Lights Flicker And Fade : Kol Mikaelson [3]

248: Burrows, Dens, Nests, or Nothing

a/n: I am aware Alice is a lil too wordy for her age, but I've also taught enough kids to justify it lol – and also think it checks with the Jung Family being incredibly bright, i.e. having a good vocabulary
Anyway, remember to comment and vote <3
Bea x

BÀBA: Hey, I know you said you had the day
off work, but do you have other plans? Or
would you be free to look after Alice?
[sent August 2013]

The living room balcony door was open in MJ and Josh's apartment, letting a cool breeze run through as music played softly from the record player. Josh was downstairs, busy with the gallery, while MJ had been called into work by a panicked email, leaving Kol to start scheming for when she finally got home, collecting any tall-standing candle he could find, collecting them on the coffee table. Then, he opted to lounge across the sofa, flicking through one of her cookbooks and scribbling what ingredients he needed to grab into a notebook.

Content.

Looking at the candle collection.

Adding 'flowers' and 'hanging ivy' to his list.

Knock, knock, knock.

Kol sat up, narrowing his eyes while listening out, only to hear a somewhat familiar giggle.

Knock, knock –

"Ryan!" Kol sped to open the door, the 'older' man hesitating at his face.

"Kol," Ryan pointed, "Is MJ in?"

Alice was holding her dad's leg tightly, leaning into it and looking up at them.

"I thought she was working from home today."

"Last minute palaver," He summed up, "Something about Joel?"

Ryan winced, "Explains the lack of texting."

Alice leant to the side, grinning, looking into the apartment she'd become familiar with.

Kol tried for a smile, "Is everything okay?"

He'd been invited to his first family dinner. He'd been included in a trip to Bay St Louis. He'd been around MJ's siblings enough when she'd been looking after them, so he was hardly a stranger, but he'd also never really been alone with her family – other than when he'd given Ryan the daggers.

While that conversation should've been a good sign, Kol had a few things on his mind and no indication of any changes in Ryan's opinion of him since then.

"Uh..." Ryan rubbed his neck, "...I hate to even ask."

Kol raised an eyebrow.

"Serena's got appointments all day, and I just got a call from work," He rambled, "Someone's sick. They need an extra hand for some local flights, and our usual babysitter is currently a wolf."

Kol begged his body to mask his laugh at Ryan's done expression.

"The Carlin's are out of town, Justin's at a friend's, and it seems like everyone's got something on today," He winced again, "Even my eldest. And I have an hour before I need to be clocked in."

Kol just tilted his head.

"If you wouldn't mind...?"

His eyes widened.

"I mean, you've been helping MJ out – "

"Kol just plays bad music," Alice piped up, "When MJ's cooking dinner."

"Ai-Li," Ryan scolded, "Yào yǒu lǐmào."

"Sorry, Kol," Alice perked up, "Can we watch movies?"

Ryan laughed, glancing at Kol, "I can keep searching."