Title: El Va
Fandom: The Vampire Diaries
Author: darkmagic-luvr/thecunningclock
Ship: Kol/Anna, hinted Klaus/Pearl
Rating: M
Warnings: sex, blood, rock and roll
Author's Note: Freaking finally right? I think I've bitched about writing this more than it actually took to write it. Everything is as historically accurate as I could make it (except you know…vampires). Based on the information I've provided and the corresponding dates for when Anna and Pearl were turned I'd say this is set in the mid to late 14th century. If you have any questions please feel free to ask them.
Also, it seems as if deleted the first paragraph, so I'm reuploading it.
Rebekah had insisted on Venice. They (Klaus, Elijah and Kol that is) went along with her wishes, simply because the headache they would have gotten for arguing with her would have been for nothing; she would have gotten her way regardless of their opinions of the supposed 'Serenissima'. But Rebekah had planned their trip just right. They arrived on Zioba Grasso, and the moment their feet hit the stone island the scent of fresh blood filled their senses as the people of Venice began butchering twelve pigs and a bull in the Piazza di San Marco. It was an annual tribute, according to Elijah.
Together they stood at the edge of the massive crowd, watching the slaughter until the last drop of sun warmed blood was mopped away. Five seconds after Klaus shrugged and said that Venice might not have been such a bad idea after all, a man in a mask pelted Rebekah between her shoulder blades with a perfumed egg - much to her horror, and much to the silent shock and amusement of her brother's.
"Don't start," she had hissed at them, shouldering between Elijah and Kol as she stalked off toward their new residence. Kol cackled after her, turning to follow the masked man with his eyes, and realized that everyone had their faces hidden.
"It's carnival time," commented Elijah, reaching out to place his hand on his youngest brother's shoulder. "Come; let's find Rebekah before she kills someone in her embarrassment."
Klaus was already walking after her, waving off the many attempts by vendor's to sell him this or that. Kol narrowed his eyes at his brother's back in thought, and then glanced at Elijah. "You know, Eli...everyone is participating in this celebration."
Elijah stopped, his shoulders slumping in a sigh and turned back around to face his brother. "What are you getting at, Kol?"
A slow smirk spread over his face and he nodded in the direction of the closest merchant. "Why don't we join them?"
Elijah frowned at him, his eyes flickering across the faces of the men and women surrounding them, all laughing and eating and all of them in masks. Kol watched him nod once and shoo him away with his hand. "Then I leave it to you, brother."
As it happened, in the center of the Renaissance, Venice offered each of them entertainment. It gave Klaus the opportunity to focus on his art, rather than his vendetta; Elijah became immersed in the politics and the traditions; Rebekah was captivated by the music and the fashion. For Kol, it was the carnival that spoke to him; the comedy, the masks, the food, the entertainment, the women. Carnival lasted a month, until midnight on the eve of Easter Sunday, and then with reluctance he would have to remove his mask and return to reality.
They were living in the Palazzo Grimani di San Luca; a lovely palace they compelled from the architect or noble man or duke or something (if Kol actuallycared he could ask Elijah). But since they were staying in such a prominent establishment, (and not one of them had been discreet with their spending, Klaus with his art and Rebekah with her jewelry and Kol with his…everything, even Elijah played with their funds a bit) it was only polite that they open their doors on the last night of the carnival for the rest of Venice to enjoy.
And what a boring affair it was turning out to be, mused Kol, already tired of listening to Rebekah chat up the crowd of men after her skirts. Of course, compared to what he had been indulging in, in the campi of the different islands, anything Elijah planned was bound to be dull.
He'd been wandering through the crowds of the more prominent figures of Venice, pretending to be paupers or young and not fooling anybody, least of all Kol, who could smell their rotting blood churn slowly through their bodies. It was sickening and boring and Kol was prepared to ignore his brother's hard glare on the side of his face and go back to the real party, when he caught Klaus' eye a few meters away.
"Ah, here he is." Kol stalked up to his brother as casually as he could and sent him a narrowed look, which Klaus smirked at behind the half-mask he wore in return. He was in a good mood, which could either be dangerous or entertaining, depending on what was amusing him so. Kol stopped at Klaus shoulder, turning his eyes onto the woman he was conversing with. She was tall, dark haired, and had a black Volto mask adorning her face. Uninterested, Kol turned his eyes onto Klaus and raised an eyebrow behind his mask.
"Is there something you needed of me, brother?" he asked as civilly as he could. Klaus' eyes were dancing with mirth, and suddenly Kol knew that his brother's amusement was at his expense. Klaus opened his mouth and Kol felt his stomach start to sink with dread.
"Kol, may I introduce you to the Lady Zhen Zhu," started Klaus, gesturing to the woman in front of them. She bowed her head politely, and as she straightened to speak Kol noticed the faint combination of an education, a Chinese accent and a life lived in Italy to her voice.
"Please, call me Pearl."
Kol's attention was already beginning to wander, his fingers tapping out the familiar composition of the piece being played by the quartet in the garden outside. Klaus placed his hand on Kol's shoulder, squeezing hard enough to remind him to pay attention without it being too obvious. Kol clenched his jaw in annoyance. They were vampires for God's sake; even Klaus just pretending to find him a wife was laughable.
"And of course, her lovely daughter Annabelle."
Oh, for the love of…
Pearl turned to the side, reaching out to touch the shoulder of a girl behind her. She had dark hair, the same complexion as her mother (that Kol could see behind the lacquered red half-mask on her face) but at least a head shorter than Kol. She held herself determinately, which Kol could at least appreciate. He took Pearl's hand in his first and bowed over the top, like the gentleman Elijah had been berating him to be for the last seventy years. Annabelle stepped up to her mother's side surely, and when Kol turned to her he saw thinly veiled rage behind her eyes.
Ever the defiant, Kol took her hand and brushed his lips across her knuckles. Looking up at her from under his mask, he smirked. "Delighted."
He heard someone cluck their tongue in disapproval and assumed it was Elijah watching from afar. Annabelle all but wrenched her hand from his and clasped her hands behind her back, her lips pressed together in a strained smile. Klaus turned into his shoulder, dropping his voice and hissing a warning for him to behave.
"I'm not interested," Kol snapped back. "When will you and Elijah realize that love isn't something everyone is capable of?"
Klaus' stare was intense and serious and it gave Kol pause. He had most likely spoken out of turn, but this wasn't the occasion to be told why. Kol helped return his brother's good mood with a firm clap on the back, grinning over his shoulder at the two women in their own conversation. It looked like Annabelle was being scolded for her attitude as well.
"It doesn't seem like she's all that interested either," Kol murmured to Klaus. Kol eyed a passing servant with a tray of champagne flutes, intercepting him swiftly and taking two glasses. He offered one to Annabelle, thinking it could be a truce. Enemy of thine enemy or something like that. She stopped her hushed argument with her mother to look at him suspiciously, and Pearl jumped on the chance to leave them alone.
"I think I see the Duke over there, have you met him, my lord?"
After a quick grin in Kol's direction, Klaus held out his arm for Pearl. "I have, in fact. His interest in art is quite charming."
Both Annabelle and Kol watched them go with narrowed eyes. When they were out of earshot, Annabelle turned back to him with a huff and took the proffered drink from his hand, muttering darkly against the rim. "Maybe if he fucks her she'll stay out of my life for once."
Kol snorted into his drink, looking away to cover up his amusement. Annabelle's eyes flashed to him briefly as she sipped her drink. He cleared his throat, unable to control his grin. "I don't understand why my brother had to introduce us," he mused lightly. "The whole point of carnival is anonymity, and he ruined the mystery completely."
Annabelle lifted one shoulder in casual response, pointedly not looking at him. "I saw you yesterday."
Slightly amused, but not at all shocked, Kol turned his head back to her. "And what was I doing that allowed me to dwell in your memory?"
Annabelle nodded to their left, at a willowy woman in a purple mask and olive colored skin. "You took her from behind. I recognized your masks."
Kol cocked his head in the direction of the woman Annabelle had pointed out, narrowing his eyes as he tried to remember her. He'd been walking through the world in a bit of a drunken daze up until that morning - Klaus had flat out told him that he wasn't to go gallivanting around until sundown, to at least respect the day they would be celebrating into at midnight. Kol had obliged…reluctantly.
"For the life of me I can't recall her," said Kol, sipping his drink. Annabelle snorted at him, once again earning his attention and amusement.
"Maybe you'll recognize her when she bends over."
Scratch amused, Kol was downright impressed. His fingers itched to rip her mask from her face and see what lay beneath, but he wouldn't…not yet. The mystery of the carnival had to be kept, if not by any of his siblings than at least by him.
Draining his glass quickly and shoving it into the chest of the closest person without a second look, Kol reached for Annabelle, taking her wrist and stepping in the direction of gates. "Escape with me," he said grinning, watching her lips part in surprise.
"What-?"
"This affair is dull," interrupted Kol, shaking his head. "Come to San Marco with me."
"My mother-"
"Is far too occupied by my charming brother to notice your absence," he insisted, tugging on her wrist a bit and was rewarded by a hesitant step forward. Annabelle turned her head, her hair falling across her shoulder as she sought out her mother's figure. He narrowed his eyes as she turned her head back, her eyes on the ground and her lower lip between her teeth. "Have you been to the Piazza at night? It's quite…scandalous."
"I-" she stopped, closing her mouth and pursing her lips. Kol didn't know why he was even bothering with her, but she was entertaining at least. To his surprise, she lifted her chin and set her jaw firmly. "Lead the way."
Sneaking out of the party was easier than Kol would have guessed, maybe because Klaus was too deep in conversation to care about his affairs, Elijah probably noticed but was too busy keeping men away from their baby sister, he may have caught Rebekah winking at him as they headed out into the street. Out of the music and the closely pressed bodies, Kol finally had a chance to finally breathe and to finally realize something he should have noticed straight off.
Annabelle didn't have a pulse.
Snapping his head around, the grin on his face turned slightly sinister, and he could see that the change in his mood made Annabelle anxious. She tried stepping out of his grip, but he held fast, pulling her into his chest and showing his teeth at her.
"You're a vampire." He watched a muscle in her cheek twitch and once again she tried to jerk out of his hold, succeeding more than she had earlier now that pretenses were dropped.
She gave up trying to pull away and instead sneered up at him, her dark eyes narrowing petulantly. "So are you. And it didn't take mea quarter of an hour to figure it out."
Clicking his tongue against his teeth, Kol flung her arm away from him, much to her amusement. She straightened her sleeve where he'd twisted it around her wrist, unintentionally pushing her breasts together and drawing his eyes to them.
Annabelle cleared her throat, and Kol took his time sliding his eyes back to her face. She had the decency to look flushed at his attention, but quickly hid it by walking ahead of him in the direction of San Marco's.Kol watched her flounce off, raptly interested by the way the setting sun caught against her curls.
"You knew exactly what she would do to me, didn't you brother," Kol murmured to himself, silently cursing Klaus. Leave it to dear Nik to figure out Kol's weakness for a woman to interest him.
Annabelle stopped suddenly, turning back around, her eyes searching for him. She was quite a ways away from him by then, almost swallowed by the many people milling about the streets, looking for gondolas or a cold drink. He could see her frown at him behind her mask, propping her hands on her hips impatiently.
Kol shook himself free of his thoughts and headed after her, offering her his arm in passing. She took it with a smirk and together they joined the slowly growing crowed on their way through the small cobbled streets. The crowd broke at the Piazzetta near the lagoon, spilling across the square like water. Annabelle broke away from him, her hand still lingering on his arm to keep from getting lost, but the rest of her attention was captivated by the festivities.
The few hours left of freedom they had was not going to waste.
The entire square was a flurry of activity; pockets of different dances crashing into each other, people fucking on whatever space they could find, the sounds of music clashing together…each artist trying to play louder and more furious than the other. Masqueraders wearing nothing but the masks on their faces ran between the crowds, carrying torches and bathing the city in a warm, orange and yellow light.
"This is insanity!" Annabelle commented loudly, laughing. "Why even bother with a mask?" even as she reached up to touch the edges of her own, affirming its presence. Kol shook his head.
"Masks are to be worn to establish a different persona, yet here we are, acting as ourselves," he glanced at her. "Does that say something about us or the people we love?"
Annabelle pursed her lips, trying to fight a smile and grabbed his hand, dragging him into the crowd.
"Do you have any idea where you're going?" Kol shouted above the din, ducking under a torch as it swung too close to his head. Annabelle smiled at him over her shoulder.
"Not a clue!"
He watched her steal a drink from a tripping man in a Harlequin mask before they disappeared again into the crowd. She drank from it deeply, some of the alcohol spilling over the rim. She released his hand to mop away the mess from her chin, not even embarrassed by her show. Kol shook his head, turning away to scan the crowd for something to catch his attention.
Preferably alcohol or at least someone drunk enough to get a bit tipsy off of. There was a fat, jovial looking man in a gold and red colored mask sloshing a tankard of ale in an attempt to keep upright not too far from where they were standing. Annabelle was eyeing Kol with interest, her eyes flickering from him to the drunk man as if reading his thoughts.
"Two birds, one stone?" He smirked at her, reaching for her mostly empty glass and dropping it to the floor.
"Exactly."
They rained blood across the uneven stones of the Piazza, flying through the crowds and picking off the drunkest of the masqueraders, tearing into their throats and compelling them away. It was only when the first, deafening boom of a firework setting off did Kol and Annabelle stop, pushing away from a thin woman in white and staring up at the sky as it exploded in a shower of light.
The entire square went silent for a moment, every single person wide eyed and awed by the spectacle. Another, then another, and slowly a circle began to form in the middle of the crowd; men spitting fire, sword fighters, jugglers and acrobats.
"I've never seen anything like this," whispered Annabelle, as the shock began to wear off and the crowd once again began to find their voices. Kol turned to her, the ribbon ends of her mask were soaked in blood and left smears of red against her skin whenever she moved her head to try and see over the crowd. Feeling his stare on her, Annabelle turned her eyes to look at him, her mouth turning down in question.
He stepped into her personal space, cradling the back of her head with his and pressing a hard kiss to her open mouth. It didn't last long, and he didn't linger against her, instead turning away as if he'd done nothing at all. Kol enjoyed the sight of fire being spite into the sky for a moment before he felt her hands seize the collar of his tunic and haul him around to face her again, the flickering torches casting shadows across her mask. The fire caught her eyes and he saw blood pooled in them.
"Are you cross with me, darling?" he teased her.
Annabelle didn't say anything. She released his shirt and stepped closer to him, just like he'd done to her. Kol held his breath as she slid her hand carefully across the back of his neck, pulling his head down to meet hers. This kiss was slower, deeper, more intense, and had Kol gripping the sides of her dress with every pass of her fangs across his lips.
All too soon though, she was stepping away from him and turning away, crossing her arms across her chest and pretending to be absorbed in the show. Kol was having none of it. He reached out, seizing her upper arm and pulled her backwards, against his chest, lowering his head until his lips pressed against her ear.
"You test me, Annabelle," he growled. Her arms fell to her sides, her back straightening definitely. Kol flicked his tongue along her pulse point, drawing an involuntary shudder from her.
"It's probably about time someone did," she said haughtily. He smirked against her skin, and in a flash pulled away from her and spun her around to face him. She looked slightly stunned which, given the amount of alcohol and blood they'd consumed, didn't surprise him.
His eyes narrowed down at her. Again he wondered why he was bothering with her; she was nothing, fleeting, absolutely insignificant compared to what he was. And yet he was still there. Kol's grip around her arm tightened significantly, and her nose scrunched in pain.
"Is your arrogance just a front?" he asked her, his eyes sweeping across the edge of her mask. "You wear your mask well, and I'm starting to think that's all it is."
"What makes you say that?" asked Annabelle, sounding slightly offended. "Because I'm a woman I can't speak my mind?"
Kol shook his head. "You haven't met my sister. I don't care what you say or what your sex is, what I'm wondering is if you took your mask off would you be the same Annabelle. Because I don't like wasting my time with girls who don't fight back."
She didn't say a word, which both confused him and gave him his answer. This was why he hated getting involved with people, they were never simple enough.
He relaxed his grip on her, his fingers ghosting down the inside of her arm. The sound of applause was deafening around them as whatever show being put on was drawn to a close. Kol once again stepped into Annabelle's personal space, tilting his head down to speak against her cheek. "I haven't made you speechless have I, love?"
Annabelle turned her head toward his, her lips brushing against his jaw. "You are quite scandalous."
Kol took advantage of their proximity and kissed her fully, feeling her inhale sharply against him. "Come with me," he whispered against her mouth, drawing the backs of his fingers across her stomach. "Make the night count while it's still with us."
"You have a silver tongue," she hissed back. "One day it's going to get you killed."
He smirked, stepping away and away, his eyes traveling down Annabelle's body when, instead of following, stood staring after him with her head cocked to one side in interest. "We'll see."
The first earsplitting, morose pull of a violin in the crowd was almost as startling as the firework display. It cut through Kol's head like a knife, and at the same time Annabelle started following him. Like the dropping of a flag to start a race, Kol spun on his heel and ran. He could hear the heavy fabric of Annabelle's dress swish behind her as she pursued him, on his heels, the lingering smell of gunpowder and whale oil behind dragged by the breeze out to sea.
As they ran, the echoing voices of the Venetian's followed them; an off-key mob of song that thundered through their chests. Kol skidded to a stop at the edge of a canal, snagging Annabelle around the waist so she wouldn't run head first into the water. She clutched at his shirt, her chest heaving from excitement rather than the exertion.
"Par che ognun di carnevale a suo modo possa far…"
Even without his vampire hearing, Kol could still make out the words perfectly. He turned his head over his shoulder, back toward the Piazza.
"Second thoughts?" Annabelle's voice pulled him out of his vision of fire lit torches and spilled drinks over corsets and candy coated lips. Turning his head back down to her he realized he was holding her off the ground in his arms still. Kol set her down quickly, but kept her close, reaching up to trace the edge of her mask with his fingertips.
"No."
"Par che adesso non sia male anche pazzo diventar…"
Annabelle's hands fisted into the front of his shirt, drawing him down to her and pressing her lips against his heatedly. Kol wasted no time, sliding his hands over her hips and down her thighs, gripping the many folds of her skirts in his hands and tearing them straight down the middle. She hissed at him, and he smirked.
"You owe me a dress."
"Raincheck, darling."
She was far less vicious removing his clothing, but her nails bit into his skin every chance they got, mixing pleasure and pain in a delicious way that had Kol pushing his knee between her thighs and lifting her against the brick wall of some building near the canal. Annabelle raked her nails across his shoulder blades, pulling away from his mouth and sinking her teeth into the flesh under his jaw.
He jerked against her, snarling, feeling the warmth of his blood flow freely. Annabelle's mouth moved wetly against his neck, drinking his blood, digging her fingernails into the base of his skull. Kol groaned, moving one hand from her thigh to the back of her head, digging his fingers into her hair and pulling hard; slamming her head back into the wall he had her pinned against.
Loosening his grip on her hair, Kol's eyes fell to her mouth. That was his blood on her skin, something that under normal circumstance would have offended him (he had been under Mikael's teeth too many times to trust another vampire with his jugular, thank you), but on a lover...it was a bit interesting.
Annabelle opened her mouth to speak, and before she'd made a sound Kol leaned in to kiss her, tasting himself on her tongue. He could feel the resistance their masks were putting up the harder he kissed her, preventing smooth movement and forcing them both to rip away from each other in order to taste, kiss and bite.
One moment they were grinding against the wall and the next Kol had Annabelle pressed into the ground, his mouth on her bare breast as she clawed his shoulders. Sliding one of his hands under her thigh, Kol lifted her hips from her ground and entered her in one swift motion, his teeth clamping down on her nipple and eliciting a strangled cry from her throat.
She was ridiculously tight around him, and Kol stilled his movement to allow her the chance to become accustomed to him. In return, Annabelle retracted her nails from his back. Still inside of her, Kol released her breath from his mouth and kissed a trailed along her collarbone, tempted to take a page from her book and bite her. Instead he ran his tongue across the hollow of her throat and listened to her whimper his name, lifting her hips almost desperately for him to move.
Kol kept his open mouth pressed against the column of her throat as he thrust into her relentlessly, listening to her incoherent babbling and gasps, hooking her leg over his hip and driving into her deeper. Annabelle cried out in pleasure, arching off the ground to meet his thrusts. One of her hands slid across the back of his neck and gripping his hair, drawing his mouth back to hers.
Her heel dug into the small of his back, urging him faster while her teeth (normal, regular, human teeth) bit into his lips. Kol gave as much as he took, bruising her hips with his fingers and splitting her apart with his cock. He felt Annabelle stiffen beneath him and the next thing he knew he was staring up at the stares and Annabelle was above him with her hands pressed flat against his chest and her head thrown back.
Kol's hands fell to her hips automatically, content with just watching her ride him for a moment before his need to be dominant over took his amusement. Sitting up, Kol tightened his grip on her hips and slammed her down onto him; Annabelle's hands fell against his shoulders, trying to keep up with the pace he'd started, snarling his name whenever he took control. The mob of voices they had left behind rose in volume, their words clear and repetitive.
"El va, el va," he murmured into her skin, feeling how close she was. Annabelle's mouth was hanging open in a silent scream as she came apart around him; Kol's fingers dug into her back, drawing her close as he reached his own climax. The hollow boom of the San Francesco della Vigna vibrating through them to their cores as they sat together, coming down from their high. Kol pressed his face to the side of her neck, breathing in the scent of her hair and the mix of sweat and sex.
"El carneval el va!"
The carnival was over.
Annabelle pulled away from him, staring down at him with bright eyes and flushed skin. Kol reached up, running his fingers along the edge of her mask for the second time that night. He trailed his fingertips to the ribbon holding the paper mâché to her face, following strip of silk through her hair to the back of her head. Winding one end of the ribbon around his fingers, Kol held her gaze and pulled the knot loose, letting her mask fall away from her face.
Annabelle's hands went to his face, pushing his mask up and off. Her thumbs brushed against his cheekbones. He watched her swallow and nodded slowly. "I should go."
One of his eyebrows quirked. "I'm still inside of you, darling." he twisted them, pinning her against the stone floor beneath him and thrusting into her for emphasis, already hard again.
"You can go when I'm finished with you."
Annabelle moaned, hooking one leg around his hips and running her fingers through his hair. Just when he thought she'd succumbed to him, he felt her grip tighten just before she jerked him down to her, brushing her lips against the shell of his ear. "What makes you think you will ever be satisfied enough?"
"I suppose we'll see."
.
The sun rose quickly over the canal, waking Kol from the light sleep he was in. It wasn't possible that he could have slept for more than a few hours; covering his eyes with one hand, he propped himself up on the ground with his elbow, trying to block out the daylight and seriously wonder if he had a hangover or had just fucked until he passed out. Either would have been impressive. Beside him, Annabelle groaned and shoved him in the ribs, sending him back to the ground with a grunt and pillowing her cheek against his shoulder, where it had been before he'd been rudely awakened by...the sun.
Turning his head to the side, Kol stared down at Annabelle for a moment, reaching up to brush the hair out of her face. She opened her eyes and blinked up at him, and Kol held his breath. He'd never done well with morning after's, he preferred to leave before there was a change to deal with them. Annabelle shifted against his side, crossing her arms across his chest and propping her chin on her hands.
"You look utterly terrified," she declared, the corner of her mouth quirking. Kol rolled his eyes, shoving her off of him and sitting up, for the first time getting a look at where they were. Luckily, they were covered from anyone passing by them on the street; the canal was another problem entirely. It still seemed too early for any traffic, which was good, because Kol doubted any church goers would appreciate the spectacle they made; lying nude on the edge of the grand canal would only piss off Elijah so much.
Annabelle was chuckling at his side as she reached for what usedto be her dress. Pushing the tangled mass of hair out of her face, she dressed herself while Kol remained sitting, staring out at the canal with a blank face. She sat next to him when she was finished, arranging her ruined skirt around her legs.
"You're still here?" he asked lightly. He didn't really mean any offense by it, it was a genuine question. He had assumed she would go off to change before meeting with her mother and becoming nothing but a memory to him. Glancing over at her, Kol quirked an eyebrow. "Won't your mother be looking for you?"
Annabelle shrugged, turning her eyes down. "She'll be frantic."
"And?"
"And..." Annabelle started, her face screwing up in a grimace for a split second before her expression smooth and she looked back at him. "She can wait."
She wouldn't have to wait long. Soon after that Kol sent her a suggestive wink and went about collecting his clothing, every now and then catching Annabelle staring at him. If vampires could blush...Kol smirked at her and held out his hand, helping her to her feet and together making their way back to the Piazza. Kol had expected it to be a mess, but it was a complete disaster. He couldn't tell if the bodies lying on the ground were alive or dead (though if any were the former, he was certain they would wish they were dead when they woke up). Scorch marks were burned into the ground from the fire displays; spilt wine stuck to the bottom of their shoes as they headed back to the palace, every now and then making jokes about the very respectable figures passed out naked with a gaggle of prostitutes, or the very pleasant alteration Kol had made to Annabelle's dress. It showed off her legs, a vast improvement in his opinion.
It seemed his home was the only building untouched by last night's festivities, Kol mused to himself as he pushed open the palace door and stepped aside for Annabelle. She quirked her lips at him as she passed, her hands clasped behind her back and her hair swaying around her shoulders when she spun lightly on the balls of her feet, taking in the foyer. Kol shut the door behind them, leaning his back against it casually as he watched her. Annabelle tilted her head as she stared back, fighting back a smirk. Kol took it as an invitation, and reached for her, his fingers dancing just out of reach of her skin when a door on the first floor landing opened.
"Ah, Kol." feeling a muscle in his cheek twitch in irritation, Kol managed a tight smile for his eldest brother. Too chipper for such an early hour, Elijah descended to the ground floor and turned his eyes onto Annabelle. Kol watched with thinly veiled annoyance as his brother's gaze fell to her exposed legs. "And...Miss Annabelle, wasn't it?"
"Hello, brother," drawled Kol, lowering his arm and stepping closer to Annabelle. He felt her fingers dig into the fabric of his sleeve, and imagined she could be frightened of Elijah and his cool demeanor. Even Kol had to admit it was creepy at times. "How's celibacy treating you?"
Elijah ignored him, which Kol had expected, spared a small smile for Annabelle and headed into the dining room for breakfast. Kol glanced down at Annabelle, raising an eyebrow. "Don't mind him, he is such a downer."
"It's not that," said Annabelle quietly, her eyes turning to the hallway Elijah had just come from. Noticing the disbelieving look on his face, Annabelle amended. "Well, he does seem a little obnoxious, but my mother's here." She nodded toward the staircase. "I can smell her perfume."
"Damn," cursed Kol softly, following her eyes to the stairs. If he knew Nik as well as he thought, his brother would be trying to get rid of her about now. Niklaus was always an early riser, almost as bad as Elijah, and any lover he would take would be kicked out before breakfast was served.
Turning toward Annabelle, Kol leaned down and pressed a quickly, reassuring kiss to her lips before taking her wrist and dragging her after Elijah. The last thing he wanted was a lecture from his brother on niceties toward guests. Rebekah was already seated at the table, either nursing a hangover or passed out with her head in her arms. Smirking at the top of her head, Kol steered a slightly reluctant Annabelle into the seat across from Elijah.
"Please stop making so much noise," whined Rebekah, gesturing in his direction weakly. Amused, Kol leaned over the table to grin at his sister.
"Rough night, Bex?"
She glared at him behind her hair. "How are you so bloody cheerful? You did this every day for a month, it's a wonder you're not dead."
"I'm already dead, sister dear," Kol quipped, relaxing back into his seat. "You just need more practice."
Annabelle leaned her elbows onto the table (in a move Kol assumed was purposeful after noting the sudden tick Elijah adopted above his eyebrow), her eyebrows drawn together in concern. "You were in Saint Mark's last night?"
Elijah was the one who answered her, sipping a coffee and pointedly not looking at Annabelle. "Yes, for the midnight celebration. We looked for you."
Kol shrugged, placing his hand on the small of Annabelle's back when she turned her head to look at him. "We must have just missed you."
"I'm sure we did," muttered Elijah. One of his eyebrows rose carefully. "Annabelle, what on earth happened to your dress?"
"Stuff it, Elijah," Kol snarled, only Rebekah had caught the meaning behind Elijah's question and looked up at her brother with a frown.
"What have you done now?"
"Yes, brother, what have you done now?" All four heads swiveled around toward the entrance as Klaus walked in, adjusting the fit of his sleeve casually. Pearl entered just behind him and Kol felt Annabelle shrink down in her chair slightly. She shot him a withering look and bid her mother a good morning.
"At least she has manners," muttered Elijah. He managed to dodge both the sprig of grapes and the teaspoon lobbed at his head by his younger siblings, and continued sipping his coffee like nothing had happened.
Pearl swept into the room behind Klaus, and without her mask, Kol had to admit she was rather fetching to look at. Nik seemed to think so too, as sat down he caught Kol's eye and winked at him. Suppressing a grin and shaking his head, Kol turned back to Annabelle in time to catch the tail end of Pearl berating her for her behavior.
"-inappropriate behavior. You were told not to go to the carnival and you completely-"
"Mother!"
Pearl seemed to remember her place and who she was in the company of, because she stopped speaking and straightened, tight lipped, placing her hand on her daughter's shoulder and addressing Klaus. "I am terribly sorry for my daughter's behavior. I thank you and your family for you generous hospitality, but we're returning to Italy this morning, and unfortunately have to excuse ourselves."
"Of course," said Klaus, once again rising to his feet, Elijah along with him. Annabelle had a sour look on her face; Kol caught her wrist when she stood up to follow Pearl, following her to his feet in one smooth motion and drawing her back into his chest.
"You don't have to go," he hissed into her ear. She stiffened against him, her head turning in the direction her mother was standing, waiting for her to follow. "Stay," insisted Kol. "Stay in Venice."
"I can't," she hissed back.
"Why not?"
"She's my mother," Annabelle shrugged. "You wouldn't leave your siblings for me, would you?"
No, he wouldn't (he couldn't), and his silence gave Annabelle her answer. She pulled her wrist out of his hand and headed after Pearl.
"You like her, don't you?" teased Rebekah before Annabelle was even out of earshot. Kol turned his head slowly to give her a dry look. She laughed at him, propping her cheek in her hand and shook her head at him. "Unbelievable. Nik actually made you fall in love."
"It is nothing of the sort, Bekah."
Rebekah's face twisted into a mock frown, pointing in the direction Annabelle had exited. "So…you weren't begging her to stay with you just now?"
"Enough," snapped Kol already walking out of the dining room. "And nothing from you either, Elijah."
"Spoilsport!"
Kol jogged across the foyer and managed to catch up to Annabelle and Pearl as they stood together in the open doorway of their home. Venice was just starting to come to life; church goers making their way with small children who hadn't been allowed to attend the later festivities. Klaus had gone to fetch a gondola for them to take to the lagoon, or so Kol assumed. Pearl took one look at him and sighed.
"Don't be long," she warned, before turning and heading down to the street. Smiling brilliantly, Annabelle turned to Kol, reaching for him just as he leaned down to kiss her goodbye. He wouldn't see her again, he knew that, and he was making this last moment count. She was just a girl, after all, and she didn't mean anything to him.
Annabelle's hands were braced against his shoulders when he finally pulled away from her, pressing his forehead against hers to catch his breath.
"Maybe I'll see you again," said Annabelle softly, running her hands down his chest. She stood up on her toes and pressed her mouth against his one last time before she was out of his arms and flying after her mother. Kol watched her go, pressing his fingertips against his lips to remember what she felt like.
"Probably not," he whispered after her, stepping back inside the house and shutting the door. Elijah was waiting for him just inside, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed over his chest. Kol glared at head, heading toward the staircase, in desperate need of a bath and a nap.
"Don't start, Elijah."
"You liked her."
"I said don't."
"You wanted her for yourself and you're letting her go," Elijah called after him, causing Kol to stop halfway up the stairs, his eyes screwed shut as he tried to control his temper. But Elijah wasn't finished with him. "That's not like you, Kol."
It would have been so easy to just ignore Elijah and continue on to his room, but Kol hated letting his brother have the last word, so instead he rolled his eyes to the ceiling and prayed for patience before he schooled his features and turned to lean over the banister.
"It was a masquerade, Elijah," said Kol brightly, grinning tightly down at Elijah. "I was not meant to be myself."
"And this morning? Just now?" asked Elijah. "What excuse do you have for that?"
He shrugged, already bored with the conversation and the accusations. "I had a good time with her, what more do you want me to say?"
"I want to hear you admit that you actually have feelings!" Elijah roared at him. Kol turned away and continued up the stairs, listening to Elijah snarl after him. The front door opened and closed, and out of sight from his siblings Kol dropped his back against the wall.
"What the hell was that all about?" Kol heard Klaus ask wildly. Elijah's response was inaudible, but Klaus' snort was clear enough. "I could have told you that, brother. Leave him alone, he doesn't need your pestering." there was a pause. "Or your pity."
Kol rolled his eyes to the ceiling, shaking his head in irritation. She was just a girl for Chist's sake, nothing special enough to get into a tiff about, especially where he was concerned. He didn't know why they bothered with him anyways, he was perfectly fine with the way he was living. Annabelle wasn't going to change who he was, he wasn't going to pine for her like Elijah and Klaus had for Tatia.
They were in denial, but Kol knew better. He was never going to see Annabelle again, and that was fine. He didn't need to see her again.
He'd be fine.