#(or maybe he just bought the same model and Elijah knew right away but never said anything)

[kingkangyohan]

Yo Han soaping Elija's teddy bear, cleansing any trace of death away, rinsing its fur from the church's ashes, scouring until the smell of fire and burned disappear from hie nieces's favorite toy - hoping to ease her her sleep, praying he would carry any of his niece's nightmares instead.

[thatfanficstuff]

Strange Fates - 2

Chapter Two: Hello There

Pairing: Eventual Mikaelson bros x Soulmate! Reader

Warnings: nope.

A/N: And so it begins.

***

You didn’t get a chance to call anyone the next morning before you received a text from Cami telling you Marcel had already talked to Jackson. He and his wife would be stopping by around 10 to talk to you. If that wouldn’t work, all you had to do was call. You blinked at the message for a moment before texting back a quick thank you. You weren’t used to people doing things for you. Especially without wanting something in return. Cami was good people.

You glanced at the time and poured yourself a mug of coffee. You carried it into the bedroom with you so you could get dressed before your visitors arrived. You didn’t put much thought into your clothing other than making sure it was something you wouldn’t mind getting dirty. Once the contractors left, you had work of your own to do. After dressing in the first pair of jeans and t-shirt you found, you wandered back out to the kitchen. You’d just refreshed your coffee when there was a knock at the door.

You opened it to find a couple on your doorstep that had to be Jackson and Haley. They both had dark hair and eyes. He was slightly taller than her and had a light beard. They made a lovely couple, that was for sure. “Jackson and Haley Kenner. We own Crescent Moon Contracting.”

You shook both of their hands before stepping back to let them in. “It’s nice to meet you. Come on in.”

They exchanged a look before stepping into the house. “Thank you. Just so you know, you should be careful who you invite into your house around here,” Haley warned.

“Haley,” Jackson chastised before looking at you. “Sorry.”

You pursed your lips. “No, it’s fine. Always good advice no matter where you live. You never know what you might be inviting in. I have my own way of keeping out unwanted guests though.”

You could see the questions burning in their gazes and sipped at your coffee to hide your smirk. Suddenly, you remembered your manners. “I’m sorry. Would either of you like something to drink?”

��No, we’re good. Marcel said you needed some help with some painting?” Jackson prompted.

“We normally don’t do small jobs, but Marcel and Cami said you could really use the help.” Irritation threaded through the woman’s voice.

“Haley,” Jackson all but growled. She huffed and crossed her arms over her chest as he turned his attention back to you. He shook his head slightly. “Sorry again.”

You didn’t even try to hide your smile this time. Their interaction was amusing and it was evident to see they cared for each other. “It’s fine and while I do have some painting to do, that’s just a small part of what I need done both here and at my shop.”

He tilted his head. “Shop?”

“I bought a building not far from here to turn into a bookstore. I’m planning something a little different. Even for New Orleans.” Your grandfather had owned his store for nearly forty years. When he died, it all went to you but you had no desire to stay in that town. So, you closed it up. You packed each book yourself and were amazed at some of the things you’d found buried in his stacks. You’d also obtained a couple of estate collections you hadn’t even had time to catalog yet. You couldn’t wait to get everything the way you wanted it and start setting up the store.

“Great. Let’s get started,” Jackson said as he pulled out a notebook and pencil.

You nodded and began to lead them through the house. It didn’t take you long to point out what needed to be painted and what light fixtures and shelves needed to be installed along with some more extensive work in the kitchen and bathrooms. They hadn’t been updated in decades.

“If you don’t mind me saying, you seem incredibly well-versed in what needs to be done to get the result you’re after,” he said as you finished in the kitchen.

You huffed a laugh. “My grandfather always was a handyman. He taught me everything he knew. I could do most of the work myself but it would take forever and I’m impatient. Plus, the store is a whole separate project and the mere thought of trying to do both at the same time had me pulling my hair out.”

“Honestly, you’ll probably feel that way even with someone else doing the work. Renovations are stressful either way,” Haley said. She had relaxed considerably as you went through the house. Now, she was smiling. You wondered if all strangers made her uncomfortable at first, or if it was just you. Or perhaps all the dollar signs she saw as you added to the list had loosened her up.

“Oh, trust me. I know. Should we go see the shop?” you asked.

“Sounds good,” Jackson said. They waited for you to grab the keys and lock up the house. “Do we need to take the truck?”

You shook your head. “It’s only a few blocks away. We might as well walk.”

They fell into step behind you and let you lead the way.

When you’d gotten about a block from the house, Haley cleared her throat. “If you don’t mind me asking, how exactly do you know Marcel and Cami? I haven’t heard them mention you before.”

You couldn’t keep the grin from your face. “That would probably be because I just met them last night. Cami and I bonded.”

Haley snorted. “Bonded. That sounds like Cami, all right.”

In a few minutes you were in front of the building that would be your store. The windows were soaped up so no one could see inside. You unlocked everything and motioned for them to go in before you.

“I know this building. It used to be a voodoo shop,” Haley said. Your brows shot up in surprise. When she saw the look on your face, she waved her hand through the air. “Not a real one, of course. Just a tourist thing. They had some pretty jewelry.”

She’d be surprised to find out just how much of what the former tenants did was real magic, you thought. You had to do a pretty thorough cleansing when you bought the place.

“Wow,” Jackson breathed.

You turned to find him running his hand along one of the large oak shelves you’d brought with you. “My grandfather built those. I couldn’t bear to leave them behind. As you can see, they need some repair and rejuvenation. I’d like to us them as a starting point for the rest of the space.”

He looked around the space and nodded as if picturing it in his head. “How many shelves are you going to want total?”

“Oh, here,” you said and walked over to the counter to grab a piece of paper. It was a complete layout of how you wanted the main room to look including measurements and counter space. You handed it over to him and he whistled through his teeth.

“You are making my job easy, Y/N. I wish all our clients were as sure about what they wanted as you are.”

“That just means you can work faster, right?” You laughed.

“Actually, it does,” Haley agreed.

You pointed to the paper. “On the back is what I need done in the back room and upstairs as well. It’s not nearly as extensive.”

Jackson flipped the paper over, his eyes scanning over your work. “Is that a stove?” he asked.

You nodded. “With a double oven. I wrote the make and model number down for you on the side there.”

“This is great,” Haley said, peering at the paper from beside him. “Give us a couple of days and we’ll write up an estimate and get it to you.”

“When do you think you’d be able to start?” You bit your lip as you awaited the response. It was unlikely they had an opening right now but you could hope.

The two of them exchanged a look. “Let me make a couple of calls, and I’ll let you know. We can move some things around maybe and we have some extra crew we could call in.”

“That would be great.” And it would, but you’d try not to get your hopes up.

The three of you stepped outside and they moved across the street to look over the front of the building while you locked up. It was in desperate need of a paintjob as well.

When you turned, you found another man stood with them. The three of them were talking, occasionally glancing toward your building. Your mouth instantly went dry as you ran your gaze over the new arrival. Holy shit. He was stunning. You couldn’t think of another word really. He was dressed in a well-tailored suit. Every strand of his dark hair was neatly in place and he held himself with a confidence you rarely saw. He had his hands in his pockets and rocked on his feet as he laughed at something Jackson said.

Realizing you were staring, you turned your attention to your contractors as you walked across to join them. Jackson’s attention was on the other man but Haley was smirking while shooting glances between you and the stranger. Evidently, you’d been caught ogling her friend. Great.

She smacked her husband’s arm with the back of her hand. “Jackson, introduce Elijah to our new client.”

Your face heated and you hoped no one noticed your embarrassment. “Thanks, Haley,” you said with a tight smile. You were almost positive you heard her giggle.

The man’s lips twisted into a half-grin as he offered his hand. “Yes, I’m sorry to have distracted them from your meeting. I had been meaning to call and couldn’t pass up the opportunity to talk to them. I am Elijah Mikaelson. And who might you be?”

“Y/N Y/L/N.” You took his offered hand and gasped as heat flared under the skin on your wrist. Your gaze darted to your joined hands. The three dots of his soulmate mark were visible where they rested near his thumb. The lines to finish it appeared literally in front of your eyes.

Your gaze darted back to his face to find his attention locked on your hands as well. When he looked up, he grinned. “Well, hello there.”