#nathaniel buzolic sucks but kol is hot so fuck me

[heartbreakgrill]

kol mikaelson; best friend’s brother, pt 1.

“cause he’s such a dream. and you know what i mean. if you weren’t related...”

a/n: dividing this into multiple parts because it will be well over 20k words when i am done lol 

"y/n! come in, come in!" rebekah's bright smile appeared as she pulled open the front door. her grin was infectious, and i felt my cheeks dimple in response. she stepped aside, ushering me in with her hand.

i'd been to her house before, though it was a short visit to pick damon up one time when he had been vamp-napped. but that didn't stop me from admiring the architecture of the beautiful building. it was a wondrous mansion, full of gorgeous marble carvings, scooping staircases with rounded edges, and windows, none smaller than i was tall.

"hurry, before my brothers come to terrorize us," rebekah snapped me out of my longing gazes, bursting a giggle from my throat.

she pointed to the stairs with another wisp of her hand, and i followed her up it. "my room's the first door up here."

when we reached the landing, i took in a new part of the house i'd never seen. the continued modern elegance theme of the house took up the second floor, as well. rebekah's door was cream, matching the color pallet, but it was hanging wide open. she had probably raced down the stairs the second she heard you press the doorbell.

she shut it tightly behind the two of us, and clicked the lock for extra security. "so, did you bring it?"

rebekah watched as i dumped my purse and book bag on the bed. i had promised her a few weeks ago that she could borrow the copy of my favorite book. having missed out on the last century of the universe, rebekah was somewhat behind on her reading. and she was a sucker for romance novels, which was part of the reason we got along.

i revealed the bent and torn copy, a sly smile growing on my face. "one copy of the duke and i for miss rebekah mikaelson."

everyone thought rebekah was a bitch. she could be- i had seen my fair share of it over the past month that we'd been friends. when i'd disagree that leo dicaprio was the hottest 90s actor, and instead argued that johnny depp was, rebekah didn't speak to me for three days. and, sure, in the past she had tried to kill your friends. but, everytime was a testament to her ability to survive. she was fervently loyal to her family, to me as her friend.

everyone was beyond shocked when they discovered i was hanging out with her. caroline threw bitch-fit- as always- and bonnie tried to talk me out of it in a sensible, respectful manner. but i ignored them.

rebekah just needed love. she needed someone to spend time with, someone to talk to. she needed humanity.

i could relate. sometimes- most times- the supernatural mess i was involved in left me constantly feeling lonely. being one of the only humans in my friend group felt like being a black sheep in the herd. plans were constantly cancelled, elena was always prioritized because of stefan and damon's tunnel vision; friday night football games turned into picking up extra shifts at the grille because of your messy schedule, or running across virginia looking for some ancient spell.

i had lost my identity as a teenage girl throughout the mess.

and rebekah was helping me feel normal again. except for when she'd substitute soda for blood bags. that was always a laugh.

we'd become friends after the most recent supernatural conflict, wherein elena had dug a metaphorical knife too deep into rebekah's back. she had brought up rebekah's constant failed connections, the fucked up dynamic of her family, while trying to make rebekah help them with some campaign against klaus.

it had been in the middle of a restaurant downtown, where we were having dinner with caroline and bonnie. just trying to have dinner with Caroline, bonnie, and elena at a restaurant downtown. i thought if we went to a different place than mystic grill, we'd avoid any entities. but, low and behold, elena always managed to draw out the crazies.

after she smeared rebekah, i watched the blonde turn on a sharp heel and retreat to the bathroom with tears falling down her face. i excused myself, and snuck off to the stalls, feeling a tug on my heart. i was always the peace keep in my friend group, the one to comfort people when they cried, whether it be after a breakup or after they turned into a vampire.

she was at the sink, attempting to clean up her mascara with a paper towel. she didn't hear me come in- but saw my frame appear in the mirror. rebekah tensed up, a dirty look on her face.

"come to twist the knife?" she sneered, balling up the paper towel tightly in her fist.

"no, i-" i hesitated, unsure of what to say. maybe she wouldn't believe me, but i wanted to help.

i stepped up to the counter beside her, set my purse on top of it, and began rummaging. i brandished a small plastic container of on-the-go makeup wipes and held them out to her.

"i always care these with me," i offered, attempting to smile.

rebekah eyed me skeptically, but took them from my hand. she tugged one out of the lid, and began to clean up her eye makeup. "you know, i'm on a date."

my heart shrunk a little at the sad revelation. "is it going well?"

"it was," rebekah laughed darkly. "elena ruins everything."

i gave a sad nod of understanding, "i know it's not her fault, but sometimes she can put a damper on things."

it was wrong- but we bonded over the fact that elena managed to always rain on either of our parades. i spent ten minutes talking to her, helping make her feel better after the awful interaction. unfortunately, most of the conversation was cracking jokes about situations we maybe shouldn't have laughed at, but it helped. it felt normal, more normal than the dinner i wet back to. i managed to hype her up, too, and sent her back out on her date with a bright smile on her face.

a day later, she'd texted me asking if i wanted to go shopping. i realized how lonely she must be- every man she'd ever loved completely betrayed her, tried to kill her, or died. she'd spent thousands of years running from her villainous father, with brothers who constantly caused problems and picked on her.

she didn't have a single friend in the entire history of time.

so i went shopping. and to lunch a few days later, to a movie, then i spent the night for the first time. she always came to my house- considering her brothers were always home, wreaking havoc. and it ended being so much fun, that she spent two nights- the entire weekend- at my house.

that was two months ago. this was the first time she was letting me stay at her house. she'd told me last week about the various rooms in her house- a pool, an in-home movie theatre, a game room. i practically jumped on her in the school hallway, threatening to stab her with a dagger to stay the night. she laughed ecstatically at my  joke, but said yes.

and here we were- sitting on her bed, holding out my copy of the duke and i. she quickly took it from my clutch, squealing at the sight of the half-naked boy on the cover. i laughed, giddily, commenting, "isn't he hot?! i mean, wait till you read it-! he's so posh, and-and, ugh, he's so mean to her, but-"

"you're going to spoil it!" rebekah shoved my shoulder lightly.

we shared another laugh at the exchange. rebekah kicked off her heels and sat on her knees beside me on the bed. "i want to send you home so i can read it now," she admitted.

i scoffed at her remark, taking the book from her hands and tossing it on the back of the bed, "bitch, i want to swim! and watch a movie and play pool. so, if you do that, i'm never hanging out with you again."

rebekah giggled, "okay, okay. fine. do you wanna swim now, or later, when the sun goes down?"

"oooo," i pursed my lips in thought, "later! night swimming is so much more fun."

"i have some wine," rebekah pointed to the bar cart in the corner of her ginormous room, "and we have speakers outside."

i was finally able to take in her room, and began gushing about the decorations, there wasn't much, considering her and the rest of the mikaelson's had only move in two months ago. but, what was in the room was expensive, luxury furniture. "i'm so poor!"

we spent the next hour in there. rebekah had managed to collect things through her life- small knick knacks, favorite sweaters, hats, a few journals here and there. klaus was a back stabber- but every time he killed his siblings, he'd store their things for later. rebekah said so with a distant smile, a faraway look in her eyes. she loved her brothers.

it was a silly detail, but it made my heart so happy.

after she showed me the whole room, i felt my stomach growl. "i'm starving," i huffed, patting my stomach.

rebekah shook her head with a smile, "wanna order a pizza?"

i quickly brandished my phone, and i found the local pizza shop's contact. i okayed the order details with rebekah before clicking the dial button. i ordered a large pizza with extra cheese, and a side of break sticks. they gave me an eta, and i hung up.

i went over to my  purse and dug around for my purse. "i got it this time."

rebekah grabbed my hand, "no way. this ones on me."

i knew that meant she'd compel the pizza boy, which sometimes made me uncomfortable. it wasn't fair, or practical, and bit the pizza shop in the ass. but, sometimes being with rebekah let me feel dangerous in an empowering way. like we were sneaking beers from her fridge. with bonnie ,caroline, and elena, all of my other friends, i always felt coddled. looked down upon for being human. in dangerous situations, even in ones where i could help, i was always laughed out for offering my hands.

while we waited for the pizza, rebekah said she'd show me around.i'd never gotten to see the whole layout. it was three stories tall, the mansion, but rebekah said the top floor was basically klaus' weird torture dungeon, and i laughed that maybe it was a sex dungeon. she shoved my shoulder with a high-pitched, "ew!"

rebekah shivered at the gross thought, and continued with a small grimace. "that end of the hallway is finn's room," she pointed her manicured finger to my left. "and that one is kol's."

i glanced towards the former, and then to the right. my eyes lingered on the latter, at the cream-colored door, shut tight. i had met finn, but never kol. i heard plenty of stories about his psychotic vampirism, but i had seen a picture of him on rebekah's phone. apparently, he'd stolen it from her a few weeks ago when he discovered what a selfie was;

rebekah had shown with annoyance lining her tone, but she giggled when she pulled it up to show it to me. i laughed, too, but my eyes lingered on his own for a moment. he was kinda cute. i

i shook the memory from my mind. there was a thin line of light streaming from underneath the door. but, there wasn't much movement. what did original vampires do in their off time, anyways?

i asked, "what does everybody do all day?"

rebekah shrugged, "i think finn wants to get a job in town. history reservation or something. elijah writes, as you know. kol plays video games. he's just discovered call of duty, whatever that is. he might go back to college. i go to school, obviously. and klaus just tortures."

i tittered slightly, "sounds fun."

she shrugged with a small laugh. "okay, first floor."

i followed her down the steps. she'd long since switched her signature pumps to house slippers, red, glittery ones that scraped against the floor as she walked. i was just in your socks- ones with little puppies all over them. the floor was cool against my toes, but it felt good.

as we reached the landing of the first floor, rebekah began talking again, "this is technically the foyer, though i don't know why it's so big. that's the kitchen over there, attached is a dining room, sitting room, and the library. this way is the living room, and elijah's room. there's a bathroom off the kitchen and one next to his bedroom."

i perked up at the mention of the library, and rebekah looked at you sweetly, "would you like to go see it? klaus is an expansive collector."

thirty minutes later, the doorbell rang. i was on top of the ladder in the library, running my fingers over the spines of the collection before me. the entire shelf i was wondrously gazing upon were first editions klaus had collected. anything from pride and prejudice, to a tale of a two cities. i wasn't the biggest fan of classics, but the history seeping from these novels, with a rustic cloud of smell, was engaging. my head tilted towards the sound of the doorbell, and i glanced down at rebekah.

"i got it," she nodded, waving me off. "keep looking. you seem happy."

i grinned at her retreating back. then i turned my attention back to the books. i stopped on the spine of an old classic, gently tugging it from its spot in the shelf. . i looped my arm through the ladder to balance myself as i began to open its pages.  a voice sounded from the doorway.

"hello, darling."

i jumped slightly, and i gripped the ladder tighter. my heart thumped on my chest at the possibility of falling. with a hitched breath, i looked to the voice and saw a familiar boy standing there, hands in the front pockets of his sweatpants. i offered a gentle smile, "hello," i spoke quietly, shyness lacing my features and stomach. my heart rate steadied, but it still ran quick.

rebekah has always made sure kol was never around. she said he was flirtatious and obnoxious, and that she didn't want me to get caught up in his advances.

kol held my eyes in his own, a burning stare glinting in his brown eyes. he nodded towards the book in my hands, "which ones that?"

i glanced back down at the cover, then looked to him, "alice's adventures in wonderland."

"ah," kol stepped down into the room, slowly making his way closer. he continued, his eyes burning into mine, "'tis love...tis love that makes the world go round.'"

i furrowed my brows, a flurry feeling enlightening my stomach, and the corner of my lips lifted in a short smile. "you've read it?"

"when you live forever, you manage to read quite a lot of books," kol laughed lightly.

i turned from him, hoping if it broke eye contact, it would steady my heart. i slipped the novel back between the books on the highest shelf. "i'm not a fan of it, to be honest."

kol scoffed, "what! how?"

i began to ramble, turning back to face him, "i just don't like it. it's chaos. i know it's supposed to be- but there's no moral for me to connect to. i-"

amidst my rambling, i lost your footing on the ladder. i yelped as my felt your body tugged down by gravity, and my arms reached out, trying to grab the ladder. i was falling.

i heard a whoosh beneath me and, suddenly, i landed gently in someone's arms. i threw my arms out, holding tightly to their neck, and shoved my head up against their shoulder. my eyes were squeezed shut, an attempt to look away from the ground as i fell, but i slowly peeked one open. my heart was beating out of my chest.

i turned my head to the side and caught kol's eyes. his breath was warm across my face and a worried look creasing his brows. "you okay, darling?"

i immediately blushed, and shoved myself out of his arms. i found your footing on the ground, and put some distance between myself and him. i shoved my back agains the book case. "i'm fine," i breathed outwards, with a hand against my thumping chest, "thanks. i'm- fine."

kol went to respond when rebekah's voice sounded from the hallway, her slippers making that scuffing sound across the flooring. "that delivery boy was cute, y/n. i'm going to get his number for you next time-"

as she turned the corner into the room, her voice cut off. "kol! leave y/n alone!"

i blushed a deeper shade of red, feeling embarrassed that i was interacting with her brother. it wasn't like it was a crime, like she had banned me from doing so. but the situation felt secret, scandalous. i pressed my lips together in a thin line, staring at the floor beside rebekah's slippers.

the air was tense.

kol crossed his arms over his chest, "oh, sister, im just trying to introduce myself to your friend. you never let me meet her."

rebekah set her hands on her hips, "because you're creepy."

i wanted to laugh at the sibling rivalry, the funny quips and remarks they shot at each other. but, knowing their short tempers, i minded my business.

"ah, that's not true," kol replied. "don't make me look badly in front of your friend. y/n, is it?"

he met my eyes again, and a heat ran through me. i nodded, but rebekah interrupted the moment.

"well, you've introduced yourself. now, get out. don't you have some slaughtering to do?" rebekah's voice got a little higher, annoyance thick in her tone. she was losing patience.

i smiled politely, "it was nice meeting you," i turned to rebekah and began making my way to the door. "let's go watch a movie. i'm starving still."

rebekah sent another glare in kol's direction before giving in, following me out of the library. "just try to ignore him, please," she spoke.

i shrugged, "it's okay. he didn't bother me too much."

rebekah, a quick walker due to her impatience, quickly got ahead of me. i trailed behind, and almost stopped dead in my tracks to glance back over my left shoulder. kol was in the doorway, watching our retreating figures with a simple gaze, one of curiosity.

i sent him another smile, and waved my hand. kol's smirk grew.

he winked at me.

—

i was barely watching the movie. i kept staring the door with anticipation, wondering if he'd crash through them with that same smirk on his face. i knew it wasn't realistic- why would he? but i was craving his gaze.

i could feel the heat of his hands lingering on my thighs, on the curve of my back. i wanted to touch him again, just his arm or his cheek, to see if he was really that warm, or if i had imagined it. it was like he had burned me, and it was lingering on my skin.

i peeled my eyes from the door, and refocused onto the pizza box on the coffee table. rebekah flicked her eyes at your movement, but her wide-dough eyes were mainly yearning to consume the entertainment on the television. i took a big bite of the pizza slice, swallowed, and reached for my soda can. i almost rested it's opening to my lips, but the weight of it felt extremely light in my hold. i shook it, and heard the remnants of the soda rattle at the very bottom of the can.

here was my excuse.

i sat up, body stiff with anticipation. i cleared my throat, ran my tongue over my teeth to clean off the pizza. "iiiiiiiiii...m- im gonna get more soda..." i dragged out my words, trying to be careful. "you want some?"

rebekah flicked her hand in my direction, murmured something denying the offer.

i slyly set my pizza slice into the box and, with the empty can in tow, slipped out of the room. i practically tip-toed through the halls, towards the kitchen. every time i passed a doorway, i extended my neck to look through it. to look for him.

i felt foolish and silly- but giddy with excitement. what would i say if i ran into him? what would i do? he was probably in his room, playing call of duty. but what if he was waiting for me, too? there was that look in his eyes-

oh, my god. i'm pathetic. i want to be a typical teenager, but this is extreme. i shook my head of the cheesy thoughts, finally reaching the kitchen.

i dumped the trash into the garbage can. i didn't know where the cups were, but i really wanted a glass of water. i placed my hands on my hips, glancing around the cupboards before. i didn't know where the glasses were, so i began rummaging through every cabinet in search of them.

all of a sudden, within the moment of a small gust of air being interrupted, and the ruffle of the hair on my shoulders, i felt a presence engulf my back. my breath hitched, for the second time this evening, and i watched from the corner of my gaze as an arm reached around my head, pulling open the cupboard above me.

he closed his fingers around a glass, and brought it down to in front of my face. the moment lasted much longer than 10 seconds- but in actuality, it felt like the single blink of an eye. i let out the breath that filled your stomach, shaky with a curios ruin. my heart rate spiked.

"looking for this, darling?" his voice was hot as it breathed past my ear. it spiraled goosebumps down my body, tickling every sense along my spine.

i tried to steady my hand, but it was shaking as i took it from his grasp. "t-thank you."

i turned to face him, sure he would step back, but he stayed at his sultry distance. i backed up against the counter as much as i could, hugging the glass to my chest.

the corner of his pink lips curled into that signature smirk. he leaned in further, pressing both of his palms into the counter beside my hips. i finally got a good look at his eyes- and they were brown.

a golden hued, chocolatey brown that oozed warmth, radiated comfort. and bled desire.

my eyes flickered away from his. i remembered what rebekah said. he was a flirt. this is what he did. and i felt silly for thinking it was because of me.

i made my eyes refocus on the collar of his shirt. attempting to ground myself. "i-i've gotta get...back. to rebekah."

"bekah won't miss you too much if you stay here a moment longer," kol shrugged. he tilted his head to catch my gaze again.

i went red-hot all over my body- the blood rushed to the surface of my skin, as if to embarrass me in this moment. man, he was great at this.

i averted my eyes again, and pulled my body back further. i hugged the cup to my chest in an attempt to shy away from him. maybe he would back off if he saw i was uncomfortable.

though that was a lie.

kol did. his smirk faltered for a single second once he noticed i was shrinking away. he took the glass from my hands, fingers barely grazing my skin, and filled it up at the fridge.

i caught my wrist with my other hand and nervously wrung it for a moment. watching as he filled the glass, my heart rate began to steady and the heat dissipated. distance was good.

"here you are, love," he presented the cup like a golden apple, "one glass of water."

i cracked a small smile, managing to elicit a cheeky response now that distance was between you. "are you a waiter now?"

"might take up that profession," kol leaned back against the island, making a questioning face with a pursed, deep frown. it was silly.

i giggled, "have fun with that. and thanks for the water."

kol sent me another wink as i headed for the exit, "anything for the beautiful damsel in distress."

i laughed again, but quickly sped out of there.

he was really good.

—

rebekah was in love with julia roberts.

as i picked up your trash from the movie room and hauled it to the kitchen garbage, she ranted on and on about the actresses portrayal of the woman in notting hill.

i tossed the pizza box, a few paper plates, and two more soda cans into the trash. distantly listening, my mind began to wander. again. what was wrong with me?

it was like his very presence in this house was putting me on edge. it felt like i was playing cat and mouse- only i was a not-so cautious mouse with a death wish. every time i heard a door close, every time footsteps shook the ceiling, my heart jumped out of my throat.

rebekah poured a blood bag into a glass, decorating it with a pink straw that had an umbrella on it. she began to go on about julia roberts purse, but i interrupted. i knew it was a bad idea, to plant this conversation, but i needed to know something.

"so, what's with kol, anyways?" i asked, distant.

her mouth hung open slightly, "what?" rebekah furrowed her brows.

i shrugged, sliding up onto the bar stool. "what's his deal? like, i know about you, elijah, and klaus. but what about kol?"

"he's a psycho, y/n," she took a sip through the straw, manicured fingers holding onto the end. "he throws temper tantrums and runs off to kill dozens of people constantly. he's the most problematic of all of us. he was wreckless before he turned and it's only enhanced by his immortality."

i nodded along to her words, my fingers playing with one another atop the counter. i couldn't say you were happy to hear that the one original vampire you thought was cute was a murdered. but the information helped ground me more. there it was; another reason to snap the hell out of it. "oh, joy...do you guys not get along well?"

rebekah continued drinking, and as she swallowed, she thought. "depends on the day. i can't say that we always do. sometimes. he's just very- closed off, i guess. sometimes i try to bridge the gap, but he doesn't let anybody in."

the hurt was evident in her eyes, and she tried to play off his discomfort by staring into her drink. i quickly changed the subject, settled on dropping him from my mind for good. he could flirt as much as he wanted, but i wasn't going to let him toy with me. i was better than that. "let's stop talking about your brother and go swimming. it's finally dark out."

rebekah glanced over my shoulder, to the sliding patio doors. the back yard was completely pitch black. she thought for another moment before a smile lit up her face. rebekah walked over to the doors. she slipped a switch, and the porch flooded with light.

"now that sounds like fun."

i perked up at the sight of the ginormous pool. the deck extended out over the yard, providing a direct drop off into the pool. there were lounge chairs, couches circled around a fire pit.

"hey, can we have a fire later?" i offered. "we can make s'mores."

rebekah looked at you with a bewildered face, "what the hell is a s'more?"

"just say yes," i tittered with a tease, jumping off the stool.

we quickly went upstairs and changed into our bathing suits. rebekah offered a beach towel, still with the tags on it. i laughed at its newness and ripped the tags off. i wrapped it around my shoulders, chilly from the stale air of the house. vampires didn't need heat, or air, so the cold virginia night seeped through the cracks in the molding between windows and doors, sending shivers down my spine.

"the pools heated," rebekah noticed the goosebumps trailing my bare skin. "let me go ask somebody about the house, though. don't see why we can't cater to you considering we can't feel much."

i nodded with a smile, and followed her down the stairs, again. though it was magnificent, the house was like a built-in gym. to get from any point a to any point b, we had had to cross numerous football fields worth of space. i took a deep breath as we hit the first floor landing, feeling silly and human at the fact that i was out of breath.

rebekah took a sniff, which was strange, but after she turned her head to the kitchen and made a determined march towards it, you remembered that's how she operated. she located people by smell. klaus, finn, and elijah were all sitting around the island, just...hanging out? all the warnings my friends had given me remained more and more untrue every single day. this was a family- a normal, old, ordinary family.

sometimes they hung out in the kitchen, drinking beers and playing a game of rummy. finn must have still been learning, because he looked distraught and confused.

"oh, little sister, perfect," klaus waved her over with a finger.

rebekah rolled her eyes, but stepped closer to his shoulder. "yes, nik?"

"tell me; does this look like a worthy risk to take?" klaus smirked, though it was not as menacing as his others have been in the past. it was simple mischief. brotherly cheating in a card game.

i smiled slightly as elijah slapped his cards into the table with a groan. "you cannot cheat, niklaus! we've been over this!"

klaus looked offended, "it is not cheating if i ask someone not in the game!"

"that's literally the definition of cheating," the words slipped from your tongue with a giggle. i expected them to be angry that i bugged into their conversation, but elijah simply looked to me with comradery.

"thank you! it's the definition, klaus," elijah took a swig of his beer.

"if anyone gets to cheat, it should be me," finn groaned. he looked up at me with these puppy dog eyes, tilting his cards slightly towards my gaze.

i stepped closer with an encouraging grin. "let's see..."

elijah groaned even louder, slapping his cards to his face this time. "oh, i give up!"

i helped finn pick out a set of hearts, 9-J to play off of elijah's 6-8. finn was so happy, he stood from his chair and hugged me tightly.

rebekah finally got annoyed by her brothers and cleared her throat over the rowdiness. "can someone please turn the heat on in this house for y/n? the poor things freezing."

everyone looked to me, concern lacing their features. elijah set his cards down on the table and stood up, "let's see. i think there's something called a thermostat."

klaus looked to his brother curiously, but finn was focused on his hand. "what's that?"

rebekah pulled out of her phone, "i'll look it up."

a laugh burst out of my chest, and i went red as everyone looked to me again. i padded over to elijah, saying, "i know how to do that."

there was a vent beside your feet, and a warm shiver trailed your body as it burst open and air trickled out. "ah, there we go," i sighed in content. "thank you," i nodded up at elijah.

he smiled kindly. "are you two going swimming, then?" he pointed between us, glancing at the lit-up pool.

"figured we might as well get some use out of those dreadful house," rebekah commented as she leaned against the counter.

klaus set down the cards in his hands, and fumbled with his beer. he looked thoughtful, "swimming sounds intriguing."

finn looked up, "swimming is an activity these days?"

rebekah shrugged, "it's strangely fun."

"well, enjoy yourselves," elijah spoke, sliding back onto his seat.

rebekah pushed off the counter and grabbed two wine glasses from a cupboard. the bottle of wine she brought from her room sat in her other arm. she looked at me with raised brows, "oh, we will, brother. let's go."

bubbling with excitement, i moved to the sliding glass doors and opened one for rebekah. she stepped out into the night, and waited for me to close it. "okay, you probably know how to use this better than i," rebekah said as she neared a set of speakers. "it's bluetooth? whatever that means."

i laughed for the millionth time, "don't worry. i've got it."

i slumped onto a lounge chair near the speaker, fiddling with the buttons and volume in order to connect my phone. rebekah set the wine glasses and the bottle onto the outdoor dining table. she opened the bottle without even using a wine opener, and poured it into the two glasses.

she brought one over just as the speakers beeped, indicating my phone had connected. i put my playlist on shuffle, and rebekah cheered as a one direction song came on.

"oh, i just love harry styles," she gushed, taking a large gulp of her wine.

"me, too," i swirled the wine around in my glass. "you know what i love even more? swimming. so, peace out."

i stood from the chair and padded over to the pool. i crouched down, setting my wine glass on the concrete siding, and plopped onto my butt. i dipped my feet into the water, and with my palms pressed against the ground, pushed myself into the pool. it came up to my stomach, and i yelped at the cold.

rebekah laughed at my response, tip-toeing to the water with a giant pink pool floaty in her hands. she went around the to the steps and carefully balanced onto the float. as she passed me, i grabbed my glass of wine and downed a large sip.

"this is amazing," rebekah commented, her head lolling back as her eyes fell shut.

i took another sip of my drink before setting it down. "i know, right? this is peak luxury."

rebekah snorted at my comment. "you really are poor."

i scoffed and splashed her with water. her face scrunched up as she flinched, and she kicked her floaty away from me. using the hair tie on my wrist, i pulled my hair up into a very messy bun.

"not all of us have spent eternity, dining with kings and queens," i mocked the last part in a faux-accent.

"i've never dined with a king. a few queens, yes. an emperor? yes. the president? sure. but never a king."

i rolled my eyes, "whatever."

rebekah's floaty spun away from me slowly. she was humming to the one direction song, looking fully content with the relaxing moment.

turning from her, i took a deep breath, shut my eyes, and dove into the water. i swam down to the deep end, and when my hand met the wall, i came up for air. i wiped the water from my eyes, holding onto the edge of the pool so i didn't have to tire my kicking feet. i spun to face the doors to the house, planting my elbows onto the side of the pool.

then, i spotted kol. he was walking through the kitchen, a beer in his hands. he was obviously teasing his brothers, based on the smirk he wore and the annoyance seeping from his family members' expressions. my eyes followed him while he peered over klaus' shoulder, and a chuckle fell from my throat as klaus shoved him away. kol put his hands up defensively, but his ear perked up at the sound of my laugh. his eyes met mine through the glass, his lips lifting further into a grin.

i quickly turned away, taking another breath to dive back under the water. but, i heard the sliding glass door peel open within the span of seconds. i watched rebekah lift her head off of the back of the floaty and glare at the new presence on the patio.

"kol, leave."

i faced him, anticipating a cheeky response. "oh, but beks, this looks like fun. let me join!"

elijah stood from the island and stepped outside, "kol," he spoke, firmly, "leave them alone."

kol raised his hands defensively, again, "i'm not trying to cause anything, 'lijah. i honestly want to swim, as well. look, they've got music, drinks. it seems like a great time."

elijah looked to rebekah, who was glaring at the exchange. he gave her a knowing look and she drew back, beginning to yell out a no, but elijah said, "if we can't swim in a pool together, what kind of family are we?"

elijah, kol, and i looked to rebekah expectantly, awaiting her permission. she glanced at me and i shrugged, "i don't mind. maybe we could play chicken."

"kay," rebekah furrowed her brows, "i don't know what the hell that is. but..." she paused, stared deeply into her wine glass, took the biggest gulp, and said, "what the hell!"

elijah, klaus, and kol changed into bathing suits. finn went out. klaus tried out the diving board and showed off an insane front flip into the water. elijah took the steps, carefully and skillfully entering the water. i held onto rebekah's floaty, laughing with her at klaus' flip.

i reached for my glass of wine on the side of the pool when, all of a sudden, we heard kol yell from inside the house. he came running out, yelling all the while, in a pair of pineapple swim trunks. he jumped into the middle of the pool, cannon-balling. i let go of my wine glass and, instead, braced myself on the concrete. the water shook us all around, mini-waves swirling from his jump.

rebekah groaned, while elijah and klaus shared a laugh. i smiled, and watched as kol popped out of the water. he flipped back his head, his wet hair sending a splash towards klaus. the former brother pounced in response, tackling kol into the water. they wrestled for a moment, laughter ringing in my ears, before kol pushed klaus away.

"so, what is this chicken game, y/n?" kol said, through heavy breaths from the exertion. "does it involve chickens?"

i looked to him, the grin never leaving my face. upon meeting my gaze, his lips lifted up a bit. i faltered, but pushed on, "i don't know why it's called that. there are no chickens involved. basically, two people sit on two other people's shoulders and each tries to push the other off. its really fun."

"i'm game," klaus raised a finger.

i glanced at him, then to rebekah, "how about you?"

she shrugged, "i wanna relax. that sounds stressful."

elijah, of all people, swam over to her. she looked at him warningly as he got too close, "don't be boring, sister." suddenly, he lifted the bottom of her floaty and flipped her off of it. rebekah screamed as she went, her wine glass falling in beside her.

i gripped the side of the pool, laughing my ass off at the exchange. i glanced around and saw kol was staring at me with the brightest smile. my face flushed red and i stopped. he scrunched his nose at me, as if to acknowledge my resistance, and looked away.

rebekah came out of the water with an angry expression on her face. "oh, you're dead!"

rebekah claimed klaus as her fighting partner instantly. she got onto his shoulders with determination as elijah climbed onto kol. they moved towards a shallower, yet still deep enough, end of the pool. the water dipped beneath kol's chest as it rippled. i let my eyes wander there for the first time, and i blushed red. i was hot- though it was chilly outside- to the very core. kol caught my expression for what felt like the millionth guilty time and he winked.

he had to stop doing that.

i pulled myself onto the edge of the pool letting just my feet sink in the water as i watched them fight. "okay," i caught everyone's attention, "no super strength! it's not fair. and, on 3- 1...2...3!"

rebekah reached forward with all her might and began shoving elijah at his shoulders. kol held on tightly, though, white knuckling elijah's thighs. it took a while for one of them to fall, but, eventually, elijah fell back into the water. kol managed to evade the crash and swam out from under his brother.

rebekah looked to me with excitement. she shook her triumphant fists in the air, before grabbing klaus' head and tugging it around. he laughed at his little sister's antics.

shortly after everyone calmed down, rebekah demanded she go again. "but, i want y/n to play! this was her idea, after all."

klaus nodded, still holding his sister on his shoulders. "yeah, cmon, y/n!"

i lifted myself into the pool, smiling at their encouragement. scanning kol and elijah, i hoped to myself that the former would be the one to hold me on his shoulders. elijah went to offer, but kol cut him off, "i've got you, darling."

kol held out his hand, the one with his daylight ring on the finger. i swam over, trying not to stare at the veins running from his knuckles and up his arms. i delicately placed my hand in his and let him pull me closer. i could feel eyes on us and i knew it was rebekah. she was more than likely pissed at kol, and glaring daggers into his skin. but i tried to ignore that. even if his flirtasious advances were just how he was, i could relish on his skin touching mine.

even if that was wrong, too.

kol placed my hand on his shoulder as he pulled me around, to his back. "ready?" he peered over his shoulder, and when i nodded, he pushed down into the water. i braced my hands on his shoulders, swinging one leg at a time over them. i felt his large hands stable my legs on him and, when he felt they were, he came up.

i squeaked at the easy force, as if i weighed nothing, and gripped onto his hands. his skin really was that warm. kol looked up at me, "you okay, love?"

i nodded, "y-yes. let's get 'em."

i, unfortunately, did not get anybody. rebekah either couldn't not use her supernatural strength, or she was just abnormally strong. she pushed me under twice, and i was not willing to try a third time. each time i fell off kol's shoulders, he'd quickly whip around and fish me out by the hips. it was too much for my little heart, which was beating completely out of my chest.

in the last round, kol spun as soon as he felt me slip, and caught me so my legs were wrapped around his waist, his hands gripping the underneath of my thighs. i gasped as the space between our faces was non-existent. his breath was minty like before, hot and sharp as his chest pushed in and out heavily. kol contemplated my face, eyes flickering between my lips and my eyes.

the world around us felt like it froze in time. as if kol and i were encased in a snowglobe, the laughter from his brothers and sister were muffled onlookers. as if we were sitting on a shelf, in some faraway shop, price tagged for a moment that was forever occurring. just him and i, floating through time.

my fingers slipped through the hair at the nape of his neck, and i felt him shiver at my touch. but, as the moment came to a jarring snap back into time, i twisted my lips into a frowning smile. i slid my hands to either of his shoulders, squeezed gently once, and pushed myself back from him. i slipped into the water and kicked lightly to put distance between us.

whatever that was- whatever was happening here, needed to stop.

rebekah was fervently loyal- so much so that she was territorial. she had lost so much in her life- friends, lovers, parents, and siblings. she made sure that what she had was hers- even if it meant people would die.

if she knew her best friend and her brother had shared as many moments as they had today, that they had both felt a spark, felt a shimmer of something, she would surely dagger kol.

she wouldn't lose to me, especially not to him.

as i swam back from him, kol's eyes downturned with restless confusion. i knew, from the way his hands gripped at my skin, the way his vision desired me, that he meant more than to ruffle my feathers. that he held felt an attraction towards me.

and i had felt it for him, too.

i bit my lip harshly, hoping to bleed out the feelings, and shook my head.

no.

we couldn't.

#kol mikaelson #kol mikaelson x you #kol mikaelson x reader #kol mikaelson x y/n #the originals #the originals x reader #the originals x y/n #klaus mikaelson #rebekah mikaelson #elijah mikaelson #nathaniel buzolic sucks but kol is hot so fuck me