Title: spilling out in constellations on the floor
Fandom: the vampire diaries
Rating: teen
Length: ~500 words
Author notes: +comfort for the bingo here, title from the bravery's the spectator, s1e9

It’s beyond late when Bonnie and Elena finish talking, finish crying. It’s almost exhausting- learning that vampires are real, talking about the many impressions she’s gotten through accidental touch, learning all that Elena’s been keeping to herself, talking about the details of the Emily dreams she didn’t want to admit (didn’t want to give the power to make them real).

Damon nearly killed her, failed not for lack of trying. And then what he did to Caroline, it makes her feel sick in a whole new way now that she knows about their mind control tricks. It makes her want to go to her Grams, because if this witchy stuff can give her the power to stop monsters- she’ll take it all. (The deeper she gets into this stuff, the more it feels like becoming the heir of some terrible history, and Bonnie just wants to make feathers float and cruel vampires burn.)

Dawn’s faint light is beginning to hit Elena’s room, and they’ve lapsed into a comfortable silence. Regardless of the fatigue, Bonnie feels wide awake, smiles as Elena clasps her hands.

“…I’m so sorry I convinced Stefan not to kill him.”

Bonnie doesn’t know if she wants to laugh or cry more, settling for a wry smile. “You’re a good person Elena.”

She shakes her head quickly, yanking her hands away to wipe at her eyes, “I knew, I knew the things he’d done and I still- it’s not goodness. It’s foolishness or naivete or not being able to bear knowing before-”

“Easy,” Bonnie interrupts her softly, thumbing away a lone tear, and then taking her hands, bringing them back on the pillow between them. “There should be some middle ground between roaming free and dead. You can’t blame yourself for not wanting an extreme.”

“That’s not- I mean yes. But I mean,” Elena pauses, squeezing her hands and taking a deep breath. “You’re precious to me. I love you. I’m so glad you’re okay.”

Bonnie smiles, pulling Elena closer to hug her- a far harder feat than it should be due to her fluffy comforter, “I love you too.”

The sun comes all the way up, and Bonnie remembers their first accidental all-nighter. Caroline snoring on the couch behind them, a few popcorn kernels thrown at her crinkling as she moves, the two of them on the rug, whispering about the Indiana Jones movies. (Mostly the heart ripping scene, because ew.) It had been the first of many, but tonight feels different.

This one feels like they’re both grasping at the past, knowing they must move forward. That the world has changed, and it’d be selfish to play pretend it hadn’t. That every moment is more, Bonnie’s lips quirk at the thought, precious.

Elena leans in to kiss her and oh.

Bonnie’s moonstruck, stupid with it. Their fingers are still tangled together, and Bonnie frees a hand to cup Elena’s cheek. She’s surprised but isn’t, everything makes an odd sort of sense at four in the morning. And Bonnie can ask questions later- if this is affirming she lives more solidly, or rebounding from death with the most alive person she knows, or something that’s been imminent ever since Elena declared them to be best friends forever. It doesn’t matter- not right now anyways.

Bonnie tilts her head, deepening the kiss.