Mismatched // Elijah Mikaelson

XIV

"I can't help but love you,
even though I try not to.
I can't help but want you,
I know I'd die without you."

'What?!' Rebekah exclaimed, 'You can't just keep that to yourself! Two people are involved here.'

Zari shrugged, but she softened when she looked at Elijah. He had his hands in his hair, 'That's... that's impossible. I've never heard of soulmates before.'

'I haven't either and I'm the person who's literally lived the longest from all of us,' Niklaus added.

Zari raised her eyebrow as she thought of her father, he never really did tell her how old he was. But it was probably more than a thousand. 'Your mother was very sure of it. Believe me, I've tried to convince her otherwise.'

'I'm sorry... I'm...' Elijah paused as he tried to make sense of everything, 'I'm not quite grasping this, I'm afraid. Excuse me.'

Everyone watched as he left the room and Rebekah glanced at Zari, 'Come on! You're his soulmate, comfort him.'

Zari frowned, 'And how do you suggest I do that?!'

'I don't know, you must've comforted people before.'

Zari sighed and raised on her feet, opening one of the kitchen cabinet and pulling out a big bottle of Scotch. Elena rolled her eyes, but didn't say anything as Zari walked outside. She sat down on the porch next to him. 'Hey.'

'Za'Rijah, my sincere apologies for leaving the room. But the idea that I had a soulmate on it's own was a lot to handle. Then I realised that my soulmate also did not want me and I sort of...'

Zari's eyed widened, 'Oh, Elijah... I'm so sorry. It's not that... It's not that I don't like you, I do. I just can't permit myself to... to depend on someone like that.'

Elijah shot her a sad smile and put a lock of hair behind her ear, 'You do not have to apologise for not loving someone Za'Rijah. I selfishly believed that you would, but that was entirely my fault.'

Zari opened the bottle and took a big gulp, handing it over to Elijah. 'I think we collapsed because of the soulmate thing, Bonnie will have something for it.'

'I believe she will.'

'I'm so sorry, Elijah. You deserve so much better than me. You deserve someone so much brighter and nicer. You really do.'

Elijah shook his head, 'I don't, I really don't.'

'Yes! Yes you do, you keep working so hard to make everyone happy. If anyone deserves someone who loves them, it's you.'

Elijah smiled and glanced at her, she was so beautiful and he knew that even if he did deserve someone, he wouldn't want anyone else but her. 'Thank you, Za'Rijah.'

'I... I feel like I owe you an explanation, after... after shoving our,' she frowned, 'soulmate bond...? to the side.'

'You don't owe me anything, but I would like to know, just to put my mind at ease.'

Her lip started trembling and her eyes became watery, 'Fuck, I don't know why I'm doing this.'

'It's okay,' Elijah whispered to her.

Zari pressed her eyes shut and let a sigh escape her lips, she took off her jacket. Elijah's eyes widened when he saw several knife scars running down her arms and a bullet scar on her left shoulder. And a burn on her back. Zari took a deep breath, 'You see that burn? That was my father, we had a disagreement. He claimed he'd found my soulmate, or rather the person he wanted to be my soulmate.'

Elijah traces the scar on her back, 'He did this to you?'

'I told him I wouldn't marry the guy, he... knew that I was afraid of water. He locked me in a box, with a liquid you can't drown in... I didn't know it at the time, I thought I was dying. He pulled me out and shoved a hot poker against my back, tracing it all the way down my spine. He shoved me back in and closed the lid.'

There were tears in Elijah's eyes, 'That's terrible Za'Rijah.'

'And all of this, was because of a prophecy. He clung unto it like his life depended on it. I can't let something like that decide my life, ever again.'

Elijah pulled her into his embrace and all Zari wanted to do was crawl closer, 'Za'Rijah, I will never hurt you.'

Zari stiffened and pulled back, 'I think you misunderstood me, this is why I don't want to do anything with this soulmate bond. It's not to encourage you.'

Elijah pulled back, 'My apologies.'

Zari handed him the bottle and walked back inside.