I truly am sorry guys! I was uninspired and my laptop wouldn't start and it took hours to complete the startup repair and even after that it won't start. I hope you enjoy this super long chapter and thank you so much for the reviews!
I'm going on a hiatus for two months because I'm sitting for a very important exam in three weeks, kind of equivalent to SATs (I think, not really sure) but it lasts for a month and is very important for my college admission. So whatever it is, study comes first, I hope you readers understand.
I haven't seen TO season 2 yet so please no spoilers for those who haven't watched it.
P/S: Since Elijah lost to Kol, he didn't get to kiss Vanessa in this chapter :p What's the shipname for Kol and Vanessa though?
Chapter 26: Dangerous Liaisons
Believe it or not, we actually had quite a quiet week. I'd say I kinda miss the drama, but then again, nothing was ever normal in Mystic Falls. I also believe in the calm before the storm. And judging by how calm it had been, I'd say the storm coming would be pretty big like super big Mama Original-coming-back-from-the-dead big.
Bonnie's mom was back in Mystic Falls and they did this bloodline magic thing to unseal the magic-sealed coffin and the thing that we thought would be a weapon against Klaus was revealed to be Esther, the witch and their mother who started vampirism. Elena also told us that Esther wanted peace and to be together with her family and whatnot. That was highly suspicious but Elena had reasoned saying mother's love and all. But after that, Elena received an invitation to the ball the Originals were throwing with a note from Esther saying they should meet which meant the Original Witch was up to something.
"Aren't you a little too young to be drinking scotch in the middle of the day?" a heavily British accented voice said behind me and I turned to look over my shoulder quickly before sliding off the tool.
"Rebekah!" I exclaimed in delight and surprise and she gave me a smile.
"Hello to you too," she said and I bit my lower lip. Did she blame me for being daggered before Homecoming? I was in Rebekah's good graces but now… "Are you coming to the ball?" she asked me casually.
"No, I'm not," I said and her brows furrowed instantly.
"What? My mother did invite you, right? You and your bloody twin," she said, her nose scrunched in distaste as she mentioned my sister.
"Yes, she did but I'm not going," I said and she gasped in horror, making me laughed a little. "Oh, don't be so dramatic, Bekah."
"No, you have to go! The ball is going to be majestic! My mother's throwing it and it means so much to me," she said.
"I don't have a dress," I said, giving an excuse and she suddenly grinned.
"That's certainly not a problem," she said, still grinning like a Cheshire cat.
"No, Rebekah…I don't want to go," I said hesitantly.
"Please tell me this isn't about my brother," she complained and I grimaced.
"Hmm it is. I don't want to see your brother," I confessed and she pouted.
"You don't have to see him. You don't even have to talk to him. Just come, okay? For me?" she asked me hopefully and I sighed before detecting something.
"Okay, so…what's the real deal here?" I asked and she gave me a guilty smile.
"I kinda need you to put in a good word for me to your gorgeous blue-eyed friend," she admitted with a shy smile and I laughed, glancing at Matt who was working at the counter.
"Oh god, you're hilarious," I said and she narrowed her eyes at me.
"Fine, I won't ask for your help," she snapped bitterly and I laughed.
"Rebekah Mikaelson, with my help or not, you're an amazing woman. I'm sure Matt can ignore the fact that you're a powerful Original vampire pretty easily since most of his friends are vampires or a witch, so why don't you just go and ask him yourself," I said and she smiled.
"Is that your way of telling me you're not going to the ball?" she asked and I grinned.
"Hmm, that's why I love you. You're just so good at reading me," I said and she rolled her eyes.
"You don't want me to use this card," she said and I raised an eyebrow.
"What card?" I asked.
"You owe me to come to this ball. Since you left me daggered and I couldn't go to Homecoming-"
"Alright, fine, you win," I said hastily and she smiled. "But I still need to find a dress though," I muttered more to myself than to her but Rebekah clicked her tongue.
"I know a perfect dress for you, I'll send it later alright," she said and I bit my lip, not accustomed to people giving me expensive things.
"You don't have to," I said and she waved her hand dismissively. "Now, if you'll excuse me," she said and I grabbed her wrist before she can go. "Hey, you forgive me for not pulling that dagger out of your heart, right?" I asked her guiltily and she gave me a genuine smile.
"I was a little mad but yes, everything's forgiven. It's your sister that I want to rip her head off," she said so casually that I almost smiled. "Your sister's staring," she noted with a huff and I glanced at Elena and Caroline who were glaring at us. "Now give me a hug just to piss that bloody doppelganger off," Rebekah said and I laughed at her childishness and pulled her into a tight hug.
"I'm glad that you're here. I miss you," I said genuinely and she hugged me tighter.
"Well, don't sweet talk me. You still need to go to the ball," she said and patted my cheek affectionately. "By the way, Elijah wrote you a letter but I told him you're not a Juliet kind of a girl. So he told me to ask you to save him a dance. You can either ignore him or give him a chance but you still have to come!" she said in one breath and quickly walked over to Matt before I could say anything else. I stood there, flabbergasted as what Rebekah said sank in and I could only laugh at her antics. Rebekah could be very cute even without trying. I saw her stopping by Elena's table, giving one or a few remarks to piss my sister's off and smirked. Then I thought of Elijah and what Rebekah said, knowing that sooner or later I would still have to face him. Sighing, I finished my drink before heading to the cemetery. Somehow, it had become a good place for me to think.
The dress that Rebekah gave me fitted me perfectly and it was deep red which kind of reminded me of blood or red wine. It was short sleeved and the top was laced with vintage flower designs. I'd say the dress was rather conservative but elegant and beautiful nonetheless. It hugged my waist perfectly showing my curves before it flowed down to the floor in a tulle fabric with glitters and satin lining. For hair however, I settled with a simple side braid, since Rebekah wasn't here to help and I decorated my hair with a red flower headpiece.
I took a deep breath and clenched my fists tightly, trying to stop them from shaking. I wasn't even sure why I was shaking. I wasn't that nervous to see Elijah, to be honest, I didn't even know what to feel. The last time I saw him, he betrayed us all by sparing Klaus's life and I was pretty mad at him. Then Klaus had told me he spared Klaus to save me because I was linked to that evil hybrid. And now…I wasn't so sure. Didn't Elijah and I almost kiss the night of the sacrifice? Oh god…it felt like it happened ages ago.
The mansion was already filled with people, and I recognized some of the familiar faces. I didn't see Rebekah or Caroline, and I hoped for them to appear soon. Suddenly, I didn't know what to do. I didn't really want to look around, afraid of meeting a pair of dark brown eyes that I missed very much. So I admired the house and the deco and couldn't hide my astonishment at Klaus's artistic side in designing the mansion. If our relationship somehow improved over the years and he was no longer spouting threats to kill my family, I might ask for his help with the interior design when I bought a house to myself. I pondered on my future, not really being able to see one accept surviving and living in the present, and wondered if I could somehow get away from all of this drama.
I caught an unfamiliar looking man staring at me and wondered if I knew him or maybe he knew me. It was disturbing, the way he looked at me but then my attention turned to Mrs. Lockwood who had approached me.
"Vanessa dear, I love that dress!" she exclaimed in delight and I smiled at her, kissing her cheeks.
"Thank you, Mrs. Lockwood. How are you?" I asked her politely.
"Same old, same old. It's a little bit tiring, but I'm sure I can manage," she said, referring to a family of Original vampires moving into town.
"You've done great job, Mrs. Mayor. I'm sure you can manage this," I said nicely and she gave me a smile.
"Where is your sister?" she asked and I looked over my shoulder to the door unconsciously, feeling that she will be here soon.
"I'm sure she's on her way," I said and was about to say something when my eyes caught a man, looking at me. He looked undeniably like Elijah, younger and more handsome…and very mischievous. He gave me a smirk when he noticed I was looking and I quickly looked away, finding myself blushing.
"How's Tyler?" I asked, focusing on the mayor again.
"Oh, he's doing fine. He checked on me twice a day and sometimes not at all," she said with a sigh.
"Don't worry too much. He can take care of himself. He just needs some time alone," I said sincerely and she smiled.
"Oh, look at you, young lady! Giving me advice! You remind me of your mother," she said, smiling and patted my arm affectionately.
"Hello Carol," Damon said, approaching us.
"Hello," Mrs. Lockwood said.
"Hanging out with your new besties?" Damon asked sarcastically.
"I'm the mayor, Damon. When the oldest, deadliest, family of vampires moves into your town, you welcome them with a smile," Carol said.
"Yeah, Damon. Stop being so hateful," I commented.
"Hm well, at least you know who you're borrowing that cup of sugar from," Damon said, and I rolled my eyes at his remark.
"I'm trying to protect this town, Damon. They've assured me they want peace, and I've assured them I'd enforce it," Carol Lockwood said sternly. Then the young man from before, walked towards us, flashing a charming smile.
"Mayor Lockwood, we haven't formally met. Kol Mikaelson," he said and I registered his name in my mind. So this was Kol, the youngest male Mikaelson. The troublemaker as Elijah had once referred him. "I hope your lovely town embraces us just as much as we plan to embrace it," he said charmingly.
"How very thoughtful of you," I commented without thinking, the sarcasms could be heard even from a mile away. The Original vampire, Kol, glanced over at me and gave me a smile, pretending not to hear my sarcastic response at his fake words.
"And you must be the lovely Vanessa," he said and I looked at him blankly, contemplating whether to laugh out loud or not. I was a little bit baffled since no one had ever been this cheesy to me.
"Not as lovely as you might think," I replied trying to keep my cool. He took my cold hand and brought my knuckles to his lips, not breaking our eye contact and I fought the blood that was rising to my cheeks. In my defense, any girl would swoon when a handsome man being old fashioned and kissing her hand. His lips lingered for a while, his dark brown eyes bored into my soul before he straightened up.
"Oh, I doubt that," he said charmingly, slightly smirking perhaps at my flushed face.
Breathe, I reminded myself, looking over at Damon who was glaring at Kol. Why was this man affecting me so much? Probably because he was hot and I scolded myself for being such a giddy little girl.
"Damon Salvatore," Damon said sternly, offering his hand and Kol shot him a glare, still not releasing my hand although it had already been lowered. "Have we met?" Damon asked and I wasn't really surprised at how antagonistic he sounded.
"I've met a lot of people. And you don't particularly stand out," Kol replied without missing a beat and a small chuckle escaped my lips before I could stop myself. Damon sent me a glare before he saw Elena walking into the mansion.
"Excuse me, Carol," he said and left us. I looked at Kol and slipped out my hand from his hand and he gave me an innocent smile. Carol excused herself to go talk to another member of the council, leaving us alone in a silence.
"So you're Vanessa Gilbert. The young vampire that has my big brother's heart," he said, breaking the ice and I tensed. That wasn't really a great ice breaker.
"You must have mistaken me for my doppelganger," I said, trying not to sound too bitter. Kol gave me a mischievous grin telling me that he knew everything. Gosh, this must be Rebekah blabbing to him.
"My mistake then," he said innocently and I narrowed my eyes at him. Then like a magnet, I felt my head swept to the side and saw Elijah making his appearance at the top of the grand staircase. The way he carried himself was so elegant, so handsome, and he looked much better and hotter with this new haircut. His dark brown eyes scanned the crowd before they finally landed on mine. We stared into each other's eyes for a moment before I removed my gaze when I felt a strong, unfamiliar hand on my lower back.
"I supposed I wasn't so wrong after all," Kol whispered in my ears, before smiling like a Cheshire cat, glancing at Elijah who looked incredibly tensed as he realized who my companion was. "Save me a dance, will you darling?" he asked almost seductively, his lips brushing against my ear and grazed my cheek as he straightened up. Kol gave me one last smirk before he headed over to the staircase. I found it was easier to breathe now that he had put some distance from me, joining Elijah who was glaring at him warningly. I wasn't sure if Elijah was angry or upset, but his glare was really intimidating. But Kol certainly didn't find it intimidating at all as he kept the smirk on his face, ignoring the heat from his brother's glare.
Elijah composed himself and cleared his throat. "If everyone could gather, please," he said elegantly. "Welcome, thank you for joining us. You know, whenever my mother brings our family together like this, it's tradition for us to commence the evening with a dance," he said and I caught Kol's brown eyes looking at me and I averted my gaze immediately. The unfamiliar looking man from before who was staring at me like a hawk was standing on the staircase as well, and I presumed he was their other brother.
Then my eyes trailed to see a blonde woman, Esther, approaching them. She looked down at her guests sternly before her cold blue grey eyes met mine. Neither one of us looked away, clearly challenging each other which I think wasn't something really nice to do since she was quite a powerful witch and had tried to kill Elena before. Her body language; her tensed shoulders, stern eyes, and that unreadable expression on her face clearly told me that she was planning something. It must have had something to do with Elena which told me to brace myself, because winter is definitely coming and we will have to bend over backwards for Elena again.
"Tonight's pick is a centuries-old waltz, so if all of you could please find yourselves a partner, please join us in the ballroom," Elijah said snapping me out of my thoughts. Oh no, I thought to myself. I looked around trying to find Stefan; he and I had made an agreement earlier that day or it was more of me forcing him to dance with me because I didn't want to dance with Elijah. I saw him got dragged by Mrs. Lockwood and he sent me an apologetic look. I snapped my head to the front and froze when I saw Elijah approaching me from afar.
"May I have this dance?" a British accented voice asked which clearly didn't belong to Elijah and I took a deep breath, looking into Kol's dark brown eyes. My heart hammered in my chest, not really sure if it was because of him or his brother.
What was the saying again? Out of the frying pan into the fire.
"Since you asked me with such chivalry," I said haughtily, accepting his hand and he smirked, leading me to the dance floor.
"Brother, you should find yourself a partner," Kol said to Elijah in a patronizing manner as we walked passed him. Under difference circumstances, I would have laughed at how childish he was. Elijah ignored him and I hid a small smile.
"You're surprisingly childish for a thousand year old vampire," I said as we took our position and he laughed lightly.
"No one ever used that word on me before," he told me. The music began and we took a couple of steps to the slow beat of waltz before turning to face the others. Rebekah raised an eyebrow at me when we danced passed each other, questioning me what the hell was I doing dancing with her other brother. Kol twirled me around before holding me close as we danced in slow circles. I noticed that our proximity was very close, closer than it was supposed to be and his other hand was dangerously low on my lower back. Breathe, I reminded myself again. I realized Kol was the very first handsome stranger I've ever made contact with since I became a vampire and it was actually quite a new experience. I saw him smirking over my shoulder and could only guess that the person he directed the winning smirk to was Elijah.
"Wipe that smirk off your face," I said and he looked down on me, challenging me. "So what exactly did Elijah do to you?" I asked him softly, knowing Elijah might hear me talk about him.
"He was just being the same boring, moral big brother," he said with a shrug and I laughed. "But please know that I'm dancing with you simply because I want to. Pissing him off is just a bonus."
"You are childish," I emphasized and he smiled, and somehow it was contagious.
"I am not," he denied and I just smiled. "I see that you're friends with Rebekah," he noted and I raised an eyebrow at him.
"She's currently more tolerable than my own sister," I said and he tilted his head to the side.
"You're a little different, aren't you?" It was more of a statement but his accent made his tone rose a little at the end, making it sounded like a question.
"Well, it's hard to be different when I have two other women looking exactly like me," I said bitterly.
"I wouldn't say they look exactly like you," he said and I raised an eyebrow. "Somehow you are more…enchanting," he said and I let out a laugh, feeling my face heated up.
"So you really do know how to charm a woman," I said and he smirked.
"Are you charmed, love?" he asked and I returned his smirk.
"Not quite," I replied and I saw it in his dark eyes that he accepted the challenge that wasn't intended at all.
"Fortunately the night is still long," he told me, his hand on my lower back slid lower and it felt different; more intimate, more seductive. We then became very close again that I felt trapped under his penetrating gaze, before he twirled me into Elijah's arms. My demeanour changed immediately; the laughter died and my smile faltered. Elijah's eyes flared with emotions, piercing through my soul. Neither of us spoke, we just stared into each other, overwhelmed by emotions. Me, especially.
"You look good," I decided to speak. He did look good. He looked beyond good. He got rid of his funny hair and this new clean haircut suited him better. And he looked as dashing as ever.
"And you are ravishingly beautiful," he said and I looked at him, before looking away. I just said to Kol about how Cassandra and I looked alike. And having Elijah complimented me made me wonder, who exactly was he complimenting? While Kol did just compliment me, I presumed those were just words he used to charm a woman into his bed.
"I must have reminded you of your old sweetheart," I said. It came out a lot harsher than I intended to and Elijah shut his eyes briefly. He seemed tensed.
"Vanessa-"
"Am I wrong?" I asked him softly yet challengingly. His eyes were trained hard on me yet I remained unfazed. He didn't say anything for the rest of the dance and so did I. However, I was very much aware of everything, how warm his hand was against my cold hand, the weight of his hand resting on my waist, our close proximity and above all his burning gaze. I had started to regret coming over. I needed some air. Luckily the dance was over and we bowed to each other before I left abruptly, knifing through the crowd of people and finally grabbed a glass of champagne from the table. I breathed a sigh of relief.
"You should take pity on my brother and talk to him," Klaus said, appearing at my side. I raised him an eyebrow questioningly. Since when did he care about me and Elijah?
"There's nothing to talk about," I said coldly. "And why do you even care? Don't you have our destruction to plot?" I asked him sarcastically and he gave me a smile that showed me his dimples.
"Well, I can't help but believe that I have a part in this little spat," he said and I laughed.
"Can't say you're wrong, but I…I don't know. It won't work out, so why bother?" I said and he tilted his head to the side.
"Give it a chance, love. It may surprise you," he said.
"What? Like you and Caroline?" I asked teasingly, smoothly changing the topic. Klaus smiled to himself and I can't help but laughed. "Oh my god, Klaus Mikaelson, are you in love?"
"No," he said and I grinned mischievously. "Love is a strong word, sweetheart," he said seriously and my grin faltered. I saw Elijah looking at me across the room and took a deep breath.
"Yes, it is," I said, looking at his brown eyes before looking back to Klaus. "Although it is good to know that you have another interest other than terrorizing everyone in Mystic Falls," I said and he glared somewhat playfully.
"And we're getting along quite well, given our history," he said and I smiled, clinking my glass with his, taking a sip. Klaus was a good company when he wasn't being a jerk.
"The house is magnificent, by the way. Can't believe you actually have an artistic side because I have only seen your psychotic side," I said sweetly and he tilted his head to the side, slightly frowning before his lips formed a smile.
"Right," he said more to himself than to me and I looked at him weirdly. "Excuse me love, I need to find Caroline," he said and I nodded. He turned around again as he remembered something.
"A word of warning, love; best if you stay away from my little brother. I look like a saint compared to him," Klaus said and I raised an eyebrow at him, before my lips formed a smirk. How could someone make Klaus looked like a saint?
"Well, I…" I trailed off when I felt his burning gaze. Kol was across the room, obviously eavesdropping on our conversation while sipping his champagne and pretending to hear whatever the woman was talking about. "I like to play with fire," I said, and Klaus snorted.
"If you say so, sweetheart," he said and I smiled.
"Good luck with Caroline," I said and he rolled his eyes before leaving. My eyes met Kol's dark brown eyes again and he smirked, raising his glass subtly to me. I returned his smirk, raising my glass and took a sip.
This night might not be that bad after all.
"What got you so upset?" I asked Kol. He had been scowling in the corner, drinking his champagne quietly. And I had approached him because I was bored…or avoiding someone.
"Things are simply not going my way," he replied and I raised an eyebrow.
"With me?" I teased and surprisingly, he chuckled.
"You've changed your mind?" he asked huskily and I rolled my eyes. "It'll get his attention," he added and I laughed.
"I'm not as childish as you and I'm not planning on making your brother jealous or anything," I said.
"Is that so?" he asked, inching closer to me and I looked up daringly, not losing my cool.
"Yes," I replied and he tilted his head to the side, his dark brown eyes stared hard into my eyes, literally piercing my soul. The sound of someone ringing the crystal glass echoed throughout the room, and both of us turned to see Esther on the staircase.
"Good Evening, ladies and gentlemen. Waiters are coming around with champagne. I invite you all to join me in raising a glass," Kol picked up two glasses of champagne from the waiter and handed it to me.
"Thank you," I said with a smile to which he replied and he looked even better when he wasn't smirking.
"It provides me with no greater joy than to see my family back together as one. I'd like to thank you all for being part of this spectacular evening. Cheers!" she said and Kol turned to me.
"Cheers," he said and I clinked my glass with his.
"Cheers." I had to look away from his penetrating gaze as I drank the champagne and saw Elijah with Elena.
"If you look at him then you'll lose," Kol whispered at my ears and I rolled my eyes.
"Is everything a game to you?" I asked, turning to look at him and he smirk.
"It's to keep me entertain. Living for centuries can get quite dull, darling," he said, straightening up and sipping on his champagne. "I can teach you how to be fun."
"I think your definition of fun differs greatly from mine," I said and he shrugged.
"Slightly," he corrected. "I have to find my baby sister. And by the time I see you again, hopefully you'll change your mind and decide to have some fun with me," he said and I rolled my eyes although I couldn't fight the smile forming on my lips.
"Keep on dreaming, darling," I said and he smirked at the pet name.
"No one ever said no to me," he whispered huskily in my ears and I just smirked.
"I am," I said as seductive as I can and placed a hand on his chest gently to push him back before walking away.
"Not for long, darling." I heard he said and I smirked to myself.
The night was getting rather boring and I was getting tired of avoiding Elijah. I knew sooner or later I would have to face him and I couldn't avoid him forever. I bit back a sigh and walked up to him. 'Let's just get this over with,' I thought.
"Can we talk in private?" I asked him and he stared at me for a moment before nodding. He led me to an empty room and closed the door once I entered. "Since it seems like you're all settling here, I thought it's best if we cleared the air," I said as calmly as I could.
"Let me speak first," he said and I nodded, more than willing to let him speak as long as he can. But then again, I didn't want to hear anything that will make me hope.
"First of all, I'm terribly sorry for betraying you, your trust. You should know that you were linked to Niklaus and I could never let you die even if it means going back on my words," he said and waited for my response. I shook my head.
"Elijah…Klaus already told me that you knew. The reason you spared him was so that I wasn't killed," I said and he looked confused. He thought the sole reason I was mad at him was because he betrayed us.
"Then do you forgive me?"
"For letting me live?" I questioned him and he looked at me.
"Then tell me why are you upset," he said. I closed my eyes, trying to gather my thoughts. Then there was a little bit of chaos out there and Elijah and I shared a confused look before we headed out of the room.
"Elijah!" Rebekah called him and we followed them outside. I saw Damon stood up and turned around, his eyes were wild and crazy.
"Damon, are you crazy?" Stefan asked, horrified. I saw a lifeless body lying on the ground at Damon's feet and widened my eyes thinking he had just killed someone at the ball. Then as I got closer I realized it was actually Kol and I became horrified as well.
"Maybe a little," Damon replied. A little? Try a lot! Attacking an Original at his own ball? He must have lost his mind. But then he looked at Elena. "Far be it for me to cause a problem," he said and I saw how broken he was as he walked away. Now what had my sister done?
Elijah and the other brother who I couldn't remember his name carried Kol inside as the Originals shared a displeased look. I wasn't sure what to do but Elena apologized repeatedly to Elijah who said it was unnecessary.
"What did you do?" I asked Elena softly and she sighed.
"Something I shouldn't do," she said and I rolled my eyes at her response although I respected her unspoken wish not to talk about it. "Do you want to go home?" she asked tiredly.
"It's okay, I'll get home by myself," I said and she looked at me questioningly. I glanced to the door where Elijah had disappeared. "I need to talk to Elijah," I said. I'd have missed the guilty look that passed on my sister's face if I had blinked. Now it was my turn to look at her questioningly. But knowing Elena, I wouldn't get my answer if she didn't want to tell me.
"Right…" she mumbled. "You should talk to him," she said and I nodded, deciding to ignore it for now.
"Alright, I'll see you at home," I said and turned to Stefan.
"I'll make sure she's home safely," he said and I offered him a smile. Stefan was becoming more himself and I was glad.
"Thanks, I should go inside," I told them and headed back inside the mansion. I waited for Elijah for quite a while and everyone had started to leave one by one. I made myself comfortable in the living room, deep in thought as I drank the scotch. I looked up when Elijah walked in and he seemed genuinely surprised to see me.
"I didn't know you're still here," he said once he composed himself.
"Do you prefer if I leave?" I asked, almost teasingly. The scotch that I had drunk while I waited for him had totally loosened me up a little. "Is he okay?" I asked and Elijah seemed amused.
"Kol?" he asked, just to be sure.
"Yes, Damon was slightly deranged, he wasn't thinking," I said. "I'm sorry." Elijah smiled slightly before letting out a chuckle.
"Kol is always trying to find trouble and create mischief whether Damon is involved or not," he explained and I smirked a little.
"Sounds like Damon, except slightly worse," I commented. "Your mother is not mad?" I asked.
"To Kol, yes," he answered. "I missed this," he commented after a while. "Reminded me of old times," Elijah said and I raised an eyebrow.
"When you kept me captive?" I asked and Elijah laughed.
"Yes," he answered, still chuckling.
"It seemed ages ago," I said with a sigh. "I'm not mad at you for going back on your words," I told him after a long silence.
"Then what is it?" he asked.
"Be honest with me, Elijah. Do you love me?" I asked and there was no turning back. I sat there, looking at him boldly challenging him to lie to my face again if he dared. Clearly he wasn't expecting that. He stared at me in wonder, his dark brown eyes seemed troubled with guilt.
"I do have feelings for you," he said and I was displeased. He just needed to say it. Say that he didn't love me and not be a coward about it.
"That wasn't what I asked," I told him firmly and he leaned back.
"I think we needed time to know if I love you," he said and I pursed my lips.
"I think we already know that," I snapped. "It's not fair to me, Elijah. Please know that," I said coldly. He opened his mouth to speak but I held up my hand.
"It's not fair to me because your feelings for me will never be real. I think you love her so much that it clouded your mind and misled your heart, tricking you that you actually felt something for me when you clearly still love her very much," I said.
"Why do you always say that?" he asked, not looking at me. "At first, yes," he confessed. "I thought you were her and I had hoped you'd share more than just her looks. But do not take me as a fool, Vanessa." I closed my eyes as he said my name. Somehow it had always had an effect on me. Even from the first time my name rolled off from his tongue until now. It sounded different when he said it.
"You are an entirely different person than Cassandra is. I realized that as I got to know you. When I saw you hurt, chained to the chair and tortured by the werewolves I realized I do care for you," he said and I rose to my feet.
"But you don't love me! You never have!" I exclaimed in frustration. "You love Cassandra but you never love me. Stop lying to yourself just to spare me from a little heartbreak. I told you it's unfair!" Elijah rose to his feet as well and looked at me hard. I was on the verge of breaking down.
"What makes you so sure of it? It seems like you don't want to give me a chance to love you," he said.
"Because I don't want that!" I said bitterly, glaring at him. "Because I hate to be in love with you," I confessed darkly, finding the rage inside me flaring like an untamed flame. "I hate not being in controlled of myself. You showed me the slightest of affection and my heart wavered. The walls that I built shattered and I love you helplessly again. I hate being weak, Elijah, more than anything," I told him.
"Look at Niklaus, Vanessa. See what happens when you push love away," he told me and I let out a small scream of frustration.
"The thing is you don't love me! I dare you to go out there and find your precious doppelganger. Once you see her in the flesh then you'll realize what I've known for a long time. You were just using me because you are so deeply in love with her," I said. "Go find her and your happy ending Elijah. And I hope you stay away from me," I said shakily, heading over to the table where the alcohol was, breathing heavily. I didn't hear Elijah left the room but I could feel I was alone.
But not for long.
"Trouble in paradise, darling?" his British accented voice interrupted my thoughts and I rolled my eyes, annoyed. Not another Original, I thought to myself.
"There was no paradise to begin with," I retorted bitterly, downing the scotch. Kol chuckled, approaching me with his silent footsteps. I tensed when his chest pressed against my back as he reached out for a glass and I slipped away, uncomfortable. I caught his smirk as he poured himself a glass of scotch.
"Another?" he asked me and I handed him my glass. "Do you know a good place to have late dinner?" he asked and I glanced at him.
"I thought your mummy said no harming the locals," I said and he looked at me, his eyes glinting with mischief.
"Do I look like someone who would listen?" he asked me innocently and I laughed. He handed me the drink and I took a sip.
"You look happy for someone who had just died," I noted. I figured he would be pissed off and attacked Damon-
"Oh, I'm merely thinking of ways to kill that bloody Salvatore. Once I'm done with him, I would look more than happy," he said nonchalantly and I gaped.
"Okay, look, I apologized for Damon. He's an idiot and was a little bit out of his mind tonight," I said and Kol looked at me, unimpressed. "Please?" I added sweetly and the corner of his lips twitched into a smirk.
"Perhaps you could…" he said, taking a step towards me, and I stay rooted although he was incredibly close now. "Persuade me into changing my mind?" he asked suggestively, tilting his head to the side charmingly and I rolled my eyes.
"I've had enough Originals for tonight. I think I'll pass," I said and his lips formed a pout.
"Aw, come on Vanessa," he said lightly. "Don't tell me you don't want it," he said, making me laughed. All I wanted right now was to go home and lie down on my bed.
"You sir, are so full of yourself," I told him, walking away. "Why would-" my words stopped midsentence when I turned around and caught him checking out my behind. His eyes looked up back to my eyes, smiling almost cheekily. Most guys would cover in embarrassment, having caught like that, but Kol Mikaelson was not most guys.
"You were saying?" he asked and I suddenly felt so flustered, which I had no idea why. Why was I blushing? His smirk widened in mischief as he walked up to me, his eyes not leaving mine and I stood there, frozen. "One night, just one unforgettable night," he offered, trailing his knuckles down my arm, sending a shiver down my spine which I was sure he could feel it too which made me blushed furiously. Think straight, Vanessa. It was getting harder to breathe and think especially when his cologne filled my nose and clouded my judgement.
"Why?" I asked him when I found my voice again although it came out barely a whisper.
"Think of it as a gesture of goodwill," he replied playfully and I rolled my eyes.
"What exactly do you want from me?" I asked him, getting a little frustrated now. All the Originals ever do was play games with me and I was sick of it.
"Do you really want me to say it?" he asked, the smirk on his face never faltered. He was winning the game that I started and I couldn't have that. The Petrova fire in me ignited.
"There are plenty other women who I'm sure are more than willing to sleep with you," I said and he chuckled.
"But there's only one you," he replied, his eyes were hard on me and I felt his hand on my waist. "And no one ever said no to me," he whispered at my ears and my breath hitched in my throat before I took control of myself again. I pushed Kol against the wall, catching him off guard, my arm pressed against his neck. He laughed, out of amusement which made me angrier.
"You are cute," he told me and I growled.
"Cute is not the word I would use," I said warningly and before I knew it I was pressed against the wall harshly, my palms flat on the wall, pinned with his iron grip.
"What about wanton? Would that describe you well?" he asked, kissing my neck lightly and I bit my lower lip, not wanting to make a sound. Damn vampire hormones, I cursed. As attractive as Kol was, I didn't want to involve myself with another Original, and the last thing I wanted was to turn into Katherine and Elena. But this was harmless, the sexually frustrated me argued. Just a one night stand to satisfy my needs.
Kol grabbed my chin and turned my head to the side, capturing my lips and kissed me with such passion. I forced myself to pull away, using one free hand to push him. He looked at me, his dark eyes were pure lust, mirroring mine. There was no love or admiration like the way Elijah once looked at me. Just pure lust and desire. Who needed love anyway? All it did was broke your heart and crushed it into pile of dust. The need to rebel was flaring inside me and I didn't want to care about anything at all.
Grabbing his shoulders, I pulled him down into a kiss and felt him smirked against my lips. I rolled my eyes in my mind but lost myself in his touch yet again. He stumbled a few steps back as I pushed him, glancing upstairs. If Esther was to appear out of nowhere that would certainly kill the mood. Kol pulled me roughly, up to the stairs before kissing me again. Kissing him took my mind off things, and it was a nice feeling; just to be lost in something.
"Where's your bedroom?" I asked, breathing heavily before moaning softly in his ear as he trailed his lips down to my neck, nibbling and sucking it. He hummed for a moment, probably trying to remember where it was.
"Why not do it here right out in the open?" he asked teasingly and I slapped his arm causing him to chuckle. I tripped over the stairs as we moved, but he caught me and lifted me up and used the vampire speed to get to his room. He carelessly turned the knob and opened the door by pushing me inside, before he pressed me up against the wall. I gasped when he ripped the dress into two, looking at him wide eyed in disbelief, and he rolled his eyes.
"It's just a dress," he said indifferently, tugging the dress down, leaving me in my black corset and shorts and I kicked my heel, apparently one of them was already gone. He lifted me up and placed me on the mahogany desk. There was a laptop and a smartphone along with some books, something useful for someone who had been daggered for almost a century. My attention returned to this gorgeous vampire before me when he grabbed my thighs and pulled me closer to him, looking at me with those alluring dark eyes.
"Why are you so overdressed?" I complained, tugging the already loose bowtie before ripping his shirt, granted as he ripped my dress. Kol had a lean muscular body, very muscular if you asked me, something that was hidden under those clothes. I appreciated the view of his toned abs and caught him smirking at me.
"Oh shut up," I muttered grudgingly, and his smirk widened as he returned his lips down my neck. I took a sharp breath and jolted a little when he suddenly bit down on my neck, drawing blood.
"Never did blood sharing before?" he asked, raising an eyebrow at me. I didn't know why, perhaps I looked scared but he resolved into sucking the skin of my neck, along with the little blood that was drawn earlier.
"Just got a nasty hybrid bite from your brother, it wasn't that pleasant," I told him and gasped when he tugged my hair roughly.
"No talking about my brother, darling," he growled. There was a hidden meaning to it. No talking about either of his brother. But Elijah was already out of my mind the minute he kissed me. "Understand?" he tugged it down harder, hurting my scalp and tilting my head far back making it difficult for me to breathe and speak.
"Yes," I managed to say and he loosened his grip and I tilted my head to the side. "Go ahead," I told him and felt his fangs sunk into my neck. My hand raked his tousled brown hair, holding him close and urging him to drink more. Then my eyes met a pair of brown eyes through the gap of the door.
Elijah.
He looked somehow hurt, which made me angry. He had no right to look hurt. Or maybe the image of Cassandra making out with someone else was what actually hurting him. That made me furious.
"What?" I heard Kol asked before he looked at the door. Elijah was no longer there but Kol seemed to catch on what had happened a few seconds ago. I heard a low growl coming from the back of his throat as he strode towards the door and slammed it shut so hard that the frame hung next to the door fell and the glass shattered into pieces.
"Do you still want to carry on?" he asked, looking annoyed. I looked up into his dark eyes that were impatient, waiting for me to answer him. Instead I hopped down from the desk and unzipped my corset.
"Do you?" I asked and saw his smirk briefly before he flashed in front of me, kissing me hard.
My eyes fluttered opened before I closed them again, relishing the feeling of the very comfortable bed which was not mine-My eyes snapped opened immediately only to see darkness and I rose to a sitting position. Everything started coming back and I sighed.
"I slept with you didn't I?" I asked Kol when I saw him standing by the window, wearing only a pair of black boxers. He let out a chuckle at the slight regret in my voice and I glanced around to switch on the bedside lamp. The orange light filled the room and I appreciate the view of his shirtless body.
"Many times, I'd say," he said teasingly and I rolled my eyes.
"What time is it?"
"Three," he said, sipping on the drink.
"I'm thirsty," I whined and Kol looked at me incredulously. I almost laughed at the look of his face.
"And?"
"Get me something to drink," I told him. "Not alcohol. Just water, thank you," I said and smiled sweetly at him and he just stared at me. "Well?"
"That'd be the last time you told me what to do," he said, sounding more like a growl and I suppressed my laughter. Somehow I think that wouldn't be the last time. I glanced around at his seemingly empty room, slightly wondering why Klaus didn't decorate them. The wall was painted white, as far as I could tell with the little light in the room but it was almost empty. There were a few frames, a painting of himself in Victorian era I assumed, but that was just it. Kol returned with a glass of water and I thanked him although he looked annoyed.
"Why didn't Klaus decorate your room that much?" I asked him after finishing the water.
"Because he knows I'm not staying," Kol said, shrugging.
"You're not staying?" I asked and he looked at me, a playful smirk playing on his lips.
"Do you want me to stay, darling?" he asked and I rolled my eyes.
"Don't flatter yourself," I said. "Why aren't you staying?" I asked and he looked at me, confused.
"What am I going to do here? Play house with Rebekah?" he asked sarcastically. "Tell me Vanessa," he said, and I raised an eyebrow at him. "What exactly do you do here in this small, boring town?"
I laughed at his question. "It's not boring when your brother keeps terrorizing us and spouting threats to kill everyone that we've ever known," I told him, still laughing lightly. "But aside from that, yes, this small town doesn't offer much," I said shrugging. My plan before I died and became a vampire was to apply for a college that was far from home and might not come back and then travelled the world. But then everything changed.
"Then why stay?" he asked and I looked at him.
"My family's here," I answered him simply and he rolled his eyes at my answer. "What?" I almost snapped and he just shrugged. I sighed, rising to my feet and pulling the sheet to cover my body and Kol laughed.
"There's no need to be decent, love. I've seen everything," he said with a smirk and I scowled at him.
"Shut up," I hissed as I looked for my clothes or at least what's left of them anyway.
"And where are you going?" he asked.
"Home."
"Oh come on! The night's not over yet," he said with a wink and I just laughed.
"Elena's going to freak out when she realizes I'm not home," I told him.
"So just let her freaks out," he said, setting down his glass and walked over to me with his eyes fixed on me. Oh boy.
"No, no, no, no more seducing me," I protested and Kol chuckled. I decided that I actually liked him when he laughed.
"Who's seducing who?" he asked, touching my bare arm lightly, making me shivered. My breathing hitched when he lowered his head to my neck, his hand stroking my lower back and lower, the only thing separating our skin from touching was this satin sheet wrapped around me.
I didn't understand how he could affect me this much. His single touch made me frenzy, his dark eyes gazing into me made me feel naked and every time he kissed me it was like he sucked the life out of me but everything made me feel alive. Like he said, it did make me forget of all my heartache.
"You don't seem the type to fall for my brother," Kol said out of nowhere as I plopped back down on my back.
"Hmm?" I asked him, wiping the blood on his lips before bringing it to my mouth. "Leave us," I said to the compelled human servant that Klaus had and she left the room quietly.
"He's way too boring for you," he said, referring to our previous fun activity. "I don't believe Elijah would approve what we did to her," he said and I rolled my eyes.
"You're right. He's dull," I said and Kol laughed.
"So why did you love him then?" he asked and I laughed lightly. Rebekah and Kol were totally siblings, they were both very nosy.
"You really don't know anything about love, do you?" I asked him and Kol looked at me.
"Why is that?" he asked me, almost challengingly.
"Because you don't get to choose who you fall in love with," I said, my eyes staring at the wall blankly before I turned my attention to the Original again. "One day you suddenly realize they have a hold over you and you can't do anything about it," I said.
"That's why I do not love, darling. I dislike being powerless, weak, not in control," Kol said and I sighed at his words.
"So do I," I said sadly, before closing my eyes and drifted into dreamless sleep.