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Disclaimer: I don't own anything at all associated with The Originals. I just like to play around with the characters at times. I only own the plot... mostly.

Chapter 17 - Make Love, Not War

Dinner went off without a hitch and the rest of the night had been fun and relaxing. Hayley had been exhausted when they'd returned to the room. She didn't manage to stay up any longer than the moment her head hit her pillow. She didn't wake back up until she was shaken awake the next morning.

"Ugh!" Hayley groaned, slapping at the person who woke her. "Go away. I am sleeping."

"Get up birthday girl!" the person exclaimed in a whisper.

Hayley's eyes flew open and she rolled over, careful not to wake Elijah who was sleeping right next to her. "Birthday girl?"

Keelin chuckled quietly. "Did you forget today's date?"

Hayley shrugged. "Honestly I forgot the date of every day that we've been on the cruise."

Keelin shook her head and smiled. "Not really surprised."

Hayley stuck her tongue out at her.

"Come on and get up. Go get ready. We have annual birthday ritual to do."

"How exactly? We are on a ship right now."

"Hayley, we have literally gone to breakfast and then the ice rink every single birthday of yours since we were kids. You are never ever too old for ice skating. Now get ready and let's go. We are not going to stop our tradition this year."

"But... I just want to sleep in."

Keelin ignored her, standing up tall. "There is an ice rink a few floors up," she said, putting her hands on her hips. "You have no excuse not to come now. Let's go."

"Fine." Hayley sighed as she rolled over, throwing the covers off herself. "I'm choosing our tradition over more sleep," she mumbled. "You best feel very special."

"I do. I truly do."

~AllAtSea~

"Holy shit..."

"How have we not been here before now?"

"Beats me."

"That ice rink practically takes up the entire floor."

"Except for the area that was saved up for the bumper cars."

Hayley and Keelin turned to each other and in tandem exclaimed, "Best birthday ever!"

"So ice skating for a few hours and bumper cars for the other few hours before lunch?"

"Before dinner," Hayley corrected, grinning at her.

"I love the way you think."

"Think we could get the person working the ice rink to give us disco lights?"

"It's us. What do you think?"

"We always get what we want."

"Damn straight!"

Hayley winked at her. "The birthday girl especially gets what she wants."

"Now you're talking."

"Let's have some fun!"

~AllAtSea~

"Did you tell him we'd be here today?" Keelin asked, looking behind Hayley.

"Who?" Hayley asked as she came to a stop and turned around carefully.

"You tell him it was your birthday today?"

"No, I didn't." Hayley shook her head. "I hadn't even remembered it was my birthday until you woke me up this morning?"

"Maybe he's a mind reader."

Hayley rolled her eyes. "Yeah, sure. Mind reader, yes."

"You never know what abilities people in the world have these days."

"Abilities, yes. Super powers, doubt it."

"So close minded."

"I am plenty open minded."

"Doesn't sound like it."

"Bite me." Hayley laughed, skating over to where he was standing. "Are you stalking me, sir?"

"No need to when I heard it from you yourself where you were going to be."

"Say what now?" she asked, not remembering ever telling him; she didn't remember drinking last night.

"I wasn't asleep."

"Oh, right. Got it."

"Why didn't you tell me it was your birthday today?"

Hayley shrugged her shoulders. "Honestly, I'd forgotten what date it was. So much craziness going on this past week."

"Understandable."

"Thanks for coming. Unannounced, but still. I'm happy you're here."

Elijah smiled. "And I'm happy you're happy."

Hayley smiled back at him. "Honestly wouldn't want anyone else other than you and Keelin here right now."

"I got you something," Elijah said, pulling a box out of his pocket.

"You didn't have to do that, Elijah," Hayley replied with a small smile, pushing a strand of hair behind her ear.

"I know, but I wanted to."

"Well, I'm not gonna say no to an extra present."

"Good, because I was not going to let you." Elijah grinned, holding out the box.

Hayley grinned back, taking it from him. "Thank you," she said as she pulled the lid of the box.

Upon seeing the contents of the box, her jaw dropped.

"I take it you like it?"

Pulling the object out, she examined it before looking up at Elijah with her jaw slightly dropped. "This is the necklace I said I liked last week at the shops."

"I know you told me you did not want me buying it for you because it was expensive, but when I heard it was your birthday..."

A huge smile took over Hayley's face as she cut him off, throwing her arms around his neck and hugging him tightly. "Thank you, Elijah. No one has ever done something like this for me."

"You're welcome, Hayley," he replied, hugging her back.

Hayley melted into his embrace more when she felt him smile against the top of her head.

They stood there, embracing each other for she didn't know how long. Honestly she didn't want to pull away. Hayley was really comfortable and happy with Elijah's arms around her.

"Can you please put it on more." Hayley smiled, pulling away and holding out the necklace to him.

"Of course."

Hayley turned around, pulling her hair to the side away from her neck. An involuntary shiver ran up and down her back as she felt Elijah's fingers lightly touch her neck.

"Cold?"

"Uh... yeah... us being at the ice rink and all."

"Here." Elijah pulled his coat off, wrapping it around her.

Hayley pulled it close to her, breathing in his scent. Damn it, she really was falling hard for him.

~AllAtSea~

"Aren't you glad I talked you into this?" Hayley asked, lifting her champagne glass to her lips and taking a sip.

"It'd be unbecoming of me if I were to say the view isn't spectacular."

Hayley smiled as she looked out upon the water passing by underneath the ship. "Nothing quite like sitting in a hot tub while enjoying such a view."

"You've got that right," Elijah replied while staring at her, which didn't go unnoticed by Hayley.

"Are you talking about the view of the ocean, or something else?"

Elijah shrugged. "Can it not be both?"

"I mean, it could. But I have to wonder if it's not one thing more than the other."

"You never know. It may just be."

"I'd be willing to bet on it."

"You sure love your bets."

Hayley winked, taking another sip of her champagne. "Only the ones I know I can win."

"Very wise of you."

"I like to think so."

~AllAtSea~

Some time later and a full champagne gone, Hayley couldn't help but feel a certain way. There was no denying she was still a little bit afraid of the idea of getting too close to Ellijah after what happened with jackass. But she was so attracted to Elijah and he was such a damn good guy. Hayley was falling for him and she wanted him. She knew it. Surely he knew it. Everyone knew it probably. It was about time she did something about it.

Grinning, she closed the gap between her and Elijah so that their legs were touching.

"Hayley, what are you doing?"

"Nothing."

Looking down at their legs and back up to her face, Elijah raised an eyebrow. "Doesn't look like nothing."

Hayley shrugged her shoulders as she moved her hand to his leg, slowly trailing her fingers up the inside of his thigh.

Elijah chuckled, shaking his head. "You're drunk."

"Am not." Hayley giggled.

Elijah grabbed the champagne bottle from the hot tub ledge and lifted it up, revealing that it was empty. "I only had two glasses."

"I can hold my wine and champagne alcohol really well," Hayley said, assuring him. "I may have had a few drinks, but I have not had too many that you should feel like you are taking advantage of me."

Biting her lip, Hayley moved closer to him.

"Hayley..." he said, turning his head slightly to look at her.

"I promise you I want this, Elijah."

"Are you absolutely sure?"

"I'm absolutely sure. Don't be afraid of taking advantage of me. You're not."

"I just want to be sure."

"Let's not fight it, Elijah. We only have a few more days left together before we go our separate ways. Let's just enjoy what time we have left together."

"Okay."

Hayley grinned. "Good. Now please kiss me."

"As you wish."

There was no more talking after that. The second their lips touched, they were both completely engrossed I each other. The world around them no longer existed. It was just the two of them.

Neither of them knew who made the move, but Hayley ended up in Elijah's lap straddling him. Their hands in each other's hair, tongues invading each other's mouths. They were as close to each other as they could be without him actually being inside her.

Pulling away from her, Elijah moved down to her neck, pressing open mouthed kisses to her flesh. "We should take this to the bed."

Hayley nodded her head in agreement. "Sure, sure."

The move from the hot tub to the bed was going to be a tricky one they realized. Water was on the ground making it slippery to walk across. They made it no further than the steps leading down from the hot tub when they slipped. Elijah wound up sitting on the stairs with Hayley in his lap.

"But here is fine, too," Hayley breathed out, situating herself so that she was straddling him.

"Fine for me, too," Elijah said just before they both leaned forward and smashed their lips together.

It didn't take them long to pull Elijah's trunks down and push Hayley's bathing suit bottoms to the side. Before they even realized it, Elijah was in her with Hayley fully seated on him.

It was a push and pull motion as they tried to be as close to each other as possible. The pace was set at a fast speed as they both just wanted to be with each other and feel each other.

Hayley couldn't believe how could he felt inside her. No guy had ever felt as good as Elijah did. Not even jackass. Elijah truly was one of a kind, even her body agreed with her mind on that.

"Ow!" Hayley exclaimed, pulling away after accidentally kicking the side of the hot tub. Not awkward or embarrassing at all.

Elijah paused his movements. "Are you okay?"

Hayley nodded. "Yeah, yeah, yeah," she assured him. "Don't stop." Hayley began gyrating her hips against him to get him to move again.

It was heaven. She must have died and gone to heaven. It was so good. She couldn't get enough of him. And if she had to guess, he couldn't get enough of her.

"Oh, damn. So close, Elijah!" Hayley gasped feeling that too familiar clenching in her belly.

Understanding her silent message, Elijah reached down between them lightly stroking her through the thin fabric of her suit bottoms.

Hayley moaned, throwing her arms around his neck and pulling him closer. Her hands found their way in Elijah's hair, grabbing handfuls as she bounced quicker over him, his stroking quickening to match her own intense speed.

It wasn't long before she was clenching around him chanting his name and other obscenities. Her movements ceased and he slowed down his stroking but didn't let up. He coaxed her slowly through her orgasm until she came back down.

Hayley collapsed against his chest, her chest heaving, breathing heavy. "Damn that was..." she pulled back, grinning at him. "Amazing."

Elijah grinned back at her.

"Did you come?" Hayley asked, realizing she hadn't felt him come along with her.

"No, but it's fine," Elijah answered, assuring her. "As long as you came, I'm happy."

Getting off of him, she shook her head. "You may be, but I'm not," she replied, kneeling down in front of him.

"Hayley, you don't have to."

"Shut up. I want to." She smirked at him before leaning forward and getting to work.

They eventually made it to the bed that night.