Chapter 2

In the morning Katerina was the first to wake up. As she became aware of her surroundings and remembered how vulnerable she let herself be the night before she chastised herself internally. How could she let this happen. Feelings weren't part of her plan. She needed to find the cure, end of story. She didn't plan to rediscover old feelings that were better kept buried. But laying here on Elijah's chest felt… good. Safe, in some way. If she was honest with herself she hadn't felt this safe ever, really. No. No. On the inside she was fighting a battle against herself. Her internal conflict became so strong, she had to get out of there so she went to the kitchen to fix herself a coffee. Less because she needed it, more because it gave her a way of distraction.

When Elijah woke up he immediatly noticed that something was different to when he was falling asleep. The warm feeling of Katerina lying on his chest was missing. The right side oft he bed gave away that he didn't make it all up in a dream though, she had really slept here. After dressing himself in one of his suits he went to the kitchen where he saw her from behind in the clothes she slept in. The Original smiled and went up to her, making sure to make some extra noise in order to not startle her, laid his hands on her shoulders and kissed her hair. He whispers „Good morning, Katerina."

Katerina had heard him and prepared herself mentally. Her internal conflict wasn't settled so she did the one thing she always knew how to do. After all she couldn't lose him, one way or another. So she pulled her facade back up, straightend her spine and turned around to give him her Katherine Pierce smile when she replied „Good morning to you, too."

After Elijah made himself a coffee as well and tried to chat with her a little, about how she slept, etc. he immediately noticed something was off. Katerina seemed so different from last night. And then he realised that he wasn't talking to Katerina Petrova but to Katherine Pierce. Her facade was up. He'd let it slide for a bit, understanding that she probably felt uncomfortable with the amount of emotion they had shared the night before. He didn't want to risk triggering her need to run so he let her have these moments of security, of detaching herself from the situation.

Even though Elijah put a good poker face on, Katherine could see that he was treading around waters and he was just waiting for the right moment to start a conversation about the meaning of the last night. Not being in the mood to talk when she didn't know the answers to his questions herself though made her take the one escape route that always worked. She would seduce him. That way they'd be too busy to talk and she'd buy herself some time in his company to clear her mind up.

You could say the Original was more than surprised when after a bit of chit chat Katherine walked up to him, layed her arms around his neck and pressed her lips against his. This wasn't one of the chaste kisses they had shared last night, this time she started with passionate and became rougher as they continued. She took him by his hand and pulled him upstairs. When they arrived in his bedroom and they stood before his bed she turned back around and kissed him again. Something else was different though he just couldn't quite put his finger to it. Katherine took a step back and basically put on a show as she undressed herself, constantly giving him her trademark sexy smirk. Again she took him by the hand and this time pushed him onto the bed. Elijah just let her act without influencing her much until she straddled him in her underwear and went to undo his belt. By now he had realised what was wrong. Sure he had noticed her pulled up facade downstairs already but there was something else.

He took her hands in his to stop her. „Stop. You don't have to do this."

Katherine looked at him, a little confused but still with her smirk in place. „I know, but I want to.", thinking she knows what he means.

Elijah pulled her up so that she lays down next to him which makes them face each other sideways. „No I mean this… show you're putting on."

Katherine looked at him confused but didn't say anything. No man had ever stopped her from pleasing them. She knew what they liked, she's been playing that game for centuries, literally. Sex was one of the oldest tricks in the world and it worked every single time.

When Elijah saw her confused look he realised how deep this truly went. It wasn't just about her facade. Every move was practised, every look seductive. He had no doubt that she knew exactly what to do in the bedroom to make every man cum. But the way she carried herself sent him an underlying but clear message. She had never truly been loved before. Whether with or without her emotional shield. Sex was a means to get what she wanted and she probably had to use it more often than she would have liked in order to survive. Elijah started thinking of all the men that had just used her for her beauty and her body and felt nauseous. He needed to speak to Katerina as opposed to Katherine and he hoped she'd let him.

He raised his hand to push back a curl that had fallen in her face and let his hand grace her cheek slightly before sliding it down and up her arm, eliciting a shiver from her. Elijah looked into her eyes and tried to get through to show her the importance of the matter. „Katerina…"

Katherine felt his eyes burn straight through her facade into her soul. She wouldn't let him in just yet but she nodded slightly to show him that she was listening.

„You have never been with someone that loved you, have you?" He asked in a whisper, although he's quite sure that he knows the answer.

Katherine looked away. She was uncomfortable with the intensity of his question and started to feel defensive.

„Sure I have." She knew what he meant and she knew that despite hearing several declarations of love over the years, no one had truly meant it. How could they, none of them even knew her. One had come close, but that had ended before she could show him the rest of her.

Her body language and facial expressions told Elijah everything he needed to know.

„Tell me, have you loved even one of them back?"

„What makes you so sure that I feel with you want you want me to feel?"

Katherine desperately tried to escape the situation but Elijah wasn't having that.

„I don't care whether you deny it or not, Katerina. I cannot put a name to your feelings but I would like to think, that you do feel something for me. And by the look on your face I can tell that this is more than you have ever felt with these other men. You couldn't let any of them in but I know you, Katerina. I've known you since you were an innocent girl in 1492. And I would like to think that this girl is still in there. I've talked to her last night and it was wonderful. I understand that you had to create this persona to detach yourself from your feelings, to survive but…" he paused for a second to really look at her „you can put that part of you to the side for today. You know how serious I take my word and I promise you that you are safe here. Be yourself with me please. So that I can show you, what being with someone is supposed to be like." When Elijah finished his monologue he took a deep breath and waited for her reaction.

Katherine had looked at him the entire time and felt her walls crumble. She wouldn't let her guard down completely, she couldn't do that but she was tired. She was tired of constantly fighting down the part of her that wanted to be free so badly. Maybe she could give Katherine another day off (she unintentionally had the night before) and let Katerina come through a bit. Perhaps this one time she wouldn't get hurt.

She whispered „Elijah…" and sighed. Her voice was laced with apprehension and the silent agreement that she would try. To be clearer she nodded slowly.

Elijah caressed her cheek and murmured „Let me show you what you should be loved like." As soon as the words left his mouth he leaned forward and caught her lips in a soft kiss that grew more passionate by the minute. Elijah started to move on top of her and let his hand caress her curls. For a moment Katerina let it happen until she sat up to lean against the headboard out of habit. She couldn't stand the feeling of being trapped, not completely, she needed to be in control. Elijah understood her subtle withdrawal and started kissing down her chest.

During the course Katerina had allowed Elijah to lay above her, or rather it just happened and she didn't start to feel unsafe, on the contrary actually.

This orgasm she was experiencing was so different from any she had before. There was no rush and Elijah was making this all about her, intent on putting every ounce of love he held for her into his actions. It felt surreal. When she came down from her high she couldn't handle the emotions that suddenly came crashing at her all at once. Katerina felt tears pooling in her eyes but didn't want him to see her cry. So she held him even closer and hid her face in his neck. That seemed to be her mistake though because Elijah became aware of a teardrop that fell onto his shoulder. He pulled back and looked at her, at first afraid that he'd hurt her until he saw the inner tourmult and emotion clearly visible in her eyes. The Original knew everything about this couldn't be easy for her so he didn't say anything but rather started kissing her tears away so softly that she wasn't sure she could even feel every kiss.

Neither of them wanted to destroy the moment with words to so after Elijah was finished and Katerinas few tears have subsided he moved to lay next to her and pulled her into his arms, one hand switching between stroking her hair and her cheek and the other one around her waist. It took them a while to fall asleep because of their emotions and thoughts running wild but eventually he pulled her even tighter and his last thought before falling asleep was that he doesn't ever want to let her go again and he hoped she would let him keep her safe and loved.