Chapter Two: Snark and Fire

He was talking to a girl, Still dressed in his suit from the ball, poor girl didn't know the only meal he was going to have with her was in fact her. He leaned into the girl like he was going in for a kiss. Bonnie blushed feeling like she was intruding on a moment that didn't need a third party. She felt a tap on her shoulder, she jumped.

"Bonnie Bennett, I presume?" Kol said his voice smooth like a nice soft breeze. He was standing inches away from her, looking like had just found his entertainment for the night. Kol Mikaelson was the youngest of the bunch, she heard that he was the bad boy that lived in the moment like everyday was his last, as if he wasn't an immortal vampire. He had all the girls in mystic falls tripping over themselves for a mere smile, all he had to do was say something or just breathe and he turned the girls into his personal maidens.

"Do I know you?" she hoped her eyes portrayed confusion, she wasn't in the mood to deal with the undead tonight. She was already ticked off that the day she decided to do something normal with her life in mystic falls, something twitchy not quite witchy managed to still follow her.

"No, We haven't properly met but I hope to remedy that tonight." He gave her a dimpled grin. Damn his accent was just as sexy as Caroline said.

"Actually, I'm on my way out." she stood from the stool and gathered her bag making her way to the door.

"You just arrived," blocking her path.

"The entertainment isn't to my liking and I don't feel like being someone's dinner." She narrowed her eyes at him. The bastard laughed and she would be lying if she didn't say it made her stomach flutter at little. When he finished laughing he asked her

"Why aren't you at my mother's ball tonight?" He asked clearly taken aback by the fact that she wasn't with the rest of her friends. They were wide eyed looking at the mansion—that was decorated to the nines— they arrived just before he snuck out. Probably living their princess fantasy. Ah. How he just loved bright eyed teenage girls.

"Move out of my way kol before I move you." Her jaw was clenched and her voice cold resembling the tone it took a few hours ago. She tried to go around him again, but he wouldn't give her space to evade him.

"Are you too scared to even have a conversation with me, love? I promise not to bite and unless you beg me to" he wiggled his eyebrows

"Just one conversation bonnie and then you may run along away from the big bad wolf." He pulled a stool for her at the bar and sat on one himself. She stood there, she could leave, she didn't have to sit with him, she didn't owe him shit. She exhaled. A small voice in the back of her head maybe the devil on her shoulder said it was one conversation, how bad could he be? When was the last time she did something that wasn't good or very nice? She couldn't remember. She walked over and sat on the stool but not before moving the stool a couple inches away from Kol. She feared that he might be able to hear and feel the constant pounding of her heart against her rib cage.

"Why aren't you- I mean why aren't you at the ball?" she threw his earlier question back at him.

"To dress up and pretend that we are the picture of beauty, grace and wealth? instead of monsters that rule the night?" He chucked and continued his eyes never leaving bonnie

"No, it doesn't interest me to hide who I am, I am completely content in who I am and If others aren't, well dear, they can fuck off." He raised his hand to signal the bartender.

Bonnie was taken aback, he actually sounded a bit human just there. The bartender came looking at kol with interest and not paying any attention to bonnie.

I must have spelled myself to be invisible Bonnie said sarcastically rolling her eyes.

"I missed you last week, you didn't have to leave right before sunrise" she gave him a wounded puppy look.

"Now, Zelda, you know how I operate." Kol said giving her a lopsided grin. Bonnie could see the girl blush a little, even underneath the tattoos on her neck and down her arms. Slapping the bar table he said

"Now, my new friend and I would like two old fashioned."

"Water, please." Bonnie said narrowing her eyes at Kol

"Boo! you're no fun." Kol said frowning at bonnie. Bonnie's lips twitched, he was animated.

"So, little witch why didn't you go to mummy dearest's ball?" He asked taking a gulp of his drink.

She shrugs looking everywhere but towards him, and says

"Wasn't invited."

"hmm"

"well you aren't missing much, It was a bore before I left and I'm imagining it's still a bore."

She laughed

"Ah! The always contained Bonnie Bennett does know how to laugh and what a lovely sound it is."

"Shut up." looking over at the group of friends singing Karaoke on the stage so he wouldn't see her blush. She stared at the group of friends, 2 boys and 2 girls, the girls were on the stage singing and dancing awfully to Katy Perry's "I kissed a girl" while the boys sat in the front row and switched from laughing and cheering on the girls. They seemed a little older than her maybe in their early 20's. They seemed happy like the world was theirs for the taking. She wished that was her, Elena, Caroline and Matt. They weren't carefree or reckless like teens should be, well at least, not anymore.

"Fancy yourself a good singer? We could go sing some Karaoke?" He let out, Trying to lighten the mood

"I would, but not with you." her voice was low. She turned to face him, her eyes were sad and she didn't even hide it.

"Look, Kol, I'm going to be honest because you value transparency just as much I do, you might be an interesting guy and have the whole sexy vampire thing going for you, but I came here to do something different than I normally do and get away from all things supernatural and I've managed to do is talk to you—who I don't know or trust— and realize how much I miss my life before I found out about witches and vampires, So yes I want to go sing and have fun but not with you." She said standing and getting her wallet out and putting a $30 dollar bill on the sped past the group of friends to get to the door. She had finally let the tears fall from her face as soon as she was outside. Her back pressed on the brick wall in the alleyway near the bar, she was trying to catch her breath, her heart is beating ferociously.

"Breathe through your nose." She whipped her head to see Kol standing a few feet apart from her.

"You're having a panic attack." His tone even and sure.

"I-I" Bonnie says gasping for air. Kol comes so they are inches apart and she can smell him.

"Shhh. Just breathe." He takes her face in his hands wiping away her tears. She inhales and exhales, her chest rising and falling heavily. Somehow she relaxes into him and he's holding her in his arms and she's lax in his arms.

"There you go, better now." He whispers just above her ears while caressing her hair.

Nothing about the moment was in the slightest bit sexual, despite their current position and his reputation. Bonnie felt everything but desire, she felt calm, safe, vulnerable.

It was something intimate more than anything, a moment to be remembered and forgotten in the alleyway of a depressing night.

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