((Thank you all for your kind reviews of Chapter 10. I have to mention that the first time I heard Christina Perri's 'A Thousand Years' it was the music in a Klaus/Caroline video!:) LOL! But, I thought that it would just work out perfectly for this couple and the scene turned out better than I could have imagined. I hope you like this chapter as well. Sorry it's short this time. Feel free to suggest ideas for future chapters in the reviews section or message me.))
After their dance, Elena hadn't really said anything and Elijah hadn't really expected her to.
They spent the next four hours drinking and having a good time, celebrating his birthday, though it was obvious the sexual tension had magnified between them.
Elijah understood that Elena would need time after his declaration on the dance floor.
But, he had to admit that it felt good to finally have sorted out his feelings and get them out in the open.
The 10th century chivalrous noble in him made him feel that he had been too forward, but he couldn't help it…it all just sort of came out.
Love does that to people.
Elijah hadn't lied to her when he said that it had been a long time since he had truly loved someone—a thousand years, in fact—but he couldn't help but relish in the feeling of it again.
But, Elena had much more to deal with in her life than he had, including the Salvatore brothers, who Elijah was sure she still had some sort of feelings for.
She couldn't just walk away from that, even after what he had said, and it would be both wrong of him and impractical to just expect her to reciprocate his feelings immediately.
Still, he found himself wondering what her feelings for him were.
That wasn't wrong was it? To want to know?
He kept telling himself that he would find out soon enough.
He was a patient man…he could wait.
In fact he had waited much longer for things much less trivial…
It was approaching 11pm when the Mercedes halted in the circle drive in front of the mansion and Elijah put the car in park as Elena opened the passenger side door, coming out unsteadily to her feet.
"You know, this may be the liquor talking..." Elena said with hooded eyes, "but that's the most fun I've had in a long time! Who knew a sixty/forty bar could be so much fun?"
She giggled uncontrollably for a moment, leaning on the trunk of the car as she watched Elijah close his door and round the back to meet up with her.
"I'm not sure what part of the night was my favorite," he mused as he removed his suit jacket and tossed it over his arm, "when that man who looked like Hugh Heffner climbed up on the bar and sang 'Desperado' or when I went to the restroom and found those two women making out."
"Oh! Oh my God!" Elena chimed in a slightly slurred voice, "Or when that guy in the purple velour jogging suit asked me for a dance and then, after I said no…he turned around and asked you!"
"Wait until you see this…" Elijah smirked as he reached into the inside of his jacket and pulled out a cocktail napkin, holding it up for Elena to see, "He slipped his number into my jacket!"
"What? No!" Elena busted up laughing, narrowing her eyes in disbelief as she took the cocktail napkin in her hand to study it.
"Why do I always get hit on by men at bars?" Elijah asked thoughtfully, "First Gabe, then the purple velour guy-"
"Hold on," Elena interrupted, holding her hand up with a smirk, "Gabe... the bartender?"
"Oh yeah…" Elijah replied, pulling his check out of his pocket and holding it out to Elena, pointing to the bottom where Gabe had written his name and number on the bottom with a winking smiley face.
"Oh, my God…" Elena giggled in amusement, "This is too priceless..."
"I don't get it," Elijah mused, "Is it the wardrobe?"
Elena rolled her eyes as she crumpled up the check and the cocktail napkin and tossed it clumsily over her shoulder onto the driveway.
"Well, will it help if I told you I like your wardrobe and as a woman, find it very attractive?"
A small smile crossed Elijah's face as he stepped forward, raising a teasing eyebrow, "Really?"
Elena nodded as she took her own step forward, but stopped suddenly in her tracks, visibly wobbling.
As she closed her eyes to suppress her nausea, Elijah grasped her arm to steady her.
"Easy there, Ace," he said, trying to hold her up, but failing, "You alright?"
Elena let herself fall against his chest and Elijah caught her
"Maybe all that bourbon was a bad idea. I don't feel so good," she whimpered into his dress shirt
"Well, you're going to feel even worse tomorrow morning," Elijah chuckled, wrapping his arms around her and holding her steadily against him.
"Thanks for ruining the surprise," Elena quipped, then sighed contently, feeling their connection humming between them, causing amazing and familiar sensations throughout her body.
"This is nice…" she whispered, tightening her arms around Elijah and taking in his scent
Elijah smirked as he rested his chin on the crown of her head and brought his right hand up to stroke her hair softly, himself relishing the feel of their connection, "Yes, it is…"
"Can we just stand out here like this forever?" Elena asked, her voice starting to get groggy
Elijah smiled, then feeling her body relaxing against him, pulled back slightly to see that her eyes were fluttering—she was falling asleep.
"I would love that," he replied softly, "But I can't imagine it would be a very comfortable position to sleep in. We should get you to bed."
"I won't make it…" Elena whimpered, her head falling against his shoulder, "Will you carry me?"
"Uh, no," Elijah chuckled, "First of all, you got yourself into this mess, young lady, I just paid the bar tab. And second, I'm slightly inebriated, myself. I'm not carrying you."
Elena exhaled deeply as she forced herself to open her eyes and lean back from him, her face pouting as she met his gaze.
"Oh, we're breaking out the pouty face, are we?" Elijah smirked, amused as he brought his jacket over her shoulders to keep her warm and Elena stuck her lip out further and softened her dark eyes, batting them.
"You can give me the doe eyes all you want, Elena, it's not going to work on me…" Elijah chuckled, "I have a sister, remember?"
Elena brought her arms up around Elijah's neck and raised herself up on her tip toes, leaning against him again as she rested her cheek on the side of his face and whispered into his ear in a pleading voice.
"Please, Elijah?"
Elijah sighed in defeat as Elena pulled back, still wearing her pouting face, and he looked into her eyes, pushing her dark hair behind her ear.
"Fine…just this once," he smiled, taking hold of her left arm and throwing it over his shoulder, around his neck, and pulling her up into his arms, "Get up here..."
Elena sighed, a small smile crossing her face as she wrapped her other arm securely around his neck, leaning her head sleepily onto his shoulder as he started up the front porch steps with her in his arms.
When they entered the house, he kicked the door shut behind them and easily maneuvered through the dark foyer and up the staircase to the second floor.
At the top landing, he turned and made his way to Elena's room, opening the door with his free hand and turning on the light as he crossed the room and gently laid Elena on top of her bed.
The moment her sleeping body hit the comforter, she curled up in a ball as Elijah sat down on the edge of the bed and gently removed his suit jacket from her shoulders, tossing it on a nearby chair, then started taking off her dress shoes one by one and placed them on the floor.
Realizing that she was too tired to move under the bed covers, he stood and walked to the cedar chest at the end of the bed, lifting the lid and producing a large thermal blanket from it.
He then moved back to his seat on the edge of the bed, reaching up and grabbing one of the large pillows, then gently lifting Elena's head and tucking the pillow under it. When he lowered her head, he smoothed his hair out with his hand as she whimpered and murmured something in her sleep.
He smirked as he unfolded the blanket in his arms completely, then draped it over her, his eyes studying her sleeping form intently before he leaned over her and kissed her left temple.
"Good night, Sweet girl," he whispered in her ear, then pulled back, sliding to the edge of the bed and rising to his feet to leave.
But as he did so, he suddenly felt a hand catch his, halting him in his tracks.
Elijah turned back and saw that Elena had rolled over under the blanket to face him.
He smiled softly as he looked down to see her delicate hand resting in his, holding it tight.
"Please don't go," she said softly, blinking her eyes slowly, studying him
"I won't, if you don't want me to," Elijah replied, sitting down on the edge of the bed again
"I don't want you to…" she affirmed before sleep overwhelmed her again and she exhaled shallowly, her eyes closing and her hand relaxing in his.
Elijah smirked as he released her hand and pulled away slightly, immediately kicking off his dress shoes and untucking his dress shirt before unbuttoning it and pulling it off his shoulders and tossing it on the chair with his suit jacket, leaving him in his white undershirt and dress slacks.
He slid quietly into the spot next to her on the bed, propping a pillow behind his head as he laid back and turned on his side to face her, pulling the blanket up higher over her shoulders before bringing his hand to stroke her cheek gently… his eyes focusing on her as he watched her sleep.