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Elena sighed. Her best friend Caroline’s wedding. The event. She had watched Caroline plan her wedding for as long as she could remember. Ever since they had been little girls, her friend had always been busy working on that scrapbook. Not a single detail would be left up to chance. Except there was one thing that Elena felt like Caroline was blaming her for. Elena had broken up with her boyfriend, just weeks before the wedding. “It is messing up the seating arrangement,” Caroline had said, throwing up her arms in despair. Not Oh my god, what happened? Are you okay? Do you want to talk about it?
She endured Caroline’s little comments over the next few weeks, blaming it all on the pre-wedding nerves. “Please, Elena,” Bonnie had begged her one day, after Caroline had stormed out of the room in tears, frustrated with Elena for rejecting every guy she suggested setting her up with. All in the name of a working seating arrangement. “Just tell her you have a new boyfriend, bring any guy to the wedding. Any good-looking guy with decent enough manners will do.”
Elena rolled her eyes, scrolling through her contact list reluctantly. She knew a lot of good-looking guys, but it had to be someone who was not already invited. The holy seating chart could not be saved that way. That removed Stefan, the groom, Damon, her ex boyfriend. Alaric was going with Jenna. Enzo was going with Bonnie. Her brother Jeremy was out of the country. Matt and Tyler were already invited anyway. Elena could have sworn she knew more people. Her finger hovered over one name. Klaus. She almost laughed.
Why not bring Klaus to the wedding? It would be painful for him to watch the love of his life marry another man. A man he had once considered his best friend. Elena would enjoy hurting him in this way after what he had done to her. After he had killed her, but no. Caroline deserved better. Luckily, another Mikaelson came to mind immediately. Elijah. He met all the requirements. Good-looking, well-mannered, as of yet uninvited. ‘I need you to do me a favour,’ she texted him. He did not text back like a normal person, no. He called. Immediately. Elena pressed ignore as Caroline walked back in. ‘Can’t talk now. Will call later.’
“Good news, Care,” she said cheerfully, “my new boyfriend might be able to make it.” Caroline raised her eyebrows. “New boyfriend? Elena, why didn’t you say something?” Agony. The next few minutes were agony as Elena tried excitedly telling Caroline all about her new boyfriend without revealing anything. After all, Elijah had not even said yes yet. Elijah did not even know what she would ask of him. But he did look good in a suit. He looked great in a suit. But then again, had she ever even seen him without one? Elena made up some fake errand and left as soon as she could, calling Elijah from her car.
“Hello, Elena.” She had almost forgotten the sound of his voice, how it made her stomach flutter. “What can I do for you?”
There would be absolutely no easy way to ask, so she just did. “Are you free in early June?”
“I can be. Why?”
“How would you like to accompany me to Caroline and Stefan’s wedding?”
...
“Elijah?”
He cleared his throat. “Sorry. Yes. Yes, I would be delighted.”
“Awesome, I will send you the details. There is just one small, tiny thing you should know.”
“And what is that?” He sounded almost amused, as if he could see the way she blushed.
“I told Caroline I would be bringing my boyfriend.”
Elena’s cheeks burned with shame when she heard laughter in the background. “Niklaus,” Elijah hissed, “this is a private conversation.”
“Why aren’t you?” He said after shutting the door in his brother’s face.
“Why aren’t I what?”
“Bringing your boyfriend.” He remembered the guy. Lee? Liam? Some college guy, he had heard.
“We broke up.”
“Oh.” He tried not to sound relieved.
...
“If you’re not up for it, I can find someone else-”
“No, that will not be a problem at all. We should meet. Work out the details of our relationship, create a convincing story.”
“Uhm, yes. Yes, that would be good.”
“Wonderful, I will pick you up for breakfast tomorrow at nine.”
He hung up without any further comment. Without waiting for her to confirm. This meeting was happening on his terms.
It was 8:59 when the doorbell rang. Elena darted past Jenna and Alaric, who were having breakfast in the kitchen. “Where are you running off to?” “Wedding stuff.” Jenna did not ask what wedding stuff meant, or why Elena was looking so put together just to run errands. Elijah was wearing a suit. Of course. Even for a casual breakfast, he was wearing a suit.
“Good morning, Elena,” he greeted, “it is lovely to see you.” He opened the passenger door of his car and she got in. “I am so sorry I am dragging you into this mess,” she said as he drove out of town. Somewhere nobody knew them. Somewhere they could talk in peace. “Nonsense,” he replied, amusement clearly audible in his voice. “I love weddings.”
She explained it all over breakfast. Elena felt like she owed him the story of how she broke up with Liam, how Caroline had been harassing her over the ruined seating chart. “The best you could come up with was me?” She blushed, not wanting to reveal that he had been her last resort. “You meet all the necessary requirements,” she responded. “Oh, do tell,” he squinted his eyes at her, sipping his coffee, enjoying the way she was squirming under his gaze.
“You are not already on the guest list.” He nodded along. “The seating chart.” She nodded in confirmation. “Number two, I actually like you. I can’t just bring some random guy from college who couldn’t even be bothered to learn my birthday.” “June 22nd,” he replied casually. Elena looked at him with an unreadable expression. He knew her birthday. Why?
She cleared her throat. “The third requirement is the most important. You are not against wearing a suit.” And you look damn good wearing it. He chuckled. “And,” she added, “you look like the type of guy who would not be offended if I ask him to match the colour of his tie to my dress.”
Elijah had been bored for weeks, finding himself without anything to do except watching Klaus paint. If his brother did not enact any nefarious plans, there was nothing for him to fix. No enemies to vanquish. Fake-dating Elena Gilbert was as pleasant an occupation as he could think of.
“Very well,” he said. “I have taken it upon myself to create a list of things we should know about each other in order to pull this off.”
Birthdays, favourite colour, favourite food, how many siblings? Their names. Names of the parents. Any pets? Rudimentary knowledge of ex-lovers. Plans for the future.
His list was long. Extensive. Well thought-out and impossible to get through over breakfast. “We have a few weeks until the wedding,” he suggested. “This gives us time for enough meetings to get through all the important stuff.” And enough excuses for me to see you. She looked at him, confused. “Elijah, you don’t need to put in that much effort, I’m sure there are more important things for you to spend your time with.” He shook his head. “You know my family. Anything to get out of the house.” Anything to see you.
He insisted on taking pictures. Of her, of them. Snatched her phone, changed her lockscreen to a selfie of them in his car and his own to a picture of her she hadn’t been prepared for him to take, her upper lip covered in the foam of her cappuccino. “Adorable,” he murmured. She laughed. Changed his name in her phone from Elijah (Original) to Elijah <3. He was about to change hers when she told him not to bother. “You look like the kind of guy who has his girlfriend saved with her first and last name.” He did not know whether or not her observation was true. The last person he would have considered a girlfriend had died long before the invention of the mobile phone.
She was to study the list of fun facts he provided about him and come up with a list of her own for him until their next meeting in three days. A date, that’s what it was. “I’ll pick you up for dinner.” When he had said it back then, Elena had not known that he meant dinner at his house. The Mikaelson mansion. He heard her heartbeat quicken when she realized where he was taking her. “They’re all out on a weekend trip. Blood and women.” She stared at him in disbelief. Klaus, Rebekah and Kol, on a family trip? She understood why he had not joined them.
Elena recited her list of fun facts to him while she watched him cook, swirling the drink in her glass. Mixing red wine and blood. A divine idea, she had to give it to him. “Ever since I was a little kid, I wanted to become a doctor, take over my dad’s old office.” He memorized the facts while she spoke them, and yet he was looking forward to reading the list for himself like she had written it. In pink glitter gel pen.
His list had been elegantly written in dark ink. “You have the handwriting of a founding father,” she joked. He turned to face her. “You do realize I am older than the founding fathers, right?” Elena paled. Sometimes she forgot. It was easy to forget what Elijah was when he texted using LOL and OMG and the occasional WTF. “Do your friends know you have a thing for older men?” He was leaning over the kitchen island, dangerously close to her when he said it, laughing when she fought hard not to spit her drink across the marble counter. “You cannot just say that!” She laughed. Elena had severely underestimated how funny Elijah could be when he wanted to. When the jacket and the tie came off.
“Alright,” she scanned the list. He had insisted on discussing it with her. “You wrote that your favourite hobbies are playing the piano and fencing?” He nodded. “Good. You have been teaching me to play, I am a terrible student, but you are a very patient teacher.” He offered her a spoonful of the sauce he had been cooking. “Open,” he commanded. Elena opened her mouth, tasting the sauce, nodding approvingly. “You are the one who cooks, then. I almost burn down the kitchen every time.” He smiled, plated their food and set the table. It would have felt like a real date if they hadn’t kept going through lists of things to know about each other. Elena almost thought Elijah would kiss her when he walked her to the front door. He didn’t. Somehow, she wished he did.
“Who’s the guy with the expensive car?” Jenna said, smirking. Elena blushed, trying to walk up the stairs to her room. Jenna blocked her way. “Elena, do you have a boyfriend?” She dragged her into the living room, more her friend than her aunt. That’s how it had always been. After all, Jenna was only a few years older than her. “Spill,” she said, giving Elena her undivided attention. “Well, uhm-” Elena fidgeted nervously. “He’s uhm. New.” Jenna rolled her eyes. “Is he hot? Is he rich? Is he nice to you?” “Yes.” Elena blushed furiously. “He is incredibly attractive. You saw the car, so you already know that he has money, and he is very nice to me. Just tonight, he saved me from having to endure your cooking.” She dashed up the stairs, using her vampire speed to her advantage before the pillow Jenna tossed after her could hit her.
“Not fair,” she called after her niece. She had not known what to say when Elena had revealed to her, years ago, that vampires were real. Jenna herself had almost been turned into one. Almost been sacrificed in some weird ritual by some guy named Klaus. She still shuddered at the memory. But she had been saved. That Elijah guy had offered Klaus a different vampire. And then, years later, Elena had ended up becoming a vampire herself and Jenna was really glad her niece did not have to keep that secret from her. It was tough at times, but they were in this together.
“Will you finally tell me who your boyfriend is?” Caroline kept nagging her for days. Elena sighed. Just the day before, she’d had a meeting with Elijah. A date. A perfect, flawless date. A lakeside picnic. They had taken pictures. “I won’t take no for an answer this time, Elena. You have to tell me. You have to introduce us. I cannot walk into my own wedding not knowing your date.” “You do know him already.”
Caroline’s head whipped around. “Who is it?” Elena swallowed. Best to get it over with now. She knew enough about him by now to tell Caroline a convincing story. “Elijah.” She had been prepared for a wide range of reactions from her best friend. “Elijah who?” had not been one of them. “...Mikaelson?” Caroline’s eyes widened. “Klaus’ brother??” Elena nodded.
It was horrifying, having Caroline interrogate her. How did you two meet? Do his siblings know? Does he sleep in his suit? Is he good in bed? “Caroline!” Elena could not believe how loudly her best friend was discussing those things in public. “So, yes?” Caroline eyed Elena expectantly. “Okay, yes,” Elena lied. She had no doubt that it was no lie, but she did not know for certain. But now she found herself wondering, her mind drifting off.
“I told Caroline today,” she said to Elijah three days later, when they were having coffee together at her place. Jenna was out. Told her about the lie? Was his presence no longer needed? Had she put an end to their date-meetings? “Hmm?” “That it is you I am dating.” Relief flooded him. “How did she take it?” Elena laughed. “At first, she had no idea who I was referring to. Then she was shocked because you are Klaus’ brother. And then she asked me if you are good in bed.”
Elijah coughed, almost spilling his coffee. “Oh, I am sorry,” she said, pouring him a glass of water. He waved off her apology. “So your friend, Caroline, who definitely slept with my brother, by the way,” he revealed this new information to her so casually, “is judging you?” “She slept with Klaus?” Now it was Elena who almost choked on a cinnamon roll.
“What did you say to her?” Elena had forgotten what he was referring to, giving him a questioning look. “Am I good in bed?” His voice was deep and raspy when he leaned in and whispered it to her. “Mhm,” she replied, nodding absentmindedly. He squinted at her. “Good.” Why had she told him that? Why on earth would she ever say something like that to him?
Elena almost called it off then and there, but he seemed unbothered. Almost smug, leaning back, legs crossed, one arm draped over the back of the sofa. They took pictures again later. “Kiss me,” he said without thinking. Elena held her breath. Had she imagined it? “We are in a relationship, Elena. It would be suspicious if there are no pictures of us kissing. And besides, you might want to practice before the wedding.”
It was reasonable, well-argued. He had, after all, practised saying it while keeping a straight face this morning in the bathroom mirror. At least, that’s how Rebekah had told Klaus she had walked in on their older brother. Elena pressed her lips against his cheek, enjoying the roughness of his stubble against her mouth. “May I?”
When she nodded, he grabbed her chin gently, swiping his thumb over her lip once, marvelling at how soft it felt. And then he kissed her. Gently. Dropped his phone in the process after having snapped a picture, letting the kiss consume him. “Oh my god!” Jenna almost dropped the bags she was carrying. Elena and Elijah jumped apart. “Jenna. Hi. I didn’t-”
Fuck. Elena’s aunt. Elijah was over a thousand years old and somehow he felt like a teenager. “When Elena said she had a boyfriend, I had absolutely no idea she was talking about you,” Jenna said in shock. Elijah got up from the sofa, took the heavy bags filled with groceries from Jenna’s arms and carried them into the kitchen for her.
“We kept it private for some time,” he said smoothly, eternally grateful that Jenna was not a vampire and could not hear how his heart was racing. “We were not sure how people would react.” Elena started unpacking the groceries. “Well, now that the cat is out of the bag,” Jenna said, grinning, “Elijah, why don’t you stay for dinner?” He swallowed. “It would be my pleasure.”
Elena took Elijah upstairs out of panic, not wanting him to stay in the living room. He was there to hang out with her, not to sweet-talk Jenna into liking him. Jenna already liked him anyway. He had been in her bedroom before, that night they had struck their deal. He still looked out of place there, in his suit and tie. He walked idly across the room, perusing the books, looking at pictures. Elena was frozen in place when he suddenly picked up her diary. He did not open it. Elijah would never violate her privacy like that. “There better be hearts around my name, Elena.” He tapped his fingers against the cover of the notebook and put it back where he had found it. Elena smiled when he approached her. “Pink sparkly ones.”
Her lipstick was on his cheek, she realized when he came closer. “Almost as pink as my lipstick on your cheek,” she caught his hand before he could wipe it off. “Sit, I want to try something.” Elena did not know where the idea had come from or what gave her the nerve to go through with it when she moved to her vanity to reapply her lipstick. He sat down at the foot of her bed, not daring to move when she pressed her lips against his face. Again and again and again, reapplying lipstick as needed. He was smiling like an idiot when she took the picture. She set it as her lockscreen.
The day of the wedding came. In the week leading up to it, Elijah had been busy and he hated every second of it. Hated not spending time with her. Elena had been busy, too, helping Caroline. They had never talked about it, about the kiss. What it meant. She would have to kiss him at the wedding, she realized. Couples kissed. Elena found herself giddy with anticipation at the thought of it.
Elijah was nervous. An original vampire tended to be a bit of an elephant in the room. He would be on his best behaviour, of course, having taken great care in choosing what to wear. He would be matching Elena’s bridesmaid’s dress, of course. He enjoyed wearing matching outfits with her, sometimes convincing her to do it for their meetings. They had moved the fake-dates to Mystic Falls over time, letting people see them together. Holding hands. Never more.
Elijah could not bring himself to kiss her again. Not when he could not tell her how he really felt about her. He had decided to do it after the wedding. Then, she could safely invent a fake breakup story for her friends. Would not have to see him again if she did not want to. He hoped she wanted to. Hoped that she would allow him to date her for real, his feelings for her becoming stronger by the day.
The day of the wedding came. They had agreed to meet there, Elena being incredibly busy with helping Controlfreak-Caroline, as he jokingly called her, making sure that every last detail was flawless. Stefan looked handsome, Caroline looked beautiful. But it was Elena he could not tear his eyes away from during the entire ceremony. How she stood there in that beautiful dress, occasionally looking at him, smiling.
“What a lovely ceremony,” he said to Caroline and Stefan afterwards, “I hope every day of your marriage will be as beautiful as this one.” He kissed Elena on the cheek. “Darling,” he said, “you look ravishing.” She smiled giddily. “You are looking very handsome yourself.” Elena pretended to straighten his tie.
He held her hand for most of the day, letting himself pretend completely. He was her boyfriend. She was his girlfriend. They were in love. Elena did the same, putting her head on his shoulder when they danced a slow dance. “Are you enjoying yourself, my love?” “Mhm.” She replied, somewhat lost in her thoughts. Jenna was watching them, laughing as Damon spun her around on the dancefloor. Elijah had noticed Damon staring at him throughout the evening. “He is mad that you are here with me and not him,” he shared his observation with Elena. She shrugged. “He was already on the guest list.” Elijah nodded, understanding. “The seating chart,” they said at the same time, laughing. “I want to kiss you,” he confessed after a while. She closed the distance between them without hesitation, stopping in the middle of the dancefloor, everyone else fading away.
The evening went by fast. Elena thought they would have more time. She sat in a corner, scrolling through her phone, looking at the pictures they had taken. That was all that would remain when the evening was over. The memories. Elijah had not given her any signs that he was not interested in dating her, but then again, she had asked him to pretend, and he had committed fully. “My love,” he walked up to her, “shall we go back to the hotel?” The drive back would be far too long for the human guests, so Caroline had arranged for everyone to stay at a hotel to avoid suspicion. Elena smiled at him. “Sure.” She winced when she got up, remembering suddenly why she had sat down. “My feet hurt.” Elijah smiled at her softly. “Then allow me.”
She was horizontal. Why was she horizontal? Her arms shot around his neck instinctively. She was in his arms, she realized. He smelled so good. Somewhere across the room, Jenna was covertly taking pictures. Elena seemed completely in love with this guy, and he seemed to be even more in love with her, if that was even possible. Elijah carried her to the car, looking at her with unparalleled tenderness. The drive to the hotel was short. His hand was on her thigh.
“You know you don’t have to pretend anymore. No one can see us.” It hurt. It hurt him so much when she said it. “The wedding is not over yet,” he muttered, “best not drop the act before breakfast tomorrow.” She did not push him away, even now, when there was no one to see them. He obtained the key to their room. One room, she realized suddenly. One room with one bed, he realized when he set her down and opened the door. Elena was still unable to think. Elijah had somehow carried their bags with one arm and her with the other.
He sat on a chair by the window in contemplative silence while she got ready for bed. “Bathroom’s free,” she said, walking over to the bed. There was toothpaste in the corner of her mouth. “You have some-” “Hmm?” she turned to him, looking so adorably sleepy. Elijah gently reached out to her, wiping it away with his thumb. Then he just looked at her for several seconds. She was also looking at him. Watching, trying to commit every little detail to memory. She did not want to forget any of it. He tore himself away, heading to the bathroom. She chuckled when he came back out in pyjama pants and a shirt. “What is so funny?” Her breath hitched when he leaned against the wall, crossing his arms. Had all this muscle always been there?
“Caroline thinks you sleep in a suit. I was inclined to agree.” He chuckled softly, grabbing one of the pillows from the bed and moving to the couch. “What are you-” He stopped in his tracks. She sounded hurt. Looked hurt. “I was just- I was just trying to give you some space.” “We can sleep in the same bed, Elijah.” Was he truly so eager to get away from her? He sat at the edge of the bed tensely.
Could they sleep in the same bed? Could he trust himself enough not to give in to the urge to pull her body close to his? “Thank you for today,” she said quietly, her back turned to him. “It was a pleasure,” he replied. “Should you ever require a fake boyfriend again, you know how to reach me.” She turned to him and could not stop herself from reaching out to touch him, to brush that one stubborn strand of hair out of his face.
“And have you be my on-again-off-again for all eternity?” He smiled sadly. How would she tell people it had ended? That was the one story they had not made up together. Would Elena break up with him, would he break up with her? What would be the reason? His family? The judging glances her friends could not stop themselves from giving him? “It doesn’t have to end.” His voice was shaking, afraid of how she might reject him. Always the gentleman, she thought. “Elijah, it would not be fair to you to keep this up. What if one of my friends sees you with a woman you actually want to date? I-” “I don’t want to date another woman,” he confessed. “And I do not want to continue this ruse. I want something real. I want you.”
Elena’s head was spinning. All those weeks. All those fake dates he had planned. The pictures he had insisted on taking. The memories they had made. His hand on her waist when they had danced, his arms carrying her. “Say something, please,” he begged. Elijah was staring at the ceiling, already preparing for her rejection. He would sleep on the couch after all. “Do you think this could work?” Her question was careful, testing the waters. Elijah laughed humourlessly. “Your friends despise me for what I am, my brother tried to kill you, and yet? It has been working. For weeks.” She considered his words for a while. Her hand slipped into his. “Something real,” she said, “I would like that.”
Neither of them dared to make the first move. The first real move. “So what do we do now?” Elena finally broke the silence. “I suppose,” Elijah said smugly, “you could attempt to find out the answer to that little question Miss Forbes- Mrs Salvatore, asked you.” Now that he was sure his affections were returned, his confidence skyrocketed. Elena almost resented how easy it was for him. It had certainly gotten harder for her for some reason. “I already know that you don’t sleep in a suit, Elijah, what-” He was smug. Too smug. Elena blushed when she realized what he had been referring to. Is he good in bed? When she made no move, Elijah squeezed her hand. “Or we just sleep.” “Mhm.” She nodded. Too quickly, she nodded. “Good night, Elijah.” “Good night, Elena.”
He was still smiling triumphantly when Elena changed her mind, leveraging her vampire speed to land on top of him in a heartbeat, lips crashing against him in a desperate kiss. She had been starving to taste him. “What was that about?” She kissed him again. Again. “I changed my mind,” Elena responded breathlessly. His hands in her hair, her hands on his chest, taking off his shirt. His hands, taking off her shirt, her pants, her underwear. And then Elijah showed her exactly how good he was in bed.
Two weeks later, Caroline and Elena went out for drinks, the former having just returned from her honeymoon. “How are things going with you and Elijah?” Caroline inquired politely. Elena nodded, swallowing her drink so she could say something. The two girls had been slowly venturing towards the edge of their high tolerance for alcohol and tongues got looser, secrets threatening to spill out. “Things are good.” The glint in her eye told Caroline everything. “How good exactly?”
Elena threw her head back and squeezed her eyes shut. “Very. Very good. Things are so very good multiple times every night.” Caroline laughed. “But I suppose,” Elena continued, “that I don’t have to tell you how good an original vampire is in bed, do I?” Caroline paled. “How do you- Elijah. He told you? Klaus told him? I’m going to-” But Elena just laughed. “That’s what you get for keeping secrets from me, Care.”
Another week later, Elijah had finally convinced Elena to meet his family. Again. Officially. “Niklaus insists,” he had sighed over the phone, “that he gets a do-over.” Elena thought about it for days. Klaus. Klaus, who had killed her in a weird ritual. Evil Klaus. Wanted another chance. To be what? Friends? In the end, Elena decided to trust someone else’s judgement on the matter. If Caroline had slept with Klaus, Elena could get through one dinner with him.
It was Rebekah who opened the door that night. “Hello, Elena,” she greeted. Elena swallowed nervously. She and Rebekah had never really been on good terms, apart from that one time Elena had turned off her emotions. “Hi,” she said nervously, walking into the mansion. “So. After months of sneaking around, you finally let him bring you home.” Elena did not know how to respond. Rebekah was circling her like a vulture sizing up its prey. And she had thought seeing Klaus would be the worst thing about the evening. “My brother is head over heels in love with you,” she stated casually, “and I would prefer if you don’t fuck it up.” She came to a halt in front of Elena and leaned in to hug her. Elena let her. Wrapped her arms around her in return. “Ah, there she is!”
Elena wished Rebekah would not let her go, would not make her face Klaus. “Hello, love.” He was smiling at her, though not in his usual evil way. “Uhm, hi,” she said, still trying to gauge whether or not his manners were fake. Any second now he would reveal his evil plan that would require her blood. Her life. Anything. But he did not. Instead, Klaus took her hand, kissed it, and proceeded to lead her into the dining room before she even knew what was happening. Rebekah took her other arm. “Nik is notoriously bad at apologizing, but let me express on his behalf that he is sorry for killing you and all his other indiscretions.” Indiscretions. She said it so casually. But Klaus nodded sincerely, something dangerously close to remorse in his eyes.
And then Elijah was there. Elijah. Walking up to her, kissing her, freeing her from his siblings. The dinner went well. Rebekah was nice. Klaus was nice, though Elena did not think she could ever fully trust him. And somehow, after countless bottles of wine, the truth came out. A truth that Klaus had known, but Rebekah had not even suspected. “Wait, it was all fake?” Rebekah gasped, “It was all made up?” Elijah confirmed it. “And you were secretly in love with each other the whole time?” Both of them nodded. Klaus laughed. “I am happy my brother was so high up on your list of candidates for a fake relationship.” “Oh,” Elena smirked deviously, “I considered bringing you.” Klaus dropped his fork. “Why?”
Elena shrugged. “Making you watch as Caroline marries another man would have been a somewhat satisfying revenge, I guess.” “Why didn’t you go through with it?” Rebekah insisted on knowing. “Because I don’t like talking to him.” The blonde started laughing. Klaus did not find it remotely as funny. “And I doubt,” Elena continued, testing her luck, “that Klaus would have let me take a picture like this.” She tossed Rebekah her phone. Elijah, covered in kiss marks, lipstick all over his face. “You know he will make you pay for showing this to us, right?” Klaus’ amusement was endless. Elena met Elijah’s eyes, dark with desire. He would make her pay. Again and again and again. “I am counting on it.”