AUTHOR'S NOTE: So, I had this one done on time but my beta had a ton of school crap to do so I told her to take her time. So here's the latest chapter, I hope it lives up to the last few. I'll try to update for next week at some time, but it might not be until with weekend, not this one but the next.
As always, some thank yous, but a few more than usual XD
livvixxx, I'm so pleased that you're enjoying the story so far, I'm hoping that Olivia acts appropriately. If you disagree, feel free to message me and I'll try to explain, thanks for taking the time to review!
Misskymm, haha, I'm glad you like the banter, Damon and Olivia are fun to write so I'm happy that's showing through. The bit about Damon being Elena's sire is definitely staying, I think it's an important part to the VD story line, so I'll keep it around. Thanks for the review, enjoy the next chapter!
Teberz, as always, you leave such beautiful reviews. I feel utterly ecstatic whenever I get the e-mail telling me that you've left a review, I really value your opinion, so thank you for all of your praise, it means so much!
Guest, haha, I know. Apparently the cliffhanger was better than I thought XD
DFW Reign, ahahah another binge reader, I love it! That's really sweet of you to say the story deserves so many more reviews than it has, I'd love to have more but honestly, I'm happy with the one's I've collected so far. Thank you so much for your lovely compliments, and thanks a ton for the review, enjoy the next installment!
Ninjawolf1313, super pleased you like the story so much, and I know, Kol acts like an ass quite often, enjoy the next chapter and thanks for the review!
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"You're wrong."
The denial was immediate as I crossed my arms over my chest and James rolled his eyes with exasperation. He leaned his weight against the car, his elbow balanced on the door as he observed my minor freak-out. "Olivia, please—"
"You're wrong," I snapped, my eyes glowing dangerously in the dark. "He can't have known about me… he would have said something…" I raked my hands through the top of my hair, tugging harshly at the roots as James watched on with pity. I slammed the palm of my hand on the trunk, advancing with a sharp movement. "He would have told me if he knew; I know he would have. He loves me; he wouldn't lie to me about this." I recoiled when James approached with caution, my hand rising to form a flimsy barrier and I closed my fist, bringing it to my mouth to block the sudden sour taste on my tongue. James's eyes were warm, cautious and sympathetic as he watched mine fill with tears. "Kol loves me, he wouldn't lie to me."
"Are you so sure of that?" My head snapped up, anger contorting my face and James raised a cautious hand. "Are you so sure that he loves you, or would he have kept you in the dark just so he could have you all to himself?"
"He's not Klaus."
"But he is a Mikaelson and they only care about two things, themselves and power. I mean, c'mon Olivia, he's got you wrapped around his little finger. He moves and you move, he snaps his fingers and you jump!" I opened my mouth to protest angrily but James pressed on, "You stand by his side and defend him every single fucking time – you're doing it now even when it's incredibly obvious that he's lied to you about your own species! He doesn't care about you, he doesn't love you and he never has."
I didn't answer him, retreating into a shell where, hopefully, his sharp words would bounce off. Honestly, I had been wondering how Kol felt about me for the past little while and James's words only made me worry more. I know that Kol felt something for me but every silence that fell after my saying "I love you" made it harder for me to decide if that something was love, lust or if he just wanted me so no one else could. I just wasn't sure anymore, and judging by the way Kol acted towards Damon and the thought of Damon and I once being together, I wouldn't be surprised if he wanted me to spite everyone else. And that hurt.
"I understand that this hurts to hear second hand, but I can show you what I mean. I'll have my contact show you what she showed me and you can make your own decision from there, unless you would rather remain in a state of denial and quite possibly delusion—"
Sparks shot from my eyes and he actually flinched. "You've already made it very clear how much you dislike the Mikaelsons, especially Kol. But I will not be manipulated by you, or him; show me your proof and I'll decide from there."
He narrowed his eyes at me in response to my stab at him, but he nodded sharply and opened the driver's door. "Fair enough." He climbed inside and slammed the door while I took a moment to gather my thoughts and take a few breaths to calm myself down.
What was I going to do if I was wrong?
~O~
The warehouse felt like a hive when we showed up. Since the last time I'd been there, the population of the place doubled and now, every light was on in the place, illuminating the grass with bright white light. I kept up with the brisk pace James set and it wasn't long before we stepped inside the white foyer. Immediately, James led me through a door that I hadn't been through yet and we walked into a makeshift library with uncomfortable-looking chairs. James instructed me to sit and quickly disappeared through another door at the right side, while I glanced around impatiently before falling, with a huff, into a seat. The ticking clock on the wall behind me sounded like a gong going off beside my ear and I dug my fingers into the wooden table top.
It was just too goddamn quiet in here.
The lights overhead buzzed with electricity, flickering occasionally and I could hear the tiny little claws of mice as they scampered around in the ceiling. I was saved from the silence when the door I had come through opened again, revealing a small, blonde girl who stepped through, followed by James. Her face was alarmingly pixie-like. She had a sharp little nose and a small mouth with eyes that glinted like hard topaz jewels. She had a certain edge to her that made me straighten in my seat. She wasn't particularly threatening in stature, but she made me uneasy, kind of like a poisonous snake in the tall grass.
When her glittering eyes fixed upon mine, I felt an overwhelming presence in my mind, like nails on a chalkboard and I slammed the door to my mind shut, giving a mighty shove outwards. She stumbled back a few steps under my assault on her mind and her small mouth expanded into a smile, revealing small teeth which twisted her smile into more of a leer.
"She's strong," she murmured more to herself than to either James or myself. She had a soft voice like the sound of those fat, fluffy snowflakes falling to the ground in the silence of the dead of night. The softness surprised me, I half expected her voice to sound like it had been sliced apart by the edges of her teeth. "Stronger than you've let on, James."
He smiled a little as brightness filled his eyes. "Yes, she's hardly needed any instruction in her telepathic abilities." A pleasant shiver rolled down my spine, leaving warmth in its wake, at the note of pride in my brother's tone. Perhaps I wasn't a complete and total failure.
She nodded thoughtfully and practically glided over to me, an entirely unexpected feat from someone so small. She lowered herself gracefully into the seat in front of me and extended a tiny, finely manicured hand towards me. "My name's Jane, I'm glad to finally meet you." Her hand was cool to the touch and she seemed to notice my alarmed reaction. "I'm only a quarter phoenix, even less than a Halfling," she explained as I pulled my hand away, "but what I lack in telekinesis, I dominate in telepathy. I'd love for us to work together; you're strong now but you could be invincible."
I didn't trust her. Her confidence seemed to be over the top, almost falsified and part of me wondered if she only wanted to help me so she could get into my mind. Something told me she took great pleasure out of violating the minds of others, but mine would not be on her list.
Before I could answer, James jumped in; his anal straightforwardness getting the better of him. "Jane, that isn't what we came here for," he reminded her sharply and I noted her miniscule flinch at his abruptness. He placed a hand on her shoulder in apology and I watched her body react as she leaned into the touch and shifted in her chair as he walked around her to stand before the table, between us. "I want you to show my sister what you showed me, everything you showed me," he requested and I tilted my head a little as Jane subconsciously leaned forward when James spoke.
Someone's infatuated… I drawled to myself and rolled my eyes lightly.
Jane nodded and held out her tiny, cool hand, laying it upon the table. I looked at it strangely and she flexed her fingers to beckon me. "It's easier for me and more pleasant for you if I make physical contact," she explained and I didn't miss her note of condescension, as if she were explaining to a child.
"More pleasant?"
"When we move through another's mind, it can often be unpleasant for the receiving party. Physical contact helps, but the receiving party also needs to relax and not resist." She flexed her fingers again and I lifted my hand to place in hers, but I took my time, still uncertain of her intentions. She grew impatient and snatched my hand in a grip that was surprisingly strong and I tensed, my muscles coiling, ready to spring until I felt James place his hand on my shoulder, heat radiating from his palm.
"Relax Livvy," he soothed and I felt the first prickles of Jane's mental presence in my mind. I struggled with the urge to slam my walls up and James dug his fingers into my shoulder. "Resist the urge, Olivia. She's not going to hurt you."
Jane's hand clenched and flexed around mine and I forced myself to relax despite the crawling sensation in my brain that raised gooseflesh on my body. Sharp, electric shocks of pain ripped through the nerve endings and I clenched my teeth, feeling the pain grow.
Relax Olivia… open your mind to me. Close your eyes and just see…
Numbness fell over me and I felt like I was floating momentarily until an image bloomed out of the darkness. No, not an image, a scene. The floating sensation disappeared and I was falling through the open recesses of my mind. I had to remind myself that this wasn't real, that I wasn't actually in Italy, but when I landed hard upon the elegant marble flooring, hard enough to buckle my knees, I began to doubt the reality of this scenario. The restaurant was quite beautiful, illuminated by romantic, Mediterranean style light fixtures, tables draped in rich white cloth, sided by elegant white leather armchairs. Windows surrounded the rooftop restaurant and none of them contained a glass pane to separate the outside from the inside. Everything was open. The smell of delicious food mingled with the salty tang of the ocean. The sound of the waves lapping at the shore echoed in the room as if I were standing in the center of a conch shell.
The distorted sounds of many people talking as one reached my ears and I found it hard to focus on just one thing. Someone brushed my shoulder as they passed and I caught sight of Jane's back leading away from me, and I followed her. Hesitantly at first, as I dodged the many waiters and patrons alike, but I soon became more aggressive after realizing that no one could see me, or feel me. I watched as a handsome Italian man led her to a table then pulled a chair out for her; I scrambled after her, stopping furiously beside the table with my back to the open window.
"What the hell is this?" I hissed and then bristled when the warm breeze hit me. Jane didn't look at me, but smiled brightly at the waiter, and it was then that I noticed her eyes were green instead of the golden amber that revealed her as a phoenix, like a firework in the dead of night. Casually, Jane lifted the elegantly designed menu from its place and opened it with careful fingers, but I did not miss how her eyes flickered to a place behind me, directly beside our table, but underneath the open windows.
I straightened up sharply and turned so that my backside rested against the edge of the table. Why in hell fire I hadn't noticed him before, I couldn't say for sure, but there sat Kol with as much leisure as a cat in a sun bath, wearing a semi-formal, open-collared shirt. One arm rested on the table closest to the window, the underside of his arm and the palm of his hand exposed, while the other arm draped over his leg. His smile was coy, his eyes dark and smoldering at the edges, my heart constricting painfully when I realized that he was looking at someone else in the same way he looked at me. My eyes fell to the arm on the table and zeroed in on the ghostly pale, elegantly manicured hand that rested on his exposed forearm, close to the crook of his elbow. I stiffened, noting how the woman's skin practically glowed in the luminescent light, and I trailed my eyes up the length of her bare arm, to the exposed shoulders and collarbone, all the way up to her hauntingly-beautiful face.
"It's been a long time, Kol," the woman spoke in a sweet, breathless whisper to which he answered with a warm smile, as if greeting an old friend… The table vibrated suddenly and Kol looked down at the display, his lips briefly twitching as he declined the call. I knew then that it had to have been me who was calling. I fell against the table, dropping into the empty seat as my limbs extended out awkwardly over the floor. I was surprised that no one tripped.
The woman who Kol had hung up on me for looked almost exactly like me. Her face was a rounded oval shape with a soft chin, full, pouting lips, and a pair of eyes that burned intently.
Phoenix eyes.
I breathed in, and kept breathing in. The air wouldn't release its iron grip on my lungs. The way he looked at her, the way she responded, the way her body turned in towards him. The way she smiled at him… Tears sprung to my eyes and I let out a strangled gasp, clutching at my chest; I just really wanted the nightmare to end.
Olivia…
I glanced up at the sound of my name.
…Olivia.
"Olivia." I heard Jane call but when I turned to her, she was staring blankly, not seeing. It didn't even look like her mouth had moved. The edges of my vision blurred and dark spots filtered in as I began to rise in the opposite direction I had fallen. The darkness cleared quickly as I slammed back into reality, the bright white of the room blinding me momentarily, but I quickly blinked the tears and the light from my eyes. It didn't help. I could feel the crusted streaks on my cheeks crack over the flexing facial muscles and I hastily wiped beneath my burning eyes, pulling them back to reveal newly blackened fingers.
I was embarrassed about the stickiness of my voice when I spoke and I tried really hard to brush it off, like the information wasn't killing me. "Who is she?" I asked, refusing to look at either of them and when they didn't answer I fixed my glare on James who had knelt beside me while Jane had me under her control, "Who. Is she?"
"Her name is Amorya, she's a Halfling that I met several decades ago. It's uncertain where her loyalties are, but for the time being, she's proven to be an ally to us."
"What did Kol want from her?" The evenness to my tone surprised me, but I knew the wave of emotion would hit soon.
Jane sighed and I picked up on her note of impatience. "He seems to think she had information about the Hunter; at least, that's what I got from the conversation."
"Does she?"
"No," James interjected aggressively, "I've already had an audience with her; she knows nothing about the Hunter or the Cure."
"There must be another reason," I whined, feeling hysterics bubble up the back of my throat, "he cannot have known what she was, he wouldn't—"
James got to his feet and peered down the length of his nose at me, and I held contempt in my heart for him as his eyes filled with pity, only to be given to a trapped animal with no hope of survival unless they were to cut off a limb. "I suppose you can explain how he knows another phoenix; one who happens to look just like you, one who he's friendly with, flirty with, yet he claims you?"
I stood up abruptly and pushed past my brother. Surely it was just coincidence we looked alike. I mean, dark hair was common with phoenixes and golden eyes were our trademark. There was no way that their… relationship was anything but a coincidence. I bolted from the room and nearly collided with Nick and Kayden who were returning from an obvious sparring session by the look and scent of the sweat that clung to their skin. Nick raised his arms to grip me by the elbows, but I shoved him away with enough force to send him stumbling, the damp, red curls falling into his eyes. A choked sob burst from my lips and I recoiled from the intent concern on Kayden's face, disappearing out the main door.
"What the hell have you said to her?" I heard Kayden snarl, but I didn't stay to hear what James had to say for himself.
~O~
I didn't want to be alone, and surprisingly, Rebekah was the first person I thought of. It didn't take me long to appear on her front doorstep, but I found myself hesitating to lift my hand to knock. Part of me wasn't sure if I should be here – she'd probably want to know what was wrong and I didn't want to talk to her about the sudden issues I was having with her brother. I'm pretty sure she'd take my side, with her not being a stranger to betrayal and all, but I wanted to avoid that awkward conversation altogether.
It turns out that I didn't have to knock. The heavy, elegant door swung open to reveal Rebekah dressed in designer jeans and sweater with her hair scooped up into a perky little pony tail. She smiled widely at me, her blue eyes sparkling and I returned her happy look with a small, forced smile and her face fell. "What's wrong?"
I took a deep breath and lied straight through my teeth. "Nothing." Her eyebrows rose, not believing a word of it, but she stepped to the side, silently inviting me in. "Got anything to drink?" I drawled while stepping beyond the threshold and she closed the door behind me, filling the room with a warm silence.
"Wine," she answered and smirked when I turned my nose up at it, "I might have a bit of tequila somewhere." I made a noise of disgust and she laughed, wrapping an arm around my shoulders, "Wine or tequila, darling?"
"I'll take the wine, the better of two poisons." She led me into the kitchen from the side entrance and I took note of the disarray in her adjoining living room, "Are we redecorating already?" I asked as she rounded the large island that was more like its own continent to take out a pair of crystal wine glasses, along with a fresh bottle of red from her wine rack.
At the sound of the cork popping, I jumped then turned towards the kitchen. "No," she replied, her accent making her sound bored with whatever task she was in the middle of, "the Student Council decided to host a bake sale tomorrow to raise money for some event they want." She walked over to me and handed the glass over while staring uninterestedly at piles of papers on her couch, "Probably some mediocre dance idea…"
"Thought you were in charge of that lot?"
"Oh I am, but I don't want to be a dictator all the time – high school is still a popularity contest, and I need people to like me."
I raised an eyebrow at her and took a begrudging sip from the glass. I suppose it tasted alright, as far as wine went, but I still preferred liquor. "What do you need popularity for when you can just compel your way to the top?"
She chuckled before turning to me, "This is why we're friends, Liv. You understand what it takes to get to the top, but I don't really want to compel a whole school full of teenagers. Takes way too much time."
I took a longer drink, allowing the fruity flavour to coat my mouth. "Quite the endeavor on your part, Bekah, conquering the high school food chain." I quipped and she shot me a half serious glare, "But if you're organizing a bake sale, what are you bringing?"
"Nothing, I'm doing the advertisement." She gestured to her posters and I turned to face her with an exasperated expression.
"Do you not think you should set an example, o' fearless leader?"
She laughed loudly, tossing her head back so that her blonde ponytail swung against her back. "To be honest with you, Liv," Rebekah replied with slight reluctance. As if she were mentally preparing herself to admit a dark secret to me, "I'm terrible when it comes to cooking anything."
I stared blankly at the array of posters and sipped casually at my wine, hoping that if I drank enough of it, the aftertaste would go away. "So there is something that Rebekah Mikaelson can't do?" I smirked at her, a teasing glint in my eyes, "Well, I suppose today's your lucky day. I happen to know a thing or two."
I turned towards the kitchen and, as I passed her, I pulled the elastic scrunchie from her hair and trotted off to the cupboards at the sound of indignation from the Original vampire. I scooped my hair up into a hasty ponytail and began opening cupboards, searching for ingredients. After a short time, I realized the hard way that a vampire who can't cook wouldn't have anything in the ingredient department for baking and, when I straightened, I fixed her with a frustrated look, "You have, like, nothing in this kitchen…"
"I told you, I don't cook."
A sound of frustration echoed through the room and I scratched my head. "Well then I'll be back in a few," and I flashed out of the house.
It must have been my lucky day because the store was just closing as I arrived. The employee didn't want to let me in but I convinced him that I'd only be a few minutes – and by convince, I mean compel. I quickly gathered all the ingredients I needed and a couple of mixing bowls and baking sheets, paid for the items with a swipe of my credit card and exited the store.
I burst back into Rebekah's house minutes later and quickly set myself up in the kitchen, while she stared wide eyed at my haul, her second glass of wine barely touched as it hung in her hand. She shook herself and came to stand on the other side of her island. "First of all," she started and I glanced up at her as I blindly lined up empty bowls and mixing cups, "that was really fast—"
I smirked and began to measure out cups of flour, "Efficiency is key, young grasshopper."
"—and second, what the hell are you making?"
I fished through one of the plastic bags, pulled a package out and threw it in her direction. It landed and slid the few inches to her stomach where she picked up the package of chocolate chips. I grinned at her semi amused look, "I'm making cookies!"
"Chocolate chip cookies?"
I nodded excitedly and began to measure out the other ingredients. "It's my mother's recipe," I explained with a nostalgic little smile and Rebekah's face fell a little. "They were mine and my sister's favorite. In fact, the only argument Penny and I ever got into was over who'd get to eat the first cookie from the oven." I flicked on the blender to combine wet and dry ingredients as Rebekah rounded the counter to help add the rest of the dry ingredients into the bowl. "I remember this one time when I was around 12," I recounted with a small smile as I turned the blender off. "Throw in the entire package of chocolate and mix it together by hand, please. My mother decided to make cookies and, while Penny and I argued over whose turn it was last time to have the first one, my father swept through the kitchen and stole the first one."
I gave the cookie batter another mix with a fork when Rebekah handed me the bowl back, "Penny and I were so furious with him, we forgot our own argument. Neither of us spoke to him for days afterwards. Penny caved first when he brought home this charm bracelet for her, but I didn't cave until a few days later when I went for a ride by myself and something spooked the horse I was on. She bucked me off and I fell, hurting my ankle. My father found me a few hours later, scared and crying because I couldn't walk and it was almost dark. I was so relieved when he came for me, all I could do was cry and say 'I'm sorry'."
A dark look crossed Rebekah's face as she poured herself a third glass of wine and a second for me. "My father would have been furious if I ventured off alone at 12 and, if I were to get hurt, he'd have told me to get up and walk on my own, be it to prove my strength or to punish me." She glanced up at me with a cool expression tinged with a hint of jealousy, "It would have been nice to have a father like yours."
I reached out and squeezed her arm, "The monster in your life is gone, Rebekah. You don't need to fear him anymore."
"What about the monster in yours?"
Who was the monster in my life, Kol and his mind games?
I took a swallow from my glass and the taste of berries burst in my mouth. "I promised his sister that I wouldn't try to kill him," I reminded while turning around to set the oven's temperature. When I turned back around, she had her glass raised to me and then took a sip. She dropped the subject then, as I moved to lay out the cookie sheets and began scooping messy balls of dough and dropping them onto the pans. I'd made a double batch of dough compared to what my mother used to make so I decided to make them a bit bigger than she used to, knowing that the high school students would appreciate the gesture. By the time both pans were full, the oven beeped and I quickly washed my hands and swept the dough balls into the oven, leaving wet handprints on the pans. I set the bake time and turned back around just in time to see Rebekah suddenly polish off her third glass of wine in one gulp. I stared at her with my mouth hanging open slightly but she didn't seem to notice it when she spoke.
"I'd like to run an idea by you," Rebekah opened and I raised an encouraging eyebrow. I was always intrigued by her ideas. "I want you to help me throw a party."
"That's more like a demand than an idea, Bekah."
She rolled her eyes. "Seriously Liv," she complained but burst into laughter when I tried to force an over-serious expression and failed miserably. "This new curfew that's been placed on the town is completely idiotic and I want to throw a party in protest."
I chuckled a little to myself and finished off my glass of wine. "Alright, are we talking a try-hard high school kegger; a prohibition-esque romp; or a grunge-punk, political-protest rebellion?"
A slow, crafty grin split her face and I shivered over the likeness between her and Kol when they got that troublesome twinkle in their eyes. "I don't see why it can't be all three," she replied, "and seeing as I wasn't around for the 'grunge-punk rebellion' decade, I thought you'd be the perfect candidate to bring in that certain je-ne-sais-quoi I need. I'll bring the class, you bring the sass, deal?"
"When and where, babe?"
She grinned widely and suddenly disappeared, most likely to grab a planner of some sort so we could begin organizing now. I turned to the oven and put the oven mitts on just as the buzzer went off and I swept the cookies out and set them atop the stove. I was not paying attention to Rebekah's whereabouts, nor did I pick up on the second voice from outside the house as I began to fill up two more pans with sticky dough balls, getting more on my fingers than on the portions.
"And what are we doing?"
I jumped out of my skin, the dough ball in my hand skipping across my fingers to land on the counter with an unattractive, wet thwack and my head shot up to find Kol standing in the living room with Rebekah entering behind him, a look of exasperation plastered on her face. "You're back." It was all I could really say without either blowing up or falling apart because all I could see was him in that suit and the place where she'd touched his arm.
He strode into the kitchen while discarding his jacket on top of his sister's posters and came to stand at my side. "It would appear so," he commented and then smirked, "miss me?" He leaned down for a kiss, a piece of hair falling into his eyes but inconspicuously, I dodged it. Making it look like I didn't realize what he was doing before I turned away to place the now empty bowl to the side. It didn't fool Kol though; he could read me like an open book and he stiffened at my poorly hidden rejection. I felt the air between us shift.
"I don't have time for that, Kol," I brushed him off and glanced up out of the corner of my eye to find Rebekah had disappeared, "I'm a bit busy here, surely you can see that." I circled around him and washed the stickiness off my hands before lifting the trays and placing them into the oven. I continued to ignore him as I brought the semi-cooled cookies over and began to stack them onto a cooling rack.
A low growl sounded at the back of his throat and I braced myself. "What's wrong, this time? You're acting—"
"Cold, distant, uninterested?" I filled in for him, "Those things happen when you disappear, don't bother to get into contact and then come back expecting a warm welcome." I glided away from him; he, on the other hand, sighed loudly. I could almost see him pushing his hand through his hair.
The empty pans slid onto the counter with a clatter and then Kol's hand wrapped around my wrist as he spun me around to face him. He backed me up against the island's counter edge, his head tilting to the side as he raised a hand to my messy ponytail. "If there was something to tell, I would have called – it was actually a huge waste of my own time and I plan on telling Nik as such. I'd have rather spent my time here, with you," he grinned down at me and began wrapping my hair around his hand, pulling tautly at the scalp as he dragged my head up to his and pressed his lips to mine with force. The hair pulling hurt a little, but it kept me from losing myself entirely in his kiss. He was gentle at first, coaxing a reaction from me with nips to the lips and a teasing stroke of his tongue and then he deepened the kiss, moving closer so that there was no space between our bodies. I felt like I always did, weightless, when he kissed me and I sighed involuntarily, bringing my hand up to rest beneath his ear.
His lips pulled up into a smile and he pressed harder, nipping at my bottom lip until it was sore. I jerked a little when his hand appeared at my stomach, fingers pushing past the hem of my shirt and up to my chest where he traced the hem of the bra that expanded and contracted with every breath before pulling the cup down, exposing the breast. I melted beneath his touch, my nipple hardening beneath his palm as he massaged the weight with drawn out care, as if for the first time. I moaned softly into his mouth when he traded palm for thumb and wrapped an arm around his shoulders, pushing up onto my tip toes as he rubbed and flicked at the stiffened peak. A pool of warmth began to grow in my lower stomach as electric pleasure waves washed over me.
His tongue massaged the length of mine, drawing the focus away from his hand so that he could surprise me by pinching the nipple and rolling it between his fingers. He sucked the air right from my lungs and in the recesses of my mind, curiosity about whose lips, other than my own, he'd been kissing latched on with iron-like tentacles, and his mouth turned sour against mine.
"What the hell, you two?" Rebekah snapped from the living room and I went to turn away but his grip on my ponytail tightened, and he continued to kiss me. It took all my effort to make it look convincing, but as the kiss slowed, each touch of our lips grew tentative on his part, as if he were testing the suddenly cold waters.
"No having sex in the cookie dough!" She cried out and I think a pen hit my back. I broke away with a hearty laugh and Kol readjusted the bra cup before removing his hand. He rolled his eyes at his sister but when he looked at me I noted the cool, calculating gaze.
"Well, we could be having sex, if you'd go away, little sister."
"Not in my kitchen, you're not."
I slipped out from between Kol and the counter as the buzzer went off and inconspicuously wiped my mouth. I let out a slow, shaking breath as I slipped on the oven mitts and pulled the last two pans out of the oven. I could still taste the sour notes on my tongue as I brought the hot pans over to the counter and I ignored him, purposefully avoiding his gaze. My skin prickled as he watched me, leaning casually against the counter and from the corner of my eye, I got a clear view of the place where she had touched him. It was like something had burned away his clothing and flesh in that one spot because all my imagination could see was singed clothing and bubbling, blistering flesh while the rest of him remained immaculate.
Where else had she touched him that I couldn't see?
"Sister?" Kol called out and I involuntarily flinched at the sudden noise. The tension was growing and I realized that I really needed to work on my poker face. "I need a moment with Olivia, would you mind… going somewhere that isn't here?"
"I just came back – and this is my house!"
I wasn't the recipient of his cold stare, but I could feel it all the same, making me shift uncomfortably, turning my back further towards him as I began maneuvering the cooled cookies around to fit the fresh ones. I heard the blonde Original grumble darkly to herself, surprising me with a few 'classy' curse words, and then leave the room. His hand was on my elbow in an instant and he pressed against my back. "What's the problem, darling? Are you really that furious with me for not calling?"
"You're a big boy, you can take care of yourself," I quipped, while turning and moving to circle him but he trapped me again, his only intention to extract information. "I don't need your itinerary, Kol. It'd be nice if you could extend the same courtesy that you expect of me, but I'd be an idiot if I were to hold you to it."
"Oh! By courtesy, I assume you mean the week of silence you gave me, or the next to useless note you left me, or the billion phone calls you repeatedly ignored until I annoyed you enough to answer?" His tone was a long, low growl causing me to roll my eyes, trying to skirt around him again, but he grabbed my jaw with his hand and squeezed firmly, holding me in place, "Is that the kind of courtesy you want?"
"At least I answered my phone," I hissed and his eyes darkened dangerously as he pressed me into the counter's edge until my back protested sharply. "I left you several messages and texts, you didn't reply to any of them—"
"I sincerely apologize if I'm not available to jump for your calls—"
"Bullshit," I snarled and ripped my face away from his hand, "you sent me to fucking voicemail, Kol."
He sighed heavily and his entire body shifted with the force of his breath. He loomed over me, the hand that had held my face now resting against the counter, blocking an exit, and he stood so close I could feel his breath on my face, his stomach against mine. "I did get your messages, Olivia, but not until I was on my way back. I thought it could wait until we saw each other face to face – and I cannot put every business matter on hold for you, darling. I'd like to, but some things cannot wait."
I swallowed hard at the thing that could not wait. "Did something interesting happen at this meeting?" Here was his chance to tell me, to come clean about whatever business he had with this other Halfling Phoenix, "Anything I should know about?"
His eyes narrowed a little as he studied my face for an ulterior motive, but he had no reason to suspect that I knew where he'd been, or what he'd been up to. "I told you, the trip was a waste of my time, and the business meeting was no highlight, that's for damn sure." I suppose I should take a bit of comfort at the dark note in his tone, but he'd still lied to me when he could have come clean.
Just confront him for fuck's sake, I snarled at myself, stop playing games.
"But you said in your message that you wanted to talk to me about something important?" When I didn't answer and I didn't look at him, he tilted my head up with a finger under my chin, "What's wrong?"
Why the hell should I tell him anything about the Cure; how could I trust someone who wasn't faithful? You don't know that, you haven't asked him, yet. "It's nothing to worry about," I answered and forced a smile that I hoped was convincing, "I got it figured out."
"You're sure?"
I nodded and he gave me a look that said he didn't believe me, but before he could press for a better answer Rebekah returned.
"Can I come back into my living room, now?" She whined like the pampered British brat that she was.
"Yeah, we're done."
"Are we?" Kol asked and his eyebrows rose, "We're alright now?
I nodded again and he pressed a sweet, chaste kiss to my lips. His mouth was still sour. "We're fine."
But we weren't fine at all.
~O~
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