It was silent between them. Elijah took the liberty of driving Andromeda's van to his place, casting the occasional glance towards her curled up form in the passenger seat. Her eyes were shut, presumably asleep, but Elijah knew that was not the case as he heard the pounding of her heart fill the small space. Andy was not afraid, but her vulnerability at that moment made her weary of the Original besides her.
She spilled her guts to a man she hardly knew, and was silently cursing herself for it. Andy never spoke about her father to anyone, for he was the root of all her insecurities and pressing daddy issues. Then, she cries to Elijah, who seems to be fixed on swooping in to make it all better. Poor thing; he must be thinking.
"We're here." The Original broke the silence, parking the car in front of an apartment complex not too far away from the town square. Elijah sped over to the passenger side, opening the door and leaning in to unbuckle Andromeda from her seat before she swatted his hands away. "I am not an invalid." She mumbled, her face set in a pout as she glared up at him and Elijah smirked. Like a kitten puffing up its fur.
"Only meaning to assist the lady." He simply said, gesturing her with a sweep of the arm as she stood, his hand resting on the small of her back as he guided her forward. Andromeda took mental notes of her surroundings, how many doors led to an exit, how many floors on the elevator, and Elijah hummed as he watched her sharp eyes glance about.
"Planning to escape?" His tone was amused, but his eyes sharp as he looked down at her smaller form. "Can't be too sure, there is still enough time for you to make a meal out of me." Andy drawled, and Elijah couldn't help the chuckle that escaped him.
"As tempting as that sounds..." The elevator doors opened, and Elijah guided her forward to the door adjacent to them before letting them both enter. "... I would never take a bite out of you without explicit permission, Andromeda." He breathed, his words sending chills down her spine that Andy ignored as she stepped away from him further into the apartment. "Ever the gentleman..." She hummed, and Elijah could only smirk.
"I aim to please, elskan."
He didn't remove his eyes from her, as Andromeda cast her eyes around the new surroundings. There were paintings hanging on pristine white walls, white and black leather sofas tastefully placed about with colorful afghans carefully tossed over them for splashes of color. Random artifacts, masks, and libraries filled to the top with books that she ran a light hand over. It was precise, everything in it's place, and so Elijah that Andy wanted to make a mess of things just to give it a bit more life. Toss a book onto a settee, leave a cup stain on the coffee table, something to make it feel more personal and less cold.
Elijah watched her, as she took a careful seat on the leather upholstery, sitting primly on the edge of it as if waiting to having a running start. "Would you like something to drink?" He asked, and it was silent for a moment. It was broken with a soft "yes" that Andromeda whispered, eyes still looking everywhere but at him, and arms hugging her sides.
Slowly, he moved forward, and Andy flinched as she felt his touch before a soft woolen afghan was wrapped around her shoulders. "I'll be back." He murmured, and Andy locked gazes with his brown orbs for a moment before she nodded. He disappeared, and Andy blinked before hearing sounds in what was presumably the kitchen. She stood silently, wrapping the red and brown material tighter around her as she made her way out of the living room and down the hall.
Andromeda had no idea what time it was, only that it had to be the early hours of the morning and knew that no one would notice that she wasn't home. She wandered down the hall, stopping occasionally to open random doors, finding random guest rooms with the same tasteful design. When Andy found the master bedroom, she only knew it was Elijah's by the size. There were no photographs, no shoes left out, nothing personal that marked the place as something more than just a place to sleep.
The king size bed took up the center of the room, a brown cushioned settee placed just in front of it, and Andy approached it slowly; her fingers lightly dusting across the grey duvet. She wondered how often he slept here, and if in sleep did he allow himself to fully relax? The idea of him sleeping and waking up fully dressed in a suit, made a smile cross over her lips that Elijah witnessed as he leaned against the open doorway.
"Is it to your liking?" She jumped, spinning around at the sound of his voice and Elijah bit back a smile at her wide cerulean eyes. He gestured to the bed just behind her, the one that she was caught musing over and Andromeda forced herself to shrug nonchalantly. "It is just a bed. That's all."
"Hmm." Elijah nodded slowly, before standing up straight and approaching her. She forced her body to remain still as he closed the distance between them, dark eyes searching hers as his hands came forward to cup her face. "Beautiful." Slipped past his tongue, as he got swept in the chaos that was her eyes, curls tickling the back of his hand as he pulled the afghan away and Andromeda closed her eyes, breaking the spell.
"Will you tell me what this is?" She breathed out as she took a step back, and Elijah felt the separation as though an ache erupted in his chest. "Meaning?" He raised a brow, sounding puzzled and Andromeda fixed him with a look that would bring any other man to his knees.
"You know very well my meaning, Elijah."
"Enlighten me, Elskan."
"That, that right there is what I mean! What is this, us, Elijah?" Andromeda looked up at him imploringly, biting her lip and Elijah's gaze fixed on it as if a siren was beckoning. He stepped closer again, and for each step forward, Andy took one step back until she was pressed into a wall and Elijah was just a few inches away.
"What would you have me say?" He breathed, and Andy shook her head, hands fisting in her hair in frustration. "Tell me, why are you so familiar? Why do you continue to seek me out, why do I-" She cut herself off, biting her lip again until Elijah grasped her chin and forced her mouth to part with a gasp.
"Why do you what, Andromeda?" She was silent, and Elijah stepped closer still, until every inch of his larger form was pressed against her softer one and Andromeda squeezed her eyes shut at the onslaught on her senses. He smelled divine, and at the feeling of being cornered by him, a fire lit in her belly and seemed to be licking it's flames everywhere.
"Why do I feel as though, I have known you all my life..." She breathed out, and Elijah inhaled sharply before tilting her face upwards to meet her gaze with his. "Because, you have." He said simply, and at the confusion in her gaze, he continued.
"You cannot tell me that you do not feel it, mia vita. When we first gazed upon each other, your soul rose to meet mine. You know what that means, Andromeda." Her brows were furrowed, before a look of realization split over her features, followed quickly by anger and denial.
"N-no.."
"Do not lie to me, Andromeda." Elijah said forcefully, and she shook her head. "Immortal creatures such as us can love so fleetingly, but sometimes there is just one that is so deep and everlasting that it spans a lifetime." His voice was hypnotizing, compelling her to listen and believe him. Believe that it was fate that crossed his path with hers, believe that every prayer, every answer, had brought her to him.
"I have dreamed of you, for a very long time, Elskan." He breathed out, and when Andy looked up, their faces were centimeters apart. If she turned her head just a little, his lips would come across hers and suddenly, Andromeda could not breathe.
"Even when I could not put a face to the voice in my head, the figure that haunted my dreams and laughter that sounded in my ears each time I awoke, I knew. It was you."
"You are frightening me." She breathed, chest rising and falling with her breaths, each time brushing against Elijah's front and he smiled before slowly, stepping away. Andromeda felt herself sag against the wall behind her in relief, but there was still disappointment that she fought to ignore. She suddenly was consumed by her exhaustion, the change in mood tiring her and Elijah caught her as she stumbled.
The smell of her filled his nose, chrysanthemums and honey, sunlight and pages covered in ink. The sound of her heart pumping blood made his mouth water, and veins spread under Elijah's eyes before he pushed the sensation away. Elementals were similar to heroine, for vampires. Their blood could send them into a frenzy, their scents a tease to the senses. But, Elijah was not a lesser vampire and could control it as he swept Andromeda into his arms, her head resting upon his chest and eyes fluttering as she fought the call of sleep.
"Sleep. No harm will come to you here."
"Not even from you?" She asked, the words coming out in a mumble, barely audible, but Elijah heard and she felt his chest rumble with suppressed laughter.
"Especially from me, mia vita."
**************************************************************
"Athair, athair! Aon sgeulachd eile, mas e do thoil e?" A eight year old Andromeda pleaded, jumping on the bed, and Cameron shook his head as he gathered her into his arms with a laugh. "No, no that's enough out of ye, lass. It's about time for kip." He pulled the pink butterfly covers back and tucked her in, bringing the comforter all the way up to her nose as a squirming Andy giggled. "But-"
"No, buts. Ye have had a long day, and noo it is bedtime." Cameron stated, poking Andromeda in the nose, making her go cross-eyed before erupting into peals of laughter. "Goodnight, bana-phrionnsa."
"Goodnight, daddy." Cameron turned off her bedside lamp, leaving her nightlight on, and closing the door behind him. Andromeda yawned, eyes shutting as she gave into her slumber.
When they opened again, she was standing in an empty courtyard, white marble pillars and archways archways covered in ivy leaves surrounding her and she immediately made her way to the sweeping staircase on her right. Andy's little feet moved silently up the stairs, covered in her lavender fuzzy socks and pink unicorn pajama pants tucked into them.
The new setting was familiar to her, her small hand holding onto the black metal banister as she went up to the second landing, blue eyes looking through each entryway, opening every door as she searched for her friend.
Normally, he was there before her, but sometimes he hid from young Andy as it gave her a chance to explore the estate. And Andy did love to explore. She passed old upholstery, decorative swords, portraits of faces unfamiliar to her; but considered family to another.
Just as she was beginning to grow impatient, she heard it. The sound of music, lilting and smooth, and Andromeda's smaller self rushed to the sound. It came from one of the rooms farther down the hall, the notes of a piano filling the once empty space, and Andy pushed the heavy door open with a grunt just as the music stopped.
There was a pause, Andy's eyes locking on the back of the taller figure who had just carefully shut the cover for the piano before smoothly standing from its bench. As he turned to face her, a wide smile spread across her face before she rushed forward with an excited squeal.
"'Lijah!"
She crashed into his open arms, making him a stumble back with an amused "Oomph", before she was swept into them. His right arm seated under her thighs, left hand supporting her upper back as she hugged him tightly. Andy snuggled deeper into his neck, and she felt his chest rumble with laughter.
"Hello, Andromeda."
***************************
When Andy awoke it was slow, the fleeting sounds of a child's laugh and music sounding in her ears. She laid under a heavy white duvet that was brought up to her nose, her chestnut curls spilled over the large pillows, and dark lashes blinking heavily as she fought to stay awake. For a moment, Andromeda felt utter bliss in that space between sleep and wakefulness. She was warm and utterly relaxed, before her eyes adjusted to the sunlight glaring against the white walls and she realized that this was not her bed. This was not her home.
She sat up with a gasp, head rushing at the sudden movement before it all came back to her. Regulus staying with Mrs. Hayes, Tyler's transformation, her sudden breakdown, Elijah finding her.....
Elijah?!
The Original was nowhere to be seen, but Andy registered the sounds of moving in the kitchen as well as the clanging of pots and pans. She stood slowly, her sock clad feet connecting with the cold wooden floor, and wrapping the duvet around her shoulders as it trailed behind her. That was how she appeared to Elijah, who heard her awakening, and when he turned to acknowledge her approaching steps; he smiled.
She looked absolutely adorable still dressed in yesterdays clothes, rubbing her tired eyes with one hand, her perfect lips formed a small O as she yawned, and the other hand holding the blanket securely around her shoulders. Elijah should have been irritated at the fact the white downy material was dragging across the floor, collecting dust, but he couldn't bring himself to feel anything but the urge to rub her head as one would pet a kitten.
Which he did, slowly smoothing her tussled curls away from her face with a smile before Andromeda batted his hands away with a huff.
Completely enchanting.
"Sit." He offered one of the bar stools from the kitchen island, and she did so, clambering onto the seat clumsily as she bit back another yawn. "Good morning, sweet Andromeda." His greeting was met with a quiet hum of acknowledgment, her tired eyes still blinking sleep away as she looked up at him. And then, she smiled.
"Morning, 'Lijah." Elijah froze, his breath catching in his throat, and if she noticed his pause then she did not acknowledge it as she stretched languidly from her perch with a moan. He cleared his throat before turning away, pouring her and himself a cup of coffee, that she beamed at him in gratitude when it was placed in front of her before having a sip.
There was something awfully domestic about their interaction with each other, and a warmth spread in the Original's chest as he entertained the idea of everyday being like this. Andromeda was picturing something similar, hiding her flushed cheeks behind her mug as Elijah served her an omelet with potatoes on the side and she offered him a small "thank you", to which he smiled at her.
"I took the initiative to buy you a change of clothes, you'll find it in the spare bathroom attached to your room." The way that he said "your room" was not missed by Andy, but she chose to ignore it as she merely raised a brow to the Original in question. "You, picked out clothes for me?"
"Yes." Elijah stated, pausing in his movements of fetching a blood bag from the freezer behind him to face the elemental with a quizzical look.
"You didn't have to do that."
"I thought it a nice gesture, after the night you had." Andy flushed at the reminder, head ducking down to hide behind her curls before changing the subject. "And how did you know my size?"
At this, Elijah fully turned to face her, the elemental stiffening as his dark gaze roved over her form intensely and she shrunk back in surprise, cheeks flushed, as he gave her a playful grin. "Lucky guess, mia vita."
Andromeda loudly clears her throat, pushing away from her seat at the kitchen island before slowly backing away. "Y-yeah. A shower s-sounds good, right about now." She stuttered, tucking a stray curl behind her ear shyly as she looked everywhere, but at the Original who watched her intently. "I-I'm gonna go. Right now."
She rushed out of there with her cheeks burning, and Elijah's smirk painted in her mind as she felt his burning gaze follow her out of there. Andy sped into the en-suite bathroom, locking the door behind her for good measure, before she sagged against it with a sigh. She never knew what to expect with Elijah, as chivalrous as he was, he most certainly was not someone you could anticipate anything from.
"Sometimes you're hot and you're cold." She sang under her breath, dropping the duvet to the floor before observing the large bathroom. It was very minimalist, with a white claw foot tub adjacent from a glass walk-in shower and a marble sink. Extravagant whilst being simple, and very very Elijah.
Andromeda stripped out of her clothing before stepping into the glass shower, the hot water making her sigh in bliss as it ran down her aching muscles. She took her time, most of it was spent under the shower thinking to herself. The revelation from Elijah last night that they might just have been made for each other, brought together by fate, exhausted her. It wasn't that it was impossible, nothing ever was, and her mother had spoken to her about such things before.
Her mother, Phanessa, had only loved two men before in her life. The first was a witch, someone whom she had married and had many children with near a millennia ago, before he was murdered. As was some of her other children. The second, centuries later, was Andy's own father Cameron. Fleeting, but they were some of the best years of her life, Phanessa had said.
When a species such as theirs falls in love it is deep, it is pure, and it is true. Which is why Andromeda was so very afraid.
After showering, Andy dressed herself in the outfit laid out by the Original on the marble counter. A light blue striped button down shirt paired with light denim jeans and a white camisole to be worn underneath. Elijah had also included simple gray cotton Calvin Klein underwear, and she flushed as she noticed that everything was a perfect fit.
Paired with her white converses, she began to brush her hair before her phone began to vibrate with a call from Damon. "You have just called Sex and The City, here to make all of your wildest fantasies come true. How can I be of service?"
"Princess, you have no idea how much I would love to talk dirty to you, but now really is not the time." Damon's voice sounded over the speaker and at the despondent tone, Andy frowned in worry. "Who died?"
"Better question, who's dying? Rose got a case of a very deadly, possibly fatal, wolf bite."
"That's impossible, Tyler was locked up all night." Andromeda said in disbelief, and the vampire hummed in agreement. "That's what Blondie said, but Tyler isn't the only werewolf in town."
"Jules." It wasn't a question as Andy's eyes widened in disbelief, and she heard Damon cough uncomfortably. "Yeah, I may or may not have poked the bear, or should I say dog. Jules was coming after me, Rose got in the way, she got bit."
"Oh Day-Day, I'm so sorry."
"Why does everyone keep saying that?! People die everyday, that does not exclude vampires."
"Yes, but she's your friend." Andy stated calmly, and Damon snorted before chuckling darkly. "I have known her all of two seconds."
"Enough time to let her into your bed."
"I have let people into my bed for less."
"I would assume it's the same for your heart, then." Andromeda said cheekily, and Damon groaned. "What are you going to do about the very deadly, possibly fatal bite?"
"Find a cure."
"Damon, if there was a cure, don't you think there would be some kind of proof of that?"
"Well up until recently, werewolves didn't exist, so one could hope."
"And where are you going to find one?" Andromeda asked quizzically, she could hear the rage under his tone as he tried to play nonchalant and knew that this was just an effort to distract himself. If he could save her, all would be well. If he couldn't, Damon would have just lost another person and that broke Andy's heart to think about.
"By asking the beast, herself."
"Or, or! And just bare with me for a second, we could ask the thousand year old vampire that just so happens to be in town." Andromeda was not going to tell Damon the relationship, if one could even call it that, that she had with the Original. He would be absolutely livid, and she had enough of overbearing men for one day, thank you.
"Or, I can just get it straight out of the horse's mouth. If I don't like what she has to say, it just gives me another excuse to kill her." She could hear him smirking. "Besides, I don't trust him. When I kill somebody, I expect them to stay dead."
Andy had put the phone to her ear as she began to make her way out of the en-suite bathroom to the living room, not even bothering to lower her voice as she knew full well Elijah probably heard everything from the moment she answered. This proved to be true, as when she entered the living area Elijah sat in a single arm chair nursing a glass of wine, another placed on the coffee table in front of the adjacent leather sofa and he was already facing her as she approached.
He gestured to the glass and she mouthed a silent "thank you", with a small smile, before having a seat across from him. "She's at the grill. Stefan's got eyes on her."
"Stefan? I thought Stefan was locked in the bloody tomb." Andromeda's brows furrowed in confusion, and Elijah sipped at his glass as he listened to the older Salvatore explained. "Yeah, well, that was before Elena struck a deal with Elijah; who busted him out of there with some witches of his."
"Did he really?" She looked to Elijah with a raised brow, who merely pursed his lips in humor, brown orbs twinkling with mirth as he raised his glass to her. "Huh. Well, what is it that you need from me?"
"I need you to keep an eye on Rose for me, Elena is there, but she can't protect herself." At that, Elijah lowered his glass, eyes fixed on Andromeda's face as she ignored him and said; "I'll try. Call if anything."
"You got it, princess."
As soon as she had hung up, Elijah spoke up with a firm; "You are not going anywhere near, Rose-marie." Andy raised a brow as she looked up at him indignantly. "Excuse me?"
"If Rose-marie has received a werewolf bite, then she is very dangerous. It is not safe."
"She is my friend, Elijah." Andromeda bit out, mouth pursed in displeasure, and Elijah leaned forward in his seat as he looked at her determinedly. "There is no cure. Rose-marie will begin to feel symptoms such as a high fever, sweating, an unbearable pain and a constant craving for blood, before her addled mind will begin to stir hallucinations. She will not be able to recognize friend from foe, making her very unstable. You will not go near her."
"I did not know I was asking for permission."
"You didn't need to. It is not open for discussion." If looks could kill, Elijah would be dead a thousand times over.
"Elijah, you cannot-" Her sentence was cut off with a loud gasp, as the Original sped to appear before her, grasping her wrists in his and pulling her up out of her seat so that they stood nose to nose. It was quiet for a moment, their breaths mingling, and Andromeda could smell the sweet vintage on his tongue.
"For someone who is such a gentleman, you sure do get off on manhandling me." Andy mentally applauded herself that her voice came out steady, unperturbed, as her stomach did somersaults. "I apologize," He said, and Andromeda deeply inhaled as his cold breath fanned over her face. "It is only, because, you seem to respond best this way."
"I am not easily manipulated."
"No, Andromeda, you are not. Quite stubborn, actually." At this, Andy couldn't help but laugh. A real one, it filled the air like soft wind chimes, her head tossed back exposing her neck as her curls fell away from her shoulders. Elijah wanted to capture the sound, play it on repeat always, as it was his new favorite song.
The sweetest kind of music.
"Thank you, for letting me stay here." She smiled, and once again, Elijah was blown away by her beauty. "You are welcome always, elskan."
"What does that mean? Elskan?" Her stormy eyes were curious, cherry lips forming a perfect pout as she gazed up at him, and he smiled softly before brushing a stray curl away from her face.
"It means many things, but the simplest one is beloved." It was simply said, the words rolling off his tongue like honey and making shivers run down Andromeda's spine that he did not miss, as his grip tightened on her wrists against his chest before he let go. Stepping away with a clearing of his throat.
"W-what is this deal, you brokered with Elena?" Andy changed the subject, her shoes suddenly appearing much more interesting as she looked away from him and Elijah chuckled at her shyness. "Nothing unpleasant, I can assure you. In light of the upcoming event of Klaus finding out about the doppelganger, I merely ask that she do nothing as I am trying to lure him out. In exchange, I promise protection to all those that she holds dear."
"How very kind of you." Andy drawled, rolling her eyes as she looked up at him and Elijah hummed. "It's strange, Miss Gilbert did not include yourself on this list of loved ones."
"I would imagine not." She laughed, blue orbs filled with mischief and disdain as the Original peered at her. "We're not exactly friends."
"Why is that?" Andy hummed noncommittally, taking in the tall figure of the vampire in front of her. He was dressed in navy blue slacks with brown leather Ralph Lauren shoes, completed with a crisp white button up with the sleeves rolled to his elbows, the top few buttons undone. It was the most comfortable she had ever seen him, and he looked absolutely delicious.
"Elena and I are the same age, practically grew up together, yes, but I was forced to grow up at a young age. Elena never had any hard lessons that shaped her growing up, and was pretty much spoiled all her life. Other than the loss of both her parents, she has never had to endure hardship, and this has made her very entitled.
"If you have not noticed already, the Salvatores, they practically orbit around her. They don't care who dies or gets hurt in the crossfire as long as she's safe. She is everyone's number one priority, and she dislikes me because I want no part of it." Andromeda explained, and Elijah watched her carefully. The way that her arms wrapped around herself as she explained, the way that she looked away and bit her lip as bitterness colored her tone.
"Well," Elijah stepped forward, taking one of her hands in his and bringing it up to his lips to press a firm kiss to the back of it as her eyes snapped to meet his. "it is a good thing, that you are on the top of my list of those that I must protect." His eyes were warm, a dark molten chocolate in their sincerity, and Andromeda could not help the smile that spread over her lips.
Elijah drove Andy's car again as he took her home, Andromeda would fetch Regulus from next door before staying inside with the toddler, Elijah threatening to spell her home if she even thought of going to Rose's side. Andy rolled her eyes, stomped her foot like a child and argued, but eventually acquiesced much to the vampire's pleasure.
Caroline had blown up the teenager's phone with multiple text messages, asking why she had not made it to school, where was she, if she was with Rose and Elena, and freaking out that Matt had kissed her and she had just walked away.
Andy sighed, rubbing her forehead in displeasure as Elijah peered at her before she just shook her head. She would have to prepare for another sleepover, with ice cream, warm fudge brownies and the Notebook. Oh, and whiskey. Can't forget the whiskey.
Elijah parked in front of her house, before speeding to let her out of the car and Andy smiled in thanks. Instead of walking up the pavement to her house, she turned right, walking to the little blue house next door with flower boxes and colorful windmills. Elijah followed, his hand automatically falling to the small of her back and she flushed before hurrying her steps up the porch stairs.
Elijah could already hear Regulus voice conversating with another, much older woman, before Andy knocked and he heard the quick sound of approaching footsteps. The door was opened by a short elderly woman, she was African-American with curly gray hair that hung to her shoulders, and a bright smile that widened on her weathered face upon seeing Andromeda. Mrs. Hayes was a widow, her husband passing away a few years back, and she lived alone apart from the occasional visits from her children and grandchildren. She loved taking care of Andy and Reggie, it giving her something to do and also made her happy to hear a child's laughter fill her home again.
"Hello, Mrs. Hayes."
"I keep telling you girl, it's Janet. Now get over here." She opened her arms, and Andy fell into them with a grin as Janet squeezed her tight, pressing a firm kiss to her head before noticing Elijah smiling just outside the threshold. "Well, hello. And who is this?"
Andy cleared her throat with a sheepish smile, rubbing the back of her head as she peered back at the Original who appeared amused. "Mrs. Hayes, this is Elijah Mikaelson. Elijah, this is Mrs. Hayes, our neighbor and a family friend."
"It's a pleasure, ma'am." He offered his hand, and Janet reached past the barrier of her home to shake her hand firmly in his. "It is very nice to meet you, please call me Janet." She smiled widely, before looking at the two as Andy shyly stepped beside him and Elijah looked down at her with a soft look in his gaze. "Isn't he a bit old for you, young lady?" She teased, and Andy flushed in embarrassment as the older woman chortled.
"Mrs. Hayes!"
"Oh, I'm just kidding, baby. Reggie! Come on out, sugar, your sister is here." Mrs. Hayes called back into the house, they all heard the sound of running steps approaching which quickened when Reggie appeared and saw the Original standing besides Andy.
"'Lijah!"
He ran forward, much to the women's alarm, and threw himself at Elijah who caught him with no preamble; swinging him into his arms and balancing the toddler on his left hip. Andy's eyes widened in surprise, seeing Regulus throw his arms around the Original and squeeze tightly, and Elijah reciprocating with a wide smile as he greeted; "Hello, young Regulus."
"Hello!"
Andromeda cleared her throat loudly, smiling at a watchful Mrs. Hayes who had a smirk on her face and looked at the younger woman with a raised brow. "We should be going, but thank you so much Mrs. Hayes."
"Any time, sugar. The little one is always welcomed." She reached up to Reggie in Elijah's arms, lightly squeezing his nose with a wide smile as he squealed with laughter. "You take care of my babies now, you hear?" Elijah let a wide smile stretch across his face, as he nodded in acquiescence to Mrs. Hayes. "It would be my honor." He looked down at Andy, her eyes were wide, cheeks flushed a light crimson, and she averted her gaze from him with a clearing of her throat.
With one more goodbye, the trio walked back towards Andy's home, Reggie refusing to be put down and Elijah not minding in the slightest; much to Andromeda's dismay. He liked the feeling of having a child in his arms, and hearing Regulus chatter his ear away with every detail of his night and how happy he was that the Original was there, and peering down at his bright green eyes, Elijah felt as though he could get used to this feeling. How domesticated it all was.
He carried Regulus in one arm, the other was wrapped around Andromeda's waist as they walked up her white porch stairs before she unlocked the front door. Once opened Elijah set the child down, running a hand briefly over his chestnut locks before lightly pushing him towards the door, and then turning to Andy with a soft smile. She was looking down, hands playing with each other in front of her and Elijah reached forward to separate them and entangle them with his own. "I very much enjoyed our time together." He said this sincerely, his voice warm and caring, and Andromeda wanted nothing more than to melt into a puddle on the floor as her belly did somersaults.
"As did I..." She hummed, finally gazing up at him, and not fighting the sweet smile that stretched over her lovely face. And it was very lovely, as Elijah was captured by it once again.
He leaned forward, tilting his head slightly to the right, before slowly pressing a chaste kiss to the corner of Andy's pink lips. She felt a tingle where his lips touched her skin, and continued to feel it even after he pulled away and she looked up at him breathlessly.
"I will see you soon." Another promise, and Andromeda nodded slowly in affirmation before the Original sped away, disappearing before her eyes. She blinked, let a dreamy sigh pass her lips, before letting herself inside.
**********************************************
Later that night, Andy got the call that Rose was dead. She had went rabid, and Damon put her down. After tucking Regulus into bed, she went downstairs, sat in her living room, and waited. After a while of nursing a mug of tea, she heard a knock, and rushed to open the door where she found Damon.
He stood there, blood staining around his mouth and blue eyes staring unseeingly at the floor. She saw them filled with unshed tears, and moved closer to him. "Oh, Damon..."
"Don't." His voice was hoarse, cracking at the end, and Andy stopped just a few feet away from him unsure. "She's dead."
"I know."
"I killed her. She's dead, I killed her, and it's all my fault." His voice broke, and Andy lunged forward, wrapping him tightly in a hug as the vampire let out a sob. His head tucked into the crook of her neck, arms bringing her tightly against him and lifting her off the floor as she clung to him. "I don't want to feel like this." He choked, and she squeezed him tighter. She could smell the liquor on his breath, and knew he was drunk as his voice slurred.
"I don't want to feel guilt. I don't want to feel any more pain."
"Ssssh." She shushed him, her hands burying into his hair, combing through it as she slowly backed them both back inside her home. "It's okay to feel, Day."
"It's human to feel. I'm not human."
"And you don't have to be." She reassured, grabbing his face from it's hiding place so that his gaze met hers. His usual tundra eyes were sharp, like broken ice chips, and they looked down at her with so much pain that it tore at Andy's chest. "You're right. You're not human. But you still feel, and if you were not meant to then vampires would have never been created with emotions."
"But, I am not the good guy. When you're the good guy, people begin to have expectations, hopes for you, and if I can't meet those then I'll disappoint them, I'll disappoint her-" Andromeda shushed him, having guided him up the stairs, to her bedroom, before she untangled herself enough to shut the door behind them. She sat the older Salvatore on her bed as he stared brokenly down at his hands.
Andy stripped him of his leather jacket, slowly taking off his shoes, before getting a wet cloth from her bathroom and slowly wiping the vampires face clean of blood. Damon let her do what she wanted, once she was finished he scooped her into his lap, turning onto his side so that both laid on her bed and wrapped himself around her as his head came to rest on her collarbone, leg wedging between hers and Andy wrapped her arms around him in a hug.
He told her everything, the dream that he shared with Rose, the horses, the hopelessness that he felt as he watched her grow more sick, in more pain. How guilty he felt, knowing that her end was meant for him. How close he came to flipping the switch.
Andromeda just hummed a lullaby under her breath, hands combing through his soft black locks, before Damon's shaking form steadied, his breath evening out as he fell asleep. She kissed the top of his head, let a few tears fall as she breathed out a shaky breath and ignored the aching in her chest.
Damon was her best friend. The only person he could ever be honest to, the only person he never feared of judgement. But, he was Andromeda's first love and it tore at her heart that even at his worst, he still cared about what Elena thought.
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Athair, athair! Aon sgeulachd eile, mas e do thoil e?- Daddy, daddy! One more story, please?
bana-phrionnsa- princess
To those who commented, thank you so much. This chapter is super long as I wanted to show more of the connection between Andy and Elijah, but also between Damon and her. This was an extremely emotional episode for Damon, it was one of the few times we saw him actually break, and I realized that even though I said Andy was his best friend, I did not really show how their relationship worked.
So, you guys got some Dandy vibes and some Andjah vibes. Enjoy!