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Oil Slick

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5

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Damon leaned against a wall with a tightening fist tucked into his pocket, his other hand casually held the glass his muse requested. He listened to his rival buttering her up from only a couple of yards away. Not being a fan of their body language was an understatement. Klaus was too casual and familiar with her; he smiled too much, joked too much, touched her too much. It took wanting to learn more about her not to snap Klaus' neck. Damon had a short-tempered side but it was nothing compared to his territorial nature. There could have been a divine intervention by God himself and it would not lessen his possessiveness by a single percent.

"...I've been working with Mister Salvatore for a little over a month." Bonnie openly admired the embroidered paisley design lining his blazer.

"Really? Him?" Klaus scoffed, he would rather dig into the deepest corners of the mind, studying every atom from the inside out, than 'play' with his food.

"That's not very nice. Maybe you should have gotten to me first. I'm a big fan of the avant-garde style." His blunt comment made her giggle in amusement. Klaus held an aristocratic air that allowed him to get away with his less than polite behavior. "That's not to say I don't enjoy working with Mister Salvatore. He's devoted to making the whole experience pleasant and most creative people that I've worked with are the opposite. Are you two... frenemies?"

Klause knew Damon was slowly building the perfect facade since the game between all the artists began. "We've been friends for many long years. We just like to give each other a hard time. What is he to you, little Bonnie?" Watching her buzzed face turn pink, he leaned closer and rested his hand at the small of her nape to feel the pulse she throbbed with.

"He's really sweet...listens... a giver." Bonnie moved away from the cold stale feeling he gave, slowly not to offend. "Despite his ambiguous nature, he has multiple redeeming qualities that he doesn't try to hide."

"Oh, wow," Klaus appointed in surprise to the drastic shift in Damon's attitude. "It must have been you."

"You'd know more than I would... I guess some people just change." Bonnie pondered and finished drinking the remaining wine. "I think whoever he decides to be with will be very lucky to have him. I'm surprised the man is single."

"Why not someone like you?" Klaus egged on knowingly. His eyes drank her in as he reached into his pocket for his business card. Bonnie shook her head disagreeing.

"Hopefully someone not like me. Haha! I'd be a big headache. I'm not girlfriend material. I get bored easily and lose interest pretty fast." Bonnie admitted. She knew her flaws and hoped she would be ready to face it head on one day.

"I'm sure someone out there is willing to change that. It's hard to believe you're not taken." Klaus complimented, purposefully laying his accent on thick to make her blush harder. Bonnie ran her tongue along her bottom lip in thought.

"I am...taken. It's not the best but I can't complain. I'm just there because deep down-I" She didn't want to admit she hated feeling lonely and knew he'd crawl back to take the blame. "He's not fickle like the rest. People pick you up and drop you when they're done. It's rare to find people like him. He's the kind of person that sticks around even when he doesn't get what he wants." Her buzz turned into light drunkenness, soothed by the way his thumb found it's way to rub against her lower back. The touch didn't bother her as much the second time and she allowed it.

Klaus finished his drink and gently clinked his glass with Bonnie's playfully. "If you were my muse, you wouldn't worry about things like that. It also wouldn't break a contract."

Bonnie tilted her head back and laughed at the notion. "An avant-garde boyfriend. Every mother's dream and nightmare. Do all of the artists have a strict contract?" She didn't notice herself swaying as she listened to faint music, her body taking over to its weakness.

The golden haired gentleman handed their glasses to a passing waiter. "Yes. They all do. Except for me. I'm about revealing one's true self. Being comfortable in one's own skin inside and out. Mind, heart, body, every vein, and thought. Digging deep and bringing it into the light. If something more comes from it, I let it. There's nothing wrong with that." His hand wrapped around Bonnie's waist as the other took her hand. Leading her close to the music, he began to slow dance with her. "It's a pity he couldn't fix that for you."

Bonnie lifted a brow as she followed his lead. "Easy there. It's not his job. He makes beautiful paintings and I help bring it out of him. I can't and won't expect more so on the bright side it's less to worry about. Enough about me. How do you not have a beautiful muse right now? What you do- it's so bold and brave. The way you can paint veins in bright colors from under the skin as if you've peeled it back to know how it looks. So ideally placed. The creative proportions when it comes to fingernail length and hair..."

"I was talking about your boyfriend leaving you unsatisfied, it's funny you thought I meant Damon." He tilted his head and pulled her closer. His eyes roaming over her flushed face, she was clearly drunk. "I'll accept your compliment about my work. The last piece I sold went for a few hundred thousand but I aim for bigger. You'd be perfect. You deserve to be in museums... I could have you in one or three or ten."

"I do don't I?" Bonnie smirked and pressed her shoulder up against her cheek vivaciously. "How would you go about it?"

Smirking at her cheeky behavior, he twirled and dipped her low earning a joyful yelp. "You'll have to let me take you out to lunch one day. Then when you feel comfortable enough-" Just as he pulled her up, the back his arm was grabbed and squeezed hard enough to fracture a bone.

"Klaus," Damon warned, the smile on his face conflicted with his eyes hinting on maniacal. "I see you've met my muse, Bonnie." Klaus did well to hide the pain as he let Bonnie step away to take the glass from Damon's other hand.

"Yes, we were talking about art styles... life... lunch. I don't have many friends in the city so it's nice to make a new one." It was the truth, Bonnie found herself feeling closed off more often than not. She enjoyed her own company but there were very few people she could count on. With all the networking, most relationships formed were shallow and short-lived. Most people in Los Angeles only got to know each other for the sake of having connections. Bonnie wasn't against social climbing but she felt being close to people that she could rely on was important.

"You heard the lady, friendly chat and a lunch date. Nothing to lift a brow at. Especially with your contract anyway." He knew how to get under people's skin in many ways. "You have no business with all of that," Klaus said waving a hand at Bonnie's flushed face.

Bonnie giggled and raised a hand. "Woah. Woah. Trust me, he's not interested. He's not into his muses, just cares."

"I'm right here. Can we go back to praising me? She was calling me a giver. I'm definitely that." Damon cut in, his fingers slipped around Bonnie's waist.

"Yea, no thanks." Klaus took Bonnie's hand and kissed the back of it. The attention she was receiving was making her head spin. "If your boyfriend and artist ever disappoint you, you know where to find me." He managed to walk off before Damon could make a remark. Looking down at her, he reminded himself that any other artist had a horse in this race.

"You should burn it." The vampire caught sight Kalus' business card that was tucked into Bonnie's hand.

"Ha. Maybe I will." She slipped the item into her clutch anyway interested in the colorful character.

Bonnie asked Damon to accompany her home sensing his annoyed mood as the night went on. After picking up her belongings from his place, they sat in the back seat as the driver headed to Kai's apartment. It was quiet for half of the ride until Bonnie removed her heels, unbuckled her seatbelt and turned to place her feet in his lap. Damon looked down to see a dainty bare foot. And then another on his thighs. He dutifully went to work as if it were a thing they always did.

With care, picking up a foot into his hands, his fingers curled around it to apply pressure. The soft flesh made his mouth water, he knew she'd taste amazing. Soft luminous skin always felt good around his fangs. Despite his super strength, he knew very well how to handle something he found highly valuable.

"I had a good time. To meet so many talented creators who don't care about quick sales is enlightening." Bonnie sighed while closing her eyes, with ease she relaxed under his touch. "Thank you for inviting me to the event and for the tickets." She had called her grandmother while getting ready for the dinner party and the woman was beyond excited. They talked about who had a new grandchild, who passed away, how her azaleas were doing, and other small things. Bonnie was still trying to figure out how she would bring up the subject of magic.

After she showed Caroline how she lit a candle, they started experimenting around the house and she managed to make a few face crystals levitate. The blonde then proceeded to make her apply Caroline's work makeup with her mind only. By the end, she was mentally exhausted and Caroline looked like a two-year-old that went crazy with colorful powders.

"Hmm." He worked his thumbs into the arches of her feet to get rid of the tightness.

"What you did for me, It means a lot. My Grams can't wait to see me, I can't wait to see her. You're a good person."

He let out a humorless chuckle.

"I mean it." She opened her eyes to give him a hopeful grin then closed them fully, letting her head fall back against the window.

"Maybe," Damon replied softly. His hands roamed from her ankles down to her pedicured toes. Massaging each little one gingerly. Though he was confident in being able to convince her to lie back with her dress up around her waist and her legs around him, he was content in his current position. The trip seemed to go by too quickly and he had to wake her once they parked outside of her apartment. His hand slid up her leg and curved on her hip to stay. Leaning over her, his other hand caressed a finger along her cheek.

Soft strokes, light enough to not completely wake her, were made until she stirred. Her green eyes slowly opened and she saw him only a few inches away from her face. She licked her lips and found herself looking at his mouth. "Hey." Her voice could barely leave her throat. His lips were beautifully darkened by the red wine and slightly plump as if he had been biting them. "You're home." Damon reluctantly told her, he didn't want her anywhere far from him. He was still angered that Klaus had planted a metaphorical seed in the card he handed her. She nodded slightly and shifted in her seat, her heartbeat raced when she noticed it only pulled their faces closer. He wasn't going to move back. "Thank you. For the tickets Mister Salvatore."

"You already said that Bonnie." His brow quirked up, eyes roaming her face. Impatiently he waited for her to cross the distance between them. It would have been a first. Kissing a muse since Katherine.

"I know. It's just big. For me." Bonnie could barely make out his faint smirk in the darkness. They gazed at each other under the moonlight in silence for a spell. Suddenly she remembered who she was, where she was, and what she was almost about to do. Still. "Goodnight,... Damon." No one ever said his name like it was something sacred like Bonnie. His breath caught in his throat and froze as she kissed his cheek.

Bonnie climbed out of the car with shoes in hand and waved before walking up the stairs to the building. Damon controlled himself, to keep from reaching out to pull her back in. Turning around at the entrance, she saw that he had not left and assumed he wouldn't until she got in safely. With a smile on her face, she playfully blew a kiss and entered the code to get into the lobby.

It was finally their last day working together before she left. Damon greeted her at the door and she noticed he was only wearing a pair of black pajama pants. Her happiness faded seeing him like that. She was growing more eager to work with him, especially before she had to fly soon.

"Was... was I not supposed to come today?" Bonnie frowned. Damon shook his head and opened the door wider. She entered and caught a glimpse of Katherine prancing by with a huge grin on her face.

"Oh, sorry. I forgot to say, good afternoon Mister Salvatore." She adjusted her work bag and smoothed a hand over her abdomen. Bonnie wore a simple pink wrap dress, a single knot at her waist kept it closed. Her wardrobe had changed over the past month. She invested in garments she could easily take off and put back on while looking stylish and put together not realizing it was how Damon intended it to be.

"You don't have to be so formal with me Bonnie." His lips quirked fondly and nudged her with his elbow. He could hear her heartbeat race, it excited him. "You're a little winded..."

"I decided to run a 5k this morning. I'm probably going to be sore tonight and tomorrow. So, are we painting in bed or something? A pajama party?" She teased pointing at his pants as they made their way into his studio. Going to his coffee machine, she openly stared at his defined muscles once his back was turned. "Would you like that? You know how accommodating I like to be."

Bonnie stared at the floor and counted to ten to hold herself together. The serious whisper in his voice was hinting on dirty without it being too obvious. "I-I was just joking. Painting... um. What were-What are we doing?" Just when she thought she was used to the aura surrounding him, it grew more intense.

"You'll be reclining but I won't. I'm going to be in a slightly awkward position so I thought I'd make myself as comfortable as possible." His wording didn't make it any easier to keep her mind from wandering. After Damon made their usual drinks, Bonnie took her tea from him and watched as he wrapped a cloth utility belt around his hips. Her eyes went were they naturally did to see a print from the thin clothing and knew exactly what it was. Lengthy, meaty, and nicely shaped all while in a calm state. Impressive. Settling on her art stool, she began to drink waiting for the rush of warm comfort to wash over her. Damon slid oil pastels of rich and jewel-toned colors into narrow slots of his cloth pouch.

"Bonnie, are you good with being in water? Getting your hair wet?"

"Yes. I loved going to the lake when I was a kid. I don't go to the beach but I plan to with a friend soon." The witch smiled. "I remember, when I was little, I'd buy turtles from the pet shop with my allowance and set them free at the lake-" Bonnie paused catching Damon staring at her, there was something soft in his eyes she also saw the night he took her home but it was gone before she could tuck it away in her mind.

He raised a hand and waved a finger to signal her to follow him upstairs. "Which beach are you planning to go to?" Bonnie held onto the rail as she climbed the spiral staircase. It was a part of the house she had never seen before but it was just as beautiful as the first floor. "Caroline and I are going to Miami Beach. I hear it's pretty congested so we might get a hotel north of there." He walked into his bedroom and closed the door behind her once she was inside. "Yea the drivers in MB are a fucking pain in the ass."

Bonnie gasped and put a hand over her mouth in surprise. "Mister Salvatore."

"Sorry if I offended you. I didn't mean for that to slip out." He didn't look apologetic but as if he had forgotten something. She shook her head but still felt slightly on elated being alone with him half-naked in his bedroom. "It's kind of... cool. I just didn't think you'd ever curse being, you know, older and dignified." His bedroom had dimmed red colored lights enhancing the dark red curtains and cherrywood furniture. The tall bedposts and headboard to his bed were also black with a large mirror on the ceiling directly above it. Black satin sheets were covered by a thick gunmetal grey comforter.

Bonnie wondered what sights that mirror had seen. She highly doubted he didn't have a woman in that bed on a regular basis. The caramel-skinned beauty found it lucky for them not to have any responsibilities when it came to having fun with her boss. Bonnie almost envied them.

The vampire raked a hand through his hair and snorted. "Cool? I'll remember that." Heading to his bathroom, he pushed the door and kept it open with a velvet tufted ottoman. The bathroom's walls and floors were covered in black tiles but the clawfoot tub was white and gold. The bright white light above was a sharp contrast to his bedroom.

After the tub was filled by one third and Bonnie undressed, she was covered in flowers and posed to lay nearly submerged except for her nose and mouth right above the water level. Her wrists were crossed and over her head resting against the rim of the bathtub. With her eyes shut she could feel the ripples of water as Damon covered the entire surface with dark red rose petals. "This is going to be... amazingly beautiful."

"Your work is amazingly beautiful." Bonnie opened her eyes to look up at him. She was proud to be able to say she worked with a talented artist that not only could capture every detail and shade she wouldn't have guessed to be used, but not afraid to enhance the surreal softness of his perception in a raw natural way. Pure art.

"Only because I have such a beautiful model." He gave a small smile. It was more genuine than the rehearsed smolder. He found her truly unique and a rare find, it would be a shame if Klaus interfered with what they had. "I mean it."

She accepted the compliment, it was to almost be expected. Bonnie worked hard to keep in shape, take good care of her skin, and maintain healthy long curls. It was more than a little expensive to maintain an appearance that was marketable enough while not having to rely on wigs and makeup. Sometimes there was a bit of stress that came along with it, wanting to be lazy or a cheap around the holidays. Working even harder after to reverse some of the damage on her skin and metabolism kept her on the right track to avoid any conditioning.

The run she had that morning was as good as any yoga or meditation session. No one could bother her, flirt with her, or ask for a favor. It was just her and her feet taking her down the road to wherever she wanted to go. It would have to be her favorite form of exercise while swimming against the waves would be a close second. "I'm a water baby, you know? You'll bring out more beauty if I'm near the water." She basked in the warm bathtub.

"Eyes open please," Damon instructed and watched her relaxed eyes spring back open. "The red makes your eyes pop, they're the stars of this show. What's a 'water baby'?"

Bonnie smiled and breathed deeply. "Feeling at home in the water. If I could live anywhere it'd be near the beach. I've always loved the water. It could be swimming pools, kiddie pools, a pond. Hot tubs are alright but I like to be stretched out. That reminds me. I should let you know I'm going to go to Miami in a couple weeks. With that and seeing my Grandmother, I won't be around much. Is there any way that we can work something out?"

"Wh...whatever you like as long as you give me a couple of weeks notice." Damon couldn't think straight, he needed to touch her again. She made the mistake of creating something. Not a simple void but a raging black hole. With the water losing its warmth, it became difficult for Bonnie to maintain her poise. "You're stiff." His hand rose and hovered above her knee and paused with fingers spread. "May I?"

"No, it's okay I'll just try to relax a little more. Thank you." Bonnie nodded, her body tensed feeling the ripple of the water near her core as his fingers roamed the shallow water to put adjust flower petals. "What made you want to be an artist?"

Her question made him pause. Most models preferred to talk about themselves, going on about the parties they attended or which celebrity they're allegedly friends with. "I started getting into art before my mother passed away, I was in my early teens. I studied portraits. Since charcoal was my favorite medium, mother bought me a box of them and I would draw her. Usually after piano lessons."

Bonnie smiled, she wanted to ask him what he could play but didn't want to interrupt. There was so much about him she knew very little about. Some nights when she laid next to Kai, her crush on Damon would enter her mind but nothing with depth, she only knew his basic information.

"After my mom died, I kept those portraits safe. They were the most important things to me out of all of my possessions. There is something about capturing something you find important or beautiful and holding onto it. Making it a 'forever'. A portrait is forever. No matter what. It helped with my mourning knowing there was something that was created that no one could buy or replicate. To me, it's far more precious than a picture. Photography is an art but it's not as intimate as what I do. There's a little piece of your soul, the artist, and the model's, in that portrait."

"Damon-I mean, Mister Salvatore, that's really something. It's nice to hear that you and your mother were close. Mine and I... we weren't. I feel like that's why I'm was such a water baby. She left me with my dad as a baby." Bonnie let out an empty laugh to the pain. "The water, it's certain, it doesn't decide to go just because things aren't easy. It surrounds me like an embrace or like I'm being cradled. I can completely give myself away and just float. It holds me up when I can't."

The white oil pastel he held in his hand froze in the air. It took a moment to remind himself it was just a game, there was no room for sympathy. No room to be moved and yet.

Xoxo