Title: Mistletoe
Author: Alysia
Category: Elejah
Summary: A short Elejah ficlet set during the holidays.
Disclaimer: I don't own any characters familiar to TVD or TO.
Author's Note: I'm not sure where I'm going with this. I recently experienced a loss in my life and I haven't been able to write an update for AOF. Eva (siberia21) suggested trying to work my feelings out through another method and I came up with this. This scene is akin to a scene in a movie that I saw on LMN once, so I can't claim the original idea of it.

"Elijah? What are you doing?" Elena asked, feeling almost breathless by the intensity in his gaze. In the months since their reunion, things had remained strictly platonic between them. There had been an invisible line that neither dared to toe, let alone consider crossing. And he'd certainly never looked at her in such a way!

Stepping closer to her, he raised a hand and pushed a lock of hair behind her ear. "You look enchanting this evening, Elena."

She smiled in response. "Thank you," though she was sure he was being nothing more than polite to her. Elijah didn't use words like 'enchanting' to describe her…ever. "Did you get everything you wanted this year?"

"No, unfortunately not," he shrugged his shoulders casually. As the noise level in the next room rose, he stepped closer to her. "However, I find that to be more my fault than anything else." After his failed attempt with Haley, he wasn't eager to put himself out on the line for someone else; even if he was tempted to do so. "How was yours? Did Santa bring you everything that you wanted?"

She shook her head, smiling upon the thought of her childhood Christmas icon. "He brought me enough." Other than her severely lacking love life, she was pretty lucky. She had her family, friends and a job she didn't hate. When his gaze settled on an object fixed over her head, she followed it. "What are you doing?" She asked quietly when he stepped even closer to her.

"Giving in to tradition," he shrugged away. Bringing his hands up, he cupped her face in his hands.

Her heart began thundering in her chest. Ever so slowly, he started closing the distance between their faces. She'd envisioned this moment so many times, she hesitated slightly thinking that she was experiencing yet another dream. The first and only time they'd shared a kiss was when he was under the assumption that she was someone else, so in her book, it didn't really count.

When her tongue peaked out and she licked her lips, Elijah nearly groaned.

She felt his breath puff against her lips and her eyes fluttered closed. She could almost feel his lips against hers. However, the touch was nothing more than a ghost of her imagination.

He turned his head and placed a lingering kiss on her cheek.

As soon as she felt his lips against her skin, she kept her eyes shut. She couldn't deny the stab of disappointment that washed over her.

"I'm sorry," he apologized in a whispered tone. Despite what Elena thought, he was very aware of her attraction to him and he knew that his actions could have very well crushed her. "I'm sorry," he repeated. "I wanted to kiss you, but I-"

Elena opened her eyes. Forcing a neutral expression on her face, she shook her head. "Elijah, I don't need an excuse." He'd already had a relationship with two people who wore the same face as her. She should have known not to get her hopes up.

"I didn't want our first kiss to be because of mistletoe," he continued on as if he hadn't heard her. "I really like you, Elena. I just…I'm not ready yet."

She paused, not expecting the admission. While she hadn't come out with a confession, she didn't hide her growing attraction for him. And he either hadn't known, or was too much of a gentleman to say something about it. Instead, they settled on a light, flirty banter, but that was all it had ever been. She didn't dare to entertain the thought that her feelings would be reciprocated.

And while she still felt a sliver of disappointment that things didn't progress between them, it was enough…for now. She hated Haley for hurting him the way she had, hating the thought that if he hadn't been burned so badly that he would be more open to the possibility of them. However, she also knew that if he hadn't gone through the experience, then there was a large chance that he never would have given her the time of day.

"I'm here…and I'm not going anywhere," she whispered to him.

He smiled at her. "Good, because when I finally get to where I want to be emotionally, I want to experience it all with you." Bringing her hand up to his mouth, he placed a kiss on the back of it. "Merry Christmas, Elena."

"Merry Christmas, Elijah."

"Elijah, where is that bottle of champagne?" Klaus called from the next room over, breaking the moment between the couple.

Elena smiled gently at the eldest Mikaelson. "We should probably get back in there," she whispered.

"We probably should," he nodded, though he made no move.

"Seriously, Elijah!" Klaus called once again.

Rolling his eyes at his companion, he moved to grab the bottle his brother spoke of.

Elena followed him, carrying extra champagne glasses.

Klaus smiled at his brother when he returned to the large family room. "There you two are," he greeted brightly. As Elijah went about expertly uncorking the champagne while trading secret smiles with Elena, he felt his interest piqued.

When Elena turned up at their house months earlier, he hadn't been sure what to expect from her. He, along with the rest of his circle of friends, watched the pair flirt shamelessly with another. When nothing came about from their verbal foreplay, he couldn't deny his surprise. However, as Elena responded to Elijah's genuine smile with a shy one, he realized it was only a matter of time before things progressed between them. Hmmm, it appeared as if Elena wouldn't be leaving them any time soon. Perhaps then a certain blonde would stop by to visit her childhood friend?

End

AN: I know it isn't remotely close to the holiday season, but I'm just thrilled I got some writing done.