I wrote this quite a while ago. Originally it was planned as a longer Story. My version of season 5, because in my opinion season 5 sucked. But then it never went past this. Truth be told I lost interest in continuing it. So I decided to post it as a oneshot. Takes place during the end of season 4.
Just imagine that Damon never fell in love with Elena and that whole stupid sire-bond storyline never happened. Damon only ever loved Alaric and they were a couple before Ric died.
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Just stay
Damon looked up when Alaric entered his bedroom. Elena had left just a few minutes ago, after shouting at him and slapping him hard across the face. Damon hadn't expected any less of her. He had known she would be pissed at him and she'd never had a problem with expressing her anger towards him. It was part of their weird friendship.
For a moment he and Alaric just stared at each other. Damon's heart constricted painfully at the sight of his lover. He knew that Bonnie would close the veil again soon. He would lose Ric again. Probably for good this time. It was a thought he couldn't bear.
"What were you thinking, Damon?" Ric finally murmured accusingly. The dark-haired vampire knew what his boyfriend was talking about. It was the same thing that had gotten Elena so enraged. He had led this hunter on, lured him away, to buy the others more time. He had told no-one that the guy had shot him with a bullet soaked in werwolf poison. Instead he had gotten shot with even more of those bullets and hadn't allowed Alaric to give him the cure. "You almost died today." the former teacher said harshly. And it was the truth. If Klaus hadn't arrived on time, he would be a ghost now. Just like Ric.
"But I didn't." he mumbled petulantly. "It was a damn close call. Never knew you had a death wish." the former teacher muttered. Well, Damon had never really had a death wish. Now he wasn't so sure anymore. But he didn't say that aloud. He didn't want a discussion. "Do you really want to fight about the fact that I do stupid things right now?" he asked. Ric shook his head and walked over to him. "No, I don't. It won't be long until the moon rises. I don't want to waste what little time we have on fighting."
Damon felt tears pricking his eyes. He pulled Ric into his arms and hid his face in the former teachers neck, clinging to him. "I don't want to lose you. Not again." It wasn't fair. Barely a year. That was all they had had. Barely a year in which Damon had experienced true love for the first time in his long life. A love that was reciprocated. A partner at his side, who respected him and didn't try to change him. He had been truly, blissfully happy for the first time ever. And then he had lost Ric again. It just wasn't fair.
"I don't want to leave you again, either. But we can't change it." Alaric murmured. Damon didn't answer. In the end the former teacher disentangled himself gently from their embrace and looked at his boyfriend. "Hey, you'll get through this. If Elena can let her brother go again, then you can also let me go again." he reasoned, stroking Damon's cheek tenderly.
"That's not the same. Elena is a fucking martyr. I'm egoistic as hell. And I want you to stay." Damon whined. Alaric gave him this resigned look that told the dark-haired vampire that he was giving up on the discussion. "I thought you didn't want us to fight." he reminded. Damon nodded and moved to kiss him. He knew that they couldn't change anything. He didn't want to think about the fact that they would be ripped apart again soon. He wanted to enjoy the little time they had. Wanted to feel Ric. One last time.
Alaric seemed to think the same. He undid the buttons on Damon's shirt and pushed it off his shoulders, before lifting his arms to allow Damon to pull his shirt off. Their lips met in another kiss, this one more heated than the first. They stumbled towards the bed, shedding the rest of their clothes as they went. Damon allowed Ric to push him down onto the mattress, his hands skimming over the former teacher's broad chest. When he looked up into Ric's face his eyes had darkened and there were black capillaries underneath. Damon gasped. He had completely forgotten about the fact, that Ric was a vampire too.
And apparently so had Ric, who fought to control his feelings. Damon pulled him down, kissed him gently. "Hey, it's okay. It's okay." he whispered. "It's just... I .. I didn't remember.." Ric stammered. Damon understood. The former teacher had never had the chance to come to terms with being a vampire. After the change his evil alter ego had taken over his body and then he had... died.
"Just don't think about it. Kiss me." the dark-haired vampire whispered against his lips. Ric complied, sealing his lips with another hungry kiss. His hands traveled over Damon's body, between his legs. Damon gasped when Ric pushed two fingers into him, preparing him with an almost desperate urgency. It didn't take long until both couldn't wait any more. Ric pulled his fingers out and pushed into his boyfriend, who groaned at the intrusion. But he didn't protest. They had gone without feeling each other for too long. He'd missed this too much. He wrapped both legs around Alaric's waist and met his thrusts eagerly. His hands moved over Ric's broad back erratically, his fingernails leaving deep red gashes, that healed again instantly. Alaric growled in response.
His lips left Damon's, trailed over his chin to his neck. He gasped Damon's name when the pleasure suddenly got too much and his orgasm hit him like a lightning bolt. Without warning he sunk his fangs deep into Damon's neck, eliciting a surprised groan, as Damon came hard between their bodies.
For a second they lay motionless, trying to get their breathing to return to normal. Finally Ric pulled out of his boyfriend, looking down on him apologetically and also a little shocked. So the bite hadn't been planned. Instinct had taken over. "Oh god, Damon. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to. That was..." he started apologizing, but Damon put a finger to his lips to silence him and declared: "That was amazing." He pulled Alaric down for another kiss, let his lips trail over Ric's face, to his neck, until the former teacher relaxed again and started kissing back.
Once again their hands moved over each others body, found the familiar erogenous zones and desire mounted once more. Ric seemed surprised by his short recovery period, making Damon chuckle. "I always told there are perks to being a vampire." he reminded with a grin. Ric laughed. "You did."
The second time was slower, gentle, sensual and full of love. Time seemed to slow down and the world narrowed to the two of them. Whenever their lips parted for a moment their eyes met and they smiled. Damon wanted this night to never end. They came together, calling out each others name.
With a tired, sad sigh Damon finally cuddled against Alaric, feeling extremely tired. His fingers drew invisible symbols across Ric's hairy chest. "I love you." He hadn't said it often enough. He had always been too afraid. They had waited so long to tell the others about their relationship. He should have done so many things differently. "I love you too, Damon." Alaric whispered back, stroking his back gently.
Damon's eyelids drooped and he stifled a yawn. It had been a long and taxing day. But he fought against the tiredness. Of course Alaric noticed. "It's okay. Go to sleep." he whispered, but Damon shook his head. His throat felt too tight all of a sudden. "I don't want to fall asleep. Because when I wake up you won't be here anymore." His voice caught in his throat and tears burned in his eyes. He couldn't lose Alaric a second time. He just couldn't.
The former teacher pulled him even closer, stroked his hair gently, dropped a kiss onto his temple. "I will always be here." he promised quietly. "You may not see me, or feel me, but I will always be with you." Damon lost the fight and a single tear slipped from his eyes, dripping onto Alaric's naked chest. More tears followed. Ric didn't say anything. He just kept petting him. Words were no longer needed. Words weren't enough.
Damon didn't know how much time went by. He fought to stay awake as long as he could, but finally he lost the battle and drifted off into an uneasy sleep.
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Damon was awoken by sunlight streaming in through the window. Instantly the memory of last night returned and he just lay motionless. He didn't even open his eyes. He could practically feel his heart breaking into a thousand tiny pieces. Maybe if he just continued to lie here, if he just never moved, the pain would lessen someday. Maybe he would find the strength to move on. In a hundred years or so. Or maybe he would simply desiccate and not feel anything at all anymore.
So he just lay still, barely breathing. And then he heard the sound. A heartbeat that wasn't his own. So close. A heartbeat he knew so well. He had listened to that sound many nights while falling asleep. But it couldn't be. He was dreaming. Or hallucinating. Maybe he had gone mad. Maybe losing Alaric again had robbed him of what little sense he had left and he had gone completely insane now. But still... the sound was there. Hesitantly he sat up, opened his eyes... and froze.
Alaric was laying next to him. He was sleeping deeply, a smile playing about his lips. Damon just stared at him. Just watched the steady rise and fall of his chest for what felt like hours. He blinked, but nothing changed. After debating with himself for a while he finally reached out tentatively, touched Alaric's naked shoulder with the tips of his fingers. It felt real. Warm and solid. Though not as warm as it had. Not human body warm. More like vampire warm.
His fingers moved further, stroking over Ric's biceps, down his arm to his strong hand. The skin beneath his fingers still felt real. Alaric sighed and Damon looked at his face just in time to see him open his eyes. For a second his breath caught in his throat at the sight. "You're still here." he finally blurted.
Alaric blinked at him sleepily. His eyes moved around the room, before settling back on Damon. "I'm still here." he agreed, sounding just as surprised as Damon felt. "Did something.. go wrong? With the spell? Maybe Bonnie... couldn't close the veil again." Ric mused. Damon nodded slowly. It was the only possible explanation. But right now he didn't really care. Ric was still here. That was all that mattered. Without warning he threw himself at the former teacher and kissed him enthusiastically. Felt Ric's grin against his lips, while the original vampire pulled him closer.
But only minutes later they were interrupted by a knock at the door. Damon only pulled back long enough to shout: "Go away!" at the door, but it was no use. The door opened anyways and Stefan barged into the room, stopping dead in his tracks and blushing crimson when he spied the two men in bed. Damon rolled his eyes in annoyance. His brother was such a prude. "What do you want, Stefan?" he barked.
"Alaric is really still here." was the only answer and Stefan was still gaping at them. "Did something go wrong with the spell?" Ric wanted to know, pulling the covers over Damon and himself and slightly blushing as well. But Stefan shook his head. "No, the veil is closed. All went according to plan." Damon looked at him in surprise. But if the veil was closed, why was Alaric still here? Not that he was complaining.
"Bonnie did some more magic, before closing the veil. She made sure that Jeremy and Alaric can stay. But Jeremy said she wasn't sure if it had worked." It took a moment until Stefan's words sunk in. Suddenly Damon grinned. "Does that mean Ric stays here? For good?" he asked in a hopeful tone. Stefan smiled as well. "That's exactly what it means." he assured. "You're staying." Damon whispered in awe. He couldn't believe it. "I'm staying." the former teacher repeated, looking totally shocked.
"Come down to breakfast. Jeremy can explain it all and the others are there as well." Stefan spoke up again. Obviously he had been sent up by Elena to check on Damon and find out if Ric was still here. "Sure, just give us a minute." Alaric agreed, much to Damon's dismay. The dark-haired vampire had planned on staying in bed. "I need to thank Bonnie." Ric murmured, guessing his thoughts. "That will have to wait. Jeremy said she went to visit her mother. She wanted a time-out after all that's happened." the younger Salvatore let them know, before deciding to wait downstairs.
"You're really staying with me. For good." Damon said again. He couldn't stop grinning. He would have to thank the little witch as well. They didn't always get along, but he definitely owed her for this. "So.. welcome back among the living. Well, the living dead, at least." he quipped. Ric looked shocked again. "I'm a vampire." he mumbled, like he had just remembered that now. "Original vampire." Damon corrected.
Alaric frowned. "Doesn't make it better." He looked pretty out of depth, but Damon wasn't about to let a little thing like that pull him down. They had another chance. Of course he could understand his boyfriend. Ric would need a while to get used to his new un-life. But he would get used to it. And they would never have to part again. Damon's greatest wish had come true. He got to keep Ric forever.
"Hey, you'll manage. I'll teach you all you need to know – how to compel people, how to feed from humans, how to get blood-bags... But don't think you can try Stefan's ridiculous bunny-diet." he rambled. That hadn't worked for his brother and for Elena even less. He wouldn't allow Ric to try as well. "No bunnies." Ric agreed a little hesitantly. "But please don't let me kill anyone." He looked like just the thought of having to drink blood made him slightly nauseous. "You won't kill anyone." Damon mumbled, scooting closer.
He grabbed his boyfriend's hand and waited for Ric to look at him. "It'll be okay. I'll help you. You're not alone. Never again." he promised. Ric smiled at him. "Okay, it'll be okay." he agreed. He didn't look all that convinced yet, but it was a start. "I love you." Damon whispered. From now on he would tell Ric every day. Every hour. Ric's smile got bigger. He pulled Damon closer and kissed him gently. "I love you, too. And now let's go downstairs and have breakfast."
He got up and started pulling on his clothes. Damon rolled out of bed a lot less enthusiastically. Of course his boyfriend didn't miss that. "Hey, it looks like you're stuck with me for eternity now. We'll have lots of time for.. other things." he joked, sounding like the old Ric. The dark-haired vampire smirked. "I like that thought." The future suddenly looked a lot brighter.