Matt
Out of everyone he knew she was the one that deserved to live the most. So when he hears that Bonnie is back he feels relief and he immediately drives over to her house to see her.
Only to be sent away by Damon, and he just figures he's being a dick as per usual but when he doesn't see Caroline anywhere in sight, how she sounded on the phone registers and he knows what she was most likely about to warn him about before he abruptly ended the call, ignoring her call back as he drove to Bonnie's house.
Yet that doesn't explain why Damon is here and currently inside of her house, and he's just about to ask Damon as much and what makes him qualified to to turn them all away. But then it hits him―they were stuck together for four months. Maybe their relationship had changed more than everyone thought. It certainly explains why he was so determined on finding a way to bring her back and insisting it wasn't for Elena. Maybe it was for him.
"When she's ready you'll be the first―well beside Blondie―to know." Damon smiles mockingly at Matt but the smile is gone when he looks over to Elena who has chosen just that moment to make her appearance and Matt knows that they must be in some kind of fight if he's turning her away. To which he can't help but roll his eyes and he's torn between leaving and insisting that Damon lets him in but his internal debate is settled when he hears Elena start to say that as Bonnie's best friend she should be allowed to see her.
"Bon, you don't have to go to this thing if you don't want too. I'm sure Care will understand if you can't do it."
Bonnie smiles when she hears Matt's greeting when she opens the door and cups his face as he looks down shyly "I love you for saying that but we both know that this is inevitable." she lets him go as she steps outside pulling the door closed behind her "It's better to just get it over with now. They'll only ride me until I agree if I keep saying no."
"But-"
"Matt, I'm fine. Really." She tries to assure him.
Matt looks at her and she sighs looking away clearly remembering who she's talking too. Being that they were both afterthoughts for the most part, he and Bonnie spent most of the down time that they had together. And as result they had gotten to the point where they weren't able to get away with lying to each other as much as they could with the others. It was nice to see that that hadn't changed in the recent absence in each other's life.
"I just need to make it through tonight."
"And what happens when you can't?"
"Matt…"
"No," he frowns at her "if you can barely handle being around two people at a time what makes you think you will be able to handle a house full of people?"
"How…"
"You looked like you were going to have a panic attack when you saw that Care had brought everyone over the other night." Matt says remembering the movie night Caroline said she had gotten Bonnie to agree too. He thought that meant Bonnie was getting better but when he saw the look on her face when she opened the door he knew otherwise. He was going to suggest that they reschedule but before he could even get the words out Bonnie had stepped aside and right when she closed the door, she was escorted to the kitchen by Damon. Who held up a hand to Caroline when she tried to follow making it clear that he wasn't happy about her extending her invite to Elena and himself.
"I asked Tyler to distract Caroline. So as soon as I get overwhelmed I can leave." Bonnie says bringing him out of his thoughts.
"And you think Caroline isn't going to have someone else keeping tabs on you?"
"And" he cuts her off when she opens her mouth "what about Jeremy?"
"What about Jeremy?"
"He's not going to pass up the opportunity to see or talk to you." Matt smiles knowing Bonnie can't deny his argument.
"Maybe he's bringing a date." Bonnie shrugs "Or he'll leave when he sees that I'm not…" she trails off when she sees the look on his face "I honestly don't care Matt. Me and Jeremy are done. So whatever he tries tonight...it's not going to work. I'm not trying to be a bitch or anything but I can't do it anymore and if he has a problem with letting me go then that's not my problem."
Matt blinks several times, having not been ready for that but he smiles figuring that it was about time that she's over putting other's happiness and wants before her own so with that he nods and steps aside motioning for her to go first and opens the car door for her, closing it once he sees that she's seated.
Ten minutes later they're at the front door to the boarding house and he looks at Bonnie and holds out his hand waiting for her to take it. Returning her smile when she takes it nodding her head when he tells her to squeeze if it's too much and they'll make a run for it.
He wants to eat those words a minute later when she has a death grip on his hand as soon as the door opens only to sigh in relief when Damon comes out of nowhere, guiding her off to another part of the boarding house. He bites his lip as he snaps his thumb back into place, a frown settling across his features once he notices the amused look on Tyler's face when he grimaces in pain from his actions.
"You need-"
"No, I'm fine." He shakes his head not wanting any blood anywhere near him.
"How is she?"
"The house hasn't been set on fire and no light bulbs have exploded so that's a good sign. She said she'll be spending most of the time outside so I think she'll be able to make it and if not, she said she'll call me and I'll take her home."
"So she's not…"
"Nope." Matt shakes his head.
When Caroline breezes past him after placing a red cup in his hand he thanks her with a smile and nearly downs the whole cup in one go. Actually enjoying the burn as it slides down his throat, ignoring Tyler's muffled laugh when he winces.
The next time Matt sees Bonnie he spots her standing across the room with her hand in Stefan's, noticing that their fingers are interlaced and when he sees the look the younger Salvatore gives her when her attention shifts elsewhere he frowns wondering when that happened. Eventually he figures it's just the alcohol talking but when he sees the annoyed look on Stefan's face as Bonnie talks to Jeremy, he starts to come to the conclusion that the Salvatores have finally looked at Bonnie. Though Matt's attention is shifted elsewhere when he hears someone call his name, smiling when he finds that the source is from the brunette Caroline has been not so subtly laying groundwork for. Her latest attempt at playing matchmaker.
"Penny." He smiles, his eyes flitting to Caroline who raises her cup towards him with a grin on her face before turning her attention to Bonnie and Stefan clearly struggling if she should go up to them or not.