Willow ↠ Elijah Mikaelson

56

Willow made sure everybody had left the compound before she came out of hiding. She didn't know where Bradley went, did she even care? Of course, the feeling that she was hurting him made her feel ten times worse.

She walked down the stairs and helped herself to the Mikaelson's stash of bourbon. Usually she couldn't bare the burn of it travelling down her throat, but since she has endured such a larger amount of pain, she was actually getting used to it.

She couldn't be bothered with using a glass, nobody was there apart from Elijah in his study. Willow unscrewed the cap and gulped down some of the liquid.

"Drinking before noon?" Elijah had come down a little earlier without her realising. He walked back through from the kitchen when he heard rattling in the other room.

"It's twelve somewhere" she shrugged before taking another drink "I deserve it"

"I thought you hated bourbon" Elijah took the bottle from her hands and started to read the label on the back.

"Well, I thought I had my life together, twice, but things change don't they?" Willow huffed "I have a few questions, and I really need them answering"

Elijah put the bottle down on the table behind him, out of Willow's reach. Elijah knew her better than herself, if she'd drink any more she wouldn't be able to handle it and would end the day sitting beside the sink, throwing up. "I'm an open book" he remarked, taking a seat and crossing his legs.

Willow followed suit, sitting down on the sofa, just a small pillow between them. "Who exactly is Celeste?" She asked.

Elijah looked away for a second, he couldn't bare to think of the spawn of the devil he once had feelings for, not now that she was using Willow as a pawn in her own play, using her as collateral damage, as her puppet. He hate how she had now been brought into a mess that should have cleared a few years ago when Celeste had failed to kill them all.

"Celeste was" Elijah took a breath in, trying to find the right words "a girl I fell in love with three hundred years ago. Then, she was a gorgeous, innocent witch in a time where being a witch was quite dangerous. Thanks to Niklaus"

Willow's heart stopped. Of course she knew that there was something between them, but hearing it out loud, that was an entirely different story. It was like Elijah wasn't ever allowed to have other women in his life, she was the only one, but how was that even fair? She sat there with a ring on her finger and Elijah didn't give it to her.

She played with it, sliding it up and down as she silently contemplated the decision she had been forced to make.

"Niklaus, being his usual self, created a lot of controversy, murdering people like they were nothing, watching them drop. Playing games with them, like they were his own personal puppets. The amount of blood shed was enough to attract our father, so instead of cutting down, he blamed the witches" Elijah carried on his story "I found her dead in the bathtub I had only just seen her alive in, drowned, due to my brother's incompetence"

"Elijah I-" it was kind of heartbreaking. The whole story, it was tragic and it made Willow feel sorry for him.

"Don't apologise" he stopped her "Celeste did come back, leading a coven of witches in an attempt to rid Hope, trying to murder her whilst still in the womb. She also tried killing us, all of us, not just Niklaus. I believe she became even more bitter in her failure, plotting our demise ever since I stabbed her"

"Well, let's hope I don't get on your bad side then" Willow seemed surprised to learn that Elijah personally killed the the girl he used to love. What happened when Willow were to turn on him? Would she end with a knife in her stomach?

"Id never hurt you" He shook his head "that's my worst nightmare"

"And what about the dreams?" She asked "Celeste mentioned about you having the dreams? What are they about?"

"I'll answer that question, if afterwards, you answer one for me?" He asked.

Willow nodded her head "promise" she didn't particularly want to, but her curiosity got the better of her.

"I can't go into too much detail about it, it hurts to even think" Elijah shook his head, seeing everything so vividly "ever since they had taken me, they've created scenarios, each one different every time I close my eyes. It mainly involves witnessing your death, your suffering. Even sometimes I am the author of your despair, my hands covered in your blood, a knife in my hands" he listed, getting obviously distraught whilst describing it. He told her he wouldn't go into too much detail, but he had started and Elijah had disappeared into his own world, submersing himself in his past dreams "I can hear you scream, crying for me to stop, for me to help. But I'm utterly powerless, I can barely move. I am not the creator of these dreams, yet I still feel the guilt, the pain, like it has truly happened"

Willow grabbed his cheek and turned his head to look at her, they were closer than she realised. "Listen to me, you will never do that to me, okay?" She edged backwards a little to create some space "We'll get through this, together"

She thought that she needed to distract him, Willow could see how it chipped away at the poor man, his eyes were red, they had been for days now. This was the reason. "Let's forget about that, please, forget about it now, I'm here" she subconsciously grasped his hand without realising. "What did you want to ask me?"

Elijah went along with her, trying not to think about it. But how could he not? Every time he closed his eyes he saw her dead body in front of him. "You were upset, I heard you cry last night. I thought it was about this, I didn't want to disturb you and make it worse. But I'm beginning to think it was something else"

This something else meaning, Bradley.

She half smiled. Maybe it was better than the previous subject, but this one was still quite sore. "Let's just say, he's caught on that me and you were together" she shrugged "he asked me if I still loved you and I- I couldn't answer him"

Elijah's ears perked up, he tilted his head and listened intently. Did that mean she was still in love with him? He wasn't quite sure, and he wouldn't be without asking the question. But that would make things worse.

"He said he couldn't live like this. He wants me to choose between you and him" She sighed, leaning her head back "I knew the day would have came, but I thought he'd wait until everything's stopped"

Elijah didn't say it, but of course he wanted her to make a decision, and he wanted that decision to be him. It was the right way to go, Bradley wasn't the right guy for her. With Elijah, she was a queen, with Bradley, she was just normal.

"I'd never make you choose" Elijah tried to get his foot into the door "you do that in your own time"

"But, you can't say that you don't want me to make a decision in a few days, can you?" Willow knew Elijah, she knew he wouldn't really say anything to her like that "truthfully"

"In all honesty" he looked at her "you know what I want"

And that was her. All of her, all the ups and downs, all the smiled and tears. He wanted everything and the sooner the better. Maybe Bradley was right, rip the band aid off quick and reduce the casualties.

Willow sighed. Of course. "I know" she nodded, both of their attentions being directed to the door. Thankfully. Willow didn't want to get into too much detail about it.

But maybe talking about it was better than what came next.

"Knock knock. I heard you needed a vampire army"

Willow wanted to jump forward at the man, she wanted to rip his heart from his chest and bathe in his blood. She hated him, but that might've been the hunter speaking for her.

Elijah grasped her arm and pulled her back to remind her that he was there.

"Willow, my you've played a long game"

"What do you want?" Elijah growled "Tristan"

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