October, 1911

The question had honestly surprised her. Maybe it shouldn't have – after all, early on in their friendship they used to talk about their future plans and whatnot. Bea had told Kol honestly when he had mentioned it a year ago that yes, she did eventually plan to marry.

But god, it seemed like the very last thing Kol would ever want to do, especially with a human. So when he had presented her with a ring and asked for her hand she had gaped for a moment before whispering out a quiet, "No."

Of course he hadn't given her a chance to explain herself, instead storming out and looking positively devastated. But how could she do that to him? Let him bind himself in a way he never wanted to just because he wanted to make her happy?

That had been hours ago, and she hadn't moved from her position of sitting on the edge of her bed. Her face was buried in her hands though her tears had long since dried up. She was absolutely fucking exhausted, and now would have to picture her life without Kol in it.

It was impossible to do. Kol was her – well, he was her everything. What she wanted to wake up to, the person she wanted to gossip with about the strange customers who came to the store, the one whose lips pressed against hers made everything else in the world seem inconsequential. It seemed true to Bea now more than ever that "l'amour fait les plus grandes douceurs et les plus sensibles infortunes de la vie."

Love is responsible for the greatest pleasures and the worst problems in life.

She refused to allow him to compromise his own happiness in an attempt to fulfill some need of hers that had faded away long ago. The moment she decided to stay with her vampire lover she had given up on the flimsy outline of a future she hadn't been all that committed to anyway.

When the door banged open Bea let out a shrill shriek that was honestly rather embarrassing to be coming out of a grown woman.

Ironically enough the sight of Kol standing in front of her, disheveled and with a shirt splattered with what must have been a pint of blood, was an enormous comfort. His face was unreadable and she immediately knew that she would have to make the first move, and quickly.

Standing up, she lurched forward and gripped his hands in hers, squeezing tightly in an attempt to keep him from leaving, though she knew realistically he could break her hold with nothing more than a twitch of his wrists.

"Please. Please don't go. Let me explain, I have to explain."

For a moment she thought that he wouldn't listen, that he would turn around and leave her, never returning again. But something in her voice must have made him rethink his instincts, so he sighed and walked toward the kitchen, dragging her behind him and seating them both at the table.

Bea opened her mouth to speak, but Kol briskly cut her off, speaking in an annoyed and exasperated tone.

"You aren't the only one, you know."

She was confused. Vague was not usually his thing. In fact, Kol was blunt to the point of being an asshole most of the time and she often had to apologize for him in public, something he found greatly amusing.

"What do you mean?"

"You aren't the only one in this relationship. Or the only one in love, or the only one who wants this to last."

"I know that, Kol. It's just… you don't want to get married. And I don't want to force you into anything. I know you want to make me happy, but making yourself miserable isn't going to help anyone."

He snorted and rolled his eyes at her, but looked entirely too fond for the heaviness of this conversation. Bea wasn't sure what was happening. He had stormed out, and obviously he was going to end their relationship after her refusal, but it didn't seem like he was angry or upset.

"As if you could force me into anything. Are you really that daft?"

Alright. Now she was the one getting pissed off.

"Excusez-moi?"

"I asked if you were daft. You very well might be if you think the only reason I asked you to marry me was because I thought it was what you wanted. And here I thought I had been with an intelligent woman."

She didn't know quite how to respond, but a warm bud of hope was beginning to bloom in her chest unbidden. She tried to squash it, not wanting to begin to yearn for something only for it to be destroyed.

"So why else did you?" she asked in a cautiously probing voice.

Kol raised his eyebrows at her and looked incredulous but simultaneously amused. He smiled slightly and said, "I think I need to make myself a bit more clear."

Before Bea could react in any way, he reached across the table, lightly grabbed her face, and began kissing her deeply. She parted her lips nearly immediately, letting out a sigh as she did. They continued kissing for another minute or two, tongues caressing one another and short bites on lips breaking the pattern.

When he pulled away she was panting and even his breath was coming a bit more quickly than usual. His face was only inches away from her when he began talking firmly.

"I didn't ask you to marry me just because I want to make you happy. Yes, I didn't ever want to get married, but I can make an exception for you.I'm bloody possessive and I want every man and woman who sees you to know that you're mine in every way, and they can't have you. I love you, Bea. So don't be such a bint."

Of course that was how he chose to end what was probably the most romantic declaration he had ever made. But it didn't matter to her. So she smiled widely and whispered out a hoarse, "Alright then. Yes."

"I'm sorry, I didn't hear you Beatrix. That wasn't very enthusiastic if I'm being entirely honest."

He was such an immature little shit. Huffing loudly but with a wave of delirious happiness beginning to build up in her, Bea got up from her seat and kneeled beside where he was sitting in his chair, mimicking the position he had been in just hours ago.

"I, Beatrix Elizabeth Lynch, would very much be honored to accept your earlier proposal to bind myself to you, Kol Mikaelson, la lumière de mon cœur and love of my life, in holy matrimony so that I might become Mrs. Beatrix Mikaelson."

It was obvious that he tried to remain smug looking or teasing, but Kol's face split into a huge grin and he pulled her up into his lap so that she straddled his thighs.

"Well. I guess that could be arranged."

The blood on his clothes began seeping into her own dress and he slipped the ring onto the ring finger of her left hand after pulling it from his pocket. They had so much to talk about. It would probably be wise to act like adults – have a mature discussion about their future together and how it would work out. Discuss the enormous elephant in the room of her humanity and the fact that he had never directly mentioned turning her before.

But Kol and Bea weren't the pinnacle of wisdom and maturity.

So instead they pressed their lips together again, their kissing reduced to an awkward collision of teeth around their smiles.

Besides, she'd noticed that the engagement ring featured lapis lazuli stones on either side of the diamond.