"I threw myself into that fire, threw myself into it, into him, and let myself burn."

― Sarah J. Maas

Home; it was a difficult word to describe because it meant something different to every individual. To many people it was simply the place where they slept at night, where they lived out their mundane life with a structured routine and no thought to what exactly the word meant on a deeper level. To some it was the place where they felt safe and secure, a place that would always be the epicentre of their life and no matter where they went, it would always be considered home in their hearts.

Imogen Claire had never felt safe in her childhood home; it was merely a roof over her head and a bed to sleep in, and so she never felt an emotional connection. In fact it was almost a relief when she sold it and watched with a smile as the new owners knocked it down to rubble with a wrecking ball. To her home was more of feeling; it was being comfortable enough around someone to be herself without worrying about being judged, it was the safety she felt in the presence of certain people, it was the warmth that spread through her chest when someone she cared about smiled in her direction. But something about the bedroom so had chosen at the Abattoir made her feel safe, like nothing could harm her when she was inside the dwelling. She knew that it was an unrealistic thought but maybe it was the comforting presence of two Original vampires just down the hall that made her optimistic. Or maybe it was the Original vampires themselves that made her feel at home in their family home.

Jazz music played on the street below as Imogen stood on the balcony overlooking the party taking place, the gentle breeze causing the loose strands of her brunette hair to caress her face as she leaned her folded arms on the metal railing. She hadn't bothered to change after retiring to her bedroom, more interested in scouring through some of the grimoires that the Mikaelson's had in their possession. The black cardigan she wore kept slipping down her shoulders as she swayed along with the music, a small smile on her lips as she regarded all of the people dancing in the street.

It wasn't just a party that was taking place; it was a memory that each individual was creating, it was a moment of pure bliss that they would look back on and smile about in the future. It was a celebration of Kieran's life, but it was more than that, it was a reminder that you needed to live each days as though it could be your last.

The sound of someone knocking on the bedroom door caused her to look over her shoulder with a frown, not bothering to move from the balcony because she knew that she had left the door wide open. A smile spread across her lips when she saw Elijah appear in the open doorway and she tilted her head slightly, silently granting him entry to her bedroom. She turned her attention back to the party below as he made his way out onto the balcony, coming to a stop in the doorway between inside and outside.

"I think Kieran would've appreciated this. The entire community gathered together, all of the Factions at peace for the day." she mused out loud as she watched a teenage girl with dyed pink hair spinning in circles on the street below and she straightened up with a sigh before revealing in a soft whisper, "I want that when I die."

Elijah remained silent immediately following her confession as he swallowed roughly and he walked closer to her to where she was standing as his eyes locked on her profile. The streetlights of the Quarter cast a luminescent glow and for a moment he was stunned speechless at her ethereal beauty, positive in his belief that he would never witness a more spectacular sight no matter how long he lived. He cleared his throat unsurely as he ducked his head before turning his attention to the street below, watching the people dancing and laughing without a care in the world.

"You almost did." he reminded her in a broken whisper as he watched one particular couple; two young men with their arms wrapped around each other, wide smiles on their faces and for a moment he wished upon a star that life could really be that simple. Rebekah had always been the romantic one in the family, hoping and wishing for something different, struggling to accept the reality that was thrown at them a millennia ago. There were a few moments scattered throughout history where the prospect of being human didn't seem so horrible, but since he found out Niklaus was going to be a father, witnessing the joy in his eyes when he listened to his child's heartbeat...since meeting Imogen, the absent of his humanity was becoming abundantly clear to him.

The events of the day had only illustrated the fragility of the human condition, reminding him that he could lose Imogen, or Hayley, or his niece at any given moment. He could remember the deathly pallor of her complexion as she lay motionless on the table, her eyes closed in what could be mistaken for a peaceful sleep. It was a sight that would forever haunt his memory.

The memory of her lifeless body reminded him of the anger that had coursed through his veins when he saw her collapse onto the ground. Once he was positive that both women were out of immediate danger and Imogen had excused herself to take a shower while Klaus had taken Hayley to the hospital to compel a doctor to check the health of their child, he thought back on the events of the day. It was one of those intense scenarios that happened both much too quickly and far too slowly, until it was nothing but a blurred memory. The one thing that he could remember with picture perfect clarity was the moment the determined glint in Imogen's blue eyes, the moment she lit up with knowledge and realisation. It was the moment that she decided to risk her life for something she believed in.

"What you did today was reckless." he told her softly as he straightened the cuffs of his jacket sleeve, a nervous habit he had developed over the centuries.

Imogen immediately spun around to face him in shock, her lips parted in disbelief and her blue eyes burned with fierce indignation as she corrected him firmly, "What I did today saved the life of Hayley and her daughter."

"You did not know if it would work. You took a risk with your life." he said sternly as he meet her gaze evenly, not allowing her obvious anger to derail him from making his point and she shook her head slightly incredulously as she folded her arms over her chest while looking away from him.

"Living is a risk. Every decision, every interaction, every step, every time you get out of bed in the morning, you take a risk. There are very few people in the world I would willingly put my life on the line for, and it just so happens that Hayley and her child are near the very top of that list. If I can do something to help them, I'm going to do it." she reiterated passionately as she took a step towards him until she was only a foot away from him and she poked her finger against the centre of his sternum as she lowered her voice to a soft whisper, "This won't be the last time my life is in danger. And I'm okay with that, Elijah."

"In a thousand years, I can't recall a time I felt so... frightened." he admitted quietly as he slowly placed his hands on her waist, slowly drawing her closer to him in case she wasn't receptive of his forward behaviour given the tone of their previous conversation. After a moment's hesitation as she slid her hands up his chest, looking up at him with a soft expression and he closed his eyes for a moment as he leaned down to lean his forehead against hers, breathing in her intoxicating scent of vanilla. He opened his eyes with a heavy sigh as he lifted his head so he was able to look into her enchanting blue eyes and he swore his hand was shaking slightly as he reached up to tuck a loose strand of hair behind her ear, leaving his hand resting against her cheek. Her eyes fluttered closed as she leaned into his touch with a pleasant smile on her lips and he rubbed his thumb over the bloom of her cheek as he murmured almost absently, "I've never been so scared of losing something in my entire life."

The breath caught in her throat at the declaration as she gazed up at him, searching his eyes for any sign of deceit but the thoughtful expression on his face made it seem like the words had come out before he could stop them. She waited patiently for the panic to set in, for him to regret his sudden admission but when he lifted his head to meet her eyes, he was looking at with a light in his oak brown eyes she had never seen before. He was looking at her like she was everything that he had been searching for in life, like she was some precious gem and for a moment she couldn't breathe.

"Then again, nothing in my life has ever meant as much to me as you do." he admitted quietly as he stared into her eyes, completely stunned by the honesty threaded behind the words. Imogen appeared to be startled; her blue eyes wide in shock and her lips parted as though as she was about to speak but her mouth was unable to form words.

There was such tenderness in his voice as he continued to search her face with his loving gaze, almost like he was memorising her features and filing them away to memory. Tears sprung into her eyes as she reached up to cover her mouth with her hand, taking an instinctive step backwards out of shock. No one had ever uttered something so sweet and thoughtful to her before, something so raw and honest, and it was overwhelming to be on the receiving end of its intensity. Never in her life had she even dared dream that someone could care about her the way that Elijah apparently did, and the scary part of the situation was that she felt the same way about him.

Elijah slowly let his hand fall from her face when she didn't respond in anyway other than to take a step backwards and the sting of rejection caused his chest to ache painfully as he tried to mask the hurt he was feeling. He had years of practice hiding his true emotions from his siblings and so it was relatively easy to simply let the emotionless mask fall into place when he needed it. He ducked his head as he cleared his throat discreetly and he started to walk away, heading back inside the bedroom as he resisted the urge to look back in her direction.

Imogen dropped her hand from her mouth in displeasure as she watched his retreating form, her eyebrows furrowed in confusion and she swallowed roughly as she turned her head away from him for a moment before realising that she hadn't responded to his confession. Panic surged through her veins as her eyes widened in horror when she realised that he must have mistaken her silence for rejection and she quickly took a step forward as she called out softly in a slightly raised voice, "Elijah..."

The Original came to a stop in the middle of her bedroom, turning around to look at her inquisitively with his hands in his pants pockets and she hesitated a moment before crossing the room towards him in long strides. Oak brown eyes watched her approach, his pupils dilating with lust as her hands came up to frame his face and she stood up on her toes so that she could angle his head downwards. Their lips melded together in a passionate kiss as both of their eyes fluttered closed and he instinctively placed a hand on her waist as the other reached up to cup the back of her head, his fingers weaving into her brunette hair.

Imogen poured everything she had into that kiss, every single thing she felt went into that one gesture, because he had to know and she wasn't sure of any other way to express how she felt. She sunk into him, losing herself in the feel of his lips, of his hands, but it was the kind of lost that was exactly like being found. The scent of him surrounded her senses and it was intoxicating, liberating, and everything inside of her was screaming at her to never let him go, to never give up the feeling for him holding like he was the only thing keeping her together.

Elijah felt his body tighten with need as she melded against him perfectly, his hold on her hip subconsciously tightening in the process and she pulled back from the kiss with a soft gasp that was a mixture of pleasure and pain. The sound sent a spark of electricity through his body, going directly to his crotch and he kept his eyes closed for a moment to compose himself as she panted to catch her breath.

When he finally opened his eyes he found himself staring into the vibrant blue eyes, lust burning deep within their depths and he rested his forehead against hers as their lips ghosted across one another. Heat coursed through his veins as he gazed down at her swollen lips, loosening his grip on her hip as he moved to take a step backwards so their bodies weren't pressed up against. Imogen shook her head minutely with a small scoff escaping her as she curled her fingers in lapel of his suit jacket and he frowned in confusion as she maintained eye contact while walking backwards, dragging him with her as she went.

The two of them had kissed many times in the few months they'd been together, had engaged in countless make out sessions on her couch like teenagers but there was something different about this one. It had been an unspoken agreement between them that they would put the sex part of their relationship on hold and it was like walking a tightrope, but after hearing such lovely words in his melodic voice and seeing the heated look in his memorising oak brown eyes, it was impossible to keep her hands to herself any longer.

The witch's entire body was tingling with anticipation as she turned them around with a seductive smirk spread across her lips and she pressed her palms flat against his chest as she pushed him backwards towards the bed. His oak brown eyes were darkened with arousal as he traced the planes of her face until his knees hit the end of the bed and he came to a stop as he placed his hands on top of hers, stopping her from forcing him to sit down. She looked up at him in confusion, the insecurity she kept well hidden beneath confidence and bravado shining in her heated blue eyes. Elijah swept his lips over hers in a chaste kiss as his hands drifted down to her sides until they reached the hem of her black dress, scrunching the material up around her thighs.

"Zipper." she breathed out huskily as she looked up at him through heavily lidded eyes and he roughly spun her around so that her back was pressed up against his chest, eliciting a startled gasp from her lips. She smiled slowly as her breathing deepened in arousal, the feel of his warm breath on the back of her neck causing shivers to course through her body. Imogen hissed slightly as he slowly peeled her cardigan off of her shoulders like he was unwrapping a present and savouring the moment for all it was worth until it was removed from her body. He unzipped the back of her dress in one swift motion and the sound rang through the near silent room, causing her lips to part in anticipation as the material fell from her body to pool at her feet.

Elijah's felt himself hardened at the sight of her porcelain skin on display, her carotid artery pulsating teasingly with the erratic beat of her heart and he gaze swept over her exposed back as he appreciated the strap of dark blue material she regarded as underwear. His oak brown eyes darkened until they were almost black with desire when his gaze landed on the simple tattoo of a crumbled top hat with the words 'We're All Mad Here' scripted in a banner that was wrapped around its base. Tattoos had never been an alluring trait for him but he knew that each of Imogen's held a deeper meaning behind them and so they were a part of who she was as a person, which made her cling to them like badges of honour. They were proof of her ability to survive, and they only enhanced her beauty.

A guttural snarl ripped from his lips as he latched onto the curve of her throat, sucking hard on exposed skin and she moaned breathily as her eyes fluttered closed in pleasure. Her head fell back onto his shoulder as he gently gripped her throat, tilting it to the side so he had better access and her body felt like it was on fire as he used his free hand to caress her material clad hip with his thumb. She could feel the proof of his desire pressing against the small of her back and she bit her lower lip to stop from moaning aloud as he swirled his tongue over the wound area where he sucked roughly on the base of her throat. She reached up to thread her fingers through his thick brown hair as he placed a series of open mouth kiss along the curve of her shoulder and his hand slowly slid up her abdomen until it was cupping her left breast.

"Elijah..." she breathed out in pleasure as she spun around in his arms to face him, immediately reaching up to cup his face as she pressed her lips against his in a passionate kiss. She broke the kiss after a moment, smiling against his lips as she laid her hands flat against his chest and he grinned brighter than she had ever seen as she slowly pushed him backwards until he was forced to sit down on the end of the bed. She stepped in between his parted legs with her hands resting on his shoulders, leaning into him as she ghosted her lips over his teasingly with a smile on her lips and he placed his hands on her waist as he tilted his head back to look at her with adoration in his eyes.

"Are you positive this is what you want?" he asked her softly in a hoarse voice as he soothed his thumbs over her hipbones and she quirked an eyebrow at him incredulously as she stood up a little straighter to look at him.

"You're kidding me, right? Honey, there is nothing I want more. In fact, I don't know why we waited this long." she told him honestly with a shake of her head as she smirked seductively at him and he chuckled in amusement as he rested his forehead against her sternum for a moment before lifting his head to look up at her with a smile.

"We wanted to develop an emotional connection – "

"Blah, blah, blah!" she interrupted mockingly with a roll of her eyes as she leaned down to meld her lips against his in an effort to end his speech and she placed a knee on either side of his thighs on the bed, essentially straddling him as her arms draped over his shoulders. He responded to the kiss enthusiastically as he threaded his fingers through her hair, removing the hairband that kept it in a loose bun and it fell around her shoulders in brunette waves.

Imogen pulled back from the embrace with bright grin as she cocked her head to the side and gave him a pointed look as she asked him in a slightly sarcastic tone, "Now, would you like to continue trying to talk me out of this or – Ahh!"

The witch let out a startled cry when he abruptly lifted her into his arms, standing up from the bed with his enhance vampire speed and she started laughing in delight as he threw her onto the middle of the bed. She bounced a little on the mattress as she watched him speed over to shut the bedroom door and her eyebrows rose in surprise because she had entirely forgotten that it was left open when he entered. Elijah sped over to close the balcony doors as she shuffled back towards the pillows and a moment later he was walking towards the bed at human speed with a slight smirk on his lips as his eyes trailed over her exposed body.