(Un)damned Brotherhood

His spirit jolting back into his very mortal (even if now Wiccan) body was more excruciating than Kol imagined and he unconsciously tried to scoot away from the pain, only to find an armrest against his back. The soft cushions below his body made it easy for him to notice that he was on a sofa but his head still swam, struggling to catch up with the sudden sensory and mental overload.

Despite this, he immediately knew he was in trouble when the sound of marching feet met his ears. He turned on the sofa, placing his feet on the ground just as Gia and Josh appeared in front of him, a nest of vampires directly behind them.

A nest was an exaggeration.
As far as Kol could see, there were about five.

Gia's thunderous expression was scary enough without the veins slithering beneath her eyes, an obvious reminder of their hunger. Their collective hissing was even more menacing and Kol struggled to remember a time where he was just like them; itching for a drop of blood like a heroin addict.

"Is it too late for an apology?"

Kol's accent was thick enough to reveal his fear at having been surrounded while unconscious (helpless) in a compound full of vampires, but that didn't stop him from raising an arm in front of him, fully prepared to draw on every drop of magic that he could use in order to defend himself.

What he had not accounted for was just how quickly vampires –especially hungry ones- could move. He barely managed to call on his magic before there were hands on him, throwing him to the ground and crawling on him, seemingly relishing the rapid beating of his heart.

He barely noticed that their rough handling dislodged his shirt.

Gia loomed over him, her dark eyes blown completely wide as they swiped over him. Kol tucked his head down in a poor attempt to shield his neck from their view but someone easily pulled his head back by his hair and exposed the throbbing artery in all of its glory.

His power wouldn't work no matter how much he tried and Kol cursed his own inability to focus in a literal life or death situation.

Somewhere above the fog of petrifying fear was Josh's voice, but Kol didn't know if the kid was defending him or not. All he knew was that he didn't even have time to say goodbye to Davina before a horrendous agony exploded in his stomach, spreading to encompass his whole being. Kol could feel his heels digging into the wooden floor beneath him but wasn't aware of trying to kick anything away before a powerful leg settled over his own, effectively immobilising him.

Were there more with Gia? He could feel the pain echoing throughout his body, his magic oozing out as his strength dwindled. He knew that his magic couldn't just 'ooze out', but it felt as if it was abandoning his body much like his life was, slowly losing the precious connection that bound it to this earth.

He was tethering on the edge when Gia was suddenly pulled off. Her teeth fought to sink further and Kol felt his throat nearly rip in two as a bloodcurdling scream slipped from his lips, courtesy of his skin being brutally ripped off before Gia relinquished her hold on him.

He blinked owlishly at the ceiling, wondering what type of sorcery could make it swirl as it was now – a blurry form of colours and shapes that seemed to make some type of perfect sense without meaning anything at all.

There was a hand tapping his face but Kol couldn't bring himself to care.
The ceiling was colourful. It distracted him from the pain that burned in waves over his body, emanating from no point and ending nowhere.

What snapped?
Maybe Klaus had arrived and was in a rage – he usually snapped people's necks when he was angry. Kol just hoped that his would remain intact for now.

"Kol?" Someone was calling him. Josh?

The air was suddenly displaced and Kol felt someone grab his arms before he was thrown over someone's shoulders as if he was a bag of potatoes. He struggled to keep up with what was happening as his wound pressed against bones and Kol felt the pain overwhelm him, cutting off even the tiniest whimper as darkness took over his vision once again.

Marcel cursed himself for leaving Kol's unconscious side for the smallest of moments. He had broken Gia's neck when the girl refused to relinquish her food even as four vampires pulled at her.

Inwardly, he was surprised that the others had managed to stomach their hunger and attempt to pull Gia away from Kol. However, there had been something petrifying about seeing Gia feed – it was maniacal, almost a possessive kind of feeding.

He knew Kol was in trouble when the witch didn't even register the fact that Gia was no longer feeding on his blood just before losing consciousness. Again. Marcel dumped him on a table that was in the empty room he'd found, making sure to lock the door behind him before moving to check on the Mikaelson.

The blood's tantalising smell wafted in his nostrils, thoroughly testing Marcel's self-control as he ripped the boy's shirt – Kol looked infinitely young in this body, made vulnerable in ways that Marcel found hard to accept.

The bite was ugly. Gia's fangs had managed to split open half of Kol's navel and blood was still spilling out in waterfalls, soaking the towel that Marcel pressed against the wound. The pressure seemed to bring Kol back to life and the latter gasped, buckling beneath Marcel's hold before settling as the pain reared its ugly head again.

Marcel felt sorry for the kid, but he couldn't give him his blood; he couldn't afford to lose any kind of strength that he still had and he couldn't trust anyone to be in the same room with a human that had a gaping wound in his stomach.

"Sundown."

The gasped out word was barely comprehensible and Marcel frowned – was Kol already delusional from blood loss?

"Finn plans to let you go at sundown." Kol's eyes rolled briefly before meeting Marcel's. They were dazed and glazed over, but steady.

"When the streets will be jam-packed with people. Of course. You let me worry about that, you need to stay put. Don't try to do magic unless absolutely necessary, I'm going to call Klaus so he can help you." Marcel squeezed the boy's shoulder before retreating to the other corner of the room to alert Klaus of the change in their situation.

Kol nodded mutely as he shifted on the table and Marcel grabbed a cushion from one of the chairs, easing it underneath the witch's head just before Kol lost consciousness once again.

Hopefully, he wouldn't wake up while Marcel bound the wound.

Davina didn't hex Klaus where he stood simply because she wanted to preserve her magic since he had told her that they needed to help Kol.

The way he said it easily told her that something was horribly wrong – Klaus' arrogance and cockiness were gone, replaced instead by evident worry.

"Where is Kol?" She questioned, anxiety pooling at the bottom of her stomach.

"Still in the compound." Klaus answered succinctly, still hurrying forward and leaving her scrambling to catch up with him.

"Why didn't he get out?" She thought he'd meet her on the streets, relieved to be breathing some fresh air.

"He can't move much at the moment." Klaus was testy and avoiding directly answering her questions.

"Klaus, what happened?" She stopped in the middle of the street, forcing the original to halt next to her even if he clearly hated their pause.

"Kol got bitten, little witch. We need to hurry or else he might not make it." Klaus bit out, his anger and frustration bleeding through his tone. He seemed to realise his momentarily slip because the mask slipped back on before Davina could question him further.

The road to the compound had never seemed so long before. Davina swallowed her words (for once) and followed Klaus through the crowds, fighting against the tide in order to reach their destination. The jolly music and the sound of bells seemed to bleed away; something of a faraway world, some alternate universe that she would never be a part of as long as she kept running with vampires and werewolves.

"This won't work. Hold on, little witch." She barely had time to react before Klaus' arm was around her waist and they were suddenly on the roofs, free of all crowds and obstacles. However, Klaus didn't let go of her and in little time they were on the roof of the compound. She staggered, gathering her bearings from the sudden changes in altitude before managing to stand on her own two feet again.

"Where is he?" She opened the door with a swoop of her magic, hurrying down the stairs as she spoke. She was met with the stench of sweat and blood, but it didn't deter her in the slightest.

"His heartbeat's weak but it's close." Klaus murmured – she noticed that his eyes were closed in concentration but he was still moving with ease inside his home.

Davina almost walked straight into his back when Klaus suddenly halted. She immediately opened her mouth, the frustration inside of her bubbling and demanding to be spoken before the vampire strode towards a door and threw it open with a bang that echoed throughout the corridor.

She hurried past him when he paused at the doorway and immediately wished that she had not done so. Kol lay on the table, one arm dangling towards the floor while the other lay loosely on his stomach, fingers slightly curled around the button-up he was wearing.

Then she noticed. His fingers weren't simply curled around the button up. They were lying protectively over a makeshift bandage, protecting what she guessed was a gruesome wound below. The towel was dripping with blood.

He was startlingly still. She reached for his arm, tenderly putting it back on the table and subtly tracking his pulse through his wrist. It was jumpy and erratic but there – a sure sign of his life when he looked so much like a corpse. Davina had never seen him look so ghastly before; his lips were inching towards blue as he struggled to breathe and his eyes were ringed with bruises that had no right to be there.

All in all, he looked like shit.

"Klaus?" She hated how small her voice sounded as she grasped one of Kol's hands, trying to warm the cold appendage.

"He'll be fine, Davina." Klaus' somewhat affectionate reassurance somehow eased the panic inside of her and Davina watched silently as Klaus positioned his bleeding wrist against his brother's mouth, using the other hand to cup the back of Kol's head.

Davina would never forget the absolute panic that seemed to bring Kol back to life when the first drops of blood hit his lips.

The thick liquid tasted like iron.
It was tasty, needed.
God, he was starving for it.

NO.

It was revolting.
He wasn't like that anymore.
He didn't need blood to survive.
He didn't want blood.

Blood meant that his Wiccan abilities would disappear again; he didn't want to deal with that.

He didn't want to become a vampire again.

Kol tried to spit the blood out again but he couldn't even move. Someone was holding his head against the table, forcing him to accept the blood that was dribbling down his throat. He choked and felt his eyes water as he attempted to turn on his side. This time, the person holding him down helped him and held Kol as he coughed and spluttered. A weak groan slipped out when he felt his wound pull and burn against his side, but it was slightly dulled.

"Kol? It's all right. You're okay." A female voice. A hand in his hair. The hand was too large to belong to the only girl he knew would remain by his side in such a time. He couldn't remember her name. Something with a D. Diana? Daisy? Neither, for sure. There were fingers on his cheek, tracing his lip, wiping away the sweat that was dripping against his skin. Her tenderness was overwhelming.

God, his chest was aching. He could hear his heartbeat in his ears, could feel it in his arms, legs, torso. Could feel it throb in the open wound.

The sensations made him gag again but there was a bloody wrist against his mouth before he could successfully throw up the blood he had already swallowed.

"Just drink, Kol. Please." Her request was but a whisper in his ear, but he couldn't ignore it. Not when his intestines felt as if they were about to fall out and probably drag his stomach and liver along with them. Where had the vampires gone? Hopefully, he didn't wake up to a massacre on the streets.

The wrist was pulled away and someone turned him on his back again. The girl remained by his head; he could feel her presence. He didn't bother to open his eyes for now - the blood had left a pleasant feeling behind; an almost numbing, drugged up state of content.

His shirt was opened and something was pulled away from his stomach. Those large hands traced over his navel as if outlining something.

The wound.
The numbness could only mean he was dying.

And just like that, Kol's peace shattered in a million pieces and gave place to panic.

Davina observed in morbid fascination as the wound healed over, leaving a scab behind as Kol kept refusing to swallow enough blood for the wound to heal completely. She could tell he was awake even if he didn't open his eyes – at least he was aware of their presence.

She was about to tell Klaus to get Kol in a bed so that he could rest more comfortably when Kol inhaled sharply and promptly sat up (barely giving her time to step back before he head-butted her). His back was heaving with quick breaths that showcased his panic and she stared dumbly as he pulled up his shirt and grasped his side, searching for the wound.

Klaus was suddenly there, gently grasping his brother's wrists and pulling his hands away from the scab. Kol's face twisted into an unrecognizable mask of hatred and Davina automatically stepped back from the monstrous expression on her boyfriend's face as a weak burst of magic pushed Klaus away and nearly made Kol himself topple off the table.

She was there before he fell, letting him rest against her own body. Despite his sudden adrenaline, she could see his body's exhaustion; could feel him trembling against her.

"Kol? It's okay. He's helping you." She placed her hand over Kol's open palm, gently putting a tap on his magic until his anger faded, leaving behind a husk full of tiredness and lacking a substantial amount of blood.

Klaus smartly remained a few paces away, giving his little brother time to adjust and come back to his senses.

"He's weak and suffering from blood loss. I'm channelling his own magic to calm him and lull him to sleep, then I'll mix a potion to help him." Davina murmured, grasping Kol's other hand and continuing to chant.

Kol seemed to sag before their eyes even as he attempted to fight off the rest he desperately needed. Davina brushed her thumb over his hand, reminding him that he was safe with her. Thankfully, he gave in to the soothing magic coursing through his veins and succumbed to sleep.

Klaus was next to her before Kol slipped off her shoulders and he gently scooped his brother into his arms. Kol seemed so tiny in his arms that Davina was momentarily struck speechless. She gently arranged his arms so that they weren't dangling down and made sure that his head was fully resting against Klaus' shoulders before letting Klaus go deposit him in one of the many rooms of the compound while she gathered the herbs she needed from the kitchen.

She didn't say anything when she noticed that Klaus had put his brother in his own bedroom -The paintings and art supplies scattered across the room were a dead giveaway. She stepped into the adjoining bathroom to get a washcloth and a bowl of water in order to wipe away the blood on Kol's stomach. When she stepped back into the room, she couldn't help her smile.

Klaus had removed his brother's clothes and dressed him in some comfortable sweatpants, leaving him with bare chest and feet. The witch's head was pillowed on Klaus' legs and Davina watched silently as Klaus brushed back his brother's hair and fed him some more drops of his blood.

"Are you going to stand around all day?" Klaus' voice shook her out of her reverie and she dragged a chair closer to the bed so that she could rest the bowl on it.

Klaus was blissfully quiet while she washed Kol's stomach, being gentle over the thin red scar that was still fading. Kol seemed to improve by the minute; His cheeks weren't as pale and his breathing was deeper, much calmer than before. If it weren't for the uncharacteristic tenderness that Klaus was showing, she would have guessed that Kol was simply sleeping.

She swiftly changed the water in the bowl and grabbed another washcloth, using the latter to wipe away the sweat from Kol's face and leave him cool.

"I believe that you have somewhere to be." Klaus' subtle dismissal was as infuriating as the fact that she couldn't hold her boyfriend.

"You're right. I have to be just here." She raised her chin in defiance, grabbing Kol's hand in her own to show Klaus that she wasn't about to leave him.

Klaus raised an eyebrow but didn't comment again, knowing that nothing short of brute force would get the little witch to leave. Frankly enough, while he enjoyed some violence, he wasn't really in the mood to pick another fight. Not when both of his brothers were incapacitated and his sister was still lost.

Kol wanted to snuggle deep into the covers and sleep a bit more.

He was abnormally cold and could feel the fine tremors that were coursing through his frame. He twisted on his side, pulling the duvet tighter around his body and cursing when yet another shiver made his teeth chatter.

He was about to drop back to sleep when the heaviness of another blanket settled over him. He startled despite the immensely welcomed heat that the added weight provided; Who was with him?

"You can sleep, brother. You've been cold since yesterday evening; it's a common side effect of blood loss, but the little witch force fed you a potion to help with that. Do be careful with your shifting; Davina is next to you." Klaus' voice was both a shock and a reprieve - his brother had saved him, but he had been the one to doom him in the first place.

"What are you doin' here?" He questioned, wary of Klaus' intentions when he was still too weak to conjure up a substantial amount of magic.

"Watching over you, of course. Making sure no vampire makes you their snack again." Klaus' tone, despite the barely there affection, was as dark and venomous as Kol was used to when one of their siblings was hurt. Well, looks like Klaus did care about him after all. "Rest, you need it."

There was a hand on his forehead, a comfortable warmth. It slipped down, dragging his eyelids with it, and Kol found that it was simply too much effort to open them again. He felt around for Davina and curled around her before falling back asleep.

The next time Kol woke up, he desperately needed to pee. He gingerly untangled himself from Davina before slipping from underneath the covers (he wasn't feeling so cold anymore). However, he nearly ate the floor when his legs refused to support him.

Suddenly there were hands under his elbows, holding him up until he got his bearings and could handle his own weight.

"You need to eat." Klaus' voice was just a concerned rumble.

"You need to mind your own bloody business." Kol snapped, pulling away from his brother to stand on his own two feet.

"You ought to watch your tone; I saved your arse." Klaus reprimanded, still standing a bit too close for Kol's liking. He didn't want his brother to hover, he could handle himself.

"Yeah, after you locked me in with them." Kol spat, his fear still taking its time to ooze out of his system. He had come too close to dying alone this time and it was all because of Klaus.

"Technicalities." Klaus smirked, as if he didn't care the slightest bit. Deep down, Kol knew that Klaus did care; he wouldn't have remained there and nursed him if he didn't. However, ire was an easier emotion to deal with when Kol didn't feel much like trying to empathise with his brother.

"My ass. Let go of me, I'm fine." Did Klaus flinch at Kol's harsh tone?

"Are you sure you won't faint in the bathroom?" Klaus teased, unable to fully show his concern. He stepped back slowly, making sure that Kol was truly okay to stand on his own two feet.

"I won't, now get me some food. Or do you only have blood in this place?" His question was met with silence and Kol decided to take a shower and freshen up instead of going back to bed as he had planned to do. After all, there were still a lot of things to do.

Figuring out whether or not Klaus was on his side was one of them.

Trope: Passing out from the pain. (Entry to badthingshappen Bingo 2k18)

Hi! I hope you liked the story since you made it all the way to down here - Kol is my absolute favourite Mikaelson and I can't help but write stories for him. I will be writing one where he has that *little* accident with Davina as well (i.e. after 3x19).

That being said; feel free to prompt!

Anyway - also feel free to leave any feedback you may have, thoughts or comments or even just your afterthoughts! I do admit that this is roughly edited because I am pressed with time, so you may also point out mistakes I have missed!

-Kudos,
Chrisii.