Who: Jen and Elijah What: a second date Where: the Bonnie Belle When: late April Warnings: low Status: g-doc
Elijah, ever the gentleman, made sure he picked up Jen in the car he’d recently purchased, looking nice in the outfit his younger sister helped him choose. While used to high end cars, Elijah found he liked the Toyota SUV he purchased. Comfortable and within his means as an instructor.
He’d enjoyed his last date with Jen, thus his asking her for a second date. They’d laughed and Jen kept Elijah’s attention all evening. Elijah didn’t quite know what might come of his interest in the pretty brunette, but the Original knew he appreciated another evening with Jen.
When he parked the car, Elijah got out and walked over to open her car door, and then offered his arm. “You look great, tonight, by the way,” the Original said as he kissed Jen’s knuckles.
Dating here was a lot nicer than dating back home, she’d decided. Not only was the caliber of men higher, but the dates were fun and interesting, and no one expected her to be just Jen or just She-Hulk. Still, she hadn’t yet shared her other side with Elijah, and was thinking about doing that tonight since they were on date #2, but she figured it’d be better to wait and see how it went first.
As she stepped out of the car, Jen flashed a bright smile at the compliment. “Thanks, you do too,” she replied, and while her eyebrows shot up slightly at the knuckle kiss, she couldn’t deny that she liked it.
“Have you eaten here before?”
Elijah didn’t…really date. In theory, the elder Original had no problems with dating, but in practice, at least back home, he didn’t have time. Between his psychotic parents, siblings dying, not dying, loved ones dying, prophecies, and the Hollow, plus the death of Hayley, well, Elijah didn’t have time to date. Barely found time to let off steam. Antoinette had been the one exception after Marcel compelled Elijah to forget.
However, he liked Jen and spending time with the brunette. They had interesting conversations and the Original found he wanted to get to know more of her the longer he spent time with her. Given that Elijah hadn’t exactly shown Jen his true face, he wouldn’t judge her for keeping some secrets herself.
He smiled warmly. “Thank you, Jen.” A shake of his head. “Usually if I eat out it’s at my niece’s restaurant, or I’ve infiltrated my sisters’ home, since Alyssa can cook well.” Which he did far less these days with a ward at his house. “Have you?” Elijah refrained from gently guiding Jen by the small of her back, in case she would be opposed. However, he held open the door for her.
“Right, you mentioned her restaurant before. I’m hoping to check it out soon. Maybe I’ll take my cousin and his girlfriend and daughter,” she said thoughtfully as they started to walk towards the dock. The evening weather was a little cool, but not too cold, and she found herself not minding the hand on her back as he opened the door and they stepped into the floating restaurant.
“Not yet, but I’ve heard good things about it.” Jen shrugged out of the coat she’d worn and smiled as the host confirmed their reservation and then led them towards the table. On the way, she took her time to check out the place because honestly she was curious what kind of decor a riverboat would use.
“It’s delicious. Alcohol free, but still tasty.” Of course, Elijah had a bias about his niece’s restaurant. He wanted nothing but the best for her after everything she’d experienced. Even if some of those experiences came at his own hand. The elder Original might never fully forgive himself, which explained why he kept trying to mend fences with Bekah and Kol.
“Oh right! I forgot you have a cousin in town. Who is his girlfriend?” Not that Elijah knew many people in town.
“Well, then we get to experience the meal together,” he grinned at the idea. Elijah looked around taking in the decor. “They did a good job with the ambiance.” The Original thanked the host and pulled out Jen’s chair for her.
“How are things going for you? I’ve since learned from April Fool’s that my students pay more attention to my presentations if I include a random meme or two.” The fact that Elijah needed to search for memes while lesson planning both annoyed and entertained him.
“Pepper Potts. My cousin is Bruce Banner.” The double alliteration struck her as a little funny, but she didn’t comment on that right now, deciding instead to focus on her date.
“I’m looking forward to this dinner, this place smells great.” She smiled at Elijah when he drew the chair out, then sat and picked up the menu to study it.
“Pretty good. I got hired at the law firm, so at least I have something to do now. And wait, you’ve really started including memes in your classes? I wish my teachers had done that, back in law school.”
Elijah raised an eyebrow at the double alliteration, but didn’t say anything. That seemed like an odd thing to comment about while on a date.
“This place smells incredible.” And included alcohol unlike Hope’s place. A server came by and Elijah placed an order for bourbon after Jen ordered her drink. At least he could eat regular food if he so chose.
“Oh nice! I’m glad you have something to do now. I don’t know anyone who works there, although I think the guy who landed on Alyssa upon his arrival might work there.” Elijah had chuckled when Alyssa told him the story. “Matt?” That was the extent of his knowledge.
“Yeah, if I don’t they complain, but if I do, they pay attention waiting for the meme slides. I’ll take their attention however I can.” Elijah grinned. “I would say I wish teachers did that for me, but my childhood happened far before schools really existed for the mass populace.”
Jen ordered herself a martini, and would have looked at the menu but was glad when instead Elijah continued the conversation. It was nice to have a date who could help fill the time. “Matt Murdock.” More alliteration made her inner 9th grade English student oh so happy. “He’s actually from the same world as Bruce and I - but he’s from a few years in the past.” And Jen had figured that for her part, she just needed to get over him.
Hence this date with an attractive man with a sexy accent and a very nice smile.
“At least you found something that works,” Jen said with a laugh, but the look on her face shifted to one of slight confusion. “What do you mean?”
Elijah figured if he went to the trouble to ask someone on a date, he could at least hold pleasant conversation. Otherwise, how would the two know if they should go out again or not? Sitting in silence certainly made the decision for him and no thank you.
“Yes. Him.” Elijah honestly thought the name suited the fellow, from what little he knew of him. “There seem to be quite a few from your world?” Not that Elijah could talk given the sheer amount of people from his world who seemed to make the Dome their home. “I’m never sure if that’s good or bad, and I have four siblings, a niece, and various family friends from home here.” For Elijah, too, the line between friend and foe could be quite thin. Just ask Marcelus.
“I did,” and he planned to say something else before he noticed her confusion. Elijah recalled conversations and realized. Shit. She didn’t know. “I’m a vampire. An Original Vampire, actually. So my childhood took place in the tenth century. My apologies. I…thought I mentioned it.” He allowed Jen time to process what he said.
“Yeah, I guess there are? I don’t know most of them, but my cousin runs with a pretty famous crowd, so he could probably arrange introductions if you’re a fan.” Sure, meeting the Avengers would be really cool, but Jen was so far removed from that circle that she didn’t really think about it too much. “Honestly, when I showed up Bruce was the only person here I knew, or who knew me,” she added.
When he admitted to being a vampire, Jen blinked a couple of times as she tried to process that. “Wait. An actual vampire? The whole…blood-drinking, turning into a bat, not having a reflection thing?” She would’ve added the issue with sunlight, but since it’d been sunny when he picked her up for this date, that, at least, had to be wrong.
Right?
Elijah felt that if he met people from Jen’s world that would be fine, but he certainly didn’t need to meet them. The elder Original thought he had a pretty full life with family, a few friends, and his job.
“No no. Just me making an observation, not me angling for a meeting.” Elijah didn’t do fanboy.
He couldn’t help his chuckle. “Blood-drinking, yes. I don’t turn into bats and I can definitely see my reflection. I can also eat any food I like, but it doesn’t do anything, besides taste delicious. If you have other questions, I can try to answer.” Of course, some things one didn’t discuss on a second date.
“Understood.” And honestly, Jen was a little grateful. Sure, having a famous cousin could be cool, but she’d rather fly under the radar herself, if she could.
“...Okay,” she said slowly, thinking that over carefully. Honestly, she probably should have been more freaked out, but really? Jen was kind of okay with it. He hadn’t hurt her or threatened her, and so far he hadn’t done anything creepy or gross that she could see.
“Do you like being a vampire?”
At least she hadn’t run away screaming, but also Elijah didn’t set out to hurt people unlike some others in his family. So far so good.
The question took him by surprise, but maybe it shouldn’t have given how smart and empathetic Jen seemed.
“There are aspects I like, such as never aging and never running out of time to read or learn new things. And the ability to purchase the suits I like.” Or compel. “But I didn’t get a say. I ran for centuries.” Mostly to avoid being hunted by Miakael, their horrific excuse of a father. “I think there are days I do, but they never quite equal the days I’m ambivalent or wish vampirism never happened.” Which might make him the most pro-vampire Mikaelson.
“Those definitely sound like pretty good perks,” she agreed with a smile, though it faded when he said he didn’t get a say. For a minute she let his words sink in, then finally she went on. Sure, she’d been open about who and what she was when she’d first arrived, but since then Jen hadn’t really said a lot about it publicly, and no one had asked further.
“I know what it’s like for something to change your life that you didn’t get a say in. A couple months ago, my cousin and I were in a car accident. His blood dripped onto my own open wound, and poof - instant gamma radiation exposure that changed my DNA and cells, and now I can turn into a 7 foot tall green woman with impenetrable skin and super strength.” Which was a lot to admit even for a second date, but since he’d been open about being a vampire, she figured it was only right to be just as open.
“It caused a lot of problems back home, and like I said - completely changed my life. Mostly for the better, sure, but there were a lot of bad things that happened, too.
Elijah appreciated he could be open with Jen. He didn’t generally talk about his past; his siblings’ past. Dredging it up did nothing, but Elijah knew this second chance at life was important to him and he didn’t want to waste it by hiding. He’d told Kol he would try to embrace his second chance.
Whatever Elijah thought Jen might say did not come within a ten bajillion radius of the words she actually spoke. “Wow. I knew blood could pass diseases, but I didn’t think it would be…” the vampire stopped speaking. Where the fuck did he intend for the sentence to end?
He started again. “So what you’re saying is you could kick my ass, and I have super strength and super speed? That must have been…a hell of an adjustment. Are you…okay with it? I mean, as okay as you can be.”
Jen sat with a kid of resigned look on her face as he worked through it, because she’d gone through this conversation in different ways before, and had often ended up hurt in the process. It was too bad that Blonsky wasn’t actually here with his retreat so she could have someplace to go to talk about how awkward this date was starting to feel. And honestly? She kind of figured that at some point, Elijah would excuse himself to the restroom and then keep walking straight out the front door.
Or at least, that’s what she thought until he spoke again. When words that understanding came from a face that handsome with a voice that smooth, something inside her just kind of melted.
“It was an adjustment that took a while, honestly. My cousin tried to help, he had binders and everything, but our experiences are so different that there wasn’t much he could really help with.” Though if she hadn’t had to get back to her life in LA, staying on a beach in Mexico would have been kind of nice.
“Overall, I’m mostly okay with it. I mean…it’s who I am now, and it’s not something I can change. It’s just a new part of me I’ve had to come to terms with and learn to live with.”
Elijah did not like the resigned look on Jen’s face. What the hell kind of other dates did she usually experience? He liked Jen and did not like the idea of people disappointing her. At all. Besides, wouldn’t it be rather hypocritical of Elijah to not accept Jen considering? It helped, of course, that she was clearly intelligent, empathetic, and pretty.
“I imagine. After my siblings and I became vampires we…definitely required an adjustment period.” Moreso after their father tried to murder them all on…various occasions. “I’m glad your cousin tried.” For everything that happened to the Mikaleson siblings, at least they all went through a similar experience, save Niklaus.
He nodded and smiled. “That’s how I feel about vampirism. I am this thing now and I can curse it, which I still do on occasion, or I can…enjoy my life.” Given his death back home, which he did not plan on mentioning on this date, Elijah wanted to try and enjoy this second chance at life.
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“I’m sure it did,” she replied, because Jen couldn’t imagine what that might’ve been like. Though to be fair, she couldn’t have imagined what she went through before she’d gone through it, either.
Returning his smile, she picked up her wine glass and held it out for a toast. “Well, here’s to enjoying our lives, however different they are now,” she offered.
Elijah grinned. He looked forward to the rest of the evening with Jen, rather liking her at this point. “Here’s to enjoying our lives, however different they are now,” he responded, clinking her glass with his.