Give Me Love.

Alice blinked with mild surprise, staring at him with shock. “You want dinner for a painting?” she asked with mild amusement, arching a brow as she looked down at the painting, staring at it for a moment before she nodded slightly. “Alright, I think that seems like a mostly fair deal. I almost feel like you’re getting the short end of the stick, though,” she joked with a small grin, watching him for a moment before she dropped her gaze, feeling mildly giddy with the idea. “So, when and where?”

---

Kol watched her with a small, fond smile, taking her in, looking her over. It was nice seeing her like this, distracted with kittens and excited. He hadn’t seen her in a state like this in far too long that it made his heart ache with the memories, though his heart also longed for her and he had to force it away. “And you wanted a dog,” he chimed out teasingly as he made his way closer. “Do any of them catch your interest, love?” He arched a brow with curiosity, eyeing her before he looked to the kittens. “They all seem excited to see you, eager for attention, even.”

@ momentai.
Ashlyn shot a playful glare toward her best friend at his words before she turned back to the kittens in the pen. When Kol asked his question, she was about to reply before one of the kittens came running over to her and pounced on her leg, letting out his mightiest meow. Ashlyn grinned widely before she picked him up and started to pet him, "This one." She replied to Kol, "I want this one." She continued to pet him as he played with her hair, batting it between his tiny little paws, "Can you get whoever is in charge so I can fill out the paperwork?" Ashlyn asked softly as she looked over at Kol. She was so excited to raise a kitten. Being a vampire, she would never be able to have kids, so this was the next best thing, and she was already loving it, "I can't wait to give you nighttime cuddles." She said in a baby voice as she nuzzled her nose against his fur.

---

Klaus was more than proud of himself when Alice agreed to dinner with him, "Tomorrow night seven o'clock. I'm keeping where we are going a secret." He replied as he smiled at her. Klaus was beyond thrilled that she had accepted his invitation. He knew just the place to take her as well. There was a small little restaurant that Klaus knew Alice would love. It was small, but he knew that Alice hated big restaurants and always preferred the dive bar to a big club. Klaus knew Alice better than most people, and he was determined to let her get to know him without bringing back memories that would cause harm to her. He decided to make new ones with her.

Alice let out a surprised laugh and nodded slightly in response to his decision. “I’ll be looking forward to it,” she decided with a small grin, looking over as she watched him. Considering everything Marcel had said about this man, she highly doubted he’d be fond of the idea, but Alice was her own person and she’d never let Marcel control her before. She wouldn’t be starting now. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Klaus.” Tilting her head, she held up the painting. “Thank you for the painting. It really is amazing.” She watched him for a few moments longer before she turned to leave.

---

Kol watched her for a few long moments, smiling to himself. He could tell she was already attached to the kitten and he hoped that she’d get to just enjoy her time with the kitten. She looked so happy and Kol wanted that for her; she deserved it. “Your wish is my command,” he chimed jokingly as he lowered himself in a mock bow and turned to find a worker to handle the paperwork. While he was there, though, he went ahead to pay for the kitten for Ashlyn before leading the way with the worker. “Alright, love, here come the paperwork,” he told her with a smile as they approached.

@ momentai.
Ashlyn looked over when Kol approached her. She quickly handed the kitten to Kol, so she could sign off on the paperwork. Once she finished signing, she looked at the worker, "How much is he?" She questioned. The worker gave her a confused look before smiling, "Your boyfriend already went ahead and paid for him, ma'am." He said. Ashlyn was so taken off guard that Kol had paid for the kitten that she didn't even realize that the man had called Kol her boyfriend, "Kol, what the hell?" She asked as she looked at her best friend, "I can't believe you paid for him!" She yelled with a small smile on her face. The worker came back with a small cage and a collar for the kitten. He put the collar on the kitten before he ushered the kitten into the cage then handed it over to Ashlyn. Ashlyn thanked the worker before she walked out with Kol, "I can't believe you." She stated as she looped her arm through Kol's, "His name is Thor." She blurted as she looked up at Kol.

--

Klaus grinned at her before he gave her a small bow, "I'm glad you're pleased with your purchase." He replied before she turned and left. Klaus turned and headed back toward the compound. He was ecstatic at how his trip to the art district turned out. It was initially just a trip to check on his painting, but it turned into so much more and he was so glad about how it had turned out. Once back at the compound, Klaus was greeted by Hope. He picked her up happily before he told her about his trip to the art district, "One day, littlest wolf, you're art is going to be featured there with all of the beat artists of New Orleans." "Just like you, Dad?" Klaus smiled at her words and nodded, "Just like me."

Kol placed a hand over his heart, grinning slightly as he watched her. “Come now, love. Consider it a gift. Belated birthday, housewarming, what have you,” he insisted with a small shrug, “Besides, I have no qualms in paying for it. I could have easily compelled the worker to give it to us for free, but I refrained from doing that.” He figured it would mean more to her that way, really. But, more than that, he wanted her to feel as though she properly owned the kitten; she deserved that much. “Oh? Thor?” he questioned, arching a brow, “Let’s hope little Thor doesn’t end up with the same fate as Loki the pig did back in our village.”

@ momentai.
Ashlyn smiled up at him before placing her head on his shoulder as they walked, "Thank you, Kol. It means a lot." She replied before he brought up Loki the pig, "You promised to never speak of him again." She scolded before laughing lightly, "What happened to Loki was not my fault. My father didn't understand our bond...and we were low on food." She explained with a laugh. Kol always teased her about Loki when the pig was alive, "You were always jealous of Loki." She teased and stuck her tongue out at her.

“I was never jealous of that ugly creature,” Kol said with a laugh, shaking his head. “I just was never fond of the fact that he tended to make an effort to steal your attention. That was hardly fair on me, don’t you think?” He arched a brow, amused, and shrugged gently as he watched her. “And, alas, I have a feeling this Thor is going to do the exact same thing. You grow attached to animals so quickly, you’ll be spending every day this week inside, tending to Thor there.”

@ momentai.
Ashlyn lightly smacked Kol's arm and shook her head at him, "Loki was not ugly! He was adorable. I loved him. He never stole my attention, you just never wanted to be around two of us together because you were jealous." She teased. When he spoke how she grows attached to animals, she nodded, "I do. Animals don't let you down like people do. At the end of the day, an animal is always going to love you no matter what." She said before smiling, "You're more than welcome to come over and play with Thor and I...unless you're already jealous of him as well."

Kol nodded gently as he listened to her speak, idly wondering if he’d ever let her down in the past. He couldn’t be too sure whether he had or not, but he wondered if she was meaning him when she mentioned that animals always loved somebody, no matter what. Of course, she hadn’t outright said anything, but he couldn’t help but to worry and he wanted to assure her he’d never stopped loving her, but that felt unfair to Davina. “Oh, love, as fun as it’d be to steal your attention away from that kitten, I’m worried that your kitten will grow to adore me more,” he joked lightly, smiling with amusement before he shook his head. “I’ll gladly come over any time you want my company."

@ momentai.
Ashlyn could sense his worry from her words, she had always been able to read Kol like a book, "I did not mean you, Kol. You're one of the only people that has never let me down." She blurted before he stated that Thor would grow to love him more, "He will not! He is my son, and he will love his mother." She said with a smile, "I will gladly take your company whenever you are not otherwise preoccupied." She replied and let out a small laugh. Ashlyn loved that she was able to laugh and joke with Kol like nothing had ever changed between them. Like they hadn't been separated for over a thousand years. Like they were still the same best friends that lived next to each other in their childhood village.

Kol paused with mild surprise, but he smiled. He should have known that Ashlyn would notice his concern. He never managed to get a single thing past her in the past, so he should have been away that it would still hold true now. “I’m relieved to hear that, in that case,” he decided with a small nod, though he looked amused when she continued to talk of the kitten. “Sure he is, love,” he told her with a small nod. “Whatever you say.” He grinned, because he wasn’t going to argue with her about that. “I’ll make sure to visit as often as possible, in that case.”

@ momentai.
Ashlyn smiled widely at Kol's words before she nodded, "I'm glad to hear that." She replied with a small laugh. They soon reached the compound again and she walked inside with Kol, "Davina! Come look at our littlest friend!" She exclaimed when she saw the younger girl still sitting at the table. Ashlyn carefully put Thor's cage on the table and opened up the gate. Thor wandered to the entrance and meowed at the sight of Ashlyn, "Come here, baby Thor." She said before picking him up and showing him to Davina, "Davina Claire, meet Thor. Thor this is Davina Claire." She introduced with a smile.

Davina looked up when she heard Ashlyn and, with a smile, she made her way over, her shock etching across her features. “Aw, he’s precious!” she said as she moved over, stroking the kitten’s fur, “Hello, there, cutie.” Kol smiled slightly as he watched the pair with the kitten, shaking his head gently in amusement. “Ladies, you two won’t end up fighting over that kitten, will you?” he asked a little teasingly before he moved to sit down, leaning back in his seat as he looked over them. “Because, as amusing as that might be, I’m worried little Thor there will end up hurt in the process. Shame.”

@ momentai.
Ashlyn raised an eyebrow at Kol's words before scoffing, "If we aren't fighting over your attention we definitely aren't going to fight over Thor's attention, and he's much cuter than you are." She replied with a smirk, "Miss Davina is welcome to come see Thor whenever she'd like." Ashlyn said with a smile. Ashlyn was definitely starting to like the girl, and the thought made her slightly guilty for not telling her that she and Kol had a much bigger past than she had let on, but she made Kol happy, and Ashlyn was more than willing to step aside and be a friend to the girl. She saw a lot of herself in Davina and that made her wonder if Kol if saw it as well.

Davina found herself mildly confused by Ashlyn’s words, wondering why they would fight over Kol’s attention at all. She didn’t question it, though, and instead smiled slightly as she focused on the kitten. “I’ll make sure to do that,” she decided, “Where do you live, anyways?” She arched a brow, looking to Ashlyn. Kol, for a moment, wished that Ashlyn hadn’t brought that up to Davina. While he didn’t mind the thought of Davina and Ashlyn being friends, he didn’t want to have to share all of his time with Ashlyn with Davina showing up. He kept that to himself, though, and shrugged. “You wound me, love,” he teased with a broad grin instead.

@ momentai.
Ashlyn let out a small laugh at Davina's question, "Right across the street actually. I had no idea that when I was getting my apartment yesterday I would be right across the street from the infamous Mikaelson clan." She joked before smiling. She left out the part about how her balcony overlooked Kol's bedroom. When Kol spoke about how she wound him, she shook her head at him and focused back on her kitten, "Well I shouldn't take up anymore of your time together. I shall take my leave and go spend some time with little Thor." She said as she put the kitten back in his cage before she smiled at the two, "I'll see you both soon." And with that she walked out of the compound.

Kol watched her, nodding slowly. “We’ll see you soon, love,” he called after her with a smile. “Enjoy your time with Thor.” He nodded once more, smiling to himself as he dropped his gaze, rather happy with everything despite how awkward it might be later. “It was nice meeting you!” Davina called out, watching her before she glanced to Kol with curiosity. She wanted to question about just how close Kol and Ashlyn were, but she didn’t want to seem jealous, so she didn’t speak further about it. Instead, she went back to practice and Kol watched her.

@ momentai.
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@ momentai.
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