Petrichor - e.mikaelson

38

Neither of them slept particularly well, not Frankie who was plagued by visions of her brother in his final moments and the funeral she never attended and not Elijah who woke over and over with nightmares. In all the time they'd slept beside one another, Elijah had never stirred like this, never shot up with his breath in his throat searching around in terror. He was always the calmer of the two no matter the situation and seeing him like this worried her.

Frankie hadn't had allowed herself to really think about her brother for months, she didn't like the guilt and absence that she felt when she remembered he was gone forever. No, instead she tried to distract herself with other people so that she needn't hurt herself, instead of allowing herself to think of her brother, she turned her concern to Elijah.

As someone so stoic and steady always, Frankie was surprised when she felt Elijah shift beside her for the fourth time, his head shooting up as though to check if anyone was nearby. A moment later he'd stilled, sliding back down beside her, now certain they were alone again only to clutch her more tightly to his chest as if he was afraid someone was going to pull her away.

"Hey," she mumbled, rolling over in his tight grip to face him. Her eyes peeked open at him and her arm raised to press the hair back from his face, fingers running through his hair as she stroked gently, "You okay?"

"Did I wake you?" Elijah replied, his voice soft though it was clear a layer of anxiety lay beneath it, "I'm sorry."

"It's all good," she smiled. Her fingers still lay tangled in his hair and so she swiped her thumb gently down across his eyebrow as though coaxing his eyes to close, "Do you want to talk about it?"

"No," Elijah gathered her tighter in his arms, "I just need you to stay as you are."

"I'm here."

Frankie allowed the slightly suffocating tight grip he had on her, her head tucked against the crook of his neck with her body pulled snug against him though she wriggled an arm out to wrap around his waist. Their legs had shifted slightly too, all tangled together while she felt Elijah slip one of his legs over hers.

Frankie most certainly couldn't move away, nor could anyone help her slide from Elijah's grip. It was rare he was this clingy but it was clear to Frankie whatever had happened in his dream was something that struck fear in his heart and forced him to need her close.

She didn't know how to help him, she couldn't push someone to talk about something they wanted to push away but too she couldn't let him lie here with anxiety. Her fingers were circling across his back where she held him too and her lips pressed soft kisses against his jaw but when his grip didn't loosen she decided to change the topic to hopefully draw his mind from what was plaguing him.

"I've never been to a funeral before," Frankie confessed, "Ric's would've been my first one."

"You don't need to go," Elijah replied, ever concerned with comforting her, "I'm sure Camille will understand."