『Chapter Seventeen』
『when the chaos becomes the calm before the storm』

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   Bodie was confused on who was the clingy one out of the pair of them in this relationship. At times, Bodie thought that it was him, and then at other times, Klaus proves him wrong on so many levels. The minutes that Bodie came back into the Woodford's house, Klaus was straight at his side, with his hands on both of Bodie's biceps as if he was concerned or worried about what happened to him. He gave Bodie a quick one over, as if to double check if he was bitten by a wolf or something. Bodie had to muster everything within him not to comment about Klaus and his clingy-ness and need to protect.

That and the fact that Bodie didn't want to mention anything about his conversation with Amis—and even if he did, he wouldn't want the others to know his thought process at the moment. He couldn't keep his mind straight at the moment, so the thought of having to explain everything didn't seem ideal to him. Though, even still, he found comfort within Klaus' touch on his arms.

A part of him wanted to have Klaus to himself without an audience just because of his need to be close to Klaus. He knew that it was rather strange, but he really didn't care as much. He knew that he was overthinking everything that Amis said which lead to Bodie believing that there was a chance that Klaus could have brought them here just to get his secret out, but it was Klaus, he would say that he trusted Klaus but that's something that he's still working on.

He tried to rid himself of the thoughts, afraid that there was a chance that Klaus would pester him about it. So, he ended up hugging Klaus which somewhat took him by surprise. He buried his head into the crook of Klaus' neck, taking in Klaus' deodorant which was always so familiar and nice, and so Klaus-like. He just needed Klaus close to him, needed the comfort of being in Klaus' arms. Plus, it was a good way for him to hide his face just for a short moment—though that moment was all that he needed before he composed himself.

He felt how Klaus tried to comfort him even though Klaus had no idea as to what Bodie needed comfort in at all, though he didn't mind. He just wanted Klaus—like he always did. He knew that there was a chance that Elijah and the Woodford's were watching, though he heard movement as if the three left to give Bodie a minute alone with Klaus which he was grateful for.

"Bodie," Klaus mumbled into him. "Bo. I thought that something happened to you. I thought that you got bitten—full moon and all."

"Can't die because of it." Bodie responded and pulled away. He was inches away from Klaus, though he didn't care, he liked being close to Klaus just as a whole. "Plus, I think you'd get me to kill a human just to trigger the curse, so I don't have to suffer with it."

Klaus looked as if he was considering it for a moment then and shrugged. "Maybe so." The smile that was on his face then faded then. "Though, I was worried just in case something happened to you, Bodie. Especially after the way you walked out. I didn't want anything to happen to you."

Bodie placed a hand on Klaus' cheek then. "I can assure you, that all I needed was some time to myself and that I was completely safe. Plus, whoever would have come for me would've been killed."

Klaus leaned into Bodie's hand then, his own hand cupping Bodie's. "I know but even still. With the way that you left, I was afraid that I said something to offend you."

Bodie shook his head. "You didn't. Everything was getting to me, if I didn't leave I would've done something that I wouldn't have been able to take back. You know how I get with my anger and such, I didn't want to take it out on any of you. I just needed some time to myself to calm down."

Klaus nodded then. He took a step away from Bodie then which Bodie didn't like at all. Bodie ended up reaching for Klaus' hand, his finger just wrapping around one of Klaus' fingers. He found himself smiling at it, though he was cursing at himself for being overly clingy. Was he being clingy? He wasn't too sure, but he loved the fact that he was close with Klaus once more. He wasn't sure what he would do if he was further away from Klaus when needed to be.

God, he seemed pathetic on how Klaus obsessed he might seem. Maybe he was clingy, and he just didn't want to accept it. But at the same time, it was Klaus, the very man that he was somewhat accusing of bringing his ex-girlfriend back into his life just to find out what Bodie was keeping from him. He understood that there was a chance that Klaus probably wasn't or hadn't, but with everything that Amis was saying to him, he just thought that there could be a chance that Klaus did.

He shook his head then which was apparently enough for Klaus to pull him to sit down on the sofa. He did sit, but when Klaus sat beside him, Bodie found himself falling to his side just to lay his head on Klaus' thigh. He took notice of the somewhat surprised look on Klaus' face at that, like he hadn't expected Bodie to do as such, which was fair given that Bodie felt as if he shut down for a brief moment.

Klaus just started to play with Bodie's hair when Will decided to come back into the front room, giving them both a small look. The small look turned into a smile, though went to concern which made Bodie wonder whether or not Will was concerned because of him or Klaus. Either one, Bodie wasn't too sure on, though it wasn't until Will pointed to his own eye discreetly that made Bodie realise that his eyes were playing up enough that they were changing.

Bodie gave him a quick thumbs up as if to say thank you while he tried to force anything that he was feeling away. Will gave him a small nod though then looked towards Klaus who seemed to be in his own world while playing with Bodie's hair. There was nothing to deny the fact that there was a faint smile on Klaus' face while he looked almost blankly at the bookshelf beside the fireplace.

Will then left them alone, walking back to wherever he came from after collecting the book which he came in for. He gave Bodie a quick nod on his way which Bodie smiled at. As much as Bodie knew that there was a small chance that this might not last forever, he was glad that he had Will and Henry in his lives—which was something that was somewhat a blessing in some way. He sometimes wondered how his life would have turned out if he didn't have them by his side.

Bodie looked up to Klaus to see how his eyes half-closed in his own little daydream which made Bodie wonder as to what Klaus could possibly be thinking about. He wanted to ask but at the same time, he enjoyed the silence between the pair of them. He knew that he would have to talk to Klaus about what Amis said and that entire conversation, but at the same time, he didn't want to—he didn't want Klaus to throw a fit in some way because of what Bodie's first thought was.

As much as Bodie wanted to talk to Klaus about it, there was a part of him which didn't want to, he worried that there was a chance that Klaus would yell at him or accuse him of believing what Amis said over him. And as much as Bodie would hate to admit, there was a part of him which felt as if he couldn't trust either Klaus or Amis.

Klaus because it seemed weird that someone showed up two months after they reconnected after Klaus wanted to find out what he had been hiding from him—and yes, Bodie knew that Klaus did say that he was going to wait until Bodie was ready to, but Klaus gets what Klaus wants. Amis, because Bodie ruined his life and Bodie knew that Amis would have said anything to make Bodie rethink just about anything—which was working, and it annoyed him that it was working.

He wondered as to why everything had to be some kind of torture for him. He knew that there was a chance that all of this was just cause because of him overthinking it but at the same time, a part of him thought that it all made sense in some fucked up way. As much as he wanted to believe that none of it made sense, it was still something even if it was an accusation against the man that he loved.

"Bodie." Klaus' voice made him jump. "Sorry, I didn't mean to frighten you. You looked as if you were in your own world. And you were pouting." He smiled at that.

"It's fine," Bodie muttered. "I was just thinking, Cataline and Amis being here doesn't make sense."

Klaus gave him a look. "How so?"

"They're here because of the same reason why you came back into my life," Bodie explained. "And there's only a handful of people that know that I have something to hide. Which makes me think that someone brought them here to get it out of me. And the only reason why I think that Amis and Cat agreed to do it was because they had a feeling that it would fuck everything up in some way—I mean that's what they want, to ruin our relationship. And. . .and with the other communities going into hiding and joining them, it's clear that they want something bigger, like a bigger reaction out of us large enough that it would cause a riff."

"What makes you think this?" Klaus asked, somewhat tensed. "What makes you think that someone brought them here? Or just about anything that you thought."

As much as Bodie didn't want to talk about his interaction with Amis, he knew that he needed to tell him—though not in great detail. "I saw Amis tonight. He came to talk about everything—well, not everything, just enough for me to get an idea about why they might be here. And going off what Cataline said when we saw her days ago. They both know that I have something important to hide. Amis asked me just how far I'm willing to hide the secret—which at this point I don't think is a secret much given how many people know abo—"

Klaus stopped Bodie's hands from flapping around while he rambled. He always ended up talking with his hands more when he was rambling or was getting a little stressed, Bodie supposed it was something that Klaus picked up over time. Klaus gave him this look which seemed like a mix between concern and wonder. "Slow down, you're over complicating it."

Bodie nodded slightly then. "They both know that I have something to hide. They think that if I tell them what I've been hiding then I will know peace."

"And what makes you think that someone brought them here?"

"Because you, Elijah, Will, and Henry all know that I have something to hide." Bodie said, sitting up. "You four are the only ones who know that I have something to hide and maybe it got out that Bodie Erikson is hiding something from the great Klaus Mikaelson—see who can find out first." He didn't know why he was getting so worked up about it, he knew that it was annoying him, but he felt as if he was going on a tangent about it.

He was annoyed at all of it, though he knew that Klaus would either take all of this the wrong way or in another way which Bodie knew that might end up in a bad argument which would all blow up in a way that he didn't want it to. All that he knew was the fact that he was really fucking annoyed about all of this, it was just continually playing on his mind, and he felt like he was going insane. He didn't want to take it out on anyone because he knew that it wouldn't be fair for them to deal with his rage and frustration when it came to this.

"Are you saying that one of us brought them here?" Klaus asked slowly. "Or something else?"

Bodie shrugged. "I. . .I don't know." His voice was quiet when he spoke. He closed his eyes for a brief moment, expecting Klaus to do something or say something which could blow all of this out of proportions which he really didn't want. "I mean, I don't think so, but it just seems weird that two months after our fight, they come demanding the same thing out of me. They know that you wanted me to have peace if I told you, and I don't know if it's the same for the others, but it might just be me overthinking this entire thing."

He felt Klaus' hand on his back then, a part of him thought that Klaus was going to dagger him for a split second. Though, when he felt Klaus' other hand touch him, he had a feeling that he was safe—which made him re-evaluate his entire thought process for a second. He knew that it was stupid to think that Klaus would hurt him but at the same time, he knew that it didn't stop Klaus from hurting him in another way. Though, he knew that they both hurt each other equally.

Bodie shook his head then. He needed to get out of his head. He didn't want to think about all of this anymore. He just wanted to get away as quickly as possible where he didn't have to worry about any of this. It was hurting his brain too much.

"I wouldn't do that to you, Bodie." Klaus said, unusually calm. A part of Bodie felt the need to question whether or not Klaus was okay given that Klaus would kill someone for accusing or even saying something like that to him. "You know that I wouldn't. I made a promise to you that I would wait, and I intend to keep that promise for you."

Bodie found himself smiling at that. "Is that Elijah's influence rubbing off on you?"

"No." Klaus placed his chin on Bodie's shoulder. "But keeping you by my side is an influence."

"I'm surprised," Bodie said. "I half-expected you to go on a rage."

Bodie could feel the judging look from Klaus then. "Accusations. What wild ones at that. Am I angry that you thought that I would call them here, but. . ." he sighed, "I guess, I'm trying to understand your stressed brain more. And I know that when my Bodie gets stressed, you need this rather than someone yelling at you."

Bodie leant back into Klaus then. "Thanks." He then was silent for a moment. "I think that it was just the things that Amis said to me that made me think that there was a chance, I'm sorry, I just. . .have a lot on my mind."

"I understand, Bodie, I really do." Klaus said. "Just talk to me more, please. Especially now that they're back in your life. I don't want you to be stressed or hurt because of you taking everything."

"I will." Bodie assured.

They stayed like that for a moment, with Klaus wrapping his arms around Bodie giving him some cuddles as a way to comfort Bodie. And even though his mind was complete and utter chaos, he couldn't help but think that there was a calm before everything blew up, and it was in Klaus' arms—his complete and utter comfort place to be.

Even if his mind was all over the place, especially when it came to overthinking about Amis telling him about his run in with another Original, he just needed a few minutes of peace. And if those few minutes of peace was within Klaus' arms then so be it. He even managed to turn slightly just to place a small kiss on Klaus' cheek.

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This chapter is shorter than expected but I knew that I didn't want to take away too much from the soft Klodie shit.