Body & Soul - Klaus Mikaelson

Twenty-One

Klaus's hand stays glued to my arm for far too long. His eyes won't meet mine, he knows I will try to talk him down. Perhaps he thinks I will succeed. I am ready to give up anything just for him not to kill anyone. I will do anything for him to turn around now and go back to traveling the world. I just need him to be away from here. Away from home.

There are already too many reminders of loss and pain. If he adds to it the burden will only grow. And I don't need anything heavier. Not when I could have stopped it, not if I could have tried to talk Klaus down. But he is seething with anger. I can feel it in his touch. I'm trying to push away the memories but the further his anger grows the easier it will be for them to slip. His anger grows by the second. The more he understands what I have been hiding from him all summer the more it consumes him. Any rationale is gone now, it's like his brain went into tunnel vision. I'm afraid to see the consequences of his actions.

"Klaus!" I whisper as he pulls me through the high school. A sense of home rushes through me, thankful to be back somewhere I know. These are the halls that were once filled with happiness and teenage spirit. That was before we understood the rest of the world. Now they are a reminder of different battles, "Trust me, we don't have to be here."

His eyes narrow. The anger isn't just in his touch, it's in his eyes. His face might be a facade but his eyes are burning with the heat of the sun, "My trust for you has diminished significantly in the last day, love. Consider it void."

I pull against his arm with a growl, "We both know that's not true."

Klaus freezes, pulling me to a stop in front of double doors. His eyes scan my face. It feels like they peel my skin back, searching for answers. They look for any indication that I am sorry for what I have been hiding from him all summer. But there is nothing to be sorry about. I vowed to protect my friends when my parents died. I will not break that vow because I am bonded with him. My friends - my family - come first. They always will and I won't apologize for that.

I stare back with enough rage to match his. He may not believe that he trusts me, but it's still there. It's like I can feel it. He knows it too because his eyes don't stay too long on mine. I can feel his emotions fluctuating beneath his fingers as they press deeper into my skin. I can feel the differences in the memories. He is battling himself. Me or him. I know which one he will pick, but I can't help but hope for the other option.

My gaze breaks from his face as my ears pick up on laughter throughout the school. Prank night. God, Caroline and I have been looking forward to this night for so long. Which means school starts tomorrow. I have been gone the whole summer. I missed everything. I missed the final summer as a high school student with my friends. I missed the fun and the parties. I missed our last chance as normal high schoolers. I frown. It's just hitting me that they were here being normal teenagers while Klaus dragged me around the whole summer for his own desires. He pulled me from my whole life.

I listen to the footsteps approaching, praying they will go the other way. My breath is held tight as the steps continue to come closer. I pray they turn around. But the door creaks open and I meet the last set of brown eyes I wanted to see right now. It had to be her. It couldn't have been anybody else. She gasps as her eyes fall on Klaus, and then me. I curse under my breath. Elena just walked into her death.

"Elena run!" But she is too stunned to listen, and Klaus's hand tightens on my arm. I squeak in pain.

"There's my girl," Klaus says with faux cheer.

"Klaus," Elena breathes. I watch the fear pane across her features. We were hoping Klaus would never find his way back here. Stefan and I fought all summer just to fail. We led him right back to Elena. She finally takes my advice and turns to run.