Crumbling Hearts and Shattered Minds

Chapter 32: Coming Home

Damon's POV

I woke to the sound of Klaus walking around the hotel room and things being noisily moved around.

I groaned but it soon turned into a warning growl. I didn't want to be woken up anytime soon and my annoying hybrid hotel roommate is ruining that plan. The bustling about stopped as soon as the footsteps did.

I heard a low chuckle and felt like jumping out of bed and tackling his snarky ass down. But I wasn't anywhere willing enough to get up just yet.

"Come on, pet. Don't want to miss our plane do we?" He whispered smoothly alarmingly close to my ear. But I didn't pay attention to that.

I bolted up so that I was sitting on the side of my bed with my legs flung over the edge and stared wide-eyed at him.

"What? Where are we going?" I asked as a flicker of hope spring in my chest. I saw the older vampire smirk and the hope lessened a little.

"Now you're eager to travel?" He asked, completely avoiding my question. I glared at him and he sighed dramatically.

"Oh come now, Damon! You just have to take my fun away, don't you?" He asked while motioning exasperatedly with both his arms. I felt my glare soften and I couldn't help the small grin that sprouted on my face.

"Can we at least go somewhere that isn't boring? I love it here but I was thinking along the lines of New Orleans." I stated with a smirk of my own. Klaus let out a small huff of laughter and his smile turned genuine.

"I like the way you think, Salvatore. But I was thinking of visiting a small town I know." He stated with a shrug. I groaned.

"Oh come on! Small towns are the definition of boring!" I said while throwing myself back so I was lying spread eagle on the messy mattress.

"Oh I don't know. Not all of them. The one I had in mind has quiet a history behind it." He continued. I slowly sat up again to see him sit facing me on his own bed.

"What kind of history?" I asked, cautiously optimistic.

"One riddled with vampires, werewolves and witches. I'm pretty sure you might see some familiar faces if we are to go there." He said while looking me in the eye and smirking.

The unneeded breath escaped me and I felt frozen for a second.

But only a second.

"We're going back home?" I asked in a voice that lacked all my usual bravado. Klaus simply nodded and smiled. I jumped up and started pacing while laughing like a crazy person.

"We're going home." Klaus said, more to show that he wasn't kidding.

"I could kiss you right now." I said without thought.

"Wouldn't be the first time." Klaus responded without missing a beat. He reclined back on his bed and folded his arms behind his head.

"Hey, that was all you!" I said after I recovered from what just happened.

"Yeah, well, you didn't have to use tongue." He said with his eyes closed, looking completely trouble free.

"Okay, lets drop this, shall we? When do we leave?" I changed the direction of conversation.

"In five hours." He responded shortly.

That's when I took the time to actually look around the five-star room. Everything was as it was when we came, with the exception of the sprawled out vampire in the bed and the bags of clothes that Klaus had bought in the middle of the floor.

"You are obviously ready to leave." I noted out loud. Klaus hummed in agreement.

"I knew you'd want to get back to your precious brother and friends sooner rather than later." He muttered without much emotion.

"Why?" I asked suddenly as a wondering thought popped into my head.

"Why would you want to go back to that miserable town? I don't know, mate. You've got me stumped there." He sighed.

"No. Why take me back?" I asked genuinely curious.

"Because. We finished what I brought you here for and you are not as good at hiding your emotions as you seem to believe. Not around me anyways." He explained, while sitting up. I gave him a questioning look.

"What do you mean not around you?" I asked, perplexed.

"You're emotions are clear as day to me, Salvatore." He stated with a smirk as he stood and walked towards me. I squinted at him, trying to figure out if he was actually telling the truth.

"That's a bit creepy, hybrid. Exactly how much attention do you pay to me?" I asked while throwing in a head tilt and a smirk with my squint.

"It doesn't take a lot to read you. Now, what would you like to do with the five hours we have?" He asked while mimicking my look. I rolled my eyes and put a finger against my lips to look as though I was thinking hard about it.

"I don't know. I was woken up quiet rudely this morning, I think I might just sleep for a while." I thought out loud, while giving Klaus a pointed look.

"Ugh! Fine but you are so boring when you're tired, Damon." Klaus groaned and his shoulders slumped.

"Yeah, well if you hadn't kept me up last night then make so much noise this morning, maybe I would be up for doing something in town." I said as I moved towards my inviting looking bed.

"Do you have any idea how much that could be misinterpreted?" Klaus stated half to himself.

"Oh my- Klaus! I'm really tired and you're twist my words! You're just as bad as Stefan." I groaned out and flopped onto my stomach on my bed. I let myself sink down and sighed a bit.

"Okay, okay. But really? You stepped into that one." He said and chuckled.

I growled then heard him climb into his own bed.

It took a surprisingly short amount of time to succumb into a peaceful rest than I would have thought. Especially with my nerves going crazy from excitement of returning home.

The last thought that I remember was that I was going to be able to truly make things right with Stefan and all the others.

Maybe Klaus can even show the others that he isn't as heartless as he is portrayed. I knew it was wishful thinking. Klaus is in love with power and having others bend to his whim because they fear him.

But I've learned that it isn't that simple when it comes to the hybrid. Maybe, I can make it so I'm not the only one who comes out different from this whole ordeal. One thing I've learned is that Klaus isn't truly my enemy. He could be everyone else's but hating him didn't seem quiet right to me.

If anyone was my enemy, it'd be me.