Summary: – It shouldn't have bothered him half as much as it did that Bonnie wasn't talking to him – Stefan pays a visit to Bonnie to clear up certain issues.

Clearing Issues

Bonnie wasn't talking to him.

It wasn't that she was giving him the silent treatment; they talked, and occasionally, she'd even slip in a joke and they'd laugh companionably – but they weren't really talking. A rift had come in between them, preventing him from truly getting to her and resulting more awkward silences that he'd like to ever have with a person.

With her specifically.

Stefan didn't let himself dwell on that thought very long – the knowledge that he probably wouldn't have care as much if it been another person who wasn't talking to him burned at him, and it disturbed him when he questioned himself on the extent of his affection for Bonnie.

So he didn't.

Stefan paced along the length of his room, burying his hands in his hair. He felt restless.

She wasn't talking to him.

He sat down on his bed, trying to sort through the jumbled mess of thoughts running wildly in his mind. He closed his eyes and inhaled.

He was fine, he was fine.

A flashback of Bonnie smiling at him warmly suddenly invaded his mind. Stefan opened his eyes.

Goddamn.

He stood up. He was decidedly not feeling anything remotely close to fine.

Grabbing his jacket and shrugging it on quickly, Stefan slammed the door of his room as he walked out, leaving the boarding house with a new sense of purpose.

He was going to talk to her and she was going to listen. Whatever it took.

It shouldn't have bothered him half as much as it did that Bonnie wasn't talking to him. But it did.

And Stefan was going to make sure he made it right again.

She was home.

Stefan glanced around at Bonnie's house, straining to hear some kind of sound – footsteps, mumblings, anything that would hint at more than one person in the house. He didn't want to risk coming in and finding her parents there, after all.

But no, all he could hear was the same, steady footsteps going about in the house. There were no answering voices, no other pattering of feet – nothing.

Bonnie was alone. Stefan exhaled in relief – taking it as a good sign – and took a moment to contemplate what he was about to do.

I'm just here to settle issues with a good friend, he thought to himself. Nothing to it.

Right. Staring at the door for a moment longer, Stefan took a deep breath, squared his shoulders, and knocked.

Here goes nothing.

A handful of anxious seconds later, Bonnie opened the door, her eyes widening as she looked at Stefan. "Stefan?" she finally said, struggling to regain her composure. "What are you doing here?"

He offered her a smile, and felt a flicker of disappointment when she didn't smile back. "Hey," he replied. "Mind if I come in?"

Bonnie didn't move, her hand fixed rigidly to the back of the door. She gazed at Stefan uncertainly and, for one breathless moment, he was convinced she would slam the door to his face. But Bonnie opened the door wider and stepped back. "Come in," she said, her tone stiff, her eyebrows raised.

Stefan closed the door behind him, and smiled at Bonnie. "Thanks," he said.

Bonnie didn't answer.

Her arms were folded across her chest, her posture anything but relaxed, as she regarded him with cool eyes. "What are you doing here?" she asked finally. Stefan noted, with an unpleasant twist of the stomach, that Bonnie didn't invite him in the living room.

"I came here to talk to you."

Her gaze didn't soften, and her posture hadn't relaxed. "Oh, and what about?"

Stefan hesitated. "I think we have some...things...to clear out," he said, choosing his words carefully. He didn't want Bonnie to get on the defensive.

He tried to ignore the fact that she already was.

"Things," Bonnie echoed, and she raised an eyebrow. "What 'things'?"

Stefan didn't reply instantly, taking a moment to study her face. He traced the curve of her eyebrows with his mind, noting their finesse, and stared as they dipped to her eyes. Her eyes – he realized for the first time – were really pretty. It wasn't their color, rather their shape. They were almond-like, but big and wide, reminding him of the eyes of a doe or a faun. The lashes were thick and smoky, giving her the air of an elf that wasn't all that innocent. Her cheekbones were high and suited her round, softened face. And, before he could stop himself, his eyes dropped to her mouth. It was crooked, one corner higher than the other, giving the impression that she was always smiling. They were rather full, and looked like...

Stefan caught himself in time. Flushing slightly, he cleared his throat and brought his eyes back to Bonnie's. Luckily, she didn't seem to have noticed his scrutiny. "Can we sit down first?" He asked, his tone pleading.

Bonnie's back straightened. "I'm perfectly fine standing."

Stefan exhaled frustratingly, his hand rubbing his face. "Bonnie, this is exactly what I mean by 'things'," he said. "You're off with me, you keep me at arms length all the time. You're not talking to me."

Her expression was startled, clearly taken aback by his sudden outburst. She frowned. "What do you mean? I do talk to you."

"No you don't." Stefan exhaled sharply. "Bonnie, you're just replying. Talking means both parties are invested in the conversation. With me, you aren't. You just reply. I came here to see what I can do to change that."

Bonnie looked at him wordlessly. Her mouth opened, then closed, and she licked her lips nervously.

Stefan told himself that that just hadn't turned him on.

"I," Bonnie started. "I...you know that...I just need..."

Suddenly, he was in front of her. Bonnie resisted the urge to gasp out loud, choosing instead to look at him with wide eyes. Stefan seized her wrists gently. "Bonnie, I know that you blame me and Damon for your grandmother's death," he said finally. "And I know that I'll never be able to make that up to you, ever. I just need – I just want to know if it's in your power to give me a second chance." She really was beautiful; it was distracting. Especially up close. Her lips were just there...if he moved his face a little bit to the right...Stefan shook himself. "The point is, I miss talking to you, Bonnie," he concluded. "Really talking. Can you do that? Give me that second chance? Will you?"

His eyes were looking at her so earnestly that it caught her off guard. She flushed – she knew Stefan was attractive, no doubt about that, but it was more glaringly obvious with his face so close to hers. "I – I don't know," Bonnie stammered, lowering her eyes to the ground.

"Bonnie, Bonnie look at me." Reluctantly, she brought her eyes back up to her face. Stefan swallowed – such pretty eyes – and tried not to let himself get distracted again.

He was fighting a losing battle, for now.

"I'll do whatever it takes," he whispered gently, "Just please, talk to me again."

Bonnie stared at him. "Why do you care so much?" she breathed, her eyes roaming over his face, as if it would give her the answer to her question. "Why?"

"I don't know. I really don't," he replied, frustrated. Stefan closed his eyes for a moment, trying to reel his confusion in, before opening them again. "But the bottom line is – I do. I care. I'll do whatever it takes to get you to talk to me again." His voice was firm, and Bonnie realized, incredibly enticing.

Her lips parted – Stefan noticed – and his eyes dropped involuntarily to her mouth again, watching with hooded eyes as her tongue flicked out, wetting them. Such a perfect mouth...

"Bonnie I -"

"Look Stefan -" Bonnie began, her lips parting again into incredibly sexy 'O' shape.

Stefan shuddered, succumbing to temptation. He flicked his hands, jerking Bonnie closer to him, and claimed her mouth with his.

He heard Bonnie's gasp, heard her heart beat rise considerably and beat hard against her chest. He closed his eyes, relishing in the taste of her lips. Slowly, he released her hands, putting his on her shoulders uncertainly. He was still kissing her – exploring.

And then he felt her arms wound around his neck, and groaned in satisfaction when he felt her pressing herself closer to him. His tongue flicked across her bottom lip, taking it in between his teeth, and relished in her moan. His hands dropped from her shoulders to her waist, hooking one of her legs around his hips.

Stefan groaned when he felt Bonnie grind against him, and she seized the opportunity to slide her tongue in the territory behind his teeth.

They were furiously kissing each other, all lip, tongue and teeth. It was exhilarating, it was wild, it was totally different from anything that he – Stefan Salvatore – would have ever done.

It was utterly perfect. And Stefan loved every moment of it.

He smiled into the kiss, nipping at Bonnie's bottom lip and savored in the resulting moan.

Maybe there was something to living dangerously after all.

Author's Note: A burst of inspiration – I don't think there's any other way to explain this story. I couldn't resist – have you seen the chemistry Bonnie and Stefan have on the show? If you haven't, pay close attention. It's story-worthy material, I assure you. Drop in a review – I'd love to hear your opinions on this one.