Vampire Diaries Imagines

Shadows Beneath The Glass - Kol Mikaelson

The Mikaelson compound was eerily quiet, save for the faint hum of the city below. Y/N Mikaelson sat by the window in her room, absentmindedly tracing patterns on the frosted glass with her fingertip. She loved New Orleans but often felt trapped within its walls, a gilded cage where family loyalty often meant sacrifice-usually hers.

The door creaked open behind her, and Kol stepped in, his usual swagger subdued.

"Why so quiet, darling sister? Normally, you're the one keeping things lively around here," he teased, though his sharp eyes scanned her as if looking for cracks in a mask.

Y/N turned to him, offering a faint smile. "Just thinking, Kol. Not everything's a party."

"Bite your tongue," Kol scoffed, though his smirk didn't quite reach his eyes. "Thinking too much leads to brooding. And brooding, as you know, is Elijah's specialty."

She let out a soft laugh but quickly returned her gaze to the window. "Not in the mood for your antics tonight."

Kol's expression faltered, concern flickering in his dark eyes. He leaned against the wall, arms crossed. "What's going on, Y/N?"

She hesitated, the weight of her thoughts pressing harder against her chest. "Nothing. I'm fine."

"Y/N/N," Kol said, his voice softening. "You're a terrible liar. Something's wrong. Tell me."

Her jaw tightened as she looked down at her hands. "I just... I feel like I'm suffocating here, Kol. Like I'm constantly trying to hold everything together while the rest of you-"

"The rest of us what?" Kol's tone sharpened slightly, though not out of anger. "Gallivant about without a care? You think I don't notice what you do for this family? Or how little thanks you get for it?"

Y/N's eyes welled up, but she fought the tears, shaking her head. "It's not about thanks. It's about how much I've had to bury to keep the peace. And no one even realizes..." Her voice cracked, betraying her usual composure. "I never knew it would cost so much, Kol."

Kol moved closer, his own mask of indifference slipping. He crouched beside her chair, tilting his head to catch her gaze. "I never knew you were struggling that bad," he admitted quietly. "I knew you were frustrated, but this..."

She turned to him, finally letting the tears fall. "Why would you? I hide it well, don't I? That's what I'm good at-hiding my own misery so the rest of you don't implode."

Kol's expression darkened with guilt, his playful demeanor replaced by something raw and unguarded. "Y/N, I'm sorry. I should've seen it. We should've seen it."

"It's not your fault," she whispered, though the bitterness in her tone suggested otherwise. "No one asks me how I'm doing. I'm just... the one who smooths things over. The 'peacekeeper.'"

Kol shook his head. "That's not who you are to me, Y/N. Not to Rebekah, Freya, or even Elijah, though he'd rather die than admit it. And Klaus-well, he's a bastard, but he loves you in his own twisted way."

Y/N laughed through her tears, the sound watery but real. "That might be the nicest thing you've ever said about Klaus."

Kol smirked faintly before growing serious again. "You've carried too much for too long. It's time you let us carry some of it for you. Or, at the very least, let me. I may be the reckless one, but I'm still your brother."

She wiped her face and gave him a small, genuine smile. "You're not reckless, Kol. You're passionate. There's a difference."

Kol grinned. "Don't go soft on me now, Y/N/N. I might start thinking you like me."