Petrichor - e.mikaelson

45

Frankie felt the vaguest bit guilty as she climbed beneath Elijah's sheets, her dress abandoned in the corner and only his shirt on but she'd known really that any kind of protest would've been met with dismissal. Even if she'd tried to sleep in a guest room or insist she was fine to go back to Cami's tonight she knew Elijah would worry and that he'd frown and so instead she slipped under the sheets, secretly revelling in how like Elijah they smelt and how much that brought her comfort.

Sleep gripped her faster that night than it had for months, she tried to tell herself it was because of the liquor and the late hour but she knew really that it was being here, being back and feeling safe and at home.

Elijah didn't return to the room and when she awoke a few hours later she was gripped by a coldness that she wasn't justified to feel, reluctantly returning to sleep. She knew she had no business missing him like this, no business wishing he was here too and her stomach curled with nerves that their talk wouldn't end like she hoped.

Eventually she woke a second time, it was a little after noon and she pulled herself from the bed reluctantly. She'd still had far less sleep than she wanted but that was the unfortunate side effect of staying up past sunrise and she pulled herself up with the intention of finding clothes.

Her dress lay abandoned in the corner, and as beautiful as it was, she had no intention of returning to a ballgown so instead she found Elijah's drawers, making her way to the bottom one where she used to squirrel away a pair of jeans when she stayed often. The jeans lay there in all their balled up glory and Frankie tugged them on with delight, reaching through and pulling one of Elijah's t-shirts on top.

Padding gently from the room, Frankie made her way to the kitchen, figuring whilst she waited to find someone, she'd at least make breakfast. That was where Elijah eventually found her, sitting with a bowl of cereal, midway through a yawn.

"Hi," he said, a smile pulling at his lips when she looked up at him and grinned, "How did you sleep?"

"Good, not enough but good. Fuck I forgot how late these parties can go."

"Parties held by the Strix have a tendency to be overly indulgent," he chuckled understandingly, "Fortunately they're often so insufferable there's rarely a reason to attend them, aside from last night of course."

Frankie felt a blush tint her cheeks knowing he was referring to her specifically and so she barreled on with her questioning.

"Did you sleep at all? I'm sorry I took your bed."

Elijah smiled at her warmly, "I slept in a guest room. Fortunately thanks to Niklaus' inability to maintain relationships we've a plethora. I took you to my room because I wanted you there, so you needn't apologise. You're always welcome to stay. I like knowing that you're here and that you're alright."

Her cheeks reddened further with his kindness and so instead of replying she stuffed another spoonful of cereal into her mouth. Her phone beeped beside her again but she ignored it, she knew it was either Cami or her brother and replying to either would set off a whole other series of events that she had little interest in.