The Origin Of Love || Elijah Mikaelson

ONZE

He closed the book, placing it on his lap. He looks over to the boy curled into his side, and Benji can't help but smile. He looked so peaceful. Nobody was ever going to hurt him again.

He carefully moves his head off his shoulder and slips out from under the sleeping boy. Once he'd snuck out from under him, he tucks the blankets closer to him and blows out the barely burning candle that was dimly lighting the room. He sends him one last look, kisses his forehead and sneaks out of the darkened room.

He's walking along one of the Abattoir's hallways when Elijah walks up to him. He's still wearing his emerald green velvet coat from earlier. The white cravat around his neck, making him look quite delicious.

"Did Marcellus fall asleep?" Elijah asks as he catches up to him.

"I feel like I've been talking for hours. I swear bedtime stories do not work on that kid. I don't know why I keep trying." Benji's tone light.

"You could always just say no, you know," Elijah tells him as he wraps an arm around his husband, slowly descending the stairs together.

Benji sends Elijah a look. They both knew that would never happen. "Like I could even try. He bearly has to look at me with those deep dark eyes, and all my resolve disappears." Benji throws his hands in the air.

"Sounds like what you do to me." Elijah turns them around so they are face to face. His arms still around him, standing in the middle of the open courtyard.

"You think you're sly, don't you," Benji teases him, and Elijah smiles back unbashful.

"Depends. Is it working?" Benji laughs and then kisses him, the kiss long and meaningful.

Once he pulls back, he asks. "Did you get it?"

Elijah pulls out a small black box from his suit pocket and holds it out to him. Benji takes it and opens it. In it lays the beautiful necklace Benji had been eyeing for weeks now. It had half a dozen red rubies and pearls alternating in a lovely silver lining.

"Do you think she'll like it?" He asks, looking hopefully into his husband's gorgeous brown eyes.

"I think it's perfect for her." He answers him honestly.

Benji sighs and pulls Elijah close to him. "Is it sad that I wish she would have stayed a child forever? I hate seeing her grow up."

"It's only natural, darling." He answers, slowly rubbing his back.

"I wish Marie was here to see her daughter grow up into such a beautiful woman."

"I know you miss her. But you've done a wonderful job looking after Celeste in her stead."

They stay in each other arms for a while until the grand grandfather clock chimes in the study a few rooms over. He was informing the couple that it was past midnight. That is when Benji pulls away and swiftly wipes the lonely tear that had escaped his eye as he thought about Marie Dubois. His long lost friend.

"None of that sorrow. Today is a day of celebration." He smiles at Elijah and grabs his hand. "Come on. We've got a birthday cake to bake." And with that, he starts pulling his husband with him to the kitchen, where they had to shoo away a couple of maids before he could get to work. Elijah keeping him company all night.

Benji jumps out of the memory. Even though that period of his life had been one of his happiest., the heartbreak and guilt which had followed were also some of the worst. He couldn't let himself go down that memory lane any further.