Exile

A Bonkai One Shot

By V.C. Turner

Heavy rain drops pelted the hood of Kai's jacket as he slammed the trunk shut. The chill of the morning failed to break through his coat; mostly because of the material, but also due to the heat of the anger radiating off his body.

His obligation fulfilled, he had nothing left to say to anyone willing to hear it.

Least of all Her.

His skin burned at the thought, as he placed his hands on the trunk and tried to steady himself before the long drive.

Footsteps approached, and the anger surged forward again. Without looking, he knew she was there…standing only a few feet behind him with judgment and hate in her beautiful green eyes. Those emerald orbs which looked within him, yet apparently saw nothing worthwhile.

Damn her to Hell.

"Have you come to gloat?" he asked, his voice as course as the gravel crunching beneath his feet.

He then turned to face her and leaned against the back of his car. His expression darkened by the dismal day and the even more dismal road ahead.

Kai stuffed his hands in his pockets and waited for her response.

Bonnie stepped closer, within arms reach, and looked up in his eyes.

"Is that what you think of me? That I wanted this? That this is the kind of person I am? Full of vengeance?" she said.

She folded her arms while clutching the bright red umbrella under which she stood…under which they both now stood.

Kai sensed her magic. He always could feel it whenever she stood near him. All she had to do was enter the room and his skin came alive.

His magic called to hers, as it always did, but he pushed the sensation aside.

"What the fuck should I think of you?" he bit at her before noticing that some of the wetness on her face had nothing to do with the rain.

She stood firm, her saddened expression turning into a glare.

"Maybe you should thank me for bringing you back to life?" she answered, her breath picking up.

"Thank you, Bonnie," he said sarcastically, "Thank you for bringing me back, so I could wake up your little friend, and then get EXILED from my own fucking coven and my home!"

"That was the deal you made!" she said.

He stepped closer to her, his chest pressing against hers. She didn't falter.

Despite his fury at her, she continued to impress him with her strength, her defiance, and her beauty.

"That was the deal you made for me!" he said. He breathed in deeply to calm himself down and was met with the scent of her sweet perfume.

Damn her! He hated how she made him feel.

He hated that she made him feel.

She blinked up at him, pursing her lips before speaking again.

"You get to live your life –," she started.

"And lose my coven and my home!" he yelled at her.

"Your coven? Your home? As if you're the only person who's ever lost both at the same time. You want me to feel sorry for you? I don't! You don't get sympathy from me when I've lost just as much," Bonnie insisted.

"What did you lose? You got your friends back. You get to go home and get your happy ending," Kai added.

"Really? I get to go home to who? NOBODY! I have no family Kai. The Bennetts are dead. My mother's gone. My friends…they got what they wanted. Their happy ending. Not mine. You know what the first thing Elena did when she woke up? She ran into Damon's arms. They've spent the better part of the day in bed making up for lost time. When Caroline isn't gushing over Stefan, she's gushing over the fact that Elena is back. No one thanked me …or even you. They just went on with their own fairytales," Bonnie said, blinking back tears.

She shook in front of him, but he remained frozen – undecided.

Kai battled between hugging her and pushing her away.

A silence passed between them, interrupted only by the sound of the rain that encircled small space beneath the lush red umbrella she held.

Her grip loosened. The umbrella slipped, but Kai caught it, encircling his hand around hers so she didn't let go of it.

Bonnie stared at him. She had every reason to hate him. He'd abandoned her in a prison world to fend for herself, alone, with little hope of escape.

Only she did escape.

Kai swallowed. He had every reason to hate her. She'd abandoned him in a prison world to be fed on by heretics, with no hope of escape.

Only, he did escape.

Minutes passed before he spoke again. His words softer, but his tone serious.

"Thanks, Bonnie," he told her, "I am – grateful you brought me back. I just hate this. I hate everyone and everything. And I have nowhere to go."

"They said you have to leave now?" she asked, already knowing the answer.

"Yeah. Turns out, I'm still the bastard nobody wanted - no matter what life I'm given," he added.

Bonnie bit her lip.

"Join the club. I'm still the witch nobody wanted," she said quietly, barely loud enough for him to hear it.

But he did hear it.

"That's not true," Kai insisted, "I want you."

He wiped the wetness from her face with the back of his hand.

She scoffed.

"Don't you hate me?" she asked, looking up at him and searching for … something.

"That doesn't mean I don't want you," he said, feeling her breath catch in her chest as soon as the words left his lips.

They stood in the rain. The magic each possessed coiling between them in the cool October air.

The sensation warmed them. Comforted them.

Kai looked into the distance, not knowing what he was about to say next. He never knew what his next words would be with Bonnie Bennett around.

Maybe he liked it that way.

Bonnie watched him look away from her at nothing in particular. Something stirred within her; a secret she kept from everyone, including herself.

He turned to her again, waiting. It was her opportunity to speak after all.

"Ask me," she whispered. His breath picked up, brushing against the top of her hair.

"No," he whispered back.

She stepped closer.

"Ask me," she repeated, her tone – a plea to finally be the one who gets saved.

Kai swallowed hard when he looked down at her, his resolve faltering.

"I'm no Prince Charming, Bonnie. I've killed people," he said.

"So have all of my other friends," she insisted, placing her hand on his chest.

"Is that what we are? Is that what you want us to be? Friends?" Kai asked, placing his hand over hers.

He really did love the feel of her hand on his chest.

"I don't know what I want, Kai," she told him, "So ask me."

How could she do this to him? How could she wield this power over him without casting a spell?

"Bonnie?" he said weakly, feeling tears stain his own cheeks.

Having emotions sucks, he thought. They drained him. They weakened him. Yet somehow a woman stood in front of him who had only became stronger over the years, despite what life had thrown at her.

Despite what he'd thrown at her.

Bonnie saw something in his eyes that she could not place. Kai seemed to have only one emotion: anger… yet his expression held something different; an expression he saved only for her.

He clenched his jaw.

"I'm not a hero," he added.

"As if I need one," she retorted, with a shy smile.

He placed his forehead against hers.

"I'm not going to be the good guy you deserve, understand?" Kai told her.

"Maybe I don't need a good guy to get a happy ending," she insisted, "So ask me."

"We can't come back here, Bonnie. Are you ready for that?"

Bonnie motioned toward the ground. On it sat a purple duffle bag with the letter B engraved on the top.

"I know."

Kai let go of her hand, turning to open the trunk and place her bag inside – next to his.

He placed his hands on the trunk, and forced back a smile by biting his bottom lip.

He turned to her and asked the question:

"You coming with me, Bennett, or what?"

Bonnie walked up to him, reaching into his pocket for the keys.

After she pulled them out, she dangled them in front of him.

"I'll go if you go," she said.

As Bonnie walked to the driver's side door, Kai grabbed her from behind, spinning her around and threading his fingers through her hair.

He pulled her toward him, stroking her cheek and leaning down to graze his nose against hers. His hands traveled down to her waist and she could feel her skin becoming wet as he lifted her shirt slightly so he could touch her skin and pull her closer.

Kai's lips brushed her ear then traced a path toward her mouth before pulling his face away. By the time he did, she noticed that he'd taken the keys back from her.

"You don't play fair," she said in a breathy moan. She still felt him pressing against her – all of him.

"I never intend to," he added, still hovering close to her lips, but not touching them.

Bonnie wrapped her arms around his neck. His eyes widened in shock.

She stood on her tiptoes and waited, batting her eyes in innocence as the rain dampened her hair.

Kai leaned down, kissing her harder than he expected at first, then becoming gentler as he pressed his lips to hers.

Bonnie then pulled the hood off his head, soaking him in the rain. She giggled into his mouth, then took the keys back while she opened the driver side door and sat down.

"I don't play fair either," she added, patting the passenger seat, "Now get in Parker."

She turned the ignition as Kai sat next to her, shaking the water from his hair.

"You're going to pay for that later, sweetheart," he joked.

Bonnie didn't look at him, but she smiled, hope boiling over in her chest as she sped out of the parking lot, gravel shooting out from beneath the tires.

"I'm looking forward to it."