon, his eyes watching her uncomfortable response.

"It's a political event…not really my scene." she offered shortly, her lips twisting wryly.

He scoffed in disbelief. "He didn't invite you, did he?" She glanced away letting out a sigh, and that was the only answer he needed. "If he was any sort of a man, he'd want you there beside him, showing the world how lucky he is to have you. I know I would."

There was a flicker of indignation in her eyes as they narrowed. "I'm not a prize, Damon. Mason doesn't need to show me off to show me he loves me." she barely got out the last part through the strain in her voice.

Damon hummed, watching her keenly. "Does he?" Bonnie's breath hitched. "Love you?"

She nodded, offering him a sad smile. It couldn't have been easy for him to ask her that, let alone hear her say it out loud. "He does." she whispered.

He nodded, his tongue poking the inside of his cheek as he tried to process. "Good." His eyes met hers again, and he felt bad for the anguished look on her face, obviously sensing the pain in his voice. "Well…I think it goes without saying that if he hurts you, I'll kill him." he joked with a fake smile.

She broke out in a smile of her own and indulgently rolled her eyes. "Of course." Her phone buzzed, and she peeked at it, almost forgetting about her plans for after the bar. "That's Caroline. I'm supposed to meet them down by the falls."

"Right. The first bonfire of the summer. It is tradition." Forced a smile, knowing that their time had come to an end. She stood and he followed suit. "It was good seeing you again, Bon." he shoved his hands in his front pockets; anything to stop himself from touching her.

"It's good to see you too." She started walking to the door, before she turned, spinning on her heel with a hopeful smile. "Hey…do you want to come?"

…

The energy was electric. There were people everywhere, music blaring, and a cacophony of conversations and laughter. The fire raged in the middle of everything, and he followed behind Bonnie as they trekked through the narrow path to the falls. They knew that route like the back of their hands; they would sneak away from town events and school dances all the time with their friends, and come here.

He wasn't surprised to see some heads turn their way as they joined the party; the long saga of Damon and Bonnie had been known to churn the rumor mill and cause some hushed whispers. He followed her to her group of friends who greeted her with excitement.

"Damon!" Caroline bounced up from the log by the fire and threw her arms around him in a stumbling hug. He chuckled, catching her. "Bon didn't tell me you were coming." She shot her friend a mischievous look with a raise of her brows.

He tucked his hands in the front pockets of his jeans. "Kind of a last-minute decision."

Bonnie grabbed his arm. "Let's get a drink." She shot Caroline a glare as she passed. "Don't make this weird." She hissed.

When they got their drinks, Bonnie led him to the rock that overlooked the falls; a spot that they used to come to all the time when they were growing up, and he couldn't help but chuckle as he settled in, resting his elbows on his bent knees.

"What?" she smiled at him, stretching her legs out and leaning back on her hands.

He shook his head, looking out at the horizon. "Nothing…just haven't been here in a while."

She let her gaze follow his. "I come here all the time. It's where I go when I need to take a break from everything. There were so many times after grams passed away that I thought my mom would come back. That maybe she'd regret leaving and want to try and make things right. I remember her taking me here for a picnic when I was four; I think that's why I still come here."

Damon watched her with a curious frown. Even though they hadn't spoken in weeks, she was still so comfortable talking to him about things like this; she didn't really talk about her mom with anyone else. "You don't need her…" he told her softly and she turned her head to look at him. "She left you, she sucks." She laughed, and Damon joined in, grateful to bring a smile back to her face. "You ever hear from your dad?"

She shrugged. "Sometimes. I don't think he knows how to be a parent any more than Abby did. Truth is, I am better off without them. I feel like your mom had a bigger impact on me than they did." She admitted, leaning forward and wrapping her arms around her knees.

Damon brows shot up. "Tell her that and you'll have your own room at the boarding house." He joked, relishing in the way her head leaned back and the bubble of laughter that followed. It brought back many memories of times when it was just the two of them; carefree and with nothing but time on their hands as they wasted away the summers talking, laughing, breaking curfews and even a couple of laws.

"I might take her up on that." She joked as she sipped her beer. She had to sell her grandmother's house just to keep up with the bills and her school tuition, and while she was able to live off the life insurance for a while, it wasn't going to be there forever. So, shortly after she started dating Mason, he asked her to move in and she agreed.

"Bonnie…are you happy?"

The question caught her off-guard, but she took a moment to think about it, her mouth twisting contemplatively. "I'm not un-happy." She settled a weary look on him. "What do you want me to say, Damon? That I'm okay with being with a guy that I have nothing in common with? That when he talks about our future, I sometimes pretend I see it too? It's not what I wanted, but Mason is…reliable; safe. There's no risk there, and as weird as it sounds, it's oddly comforting."

"Is that good enough for you?" he asked on a nervous swallow.

Bonnie let out an ironic scoff. "Nope. But it's good enough for now. God, that sounds terrible when I say it out loud, doesn't it? The people that I love tend to have a habit of leaving me…" she swung her gaze to Damon with meaningful stare. "Whether they mean to or not. Sometimes it's easier not to give them the chance."

Damon stared down into his beer bottle. "Maybe you need to give someone the opportunity to prove you wrong."

Bonnie decided to drop the ambiguity and sighed deeply. "Damon, we tried this…it doesn't work; something always comes up, something always gets in the way. My family drama, your family drama," Damon nodded in understanding. "Mason, Rebekah…it's like the universe doesn't want us together." She mumbled sadly.

Damon frowned, before turning to her. "Well, fuck the universe. And did we really try, or did we just let those things get in the way because we were too afraid of what would happen if we actually let ourselves have what we really want?" She stared at him with wide eyes as she processed his words. "I stopped being afraid a long time ago, and the only reason I've been keeping my distance is because I thought you were happy and I was willing to let you be happy if that's what you wanted, but now that I know you're not..." He rambled, and she slowly started to smile, which turned into a giggle. "You're laughing." She laughed harder, and he couldn't help but laugh with her, licking his lips. "Are you laughing at me?"

"I'm sorry!" She leaned forward, dropping her head to his shoulder. "I just forgot how cute it was when you rambled on like that."

"I've been called many things in my life but cute is not one of them." He shook his head looking out over the horizon for a long moment before turning back to her, narrowing his eyes, playfully offended. "Cute? Really?"

Bonnie nodded, with a little shrug. "It's pretty adorable." The moment thickened, as he held her gaze intensely and she felt her mouth go dry.

Damon brought a hand up under the curtain of her hair, cupping her neck and brushing a thumb over her cheekbone. Instinctively, she leaned in and he met her halfway, and just before his lips met hers, they heard Elena and Caroline calling out for her in the distance. And with frustrated sigh they both dropped their heads with an ironic laugh and pulled away from each other.

"See?" she said with raise of her brows. "Universe." Bonnie glanced back seeing her friends drunkenly stumble through the trail. "You'll stay, right?"

"As long as you want me to." His tone implicated that he meant more than just staying tonight, and her smile told him she understood.

…

Bonnie sat at the vanity doing her make up the next day as she got ready for the annual Founders Party that the Lockwood's hosted every year. She was exhausted and a little hungover but she had to be there.

She watched in the mirror as Mason buttoned up his shirt and fixed his cuff. "How was last night?" he asked her.

"Good. We had fun." She answered with an easy smile.

"You didn't come home." he prodded.

Bonnie paused for a second before continuing with her mascara. "I stayed at Elena's last night. I didn't want to wake you." And while it was the truth, she felt a flutter of anxiousness in her belly.

He met her eyes in the mirror. "Hm. Tyler said you showed up with Damon to the bonfire. I didn't realize you two were still talking."

Bonnie turned in her seat. "I ran into him at the Grill."

His jaw set firmly. "Something you want to tell me?"

She frowned with a shrug of her shoulder. "There's nothing to tell."

He scoffed, rolling his eyes. "I'm not an idiot, Bonnie. You think I don't know how he feels about you? That I don't hear the rumors that float around this town?"

"We're friends; we have been for years. You knew that when we started dating." She retorted, crossing her arms. "And you don't see me questioning you every time some debutante throws herself at you at one of the galas I'm never invited to." Bonnie continued with attitude.

He held her stare of a moment as he grabbed his suit jacket and draped it over his arm. "Maybe you should ask yourself why that doesn't bother you." With that, he left the room, leaving Bonnie alone with her thoughts.

AN: I've already started part II and it will pick up where this leaves off – on the day of the founder's party. I don't really mention it, but they are in their early 20's if you were curious about age. Hope you enjoy! - Vanessa