Double Trouble

20

Tightly snuggled together under the blankets and blissfully exhausted, Elena and Elijah were holding each other tightly. They were drowsy, but didn't quite get to sleep yet. Instead, they were going through their memories of the past in their heads, slowly drifting off to sleep in the process.

Flashback

Elena, 15 years old with glasses and her hair in a side braid, sat in the Mikaelson mansion with her classmate Rebekah. The blonde Mikaelson girl and her had some sort of friendship between them, even though it wasn't exactly based on affection. Elena was having a hard time integrating herself in her new school and Rebekah was the most popular girl in her class. So, Rebekah helped Elena with her social life while Elena helped Rebekah with her school subjects.

On this particular day, Rebekah's eldest brother Elijah came to visit the family. He arrived on his motorbike and brought a woman with him. Esther Mikaelson, the mother, could only silently sigh at her son's behaviour. When Elena saw him, wearing his leather jacket, torn jeans and a mischievous grin on his face, she immediately developed a crush on him.

At that time, she was just 15 while he was 25. After a little self-convincing, she managed to get over her initial shyness and talk to him a little. Of course, nothing happened between them at that time. During the next few years, they developed a certain friendship. Elijah started being happy to see her when he did. Their talks became more intimate, trust was built.

Rebekah was well aware of her classmate's evergrowing crush on her brother. In fact, she thought it practical; it meant that she would get a lot of help with whatever homework they had and Elena would always come and use their study sessions as an excuse to see Elijah again. It was a silent pact between two smart girls.

Needless to say, his friendship with his sister's friend didn't stop Elijah from bringing women home. At first, Elena was jealous of the woman he brought with him. She had dark skin, was about his age and very confident. But then, she saw how he brought a different woman when he next visited. The time after that, he brought noone and on Christmas it was yet another woman. Elena realized that none of them ever had a serious relationship with Elijah, even if some of them would have wanted to. They were short flings, nothing more.

And then came the one night that changed everything. It was the night of Elena and Rebekah's high school graduation party. Rebekah, still being the most popular one, had invited everyone to the Mikaelson mansion and threw a party in the garden. Elijah was there too, this time without a date.

Elena, who had changed her glasses for contact lences, wore a tight red dress and her hair open. After a bit of alcohol, she asked Elijah to dance. He watched her as they swayed to the rythm of the music. She was now 18 years old and growing up to be stunning. He admired her beauty wondering how he had barely seen it before.

After their dance, they headed inside, as Elena was feeling dizzy from the dancing and the alcohol effects and wanted to sit down for a minute.

"Are you okay?" Elijah asked her as he joined her on the couch.

She nodded slightly. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just need to rest for a moment."
She observed him closely. The alcohol was loosening her tongue. "Elijah, can I ask you something?"

"Sure." He looked at her expectantly.

"Why do you never have serious relationships? I mean, I've known you for years now and you never brought the same girl for Christmas that you brought for Thanksgiving too. Do you think serious things are scary or something?" she asked.

He gazed into nothingness for a second, considering. Finally, he said: "I did have a few serious relationships, in high school and college. But somehow, they always ended up being disappointed in me. I'm a Mikaelson. My family is one of the richest in the country. And yet, I'm just a piano player trying to make a career while living in a small apartment. My girlfriends expected more from me, but I couldn't give that. Flings are a different thing. I can show them the world of the Mikaelsons, take them out a couple of times and afterwards, they can happily move on. No disappointments, no high expectations. I just hated disappointing my partners, you know."

Elena silently watched him for a moment. Then, she leaned forward, took his hand in hers and gazed deeply into his eyes. "Listen, Elijah! As a person who knows you, I can tell you, without any doubt at all, that any woman would be lucky to have you as her boyfriend. And if they can't see that just because of your last name, then it's them who have serious issues, not you! You hear me? You're great!"

Elijah felt his heart warming at those words. He looked at the brunette with glistening eyes. "You're wonderful!" he whispered.

He held her gaze, unmoving for a long time. Later, he couldn't say what exactly it was, but something made him eventually close the gap between them. He kissed her. It started off as a careful, tender kiss and developed into a scorching, heated dance of lips, tongues and bodies. He wrapped an arm around her, pressing her to him. She straddled him, so she could be even closer to him, because any distance at all between her and him was suddenly too much.

The noise of a person entering the kitchen through the garden door interrupted them. They exchanged a look, clearly seeing that neither of them wanted to stop this now. So, Elijah took Elena's hand and led her to the atticroom which was also his bedroom. Once the door was shut, both of them quickly lost themselves in a long night of passionate kisses, touches and affections.

In that night, Elena lost her innocence to Elijah. Many people would have told her to stay away from the heartbreaker Mikaelson, but she didn't care. She was hopelessly in love with him.