napalm skies <<>> kol mikaelson

12

"the ones who notice the storms in your eyes, the silence in your voice, and the heaviness in your heart, are the ones you need to let in."

12 | CHRISTMAS

December, 1865

Charlotte was happy as the holidays came around the corner faster than she was prepared for. Within only a few days, it would be Christmas, and the Mikaelson party that they were hosting for such an occasion was coming up just as quickly. Kol had asked her to accompany him—just as Rebekah predicted—and Charlotte graciously accepted. They had been practically inseparable since they started telling each other about their pasts.

Charlotte had been especially careful to avoid the topic of her death, wanting to keep that secret to herself. Not even Eloise knew about what John did to her, and she wanted to keep it that way. It was easy, having many other stories to tell about her childhood and human days to keep Kol placated. Like he told her, he wanted to know everything about her, so Charlotte didn't hesitate in telling him about it all.

Kol told her about his life too; he told beautiful tales about his travels and everything he'd seen, as well as explaining the darker moments of his life too. He told her that their father killed them when they were human. She told him about the abuse she endured from her own father as well. She was surprised by their shared experiences, as was he.

She'd also gotten even closer with Rebekah over the few weeks leading up to the Christmas party. The Mikaelson girl was sweet and understanding about Charlotte's life, and decided to share some stories about her own past. They babbled and gossiped late into the night on many occasions, so much so that Klaus made a few comments about how Charlotte liked their sister more than Kol. She calmed Kol down before he could ever attack his half-brother, something that everybody was impressed by yet again. She couldn't get over their shock each time that she managed to divert Kol's attention to something else; surely they had been able to control him to a certain extent, right? She couldn't be the only person that he listened to.

But that's exactly what it seemed to be. She had come to realize that Kol was wrapped around her finger, even more so now that she told him more about herself. It was difficult to pry away from him when he constantly pulled her back, wanting more and more. He had a way of filling her head with nothing but pretty emotions and lovely words. He was also constantly trying to impress her, despite her reassuring him that it wasn't necessary. She had come to like him incredibly, and at the present moment, nothing he could do or say would deter her from that. She'd been ignoring her emotions long enough. Like Jamie always told her, she had the freedom to love him—something that many women didn't have. She also had the freedom to leave him if she didn't enjoy the courtship any longer.

But she didn't even consider the thought of leaving. She was wrapped around his finger too.

She went to the Abattoir almost every day now, wanting to be around Kol as much as he wanted to be around her. This meant that she often found herself socializing with Elijah or Marcellus—even Klaus on a few occasions, when he wasn't making plans for the city. She found a comfort in the broken family, and she seemed to fit in well with their dynamics too.

Although, Charlotte had to control Kol more now more than ever, as it seemed that Marcellus developed a small crush toward her. Even though she told Kol that it was nothing, the man was still disgusted by the boy, and if she was reading him correctly, jealous too. She didn't understand why, but she didn't ask either. Instead, she tried her best to avoid Marcellus until the crush eventually died out on its own. Kol appreciated this greatly, and she didn't care too much about the adopted boy to push the limits. If she was feeling particularly playful, she might indulge in the young boy's ministrations, riling Kol up in the process. She always loved games; but when Kol eventually caught on, his jealousy started to fade, realizing that there was no truth in her flirtatious ways.