Give Me Love.

(Sure! I'm about to crash for a bit but I'll reply to everything when I wake up)

@ momentai.
(I'll just go ahead and post)
Ashlyn grinned happily as she curled up on the couch with Thor, flipping through the channels. She had the door to her balcony open, but knew Thor wouldn't go that far. He was already so well trained and Ashlyn adored him so much already. She thought about Kol for a moment and how he had just paid for the kitten without a second thought. He had always been like that with her. She never asked, he always just gave. Nobody else ever understood Kol the way that Ashlyn had, that's why they were best friends. That's why their relationship had worked so well. Ashlyn was the only one who was able to control Kol's temper.

---

Klaus sighed happily as he went through his day. He had his dinner with Alice that night and he was very excited to finally see something go right. He was determined to start a new with her. He knew it would be tough for himself, not being able to talk to her about old times, but he also knew that if she was still the same Alice, there was no way they wouldn't just reconnect like old times. Deep down, Marcel's words struck at him, but Klaus couldn't just give up on her. Alice had always been special to him. Alice had always been his one. He just needed to make her realize that.

Alice had made a point of not bringing up the date with Klaus to Marcel. She knew he’d ask too many questions about it and the last thing she wanted was to have to explain herself to Marcel as if she were a child. But, more than that, she could tell from their conversation regarding Klaus before that Marcel wasn’t Klaus’s biggest fan and she worried about how Marcel would react. Regardless, with time on her hands, she went ahead to set out an outfit for later. For now, though, she focused on getting ready without making Marcel suspicious.

---

Kol could hear noise coming from across the way and, looking out his window, he could see Ashlyn with her kitten, but he assumed the noise was coming from the television. “Personally, I think you could do something much more productive with your time, love,” he called out, moving to his window to watch her with amusement, certain she’d hear him. Shifting, he leaned against the window frame, taking her in from where he was, though he was mostly glad that she looked like she was enjoying herself with her new kitten.

@ momentai.
Ashlyn looked over at her door to see Kol on his balcony. She grinned at him before picking up Thor and carrying him to the balcony, "Oh really? Is that what you think?" She questioned with a laugh. Thor let out a meow as he noticed Kol, "I think he likes you." She stated with a grin. Ashlyn looked around the room before back toward Kol, "Are you busy?" She questioned, "Because I don't really have anything on my agenda for the day if you want to come over. I could make you lunch or something." Ashlyn offered. She was more than willing to spend all the time she could with Kol.

---

Klaus made sure to set all of his priorities straight before he went on his date with Alice. He made reservations at the restaurant and he told Elijah and Hayley where he would be so they would watch Hope. He made sure to spend some time with his daughter before he left. He loved spending time with her and hoped that one day soon he could introduce her to Alice and that Hope would love Alice, not that he doubted she would. Everyone loved Alice because that's just how Alice was. She was lovable.

Alice listened out for Marcel while she got ready for the day, having made sure to choose an outfit that would suit a date but that could also be passed off as casual so that he wouldn’t question it if he caught sight of it. Figuring that she had time on her hands still, she went ahead to head to the quarter, if only to avoid having to pretend to be calm around Marcel, since she felt jittery and she worried he’d notice. Until it was time for the date, she figured she could just enjoy herself and get back to re-exploring New Orleans.

---

“That’s certainly what I think,” Kol chimed with amusement as he watched her, though he arched a brow with the mention of the kitten liking her. “Oh? Do you think he possibly likes me more than he could like you?” he asked teasingly, a small smirk forming on his features as he watched her before he eventually shrugged. “Well, love, if you absolutely can’t go through your day without my presence, I suppose I could indulge the idea, since I don’t have anything to occupy my time today, either.”

@ momentai.
Ashlyn scoffed at his words, "I've gone the past thousand years without your presence, Kol." She replied with a laugh before she looked down at Thor and back to Kol, "Doesn't mean that I haven't missed your presence." She added before she started to walk back inside, "I'll leave the door unlocked for you!" She called to him as she closed the balcony door so she could put Thor down without worrying about him wandering onto the balcony. Ashlyn was really looking forward to spending the day with Kol. It had been far too long.

---

(Do you want to skip to the date?)

(Nah, we can let Kol/Ashlyn have some time together before Klaus/Alice’s date.)

Kol watched her with amusement before he dashed off his balcony and onto hers, entering through the balcony door as he looked to her, then looked around to examine her home. “Quaint,” he mentioned, his gaze falling back to her while he closed the balcony door again. “Have you been enjoying your time with Thor, then?” He watched her before moving around to examine the area a little more, taking it all in.

@ momentai.
Ashlyn raised her eyebrow when he came through the balcony door, "You couldn't have just come through the front door like a regular person?" She questioned before she started to make some food for them to eat, "I have been completely enjoying my time with Thor. He cuddled with me last night while we slept." She spoke as she looked over at Kol, "If you look around hard enough you'll find the painting you made me when we were children. Somehow I managed to keep it preserved over all these years."

“Come now, love, what fun would that be?” Kol asked with amusement as he shrugged and wandered around the area for a few moments. “I take it Thor there will be occupying all your time, then? You’ll just be here, lounging around and cuddling with the feline every day?” He was amused as he said it, but he was almost certain that it meant they wouldn’t be able to spend all that much time together. Shaking the thought aside, he nodded to her words. “Nik always was a better artist. I never was all that fond of it.” But, he’d done one for her, at least.

@ momentai.
Ashlyn shook her head with a laugh at his words before he asked about her time with Thor, "I don't think he will take up all of my time, eventually I would like to get out and explore the city." She replied with a laugh, "You could have had talent if you wouldn't have been so impatient and gotten angry if you messed up instead of rolling with it." Ashlyn teased as she got out two glasses, filling them both up with a blood pack she had and handing one to Kol, "I was only able to keep the smallest amount of things after I left the village. I have your painting, the remains of your favorite lilac dress I had after you ripped it the day I found out you were a vampire, and of course I would never leave behind my necklace." She stated as she took hold of the necklace that hadn't left her neck since Kol had given it to her.

@ momentai.
Ashlyn shook her head with a laugh at his words before he asked about her time with Thor, "I don't think he will take up all of my time, eventually I would like to get out and explore the city." She replied with a laugh, "You could have had talent if you wouldn't have been so impatient and gotten angry if you messed up instead of rolling with it." Ashlyn teased as she got out two glasses, filling them both up with a blood pack she had and handing one to Kol, "I was only able to keep the smallest amount of things after I left the village. I have your painting, the remains of your favorite lilac dress I had after you ripped it the day I found out you were a vampire, and of course I would never leave behind my necklace." She stated as she took hold of the necklace that hadn't left her neck since Kol had given it to her.

(Sorry, I thought I replied to this.)

“Actually, I think my preference for magic is what made it difficult to really entertain the notion of painting,” Kol replied easily, because he’d loved magic so much that he hadn’t really cared much for painting at all. Painting had always been Klaus’s forte - even more so when Klaus had constantly been attacked by their father due to his love of painting. Kol had never wanted any of that, but he was also too deep into his love for magic to really have an interest in painting. He listened to her, though, and glanced over at the mention of the necklace. “I can’t believe you kept that, love.”

@ momentai.
Ashlyn nodded at Kol's words as she handed him the glass of blood and smiled, "You're definitely right there." She replied. When he mentioned how she still had the necklace, she grinned proudly, "It's honestly the only piece of jewelry that I've managed to stay in love with for the past thousand years. I'd never take it off." She explained as she took a sip from her glass, "It was one of the only things that I knew I would be able to manage keeping over these years. I had no guarantees that I'd be able to keep the picture preserved, or that I would be able to take the dress with me every new place I went, but this necklace, I knew I would always be able to have it with me because I haven't taken it off since the day you gave it to me...besides to shower." She joked.

Kol nodded slightly as he processed her words, watching her. “I’m surprised they still mean so much to you after all this time,” he admitted, having not expected it. But, then again, he hadn’t expected her to be a vampire, either. He’d expected her to have died a very long time ago, as a human. He would have never wanted this life for her.

@ momentai.
Ashlyn raised an eyebrow at Kol's words, "Kol, of course they mean something to me. They mean everything to me. They were the only things I had left of you after all this time." She took a sip of her glass, "You were my first love, Kol. My only real love if we were to get technical. I was so broken after I had lost you, and so anything that I had that reminded me of you is something I'll cherish forever." She explained, face flushing as she looked down at her shoes. Ashlyn felt guilty saying those things to Kol, knowing that Davina was in Kol's life, but she couldn't just deny the huge role that Kol had always played in her life.

Kol blinked, looking over at her with mild surprise, watching her in shock. For a long moment, he wasn’t sure what to say, and his expression softened. “I’m sorry my family left, Ashlyn,” he told her quietly as he watched her for a while. Perhaps, if they hadn’t left, things would be different now. Of course, he knew he shouldn’t be thinking such things while he was still with Davina, but Ashlyn had always meant the most to him in the past and it hadn’t changed now. But, he wasn’t sure what he could do about any of it. “I’m sorry you went through all these centuries without me. I’m sorry for everything, love.” And, really, Ashlyn was probably the only person he'd ever apologize to.

@ momentai.
Ashlyn smiled at Kol's words before she set down her glass and walked to Kol, snaking her arms around his neck and hugging him tightly, "You don't have to apologize, Kol. It's not your fault." She explained with a small smile, "You didn't force your family to leave the village. You didn't make me become a vampire. None of this is your fault. I chose this life because I knew it meant forever just like you had told me when you first turned, and I wanted to be able to see you again. I had hope that I would finally be reunited with my best friend." She explained. It was true. Lucien had given her a choice, and if she could do it all again, she would do the same thing because she was finally reunited with Kol and that was the only thing that mattered to Ashlyn.

Kol nodded slightly as he returned her hug, letting out a quiet sigh. “I should have been there, though,” he told her honestly, frowning to himself. He’d owed Ashlyn that much; she’d always been there for him in the village, in everything that had happened, in the loss of Henrik, in everything. And, then, his parents had turned them and everything had gotten rather crazy. Breathing out, he shook the thoughts aside. “I’m glad you’re here, though - that you’re okay.” He pulled back to watch her for a moment. “Really, I am.”

@ momentai.
Ashlyn grinned at his words as she looked up at him, "I wouldn't want to be anywhere else." She replied. She moved her hands from his neck to his face, her tiny hands doing their best to hold his face in them, "You're my best friend, Kol Mikaelson. I've loved you my entire life, and I know I will always continue to love you. Becoming a vampire was the best decision I've ever made because it meant that despite the waiting, I was finally able to be back with you." Ashlyn stated. She was never one to hold back her feelings in front of Kol, so her words weren't hard for her to say.

@ momentai.
Ashlyn grinned at his words as she looked up at him, "I wouldn't want to be anywhere else." She replied. She moved her hands from his neck to his face, her tiny hands doing their best to hold his face in them, "You're my best friend, Kol Mikaelson. I've loved you my entire life, and I know I will always continue to love you. Becoming a vampire was the best decision I've ever made because it meant that despite the waiting, I was finally able to be back with you." Ashlyn stated. She was never one to hold back her feelings in front of Kol, so her words weren't hard for her to say.