Chapter Text
"Elijah?" Her voice is soft as she steps into the bedroom, taking care to avoid the jagged bits of what she was pretty sure had been a mirror at one point in time. The man in question does not turn, but she knows he can hear her where he stands with his hands gripping the back of a chair -the last piece of furniture still standing, it appears- and his head bowed. When Rebekah had called her in tears about Klaus' impending end, Elena had taken the first flight she could get from the west coast. Elena, I don't … I think he might actually bloody turn it off, Rebekah had told her in tears the moment she had arrived, mere hours after Klaus' death.
Closing the door behind her, Elena lets her gaze travel over the room in silence. The glass from the mirror is scattered across the floor, the frame in splinters next to the door. She's fairly certain that the chunks of ornate dark wood embedded in the wall is what remains of his bookshelves -the books themselves are strewn about the room, scraps of paper and leather fluttering in the breeze coming from the shattered glass balcony doors. Sometimes she forgets just how much damage a vampire can do, especially one as old as Elijah. Looking at him now, her heart feels as though it may shatter in her chest.
Slowly, she makes her way across the room, careful steps carrying her through the minefield of wood and glass carnage. Despite the monster lurking at the edges of the man, Elena's heartbeat is steady as she approaches; she could never fear him, even if he is teetering towards the darkness.
His jacket is long gone, his light grey dress shirt torn and stained with what she's pretty sure is his own blood. There are rusty patches in his hair that tell her even more of the story and her entire soul aches for him. She remembers Jeremy's death with such vividness that her eyes sting and she silently vows to do for Elijah what she wishes someone had done for her. Be there.
When she reaches out, she is expecting his reaction and doesn't even flinch when his hand flashes out to grab her wrist. He is still facing away from her, but his grip on her wrist is bruising and she can feel him shaking through his hold on her. With her other hand, Elena reaches out, knowing that he won't stop her this time. That would involve turning towards her, and she knows he isn't ready for that yet. Gently, she rests her hand in between his shoulder blades, her heart breaking when he flinches at her touch. She is standing mostly behind him still, her left hand on his back and her right wrist trapped in his right hand. Her movements are slow but sure as she slides her left hand down and around his waist. His free hand finds hers and she is surprised that he does not break her hand. But she squeezes back, and his hand on her other wrist shifts to her hand in a similar grip.
Pressed against his back, Elena can feel him shaking as he grips her hands like his life depends on it. Maybe it does. She squeezes her arms around his waist and feels the ragged breath that he takes, but whatever semblance of control he had retained shatters under her arms.
It catches her off guard when his legs give out, but even her own strength is enough to make sure he hits his knees softly. Elena follows him down, shifting so that she kneels beside him, her arms wrapped around him and her head resting on his shoulder. His hands release hers and for a moment she thinks he might try to shove her off, but then his arms encircle her and she is crushed to him. Her arms tighten around his shoulders as he buries his face in her neck.
Tentatively, she brings one hand up to cradle the back of his head, her fingers sinking into his hair. He shudders then, and her arms tighten around him. She does not know how long they will sit there, but she will hold him for an eternity if that is what it takes. Always the one to take care of his siblings, and Elena will take care of him. As she runs her fingers through his hair slowly, she searches for words of comfort, but finds that there are none. Just as there were none for her when Jeremy died.
Elijah clings to her in his broken state, and she holds him as tight as she can. At some point, he shifts and pulls her into his lap and she is wrapped around him even more; her knees on either side of his thighs, her arms around his shoulders and her fingers in his hair. His arms hold her tightly to him, his face still buried against her neck. She does not say a word about the wetness trickling down her collarbone, nor the way his body shakes as he loses the battle with his sobs. Elena simply holds him and lets him hold her. They have always understood each other, and it destroys her that this pain is yet another thing that they now share.
She presses her lips to his hair as a few of her own tears escape down her cheeks. Her fingers continue to card through his hair and she ignores the way they are now stained a rusty red color, just as she ignores the bruises she knows are blossoming across her skin already. "I'm so sorry, baby," she whispers into his hair, not realizing the term of endearment has slipped out until he goes completely still against her. Her heart skips and she curses herself; she should have just stayed quiet.
Then he is pulling back and her heart is betraying her as it pounds rapidly in her chest. Her eyes find his and she has never seen him look more wrecked than he does right then. Elijah Mikaelson, king of cool and collected, no longer wears a mask of any caliber. He is a broken man, his shattered soul bared in the way he looks at her like he's just realized that she is there; perhaps he has. "Elena," her name falls from his lips in a ragged, desperate plea and she nods, her fingers running through his hair again. His eyes flutter shut at the touch and she watches several more tears trickle down his cheeks before he opens his eyes again.
He stares at her with such raw pain that she feels as though it is ripping her apart. "Elijah," she whispers his name and she can see him trying so hard to regain some semblance of control. But he is failing, his control slipping through all the cracks like tiny grains of sand.
"What-what are you doing here?" his voice is raw and brittle and she can see his frustration at the sound of it as he attempts to start over. He is not used to anyone seeing him like this -she knows even Rebekah can count the times she has seen her brother break down on one hand. Elena is fairly certain the only one that may have seen it more is the one that they now mourn. Klaus' death has cleaved Elijah's heart into pieces and even if she can pick them up and keep them safe, she knows they will never mend; not fully. The hole in her own heart from Jeremy is still gaping, even years after.
"I'm here for you, and for Bekah," she tells him gently, adding Rebekah's name because she can already see his defenses building into something akin to 'I don't need you' in his desperation. Her hand in his hair shifts to rest against his cheek and she lets her thumb brush away the wetness as he stares at her. She knows it's coming before he even opens his mouth and she has her own words ready on her lips.
"I don't-"
"I know," she whispers, and when he turns his face away from her, she lets her hand drop. But then he seems to realize that she is in fact, on his lap, his hands still holding her in place. Suddenly she is set on her feet and he is across the room with his back to her again. "But it's okay if you do," she continues, once again taking careful steps through the destruction to reach him. "I did," her voice shakes slightly as she lets herself remember her baby brother's death and the fact that no one put in the time to comfort her. She loves her friends, but that is one thing she isn't sure she can forgive them for; letting Damon make her turn it off. Elena does not want that for Elijah. He feels things so deeply, just as she does, and the idea of an emotionless Elijah is a terrifying thought.
"And yet I recall your decision to turn it off," there is a harshness in his voice that she knows is just him trying to cover up the rawness, and Elena takes a slow breath.
"It wasn't. My decision, that is," she admits quietly and she sees the way he becomes ever so still. This is not a conversation she will enjoy, but if it gives him even the slightest break from his own grief then she will happily walk through the fire.
"What?" Elijah's tone sends a chill down her spine.
"I know you heard about the sirebond," she says stiffly, forcing the words from her throat. Damon may be dead, but that does not mean she has healed. When he turns to face her, his dark eyes are laced with disbelief and there is a pain in his gaze that she knows has nothing to do with his brother. She will happily bare her soul to him if it helps keep his intact.
"He forced you to turn it off?" Elijah speaks slowly and she can hear him tasting the words on his tongue as dark veins dance beneath his eyes. She swallows thickly as she nods, blinking rapidly in an attempt to keep her tears at bay. But in the end she doesn't care about the tears trickling down her cheeks because Elijah is looking at her and he is talking to her and she knows he won't do it; he won't turn it off. He is too much like her in that regard and there is nothing that will make him abandon the rest of his family, no matter how much he is suffering himself. It is almost as if he wanted to follow her example, but finding out that it was not in fact her choice has washed the idea from his mind.
"Yes," she finally voices it, the single word barely even a whisper.
"If I had known-"
"I know," Elena cuts him off a bit sharply with a nod. "I know," she says again, softer this time. "Bekah took care of it," she adds, just so he knows. The brunette continues her careful steps until she stands in front of him once more. When she lifts a hand towards him, he catches it in his own with a glare that she's sure is supposed to be terrifying. But she has seen him decapitate men with a slap of his hand and rip hearts from chests as if he were plucking the pit from a cherry. She watches the surprise bloom across his expression as she reaches out and takes his other hand in hers, her grip much gentler than his own, but still firm. Then she steps closer, squeezing his hand before she releases it to wrap her arm around him.
He stands frozen for a long moment before she feels him release her wrist and wrap his arms around her. At first, his grip is tentative, but then as she wraps her other arm around him, it becomes crushing. Elena’s arms tighten around his neck as he crushes her to his chest. She brings one hand back up into his hair and feels Elijah shudder against her. “Nik-klaus,” he chokes on his brother's name and his legs give out once more. Elena does her best to guide them carefully to the floor as she nods, and if she feels the sting of broken glass slicing through her leggings and her skin, she ignores it.
“I’m so sorry,” she whispers into his hair as he keeps his face buried in her neck. She isn't sure how long they sit there this time, but when his shaking finally subsides, Elena leans back and gently lifts his face so she can see his eyes. “Come with me?” Elena asks softly, lifting her arm from his shoulder and holding out her hand. He swallows thickly but places his hand in hers with a small nod. Squeezing his hand, she pushes herself to her feet and tugs at him gently, urging him to follow.
Elijah stands as if his body is on autopilot, stiff and a bit unsteady. His eyes are glassy as he lets her lead him towards the door. She knows that no one will venture close to Elijah’s wing of the Abattoir -because it is just his now that Klaus is gone- until she gives them the go ahead, so she's not worried about anyone seeing them. Elena leads him silently down the hall to his bedroom, ignoring the way her ribs seem to creak with her movements -she can only imagine the amount of bruising his crushing hold on her has caused.
When she steps into his ensuite, Elijah stops in the doorway and she lets him. She knows he won't go anywhere. Elena moves across the room to the large clawfoot tub and turns on the water. While she waits for the tub to fill, Elena lets her gaze scan the room. She locates soap and towels, placing them near the edge of the tub. Several times, she checks the temperature of the water to make sure it doesn't get too hot. The entire time she moves around the room, Elijah stands in the doorway like a ghost, though his gaze burns her skin as he watches her.
“Okay,” she murmurs as she finally turns the water off and turns towards the man in the doorway. Her steps are slow and measured as she approaches him again, taking his hand and gently pulling him forward. He follows her with confusion in his dark eyes, but allows her to direct his movements. “Shirt first,” she says softly. His fingers shake as he attempts to follow her instructions, making it practically impossible for him to unbutton his shirt. Elena covers his hands with hers then and he stills. “May I?” She asks, looking up at him and waiting until he nods. Her hands gently push his out of her way and she carefully undoes the first button, then the next. His intense gaze sends heat across her cheeks but she focuses on her task. Several of the buttons appear to have gone missing, most likely lost to the chaos in his study. Once she is finished with the buttons, Elena carefully pushes the torn dress shirt from his shoulders and it falls ungracefully to the floor.
Her gaze finds several places where he must have impaled himself or cut himself open, dried blood staining his otherwise unblemished skin. Then she looks back up at him and tentatively rests her fingertips at the waistband of his slacks just above where his belt buckles. She watches him swallow, staring down at her for a minute before he nods. Elena’s hands unclasp his belt with ease and pull it from the loops before it drops to the floor with a metallic clatter against the tile. She moves on to the button and zipper, keeping her gaze on his as she pushes his slacks down, leaving him in well-fitted dark gray silk that is stained just as his shirt and slacks had been. His hands catch hers when she reaches for them.
“Elena,” his voice is breathy and rough, but she can hear the undertones beneath the pain.
“It's okay, Elijah,” she whispers, still looking up into his eyes as she squeezes his hands. It is a long moment before he finally releases her hands and she carefully peels the stained silk from his body before nudging him towards the tub. She hovers at his side as he steps into the tub, ready to attempt to catch him if he should collapse again.
As soon as he is submerged in the hot water, Elena kneels on the bathroom floor near his head, a sharp breath escaping her at the pain shooting through her with the motion. She rolls up the sleeves of her sweater and grabs the shampoo bottle she had pulled out of the shower while the tub had been filling. Shifting so that she is kneeling directly behind Elijah’s head, the brunette reaches out to touch his shoulder softly. “Lean your head back,” she tells him in a soft but steady voice, waiting until he complies before running her hands through his hair in the water.
Elena is gentle as she wets his hair and rinses the blood out of it as much as she can before she pours a small portion of shampoo into her palm. With her other hand, she lifts Elijah's head and he sits up enough that his head is no longer submerged. Elena’s fingers glide through his short hair as she applies the shampoo, gently massaging his scalp as she does so. A soft sound comes from Elijah and Elena wonders if he has ever had anyone do anything like this for him. She is careful of his face again when she rinses his hair and when it is clean, she doesn't stop herself from pressing a soft kiss to the top of his head.
As she moves to stand, his hand catches her arm and he looks up at her with a desperation she knows all too well. “Close your eyes,” she murmurs as she runs the fingers of her free hand through his hair in a soft caress. It's not that she does not want him to see her body, but that she knows how he will react if he sees the bruising she can feel beneath her clothes. Elijah will hate himself for it, and she does not want to add to his pain.
When he finally closes his eyes, Elena carefully peels her sweater off, clenching her jaw to keep from whimpering at the painful movement. Her shirt joins Elijah’s clothes on the bathroom floor and she steps out of her shoes and slips off her leggings, eyes catching momentarily on the small gash on her shin. Elena is extremely grateful she chose a front-clasp bra that morning as she undoes it easily and drops it in the pile. The last to go are her panties, and then she is stepping towards the tub again.
“Scoot forward,” she requests quietly as she taps his shoulder. He keeps his gaze forward as she steps in behind him, and Elena feels the sting of the hot water touching the small gash on her shin. Almost immediately, the sting is replaced by the feeling of her skin knitting itself back together and she is surprised to see her bruises fading into nothing. It only takes her a breath to realize that it is Elijah's blood in the water that is healing her. She sinks further into the water and extends her legs out on either side of Elijah as she leans back against the tub wall. “You can lean back now,” she tells him. He leans back against her just a bit and she lifts her hand to his shoulder and pulls him against her. “I'm not fragile, Elijah,” she scolds softly, a tiny smile gracing her lips when he finally relaxes against her.
He lays his head against her shoulder and Elena lets her cheek rest against his hair as she wraps her arms around his chest. She just holds him for a minute, then reaches over and grabs one of the washcloths she had set out before. After she dunks the cloth into the water, she runs it over his arms first, then his chest, gently scrubbing the blood from his skin as far as she can reach from her position behind him. He takes it from her to do the places she cannot reach, and Elena grabs another cloth, doing the same thing over his back when he sits up. When he leans back against her again, Elena hugs him from behind and presses a soft kiss to his temple.
A short while later, Elena gently nudges Elijah forward and stands, stepping out of the tub before reaching for a towel. She smiles tentatively when she notices him averting his gaze. “You don't have to look away, Elijah,” she murmurs softly as she holds out a hand to him. His gaze is still glassy when he looks up at her, but it is no longer quite as hollow as it had been earlier. Her skin flushes under his gaze but she doesn't look away as he takes her hand and stands.
Once he steps out of the tub, Elena gently removes her hand from his and takes her towel in both hands. Her motions are gentle but firm as she dries him, towel running over his arms, back and chest before she moves lower. She does not let her gaze linger as she brings the towel down gently over his groin and then down his legs. When she's finished, she stands up straight and is slightly surprised when he grabs another towel and begins to do the same to her. His touch is so light that she's not entirely sure he's doing much drying, but she lets him all the same. This is not how she ever thought this first would happen, but she couldn't care less about the where, when and how of eyes on naked flesh. All she wants is for Elijah to be okay, even if it takes an eternity to get there.
She doesn't bother to grab any of their clothes as she leads him back into the bedroom. Elena moves towards the bed and pulls back the covers, looking up and patting the bed beside her. He stares at her for a moment before finally moving, slipping into the bed beside her. She pulls him close and he lays on his side facing her with his head resting just above her breast on her collarbone, one of his arms wrapped around her middle. Her left arm wraps around his back with her fingers in his hair as her hand cradles his head while her right arm stretches over her chest so that her hand rests on his arm. Elijah’s hold on her tightens and Elena tightens her own hold in turn, fingers caressing softly as she holds him.
He trembles under her gentle caresses and she squeezes him tighter when she feels the wetness on her collarbone. “I've got you, baby,” she murmurs, knowingly letting the endearment slip this time. “I've got you,” she repeats as she holds him. His body shakes as he fights his own emotions and Elena rubs his arm and his back and continues to run her fingers through his hair. She offers him the only comfort that she can in those soft touches, because she knows that there is nothing that can truly comfort him. No words she can say will lessen the hurt, no word, action or object will fill the hole in his chest; she knows from experience.
Elena is mildly surprised when Elijah eventually falls asleep, but she doesn't dare move from the bed until she is certain he is truly asleep. If she murmurs a quiet spell to ensure he remains asleep until her return, at least it is assurance that he will rest. She slips silently from the bed, grabbing one of his shirts from the closet and pulling it on. As soon as she has it buttoned, Elena takes one last glance at Elijah before she steps out of the room. Once upon a time, she might have felt uncomfortable wandering around the Abattoir in just Elijah’s shirt. But her modesty took a back seat to Elijah’s wellbeing and her only clothes were in a pile on the wet bathroom floor. She is only going to Bekah's room anyway, to get more clothes, so it was even less of a big deal.
It only takes her a few minutes to make her way down to Rebekah's room. The brunette knocks softly before she opens the door, finding Rebekah curled up on her bed with Kol holding his sister tightly. Elena is quick to notice that Bekah is asleep while Kol is awake. Kol takes in her appearance, but where she would usually expect a snide or inappropriate comment, he simply nods to her. “How is he?” Kol asks in a whisper and Elena sighs softly and gives him a tiny, tight smile.
“He's asleep. I made sure he won't wake until I get back,” she tells him quietly. “Bekah?”
“My darling wife gave her a concoction so that she would sleep through the night,” he replies and she nods.
“Good. I just came to check on her and borrow some clothes,” she murmurs as she moves towards Rebekah's closet, grabbing a pair of pajama pants and a tank top. Heading towards the door again, Elena pauses to look back at Kol and Bekah, meeting the vampire’s gaze with warm compassion. “How are you holding up, Kol?” She asks softly. Everyone knew that Kol and Klaus had not gotten along well in all their centuries, but things had been better between them since Kol had died and come back the second time.
“I'll be fine, darling,” he says quietly, his voice a bit stiff. “Just take care of Lijah for us, yeah?”
“Always,” she murmurs with a nod, slipping back out into the hall and back towards Elijah’s room.
Elena moves quietly despite there being no chance of waking him after her little spell. She sets her borrowed clothes down in the chair next to the balcony doors and unbuttons the shirt she is wearing, laying it over the back of the chair before moving towards the bed. As she crawls into Elijah’s bed, he shifts towards her in his unconscious state. Pulling the blankets up over them, Elena wraps her arms around him as he pulls her close in his sleep. “I'm right here, Lijah,” she whispers into his hair. “I'm not going anywhere. I promise,” she adds. Tomorrow, she will take the Immortality Elixir that Freya has waiting for her, and she will make her words tonight even truer.
Morning comes much too quickly, but Elena is awake with the sun and she murmurs the counter spell to Elijah’s sleep spell. She hopes he will sleep a little while longer, but she won't be surprised if he does not. In the end, he wakes an hour later, and Elena feels him freeze against her, no doubt in reaction to their lack of clothes. “It's okay, Elijah,” she murmurs softly as her fingers card through his hair.
“It is not,” he chokes on his words and Elena's arms tighten around him at the heart wrenching sound. No, she agrees silently, it really isn't.
“I know,” she whispers into his hair as she hugs him, kissing his hair. “I'm so sorry,” she adds. His arms tighten around her and she winces slightly, hoping she doesn't bruise with his blood still in her system. It isn't long before Elijah actually looks up at her, his eyes widening as his gaze trails up her body to her face. Her skin flushes under his eyes, but she just meets his gaze and cradles his face with one hand. He brings his own hand up to cover hers and she waits patiently as he stared at her.
“Elena,” he breathes her name and she nods.
“I'm not going anywhere,” she tells him softly, watching his expression darken as he shakes his head and looks away, forcing her hand to drop from his face.
“Please do not say things that you can not ensure,” his voice is raw and Elena knows where he is going before he continues. “You are human, Elena,” he murmurs in a tone that breaks her heart. He thinks that she will leave him eventually, just as Niklaus has just done.
“Only for another hour or so,” she says, her voice soft but firm. When Elijah’s gaze snaps up to her again, she sees the tiny sliver of hope that he is clearly trying to hide in the confusion that furrows his brow. “Freya has the Immortality Elixir waiting for me, Elijah,” she tells him with the tiniest of half smiles. “So when I say that I am not going anywhere, I mean it. I promise that I will be here. Always and Forever, Elijah,” Elena’s firm voice drops to a whisper on the last four words and her own vision blurs slightly as she watches tears trickle down Elijah’s cheeks.
He kisses her then, and it is desperate and tentative at the same time. Elena leans into him for a moment, her hand returning to his hair as his hand caresses her face. But then she pulls back and rests her forehead against his. If he needs this distraction, then she will give it to him, but she doesn't think he will go further than the kiss. She is right. Elijah pulls away after a few minutes and she lets her hand fall from his hair as she turns to get out of the bed while he does the same, moving towards the ensuite.
For a moment, she considers the clothes she grabbed from Rebekah's closet, but in the end she reaches for Elijah’s shirt. If he chooses to go downstairs with her, her appearance in just his shirt will take some of the focus off of him. She is just finishing the last button -well, last that she plans on buttoning, as there are several left undone at the top- when he steps back into the room. Her gaze lifts to find him staring at her, his dark eyes swimming with several emotions. “What are you doing?” Elijah asks in a tight voice, and Elena keeps her eyes on his face even as she notices his body's reaction to her.
“Going to get the elixir from Freya, and to check on Rebekah,” she says softly. “I'll bring the elixir back with me and do it here,” she adds, watching as he swallows thickly before stepping towards his closet.
“I'll go with you,” he murmurs as he disappears into his closet. Elena waits for him to reappear, eyes widening slightly at the sight of Elijah in just a pair of light sleep pants.
“Okay,” she nods and steps towards the door, but Elijah beats her there and holds it open for her. He seems to be clinging to some of his usual mannerisms at random, and she lets him. When she holds out her hand to him, he takes it and lifts it to his lips, kissing her knuckles before lowering their hands. He does not release her hand and she does not ask him to. Instead, she leans into him as they walk. It feels strange, her wearing one of his shirts and him not wearing one at all. But they are in uncharted territory now and she won't question him because she had not even expected him to accompany her. She is just happy that he is here beside her and not locked away attempting to destroy himself again.
When they step into the kitchen, Elena feels Elijah tense beside her and silently squeezes his hand as she moves further into the room. He does not release her hand, so he is forced to follow her as she approaches his older sister. Freya looks at them with a wobbly smile and Elena does her best to return the expression. Hope is most likely still asleep, forced to rest by her aunt with something similar to what Davina had made for Rebekah. “I take it you're ready?” Freya asks and Elena nods. “It will knock you out, so don't take it until you're ready for that,” the blonde witch explains as she reaches into her pocket and pulls out a magically sealed vial.
“Thank you,” Elena says with as much warmth as she can muster. Freya nods with a tight smile before her gaze shifts briefly to her brother and then back down to the pan she has on the stove. As she turns away from Freya, Elena’s eyes widen when she finds Rebekah and Kol in the doorway. Elijah is stone still beside her as they are suddenly surrounded by his siblings, but Elena squeezes his hand. Rebekah looks at her brother for a moment before her blue eyes zero in on the vial in Elena's hand.
“You're doing it now?” Bekah asks softly and Elena nods, gently tugging Elijah towards the doorway as Kol steps out of the way. Rebekah steps forward and hugs her tightly then. “Thank you,” the blonde whispers in her ear.
“Always,” she whispers in return, a strained smile on her lips when Rebekah steps back.
“See you on the other side, darling,” Kol murmurs as they pass him and she nods at him. Elijah follows her almost ghost-like and she is glad that his siblings kept their focus on her.
By the time they get back to his room, Elijah is shaking and Elena is quick to set the vial down and wrap her arms around him. This will be their new normal for a while, she already knows. But that is okay, because after today, she truly will have the ability to hold him for an eternity. They sit there on the floor of his bedroom for a while, Elena in his lap with her arms wrapped firmly around him and his face buried in her hair. “I've got you, baby. I'm here, Elijah. I'm not going anywhere,” she murmurs into his hair just like she had before and his arms tighten around her. She doesn't know if he likes the endearment or not, but he hasn't complained or corrected her, so she continues to use it. Kissing his head, she rubs a hand up and down over his back and runs her fingers through his hair. “Are you ready?” Elena asks softly when he is no longer trembling. She feels him nod against her shoulder and leans back.
“Are you sure about this?” Elijah asks her in a rough voice and Elena nods as she caresses his cheek with her hand, using her thumb to brush away the tears there.
“Yes, Elijah. I'm sure,” she tells him firmly. He stands then and brings her with him, gently setting her on her feet but not letting go of her. Elena reaches up and cradles his face in her hands for a minute before she finally steps back. His hands drag across her hips as though he doesn't want to let her go, and she catches one of his hands in hers. She leads him over to the bed and unbuttons the shirt she wears with deft fingers. Once she is undressed again, she climbs into his bed and he follows her, pulling her against his chest. Then she picks up the vial, easily puncturing the top of it with a spell. “Stay with me?” Elena whispers, turning her head to look up at him now that he is behind her.
“Always,” he replies and she shivers at the tone of his voice. With a deep breath, Elena swallows the contents of the vial, barely having enough time to drop the vial on the nightstand before everything fades.
She wakes to darkness, but can feel Elijah wrapped around her. Turning towards him, she blinks in the darkness. “Elijah?” Elena murmurs, feeling him jolt slightly beside her before he shifts and she can just barely see him open his eyes as her own adjust to the darkness.
“Elena?” His voice wavers and she turns more fully so that she can grab his hand in her own as she faces him.
“I'm here,” she whispers as she squeezes his hand. Her arms wrap around him in the darkness and he crushes her to him. His lips on hers taste like heartache and pain and healing, and she knows that even if their hearts will never be whole again, they will have each other, always and forever.