You spend your morning in bed, far later than you usually do. You wonder if Klaus will really come today.
A few weeks ago, the thought would have struck dread into the pit of your stomach. Now you're actively anticipating your next visit. You're well aware that you're being an idiot, you could find a way out of this mess if you really wanted to. (If there's one thing you know, it's that there's always a way out). You don't know if you do anymore.
The thought is terrifying.
You don't feel like baking today and there's only so much cleaning you can do. You need to find a new hobby. There's only so much you can do with four bottles of acrylic paint. You find your stash of board games with the vague intention of playing solitaire. You manage to find an old card deck with kittens plastered on them. It's all set up when there's a knock at the door.
"I was told you were growing bored in your confinement," Elijah says smoothly, "I bring entertainment."
Your eyes gaze over the stack of books and DVDs he carries.
"I can see that," you say, "Please come in."
He smiles and enters.
"I don't know why it's surprising that you know what a movie is, but it is."
"I'm a thousand years old, not incapable," he says, amused.
You think of your parents who barely know what Wifi is.
"You'd be surprised," you murmur.
His lips curve. "What is your plan for the day?"
You shrug. "I didn't have one until you showed up. Have anywhere to be?" He hums.
"Not particularly."
You smile.
"Excellent."
You put in one of Elijah's movies (he brought over possibly the most eclectic collection you've ever seen, but you did manage to find the original Mummy). The black and white title screen pulls up and you press play. You pull out scrabble.
"How do you feel about board games?"
Elijah, surprisingly, likes them.
"I'd play chess with you if I wasn't horrendous," you say dryly as you set up the board. You sweep your game of solitaire to the floor. He just laughs.
"Niklaus and I have been playing the same game for three hundred years now. He's an insufferable cheat."
"Yeah," you say, amused, "He gives me that impression."
Elijah smiles.
You look away as he settles in one of your arm chairs. You wrap a blanket around yourself. It's almost the time of the year to put plastic wrap on the windows. Elijah notices you shivering.
"Do you have a fireplace?"
You shake your head. "No, unfortunately. I think I have a space heater around here somewhere."
Elijah finds it for you and sets it up in the living room. He faces it towards you.
"Do you get cold?" You ask, giving Elijah his tiles. He sets them up on the tile stand.
"If you mean can we feel it, yes," he says, "But it doesn't carry the same connotations that it does when you're human. It's not uncomfortable. It's just there."
"Do you have to breathe?"
"To stay conscious, yes, but we won't die."
You're not quite sure how that works.
He motions for you to go first. You examine your tiles and carefully lay down VET. Elijah makes it plural by playing TEMPS across the bottom.
"That cannot count."
Elijah just shrugs and you see the corner of his mouth twitch. You play TEN and Elijah responds with CAPS.
"I thought vampires burn in the sun," you say, "Is that a myth too?"
Elijah doesn't blink at your series of questions. "Most can't," he says, "They need rings enchanted by a witch or they will die."
"They?"
"My family is… stronger than other vampires."
You lay down ANGRY on the board.
"Any chance on getting you to elaborate on that?"
His lips curve. "I believe I'll leave that for my brother."
"Klaus doesn't tell me anything," you say and Elijah seems surprised. He looks like he's about to say something, but instead he plays MALT.
"What does he tell you?" Elijah eventually asks. You just shrug.
"Nothing, really," you say, "Last time we just talked about recipes. I honestly think he only comes over when he's bored."
Elijah hums.
"I doubt that."
You play LIE and land on a triple point square.
"Why?"
"My brother is never bored," Elijah says dryly, "He has far too many enemies."
"If you can find an alternate explanation for why he keeps showing up at my house, be my guest."
"I originally believed he was plotting something with you," Elijah says and you blink.
"What made you believe otherwise?"
"Nothing showed up on our… 'background check'."
"You googled me?"
He plays LIES and hums. "Not quite. You've truly never had any interaction with the supernatural before, have you?"
"No," you say, "I haven't."
Elijah is quiet for a moment and you sort your tiles without seeing them.
"I think sometimes we forget," he eventually says, "That there are innocents in the world when ours is so dark."
"So I'm an innocent?"
Elijah flashes you a smile. "In the context of my family's lives, you could say that."
"Well," you say, "I guess I'd rather be considered harmless than dangerous."
"Yes," Elijah says, "I would think so."
You re arrange your tiles and avoid eye contact for a moment.
"Is that why you really met me?" You ask carefully, "Because you thought I was a threat?"
Elijah pauses for a moment. You play GNATS. Elijah responds with SANTA.
"I may have engineered our meeting," Elijah admits.
"Then why are you still here?"
Elijah looks up from the board to glance at you, false question in his gaze. You continue.
"You must have figured out by now I'm not hiding anything," you say dryly.
If he hasn't, then he's a worse detective than you thought. He's silent for a moment and his answer lays unwritten in the open air. Your heart sinks.
"I try to keep an eye on all of Niklaus's preoccupations," he says, "He does not always have the best judgement."
"I'm guessing you're the oldest."
He looks at you, amused. "Nearly," he says and doesn't elaborate.
You quietly continue to play the game and Elijah continues to collect more points. You find it odd that Elijah thinks you're a danger to his family. You wonder if Klaus thinks that too. (No, you think to yourself, Klaus would kill you the minute he suspected you of trying to harm his family). You wonder what it's like to not be able to trust anyone you meet.
"I feel like I should accuse you of cheating," you say when you near the end of the game, "But I think I'm just bad at this game."
"I wouldn't say that, " Elijah says, amusement lacing his voice.
"You wouldn't say it because it's rude, not because it's not true."
He just smiles.
You count up your points and Elijah wins by a landslide. The Mummy is only halfway done.
"Where did you get all the movies?" You ask, "You don't strike me as a film person."
"You're half right," he hums, "I borrowed them from Kol's collection. The books are from me."
Not a good move. He's already avoiding you over the blood debacle.
"He's not going to kill me over them, will he?"
Elijah's lips curve. "Doubtful he'll even notice they're gone."
"I'll haunt you if he kills me."
"I'm afraid I don't know where human souls go when they pass on," Elijah says, "I don't know if you'll have the means to haunt me."
"Every time I see one of you I learn something I never wanted to know."
Elijah inclines his head. "This must be very confusing for you."
"You could say that," you mutter. You wrap your blanket tighter around you. Elijah watches you, eyes dancing over your face.
"I'm sorry you got involved in this."
"As long as I can get uninvolved in it."
"Is that what you want?"
You hesitate and burrow into your chair. "It's not like that's possible right now."
"I don't believe that's what I asked."
You don't know what to say. (Not quite true, you just don't know how to say it). You settle for what you think is the truth.
"No," you say, "I don't."
Elijah's eyes examine you so deeply you almost look away. You stop yourself.
"Do you want some tea?" You ask, just to break the silence.
"Yes," he says, "I rather think I would."
You heat water and pull out plain black tea. Elijah stands at your breakfast bar.
"No vervain for you?" He asks lightly, "I was under the impression it was your favorite."
You hesitate while putting in the tea bag.
"It is," you say, "I just didn't want to… you know—"
"Please," he says, "Don't stop on my account."
If this were Klaus or Kol, you would say this is a trick. You're still not sure if it is or not. Hesitantly, you pull out your tin of vervain tea. You make it plain and serve Elijah's his separate cup. He takes it politely.
"Thank you."
He follows you back into the living room, the movie is still playing. You play another game of scrabble and you learn Elijah doesn't know how to play Spoons. You frown.
"I'd teach you, but you can't really play with two people," you say regretfully.
Elijah seems mildly amused.
"Perhaps when there's more of us."
"That might be smart," you hum, "To have all of you here at the same time."
"Oh?"
His tone is this side of suspicious.
"I'd like this Damon situation resolved sooner rather than later," you say dryly. Elijah relaxes minutely.
"Yes," he says, "I rather think you would."
The movie ends and he finishes his tea. You're about to offer him another cup when he gets up as if to leave.
"Tell Klaus thanks for sending you over."
He looks at you, amused.
"Oh, I volunteered."
You don't know what to make of that, so you don't say anything. You bid him good night as he leaves and lock the door behind him. He leaves the books and movies and you examine the stack of paperbacks. They're well worn, you note. You trace the browned paper with your fingertips.
You wonder what it will take for Elijah to trust you.
(Time, you suspect).
You fall asleep easy that night.
Hope you guys are enjoying the fic :-) Also since it's not super clear, this is a Polyamory fic with All of the originals. But this is going to be a huge slow burn, you have a while until we get to that point