This is Us [ Elijah Mikaelson ] 2

twenty-nine

"You have a place in my heart no one else ever could have."

- F. Scott Fitzgerald

Elijah groaned quietly when he felt the bed shift and the warm body pressed against his back move; he opened his eyes, blinking a few times before he grabbed his watch on the night stand to see the time. It was close to nine in the morning. He set his watch down and carefully rolled over in the bed; he smiled when he saw Penelope still fast asleep. She was laying on her back with the arm next to him stretched over her head, and her other hand rested on the blanket over top of her stomach. He sat up on his forearm and admired her. He reached and pushed some of the hair from her face, and his index finger traced down her nose; her face scrunched and wiggled and she turned her head away from him. He chuckled quietly and he ran his finger down her neck, and her collarbone, then down to her bare breasts. His finger traced her pink nipple lightly, feeling it starting to pebble under his touch.

It's been a week and a half since they found out about the pregnancy; and Elijah couldn't keep his hands off her. Every night when she'd get into bed he'd tug her pajama's off. Every night, and after a week she just gave up wearing anything at all saying: "What's the point when you just tear them off me anyway?" She was right. She never stayed clothed for long. Even on the nights they didn't have sex because of Penelope's nausea, he loved on her anyway, he'd touch her softly, place kisses all over her. He wanted to her to know, to feel, and see how much he loved her and how happy he was for them.

He's always been affectionate towards her,  in private and in public. In public he'd always touch her in some way, either her holding his hand, or his arm around her, or his hands on her hips when they browsed some place, or he'd give her small kisses on her cheek. He's always affectionate to her. However recently, his affection has intensified, almost as if he's becoming a little unhinged, almost feral when it comes to her. He can't  keep his hands from her, his lips from her. There was something about her being pregnant that unscrewed something inside him, a new side of him was surfacing, and that side brought this new sense of need for her, and a new sense of protectiveness over her and their baby.

Their baby. Thinking it sent a warm, unfamiliar, feeling through him. It wasn't a bad feeling, it was a good feeling. It was a feeling he's never felt before and he can't place what it is. But when he looked at Penelope, and looked at her stomach, it grew. The only thing he could compare it too was love. It was different then the love he had for his siblings, and it was different the love he has for Penelope. He loves her, loves her more than anything in the world, and that only made the warm feeling he had about their baby grow hot. He had a feeling he knew how Penelope got pregnant, what they did and what happened to create Little Bump. He wasn't sure, but if he was right... then his love for her grew. He didn't think he could love her more than he did before, but the baby has proven him wrong. 

Elijah leaned down and kissed her forehead softly before he laid back down further onto the bed, then pulled the blanket down to below Penelope's stomach. He smiled when he heard the little thump, thump, thump, thump. He nuzzled her stomach lightly and pressed kisses to her little bump. Their Little Bump. "Good morning, Little Bump," he whispered, then pressed another light kiss to the little bump before resting his head below her breasts. "I know you probably can't hear yet," He whispered as he gently rubbed the small bump. "In a few weeks you can," He added with a smile. "In just a little over six months, you won't be Little Bump anymore," He continued. "You'll have a name, and I'll be able to hold you in my arms," He sighed longingly and his smile grew. "And I can't wait," He whispered softly. "Daddy loves you and Mommy so much," He said, rubbing his thumb on her lightly. "I promise, I won't let anything happen to you, ever..." He let out a heavy breath and closed his eyes, focusing on the fast, quiet, little heartbeat.