salvatore

        she wondered if it would have been different if she came back         sooner. could she even comfort to caroline in any way? & she         hates the way her grief & her guilt go synonymous. she would         have done anything to ease the pain, to put a smile on caroline’s         face & maybe even get to speak to liz one more time. she could         have been there for elena in a way where she wasn’t in any danger.         she’s been thinking that she can’t lead the same life she was living         before. she’s got to take her life into her own hands, her own initiative.

        she doesn’t even mind the weight of his head on his shoulder.         she only cracks a small smile. she unwraps her arms around         to make this less awkward & easier for him. her arms envelope         his torso. while her head rests against his chest.

                              ❝ your secret is safe with me. we’ll figure this                                  out. you’re not alone. i’m here.❞

          she too has gotten to know damon a lot better. & she sees something           in him, a chance for him to be the man he wants to be. a better man.           he has it so long as he’s willing to make his strides towards it. her tone           is nothing short of reassuring. & there’s only one other person she relies           on besides herself, it’s him. & that’s the beauty of it all. somehow he’s           managed to slip past her titanium armor, find those little chinks, & get           the glimpses of the real bonnie.

     he feels his chest tighten a little when she tells him he's      not alone and offers to help him figure out what's going      on with his mother. it's a huge weight off of his chest, and      he's overcome with disbelief again at the lengths she is      willing to go for him. just like in the prison dimension when      she sacrificed herself so he could go home, he's not used      to someone completely setting aside time for him. he isn't      used to people making an effort, because much like her,      he's in the business of solving everyone else's problems.

     he hugs her a little tighter and places a quick kiss on the      crown of her head. she's won his complete trust and favor      at this point, not just in the few moments she's been back,      but also in their time spent together before.

                         ❛ thank you. ❜

     he finally begins to pull away from her and nods his head in      reply to her question. he's exhausted, but he'll stay awake      with her for as long as he's able to.

━━━━ ( ♚ )

         & she’s glad stefan is there for her. she would have been if          she weren’t stuck in a prison that wasn’t hers. she had wished          she could have kept herself stronger, but even strong people          break. the aching in her bones is nothing compared to her          two broken toes, a blister, and an ear infection. those are just          ailments that will pass by time, but it’s grief that takes awhile          to heal.

                               ❝ how was the funeral?                                 i bet she felt the same way about you too.❞

          their both throbbing from the pain. she’d known liz forbes all           her life & never once had she thought she would be taken away           so soon. that’s the funny thing about death, it’s always unexpect-           ed. & you can prepare it as much as you like, but it always gets           past your defenses. she’s glad she went to him first, in a weird           way he is the familiar scent of home to her. he was it for the           first four months, & now she feels found again. she feels right.

          she holds onto him tighter. this hug is much different from the           last one. where she could feel his joy and hers, she just feels           sadness. they are just two people holding onto each other            because they need it. bonnie needs him. & maybe he needs           her too. just bonnie, no witchy business. they’ve gotten this           far right? her head reaches the crook of his shoulder & she           doesn’t say anything when her vision is blurred by the tears.           she knows he can feel her petite body trembling in his arms,           she lets her anguish drown her out, it’s better than the silence.           the silence reminds her of 1994.

                              ❝ ask me again tomorrow.❞

           even if the blues runs through her veins, she knows there are            also other pressing matters. & her body stills in his arms. she            swears if damon could radiate warmth, he would this moment.            

                            ❝ i know i’m jumping the gun, but what should we do                                about your mom? ❞

     and had she been anyone other than liz forbes, he would      have probably turned her down. but he loved her. in the      end she'd been like the mother he'd lost too young. and      he hated that caroline had lost hers too young as well.

     he can feel her shaking. during their time together he got      to know her quite well and he knows she's probably feeling      some form of guilt for not being there. he still feels guilt for      leaving her there alone so he can't fault her on it. instead      he stoops down a little and moves his head so he can rest      it against her shoulder. he hasn't allowed himself a single      tear since she got sick because he was always around      caroline or elena. he knew they were probably in much      more pain than he was, so he wanted to keep it together      for them. with bonnie he felt like he could just be himself.

     he's still bowing down against her shoulder, the weight of      everything crushing him, when she asks about his mother.      he straightens out a little, moves so that he can place his      chin atop her head, and he lets out a tired breath.