✔ The Way We Burn || Kol Mikaelson (Complete)

Chapter 7

The further Kol walked into the forest, the less he could hear the music played in the village. The twigs breaking and the dry leaves cracking under his feet were now louder than the rhythmic beating of drums and the melodious sound of pan flutes. It wasn't stopping Nora from drumming her fingers softly on his head though, in rhythm with the music. Her fingers on his hair had a calming effect, a stark contrast to their conversation on his father and Kol's fear of becoming too violent.

"You know, you had every right to defend yourself," she said in a gentle voice, "besides, it wasn't just for you, Kol. It was for your family too, for your siblings. You've protected them so, please, don't judge yourself too harshly."

It was easy to say that when she hadn't seen the scene, when she hadn't been there to see him acting like a power-hungry witch. He had no regret for what he did. As Nora had said, he had protected his siblings. Niklaus, from their father's beatings. Or so he hoped. However, he had still feel the need to hurt the man, to make him bleed, again and again.

"He was on his knees Nora," he replied, "and I wanted him to hurt. I could have killed him. I wanted to." And he wasn't sure he would have regretted it.

"Did it feet good? Hurting him?"

He wanted to tell her no but the truth was, it had felt good. To be in control, to be the one in charge of Mikael's fate. To be the one reason he was still alive. Mikael was alive, yes, but only because Kol had decided to not kill him. The feeling of badness only came from his conscience.

"Yes," he ended up saying quietly, reluctant to speak louder. Afraid that it would make the situation more real.

"I see..." She didn't say anything else for a few minutes and his grip on her thighs tightened. One of her hand went to his and loosened his fingers, one by one. "Kol, put me down, please."

Once her feet touched the ground, she turned around and faced him. Her eyes checked over his face, searching for any sign of unease. Staring into the two orbs, blue like a summer sky, he realized he could easily lose himself into them and still not care. The thought startled him and he glanced away, his eyes settling on a point above her head.

She cupped his face and a gentle smile grew on her lips. "I stand by what I said Kol. You could have killed him. You didn't. Maybe you are right and there is something dark inside of you. But there is also good. And right now Kol Mikaelson, you are not a bad guy. You are a good man, looking out for his family."

Their faces were close, closer than they should have been. She wasn't his wife, nor his wife-to-be. Nor even a part of his family. She was just... Nora, a woman he cared about. Cared a lot about her, actually. Somehow, over the time they had known each other, she had come to mean a lot to him, a lot more than he had first imagined, and he feared for the day she didn't come back from her travel.

Even as they were talking about his darkness, her eyes never lost their kind and warm sparkle. There was trust in them. Trust and care. Love, maybe? He didn't know and wasn't even sure he was ready to call 'love' what he was feeling for her. Still, that sparkle enticed him and her rose lips called to him, begging him to come closer and finally touched them. He wanted to give in, to act on that urge and taste her. To feel with his own lips the wild fire whirling under her skin.

He hold his breath and could feel hers on his face. His heartbeat sped and he wondered at the blush slowly creeping over her face. She glanced at his lips and came closer. In a daze, she ran her fingers along his cheeks, her touch leaving a trail of fire behind them.

He took a sharp breath and she broke out of her trance. She took a step back quickly, her face red, and coughed awkwardly, her eyes darting from left to right and looking everywhere but at him. Although he was a bit disappointed that the moment was gone, he couldn't help but smirk at seeing her flustered. It was, after all, quite a sight. A rare sight, seeing as she was usually the one making him blush.