Oceans

Chapter One

Y/N kept her head down, her face buried in her phone, as she walked through the French Quarter. She had avoided it for weeks, and when she bumped into an expensive suit she remembered exactly why.

"Y/N," her ex boyfriend sounded just as surprised as she was, his refined accent sending a shiver down her spine.

She glanced up at Elijah Mikaelson, humiliation burning her cheeks immediately. She had pictured running into him, but it had always gone differently in her head.

In her fantasies she was stronger, a woman who wouldn't waste her time crying over someone like him. She'd have a man on her arm, maybe even better looking than the Original (if that were possible). He'd ask her how she was and she'd smile brilliantly at him and brag about her new promotion, her hot fiancé, and he'd look crushed and beg for her to take him back.

Nothing at all like the moment playing out before her. This wasn't a fantasy, it was a nightmare.

"How are you?" He asked, concern in his voice as he took in her appearance. She had rushed out the door in yoga pants and her coat, her hair pulled back. Her face was bare, dark circles taking up residence under her Y/E/C eyes and she looked like she hadn't had a good meal in a while.

She tucked her hair behind her ear, a nervous tic she had, and swallowed. "Great," she said with a sad smile, but he wasn't convinced. She was a wreck.

Just like he had been since they parted ways.

He turned his lips up into what he had hoped was a smile. "You look good," he said. She always looked good to him.

She nodded and cleared her throat. "Yea, thanks. How are you?"

"I'm..." He was cut off by another voice behind him.

"Elijah?" Hayley stepped into view, looking impossibly gorgeous as she placed her arm in his, staking her claim. She held up a bag for him to see. "Got what we came for, let's go home?"

He nodded. Hayley didn't acknowledge her, instead leaning up and whispering in Elijah's ear. She disappeared when Elijah nodded in response to whatever she had said.

Y/N glanced away awkwardly, unable to watch their interaction. It felt like a knife twisting in her gut, her wounds opening up once more.

When she was sure Hayley was out of earshot, she let herself look at Elijah once more. He looked good. Like really good, but then he always did. His dark eyes bore into hers, and she felt bare. In that moment she kicked into survival, holding onto the anger she had felt for dear life - anything that may help her build her walls back up so he couldn't break her again.

"I should go," Y/N said, her voice hard.

He looked sad. Or maybe it was pity? She couldn't tell, and it didn't matter either way. They weren't together anymore, his sorrow wasn't hers to carry and his pity wasn't welcome.

"Y/N, I'm sorry," he began but she cut him off.

"Save it Elijah," she snapped. "Pretty sure Hayley's waiting for you." She walked past him, her head held high. Don't look back, don't look back, she repeated in her head. She kept her eyes forward knowing that if she turned to look at him what little walls she had would crumble, and Elijah had already taken enough of her heart to leave it unguarded.

*****

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Davina asked for the third time. "Taking away your feelings will mean changing your memories."

Y/N thought for a moment. Erasing her feelings about her life with her ex meant the good things, too.

And there had been a lot of good things with Elijah Mikaelson.