Title: Every Time That We Meet (I Skip a Heartbeat)

Author: ihearttvsnark

Chapter: 1/1

Fandom: The Originals

Pairing: Hayley and Elijah

Rating: PG-13

Word Count: 1,069

Summary: Continuation of the final scene from 1x11 (spoilers for the episode)

Every Time That We Meet (I Skip a Heartbeat)

Her heart stops beating.

Or maybe she forgets to breathe. Or time itself stops. Maybe all of the above. In that moment, nothing else exists because Elijah's lips are less than a breath away from hers.

And then he pulls back and her heartbeat is the only sound she can hear. It echoes so loudly between her ears that Hayley wonders how the sound doesn't blow out Elijah's vampire eardrums.

That thought comes and goes, reality replacing it with the need to get the hell away from him. Hayley takes a step back, forcing Elijah's hand to fall away. She refuses to try and read into his expression. She doesn't care if he's still angry or if he's going to apologize for overstepping. Hayley turns and walks away.

Her thoughts bounce around in a jumbled mess as Hayley walks as fast as she can back toward the compound and the sanctuary of her room where she plans to shut the door and forget all of this. She was going to put it out of her head just like she did all the other times Elijah failed to act. She can't keep doing this with him. She keeps putting herself out there and now he's rejected her. Again.

Warm moisture pools in the corners of her eyes and Hayley immediately blinks it away. When had she gotten so goddamn emotional? Being vulnerable only led to heartache and tonight was another reminder of that. Maybe if she repeats that mantra enough times, she will find a way to stop dwelling on the way Elijah's breath had felt against her lips. Or the gentle touch of his hand when he'd cradled her head and he'd looked at her like she was the only person in the world.

A frustrated noise escapes her lips as she finally reaches the threshold of her room. Hayley moves inside and uses every ounce of her strength to close the door behind her, wanting the satisfaction the sound of it slamming shut would bring. But it never comes.

She stops in the center of the room and doesn't have to look over her shoulder to know what prevented the noise. Hayley swallows hard and turns around, not the least bit surprised to see Elijah standing in the doorway.

"I wanted to make sure you arrived home safely," he explains.

Hayley rolls her eyes, "Thanks for the chivalry." Her words drip with sarcasm and she wants to take pleasure in that, but she can't. It's too soon. Her emotions are too raw. "I know you always like to be the gentleman, but I'm fine." She just wants him to go away.

"Not always," Elijah replies. Hayley doesn't have time to question his words or process much of anything because suddenly he's standing directly in front of her, less than an inch of space between them as his hand cradles the back of her neck once more.

His eyes drop to her mouth and God help her, it's happening again. Her pulse races. Her heart stops beating. Nothing exists except for the man in front of her and she wants him to kiss her so badly that it causes her physical pain.

She feels his breath teasing her lips and her eyes flutter closed. She knows how this ends. She knows the pain that's coming, the sting of rejection. But that doesn't stop anticipation from coursing through her. Apparently she likes the suffering. It's the only explanation she can muster.

And then his mouth is on hers. The kiss strips away what's left of her ability to think rationally or at all, for that matter. His mouth is warm and firm against hers and she feels the kiss with every fiber of her being. Her hands grip his jacket, pulling him closer and kissing him back like her life depends on it.

The kiss is everything she imagined it would be. For once, he's not holding back and neither is she. Months of frustration and quiet longing pour out of her and she feels the same desperation coming from Elijah. Her heart is beating faster than ever and the only thought in her head is that she never wants this to end.

She's breathing hard when the kiss breaks and Hayley is almost afraid to open her eyes. She doesn't want to see regret on Elijah's face or hear him apologize for crossing the line he kept insisting on keeping between them. But she's never been a coward so Hayley opens her eyes, ready to face the inevitable and Elijah is watching her, waiting. When her eyes find his, he smiles.

Relief washes over her and her heart is beating too fast, but Hayley doesn't care. She slides her hands up and wraps her arms around his neck as she leans in for another kiss. He doesn't hesitate. One of his hands is on her back now, his other one slipping into her hair as his mouth moves against hers, urging her to part her lips for him. She does and moans softly at the feel of his tongue teasing hers.

It takes her a second to remember how to breathe. She doubts anyone would be able to after a kiss like that. Then she sees Elijah standing in the doorway, familiar concern in his eyes. And she's still standing in the center of the room, alone, just like she has been the entire time.

"Do you need anything else before I retire to my room for the evening?"

Hayley shakes her head and wills her face not to flush and tries to get the memory of the kiss out of her head. The fantasy of the kiss, she corrects herself. It was a fantasy, an embarrassing fantasy that she'd gotten lost in while the man stood less than five feet away from her. Elijah hadn't kissed her. But there's something about the way he's watching her that gives her pause and a far more embarrassing thought crosses her mind.

"Did I just let you into my thoughts?" Hayley wasn't completely clear on how that process worked. She knew vampires could get inside people's heads when their guards were down or when they were being overly emotional or something. She silently prays that wasn't the case this time as her heartbeat quickens.

"No," Elijah replies quietly. His gaze never leaves hers as he speaks. "I let you into mine."