Note: Another kink meme prompt. This one was: Elijah needs to feed to heal, Elena is obliging.

Elena is older in this story.

She finds him slumped against a tree. He's lost so much blood that he's surpassed ashen and headed straight to blue.

"Elijah!" She falls on her knees next to him, the leaves crackling under her weight. His head is bowed and he does not stir. Elena tentatively touches his face and its ice. He hasn't reached the point of desiccation but he's clearly in a bad way. They had been ambushed, attacked and they had barely made it out of the woods alive. That had been a week ago and Elijah had not returned to her.

The man breezes in and out of her life but he is always there when she needs him. He is a staple of her life, watching from a distance. Sometimes he will be gone for months but Elena never has any doubts about his eventual return. He's too old, too powerful and meticulous for anything truly dangerous to happen to him. If it did he would overcome it and patiently wait to crush whoever dares to cross him. Seeing him like this shakes Elena to her core and reinforces that nothing is safe, no matter how stable they appear.

His shirt is stiff with dried blood and the front of it is lacerated, as if with a knife. Inhaling deeply Elena takes his face in her hands and pushes his head back. For a horrifying moment she thinks she is too late but then his lashes flutter and his eyes open a fraction.

"Elena...?" His voice is a throaty croak and Elena nods vigorously. She moves to grip his shoulders.

"I've been looking for you for days. What happened?"

He opens his mouth to tell her but his head lolls forward again. Elena leans closer as he whispers something hoarsely.

"Weak..."

"You need blood." She looks up, staring at the trees around her. They're completely alone. Not a bird or squirrel in sight. She licks her lips and tucks her hair behind her ears, inwardly debating what to do. Which is pointless, she knows what needs to be done. She strips off her jacket and moves her hair away from her neck. "Feed from me."

He looks back up with great effort and after a conflicting pause he nods. He does not have to say it; the gratitude is clear in his eyes. Elena places one knee on either side of his legs and leans down over him. His eyes turn black as she turns her face aside, offering her neck. She feels his mouth on her throat and braces herself as his teeth scrape against her skin and then pierce her sharply.

No matter how any times she has been drunk from its still painful and she winces. His fangs puncture her skin quickly and then they're gone, replaced by his lips and tongue. As he drinks from her he gradually becomes more animated. A hand moves up her back slowly before finally stopping at her neck, supporting her gently. The other hand weakly grips her waist but as he drinks he holds her more firmly. As she begins to pant he draws her against him, until she is straddling his lap and her breasts push against his chest. He sits up, arching her neck back further and Elena groans.

He breaks away from her throat and whispers thanks against her cheek. Breathlessly he watches as a trickle of blood makes its way slowly down her neck to stop above the swell of her breasts. Instinctively he arches her back again, one hand fisting her hair and bends down to lick the trail of blood slowly off her skin. As he licks her Elena stops breathing. Soft lips leave her throat and he quickly bites into his hand, healing the wound he has created. It's gone within seconds.

She has known Elijah for years now. Physically they are of an age but mentally he is still the same noble, incredibly dangerous man she had first met as a teenager. She knows him, trusts him with her life and knows that he will always have her back. And yet the feel of his mouth against her skin, his hands on her body sends an ambiguous shiver through her. The act is incredibly intimate and she feels thrown at the reaction her body is going through.

"Elena? Are you all right?"

She inhales and stares at him dazedly. His dark eyes unmistakably gleam with desire. It's something that she has been aware of for years, his interest in her, but he's always seemed content to do nothing. Now she feels something shifting, something new forming. She's not a young girl torn between two loves. Not anymore. She blinks and slowly moves her hands away from his shoulders and brushes her fingertips softly down his face. "You look better," she tilts her head, "but still a bit peaky. Did you take what you needed?"

"I took enough. I didn't want to cause you anymore discomfort then necessary. I just needed to be strong enough to get out of this forsaken place. I can get more blood through other means."

Elena nods and moves her hands back to his shoulders. Aware that she's straddling him she clears her throat and flushes. He removes his hands from her hair and places them on her hips and for a heartbeat she thinks he's going to pull her against him. Visions of Elijah rolling her onto the ground and pining her underneath him flashes through her mind and a crackle of arousal shots through her. But instead he lifts her gently away and she gets to her feet. She helps him to stand and they both regard each other unsteadily. At Elena's thoughtful expression he cocks his head.

"What?"

Elena pushes her lascivious thoughts away and shakes her head with a half smile. "In all the years I've known you that's the first time I've seen you vamp out."

"Vamp out?" He smiles fleetingly before looking around them watchfully. "I suggest we leave this place." He offers his hand as she puts her jacket back on and laces his fingers securely though hers when she reaches out for him.