a bennett witch and the original Hybrid

9

"Can I come in?"

Klaus peeks inside the room, opening the dark oak door of the master suite just a little. After the whole debacle with Caroline this morning and their massive argument a few days ago, Bonnie locked herself inside her room and refused to talk to him for the rest of day. Her cold shoulder didn't bother him at first; that's how their relationship works, after all. Bickering and fighting over mundane things one minute and then getting together to plot revenge an hour later is a usual occurrence in their lives. This is different, though. Klaus expected things to go back to normal after their conversation this morning.

Even though Bonnie is not really engrossed in her 'History and Icons of Modern Dance' book, it takes her longer than necessary to divert her attention to Klaus. She's emotionally and physically exhausted from everything that's happened. Having another conversation with him is not appealing to her right now. All she wants is a good night's sleep and maybe pretend her life is not a hot mess.

Not bothering to wait for her response, Klaus pushes the door open with ease and enters the room. The energy surrounding them shifts the exact moment he steps on the plush white carpet covering the hardwood floor.

"Are you still mad, love?" Klaus asks in the smoothest voice he can manage and snickers when he's greeted with nothing but silence and an arched eyebrow. Her aloof expression is enough to clue him when it comes to her state of mind.

"Are you honestly asking me that question?"

Even though Bonnie had been determined to ignore Klaus at all costs and wallow in self-pity for the rest of the day, she can't hold herself. Is he serious or just being obtuse to get a reaction out of her?

"I know you take pride in being the original hybrid with no feelings, but you're a master manipulator. You know how to perfectly read people. Do you really think everything is okay?"

It's Klaus' turn to frown, not enjoying the way his chest constricts and his stomach churns with guilt. Well, he thinks that's guilt, but it's been so long since he felt that way that he's not sure he can recognize that sensation.

"Just because I said yes to staying here doesn't make things okay. You crushed me, Klaus," Bonnie whispers, her voice breaking when she utters the last sentence.

Seeing her like that, so vulnerable makes Klaus feel like a proper piece of shit. His little witch is usually so strong and powerful that it's easy to forget that she's not one of those hard hearted witches. With her clear face devoid of makeup, hair piled on top of her head in a messy bun, it dawns on Klaus how young Bonnie really is. Now that she's staring at him with those wide green eyes, Klaus can finally understand what Elijah's been telling him for the past two days: Bonnie's trying to play strong, but she's terrified.

"I'm sorry, love," Klaus says, the words feeling foreign as they leave his lips. Apologizing may not be his way of doing things, but he's not stupid. He's very much aware that he will have to suck it up and show his constriction if he wants to fix this situation.

Bonnie is taken aback by Klaus' genuine apology, unlike the bullshit one he had issued the day before. It's so much of a surprise that she doesn't really know how to react, preferring to analyze her mauve colored nail polish as if it's the world's most fascinating thing. For a minute or so, the only sound in the room is the one coming from the television. Bonnie wants to break that awkward silence and finally tell him everything she's thinking, but there's so much swirling in her mind that it's hard to string the words together.

Klaus notices a small crack on the wall Bonnie's been building around herself and he knows that's his chance to get closer to he, and he'll be damned if he doesn't take that chance. In a blink-and-you-miss-it motion, Klaus moves to sit next to her on the bed.