Vampire Diaries Imagines

Sanctuary In The Shadows - Kol Mikaelson

The walls of the boarding house seemed to close in on me as Damon's voice reverberated like a thunderstorm through the room. Every word he hurled my way carried venom, but worse, it carried heartbreak. I wasn't the fragile little sister anymore, hanging onto every word he said, believing he was some untouchable force of nature.

No, now I saw him for what he'd become. The villain of everyone's stories.

"Do you even hear yourself?" I snapped, my voice trembling with equal parts rage and sorrow. "You're spiraling, Damon. You're not my brother anymore. No matter what it is that anyone says to you, you're just going to ignore it and do as you please. And what makes it even worse is that you've become a monster and by choice not circumstance at that. Coming home has done nothing to you but kill any remaining pieces of my brother that were left."

His blue eyes, so much like mine, darkened dangerously. "Don't you dare preach to me, YN. Don't act like you're perfect. You've done plenty-"

"I've cleaned up your messes, Damon!" I interrupted, my voice breaking. "I pick up the pieces every time you decide to destroy something or someone because you're too scared to face what's really eating you alive!"

He scoffed, crossing his arms, a smug smirk twisting his features. That look-the one he wore when he wanted to seem unbothered-only made my blood boil more.

"You love playing martyr, don't you?" he sneered. "Precious little YN, always the saint, always better than the rest of us."

I couldn't take it anymore. My hands curled into fists at my sides to keep myself from doing something rash. "You're impossible," I whispered, my voice barely audible. "You want to be the monster of everyone's nightmares? Fine. But I'm done being the one who has to fix everything for you."

Without waiting for a response, I spun on my heel and stormed out, slamming the door behind me. I could hear Damon calling after me, but I didn't stop. I couldn't stop.

The night air was cold against my tear-streaked face, but it wasn't enough to numb the ache in my chest. He wasn't just my brother-he was my world once. We had traveled the globe together after we turned, the perfect team. I had idolized him. You could never find one of us without the other. But now?

Now he was someone I barely recognized.

I fumbled for my phone, my hands shaking as I scrolled through the contacts. My vision blurred with tears, but I didn't need to see the name. My fingers knew exactly where to go.

The phone rang once, twice, and then his voice-smooth, teasing, but always comforting-came through the line.

"YN," Kol drawled, his accent wrapping around my name like a warm embrace. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

Hearing his voice broke something inside me, and I sobbed before I could even manage a word.

"Love? What's happened?" His tone shifted instantly, concern replacing his usual mischief.

"It's Damon," I choked out, my words tumbling over each other. "He's... he's completely lost it, Kol. I can't... I can't do this anymore. He's driving me insane, and I feel like I'm breaking apart."

There was a pause on his end, followed by the sound of movement. I could picture him now, pacing, his brows furrowed in thought. "Where are you? Tell me where you are, and I'll come get you."

"I'm still here, but there's no way I can stay any longer," I admitted, wiping at my tears, though they kept falling. "I need an excuse, Kol. Any excuse to leave this place. Just for a little while. Please."

"YN," he said gently, his voice like velvet, soothing my frayed nerves. "You don't need an excuse. You're more than capable of walking away for yourself. But if you need me? I'll be wherever you want me to be for however long you need me to be there, even if it's forever.."