Elijah Mikaelson ¹

The music in the hall sounded smooth and measured, as if the Mikaelson estate had never seen blood or screams. Couples circled slowly, almost lazily, giving in to the rhythm of the evening, which Esther called a holiday.

You didn't stop at the entrance right away. I gave myself a few seconds to look around the room. Everything looked too calm. It's unbelievable.

You felt it before you saw it.

He stood among the dancers, in a dark suit, with that same calmness that always seemed unnatural. His hands are folded behind his back, and his gaze is attentive and distant. He was talking to one of the guests, but he was only half listening. And suddenly he looked right at you.

For a moment, his face remained the same. Then there was a barely noticeable tension in his jaw, a short pause, as if he was checking whether his eyesight was deceiving him. That was enough. He apologized to the other man and walked over to you. He stopped at arm's length.

"You're here," - he said softly, almost to himself.

"You're back"

"I thought you were dead," - Elijah said, looking at you as if he was afraid to look away.

"I thought you wouldn't want me around when it was over. It turned out I was wrong."

He nodded slowly. There was no guilt in his gaze, just fatigue and something more personal. The music changed. The couples began to rearrange themselves, and someone stepped aside to make room. Elijah held out his hand.

"Will you dance with me?"

"One dance," - you said, and put your hand in his.

He led you to the middle of the hall. His hand rested on your waist casually, as if there was no gap in time between you. You moved synchronously, without unnecessary words.

"I've often thought about you," - he said after a few steps. "Especially after I realized that Klaus lied to me again."

You met because of the ritual.

Elijah was looking for a way to control Klaus, and you already knew, as an old but not original vampire, that the ritual would take place, and that no matter who died, the consequences would be worse than they seemed.

You didn't beg him, you didn't try to convince him, you just told him the facts. Sometimes the truth that he didn't want to hear, but he came back to you again. First for information, then for silence.

You didn't ask questions about his family, you didn't say that he was "better" than Klaus. That's why he started talking on his own. A few nights of talking, a few days of waiting for him to come back. A few glances, held longer than necessary. He's used to controlling everything, not with you.

On the day of the ritual, you were there, but you didn't interfere. You knew that if he made a choice, it had to be his. When Klaus betrayed him, Elijah wasn't looking at his brother anymore, he was looking at you. Then he disappeared.

You stayed, and for the first time in years, you realized that a vampire can get bored like it's physically painful.

Elijah knew it too, because you've been stuck in his head for a long time. However, after another betrayal of his brother or the unclear return of his mother, he did not meet with you, maybe he was waiting for the moment or was not sure of his feelings.