Splitting Our Odds Into Evens

The Weight of Mortality:

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The morning sunlight shone through the curtains, casting a golden light in the room as Kol reluctantly opened his eyes. The warmth from the sun on his skin felt foreign, a sensation he hadn't experienced in centuries. The cold hit him, and he suddenly remembered that it was January. He hadn't felt "cold" in ages.

He lay there, disoriented by the absence of heightened senses. There was no special hearing, no accelerated speed, just the ordinary feeling of a human waking up. The weight of mortality settled on him, and a subtle ache lingered in his muscles.

The realization hit him like a wave, and he didn't need to hear it to know that he was no longer a vampire. A heavy cloud of sadness hung over him as he glanced at Bonnie sleeping peacefully beside him. Guilt washed over him, knowing she had likely spent the entire night waiting for him to awaken.

He glanced at the other side of the room to see himself hooked up to an IV machine with a needle injecting blood into his arm.

Without thought, he pulled the needle out of his arm, barely feeling the pinch.

Pushing himself up from the bed, the scent of breakfast wafted from downstairs, triggering a hunger, not for blood but for food.

Kol walked to the bathroom, studying his reflection in the mirror. He realized that his once pale and sharp features were replaced by a healthier, rosy complexion. He picked up the shaving stick, its weight feeling different in his hand. The scraping sound of the blade against his skin felt hostile.

As he shaved, the blade caught on a rough patch, cutting his cheek. Kol hissed in pain, dropping the shaving stick into the sink. Blood trickled from the cut, a reminder of his vulnerability.

"Well, this is a bloody disaster," Kol muttered, inspecting the tiny cut.

Bonnie stirred, groaning as she sat up in bed. "Kol?" Suddenly realizing he was awake, she jumped up and ran into his arms, engulfing him in a tight hug. "Kol!"

Nearly stumbling over, Kol returned the hug as he wrapped his big arms around her petite body. "Good morning to you, too. I can't believe I'm human now," he said.

Bonnie pulled away, examining him and catching sight of the cut on his cheek. "Oh, right, you are. You can't just shave without using shaving foam, Kol. Let's get you cleaned up."

***

Kol found himself seated on the bathroom sink while Bonnie stood in front of him, pouring alcohol on a cotton ball. He grabbed her by the waist, pulling her in between his legs.

"Human Kol is just as flirty, huh?" Bonnie chuckled, her fingers working on the cotton ball.

"I want you to be as close to me as possible," Kol replied, a sly smirk on his lips. He planted a kiss on her forehead, enjoying the closeness. Being human now didn't change his feelings for Bonnie. He loved her even more now.

Bonnie patted the cotton ball on his cut, and he winced. "I forgot how much that stings," he admitted.

"Well, get used to it because this definitely won't be your last cut, babe," Bonnie said. She hadn't called him 'babe' in a while, making Kol uncertain about their relationship.

"I wanna talk about us," he said. "What are we?"

"Well, we're definitely back together," Bonnie blurted, shocked at her assumption. "I mean, t-that's if you want to be."

"Of course I do," Kol said, caressing her cheek. "But we do have a lot to talk about. Starting with how you spoke to me the other night and how I spoke to you."