Jenny-Elijah Mikaelson

07

It seemed news had travelled quickly around town because a certain raven-haired man arrived on her doorstep. "Damon," she greeted as she opened the door and it was hardly open before he let himself inside.

        "What are you doing with the history buff?" he questioned and she sighed as she shut the door.

           "I meet him for coffee."

            "You shouldn't see him," Damon warned. He knew he could've compelled her to stop seeing Elijah as Elena even told him to do so, but he wouldn't do that to Jenny. He cared too much.

              "Why should I do that? He's been nothing but kind."

              "Because...I'm your..." Damon's eyes glued to hers. "...friend and I know what's best for you."

               "You know what's best for me?" she crossed her arms. "Or you want to be what's best for me?"

                His bright, blue eyes were still glued to hers as they had a staring contest and his eyes seemed to search hers before suddenly he leaned down and crashed his lips to hers. She pushed him away and stared at him in surprise before slapping him.

             "Ow," Damon rubbed his cheek. "What was that for?"

            "What do you mean? You kissed me and you don't get to kiss me because you're jealous."

             Damon clenched his jaw, "Why can't I be what's best for you and he can?"

            "Damon..." she spoke softly. "I'm seeing Elijah and I...I really like him."

Damon noticed the dreamy smile she wore when she said she liked Elijah and he covered how upset he was with anger like always, "When you find out he's not all sunshine and rainbows, I'll say I told you so," he said as he slammed the door on his way out.

             She closed her eyes in guilt because she knew she hurt his feelings, "Lord, help me."

________

Her mind was distant the next day when she met Elijah for coffee like they always did. She was a person who prioritized her friends over anything else and if Damon was anything to her, he was her friend first and she had hurt him.

"What's wrong?" Elijah asked once they had left small coffee shop.

"You noticed," she stated.

"It's hard not to notice when you are frowning," Elijah commented. "What upsets you?"

"My friend, Damon, well...let's just say he wants to be more than friends," Jenny admitted; she was nothing if not an honest person.

"Did something happen? Should I issue a warning to him?" Elijah questioned already having a dislike for Damon Salvatore, even more so now.

"No," she shook her head. "Damon is just my friend; that's all he'll ever be but I don't want to hurt him."

Elijah thought for a moment as he considered the meaning of her words, "You want me to take a step back?"

"You'd do that?" she asked in surprise.

"Jenny, I did not come here to upend your life. Finding you was a surprise, a pleasant one at that," he gave her a small smile. "...and I don't wish for my presence to cause you any strife with your loved ones."

           "Even if..." he sighed and gritted his teeth. "Damon Salvatore is one of them."

            Jenny felt her chest inflate with adoration; so much so she could've despised the man standing in front of her with his unflinching ability to throw away his own happiness for the sake of her own. She felt cursed for adoring him so much in so little time.

           "Did you do this a lot?" she asked.

            "What?" he furrowed his eyebrows.

"Give away everything to make everyone else happy?"

He was at a loss for words for a moment before he smiled tightly, "My sister would say I do."

"No, Elijah, I don't want you to take a step back and don't think for a moment that I ever want you to," Jenny declared before softly kissing him on the cheek causing his breath to be stolen away. "I'd miss you if you did."

________

Later that day during her lunch break at the high school she got a surprise. A bouquet of roses were sent to her and she smiled, a feeling of excitement for the future, when she saw the note.

To not taking a step back.
-Elijah

________

It was a couple days later and in that time, Elijah and Jenny made a bet. It was about getting her to like history and he had won.

      She had never disliked history but she never liked it either. Elijah had aimed to change that. He gave her this old book with yellowed pages and said it was kept in the family. He told her there was a twist on the histories in the diary of sorts as everything was told in first person.

But Elijah was right. There was a twist. The diary wrote about a family, of vampires. The temperamental younger brother, Niklaus, was talked about a lot and the darling younger sister, Rebekah, who was in love with the idea of love. One other sibling, Kol, was talked about but rarely and always about wild he was.

It was an interesting account. The bloodshed, the horrors but the lavishness with the backdrop of castles and historical figures. It was her kind of read as she'd always loved horror stories. It definitely kept her on the edge of her seat, always waiting for when this Niklaus would rage and commit more crimes that this writer always tried to temper.

"You've turned me to dark side, Elijah," Jenny set the weathered book down on the table of the coffee shop as she sat down. "I'll say it. History is interesting with this mystique."

Elijah held a small smirk as he lifted his eyes to meet hers, "I believe I did tell you so."

"Yes, you did. You won this little bet we made," Jenny smiled, not ashamed to admit defeat. "So what is it that you want from me?"

Elijah trailed a finger along the rim of his cup before he took a deep breath and met her eyes again, "Allow me to treat you to dinner one night."

It had been nearly two weeks and she had him so tightly wrapped around her presence with the way he craved it. She was his welcome respite and he wanted to move forward with her but he also didn't want to lose her, to endanger her.

"Yes," Jenny answered with a wider smile that reached her eyes and he was done for.

Jenny saw the fear emit from his soft, brown eyes with her answer. He gave her a tight smile in response, almost as if he hadn't wanted her to say yes.

But he did. He wanted her to say yes. He wanted to be as happy she was. But every woman he ever loved died. He wasn't allowed to be happy; that just wasn't his fate. No matter how much he wished it was.

      "Why do I feel as though you didn't want to me say yes?"

        "It's just now that you have, I won't be able to keep myself away."

         She could tell he thought that was a bad thing for whatever reason and she didn't care to know all of his reasons yet. She knew in time he'd tell her. But for now, she rested her hand over his on the table and smiled reassuringly, "Good."

AN: just so you know, Damon is not in love with Elena in this book; he is completely obsessed with Jenny.