~~~You Breathe Air and I Breathe Fire~~~
Questions blurred through Elena's mind at lightning speed, the cardinal one being how? How could Elijah have done something like that? What would have happened if she hadn't opened the door then, had waited until he'd come home to tell him about the dress? How far would things have gone with Elena being none the wiser? Tears streamed down her cheeks as she drove to Elijah's, her hands shaking as she put the car in park and left it running as she hurried into the house.
Elijah had called after her as he grabbed his briefcase and his jacket and hurried down the hall after her. She hadn't responded, and by the time he'd made it outside and to his car, she was tearing out of the parking lot, her tires squealing. Elijah sped home, pulling in his driveway minutes after Elena. He hurried into the house and stumbled upon his distraught fiancée stuffing clothes into a duffel bag on the bed.
"Elena," he said softly, and she refused to look up at him, tears still rolling down her face. "Elena," he said again, "look at me. Please."
"Why should I look at you when all I see are lies?" she cried, her eyes meeting his with hurt and anger.
"Elena, I know you're hurt, but you need to believe me when I say I would never think of looking at another woman, let alone kiss one. Carrie was trying to get out of writing a paper, and she must have thought seducing me was a good way of going about it."
Elena didn't know what to say, and she didn't whether or not to believe Elijah. She had liked to believe their relationship was better than infidelity, but how could she be sure?
"Maybe it was naive of me to think our relationship could go on without a hitch, but, Elena, you are the only woman I love. You're the one person I want to spend the rest of my life with."
"How do I know you're being truthful?" Elena sniffed, standing up from the bed, her eyes still watering.
"I guess you'll have to trust me – and I know that's asking a lot of you, given what you've just seen, but know that I would never do anything to hurt you."
"I think I just need a few days, Elijah. I'm not saying I don't believe you, but maybe we're rushing into this too fast. I just need time to think, okay?" said Elena, picking up the duffel bag and throwing it over her shoulder.
Elijah nodded. "I understand. I'll be here waiting when you're ready," he half-smiled, stepping forward to kiss Elena's forehead. She did not resist, but she did not lean into it either.
It hurt Elijah to the core to watch Elena leave. He understood that she needed time alone to think about everything, but the fear of losing her almost eclipsed rational thought. Half of him wanted to bolt out the door after her, take her in his arms, and never let her go. She was far too precious to let her go, but he was almost certain that she just needed time to cool down. She'd be back. She had to come back.
Elena drove, much more calmly, back home where Ric greeted her at the door with a smile that faded quickly when he saw the dried tears on her face. He led her into the living room and sat her down and she told him everything.
"I think I believe him," she said through the tears that had inevitable began to fall once again, "but part of me wonders if we're moving into this too fast."
Ric sighed. What he wanted to say was something along the lines of "No shit", but in his heart of hearts, he believed that Elijah would always take care of Elena and keep her safe. It was an excuse as old as time, but he believed it for some reason, and he hadn't even heard it from the horse's mouth.
"Tell me what you're thinking," Elena nearly begged, the lost look in her eyes almost too much for Ric to handle.
"I'm thinking that Elijah's being honest with you and that I've never seen a love as pure and as steadfast as yours. I think it would be silly to let him go."
Elena's coffee eyes grew wide with surprise, her mouth falling open comically. Ric became even more worried when more tears began to fall from her eyes. Her mouth shut and she gave him something reminiscent of a smile.
"That wasn't supposed to make you cry," he said gruffly.
"I thought you were going to say 'good riddance' or 'it was only a matter of time' and then you spout something like that! You really are a romantic, aren't you?"
"Don't make me regret this, 'Lena," he sulked.
"Thank you, Ric. For everything," Elena said suddenly, throwing her arms around him.
"That's what I'm here for," Ric chuckled, embracing his surrogate daughter. For a fleeting moment, he was glad she could see that it couldn't all be rose petals and sunshine. Relationships needed work. But at the same time, he couldn't bear to see her hurting like she was. He hoped his honesty had made her feel better, but he couldn't be sure.
Elena made her way up to her bedroom, rather thankful Jeremy wasn't home. She didn't want to explain all this to him and have him turn on Elijah. The more and more she thought about it, the more and more she believed him. Perhaps it had been the earnest sound in his voice or the frightened look in his eyes. He couldn't lose her and she couldn't lose him. Still, she needed a little time away.
Just then, her phone buzzed in her pocket and she pulled it out to look at the caller ID. Of course it was Caroline. Elena smiled and rolled her eyes as she accepted the call.
Before she could even speak, Caroline blurted out, "So, what did he say about the dress?"
Elena couldn't help but laugh bitterly. "I didn't tell him, Care."
Caroline gasped theatrically, utterly scandalized by this revelation. "Why not?" she nearly screamed into the phone.
Elena sighed. She didn't want to paint Elijah as the bad guy, but how else could she say it? "I walked in on Elijah and one of his students kissing."
Elena could practically hear Caroline's jaw hit the floor. "That bastard!"
"Calm down, Care," Elena said, her tone subdued. "He explained, and I believe him. Basically, the girl was trying to seduce Elijah so she wouldn't have to write a paper."
"And you're falling for that excuse?" Caroline asked incredulously.
"It's not an excuse, it's the truth," Elena said resolutely. "Ric believes him and I believe him – I'm just taking a few days for myself. I really do believe him, but part of me wonders if we weren't taking this too fast. I haven't even graduated yet. . ."
Caroline sighed. "This is gonna sound bipolar given what I was just saying, but you and Elijah are perfect for each other. I don't think you're rushing into anything. So what if you're nineteen when you get married. I think we're both pretty certain that this is the man you're going to spend the rest of your life with, so why not start a little earlier?"
Caroline made a good point. "Thanks, Care. I mean, you're right. Why shouldn't Elijah and I make the most of our lives while we can? We're both mortal now and I want to spend every waking minute with him. Is that bad?"
Caroline laughed. "That means you love him, 'Lena."
It hadn't been more than hour since Elena had gotten off the phone with her best friend when she found herself sitting on her bed, fiddling her thumbs. She was bored and she was lonely. She glanced at her alarm clock, which read 9:56 p.m. That wasn't too late. . . Elijah would still be awake grading papers. It was a split second decision, but Elena slipped down the stairs, into her car, and drove to one of the best places she could ever be.
She didn't knock on the front door. Instead, she slid her key into the lock and opened the door herself. In the distance, she could hear Elijah typing on the computer, probably entering grades. She pressed a finger to her lips when Chief bounded into the room, his tail wagging fiercely. She giggled at the excitement the animal exuded, as it was a mirror of her own. She couldn't stay away from this man, though she was sorry it took something like Carrie to make her realize that. She padded through the house on tiptoe, reaching the office door. The sound of Elijah's typing had ceased and he was now on the phone.
"I really screwed up," Elijah confessed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Does she hate me?" His voice cracked and Elena could see the emotion on his face.
Elena couldn't tell who was on the other end, but Elijah's expression lifted slightly in response.
"I just can't lose her, Ric. I may not have kissed Carrie, but I don't know what I'd do if this ruined everything."
Elena's heart swelled with love for Ric and the man whose back was turned toward her. She smiled a watery smile as she listened to Elijah and Ric say goodbye. She stepped into the office, taking care to be silent, and tapped Elijah on the shoulder. He spun around in the desk chair, his face alarmed. When he saw Elena standing before him, with tears in her eyes and a smile on her face, he stood and pulled her into a tight, warm embrace.
"God, I missed you," he whispered into her hair.
She hugged him tighter. "I missed you, too," she laughed. "This whole thing was just stupid. I was miserable without you."
"You've no idea," he told her, pulling back to kiss her lips.
Maybe it couldn't all be rainbows and unicorns, but their relationship was strengthened by this experience. They were just glad to have each other back again.
A/N: So maybe that was resolved a little quicker than you had all thought, but I picture Elijah as being someone so honorable, so honest, that it's hard not to believe him. And I think Elena knew deep down that Elijah would never cheat on her. So, now that that's all cleared up, who's ready for a wedding?
The song title is from Christina Grimmie's really old, original song "Underwater Firebreather". Check it out on YouTube – it's amazing!
