an evening i will not forget | stefan

“You’re telling me,” Stefan said, a half smile touching his lips as his gaze came to rest on Bonnie. He knew that she was right, it really was difficult to find a love like that and that was something that he had learned firsthand. He had thought that he’d found it with Elena but it turned out that he couldn’t have been more wrong about that. It had taken him a while to feel like he was ready to move on with someone new but now he knew that he was ready and he had somehow ended up developing feelings for Bonnie without even realising it. Now whenever he thought about being with someone new it was always Bonnie who sprang to mind and in a way that was scary but at the same time he knew what it was like to spend a long time alone. He had cut himself off from everyone for a long time after he became a vampire and it was only when he made his way to Mystic Falls that he had truly started letting people get close to him. For a long time before that very few people had known the real him and he knew that he didn’t want to go back to that life. He liked the way things were now and he was starting to realise that he needed to take the chance to be happy rather than punish himself for all of the awful things that he had done forever.

“I’m so glad to hear you say that,” he admitted as Bonnie said that she didn’t care what other people thought. He knew that his friends cared about him but it was different being friends with someone with his life than it was really wanting to be with them. In the end that was what had driven him and Elena apart, they were in different places in their lives and in the end wanting to be together hadn’t been enough. With Bonnie he didn’t have that problem, she knew everything so she could go into it with her eyes open and he was so happy that she really seemed to want to go for it. As she turned the question back around on him, Stefan brought his hand up and let it rest gently against her cheek. “I knew what I was getting into when I confessed my feelings for you,” he said, echoing her words from a few moments before with his eyes locked on hers as he spoke. “I won’t lie, I don’t like the thought of losing you one day but nothing in life is guaranteed so I’ll take whatever time I can get with you.” He knew that he could easily end up losing Bonnie one day and the thought did hurt but at the same time he knew that there were plenty of ways in which his own life could end up coming to an end. There were no guarantees so he knew that he wasn’t going to let something like that stand in their way.

As Bonnie spoke again, Stefan’s expression turned thoughtful for a moment. “In that case why don’t we make a day of it? We could go for a walk and a picnic and then go from there,” he suggested, hoping that Bonnie would be up for it. It had been a while since he had last been out on a date so he would be the first to admit that he was a little rusty but that had never stopped him before and he knew that he wasn’t going to let it do so now. As she thanked him, Stefan’s smile returned. “No problem,” he said, knowing that he would never get tired of spending time with her. As she said she couldn’t believe they spent a whole day dancing around each other like that, Stefan couldn’t help but laugh. “I don’t think either of us is very good at this,” he chuckled. He really hadn’t known how to tell Bonnie that he liked her and he hadn’t for one moment thought that she would like him back so it was still a bit of a shock but it was definitely a pleasant one to say the least. “I am too,” he admitted. “Now the hard part is out of the way we can take this at our own speed,” he added, wanting to make sure that Bonnie knew that she didn’t have to do anything she didn’t want to. Stefan was more than happy to take it slow.

BONNIE BENNETT

Stefan had learned a long time ago that chances were that the people he came to care about would end up dying sooner or later. It had been that way even before he became a vampire as his mom had died when he was young and after he died with Katherine’s blood in his system death and destruction had followed him wherever he had gone. A lot of that had been caused by Damon but Stefan couldn’t blame him, he had been selfish when he had made his brother complete the transition so that he wouldn’t have to face life as a vampire alone and he knew that it was only natural for Damon to have felt that way too. Now they were finally back on the right track at last and Stefan knew that this was his chance to be happy. He still wasn’t sure that he deserved it after everything that he had done but he knew that if someone has pure and as kind hearted as Bonnie could see past everything that he had done and want to be with him anyway then it was about time that he started to realise that he was worth it as well.

“Of course I understand, being a witch is who you are and I would never ask you to give that up,” Stefan assured her gently. He knew that he couldn’t do that to Bonnie, it was such a big part of who she was and she was the only one left to carry on the Bennett bloodline. He knew that her family didn’t have the best track record with vampires but Emily had been a friend to him and so had Sheila so Stefan knew that he wanted that line to continue for as long as possible. As Bonnie spoke again, Stefan’s expression softened. “You really mean that?” he asked, unable to deny that he was surprised. This was already so different to what he was used to, with Elena she had never given him any indication that she had wanted to become a vampire before it had happened and even though he’d learned later that it was what she’d wanted, it still hadn’t worked out between them anyway. There had been so much drama there and so many obstacles trying to keep them apart but it had never been that way between him and Bonnie. Before she left they had been friends but during her time away he had done his best to support her as much as he could and now being around her was easier than it ever had been with any girl he’d had feelings for before. He knew what he wanted his future to look like and whenever he thought about it Bonnie was right there beside him so whatever happened he knew that he would stay with her for as long as she would have him.

“Then it sounds like we’ve got ourselves a plan,” he said, a smile forming on his face as he looked over at her before her next comment drew a laugh from his lips. “Yeah, you’re probably right about that,” he chuckled. Stefan hadn’t thought that any of this would end up happening but he was so glad that it had. Bonnie meant so much more to him than he had told her, more than he was probably even ready to admit to himself just yet, but being with her felt right and he knew that there wasn’t anything that he wanted more. He’d meant it when he’d said that they could take things at their speed and he knew that he would be guided by Bonnie in that respect. He had lived so much longer than he had and he knew that the last thing he wanted was for her to feel like she had to rush into anything with him, he wanted her but he knew that he could be patient. As she asked if she could kiss him again, Stefan felt his smile return and without a word his hands cupped her cheeks and his lips found hers once more. After a few moments he leaned back slightly and let his forehead rest lightly against hers. “You didn’t even need to ask,” he said, his lips brushing hers as he spoke.

BONNIE BENNETT

For such a long time Stefan had thought that he was meant to end up alone but now he was starting to see that he was wrong. Bonnie was giving him another chance to be happy, another chance to be loved, and Stefan knew that he wanted to take it. This already felt different to his past relationships, Bonnie knew everything about him - both the good and the bad - so he didn't have to worry about her changing her mind about this when she learned about everything that he had done in the past or when she learned that he was a vampire or that he had kids. Bonnie was able to go into this with her eyes open and she wasn't afraid. She was one of the bravest people he had ever met and he knew that he truly was lucky that she felt the way she did about him. "Of course," he said gently. "If I could make myself human for you I would." There were some people like Caroline who absolutely thrived as vampires and then there were others like Stefan who lost control and hurt so many people. Emily had told him that it would be worse for him than it was for Damon and even though he hadn't known what she'd meant back then he had soon figured it out. Right now he had his bloodlust under control and he was desperate to keep it that way but he didn't doubt that Bonnie would help him with it if he needed it. As Bonnie spoke again, Stefan felt a smile form on his face. "In that case I hope we find a way to make it happen. I know the others don't want to lose you either." It was a big step for Bonnie to even be thinking about making but deep down Stefan hoped that she would.

Stefan was a little nervous about their date because he knew he didn't want to mess it up but more than anything he was looking forward to it. It has been a long time since he had last been on a date as he and Elena hadn't done much of that for quite some time but Stefan knew that he wanted to do right by Bonnie and he knew that he definitely wanted to be the guy that she deserved. It seemed that they were both as bad as each other when it came to voicing how they were feeling but now they had done the hard part he knew that it would no doubt be that much easier moving forward. It had surprised him a little when Bonnie had asked if she could kiss him again considering that she hadn't hesitated the first time but this time it was Stefan's turn to act without hesitation and he felt a smile tug at the corners of his mouth as he kissed her again.

Stefan didn't want to pull back but he knew he had to. It wasn't long before Bonnie connected their lips again this time though and he allowed himself to get lost in the feeling. As Bonnie eventually pulled away he brought his hand up and ran it gently down her cheek. She really was beautiful and a part of him couldn't help but wonder if this was all just a dream but if it was then it was one that he didn't want to wake up from. "I meant it when I said we can take this slow but how would you feel about staying here tonight and then we can start our date in the morning?" he asked. "If you don't want to that's ok but if you do we don't have to do anything other than sleep."

BONNIE BENNETT

Stefan would be the first to admit that being a vampire wasn’t easy, in all honesty he struggled a lot with his bloodlust and it was something that he had to deal with every day. Not only that but it wasn’t easy seeing the people he cared about grow old and die while he remained the same either so for a long time he had done his best to keep his distance from people. He had only changed his mind about that when he’d moved back to Mystic Falls but the truth was that he didn’t regret it. Things hadn’t worked out with Elena but that was ok, she had helped him open his heart to people again and he knew that he would always be grateful to her for that. With Bonnie he honestly felt like they had something special, though, so if there was a way for him to give up being a vampire in favour of having a regular life with her then he knew that he would do it but unfortunately there wasn’t so he really did hope that they would find a way so that she could stay with them all. “Tatia’s son Lukas made himself immortal and kept his magic but I’m not sure how. He or Henrik might be a good place to start when you’re ready,” he offered. There wasn’t any rush right now but he couldn’t deny that the idea of more than a human lifetime with Bonnie was incredibly appealing.

Looking at Bonnie now, Stefan still couldn’t believe how brave she had been that evening. Not only had she kissed him but she had been the one to ask him out even with everything that she knew about him and that still surprised him even now. He knew Bonnie well enough by now to know that she wouldn’t have done any of that if she wasn’t sure but he still worried that one day she might end up waking up and regretting the choice she’d made. There were a lot of things that he couldn’t give her like a normal family but right now at least she didn’t seem worried about that so he knew that he wanted to see where this was going to go. Asking Bonnie to stay was a big step but Stefan meant it when he said that nothing had to happen and he felt a smile touch his lips as Bonnie confirmed that she could stay. “Great,” he said, brushing her hair away from her eyes gently as his gaze met hers. Her next words were enough to surprise him once more and he cupped her cheeks with both hands before pressing his lips against hers gently. “I want to but only if you’re sure,” he said, not wanting Bonnie to feel like he was pressuring her in the least. “If not then we can wait, I’d settle for just being able to wake up next to you,” he added. He wasn’t the kind of guy to rush into anything but with her he knew that he wanted everything and if it took time to get there then he was prepared to wait. “I’ll understand if you think it’s too early to put a label on this but how would you feel about being my girlfriend?”

BONNIE BENNETT

Stefan had always known that getting close to people who were mortal meant running the risk of losing them one day but he also knew that there weren’t any guarantees that vampires would live forever either. He had already gone through losing Lexi and she had lived for much longer than he had. Anything could happen so he knew better than to take a moment of the time he had with the people he cared about for granted. Just the fact that Bonnie was willing to consider making herself immortal meant the world to him. He knew that she wouldn’t just be doing it for him, she would be doing it for all of them, but as far as he was concerned that just went to show the kind of person she really was. “We’ll find a way that doesn’t involve you giving up your magic, I promise,” he assured her. It was such a big part of who Bonnie was and he refused to let her give that up for him or anyone else. It was one of the things who made her who she was and nothing about her needed to change. “I’m sure they’ll be able to help.”

He hadn’t expected Bonnie to say that she wanted more but as she turned it back around on him he knew that he had to be honest. Of course he wanted that too, there was no way he wouldn’t, but he had wanted to make sure and he smiled into the kiss as Bonnie kissed him back before saying that she was sure. Resting his hand against her cheek, he pressed his lips against hers once more. “It sounds like that’s settled then,” he said, letting his forehead rest lightly against hers as he ran his hand down her arm and gave her hand a gentle squeeze. “You’re welcome to stay over as often as you like,” he added although he knew that Bonnie’s house would offer them much more privacy than the Boarding House would. He hadn’t wanted to presume, though, so he had to give Bonnie the option. Stefan had known that by asking Bonnie how she would feel about being his girlfriend he could be completely killing the mood if she wasn’t ready for that but he’d felt like he’d needed to make sure so he didn’t regret asking. As she said she had to think about it, Stefan studied her carefully for a moment before feeling his smile return as she spoke again. “You had me worried there for a minute,” he teased before kissing her back without any hesitation whatsoever. This kiss was different to the ones before, there was so much passion in it and Stefan was able to meet that with equal measure with ease. It still felt so surreal that he was actually kissing Bonnie right now but it felt so right and he knew that he didn’t want to stop. As the kiss broke he took her hand in his once more and led her in the direction of the stairs, stopping every few steps to kiss her on the way.

BONNIE BENNETT

Stefan couldn’t believe the turn the night had taken. Earlier that day, he hadn’t even known that Bonnie was going to be returning home so it had come as a surprise when she had called him and asked if he could pick her up from the station but so much had changed since then. They’d had a great time together at the Grill and he knew that he wouldn’t change it for the world. He hadn’t expected things to develop as much as they had done but now he was looking forward to seeing what the future was going to hold and he hadn’t felt that way for a long time. With Bonnie it felt so right and he could see that she was serious about finding a way to make herself immortal so he knew that they would figure it out together. There was a time when he hadn’t thought that Bonnie would ever even talk to him let alone want to be with him so he knew that things had definitely changed for the better. “We can do this,” he said, a smile forming on his face as his eyes met hers.

It felt strange to feel this happy but it was something that Stefan knew that he could definitely get used to. He and Elena were together for a while but they had drifted apart and in the end they had both realised that they were staying together because they had thought they should. He knew now that they weren’t right for each other but with Bonnie he truly felt like they were. He wasn’t used to feeling this strongly about someone but he knew that it was something that he didn’t want to lose. “It will definitely give us more privacy than we’ll get here,” he chuckled. He loved the Boarding House but it had definitely changed from the days when it was just him and Damon living there. He knew that he wouldn’t want it any other way since Jacob and Lucy were living there too and so was Tatia but he couldn’t deny that he liked the idea of having a place that they could escape to and have some time where they were truly alone, just like Damon and Claire had with her place. Stefan’s smile turned playful as Bonnie nudged him but soon enough her lips were on his and they both poured everything they had into it. Leading them in the direction of the stairs, Stefan couldn’t ignore the way Bonnie’s grip on his hand tightened and he lifted their joined hands and kissed her knuckles gently. He wasn’t sure what was going on inside her head right now but he knew that he wasn’t going to let her go. It didn’t take them long before they reached his room and Stefan found himself kissing Bonnie back in kind as she used her magic to close the door and lock it. “That could come in handy,” he said, a smile touching his lips as he kissed her neck gently and his hands found the hem of her shirt which he slowly began to lift to free her from it.

BONNIE BENNETT

Stefan had known that the time was right for him to move on and start something new but it had to be said that right now things were going so much better than he had thought possible. He had suspected that he had developed feelings for Bonnie after all those nights talking on the phone while she was looking after her dad but he had never for one moment thought that Bonnie would feel the same. Seeing her again had made him realise just how strong those feelings had become but he had never expected her to want any of this. He knew that his past was complicated, he had done a lot of things that he wasn't proud of and there were plenty of things about his life that would probably put others off but Bonnie knew it all and she still wanted to be with him so he knew that he really couldn't ask for anything more than that.

"So I see," Stefan said, a playful smile forming on his face as his eyes met Bonnie's. "Maybe you can show me some more some time," he suggested. He had seen a bit of magic over the years but there was still so much that he didn't know. It was such a big part of Bonnie's life, though, just like it was with Lucy so he knew that he wanted to learn more about it. The sigh that came from Bonnie's lips was enough to make him realise that he had to be doing something right and he lifted her shirt off with ease. It wasn't long before his own followed suit and he felt his cheeks flush red slightly at her words. "I could say the same about you," he admitted. "You're more than that, you're beautiful." He had always been a little self conscious about his body but it did mean a lot to hear those words from Bonnie and he wanted to make sure that she knew how he saw her too. Launching straight into something wasn't really Stefan's style, he had been born into a different time and even now he still tried to be respectful and a gentleman but he couldn't deny that this felt right and it was clear just how much Bonnie wanted this too.

As she spoke again, Stefan's expression softened. "I'm the lucky one, you really are incredible Bonnie," he said gently before kissing her back just as passionately. He had known that before she had left but he had come to realise it so much more during her time away. Soon enough his legs hit the edge of his bed and a surprised smile formed on his face as Bonnie pushed him down onto it, his hands reaching for Bonnie as she joined him. All of this felt like a dream but if it was then it was one that Stefan definitely didn't want to wake up from. He hadn't known how Bonnie's lips would feel against his own until that night but he already knew that he would never be able to get enough of that feeling and he knew that he wanted to make the most of this chance to continue getting to know her in a new way. He wanted this just as much as Bonnie did and he wasn't afraid to show her that.

---

Stefan had grown so used to sleeping alone after his last relationship ended that it took a few moments for the events of the night before to come flooding back to him but then he felt Bonnie begin to stir and the feeling of her lips against his cheek was enough to draw a smile to his lips as he wrapped his arms around her. "Good morning," he said, brushing a hand over his eyes to wipe the sleep from them before opening them and running his fingers over the skin of her shoulder in light circles. "It does, I think we ought to do this every morning," he admitted, hooking a finger under her chin before pressing a gentle kiss to her lips. "How are you feeling, any regrets?" he asked. He was pretty sure that he already knew the answer to that question but he needed to make sure.

BONNIE BENNETT