Disclaimer: I do not own the Vampire Diaries.
A/N: Sorry this is so very late! I've been way too busy lately to write, but I promise I'll try harder to get the time! I'm definitely continuing this story.(:
Chapter 53
"Tell me something," AJ said to Elijah very seriously as she gazed into the full length-mirror that was in the bathroom just off of the kitchen, striking a different pose every few seconds. There was a frown planted on her face and her eyebrows were pulled together.
"Yes, love?" Elijah asked from a chair on the breakfast bar. He turned to her as she walked out, regarding the somber look on her face with an equally serious look. He knew that she'd gone through a lot the previous night, but he wasn't sure just what was bothering her at the moment.
She put a hand on her hip, searching Elijah's eyes for complete honesty. "Do these jeans look absolutely horrible on me? Do they make my legs look like tree trunks?"
Elijah looked at her seriously a moment longer, then burst out laughing—which was something only AJ could elicit from him. "AJ," he said, letting his gaze drift up and down her body with obvious wanting, "They look positively terrific on you." He refrained from adding 'Although they would look even better off,' because he wasn't sure how she would take the suggestion. After last night, he didn't want to pressure her into anything—especially not something like that. He wanted that to come at the right time.
"Okay," she said, sounding like she half believed him as she looked down at her legs. They were new dark skinny jeans that she hadn't had a chance to wear yet and they were beautiful, but she had doubt that they looked good on her. She thought maybe she was just a little off her game because of the night before and this was her subconscious's way of distracting herself. She was usually very confident with herself—not arrogant and pompous, just confident. She didn't feel it as much at the moment. She sighed and decided to just shrug it off. Besides, Elijah wouldn't lie to her.
That thought made a little voice in the back of her head add: the way you're lying to him. She shoved that voice to the very back of her mind. She didn't want to think about that. Not now, not with him in front of her, looking at her lovingly.
"Do you have plans for the day?" Elijah asked, and she thanked the universe for a distraction.
AJ shrugged and grabbed an apple from a bowl on the breakfast bar, taking a bite out of it. "I was maybe going to go see Elena," she said in between bites. "I thought we needed some time to just hang out, you know? The sacrifice is soon… and well… I don't know," she sighed, looking to the floor and frowning.
Elijah studied her. "You're very worried about her," he stated grimly. He didn't want for AJ to worry—he had taken it upon himself to be the one to do that when he fell in love with her. After she discarded her apple into a waste basket, he stood up and went to her. She wouldn't meet his eyes.
"AJ…"
She shook her head. "Elijah, please. Yes, I am very worried about Elena, but I don't want to hear about how I don't need to. I'm going to worry no matter what—she's my best friend," she said, finally picking her eyes up to look into his understanding ones. The many ways he looked at her—understandingly, lovingly, adoringly—always made her heart flutter in her chest. Even through her worry, this was no different.
He smiled softly at her, bringing up a hand to caress her face. She leaned into his touch, closing her eyes. Yes, he could always make her feel better.
"I understand. I just wish you would… worry less," he told her as he rubbed his thumb gently over her cheek.
Her shoulders slumped slightly. "Me too. But I can't—that just isn't how it works for me."
He nodded, then swiftly bent and picked her up, wrapping her legs around his waist. She squealed at the suddenness, then giggled as he began to place light kisses on her neck, moving so that he could place her atop one of the counters.
"Could this make you worry less?" he asked mischievously as his lips slowly moved up her neck, making her shiver. He wasn't planning for it to lead to anything more serious unless she wanted it to; he just wanted to lighten her mood.
AJ giggled again as her hands found a way into his hair, pulling at it lightly whenever he'd kiss a sensitive spot. "Well it could, I suppose," she replied playfully.
"You suppose?" He pulled back and tried to look at her seriously, but couldn't help that the sides of his mouth pulled up into a slight smile. He raised an eyebrow. "Tell me, love, what I can do, then?"
She tapped a finger on her chin, smiling all the while. "Hmm… Well… we could go on an actual date, like normal couples do," she tried to suggest it casually as she bent and kissed his neck now, sucking on it a little, making him hold on a little tighter to her small waist.
"A date?" Elijah mused, "Darling, you only had to ask." He smiled at her, seeing that it was truly something she wanted to do. And he had the perfect idea.
Decidedly taking advantage of the fact he had her trapped in the position on the counter, in between him and the wall, he moved in and took her lips with his own. She wrapped her legs around him tighter, bringing him as close as possible as his hands found their way on her thighs, rubbing up and down slowly. When given the chance, she breathed in and out heavily, the passion between them stirring up strong emotions inside of her. She took her hands out of his hair and found the top button on his dress shirt, managing to unbutton the shirt as she continued to kiss him back feverishly. Once it was fully unbuttoned, she placed her hands on his hard, muscular skin, tracing her fingers over every inch of it, slowly pushing the shirt off his arms and onto the floor. He was surprised by this new fervor she was showing, but responded by running his hands over her back as they were up under her shirt, then moving them down to pull it up at the bottom. He'd thought only moments ago that they'd wait for this part of their relationship, but at the way she was touching him and pulling at him as he was reciprocating, he could tell that there wasn't much doubt about what would happen next. After he successfully maneuvered her shirt off, he pulled his lips away from hers and placed them at her collarbone, working his way down from there. She moaned in delight as she felt his tongue slide out over her skin. But as soon as one of his hands moved way up onto her thigh, she froze completely, the scene of her and Klaus last night returning to her full force.
Sensing the change in mood, he drew back and looked at her, searching her eyes for the problem. "What's wrong? I thought we were… AJ if I crossed a line, please tell me," he said, unsure of himself. He'd thought that she'd wanted him to continue in the manner they'd been in, but her hesitance and wide eyes told him otherwise. He brushed some hair away from her face.
She shook her head slowly, angry at herself for letting the thoughts in when she and Elijah were having a wonderful moment. Klaus had no place in her mind—he wasn't allowed to be there. And yet he was, and so was the way she'd wanted him last night. She couldn't forget that. She wasn't sure how to.
"AJ… please say something," Elijah's voice was stained as he looked at her, uncertain whether he should remove his hands from her completely.
"It's—it's just that..." she put her hands on her head, pinching her eyes shut. "Oh god Elijah. I'm so sorry," she said miserably.
"Hey," he caught her chin between his fingers, making her look at him, "Tell me. What's wrong? You have nothing to be sorry about."
She sighed. "Yes, I do actually. He's getting to me… he's actually getting to me." Tears rushed into her eyes spontaneously, something she wasn't used to. They stung, so she pinched her eyes shut and opened them again, just letting them fall. She felt weak. But she knew she could let her guard down in front of Elijah. If anything, she had to.
"Klaus?" Elijah asked, even though he didn't need to. It was written all over her face. He gently wiped away a few tears with his thumbs.
"Yes," she whispered, her eyes shut now. She couldn't look at Elijah when these stupid thoughts about Klaus were going through her head. Her better side suddenly hated him with a fierce and biting passion. She wished he was dead in a way she had never wished for someone to die before. But her other half just continued to want more. It wanted to see him—to touch him. It was curious about the monster named Klaus, the monster that could very well kill her. Or figure her out, since he was curious about her, too. She figured that'd end in death as well.
"AJ," Elijah said softly, his hands on her arms, trying to soothe her. "He can't get to you unless you let him. You have to fight it—whatever it is that's getting to you. You have to fight it."
She sobbed now, catching both of them by surprise. "You don't understand Elijah! Last night—it changed things! It made it harder!" Her common sense told her to shut up after the first sentence, but she couldn't help herself. She was terrified that she would do something stupid. Klaus was enticing her conscious thoughts now, and she knew that was a terrible sign.
Elijah pulled her close and held her, letting her cry into his bare chest. He ran his hands up and down her back, murmuring in her ear that everything was okay. She responded by shaking her head as she sobbed and he grew more worried. He'd never seen her so distressed.
"What made it harder, love?" he prodded gently, trying to understand what she'd said he couldn't. "What did he do to you to make things change?"
"No… you don't want to know. Elijah you don't want to know," she whispered. Her sobs had ended for the most part, but her breathing was rapid and tears still fell down her cheeks.
"I can't stand seeing you like this," Elijah said, strained, "I do want to know, AJ. Please tell me."
She pulled back from his comforting embrace and wiped at the tears she allowed to fall, suddenly feeling self-conscious because of it. She didn't cry often, and especially not that hard. Her red rimmed eyes found his chocolate ones. "It's—it's that part of me," she told him in a voice that sounded like surrender. She didn't want to tell him, but he was the only one she could talk to. The only one she trusted with it. "The darker part. He… gets to it somehow. And it gets bigger—stronger. A lot harder to fight. I'm sorry Elijah," she said miserably, the tears returning but she wiped them away with the back of her hand, "I wish I was stronger."
He ran a hand through her hair, stroking it soothingly, looking at her with concern. "You are strong. I told you before you're the strongest person I know. We'll just have to find a way to fight this together. I can help you, love."
She nodded her head. He'd help her. She'd never had anyone help her before—especially when it came to dealing with emotions—and that meant the world to her. "Thank you," she said quietly.
Just as he nodded back, the doorbell rang.
AJ's eyebrows furrowed together as she looked up at Elijah. "Were you expecting someone?" As far as she knew, the only person who knew she and Elijah were here specifically was the gardener. And… Elena. AJ had told her in case of an emergency, but that was it.
Elijah shook his head slowly, no doubt listening to try and hear who was at the door. "No. Were you?"
"No. Who could it possibly be?"
Suddenly Elijah's eyes went dark and angry.
"Elijah? What's wrong?" AJ asked, picking up her discarded shirt and pulling it back over her head quickly, sensing some sort of distress.
"I'll kill him," Elijah said quietly and menacingly, his eyes holding the exact threat within them.
She wasn't sure who it was, but she prayed it wasn't who she thought it could be. That wouldn't end well.
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