Davina Claire

→〚FLASHBACK〛←

They had agreed on a private ceremony. The rest of his family, if they were lucky, would be filled in later. He knew that Rebekah would be the most hurt about not being invited, what with her tendency to be drawn to anything mildly relating to true love. But this wasn’t for her or for his family, this was for himself and Davina. It was to be a day filled only by their love for one another.

The day had finally come, and it brought with it an overwhelming cascade of emotions. Kol had never felt nerves quite like this before, they engulfed him completely, causing a strange sensation of worry and doubt, coupled with anticipation. What was about to happen would change the rest of his life. Therefore, he had made a few personal arrangements which Davina knew nothing of; it wasn’t a Mikaelson affair without a surprise. The surprise, in this case, took the form of an absent officiate.

Since they had decided to go somewhat traditional, neither of them had seen the other prior to yesterday. Kol had used this time alone to repeat his vows over and over both in his head and out loud. Despite knowing them like the back of his hand, he wasn’t sure if he could trust the words to come out right when he laid eyes on Davina in her wedding dress. Whilst she had, no doubt, gone above and beyond in the fashion department, Kol was wearing a traditional black suit and tie. The highlight of his outfit were his cufflinks. They were custom made of gold, one in the shape of a D, the other a K.

He was fiddling with them as he heard the sound of the doors opening. They seemed to take an eternity. However, when they finally opened to reveal Davina, Kol forgot about everything else. She looked stunning. No, stunning didn’t do her justice, no word in the history of language could describe Davina’s radiance. A lump formed in Kol’s throat, he could already feel the emotions flooding through the barrier he had put up. Only upon hearing Davina’s familiar voice did they reside.

“I thought,” Kol smirked, unable to take his eyes off her (a naked man on fire could have run behind her and he wouldn’t have noticed). “We could make this wedding a little more ‘original’.” He was back in his element —  bad jokes and a mischievous intentions. “And since I’m so important, I thought I would take two roles in this wedding. Meet the new officiate.” Kol proudly pointed at himself, waiting to see how Davina would respond.

→〚FLASHBACK〛←

As she walked through the empty halls her eyes focused on Kol ahead of her. She had seen him a thousand times but tonight everything about him seemed to radiate the room. His ever perfect smile shined brighter than it had before. If there was every a time to compliment Kol on every aspect of his being, the time would be now.

Davina could feel Kol’s eyes on her as her dress trailed behind her. It felt as if she was seeing him again for the first time despite only being apart for one day. She kept the pace in her head, determined not to trip over her dress which would only give Kol one more thing to tease her about. As she approached her nerves came full force. Her mind racing to remember every word she was ready to vow to Kol. “There are a million things I could say about how dazzling you look. Although, I’m sure you have already told yourself half of them.” she smirked finally standing in front of her fiancee.

There she stood, ready to commit the rest of her life at Kol’s side only to realize they were truly the only ones in the room. She searched for the words to find her emotions but was distracted by Kol’s gaze. “Kol..did you..” she paused making sure they were alone. “kill the officiant?” she asked in a whisper. While Kol had made many changes over the last few years it wouldn’t have surprised Davina if he decided to change the ceremony up.

“You are going to marry us?” she asked as a her small laugh filled the room. Davina was slightly surprised at the change, however, remembering the lengths Kol had gone to for the proposal she shouldn’t have thought the wedding would be any different. “If I knew you could do this I would have married you right on that island.” she spoke her eyes never leaving his sight.

→〚FLASHBACK〛←   

The response he had been dying to hear, ready to hear. He was about to respond when two sets of fireworks went off at once, one metaphorical one inside Kol’s chest, and one very real one which lit up the sky above them. However, this one wasn’t showering them with song lyrics, it was just one word; ‘Davina’. The noise momentarily jolted Kol from his thoughts.

“That was, uh,” Kol looked up, still reeling over the shock that he was now engaged and the sudden noise. His mind cast back to the plan that he had written down earlier, searching for why he had included this particular firework display. “Right, it was supposed to symbolise that you light up my life and shine hope even in the darkest of days.” It all seemed a fair bit inconsequential at the moment, stupid even. “It seemed a good idea at the time.” He watched as it continued to shine, before giving one last bang and vanishing in a hail of sparks.

“Davina Claire,” Kol paused, just in case another firework that he’d forgotten about went off. When no such thing occurred, he continued. His voice was no longer the semi-steady tone displayed earlier, it was audibly cracking after every word. “I love you so much.” He gently slipped the ring onto her finger, delicately kissing her hand as he stood up. For a second, he just stared at her, wondering how he had gotten so lucky.

The flames illuminating her beautiful features, the engagement ring sparkling on her hand, and her eyes which were solely for him. He couldn’t resist. There was something so irresistible about her, even more so than usual. “I didn’t know the meaning of always and forever before I met you.” Kol whispered, leaning in and closing his eyes to mask the tears of joy which had begun to appear. His lip met hers for a rather saltier kiss than usual due to the tears which had escaped and rolled down his cheek. “But now I know. You’re my always and forever.”

→〚PRESENT〛←

 Davina looked down at her ring, now neatly stacked next to her equally as beautiful wedding ring. A constant reminder that she was now and forever will be Kol’s. Her eyes looked up at Kol while she wiped her visible tears away.  “I still can’t believe you planned an entire proposal and I had no idea.” she sighed still shocked she never picked up on the clues. “I guess I didn’t know how much of a romantic my husband is.” Davina spoke the word husband coming out as easy as breathing.

She turned her attention to the box once more. This time pulling out the neatly folded wedding dress before displaying it across her lap. “It’s such a shame I’ll only wear this once. Maybe I’ll try it back on when we reach our twenty-fifth anniversary.” she spoke a smile shining across her face. The day of their wedding had been filled with magic and a few surprises. It was one day she would truly never forget.

→〚FLASHBACK〛←

The air was cool and crisp the morning of their wedding. The autumn breeze blew through Davina’s hair as she stood outside the balcony moments before her wedding. Kol and Davina had decided to keep this moment between them. After all the previous Mikaelson drama, they didn’t want to chance their perfect day. Davina knew Klaus and Rebekah would insist on planning the entire day themselves, leaving Davina with nothing to do. She had decided to tell Josh, calling him the second they returned from Kol’s secret proposal.

Josh had been with her through everything. Besides Kol and Marcel, he had been the only one to stand by her and fight along side her. Even if he couldn’t be with her in this moment, she took comfort knowing Josh could hear the love and excitement in Davina’s voice. One day she would go back and share all the details of her day,filling him in on every perfect moment.

Walking back inside the large and perfectly white room, she took one last look at herself in the mirror. Davina had picked the first dress she tried on in the shop. The white lace hugging every curve as the fabric fell to the floor seeming to float behind her every moment. Her train equally as stunning, was embroidered with delicate white roses along the trim. To Davina, it had been the wedding dress of her dreams. As she turned, her hair cascaded in curls down her exposed back. She glanced down at the shining engagement ring on her finger. Reminding her of the moment which brought them to this day.

As her nerves kicked in, Davina realized it was finally time to see Kol. She neatly placed a white crown of small roses on her head, perfectly matching the trim around her veil. Taking a deep breath, she prepared herself for her entrance. The faint melody of her favorite karaoke song playing quietly behind the wide white doors. She was seconds away from starting her new journey as Kol’s wife. A journey she was well prepared for.

She had been in love with Kol since the day they danced outside the shops in Mystic Falls. Even though she didn’t know how their story would take place, Davina knew Kol had her heart even if he didn’t notice yet. There was something about him that made her feel alive again, as if her world had finally continued to turn even on her bad days. From that moment, she hoped they would find love. A future where they would be together in pure bliss.

The large doors creaked open in front of her. Signaling it was finally time. With one last breath she was ready, her legs moving to the slow beat of the song. The melody echoed through the empty hall as her eyes fell on Kol for the first time that day. She smiled, her nerves suddenly kicking in as she took in the sight of Kol waiting for her at the alter. As their eyes met, she felt the nerves melt away seeing the comfort and love behind his eyes.

→〚FLASHBACK〛←  

“I think you may have busted me twice,” Kol admitted rather sheepishly. “I wasn’t with my family, you really thought I would be able to spend a whole week with all of them?” There was only one person in the world who he could spend eternity with without him wanting to tear his hair out – and that person was standing right with him at this very moment. “As for the marble,” he shrugged as if it was no big deal. “They’re all dead, are they really going to miss it?”

He gently pushed her chair in before taking a seat himself. Placing his hands on the table, he let the small jolt of the cold marble verify the reality that was the upcoming proposal. The sky was already starting to darken, the fire in front of them would soon be the only source of light, illuminating Davina – casting onto the one thing which shone in Kol’s life.

With a small, almost invisible move, he patted his pocket once more to make sure the ring was still there. Everything up until now had been spectacle, little call-backs and fun surprises to please Davina, but the actual proposal involved nothing but raw emotion. He didn’t want her to focus on anything but his words.

They sat there, in almost complete silence save for the crackling fire and small howls of the breeze, as the sun slowly began to disappear, the sky turning a beautiful, blood red just above the treetops. Just being there, in Davina’s company, was more than Kol could have ever wished for. They didn’t need to be talking to show their love for each other, just knowing that she was there made him feel safe, secure, loved.  Once the stars began to appear, Kol knew it was time. He cleared his throat once to break the silence.

“I need to confess something,” Kol got to his feet, the chair almost falling backwards in his haste. He caught it just in time, pushing it to one side as he continued. “This trip is a little more than just a romantic getaway, I’m really hoping that this will be the best day of my life.” Without hesitation, he got down on one knee, taking her hand. “Before you say anything, I have prepared a speech, so maybe let me get to the end before you tease me.” He wiggled his eyebrows at her before immediately becoming serious.

“There is so much that I want to say,” Kol began, his voice steady as he could make it. “And I guess we have all of the time in the world, but I don’t know how long I can keep my voice steady and pleasing to listen to so.” He cleared his throat once. “I’ve lived so many lifetimes, met so many people, and I thought I was happy. The thrill of killing people made me feel good, the fights with my family made me feel like I was part of something, and all of the flirtations helped me to build up an ego in which I could hide behind.  But since I met you, I realised that I was miserable, lonely, and wanted love from a family I never thought truly accepted me. I retaliated against the world, fighting life rather than truly living. I was an egotistical, homicidal maniac.” A small smile played on his lips. “I am still a little bit of that. However, you showed me that not everything is about me, no matter how handsome I may be.” There was a brief moment of silence whilst Kol composed himself once more.

“We’ve been through hell and beyond together. When I lost you, I felt grief which I had never known before. And when you returned to me, I felt elation that I never thought I would experience. I was willing to do anything to save you, I even begged. Me, the egotistic Kol Mikaelson, begged to have you back. Thinking about a life without you, it wouldn’t be a life at all. You are the only person who I could imagine a life with.  You have made me a better person, given me a purpose. A home. Unconditional, unwavering love.” He paused, hoping that it hadn’t come out as a rambling mess. Davina was the only person who could make him tongue tied. “And, if you’d let me, I’d like to spend forever with you.” He pulled the box from his pocket, carefully opening it to reveal the ring which glinted in the flames. “Davina Claire, will you marry me?”

→〚FLASHBACK〛←  

Davina rolled her eyes realizing she had finally figured out Kol’s secret. Although, she had been surprised to see all the work he put in just for a vacation. If Kol had told her they were going to stay in the woods with nothing around them, she wouldn’t hesitate for a chance to keep Kol all to herself. “Maybe we can avoid the grave robbing next time?” she asked with a slight smirk on her face.

She took in her surroundings with a smile. Davina listened to the faint crash of the waves around them, her eyes focusing on the flickering flames in front of them.  Watching as the flames casted  a shadow on Kol’s seemingly perfect face. He really was the one person she could sit next to for hours in complete silence. All she needed was Kol next to her and she would never feel alone again.

As Kol spoke, Davina turned her attention back to him. Her face showed her obvious signs of confusion as he spoke wondering what else Kol was hiding from her. She could see from his nervous movements it was something important and focused all her attention on him. It wasn’t she watched as Kol went down on one knee, her hand perfectly placed in his that she realized why they were here. Her eyes welled up with tears, already preparing herself before letting out a small laugh at his comment.

Davina tried to hold back the waterfall of tears that were surely going to be present on her face as Kol spoke. She had never imagined a full normal life with someone before, to Davina it seemed almost impossible within the world she lived in. She had never imagined herself having kids or growing old with someone before. Davina would be the end of her line, spend the rest of her days alone dealing with the burden’s she was given.  Until she met Kol, all of the seemingly trivial things in life finally felt within her grasp. She knew Kol, the boyfriend who had struggled saying girlfriend even once to her. Now they were here and he was asking her to be his wife forever.

She clung to ever word he spoke, the images of the life they had lived flashing through her head. Everything that had brought them to this very moment. Unaware her tears of happiness had flooded down her cheeks as she was lost in the moment ahead. Davina laughed for a moment as he told her about his begging. When she was gone, she watched over Kol everyday and knew about the lengths he went to in order to bring her back.

Once he pulled out the ring, her tears blurred her vision as they continued to rush out. She could see the beautiful blinding diamond glisten and the sincere smile on Kol’s face as he looked at her in a way that took her breath away. Davina paused for a moment, wiping her tears with her free hand as she took a deep breath calming her nerves.

“Kol, when I met you I was just a scared little girl with too much power for her own good. I was lost the day we met in that small town. The world seemed too big for me to handle and I was willing to give up. Then I met you, and something changed. I found a reason to keep trying, to keep fighting. Every step of the way you held my hand and made me believe I was stronger than I ever thought I could be.” she began her voice breaking in her sentences.

“The day I lost you, I didn’t think I could survive a life without Kol Mikaelson. The one person who understood me more than I understood myself. Every time after that, losing you felt like a part of me was breaking each time. When I first saw you again, I finally felt whole as if nothing was strong enough to break us apart. I want to spend each day waking up next to you, endless days on the couch watching our favorite shows. To be there when the world seems as though it’s ending around us but with you I know it’s not.”

→〚FLASHBACK〛←

“With a little bit of help from some witch friends,” Kol put extra emphasis on the word friends, just to clarify to Davina that he hadn’t actually harmed anyone in the process. “I’m glad that you like it, I won’t pretend like I didn’t put in a lot of work.” He, too, had taken a step back to admire the island. Although he had recently visited, it was still a sight to behold. Coupled with the sound of the waves rolling onto the sand, it was a perfect getaway paradise.

Leading the way, still hand in hand, Kol led her to a small, wooden cabin. Although it looked modest from the outset, the interior had been decorated to such a degree that even the Queen of England wouldn’t object to staying there. However, now was not the time to be indoors. He carefully slid his backpack and Davina’s suitcase inside before closing the door again. “We’ll have time to explore in there later,” Kol assured her, once again steering her around the island, this time to the location he really wanted to take her.

Hidden amongst the trees was a small seating area. In the middle was a fire, the light which Kol had spotted back on the boat. A spell had been cast on it, stopping the flames from actually burning down any of the surrounding trees. The crackling of the flames, the warmth and the light in which it radiated, however, remained very much true to form. The circular table was wrapped flames which continued to rage on in the middle. It was a magnificently carved table, made completely of marble, looking rather out of place amongst the naturalness of the rest of the surroundings. Inscribed on the top of the table was a string of numbers, the date of their first encounter. If one looked closely, they would also be able to see a small dent on one of the sides, a dent which perfectly matched the outline of Kol’s torso. A small call-back to the many times that Davina had thrown him into things.

It was a set-up that Kol was extremely proud of, one which he thought radiated both beauty, mystery and grace – all qualities possessed by Davina. Despite the size of the table, there were only two chairs, placed right next to each other, and with their names carved into the high-rested backs. Both were made of a stunning red wood, although they had been painted white to resemble to marble table. He pulled out the chair that was marked Davina, and he nodded towards it, signalling for her to sit down.

“When did you have the time to...” she started before giving him a knowing glance. “You weren’t in New Orleans were you?” she asked finally connecting the reason as to why Kol had seemed to secretive. He had really been here to try and plan a nice vacation together. “Maybe I should have listened to your advice when we decorated the apartment.” she smiled taking in the beauty around her.

As they arrived at the cabin, Davina was curious to know what secrets Kol had inside for them. If the rest of the island was any indication she knew the interior was beautiful. She tried to peek her head inside but Kol had quickly shut the door in front of her. Whatever surprises Kol had in store would have to wait until they had finished their next adventure.

She took his hand as they walked through the island. Her eyes on the beautiful surroundings as she could hear the ocean crash in the background. Even though she was there in person, Davina felt as though this entire experience had been a dream. As they made their way through the clearing, Davina’s eyes lit up at the scene in front of her. She was suprised she hadn’t seen the wave of flames from the ship as the towered towards the top of the trees. Her eyes scanned the forest around her as she took in the sights.

Releasing Kol’s hand she walked towards the table, she noticed words etched in the marble stone, April 30th, she read as her fingertips traced over the date. “The graveyard.” she spoke turning to give Kol a smile. “The first night I met you...well Kaleb.” she smirked remembering how Kol had left the fact he was a Mikaelson out of the story. Although, years ago it had bothered Davina, she now knew why it had been so important for Kol to keep it a secret. Even as she knew who he was and the things of his past, it didn’t stop her from loving him even more.

As she walked around the table her eyes landed on a spot that seemed out of place within the perfectly chiseled marble. Her laugh echoed through the forest when she recalled the memory. “Has it really been that long since I’ve knocked you head over heels?” she spoke her smile beaming on her face. Looking back at the marble, her eyes quickly went back to Kol’s. “Please tell me you didn’t ransack that mausoleum for this marble?” she asked a thought she knew Kol would have been completely capable of.

→〚FLASHBACK〛←

Knowing that his efforts had not gone to waste was comforting. Hearing her sing along made him feel secure in his choice of song. He hadn’t been sure of which song to choose, and had initially considered a firework for each of the options, but that would be a little too much, even for a proposal. He gently hummed the tune under his breath, not wanting his lack of musical talent to mar the sound that was Davina singing. He watched as the display came to an end, and thus the distraction was over.

Nerves he certainly wasn’t used to started to kick in, and a flourish of worries began to bloom in his head. What if Davina wouldn’t like the area? What if the spell had been done wrong and the whole thing burnt down before they arrived? What if he had forgotten the bug spray? What if Davina was secretly allergic to wood and she died before he could propose? The longer he thought, the more ridiculous the worries seemed to be. Was this what it was like to actually care about something? For Davina, he would just have to push all of the thoughts aside.

Now was a good a time as any to point the island out to Davina. Kol turned his head towards the ever-growing land which was vastly approaching. Even without vampire sight, it was now visible. “So, this is where we’ll be staying for a night.” He pointed in its direction, the trees which dotted the land already somewhat definable. There were still parts of the island that Davina wouldn’t be able to see until they got closer, but Kol could make out the flicker of light coming from in between a small cluster of trees, honing in on the spot he would take her to first.

Time seemed to move extremely fast as they began to approach the island, and Kol was using every second to go over his proposal speech in his head, despite the fact that he had planned it for the evening, and the sun was still very much shining at the moment. His current schedule was to show Davina the island, propose, and then stay the night there, away from all the troubles that being in the ‘real world’ brought. Biting his lip in anticipation, he tightly squeezed Davina’s hand as the boat neared the beach to dock.

Davina stared into the ocean as the firework display came to an end. Her hands held onto the ships metal  railing’s as she looked over the edge. The water had been crystal clear as they sailed farther from the coast. It was as if Kol had pulled every perfect scene from her favorite romance movies and brought them to life. Davina was so thankful to have someone who went through so much planning just to make her happy. Kol had been with her through the best and worst parts of her life. She only hoped now they could finally start creating more of those best moments.

She could hear Kol begin to point something out on the horizon, pulling her out of her daydream. Her eyes scanned the ocean in front of her until she could faintly make out the outline of the island. As she watched the island began to grow the closer the ship ventured towards it’s destination. “That whole island is just for us?” she asked wondering how Kol had managed to get them an entire island. On second thought, it might be better if Davina didn’t know all of the details.

Excitement filled her eyes as she saw the bright shades of green somehow filling the island. Davina was glad to finally have a place to escape the reality of their lives which wasn’t always the easiest. Part of her worried Kol would yet again be called into a family emergency right as they arrived. As much as she would have disappointed, she would never tell Kol he couldn’t leave to help his family. Her eyes traveled to his, he had seemed too quiet during the last few minutes. As if he had been in deep thought about something important. Right before she had a chance to ask, Kol took her hand signaling they were about to dock.

→〚FLASHBACK〛←

“Seeing the world with you is a whole new experience,” Kol assured her, getting the feeling that she knew he had already visited every site that the globe had to offer. “My life with you means more than the thousand years I lived beforehand.” The seemed to be rather on a streak when it came to endless compliments towards each other. As the boat continued to move, a slight wind picked up, allowing a gentle breeze to accompany them on the rest of the journey.

“Cheers to us,” Kol gently tapped his glass against hers, the sound of them connecting cutting through the rush of the water and almost silent howls of the wind. With a huge smile on his face, he gave her a quick kiss before he downed his glass in one, the rich taste sliding down his throat as he turned his attention to the horizon. He could just about make out the faint outline of land – the island which he had prepared earlier. This was the perfect moment to distract Davina.

Deliberately facing away from the upcoming land, Kol knelt down and began to rummage under the seating area, looking for a certain firework he had placed there earlier. This was, by no means, an ordinary firework. He had actually asked a witch to help him with it, and they had been extremely keen to once he threatened to kill their whole family – Davina didn’t need to know the details.

He found it, buried underneath some life jackets. God only knew why they were there; they were pretty much useless in present company. Although the sun was still shining, this particular firework had the ability to blacken the sky around the display, meaning that it could be viewed in its full glory, no matter where. Without warning, he set it off, and it flew up into the sky above them, exploding into colourful words. The words were no ordinary words; they were the lyrics of Davina’s favourite karaoke song. “I know we’re going to miss karaoke night whilst we’re on this trip,” Kol said, looking up and admiring the showering sparks, not much caring that they could probably be seen by people who would get extremely suspicious of such an odd occurrence. “So I thought I would bring the karaoke to you for once. I hope you like it.”

→〚FLASHBACK〛←

Davina held back the urge to tease Kol yet again. She decided to just let them enjoy this moment together knowing she would get plenty of chances to tease him at the island. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, carefully keeping it out of her face as she gazed at Kol. This was her favorite side of him to see. The one that wasn’t afraid to tell her how much she meant to him. Her cheesy and loving boyfriend standing in front of her practically serenading her with words of love.

“Cheers to us” she repeated smiling brightly at him. Their  glasses connected with a ringing sound that filled her ears. Davina kept her eyes on Kol after finishing the glass, her mind wandering to what he could have possibly prepared next for her. It seemed as though this trip would be a reminder of the endless memories they shared in their lives together.

Davina watched with a curious look as Kol began to search for something among the boat. Even if she offered to help, Kol wouldn’t have let her know his next plans to easily. Taking this time to enjoy one of the many pastries on the table she marveled at the man in front of her. The day she met him, Davina could never have imagined the beautiful life they would build for themselves. Through everything, she had never given up hope that she would spend the rest of her life loving Kol Mikaelson.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a loud band followed by a bright shining light. Turning her head she noticed Kol now standing towards the edge of the yatch.  It was as though the sun had disappeared behind the words scattered through the sky above them. “But I just want you to be sure. That I’m yours.” she sang the words softly as she read them in the sky above. The words returning the memories of their first karaoke night.

Kol had finally agreed to being dragged along by Davina. She smiled knowing exactly what song she would choose the first time Kol heard her sing. As she approached the stage her stomach twisted in nerves. It was only when she looked at Kol’s smile did all her feelings of nervousness slip away. Davina sang the song keeping her focus only on him. It didn’t matter how many people were watching her. All she wanted was for Kol to know this song was for him and she would always be his.

→〚FLASHBACK〛←

Little did Davina know, if things went to plan, they were about to make the best memory of their lives. The fact that she was so surprised that he had remembered the detail about the food meant that the rest of the proposal would go the same way. He had sprinkled little call-backs to their earlier dates throughout the whole trip, the food plate was one of the smaller details. He took her hand, his eyes flickering to her eyes which had begun to sparkle slightly, the first sign of happy tears on a trip which would surely bring more. Gently, he wiped the small droplet which had silently made its way down her cheek, smiling at her with only love in his eyes. “Of course I remembered, I remember every single second that I’ve spent with you, Davina Claire.”

He had to hide a small smile as he pulled her in closer. “Don’t start crying yet,” Kol took the wine glasses from her hand and gently placed them on the table so he could hold her without any restrictions. “I have a feeling that you might need to save the happy tears.” It was all he could say without practically shouting his proposal from the rooftops. With a wave of his hand, he signalled to the man behind the wheel and the boat slowly started to move, once again bumping them gently up and down as it traversed the water.

The boat wasn’t extremely fast, it was one which had not been built for speed, but for sightseeing. It was going at a pace which allowed them to fully take in their surroundings as they went. Granted, there wasn’t much to see as they left the mainland and headed into the vastness that was the sea, but Kol had his eyes peeled for the island he knew was there. Luckily, his eyesight far outshone Davina’s, meaning that he could distract her from seeing it before hand if he timed it right. He slowly led her to the seating area which worked itself around the table, shaped like a crescent moon.

“I’ve always dreamed of a trip like this,” Kol said softly, veiling the true reason for his excitement. “You, me, the world.” He looked over the side of the boat at the rippling water, seeing his own face reflected in the small waves. “Being able to see my own face wherever I look.” Kol deliberately glanced over at Davina as he said this, ready for the look of exasperation she was sure to give him. “Everywhere I look is beautiful.” This time he was sincere once more, his gaze fixed entirely on her, silhouetted against the ever-shrinking land they had left behind. “Cheers to finally being free.” He picked up one of the wine glasses off the table and held it up to her.  “Cheers to you for making eternity seem worth living.”

→〚FLASHBACK〛← 

As he held her Davina looked into his eyes taking in every part of him.Davina could get lost in the sound of his voice. Especially listening to him share his love about her. He could tell her he loved her in a million ways and she would still feel the same she did the first night he told her that he loved her.  She would never get over that look, the look of love in his eyes that told her she was his everything, a look she knew was only reserved for her.

“I can’t promise I will be able to hold back the tears again.” she laughed enjoying the comfort of his embrace. Being in his arms made her feel power, loved and wanted. As if in that moment she could do anything in the world. Take on any enemy, fight any battle. Davina had become stronger because of Kol. She wasn’t afraid of life anymore, that scared little girl in the attic would stay in the past. Her future only holding the strong woman encased in his arms.

Davina felt the waves under them, gripping Kol’s shirt to keep herself steady. The last thing she needed was to fall overboard knowing Kol wouldn’t have let her lived that moment down. She looked out into the ocean as the land around them disappeared. Turning to find Kol she took his hand as he lead her through the ship. Each hallway and room more beautiful than the next. Although there were several occupants on the ship it felt as though they had vanished leaving only Kol in her sights.

“We always said one day we would leave New Orleans and see the whole world together.” she agreed. Davina knew Kol had lived enough lifetimes to see every part of the globe twice over. However, Kol would also never hesitate to bring Davina anywhere he asked. She could see the knowing grin wide across Kol’s face after her commented once again on his dashing good looks. Davina shot him her classic eyeroll knowing he had already seen her expression coming. “It really is amazing how you can have so much love for yourself and still have room for me somewhere.” she laughed hearing it travel across the room. Knowing Kol for years she would still be in amazement at how one person can fit such an ego inside their body.

Davina picked up the matching glass raising it against Kol’s. His word’s made smiling as easy as breathing to her. Kol had always told her how much meeting her changed him. He wasn’t the scary original vampire she had heard stories about. Kol was sweet, charming, romantic and just about the world’s most perfect boyfriend. Although she knew he kept a side of him only reserved for Davina to see.

→〚FLASHBACK〛←

“I promise,” Kol said, so sincere that he stopped in his tracks to fully emphasise his feelings. “Once this trip is over, they’ll go back to living their normal lives, with a few extra dollars in their back accounts.” He sounded extremely proud of himself, believing that what he had done was perfectly okay as long as those compelled received money for their ‘efforts’. Seeming to think that he had ended that particular conversation, he continued on with his quick stride.

The second Davina mentioned about the plan, Kol could feel his brain actively begin to whir into action, generating as many fake answers as it could before feeling completely overloaded and causing Kol to just bite his lip in an attempt to stop any gibberish from escaping. “Those are all great ideas, darling.” Kol managed to murmur, deliberately using his height advantage to escape meeting Davina’s eye as he spoke. “And you know how much I would thoroughly enjoy them, but what I have planned is a little different. You will find out soon enough.” He was currently thanking his lucky stars that they had arrived at the yacht, giving him a great excuse to turn the attention towards that instead.

It was easy enough to board. Kol hopped over the side with Davina’s suitcase, stowing it under one of the seats before offering him her hand and helping her onboard. The boat rocked slightly under the weight of two more people, gently swaying on the water – creating what would either be a sense of calm, or a terrible bout of seasickness. Luckily, as far as Kol could recollect, neither one of them got seasick. If he was wrong, well, that would be the first major hiccup in his plan.

“So,” Kol said happily. “What do you think?” It wasn’t the biggest boat, he had made sure that it wasn’t too extravagant. It was creamy white and looked very well preserved despite giving off the feel of a boat which had seen a lot. There was only room for about five people. Already standing were three men, two of which were dressed in suits and were holding wine bottles, the other was standing behind the wheel. In the middle was a table which had been pre-lain with two empty glasses, candles, and a food tray – the exact same food tray that they had used on their third date.

Davina was surprised Kol had decided to pay the staff for their time. She smiled lovingly at him almost forgetting they had been compelled in order to do their jobs. She wasn’t going to make a fuss about what Kol had done. After all, she knew it came from his idea of wanting to make this vacation as wonderful for Davina as he could. As long as it didn’t end in a blood bath it seemed as it there would be no harm.

She could feel Kol’s body language change as if he was tripped up with her question. Davina peered over at Kol trying to glace up at his eyes which he conveniently kept straight ahead and out of her view. There was something he wasn’t telling her...she was sure of it. She thought about stopping him while she stood on her toes in an attempt to match his gaze. If that didn’t work, she would begin her pleading. Look up at him with wide eyes as she batted her lashes in an attempt to stun him. Her last option, begging which happened to be Kol’s personal favorite choice.

Davina heard the audible change as he spoke to her. His words sounding smashed together as if he was too focused on what he was planning. In that moment Davina was ready to pull out whatever needed to be neccessary in order to get the information out of him. Lucky for Kol, arriving at the yatch had snapped Davina back to reality before she could make him confess.

Waiting at the edge of the dock she looked into the vivid blue water. She could see for miles into the ocean and wondered exactly how far they would have to travel before arriving to their location. The view capturing her attention before realizing Kol had taken her hand again. Carefully, she held onto him, her other hand gripping his shoulder in an attempt to not fall into the waves below her. As she boarded her eyes scanned the scene in front of her.

The ship was gorgeous as she glanced around, smiling at each of the occupants. “It’s beautiful, everything looks so perfect.” she spoke never taking her eyes off her surroundings. The ship looked as though it came out of a romantic movie, Kol had once again impressed her with his actions. “Who knew you were such a romantic.” she teased before turning to see the table in front of them. At first Davina didn’t know why something seemed so familiar until she glanced down at the tray of food. Her eyes began to water as she  remembered the set up. The memories replaying through her head of the night Kol made their relationship official.

→〚FLASHBACK〛←

Kol was a little upset that she had continued to watch his new favourite show without him. They had made watching episodes of Criminal Minds together an evening habit, and the fact that she had kept up in his absence left him feeling a little miffed. However, he liked that she had fully gotten into the spirit of the show, wearing the hat he so often donned when they began their watch. He also thought it a shame that she hadn’t taken the opportunity to actively go out and see some of her friends whilst he was away, but he secretly adored the fact that she had missed him to such a degree.

“Being able to throw things at Marcel?” Kol began to think of Davina throwing one of her slippers at a very perplexed Marcel, an image that brought him great joy indeed. “Sounds like the most useful spell you’ve learnt thus far.” Of course he was joking, but some small part of him still really resented Marcel and would give anything to throw a lit match at him. This was one of the rare thoughts which he did not share with Davina.

Although Kol had never much liked his family, he had enjoyed the riches that came with it. He had become accustomed to the luxuries that being a Mikaelson provided – when he was out of that damn coffin that was. The price of such a lavish lifestyle had been his siblings, and constantly being daggered by Nik whenever he so much as strayed off the path. Davina was as good a reason as any to leave both the family and the lifestyle behind. Although he could have easily compelled them the biggest house, the fanciest grounds and much more, he rather enjoyed the quiet, modest life that they had built together. That didn’t mean that he wasn’t averse to treating her every now and then.

“No, no fancy cars this time” Kol said, faking an apologetic pout. “I’m afraid it’s just my company until we get to the yacht.” He had decided that it was safe to let slip this small piece of information. Although the yacht he had acquired was impressive, it was by far the highlight of the trip. After all, the more excited she was, the happier Kol felt about the whole thing. “Before you ask, yes I did compel all of the staff who will be on it.” He wasn’t quite sure as to how Davina would feel about being surrounded by compelled humans who had been told to do her every bidding, but he hoped it would come off as a somewhat thoughtful gesture. “And I promise not to snack on any of them.” The last sentence had been an afterthought, just to clarify that he would be on his best behaviour on the whole trip.

→〚FLASHBACK〛←

Her eyes rolled playfully know Kol would take enjoyment in the fact the new spell targeted Marcel. Kol had history with him before Davina had ever walked the earth. However, he remained on his best behavior for Davina’s sake. Marcel had been the father figure Davina never had, her own dad walking out before she was born. When there was no one else to fight for her Marcel was always there ready to protect her. “Don’t forget that means I can now throw things at you Kol.” she laughed. She hoped Kol wouldn’t have to leave anytime soon that she would need the spell again.

“Who else would I want to spend time with alone on an island?” she asked. She knew Kol understood the only person she wanted to be with was him. Davina gave Kol a confused look when he mentioned the yacht. She wondered why he would have put in so much effort just to travel to an island. Kol could have easily compelled a small boat to travel instead. Her eyes traveled to his as they walked searching for a hidden meaning behind the trip. Maybe he just missed her, they had spent so much time in their apartment a change of scenery could be nice. Just the two of them alone, in some place other than where they lives seemed like a trip Kol would plan. She brushed her suspicious off knowing if she asked there was no way Kol would give into her request.

She wasn’t fond of Kol using his compulsion on other humans. In the Quarter she saw firsthand the kind of tragic ends people have when they are no longer in control of their own thoughts. Davina knew Kol did it as a gesture to make her happy. The idea she wouldn’t have to lift a finger while they traveled. It was just Kol trying to be sweet in his own way. “As long as you don’t ask them to become entertainment.” she spoke knowing in the past Kol was fond of compelling humans for his own unique interests.

→〚FLASHBACK〛←

Whenever Davina paid him a compliment, Kol felt a small warmth swell up inside of him. He wasn’t a stranger to women complimenting him, but it meant something else when said by the love of his life – especially since she so often teased him by denying such words of affection. “Was that a compliment that I heard?” Kol mused, doing his usual act of feigning deafness to try and get her to repeat her words. “I’m not sure if I quite caught that.”

However, despite his playful retort, they seemed to be rather in the same boat as Kol deemed himself just as lucky to have Davina in his life. To find someone who he could feel genuinely love for and happiness with was not something that Kol had truly experienced before meeting Davina. Dropping the act, he gently wound his fingers around hers. “Davina Claire,” Kol smiled, half exasperated by the conversation they were having. “For a thousand years I was lonely, craving attention from my curse of a family, doing everything in my power to feel like I was a part of it. You changed that. Here I am, living a life of happiness with a beautiful, powerful, and absolutely brilliant witch. I assure you, I’m the lucky one.”

“Now we have that sorted,” Kol slung his backpack over one shoulder and grabbed Davina’s suitcase with his free hand. “Shall we get going?” He had the yacht parked not too far away – well not far for a vampire who could outrun a car, but he had specifically planned it so they would have some time to walk and talk before the official proposal plan started. He had planned for the eventuality that he would act a little strange and Davina might catch on that there was something more to this trip. What was the easiest way to take her mind off wandering to things he wanted to keep secret? Talk to her about something else.

“So,” Kol said casually as he led her along the streets, hand still tightly wrapped around hers, the suitcase clattering along behind them. “What did you do whilst I was away?” He had to admit that he was somewhat curious as to what Davina had been up to during his weeklong proposal setup. Kol hoped that it had been more than just waiting around for him, perhaps she met up with Marcel, learnt some new spells, or maybe even gone out to save some poor souls about to get snacked on by vampires. “Hopefully more than just being cooped up in a building by yourself…”

→〚FLASHBACK〛← 

“Yes it was, and that’s the last one you are going to get.” she laughed knowing her threat was useless. She could spend an entire day telling Kol everything she loved about him and he would no doubt listen to her with a grin, his ego filling the entire room.To Kol’s displeasure, that wasn’t going to happen so easily. Davina loved to tease him, his reactions made every part of her game exciting.

His words continued to bring the validation she needed. Kol had changed immensely since they first met. Davina often teased him about going from a bloodthirsty vampire to a domesticated boyfriend since they had been together. She could see everyday he tried to be a better man for her. Davina had changed for the better. Before Kol, Davina had been a scared little witch running for her life. She had never known any other love than the sibling bond her and Marcel shared. After they met, Davina learned how to love someone else. How it feels to be willing to put everything on the line to keep them safe. Kol always told her how powerful she was but really, it was Kol standing by her side during it all that gave her that power.

Their hands fit perfectly together as if they had always meant to be holding each other. She smiled at him waiting to see where Kol was going to bring them next. “What, no fancy stretch limousine this time?” she teased knowing Kol had continued to stray from his past lavish lifestyles. It meant something to Davina knowing he tried so hard just to live a life besides her. Their old lives had been filled with more horrors than anyone should have to live with. It was no surprise to her when Kol had agreed to leave New Orleans the second they defeated the Hollow.