Yellow Ledbetter

Run away little girl

After a certain point Kai has to let go of his fantasy of Bonnie ever having any positive feelings towards him. He's made himself a villain and that's all he'll ever be to her. And yet even after she finds out what he did to his family, he still holds on. Yes he has to siphon her that evening, threaten her into saving herself since she insists on playing Miss Martyr, but he only does it a little. Barely a sting. She knows what he's capable of now, all cards on the table, and it's as honest as he's ever been with a person. So long as he doesn't hurt her and shows her that he's not all bad, maybe there's a chance she could-

But then the axe buries itself into his chest and the fantasy dies with Bonnie's unforgiving gaze.

Kai has killed plenty of people in his life, but Bonnie is the only person to have ever killed him. Admittedly it's not an entirely unpleasant feeling. Usually he's the one killing himself so he's all focused on causing a mortal wound and so stressed out about whether it'll work, how long it'll take, or if this death will be more permanent than the last, that he can't enjoy the feeling.

Bonnie takes the stress away and all he has to do is fall back and relax into the purgatorial bliss of nothing. He wonders briefly if he comes back if his death is caused by someone else's hand but shrugs it off as he's fading. Body still standing, he takes this all in, it's only been seconds but he finds his mind always speeds up as he's dying. So the few seconds he has left he spends staring at her face, savouring it. Because it's appetising as hell. The best thing he's ever seen. She's a three course meal laid out in front of him and he wants to eat her up.

Shock is the starter, She didn't think she had it in her.

Regret for mains, it's so distinctive and he lights up at the sight of it and he mirrors her shock because what have you done Bonster?

But she quickly masks it which leads to resolve for dessert. Bonnie didn't mean to kill him but she'll stick with the choice. Who needs a restaurant, he thinks as the world starts to spiral.

Any other emotions she experiences are lost to his line of sight, all spinning grey treetops now. But it doesn't matter, he can rest for a second or two but he's definitely coming back. Because there's no way he's going to let her leave him behind. Not when he wouldn't do the same.

By the time he wakes it's been way longer than a few seconds. The eclipse is about to start and he's got the tiniest bead of sweat curling down from his hairline. Panic. When he panics he makes stupid decisions, like murdering most of his coven. Now in that particular instance he doesn't regret that stupid decision. Own your mistakes right? But he starts listing off the consequences of this particular stupid decision.

Shooting her in the stomach with an arrow.

She's hurt, which means she's not going to be strong enough to get them out next eclipse; she hates him, and there's no way she'll trust him; she can't leave him now. The last consequence outweighs the others, sinking benefit. Kai scoops up the bits of broken Ascendant to stuff them, along with bits of dry dirt from the cave floor, into his pockets. Bonnie's slumped over by the wall, faint sound of her breathing announcing that she's still alive. As if there would be any doubt. He's had years of nothing but solitude and things to play with, he's mastered most of the toys. Shoot to wound, not kill. He crouches down over her and lifts up her shirt. There's a gutteral sound from her that means she's still awake.

Good. Company on the way back.

'Relax Bonster I'm just trying to get a good look at the wound.'

'Leave me...' she mumbles, eyes struggling to stay open. 'Alone...'

'What so you can die of exposure and we both stay stuck here for the rest of eternity? Me my youthful, handsome, self of course,' he leans forward onto his knees and as gently as he can, he scoops under her shoulders and knees, lifting up slowly. ' And you, a rotting corpse. No trust me Bon, you need my help. I'll even be nice enough to forgive you for murdering me.' She's stiff in his arms as they make their way out of the cave and back into the daylight, which means she's still awake and listening to the sound of his voice even if she can't reply. When her head starts to loll onto his shoulder he gently bobs it to get her eyes open again.