Elijah had not been consciously avoiding Elena--she was a guest here, after all, but unconsciously? Well, yes. Probably. Undoubtedly. It was bad enough having to adjust to Klaus's constant presence after so long apart, after thinking he was dead, after learning he wasn't--all the pieces of that, and then here they were, in this place that had been their home--far more than that mansion in Mystic Falls. This was theirs. And, yet, they hadn't been here as anything resembling a family for over a century
( ... )
Elena sensed him as he walked in but it was hard to pull away from the blood when it was given so freely to her. Still, she pulled away, her dark eyes flickering to Elijah as she straightened with an almost sheepish look. "I'm..." What? She couldn't say that she was sorry because she wasn't. Plus she had permission to feed, so why did she feel so strange about doing so in front of him?
Clearing her throat, she focused on the girl for a moment, offering a small smile. "Thank you." She murmured, making sure the bite wasn't so bad as she grabbed a kleenex from nearby and handed it over.
Once the girl was gone and they were alone, Elena moved to stand, focusing on Elijah again as she rubbed her hands lightly over her hips. "Hi." She greeted him, feeling a little awkward.
Elijah watched as she fed, finished feeding, let the girl go. He gave the girl a little smile as she passed him, then focused his attention back on Elena.
Elena was quiet for a moment, hating the awkwardness as they stared each other down, neither one of them moving. Wetting her lips, she glanced past him and then back. "I'm in your room, aren't it?" She meant that the den was most likely his as he probably worked in it.
He shook his head a little bit at her, dismissing the note of concern. "It's fine. Not...mine. You're welcome to be in here, if you want..."
He gave her a half smile. "Normally I do most of my work in the library." He paused, added, "Though, you're welcome in there, as well, if you'd ever like something to read."
"Thank you." She replied, nodding her head. She hated how formal they were being at the moment though she supposed she couldn't expect any differently. Really, they didn't actually know each other all that well. Yes, they had talked a handful of times, had shared secrets and made deals but there had been a lot of pain too. Betrayal on both sides.
They had shared so much and yet she really didn't know him or how to talk to him in that moment.
Still, she found herself taking a half step forward. "Elijah..." She opened her mouth and then closed it before lifting her chin. "We need to talk. About what's happening, what's going on with...your brother....about me and...you."
They didn't, no, though he felt he knew her in a lot of ways. Then again, it was possibly he had her all mixed up or contrasting her with Tatia and Katerina, or maybe she was more like them than he'd wanted to believe, except he still didn't...really believe it.
Except the part where she was in Klaus's bed.
He looked a little startled at her bridging that gap, going there. "I am not certain what there is to discuss..." He wasn't being dismissive, just..cautious. "It's not really any of my business."
Elena looked down at her hands as she pressed her thumbnail into her palm, fidgeting slightly as she felt unsure of herself for bringing this up, for going there, and she didn't know how to continue suddenly. Still, her curiosity was strong and getting the best of her as she looked up at him again.
"Does it bother you?" She asked plainly, tilting her head again. "I mean, your brother said...something alone those lines."
She watched him quietly for a moment before nodding. "I don't really understand it either." She admitted with a shrug as she trailed a bit closer. "I wish I could explain it or even say anything at all but I can't." She had a few theories but they all sounded silly to her whenever she tried to say it out loud.
"Does it bother you?" She asked softly then, watching him.
He'd moved to get away, not really thinking through the offer of a drink, but she was back close and it really didn't help that he knew what she sounded like in the midst of....things, now.
"Elena..." Surely to God, there was something that needed straightening somewhere? He settled on inspecting the pristine liquor bottles for dust, not quite meeting her eyes.
Elena took in a soft breath that wasn't needed but more out of habit to steady herself as she looked down again, not sure she could really look at him as she asked what she needed to ask.
Elena moved in a blur, catching the glass before it could hit the floor. Of course this brought her very close to him now as she looked up into his face, hesitating for a second as she straightened. "I don't want you guys to fight." She murmured, not quite answering him.
"Is it true, Elijah?" Her voice was softer this time, different emotions, from nervousness to something almost hopeful, flickered across her features.
She held his drink for a moment, quietly studying his face for any sort of answer beyond his words, and then she nodded with a look of disappointment that she hid by looking down.
"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have pressed." She murmured, setting his drink aside.
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Clearing her throat, she focused on the girl for a moment, offering a small smile. "Thank you." She murmured, making sure the bite wasn't so bad as she grabbed a kleenex from nearby and handed it over.
Once the girl was gone and they were alone, Elena moved to stand, focusing on Elijah again as she rubbed her hands lightly over her hips. "Hi." She greeted him, feeling a little awkward.
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"Hello...."
Awkward? Yes. More than a little, even.
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He gave her a half smile. "Normally I do most of my work in the library." He paused, added, "Though, you're welcome in there, as well, if you'd ever like something to read."
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They had shared so much and yet she really didn't know him or how to talk to him in that moment.
Still, she found herself taking a half step forward. "Elijah..." She opened her mouth and then closed it before lifting her chin. "We need to talk. About what's happening, what's going on with...your brother....about me and...you."
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Except the part where she was in Klaus's bed.
He looked a little startled at her bridging that gap, going there. "I am not certain what there is to discuss..." He wasn't being dismissive, just..cautious. "It's not really any of my business."
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"Does it bother you?" She asked plainly, tilting her head again. "I mean, your brother said...something alone those lines."
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"I just don't understand."
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"Does it bother you?" She asked softly then, watching him.
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"Elena..." Surely to God, there was something that needed straightening somewhere? He settled on inspecting the pristine liquor bottles for dust, not quite meeting her eyes.
"I'm...I haven't any right to be bothered."
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"Are you...jealous?"
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"Is that what he told you?"
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"Is it true, Elijah?" Her voice was softer this time, different emotions, from nervousness to something almost hopeful, flickered across her features.
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"I don't want us to fight either," he said, quietly. "Which is why I...need to make it not true."
Which pretty much meant it was true, now, yes.
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"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have pressed." She murmured, setting his drink aside.
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