Vampire Diaries Imagines

Dinner Complications - Elijah Mikaelson

The Salvatores' residence was unusually warm that evening, not from the roaring fire in the hearth but from the anticipation bubbling in the air. Y/N had spent the better part of the day ensuring the table was set to perfection. Fine china, flickering candles, and a faint scent of jasmine wafted through the room. It wasn't every day she invited a certain someone over for dinner.

Elijah had always struck her as different-calm, composed, and refreshingly honorable in a world filled with others who weren't so kind. Their encounters had been brief but enough to spark a connection. She hadn't expected him to accept her invitation so readily, but he had, with that ever-so-charming smile of his.

As the sun dipped below the horizon, Elijah arrived promptly, dressed impeccably as always in a tailored suit. Y/N greeted him at the door with a warm smile. Damon, her older brother, loitered nearby, leaning against the staircase, swirling a glass of bourbon. Stefan sat in an armchair by the fire, his brow furrowed as he flipped through a book, clearly less invested in the evening's proceedings.

"Well, if it isn't the noble Elijah Mikaelson," Damon drawled, a smirk tugging at his lips. "What brings you to our humble abode? Hoping to steal my sister away?"

Y/N/N shot Damon a warning glance. "Damon, behave."

Elijah remained unfazed, his expression serene. "Y/N extended an invitation, and I would hardly refuse such gracious hospitality."

Damon chuckled darkly, his eyes narrowing. "Right. Hospitality. Just as long as you remember whose house you're in."

Stefan glanced up from his book, his tone a mixture of warning and fatigue. "Damon, don't start."

Y/N sighed. "Damon, can you try not to ruin this evening before it even starts?"

Damon raised his hands in mock surrender. "Fine, fine. I'll play nice."

Stefan set his book aside and stood, offering Elijah a polite nod. "Welcome, Elijah. Just ignore Damon; he's never met an insult he didn't like."

Elijah returned the nod. "A pleasure to see you again, Stefan. Your reputation for moderation precedes you."

Dinner began smoothly enough. Y/N and Elijah shared easy conversation about history and literature, occasionally interrupted by Damon's pointed remarks. Stefan contributed where he could, steering the conversation back on track whenever Damon veered toward provocation. Elijah, to his credit, ignored most of Damon's barbs, but Y/N noticed his jaw tighten slightly each time Damon brought up the Mikaelsons' history of betrayal and bloodshed.

It wasn't until after dinner, when Elijah excused himself to admire the art in the sitting room, that things escalated. Damon followed him under the guise of fetching another drink, his footsteps deliberate. Stefan, sensing trouble, hesitated before rising to his feet.

"You know Damon's not going to let this go," Stefan said to Y/N, watching his brother disappear into the next room.

Y/N sighed. "I'll handle him if it gets out of hand... hopefully."

Stefan hesitated, then nodded. "I'll be nearby."

Meanwhile, in the sitting room, Damon leaned against the doorframe, his glass of bourbon in hand, his tone dripping with sarcasm. "You've got quite the nerve, Mikaelson. Coming into my house, trying to cozy up to my sister."

Elijah, who had been admiring a painting on the wall, turned to face Damon, his expression calm but firm. "I assure you, Damon, my intentions toward her are entirely honorable."

"Honorable?" Damon scoffed. "That's rich. You and your family don't do 'honorable.' You destroy everything you touch."

Elijah's patience, worn thin from Damon's incessant needling, finally snapped. "Your protectiveness is admirable, but your hostility is unwarranted. I have done nothing to harm Y/N."