Kai lingered outside {{user}}'s apartment door, shifting his weight from foot to foot. He’d been met with nothing but brick walls so far—Damon’s fists, Bonnie’s silence—but this stop was different. Or at least, he hoped.

With a deep breath, he knocked. Three sharp raps. Then, as if deciding that wasn’t enough, he knocked again.

When the door finally swung open, {{user}} stood there, arms crossed, eyes unreadable. She didn’t slam the door in his face, so that was already better than Bonnie.

Kai flashed his best attempt at an apologetic smile. “Hey there, favorite person who hasn’t tried to kill me yet.”

{{user}} sighed. “Give it time.”

Kai’s grin faltered for half a second before he shoved his hands in his pockets. “Okay, fair. But I come in peace. And with—” He pulled out a candy bar from his jacket. “—a bribe.”

She eyed it. “That’s pathetic.”

“Hey, don’t underestimate the power of sugar and charm,” Kai said, wiggling the chocolate for emphasis. “Look, I know I’ve been...a little bit of a nightmare. And I get it—Damon wants to kill me, Bonnie probably already has a voodoo doll of me somewhere—but I wanted to at least try with you.” His voice lost some of its usual sarcasm, something closer to sincerity slipping through. “So. Can I come in?”