a/n: sorry for my shitty google translate Italian, the most Italian I know is ciao
Elijah Mikaelson
Flashback to 1437
I DODGED a priceless plate that Kol flung at me in his fit of insanity.
I was positive that he had found a new human to entertain him for a period of time because he seemed to be more chipper than his usual self.
In fact, both Kol and Rebekah had been happier than usual, and I just hoped Rebekah's taste in suitors had improved, though I say that every time after the Brotherhood of the Five debacle.
It never did.
"Kol, I implore you to do this elsewhere," I say catching another plate millimetres from my face.
"Come on, Elijah! When are we ever together as a family like this?"
"Close to never, because you flew the coup centuries ago." I deadpan and he rolls his eyes.
"I choose to focus on the first part of your statement. Close to never. So let's have a bit of fun!"
"Your fun, is wrecking priceless pieces of China?" He rolls his eyes again.
"I will go to China and get you more if you're that attached to it." He says and it was my turn to roll my eyes.
"That's not how it- Nevermind. What matters is that at this rate we will have to eat off the floor."
"And Lord Elijah could never have that!"
"What I could never have is-" I start but a new voice cuts me off.
"Boys. Can we save this for later?" Rebekah says from the doorway accompanied by an unfamiliar face. "We have guests. Well- guest. Singular"
I took a closer look at the girl. She was probably about half an inch or so shorter than my sister. Chocolate hair with similar eyes, though I could see tiny specks of green within them. Olive skin with rosy cheeks and plump lips.
"Hello," Kol says obnoxiously and I try not to outwardly cringe at the forwardness of the statement.
"Good morning," she says in a quiet voice.
"Elijah, Kol, this is Morrigan. My friend from the village."
"Is she compelled?" Kol jokes but Morrigan's smile just widens.
"I can't be compelled." She says in an almost cynical tone.
"What are you, a wolf?" Kol asks and I could see his bedside manner has stayed the same over the years.
"Close enough. What's one supernatural creature from another?" She says and Kol's grin widens like a cat but Rebekah groans.
"Kol, go away! She's my friend!"
"Bex, you might not realise this, but you can have more than one friend."
"Mor, come. I'll introduce you to Nik." Rebekah grumbles, taking the witch's hand and leading her past us.
She gives us both smiles before being pulled through another doorway by my sister.
"I like her," Kol says. "She's got spunk."
"I'd like to see you try," I say with a chuckle. "Clean this up," I say, pointing at the mess he had made before walking away.
IN all honesty, I had forgotten about the witch, Morrigan until Rebekah came barreling down the hallway, screaming bloody murder.
"Kol, I'm not joking. Go away!" She shouts, throwing something at him. "You too, Nik!" She says when I hear Niklaus chuckling.
"Sister, you're being dramatic," Niklaus says, making her anger grow.
"Go be annoying with friends of your own- oh wait. You don't have any friends." Morrigan slips past Rebekah into the room I was in, presumably to escape any more flying objects, but when she turns to me, she jumps slightly.
"My apologies, I wasn't aware anyone was here." She says, her voice meek again, contracting the confident persona she put on earlier.
"Do not stress. I would try to escape my siblings as well." She nods, still hearing Rebekah and Kol bickering. "I know Rebekah introduced us, but I'm Elijah," I say with a smile, extending my hand.
"Morrigan. Brooks." She says and I briefly recognise her surname rings a bell.
"Brooks? Like Alexander Brooks?" She nods slowly.
"Yes, that's my grandfather." I don't press the subject because I sensed some tension surrounding the topic.
"Who's your mother, Morrigan?" I ask, trying to figure out what it was about her that felt different.
"Delilah Brooks." She says. "Also you can call me Mor. Morrigan is a mouthful."
"My apologies, Mor. I'm just trying to figure out... The Brooks line is what some may call special. What is your mother's maiden name?"
"Faye." She says and that's when I realised why she was different. "What are trying to figure out?"
"I'll explain it to you when I get my facts straight," I say absentmindedly.
"Mor, come on," Rebekah says, grabbing her hand and leading her out of the room.
She gives me a small smile and I return it, wondering when I would see her again.
Morrigan Brooks
It was 3 am in Sicily and Elijah and I were walking through the silent streets, eating gelato.
"So," I say, eating off the little spoon. "Why'd you whisk me away? Why not just say adios and live your life?"
"Well, I mean you're quite pretty." He says with a nonchalant shrug. "And I like you. Quite a bit more than that Damon Salvatore."
"Well that's a pretty low bar set," I say with a chuckle. "Though... he is quite pretty," I say and he rolls his eyes playfully.
"Now I'm questioning your taste," he says.
"Excuse me, but I have excellent taste," I say, pointing my spoon at him in a semi-threatening way. "I'm here with you, aren't I?"
"Yes. Yes, you are." He looks up at the Cattedrale di Sant'Agata. "You know, I come here at least once a century. There's nothing particularly special about it, but it's one of the few traditions I've held over my thousand years of life."
"That's so lovely," I say. "I need more traditions."
"There's no time like the present." He says, turning to face me. He takes the empty gelato cup and throws it, along with his own, into a bin before taking my hand and looking up at the cathedral.
"Do you ever come here when you visit?" He asks and I nod.
"I do," I say. "This will sound so weird but I sit anywhere within its proximity and just think. I get major deja vu when I do."
"A feeling of having already experienced the present situation," Elijah says and I nod.
"It's beautiful, isn't it? I just love this cathedral." I say, looking at the intricate carvings on the walls.
"Non bella come te," he says and I blush at the sudden Italian rolling off his tongue.
[Translation: Not as beautiful as you]
"Sei piuttosto bello anche tu," I reply, earning a smile from him.
[Translation: You're quite handsome too]
"Sei davvero carina stasera," he says and I thread my arms around his shoulders, interlacing my fingers behind his neck.
[Translation: You look really pretty tonight]
"Even though I got off a plane an hour ago with frizzy hair and smudged lipstick?" I quip but he just nods.
"Especially then. It gives you character," he whispers, his face a lot closer to mine than it was a second ago.
I lean forward more, though not all the way. He did that, pressing his lips to mine in a soft, slow kiss.
We weren't together, but I really liked acting like it.
I leaned closer into him, deepening the kiss. I was keenly aware of his hands on my hips. I pull away slightly, my face still within a centimetre or two of his but he still leans closer, attempting to keep us as close together as possible.
I plant another kiss on his lips before pulling away again a fraction of a centimetre.
"We should do this more," I murmured against his lips and he softly chuckles, the vibrations carrying to my lips.
"I can't say I disagree," he replies. "Come on. Let's get back to the hotel room."
I nod, pulling his arm around my shoulders as we walk.
"So when are you taking me out?" I ask, not wanting to walk in silence.
"I was thinking tonight?" He says and I sigh.
"Oh, that's going to be hard to fit in... I guess I could do that if I shuffle around wandering the city and shopping," I say with a furrowed brow.
"That's extremely kind of you, Miss Brooks." He says but I just pull his arm around me tighter.
"When was the last time you were here?" I ask and he sighs, trying to think.
"Nineteen twenty-two? Maybe twenty-three?" He says and I gape at his admission.
"You haven't been here since the twenties? Have you made a reservation?" I ask, wondering if he knows how much he's missing out on.
"Not yet. It's three in the morning." He says and I slip out of his grasp, start walking backwards so I could face him and still get back to the hotel quickly and clap my hands.
"Don't. I'm going to give you a tour of the place as an honorary local." I say and he gives me an incredulous look.
"An honorary local?" He says in a disbelieving tone.
"Not my words," I say and he laughs.
"I'm sure."
"I'm a bit offended at the lack of faith," I say. "But back on topic. I come here every year, at least every other year so I know this place like the back of my hand."
"So?" He says with a smile.
"So... I'm taking over this date," I say with a tone of finality.
"You're taking over the date?" He says with a raised eyebrow and a laugh. "You're taking over the date I asked you on?"
"Yep. If you want it back you're going to have to fight me for it." I say, skipping while still holding his hand.
"I'm not going to fight you. I'm just going to outdo you tomorrow night." He says and I take that as a challenge.
"Oh, it's on," I say with an almost maniacal laugh.
I WOKE up to beams of sunlight on my face. I turn to my side, my eyes still slightly bleary.
The second thing I see is Elijah. In all his shirtless glory (and it was glory) I watched him. His face was soft, the usual stress or anger or frustration that crowded it was momentarily gone.
He looked as if he had no cares in the world.
"Some say it's creepy to stare," he suddenly says with his eyes still closed, making me chuckle.
"Would you say that?" I murmur and he smiles, not answering for several seconds.
"Don't turn this on me. I'm not the one staring." He opens his eyes and slides the covers off.
I never thought I would see the day where I saw the Elijah Mikaelson in anything other than a three-piece suit, but here he was, walking around in clothes he just slept in.
Next to me.
"So," he starts, putting his shirt on while we speak. "Are you still set on stealing my date?" He asks and I nod.
"Like I said. You will have to fight me for this one." I say with a lazy shrug. I still couldn't get over the fact that he had the ability to get out of bed this early.
"Will you at least tell me where we're going?"
"Fine. We're going to an underground gambling ring, except they don't like suits so you might have to wear a t-shirt." I say with a slow shrug.
"You are a cruel, cruel woman, Morrigan Brooks." He says and I smile.
"It's part of my charm." I say with a shrug.
"It certainly is." He says. "So, what did you want to do today?"
"I have to shop for pretty much everything, since an insane man with mind control, mind controlled me into go overseas with only the clothes on my back and a tube of lipgloss."
"You spent ten minutes getting all fo your make up an d your curling iron." He deapans and I roll my eyes, but smile at him nevertheless. "Either way, it sounds like this insane man needed to get away from his idiotic siblings as soon as possible and found a beautiful girl to come with him."
"Well, whether or not the insane man is with his siblings or not, I still have to do some admin. We can get lunch and stay together all afternoon, though that kind of defeats the purpose of going out tonight."
"Yes, going out on the date you stole from me." He deadpans and I roll my eyes playfully.
"I think you have to let go because after your night of authentic Sicily, you'll regret giving me so much shit."
"I know I'm going to regret it so much." He says, doing his tie. I beckon for him to come closer and he does. I straighten the slightly crooked tie before answering him.
"You will, and I'll tell you just how much you'll regret it when we're at lunch at Caddìa since you're obviously going somewhere," I say, looking at him up and down. "Text me if you don't know where it is."
"I'm not going anywhere in particular, I just don't feel a need to stay in bed long after I wake up."
"That is low, Mikaelson," I say, pointing at him. To prove a point, I rip the covers off and speed out of bed to be standing right in front of him in a split second, ignoring the thoughts that told me to get back in there. "Oh, I love being a vampire."
"Who said I was talking about you?" He says and I stutter for an answer.
"Um... I did." I say. Dumbass answer, I think but continue on anyway. "Either way. I'm in a rush, you know. Big date and all."
I brought out the one outfit I could fit into my handbag and I was glad Europe was big on designers.
I put on a forest green long-sleeved top that was faux fur lined at the collar and sleeves with a little black skirt, sheer tights and knee-high boots.
"I do have to do something, but I will meet you for lunch," he says, going into the bathroom.
I quickly do my hair and makeup and when I was done, so was he, so we could leave together.
Like we were a couple.
I loved it and hated it.
"I'll see you at lunch, hmm?" He says and I nod, looking up at him straight in the eyes.
"Yes, you will," I say, waving as I walk away.
Elijah Mikaelson
"That is low, Mikaelson," she says, pointing at me in a mock threatening way. In a fit of what I suspected was stubbornness, she rips the covers off and sped out of bed to be standing right in front of me. "Oh, I love being a vampire." She says and I sigh, smiling at her, remembering a time when she hated it.
"Who said I was talking about you?" I say and she struggles for an answer.
"Um... I did." She says. Cute answer, I think but stay silent. "Either way. I'm in a rush, you know. Big date and all."
I chuckle at the fact that she not only took over the date, but she stole it completely.
And I was completely in love with her.
"I do have to do something, but I will meet you for lunch," I say before going into the bathroom.
She was honestly going to be the death of me.
I pull out my phone and see there was one unread text.
Unknown: Valley of the Temples, 11.30 sharp
I knew the Valley of the Temples, so why did they want to meet there? It was very out in the open, so maybe that's it.
When I exit the bathroom, Morrigan was also done so we walked out together as if we were a couple.
I loved it and hated it.
"I'll see you at lunch, hmm?" I ask and she nods, looking me in the eyes.
"Yes, you will." She says cheerfully before giving me a little wave.
As I walked, I thought back on my late-night conversation with Morrigan.
Deja vu.
Flashback to 1624
Morrigan and I walked hand in hand through the streets of Italy. Sicily to be exact.
We come up to Cattedrale di Sant'Agata and stop before it, both of us gazing up at the great building.
"Did you watch this get built?" Morrigan jokes and I can do nothing but roll my eyes with a smile.
"No, love. I was in Austria," I say with a sigh as she giggles, proud of herself for the age joke.
"Thank you for bringing me here." She says, snaking her arms over my shoulders and placing a light kiss on my lips.
"It was completely self-indulgent. If I had to listen to one more word from my siblings."
"You say that, but-" She starts but I knew what she was going to say so I cut her off.
"Yes, I do mean it. Separation is healthy."
"I hope you're talking about your brothers and sister and not me." She says, running a hand through my hair.
"Never about you, my love."
She goes up on her toes and plants another kiss before pulling me to keep walking.
End of flashback
As I approached a pillar that stabilised a temple, I had to question whether or not the information was legitimate.
It was my intention to get information about Morrigan's memories because I felt backed into a corner.
How could I keep lying to her when the simple concept of what I was lying about was too many worlds away.
Of course I had considered Kol's approach, though our situations were quite different.
"Mr Mikaelson?" I heard from behind me. When I turned, I saw a woman standing there with a backpack sling over her shoulders.
She was considerably shorter than me. Blonde hair, green eyes, nothing particularly worth noting except for the scar across her cheek, though I suspected it wouldn't be very relevant to the business we were doing.
"Yes. Ms Corley?" I say and she nods. "Thank you for meeting with me."
"I understand you have a... unique problem?"
Morrigan Brooks
THE streets were as alive as ever, even more so than I remember. As I made my way through the Italian region, I reminisced a lot about the past. Many things had changed, but on the flip side of that coin, many things remained as they were.
Par exempler- wait. Wrong language.
Per esempio, the flower shop I loved that had been here since 1902, or the cafe that opened in '38, or the park bench that came at some point in the first world war.
Sometimes, change was shitty, which was why I kept coming back to the same little corner of the world.
Yeah. Change sucked, I thought as I approached the restaurant 'When in Roma', obviously quite ironic, which is what drew me in the first time.
"My darling, Clarissa!" I exclaim and the woman who was counting money behind the counter looked up before her face lit up.
"Morrigan!" She says, wrapping her arms around me. "How are you?"
"Oh, you know. Here and there constantly." I say. "You look good. Have you been working out?" I say, knowing full well that a certain wolf gene helped out a lot.
"Not as good as you. God, if only you could be both." I bite my lip and her eyes may as well have popped out of her head. "I was joking, but god. It's actually possible. How do you know?"
"I was there. Crazy ass business. If you really wanted it, you'd be a slave. Don't recommend."
"Hmm," she says, leading me over to the bar. "So what are you doing here? Didn't expect you for at least another year."
"I'm spontaneous," I say, lifting the shot glass as she passes it to me before raising it to my mouth, grinning as the burn on the gin slid down my throat. "No, I'm not," I admit. "Some guy I have a thing with 'whisked me away' after I told him I liked it here."
"Wow," she says with a Cheshire grin. "Does this guy have a brother?"
"Several." I concede. "They're a thousand years old though. I mean that literally."
"A thousand? Damn, that's a new meaning to 'older men'." I shake my head and laugh at that.
"Yeah. So what's happening with you? Is your grandma getting better?"
"Yeah, she is." She says with a smile. "Nonna started shouting at everyone to leave her be yesterday, so I think she'll be back here within the week."
"Stroke, right?" I ask and she nods bitterly.
"For an eighty-six-year-old, she definitely acts like she's sixteen."
"I don't doubt it," I say, standing up. "I have to get going, but I'll come back."
"You better," she says with a smirk. "See you, Rory."
"See you, Ris."
I WALKED towards Caddìa, the restaurant bustling at this time.
"Hi, can I get a table for two?" I ask, expecting to have to compel her to kick some poor couple to the curb, but she just smiles.
"Morrigan?" She says and my eyes narrow, having never met the woman. "Mr Mikaelson is this way."
Since when did Elijah get a booking?
"Mor, finally." Elijah says, looking up from his phone.
"Elijah... sorry to keep you waiting" I say. "Didn't realise you had made a booking."
"I thought it may be necessary." He says in his usual nonchalant tone.
I sit down and smile at him. "And I didn't even think of it."
"Well, you can't be faulted for that. Not everyone possessed a mind quite like mi-" He starts but I lightly swat his shoulder.
"It's usually not this full!" I say with a laugh.
"So what do you want to eat?"
ELIJAH and I ate as we talked. Well. I mostly talked. He seemed as if he had other things on his mind, but I was more than happy to occupy him.
"So where were you today?" I ask, taking the last bite of my pasta.
"I went to the Valley of the Temples. I went to meet a friend."
"I love it there," I say. "It's so calming."
"Funny way of saying eerie." He says, motioning for a waiter. "Can we get the check, please?"
The waiter nods before walking away.
"Don't tell me the great Elijah Mikaelson is afraid of a little ancient tomb?"
"I never said afraid." He says.
"Here's your check." The waiter says, putting it in the table. "I'll be back to collect it."
I reach for it, since I stole his date, the least I could do was pay for lunch, but seeing as he was between four or five hundred years older than me, he was faster.
"Consider this my date, since you took mine." He says and I purse my lips. "You will have to fight me on this." He says, quoting me and I roll my eyes, but let go.
He pays, and we leave, my arms full of bags and without a word, he takes half of them.
"It's my date." He says at the slightest inclination that I was going to object.
Instead of objecting, I just smile up at him.
merry xmas to all who celebrate❤️❤️
thank you all for all the love, i love all of you xx ❤️