a/n: Kora chapter x lmk is ya have any questions about anything x
We're so close to plot hyper speed, so enjoy some calm chatter (and remember to comment and vote💛) - Bea
There were many flaws to living above a business. Or, well, living on a street with active businesses, but MJ couldn't help but love it. Walking down Julia Street to get to her little gallery was one of the small joys in life that no murder spree could ruin.
Underfoot, the large grey stones were chunkier than the usual bricks used to make the pavements, semi-faded white lines for pedestrian crossings, divided between business and pure apartment shown in the architecture. Delicate red stones and dark teal gates over doors – white arches and thin columns marking out doorways. Balconies that matched Josh's and hers sticking out straight above those doors, white slab floors, with shiny black railings.
Rustles of shrubbery snaked their way across, invading each piece of metal.
Then, the mix of galleries.
Art Walk.
High ceiling rooms with glass walls, browner brick smoothed down to be almost invisible between them all, footfall encouraged, the olive green streetlights shaped like bulbs ready to flower but never quite opening.
Far above the street, birds forever watching people passing in and out.
Watching as Josh had locked up early, Sam and Pri with him.
MJ slid into the gallery, "Marcel stay with the body?"
Their current centre piece was a sculpture that created light tricks across the room. Old favourites still within her, acting like a waterfall of colour, different patterns depending on where you stood.
"Yep," Sam murmured, "You didn't need to come."
"I know," She nodded, "But I'm here."
A stern look.
"Come on," She moved to his side, "Like I'm gonna leave you drowning."
A beat.
"Upstairs!" MJ decided, "Movie night."
Sam snorted, "You wanna have a movie night right now?"
"I wanna get drunk, enjoy being in my twenties, and have most of my friends in one place for once."
"Literally," Josh had texted the suggestion, "I think the last time we were..."
Aiden.
MJ's return from the dead and a rushed meeting with Aiden. Or the day Aiden died, the group in the playhouse.
"The wolf wedding," MJ gave the alt option, "Which wasn't even for us."
Sam ran a hand through his hair, "Who even is 'us' anymore?"
MJ bit her lip.
"Davina's gone off the deep end, Hayley's got a baby – Cami's – "
"I'm texting them both," MJ lifted her phone.
"I can text Davina," Josh reasoned.
"No," Sam answered instantly, "Nope. Would not help."
"Okay," Josh put his hands up, "You're gonna have to talk to her eventually."
"She wants to play wolf-god; she can talk to the alpha," Sam focused on MJ, "If tonight's about me, can I momentarily vee-toe it being a movie night?"
"As long as I get one eventually."
"Deal," He let himself seem lighter, "I want food...maybe play some of your records?"
Josh's eyes gleamed, "You want a birthday party."
"My birthday's been and gone."
"It was exactly a week ago," MJ shut down, "Let's celebrate it."
"Guys – "
"I can go get balloons," Pri suggested, "Or streamers, or bunting?"
"Yeah!" MJ encouraged, "You get decorations; I go buy food so we can do team-up cooking."
Sam gave her another look.
"If you'd rather not, that's fine, but you know you loved cooking."
He sighed, "True."
"Josh gets booze."
"And I do what?" He paused mid-stair climb, "Lie in your room until I don't wanna kill somebody?"
"I assure you that our place is stocked full of blood," Josh patted him on the back, "Plus, so many runes on the wall mean no worry about street noise."
"If you really don't want it, we won't," MJ promised, "But wouldn't it be nice to celebrate a little."
MJ knew how much she hadn't wanted to celebrate her birthday, but doing so had ended up being the right call. Sam was struggling? That was fine. They, as his friends, just couldn't let him get stuck in the bad place.
"I'll call Cami and Hayley – unless..."
Kol had mentioned their little chat about pack tensions to her.
"Call her," He encouraged, "I'm more pissed at Jackson, but she's got Hope, so probably can't dip – "
"Mothers can have fun!" MJ unlocked their door, "You wanna come in?"
"Pretty sure that's not how it works," Sam teased.
"Nope," Josh had his phone out, "This is how it works."
Tyler's voice in the air, "You can come in."
"No way that works!" Sam tried not to laugh.
"Try it," MJ stuck her chin up.
His toes awkwardly pushed over the threshold, mouth opening at the lack of pushback.
"Mystic Falls ran off a voice note of me last year," She teased, "It works – and it's smart."
"Regroup in twenty?" Josh suggested.
"You don't have to help," Sam eyed up Pri.
"Any chance to party, I'm in," She assured him, "Plus, I'm here to get to know you guys."
MJ's different worlds.
"Name a better way to do that than getting a little supernaturally tipsy?"
THE VAMPIRES
Can We Breathe?
"Not that I have any right to object," Kol mused, standing next to MJ in the kitchen, "But not what I expected to find when coming home."
"You don't live here."
"Why I said I didn't have any right!"
They were unpacking the ingredients MJ had bought, watching Cami and Pri put up decorations around the room while Josh and Sam fiddled with the television, trying to get it to connect to the speakers. MJ could've helped them, but it was the first time Sam hadn't seemed jumpy since he changed back. Focused on such an easy task.
"Still," He raised an eyebrow, "You can't put off the problem."
"It's not a problem," MJ lowered her voice, "He'll be fine."
Kol bobbed his head.
"Kol."
"We may have forever, but time is still a factor, M."
She curled her lips in.
"He's waiting for you to swoop in and ease him back into it, but you don't have the time."
"Pri might be the answer," MJ reasoned, watching how her friend made a joke to the guys as she tied the 'Happy Birthday' bunting up, "Josh never really struggled. Cami doesn't get it – Pri does."
"Pri's brother gets it."
"She was fifteen," MJ stressed, "Maci put her in a dungeon with Aary, humanity-less, and Pri got it back on"
"Because he loved her."
"The only reason Beni didn't die was because of Kitsune healing – he was attacking to kill."
Kol had to give them that, "We'll see."
"No offence," MJ huffed, "But commenting doesn't help."
Kol paused.
"Sorry..."
"It's fine," Kol stared at the room.
"...You could help."
Kol shifted.
"You don't have to," MJ suddenly felt awkward, "With Pethane here – "
"No," Kol nodded, "I'm in."
MJ's turn to look surprised.
"Let's see what a thousand years of experience has given me."
"There we go," MJ kissed his cheek, "Help me cut?"
"Nope!" Sam interrupted, pointing at them, "My birthday! My rules. We cook, Kol and Josh on drinks."
Kol paused, "...You don't have a silencing rune on?"
Specific ones giving a limited barrier of protection against supernatural ears, even in the same room.
"Nope," MJ usually wore them out of sight, "You just signed up in everyone's ears."
Kol curled his lips in, in regret.
"Get your butt over here," MJ stuck her tongue out, vamp-speed creating a breeze as Sam appeared by her side, "So that part's still good."
"That part's always been good."
"Hm," Kol rolled his eyes, "Demoted to drinks."
"Isn't that the bit you like?" Sam called out.
Kol grinned, "True."
Also vamp-speeding off to the makeshift bar.
"Though," He was still talking to her, "There's still some stuff we need to talk about."
"In the morning," MJ's words weren't true, and Kol knew that.
'in the morning' was code for 'once everyone's fallen asleep.'
"Sorry!" Hayley arrived through the unlocked door, "She didn't wanna go with Jack."
Hope was strapped to her chest.
"That's okay," Sam smiled, "Hope is very welcome at my birthday."
"Both of your birthdays," Hayley declared, pointing at MJ, "We missed yours, so this is for you too."
Sam straightened up, "I like that more."
"Okay," MJ giggled, "For both of us."
"She doesn't need anything more!" Josh teased, "She got spoiled as shit for her birthday."
Cami lifted a wine glass, "As she deserves."
"Love you too," MJ blew kisses at her.
"She'll sleep here," Hayley smiled warmly at MJ, "I can put her to bed; she just didn't wanna go to the apartments with Jack."
"Jackson Kenner! Actually, at the pack home?" Sam gasped, "Impossible!"
MJ wrinkled her nose, but didn't Day anything.
Sam had every right to be annoyed, she just had a soft spot for Jackson.
He'd been texting her for catch up information on everyone, as well as any advice she thought he might need after months of wolf-form.
"Stand down," Hayley rocked her daughter, carefully taking, "We're getting back into it."
Sam swallowed his opinion, "You wanna drink?"
"Desperately."
Sam and Hayley had been friends.
MJ, Sam, and Hayley had spent evenings together, laughing – talking about things, watching whatever they could find, for months during that first year. It was harder for him to be mad at her. Especially when her relationship with Klaus probably reminded him of what his mum had put up with.
"Once she's asleep," Hayley glanced at MJ and Josh, "Anywhere – "
"My room. She's used to it," MJ answered, Kol's head instantly shaking in disagreement, "We can go to yours."
"Boooooo."
Josh flopped onto the sofa, "When are you two gonna ask me to move out?"
"Never," MJ started to wash ingredients, "We're here for life."
"Sure we are," Josh nodded falsely, "The couple that already acts like they're married are gonna want me in their home – "
"No offence, mate," Kol scoffed, "But we'd move before asking you to."
MJ snorted.
"We would," Kol reasoned at her, "We wouldn't need a spare room."
"It could be an art room."
"Ah yes, let's live in the apartment my brother compelled for you."
"Good point," MJ started drying the vegetables, "We need somewhere completely un-Klaus."
"I feel that," Hayley half-moaned.
"Upstairs," MJ pointed to the baby in her arms, "Hello, lovely."
Hope giggled.
"You a sleepy one," MJ pulled a face at her, "There's a box of toys she likes in my cupboard."
"Exactly," Kol gagged, "Let's live in a place my brother compelled you, where we have boxes of things for his daughter."
"No matter where we go, there's gonna be stuff for Hope."
Kol pouted.
"She's gonna love running away to us when she's older."
"That, I'll accept."
"No running away," Hayley shook her head while walking up the stairs, "She's never leaving me again."
"Sure, Hayls," MJ winked, "Teenagers don't love doing that or anything."
"Ha-ha."
"Can't ground witches!"
"Not listening!" She closed the door to MJ's room.
Josh gave the couple a pointed look, "How many months till I'm looking for a roommate?"
"Not an easy answer," MJ laughed, shoving the dry vegetables towards Sam, "The best part about the future is that it's uncertain."
Pri gave her a knowing look about the quote, both smiling.
"And you don't need to search," Sam started to chop, "I'll move in."
Josh perked up.
"Can't stay with my parents forever."
"That's true," Pri teased.
"My mum's the best person I know," Sam defended.
"Cute," Pri tilted her head, "Feel it; I was still living with mine until recently. But still."
"I need to move out," He groaned, "I'm aware."
"You've been busy," MJ reminded him, "Being sire bonded to Klaus's baby is a full-time job."
"Say that again."
"You ready to talk about the sire-bond yet?"
"Nope."
"Cool," MJ looked at Pri again, "Get some music on?"
"On it."
"Birthday boy's preference?"
"Something stupid and throwback-y."
"Team's Playlist?" Pri looked at MJ.
"Yup," She agreed.
"Team's playlist?" Sam fought off a smile.
"You know all those dumb songs people play on buses to sports matches?"
Sam didn't need to speak to respond, just laughing in familiarity.
"I created the playlist for my track team, and Pri started using it for warm-ups."
"Some things are genuinely just that universal."
Once there was a tune in the air, everything seemed to speed up. Hayley returned to join them, flopping onto the couch to let herself rest for the first time in a while; Josh handing her a drink she downed incredibly quickly, MJ laughing at the sight before taking her own. She and Sam were a little too good at cooking together, cutting peppers and mushrooms, chilli oil and lemon juice in a frying pan, starting to simmer as they debated meats, tomatoes, and sides.
Cami breaking out lighter snacks and dips, passing them across the room.
Kol was a little too good at making drinks, and MJ couldn't help but think it came from his background. Mixing flavours like making potions – especially the type that didn't require an actual witch. Just an understanding of ingredients, wanting to make them taste good to mask the bitterness that could sometimes come with healing mixes.
She loved watching him work.
Sam elbowed her when he caught her staring, getting her to focus on flavouring everything properly. Pri eventually joined them, now decorations were complete, to get plates and cutlery, organising the living room. Checking there was enough space for everyone, MJ and Kol claiming her big chair, sharing it like second nature.
Eating, debating music, before switching to a TV channel. Letting things play. Letting everyone slowly dose off as the incredibly alcoholic cocktails kicked in. Everyone but the couple and Hayley. One moving upstairs to check on Hope, the couple locking eyes.
"Stay here?" Kol questioned in her ear.
Sleeping forms under throw blankets, Josh and MJ both owning too many pillows.
"Cauldron?"
He nodded in agreement, the pair sneaking out, hand and hand, walking through the city, jackets pulled on but open, Kol pouting at the decent weather. It was around four a.m., possibly the longest day MJ had ever experienced, the winter chill still not even close to creeping in.
"We're not going to get snow, are we?" He complained.
"Probably not," MJ looped her arm with his, "Is there a chance Davina's spell is making it harder for Sam?"
Kol raised an eyebrow.
"Like," MJ frowned, "I don't know why she's not, but Hayley isn't sired to Hope in the same way he is."
"You do know."
"Hayley didn't have to drink blood to turn; it was already in of her," MJ nodded, "So even if it came from Hope, it affected her differently? She created Hope, rather than the other way around?"
"Therefore, Samu is sired, and she isn't."
"But she's been struggling too," MJ had a few texts from Jackson asking for advice, "Just...not as much."
"Everyone reacts differently to the transition," Kol shrugged.
"Yeah, but," MJ liked just walking with him, "I was there for Sam's transition. He was in his own head, sure, but not in a lose-control way. In a scared-to-be-undead way."
"And now, he's sired to Hope, but also under the control of The Regent," Kol considered it, "Meaning he's being pulled in two directions in a way no one else is."
MJ's worry.
The sire-bond versus expected loyalty that controlled his ability to be human.
Even when Sam had thought Hope was dead, the sire bond had been affecting him – it was subconscious, so who knew how the spell freeing him was interacting with it.
"Separate to his stupid 'don't wanna feed while a wolf' decision."
"Hey," MJ glanced down, "I let him make that call."
"You told him not to."
"Still cast the spell."
"Because you would never control someone else," Kol wasn't blaming her, "And, if you didn't do it, he would've found someone else."
His stepdad was a witch, even if he didn't practise.
Sam had the contacts.
He'd been such a help to MJ that first year because he had friends in the covens.
"There's a chance Davina's spell is affecting him, yes," Kol agreed, "Not sure what we can do about that, though."
"Find a way for my rings to override her magic."
"The ancestor's magic," Kol reminded her as they reached The Cauldron, "We know they have a stake in this spell."
MJ paused, looking at the windows.
"M?"
"Just...trying to figure it all out."
"As always, machusla," He teased, hands moving to her side, "What else is plaguing your mind?"
"...Pri."
"Maci must've sent her," Kol decided, "They've been in contact; we know that – "
"And Maci wouldn't like Tristan bringing The Strix back to Elijah?"
"She'd hate it."
MJ forced herself to move, keys coming out to unlike the coffee shop's door, having grown oddly fond of the place since she'd taken it over. Backroom office far from where she slept, forcing her to separate her worlds out rather than let them consume her – yet, stepping in comforting. Not exhausting or annoying.
Even if Tia had felt an ominous presence in the room, MJ couldn't let a presence scare her off.
That would mean letting their current killer win.
"Cute," MJ smiled, seeing something left inside her room.
Two plastic food containers she'd given her parents, runes on them that kept food warm.
A note on the top.
'Kol said you'd had a long day – hope this helps x
Serena :D'
MJ picked the containers up, "You saw her again?"
"I promised Alice photos," He took one, "And figured your dad would probably want in-person confirmation that nothing had gone wrong. She must've made this after I left..."
"You went back to show Alice pictures?"
He shrugged.
"Kol Mikaelson!"
"Don't make it into anything!" He pouted, "Still hate children."
"Obviously," MJ smiled as the smell of the freshly made meal filled her nostrils, "How were The Pethane after I left?"
"Focused," He sat in the nearest chair, "Clio didn't leave her magical state the entire time, but the others were friendly enough."
She summoned her own from the corner.
"I spent the first hour just nosing about, then had a chat with Davina," He listened, "Then I let a third trainee you didn't meet talk me through his time with them."
"Because?"
"To see if he'd accidentally say something hinting at a secret agenda," Kol fiddled with the container, "He didn't."
MJ stared at her own, "Hm."
The containers were a light yellow colour, with bees across the lid, warm like the contents inside, then filled to the brim with a mix of food. Even if they'd already just eaten with the others, they were vampires. There was never enough food when you were undead and constantly craving blood.
"Vietnamese Night," She smiled, "God, I love my dad's food – but Rena's cooking?"
She kissed the air.
Kol nodded in agreement, mouth already full of thick rice flour noodles and pork-ring croutons. Cao lou. The light soup was at the bottom, soaking the noodles, the croutons, slices of extra meat, and salad dressing coating the top so they could scoop down and have a mix of flavours in their mouths at all times – mint and anise tints to it all. That was when MJ noticed Kol's bowl had Goi Cuon, Vietnamese spring rolls, on top too.
"Hey!"
He grinned, "We both know I'm the favourite."
"That or she doesn't think you eat enough human food."
He pointed his chopsticks at her, "That could also be true."
Rena had tapped cutlery and chopsticks to the top of the cases for them to switch between.
"After him, I chatted to the ones letting humans see them."
"Anything interesting?"
"They were honestly the calmest group of people I've ever met."
MJ laughed at how disappointed he sounded.
"Something about it doesn't feel right, but I don't know what."
"Could they be connected to The Strix?"
Kol gave her a look, "Why would they be?"
"You said Aya had a coven of witches, right?" She'd placed why she'd recognised the name Marcel had given her, "That you didn't like."
He nodded, scowling.
"What if she's recruited Spirit Walkers?"
"The Pethane wouldn't answer to vampires."
"Unless there was something bigger going on," MJ finished the thought, "Which there lowkey is. They might be genuinely here to help me and scared about what Klaus might do to them since interacting with me is almost synonymous with him at this point."
"So they teamed up with a group of vampires who might be able to provide some sort of protection," He saw her point, "...I think you should see if they can help."
"Yeah?"
"We both know how dangerous hosting magic can become."
Even if MJ wasn't at risk of dying anymore, her mum had become a power addict because her body had been one with it for two years. Reliant. MJ and Ryos having minor health disparities because of its permanent damage to her. For all they knew, it could still kill her – it would just take longer, constantly chipping away at her immortality.
"You need to be rid of it."
"And the spell?"
"You should survive it," He thought logically, "It only goes wrong when the person it's being used on is too scared to be without the power."
"And I definitely don't have that problem."
"It'll probably still hurt."
"Which is expected," MJ had avoided pain the first time, but it had taken two months of travel time, "But you'll be there."
"I'll be there," He picked up the hand she'd stretched out to kiss her knuckles, "And, precautionary action."
"We assume they're trying to get the power for themselves."
"The moment the power has transferred, we need to be ready for a fight – and we don't let them take the stones."
"Exactly," MJ felt herself relax, "With no more Travellers out there, they no longer need to be so locked away – and, as much as I want the right troupes to have them, better safe than sorry."
"Permission to rip your great-great-great-grandmother's head off if she tries to fight me for it."
"Granted. And incredibly sexy of you to offer," MJ leant forward to peck Kol's lips, "I kinda wanna force Clio to do a DNA test."
"We can sort that out when they finally give you a date."
"Good plan."
She used her chopsticks to collect her next bunch of food, carefully looking around the room again, then at Kol's face. A murder machine, but similar to how it was first thing in the morning, away from everything else, his features were always more relaxed.
Technically, it meant he wasn't the most prepared for a fight.
But it meant he was happy, mind eased, which made her happy.
Kol cleared his throat, "You were right."
"About?"
"Your assumption Elijah had seen Maci, but hidden it, was correct."
"You're sure?"
"He slipped up," Kol had been thinking about their conversation, "He thought we'd lied about what blood turned her because he hadn't heard from her since I died."
MJ pushed her shoulders back, "He thought she died with you?"
"She didn't."
"You're sure?"
"She had Elijah's blood in her system," He spoke firmly, "But..."
"To notice a drop in contact means they'd been in contact pre-your death."
Kol nodded.
"...And Klaus doesn't know that."
"You said Elijah and Klaus split up when fleeing our father from this city."
"My Mikaelson tracker showed them together in Germany in the 30s."
"So what was he doing during the 20s?" Kol reasoned, "Where was before he met you all in Mystic Falls?"
"Supposedly looking for a way to defeat Klaus," MJ remembered, "Which we both know Maci might've been able to help with."
"Exactly."
MJ let her eyes narrow, really thinking about things, "Stefan's friend Lexi knew her."
Their morning of getting drunk in the Salvatore House revealed that.
"Do you reckon Katherine did?"
"Oh, Katerine definitely did," Kol fought off a smirk, "Maci was the reason I showed up in England to blow Klaus's little scheme up."
"She was?"
"She was there when Katerina was introduced to Klaus – she was the one who summoned Elijah to England."
MJ paused, "I thought someone called Trevor did."
"A man found her," He confirmed, "But Maci was the one who clicked what she was. And who encouraged the man to introduce his new partner to the vampire community."
"Why?"
"She was on Klaus's side."
She leant forward, listening.
"The other grunts got wrapped up in Katherine's escape, but Maci didn't," Kol tilted his head, "There are some hazy details that I can't help but think mean she was involved."
MJ pulled out her phone, "I'm texting her."
"Maci or Katherine?"
"Katherine," She texted her often enough, "She told us her story too – Elijah – "
A hesitation on sending the message.
"Katherine taught Elijah to love again, but why would he need that if Maci was there?"
"They were in disagreement about Klaus's curse."
MJ sat up, "Oh?"
"We'd all watched Klaus spiral into madness trying to break that curse," He reminded her, "After a while, Elijah took the stance that it was a fool's errand he could learn to be happy without."
MJ picked at the remains of the food.
"That our mother was dead. That could be his revenge, and he didn't need to fixate on her choices any longer," Kol's tone turned pointed, "Obviously, we didn't all know Klaus had killed her at the time."
MJ couldn't help but find the phrasing interesting.
'That could be his revenge'?
...Was almost the attitude someone would take if they knew Klaus had been the one to kill her...
"Maci did not like his stance and vanished off the face of the earth."
"Something she seems to be good at."
"This was the first time it was so intensely quiet on her end," Kol stressed, "Elijah was convinced she'd been killed by looking into werewolves. Because of Klaus's quest."
Hence the lack of faith in love in the universe.
"She finally summons him – only to ask for Klaus? A doppelganger on her arm?"
"Hoping for a lover's reunion," MJ followed, "Only to find the face of your first love being offered up for murder."
"Biggest fight I ever saw them have," Kol admitted, "Maci stormed off in a rage, convinced he was still in love with Tatia and had therefore been lying to her for centuries."
MJ grimaced.
"And ripping him to shreds about his lack of understanding of what it felt like to be truly isolated by society for simply being born different."
MJ watched Kol's oddly calm demeanour, despite how the phrase could've applied to him as the one witch in the family.
"How important being able to enjoy the thing that makes you different is. Listening to it was one of the funniest nights of my life."
"You constantly roadblocked Klaus breaking the spell."
"If I couldn't have magic, why should he get to be a wolf?"
"Ah yes, the mature response."
He winked at her.
"So," She thought carefully, "Elijah lost two loves probably within a few days, blaming himself for all of it."
Kol nodded cheerily.
"And reverted back to, 'however I can help Klaus, I will.'"
"Indeed."
MJ almost felt bad.
But,
"Kat told me her story," She clicked send, "She didn't mention Maci."
Kol shrugged, "I don't know how they feel about each other."
He hadn't known Katherine.
"I simply know that Maci knew where she was when we were last in New Orleans."
"But she wasn't Team Klaus anymore?"
"She was team 'Keep the Petrova away from Elijah.'"
"Jealousy, jealous?"
"Possibly," He kept eating, "She found the whole 'doppelganger' thing quite hard to understand."
"Meaning?"
"Can you truly be 'in love' with someone carrying the face of your past love?" Kol pitched, "Aren't you just projecting the feelings you once had? Aren't you just letting yourself revert into a version of yourself you've left behind?"
"Reverting isn't always bad," MJ countered, "If Elijah was happier as that person."
Kol stretched back slightly, "I didn't actually dislike Tatia."
Something he clearly thought essential to what he was about to say.
"But the number of arguments Nik and he had? Think about Elijah? Think about everything you know about him?"
The guilt about letting Mikael's abuse happen.
Guilt about letting Klaus suffer.
"You really think he looks back on that time fondly?"
"The rush of competing for love with a sibling must wear off eventually," She shifted her chair closer to him, "At some point, it just seems sad."
"Agreed."
MJ felt her cheeks pushing up while staring at him.
"Much prefer our situation."
"One hundred times over," She picked up the last of her noodles, "Though you seem to think you're competing..."
"I can find Klaus's attachment to you annoying – while still knowing it's my bed you'll be in each night."
MJ whacked his leg, "That feels sexist."
"Fine," He grinned, "It's my eyes that get to see your beautiful face each morning."
Same insinuation, phrased with slightly more class.
Slightly more romantic.
MJ's insides automatically warming up.
"It's been a long day," He watched her finish her dish, "How was Lucien this morning?"
The longest day of her life!
"You know how you and Rebekah used to leave each other dead bodies as calling cards?" She covered her munch with a hand, "I think Lucien and Tristan have something like that."
He slowed his eating again, "Tristan and Lucien hate each other."
"And?"
"Rebekah and I left each other corpses out of affection," He flicked his nose up, "Familial greeting."
She wanted to laugh.
The 'calling card' she was referring to was whenever Kol would come home from his momentary disappearances, and Rebekah would always find a drained body in her room before she'd find Kol. It was a sign he was either nearly home (if it had been sent ahead) or already was and making a joke about how they didn't know what he might be up to. Her response was to leave her own wherever he was staying to prove she'd found him, cueing him to move back in with them.
It was a bizarre story, but when Kol also had a history of sending Elijah the tongues of his spies, it hadn't surprised her.
"Why would Lucien and Tristan have something like that set up?"
"No clue," She was theorising, "But when I first met Selene, the guy who killed Pri's brother said, 'Rory said hello.'"
It had been such an echoey message at the time.
"What if Lucien isn't trying to annoy us? What if he's simply 'saying hello' through news reports."
"And the body that showed up while he was with you was someone responding," Kol followed, "Letting him know they were in town."
"And that they have his back, or got the message – or, I don't know," MJ dismissed, "Point is, I don't think it's a coincidence that everyone had something to do today."
Where had Freya gone?
Vincent?
What had Jackson and Hayley been up to?
Everyone was somehow busy with something, and barely anyone knew about what everyone else was doing.
"They were keeping us occupied," Kol agreed, "And they're going to keep doing it."
"Which means we can't trust The Floare."
As much as she wanted to.
"I think I might reach out to Tia again," MJ decided, "Ask if she still thinks someone's watching me."
"If it was the Pethane, that's a good thing, right?"
"Yeah," MJ nodded, "As creepy as it is, it's one less thing to worry about."
"She said it was a voodoo spirit."
"She said Papa Legba and something else," MJ motioned to the room, "The Pethane can open doors to any afterlife, including his."
It would make sense for Tia not to recognise what they felt like too.
"Mira," Kol was fighting off twitching lips, "Her stance that Papa Legba wants something from you is oddly prophetic."
"There's a difference between prophecy and sensing a spirit literally trying to get attention."
"Somewhat true," He gave it to her, "But I don't think my siblings are going to leave this prophecy alone."
"I know," She was finding it hard not to think about it, "But I can try and deter them."
"And you will have my complete support as you do."
She smiled, "Thank you."
"I suppose you ought to tell Tia about The Pethane anyway," He added, "So the Queens know that they're in the city."
"Very true," She was determined to make them feel included, "And that the wolves are back on two feet."
The wolves.
"Are you sure you wanna handle Sam?"
He put on a happy face, "What's the worse that'll happen?"
"You really don't have to."
"I think I do, considering he heard us talking."
"I know," MJ hadn't cut him off somewhat deliberately, "And it would be nice to let you spend some time together..."
"You're playing friendship matchmaker."
"Only a little!" She beamed, "He's forgotten how to be a vampire without being miserable. You'd be great at helping with that."
Kol was oddly flattered, "I will communicate that I will be planning his day tomorrow."
"You'll send him a text," She teased.
"Or I'll just toss him out of your apartment and force him to roll with it."
"Guess that works," She backtracked, "Except he seems really anxious right now, so – "
"I won't throw him through anything."
"Thank you," She'd told Sam to be nice to Kol the previous year, "Ignore me for a moment."
She picked up her bowl to drink the soup while he laughed.
Kol was the type to leave the soup or let her finish it once the noodles and meat were gone.
Then, she had another thought as the bowl was put down.
"Question."
Kol had finished his, too, "Yes?"
"Who was your first sire?"
He seemed to hesitate.
"You don't have to say. I just realised I'd never asked before."
"It was a man," He spoke slowly, not really looking at her, "I don't really remember him."
"How come?"
"I killed him after a month in Italy," He expanded, "Got bored."
The way he always had.
"They'd all gotten their nickers so bent out of shape over first sires, I thought I should try it out," Kol's tone sounded nervous, "He didn't really like me much. I compelled him to join in my games. When he whined too much, I murdered him."
She took his hand and squeezed, "Sorry I didn't get to be your first new one."
"That's alright, darling," He pulled her onto his lap, "You're far safer like this."
She turned her chin to his, connecting their lips gently.
Hating what she had to ask as they pulled apart.
"Lucien said a few things to me."
"Of course he did," Kol grimaced, "What seeds did he try planting?"
"Nothing necessarily true," MJ assured him, "Like, I'm not panicking, or upset, or – "
"Mira," His eyes told her to just say it.
"Aren't you worried about wanting something new in a few decades?"
"That old tale."
"You used to believe it."
Another quiet.
MJ sitting up to meet his eyes, "Do you still?"
"...No."
"You can," MJ nodded, "I won't take it personally."
"No," Kol repeated, "I believe you need excitement, but that doesn't mean I get bored of you. It means we move. Make new friends. Start a cult. Keep things fresh."
MJ looked down, cheeks a little warm.
"MJ?"
"I think that might've been the moment I fell in love with you."
Kol pulled a face, "When I suggest making a cult?"
"No!" MJ smiled, looking back up, "I asked why you'd want to turn me."
Standing in front of a mirror, his arms around her, the most passionate words she'd ever heard.
"We hadn't known each other that long, and while I knew I had feelings," She leaned back, hands keeping her up but still resting, "I hadn't really let myself think about the type. And then you were there. And I'd been having a pretty bad day."
Ric's apartment handover.
Tyler prepping to be buried as Klaus's prison body.
"And...I don't know. It was just...exactly what I needed."
"Sex does brighten all horizons."
"I will throw something at you."
Kol drifted closer, "Keep talking."
"I expected you to say, 'we have so much in common!' Or, 'how could I get bored of you!'"
Superficial, easy ways out.
"But you told me everything that should've been a problem and why you liked it anyway."
Actually, reasons why he liked her rather than just a bold sweeping statement about it.
"I didn't realise it immediately, but that was probably the moment."
"All the gift-giving!" He feigned pain, "And all you needed was for me to talk about murder and justify myself. I could've saved so much money."
"Because you actually spent money?"
"Yes!"
MJ straightened up.
"The candles may have been made for me as a favour."
"From the women, you were sleeping with."
"I didn't sleep with them!" He pouted, "It was one person."
"I know," She twisted his shirt in her hand, "Why would you actually spend money?"
"Because I would see something, I'd think of you, and I'd buy it in a flurry to get it to you rather than think for a second about how I could just take it."
MJ glanced down.
Kol let his energy drop, "If you are done, at any moment, just tell me."
"I'm never gonna be done," MJ felt her dimples forming, "You're my person."
What she'd been trying to say.
"Everything you said that day, let me admit it."
If Carol hadn't died, she would've chatted with Caroline about turning, called him, giving him his 'yes.' Even if it had been way too soon, based on practically no time together – MJ had just felt it. The spark. The love. The future she wanted, not the one she was expected to have, a finger length away.
Carol's death really did screw everything up.
"Telling you all that sent terrors to my core."
"Kol..."
"We barely knew each other," He finally admitted, "And yet I would have set the world on fire if it made you smile."
"You'd set the world on fire anyway."
He grinned, "But for you, I'd do it so the ashes created an art piece."
She brushed her nose over his.
"Mira, I'd never told anyone I'd courted a single genuine feeling," His thumb on her hip bone, "But you were there. And you were upset. And I knew I'd somehow ruined everything."
Thinking he should've just lied about his history.
"You said I 'seemed' to care about you," He blinked slowly, "I'd done everything I thought I was meant to do, but it still seemed faked? Or forced?"
She pressed in tighter to his chest.
"I understand why!" He added quickly, "How can you trust someone to be genuine when every relationship they've ever made has been for sport?"
"Kol – "
"I did sleep with someone else," He lulled, "I didn't tell you the full extent of what I was doing – "
"Kol," MJ shook her head, "We're here now. And I love you."
He swallowed.
"You didn't ruin anything."
"Mira," He wanted to finish his spiel, "I knew that if I didn't tell you how I was feeling...no matter how much my tongue refused to move...I was going to lose you."
"You're never gonna lose me."
His other arm tightened around her waist, holding him closer to her chest.
"Though, before the little confession," She turned teasing, "You thought I was trying to talk you into the cure."
"I knew I wanted you to turn. Was it unreasonable to hope you might have been thinking about our future too?"
Her eyebrows raised, "I didn't even think about it that way."
He shrugged.
"I'd just assumed you never would've."
"And I stand by that you wouldn't have had any interest in me as a mortal."
"It's you. I would've fallen just as hard, if not more."
"Even if the only way we met was through you being a war prisoner, I bought purely for the pretty face?"
MJ smacked his chest lightly, "Only I can make that joke."
He stood up, carrying her, a laugh escaping MJ's lips as he squished her into the rug, lying down.
"Not to linger on it," MJ murmured, "But you have done this before."
They'd kinda dodged the point of talking about the comment.
"You've lived your life, and you crave adventure and new things, and while everything you said was the sweetest thing anyone had ever said to me...you might end up wanting something else."
Kol tilted her head, "Want me to repeat my list?"
"Time," She used his own point, "We may not follow it, but it still affects us."
Kol let his head bob.
"We might run our course."
"Aren't you the one who usually points out that we shouldn't let potentials control the present?"
MJ couldn't help but smile.
People had always worried that Kol would change her when all he ever did was remind her of who she was – at her core.
"I know," MJ rested in his arms, "I, just...it goes both ways."
He'd already said it.
"If you ever feel that itch...just tell me."
"The itch to do what?"
"I don't know," She was trying not to think too hard about it, "Like, sleep with someone else. Travel alone."
Stress and exhaustion was bringing out the low mood insecurities, no matter how hard she tried to not let them.
"Do something new without me?"
"The only time I'd want to sleep with someone else was if we were sleeping with them together," He chuckled, "You are stuck with me forever, Mira. If you want an out, you'll have to be the one to do it."
She felt her cheeks flush.
"It is you or no one."
"And not just 'cos I'm 'one of the help?'"
Kol froze.
"Lucien's other comment was about how you always liked sleeping with the servants."
"You were never a servant, MJ," He was laughing, "That was never the motivation."
She raised an eyebrow.
"That's a complete misunderstanding on his side," He was genuinely calm, "My first impression of you wasn't 'oh look, this centuries witch maid.'"
"What was it?"
"That my brother was clearly obsessed with you, and I wanted to ruin that for him."
Her laugh barked out before she could stop it, "What?"
"My first impression of you?" He smiled sneakily, "That's for me to know. But the challenge that kicked me into gear was Klaus's clear affection."
"He was into Caroline!"
"Sure he was."
"He invited her to the ball and bought her a dress."
"Because you'd already been invited and would've set any gift he sent on fire."
"Klaus never liked me like that."
"He kissed you just over seven months ago."
"To get at you."
"Name one other person who could rock up, dump the head of his prized hybrids on a table, then waltz off to get manicures from our staff?"
"Your mum had him on a leash."
"Regardless. He wouldn't have let anyone else walk away."
"He let Stefan and Damon."
"And your less-than-straight assumptions about Stefan and Nik?"
She forced herself to consider it.
"He had softness towards you," Kol rephrased, "Which meant you were my target."
The same way kissing her had technically been a punishment for Kol.
In a way, it had technically come full circle.
MJ ran her hand up his chest, "But here we are."
"You'd already caught my eye," His eyes jumped, "My quest to hurt Klaus was an excuse to flirt with you."
"You don't say," MJ kinda liked that Kol had secret reasons for deciding to care for her.
"Which further proves you weren't part of the house staff."
She found an odd amount of comfort at that.
"I never needed an excuse with any of them."
It wasn't a statement just about Kol and her. He was constantly pointing out parallels and habits the trio seemed to have, meaning, for all MJ knew, she fit into a character type back then to him too. Someone the trio always ended up with.
If Kol hadn't known where he stood with her – how to act? Needing an excuse?
It implied that how his siblings had acted towards her was different too.
That she wasn't insane for thinking she could trust Elijah and Rebekah back then.
They hadn't just been using her.
"Wanna just stay lying here?" MJ had a lot of soft rugs across her office, "Not really in the mood to sleep in a room full of people after everything."
Kol was already back on two feet, pulling her throw blankets out of a cupboard.
"We can go to an actual bed," She felt the fabric fall on her, "I'm being somewhat lazy right now."
"At mine, we have to deal with whatever's happening," He joined her, "Everyone else at yours."
"Fair enough," She snuggled into his side, the soft rug and comfy blanket cocooning them in, "This is what I needed."
Rena's food and a moment with her boyfriend.
He kissed her forehead with the lightness of a feather.
MJ moved from her nuzzle to legs on either side of his waist, blanket coming up with her as she mounted him, his smile big. There was a haze to his expression, a honey side to his eyes as Kol's legs bent up, bringing her closer to his body, hooked around his hips, MJ kissing his lips gently.
Just being able to lean down and kiss him, starting at the mouth, then teasing the corners, followed by his throat, MJ's hands threaded into his hair to massage the soft tufts helped her feel normal after the day. Her wonderful boyfriend, who tried so hard to be the best boyfriend he could. And who deserved all the kisses in her book – kisses and loving sucks at the nook of his neck, cueing his head to roll back as a quiet moan passed into the air.
His own hands tightened around her ass to grind her centre even closer to him.
"Mira," Kol flicked his nose down to brush it against her forehead, "As much as I'd like for this to continue..."
"Hm?"
"I've just remembered something."
She paused, leaning back to rest against his propped-up knees.
"Your tracking spell," His eyes were concerned, "You saw Henrik."
"Yeah," MJ had half forgotten about them too, "I did."
"What happened?"
She looked down.
"You want to keep it from me?"
"I just don't want you to worry."
"Mira," He sat up to properly face her, "It's you."
The pair of them were always going to worry about each other.
"The rest of the world can burn, but if you received another warning – "
"I ended up on the Mikaelson wavelength."
He relaxed at the fact she was talking.
"It was like I was in the past again."
He knew that part.
"Henrik led me to Hayley, but I thought the ancestors were tricking me."
"And?"
"Hm?"
"You clearly left something out when reminding us all that he was at peace."
"I just...I don't know what it is, so I don't know how to explain it."
"You looked scared."
Something no one else had called her out on.
"Henrik led you to Hayley – that means he somehow heard New Orleans ancestors."
"He was hearing a woman's voice," She revealed, "That he thought was trying to take him away from his family – or, well, his version of your family."
The memories he could live in by being a spirit at peace.
"Seeing me clearly wasn't the first time he experienced a blip in 'happy ever after.'"
Kol's expression darkened.
"Do you think it might be a delayed reaction to the collapse of The Other Side?"
"You have to think the destruction of something that big would cause a ripple effect."
"Spirits either found peace or went into the abyss, right?"
"He found peace."
"I know," MJ reassured him, "He was at peace."
Kol bit his lip.
"And he's gonna stay that way as long as we can ensure that."
He heard the underlying message, "What are you planning?"
"I can monitor the afterlife," She reminded him, "That's a Floare thing."
"Your Floare magic – "
"Is getting sorted," She offered a small smile, "I can get back to checking in on the gate – I can check in on him."
Kol half-nodded.
"Or, to not put his spirit at risk," MJ thought about how passing back and forth had somewhat sped up the hell circles in the sky, "I can see if anything seems to be wrong with the gateways."
Kol still didn't talk.
"...Kol."
"I'm not going to pretend to be okay with that plan," He reminded her, "Passing back and forth was slowly killing you not that long ago."
"I'm immortal now."
"It was stripping your life force, and life force is magic."
The same reason he was on board with her fixing the stones.
"Vampires can die," He had.
"If I could pass back and forth as many times as I did," She'd technically been in the realm of the undead every time she'd been with him, "I can risk a few check-ins now."
"True," Kol had to give her that, hands placed securely on her hips, "A few."
"No more," She promised.
"Unless you find something glaringly wrong and then can't keep yourself away."
She lightly tapped his chest, "You signed up for this."
"I did," His smile creeping back in.
"Any more questions about it?"
"I think that's everything that was on my mind."
"Good."
MJ pecked the tip of his nose as Kol slowly guided them back to lying down, slipping MJ's shoulder down first to turn them over, hand moving down from her bum to hook on the underneath of her knee, bringing it towards his side while his other hand cradled her face.
He stroked up from the bottom of her knee, caressing every piece of skin across her thigh while making sure her lips were never unattended for more than a few milliseconds to breathe.
The softness of his face against hers was like a lull, easing MJ back into the state of happiness she'd been in before having to tell him something she knew he wouldn't like. After so many different times with Kol, MJ could tell when they were just enjoying each other and when he was trying to make a point, and today seemed to be a point.
The two standard options that caused that response?
1. He wanted to say that he loved her but was struggling.
2. He was feeling insecure about something, so wanted her to feel worshipped.
As if she didn't already feel that way around him.
"Hey," MJ whispered as she rubbed his neck, "I'm not sure I'm energetic enough for sex right now."
"As in," He whispered into her neck, "You want me to stop?"
His breath was warm, goosebumps appearing across her skin.
"Or, you're fine for me to keep going, but nothing that would require effort from you?"
She laughed, "It's unfair if I'm too tired to make you enjoy it."
"I disagree," He kissed across her collarbone, "Isn't that part of this whole equals relationship thing?"
He was slightly teasing her with the tone.
Something underneath it, though.
Hidden in the odd energy buried behind his eyes.
"Satisfied by your partner's satisfaction."
"We both know that's not what this is," She guided his face back up to hers, "You have nothing to prove, Kol. You didn't screw us up. You never betrayed me. You have only ever shown me how much you care."
Brushing thumbs over his cheeks.
"All my questions today were just about reaffirming – I'm sorry for bringing any of it up – "
He simply buried his face back in her neck, "Not upset."
"You sure?"
"I wanted to know what Lucien's angle was," He was muffled by how tightly he was holding her, "Now I do."
"And, going forward?"
"I just want to give you release after a long day."
Able to feel how tense she was.
"But if you don't want me to..."
"How about," MJ couldn't help the butterflies in her stomach, "Anything you do now, I'll return in the morning."
He smiled, pushing her shirt back to kiss up her stomach, "Deal."
MJ yanked it off entirely to feel his fingers tease her sides.
A hesitation as they touched the clasp of her bra.
"You okay?"
"You didn't offer to do your own prophecy reading," Kol had noticed, "Was that deliberate."
"...Maybe."
"Because Lucien had called you a servant, and you didn't want to feel like one, or because you didn't want to feed into the panic?"
MJ's mouth half opened.
Then closed.
Somewhat wanting to pull her shirt back on.
"I – uh – "
Speechless MJ was a new one.
Not upset or angry, just confused. Even if she'd always believed the prophecy was not entirely accurate, she'd still always checked. Offered tarot readings. Tea leaves...
Had she unintentionally said no because of Lucien?
No?
It had just been a long day, and MJ didn't see why she should do a reading when The Pethane were literally there, popping up to everyone she knew, and far better options to ask about the future.
"Did you ever feel like one?"
"Not with you."
"With my family?"
"Any time I have, I've snapped and said so," She assured him, flopping back, "Telling Elijah it's not my job to be Klaus's mediator, as an example."
He relaxed slightly, dropping down for a second.
MJ wasn't cold; she'd only regretted the shirtlessness because she'd felt emotionally exposed. The witch room, Kol's body so close to her. Safe. From the golden-tinted light coming from each candle around the room, the buzz of the overhead lights comforting. Proof of noise. Life. Soft rugs and throw blankets.
If her younger self could see her now!
Actually able to buy superfluous decorations and extra things for comfort.
"When I saw Henrik, I saw you guys too."
He blinked in surprise.
"It was a bit weird. But you were very handsome."
"No more births?"
"No more births," She assured him, "You're safe. No babies here to jump scare you."
"Ha-ha," He rested on her nose up and down her neck, "Starting to get concerned, these questions about boredom mean you're planning to sleep with someone else."
"Ha-ha."
"Pri does keep stealing you away at night."
Clubbing through her first week in town post-Levi.
"If you wish to party," He smirked, "I am a king of revels."
"If you want to – "
"Not a hint," He shook his head, pushing onto his side, "Just a reminder."
"That I have a type?" MJ teased, "Nerds, accents, and party-goers?"
"Just because you told me about your old feelings for her does not mean I want to be thinking about it when we're lying together," He tutted, "Pri already has one Mikaelson's dreaming of killing her; do you want to make it two?"
"You would never hurt me like that."
"You say as if I don't have spies stalking all of your exes," He massaged her thigh, "If they seem at all like they're thinking about you again..."
MJ laughed, "You're joking."
"I wish."
"Kol!" MJ tried to push him off her, only for him to chuckle and pull her closer, "Kol."
"No one's getting killed," He rolled off her, "I jest."
"Are people getting stalked?"
"I declare my right to remain silent."
"You're not an American citizen; you're not protected by that."
"I am joking," He assured her, running his nose against her left breast, "I did compel a few vampires to spy..."
Lips brushing over the skin.
"But when it was clear there was nothing," He started to pepper kisses along the bra, "I stopped the compulsion and let them go home."
"You're insane."
"I'm finding my footing!" He nuzzled into the material.
She snorted.
Kol straightened back sharply.
"You good?"
"...the Maci questions...after Klaus's art show...why we fell out?"
"Yes?"
"I don't know how to explain it," Kol admitted, "Most of the time when I don't tell you something, it's because I don't understand it, and I don't like talking about things I don't understand."
"Feel that."
"Thinking about my past?" He'd given her a bit of space before speaking for a reason, "Trying to work out how I cared for people? What was genuine? Is complicated."
The humanity switch of it all.
"She is probably my longest throughline."
Weird to think about.
"More reliable than my family ever was," His fingers laced into her hair, "But she didn't bring out my humanity. And we parted terribly. But she technically impacted you. And some of my best work is technically tied to her."
"The book?"
"I honestly don't think there's anything that would kill Klaus in there," He was trying to rewrite it, "Separate to her."
Kol's mind was clearly incredibly awake, MJ happy to listen to him talk.
Even if she'd expected some fun, then some sleep.
She'd never ask him to not ramble at her.
"Another thing I don't fully understand."
"Yeah?"
"These?" He pulled his phone out of his pocket, "In a sketchbook at Lucien's apartment."
"Oh right," MJ had almost forgotten, "You guys went to his today."
Hence the vision diving.
MJ couldn't help but smile, "Thank you for not getting a vision."
"We may have different opinions on the topic," He acknowledged, "But I wasn't in the mood to share a feed with Elijah."
He let her see the pictures as they both moved to lean against the headboard.
"I'm going to go out on a limb and say his witch drew these," Kol revealed, "They look identical to sketches Davina had pinned up across my playhouse."
MJ stilled, "What?"
"Yep."
Hence why he hadn't mentioned it to Elijah.
One, he wouldn't know what Kol was referencing; two, it could cause an unneeded interrogation pushing Davina back into enemy territory when MJ had finally made some progress.
"That's..."
"A concerning coincidence."
"Coincidences – "
"Don't exist," Kol finished, "Thought you might say that, Miss Doesn't Believe in Prophecy."
"Kol."
"Teasing, darling," He looped an arm around her waist again, "Davina told me the drawings happened while she was talking with the spirits."
"If Lucien's prophet did draw these," MJ almost smiled, "It's a sign we can't trust her visions."
"New Orleans ancestors would love to scare us."
"Exactly."
"That said," Kol put the phone away, "Could be someone trying to help."
"True," MJ thought about their options, "Should I try and make contact?"
"Maybe," Kol didn't want to say yes, "We know someone is trying to talk to you."
"If it's Ryos, I swear – "
"You can curse his spirit to a hell plane," Kol reminded her, "And wake up safe with me."
MJ nodded.
Breathing in slowly.
"Can we stop talking about that stuff now?"
"Most definitely."
MJ returned to lying down, "Rest."
"Sex."
"Kol!"
"Sorry," He pouted, "...I am sorry if you don't think I tell you enough."
Fingernails tracing circles.
"I do try to."
"You tell me more than enough," MJ assured him, "I don't think there's a story any enemy could throw my way that I don't already know."
Beyond Selene – Maci – whatever name she preferred.
And even then, MJ found it very hard to believe it was any worse than the stories she did know. It was probably hitting Kol more because his humanity was making him realise he'd hurt someone he genuinely cared for, but still. Unlikely the worst thing he'd done.
A beat.
"Do you think you know enough about me?"
"I'd like to know what happened in Chicago," Kol admitted, moving his hand further round, "Beyond the bullet point version of events."
He knew the gist, not the details.
"I'd also like to know where you lived in LA."
"Kol – "
"I know," He nodded, "You were homeless. You don't like talking about the homeless periods."
"It's just..." MJ didn't know how to describe it, "Embarrassing?"
He gave her a pointed look.
"Like, I've mentally blacked out a lot of it because if I think about how I lived back then, I don't feel like a person."
Lips frowning into her neck.
"I feel like a rodent being set on fire while suffocating and starving."
MJ had only really talked about it as a throwaway thing or, well, with Hayley. Bonding with Hayley the first time Tyler found out MJ had been homeless. Even if they all knew she'd been alone pre-Mystic Falls, everyone bar Matt had an incredibly privileged life. When you have that, you don't necessarily have the thought process to realise what someone who didn't have that might have lived through.
It wasn't entirely their fault – it was what happened when people had privilege.
And MJ had never corrected them about her life.
"It's not, like," MJ felt like a hypocrite, "...We'll get there."
Kol nodded.
"The Chicago kidnapping thing?" MJ's posture turned in, "Everything in New York had just happened, and then I was homeless and playing out-of-control vampire hunter."
Chicago had been her murder era. Non-heretic, heavily traumatised, murder era of shame. Fifteen-year-old her a crazed mess.
Her lack of self-love had probably been solidified by how she taught herself to just kill.
Even if MJ had woken herself up to her crazy, it was still weird to think about how she'd gone from 'utter breakdown' over murdering people to 'PTSD killing every vampire who revealed themselves to her.'
"We'll get to it," MJ's head hurt at the prospect of diving into it, "I mean, Jordan and I have only just started that stuff."
Supernatural details weren't the problem.
The human scars cut deeper.
Her brain just tied them so tightly together for those years.
"Okay," He accepted the summary, "Do you think I know enough about you, though?"
"Undoubtedly."
His arms looped with hers.
"You're very touchy tonight."
"And you like how I touch you?"
MJ clicked.
She wasn't the only one who'd had a fire started in their mind by someone.
"What was said?"
"Nothing was said."
"Did I accidentally do something?"
"No!" Kol shook his head, palm stretching out over her stomach, creating static, "...I've been thinking about some things."
A lot of things.
"Whenever I ask you what you want, you're vague."
"Because you know what you're doing."
Both of them were clearly in an odd headspace.
"Reminder, the first time we had sex, you went down on me twice before anything else happened."
He shrugged.
"Not what I expected from the witch-user-murderer."
"I had something to prove," Kol reminded her, drifting down, "You were adamant I was playing you."
Fingers slipped into the top of her patterned trousers.
"Thought it might show that I wasn't."
"Exactly. No guidance needed."
"Mira," Kol's eyes lusty, "Place my hands where you like them."
"Kol, I always have," She reminded him, "I literally yank your hands onto my boobs."
He let himself smile slightly.
"No insecurities needed."
"Not insecure," He spoke in a tone that let her know that was a lie, "Just checking."
"Kol," MJ took his second hand, "I love your touch."
She led it down, starting in between her boobs and trailing it down her stomach, feeling butterflies form against her skills.
Snapping the fabric off her chest to let him outline the underneath with his lips.
"Anywhere you want to start?"
"Just reaffirm where."
"Haec Beni Zo Sa Benedicimus."
Across the road, Jardin Gris stood as a shop growing in visitors. New management, new energy, new life. New people coming in and out, including the person standing inside now. Early hours of the morning, most minds fast asleep as the city let out a long breath into all of them.
And yet?
There he was.
"Nvasdi Nvgiddgia Hashi."
Olive skin and dark brown eyes, stilling by the boxes of herbs as a golden glow flickered to life. Like a torch, taking in each tiny detail of the plants. The loose blue jumper and jeans were out of a memory, yet attached to him. Unable to question why the door was even unlocked.
Samu Carlin.
Panicking.
Spinning to face the glass door, only to find no reflection staring back at him.
Dark blues slowly lit up as the edge of the sun started to rise, leaking light that unleashed a wave of red. From the shades filling the sky to the bounce in the doorway, his missing outline was a gaping hole now showing what was truly behind him.
Spinning on his heel to face the two counter tables.
One body on each.
"Lan Lalin Pou Sakrifis."
His feet stumbled forward, black cloaks covering their identities, ripped away as blood slithered down their pale fingers to hit the floor.
"Nouvo Bagay Yon Li Fe."
Tap.
Tap.
Tap.
"Vuka Iskoristi, Marcam Anima."
Puddles – not just from their hands – their arms, but their mouths, lips open, heads tilted to the side and pooling with the liquid temptation. Growling stomachs. Itching skin – an inching brain he just couldn't shake.
Faces he knew.
Witches he knew.
The porcelain-like cheeks of Davina Clair, dark hair lightly curled to sit gently over her shoulders, eyes open and glassy. Blue rings, paired with icy white, creating a kaleidoscope of patterns he couldn't tear his eyes away from, hands rushing to shake her shoulders. Listening out for any noise.
Any lungs.
Any heart.
But nothing but a body.
"Sakre Ki Sa Pran."
Forcing himself back, breathing faster each second, forcing himself to look at the second. The blonde hair. Blue eyes too, but in a different way. Less delicate, more inquisitive. Now dead. Staring at the ceiling, nowhere else to look. No power to look anywhere else. Power required life.
Abigail.
The last two Harvest Girls.
"Nvasdi Nvgiddgia Hashi."
His own golden ones locked on her neck as it started to open in front of him.
No source of the cut but a firm line running from the nook of the left to the right, his flurry to check on Davina, watching the same wound reopen on her. Spilling out even more red. Warm, rushing, scarlet, his hands lurching to cover Abigails. The one closest to him. Feeling it fight back.
Liquid pushing like a tap more than a body.
"Lan Lalin Pou Sakrifis."
There was nothing he could do except run.
Tell someone.
Get someone who might understand what had happened –
"Nouvo Bagay Yon Li Fe."
In the doorway, in place of his reflection, the rising sun had vanished, replaced with the face of a pack member everyone had deemed dead. Their own yellow twinning his. Staring at him. Mouth moving slowly. Saying something he couldn't hear, and two pairs of hands lifted on either side of him.
"Vuka Iskoristi, Marcam Anima."
The wolf lurched forward as a thin metal star rammed into his forehead, sticking in the skin.
Watching as tiny paper cuts overtook his skin, spirally out from the point of contact, small faucets opening – allowed red to flash into bugs. Crawling over the incisions as the mouth was replaced with a clear scream. Filling every inch of the sleeping city like a war cry.
Lunging to help, only to hit the glass.
"Sakre Ki Sa Pran."
Turning in time with the beating heart in his chest, eyes bouncing around everything in the room that might be able to help.
To stop.
Only to see an addition to the end of The Harvest.
"Nvasdi Nvgiddgia Hashi."
Both girls sat up with their slit necks, posed like marionettes, holding an intricately designed circle.
Almost like a drink's coaster. Pale wood friendly, managing to avoid the staining of the white dresses they'd once been buried in. Eyes on him. Eyes snapping shut as they moved to their feet, lifting the object forward. Cycles held by thumbs and fingers, outlining their shape before them.
Chanting too.
"Lan Lalin Pou Sakrifis."
Circles within the circles, lines designed like hieroglyphs across each one.
Spelling out a message he did not understand.
More and more voices he couldn't see, the wolf behind him falling to his knees, completely losing control of himself to the spell. Like a taunting fate. Or a mirror. Or a wish the spirits wanted to achieve, spilling into the nightmare of reality.
"Nouvo Bagay Yon Li Fe."
Davina and Abigail's bodies went slack, collapsing to the floor with a deafening thump.
"Vuka Iskoristi, Marcam Anima."
Jolting Kaleb back to reality.
Sitting up in a panic, Tia's hand on his shoulder, eyes full of concern, "What just happened?"
"I, uh – " Kaleb's throat was dry, "I don't know."
They were sitting in an apartment bedroom, light blue covers holding them close together, two pillows to rest their heads on, somewhat overlapping. Unable to feel anything beyond his panic as the nightmare ended.
"But I think a werewolf is trying to kill the last two Harvest Girls."
"Sakre Ki Sa Pran."