You and I       we don't belong.

Rotten Shreds.
Something in me Died.

I wanted to yell. Scream and bark the orders for him to stop following me. But I couldn't compose myself, nor could I compute the words. He had me so flustered, so frustrated and irritated that I hadn't known what to say.

I was furious and gut-wrenchingly reddened by my own decision that I couldn't possibly belittle him for his abrupt actions. I couldn't blame him for his curious and determined questions either. It was an irresistible trait within his nature.

But as I said nothing, he followed suite. I couldn't tell whether I was pleased or dissatisfied with that revelation.

"No need to be quiet."

I spoke in such a truthful tone, but even I wasn't aware of my intentions. My words opened up the opportunity to a chance of conversation. One I wasn't sure I wanted.

Elijah remained quiet for some time. I knew he was behind me, but I couldn't tell how close he was.

"Mustn't you follow me if you won't talk?" I question. Why was I so eager to have a conversation with him? I couldn't even look him in the eyes.

"You did always say to not speak unless spoken to," he finally spoke.

I whirl around, a cheeky grin plastered along my features, but quickly enough I go back to stomping through the grounds.

"Why are you following me?"

In turn, he asked me a question. Only I didn't know how to answer.

"Why did you listen to my brother? Kol has a tendency to believe he can get whatever he wants."

I didn't turn around, though I knew he was close enough to me to hear what I had to say.

"I tend to believe he normally gets what he wants. I saw the look on his face."

I could've sworn I heard the squeaky noises of a smile stretching across his lips as he sighed, "Which is why I followed you out here, your majesty."

I'm such a fool. I felt myself instantly stop and look around to see Elijah trailing his eyes all around me. I quite disliked the way he looked at me. Like I was full of treasure and divine awakenings. Sorely mistaken, he would be disappointed.

I didn't feel so sick anymore, despite the longing image of the raw flesh protruding my senses. I only ever felt curious in the way Elijah stood and glanced at me. I couldn't tell if he was curious or astonished by my own reaction. I knew I was.

"You and your family are my guests. I must suit you in ways that make you feel most comfortable." I stated in such a tone that it appeared Elijah had been tongue tied. My hands wrapped behind my back and my eyes wavered just beyond his head. I couldn't handle myself longing at him more than I intended to.

"What if I was to say that made me uncomfortable?"

I gave an awkward smile, presumedly due to my delayed hesitation that he would've been disturbed upon my peace offering towards Kol. By his expressions alone, I wasn't too sure whether he was angry or just annoyed. I didn't want to push him for too many answers.

"Not my intention. I feared my breakfast had been a little bland."

Elijah hummed. A grim, flat lip formed on his chiseled structure as his hands rested just before him. Our eyes never aligned during this time.

"My best guidance would be to never go along with what Kol wants. Usually nothing ends well."

I felt a strumming silence keep my mouth from responding. Like a locked jaw and a hardening of glue, I couldn't fathom such a feeling emitting from Elijah. He didn't know I knew of him and his family, and I knew since the moment they entered my estate, but that didn't make the realization any less scary.

Usually nothing ends well. That's not very promising. Elijah appeared like the man to keep his word, though I couldn't tell if he even uttered a shield of protection for me.

"Guidance accepted." I smiled politely before I turned around and continued back towards my corridor.

I would've assumed that would've been the end of the conversation. Doomed I'd say, as he followed me again. This time, his steps were slow and calculating. He knew I knew of his presence, but I ignored his pestering invite.

To be certainly honest, to not only myself, but to him; Elijah was a man I had no desire to know. Protruding eyes and fantasizing whereabouts, I couldn't possibly ideal the knowledge of getting to know someone who was impure. Improper in my own right, I had no such allegations to cease a developing relationship.

If it hadn't been for who I was, then maybe. But within that time frame, I would never know.

This time around, he spoke way too soon. I didn't even have the properness to react to his poorly timed remarks.

"Meet me at the garden?"

His question was straight forward, and in such manners I would've been blushing in surprise by his admirations to swoon me within whistling vines and star-stricken vows of divinity. But the only garden I ever knew was where my husband laid.

There had been no honors in the two meeting as of now.

I turn graciously on my heel, something within me horror stricken. I couldn't possibly imagine doing something as vain with a man I couldn't ever have. 

I scrunched and scrutinized my brows together, I felt something so strange deep within me, though I didn't announce in annoyance. More so, confusion.

"W-where?" My eyes still had the displeasure of meeting his. I knew that he would've had me in the garden by now if I had taken that chance.

Elijah stifled around his stance, unsure and unspoken. I saw in the ways in which his mouth dribbled, almost like he had so much to say but hadn't had the clues in how to say them. He hasn't been here long enough, though I could tell he was a man to get flustered easily.

"I notice you out in your garden," Elijah began to stutter, his eyes now faltering towards the ground, "I figured we could talk more there."

I gulp hesitantly. I didn't know if I enjoyed the way he watched me. Almost in similar relations in which I observe him. I was just as interested in this creature as he was swarming me. I knew what it meant to get involved with a man as so, but he had a certain spark about him.

A spark that resembled Milo. I wasn't ready for such affairs.

"I don't have time for your games, Elijah." My eyes, still within such vulnerability, did not reach his. Maybe in that sense, he understood my strength. Or simply, my objection to such torments of curiosity.

I could feel it though. His absolute absence of denial. He didn't quite understand my persistence to avoid, to push the empty void I've had within me since Milo's death. He hadn't known about my husband, and I don't think he'd ever get to know him.

I didn't think I was presenting myself in a way that showcased my purity for him to devour.

"I only hold you to the highest of regards." I could feel his gaze burning holes through my skin, there was a warmth about him I liked, but didn't want to get close to, "It would never be possible for me to play any games, any of which involve scaring you."

I flinched, but within my own flesh. It wasn't expressive enough to which Elijah would've noticed. Scary? I never mentioned the dangers to where that would've ensued his explanation.

And although I believe him, more so than I do in any of his other family members, I don't appreciate his behavior in wanting to pursue me. I didn't quite see the niche in exploiting that possibility.

"You must not, asking me to join you in such places is not respectful."

Elijah shook off the confidence he once held so promptly and proudly, and quick fell into a shell of uncertainty. He grinned ever so slightly, and just enough to be smug about our encounter.

"I just asked you to the garden, I meant no disrespect m'lady."

He spoke to me so properly, like a maiden would to me. In a way that sparked a slight interest to a conversation. But I didn't have the time, nor patience to indulge in that.

"You disrespect me by even sparing me. Your prodding eyes are sinful, Elijah."

I turned back around, hurling myself away from his existence. If he was interested with me then, I was sure he wouldn't be now.

I hadn't had time for displeasures and disappointments.

୨ৎ

Within the Mikaelson quarters, Maribel threw Kol up against the wall, hand tightening along the clasp of the thinning of his neck, her gaze fixated purely on the idiocies on Kol's deliverance of his behaviors during breakfast.

"Must you be so open in your own follies?" Maribel hissed towards Kol, baring her fangs, not in an attempt to intimidate her brother, but to scold him instead.

Kol, while unfazed by his sister, noticed her eyes full of anger and disdain. He knew that he had overstepped in his actions and behaviors during breakfast, but he couldn't fathom the act in admitting his wrong doings. It was simply in his nature to delve into unethical tendencies. Even more so when it was served to him on a golden platter.

"Then she should've never offered such meat," Kol said, speaking in a more amused tone, not bothered by Maribel's striking stance.

The strength and power that Maribel had in this sudden move took Kol slightly off guard, as he had not anticipated nor expected the sudden change of pace during their discussion. Still, he remained unfazed by such a situation of a sibling of his being quite infuriated, rather than finding her aggression amusing.

Kol's eyes remain unfazed and slightly amused, as he responds to her question. "And are you not hungry enough to do the same?"

"I am not a moron that is willing to serve our heads to a woman who's offering us refuge," Maribel riddles in comparison to Kol's damning words, "you are being incompetent and ignorant, based off your own greedy wants!"

Kol's eyes suddenly narrow at her remark, a bit of contempt and distaste filling them. The fact that she even dare to question his competence made him slightly angrier, as he took in her comments as an insulting slap.

"And you are being incompetent and ignorant in not seeing just how great her own offerings were. I do not see you being able to get a human to willingly offer such meat to us, do you?"

Kol spoke, his eyes narrowing just a bit more while the tone of his voice increased, filling it with more annoyance.

A noise of what could've been a grumble of displeasure was heard as Maribel taunted closer to Kol, "She is simply being modest! And here you are, taking advantage of that very fact."

"Modest, you say?" Kol questioned, a hint of laughter and amusement creeping into his voice and eyes.

"It isn't something that I have to take advantage of when it comes so easily." Kol spoke, a bit of arrogance suddenly filling his voice as he continued to speak, not bothered by her close presence at all.

"You're pushing it!" Maribel startled a strained yell, looking around the room at her other siblings, "she knows nothing of our nature and here you are, eating raw meat like a rabid vampire!"

Kol couldn't help but feel slightly amused as he heard her strained shout, though he wouldn't dare admit it to her. He found the fact that she was so infuriated, quite amusing to him. He found her accusations quite amusing as well.

"That I am!" Kol responded in a more cocky manner, feeling quite proud of himself that he pushed her to such lengths of anger and frustration.

"What's the matter?" Kol laughed tauntingly.

Rebekah, though watching and observing from the side, realized the amount of stress the siblings were undergoing for the simple fact that Kol was acting out, whether on purpose or for the thrilling sake of anticipation of the unknown. Her eyes silt, keen-like as she narrowed in on Kol, "Kol, this isn't funny anymore. Your antics could get us caught, or worse, kicked out...and as you know, we don't have many places to go."

Kol hadn't quite thought about the fact that what he was doing could potentially get them caught or worse, kicked out. For the most part, he found such activities as rather harmless. It was quite an amusing fact to him that now, his actions were deemed as risky.

Kol's eyes then suddenly darted toward Rebekah as she spoke, a subtle glare of irritation flashing across his eyes as he spoke back to her.

"Or worse..." Maribel added onto Rebekah's comment, "we stake you in the heart again, and you can go back to living in that little box of misery until you learn to behave!" 

Kol instantly felt his eyes shoot up at the words of his sister, a small frown of disgust coming onto his face. The fact that she was willing to resort to the methods of what he's been through countless times before, angered him.

He wasn't about to let Maribel get away with such a threat again so soon. The mere thought of being locked up inside of a box yet again, made him angry enough that his fists were clenched hard.

"And you would really lock your own brother back in that box with no hesitation?" Kol said, his tone cold.

"We've done it many of times before," Maribel's stance unwavering, her tone of voice stricter than it's been in a long while.

The way she spoke on the matter, with no shame or regrets about it, made Kol's blood boil even more. Not only was she willing to suggest such a punishment, but she's done it before....to him.

"And you don't feel any form of remorse for putting your own damn family into that thing?" Kol yelled, his tone now becoming full of rage and annoyance. Maribel's strict tone with him did not go unnoticed by his other siblings as well.

"Not when you put us in threatening manners time and time again!" She shouts in return, her eyes flashing with such rage as she tried to calm down, "at any point do you ever grow tired of doing the wrong thing?"

"If I had grown tired of doing the wrong thing, then my behavior would've been changed a long time ago. You know this well enough." Kol yelled back, having no plans of being calm anytime soon.

Kol was simply tired of his family members constantly berating him for his own actions, without really bothering to see his reasoning or logic behind it. It was annoying and infuriating to him, especially that they seemed to do it in the most annoying circumstances possible.

"Enough!" Freya jolted, getting up from the stone step as she fiercely looked between her siblings, "this is tiring. We're all tired of running. Of hiding who we are," she says in a tone of empathy as she looks at Kol, then trailing her gaze towards her sisters, "but while we are here, we need to at least try and get along this time," she huffs in a grand manner, "for the love of whatever this family holds true, can we please make it work where we can finally stay in one place without ruining it?"

"And we all know who's doing all of the ruining, don't we?" Rebekah stated, her tone holding not only annoyance, but also hints of frustration as she directed her attention towards Kol.

Kol himself didn't have anything to respond to her statement, as he knew fully well that she was absolutely correct in her accusation. He has been the one to ruin and cause issues throughout each and every single place that they've been at.

"Rebekah..." Elijah droned on in a tone of authority, his eyes slitting back, "Freya's right. If we want to stay here, we need to act accordingly and rationally," his gaze flickering over to Kol.

He found that the statement made sense, yet, he couldn't bare the fact that they thought he was the sole reason for the ruined places that they've lived in. He hated that they were right about it, and he hated that his behavior was ruining everything even more.

He just wished that they'd finally understand why he had kept on acting out, not in any manner that it was excusable, but something in which they could perhaps sympathize with.

"Fine," Kol said, rolling his eyes, seeming more annoyed than anything else.