What Brings You Here?
Summary: Their little brothers are in prison but that doesn't stop Elena and Elijah from making a connection in the waiting room. Based on a prompt off of tumblr.
A/N: So the prompt I got on tumblr was 'meeting in prison au', so I changed this up from what I assume was they are both prisoners in prison into they meet while waiting their turn to visit prisoners. I have never visited a prison so all of this is based off of what I have seen in tv shows, so I doubt it is very accurate, but just go with it please. This will just be a one-shot. Don't forget to let me know what you think!
Elena shifted in the uncomfortable chairs that made up the waiting area of Smith's Minimal Security Prison. Every Saturday for the two month she had come here to visit her brother Jeremy, who had been arrested for drug possession. He had plead out, getting himself a reduced sentence and the lower security placement but she still wished he just hadn't been doing the drugs at all.
She looked up from her book as a man in a tailored suit walked up to the counter, handing over his ID as he was entered into the visitors log. He intrigued Elena, he was also there every Saturday and she had never seen in anything other than a suit. Given his attitude she had originally mistaken him as someone's lawyer but then she had spotted him in the visitor's room and she knew lawyers got private meetings. She quickly turned her eyes back to her book as she saw him begin to move in her direction, the chair next to her was empty and the room was crowded.
He accidently hit her elbow when he positioned himself in the chair, "I apologize."
She smiled at him, "It is no problem, they aren't the most spacious chairs." Then she held out her hand to him, "I'm Elena."
"Elijah." He replied as he shook her hand, "So what brings you to this lovely establishment?"
Elena laughed at his words before sobering and saying, "My little brother. What about you?"
"Same, they never make our lives easy do they?" He answered, a smile tugging at the corners of his lips.
"No, that they don't." She responded but then she heard her name being called. She quickly gathered her things before looking at him again, "It was a pleasure talking with you Elijah."
"I feel the same way Elena." He told her before she turned around and walked away.
"Good morning Elena." Elijah greeted as he took the chair next to her again the following Saturday.
"Good morning Elijha." She returned happily and put her book away, "How are you today?"
"I am doing well." He replied and then gestured toward the window, "But I could do without this rain, I had been hoping to get started on some yard work today."
"Do you have a large yard?" Elena inquired as she carefully shifted her eyes to his hands, but she didn't see a ring.
"Yes, my brother recently inhertied a very large house with even larger grounds." Elijah explained and he turned his body toward her a bit more, "I recently moved in with him and have taken it upon myself to fix up the yard."
"That is very brotherly of you. I am pretty sure mine would never volunteer for any sort of house work." She told him with a laugh.
"I felt it was the least I could do since he is letting me live in his house. A testment that our sister does not share." He informed her, smiling at as he watched her.
"It sounds like you have a large family." Elena commented, her eyes not wanting to look away from him.
"I have four brothers and a sister. I can assure you that we are never lacking for drama, though Kol seems to be the cause of most of it at the moment." He explained and then looked over toward the door into the visitor room, "I never thought we would end up here."
Elena rested her hand on his arm, "I know how you feel. This is not where I want my brother to be either."
Elijah nodded before clearing his throat, "I hope this doesn't come off as untoward, but would you like to have dinner with me?"
Elena nodded before saying, "I would like that." She kept her smile on as she reached into her purse and handed him her business card, "My cell phone is on the back."
He looked over the card, "You are journalist?"
"Yep, someone needs to report on all the interesting going ons of Mystic Falls." She joked before placing her purse down again.
He laughed as he reached into his pocket and handed her his own business card, "I am nothing as interesting as that, just a lawyer."
She chuckled, "I don't think I have ever heard someone say that about being a lawyer." And then she looked him over again, "That does explain the suits though."
"Are you free tonight?" He asked her with a smile, "And I hope that doesn't make seem desperate."
"It doesn't and I am free tonight." Elena replied and she looked away shyly,, "What time were you thinking?"
"Seven?" He suggested hopefully, "I know a very good restaurant just out of town."
"Sounds perfect." She responded before the corrections officer called her name. Elena got to her feet, "I will text you my address and see you at seven."
"I'll be there." Elijah replied and his smile didn't leave his face for the rest of the afternoon.
Elena was nervous as she waited for Elijah to arrive, she had been so worried about running late in her preparation that she was ready twenty minutes early. She took the opportunity to assess herself, again, in the full length mirror in her bedroom and she could attempt she looked hot. She made a mental note to send Caroline a thank you gift for forcing her to buy the dress two months ago when they had gone shopping in Richmond. It was a black, floor length satin dress with a sweetheart neckline that hugged her curves in the perfect way. She briefly worried that maybe she would be overdressed but her opinion of Elijah was that he would be the kind of man to go fancy for a first date.
A text caused her to grab her phone frantically but it was from Caroline 'Stop freaking out. You look gorgeous and he will love it.'
Elena shook her head as she laughed while replying, 'How did you know what I was thinking?'
The response was quick, 'Because you have acted that way on every date you've had since high school lol'
The bell sounded announcing a visitor, she bit her lip and sent a quick text to Caroline, 'He's here, I'll text you later with the results'
'Have fun ;)' Caroline replied and Elena took a deep breath before she walked down the stairs and to the front door.
She put on a smile and opened it, revealing a black suited Elijah, and she was glad she went for fancy afterall, "Good evening Elijah."
"Elena, you look beautiful." He said in greeting and handed her a bouquet of roses, "For you."
"Thank you." Elena replied and took a deep breath of the roses, "Let me put these in some water and then we can go. Please, come in."
Elijah nodded as he followed her into her house but he didn't go further than the foyer, "You have a lovely home." He called out to her as he looked at some of the pictures on the wall, noticing how her family photos jumped from four to two or three, with a woman that was not one of the four, in her teenager years. There were also photos of a young Elena with two other girls all they way to their college graduation.
"Thank you, I have lived here my whole life. I got control over it when I turned 21." She told him as she walked back from the kitchen, her expression falling slightly as she looked at the pictures, "I am sure you are curious about the photos, most people are."
"Only if you wish to tell me." He assured her and offered his arm, "Shall we head to dinner?"
Elena smiled at his willingness to change the subject, "I would, yes."
Elijah was laughing as desert finally made its way to their table and he couldn't remember the last time he had enjoyed himself so much. Elena was a funny, intelligent, beautiful woman and he was considering himself very lucky that she giving him any of her time at all.
"What made you decide to become a lawyer?" Elena asked before she took a bit of her chocolate cake.
"According to my brother, I have always had the perfect personality for a lawyer. Though I do not think he meant it as a compliment." He informed her before continuing, "I thought being lawyer would be a good way for me to help people and it was something that my parents always encouraged. Why did you become a journalist?"
"I've always enjoyed writing and my dream is to one day be a novelist. I thought that majoring in journalism would be the best way for me to improve my writing skills while earning a paycheck." She answered him before taking a sip of the wine they'd had with dinner, "My parents were also very encouraging of my dreams."
Elijah nodded at her before he took a bit of his own desert.
"Did I say something wrong?" Elena asked, her own smile falling off her face as his did.
He shook his head, "It has nothing to do with you and I do not wish to ruin our dinner with such a grave subject."
Elena nodded and shyly asked, "Next time then?"
"You want there to be a next time?" He asked in return, tilting his head a bit to smile at her.
"Only if you do." Elena replied and then added, "This has been the most fun I have had in a long time and I would like to see continue."
"Those were my thoughts as well Elena." Elijah assured her as he reached out across the table to hold her hand, "I would love for there to be a next time."