I Had to Know You – Part III

We should leave our lovers, we should, we should leave our lovers
But you'll never leave your lover, no you'll never leave your lover

.

2 Months Later:

A simple camaraderie built between the two of them. There was no pressure, and while the subtle undertone of their mutual attraction never dissipated, it was playful and unassuming, and Bonnie found herself truly looking forward to his company. They would occasionally meet for lunch at Rocco's when he was in the area, and it wasn't unusual for them to exchange texts throughout the day. Bonnie was proud of herself. Not only had she made a friend, but she managed to resist his devilish charms all at the same time.

Bonnie knocked on the frame of his office door with a smile, holding up the paper bag from Rocco's when his head darted up from his computer. "Hey! You said you were swamped so I brought lunch to you." She stepped in, dropping the bag in front of him.

"Bon, you're an angel. I didn't think I was getting out of here today. Thank you." He sighed tiredly. "What brings you out this way?" he stood, coming around his desk to lean on the corner in front of her. He had to resist the urge to pull her in for a hug, wrap his arms around her, and feel her close to him. But he knew better than to tempt himself. Instead, he crossed his arms across his chest.

Bonnie ripped her eyes away from the bulge of his arms under his suit. "Um…I have a client in the area." If you considered halfway across town 'in the area'. Glancing around, she brushed passed him to look around his office. "So this is where Damon Salvatore spends his days. Hm." She mused to herself. It was fairly modern, leather lounge chairs, with a big floor to ceiling window behind his desk and pictures, and awards hanging along the wall.

Damon chuckled, turning and letting his gaze follow her. "Not what you were expecting?"

"Not really. I was expecting more of a Mad Men vibe to be honest." She teased. "You know, with the wet bar and the couch in the corner where you have all your sordid affairs."

Damon laughed, pushing off the desk and giving her a knowing look before crossing the floor to the credenza and opening the doors. Inside was a mini bar and a couple of glasses. "For special occasions. As for the sordid affairs well…" he trailed, and was cut off.

"It's official…" a voice announced as he entered the office. "I'm ready to move back. New York has an attitude that LA cannot compete with." The man took in Bonnie, glancing to Damon then back to Bonnie. "Well, hello…who's this?" He smiled pleasantly.

Damon released a sigh shaking his head at the look his brother was giving him. "Stefan, this is Bonnie…Bonnie this is my brother."

"Bonnie!" Stefan exclaimed, drawling out her name as offered her his hand. "Well, I have heard all about you. You sure left an impression on my brother." He ignored Damon's grunt of annoyance, smiling on at his brother's discomfort.

Bonnie was pleasantly taken aback by his honesty and as she shook his hand her eyes bounced over to Damon. "Well I'm glad to hear that. It's nice to meet you. Damon mentioned you were in town this weekend."

"We're doing karaoke." Damon butt in with a roll of his eyes, his jaw clenched and his tone doing nothing to hide his displeasure.

Her brows shot to her forehead. "You doing karaoke?" She pointed to Damon. "That I'd love to see."

Stefan chuckled. "My wife's idea. She's hard to say no to; if you met her, you'd know." You could almost see the lightbulb go off, when his head cocked – a trait he shared with Damon. "Hey, why don't you join us?"

"Stefan…" Damon warned lowly, shooting his brother a look over Bonnie's shoulder. He hated when his brother got like this; relishing in his discomfort, that smug smirk on his face.

The younger Salvatore continued on, Damon's warning falling on deaf ears. "Yeah! It'll be fun, plus Damon gets all broody when he has to be the third wheel." He playfully backhanded his brother's shoulder, before looking back at Bonnie. "So, you in?"

Bonnie was hesitant. "I don't know…" Of course she wanted to go; any opportunity to get out of the house on a Friday night and let loose. But on the other hand, it was encroaching on a rule they had set mutually - nothing after dark.

"Look, Bon, I know singing in public is embarrassing enough as it is-" Damon started apologetically, trying to give her an out.

Bonnie cut him off with an arch of a high brow. "Maybe for you, but I happen to love karaoke. Hope you can hold a note." She teased with a proud smile before turning back to Stefan. "I'm in."

Stefan chuckled to himself. "Caroline's going to love you."

…

Damon didn't hate karaoke…he despised it. But yet, here he was three whiskeys down contemplating getting up there and making a fool of himself. She made it look like so much fun, he wanted to be a part of it. Bonnie and Caroline had been up there a couple times already, and he wasn't surprised to find out she was actually good. She was good at just about everything, he'd learned.

He couldn't keep his eyes off her as the two of them put on a performance for the crowd to Shaina Twain, laughter bubbling out of them when the song finished.

"Well she's something else, isn't she?" Stefan commented, sipping his beer. "A little out of your league I think, but definitely an improvement from the sack of crazy you were with before."

Damon closed his eyes, willing this conversation to be over. "It's not like that, Stefan. We're just friends."

His brother laughed, only sobering at the seriousness of Damon's glare. "You're kidding? So, she's one of those friends." The clench in his jaw was Stefan's answer. "Oh…" the younger Salvatore leaned back in his chair. "Well, this is certainly new."

Damon sighed, watching as Caroline pulled Bonnie to the bar excitedly. "There's something different about Bonnie. From the moment we met, sparks have been flying."

Stefan frowned. "So what's the problem?"

"She has a boyfriend." He spat out, tossing back the last of his drink.

"Ooh…" for a second, Damon actually thought his brother would be sympathetic to his dilemma. "So, you got friendzoned?"

"Stefan…" he snapped exasperatedly. "Can you not be a cheeky asshole right now? I'm very aware of how hilarious this is to you, given my track record, but a little brotherly advice wouldn't be completely terrible right about now." He grumbled, crossing his arms.

"You want my advice? This is serious." Stefan scooted closer turning his chair to face him. "This boyfriend…does she talk about him a lot?"

"Barely." Damon answered quickly.

"Does she have a ring?"

"No."

"Has she told you his name?"

Damon paused. "No…" His lips twisting in thought.

Stefan shrugged. "Then maybe it's not that serious." He glanced back, watching as his wife strutted back to their table, Bonnie at her side. Her lips pulled into brilliant smile when she caught Damon's eyes. "Tell her what you want. Something tells me, she wants that too."

They cut off their conversation as the girls slipped into their seats. Bonnie sat back down beside Damon, leaving a drink in front of him. She bit her lip hesitantly as she watched him eye it. "Bourbon neat, right? Did I get it wrong?"

He blinked, surprised that she remembered let alone thought to get him one. "No, this is perfect. Thank you Bonnie." His stomach flipped when her face relaxed into a grateful smile. The moment between them was charged, and he had this urge to kiss her, but he resisted, and she glanced away, and the moment was broken.

The rest of the night was spent drinking and bonding; Damon and Stefan even getting up to sing 'I'm Too Sexy' making Bonnie and Caroline nearly cry in laughter. But as they left the karaoke bar, Damon found himself wishing he had a few more hours. His phone buzzed in his pocket, but he ignored it, not wanting to ruin the good mood he was in.

"Stefan, we have to move back now." Caroline stated, linking arms with Bonnie. "I think I found my soulmate."

Stefan reeled back looking playfully offended. "And here I thought I was your soulmate." He turned his eyes to Damon. "I have been talking to my boss about transferring though." Damon's eyes widened, trying not to let his excitement show. He wasn't entirely thrilled when Stefan up and moved to the other side of the country, but his brother was stubborn and couldn't be swayed.

"Really?" Damon questioned. "I thought you loved LA."

Stefan shrugged. "This is home. Speaking of, we should get back to the hotel." He held his hand out. "You ready baby?"

Caroline huffed in disappointment, but hugged Bonnie. "We have to keep in touch; maybe we can meet for lunch before we head back to LA?"

Bonnie nodded with a smile. "Yeah that sounds great!"

"Damon, I'll swing by tomorrow morning." Stefan promised, clapping him on the shoulder. Caroline slipped under Stefan's arm, and waved as they walked down the street.

That left Bonnie and Damon standing alone, unsure of the next step. "Soo…" she started. "What now?" It was almost midnight, but the thought of going home now filled her with dread.

"Well I don't know about you but I'm starving." He offered, already knowing her answer. He loved her appetite, but for the life of him he had no idea where she put it.

"I could eat." She grinned.

They fell into step together, hands nearly touching as the continued down the street. "So you and Caroline seemed to get along well."

Bonnie chuckled. "She's great. Honestly, I feel like I've known her all my life. It's been a while since I had a friend like that." She eyed him, biting on her lip, and his gaze fell to it lustfully. "So, I made an impression on you, huh." She teased, pushing him gently.

He chuckled, ducking his head. "Yeah, just don't let it get to your head, Ms. Page 5." He joked back, smirking when her head snapped up to look at him in surprise. "Yeah, I read the article. Pretty high praise for that big win in the Mcculloch case. I can't believe you didn't tell me about it." He was surprised himself when he saw her name in the paper, amidst the details of a high-profile trial, but proud of her for the victory.

She shrugged. "I didn't want to make a big deal of it. It's not like it's about me anyways, it was about the trial."

"Yeah, that you won!" he tried to validate, pointing at her. "Just…take the compliment, you deserve it." He nodded up ahead. "Pizza?"

"Actually, there's this all-night diner another block up. They have the best chocolate chip pancakes I've ever had, and that's saying something." His brows raised. "I'm kind of a pancake enthusiast." She added by way of explanation.

A bubble of laughter slipped out; he couldn't help himself. Everything about her was endearing to him, and with each new thing he learned, he fell for Bonnie a little bit more. "Well then, let's get you some pancakes."

When a couple of stacks were placed in front of them, Bonnie dug in, humming in pleasure, doing her little food dance; like each bite was a song she was vibing to. She had to know she was driving him crazy, right? He was more interested in watching her eat, than eating his own pancakes. "So what are you and Stefan up to tomorrow? Brotherly bonding?" She asked, pouring more syrup on her pancakes.

Damon scoffed. "Not exactly." He said swallowing his bite. "We're going to see our mom." His tone was sour, and Bonnie could tell he wasn't exactly happy about it.

"Oh…how long has it been for him?" She knew Damon checked on her once in a while, more to make sure she was alive than to 'spend time'.

"Since before he left…seven years ago. She was actually trying then." He gave a little shake of his head. "Stefan still sees her that way I think…he's going to be in for a rude awakening." He grumbled.

Bonnie shrugged. "Maybe that's what he needs."

"What he needs is closure. The last time he saw her, she made all these promises, the same promises she always made and never kept, and Stefan believes she means it, but…" he sighed. "I know her. She's not going to change. He needs to realize that." He nodded resolutely.

Bonnie's tongue poked the inside of her cheek, looking down at her plate treading lightly with her next words. "And when do you get your closure, Damon?"

He frowned. "What do you mean?"

Bonnie leveled her eyes on him with a deep sigh, about get real with him. "You said she's not going to change, but you pay her rent, you bring her food…you're enabling her by letting her continue living this lifestyle. She's comfortable, so of course she's not going to change." She added gently.

She was the only one brave enough to call him on his shit, and it didn't bother him one bit. "Well, what am I supposed to do? Let her live on the street?" he countered taking another bite.

"No…but maybe treatment is a better way to spend that money." She offered.

"We've tried that, several times, and it doesn't stick." Damon offered her a weak smile. "Look, you're right. When it comes to my mom, I don't have the luxury of closure…but my job is to look after my brother and make sure he gets his. I'll be here to clean up the mess she leaves behind." He said, finishing off his pancakes.

Bonnie smiled. "You're a good brother to him." It made her wonder what kind of father he'd be. She was jarred out of her reverie when her phone buzzed with a text message. She read it quickly, snatching it off the table to stop the loud vibrating.

When are you coming home?

She typed out a response quickly.

Sorry. We just lost track of time. I'll be home soon.

She had told Jeremy that she was meeting up with an old friend from law school, and now she was wondering if he was suspicious of her lie.

Okay, can you grab me a case of beer on the way home? I'm out. : )

She let out a sharp huff. For a second she actually thought he was worried about her, but that clearly wasn't his reason for asking. Without dignifying it with a response, she placed her phone, screen side down, back on the table and went back to her meal.

Damon watched the whole thing curiously, taking in the full range of emotions she went through in that short period of time. Fear, worry, disappointment, irritation, and finally…anger. He knew that because she was stabbing her favorite pancakes. "Everything okay?"

"Yup." She didn't look up.

"Was that the boyfriend?" She nodded. "Guess he's probably missing you, huh." He said, soberingly. The reality of his situation slammed back into him, knowing that probably any minute she could cut their night short and go back home to him.

She raised her eyes to look at him. "Wanna get out of here? I think I'm pancaked out." She deflected.

He sat back in the booth, knowing she was avoiding the subject. "Okay sure." He smiled reassuringly, reach into his back pocket for his wallet.

"I got this one." She threw a few bills on the table, and when they were both ready, they headed back into the night.

…

They found themselves at Washington Square Park, sitting on the bench and watching the people pass by. Although the night was nearly over, neither of them were ready to let it end. "So, this boyfriend…" Damon started, and Bonnie couldn't stop the laugh that bubbled out.

"Subtle segway." She teased. To his credit, he'd avoided the topic all night.

"What's the story with him?"

Bonnie sucked in a breath, finally opening up to him about Jeremy. She had wanted to keep them separate, so she didn't have to deal with the awkwardness of it all. But she couldn't avoid it forever. "Well…we were high school sweethearts. Our parents were friends, and we grew up down the street from each other. He was the starting quarterback and I was the Homecoming Queen." She scoffed ironically. "Cliché, I know. It was like the universe threw us together like some romantic teen movie." Damon was watching her intently, curious about the bitter tone that seeped through. "But when you've been with someone that long, things start to change."

"Like what?" He turned a little more to face her.

"Like, the things you used to find endearing become annoying, and suddenly the jokes you used to laugh at stop being funny. You start to wonder, 'did he change into someone I didn't like? Or…did I change and he's the same person he always was?'" she asked rhetorically to herself, getting lost in thought. Her head snapped up to him. "I shouldn't have said that…sorry." Bonnie regretting admitting the voice in her head out loud. Something about talking to Damon made her want to let him in, despite all the reasons she shouldn't.

"You shouldn't be…not if it's the truth. Are you happy with him?" Damon questioned lowly, wondering if he was overstepping, but she answered anyway.

Well, in the spirit of truth. She shrugged sadly. "I used to be."

"Then why do you stay?"

"Because I love him. He's all I've known. I've never been with anyone else. In a way, he's like a security blanket." She glanced down at her hands in her lap. "We've had a lot of firsts together…really hard to give up on that."

Damon blinked, his brows pulling together sympathetically. "I can imagine." He felt himself caught between what he wanted and what was right, and right now, the latter was winning. "Look Bonnie, I won't lie…I want you. I wanted you the second I saw you in the elevator." She glanced up at him, eyes wide and alluring. His words made her throat dry out and her stomach flutter, and she let out a shaky exhale in an attempt to collect herself. "But I don't want to complicate your life. You don't deserve that. So, you say the word…" he rasped out. "And I'll back off." Usually, he wouldn't care about any obstacles in the way of the things he wanted; a deadbeat boyfriend? Easy! He enjoyed the challenge, but not if it came at her expense. She was clearly going through her own internal struggle, and the last thing he wanted was to make that any harder for her. Even if that meant he had to let her go.

She stared at him silently. Is that what she wanted? Could she just forget about tonight and go back to her regularly scheduled programming, or did she indulge in this foreign feeling and deal with the fall out when it comes? "What if I don't want you to?" Damon cocked his head, surprised. "I know this is wrong. That this friendship is more than what we say it is. I tried to convince myself that I was strong enough not to give in…" Her eyes floated down to his lips subconsciously. "But I'm not." When was the last time you were happy, Bonnie? When was the last time you felt desired? Don't you think you deserve that? Her voice broke through her internal musings. "I need this." She breathed.

Damon leaned in slow, reading her eyes for any sign of recoil, but was relieved to see her be the one to lean the rest of the way, pressing her lips to his. He brought his hand up to cradle her neck, finger tips sinking into the luscious silky strands of her hair. The kiss soon turned heated, and Bonnie moved closer to him moaning into his mouth when his other hand skirted up her jean clad thigh. This was it. This was what she was missing; the fire, the electricity, the spark…

Damon broke away first, before he got too carried away, and rested his forehead on hers. "Are you sure about this?" He gave her one last out, because after getting a taste of her, he didn't think he'd be able to stop.

She nodded breathlessly. "I don't want to fight it…"

He pulled back eyes darting back and forth between hers. "What about-" She silenced him with another kiss.

"I don't want to think about that right now." The truth was, she had no idea what she was going to do about Jeremy. She couldn't just kick him to the curb, she couldn't just let him go and forget over a decade of memories of what could just be a moment of weakness. She didn't want to hurt him that way…

When they parted ways that night, it was nearly impossible to keep their hands from each other, and Bonnie was left on edge and craving more, but they both knew that this was just the beginning. She gave in, and there was no going back now; consequences be damned.

Maybe it was the guilt, but she stopped by the corner store on the way home, and grabbed Jeremy his favorite beer. Anxiety filled her as she entered the apartment, as if he'd sense her infidelity and read it all over her face, smell another man on her…but relief sagged her shoulders when she found him passed out on the couch, controller still in his hand, and snoring softly.

Bonnie quietly put the beer in the fridge, and moved into the bedroom shedding her clothes and slipping into her pajamas. As she stared at the ceiling lying in bed, her fingers dusted over her lips, reliving the kiss all over again, and she fell asleep with Damon's blue eyes staring back at her.

…

AN: Oooh guys, shit's about to get steamy! I want to say thank you so much to everyone's reviews on this story, I truly wasn't expecting this positive of a response! I know a lot of you are waiting for Bon to drop Jeremy, but he's not going anywhere yet, so buckle up and enjoy the rollercoaster. First of all, I want to point out, I don't condone or want to glamorize cheating on a partner, and Bonnie is certainly going to struggle with this decision. Thank you again for reading and I'll update soon! - Vanessa