From the sofa, four pairs of concerned eyes watched as Bonnie leisurely untangled Christmas lights. She'd been looking forward to a peaceful evening of Netflix while decorating the tree but the cray bunch sitting across from her were putting a kink in that plan. Overreaction was like a family get-together for these ones.

Stretching loose a strand, Bonnie shook her head and observed her loved ones wryly. "You guys are acting weird."

Jamie's large dome canted sideways in disbelief. "Girl, from the time we left the tree lot until we got back here, you were crying your eyes out. Now you're sitting there like you didn't just have a nervous breakdown and we're the ones acting weird?"

"I did not have a nervous breakdown." Bonnie yanked irritably on the cluster of bulbs and wished they were her brother's neck. "My hormones are just wilding out, you didn't have to call Care and Lucy."

"Oh yes he did." Lucy was practically vibrating with the need to throw hands. "You're not fooling anyone with that hormone excuse, baby girl."

"What did that asshole do?" Caroline demanded straight up. When she was in best friend mode, girlie did not mess around.

"He hasn't done anything." Bonnie murmured, focusing on a tenacious lump of cord.

"That phone call didn't sound like nothing." Jamie countered shrewdly.

"You eavesdropped on my private conversation?"

"Did you have a fight or something?" Lucy pressed.

"Jesus, yes." She had to keep reminding herself that she loved these people but they were working her last half a nerve. "We had a little disagreement but everything's fine."

"Little disagreements don't make you lose it like that. What were you fighting about?"

Growing up with her grandparents had given Bonnie a front row view of their relationship. They were marriage goals. She especially admired the way they kept their marital strife to themselves. You could absolutely tell when they were battling but ask one or the other what the problem was and you'd get a "Child, mind your business."

Now she and Damon weren't married and she owed him no loyalty, but Bonnie wasn't about to share their personal drama with overprotective family who often jumped to conclusions. In a way, she wished she could take back the things she'd confided in Caroline because it was definitely coloring her perception of Damon now. He wasn't the only one to blame for their situation.

"That's between me and Damon." Bonnie answered with finality.

The belligerent ones didn't like that response, but David was as chill and rational as ever. His concern was mainly for Bonnie's physical wellbeing so when he posed his own question, she was more than willing to answer.

"Did he hit you?"

"He's still alive, what do you think?"

There was a short bark of laughter as his brawny six-four frame relaxed against the sofa cushions. "You're Sheila Bennett's granddaughter for real and that's all I need to know."

Lucy smacked his muscled thigh. "He made her cry, go bust him up."

"For what, arguing with his woman? Me and you throw down at least once a week." David pointed out dismissively. "What's for dinner, baby girl?"

So much for a quiet evening alone.

"I was gonna order in." Bonnie pulled loose another strand.

"Here, love." David pulled out his wallet and slipped several bills to Lucy. "Can you three go get us some pies from Romeo's? That sound good to you, Bonnie?"

"I want vegan." Bonnie said in deference to her health and the three extra pounds she'd gained this week.

David added extra bills. "And something vegan."

"Why can't we just do Mimi's." Jamie argued. "They deliver."

"Not to this area and Romeo's is the best. Get some of those garlic knots too."

The sly eyeballing was comical and Bonnie kept her head down, pretending not to notice as she snickered quietly. The door closed and then it was just her and the big guy. In her peripheral vision she could see him taking a seat on the sofa again. When she finally chanced a look at him, David was grinning at her like a milk chocolate Cheshire Cat.

"Heyyyy, baby girl."

Bonnie cracked up, the moment of joy eroding a fraction of the gloom she'd been feeling.

"Not to beat a dead horse, but you sure you're okay? You scared the hell out of me at the tree lot."

"You didn't have to send them on that convoluted errand."

"They were chapping your ass, they were chapping my ass. Thought you needed a little breathing room. And you didn't answer the question."

Another nice thing about David was that he was easy to talk to. Didn't judge, didn't form opinions based on the biases of others. He offered straight forward views without being superior about it. And nice hugs. His single mom and three older sisters had raised him right.

"Maybe I'm not…a hundred percent okay." Bonnie admitted, deep exhale emphasizing her melancholy as she revisited that agonizing conversation. "I got off the phone with Damon and…I just started feeling…you know."

"You were missing your dude." David discerned with wise empathy.

"Yeah."

"But you were mad at him too."

"To be honest, I was mad at myself." She dumped the lights in a heap on the coffee table and sagged in the arm chair. "Relationships are so hard."

David snagged the snarled mass of bulbs and picked up where she'd left off. "I felt the same way. Then I met Lucy."

"I don't think I'll ever meet my Lucy."

"You already have."

"Just because I'm having his baby doesn't mean Damon is The One."

"Just because you're having his baby doesn't mean you have to be with him either. But you're with him. Or were." David ceased his fiddling, expression perceptive. "I think you're trying too hard to find a reason not to be in a relationship. Might wanna figure out why."

He continued to labor over his task as Bonnie marinated on his words. She dissected her actions leading up to the fight with Damon and the subsequent drama with Enzo. She'd been waiting for David to bring up his own skirmish with her ex but he was such a gentleman, Bonnie knew he wasn't going to say anything about it unless she mentioned it first.

"So." A little embarrassed, she kept her gaze fixed on the crest of her middle, running a finger over the slight protrusion of belly button beneath her shirt. "I heard you ran into Enzo."

"The only way you'd know that is if you've been talking to him."

"He showed up on my doorstep and it didn't end well."

"Dude sure likes getting his feelings hurt."

Telling him about the confrontation with Enzo pissed Bonnie off all over again. She was careful to gloss over the Damon parts of the story because she felt extremely protective of him where her family was concerned.

"No wonder things broke bad." David's scowl was fierce. "Probably should've kicked his ass anyway."

"Even though I lied about him cheating?"

"I'm sure you had your reasons."

"You are the sweetest thing." Bonnie said and smiled at the sheepish duck of his head. "But you know that shit was messed up."

"Okay, so why did you lie?"

"I got issues."

"Everybody's got issues. It's when you let them make decisions for you that they become a problem. I tell my issues to kick rocks."

With a frustrated grunt, Bonnie struggled up from the chair. "Show me that trick."

"You'll learn it when your ass gets tired of sleeping alone."

She flashed him a rueful grin and the finger and began shifting through a box of ornaments. With the Christmas lights finally straightened out, David began looping them haphazardly around the tree. Bonnie directed every so often and went in behind him to adjust the strands to her liking.

"Now I don't mean to be nosey." David said once the tree was fully encompassed with tiny white bulbs. "I'm just trying to understand your special brand of crazy."

"You'd better be glad you're family." Bonnie sniffed with fake indignance.

"Working with the Enzo didn't cheat on you premise, I'm just wondering if that Vince dude really broke up with you to move out west."

"Uh…yeah he did." Bonnie was offended for real this time.

"Hey, I was just making sure. I mean things were going well with all those other boyfriends too before suddenly they weren't."

"Enzo was different. You and Grams and Pops were cool, everyone else had these expectations, like he was the Second Coming. And they already thought something was wrong with me because I wasn't worshipping the ground he walked on. Care was the worst…when she's in love, everybody gotta be in love. The only one who was happy about it ending was my mom."

"I didn't like none of those dudes anyway. Enzo, Vince, especially Emilio. But Trey was pretty cool."

Bonnie snorted. "He cheated on me for real. With a guy."

"Dayum."

"I couldn't be mad at him, I always kind of suspected he was in denial. Everyone else, I just dumped them because…I don't know. I guess I was being proactive. They were going to leave eventually anyway."

David blinked in disbelief. "Where'd you get that shit from? Your mama?"

Curving arms over her middle, Bonnie hunched her shoulders.

"The only somebody that left Abby was Jamie's dad. She's the one who did all the leaving. First Rudy, then you, then both of you whenever she bounced her ass in and out of town. She's projecting her own bullshit onto everyone else."

Bonnie gaped at him in surprise. She'd never really heard David roast anyone, especially someone he genuinely cared for and she knew he had love for her mother. He was instantly penitent, though, guiltily scratching the top of his head as he apologized.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't be talking about your moms like that."

"Well." Bonnie smiled sadly. "I heard no lies."

XXXXXXXXXXXX

With winter break fast approaching, Bonnie set aside her personal problems to focus on tying up school odds and ends and preparing her class for the midterm. Phase equilibrium boundaries and crystal structures took up most of her headspace, a welcome reprieve from the strain of second guessing and agonizing over relationship demons. She was looking forward to this two week break, where she could be a homebody and sleep in on those chilly hard-to-get-up mornings.

Damon continued to call and text, mainly to check on her physical health. She had no right to feel disappointed that he kept their conversations strictly about his baby, but of course she did. All she had to do was swallow her pride, but really, that was all she had left.

When Abby called and suggested a Christmas shopping date, Bonnie's first instinct was to say no. Her mother was a negative mood trigger, which was why she'd been keeping their interactions the past few months to a minimum. But Bonnie did miss her and really wanted them to experience this first child of hers together, so she agreed to the mother-daughter bonding time and hoped for the best.

On Thursday, Abby swung by to pick her up and the fun start to their outing fooled Bonnie into thinking things wouldn't devolve into the usual tension. They had an early dinner and then hit up a mall on the city's outskirts. Cooed over baby clothes, laughed over the latest Jamie shenanigans, discussed work, agonized over the perfect gifts for the family. Things took a turn when Bonnie wandered into the jewelry store.

She'd been stumped on a gift for Damon, a man who seemed to have everything, and these unique looking pieces were her salvation. The only jewelry he owned was several quality watches, cufflinks and an ornate blue and silver ring, a family heirloom she'd yet to see him wear. Bonnie questioned the wisdom of buying a romantic gift given their iffy situation, but remembering the talk with David, she was going to try to chuck the penchant for overthinking.

Abby trailed close as Bonnie roamed leisurely from one display case to the next, humming along with the holiday tune playing overhead.

"What are you looking for, baby?"

"Something for Damon."

"Oh."

And there she is.

Edging by several other shoppers, Bonnie continued to browse and then her eyes lit up. She bent as low as her belly would allow to peer at the silver bracelet and could easily imagine it on Damon's wrist. A salesclerk noticed her and signaled that he'd be with her soon and Bonnie scrolled through her phone as she waited.

Looking into the display case, Abby asked too casually, "See one you like?"

Bonnie's finger hovered over the bracelet. "This one."

"It's nice…very fitting." Abby observed with half-assed enthusiasm. "But I thought you two had broken up?"

Bonnie felt familiar tightness forming in her chest. "Who told you that?"

"Your brother."

Of course.

"He said you two had a fight or something?"

"I don't want to talk about it." Bonnie responded sharply. She didn't mean to be disrespectful, but she was in no mood to have her mother pick apart and disparage another of her relationships.

"I don't want you to get hurt, baby girl. Guys like Damon talk a good game but eventually they do something to hurt you and it looks like that's happened."

Zoning in on the bracelet, Bonnie took slow deep breaths and counted backwards until she was a smidge calmer. Then she turned to face her mother again and said in a low voice, "Can we enjoy one day together without it turning into an argument?"

The clerk finally joined them and Bonnie put Abby on mute. The bracelet was even cooler up close and apparently one of a kind per the sales pitch. The band was about a half inch wide and a nice weight in Bonnie's hand, but what really stood out was that design. It was bold and intricate and that was Damon Salvatore in a nutshell. The price tag would put a significant dent in her savings, but she could make it up by scrimping here and there. She could save even more if she booted her rat finking sibling off her Christmas list.

Once Damon's present was purchased and nestled in its gift box, Bonnie wedged it into her jam-packed shopping bag and announced she was tired. Her mother's displeasure was keen and the walk back to the car was wordless and overwrought. Unfortunately Abby started in again the minute they pulled out of the parking lot.

"You can talk to me, you know."

Hand pressed against her belly, Bonnie stared straight ahead and fumed.

"I know he's the baby's father, but there's just something about him I don't like."

"That's your problem." Bonnie murmured heatedly.

"What?"

"If you don't like Damon, that's your problem. I'm not trying to change your mind about him and I'm not trying to argue either."

Inhale, exhale. 10, 9, 8, 7…

"I'm just saying. Men can be…"

Abby's voice trailed off, probably because she really didn't know what men could be. David was right that the only someone who'd wronged her mother was Jamie's punk bitch sperm donor, but he must have really done a number on her if it was still affecting Abby over twenty years later.

Bonnie could see herself growing that jaded too if she didn't stop self-sabotaging every chance at happiness that came her way. Unfortunately, she couldn't help herself.

"It's still early, did you want to -–"

"I just wanna go to bed." Bonnie said abruptly, exasperation raising her pitch several levels. The ache in her chest had shifted and bunched between her shoulder blades. All she wanted was a hot soak and damn she wished she could have a glass of wine too.

The gods were smiling on her because there was not a single parking space in front of her apartment, which meant she'd be able to get rid of her mother without making excuses. She did give her a hug though and when Abby squeezed her back, Bonnie's eyes started to burn.

Cradling Bonnie's face in her palms, looking as pitiful as Bonnie felt, Abby said sincerely, "I didn't mean to upset you, baby."

"Don't worry about it." Bonnie kissed her cheek and got out of the car, throwing a "love you" over her shoulder. Her mother returned the sentiment, but it was cut off by the door slamming shut.

Even a half hour under the hot spray in the shower failed to soothe the ache in her shoulders and back. Bonnie went to bed agitated and exhausted, wondering if her relationship with her mother was another she should let go of too.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

Bonnie walked into the medical building Friday afternoon and Damon's heart couldn't handle it. She was wrapped in a brown wool cloak, a knit cap angled stylishly over her head. The snowfall outside was dense, leaving fat flakes clinging to the thick helixes of hair fanning out around her shoulders. She was like the sunrise, the Queen of Sheba and that rare orgasm that left you in tears all rolled into one. The sight of her lifted his spirits and of course little Damon started throbbing in his jeans. He'd missed his girl but he hadn't realized just how much until now.

For a hot second she was happy to see him too before erecting that invisible emotional wall. Which was cool. He'd scaled it before, he could do it again.

There was genuine surprise in her voice when she asked, "What are you doing here?"

"Making sure my kid's okay." He responded with mild irritation. Did she really not know him by now? "I told you, I want to experience as much as I can."

"I just thought -"

"That I'd abandon the both of you?" At her well-yeah look, Damon's frustration mounted. He couldn't really argue with her when his bailing on her was the reason for the distrust. But after their last conversation and after reflecting on everything that had gone on with his mother, he couldn't regret what he'd done. Because when he thought about the alternative…

Instead of rehashing things, he pulled her into his arms, not even bothered that her return embrace was stilted and unsure. He smooched the top of her head and released her, all up in her space with love struck eyes as he tugged off her cap and scarf and slowly undid the buttons on her cloak before helping her out of it. Bonnie was flustered by the display of devotion and he gave himself points for that.

"Ready?" Damon slung her things over one arm and guided her ahead of him as they moved towards the elevators, grinning when he noticed the slight waddle in her usually smooth, hip-swaying gait.

The baby seemed to have doubled in size since Damon had last seen her. As Bonnie lay on the exam table waiting for the doctor, he couldn't resist pushing aside her gown so he could palm her belly, pliable and warm under his fingers. He could actually see movement and his exploring was rewarded with a nice strong kick that made him even more anxious for his son to get here.

"This is gonna be a long four months."

"At least you don't have to carry him." Bonnie said ruefully, throwing an arm above her head. "I swear he spends all day hanging out on my bladder."

Her glowing skin was like a magnet for his mouth and holding her gaze, he brushed his lips across her hipbone. And from the soft look in her eyes, he was sure she was about to tell him all was forgiven but a knock on the door and Dr. Acosta's appearance put an erupt end to whatever moment they'd been sharing.

Bonnie was measured, poked and drained of small samples of blood and urine and they were usually sent on their way once that was done, but the doctor shared some information that gave Damon pause.

"So your blood pressure's just a wee bit elevated." Dr. Acosta informed them and when Damon shot upright in his chair, she held up a hand. "It's pretty common for women on the tail end of the second trimester. The body produces an extra pint of blood to nourish baby and then has to spread the excess around. If it's still high your next visit, there are options to get it under control. Anything stressful going on with you?"

"Just the usual." Bonnie's voice was oddly tranquil. "Work, the holidays."

Fighting with me, Damon thought guiltily.

"Please remember to take it easy. Get plenty of rest, watch your diet, take your prenatal vitamins. You know the drill. Any other concerns?"

Bonnie had none, Damon had a shitload. He wanted to follow her calm, levelheaded lead, but in researching all things prenatal, he'd come across horror stories of stillborn babies and women dying during childbirth. How the hell was that still a thing in this age of modern medicine? Despite the rough start, Bonnie had been relatively healthy and he'd thought they had nothing to worry about.

"Stop it, Damon." Bonnie ordered lightly when they were in the elevator.

He'd been trying to project an unbothered appearance but apparently he sucked at hiding his first time father fears. "I'm cool."

Bonnie was dubious as she wriggled fingers into a glove. "She said it was a little elevated."

"Black women are more predisposed to hypertension and eclampsia."

"I need you to stop reading that stuff if it's going to make you crazy."

"A big cause is stress. Are you stressed?"

They emerged onto the main floor and Damon followed her away from the people milling about the lobby into a small alcove near the entrance. She turned to him, the picture of extreme patience and positivity.

"I might've been feeling kinda stabby this morning." Bonnie admitted with a teasing smirk. "But I knocked back some hooch so I'm straight now."

He appreciated the attempt to thumb him down a shade, but those horror stories were on heavy rotation in his brain. "If being around me is the reason -"

"Hey. It's not you, it's -" She grasped his cuff and gave his arm a gentle shake to emphasize her point. "It's not you."

"Then who?" Damon pushed because he and whoever it was were going to have a conversation.

He should've known it was her mother after listening to her grouse about yesterday's shopping trip. She was holding back the reason for the falling out, which Damon already suspected was moi. And though Bonnie's expression remained mild, there was a bite to her words that said if they stayed on this topic her anxiety levels would be through the roof. He didn't like the twitch near her eye and the way she kept trying to reach over her shoulder to massage her back, clear signs of tension.

"Do you have to be anywhere?" He moved in close to adjust scarf around her neck. "If you feel up to it, I need a favor."

"Only if you chill with the worrying."

"I'll try."

"What's the favor?"

"We'd have to go to my place."

She crossed arms and gave him side eye. "This an X-rated favor?"

Yeah, she wants me.

"Interesting that sex is the first place you went." Damon wiggled his brows and swayed closer.

"Hormonally driven pregnant woman." She tapped her chest then pointed at him. "Sex fiend. Naturally my mind would go there."

It would be seriously easy to fall back into that aspect of the relationship, but Damon wanted it all so he was going to wait for a more definitive sign from Bonnie.

"I promise." Damon offered her his arm. "This favor is strictly PG."

XXXXXXXXXXXX

Maybe it was disingenuous of Bonnie to tell Damon she needed space and then jump at the chance to be with him but shit, she'd missed him. He was being incredibly attentive, giving her girl bits so much life. She was still glowing from just the way he'd unwrapped her from her outerwear and her body hadn't stopped humming from that sensual kiss on her hip. Now he'd taken up residence in her personal space to sweet talk her into this favor and she was susceptible because he was rocking leather and sexy ass five o'clock shadow and eye fucking her with those gorgeous blue irises. She melted like ice cream on hot Texas asphalt, just an insult to womanhood everywhere. But she felt sublime and content as she took the arm he offered and they stepped outside.

Because the streets were snow-treacherous and bumper to bumper, Damon had left his cars at home. He was about to hail a cab when Bonnie suggested they walk a few blocks instead. She wanted a better view of the bedazzled display windows and seeing the city decked out in holiday finery always put her in a good mood, which would hopefully ease that niggling little knot of tension still coiled in her back. Damon adjusted his long stride to her slower pace and they stuck to the inner edges of the sidewalks to avoid hurried pedestrians.

It was nice strolling along in a silence that was comfortable and not filled with awkwardness. Crazy how they could go from arguing one day to vibing with each other the next like it was nothing. Maybe that was a sign that they really were in tune with one another, that this relationship could work. But unresolved issues remained beneath the surface of this sublime moment. Or maybe they were just her unresolved issues, Damon appeared pretty much over the whole thing.

Damn the issues though, for now she was just going to revel in the present because boyfriend looked GQ level handsome striding through the snowfall. Bonnie kept sneaking peeks at his profile, admiring the way that gray beanie slouched over his dark hair, the sweep of his lashes, the way his strong jaw shifted when he spoke.

She was pitiful.

Three blocks later, Damon threw in the towel because "My boys are frozen" and Bonnie gave in because lugging around this girth wasn't fun for prolonged periods. She dozed off in the cab. One minute he was showing her pics of Jo and Ric's twins, the next Damon was gently shaking her awake. Through the haze, she realized that she'd been curled up against him with her hand under his jacket.

Just pitiful.

When they were inside his apartment, she acknowledged that she'd missed it too. The view of the snowy nightscape was beautiful and so was the Christmas tree standing in the center of the wide windows. The tip nearly touched the ceiling and it was appropriately black, decorated with matte black ornaments and white lights with silver and black ribbon streaking through the branches.

"I thought you weren't into Christmas?" Bonnie said as they hung their coats in the foyer closet.

"That's Lily's doing. Every year we fight about my Scrooge tendencies, I think I've won the battle and then I come home and find this shit." He waved a frustrated hand at the tree. "She won't give me back the key."

"Never give your mother the key to your place."

"I had a contractor doing some work while I was out of town and I needed someone to let him in. She gave me back the key, but I didn't realize at the time she'd had a copy made."

Lillian Salvatore was something else.

"At least it matches your style." Bonnie observed as she followed him down the hall. "And she's doing okay?"

Damon paused at the door to the guest room. "I told you not to worry about that, she wasn't angry with you. She's been wanting to call you."

"Why hasn't she?"

"Because I asked her not to. You wanted space, I was making sure you got it."

"But I wanted to apologize to her."

"You can do that when you see her Christmas Eve."

Should they even be attending another event together after that disastrous gala?

"It's just a family thing, babe." He told her, picking up on her hesitance.

"No evil ex-girlfriends?"

"Nope. Lot of hammered Italians though." Damon spread his arms wide to encompass the room. "So this is it."

When he'd asked her to help him wrap presents for his goddaughters because he sucked at it and the usually reliable Jo was out of pocket, Bonnie had no idea what she was getting into. She stopped in front of the bed to gape at the toys piled there. Superhero costumes, riding toys, robots, a rocket, construction blocks, puzzles, books, pretend laptops…Jaysus.

"There's just the two, right?"

"Think I overdid it?"

"A karaoke machine, Damon?" Bonnie shook her head as she held aloft the purple and green contraption.

"Come on, they deserve it. Their killjoy parents only limit them to two toys each."

"Mmm…I see a lot of parenting conflicts in our future." Bonnie cast a critical eye over the excess. "No dolls?"

"They're not really into girlie stuff. Diane is Wednesday Adams, Lizzie's last name should be Borden."

"Stefan says they're sweet little babies."

"They're three and they like to wreck shit. You ever notice how much wine Jo knocks back? She gave birth to the antichrist and the antichrist's slightly less evil twin sister."

With a shake of her head, Bonnie picked up one of the robots. "This thing looks loud and annoying. Payback is a bitch, just remember that."

"Our kid won't be old enough for loud and annoying toys by next Christmas, it'll be a long time before Jo and Ric can get even."

They moved all the toys to the dining room table and once everything was set up to began wrapping, Bonnie's stomach was rumbling. "If you're putting me the work, the least you could do is feed me."

He fed her that eggplant parmesan that made her want to lick the plate and his Jacques Pepin-esque fingers. Dinner fueled her second wind and together they finished wrapping the gifts while watching a Hitchcock thriller and bouncing baby names off each other. Coming up with a first name was still a challenge, but they agreed on Bennett for the middle and Salvatore for the last. It all made Bonnie anxious. Anxious to hold her baby boy in her arms, to buy him birthday and Christmas presents, anxious to see if he would look like her or his daddy or mix of them both.

And by the time they were done with the last gift she was anxious about Damon too. As she lounged on the sofa while he made short work of the dishes, she wavered on what to do about this relationship limbo. Her mind was feverishly occupied with a mental pro and con list when Damon eased down next to her, slipping an arm behind her to lean in close. She was sure he was going to kiss because he'd been staring at her mouth most of the evening. But his expression was super serious, not at all the way he usually looked when he was about to bless her with one of his panty-droppers.

"It really takes that much effort for you to forgive me?" His question left her as disoriented as the hand sliding under the back of her thin sweater. "You're supposed to be keeping it mellow."

"I was."

He smoothed his finger down the space between her brows. "These frown lines say otherwise."

Head lolling back against the sofa, Bonnie stared straight ahead. Made it easier to talk when she couldn't see the sex eyes aimed her way. "I already forgave you. I'm just afraid that…maybe it'd be easier to just go back to the way things were if I was sure you weren't going to do it again."

He hummed pensively as his fingers inched over her bra strap and tenderly probed, eventually discovering that tight bundle of nerves between her shoulder blades. "I could make this real easy for the both of us and promise I'd never bail on you again. But I can't."

Realistically, no one could make that promise. Nothing in this life was certain, but his answer still left Bonnie a little tetchy. Until he began pressing and kneading that tender knot, chasing her pique off into the void with fingers made of nirvana. The television droning in the background and Damon massaging her into putty provided a soothing ambiance.

"My father wasn't always a monster, Bonnie." Damon finally spoke again as he continued to massage. "Maybe if he'd learned to walk away whenever he got pissed, things might not have turned physical. Once he started, he couldn't stop. And that night, I was pissed enough to throw punches at that guy, so I ghosted."

She glanced sideways to find him staring off into space. "That's not the way you're supposed to handle things, Damon."

His gaze snapped back to her. "Says who?"

"Says people who have healthy relationships."

"So we don't have a healthy relationship because I don't handle my feelings the way you want me to?"

Bonnie struggled for a counterargument.

"One relationship does not fit all, babe." He massaged firm circles into her flesh with the heel of his hand and inched closer, enough for her to turn her face into his neck. "Me and you are supposed to speak our own language."

"I know, but -–"

"If we're in a fight and it gets really ugly, I'm gonna leave. I'll take myself out of the equation so I can get my shit together. But I'd be leaving the situation, I wouldn't be leaving you. I need you to understand the difference."

Her heart clenched. It wasn't exactly what she wanted to hear, but it was close and his conviction eased her worry just as the knot in her back finally loosened, replaced by a tingling warmth that had Bonnie moaning softly in relief.

Fingers slid up into the hair at her nape and squeezed lightly. "Better?"

She made another strangled noise of pleasure and his chest rumbled with laughter. Who could form words when magic was happening between your thighs? She had another knot she needed him to loosen, but it was much lower.

"It's late." Damon removed his hand and got to his feet. "You've got class tomorrow, right?"

Bonnie murmured in the affirmative, feeling as if someone had yanked her favorite cozy blanket away. Tucking away her disappointment, she let him help her off the sofa and followed him to the door. In the car on the way back to her apartment, she masked her confusion over this suddenly chaste version of Damon as they engaged in small talk. Small talk. They didn't do small talk, their conversations involved humorous back and forth or sexy innuendo, serious conversations about work or the future, baby plans, family anecdotes, Richard Wright versus James Baldwin. Yet here they were, talking about the weather of all things.

When they arrived at her building he double parked as always - one day his luck was going to run out there –- and walked her up to her apartment. The door was as far as he would go. They regarded each other silently, expectantly. What he was waiting for, Bonnie didn't know. She was anticipating some sort of move, whether it be lascivious or reconciliatory in nature. His next words flummoxed her even more.

"I have to be up at four so I'm gonna head out." He said casually. "I'm driving a Trans-Am up north…customer wants to hide her husband's Christmas present in her parents' garage."

"Alright." Bonnie leaned against the doorjamb, concealing her bemusement. "How're you getting back?"

"Stefan's following me."

She nodded and joined him in another wordless stretch of mutual contemplation.

"What is it with you?" She finally asked.

Dark brows notched upward. "Nothing, babe, I'm good."

"You're not still mad about your mother?"

"I forgave you for that before we ran into Little Lord Fauntleroy, remember?" Then he moved closer, reaching out to palm her belly over her cloak, nose bumping hers as he whispered with a grin, "You waddle."

Way to change the subject, babe.

"I do not."

"You do." He kissed her cheek. "It's cute as fuck."

"I'm glad you're entertained."

He did finally plant one on her lips, but it lasted only seconds and there was a disgusting lack of tongue. "I'll call you when I'm back in town. Night, babe."

Okay.

Bonnie closed the door, bolted it. Went up on her tiptoes to peer out the keyhole in case that pod person decided to come back. The hallway remained empty. A totally confusing end to what had started out as a promising evening. She chewed on it all through her nighttime ritual up and after she finally went to bed.

Well you wanted space. He's giving it to you.

Despite her tiredness, sleep was difficult to come by. There was no broad back to snuggle against, no sinewy thigh wedged between hers, no hand resting possessively inside her panties.

And so here it finally was. That moment when her ass had finally grown tired of sleeping alone.