Fic; This Human-Shaped Promise (Elijah/Klaus)
Title; This Human-Shaped Promise
Genre; Angst, dark themes.
Characters/Pairings; Elijah/Klaus, brief appearances from other Originals.
Rating; MA (mainly for violence)
Word count; 2,250
Summary; Written for we-remain-together's prompt; But I meant every word I said, from deranged to divine. And I would do it all again, as if for the first time.
Elijah is with Niklaus when their father enters the room, anger clear on his face he grabs Niklaus by the upper arm and drags him outside so that everyone may see his brother’s ‘shame’. Elijah follows without a word and keeps a carefully blank face as his little brother struggles in Mikael’s grip.
Elijah doesn’t understand the words when his father speaks of honour, for Mikael doesn’t behave honourably or justly or fairly towards his children. Elijah has honour though; his word is maybe the most important element of him. He stands solemnly at the side as Mikael brings a stick down against Niklaus’s back, forces himself to not look away for a moment.
Every time Mikael trains Elijah on how to wield a sword he pays rapt attention, thinking on how one day he will be strong enough to defeat Mikael. Every day he trains himself into exhaustion so he will one day be able to fight back. He’s smart enough not to do so beforehand; it would end worse for all involved. He thinks of this now as guilt and despair and helplessness flow through his heart and Niklaus’s cries ring in his ears as raw open cuts form on his darling brother. But he keeps his expression blank still.
When Mikael lets Niklaus go, Elijah watches as his brother falls to the floor, whimpering, his tiny body curling in on itself. And Elijah goes to him like the many times before, Niklaus’s arms cling desperately around his neck and he helps his brother hobble to his room.
***
Elijah is returning home one day when Niklaus’s yell reaches his ears and Elijah strides purposefully to where Mikael stands beating his brother. This time he does not step to the side and wait.
“You will not touch him,” Elijah states, voice terse, one hand on the hilt of his sword and the other on Mikael’s wrist.
He is used to acting indifferent, above it all, unruffled, he has had a lot of practise; it frustrates Mikael almost as much as Niklaus does. That doesn’t mean he doesn’t have passion. Over the past summer he has grown and filled out and he knows a better time shall not come for this.
“You should not try me Elijah,” Mikael says condescendingly.
Elijah merely stands between him and Niklaus, head up, saying nothing; there’s not much to say.
“Very well,” Mikael says sternly, dropping the stick and unsheathing his sword.
He’s surprised by the aggression of Mikael’s first stroke, coming at him like a wild creature. He fears he might not be able to hold it off, but he manages. He quickly prepares to step up his assault. Elijah’s movements are deft and agile, swift and calm. Whereas Mikael’s furious attack is easily parried; he has after all spent years under Mikael’s tutelage learning his movements whilst keeping several of his own to himself.
He doesn’t quite realise what his father is willing to do to win until a hole in his defences is breached and the sword comes at him, he side-steps and manages to avoid being speared but feels the blade slice against his skin. He moves, startles, realises he too will have to be willing to draw blood if he’s willing to win and almost loses his stomach at the thought. Then he looks at his brother, surprised and concerned and hopeful; and knows what he must do.
Placing a few more strikes he soon has his father on the floor with the sword tip pointed at the man’s heart.
“You will not touch him again,” Elijah says quietly with a fire in his voice that’s most unlike him.
He picks up his brother and carries him until they’re within the wooden walls of his room, knowing said walls do not offer the shelter they should.
“I shall protect you Niklaus, for as long as I draw breath I shall protect you,” Elijah states solemnly as he tends to Klaus’s wounds for what he hopes is the final time.
***
Elijah looks up curiously as Niklaus enters the room lacking his usual boisterous manner, he’s shy and hesitant and his flickering candle flame casts shadows over hooded eyes. Immediately Elijah is concerned that Mikael has hurt him in some way. Mikael has not dealt out one of his brutal beatings since Elijah made him stop four years earlier but that does not stop their father from being a force to be reckoned with. Niklaus slowly crosses the room, placing his candle beside Elijah’s. He doesn’t say anything though, simply gives his brother the time he needs to say what is to be said.
Niklaus reaches up and plants a kiss upon his lips much like he did when he was but a babe.
“You are but a child,” Elijah says gently, nudging Niklaus away.
“I came of age months ago, Elijah.”
“Maybe so, but you are still only ten and four. We must have patience,” Elijah says, he makes no mention of their brotherhood, it is inconsequential.
“Remember my promise Niklaus, for as long as I draw breath…”
“You will protect me, I know, what of this matters here?”
“Well, sometimes the hardest part of protecting someone is protecting them from themselves.”
Niklaus has a scowl on his face and Elijah suspects it will be a long argument but instead his brother just begins grinning, “so in a year then?”
“Two,” Elijah replies.
“Fine,” Niklaus agrees and walks away. Elijah knows the discussion is far from over; it is enough that he has said it will happen; he has revealed he too desires Niklaus.
***
Kol is the first of them to give in to the instinct to feed, biting into a maid’s neck with a mirage of a crooked smile. The blood scent stings their senses.
It’s a matter of minutes during which all of their first kills take place, feral animals lunging for blood. Elijah has blood on his hands and on his knees and on his mouth. Half-dazed, he sees Niklaus bite into a shoulder and drink until the body falls lax. Then Nik’s eyes glow and he cries out and everyone pauses for a terrifying second, leaving their stupor. They all know what this means. But Elijah just walks up to his younger brother and steers him away, removing him from Mikael and Esther and their siblings’ presence. Niklaus is the closest thing Elijah will ever have to a son and he doesn’t feel the need to dwell on how obscure that notion is when he’s kissing him.
The wolves reject Niklaus of course, if their new vampiric forms were not enough Mikael massacring several of their kind definitely was, so it falls to Elijah to assist his younger brother through the transition.
“Why are you here? You must hate me; all the others hate this abomination!” Niklaus yells, attempting to shrug off the help even though it’s clear enough to Elijah that he longs for him to stay.
“You are not an abomination Niklaus, you will never be an abomination; I will not allow it, you are my family.”
“I cannot Elijah,” Nik whispers, sounding so much a frightened child that Elijah wonders how so many have come to discard him so effortlessly.
Elijah embraces his brother’s body, feels bones break beneath his fingers and merely stays where he is.
He stares in awe at the magnificent wolf that appears before him and holds no fear in his heart.
***
“Nor will I” Elijah says, approaching his mother’s freshly made grave.
He takes Rebekah’s hand first, it’s the easier promise, because as immense as it is the promise to Nik still means so much more, he pauses before he takes Niklaus’s, the weight of it all threatening to overwhelm, he keeps his eyes locked on his brother as he makes the promise. His word is his bond.
“Always and forever.”
***
Elijah enters the throne hall with his brother, the place is filled with traitors; at least that was the way Niklaus thought of it, all Elijah could see were masses of scared, hungry people, huddling together.
“Nik,” he urges softly, intent heavy in the single word.
“I must show them what I am. And what I am capable of,” Niklaus declares.
Elijah places a hand upon Niklaus’s shoulder.
“You are not a what. You are not an abomination. You are strong, any show of this magnitude is unnecessary,” Elijah says, encouraging restraint.
Niklaus doesn’t turn to him but Elijah can feel the shift in his shoulders; he’s glad for Elijah’s faith. His brother nonetheless steps out his grasp but Elijah knows this time he must let him go.
Klaus beckons to one of his vampires and one of the ‘traitors’ is brought forth. The man is gaunt and soiled, his worn rags stark against the expensive muslin rug he’s thrown upon. Klaus allows his vampiric visage to be shown and shrieks and cries renew afresh, many run for the great unyielding doors and others shrink back towards the walls in the hope of being overlooked. They are paid no mind, the man on the carpet is begging for his life. Klaus bites into him, tears the man apart between his teeth, and with blood splattered over his clothes Niklaus stands grinning.
“This is what happens to those who stand against me!” Klaus’s voice booms, echoing darkly off the walls, “you have my brother to thank for your lives, now run.”
***
Nik is curled upon the floor of his chambers, delusions continuing to plague him. He has ripped his clothes to pieces.
ldquo;I am sorry,” Niklaus whimpers, whether the slight was imagined or some real one from the past matters little, Elijah has the same reply.
“Always and forever.”
Elijah repeats the words like a mantra as he nears his agitated brother and hands are soon wresting his garments.
The sex they partake in is different to how it has been over the last hundred years; Elijah’s eternally aware of the vulnerable state of Niklaus. But his brother seems to only become more and more distraught when he denies him. To accommodate for any changes in mood, Elijah allows Niklaus to do to him as he wishes without doing much himself in return lest the wrong touch incite an episode.
He smiles as hands run down his torso in a harried manner, skirting his abdomen, basks--while he can--in the touch and the fragile smile upon his brother’s face.
***
Klaus is standing by the fireplace as Elijah enters, he doesn’t immediately go to stand by him; preferring to occupy himself by the table as he delivers the information he has received.
“The full moon is tomorrow, brother. After all these centuries, it is finally time,” Klaus says.
“I have been to see the witches. They believe they may have found a way to spare the doppelganger,” Elijah says, looking through the scrolls for final preparations.
“What does it matter if she lives or not? She's a means to an end that is all.”
“What, she should die for your gain?” Elijah asks.
“She is human. Her life means nothing,” Klaus states with a clear smile in his register.
It is at these simple words that the revelation hits. All the years of build-up of Klaus’s cruelty falls together in his mind. Elijah’s heart breaks at the thought of the atrocity his brother has become; this broken wretched unfeeling creature.
“I beg you to consider this,” Elijah urges, moving to stand in front of Niklaus; to emphasise his request. Less now about his care for Katerina, and more for hope that his brother is not entirely lost to him.
“Are you so foolish as to care for her?” Klaus asks.
“Of course not,” Elijah states simply.
Klaus steps closer to him, placing a hand upon his shoulder. Their eyes are locked on each other.
“Love is a vampire's greatest weakness, and we are not weak, Elijah. We do not feel, and we do not care,” Klaus says, worlds of significance heavy in his voice.
Elijah wonders how he could have failed his brother so. He replies with the foolish need to believe they could return to old ways;
“We did once.”
“Too many lifetimes ago to matter. Tell the witches not to bother. The sacrifice will happen as planned,” Klaus answers.
In the days that follow Elijah barely sleeps, he cannot help but dwell upon it all; assigns and reassigns fault, considers tact’s that might have been taken, considers a tact to be taken now, no noteworthy idea strikes, guilt besieges him.
***
“She betrayed me, she made a fool of me; this is the price for her dishonour,” Klaus announces.
Elijah looks over the corpses, mother, father, children, aunts, uncles, servants, an entire family, an entire household. He mourns his brother as he looks upon this creature he has become, this person who was Elijah’s son, Elijah’s lover, Elijah’s charge, this person who Elijah allowed their father to break. This person who Elijah failed to protect from himself. This person who stands as their father once did and speaks of honour.
“I am done Klaus, I am leaving,” he says, breaking the last of his promises; undoing words he had already long ago undone. But his brother isn’t listening. He throws Klaus against a bloodied wall, gaining his attention.
“You were not an abomination Klaus but you made yourself so.”
Elijah leaves because it is the greatest punishment he can deal himself.
Genre; Angst, dark themes.
Characters/Pairings; Elijah/Klaus, brief appearances from other Originals.
Rating; MA (mainly for violence)
Word count; 2,250
Summary; Written for we-remain-together's prompt; But I meant every word I said, from deranged to divine. And I would do it all again, as if for the first time.
Elijah is with Niklaus when their father enters the room, anger clear on his face he grabs Niklaus by the upper arm and drags him outside so that everyone may see his brother’s ‘shame’. Elijah follows without a word and keeps a carefully blank face as his little brother struggles in Mikael’s grip.
Elijah doesn’t understand the words when his father speaks of honour, for Mikael doesn’t behave honourably or justly or fairly towards his children. Elijah has honour though; his word is maybe the most important element of him. He stands solemnly at the side as Mikael brings a stick down against Niklaus’s back, forces himself to not look away for a moment.
Every time Mikael trains Elijah on how to wield a sword he pays rapt attention, thinking on how one day he will be strong enough to defeat Mikael. Every day he trains himself into exhaustion so he will one day be able to fight back. He’s smart enough not to do so beforehand; it would end worse for all involved. He thinks of this now as guilt and despair and helplessness flow through his heart and Niklaus’s cries ring in his ears as raw open cuts form on his darling brother. But he keeps his expression blank still.
When Mikael lets Niklaus go, Elijah watches as his brother falls to the floor, whimpering, his tiny body curling in on itself. And Elijah goes to him like the many times before, Niklaus’s arms cling desperately around his neck and he helps his brother hobble to his room.
***
Elijah is returning home one day when Niklaus’s yell reaches his ears and Elijah strides purposefully to where Mikael stands beating his brother. This time he does not step to the side and wait.
“You will not touch him,” Elijah states, voice terse, one hand on the hilt of his sword and the other on Mikael’s wrist.
He is used to acting indifferent, above it all, unruffled, he has had a lot of practise; it frustrates Mikael almost as much as Niklaus does. That doesn’t mean he doesn’t have passion. Over the past summer he has grown and filled out and he knows a better time shall not come for this.
“You should not try me Elijah,” Mikael says condescendingly.
Elijah merely stands between him and Niklaus, head up, saying nothing; there’s not much to say.
“Very well,” Mikael says sternly, dropping the stick and unsheathing his sword.
He’s surprised by the aggression of Mikael’s first stroke, coming at him like a wild creature. He fears he might not be able to hold it off, but he manages. He quickly prepares to step up his assault. Elijah’s movements are deft and agile, swift and calm. Whereas Mikael’s furious attack is easily parried; he has after all spent years under Mikael’s tutelage learning his movements whilst keeping several of his own to himself.
He doesn’t quite realise what his father is willing to do to win until a hole in his defences is breached and the sword comes at him, he side-steps and manages to avoid being speared but feels the blade slice against his skin. He moves, startles, realises he too will have to be willing to draw blood if he’s willing to win and almost loses his stomach at the thought. Then he looks at his brother, surprised and concerned and hopeful; and knows what he must do.
Placing a few more strikes he soon has his father on the floor with the sword tip pointed at the man’s heart.
“You will not touch him again,” Elijah says quietly with a fire in his voice that’s most unlike him.
He picks up his brother and carries him until they’re within the wooden walls of his room, knowing said walls do not offer the shelter they should.
“I shall protect you Niklaus, for as long as I draw breath I shall protect you,” Elijah states solemnly as he tends to Klaus’s wounds for what he hopes is the final time.
***
Elijah looks up curiously as Niklaus enters the room lacking his usual boisterous manner, he’s shy and hesitant and his flickering candle flame casts shadows over hooded eyes. Immediately Elijah is concerned that Mikael has hurt him in some way. Mikael has not dealt out one of his brutal beatings since Elijah made him stop four years earlier but that does not stop their father from being a force to be reckoned with. Niklaus slowly crosses the room, placing his candle beside Elijah’s. He doesn’t say anything though, simply gives his brother the time he needs to say what is to be said.
Niklaus reaches up and plants a kiss upon his lips much like he did when he was but a babe.
“You are but a child,” Elijah says gently, nudging Niklaus away.
“I came of age months ago, Elijah.”
“Maybe so, but you are still only ten and four. We must have patience,” Elijah says, he makes no mention of their brotherhood, it is inconsequential.
“Remember my promise Niklaus, for as long as I draw breath…”
“You will protect me, I know, what of this matters here?”
“Well, sometimes the hardest part of protecting someone is protecting them from themselves.”
Niklaus has a scowl on his face and Elijah suspects it will be a long argument but instead his brother just begins grinning, “so in a year then?”
“Two,” Elijah replies.
“Fine,” Niklaus agrees and walks away. Elijah knows the discussion is far from over; it is enough that he has said it will happen; he has revealed he too desires Niklaus.
***
Kol is the first of them to give in to the instinct to feed, biting into a maid’s neck with a mirage of a crooked smile. The blood scent stings their senses.
It’s a matter of minutes during which all of their first kills take place, feral animals lunging for blood. Elijah has blood on his hands and on his knees and on his mouth. Half-dazed, he sees Niklaus bite into a shoulder and drink until the body falls lax. Then Nik’s eyes glow and he cries out and everyone pauses for a terrifying second, leaving their stupor. They all know what this means. But Elijah just walks up to his younger brother and steers him away, removing him from Mikael and Esther and their siblings’ presence. Niklaus is the closest thing Elijah will ever have to a son and he doesn’t feel the need to dwell on how obscure that notion is when he’s kissing him.
The wolves reject Niklaus of course, if their new vampiric forms were not enough Mikael massacring several of their kind definitely was, so it falls to Elijah to assist his younger brother through the transition.
“Why are you here? You must hate me; all the others hate this abomination!” Niklaus yells, attempting to shrug off the help even though it’s clear enough to Elijah that he longs for him to stay.
“You are not an abomination Niklaus, you will never be an abomination; I will not allow it, you are my family.”
“I cannot Elijah,” Nik whispers, sounding so much a frightened child that Elijah wonders how so many have come to discard him so effortlessly.
Elijah embraces his brother’s body, feels bones break beneath his fingers and merely stays where he is.
He stares in awe at the magnificent wolf that appears before him and holds no fear in his heart.
***
“Nor will I” Elijah says, approaching his mother’s freshly made grave.
He takes Rebekah’s hand first, it’s the easier promise, because as immense as it is the promise to Nik still means so much more, he pauses before he takes Niklaus’s, the weight of it all threatening to overwhelm, he keeps his eyes locked on his brother as he makes the promise. His word is his bond.
“Always and forever.”
***
Elijah enters the throne hall with his brother, the place is filled with traitors; at least that was the way Niklaus thought of it, all Elijah could see were masses of scared, hungry people, huddling together.
“Nik,” he urges softly, intent heavy in the single word.
“I must show them what I am. And what I am capable of,” Niklaus declares.
Elijah places a hand upon Niklaus’s shoulder.
“You are not a what. You are not an abomination. You are strong, any show of this magnitude is unnecessary,” Elijah says, encouraging restraint.
Niklaus doesn’t turn to him but Elijah can feel the shift in his shoulders; he’s glad for Elijah’s faith. His brother nonetheless steps out his grasp but Elijah knows this time he must let him go.
Klaus beckons to one of his vampires and one of the ‘traitors’ is brought forth. The man is gaunt and soiled, his worn rags stark against the expensive muslin rug he’s thrown upon. Klaus allows his vampiric visage to be shown and shrieks and cries renew afresh, many run for the great unyielding doors and others shrink back towards the walls in the hope of being overlooked. They are paid no mind, the man on the carpet is begging for his life. Klaus bites into him, tears the man apart between his teeth, and with blood splattered over his clothes Niklaus stands grinning.
“This is what happens to those who stand against me!” Klaus’s voice booms, echoing darkly off the walls, “you have my brother to thank for your lives, now run.”
***
Nik is curled upon the floor of his chambers, delusions continuing to plague him. He has ripped his clothes to pieces.
ldquo;I am sorry,” Niklaus whimpers, whether the slight was imagined or some real one from the past matters little, Elijah has the same reply.
“Always and forever.”
Elijah repeats the words like a mantra as he nears his agitated brother and hands are soon wresting his garments.
The sex they partake in is different to how it has been over the last hundred years; Elijah’s eternally aware of the vulnerable state of Niklaus. But his brother seems to only become more and more distraught when he denies him. To accommodate for any changes in mood, Elijah allows Niklaus to do to him as he wishes without doing much himself in return lest the wrong touch incite an episode.
He smiles as hands run down his torso in a harried manner, skirting his abdomen, basks--while he can--in the touch and the fragile smile upon his brother’s face.
***
Klaus is standing by the fireplace as Elijah enters, he doesn’t immediately go to stand by him; preferring to occupy himself by the table as he delivers the information he has received.
“The full moon is tomorrow, brother. After all these centuries, it is finally time,” Klaus says.
“I have been to see the witches. They believe they may have found a way to spare the doppelganger,” Elijah says, looking through the scrolls for final preparations.
“What does it matter if she lives or not? She's a means to an end that is all.”
“What, she should die for your gain?” Elijah asks.
“She is human. Her life means nothing,” Klaus states with a clear smile in his register.
It is at these simple words that the revelation hits. All the years of build-up of Klaus’s cruelty falls together in his mind. Elijah’s heart breaks at the thought of the atrocity his brother has become; this broken wretched unfeeling creature.
“I beg you to consider this,” Elijah urges, moving to stand in front of Niklaus; to emphasise his request. Less now about his care for Katerina, and more for hope that his brother is not entirely lost to him.
“Are you so foolish as to care for her?” Klaus asks.
“Of course not,” Elijah states simply.
Klaus steps closer to him, placing a hand upon his shoulder. Their eyes are locked on each other.
“Love is a vampire's greatest weakness, and we are not weak, Elijah. We do not feel, and we do not care,” Klaus says, worlds of significance heavy in his voice.
Elijah wonders how he could have failed his brother so. He replies with the foolish need to believe they could return to old ways;
“We did once.”
“Too many lifetimes ago to matter. Tell the witches not to bother. The sacrifice will happen as planned,” Klaus answers.
In the days that follow Elijah barely sleeps, he cannot help but dwell upon it all; assigns and reassigns fault, considers tact’s that might have been taken, considers a tact to be taken now, no noteworthy idea strikes, guilt besieges him.
***
“She betrayed me, she made a fool of me; this is the price for her dishonour,” Klaus announces.
Elijah looks over the corpses, mother, father, children, aunts, uncles, servants, an entire family, an entire household. He mourns his brother as he looks upon this creature he has become, this person who was Elijah’s son, Elijah’s lover, Elijah’s charge, this person who Elijah allowed their father to break. This person who Elijah failed to protect from himself. This person who stands as their father once did and speaks of honour.
“I am done Klaus, I am leaving,” he says, breaking the last of his promises; undoing words he had already long ago undone. But his brother isn’t listening. He throws Klaus against a bloodied wall, gaining his attention.
“You were not an abomination Klaus but you made yourself so.”
Elijah leaves because it is the greatest punishment he can deal himself.