Housewarming | Nik & Elijah

wemadeourselvesmonsters:

Elijah could see the confusion and shock on Nik’s face. He tilted his head at him. “Here, she is a very protective sister. She was a warrior in her own way even as a child.” He smiled as he thought back to little Rebekah wanting to play with swords like her brothers. It faded at the memory of her with a sword creeping towards Mikael. That had terrified him. He would have lost her. And Mikael probably would have killed Niklaus too. Blamed him for it.

“Our father was an evil man. No matter the time or place. Something in him was broken and he was evil. That’s truly the only thing I know. You never deserved how he treated you. It was not your fault that our mother fell into bed with another man.” His jaw clenched. “And he would hit us all in our time, it was expected. It’s how you taught your children. He was just harder on Niklaus. Though, truthfully, Kol was the most out of line…”

His eyes crinkled as he smiled at his brother. Another time, another him, it did not matter. Nik was his brother as surely as Niklaus or Kol were. “I understand, brother. I am here. If you need me. Yes.”         

He couldn’t see it, at all. Rebekah, his Rebekah, she was a wild little thing, she was brave and she was loud – but he would never have called her a warrior. It was a weird idea, one that didn’t really make sense to him, but he could tell by the way Elijah’s face changed when he talked about her that his brother was proud of his – of their sister.

“I really want to meet her, here. Do you think she would… I mean, I know she’s very busy and I know she’s different, but do you think she would like to meet me?”

Mikael, an evil person? Definitely. He would never understand it, never understand the hatred this man harbored toward him, but, thank God, that was over now. He was safe here.

“Kol is weird, always has been weird. He’s… some days you can’t talk to him at all and then he suddenly punches people for the weirdest things. You know, I’m not exactly the most social person most days, but he’s… I don’t understand him, but he’ll always be my brother.”

Like you.

“So, what do you do all day?”

Housewarming | Nik & Elijah

wemadeourselvesmonsters:

“I know. I know you can’t force love. It comes in it’s own time. One day I might be lucky enough to love someone who stands the test of time.” He understood loneliness. It was a nearly constant state of being with him unless he found temporary companionship, or was with his siblings. He felt at times they were his true soulmates. 

Elijah nodded. “Of course Rebekah tried. She tried for you here too. I’m not sure he would have hurt her had he seen her trying to kill him in his sleep… but it was a chance I couldn’t let her take. She was always more brave than us. The most like you, actually, I’ve always thought.” He looked to his hands. “She should have left for you. Your mother. Not mine. Mine had no options. Yours did.” There were always options in this modern time for women with husbands that were abusive.

“I do not understand his needless cruelty. I can be cruel, have no doubt about that, but I am never needlessly so. Perhaps that is his one influence on me.” It was a thought. Though, he’d had moments, done things, that were too cruel. He regretted them though. Their father seemed to never regret hurting Niklaus. Or the rest of them.

“You had a good family. Other than the parents, anyway, it sounds like. Luck was on your side. And, Alaric, of course, does a lot to make up for what you lacked growing up.”

“I love you, brother.” Elijah smiled sadly. “It may not be the same, I may not be the same, but the love is there and it always will be, no matter where or what place you come from. I hope that’s a comfort since you no longer have them.”

Nik was stunned. Rebekah – the other Rebekah – she had tried to kill Mikael? To protect hi-Klaus? Did he know about it?

Nik couldn’t imagine what he would have done if something like that had happened in his family. Rebekah was so young, still a teenager, she would never – but what did Elijah always say? The times were different, apparently she was a lot more different than he thought. Did his own Rebekah – did she have it in her as well? They’d become so distant, were barely talking to each other anymore, had she ever thought about this? About doing something drastic like that?

“I was always closest to you, I’ve… I couldn’t imagine my life without you. Rebekah – she was so young. She didn’t really understand what was happening, but she always tried to help me somehow. And Kol… Kol stopped Mikael, once. He got between me and Mikael and… and Mikael hit him… It was horrible.”

He sighed, shaking his head.

“I don’t know why he did it. I think… sometimes I wonder… I mean, now that I know… Now that we found out that he isn’t really my biological father… I sometimes think he knew. Maybe he found out somehow. I don’t know. He never said anything, he never explained anything, he just – he decided where I would stay or that I couldn’t go out – and that was it.”

Okay…

“I….”

He didn’t know what to say. Elijah and him, they didn’t talk about it, they never really said it.

“I’m glad I found you. I mean, it’s weird, it is, you’re so different, but you feel so much the same – I don’t know how to explain it. You’re him but you’re not and it’s okay. And I still miss him a lot, but… not that much, you know? I’m – I’m really glad I found you.”

Housewarming | Nik & Elijah

wemadeourselvesmonsters:

Elijah chuckled. “There have been people I love. I’ve made vampires to keep them by my side, but the love never fades, but it does change sometimes.” It was so very odd to speak to Nik about this. Seemed his younger brother could teach him more about the subject. “But the years wear on you and sometimes it is very hard to keep with a person for so very long. Not to say that if I found the right person, that the years wouldn’t be an issue. I think you could be right about the forever.”

“So long as you’re happy, I am happy. So long as he’s good to you, I won’t break anything of his.” Elijah chuckled. “I will be the gentleman you know I am with your mate. Promise.”

If honest with himself, he envied that his brother was so content. It was low to think that way. And the vampire pushed the envious thoughts away.

It was so hard to condemn his mother for the hell that Niklaus went through. It was also not hard to see that Nik had gone through it too and he wished he could turn the clocks back and save them. Both of them.  “Did your Elijah stop…?” he trailed off, unwilling to say more, to show that he had been too weak to defend Niklaus. He should have stopped Mikael, a long time before they ever became vampires.

Elijah forced a smile. Memories were painful and it was his curse to remember so well. “No. She is nothing now. The same as him. We’re all the better for it, and safer.” He frowned. “I have so many people that I care for now, that their loss is not so great as it would have been before.”

Nik grinned to himself.

“If Ric could hear me talking like that he’d probably laugh at me or call me a romantic idiot or something, but he’s just the same, you know? He was lonely here, before he met me, miserable. I don’t think he’d have expected someone like me to change his life and I think that’s the point. Sometimes you don’t have to look for love, sometimes it will just find you. You can’t force it.”

The thought of Mikael made him turn serious again. He hesitated for a moment, didn’t know if he should tell Elijah the truth about his younger self, there was something about how Elijah looked that made him hesitate.

“He tried to,” he said after a long moment. “He tried, they all did, even Bex. But he couldn’t really stop him, it was… It was difficult. If he said I wouldn’t go with them for a holiday or something, there was nothing he could do. He stayed home with me, once, didn’t go with them, and Mikael made him pay. He got into so much trouble for it and I couldn’t… I didn’t want that for him.”

He sighed, ran a hand through his hair, then looked at Elijah with a shrug.

“I never blamed him. Or any of them. Except for her. It wasn’t their fault. And they always found a way to make me feel better, they always brought me presents and stuff.”

And they’d always made him feel special, he could always count on his sibs. Until Alaric had found him – and he’d left them. That was something he couldn’t talk about, it was too painful.

“I love them, all of them. I don’t know what I would have done without them.”

Housewarming | Nik & Elijah

wemadeourselvesmonsters:

“I’m glad no matter which world I’m in I am an over-protective big brother. It’s a comfort, actually.” He chuckled about it. “Seventeen, that was so long ago for me. I can barely recall it anymore.” Elijah’s expression went thoughtful. “Though I do know I was in love then and I swore it was forever.” Of course, it was not. It never was.

Elijah snorted, the sound undignified. “I could kick Alaric’s ass if he treats you wrong. I think it sounds like a good enough threat for him.” He would for sure punch the ever loving hell out of Alaric if he hurt Nik. He would not tolerate that. Even if he thought he would like being Alaric’s friend.

He frowned at Nik, wishing he could take those memories from him. His Niklaus was emotionally stunted because of their father, he was broken. At least Nik did not have a thousand years of Mikael to overcome, but even one was too much. “She was not strong enough to leave him. She would be left without support. And I think she loved him.” The Original looked away. “She loved us so much when we were human. Then she turned us into what we are and hated us from that moment on.  She used to be a good mother.” It was easier to talk about her before all the death.

“Of course. It’s not been a thousand years of loneliness, Nik. I had Katerina for a while. Celeste in New Orleans.” He smiled a bit at him. “I’ve had love. It hurts when it’s gone, but I have to keep going on.” He shook his head. “Do not apologize. I’m not so easy to hurt as that.” Elijah smiled softly. “I’m glad you’re here, that we’ve found each other.”

Nik cocked his head, regarding Elijah with a thoughtful look.

“I think love works. Forever. You just have to find the right person.” He grinned and winked at him. “And maybe not live longer than a normal human. Not sure if it would work for thousand years, guess that would have to be one hell of a person to stay together with for that long.”

Of course, he and Alaric, they were forever, there was not a single doubt about it in his mind.

Elijah’s threat made him laugh.

“That will never happen, not saying he’s a saint, but he’d never -” He broke off, shaking his head. “Nevermind, guess I should stop talking like that. He makes me happy, he’s the perfect mate for me. Always will be, no matter which universe I go to.”

It was what he told himself sometimes, that his mother didn’t have a choice, that she had to stay with Mikael, that leaving him would have changed their lives too much – that she didn’t really want to stay with him. But then he always started thinking about how his own happiness should have been reason enough for her to leave, that she should have done it for him to keep him safe, that a mother should always put her children above anything else… And that was always the point where he had to stop and distract himself with something because it was just too painful.

“She could have stopped him so many times, she could have done something, but she never did. I can’t forgive her, not anymore… But… She’s no longer part of my life. Not here, not where I come from… Ric and my friends, they are my family. And they look out for me.”

Housewarming | Nik & Elijah

wemadeourselvesmonsters:

Elijah followed Nik’s gaze to the sketch and nodded thoughtfully. The thought that this Nik was here, producing such wonderful pieces of art that seemed… happy, while his Niklaus only produced dark and angry works these days. Other than that one snowflake piece. He glanced back to his brother and smiled. “I am glad you’re here. So I guess I should be grateful to Alaric. And perhaps not so hard on him.”

Elijah knew he had no right to judge such an age gap, but he did, slightly, since it was his brother. His not a vampire brother. It was complicated.

The thought of Mikael was always so polarizing to Elijah’s emotions. On one hand, he was his father, a man he should have loved, respected. On the other, he had hurt their family, forced them into this, and then hunted them when they had all become what he’d made them. He wasn’t sorry he was gone, not really. “He was not an easy man to be a child to. I should have done what needed done before we ever became vampire.” He looked down. “But Niklaus did the right thing. I’m glad he did. We were so tired of running.”

Elijah slowly smiled for Nik. He envied him, just a little, to have so much with Ric. To be able to love someone so much. “You’ve been blessed, having Alaric in this world and the other, it seems. I wish I could find someone that I was so sure of. It’s a lonely existence.” He chuckled. “But my family keeps it interesting at least.”

“I understand it. I’m glad you had him. I’m sorry I’m not him…”

Nik chuckled softly. “You sound exactly like him, the first time I told my Elijah about Ric… I was seventeen back then and we had just figured out about the werewolf thing and the mate-thing and I knew it was probably going to last forever – but I couldn’t tell him that. Elijah never found out about it, he doesn’t know what I am. And he just looked at me, we were skyping, and he just looked at me and he said something like ‘if I find out he isn’t good for you, I’ll come back home and kick his ass’.”

He could still remember the first week when Elijah had finally visited them in New York and got to know Ric in person, they had both been so nervous, both so determined to make a good impression on the other… Maybe a little bit like they were here.

“He was not a nice man, he did things… I never understood how he and Mom could stay together, why she never said anything. I want to be forgiving, you know? I tried a couple of times to call her, to talk to her, but I just… I can’t. I don’t know… I never asked Klaus about her, what was she like here? In this world?”

“In all your years, has there ever been someone you really loved? I couldn’t imagine going through that, losing someone like… If I lost Ric, I don’t think I could… I don’t think I’d want to go on…” He broke off suddenly, giving Elijah an apologetic smile. “Sorry, I shouldn’t have said that. That was dumb. And you’re… maybe you’re not him? But you’re enough him that I feel he is still with me, so… I’m glad I have you. Here.”

Housewarming | Nik & Elijah

wemadeourselvesmonsters:

Elijah tried to put himself in Nik’s place. Losing all of this and being in another world. A universe where he would come face to face with a younger, modern version of himself. Where he would lose all those close to him. It would wreck him. “I would not do so well in your position. New place, the people all different, some not here… I would break. You haven’t, and that makes me proud.”

His eyes narrowed. Was Mikael as bad in his world as he was in theirs? He would never ask. Some things were off limits, and the look Nik just had when he said his name was enough to make Elijah’s heart hurt. “I’m sorry. It must be painful to think of.”

Elijah cracked a smile. “Like The Parent Trap twins, only not. Which makes no sense most likely. Sorry.” He would not want to meet his other self. He seemed a happy young man, his other self, and Elijah was not often that. It would be far too strange for him.

“What happened when you met Ric?” he asked as he sipped his water.

“The swords.” Elijah could not help the grin that took over his face as he thought about that. “We would fight with them.” He paused to think then shrugged. “It was simpler then. You worked and you played, our family was close. I miss that.”

Nik smiled slightly, his gaze coming to rest on one of the many sketches of Ric he had pinned to the walls. Safe sketches, ones he wouldn’t mind others seeing, those that wouldn’t make Ric blush and curse him. “It’s him. He’s the reason I haven’t lost it. If it wasn’t for him, I would… I don’t think I would be here anymore.”

He remembered the time he had spent on this side without knowing that Alaric was there. How he had tried to keep himself together and not give up, how he had broken down in Ric’s classroom – and how finding him had probably saved his life. Nik cleared his throat, then grimaced.

“Klaus has told me about him. About Mikael, here. And what happened to him…” He took a deep breath, forced himself to look at his brother and tried to smile. “And I can’t blame him. I know it’s wrong to say that, I do, but – I can’t. I’m not… I’m not sad he’s… he’s dead here. I could never do it… never, I just couldn’t – but I get it. I understand why he did it.”

Definitely not what Elijah wanted to hear from him, he could see it on his face, he was surprised, but he was nothing if not honest about it.

Time to talk about something that would make them both smile.

“Ric wanted to take me home. I was sitting in his classroom after school because it was sort of the only place that felt familiar and he was still there and he found me and he wanted to take me home. Only, there was no home to take me to, so we went to his place. And it was weird. So weird. He – smells like him, he talks like him – he was cooking and Ric, my Ric, he loves to cook – and it was just the same. And I decided to tell him about it. I was lucky that I had my cell phone with the pictures of Ric, I don’t think he would have believed me otherwise.”

Nik tried not to let it show how much he envied Elijah of his past. It sounded so peaceful and the fact that they were close – he missed it. A lot.

“I’ve always been closest to Lijah, always. He was always there for me, he was my rock and… I miss him.”

Housewarming | Nik & Elijah

wemadeourselvesmonsters:

Elijah was proud of Nik. He had talent and he was a good young man. It was such a blessing, that was the only word for it, that Nik had somehow made his way to this world and time.

A little smile spread over Elijah’s face as Nik spoke of his childhood and trouble with school. “My Niklaus, the one I grew up with, he used to carve little figures for us to play with. It seems no matter what, you are destined to be an artist.” He chuckled. “I can imagine your Elijah warning you to stop drawing in the books. Sounds like what I would say.”

Elijah settled on the sofa, listening to Nik. “It can get very taxing. The weight of the years isn’t kind at times.” He cocked his head to the side. “Niklaus would have, I’m sure. He was often on the lookout for promising artists. Me? I was always reading, so I was the one always trying to find writers who could engage my mind. I found many over the years that I thought their work would last through the ages, but turned out they only made an impression on me.”

Elijah sipped the water and laughed, picturing the look on Niklaus’ face. “I can imagine. It was quite a shock for me, I could not imagine running into my other self. I’d think I’d gone mad.”

“He was a good boy. It did not matter what our father did, he was always good to our siblings. We were close. Played together, fought together. It was never dull. We had work; always so much to do, but then Niklaus was always good to make the time pass with jokes. We were close. We liked to spar, impress the girls. We had fun. And long hair.” 

Nik tried to laugh, but he couldn’t hide that thinking about Elijah – his Elijah – was painful. He missed him, of all the people that were no longer there, Elijah (and Ally) were the ones that hurt must to think about. And even with this-world’s-Elijah sitting right across the room, it still made him swallow hard and drop his gaze for a moment.

“He did, every year, he’d promise me to take me to games or play with me or whatever I wanted to do if I left the books alone, but I could never – the problem is, I didn’t realize what I was doing until someone told me. And then the book was already ruined. And then Mikael would make me pay for it and -“

A deep breath and he shook his head. No, this didn’t belong here, there was no use in bringing this up now. Time to change the stubject and get back to his sort-of-doppelganger.

“He was just staring at me when I showed up and it was creepy because he looked like he knew me and then he started talking and was trying to get me to come with him – weirdest thing that ever happened to me. Well, that’s not true, running into Ric, here, that was… That was weirder. A lot. I’ll never forget it.”

He tried to imagine Elijah with long hair – and failed.

“It must have been so different than today. I mean, we were close and we had fun and everything, and we sort of did spar, sometimes, but differently I guess. I don’t know. Do you miss anything from back then?”

fridgemidgets:

If you hurt my brother there is a 100% chance I will come to your house and kill you.

artistlostunderthesurface :D

wemadeourselvesmonsters:

• _{My favorite thing about them – How talented he is. Or how he really is a truly kind man. He goes out of his way to be kind to people.} 
• _{My least favorite thing about them – I don’t have one. He’s a good boy, man. He’s so young.} 
• _{Do I find them attractive? He’s my brother, of course he’s attractive. We are a good looking family.}
• _{Are we friends? I would like to think he considers us such.}
• _{Would I date them? …No thank you.}
• _{Would I marry them?  Again, no thank you.} 
• _{Would I have children with them? Are you high, Ric?}
• _{Would I die for them?  Without a second of hesitation, yes.}

Housewarming | Nik & Elijah

wemadeourselvesmonsters

Elijah forced a smile after that and nodded. 

“Of course not. I would never tell him that. Ever. Though you really are talented.” 

He shrugged his shoulder, his jacket barely moving with his motion. “It matters not what she thinks. You do not get girls nor humor? I’ll get you one of those yellow books. “Humor For Dummies?” He was not very good at jokes. 

“Ah. Well, one learns to roll with change. Or else get left behind in a world that is not very forgiving.” He smiled then. “But I have gotten to see so very much of this world.”

His brother had that same look that his other brother used to get when pondering something deep when he was young. It hit him often that this was really and truly Niklaus. And then the wonder started all over again.

“You are set in your ways now. You had a massive change, one that had both good and bad outcomes, it is no wonder you fear change now. I don’t blame you, but you must learn to cope with change or else you’ll drive yourself insane. It’s a wonder it hasn’t happened already.” He offered his brother a smile. “Everything is the same but different. I thought I was losing my mind when I saw you.”

“No apology necessary. Water would be fine.”

Nik smiled, somewhat proudly. People often told him that he was talented and that his sketches were good, but hearing it from his brother – this brother made him feel strangely accomplished.

“I’ve always sketched, I don’t remember when I started it. You should see my old school books, I got in a lot of trouble back then because I wouldn’t realize I was drawing in the books. Positive side: Even when I lost them, people would always know they were mine and brought them back.”

He sat down on the couch, shaking his head slightly. “I can’t imagine being around for so long. I mean, sure, I would have loved to see a couple of things myself, but that’s mostly cause I know now how history went and what happened, like, I know Picasso is a big name now but would you even have heard of him when he was still alive?”

Right, water. Nik jumped up from the couch and disappeared into the kitchen again, then came back with a glass.

“You should have seen Klaus’s face when he ran into me. I mean, it was pretty creepy when I didn’t know who he was, but now… It was weird. I can’t imagine what it’s like to run into yourself… What was he like? When he was my age? I mean, what was your life like? Did you have fun growing up? Hobbies? Something like that?”