Day 17 - Baking | “Can I kiss you?”
Saving Elijah - a Saving Hope crossover.
Alex came home from a long shift planning on doing nothing by putting her feet up and cuddling with Luke for a few hours but once opening the door she was hit by the heavenly smell.
It was like walking into a bakery, warm, sweet and savory.
She followed it to find Joel in the kitchen, a dozen cupcakes cooling and his back to her as he mixed something.
“Smells good.” she commented, keeping her surprise out of her voice, Joel was full of surprising talents she just never thought baking was one of them.
“You can help yourself once they’ve cooled down, I made too many.” Elijah told her, turning his head to look at her for a moment before returning to what she realised was some kind of savory pie filling.
“You’ve made dinner and dessert?” she said as she noticed the vegetable peeling behind him and realised what was in the pots on the cooker.
“I was cooking already,” Elijah replied, a move that would have been a shug from Joel but somehow looked different when it was Elijah. “I apologise for the quality it had been a while since i used these skills.”
Half the time even while being in the same body as Joel, Elijah managed to look untouchable despite how much they knew he longed for it but sleeves rolled up but with flour coated hands and lightly dusted cheeks he looked domestically sweet and touchable.
“He wanted a break.” he told her, straightening after setting the pie in the oven, the expression giving her an idea of what Joel wanted a break from.
“Special occasion?” she questioned instead gesturing at the spread and the rest of the kitchen, hoping to step away from the unspoken subject, however it ended up bringing her right back to it.
“Joseph and Natalie were panicking over missing Claudius and Theodora’s birthdays given their time in the hospital. I figured this was the least I could do.” Elijah explained a brief flicker of tightness taking over his features
Alex winced, Natalie was Joel’s patient who discovered her already advanced cancer while pregnant and had chosen to put her unborn child first over the unlikely chance of her own survival. Claudius was six and Theodora a year younger, at five, were their younger two children likely had little understanding why their parents were stressed, let alone why they may have missed preparing them a birthday party.
She knew Joel was already far too attached for his own good, he was an excellent surgeon and his love and care made her a brilliant man but in this case it was only going to hurt him.
Apparently the same could be said for Elijah, given the least he could have done was buy the children cakes, and instead the millennia old vampire had decided to make them himself, then again both of them clearly had a soft spot for children.
“So you're taking them cakes tomorrow?” she asked, wondering if the idea of simply buying them cakes had even crossed his mind.
“I’ve got the community centre being decorated for their birthday and Selena is buying their gifts and Arthur something.” Elijah answered, as he started to tidy away the used bowls, letting her step into the kitchen to see the pots of the stove filled with various vegetables.
Alex wasn’t surprised, she was quickly coming to understand what she thought of rich people, it was on a whole another level with Elijah. The man, once they had managed to get him to accept staying, had shown he had no issue throwing money at any and all of Joel’s problems and likely the rest of them, if they had let him and he could get away without being discovered.
He had brought the community centre, anonymously donated more than enough to keep developers away as well as matching the donation to Hospital, she’s pretty sure he would have donated more if it wouldn’t have raised Hope Zion’s placement in the national standing and brought more attention to them.
She really had underestimated him when he confessed to having more money than several counties thanks to centuries of investment.
He had also is a show of what Alex could guess was complete pettiness, on Joel’s behalf, brought Sabian Medical Corporation, forcing them to end the lawsuit in a generous settlement, admit fully what they had done and fire all involved, including Joel’s ex.
There were also the house listings Joel had found on his phone and laptop more than once after he had given full control to Elijah, that all seemed to have the various wants and wishes she and Charlie had mentioned wanting in their dream home.
Elijah froze as she stepped closer taking the last set of tools from his hand to drop in the sink, she knew she was somewhat caging him in, his back against the counter and her far closer than needed.
They had spoken about this, her, Charlie and Joel had already shared a bed countless times, although the image of Charlie and Joel kissing still took her breath away, but Elijah had remained out of it even after they had all agreed he, since sharing a body with Joel, was part of everything they did.
“Can I kiss you?” she asked softly, careful not to scare him off while making her want clear.
“I can swi-” he started but she cut him off raising a hand to rest over his heart, she wasn’t so tired anymore.
“No,” she told him leaning closer, “I want to kiss you Elijah.”
She gave him time to refuse and when he didn’t, her lips met his, swallowing his whimper as he melted into the kiss.
Seconds later he returned it with desperation, his hands lifting her as if she weighed nothing, and she wrapped her legs around his waist.
They kept kissing, losing themselves in each other until Luke’s cry pulled them apart.
Elijah set her down quickly but gently as he looked at her with wide eyes leaning against the counters as if they were the only thing keeping him upright.
“Next time” she panted as she left to check on her baby “we’ll include Charlie.”
