Hello everyone, big apologies for being away for so long. I honestly don't have a good reason, just life caught up with me I guess and certain things had to be put to one side for a time. Please accept this double update as my apology. I'M BACK. Also, if anyone is reading my other fic, 'Getting to know you', I promise to have that updated within the next few days.
-Sincerely Ace.
Elijah walked into school that morning, with undeniable rage painted on his face. He paid no attention to the whispers of the students and no one dared approach him. The bruise covering his cheekbone was painfully apparent against his pale skin, the lights above him managing to make it look worse than it was.
That morning, before he arrived at school, he went to see the sheriff. Curious to see if they had apprehended the Salvatore boy yet. They hadn't. He had demanded to know what was taking so long. Why had they not arrested him? The sheriff had told him that he had not returned home and they didn't know where he was.
Elijah left the station more infuriated than he had been the night before. That boy thinks he can get away with this. If Elijah had to, he would track him down himself. He had a large family fortune just waiting to be exhausted, he'd hire the best private investigator if needed.
The only thing that would have been able to remove the frown etched onto his face, would be his Elena. She wouldn't be in school today. Elijah would have to do without seeing her beautiful face for the time being. She would return to school when she was ready.
The week wore on, Elena had yet to return to school and Stefan still hadn't been found. Elijah's contact with Elena had been scarce, he couldn't go to her house to see her with her parents being there more often since the attack. Their phone calls had been non-existent and texts were short and infrequent.
Elena was laid in bed staring at her phone. She had texted Elijah 2 hours ago and he still hadn't replied. She thought about ringing him, she missed hearing his voice and not seeing him at all this week was killing her. She didn't know if she was ready to go back to school though. She knew Stefan had run away and no one knew where he was. She wasn't even sure if anyone at school knew what was going on. The thought of everyone staring at her, going back to the place where it happened, made her skin itch.
Caroline knew of course. Elena thought about keeping it from her but dismissed it almost immediately. She knew that if something like this happened to Caroline, she would want to know so she could support her best friend. She wouldn't want her to suffer in silence.
So, Caroline came to see her every day after school, and brought homework that Elena requested. She didn't want her grades to suffer, even though Caroline said she shouldn't bother. She was always great at distracting Elena. Every day when she came over, Elena could escape her thoughts for a while and get lost in nonsense and trivial gossip. She was now a little addicted to reality TV, preferring to delve into the problems of others than her own.
It was Saturday morning. Her parents had to be at the hospital, feeling guilty for leaving their daughter alone, and Caroline had to go the Timberwolves next game in the town over, so she was alone today. And Elijah still hadn't messaged her back. Why was he being so distant? Didn't he know how much she needed him?
She heard a knock at the door, interrupting her thoughts. Climbing out of bed, she slowly walked down the stairs. Curiosity and a little anxiety running through her. She looked out of the peephole before she opened the door to reveal Bea and Jenny, her boss from the shelter.
"Hey…what are you guys doing here?" Elena asked from the doorway.
"You haven't been to see me this week and I was worried about you. Miss McCloud here," she gestured to Jenny. "was visiting her grandfather at the home and I knew you two worked together. She hadn't seen you either." Bea explained in a soft voice.
Elena couldn't tell her. She didn't want any more people than necessary to look at her so pitifully.
"Sorry, I've been sick all week." An obvious lie, anyone could see that, but they didn't question her.
"You've been missed." Jenny smiled. "Little Coco, has been wondering where you are."
Elena felt guilty, she had completely forgotten about her fury friend. "How is she?" Just then she heard howling coming from the car parked out front.
"I have a favour to ask." Jenny walked over to her car. She opened it and Coco jumped out and darted to Elena. She quickly kneeled down before her and lavished the dog with attention. "I was hoping she could spend the day with you. She's been restless and not eating."
Elena frowned at the dog. "What's wrong girl? You know you have to eat."
"So…what do you say?" Jenny looked at her expectantly. "Can she spend the day?"
"Of course." She pushed the door open and lead the dog inside. "I'll take care of her."
The two women smiled.
"Come and see me when you're feeling better, dear." Bea reached out and squeezed her hand.
After that they left and Elena went inside.
"Coco!" She called and the dog padded over to her. "Okay, let's see if I have anything for you to eat."
Elena scanned the fridge. She didn't have any dog food, but there was some left-over chicken from the night before. Cutting it into pieces, Coco sat and watched her with interest. She placed the plate on the floor.
The dog stared at it for a minute before resting her head against Elena's knee and whining. "Hm, I guess you prefer beef." Elena muttered as she brushed Coco's head. The minutes ticked by and she'd had no luck in getting her to eat.
"Come on, girl." Elena motivated the dog. "You need to eat something." She held a piece of chicken up to her mouth and smiled when she sniffed it, before sighing when the dog ran away.
She found her a few seconds later scratching at the door. "You want to go out?" Elena asked nervously, she hadn't left the safety of her home all week. She gave in when Coco tilted her head and whined. Running upstairs she changed out of her pyjamas into jeans and a t-shirt.
"Let's go." She said as she clipped the leash into place. Opening the door, Elena set off down the street, in the direction of the woods. It would be the place with the least people and offered the best opportunity to find a nice stick for her companion. They had been walking for 20 minutes when Coco pulled hard against Elena and the lead flew out of her hand.
"Coco!" She yelled as the dog darted off through the forest. Running after her, she called for the dog to slow down. She groaned when she heard a splash.
"Please don't be in the water." She panted. She groaned again when she saw Coco on a small island in the middle of the lake.
"Okay, you've had your fun, now come back here." She watched as the dog put her first two feet into the water and jumped back whining.
What was she going to do? She did not want to enter the freezing water and swim all the way across. Something in her broke when she heard the dog cry out, asking for help.
"What am I doing?" Elena asked herself. "She needs me. She's scared and she needs my help and I'm just standing here."
Elena ran into the water and sucked in a breath as she realised how cold it was. "Don't worry, girl. I'm coming." She was in up to her chest now and the water felt like a dagger. Her muscles became stiff and rigid.
"Elena!" She turned when she heard a voice call her name. She was halfway to her destination but she could see the figure clearly. It was Elijah. "What are you doing?! You'll freeze!" His voice travelled across the calm surface of the lake.
"I have to get her!" Elena called back. She turned when she heard a splash and smiled at Coco meeting her halfway.
"There we go." Elena started to walk back towards the lake's edge. "That wasn't so hard was- "Her foot slipped on a rock and she yelped as the water covered her body. Coming back up she took a large breath of air and saw Elijah in the water up to his calves. She walked towards him and was within reaching distance before the water hit his knees.
"Are you okay?" He asked as he pulled her into his arms. She nodded and pulled away from him.
He frowned. "What are you doing here?" She asked him, wrapping her arms around herself.
"I was walking when I heard you…Elena we need to get you warm."
Elena knew he was right, but she remembered how he had been ignoring her.
"Where have you been?" She backed away from him again.
Elijah swallowed.
"You've barely spoken to me all week. Why?"
"Elena, I- I'm sorry." His voice was low.
"I needed you." He heard her whisper.
He looked up to see tears gather in her eyes.
"I needed you and you abandoned me."
"No." He pulled her into his arms and held her tight against his body, she struggled at first but he just held her tighter.
She sighed when the heat from his body made its way through her wet clothes. "You left me. Don't you want your sweet Elena anymore?" She cried into his chest. Elijah winced as her sobs filled his ears. How could he have simply ignored her.
"I haven't left, Elena. I'm still here." He kissed the top of her head. "I'm sorry I haven't been there for you…it's just, when I think of you, I think of how severely I failed you."
"Elijah- "
"I get…so mad…and feel so guilty because I should have protected you better. I should have protected you."
"Elijah, I already told you it wasn't your fault, you have nothing to be guilty for." She spoke into his chest.
"I know, but it doesn't stop me from feeling this way."
She lifted her head to look at him and he wiped the tears off her cheeks.
"Please don't ignore me, Elijah. I need you." She begged him, her eyes shining with desperation.
Elijah inclined his head and placed a soft unsure kiss on her lips. He sighed when he felt her apply a small amount of pressure in return. His unkind behaviour had not caused him to lose her.
"I'll never leave you again, Elena. I promise." She believed him. "Now, will you let me take care of you? I'm surprised you haven't turned blue yet."
The corners of her mouth twitched as he pulled his coat off and wrapped it around her. Elena snuggled into his embrace when he picked her up. She had missed him. His scent, his kiss, the timbre of his voice.
She was about to call for Coco when she noticed she was following along next to them.
"I didn't know you had a dog." Elijah commented.
"I don't. She's from the shelter, I'm just looking after her today." Elena told him as they continued through the thick woods. "Where are we going?"
"My house." He spoke. "If that's okay?"
"Yes…I would love to see where you live."
He smiled as the trees became sparse and his house came into view. "Almost there."
Elena looked up at the house in wonderment. It was beautiful…and huge. A veritable palace.
"Your house is incredible, Elijah." She spoke as they entered and her eyes tried to take in every detail.
"Thank you, it took me months to get it decorated just right." He told her as they walked up the stairs, Elena still held within in his arms. He put her down to open the door, revealing a large and lavishly decorated bedroom.
"Is this your room?"
"Yes." He seemed nervous. "It's the only one with the en suite completely finished."
He walked over to a cupboard in the corner and supplied her with a white fluffy towel. She thanked him and went into the bathroom. She gasped at the high-quality bathroom. It had both a bath tub and a shower, both enormous. And the tiles were made from white marble. Everything about Elijah screamed upper class.
A sigh escaped her as the steaming water ran down her body. She reached out for the bottle on the little rack and her eyes fluttered shut as Elijah's scent invaded her nose. She applied it to her skin liberally, the thought of smelling like him aroused her. She did the same with his shampoo and rinsed her body.
Climbing out of the shower, she wrapped herself in his towel before the cold could reach her. She partly dried her hair and combed out the knots. It was only then she realised she didn't have anything to wear. Her clothes would still be dripping wet. Opening the door, she didn't expect Elijah to be there.
His mouth went dry when Elena came out of the bathroom in just a towel. Her face was pink and she wouldn't look him in the eyes.
"Um, I don't have anything to wear." She looked around nervously.
Elijah remembered why he came back in here. "Of course."
Elena watched as he opened another door and walked into his closet. Now she was really envious. Her body straightened as he came back out holding a shirt.
"I'm sorry I don't have anything more comfortable." He apologised and handed it over to her.
"I don't mind." She really didn't, the thought of wearing his shirt made her happy.
He coughed. "Um…here."
Was he blushing?
Elena never thought she would see the day. Then she realised why as she looked down to see him handing her a pair of his boxers. Now, she was blushing.
"Thanks." She quickly took them. They wouldn't fit her that well, but they'd preserve her modesty which she was thankful for.
She watched as Elijah turned his back for her to change. He swallowed hard when he heard her towel drop to the floor. He closed his eyes and clenched his fists as the temptation to turn around was overwhelming.
"I hope you don't mind, I fed your dog." Elijah tried to distract himself.
Elena stopped buttoning up her shirt for a second.
"You got her to eat?" Elena asked in amazement.
"Yes, she was quite hungry." He turned his head when he felt Elena's hand on his arm.
"Thank you. No one else had any luck, I was getting worried."
"It was no problem." Elijah's voice was hoarse as the sight of her in his shirt affected him more than he imagined.
He took her hand. "Let's go downstairs."
Elena agreed and they left the room. Walking into the living room, Elena's jaw dropped. Elijah had built a fire and set up a cosy little blanket fort big enough for the two of them. As well as that, there was a tray with food and drinks.
"You did this?"
"Well, I couldn't have you freeze to death." Elijah told her with a mixture of playfulness and seriousness.
They sat down before the fire. "Seriously, Elena. Why did you think it was a good idea to go into the water?"
"Coco, needed me. She was scared." Elena whispered softly.
"You can't jeopardise your health, Elena. She would have come back." Elijah secretly loved the lengths she was willing to go to, to help an animal. She was so kind hearted. "You're too good for your own safety."
Elena smiled and he reached for the food he had made for her.
"I hope you like soup." He said before blowing on the spoon.
Elena sighed as she felt its warmth travel down her throat. It was delicious. She didn't get a chance to say so before Elijah held up another spoonful ready for her to eat. She swallowed it and put her hand on his arm.
"I am capable of feeding myself, you know."
Elijah blinked. Not even realising he had been feeding her. "I know, but I want to." He blew on the spoon again. "Eat, before it gets cold."
Elena sighed and gave in. If Elijah wanted to dote on her she wasn't going to stop him. Soon enough the bowl was empty and he put it back on the tray.
"Are you feeling warm enough?" He asked.
She nodded. "Yes, I feel fine Elijah."
"Come lay with me." He held his hand out and they laid back against the soft fur rug, Elena tucked in tight against his side.
She relaxed against him and rested her head on his chest as he rubbed soothing circles on her back. Soon enough, she was yawning and her body drifting into a dream state as Elijah listened to her soft breaths. He fell asleep himself not long after.
Elena woke up to Coco licking her hand. She blushed when she saw she had draped her body over Elijah's in her sleep. Before she could move herself off him, his arms tightened around her waist and his eyelids fluttered open.
"Hey." His voice was rough, he quirked an eyebrow when he looked down and saw Elena's body spread over his own. Her leg hiked over his hip and her chest pressed into his.
"Sorry…" She blushed and moved off of him.
"Don't be." They both smiled and noticed it was dark outside.
"I should probably go." Elena started to stand up.
"No." Elijah said immediately. "I mean…you can stay…if you would like to."
Elena's heart sped up. "Elijah, I don't- "
"Please." His voice was strained. "I've missed you so much."
Elena thought about it. Her parents both had surgeries planned so they wouldn't know she was gone.
"Where would I sleep?" She asked timidly.
"In my bed."
"Where would you sleep?" She took a step closer to him.
"I can sleep in one of the guest rooms." He was quick to assure her.
"We won't be sleeping together?"
Elijah held back a moan. "We can sleep in the same bed if you would like that."
"I would."
"Okay, I just need to tidy up. I'll meet you upstairs." He kissed her forehead and quickly left the room.
Elena breathed deeply as she walked up the stairs towards his bedroom. Had she just agreed to sleep in the same bed as him? Falling asleep together downstairs was one thing, but this was a whole other level. Every time Elijah touched her, her body tingled and her skin felt as though it were on fire. She wanted Elijah. But she didn't think she could right now. Did he expect that sort of thing from her? Is that why he wanted her to stay? There had always been a fairly sizable level of sexual tension between them, but now they had no obstacles. Would she even have the will power to stop?
She opened the door to his bedroom and stared at the bed. Sighing, she climbed in and sat in the middle, not knowing if he had a preferred side. She heard the back door open and close downstairs, and the soft patter of Coco's paws.
She held her breath when the bedroom door opened. Elijah sent her a small smile before walking into his closet. She breathed again when he walked out shirtless in a pair of pyjama bottoms.
Elena looked so small in the middle of his large bed, the sight almost overwhelmed him and he had to remind himself that nothing would happen tonight. He wouldn't push for anything, he would let Elena set their pace.
"Which side do you sleep on?" Elena asked him sweetly.
"I don't mind." Elena nodded and climbed under the covers. He joined her on the right side of his bed, which was his preference, but he wouldn't deny her this side of she wanted it.
He flicked the light off and only the glow from the moon beamed through the window. He swallowed hard when Elena pressed her body against his and her hand stroked his cheek, sighing when her lips found his and he returned her kiss.
Elena parted her lips to allow his tongue entrance and felt that uncomfortable throbbing between her thighs as one hand tangled in her hair and the other trailed from her waist to her hip, going further down resting just below the hem of her shirt. His fingers stroked her soft skin gently.
Elena felt him moan into her mouth when her hands danced across his chest, with one she gripped his hip and pulled herself flush against him. She gasped for air when Elijah separated their mouths and rolled her onto her back, resting on top of her, before kissing her again.
Elijah heard her moan softly as he pressed kisses down her neck, losing himself in her embrace. He was brought back to reality by the sound of Elena's harsh and heavy breathing, like she was about to pass out.
"We should stop." His voice was husky.
"I…did I do something wrong?" She looked confused and hurt.
"Of course not. I just want you to know I'm not going to pressure you for anything. We don't have to do this tonight." Elijah wanted to assure her, he didn't know why he let it go this far.
"Oh…but you want to?"
"Yes." He whispered.
"But you'll wait?" She saw him nod his head. "Thank you. I-I don't want to disappoint you Elijah."
"You could never disappoint me." He kissed her gently and moved from above her. "Now, my sweet Elena, how about we go to sleep?"
She curled into his chest and sighed contentedly. "Goodnight, Elijah." She placed a kiss on his collarbone and closed her eyes.
"Goodnight, Elena." Elijah whispered and breathed in the smell of her hair, now smelling like him. The fact filled him with a sense of male pride and protectiveness, which made him smile until he fell asleep.