They splashed around and swam about the pool for a while until Rebekah had insisted on a few more drinking games, they had partook in beer pong, kings cup and briefly played 'would you rather'.
Now they were in a tangled state as Rebekah retrieved the game 'twister' from her bedroom that she obtained during her stay in Mystic Falls. She had played it with the Salvatore's and Matt one drunken night but she kept that bit of information to herself.
Elena was still stood up but Rebekah was between her legs, Elijah was behind her and Kol was tangled between them all; Klaus had decided to man the wheel and give the orders on placement, he had flat out refused to partake in a game that meant wrapping himself up in his siblings and Elena.
"Elena, left hand, red," she glanced around the mat and saw the red circle at the top centre, she shook her head lightly as she leaned over Rebekah and Elijah and placed her hand on it, trying to ignore the fact that she was dangling over her fiancée, chest area and all.
Kol chuckled lightly as her face came closer to him and she was now in an upside down u-shape across the mat with each of his siblings beneath her.
"I'm never doing this again," she exasperated with a shake of her head.
"I find Rebekah to be quite the genius in this decision," Elijah said with his silky and smooth voice as he peered his head to the side, seeing the curve in her waist beside him and the firmness that followed up.
"Mr. Mikaelson," she said with a playful gasp as she flashed him a sultry grin from her upside down state.
"Ew!" Rebekah muttered under her breath with a look of disgust spread across her features.
"He's not wrong, dear sister," he was ever the torment and she shook her head slightly before focusing her mind and magically sending a harsh blast of wind against him, causing him to fall onto his back and take the others down with him. She knew he was harmless and it was all in good fun but she couldn't let him get away with it every time.
"And that concludes twister," Klaus smirked as he stood from the armchair and looked down at the entangled mess that was his siblings and Elena, each of them laughing as he extended his hands towards his sister and Elena.
Rebekah came up onto her feet faster than the entangled mess that was Elena and Klaus pulled at her gently, causing her to fly up and land against him with a liquor induced dizziness, "steady there, little warrior, we may have to cut you off."
She pressed her hand to her forehead and laughed, forcing herself to shake the dizziness from her mind and return to a somewhat normal state; Rebekah looked once again at Klaus and how he let his hand linger on her bare waist for a few moments longer than he should and held onto her until she was steady on her feet and Elijah was up to take over.
And how deeply hidden his torment was that Elena didn't even notice him.
"Can the next activities involve me not drinking anymore?" She grinned on Elijah's lips and sunk into his hold, her heart racing as he wrapped her up safely within him.
"Which means Niklaus got the number 4," Rebekah observed as they all joined together in a circle and eagerly stared at the hybrid, "what's it going to be, brother?"
"Why did I enforce the rule of no violence? A stroll through bourbon street sounds quite delectable," he said amusingly with a smirk before taking another sip of his scotch and flickering his gaze between his siblings and Elena, "firstly, we are to fence, all swords blunt, of course and secondly, we are each to tell a tale."
"Positively medieval, brother, I expected no less," Elijah was happy with his choices, they didn't often relish in the activities of old and at the very least, Elena could sit this one out.
"I'm going to destroy you all," Rebekah said proudly as she returned into the house to change.
"Oh please," Kol scoffed, following by a chuckle as he followed her but she quickly spun on her heel and she chased him through the house.
Elena returned to their room, she dried herself off and changed into her usual loungewear but with a Christmassy twist; she wore a red and white, thick-knitted romper that was fluffy and hooded with stringed pom balls at the end, there was a zip on the front and it was long sleeved.
She left her bedroom and went into Elijah's study, taking the laptop from the drawer before rejoining with the siblings in the garden; they where all dressed in their normal attire once again and there was swords placed on the rattan armchair.
She took a took seat on the corner sofa, her legs extended out in front of her and overlapping as she placed the laptop on them and switched in on, "since I'm sitting this one out, I just have something super quick to do for Marcel."
Elijah approached her, picking up the swords from the chair and hovering around Elena, his curiosity piqued, "what is it?"
"Just some forms, nothing important," she smiled kindly towards him before standing from her chair and pressing a soft kiss on his cheek, "now, defeat your brothers."
He smirked and nodded his head, before speeding towards Kol and tossing him a sword that he caught effortlessly in his hand; Elena chuckled lightly before returning to the sofa and continuing in her work.
She heard the collision of blades and the breeze of wind when they moved so quick, she could barely see them but she focused on her forms, filling out her personal information and completing the application.
Rebekah and Kol had switched and Elijah now faced Klaus, the battle between them being more intense and forceful than it was with their other siblings, they had more to prove with each other.
Elena stood from the chair, her eyes still focused on the laptop in her hands as she went inside the house once again and headed for the study; she put the computer down on his desk before walking towards one of his paintings on the wall and taking it down, revealing a safe.
She spun the dial and input the correct numbers, it clicked and she was able to open it; rummaging through the contents of papers, she pulled out a small folder that contained the information he had acquired for her when he made her a resident of New Orleans.
Passport, new social security, bank information, etc and she had to input it all into the forms; she sat behind the desk with crossed legs and the laptop in her lap as she continued on until an hour later, she was almost done.
"We were wondering where you had vanished too," Elijah said as each of the siblings entered the room one-by-one and watched her in focused work form.
"I'm almost done," she typed away a little bit faster, feeling the staring eyes on her and the discomfort grew; she filled in the last piece of information and hit send, she closed the laptop and placed it back in the drawer, along with gathering her paperwork and concealing the safe was once again, "so, who won?"
"I bested Kol," Elijah spoke proudly and amusingly as he placed his hand on Elena's lower back and they all walked back into the living room, "but me and Niklaus still remain in a tie."
"And what about you, Bekah?" Elena asked with a kind smile but she was instantly shot down with a frustrated glare from the original vampire.
"I don't want to talk about it," she exasperated as she took the bottle of scotch and a glass from the side and slumped onto the sofa, "so, storytelling, let's get this over with."
Elena also grabbed a glass and sat down beside Rebekah, she poured them both a drink out and they took a large swig; Klaus had just finished lighting a fire before the brothers all took a seat around the coffee table and began in their tales.
Klaus had told the story of a time in the 1200's when he had separated from his siblings to attempt to find his own way and own identity away from always and forever but how after a decade of bloodshed and loneliness, he tracked them down and reunited their family, realising that way deep down, their vow was his identity.
Kol shared a story of a decade spent in complete debauchery, everything from countless women and parties to the destruction of a town in Rio De Janeiro, the whole while he was intoxicated and out of control with his vampire nature.
Elena first thought his story was one he meant as a brag but it turned out to be more profound, it was at this point he knew being that out of control would only further his torment but he couldn't stop and he needed his family.
Rebekah spoke of a past love, one from her human days that she took a liking too but he broke her heart post-transformation and she killed him, she had never told anyone of that story and she felt it was the only one they didn't know about.
Elijah spoke of a small town in the south of France that he once visited, he talked of its beauty and serenity and it brought him peace, he even admitted to it once being a desire for him and his family to live there, even if only temporarily so they could bask in the peace and idyllic nature surrounding it. Elena thought it sounded perfect.
And finally, it was Elena's turn but she came up blank, she had only been alive for 20 years, she had no tales to tell or battle stories to relish in, only the internal struggles she had after her parents died; she found herself just rambling on about her early days in high school and the time leading up to meeting Stefan.
They all found her normality quite amusing and hearing stories of her younger days where fascinating, it was hard to picture her as a carefree adolescent who thrived in school and was a blessing to those around her, since they had met she had been in a constant battle, even with each of them at one point and it took a toll on her spirit. She didn't say that though, there was no reason to relive it.
They all sympathised with her and reminded her of the immense strength she had and how she would always be a member of their family, her troubles were theirs and they were forever bonded.
Finishing their drinks and their discussions, they all stood from the sofa and congregated around the liquor cabinet, Klaus pouring the last one of the evening and turning to face Elena, "so, little warrior, what will our final activities of the night be?"
"Okay so, remember that you can't say no but there's been only two things I've wanted to do this Christmas and none of you are going to like it," they all looked at her eagerly and confused, a wide and amused grin appearing on her lips as she spoke, "we're going to decorate the Christmas tree and watch the most mushiest Christmas rom-com we can find. And I mean, we're going all out, I want popcorn and blankets, a tonne of cushions, pyjamas and most importantly, no complaints."
"Torture, Elena, physical and mental torture," Kol exclaimed instantaneously, a small sigh escaping his lips, "must you be so human?"
"I find it to be one of my most redeeming qualities," she stated in response, each of them all nodding their heads in agreement; a thought dawned on her, she looked around the room and gave a confused stare, "wait, is there even a tv in the house?"
"No but I will ask one of my hybrids to deliver us one before we finish decorating the Christmas tree," Klaus flashed her a small smile and she was thrilled.
"So, you're saying we can do this?" She could feel the excitement bubble away within her as they all agreed, the only one who was truly disapproving was Kol but she would prove him wrong and show him the even the smallest of human pleasures can be the ones that bring you the most peace.
Rebekah and Elena retrieved the boxes of decorations from the cupboard under the stairs and brought them into the living room with the help of Elijah; they started unpacking them and looking for the lights and tinsel.
Klaus returned from his phone call and started to help with the boxes, before turning his attention to Elena, "we will have a television within the hour."
"Oh my god, thank you!" She exclaimed giddily, her wide smile brought the hybrid joy and it made the tedium of decorating and Christmas movies worth it; she threw her arms around him in a quick and excited hug and he melted.
"You're welcome, Elena," he smiled on her shoulder before they released each other and she went back to the decorations.
She found packs of fairy lights that where a warm white colour, she pulled them from their box and held them flat in her hands; saying a small chant, they started to float and untangle, the siblings watched as the lights began to flicker as she used her magic to wrap them around the tree.
Rebekah looked at the now tangled set of lights in her hands with frustration and passed them to Elena with a slight force; she chuckled quietly as she repeated the same process with this set of lights and used her magic to wrap them around the tree.
They all stood around it, wrapping tinsel and placing baubles on the branches, even Kol seemed to be enjoying himself as he had an unwavering smile as they all laughed with each other and found merriment in the simple task.
"Oh, I almost forgot," she darted into Elijah's study where she had left her purse and rummaged through it, pulling out one christmas decoration she forgot she had made for them and returned to the living room; she slid it onto a centre branch and they all looked amongst each other with warm smiles as they looked at the decoration.
Elijah let it dangle loosely in his fingers and smirked, "the white oak tree."
They looked at the wood carving of a tree painted in white and it was set inside a white ring that had the words carved in that they lived by.
"Always and forever," Elijah said quietly under his breath as he smoothed his finger over the engraving and turned to face her, "it's perfect."
"I'm glad you all like it," they all joined in a group hug, the cosy feel of the lit fireplace, the Christmas lights twinkling and the decorations that had been dotted around the room brought her a warm sense of family and she was drowning in love.
Just as they where about to finish the decorating, Klaus' hybrid brought in a large box and started setting up; he had moved the coffee table in front of the window beside the Christmas tree and put the television on top of it for now until they made other arrangements for it.
"Almost done," Klaus reached into the last box and removed the tree topper, a silver Christmas star that glistened in glitter and held it towards Elena, "would you care to do the honours?"
She held it in her hands loosely and focused her magic, loosely separating the grip she had of it, it hovered in the air between her hands until it floated on top of the tree and slid onto the top branch, "perfect."
"It's beautiful," Rebekah said with a grin as she slid her arm around the doppelgängers shoulder and rested her head on the side of hers, "I'm glad you forced us to do this."
"As am I," Elijah grasped her hand and brought it to his lips, placing a soft kiss on the back of her palm.
"Indeed," Klaus nodded his head in agreement, his eyes gazing up at the tree and finding the humanity of it quite soothing.
"I had no objections whatsoever," Kol said, rife with sarcasm and they scoffed, bringing a small laugh to the vampire, "so, let's set this movie up, I'd rather my torture be over with sooner rather than later."
"One last thing," Rebekah reached into the pocket of her pyjamas and pulled out a camera, everyone groaned playfully at her request and stared at her with smirks and disapproving looks.
"Oh, stop your moaning and get in position," Rebekah said impatiently as she passed the camera to Klaus who was stood at the end, "Besides, I've been taking sneaky pictures all night of us, we will want to remember this."
"She right, guys," Elena agreed as she stood beside Elijah and looked amongst the siblings, "tonight's been perfect, we should commemorate it."
They all stood in front of the Christmas tree, Elena stood in between Elijah and Klaus and she wrapped her arms around both of their waists, Rebekah and Kol bunched in on the end and they squeezed into the photo with wide grins and a closeness.
Klaus held the camera up above his head and he wouldn't normally smile but he offered a slight curl of his lip as he snapped the picture; he passed the camera back to Rebekah and she held it in front of Elena as they looked at it, "perfect."
A short while later, they had set the living room up, they pulled all the furniture together and made a cosy area for them to sit with the sofas now joined vertically and pushed together to resemble a bed of some sort; there was a mass amount of blankets and pillows, Rebekah made popcorn and gathered some sweet snacks and chips before joining Elena on the sofas.
"I didn't think the guys owned pyjamas," Elena said as she took a piece of popcorn from the bowl and ate it, shrugging her shoulders lightly at Rebekah.
"We don't," Kol said with a smirk as he appeared beside the sofa in nothing but his boxers and his fists placed on his hips as he looked to the ceiling as if he was a Greek God about to be carved in clay.
"Oh my god," Elena mumbled under her breath as she closed her eyes for a long moment and laughed astonishingly; she picked up one of the cushions and threw it his way, it collided with his chest and he smirked, "you're sitting way over there."
"For gods sake, Kol, would you put on a bloody shirt," Rebekah rolled her eyes and made her annoyance apparent.
"Elena requested pyjamas and I'm afraid this is how I sleep," he jumped onto the sofa beside Rebekah and perched in the far corner, a smirk permanently etched onto his lips.
"He's not wrong," Elijah said as he flashed down the stairs and lay beside Elena on the sofa, he wore a black t-shirt with only his boxers and she smiled amusingly.
"I am not finding this even remotely funny," Klaus came down the stairs not long after Elijah, dressed pretty much the same, he wore a long-sleeved black t-shirt and his boxers, "I may have to invest in nightwear in case this happens again in the future."
Elena couldn't stop the eruption of laughter that burst from her lips as she looked at the siblings, even Rebekah found amusement in their discomfort and she found her activity to be genius.
Klaus sat on the corner beside Elijah and they all pulled blankets over them, hiding the underwear and bare legs they had been forced to sit in; Elena was scrolling through the movies and taking a few minutes to decide.
"Miracle on 34th street?" She suggested, pointing the remote at the television and tilting her head slightly.
"God, no," Kol muttered under his breath and she continued to scroll through until Rebekah stopped her with a gasp and looked to the doppelganger with suggestive eyes as she decided upon a movie.
"I do love this movie," she said in a contemplative tone of voice, flickering her gaze between the television and Rebekah, who was nodding her head maliciously.
"As do I," she responded, taking the remote from her hand and pressing 'play', the guys all rolled their eyes when they saw the title appear on the screen and sighed.
'Love, actually'.
"Why do I have a feeling I'm going to hate this movie?" Kol said with his hand pressed against his forehead
"Because you don't have a romantic bone in your body, brother," the Original sister took the bowl of popcorn from his lap and nestled it between herself and Elena. She cosied up against Elijah and started picking at the popcorn, she hadn't even noticed the smile on her lips that didn't fade.
"Elijah, you have to agree with me," Kol looked to his brothers, his eyes widened and his hands extended beside him, "Nik?"
"I've sat through far worse," Elijah responded, much to his dismay and Elena was triumphant; she grabbed the second bowl of popcorn from the space by her feet and handed it over to the two brothers.
"I agree with Elijah, we've faced more catastrophic events than a romantic comedy and Elena has graciously partook in all of our activities this evening, so stop complaining, brother," Klaus turned to face Kol with an amused smirk, seeing his torment as more of a reason to sit through a tedious movie.
"I can compromise," Elena said with a light shrug of her shoulders, "indulge me and Rebekah this one movie and we can watch die hard next. Me and Jeremy used to watch it every year."
"Deal," Kol was excited by her deal and he sunk in his seat, extending his legs out in front of him and picking at the popcorn, causing each of them to chuckle.
"Just one more," Rebekah pulled the camera out of her pocket once more and tossed it to Klaus, they all snuggled up under the blankets and nestled against each other, wide grins on their lips before the hybrid snapped the photo.
"It's starting," Elena was far too giddy, the two girls cosied up together and their eyes fixated on the large screen before them, picking at popcorn and and the snacks, basking in a perfect human moment with their family.