AN: I'm sorry for the lack of updates, but I've had a full plate with school, work, and my personal life. I'm on holiday break for the next few weeks and I plan on using that time to just write and update!


Elijah picks her up for the date they meant to do before they ended up marathoning with pizza. He cleans up well because of course he does, and she can't help the butterflies that come when he's around. It's nice to have a change in scenery while they drink wine together while they wait on their food. Elena can't help but worry about their family. It's so odd to think that Caroline and Anna are basically her sisters-in-law. On top of that, she'll have all of Elijah's siblings and their soulmates. She went from having three family members to an entire family tree.

Stop overthinking. He's your soulmate and you're going to be fine. Just relax. Elena thinks to herself as she looks at the dessert menu. Elijah's eye catches hers and she decides to tell him.

"I've got an interview," Elena admits after a moment of almost comfortable silence.

"It's next Thursday, and a few hours away from Mystic Falls. If I get the job, I'd start in September," Elena tells him, shifting slightly. Elijah doesn't look upset, there's a slight grin on his face at the news.

"You sound excited and I'm sensing a but," Elijah tells her. He seems excited for her and she's thankful. She's not sure how close he is to Klaus but the job is away from him, out of Mystic Falls. Though most of the Mikaelsons have scattered already, if he wanted to be close to his family, he'd have to travel around. Elena takes a sip of wine, looking at the waiters gracefully moving, the other couples talking quietly at their tables, and tries to think of what she wants to say.

"Yeah. I mean, I'm excited but I'm worried that I'm not going to get it. And then if I get it, then I have to move. And I don't know if we're-you know, ready for that," Elena admits. Elijah's eyes meet hers, and she wonders how he looks so relaxed.

"You'll get the job. And you don't need to worry about us. If you leave, I'll follow-if you want me to. No pressure," Elijah assures her.

"Just like that?" Elena asks, leaning into the table slightly.

"Just like that," Elijah echoes her words in a promise, watching her relax, leaning back into her chair in one motion. Elena takes another sip of wine to help shut her brain off a little.

"So if I move, are you just going to stay here? Or-" Elena trails off.

"Whatever you want," Elijah promises, and she sees their waiter walking to their table with two steaming plates of food. The look on Elijah's face makes her remember to breathe, they don't have to make these decisions tonight and she's not in this alone.

Elena exhales and tells herself to relax again. Tonight, they're just going to go on a date and they'll split dessert and talk.


Being around Elijah is easy when she doesn't let herself worry-Elijah isn't worried because he's always had all the time in the world. They walk out of the restaurant and out into the night. All of the uncertainty is fine, it's going to get resolved in one way or another.

Things are stressful and all of this is new territory. Elena finds Elijah's hand before she stumbles. High heels and wine aren't the greatest combination when she can't see the cracks in the pavement.

"I've got you," Elijah says and she can't help but smile because he does have her, and she has him. They're a team, and she doesn't have to go through everything alone anymore. She's steadier, holding Elijah's hand as they walk to his car, and she can see the pavement but she doesn't want to let go. Elena highly doubts he minds as he opens her door for her. Her wrist is going to hurt later from how much she has to tell her diary, she thinks.


Where have you two been? The message from Bonnie is intriguing and apparently Caroline just checked the group chat too.

Date with the soulmate, Elena types and looks at her diary, open and waiting for her to write down all of her secrets.

Yeah, I was talking with mine. We lost track of time. What's up? Caroline asks.

I think I'm going to stay in New Orleans for a while. It's fun and I got a job here. The message from Bonnie pops up and Elena raises her eyebrows. New Orleans-Elena feels like if she forgot something about it, like she needs to tell Bonnie something important. Caroline and Elena talk about their soulmates and even though Elena knows she'll probably always be wary around Klaus-she's glad he makes Caroline happy.

The uneasy feeling fades as the conversation goes on and eventually the girls say goodnight. What she doesn't tell Caroline and Bonnie is that she can still feel Elijah's hand in hers, that her worries and fears are shrinking, slowly but surely. Her diary gets all of the little details she wants to remember.

Elena writes about her day and sends a text to Elijah, to see if he remembers why New Orleans might be dangerous. It could be nothing but it could be something, and if Bonnie doesn't know she's a witch she could get into trouble.