Disclaimer: TVD doesn't belong to me.
Chapter musical inspiration: "If I Could Change Your Mind" by Haim.
By the time the sun had set on the city, creating an amazing visual of colors like pink, blue, and yellow blended together, Bonnie and Kai returned from their tour of the bayou and aquarium and now entered the heart of the city where musicians created a vivacious scene on almost every street. Bonnie enjoyed experiencing the city in this mode, strolling through the streets while clutching one side of her floral maxi dress and allowing herself to quietly observe. Similarly, Kai walked silently next to her with his hands buried in his pockets as his eyes roamed around eagerly. For him, being able to explore the new place excited him to the point of completely forgetting about his bitterness towards his family and his previous plans for revenge. Beyond all their personal problems, the two had forged an even closer sense of trust, and Bonnie herself even started to lose her original wariness and suspicion of him.
The peaceful walk ended abruptly once Bonnie noticed a familiar figure standing by the edge of the Mississippi River. The view was extremely beautiful with the sunset reflecting upon the water while an old fashioned steamboat played a whimsical tune in the background. If it weren't for the smirking Klaus in front of her, Bonnie might have enjoyed it.
"Great," she grumbled while turning to look at Kai, "Let me handle this and do most of the talking."
Kai feigned surprise, "Are you saying you don't trust me?" He pouted dramatically, adding a hand over his heart to complete the artificial display of disappointment.
Bonnie flashed him a bright smile and patted his shoulder. "Yes exactly!" Her face transitioned into a serious expression as she tried to emphasize her point. "I know Klaus seems like some awesome mythical figure that models the kind of psycho you aspire to be, but he is dangerous, complicated, and unpredictable. I have dealt with him before, so it's best if I do it alone." Bonnie frowned when she noticed the almost hurt expression that appeared on his face briefly, but once she blinked, the expression was gone and replaced with one of indifference.
"Whatever, I'm going to head over to those shops that we passed by and browse. I'll find you afterwards," he turned his back without even a hand wave or head nod, which left Bonnie worried. Regret at her previous words, particularly psycho, took over. Not having the time to mull over it, she turned around and moved forward until she stood at a comfortable distance.
Klaus flashed her his signature smirk, "Good evening, witch. Interesting that I find you here in New Orleans."
Bonnie crossed her arms, narrowing her eyes. "Yeah. I forgot you moved here."
"Yes, I returned to my home," his eyes lost focus, gazing in the distance. "What's left of it any way." He blinked, returning his attention to Bonnie. "You've met Marcel."
Klaus' tense demeanor puzzled her. She assumed Marcel and he were close friends, since both liked to threaten people.
"Yeah. Can't say I enjoyed it. So you aren't on board with his witch hunt?"
Klaus chuckled at her choice of words, shaking his head to answer her question. "I returned to New Orleans to discover that Marcel had established his power and claimed New Orleans as his new domain when I left. He's even convinced that he has surpassed me by taking over himself despite the fact I made him who he is." By now, Klaus gritted his teeth and tightened his fists, clearly growing angrier with each word he uttered.
Bonnie stood completely shocked by the whole story. Never in a million years would Klaus become second in command to anyone, at least not willingly and for long. She tightened the grip on her interlocked arms as a troubling thought popped into her head. "Don't tell me you need a witch to help you reclaim your territory."
His face practically lit up at her words, which confirmed Bonnie's suspicions. Before he could say another word, she shook her head vigorously and vehemently denied the offer. "No way. I'm not getting involved."
"C'mon love, where is your sense of adventure?"
Bonnie grimaced, "My sense of adventure left the building when I was trapped on the Other Side alone after dying for the third time. I am officially retired from getting involved in any supernatural craziness."
"Are we having fun yet?" The words, spoken in a dry tone, made both Bonnie and Klaus look up. Kai approached looking tiredly at Bonnie, but once he turned to Klaus, he offered a smile and reached out to shake hands with Klaus.
"I was just telling Bonnie here about an offer I have for her and you if you're interested," informed Klaus as his smile widened, showing his dimples. Bonnie recognized Klaus' charm card that he often uses when trying to convince someone to do his bidding, other than just straightforward threatening, of course.
Before Kai could even express interest in the idea, Bonnie spoke up, "We're not interested Klaus. I'm sure there are a plethora of witches you could call to help out."
Kai's eyes moved back and forth between them, not liking being out of the loop. "What's the offer?" He asked this question directly to Klaus, avoiding Bonnie's steely gaze.
Klaus' already blue eyes seemed to brighten in that moment as he became gleeful at the prospect of possibly having Kai on board. "I need a witch to support me as I take down Marcel. I would be forever in your debt," he bowed his head in reverence.
Bonnie could gag at the sight, but she remained focused on ridding Klaus of any hope that either she or Kai would help. "You never offer something without an ulterior motive and getting involved in your fight with Marcel, who has an intense hatred for witches, has disaster written all over it. Kai and I don't want to be at the mercy of a vampire's control."
Klaus could only stare at the young witch in astonishment. While he was away from Mystic Falls, she appeared to develop a backbone. He couldn't' help but smile at the thought as he always thought she wasted her potential helping out the Salavatores and the doppelganger.
"I understand Bonnie. Truly, I do. As it turns out, I do know a few witches right here in this city who wouldn't mind aiding me in my efforts, but I thought I'd ask the best first." He motioned towards Bonnie and Kai, "And you two are just that."
Kai's pride swelled at the compliment. All he wanted all along was to regain his powers and accumulate respect and helping Klaus most definitely would put him in the right direction. However, a small feeling of resistance kept him from ditching Bonnie and agreeing to help Klaus, and Kai knew the feeling derived from his own attachment to her, which had significantly grown over the past few days. The realization implanted a tiny sense of resentment towards her, but it wasn't strong enough to convince him to abandon her now. "Bonnie's right. We have to get back to Mystic Falls, anyway."
Wide eyed, Bonnie twisted her head to the side in order to glimpse at Kai, and she remained in that position for a long time as disbelief started to settle in. If there was a sliver of chance that Kai had been artificial this entire time in order to manipulate her, then he must deserve an Oscar for the performance, because he was incredibly believable. Bonnie's frantic thoughts raced through her mind—Kai just chose her over an opportunity to separate from the group at Mystic Falls, help an incredibly powerful Original, and subsequently strengthen his powers. In fact, Kai's chance to pursue his vendetta with his siblings could only be helped by his association with Klaus, since it would give him time to plan and attack Mystic Falls at any time. Nonetheless, he didn't, and the implications of his decision spurred fondness for the warlock within her.
"Whenever you two decide to return or change your minds," Klaus finally filled the silence, directing his gaze at Bonnie, "You are always welcome. Marcel knows you two are my guests, and he isn't stupid enough to try anything."
His words startled Bonnie, and despite her best efforts she felt inclined to believe him. "Thanks Klaus," she expressed the gratitude a bit wearily but also sincerely. Klaus nodded in her direction and waved at Kai. "Until next time," he exclaimed before turning around and gliding down the street into the crowds of tourists and residents who filled the streets.
After he left, Bonnie spun around, making sure to look Kai directly in the eye. "You denied his offer," she declared.
He tilted his head so that he could look into her eyes, "Yeah. Surprised?" He questions her, noticeably agitated, and once again, Bonnie feels bad.
"A little," she admitted. His bitter smirk prompted her to continue and explain herself, "But can you blame me? I'm trying Kai. I really am trying to trust you, but you can't be mad at me for still being hesitant."
Kai bit the side of his cheek, his foot tapping against the road. He didn't want to admit out loud how hurt he felt over her doubting him again, but he understood her point. He sighed, looking more worn out than she had ever seen him. "I get it."
They didn't break the steady gaze between them until the soft notes of a slow song, being played by a small group of musicians, began to waft through the air. One by one, couples who had been walking by or lingering by the water, started to dance along to the music. Bonnie twiddled her thumbs together and stole a glance at Kai who stood watching the scene before him with a blank expression. His behavior towards her could only be described as bizarre given how he usually teases her enthusiastically or pesters her obnoxiously. But, Bonnie had never witnessed him behave like this before—tense, distant, and somber—which only increased her concern. Why do I care? Echoed the persistent voice of reason in her head. Because you just do, it scolded right back. Bonnie exhaled deeply, her shoulder sagging slightly, before resting her hand on his arm, which signaled him to meet her eyes.
"Dance with me?" She made the request so warmly that Kai needed to blink a few times to reassure himself this was happening. Not really trusting his own voice due to his surprise, he only nodded while grabbing her hand and leading them a few steps forward. The two fell into the classic partner dance position—Bonnie resting one hand on his shoulder, Kai holding her waist, and both hands laced together—creating a convincing picture to any outsider that they were together. As they began to sway to the music, Bonnie worked up the nerve to address the root of the tension between them. "I'm sorry," she expressed. She made sure to maintain eye contact as she spoke, "I shouldn't have called you a psycho—not that you can't be classified as one based on your past behavior…" She squeezed the hand that held hers when she noticed him tensing again, "But because you have helped me a lot and give me no reason to doubt you. I appreciate you being there for me and just talking to me, Kai. All of it. I really like hanging out with you even though you are a huge pain in the ass." She finished her statement with a glowing smile and even released a giggle when Kai's own face broke out into a real smile. "So, I'll try to make an effort to not call you too many names anymore." She released her hand from his hold, reaching up to pat his face jokingly, and resumed holding hands with him.
He spun her around, making Bonnie laugh before bringing her close to him. Kai gazed at Bonnie, feeling an overwhelming sensation of happiness, and he persisted in looking at her with affection. "No one has ever apologized for hurting my feelings before." The confession showcased his vulnerability, something that he never exposes to anyone, but Bonnie was different. "Thanks."
Bonnie nodded as she positioned her head against his chest, not even realizing that she chose where his heart lay until the steady beating reverberated through her ears.
"Mystic Falls has nothing on this place," he whispered. "Do we really have to leave?"
Bonnie pulled away, looking into his eyes. "Do you want to hang around while Klaus and Marcel battle against each other for the bigger ego?" Smiling gently, she prodded him with her nose, barely nuzzling it against his chin before Kai could process it. "No drama is a good thing."
Regaining the breath he lost when Bonnie initiated the surprisingly tender sign on affection, he tried to reclaim his usual sarcastic demeanor, "But I live for drama." The sound of her laughter comforted him and encouraged him to share more, "I'm kind of suspicious of everyone there, I mean they hate me. It'd be pretty awkward if we returned and were ambushed. Or I would get ambushed."
"That's not going to happen. I wouldn't let them." She spoke the words so confidently as if she had already decided to protect him against anyone who tried something. She really meant it, too.
Without any warning, Kai grabbed her face, pulling her so close that their noses touched. Paralyzed with confusion and pure shock, Bonnie remained silent as Kai began to ramble.
"See when you say things like that…I can't help but wonder if 'friends' is really the right term for us."
"Malachai," she warned, instantly starting to panic. Her attempt to sound threatening was feeble, because Kai just laughed heartily at the use of his full name. "So you use the full name card when you are trying to make me think you are really pissed at me. I like it," he spoke softly as he pressed his forehead against hers. "Am I crazy?"
In an effort to calm herself down, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "No." She really surprised herself with that answer. "But, we need to focus on dealing with everyone in Mystic Falls first—I don't think coming back from New Orleans dating would be the best idea—" Bonnie froze, completely horrified that she brought up "dating." She desperately tried to backtrack, "Not that I was thinking of dating you or anything." Smiling nervously, Bonnie began to scope out their surroundings, "Let's get some ice cream or something. I am suddenly starving." Before Kai could answer, he was being pulled by the petite witch through the crowds until they found an ice cream shop. Willing to let go the discussion for now, Kai happily allowed Bonnie to lead him through the city, enjoying the sound of her nervous chatter along the way.
A/N: A gift in honor of Valentine's Day! I am so nervous for the upcoming episode of TVD—I just don't want to be disappointed again, but I have no faith in the writers of that show. I mean what kind of friends throw a birthday party for a friend whom they know is stuck in some alternate universe and just decide to go forward with an occasion as cheery as a party? I would be moping around and complaining about how there needs to be a way to get my friend back—not eating cake and decorating lol Doesn't Bonnie get treated badly enough? Meh. Anyway, I just wanted to give a quick shout out to a very observant reviewer who asked why Marcel hadn't busted Bonnie and Kai for doing magic, since they did it twice within the borders of the city. Well, the answer to that question is that Marcel just happened to be super distracted those two moments lol Honestly, I never thought about it while I was writing, so try to pretend that Kai and Bonnie found a subtle way to use magic that didn't alert Marcel :) I have to admit that I only watched the premier episode of The Originals, so I forget exactly how Marcel kept tabs on witches in the city…oh well! Hope you all enjoyed this chapter, and once again, a huge thank you to all who are reading and leaving awesome reviews as well as those who placed the story on your favorite/alert lists! It's much appreciated!
