Fighting Free

Chapter 11

"He's doing well, isn't he?" Elijah wasn't the one to leave the question hanging for a long time after you exchanged pleasantries when you met up for a drink about two weeks later.

You had asked him to meet up. You needed to talk with someone about the file that was burning in your cupboard, and you reckoned Elijah was the most reasonable of the siblings. If there was someone able to shed some light on what had happened, he was the most logical choice. Before you went to Klaus, you wanted to know how probable what you had read was.
"He is.", you answered, smiling and blushing at the same time. He was doing more than ok, actually, and so were you, but you weren't sure if you were ready to admit that to anyone else yet. Then again... you didn't need to.

Elijah however was keen enough to see what was going on, and a genuine smile appeared on his face. "I thought I already sensed something during that lunch. How official is it yet?"

You shrugged.
"Not at all. We're just..." Kissing, touching, spending more time together than you should? Elijah didn't have to know about that. "... getting to know each other a bit better. We're taking it slow, with everything that happened. But yes... we're at least trying to get together. It started after that lunch, actually, so you caught on pretty fast." You started laughing.
"When he found out I didn't really have a crush on you."

Elijah started laughing.
"Well, even if you would have, that would have been bad luck for you. Kat doesn't allow competition, so for your sake I'd make sure the gossip of you and Klaus reaches her fast, or she'll claw your eyes out."

You raised your brow.
"You have a girlfriend? Or are you married? Klaus didn't mention that..." You realized how much there was you didn't know about his family yet, and how much you still had to learn.

"Don't worry about that, ok?" Elijah leaned back, letting the waiter put your glasses on the table.
"He probably doesn't even know yet. I met her about four years ago, and we married three years later. I'd like to see them meet one day." He was clearly very amused by the thought, which made you think she must really be a piece of work.
"You two were lucky I was home the day you arrived there. Kat and I live around the corner, we're often there, but I'm not there all the time. I praise myself lucky that I just came to check on Rebekah when Klaus was there. I don't want to know what happened without me."

You shuddered. You didn't want to know either. No matter how much of a disaster that afternoon had been, you were glad Elijah had been there. He had been the only one being able to talk a bit of reason into Mikael.
"I'd like to meet her one time.", you flapped out. Meeting the in-laws? More than just getting to know the family of your friend? Boyfriend? Crush? Whatever the hell he had become by now.
"But I didn't call you for that, to be honest. Klaus has stayed in touch then? If you know how he's doing?"

Elijah nodded.
"I have no idea what it is you have done, Y/N, but he called a few times... even sent a text. It's going slowly, but I think we'll get there. We have to work around Kol and father anyway, so we couldn't go faster, even if we wanted to. But he needs his time as well, and I understand and respect that."

"It's progress.", you admitted. You were the one dragging him to that lunch, and now Klaus started to seek contact with his siblings after that without you, you were glad. That was what you had wanted to achieve. And no matter how small the steps were, what mattered is that he was making those steps.

"But I hardly think you asked me to meet you to talk about your love life, or Niklaus' progress, as much as I enjoy catching up with you. Was there something you needed me for?" He sipped his coffee while he effortlessly changed the subject.