Disclaimer: One of the scenes here is inspired by the webtoon "I'm the Male Lead's "Girl" Friend". And I do not own The Vampire Diaries or The Originals. This is purely a work of Fanfiction.

~TGITW~

Chapter 7: Truly, Madly, Deeply (Part 2)

"Truly, madly and deeply, as the writer said." – Beauty, Fables

MYSTIC FALLS. 1000 A.D.

Niklaus' POV

It was a sight to behold. But all I could see was the girl admiring it all.

I followed her gaze as she studied the land. Then she closed her eyes and held out her arms to bathe in the sunlight. A small smile forming on her lips making me smile as well.

She looked at peace and happy. I was right to bring her here.

I had discovered this spot while I was out hunting. Immediately, I knew she would love it. So, I had showed it to Elijah knowing he would want to bring Tatia here. Then I convinced him to bring the others as well. I knew Faith would not be able to say no to Elijah. While the thought of it made my heart ached, I'm glad it brought her here.

My thoughts flashed back to the night when it all changed.

I could not sleep so I had stepped out to get some fresh air. It turned out Faith could not either and I found her sitting against the outside wall. She saw me and gestured to the spot beside her. I went and sat down beside her.

"Can't sleep either huh?" She whispered.

I shook my head in reply.

We settled into a comfortable silence while gazing at the stars.

I was grateful to her. She was always rescuing me from father's wrath and she always seem to know the right words to say to comfort me. Even in this silence, she gave me what I needed.

Noises inside the house indicated that father and mother had just arrived home. Father had slammed the door in anger and was arguing with mother. Their voices carried over to us through the window right above where we were sitting. Faith and I shared a look before leaning against the wall to eavesdrop.

They were always arguing about something. This time, it was about me.

The words he was saying were not new. But each word was a cut to my heart. A reminder that I was a disappointed to my father. That I was not loved by my father. I could feel my eyes water and as I was attempting to hold back tears, I felt warm hands over my ears.

"You don't have to listen to this."

I looked up to see Faith looking at me with her hands covering my ears. She must've noticed my reaction for her face showed that she couldn't stand what Mikael was saying anymore.

"Thank you." The words barely came out of my mouth.

She smiled compassionately at me and looking at her eyes, I knew. I knew that she understood my pain. I knew I was not alone.

Things changed that night. We had formed an unspoken bond through the pain in our hearts. Now whenever we were together, all seems right with the world. Even now watching her made me feel calm.

It was strange. She was neither beautiful nor hideous but there was an otherworldly attraction to her. Something about her that drew me. The way the sun fell on her dark hair and pale skin. The way she looked at me in curiosity as she discovered me watching her. The way her thoughts would show on her face.

It all drew me to her like a deer to streams of water. I could not get enough of her. To me, she had become the most important person in the world.

I went up to her for a closer look stopping only a foot away from her.

She looked at me questioningly.

"Are you enjoying this?" I asked her with a grin.

Her entire face lit up with joy and she answered, "Yes."

Her answer rung loudly in my ears. Her beautiful face filled with bliss was impressed into my mind.

A sudden wind blew past us causing her hair to fly all around.

I caught a loose strand of hair intending only to tuck it away. But in that instance, the yearning overpowered me. I held it up to my lips and kissed it gently. My eyes closed and I ignored everything else but her and me.

This was as far as I could go. As far as my conscience would let me.

I opened my eyes, smiled at her, and tucked the hair behind her ear. Then I walked away.

Control yourself. I rebuked myself. There's a line that cannot be crossed.

I glanced back at her and noticed Elijah watching.

"Because you are precious to that person." I muttered under my breath.

~TGITW~

ONE MONTH AGO.

Elijah and I had snuck out to watch our neighbours turn into wolves. We were both fascinated by them and I wondered what it would be like to run freely through the woods.

As the moonlight waned, we returned home. We passed by the girls' hut and had to pause when we heard a quiet sobbing. It seems one of the girls was still awake. We both leaned in to listen.

"I can't possibly…he might not even be real for crying out loud…"

We could only hear snippets, but we recognized the voice as Faith's. She seems to be silently berating herself over something.

We looked at each other then glanced at the door, wondering if we should go in. As we stared at the door, it opened and out stepped Rebekah. She shivered from the cold wind and immediately went back inside to grab a blanket. Closing the door behind her, she took a couple steps into the open when she found Elijah and I in front of her.

We each grabbed an arm and pulled her away from the hut. In hushed voices, we questioned her.

"Rebekah, was that Faith?" Elijah asked.

Rebekah nodded and this time I asked: "What is she crying about?"

Our sister gave us a grim look before deciding to respond: "I don't know. I just know that she would often cry herself to sleep when she thinks no one can hear her. In the beginning, I think it was because she had a hard time adjusting and misses her family. Tonight though, I think it's about something else."

"And you've never talked to her about it?" Elijah questioned.

Rebekah shook her head and answered: "No. Faith's a very private person. I don't think she'd want me asking about it. The first few times I woke up to her crying, she stopped when she heard me moving about. Now, whenever I hear her, I just step outside to give her some privacy."

"So, it's an unspoken understanding between the two of you." I ventured a guess.

Rebekah nodded with her face filled with sadness. The thought of Faith crying somehow saddened us too. We had each come to love this girl in our own way. Elijah saw Faith as someone fragile whom he had to protect. Unlike Rebekah, Faith was like a younger sister who actually needed someone to depend on. On the other hand, I have always appreciated the way that she would come to my rescue. And if I was being honest, the fact that father liked Faith made me want her affections all the more.

"This won't do," Elijah whispered worriedly. "Let me go talk to her."

"No!" Rebekah and I exclaimed.

Our voice startled Elijah for a minute, but he walked determinedly back to the hut.

Rebekah and I rushed to stop him, but he won't be stopped. In the end, we had to let him go in for fear of waking up the others.

We waited outside anxiously as we hear Elijah talk to Faith. We couldn't make out much of what they were saying so we finally gave up on listening.

In my head though, my thoughts were running wild.

Faith has always tried to protect me from father. And she was always comfortingly kind to me. It frustrated me that I couldn't offer her the same comfort in turn.

Eventually, the voices and crying died down. Rebekah and I went inside to find Elijah and Faith sitting side by side against the edge of the room. Faith looked serene as she rested her head on Elijah's shoulder. Elijah stroking her head gently and looking at her adoringly.

The sight made me uncomfortable. I didn't know what they talked about, but I couldn't help feeling a tinge of envy. Faith and Elijah's closeness allowed them to talk about things she would normally not talk about with us.

A relieved Rebekah nudged Elijah. She gestured for him to move Faith unto the bed then covered her with a blanket. Seeing that all was well now, Elijah and I exited the room and headed to our own quarters.

As we walked into the night, I stopped Elijah and asked, "What did you say to her?"

He smiled, then shrugged, and kept on walking.

As I watch his figure disappear into the night, realization dawn on me.

Out of all my siblings, I would say I knew Elijah best, sometimes even better than himself. And being with Faith has changed him. He was falling for her and he didn't even realize it.

~TGITW~

MYSTIC FALLS. 1000 A.D.

It was a full moon again tonight.

It had been hours since we had arrived and set up camp. It had been hours since I had kissed Faith's hair. Since then, she and I have been avoiding each other.

I couldn't sleep so I snuck outside for a walk. It was then that I chanced upon Faith.

She didn't notice my presence. Not wanting to disturb her, I turned around to make my way back to camp when I found Elijah staring. I followed the direction of his stare and discovered he was watching Faith.

She had began dancing in the moonlight. Dancing to a silent melody that only she could hear.

Unbeknownst to her, we watched. The sight of her dancing captivated the two of us.

She lifted her hands up, moving with such gentleness and grace. Her hips swaying to an unknown melody. From the top of her head to the tips of her fingers, she exuded heart and soul. Her movements carried passion but also melancholy. As her figure continued to dance beneath the moonlight, it painted a picture of mystical beauty.

Elijah and I could only watch with bated breath. With the moon shining brightly on Faith, we could perceive her every movement clearly. One could almost hear the soundless tune she was dancing to. We certainly felt the emotions her danced conveyed. It resonated with our hearts.

As the dance finished, I studied Elijah.

For the longest time now, I've wondered how my brother truly viewed Faith. There were times I was so sure he loved her. Then there were other times, I was sure he only saw her as a sister.

It was because of such thoughts that I had kept quiet about my growing feelings towards Faith. Not only was I uncertain about my feelings for the girl, I was afraid of what I felt for her.

More so, I was afraid of what Elijah may feel for her. And now as I see the way that Elijah watched her, my fears were confirmed.

We had both fallen in love with the same girl.