[ okay these are all the chapters that were on ao3 and i'm starting a new one today ]
☽︎
ARE YOU IN LOVE? LIKE, LOVE LOVE? I KNOW THEY'RE VILLAINS, BUT WE NEED GIRL TALK NOW!
[ 3.14 ]
WARMTH WAS ENCASING LOTTIE when she woke the next morning. A kind of familiar warmth that she had never associated with Rebekah — nor could the firm chest she had her head resting on belong to her.
"Beks?" Lottie questioned without actually peeling her eyes open. As she spoke, she ran a hand along the chest and up to strong shoulders.
"Not quite," the voice of Elijah said. "Need I be jealous you're calling out my sister's name?"
Lottie looked up at him sleepily, seeing his handsome face with an amused smile on his lips as he propped up against the headboard. She tilted her head in confusion, which Elijah found incredibly adorable, before looking around the bedroom, which wasn't the last place she'd been awake.
"This isn't Rebekah's room," she mumbled, sitting up a little bit.
"No, my sister came to me at three. She was greatly annoyed and made some preposterous claims about you kicking horribly in your sleep," Elijah informed her. "However, I found you to be quite cuddly."
Lottie's cheeks heated up. She hadn't even woken up in the process of being moved. Though Elijah had no complaints about holding her for the rest of the night.
"I'm sorry for bothering you in the night," she said, shifting to sit against the headboard, putting space between them. "And for being cuddly."
Elijah didn't approve of the distance, so he effortlessly pulled her back against him. "Don't apologize," he said while tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "It was the best sleep I've had in a thousand years."
Lottie let out a quiet noise of contentment as his finger traced a line down her neck, sending a pleasing tingle down her spine. He stopped at the thin strap of the tank top she slept in, simply tracing along the fabric while staring down at her. She suddenly felt a bit hot despite only having the top sheet covering her legs — it was more to do with Elijah's burning gaze than the temperature of the house.
"Is, um, is anyone else up? What time is it?" Lottie asked, clearing her throat a little.
"Nearly nine," he informed her. "I didn't want to wake you. Between dealing with my family and helping Caroline, you had a long day yesterday."
"I appreciate that, but I've kept you from starting your day," she said with a small pout. Though she got a bit distracted when she actually studied Elijah's appearance.
Never had she seen the man out of a well-tailored suit. But here he was in a simple white shirt and what felt like sweatpants rubbing against her thighs. And his usually so perfect hair was messy in the most alluring way with morning scruff he'd yet to shave that grew overnight.
Elijah Mikaelson was handsome — that was a fact. But the boyish appearance nearly had Lottie weak in the knees, who was thankful she was lying down.
Unlike Kol, who had an almost supernatural knack for knowing when Lottie got distracted by any of her mates' physical appearance, Elijah was practically clueless to her early morning thoughts. Or if he did know, he pretended not to notice how she gripped his shoulders a little tighter and her cheeks grew even pinker.
"My day isn't much if you aren't awake and present in it," Elijah said, continuing the conversation. "Though I fear only another half hour would've passed before my sister stormed in here to wake you up and get you ready."
"Ready for what?" she questioned, raising an eyebrow. She couldn't hear any kind of commotion outside, though that would be because nearly every room in the mansion had soundproofing — it was a necessity with enhanced hearing.
"It seems my mother wishes to introduce us as a complete family to the town. A ball is to be held tonight at seven," he informed her.
"A ball?" she asked, getting a little excited. But then she frowned. "But you can't plan an entire formal ball in such a short time."
"You seem to have forgotten we are vampires," Elijah reminded her playfully. "Invitations were distributed amongst the townspeople well before most were even having breakfast."
"Unbelievable," she breathed out, amused by it all. "I suppose I should find Rebekah before she breaks a door, and Nik yells at her. And you can get ready."
Lottie rolled off Elijah's bed and started for the door, only for the man to appear in front of her before she could open it. She looked up at him in surprise, not expecting the vampire speed so early in the morning.
"Rebekah's downstairs. If you're to go see her, I'd rather you put this on," he told her. Elijah was holding out a simple button-down shirt, which confused Lottie. "There are workers about the house."
It was then she realized he was referring to her sleep attire. Elijah wasn't the only one underdressed. Lottie'd gone to bed in Rebekah's room only wearing a thin white tank top and rather small yellow shorts. For a moment, Lottie was almost disappointed that Elijah was diligently keeping his eyes on her own — if only she'd seen how he watched her as she walked from the bed. It was the reason he got the shirt in the first place.
"Oh," was all she managed to say shyly while nodding. Before she could take it from Elijah, he slipped it over her shoulders for her so that she could slide her arms into the sleeves. She continued to silently look up at him as he carefully buttoned it up, holding in an intake of breath as his fingers brushed her clothed chest. Once he was finished with his task, he took a step back. "Better?"
"Perhaps not quite the word I'd use," he said under his breath. "I'll see you momentarily. There should be some food for you in the kitchen."
The first thought Lottie had as she entered the hallway on her own was that she needed to get ahold of herself — and to take a cold shower because it wasn't the time for such thoughts. After collecting herself, she made her way to the bottom floor, sure that all the vampires could hear her coming as her bare feet hit the hardwood floors.
Just as Elijah said, the first floor was full of people running around and arranging things for the ball. There were flowers and lights being placed all over. And Klaus, who was the first that Lottie found, was instructing some men to take cases of champagne to the kitchen pantry. If he was going to have to attend this stupid thing, at least he could drink.
"Morning, Nik," Lottie greeted while going straight for him.
"Good morning, love." As Lottie reached him and instantly wrapped her arms around his waist to hug him, Klaus smiled warmly. "And how is my little soulmate this morning?"
"She is excited but also confused because when she went to bed last night, a ball was the last thing on everyone's mind," she admitted.
"Trust me. Not even attempting to kill each other can keep this family from hosting an expensive party," he said, smirking. Then they started toward the living room, where most of the rest of the family was gathered.
"There's not even any time to go shopping," she complained. "You couldn't push it back a day?"
"A gown has already been picked out for you," Klaus said, rolling his eyes playfully. "It was all Rebekah's doing — she's a bit controlling."
"And the rest of you aren't?" she shot back with a smirk.
"I haven't the slightest idea to what you are referring to," he said, an innocent expression making its way onto his face. Lottie giggled and shoved him a bit. He simply snatched up the hand she used to push him and held it instead while continuing through the house. "My dear sister has been going on all morning about needing to go shinguard shopping."
"One would think she was the football kicker instead of cheerleading coach," Rebekah spoke up as they walked into the room, overhearing their conversation. A likely compelled human was standing in front of her with an assortment of beautiful jewelry on a tray for her to look at. "And it's typical that she stilled as soon as Elijah replaced me."
"Sorry," Lottie said, grimacing. "I played soccer in fourth grade. Wonder if those shin guards in the attic will fit you."
"Oh, Rebekah wouldn't dare touch sporting equipment," Kol joked.
Lottie turned to look at him and was pleasantly surprised to see him in modern clothes. He was wearing a pair of jeans and a plain black t-shirt that hugged his biceps well.
"Look at you," she said, smiling while walking over to him on the couch. "All cleaned up for the first time in five years."
"Thank heavens," he muttered while placing his hands on her hips, pulling her to stand in between his parted legs while looking up at her. "Of course, my brother chose to dagger me while I was dressed like such a posh boy."
"Hmm, yes, I'll be sure to give you a chance to change clothes next time you plot my demise," Klaus said, scoffing.
"I was not plotting your demise. That is a lie," Kol insisted, coincidentally lying. Then he rolled his eyes and looked back at Lottie. "And if you think I'm a sight, you'll be floored by Finnick's appearance."
"You know his full name is not Finnick," Esther said, sighing. She'd been silently watching the morning interaction while looking through the approved guest list. Then she smiled softly at Lottie. "My eldest is in the kitchen. I believe he's quite anxious to see you."
Rebekah and Kol snickered all of the sudden, causing both Lottie and Esther to look at them in confusion while Klaus shook his head.
"Finn wants us to stop talking about him," Rebekah said, rolling her eyes.
"Then I'll go talk to him," Lottie told them. She leaned down to kiss Kol on the forehead sweetly before heading to the kitchen on her own.
She arrived just as Finn was scooping a fresh batch of scrambled eggs onto a plate next to a glass of orange juice. He'd watched Lottie cook enough to know how to do basic things without screwing up, but he was also excited to learn how to cook properly — it certainly wasn't as easy as Lottie made it seem.
But Lottie wasn't really looking at the eggs.
"Finn!" she practically squealed while looking at him with wide eyes. It wasn't the modern pants and deep blue sweater he wore that brought out his eyes that she was focusing on. "You cut your hair!"
The long, flowing hair that earned him the Disney Prince nickname had drastically changed. It was less 'The Beast after turning human' and more of a 'shaggy Flynn Rider' cut. Finn's hair was still plenty long enough — longer than any of his brothers' — for her to run her fingers through and get tangled up, something she'd thought about a lot since at least the age of fifteen.
"Do you like it?" Finn asked almost nervously after a moment of letting her stare. To avoid eye contact, worried that she wouldn't like it, he turned on the sink and set the hot pan under the cold water.
Lottie's teeth found her bottom lip as she walked up to him, still admiring his features. "You look so handsome," she told him. To reach and run a hand through his hair, she had to stand on her toes. And when she was done, a stray, wavy strand fell on his forehead, making her smile. "My handsome prince. I thought you might've wanted it short like Elijah and Klaus."
Finn slipped his arms around her waist and pulled her up against his chest as he dipped low to speak quietly in her ear. "Yes, well, I thought I ought to give you something else to grip other than the sheets for the next time I have you moaning my name," he murmured.
"Finn," she breathed out, her whole body heating up.
Before Lottie could say anything else, Finn stepped away from her, smirking at her suddenly flustered state. Then, acting as if he never said such a thing, he reached to turn the sink back off before reaching for the plate of eggs. "I attempted to cook you breakfast. I do hope it's edible."
She looked at him in disbelief as he handed her the plate. "That wasn't very nice," she mumbled, shuffling uncomfortably.
Finn tilted his head innocently. "I thought you liked eggs?"
"Yes," Lottie said, standing a little stranger. She grabbed the cup of orange juice as well and turned toward the door. "I do, and I think I'll enjoy them far away from you."
Finn only watched her go with a pleased grin on his face. The Mikaelson men certainly weren't going to make this easy for her at times.
☽︎
Dear End Zone,
Lottie affectionately began her letter to her best friend. She was sitting next to Rebekah on the couch in the living room. Both girls were getting their nails done, so Lottie had to be quick before the nail technician moved from her toes to her hands.
I know it's been a few days since I wrote back to you, but a lot's happened — no, Damon hasn't died in a fiery explosion. Sorry.
There was no harm in telling Enzo about finding her soulmates now that no one was hiding anything amongst the Mikaelson family. No, she wasn't going to tell him about Finn and Kol being the equivalent of Force Ghosts — Enzo had a secret love of Star Wars — for the last few years.
I've got big news. Turns out, I've got a vampire soulmate. Well, several vampire soulmates. Remember Klaus and Elijah? And I think I mentioned once that they have two other brothers? Yeah. All four of the Original vampire brothers. It's kind of a lot to process and explain. Surely you've gotten over your aversion to cell phones to have one conversation over the phone.
Lottie looked around the room where three of her soulmates were present. Each of them were being fitted for tuxedos for the event. Finn was looking at suit jacket choices, Elijah was deciding on a pair of shoes for the night, and Kol was standing on a small platform, getting his pants hemmed. She did hope Enzo would like them. With her parents gone, no one's opinion mattered more than Enzo, even if it'd been years since she saw him in person.
Soulmate bombshell aside — their house is insane. It makes mine and the Lockwood mansions look like a starter home. Expect plenty of drawings in your future.
The only reason there's not one in this letter is because I'm getting ready for a ball. Like, big gowns and waltzing and stuff. The Historical Society hasn't even thrown anything like this. I'd invite you if it hadn't been thrown together so quickly. You've heard me complain for weeks about planning little town events, but they're doing this in a day.
That's vampires for you, anyway.
Hope the soulmate news didn't make you drop dead from a heart attack.
Love,
Your Little Lottie
The letter was finished just in time as the worker started on Lottie's left hand. She managed to lick and seal the envelope already addressed to Enzo's current house in North Carolina. He settled there because it wasn't far at all from Lottie. He wanted to be close even if he wasn't comfortable with coming to town with Damon hanging around.
"Rebekah?" Kol spoke up, breaking the silence in the room. His tone was a bit whiny. "Tell me how handsome I am."
Rebekah didn't even look up from her polished nails. "Ah Kol, you know I can't be compelled."
Kol huffed as Finn and Elijah grinned. Then his eyes fell on his soulmate. "Darling—"
"She can't be compelled either," Rebekah interrupted, making Lottie giggle.
Before she could assure Kol he looked quite dashing in his suit, the front door opened and Klaus stormed in, right up to Rebekah. And he did not look pleased with her. "You went after Elena? What is wrong with you?"
Rebekah rolled her eyes. "Here we go."
"Do you want another dagger in your heart?" Klaus threatened.
"Again with the dagger threats?" Kol asked, scoffing. "Don't you have any other tricks?"
"Oh, go back to staring at yourself," Klaus replied, turning to his younger brother.
"And who are you, my father?" he shot back.
"No, Kol, but you're in my house."
Kol stepped down from the platform and stood toe to toe, glaring right back at Klaus. "Then perhaps we should go outside."
Esther came into the room with the intent to break up the fighting, but Lottie beat her to it. It only took a second for her to get off the couch, not caring about her wet nails as she pushed herself in between the two brothers, forcing them apart.
"Kol, don't antagonize him when he's in a bad mood." Then she looked back at the couch. "Bekah, trying to kill Elena is not the appropriate or healthy response." Then she looked up at Klaus with narrowed eyes. "And if you even think—" Her voice trembled for a moment, not wanting to even imagine it. "—about daggering any of them again, I will never forgive you for it. You can still be angry at them without threatening something so horrible."
After a moment of staring, Klaus' features softened the slightest bit. "You're right. I am sorry."
"Good," Rebekah said snidely. "I deserve an apology."
Klaus whirled around and shot her an unamused smile. "Yes, I'm sorry I threatened to dagger you. Instead, next time, I'll rip out your heart and time how long it takes for it to grow back."
"Such fascinating progress," Elijah muttered while setting aside the shoes he chose for the night.
"Bekah," Lottie said, now moving in between her and Klaus. "You are free to hate Elena, but torment her the usual teenage girl way."
"What way is that?" she questioned. Rebekah may have been frozen at seventeen, but that didn't mean she was a pro at acting like a teenager.
"Show up at places she hangs out, give backhanded compliments about her appearance, rub in the fact that you've slept with Stefan," she listed, shrugging. "Or try and sleep with Damon or Matt, maybe? She'd hate that. I've shown you enough early 2000s teen drama movies for you to think of ideas that don't end in murder."
"Yes, but you also showed me Heathers," Rebekah said under her breath. Then she rolled her eyes. "Fine. Perhaps I shall invite Matt to the ball. If he says yes, that will infuriate her. And Caroline."
"This is a pro-Caroline Forbes house, Sister," Finn spoke up while Kol nodded in agreement.
"Even I know that," Klaus told her, shaking his head.
"Now that we've moved on from our squabble, Lottie, tell me how handsome I am," Kol whined while moving to wrap his arms around Lottie from behind and resting his chin on her shoulder.
Lottie turned her head, her nose brushing against his cheek. "You're very pretty."
He pouted at that, ignoring Klaus and Rebekah's snickers. "I'm handsome, not pretty." He wouldn't have minded the cute compliment if his siblings and mother weren't there watching.
Truthfully, Lottie couldn't dwell on complimenting them much — Elijah and Finn had already made her feel uncomfortable enough, and she wouldn't put it past Kol to be just as distracting if he was given the chance.
"Don't be embarrassed. Your whole family is pretty — your sister and mother included," Lottie said, smiling at the women. "By the way, Esther, the shorter haircut is quite flattering."
"Thank you, sweetie," Esther spoke up with a soft smile. It was almost amazing how quickly the human had deescalated the situation between her three most hotheaded children. But perhaps her plan for her family's redemption truly wasn't a lost cause.
☽︎
"Just don't hit anyone."
"I'm not going to hit anyone, Lottie," Rebekah said, rolling her eyes.
After finishing with their nails, Rebekah dragged Lottie from the house to accompany her to the Grill. Matt was working, and she wanted to hand deliver the invitation to the ball — and she wanted Lottie there so that if he said no, she wouldn't be alone. The very least Lottie got out of the experience was dropping off her letter for Enzo at the post office.
It seemed Matt wasn't the only one at the Grill. From the window, the girls could spot Elena, Caroline, and Jenna all sitting at a table together. Jeremy was there as well, his head in his hands — a sure sign that they were talking about boys or something equally as torturous to a sixteen-year-old boy.
That theory was proven correct when Lottie and Rebekah overheard them discussing a supposed kiss that happened between Damon and Elena. Rebekah had no problem interrupting as Caroline tried to give some advice.
"Careful, Caroline. It's all well and good until she stabs you in the back," she said, glaring at Elena.
"What are you doing here? I know your mom's rules. No hurting the locals," Elena said, crossing her arms defensively. From the background, Jenna and Jeremy waved in greeting at Lottie, who waved back.
"Get over yourself, Elena. It's not all about you," she said before flipping her hair over her shoulder and walking toward Matt.
"Although it probably makes her happier you're witnessing this," Lottie mumbled while cringing.
"Oh my god," Caroline said as Rebekah handed Matt the envelope. "She's inviting him to the ball. Why is she inviting him?"
"Probably to get this reaction from us," Elena said.
"Or he's cute, and she likes him?" Jenna suggested, shrugging. "Maybe evil, but she's still a teenager."
Either way, Caroline couldn't stand it. "What time is this stupid dance?"
"Seven," Lottie said, beaming. "And if any of you need dresses, I think my mom's old ball gowns are stored in my attic."
"So, who are you going with? Klaus or Elijah?" Elena asked, eyeing Lottie carefully. It was no secret that Lottie was team Mikaelson, so Elena just couldn't be too careful around her, even if she was her friend.
"You say that like you weren't just being berated for kissing Stefan's brother," Jeremy grumbled. He came because Jenna was buying his lunch but now he wanted to bash his skull in. "Just date 'em both so that I don't have to hear this."
"I'm not gonna be just like Katherine," Elena instantly said.
Lottie bit her lip. She knew Elena didn't mean to imply that she was like Katherine, toying with multiple people, but it was still the underlying message. "There's a big difference between lying to string two people along and being equally in love with more than one person. And it doesn't hurt anyone so long as everyone is in agreement."
"Oh, my god," Caroline said, standing with wide eyes. She snatched Lottie's hands up. "Are you in love? Like, love love? I know they're villains, but we need girl talk now!"
But there was no girl talk as Rebekah returned from Matt's side with a big grin on her face. "He said yes."
"Did you give him the tie to match your dress?" Lottie asked, slipping back from Caroline. And Caroline rolled her eyes with Elena — of course, Matt said yes to her.
"Yes. I was worried he'd find it presumptuous, but he said it was sweet," she said, looking at her feet almost shyly. Rebekah couldn't help it — even if it started out as a way to annoy Elena, Matt was still a nice, attractive guy. "Now, we must start getting ready. Your dress should've been delivered while we are out. Kol's been annoying me since this morning to know what it looks like. And then Finn just comes in each time and assures him you'll look gorgeous, as that's a given."
"Kol and Finn?" Jenna questioned, leaning her elbows on the table.
"My other brothers. They've taken quite a shining to Lottie," Rebekah said with a knowing look.
Jenna nodded and leaned back against the booth. "I'm assuming they're as hot as the other two?"
"Gross," Jeremy muttered, hiding his face in his hands once again.
"Lot is on the way to four, and I can't even get one," she grumbled. "Are there any handsome Original cousins?"
"Jenna," Elena hissed even though her aunt was only joking. "Klaus killed me."
Rebekah rolled her eyes. "And yet here you sit, not dead."
☽︎
"Oh, Beks, that dress is amazing on you," Lottie said once she finished zipping up the back for Rebekah.
They were up in Rebekah's bedroom and getting ready. They needed to hurry, too. Esther already came up to fuss at them for taking so long. Some of the early guests were arriving. So, with makeup and hair done, all that was left to do was put their dresses on.
Rebekah looked fantastic in a satin green dress that only had one strap hanging off her shoulder. And her hair was pulled back, sleek, and shiny. She'd never looked so elegant and classy.
"Your turn, lovely," Rebekah said, grabbing the garment bag that's been hanging on the hook of her door leading to the en-suite bathroom.
"It's not fair that you didn't even tell me what color it is," Lottie said, reaching to unzip it. She'd gotten no clues other than the white silk gloves meant to be worn with it. Even her eyeshadow was a shimmering, golden hue that would've complimented practically any color. "Really, Beks, what if I hate it—"
Lottie shut up about potentially hating it right away. The gown was a plain white color, though there was a layer of a sheer, gauzy material that had blue flowers embroidered into it around the bottom of the skirt and all over the bust. The same blue as Klaus and Finn's eyes — and Rebekah's technically. It had a fitted, corset top with a sweetheart neckline and thin, satin straps. The dress had a full skirt that flared out and made Lottie giggle happily when she twirled and turned.
"This is perfect, Rebekah," she said softly, marveling at it.
"I know," she said with a proud smirk. "As if I'd put you in anything unflattering. It'll have my brothers even more furious at Mother for not letting them fight over who got to escort you."
Instead of any of the brothers getting a chance to ask Lottie to be their date and making her choose, Esther sternly announced that Lottie was attending as a guest of the whole family. It ended several petty arguments that were flying around the living room while Lottie was still out with Rebekah.
Kol thought Finn was too ancient to escort Lottie.
He pointed out he was only twenty-eight when they were turned, not forty-nine like Kol said exaggeratedly.
Klaus chimed in that twenty-eight was still too questionable, and that it would make more sense for him to take Lottie. Kol may have also been nineteen, but he was new to town, so it didn't make sense for Lottie to know him well enough to go with him.
Based on that point, Elijah reminded him that the townspeople saw him in public frequently while he was still parading around as an author. Plus, he still never got to take her to the decade dance.
Esther, in actual nicer words, told them to shut up. And now, they would be splitting their time at the ball equally with Lottie. Under no circumstances were they to cause a scene or throw a fit even if they thought one was getting more attention than the other.
Lottie was actually grateful when she arrived back at the mansion and heard the decision. She didn't want anyone to feel left out when she would've inevitably had to say yes to one of them. This was fair for all of them, and she could enjoy a night publicly with her mates for the very first time.
"I feel like a princess," Lottie said, giggling as she twirled in front of Rebekah's mirror.
"I may detest my brothers most of the time, but I suspect they'll live every day doing all they can to make you feel like a princess," Rebekah said kindly. She handed Lottie the matching gloves to put on. "Now let's get a move on before Mother appears and drags us out."
Lottie was the first to leave the room, focused on slipping the glove on her right hand, making sure it was secure above her elbow and wouldn't slip down. But as soon as she was in the hallway, she ran right into Kol's chest. He caught her before she could stumble, but it did cause her to drop the other glove.
"Sorry," she said quickly, smiling sheepishly.
"You may run into me any day. Especially dressed like that," Kol said, his eyes scanning her form. "You look positively divine, my darling."
Neither paid any mind to Rebekah, who gagged before heading downstairs to join the arriving guests. Lottie looked at Kol, taking in his form in a tuxedo. And his hair was messily tousled in a way that she was sure Esther or Elijah fussed at him for, but Lottie liked it.
"You do look very handsome, Kol," she finally told him, earning a victorious smile from him. "Almost too handsome. How am I meant to focus on any of the guests?"
"So, you've discovered my evil plan," he said, sighing dramatically. "Don't expect to have even a moment away from any of us tonight."
"That doesn't sound too bad," she said softly. "Escort me down the stairs?"
"Of course." Before doing so, Kol swooped down and picked up her fallen glove. As he expertly slipped in on her bare arm, he carefully placed kisses along her skin before covering it with the satin. Kol dared to look up at her while lightly nipping at her skin with his teeth. And even as the glove was in place, she could feel him rubbing small circles on the inside of her elbow.
"I hate you," Lottie mumbled quietly, thinking it wasn't fair how easily he could make her melt inside.
Kol raised a single eyebrow while returning to his full height. "Do you really?" he asked, knowing the answer.
"No," she replied, eyes glued to his lips that formed a smirk. Secretly, she wondered if all her mates were conspiring against her to see how much they could toy with her in one day.
The theory was supported when Lottie subtly leaned in and Kol moved back with a smirk. "Ready, my darling?" he questioned innocently while holding out his arm for her to take.
"Ready, my menace," she shot back, which only made his smirk deepen.
Before even reaching the grand staircase, Lottie could hear the ever-growing crowd from the lower level. No doubt, the people of Mystic Falls were marveling at the beautifully restored home. It would also give them plenty to gossip about, as the Lockwood mansion was only half the size of it. Then again, the Lockwood family wasn't so large — nor had a thousand years to amass a fortune.
It only took seconds for Lottie to locate her mates in the room, and they spotted her almost instantly as Kol gracefully led her down the stairs.
Klaus was practically praying for a distraction as he was caught in a boring discussion with the high school principal, Charles Cooke, about the football team, telling him that he and his family should check out the game next weekend. Finn was a little less bored as he discussed a new collection of books the town library was getting with an ancient Astoria Larson. And whether Elijah was bored or not, he didn't let his show as he discussed historical property values with two real estate agents, Marco and Daniel Torres.
But they could all tell as Lottie entered, picking up on her comforting scent of strawberries and the Daisy Dream perfume she always wore. Warmth filled them, and they all found themselves looking toward her, not caring how outwardly rude it was to momentarily forget their manners.
"They're incredibly jealous because I won the rock, paper, scissors tournament to see who got to walk you down the stairs," Kol whispered smugly in her ear.
Lottie laughed in disbelief. "Four immortal, practically invincible, thousand-year-old vampires playing rock, paper, scissors over a few minutes with a girl?"
"Mother refereed," he informed her. And then he raised an eyebrow while placing his free hand over hers on his elbow. "And a single moment with you brings us more joy than a thousand years of experiences without you in them."
"Sweet," Lottie simply said while kissing his cheek, which made him smile. "Now, let's see if you can remain that sweet while greeting guests."
"Probably not," he admitted. Then his brown eyes scanned the room before landing on someone in particular. "There's someone I won't be sweet to."
Lottie saw that he was looking at Damon, who was talking with Mayor Lockwood, and she rolled her eyes, knowing he was all talk. No, Finn and Kol weren't fond of Damon Salvatore. But he'd never put Lottie in immediate danger and considered the girl a friend — he'd even saved her a handful of times. He also never kidnapped her and almost drove her over a bridge, so he easily beat Stefan out for favorite Salvatore.
As they approached the duo, they caught the tail end of Carol's seeming defense of the Mikaelson family. "They've assured me they want peace, and I've assured them that I'd enforce it."
"Mayor Lockwood," Lottie greeted with a polite smile. "Let me introduce you to Kol Mikaelson. I don't think you've formally met."
Kol charmingly took Carol's outstretched hand and kissed it, earning an eye roll from Damon. "I hope your lovely town embraces us just as much as we have already embraced it."
Damon made a face, noting how Kol was already glued to Lottie's side despite only being undaggered for roughly twenty-four hours. Then he offered a hand for Kol to shake. "Damon Salvatore. Have we met?"
However, Kol didn't bother to shake his hand. "I've met a lot of people. And you don't particularly stand out."
Before Lottie could even apologize for the remark, Kol was leading her away. She looked back at Damon over her shoulder and smiled apologetically. "Would it kill you to be nice to people?"
"It very well might, and I shan't test the theory on a Salvatore," Kol said a bit theatrically.
"Well, I happen to like that one most of the time," she informed him. "So, be nice in the future."
"Very well, Darling. But it's your fault if I drop dead from it," he joked.
"I believe I'll be able to forgive myself," she said, rolling her eyes. Then she tugged Kol's arm, leading him in a new direction. "I believe I've found some people you'd much rather meet."
Jenna and Jeremy arrived with Elena and booked it as soon as they saw both Salvatores eyeing the beautiful doppelgänger. Now, Jeremy was tugging at his bow tie as if it was going to kill him while Jenna tried to get him to stop and act appropriately. The guardian looked beautiful in a dark red gown she found in her sister's packed-away things — the Mikaelsons really didn't give the townspeople time to shop.
Jenna spotted Lottie first and grinned. "Wowza. You're a total ten, Lottie. You're making me miss my youth," she grumbled playfully.
"Nonsense. You look practically radiant," Kol told her charmingly.
It had Jenna raising an impressed eyebrow. "And would you be Finn or Kol?"
"I see you've heard of me," he said, smirking at Lottie, who rolled her eyes.
"This is Kol Mikaelson," Lottie introduced. As she did, Kol kissed Jenna's hand just as he had the Mayor. "And these are Jenna Sommers and Jeremy Gilbert."
"Welcome to our home, and it's wonderful to meet you," Kol said, standing back straight. "I know already that Lottie thinks very highly of you both. I do hope you enjoy yourself."
"I think Jer would rather be playing video games," Lottie noted. And Jeremy shot her a pleading look, already nodding his head.
"Yes, I've heard about video games. Unfortunately, it seems none of my brothers seem interested enough to show them to me," Kol informed them. "And Lottie says she only likes the Lego ones, I believe. Whatever that means."
That was true. Lottie wasn't one to play video games — though she did have the Xbox her father used to own. But she only had Lego games, which she rarely sat down to play because she had no one to play with. Sometimes, Kol would appear in Jeremy or Tyler or Matt's house on nights when they played games for hours at a time, wishing he could be seen and join in. In particular, he thought he'd enjoy the fighting games the most.
"Well, um, some guys from school are coming over tomorrow night to play Fallout. If you don't, uh, eat anyone, you're welcome to come," Jeremy said, shrugging.
"You'd invite me into your home?" Kol asked, a bit surprised at the offer. Lottie was too.
It got another shrug from Jeremy. "Unless you want to kill my sister, I guess."
"I literally could not care less about any of the doppelgängers," he complained. "Nor could my brother, Finn. We've been in boxes so long that we'd rather just focus on living happily."
"Sounds like you probably need to just leave town then," Jeremy replied. It wasn't in a threatening manner, but he knew that Mystic Falls would always revolve around Elena.
"Not such a tempting offer when there's so many lovely things keeping us here," Kol said, not at all subtle as he looked at Lottie as if she was the most precious thing in the room. She was to him.
"Mhm," Jenna hummed with a little smirk. "We've got lots of lovely things and people that are quite eye-catching."
The conversation continued to flow easily between the four of them. Kol didn't even step away to greet more guests as the house began to fill with people dressed in tuxedos and ball gowns. After being unable to talk to people for five years, he was glad to have an actual, two-sided discussion.
They talked about Jenna, who was almost finished with her online graduate school program to revive a doctorate in psychology. Lottie bragged on Jeremy's artistic ability — Kol suggested that if things were ever smoothed over between the two families, he should speak with Klaus about his own art. That piqued Lottie's interest, who didn't know Klaus also was an artist. He'd somehow failed to mention that during their summer phone calls.
When they were finally interrupted, it was by Klaus, and he was there to collect Kol. "Elijah wants to make a speech before the first dance," he said, rolling his eyes a bit. "Wants the whole family on the stairs."
"Of course he does," Kol said, rolling his eyes dramatically. He then smiled politely at Jenna and Jeremy. "It's been wonderful to meet you both. And Jeremy, if we don't speak again tonight, I am looking forward to this game night. But I must warn you — I'm quite competitive."
"Then you'll fit right in," Jeremy said, actually smiling.
Kol went toward the stairs, but Lottie caught Klaus' arm before he could fully leave. "You've seen some of my art, Nik. It's only fair you show me a bit of yours one day soon."
Klaus smiled softly. "Of course, love," he said, kissing her cheek. "I do hope to see you on the dance floor."
Then he joined the rest of his siblings on the stairs. Rebekah stood next to her mother while the boys were scattered at different heights. Kol was leaning against the handrail casually, ignoring how Finn was telling him to straighten up. Elijah then began to speak loudly to the guests.
"If everyone could gather, please," he said, somehow getting everyone's attention.
"I get it now," Jenna whispered to Lottie as they moved closer. She was admiring the four handsome brothers before her. "And if I were in your position, only one thing would ever be on my mind."
"They certainly don't make it easy to keep said thoughts at bay," Lottie said under her breath to her, which made Jenna snort in amusement. Then they quietened down to listen to Elijah.
"Welcome. Thank you for joining us," Elijah greeted with a smile. "You know, whenever my mother brings our family together like this, it's tradition for us to commence the evening with a dance. "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."
Lottie didn't have to wait long at all as the speech finished. In fact, she was a bit suspicious that perhaps Elijah used his vampire speed to beat his brothers to her side. But she didn't complain as he held out a hand for her.
"May I have this dance, Miss Lancaster?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Yes, you may, Mr. Smith," she said in a playful tone, recalling how she used to call him by the fake last name. "You didn't happen to push any siblings to get here, did you?"
"Nothing more than a mere shove, I assure you," he said, grinning while leading her to the ballroom.
Once the room was full and partners lined up across from each other, the band began to play, a melody of a violin, cello, harp, and piano mixing together beautifully. Lottie knew the dance — most founding family members knew every formal dance that could be performed at black-and-white tie events. For that, Lottie was thankful. Elijah was the last person she'd want to embarrass herself in front of.
"You look magnificent, Charlotte," Elijah said while holding her tightly, moving with expert steps.
"Thank you," she said, smiling at him. "I'm sure it's a far cry from this morning."
Elijah let out a short, quiet hum, thinking back on her appearance. "If I weren't a gentleman, I'd let you know I greatly preferred your attire then."
Lottie's cheeks heated up, drawing his attentive gaze. "But you are a gentleman, Elijah. The only one of your brothers, it seems."
"Yes, it's only been a day, but I can tell Kol has influenced Finn horribly these last five years," he said, scoffing in amusement. Though he wouldn't really complain. For the first time in their lives — human and vampire — Finn was fully himself with nothing weighing him down. Now, he, Klaus, and Rebekah had to get acquainted with this new Finn.
Even now, Finn was dancing with Jenna and didn't seem like he wanted to die. Really, the human woman rushed right to him, wanting to meet the last Mikaelson brother that Lottie mentioned — no doubt, she'd want to meet at the Grill and gossip about her findings once this was all over.
Meanwhile, Klaus was dancing with Caroline. It looked like she was having fun deep down but was trying to mask it. Yes, they were still considered the villains, but what teenage girl didn't like dressing up like a princess and dancing in a ballroom?
And Kol was stuck with his mother, who dragged him to the dance floor while he was pouting about Elijah's 'mere shove' from earlier.
"You know," Lottie said as Elijah turned her under his arm and pulled her closer to his chest, "I've been waiting months for a dance with you."
"Well, it's no Oogum Boogum Song," he said with a smirk, "but I hope I live up to your expectations as a dance partner."
Lottie giggled at that, happy he remembered the song she knew he hated. But he'd of danced with her a thousand times to it if it put that smile on her face. "I'll tell you what," she began. "The seventies decade dance is in a few weeks. You can have a makeup date. We'll dance to ABBA instead."
"Any particular song you'll be requesting?"
"Well, my favorite is Andante, Andante, but that was recorded in the eighties," she said, sighing sadly. "We'll have to settle for Fernando or The Name of the Game."
"I'm looking forward to it. Though I can't say I listened to much ABBA in that particular decade," he admitted.
A whiny, displeased noise escaped Lottie, and she'd of stomped her feet childishly if they weren't dancing. "We will be having a mandatory attendance Mamma Mia! movie night within the month."
"I'm guessing this isn't negotiable?" he asked, grinning down at her.
"No, Sir," she said firmly.
Before the decade dance and movie night could be discussed any further, it was time for Elijah to twirl her to a new partner. She found herself in another set of arms, though they were just as warm and comforting as Elijah's.
"Finn," Lottie greeted happily. His new, shorter hair was combed back neatly, and she felt an invasive urge to run her fingers through it to return it to its messy, wavy state from that morning.
"I finally have you to myself, ástin mín," he murmured, hands tight at her waist.
"Do you remember Miss Mystic Falls?" she asked, looking up into his sea-splashed eyes that she loved so much. "And I just couldn't seem to learn any of the steps while dancing with Dean."
"I recall you having no troubles when I was assisting you," he claimed, smiling softly while dipping her a bit.
Given that eighty-five percent of the dance from the pageant required no physical contact, it was easy for Finn to help Lottie practice the moves. They stayed up in her bedroom for hours, staring into each other's eyes and hands a torturously long inch apart. Not once had she stumbled or made a wrong step.
"Well, you were a good teacher," Lottie told him. But they both knew that wasn't the case. Lottie struggled to dance with Dean because she wasn't in love with him like she was with Finn and Kol already at the age of seventeen. "This is even better than that, though."
As if to prove the point, Finn laced their fingers together at the hands that were joined and squeezed her tighter with the other that was on her waist.
"Immensely better," he agreed softly.
"I am glad you aren't completely miserable," she told him. "I know you don't particularly care for things like this."
"Perhaps, but it's worth it to be able to be at your side," Finn told her. And even if he didn't love crowded events, he wasn't completely miserable even during the times Lottie wasn't near. "Speaking of, I don't think I've told you how breathtaking you look tonight."
"Thank you very much. I had to pull out all the stops, especially with such handsome men around me," Lottie said while admiring how his suit coat hugged his arms and chest — most everything fit a bit snuggly with how broad-chested he was. Something that Lottie didn't mind at all.
"Hmm, earlier, we were pretty but now we are handsome? Your opinion of us changes so frequently," he said, grinning.
"You're pretty, handsome, dapper, alluring, gorgeous," she listed, batting her eyelashes. "Certainly distracting, something you know quite well."
"Only because you make it so easy," he teased, remembering the moment from the kitchen that morning.
When it came time to switch partners again, Lottie found herself not in the arms of a soulmate but with Damon, who'd just spun Rebekah into Alaric's direction.
"We meet again," Lottie said with a small smile. "And I saw you dancing with Elena. Good. I like you better than Stefan."
That made Damon smile to himself. Though Elena and Stefan had been partners for the first switch, now Elena was dancing with Matt, and Stefan was with Mayor Lockwood.
"And I saw you dancing with Elijah and other brother number one," Damon stated. "Seemed awfully flirty with someone you've only known a day."
"What can I say? I have a type — Finn and Kol just so happen to be the same type as their brothers," Lottie replied while not giving away anything about being their soulmate.
"A girl that knows what she wants. Mark me down as jealous," he said under his breath. Lottie almost felt bad for him when it came to Elena. "So, you're a permanent Mikaelson groupie now?"
"Seems like," she said, not really bothered by his remark. "It's not so bad with all five of them around."
"Six," Damon corrected. "Can't forget Mama Original."
"Right."
Lottie's short response piqued his interest. "Not a big fan?"
"It's not that I'm not a fan," she admitted. Esther was dancing with Jeremy, who looked as if he wanted the ground to swallow him whole. No boy his age wanted to dance with a mother. "But her arrival is taking some getting used to. There's some trust issues on both sides. Especially since it was Bonnie who brought her back, and Bonnie isn't a Mikaelson groupie."
"Makes sense," he said. "We were hoping she'd be so pissed about him killing her that she'd take out Klaus."
"She considered it," Lottie answered honestly. "As you can imagine, her children weren't thrilled about that, but she claims to have changed her mind. Good thing too. Apparently, if you kill an Original, every vampire they ever sired dies."
It was the most casual way to slip that fact in, which had Damon's eyes go as wide as a cartoon character. No doubt, he was desperate to find out who turned Rose, who turned Katherine, who turned him and his brother. Not to mention Caroline as well.
While he dealt with that mental nightmare, Lottie kept talking. "I think after this ball is over, her kids want a little space. A thousand years wasn't enough time apart, it seems."
"Well, can't say a thousand years away from Stefan doesn't sound bad right about now," he muttered. "And I can't say I'm loving Esther at the moment either, no matter what she said to Elena."
Lottie raised her eyebrows in alarm. "She talked to Elena?" she asked, automatically assuming something terrible.
"Not in person. Just left a note on the back of her invitation," he told her. "It was a lame apology about ruining her future and sealing her fate since the spell and hybrid failsafe required a doppelgänger."
"If Esther really does want peace with her children and the town, then maybe Elena won't be in constant danger," Lottie said quietly. Maybe they could work something out so that Elena could still have a somewhat normal life.
"If anyone can draw up a peace treaty, it'd be you," Damon said with a wink.
Oh, she sure hoped he would be singing the same tune if Enzo ever decided to come to town.
"I don't know why I'm surprised you dance so well," Lottie noted while moving the subject along. "I saw you with Elena at her Miss Mystic Falls pageant last year. You just don't seem like the type to know these things."
"I'll have you know I was raised a proper gentleman, ma'am," he said, adding an old southern accent that he'd long since removed from his voice.
"No one would ever know," she said teasingly while he spun her.
With a few more steps and a flourished dip, the waltz came to an end. While onlookers clapped, the dancers bowed and curtsied to each other to complete it.
"I should probably give you space before boyfriends one through four rip my arm off," Damon said jokingly as he kissed Lottie's hand while she curtsied.
"I should do the same. Wouldn't want to give her more reason to say I'm just like Katherine," Lottie muttered, looking at Elena across the room, who was next to Stefan.
But then Damon stepped to the side, intentionally blocking Elena from her view. He had a sympathetic smile on his face. "Trust me. If Katherine was anything like you, she wouldn't be the most hated vampire on the planet."
"I don't know," she said with an amused smirk. "She might have to share that title with Nik."
"You're right. It's a tie."
☽︎
"Nik, we're going to miss your mother's toast," Lottie said, giggling as he pulled her through the halls that were shut off for the guests. "Where are you taking me?"
"We agreed to split our time with you during the ball. We never agreed that every moment must be at said ball," he informed her, a smirk making its way onto his face as he led her by her hand. Just the way that her fingers curled around his made his heart beat faster, fully enamored by the slightest contact. "And mother will get over it. Probably."
Lottie shook her head but didn't protest anymore as he took her to a room, shutting the door tightly behind him. "So what did you want to show me?" she asked, looking at him instead of the room.
"You said you wanted to see my art," Klaus said while gently turning her by her shoulders.
The first thing that drew Lottie's attention was a giant, oil, landscape painting that was a mix of blues and greens. "And suddenly, I've been transported to the Louvre," she whispered, taking in the beautiful artwork. "You sure you didn't steal this? The security guards probably don't take vervain."
That had Klaus chuckling, who moved to stand right behind her, resting his hands on her sides. "Yeah, well that's their mistake."
She raised an eyebrow and turned her head to look back at him. "Did you steal Sir Waggington too?"
"Technically, Stefan did," he said, grinning. "He was mortified to walk into that toy store. It was a wonderful punishment for how annoying he'd been. Nevertheless, with a name like that, I'm glad I didn't pay for it."
"You know, Finn came up with that name because he knew you'd hate it," Lottie informed him, holding back a laugh.
Klaus shook his head in disbelief. "How cruel older brothers can be," he joked.
After that, Lottie slipped from Klaus' hold to walk around the room and explore it. On the desk, he had several well-done sketches, some of people and some of places or random objects. Along the walls were piles of finished canvases that had yet to be framed, but each painting was immaculate.
"I can't believe you did all of these," she marveled while looking at the ones hanging on the wall.
"Actually one of my landscapes is hanging at the Hermitage, not that anyone would notice," he said, looking down almost shyly. His siblings never particularly cared for his art, but Lottie cared. "Have you been?"
"I've never really been anywhere that matters," she admitted. Her travels consisted of a few out-of-state cheer camps, a week in Alabama with Mason at Space Camp, and one Disney World trip.
"I'll take you," Klaus offered instantly, moving closer with each word. "Wherever you want for the rest of your life. Rome. Paris. Tokyo?"
Lottie was grinning by the time he was in front of her and let out a small laugh. She slipped her hands under his suit jacket to wrap her arms around his torso and hold him. "You'll take me to Russia first to see this painting of yours," she instructed. "I just know it will take my breath away — the artist certainly does."
"Then the artist thinks you'll quite enjoy this," Klaus said, feeling much more confident at Lottie's approval. He got her to release her hold and moved over to the far corner of the room, moving past a covered easel with an unfinished painting he didn't want anyone to see yet.
There was a large cabinet meant to hold supplies against the wall. After opening the door, it only took him a second to retrieve a large sketchbook, which he handed to Lottie, a little anxious about her flipping through it.
Lottie quickly realized that the only subject of the book was her. Some were rough sketches, others were completed and colored in with soft pastels or watercolor paint. Each page contained some kind of depiction of her.
The decade dance. Sitting on the bench when he saw her for the first time in his own body. The prank night. Homecoming. Klaus had documented practically every moment with her.
There was even one piece of paper kept in the back that wasn't bound with the rest of the pages. With a confused look, Lottie pulled out the white printer paper and read over it.
"Why do you have Jake Brewer's history homework in here?"
Klaus let out a loud laugh before taking the sheet and turning it over. "This was the first time I ever saw you — still in that history teacher's body. Young Jake didn't do so well anyway, so he won't miss this."
On the back of the page was a sketch done with a red ink pen meant for grading. Lottie recognized herself with messy hair and paint streaks adorning her skin and holding the blue paint that caused her to come to Alaric's classroom in the first place.
"I was so grateful that even when not in my own body, I could tell what you were to me — what you meant to me," Klaus said softly. Lottie looked up at him, seeing all the vulnerability and emotion swimming in his eyes. "I'd be content to paint only you for the rest of my existence because - because—" He hesitated. It was always hard for him to voice his true feelings. Klaus took a deep breath and cupped her left cheek gently, and she leaned into his touch. "Because I'd be painting someone that I love."
Lottie took in a short breath as her heart practically melted at his confession, one that certainly wasn't easy for him to say aloud. But Klaus had loved her from the moment he saw her, and that love only grew with each meeting and phone call over the summer. The same could be said for her own feelings.
"Nik," Lottie said softly while covering his hand on her face with her own, sliding her fingers into his. "I love you too. So much that it's frustrating."
In that moment, Lottie swore she'd never seen a smile so beautiful on Klaus' face. "I've been told I'm a rather frustrating individual," he joked.
"Yes, but you're my frustrating individual, so it's perfectly alright," she told him.
"And you're mine," Klaus said lowly while leaning closer.
"I'm yours," Lottie whispered, gaze falling from his eyes to his lips. "Nik?"
Klaus only let out a hum in response, just as captivated by her and their close proximity.
"Should we - do you think they're missing us at the ball?" she asked halfheartedly. No, Lottie didn't want to leave. She wanted to stay wrapped up in Klaus' arms forever, but they'd already missed Esther's toast. "We don't want to be rude."
"There's something far more important that I want to do," Klaus declared quietly.
And then he kissed her. As soon as Klaus' lips were on Lottie's, all thoughts that weren't the man pressed up against her disappeared. She kissed back instantly, dropping the sketches and grabbing his shoulders to pull herself even closer. It took mere seconds to get completely lost in each other.
Klaus tangled his fingers in her hair, not caring about how he ruined the elegant hairstyle and then wrapped his other arm around her waist. His teeth nipped at Lottie's bottom lip, taking more control of the kiss, and she let out a small gasp, allowing him to slip his tongue inside to explore every inch he could reach.
It'd been a long time since Lottie had been kissed — almost two years. And no kiss made her feel quite like this. Like her body was on fire in the most addictive way. She could feel Klaus everywhere. On her lips, her waist, in her hair, pressed against her chest. It didn't matter that she hardly took the time to breathe because it wasn't worth the seconds she'd lose of him.
It wasn't until they parted that Lottie even realized he'd pushed her up against the wall. She let out a whine as his lips left hers, but then Klaus began to kiss along her jaw, quickly silencing her. Once again, she shut her eyes and let her head fall back against the wall, breathy whimpers escaping as Klaus sucked just under her ear, not caring at all if he left any kind of mark.
God, she hoped he left a mark. And she didn't want to go back to the ball any time soon.