"i like storms. they let me know that even the sky screams too."
10 | FLATTERY
June, 1865
Charlotte had to admit that Kol knew how to make a girl swoon. In fact, he was quite skilled in the practice, and she had to remind herself to take it one step at a time when he looked at her so heatedly. He stirred a fire in her stomach that didn't want to be quelled, and she wondered if this was how courting was supposed to feel like. She'd only ever had bad experiences with it, but with Kol, she found that she couldn't stop smiling.
They had continued their banter through dinner, talking about sweet little nothings and avoiding any heavier topics. Charlotte was grateful that the conversation remained light, and she thanked the chef when he brought out their food and more wine. When Kol suggested that they take a bite of the man—creating a more bloodier palette—Charlotte declined. She didn't think the man deserved that fate, and she usually tried to keep her feedings to people who were cruel or evil. The few times that she negated this rule of hers was with accidental murders and the one or two rampages she went on after a particular rough night reliving human memories. If she could avoid hurting those that she saw as innocent bystanders, then she would—as long as it didn't take much effort on her part to do so.
The dinner was wrapped up quickly, and Kol was whisking her away again. Charlotte waved goodbye at the chef—Luca was his name—and giggled as Kol pulled her along, his hand tightly wrapped around her own. The night had settled to a quiet reservation, and Charlotte felt content in the empty streets, walking side-by-side with the Mikaelson man as he lead her to wherever he wanted to go next. He had slowly been chipping away at the walls she put up through dinner, and she was surprised that the usually insane and cruel Kol Mikaelson was actually being caring and sweet toward her.
She was waiting for the other shoe to drop—for some big scandal or problem to pop up and ruin all the progress made during their date—but it never happened. She was still happy, still smiling, and still holding hands with a vampire known infamously for his ruthlessness. Kol didn't seem deterred by Charlotte's quiet pondering, turning his head toward her with his lips quirked at the corners. He'd been nothing but generous and handsome and easy to talk to—it was such a culture shock from what Charlotte was used to seeing in other men that she had to remind herself that she wasn't somehow dreaming this all up. She had to remind herself that this was real, and that Kol was more than what the rumors of him painted the Mikaelson as.
She knew from personal experience how easy it was to get caught up in the bloodlust, to crave chaos and to cause the destruction firsthand. She knew what it was like to have a persona that the world saw her as—she had been the Infernal Queen in the supernatural community long before she was Charlotte Salvatore. She just never thought that Kol would land in the same category.
The very same hands that had killed so many were bringing a blush to her face and butterflies in her stomach, and she left her doubts about Kol back at the dinner. For now, she wanted to enjoy this time, without worrying about any consequences that could come from it.
"My turn," Kol's voice interrupted her thinking, and she looked at him with a small smile, waiting patiently for his question. The game between them had been fun and easy to maneuver through, and Kol hadn't brought up any topics that Charlotte was particularly reactive toward—she hoped it would remain that way. "What brought you to the glorious city of New Orleans?" He gestured around the empty streets, and Charlotte giggled at his exaggerated sarcasm.
With a small shrug, she answered him as honestly as she had answered the rest of his inquiries. "I wanted a fresh start," she confessed. When he raised an eyebrow at her—an obvious hint that he needed more clarification—she smiled wider. "What? Is that so hard to believe?"
"Frankly, yes," Kol replied quickly, and she rolled her eyes playfully.
"Well, it's true," Charlotte declared, taking her hand out of his to gasp dramatically. "Do you think me a liar, Kol Mikaelson?"
His smirk could make her faint if she looked at it for too long. "Not at all. I think you devious, and flirty, and much too intelligent to walk into a city full of supernatural creatures without thinking it through first." She was impressed by his deduction of her, and Kol puffed out his chest at her silent approval.
Huffing slightly to herself, she decided that this one bit of her past wouldn't hurt to share. "I wanted to blend in. I had a few run-ins with authority, and let's just say that it was better if I laid low." Kol looked intrigued by that, reaching out for her hand again.
"What sort of trouble did you get into, Miss Salvatore?" He asked, but she shook her head, slipping her hand out of his own and maneuvering when he tried to pull her back.
"Not you breaking the rules of your own game again," Charlotte chastised with a laugh, turning around so that she was walking backwards in front of the man. He smirked at her strange behavior, stuffing his hands in his pockets and watching her appreciatively. "It's my turn to ask."
"Go ahead, darling," he encouraged, eyes trailing over her form again. Earlier in the evening, he'd told her that red was her best color—making her appear like a vixen in every way possible. She knew that blue was better suited for her, but she definitely wasn't upset by the reaction she was getting from him at her appearance. Unlike the men that ogled her in the past, Kol's gaze sent the good kinds of shivers down her spine.
She pretended to think about it for a moment, but she already knew what she'd ask. She'd been saving the question since they were still at the restaurant. "Do you wish to break my heart?" She asked him, and he stumbled a bit, eyes flashing toward hers as she avoided his piercing gaze.
"Why would you say such a thing?" Kol asked, his face a mask of genuine confusion and worry. She was still trying to ignore his deep and complex stare, looking down at where she had grabbed onto the skirt of her dress to make sure she didn't trip.
She laughed, but it was a much sadder sound than her previous giggles. "I'm not naive, despite how young I am," she began in a soft voice, finally meeting his eyes. They had both stopped now, standing only a foot apart as she said what she needed to say from the beginning. "You are an Original, one who has lived centuries and countless lives. You've met many women, and yet you've chosen me... You're also notoriously known for breaking hearts, so I believe it's a valid question."
She tried lightening the tone with her last few words, but Kol was still frowning deeply. "I was being truthful when I said that I've never met anyone like you in my numerous lifetimes," he told her gently, grabbing her hand again in his own. She allowed him to do so this time, comforted by the gesture. "I don't quite know what we are, but I want to be more. I want to know you, inside and out." When Charlotte still looked skeptical, he sighed, looking into her eyes. "What can I do to prove myself?"
Charlotte opened her mouth to say something, but really, she didn't have an answer for him. What did she want as proof of a true and real infatuation? What evidence did she need to search through in order to trust Kol's words and big promises? What did he need to say to work his way into her heart?
She didn't know; she'd never planned ahead this far. Usually, if anyone wanted to be with her, they would end up dead or running for the hills. She never met someone who stuck around this long, still chasing after her even when she led him on wild goose chase after wild goose chase. Kol always told her how puzzling she was to him, but it was a two-way street; he was just as complicated as her.
When it was obvious that she was lost for words, Kol tightened his grip on her hand—not enough to cause pain but enough to get her attention again. "Come with me," he whispered hastily. She furrowed her eyebrows together even as she nodded, running after Kol with their hands intertwined. She wasn't sure where they were going, but she noticed the Lafayette Cemetery to her right, what the witches of New Orleans called their sanctuary.
"Where are we going?" She asked, a soft lilt in her voice to try and get rid of the tension she unnecessarily invited in through the use of her curiosity.
Kol turned to face her, his eyes alight with something she couldn't quite figure out. "We are going to go through the reasons as to why I would never dare play with your heart," he explained, and she laughed at his words, not quite believing them.
"And you expect me to trust your promises on our first date?" She asked incredulously, but there was no malice behind what she said. Kol seemed to understand how she was simply asking the question to see how he would react, and he certainly didn't disappoint.
With a sly expression on his face, he shook his head. "Not at all, but then again, that's why I like you," he replied, and once more, Charlotte was swooning inwardly at his charms. She attempted to hide her smile, but he saw right through her. He reached out, his fingertips brushing back the small curl that fell in front of her eyes. At the movement, she glanced up, meeting his gaze. It was incredible how this one man could convey so much with just a parting glance or a soft, barely-there touch against skin. She almost didn't hear his next words over the sound of her own heart. "Look up, darling."
Confused and yet intrigued, Charlotte did as he asked, gasping once she saw what he was referring to. Above them, floating like features in the wind or birds in the sky, were white rose petals—they contrasted so brightly against the darkness of the night sky that it would be impossible not to see them. There were dozens of petals drifting in between the pair of vampires, and Charlotte's smile was true and genuine when she reached out to let one of the petals fall daintily in her palm. Kol, taking advantage of her small distraction, let his fingers play with the crease of her collarbone, eliciting goosebumps over her skin.
"You once told me that white was your favorite color," he whispered to her, and Charlotte looked back at him, her heart filling very rapidly—so fast that she could hardly keep up—with emotion that she had pushed away for so long.
"The night of the gala," she breathed, remembering the moment just as vividly as he did. She never knew that he'd take her words to heart—that he would memorize the things she said, even if they were about minuscule things that should've been pointless information to him.
Kol nodded, still running his fingers lightly over her skin; it wasn't a seductive move—even though she felt her insides tighten—but more as if he were playing an instrument with her body. He regarded her with a certain adoration that Charlotte could barely handle. Again, she was intoxicated by Kol Mikaelson.
"You had just brushed your hands over the rose bushes when I asked you," he continued, reminding her of that night yet again. She did recall touching the flowers gently, noting the way that even the prettiest things had thorns too. "I thought you looked even more beautiful when you thought nobody was watching."
She didn't know what to say to that; nobody had quite described her in such a way, and to know that Kol had picked up on all of the things she tried so much to keep hidden... He was slowly unraveling her bit by bit, and she felt more of the stone walls around her heart start to disintegrate. She tried to keep them standing—to restock the bricks that had taken so long to form—but it was hard with him so close, with him still dotting his fingers against her skin. It was hard when she could feel the heat of his body close to hers, urging her to take a chance, to risk all that she'd been to become something more.
Finally finding her words, Charlotte looked away from Kol. "Is this the only reason you have to show me that you won't break my heart, or are there more?" She asked lightly, referring to his earlier words about why he brought her to this place. They stood in the darkness of the dirt streets, but she could still see him perfectly with her enhanced eyesight, and she saw when his lips quirked up.
"Can I not even get a smile for my efforts?" He mumbled, pulling a white petal from her hair. She couldn't help the grin that spread on her face when she looked back up at him—the sight made his eyes glint with desire. "There it is."
"How did you pull this off?" She questioned, seeing that the petals were still falling all around them and appearing out of nowhere. It was magical, and ethereal, and Charlotte was blown away by the thought that he had put into it.
He shrugged innocently—despite being anything but. "A witch owed me a favor," he explained easily. "I was getting preparations in order before we left my home. It's why I was late."
"Well, I suppose I can ignore your tardiness, just this once," she replied wryly. "But you still haven't given me reasons to trust you with my heart. How should I know that you won't throw me to the side once another pretty face comes along?"
"Trust me, darling," Kol said with a shake of his head. "There won't be anyone else." When Charlotte still looked suspicious, he continued, playing with a piece of her hair. The girl felt that she could breathe easier now that his fingers weren't touching her skin directly, but their closeness still had her reeling and lightheaded. "I don't know how, but after centuries of not caring for anyone but myself, you somehow wiggled your way into my life. I couldn't toss you to the side even if I wanted to. Not anymore. Not when I know for certain that I've never felt this for anyone else."
The flowers had finally stopped floating around them, laying against the floor in a circle around the two. She tried distracting herself by picking a petal off his shoulder, glancing up at him once before looking away again. "You're making it very difficult for me to come up with a reason to stay away," she whispered truthfully, not sure if she regretted saying it or not.
Kol was shaking his head already. "Then don't." His hands lifted to cup either side of her face, bringing her eyes directly to his. Their lips were inches apart, and despite the many times that they'd been in this position before, never had Charlotte felt like her entire body was being electrocuted. Kol's eyes flickered to her lips, and her breath hitched when his thumb ran over her bottom one. "May I kiss you, Charlotte Salvatore?"
The simple fact that he'd asked and not just kissed her was enough to bring a sharp pain to her chest, realizing that Kol had unconsciously proven himself without even meaning to. His words were beautiful and comforting, but it was that one question that made her see a possibility in trusting him. It was that one question that truly showcased how different Kol was from any other man she'd met before.
Smiling widely, she licked her lips, making his eyes narrow dangerously. "No," she whispered, slipping out of his reach while he was confused and shocked by her refusal. His mouth fell open like a fish out of water, and she giggled at the sight.
"Why not?" He asked, looking exactly like what Charlotte imagined a confused puppy to look like.
She shook her head, stepping away from Kol to gain some much-needed space between them. "I'm not the type of girl to kiss on a first date," she told him, batting her eyelashes innocently. "What would your dear sister think of me if I did?"
Kol rolled his eyes, but there was a smile on his lips again. "Bekah wouldn't care. She's done much worse," he said, and Charlotte huffed at his attempt at persuading her. While she knew she could trust him now, it didn't mean she was quite ready to do that yet—even when her body was screaming at her to throw all of her qualms out the window and lunge at him. She didn't want to give off the wrong impression, and she certainly wasn't ready for any possibility at the kiss turning into something more. This was a good ground that she was standing on, and she didn't want to step to close to the edge for fear of falling to her own demise.
"Well, while I've had more fun tonight than all my time in this city," she didn't miss the bright smile on Kol's face—it wasn't a smirk or a grin, but a true smile. "I should probably get back."
"Wait," Kol said, grabbing her wrist when she started to turn away from him. She tilted her head in confusion, and he sighed, shrugging his shoulders shortly. "It's my turn to ask the next question." Charlotte smiled, but she didn't have time to respond before he was speaking again. "Will I see you again? I don't want to have to search all over Louisiana for you like last time."
Charlotte laughed. "While I certainly love our game of chase, no," she answered him honestly. "I won't be running. Not anymore."
The smile that widened on his face was like the sun, even while the darkness still surrounded them. His hand slipped down from her wrist to interweave his fingers between hers. He brought her hand to his lips, kissing it once—and yet he did it so sensually that she almost gasped. "Until then, Miss Salvatore."
She dipped into a perfect curtsy, making him raise his eyebrows in bemusement, even while his smile remained firmly planted on his lips. "Until then, Mr. Mikaelson."
And then, she was gone, like a whisper in the wind, leaving the Mikaelson man behind. Charlotte tried to not think about the way that his fingers had burned her skin—so much that she could feel it, even now. She wanted to rebuild her comfortable wall and hide herself behind it, but it wasn't possible. The bricks had disappeared, the stone had cracked, the reasoning had changed. Everything had changed, and Charlotte didn't know how to feel about it. She didn't know whether to be scared or elated.
But even with her conflicting thoughts, she couldn't ignore the dreams of what his lips might taste like.
<<>>
Kol returned to his home with a smug expression on his face and a lightness in his heart. He hadn't expected things to go the way they had tonight, but he wasn't complaining either. Charlotte was exquisite and mysterious and everything that he craved so much. He could still see the blue in her eyes—they resembled an ocean, full of thoughts and feelings that he had sworn he'd never experience again. But more than that, they resembled the sky, just when a storm was coming into the horizon, just when the clouds were getting ready to throw a lightning strike down to Earth.
He hadn't quite felt this human in a long time.
It was a strange feeling, feeling things as they were meant to be felt. Kol had always been quick with words, and even quicker with ladies, so it was surprising that one simple girl had the power to control him so easily. If he had been as paranoid as his half-brother, he might've suspected Charlotte of worse things, but he knew that her words had been true. There was too much raw emotion in her face, there was too much genuine feeling in the way she talked. Kol had lived for a long time and seen many liars, and he knew that Charlotte was no such liar.
He knew that she was still keeping things from him, but he didn't care; all he cared about was getting to know those hidden memories that she kept so close to her chest. It was intoxicating, being so near her and yet knowing nothing about her life lest a few small details. He wanted to know everything, and yet he knew that she wouldn't tell him. No, that would take away all the mystery of the game they were still playing.
Kol had to admit that there was a certain uneasiness that he felt at the possibility of being with Charlotte. Not only was it detrimental to his reputation as a callous Original vampire, but it gave his family—specifically Nik—leverage to use against him should they so please. He wouldn't put it past Klaus to use Charlotte in order to lure Kol straight into a dagger. The thought made him sick.
But he wanted to forget those fears. He wanted to trust this girl that made him feel alive again for the first time since he became a vampire. He wanted to care for her in ways that he was meant to care, in ways that she was meant to be cared for. Charlotte could handle herself perfectly on her own, but Kol wanted to help in any way. He would deny any possibility of being her knight in shining armor, but when he fantasized about how she would thank him for his kindness, he knew he could deny it no longer.
Things had escalated so quickly. What Kol once thought as a short fling that he would get over in a month or so had turned into a cat and mouse game—perhaps something more than that—which lasted much longer. Each day solidified his emotions, and every night he ached to see her again.
He could tell that his emotions weren't unfounded. He wasn't stupid; he saw the ways that Charlotte reacted to his words, his teasing, his touch. He could see the ways that she purposely avoided his reach just to avoid another invigorating sense of contact between the two. Charlotte was great at hiding her emotions and thoughts, but during this date, he felt that he saw deeper than ever before. He saw more, and he wanted it all.
Kol had no shame calling himself a selfish man. But when it came to Charlotte, he might be even more so. She brought out a side of him he didn't think existed. Every instance that he spent around her made him more possessive, more longing of her presence. Like he's said a million times before, she was the prettiest drug, and he was a dreadful addict continuously coming back for another hit.
He barely realized it when he finally reached the Abattoir, and he languidly strolled into the building, thoughts consumed by a single girl. However, before he could even enter the courtyard, he was being bombarded by his least favorite brother.
"Charlotte seemed quite nice," Nik began sarcastically, and Kol frowned at the devious smirk playing on the other man's lips. "And she looked quite the vision tonight. Although, I couldn't help but notice the pretty little necklace that she was wearing."
"Don't," Kol warned, sending a glare at his brother.
"I'm simply curious as to why you gave her the necklace you swore you pawned," Nik continued as if he hadn't spoken, and Kol's previously joyful mood disappeared within a millisecond.
"Nik, leave it," he said stubbornly, and he was shocked when his half-brother actually stepped back, raising his hands in the air. Rolling his eyes, Kol sighed. "It's none of your business anyway."
"Considering that the necklace currently adorning that girl's body is one our family has had for decades, I'd say it is," Klaus replied, but Kol couldn't offer a rebuttal before the older of the two shrugged his shoulders. "But enough of that. Could she be working with Mikael?"
Kol shook his head immediately. "No," he said earnestly, meeting Klaus's icy eyes with his own firm gaze. "She may have some secrets, but I don't think they concern him. And even if she was, she would've done something by now."
"Or," Klaus raised his index finger in the air. "She could be getting close to one of us, hoping to gain the upper hand with none of us the wiser." Kol crossed his arms over his chest, annoyed with the direction the conversation had taken. Klaus smirked at his brother's obvious frustration. "I'd be careful if I were you, brother."
"Sure, whatever you say, Nik," Kol muttered, shaking his head and moving past him. However, the space that grew between the brothers didn't stop Kol from hearing Klaus's calling words.
"Keep your guard up," he warned, and Kol turned into his room, closing the door resolutely and hoping that the rest of his siblings would leave him alone for the night. Besides, he had better things to think about than Klaus's seeds of doubt that he was trying to plant in Kol's mind. He didn't want to think about the possibility that Charlotte could be working with Mikael, since she had seemed so sincere during their date.
He smiled a little to himself when he remembered the sound of her laugh, or the way that her entire face lit up when she smiled, or how transfixed and fascinated she'd been at the rose petals floating down from the sky. She was truly a beautiful woman, but the deep thoughts and interesting, complex thinking patterns that she used pulled Kol in even more—possibly more so than her vixen appearance. She could make him question everything he thought to be true with only a few words, and even when he thought he was being clever and witty, she was able to unravel his logic into nothing but a philosophical idea.
The fact that she was intelligent made it even better. He assumed she'd never been to school for more than when she was a child—seeing as the laws of the day forbid it—but she was quicker than even textbooks could teach her. She had something special that could never be taught, nor taken away.
Kol laid down on his bed, smiling like an idiot. Out of the many choices he'd made in his very long life, introducing himself to Charlotte wasn't one of them. If he could, he would do it all over again, just to see her teasing smirk and sly, sparkling eyes.
But he knew that he'd see those soon, and that it would be better than any memory. She was much more vivid than his mind could accurately capture, and Kol closed his eyes, wanting it to be the next day already.
He didn't care for his brother's worries; any threat would be worth it just to get to know her more.
Perhaps Charlotte Salvatore would be his downfall.
But then again, Icarus only fell thanks to the otherworldly experience of flying.
Kol was ready to fly.
<<>>
okay guys, there's the next chapter!
i know it's been like FOREVER since I updated, and i'm super sorry about that! gotta be honest, i was focusing on some of my other stories and things that i'm writing outside of wattpad, so hopefully you'll be cool with that. not to mention, i'm not entirely sure how i feel about this chapter, so any reviews or feedback that you may have would be greatly appreciated!
thanks for reading, and i hope you all enjoyed it!
—kay <3