They don't have lines anymore, he realizes. This is the short window before they have to make a decision. He came on too strong, there's no way she doesn't know how he feels about her. She wants to kiss him, he wonders if she wants anything else from him. If there was a time that he could walk away from Elena, it passed too long ago for him to have that as a backup plan. They need to talk about it, but not in Mystic Falls. There are few things on the planet that can kill an Original. He's beginning to think suspense is one of them.


She needs to say something, but she doesn't see Elijah for more than an hour a day including dinner. It's so odd to go from monopolizing on Elijah's time to barely having any. Caroline and Rebekah arrive after she and Elijah have been in town for a day.

"We need to talk once we get out of here." Elena whispers to him before the vampires and Jenna drag her away from the house. He nods.

"I hope you got me something amazing for my birthday." She jokes and he smiles.


"I'm not dating Elijah." Elena denies.

"I see how you two look at each other." Jenna says and Caroline tries not to snort into her drink.

"You've seen nothing and you're still on the money. You and my brother are too obvious, Elena." Rebekah almost sounds bored, but Elena sees the look in the blonde's eyes. Elena just sighs.

"Can we just eat breakfast without mentioning our love lives?" She asks and the blondes across from her look at her victoriously.

"So you love him!" Caroline says and Elena looks away.


Alaric gets her a book she told Jenna she was interested in, and Jeremy gives her a gift card. Rebekah and Caroline give her makeup. She expected these gifts, but she didn't expect a necklace from Elijah or the out of print book series she had expressed interest in locating more than once.

She doesn't put the necklace on, but she does hug him for the books. He whispers that the necklace has vervain in it, and she smiles into his shoulder. The choice is made in both of their minds. He keeps her in the embrace for another second before letting go. The hug was a little too long to be socially acceptable eyes, but she doesn't care. They all know what's going on, and Elena is thankful when Caroline breaks the silence.

"Time for the cake!" She says loudly and Rebekah lights the candles. She's about to blow the candles out when Caroline protests, and begins to sing the happy birthday song. Elena looks around and sees Elijah's lips moving. Traitor. She shoots him a dirty look but he gives her a good natured grin anyway. She closes her eyes and blows the candles out.


They stay for another day, and Elijah doesn't mind that her family monopolizes her time, but she's happy to go when he asks when she wants to leave.

"They're crazy! That was way too much attention." Elena groans and he smirks.

"Absence makes the heart grow fonder, lovely Elena." He can hear her heart react to that, and she retorts,

"I'm sure you're right, you wise man. But not all of us can remember back to the origin of that saying during the Stone Age." She says and he smirks at her again.


She was going to have a calm discussion, honestly. The plane isn't even in the air when he sits across from her with a grin on those lips of his. She surprises them both when she puts her lips on his. They kiss for a few moments, and she pulls back to breathe.

Her lungs try to catch up with her heart, and he watches her with interest. He's completely vulnerable, his heart hasn't been safe from Elena for a long time.

She could destroy him, he recognizes as she takes a breath.

She leans forward and kisses him again.