divide et impera ;

    Damon grabbed hold of her cheeks. He pulled her in closer to him, his hands started to wander immediately. He stopped when he felt it. The pain crawling up his spine. He pulled back away from her, breathing heavily. He looked down at his hands, which had turned grey and the veins were darkening. He should’ve known. It’d been too good to be true.

   Nikola could feel it coming, breathing down her neck as though it was happening to her and not happening to him. She whimpered and pressd her nose into his neck, holding on to him as though that would keep him there. And when he spoke that language, that long dead language, she inhaled and remembered who he was -- who he was and who had spoken that language to her so many years ago. "No, no -- no," she whispered and reached for him but he was already long gone. 

    Damon frowned when Elijah left. He got himself up again and was doing his best to get ready to leave. He turned his head in time to see Nik come in and he froze in place. He snorted. He laid himself back down on the bed. He looked over at her, rubbing his forehead. “It’s not the cure to everything.” He rolled his eyes. He leaned over and took her wrist, then started to drink from her. 

   Nik watched him as he drank from her; she watched the way his eyes changed color and that was something she hadn't expected. She stood up when he started to scream, the pain seeming to take him over for a minute. She watched, curious and moved to shut the door, locking it and walking back over toward the bed. She sat down next to Damon as he screamed again, a violent scream that would no doubt alert Elijah to whatever was happening in here. 

    Damon barely looked back at her. He grunted when she got up on the bed and kissed his cheek. “You just wish everything was as easy as your blood curing everyone.” He snorted. He felt her leave, but felt the eyes of Elijah on him. He pushed himself across the bed and started to get up. “I should really leave.” He turned to look at Elijah, giving him a brief glance over. “I think this was as stupid an idea as letting Elena go to Whitmore.” He laughed dryly.

    Elijah considered him for a minute and kept his place in front of the door so that Damon couldn't get past him. He knew that Damon didn't have the strength to stronghold him out of the way for the moment, but he listened anyway. "Hmmm, then perhaps it is Nikola's blood that will cure whatever is ailing you," he responded and noticed him starting to look a little wobbly. As Damon fell to the floor, Elijah blurred forward and caught him before he hit the ground, holding him close. The smell of death was prominent on him and he growled, picking him up and laying him on the bed. 

    Damon closed his eyes when he was set on the bed. He laughed dryly and looked over at her, face as passive as ever. “You really need to learn to accept when you can’t fix something. Science and Magic don’t go together. Nothing’ll fix that my body is breaking down.” He put his hand against his stomach and whined at the pain coming from it. “If I could put myself in a coma, I would.”

   Nik looked at him when he said that, frowning at the pain in him. She licked her lips and shrugged a bit. "I do not like magic as much as the next person but I am not resigned to just letting you die, I am sorry if you think this is going to be the easy way out." She narrowed her eyes when he said that, clearing her throat. "I never said he would make it out alive." She turned her attention toward Elijah who had been listening for the most part. 

    Damon barely managed to stand up. He wobbled when Nik helped him up, and fell towards her, his head was buried against her shoulder. He sighed heavily. “You mean find my death bed?” He laughed a little dryly. He pulled his head back and touched Nik’s face. “I’m a lost cause.” He sighed then leaned forward and kissed her gently. He brushed his fingers against her hair, then suddenly collapsed backwards onto the ground. His body convulsed, then he turned onto his side and puked out blood, all over.

    Nik watched him drop to the ground and start to vomit, making her gasp and take a step backward for a moment. She called out for some help and leaned down to look at him, exhaling slowly. "We're going to find a way if I have to torture the man and tell him to divulge how to fix it," she responded and hauled him up, carrying him toward the nearest bedroom. "Clean that up," she remarked to the mess in the hallway before disappearing into the room with Damon. 

    Damon closed his eyes. He took a deep breath. He looked up at her when she promised to make them pay. He raised his brows slightly, then leaned forward, and with his feeble strength, he pulled her towards him and kissed her on the lips. He was a fool, he’d admit it. But the fact that someone was caring about him… let alone it being Nikola, the Hybrid Queen, sometimes known as the Ice Queen, he couldn’t help himself.

   Nik looked at him and was caught off guard when he kissed her, her hands going up to his face. She kissed him back and stepped closer to him, pulling him close. She made a soft sound when he bit her lip and drew some blood, exhaling slowly and looking at him when he spoke. "Hmm, right," she responded and held on to him as he seemed to wobble a little bit. "I will kill him, do not worry," she responded and held him up. "I will help you, you understand me? I will find a way." 

     Damon stared at Nik. He put his hand against his stomach. He winced then closed his eyes, feeling awfully weak again. “I drink from vampires.” He muttered. “It’s the only way to keep my strength up.” He opened his eyes. “If I don’t feed from at least three a day…” he waved his hand at himself. He closed his eyes. “The only one still working on the Augustine Project.” He chuckled dryly.

    Nikola looked at him and canted her head a little bit, pursing her lips together as he spoke. "That is unnatural, it would not solve the problem of vampires as I am unkillable and I am the beginning of your vampiric line," she responded and looked at him, leaning into his touch, exhaling slowly. She turned her head and pressed her lips toward his wrist and held on to it.

   Damon turned his head upwards when Nik found him. He blinked a few times, his body had been sweating profoundly, he looked like hell warmed over. “Maybe that’s because its not a question worth answering? Ever think of that?” He snapped.

    Nik watched him and knew something was wrong; she would have to call one of those witches in here to figure it out. She canted her head and crossed her arms over her chest. "Hmm, yes, I have and I am aware of that. I have sent people to deal with them," she responded and looked him over, moving forward and grabbing his chin, looking into his eyes. Truthfully, the man was being brought here for her to torture. "What did they do to you? What did they poison you with?" 

     Elijah sighed heavily. He brushed his fingers against her cheek, then leaned over and kissed her on the lips. “Now tell me,” He reached down and turned her chin so she could look him in the eyes. “Is this why you ran off every woman I ever even remotely liked?” He smirked. He leaned his head forward and kissed her. Celeste, Katherine, Tatia… all run off by Nik. And he had always wondered why she did it.

    Nik looked over at him and smiled against his lips, raising a brow at his comment. She had the grace to look a bit embarrassed, but most of all she looked smug. "Hmmm, possibly," she responded and looked at him, reaching up to smooth her fingers across his cheek. "They were not good enough for you. I don't think I am either, but you are mine and always have been in some form." She scoffed. "Especially Katherine. Her long line of men she has used and abused was not about to have you on it." 

    They had gone from zero to sixty in no time flat, but they had also had a thousand years of pent up frustration with one another for this to happen. He slid his hand against her cheek, kissing her softly and repeatedly on her lips. He couldn’t help it. He curled their bodies close together. He kissed her on the lips again, then pressed his mouth against her shoulder.

    Nik accepted every kiss on the lips with one of her own and smiled, tapping her fingers against his skin. She shifted and got comfortable so that Elijah could press his lips against her shoulder. "Good," she said. She also knew that Elijah would never leave her or abandon her, no matter what bad behaviors she might exude. 

    Elijah laid himself down next to her. He turned on his side and wrapped his arms around her. He smirked and kissed her on the lips. He was happy, he was genuinely happy - for the first time since they’d been human. He slid his fingers against her face, then pulled her in close to press kisses against her lips. She was his, always and forever. He’d make sure everyone’d know that she was his.

    Nik felt sated and happy for the first time in a long time. She exhaled slowly and turned toward him, pressing her lips to his and letting her fingers slide across his cheeks. She nuzzled him and kissed him once more before allowing him to kiss down her body. She exhaled slowly as his hands moved over her sensitive breasts then covered them with the duvet. She pressed her palms to his cheeks and smiled at him.