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Elijah watched from his place in the bed as Evelyn walked out of the room in nothing but one of his dress shirts. She would return soon, no doubt with two cups of coffee, but still Elijah found his heart missing her. Maybe not because she was physically vacant in that moment, but perhaps it was because she didn't know him for who he really was, and that was a rare thing to come by. Evelyn didn't know anything about the other side of reality, the side of vampires, werewolves, and witches. The side he was damned to live in forever. He wanted to keep it that way, keep her naïve and innocent and safe. The safest way to do that would've been to stay away from her altogether, but he was too selfish for that. For once, instead of chasing after his siblings or trying to bring peace to the community, he let himself have this one desire. After so many decades he figured he deserved it. But for her sake, no one could know about her, and she could never know the truth about him. Sneaking around was one thing; telling her everything was another.
Elijah sighed, and rolled over onto his stomach, pressing his face into the pillow beneath him. God. Telling her the truth? He was in way to deep.
He let his mind roll back to the moment he met her. She had just moved to New Orleans for a photography course at the university and had found the perfect home in the French Quarter. Her first day in her new home and she decided to adventure, see what was really up with the infamous New Orleans. Evelyn was naïve, clueless, and new. The perfect victim. Elijah had saved her. She, of course, didn't know this. She was walking in the streets when Elijah dropped on the two vampires following her. When she turned around no bodies were found. Only a tall man in an expensive looking suit. He offered to show her around, and the rest was history.
No one knew about them. Not Hayley, not Rebekah, definitely not Klaus. This was the one thing Elijah wished to keep for himself. After everything, centuries of trying to keep order in his family, giving up everything he ever loved or having it ripped from him. Just this once, he wanted to keep her as his.
Elijah heard her coming up the stairs before she was five feet away from the door. He smelt the coffee next, strong. It was her favourite brand. Elijah himself didn't care for coffee, but he found that he'd do anything to share the simplest things with her. She was human and he was a vampire. There wasn't much they could share, but this. Coffee. Early mornings in her flat. He'd take that any day.
He heard her put the cups down before he felt her fingers trail down his back. She ran her hands down his side and wrapped arms around his middle, laying down on him as she pressed kisses into his muscular shoulder blades. Elijah smiled into the pillow, wider than he had in a long time. Evelyn let her head rest on his shoulder. "Are you falling asleep on me?" She joked.
"Never," Elijah mumbled. He rolled over, bringing Evelyn into his arms so she laid on his stomach.
She smiled brightly at him as she crossed her arms over his chest, resting her chin on them. "Good."
God, she was beautiful. Dark eyelashes framing big eyes the colour of spring. Long, wavy black hair. Olive skin he could kiss until the end of time. She was short, allot shorter than him, but her legs were slender and strong, evident of her love for running. Her frame, small yet curvy, fit perfectly in his. Her crooks and folds and curves matching his. And her smile. The very sight of it could turn the worst days good. His heart, if it were still beating, would hammer in chest at the every sight of her.
He tucked a piece of hair behind her ear, and let his palm rest gently on her cheek. Evelyn held onto it with hers, kissing the inside of his wrist before intertwining their fingers. Elijah grinned at her, Evelyn returning the gesture, dimples on display.
"What's the plan for today?" He asked softly, not wanting to disturb the moment.
Evelyn gleamed up at him. "Absolutely nothing." She sounded so blissful, so happy. "Assignments are all done, no shifts until tomorrow. I'm all yours."
"Oh, really?" Elijah said humorously. He let go of her hand, and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her up further. Her face was centimetres away from his now. "What do you suppose we do then?"
"I have a few ideas," Evelyn suggested, leaning down and pressing her lips against his.
Gosh, he wished it could be like this all the time. No wars, no killing, no betrayal, no paranoia. Just simple Saturday mornings in bed and coffee.
And as if the God of the universe had heard his silent wish and decided to punch him in the face with it, his phone on the bedside table began to ring. Evelyn reached over and handed it to him, but not before glancing at the caller I.D Elijah groaned allowed when he saw who it was, but put on a less irritable tone once he answered. "Niklaus," Elijah greeted. "To what do I owe this pleasure?"
"Ah, brother! So you are bloody alive!" Nik said sarcastically from the other side. Elijah rolled his eyes.
"What do you want, Nik?" Elijah asked.
"I want to know where it is my dear sibling has disappeared to."
"Did Hayley not tell you? I'm out of town for a few days." Evelyn rose an eyebrow, and Elijah put his index finger to his lips.
"Out of town? You never go out of town."
"Well, I have now," Elijah replied coolly. "I have some business to attend to Northwards."
"I suppose you won't tell me what that business is?" Klaus concluded.
"That you are right. I'll be back tomorrow. Should the entire compound suddenly catch fire, call me."
Klaus laughed on the other line. "I want an explanation." And with that, Elijah hung up the phone. He sighed aloud, running his hands down his face. Klaus was suspicious. Nothing ended well when Klaus was suspicious.
Evelyn cleared her throat, catching Elijah's attention. He peeked from behind his hands to find her staring curiously at him. "Out of town, eh?"
Elijah hid behind his hands again.
"Who's Niklaus?" Evelyn asked.
Elijah sighed again. "Someone who I'd rather not talk to right now," he said. "Not when I'm with you."
"You're not mixed up in anything shady, are you? Anything I should be concerned about?" She questioned.
That depended on what you considered shady. My brother rules over the witches, werewolves, and vampires of the French Quarter, and I'm the stupid brother who constantly tries to push him towards redemption from his wicked ways. Does that count as shady?
Elijah shook his head. She didn't need to know. "Just family stuff."
Evelyn nodded, and then rolled off him, retrieving her cup of coffee and settling to sit next to his legs. Another thing he loved about her. She didn't push. Unlike everyone else he knew, Evelyn was secure. She believed Elijah when he said whatever he said, and trusted that if anything arose, should the situation turn for the worse, he would tell her. She didn't need to know every little detail about his life, just that he was okay. That's all that mattered to her.
He thought then of all the other woman he had had in his life, and how they all ended up dead. Tatia, whom his monstrous side had consumed. Celeste who ended up betraying him. Hayley, who was the mother of his brother's child and married to another. Gia, who Klaus had killed. The list could go on. He didn't want that to happen to Evelyn. He didn't want her to experience the side of him he sometimes struggled to keep at bay, didn't want her to end up dead too. How was he going to do this? How would he keep her safe and love her at the same time?
*************
Evelyn tried to stifle her giggles from hiding behind the door, her camera held up as she tried to capture Elijah laying shirtless in bed, surrounded by white sheets and a cup of coffee in hand. He knew she was there, could hear her failed attempt to stop laughing and the click of her camera. He looked up through his eyelashes, watching as she stepped from behind the door and clicked away. This time, the flash went off, temporary blinding Elijah. "Are you done?" He asked, rubbing his eyes.
Evelyn bit her lip and shook her head. "I'm in the middle of capturing a work of art. Who knows how long this will take." She snapped another picture.
Elijah moved off the bed, and walked towards her. "Wait, wait!" Evelyn shouted, holding out her hand. Elijah stood still. "Okay, don't move," she said softly. She moved slightly to the right, getting the angle where the light hit him perfectly, capturing his eyes in the most beautiful way, shadowing the outline of his abs. His black boxes hung low on his hips, and Elijah struggled to fight off a smile as Evelyn took the picture. "Perfect!" She shouted in triumph. She walked over to him, where he turned her around and wrapped his arms around her stomach, resting his head on her shoulder. She held the camera up, showing him the picture.
"Wow," Elijah breathed. He kissed her cheek, then her neck. "You sure know how to make me look good."
Evelyn giggled, turning around in his arms and letting her arms hang around his neck. "Like I said. Work of Art." She kissed him. "Join me?"
Elijah released her as she set the camera on the bed. She strutted to the bathroom, hovering by the door a moment to look behind her, to watch as Elijah stared at her, before she disappeared. A moment later he heard the water running. The vampire smiled to himself, having a moment, before following Evelyn into the shower.
***************
It was getting harder to keep her a secret. Klaus didn't bother to hide his suspicions about where Elijah disappeared to, and even Hayley was starting to question him. If Rebekah had been there she too would've been suspicious. Elijah didn't know how much longer he could keep up the charade, how much longer he could stop himself from smiling when he thought of her or when she sent him a text. Klaus wouldn't let this go, and knowing how stubborn Hayley was neither would she. If they found out, Klaus would no doubt approach Evelyn, and then keeping all this, family, vampirism, the supernatural, would be a much harder task than before, if not impossible.
Elijah ran his hands down his face in stress. He stood on top of the building opposite where Evelyn was currently working a shift. She didn't know he was watching her, no one did. Elijah didn't like making a habit of watching her without her consent, but when he was stressed he found that sometimes just watching her do the simplest of things calmed him.
He shoved his hands into the pockets of his jacket, thinking of what he would say to her when he would visit her tonight. They had a date. It was Elijah's turn to pick the movie, but he couldn't find himself to choose a flick. Rather, his mind was preoccupied on how he would answer Evelyn's questions he no doubted would occur. She had been asking him questions about his family quite a bit lately. Not to push him to confess or spill everything to her, but out of pure curiosity. She claimed he knew practically everything about her, yet she knew so little about him.
The truth was he didn't want her to know anything about him. His mother was right. He wore suits and constantly cleaned his hands as a mask to hide the real monster he was. Kept his suits clean because he knew he wasn't. The less Evelyn knew about that the better.
***************
"Oh!" Evelyn squealed in joy when he handed her the DVD. "I love this movie."
He had picked The Avengers, not because he hadn't seen it and knew Evelyn was a comic book geek, but because it was the only DVD he could take from the compound without rousing more suspicion than there already was.
"So I did well?" He asked. He settled on the couch, preparing the movie to start while Evelyn manoeuvred in the kitchen, popping the popcorn and pouring the drinks.
"You did amazing," she said. "I think you're going to be sold on this movie by the time it reaches the end. And then we can dedicate a full day to watching all the Marvel movies."
Elijah turned to face her. "All the marvel movies?"
She nodded, tossing a popcorn into her mouth. "It's a cinematic universe."
"Well, then."
Elijah turned back around and sank further into the couch, closing his eyes. He was looking forward to this. Snuggling on the couch with her, watching movies, not thinking, not talking. Completely distracted from the situation that awaited him at home. He felt more peaceful just thinking about not having to think about it.
He opened his eyes when Evelyn walked over and handed him the bowl. He pulled her down and into his side as she took the remote from him and pressed play. As the opening credits rolled, she leaned to whisper in his ear. "Home come we never go to your place?"
So much for that.
"I don't think you would like my roommates all that much," he said, looking at her.
She looked up at him, her head leaning against his shoulder. "It's not because you're embarrassed of me, is it?"
"What?" Elijah pressed pause, sitting up and turning to face her. Evelyn let her hands rest in her lap as she sat up. Elijah put his hand over hers. "Evie, why would you think that?"
Evelyn drew in a breath. "I trust you, Elijah. I really do. Your business is your business and if you feel like you need to tell me then you can. If you don't want to that's okay too just as long as you're okay."
"Then what is it?"
"We never go out," she finally said. "We're always here. I love it here. I love being away with you. But so many dates in an apartment and a girl begins to think things." She shrugged carelessly, laughing lightly as if to play it off.
Elijah sat back, tilting his head. "You think I don't want to be seen with you?"
Evie buried her face in her hands. "I know it's stupid."
"It's not stupid," Elijah said softly. "But it's not true."
Evelyn looked at him through her eyelashes, her green eyes piercing through his brown ones. Elijah could feel the emotion, deep and heavy. He moved closer to her so their legs touched, and grabbed both of her hands in his. "You're the one good thing in my life right now, Evie. The one thing I would not be prouder to take out. But," he sighed. "I just can't."
"I suppose you won't tell me why that is?" Evelyn said.
Elijah was torn. With Klaus running the show, anyone wanting to be on his good side would rat Elijah out to him. He didn't want her to know, the mere thought of it would almost send him into cardiac arrest. But she deserved better than to feel like she was an embarrassment to him, that he was ashamed to have her on his arm. She deserved so much more than this, but he was too goddamn selfish to let her go.
He didn't say anything. Just looked at her.
What would he do?
**************
She didn't break up with him. When he didn't respond to her question he was so sure she would break up with him. She should've. Evelyn knew her value, knew she deserved better than half-truths and secret business. But still, she stayed. Why?
Elijah found himself asking himself that question over and over again as he strolled the city nightlife. All around him young people stumbled about, drunk or high, or involve in something else the New Orleans nightlife hid. Music blasted from the club on the corner, and the bar was packed full tonight. The city was so crowded, yet Elijah felt so alone in his thoughts.
Why had she stayed?
Why couldn't he figure out what to do?
He loved her. Of fucking course he did. Three months of being together. Three months of late nights and early mornings, of wrapped naked in bed sheets and each other. Of movie nights and debates on which comic hero was the best. Three months of absolute bliss. Three months of Elijah feeling like even though he was hiding a huge part of himself from her, he didn't have to hide from her, not really. The side that rarely came out, the human side that experienced laughter and happiness and joy and love, the side that was constantly ripped to pieces. That side lived and prospered. Because she let it.
So if he loved her so so much, why was this so complicated?
It wasn't like he hadn't let go of past loves because of his vampirism before. After what happened with Tatiana, and even Celeste... It was rare for Elijah to allow himself this.
Why was Evelyn so special?
**************
"Brother!" Klaus greeted Elijah in a sarcastically mocking tone when he returned to the compound. Klaus walked down the stairs and joined his brother in the courtyard, embracing him. He slapped Elijah on the shoulder. "It is so good to see you're alive and not locked up somewhere tortured or with a dagger in your chest."
"You're the only one that daggers, Niklaus," Elijah commented.
Klaus laughed heartily. "I'm the only one smart enough to be successful in it. Anyway," Klaus wrapped an arm around Elijah's neck, guiding him towards the steps. "Where did you disappear to? I feel like we've been lacking in our brotherly bonding sessions because you're never here."
Elijah rolled his eyes at his brother's dramatic state. "If you must know I went for a walk."
Klaus pouted his lips and squinted his eyes, once again mocking Elijah with a false expression of sympathy. "Went to clear your head did you?" They walked up the stairs. Elijah went to turn to go to his room, but Klaus kept his arm wrapped around him firm, and guided him in the opposite direction – to the lounge room. "Well, while you were too busy sniffing daisies we invited a special someone over."
Elijah's heart quickened. He glanced at Niklaus, whose expression was as devious as ever. The infamous smirk was there. Shit. Now Elijah was beginning to panic. "Honestly, Elijah –" Nik guided him into the lounge room, and just like that Elijah's worst nightmare became a reality. "How rude could you be to dear old Evelyn?
The girl whom Elijah loved so much sat with Hayley on the couch, engulfed in what looked like friendly conversation. She looked up from her cup of tea when she spotted Elijah in the door, and sent a smile his way. Had the situation not been the way it was, Elijah may have found his heart melting at the sight of her.
"What's going on?" Elijah whispered harshly to his brother.
Niklaus laughed aloud, clapping Elijah on the back. "Well, it's quite the story. Hayley, why don't you tell him?"
Hayley smiled brightly at Elijah, setting her cup down. "Gladly!" She clapped her hands together. "I was in the bar with Cami when she introduced me to this lovely thing who recently started working there. We got to talking, ya know as you do, when you came up in the subject," Hayley sent another smile towards Elijah. He knew it was sarcastic. "After that, I invited her here."
"Well," Elijah said through gritted teeth. "That's great! Evie, you look amazing as always. Niklaus, can I see you outside for a moment?"
Elijah harshly grabbed Klaus by the arm, dragging him out the room. Elijah didn't know what to feel. Confusion, rage, all of the above. He had worked so hard on keeping Evelyn out of the Mikaelson business and it took one freaking conversation at a bar to ruin that.
"Evie?" Klaus mocked. Elijah glared. "Easy, brother," Klaus laughed. "You're going to burst a vein."
"What the hell is this?" Elijah demanded.
Klaus rose an eyebrow. He almost looked offended. "Did you really not want us to meet your girlfriend? I can't imagine why. She's lovely."
"Exactly!" Elijah said. "She's lovely. And human and not involved in any of this. Honestly, what were you thinking? Bring a human girl to a compound full of vampires?"
Elijah had been able to control himself around Evelyn. Centuries of experience and a strict feeding plan worked. But the compound, full of fledglings and vampires with egos who struggled to stick with the rules. That couldn't end well.
"She's safe," Klaus assured him. "Anyone tries anything Hayley and I will kill them before Evelyn can even blink."
That didn't help. Elijah was burning with rage now. "I kept her out of this, Niklaus."
"You mean you lied to her?" Klaus clarified. Elijah didn't respond. "You're out here angry at me because I, your brother, met your girlfriend when you're the one who's lied to her about who you are."
"She doesn't need to know," Elijah said sternly.
Klaus held his hands up in surrender. "Whatever you say."
Elijah glared at Klaus. He wanted to stay out here and shout and scream all his frustration. But Evelyn was in the next room, and he had to get the situation under control. He pointed an accusing finger at Klaus. "This isn't over."
"Yes, yes, we've got an eternity to deal with it."
Elijah glared a moment longer before he walked away, not bothering to check if Nik was following. He buried it. Buried all rage and frustration deep down, and entered the lounge room with a huge smile on his face. "Evie, my love," he walked over and kissed her cheek. She smiled brightly at him, relieved he didn't seem to be holding back or the least bit embarrassed. She relaxed as he settled into the seat opposite her. "So," he said. Klaus sat in the chair next to him, trying his hardest to hide his amusement. This was going to be interesting. "What are we talking about?"
"Evie here just told me about life since she moved here," Hayley said. Elijah sent her a fake smile at the emphasis of Evelyn's nickname.
Evelyn, so innocent and pure, didn't catch the shade being thrown and nodded. "Yeah, it's been hard moving somewhere so different from home, but it's not all that bad." She smiled at Elijah, and for a moment, he couldn't help but smile back.
And then Klaus spoke, and Elijah had to fight the urge to roll his eyes.
"Where did you move from?" Niklaus asked.
"North Carolina," she said. "But I was born in Brazil."
"Were you?" Klaus responded in happiness. "Elijah and I visited there a while ago."
"Really?" Evelyn looked to Elijah. "You didn't tell me that."
Elijah laughed nervously. "It was a long time ago."
Klaus nodded. "It really was way back. But it was such a memorable trip, wasn't it Elijah. So beautiful and new. When Cabral came –"
"Okay!" Elijah stood up. "Did they take you on the grand tour?"
Evelyn shook her head, unfazed.
"Then let me show you." He held out his hand and helped her up. Evelyn slipped her hand into his, and Elijah led them out the room. He pointed out the courtyard which she had no doubt seen, named a few of the people lingering around, and pointed out which rooms were whose. He didn't bother entering any of them, though, just beelined straight for his room where he immediately shut the door.
Once inside, Elijah let go of Evelyn's hand. He pressed his head against the door, his fist resting against on the wood. Behind him, Evelyn laughed lightly. "You think this is funny?" He mumbled into the door, his eyes closed.
"A little," Evelyn said. She sat on his bed, a king-sized bed adorned in heavy blankets and black sheets. It was made incredibly neatly. Elijah never slept in it, but he liked the idea of Evie doing so. "How come you never told me about Klaus and Hayley?"
"Did your time with them not answer that question?"
"Oh, they're not that bad, Elijah," she waved him off. Evelyn glanced around the room, taking in the dark curtains and simple, or lack of, décor. Desk, chair, bookshelf, bed. For someone of his character, she had expected something a little more. But it was clean, precise, and classy. Just like the suits he constantly wore.
Elijah banged his head onto the door in response. Evelyn laughed again, getting up and walking over. She grabbed his arms and turned him around. "Hey," she said softly. "What's so bad you didn't want to tell me?"
Elijah shook his head. "What?" Evelyn asked, her hand coming up to rest against his chest. Elijah continued to shake his head. "What is it, Elijah?"
Her tone was so gentle, her voice so velvety soft. "No," he whispered, still shaking his head. Evelyn pressed her palm against his cheek, her fingers tracing his cheek bone and running behind his ear. He brought his hand up and grasped hers, closing his eyes. "You don't need to know."
"Know what?" She breathed. Her eyes softened as he closed his eyes. He was struggling, holding himself back. An internal war was being waged in his mind. She gripped his hand harder, urging him on.
"You don't need to know," he repeated softly. He felt so venerable. Tears gathered but he refused to let them release. If the waterfall ran, Evelyn would no doubt push until she got the truth because she was okay with being in the dark so long as he was okay. This was most definitely not okay.
"What don't you want me to know? Why don't you want me to meet your family?" Evelyn asked. "Is it because you're a vampire?"
All tears stopped. Elijah stood up straighter and froze completely. She knew. Brown eyes widened as he stared at Evelyn in absolute shock, unable to figure out how to react. But for someone who had just put all the pieces together in one question, she was dangerously calm. "How," Elijah choked out. "How did you know?"
Evelyn laughed. "Well, you're not exactly subtle." Elijah still looked confused. "Oh come. You don't think I can feel you watching me all hours of the night when you stay over?" Elijah blushed. "You appear and then disappear in the blink of an eye, you're never tired. You cringe at the smell of coffee, and when I suggest we eat pizza or burgers you barely bat an eyelash. These are all things people enjoy, Elijah," Evelyn said humorously.
"My lack of interest in food is what gave it away?"
"That, and the newspaper articles from the 1900s that have the Mikaelson's face plastered all over them." Evelyn pet his cheek. "You looked very handsome, by the way. That hairstyle suited you."
Elijah groaned, burying his face in his hands. Evelyn chuckled, letting him rest his head on her shoulder. "How long have you known?" He mumbled into her denim jacket.
She rubbed circles on his back. "Since the day you jumped those two vampires who were following me."
Elijah picked up his head, rising an eyebrow. "What?" Evelyn asked. She rolled her eyes. "I was born and raised in Brazil, Elijah. Don't you think I can pick up when two guys are stalking me? I didn't know they were vampires, but when a mysterious guy just poofed out of nowhere, I started to piece it together."
"If you knew this whole time why didn't you say anything?" Elijah asked.
"This is a huge part of who you are," she shrugged. "I figured you'd tell me when you were ready."
This was insane. He had spent his entire relationship with her worried out of his mind that she might find out, and now she was telling him she had known the entire time? And that it didn't even bother her?
She accepted him. His true biggest fear wasn't entirely that she would die or betray him, but that she would reject him. And here she was, smiling, laughing. Accepting him.
Elijah smiled brightly at her, wrapping his arms around her waist. "Have I ever told you I love you?"
Evelyn went up on her tiptoes, teeth on display as she shook her head. "I've started making a list of all the things you don't tell me that I already know."
Elijah barked with laughter, throwing his head back before he leaned down and kissed her. 'Well, I do," he said into her mouth, eyes closed and arms pulling her closer. "I do love you."
She smiled at him. "I love you too."