The Originals One-Shots

Falling in Love (AU)

 Elijah Mikaelson began to feel differently towards his friend Katherine as they got older. He thought he might be falling in love, and wondered if she liked him, too.

 Once he asked his brother Finn, "How did you ask Sage to the eighth grade dance?"

 "Why?"

 "Because I want to ask my friend Katherine." 

 Finn sighed. "I put a letter in her locker, okay? And if you're looking for dating advice, do not ask Dad. I made that mistake once." 

 Most mornings at school, Katherine usually appeared at Elijah's locker not long after he arrived. The morning he planned to ask her to the dance wasn't any different.

 "Why can't it be the weekend all the time?" she groaned.

 "We just got through the weekend."

 "Exactly. It's Monday already. It's terrible."

 Elijah just nodded in agreement. "Hey, Katherine, can I ask you something?"

 She shrugged. "I guess so. What is it?"

 "Well, it's...do you want to go to the dance with me next week? If you're not going with anyone else."

 She gave him a smile. "I was asked last week. I turned him down."

 "Why?"

 "Because I was going to ask you, stupid. So, are we going or not?"

 Elijah smiled. "Yes! I mean, if you want to go, I'll go, too."

 "Why do you think I was going to ask you? Come on, let's just get the school week over with so we can get to that dance faster."

~~~~~~ 

  On the evening of the dance, Elijah dressed up the best he could.

 "You look fine," Finn told him. "Don't worry so much about it."

 "Didn't you worry about looking stupid when you went?"

 "Of course I was. You have to tough it out, especially since Mom will want to take pictures of you."

 When Elijah went downstairs, Esther smiled and said, "Oh, don't you look handsome."

 Elijah groaned inwardly. "Yeah. Um, I guess I should go. I'm going to meet Katherine at the school." 

 "I know. I'll drive you there. Your father will look after the others for a bit."

 It was kind of embarrassing to have his mother drive him there, but Elijah didn't really care as long as he got there.

 When they arrived, Elijah spotted Katherine standing outside, waiting for him.

 "Hey, 'Lijah, Mrs. Mikaelson," she said. "Wow, you look pretty spiffy."

 "Thanks," Elijah said. "Um, you look nice."

 "You two have fun," Esther said, hugging Elijah. "I'll have your father pick you up after the dance."

 "But, Mom, Finn told me Dad picked him up late because he forgot."

 "Then I will make sure he doesn't forget. Now, you should go in and have fun. I'll see you later."

 "Come on," Katherine said, pulling Elijah onto the dance floor. "This is a dance, so we should do some dancing."

 After dancing for a while, Katherine said, "God, it's hot in here. Can we go outside for a minute?"

 "Sure."

 They exited the school building and stood outside.

 "Hey, Elijah," Katherine said, "Do you believe in stuff like true love and love at first sight?"

 "Um, well, I don't know about love at first sight, but true love might exist. Why do you want to know?"

 She shrugged. "I was just wondering. My sisters read gushy romance books like that, and they're always talking about boys." 

 "You never join them?"

 "No, I don't. Actually, you're the only boy I've ever really liked. Well, so far. I'm only thirteen, after all."

 "Well, it's okay," Elijah said. "I like you a lot, too."

 They smiled at each other, and Katherine asked, "Do you want to just sit out here for the rest of the dance? I don't feel like going back inside."

 Elijah nodded. "It wasn't too fun in there, anyway."

~~~~~~

 On the ride home, Elijah asked his father, "Dad, how did you know you were in love Mom?"

 "How I knew? Well, there was this day we went out together. We'd already been spending quite a bit of time together. She gave me this smile, and...I think I knew then that I was in love with her." Mikael paused. "Why are you asking?"

 Elijah shrugged. "I was just wondering."

 When he got home, he told Finn, "It went great. We mostly sat outside and did a bunch of talking, but I liked talking to her."

 "I told you it would work out if you stopped worrying so much," Finn said, "And avoided asking Dad for advice."

 Elijah lay awake for a while that night, thinking about Katherine and wondering of true love was real after all.