The front door to Elijah's condo – their condo? – had barely shut behind them before Elena could feel the rage about to bubble over inside of him. Having left the church late, they had all decided that the best course of action was to leave informing the rest of the group until tomorrow, allowing them to be better rested and hopefully calmer about the situation.
"You have to breathe." She whispered, wrapping her arms around his midsection and resting the side of her face against his back. "I know you're angry, but we need to try and think about this rationally."
"Rationally?" Elijah scoffed, shaking his head. "She tried to take away the most sacred thing in my life; in my entire existence, and she knew exactly how much it meant to do such a thing. How am I supposed to think rationally about that?"
"Because we have to." She said simply. "There is more involved here than simple life, death, and anger, we can be furious in private, but we have to be rational in practice."
Elijah took in a deep breath, squeezing the hands than Elena held to his stomach before lightly pulling her around to face him, enveloping her in a tight hug, one hand buried in her hair. "You're much too young to be talking in such a way." He let out a breathy laugh, laying a soft kiss on the top of her head as had somehow become habitual for him.
Elena returned the laugh lightly, hugging Elijah back and nestling her face into his chest. "In that case, you're much too old to be acting so brash."
Shaking his head, Elijah didn't bother replying to Elena's jest, he only closed his eyes, burying his face in Elena's hair as he inhaled the smell of her conditioner, enjoying the calming sensation that washed over him just from being close to her.
"We'll call Bonnie in the morning; see if she's found anything to let me and Klaus been in the same room again yet; we can talk everything through then." She murmured, standing back from their embrace to look him in the eye. "For tonight, you just need to try and forget about it all, relax and unwind; it can be tomorrows problem."
"How exactly would you suggest I forget about it?" Elijah asked, allowing his hands to fall to Elena's waist as she took a small step backwards, her fingers working on the knot of his tie, loosening and sliding the fabric free from his neck, draping it around her own in favour of throwing it across the hallway.
"I can be a rather good distraction." Elena said softly, holding the lapels of Elijah's jacket.
"Miss Gilbert," Elijah murmured, his hand flexing slightly on her waist, "are you suggesting using sex to keep me distracted?"
She smiled, slipping her hands under the lapels of his jacket, pushing the fabric off of his shoulders and down his arms. When the jacket slipped to the floor, Elijah immediately wrapped his arms around her waist again, pulling her closer to him.
"Are you insinuating that I would use my body to my own advantage?" Elena gasped, feigning infuriated shock. "Why, Mr Mikaelson, I find I'm rather insulted."
"I do believe it was more of a comment on my own weakness rather than your…ability to persuade."
"Your weakness?" She questioned softly, walking Elijah backwards a few steps until his back was pressed against the wall.
Looking down at the much younger vampire, a soft smile gracing his face as he brushed a piece of hair behind her ear. "You, I find myself completely and utterly addicted to you, Elena, I am entirely vulnerable where you're concerned."
"But?" Elena frowned, eyes falling to where she held his shirt in her hands.
"But," Elijah whispered, tilting her face back up to his, "I could not ask for my heart to be in better hands, I am yours, Elena. I have never felt more vulnerable, and yet I've also never felt more at peace."
Unbidden, a smile took over Elena's features as she took to her tiptoes, tilting her face up to press a light kiss to Elijah's lips. Hand sliding from the side of her face into her hair, Elijah deepened the kiss, pulling her closer to him even as her hands began unbuttoning his shirt; their sweet embrace quickly turning into something much less innocent.
Letting out a content sigh, Elena wriggled back into Elijah's embrace, smiling when his arms tightened around her in his sleep. She could really get used to this.
So why did the ease of their time together scare her?
Elijah seemed so content with the hold that their soul bond had over the pair of them, and while she could kind of understand that – they were soulmates after all – she'd expected him to have much more trouble coming to terms with being so tied to another person. And yet, the way he spoke to her, he knew just how exposed he was with her, but it didn't scare him at all.
Did the bond have more impact on him? She wondered, could his age have made him more effected by their link to each other? But Davina had made it very clear that Ligatus Animarum created no emotions, so maybe his age had just made it easier for him to adjust to such a serious connection?
Whatever it was, it hadn't been the way Elena had expected, she'd never expected Elijah to give himself up to her so easily. Given the way their previous conversations had gone, she'd expected to have to fight for him more. Maybe she was just too pent up from the energy she'd held in her, ready to battle with the lack of willingness she'd perceived him to have.
Elijah had explained his every emotion so perfectly, and yet her traitorous brain never allowed her to feel at peace with the simple words laid out in front of her.
"What is it?" Elijah asked softly, his voice clouded by sleep as his arms tightened around her. "You're very deep in thought."
"Just thinking." She whispered back, running her fingers along Elijah's bare arm.
Elijah hummed in the back of his throat, a clear noise of disagreement. "About?"
Groaning, Elena turned onto her front, burying her face in her pillow. "Nuthin'." She mumbled, tensing when she felt Elijah's fingers move along her sides, relaxing again when he gently rubbed her shoulder.
"Do you need a sounding board?" He asked softly, shifting to lean on his elbow as he rubbed her shoulder.
After a moment of consideration, Elena shook her head, keeping her face buried in her pillow until she felt Elijah place a soft kiss on the back of her head. "Okay."
She turned her face in his direction, squinting at the man led next to her. "That's it?" She exclaimed. "Just, okay?"
Elijah raised an eyebrow, one corner of his lips quirking up in a soft smile. "That's it. You're a grown woman and as much as I would love for you to share your fears and desires with me, you are very much entitled to your privacy."
In one quick movement, Elijah found himself led on his back, Elena draped across him with her arms wrapped around his neck. He let out a surprised laugh, wrapping his arms around her back. "Is it something I said?"
Elena smacked him on the back of the head lightly, rolling her eyes to herself. "It's just, the past." Stefan and Damon crossed her mind, the pair of them forever reminding her that privacy was not a given in life, making her feel like she had something to hide when she only had a thought she didn't want to voice.
"The more I hear about those boys the more I wish to tear their hearts from their chests." Elijah growled, squeezing Elena tightly and yet again proving that she didn't have to use words for him to understand her.
Sighing, Elena opened her mouth to talk, frowning when she felt her breath catch in her throat. Quickly moving off of Elijah, she sat on the edge of the bad, hacking to try and clear the lump in her throat.
"Elena?" Worry tainted every ounce of Elijah's voice as he appeared next to her, placing his hand on her back to try and ease the coughing, hoping without any evidence that it would work. "Stay here, I'll get you some blood."
Barely pausing to register any response from Elena, he flashed to the kitchen, snatching two blood bags out of the fridge and returning to Elena in a second, tearing open one of the bags and handing it to her.
As she attempted to guzzle the blood between fits of coughing, Elijah grabbed her phone from the nightstand, relieved to find Bonnie in her emergency contacts.
"Elena?" Bonnie answered almost immediately. "What's going on? Davina said-"
"Miss Bennett," Elijah interjected, astounded at the speed at which words had poured from the young witch, "something is wrong with Elena-"
"Give me the address," Bonnie interrupted, not needing anymore information, "I'll be there in a minute."
Rattling off the address to the condo, Elijah hung up the phone, tossing it aside as he turned his attention back to Elena. Her normally olive skin was pale and clammy, the only splash of colour being some blood that lingered on her lips.
"You're going to be alright." Elijah murmured, taking her in his arms. "Bonnie's on her way."
Eyes meeting, Elijah could see exactly just how terrified Elena was; it mimicked the fear he himself felt watching her deteriorate so swiftly.
Hearing a knock at the door, Elijah flew from the bed, not caring that he was only wearing a pair of cotton trousers as he nearly tore the door from its hinges; barely registering it. A brief moment of shock passed his features at seeing Niklaus standing with Bonnie, but he quickly disregarded it in favour of showing the pair the way to Elena.
Bonnie rushed to Elena's side, immediately taking hold of her hands and closing her eyes as she began muttering under her breath.
"What happened?" Klaus asked softly, turning to Elijah who had hung back to allow Bonnie room to work, the strain of staying apart from Elena more than visible to his brother.
"I don't know," Elijah admitted through gritted teeth, "she was absolutely fine, and then she was not."
"She'll be alright, brother," Klaus murmured, placing his hand on Elijah's bare shoulder, "Bonnie will figure this out."
Surprise gracing his features, Elijah turned his head to look at his younger brother, receiving only a soft shrug in reply.
"We've had to spend rather a lot of time together the last few days trying to find answers; she's a very capable young witch."
Raising an eyebrow, Elijah let out a soft huff of laughter. "I was more surprised you knew her name."
Rolling his eyes, Klaus shoved him, meeting his gaze when Elijah brought his hand up to clasp Klaus's shoulder.
"Thank you, brother."
Klaus nodded briefly in response before the sound of Bonnie ceasing to talk had them both turning to look at the two girls. Elena wasn't coughing anymore, but her eyes were hardly open, Bonnie appearing to be holding Elena upright until Elijah appeared beside them, wrapping his arm around Elena's shoulders to take her weight.
"It's the curse." Bonnie confirmed softly, sounding rather out of breath. "It's acting out where we've interrupted the process."
"What can we do to stop it?" Elijah asked, one of his hands running through Elena's hair as she leant further into him, his eyes briefly flickering down to look at the top of her head.
Also looking at Elena, Bonnie hesitated for a moment, her shoulders drooping. "I don't know." She admitted eventually. "I can't get much further with the spell than what I've already figured out; werewolf venom was used to bind the spell to her DNA, but we cured the venom with Klaus's blood, I just can't figure out how to unbind the spell from her DNA."
"What do you need?" Elijah pressed, this time not taking his gaze from Elena.
"Ideally?" Bonnie sighed. "The damn witch who performed this spell."
"Done." Elijah nodded. "We just need to make one stop along the way."
Bonnie caught on quicker than Klaus. "She was involved, wasn't she? Hayley?"
"She was."
HisSecretLover18: Always worse when they know who they are... Marcel and Elena are so fun to write! I've neglected them too much lately!
lauramorgenstern: I'm so glad you liked it! It was interesting to write!
Guest: Yes! They've been so neglected, I've missed them so much! I'm sure Damon will be rather harshly dealt with eventually! I'm so glad you liked it! I always feel like Elijah's anger is totally overlooked! Of course it was Hayley! Who else?
brattneyforever93: They absolutely have! How could they not? It does keep coming up, doesn't it?
Aria Daughter of Chaos: I do love a good cliffy! I'm so glad you liked it!
Guest: Ooooh, interesting idea!
Guest: Not too late! I'm so glad you loved it! I've missed writing Marlena! I really need to get them in more! Ughhh, I'm so glad you like how I'm going about it! And, as always, very relieved to be receiving the chef's kisses! 3
I'm back! I didn't mean to leave you sat on a cliffy for so long! As always, please let me know what you think and what you think might happen next...
Until next time
~ I x