Notes: This drabble was inspired in this gifset I created: post/636771807445254144/and-youve-got-your-demons-and-darlin-they
I decided to post it here as well because there's people that don't use tumblr… BUT if you do, follow me for more Kalijah stuff!
/
"I was worried about you, 'Lijah," Katherine prompted as she watched her lover walking into their apartment at The Abattoir.
The brunette beauty got up from the loveseat and marched in the entrance's direction, although Elijah didn't stir from the spot he was standing. He kept looking to the flames cracking over the fireplace by their side, avoiding Katherine's figure at all costs. He ven looked constructed, if the brunette was honest with herself.
"Elijah?" Katherine called for him, as she approached him, careful steps, because she noticed he was in a sort of trance, his sight deep into the bright orange flames.
She aimed her hand to touch his blood' stained cheek and a hurtful look appeared in her features when the Original flinched back before she could touch him, moving away to escape her attempts.
"Elijah," she tried once more, as he passed by her side, making a beeline for their bedroom, probably to take a shower, since he was bathed in his own blood, sweat, his previously flawless suit completely ruined.
"I can't look at you right now, please Tat- Katerina," he struggled with his words, his mind miles per second, his thoughts clouded by despair as the images Esther revealed to him replayed like a broken record in his mind. Elijah crossed the threshold and closed the door back to its arch, not even glancing back at his lover.
Katherine stood there speechless and feeling helpless. Normally, Elijah would have days where he couldn't actually talk about things that happened, Kat understood and respected that. After all, they had come a long way for just her to be here and be accepted by his family. When things like this occurred, Elijah would look for her eventually, seeking her opinion on the matter, or only comfort, when it turned out to be something she couldn't aid. Although he would never shut her away like he was doing right now. Ever.
She had made him promise, all those days back, that he would always find a way for them, when she had reconsidered giving him a second chance - short after he had left for New Orleans and realized what a coward he was for not chasing after her.
Katherine had only one request, and it was for him to always be sincere and truthful, to never hide anything from her, because that was to be his last chance, she didn't want to hurt anymore.
She loathed these kind of ultimatums, she didn't believe love could be build through them, but seeing how he was acting now, she could comprehend why she had asked it of him in the first place.
On the other hand, she didn't want to appear needy, for she wasn't. She was just worried. His resurrected witchy-witchy of a mother had kept him in her claws for a period, and that could never end well.
Letting a heavy sight escape her, Katherine left their rooms and descended the stairs in hopes to find his brother, if someone could tell her what had happened, it would be Klaus.
"It's not my story to tell, Katerina," the hybrid had said nursing his whiskey by the fireplace on the first floor.
"He almost called me Tatia," she put it out there and sensed Niklaus stiffen, even though he had his back to her.
Possibilities were rampaging in Katherine's mind. If Esther was back from the dead, if Finn was too, who could guess what else long lost acquaintances would appear?
Maybe he had saw Tatia, while Esther had him captive?
The thought of another doppelganger around made the stolen blood running through her veins go cold.
She didn't say anything else, as she left the Hybrid Original alone, ascending the stairs back to her chambers.
Everything was exactly like she had left it. The fire cracking, the book she was failing in concentrate into, while Elijah was away being tortured by his psycho of a mother, abandoned on the side table from when her lover had come back.
Katherine didn't pause her stride and slowly opened the door to their bedroom, it was bathed in moonlight, the bed pristinely made as it was this morning, the door to their walk-in closet ajar, just as it was before, only in the far corner of the room, Elijah's favorite armchair was occupied. By him.
The vampiress silently closed the door behind her and walked cautiously in her partner's direction, 'till she was in front of him.
"'Lijah," she used his nickname to give him closure somehow.
He diverted his look from the world outside the window and faced her.
His demeanor spent, troubled, scared.
It broke Katherine's heart.
"I saw you," he initiated, glancing back at the city outside.
"I was here the whole time, I couldn't find you, so Klaus made me stay here, in case you showed up," she explained "your mother never reached me," Kat tried to reason.
She heard the heavy sigh he let out and moved her hand to touch the one in his lap.
"There is a red door," he still couldn't sustain the face she wore without his thoughts traveling back to the horrid memories he once thought were a nightmare, and Katherine didn't insist, she only held his hand while he talked "my past mistakes, I have always hidden them on the other side of this door, pretending they never existed in the first place. My mother show- reminded me what was inside," he managed a ragged beath, his tone as of a broken man.
Katherine had never seen him so distressed, not even when Hope was about to be born and hell broke out.
"You said you saw me? She didn't touch a hair in my head, Elijah, you can-"
"I killed her, Katerina," his voice was heavy with guilt. His eyes finally making contact with hers and Katherine watched the pain in them with heart-clenching ache in her own.
"It was I who killed Tatia, not my mother's ritual." Katherine's grip in his hand grew stronger as his eyes glistened with unshed tears. The emphasis he used showing how sorry he was.
"Elija-"
"I am a monster!" he announced suddenly leaving the chair and walking away from the brunette.
"No, you're not," she immediately disagreed as she turned around to face his bare back. She wanted to say weren't them all?!'however decided against it for only would worsen things.
Katherine continued watching his shoulders up and down with his breathing, his pajama pants hanging low on his waistline.
"It could've been you, Katerina!" he accused to no one in particular, still not facing her, afraid of seeing fear in her face. He couldn't conceive if she was afraid of him.
"I feel like I killed you, Katerina," his voice lowering an octave now, "I cannot stand the idea of hurting you, I-"
He turned around and watched as her own eyes glistened with uncalled tears.
"Katerina, I'm so sorry," he looked down his bare feet, his voice low in desperation for he couldn't predict what she was to tell. He was sorry for feeling like he could hurt her in any way. He was sorry it had happened, even though it wasn't his fault. Sorry he got this demon hunting him, and that it looked like his Katerina. Elijah was sorry there's been a person who wore her face once upon a time, in the first place, he was sorry his selfishness wouldn't allow him to live without her.
The silence endured one more heartbeat before she spoke "But you didn't, you would never hurt me that way, Elijah" his name softly spoken be her as always. Katherine walked the few steps separating them and touched his face tenderly, brushing his lips with her thumb.
The man didn't offer her a vocal response, instead Katherine watched as he fell to his knees, at her pump-clad feet, and hugged her middle-section tight burring his head in her stomach as he finally let his tears run free.
Katherine felt her own tears shed as she ran her hand through his soft brown hair, shushing him and assuring her lover everything was going to end up alright.
"If I ever lose my mind, I want you to run as far away from me as possible, Katerina, I-" he was silenced by another wave of guilt at only consider the possibility of hurting her more than he had in the past.
"I love you," he whispered after a while in the same position when his tears subsided.
She smiled at him, even though he couldn't see it and never ceased to comb his hair while whispering back in the dark room "I love you, too."