A/N- Hello all Kalijah fans out there! Yes I see you and here is a series dedicated to Elijah and Katherine being in love and sappy as they build a life together in New Orleans.
This story takes place after my story New Paths and New Lives so to fill in newcomers- Katherine is human but dived into a Fountain of Youth so aging isn't an issue but otherwise she is unsure of any other benefits she might have. Also the Original Family lives in a townhouse above a restaurant on Conti Street which they bought when they first moved back into the French Quarter and Marcel still held the manor on Bourbon St.
Also I would like to state my complete and utter disappointment that the Caroline and Tyler ship is not called Fockwood or Cockwood- You shippers missed a golden opportunity there :(
The morning brought a myriad of sensations for Katerina Petrova.
First it was the sensation of being lifted from the world of sleep to a state of wakefulness.
Then it was the feeling of the thousand count Egyptian cotton sheets pressed against her naked skin, the back of her bare thighs and her breasts against the mattress. The sheets are weighed down by a cover of the finest Merino wool, threaded with twenty-two carat gold thread, luxuriously backed with a silk jacquard, because heaven forbid anything but the finest indulgence man can make.
Finally it was the sensation of a warm, large hand stroking her back.
Calloused but gentle fingers make a lazy path up and down her skin, trailing the expanse of her exposed to the warm, sunlit room and slipping under the three thousand pound bedding to stop just before the small of her back.
Her body hums with pleasure at the sensation even as her mind waits anxiously for the chill of the small band of silver on the left ring finger, an old silver that would have long since been tarnished if not for the care of its wearer, with two small nicks in the band caused by an event probably long forgotten.
A ring she has only studied once and has just enough familiarity with to recognise. When the hand turns over and the back of the fingers placidly trace her spine, the silver notes the bumps and curve of her bones and she relaxes.
With a quiet sigh she banishes the last remnant of sleep and opens an eye, setting her gaze on the man only a few inches away from her.
He is leaning an elbow on the pillows, his warm brown eyes watching her, his dark hair tousled by sleep but his face carefree as it can only be early in the morning in the sanctity of the bedroom. There is only a hint of a smile on his face but he is not an expressive man, he is often too burdened by worries or distracted by his thoughts to fully experience the moment.
She shifts so that she can reach up and brush her thumb against his temple, from his hairline down to the small lines around his eyes, his eyelids flicker closed and she can see how tiring the events of the last few weeks have been on him.
Gently she coaxes him down to kiss him and his hand leaves her back and strokes her stomach,
"Good morning my lord" she yawns and the smallest smile graces his mouth, he's obviously more enchanted with her human exhaustion than she is.
"Good morning my darling" he responds, his eyes gazing deep into hers before he lowers his head and kisses her again, his fingers circling her belly button before snaking up to her right rib and pressing lightly against her side.
Understanding his unspoken instruction, she sinks back against the pillows, rolling onto her back as he slid across and hovered above her.
"How are you this morning?" he asks with a gentle whisper and she smirks in reply, understanding the full extent of the question. She lifts her head and gives him a lingering kiss as she opens her legs.
He settles between her thighs, propping himself on his elbows to make sure he didn't crush her and rests his forehead against hers, closing his eyes and losing himself in her scent before he tenderly kisses her.
She shivers in delight at the sensation of his lips against hers, always gentle, always searching and always pulling back with the tiniest of touches that leaves her hungering for more. She takes the moment to breathe while he kisses her cheek and then along her jaw, pecking her chin before she tilts her head to capture his mouth again.
She rubs her body against his and gasps at the heat that flushes her chest and thighs.
Five hundred years of vampirism and she'd forgotten how the living human body reacted to arousal.
She breaks the kiss to gasp and grabbed his shoulders as he cupped her foot with one hand and then wrapped her leg up around his waist. She can feel him pressing against her thigh and he has one free hand running up and down her body, petting and fondling.
"Elijah" she nips at his earlobe, "Now"
He chuckles breathlessly against her neck, "Yes my darling"
She moans when he enters her, carefully and softly as all his actions are towards her but none the less pleasurable. She kicks the coverings down the bed to try and cool herself down and shifts to make herself more comfortable.
As she'd discovered last night, the human body tends to cramp during the most inopportune times.
She kisses his shoulder and strokes his chest, before circling her arms over his broad back and trailing her fingers over his own spine.
"My lord and love" she whispers in his ear as he angles himself to thrust deeper and she feels how easily he moves within her, coated by her arousal and her deceptive softness.
She listens to his breathing, his sweet nothings murmured in her ear, she shifts her hips and leaves kitten scratches on his back as she sweeps down and grips his ass. She listens for his gasp, her name moaned in her ear and feels him falter and lose his pace when the sensations overwhelm him.
They are still learning each other, still mapping each other's bodies and discovering what it is that makes them go from slightly aroused to completely over the edge and incapable of speech.
Five hundred years but they've only had one night together like this. One night and now one morning- the beginning of many hopefully.
She feels her body tightening, her breathing quicken, she's coiling like a spring, heading to the edge and…
"Oh…Elijah!"
He follows her over, finishing with a shudder and pulls her close to him, being sure to roll them over so she's draped over him and wrapped up in his arms.
She trembles with the aftershock and waits until her vision clears before brushing her hair back over her shoulder, catching her breath and pressing a kiss to his chest.
He runs his fingers through her curls and nestles her head under his chin, making sure she's comfortable.
They lay there in contented silence until he begins chuckling, his shoulders shaking lightly with his humour.
"Your heart is so loud" he tells her, "I can almost feel it pounding away under your breast"
She smirks and runs her nails lightly down his chest, "Congratulations, you have confirmed proof that Katerina Petrova does have a heart. Many a vampire and witch has debated vehemently that I don't"
He smiles, "Don't worry, if you don't expose my heart I shan't expose yours"
The promise is made in jest but she appreciates it all the same, pressing a kiss to his skin and settling down to rest.
At least until she catches the scent of sex and sweat on her body and nearly gags.
"Okay" she pushes herself up and slides out from between the covers, throwing her legs off the bed and looking about the room for her clothes,
"I need to shower right now"
Elijah frowns at the sudden loss of intimacy, "You showered last night"
"Yes and then proceeded to have sex several times, how are you still conscious? I can smell myself without even trying"
"Hmmm" he follows her to the chest of drawers where he unpacked and folded away her small suitcase of belongings last night, embracing her from behind as she rummages through her few outfits trying to decide what to wear,
"You're human and smell alive"
She scoffs, "You've either lost your olfactory senses or forgotten how little vampires reek after sex. I'm getting flashbacks to Bulgarian winter, I smell like the daughter of a horse merchant"
"You are the daughter of a horse merchant" he points out.
"Except now I have easy, immediate access to hot water and soap. And I intend to take full advantage of that"
She settles on black skinny jeans and a red silk blouse, tossing them onto the bed she pads across to the ensuite bathroom, "
You can join me if you must but it won't be pretty"
He shakes his head with a rueful smile, "The romance lasted a single night"
She giggles and turns on the shower, running her hand under the water and waiting for it to heat up, "It was a good night though"
"The very best" he agrees.
Katerina washed her hair barely twelve hours ago but washes it again before realising that her curling iron is back in Mystic Falls.
Along with her make-up and other necessary toiletries.
She curses but when she opens the bathroom cabinet to see what is on hand she finds her miniature hair dryer and brush sitting on the shelf, completely out of place amongst Elijah's high-end colognes, soaps and hair products.
He'd had the sense to pack the very basics at least.
A few days ago, Katherine had misinterpreted a call between Elijah and his brother Klaus- her long time arch nemesis- and fled to Mexico before he had found her and brought her back to New Orleans so they could reconcile and properly begin their relationship.
Unfortunately when she had run she'd done so with only the bare minimum, her wallet, passport, a set of clothes she had borrowed from Elena and a luxury watch stolen from Damon that Elijah had since appropriated.
Elijah had allowed himself a little more time than she when he made his exit from the small town, concluding business with the Salvatore brothers and going to the house she had been renting to try and determine where she had run to.
Needless to say he hadn't been happy to find out the love of his life had once again fled from him and had been in quite the temper when he recovered her in Yucatan.
Still, it was good of him to have packed her a suitcase when she fled Mystic Falls. She dries her hair and decides to leave it out and untreated for what must be the first time in centuries, wandering back into the bedroom in her black lace lingerie and receiving a lingering kiss from Elijah as he brushes past her to climb into the shower.
Sitting on the bed and noting with surprise that the sheets have already been changed, she takes a breath and finally allows herself time to think.
An entire season hasn't even passed since she became human and her life altered endlessly as she fought to adjust in her ever changing world.
She gazes out the window at the sun soaked street in the heart of the French Quarter. It is mid-morning of her first real day in New Orleans and she should probably hit the ground running.
She had so much to do.
She needed to figure out what exactly her pardon from Klaus entailed, which supernatural creatures in Louisiana were her enemies or willing to kill her to appease her enemies, find a decent salon for her weekly hair treatments, call Mystic Falls and make sure Stefan Salvatore was alive and, top priority- buy herself some new makeup and perfumes.
Her stomach interrupted her thoughts then with a grumble which reminded her that she also needed to have some breakfast.
No matter how hungry she was, there was no way she was wandering around Klaus' home without Elijah as backup.
So she contents herself with rummaging through his drawers, observing his various possessions but ensuring that she didn't misplace them in any way.
She knew Elijah's peculiarities regarding cleanliness and attention to detail.
He comes out of the bathroom with only a towel wrapped around his hips and she blatantly stares at him as he gets dressed,
"If you don't slow your heartbeat Katerina I shan't let you out of this room" he teases and she shrugs, "You know me Elijah, I do admire the finer things in life"
He slips his tie under his collar and turns to her just as she slides to her feet in her high heel boots and finishes the process with a perfect Windsor knot.
He opens his mouth to say something but stops short when she sways on her feet and rests her forehead on his shirt,
"Okay…I need to eat before I experience my first real swoon since fourteen ninety-one"
"Of course, forgive me, I'd forgotten how troublesome hunger is"
Hesitantly he reaches down and takes her hand, linking his fingers through hers and guiding her through the bedroom door, down the tiny landing to the stairs leading to the kitchen.
At first glance of the living area she can see that nobody appears to be home, and the second glance really surprises her.
The dining table is laden with breakfast food, a veritable buffet of cut fruit, cold meats, pastries and juices. Frowning and wondering if she should head back upstairs to find an emerald before touching any of the food she turns to Elijah as he picks up an embossed card,
"Brother," he reads, "Gone out, will return by sundown"
He sighs and tosses the card down, "Niklaus can be so eloquent when writing a shopping list but ask him to elaborate on his plans and it is more difficult than pulling teeth with a flower"
She hums noncommittally and takes a seat before filling her plate, "Do you think I should wait until an hour after you've eaten before consuming any of this food?"
Her stomach rumbles again and he shakes his head, "I'm worried you won't last that long"
She admits defeat and enjoys the food before her whilst Elijah reads the newspaper, taking her time because she wants to delay the inevitable, she doesn't know what will come next and doesn't enjoy the lack of foresight.
Her bliss from this morning is diminished, her mind anxious to plan and scheme but unaware of the lay of the land around her.
She swallows the last slice of mango and pushes back her chair, moving around the table and draping an arm around Elijah's shoulder, propping her chin on his head.
Seduction is her go-to technique.
Her every action, her walk, the tilt of her head, the way she holds herself, even her speech has been perfected over the centuries to fascinate those around her.
Her natural grace buried under artifice until she became less a woman and more of a prize, a trophy to be caught and gloried over, not a woman to be loved.
Elijah lifts her hand to his mouth and kisses it absently, "Better?"
"Much"
She tickles his neck, breathing in his ear "Shall we go back upstairs my lord?"
The tiniest frown creases his forehead, "I thought perhaps we could go for a walk? See the Quarter and enjoy the bright day"
Katerina tenses and tries to determine what Elijah's motivations are.
Does he want to show her off?
Display his power in New Orleans?
Make her aware of how much she is at his mercy?
He senses her hesitation and twists in his chair as she withdraws to grant him freedom of movement. He gazes up at her and she knows that she is foolishly allowing her vulnerability to show.
"I have no ulterior motives Ekaterina. I wish only to spend the day with you"
He stands up and closes the short distance between them, cupping her cheek in his palm.
"I promise that I did not lie when I told you that you would be safe here. That I would not harm you"
She nods and steps back, "Okay then, let's walk"
He leads her out onto the wrap around veranda of the luxury apartment above the restaurant on the corner of Conti St, they have a separate residential entrance and catch the eye of some envious tourists as they slip through the ironwork gate.
Elijah reaches to rest his hand on her lower back, to guide her to Bourbon Street but she feigns ignorance and starts striding down Conti Street, away from the heart of the supernatural kingdom, towards the river.
He falls into step beside her and she links her arm though his affectionately.
They move along the street easily, admiring the architecture, ignoring the delivery trucks and promising themselves a private tour of the Louisiana Supreme Court House on the way back home.
"I do enjoy the creole townhouse design" Katerina noted, "I appreciate the idea of being able to sit on the veranda and people watch all day long"
Elijah murmured in agreement, "Although I do wish we had a garden, sometimes the manor doesn't seem large enough"
Walking arm in arm, chatting lightly, Katerina realises that they don't look like two of the most notorious supernatural creatures in existence.
Any ignorant human on the street would assume they were merely an ordinary couple, any second glances they did receive was due to their attractiveness, or because without make-up on, the age difference between the two of them was apparent.
They cross Chartres Street and find themselves moving away from the wealth down to the converted warehouses which might be spacious on the inside but had faded exteriors with graffiti and grated windows.
She relishes this moment of anonymity and presses herself closer to Elijah's side as they finally emerge out into Bienville Place, the salt and silt of the Mississippi river in their noses as they walk into Woldenberg Park and she doesn't stop until they reach the railing overlooking the water.
She braces herself against it, closes her eyes, pretends for a moment that it is the Tundzha River that she can smell and then banishes the nostalgia.
Her life belonged to the present and the future, not the past.
She turns and studies the area around them.
It must be a work day because the park is devoid of people.
The sunlight dappling through fully grown, healthy trees, the soft green grass tickling her feet and the polished park benches dotted along the red brick path and white washed stairs.
The déjà vu hits her, she stood in an expanse of green with Elijah once before.
Before she realises, she's reaching down and unzipping her boots, leaving them under a park bench, when she turns around she can see the hopeful anticipation in his eyes.
"Shall we play my lord?"
She runs, her feet flying across the grass as Elijah gives chase, staying close but always letting her move just out of reach as they darted through the park.
Katerina is enjoying the moment so much that she forgets everything but the feel of dirt under her feet, the wind through her hair and the sunshine dancing in her eyes.
For the first time in centuries, she doesn't care that her movements are clumsy, that her laughter isn't seductive, her lack of make-up betrays her youthful face and without her boots on her body isn't on its best display.
And when she begins to tire, she finally slows down enough for Elijah to catch her.
*During the Middle Ages/Renaissance emeralds were believed to be effective against poison (they aren't, if you are poisoned by an enemy please go to the hospital)
A/N- I will be switching between the names Katerina Petrova and Katherine Pierce throughout the series, Katerina will be used when she feels safe to let her true self show and be vulnerable, Katherine is the persona she shows the world to protect herself, the vampiress who seduced the Salvatore men and was notorious for her crimes. Also Elijah will be fluctuating between three names, Ekaterina as the utmost endearment, Katerina for typical, everyday use and Katherine when he is angry with her or discussing her with strangers he does not trust.