AN: Part of the TVD live journal ric-a-thon I took part in last year and completely forgot to post here.
The prompt: Alaric is asked to supervise cheer leading practice. Enjoy xoxo
The classroom door opened, Alaric raised a weary head in time to see the principal's secretary make a beeline towards him.
"On a mission?" – he quipped and was met by her trademark sour look.
"My assistant is off sick so I am stuck doing menial little tasks like this." – she grimaced and extended a note towards the teacher who took it and started reading.
"What? Wait!" – he shouted towards the secretary's retrieving form.
The lady (?) in question turned around with an icy glare.
"Orders are orders Mr. Saltzman." – she stated with a bit too much glee before turning on her heels and making a speedy exit.
"Great…"- Alaric groaned.
"Why so cheerful?" – a velvety voice dripping with sarcasm broke the silence.
Alaric raised his eyes to see Damon leaning casually against the classroom door, arms crossed and smirk firmly in place.
"This day just keeps on giving." – Alaric mumbled and returned his attention to grading papers.
"Ric, Ric, Ric."- Damon piped, approaching Alaric's desk –"My feelings are hurt."
"Ha! As if you have feelings when it comes to me!"- Alaric scoffed as he rolled his eyes annoyed.
Damon made a tragic face and placed his hand to his heart in a dramatic gesture.
"Ouch! Why so mean?" - he asked concerned.
"What do you want Damon?" – Alaric asked wearily –"What supernatural emergency brings you here in the middle of the afternoon?"
"No emergency buddy." – Damon raised his hands in surrender as he leaned against the student desk in front of Alaric – "I just wanted to check what your plans are for tonight."
The statement took Alaric by surprise and with an arched eyebrow he raised his head to finally pay full attention to Damon.
"And your phone stopped working?"- he asked incredulously.
"No? Why?" – Damon asked confused.
"Then why did you feel the need to ask me in person?"
Damon ran his hand through his raven hair in discomfort.
"I was in the area Ric."- he admitted.
Alaric nodded and smirked knowingly.
"You mean you were stalking Elena?" – he asked.
"Maybe…"- Damon replied looking down at his shoes.
"Damon…" – Alaric said in his "I am your friend but I am also her guardian" default tone.
"Ric…?"- Damon mocked.
"Why do you torment yourself that way?"
"You ask that as if I have a choice Ric."- Damon replied with a sad smile –"Anyway, what got your panties in a twist?"
"What do you mean?" – Alaric asked confused.
"When I got here there was a very dark little cloud over your head buddy."
"Oh" – Alaric sighed –"That…"
"Yeah, what was that?"- Damon chuckled raising an eyebrow.
"The principal just kindly "asked me""- Alaric made sarcastic air quotes –"to supervise cheer leading practice in, ermm"– he grumbled as he looked down at his watch-"10 minutes."
"Young perky girls, short skirts, sweaty bodies. What's not to like?" – Damon wiggled his eye brows as he smiled deviously to his friend.
Alaric chuckled and leaned back on his chair smiling.
"I should have guessed that you would see it like that!" – he shook his head grinning –"To me it means that I will be grading these papers well past midnight."- he sighed defeated.
"Okay…"- Damon said tapping his lips with his finger –"Hmmm…I have an idea." – he beamed.
"Damon…" – Alaric warned.
"Don't sweat it teach!" – Damon replied leaning over the desk and invading Alaric's personal space –"It will be fun."
Before Alaric could reply Damon was gone, leaving the human to wonder what the hell kind of a deal he had gotten himself into this time.
.
.
.
Five minutes later Alaric entered the gym to find two cheer leading pompoms and a note on the floor.
"We are practicing outside today" the girly script read.
Alaric's shoulders slumped a little before he resigned himself to turn around and walk towards the track and field area of the school. At least it was a sunny day and it felt good to be outside, he filled his lungs with the fresh air and enjoyed the sun rays on his skin. He looked around and took in the innocent happy faces of the students surrounding him and sighed. Their expressions were free of soul crushing, life threatening issues exactly as they should be at their age. A pang of sadness hit Alaric on behalf of his two charges and their friends. That inner peace, the blissful ignorance of youth had been all but wiped from Elena and Jeremy's face. The same could be said for Bonnie, Caroline, Tyler and Matt. They had all seen too much, endured and survived too much to ever be carefree again…
Caroline's bubbly laughter brought Alaric out of his reverie and he chuckled. If anyone could recapture that carefree feeling it would be Caroline. The young vampire had her hands on her waist as she dictated the exercise routine to her cheer leading underlings.
Alaric shook his head smiling, thinking that maybe there was some hope yet for a life lived with a carefree attitude after all. When she heard him approaching, Caroline looked over her shoulder and gave him her megawatt smile.
"Hey Ric, I mean, Mr Saltzman."
"Hello Caroline."- he chuckled at her word fumbling –"So what is going on here?" – he waved his hand at the exercising cheer leaders in front of him.
"Damon told me you got stuck with cheer leading duty."- she gave him a sympathetic smile as he shrugged –"I figured you had next to no experience with cheer leading."
"Is it that obvious?" – Alaric laughed and Caroline laughed with him.
"Pretty much."- she winked -"I on the other hand have been captain for the last two years. So… Damon and I figured that you deserved an hour off from being a teacher, forward slash, vampire hunter, forward slash, dad substitute, etc etc etc." – she beamed at him.
"Thanks Care."- he said it with feeling but raised an eye brow when she looked repentant –"Is there something else?"
"I just couldn't save you from spending an hour with Damon."- she smiled apologetically and leaned in to whisper –"But at least he brought booze." – she giggled –"He is waiting for you at the bleachers."
Alaric turned around and sure enough there was Damon casually leaning back and waving at him. This had trouble written all over it, but hey, even he was allowed to be carefree sometimes.
"Off you go Mr. Saltzman."- Caroline encouraged –"I got this covered."
Alaric laughed and nodded mouthing a thank you and started walking towards Damon.
Caroline turned back to her squad and started shouting more instruction to the red faced out of breath youngsters.
.
.
.
Alaric climbed the bleachers two rows at the time and sat next to Damon.
"You like?" – Damon asked with a knowing smile.
Alaric chuckled and shook his head.
"So what do I have to do in return Damon?"
"My friend, you really do not appreciate my feelings for you."- Damon sad somewhat sadly.
"Sorry."- Alaric half mumbled – "And thanks for getting me out of cheer leading duty."
"Apology accepted."- Damon handed him a bottle of pop –"Although why you do not like to be surrounded by short skirts and mile long legs is beyond me!"
"Because that is not what I see Damon." – Alaric replied shifting the pop from hand to hand, his tone becoming more somber.
"Elaborate dearr professorrr."- Damon quipped.
Alaric took a deep breath and decided to take a gulp of pop immediately choking, coughing and spluttering.
"Eeeasy there." – Damon laughed tapping him gently on the back –"And here I thought you could hold your liquor!"
"This *cough* is *cough* whiskey." – Alaric accused wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.
"I thought you would be pleased with the drink and my disguising abilities." – Damon wiggled his brows for maximum effect.
"A little warning would have been nice." – Alaric berated –"And I can't drink during school hours Damon!"
"Ahhh, live a little Ric!" – Damon said sternly –"You need a time out. It's only one drink. You and I both know it won't even touch you."
"But the staff will be able to smell it in my breath genius!" –Alaric replied a little baffled.
Damon smirked and threw something at him that Alaric caught.
"Extra fresh mints?"- he read incredulously –"Seriously man?"
"You are welcome." – Damon replied and raised his "pop" to clink with Alaric's own – "Cheers?"
"You are impossible." – Alaric replied smiling.
"And you love it!"- Damon replied gleefully.
"Cheers!"- was all that Alaric dared to say.
They both drank silently for a while, eyes looking at the cheer leading squad's routine as they rehearsed a punishing sequence.
"That girl was born to boss people around." – Damon quipped and Caroline's head snapped back to look at him, making him and Alaric guffaw.
"I would be careful if I were you." – Alaric said laughting.
"Aww, me and Blondie understand each other." – he said sweetly and received a wink from Caroline before she turned her attention back to the task at hand.
"So what do you see Ric?" – Damon asked once the laughter died out.
"Excuse me?"
"Other than short skirts Ric,"- Damon rolled his eyes –"What do you see?"
"Oh…that." – Alaric sighed, all levity gone –"All I see is responsibility… Lives, innocence and youth at risk…"- he let out another miserable sigh -"I see what the knowledge I have cannot save them from…"
Damon looked at his friend with concern and sympathy.
"No wonder you are depressed Ric." – he placed a reassuring hand on Alaric's shoulder –"All you see is the bad side…"
Alaric snorted.
"And I guess you are going to tell me that you see different?"- he challenged.
"You are seeing what you cannot do, the helplessness, the dark times…" – Damon said quietly –"But I see all that you have done and can do. The strength you bring, the change you have engendered, the empowerment that you awakened and the good times that your actions made room for."
"How so?"- Alaric asked intrigued.
"Well, for starters you provide the Scooby gang with a father figure."- Alaric rolled his eyes at being indirectly called old –"I know it sucks having that responsibility Ric. But you are a moral compass that offsets the madness of the supernatural world and the warped morals of those that are older than you like Klaus, Rebecca, Katherine, Stefan and I."
"I wish they didn't need to deal with the supernatural world at all Damon."- Alaric said wistfully as he swallowed another gulp of whiskey pop.
"See, that is not your fault or something that can be wished away. It is what it is. But imagine if we had to live through that without you!" – Damon pleaded – "You bring out the best in all of us Ric. You ground us."
Alaric looked at Damon with wide eyes.
"Is this were you ask me on a date?" – Alaric asked sarcastically to diffuse the emotional moment.
"Would you like me to?" - Damon replied in his best lascivious tone.
"Would love to, but I'm positive I am not your type."- Alaric chuckled.
"Oh yeah?"- Damon smirked and leaned in invading Alaric's personal space –"What is my type? Do tell."
"Oh I don't know."- Alaric bit out uncomfortably –"Leggy, Bambi eyes brunette with a death wish and in love with your brother?"- he said unkindly.
"Touché!"- Damon bit out with a grimace –"But she is not my only type Ric."
Alaric choked on his whiskey and started spluttering and coughing.
"Easy there buddy."- Damon admonished as he rubbed soothing circles on Alaric's back.
"You are a dick you know that?"
"So I have been told."- Damon acknowledged wearily –"What did I do this time to earn the badge of honor?"
"You are trying to get a rise out of me by insinuating that you also like men."
"I wasn't really insinuating Ric."- Damon replied tersely making Alaric gasp.
"So you mean…?"
"You can't even say it can you?" – Damon chuckled amused –"I have been alive for a reeeally long time Ric. Lines become a bit more blurry after a while. It shouldn't really surprise you."
"It doesn't ."- Alaric replied automatically but capitulated under the stern look Damon gave him –"Ok, ok, it does!" – he put his hands up in surrender –"I just… I just never thought that you… you know…Ladies man, town's eye candy, "panties drop for you" Damon would even entertain being with… with… not a woman."- Alaric finished flustered.
"Why so nervous Ric?"- Damon asked with a dangerous glint in his eye as he pushed his friend back trapping Alaric against the wall next to the bleachers.
"I'm not!"- Alaric said defensively and Damon eyed him incredulously.
"I can hear your heart Ric."- Damon purred leaning in –"I can smell and see your arousal." – he whispered against his friend's ear lobe –"So stop pretending and tell me what this is about."- Damon entreated pulling himself back to connect with Alaric eyes.
"I don't know…"- Alaric croaked bashfully.
Damon cocked his eye brow and studied his friend. He moved his hand to hold Alaric's face, caressing his cheek with his thumb.
"When you find out,"- he said softly –"let me know. Maybe you are my type after all."- Damon confessed quietly looking intently into Alaric's eyes.
Alaric gasped but Damon was gone in a blink leaving the teacher confused, panting and somewhat aroused. Alaric cleared his throat but the fog in his brain remained as he readjusted his disheveled appearance and headed back to the school building. He didn't dare look over his shoulder to see if Caroline's eyes were on him. He hoped to God she hadn't heard his exchange with Damon but knew there was no way he could be that lucky.
Alaric couldn't help but smile as he popped one of the mints in his mouth. Damon had practically admitted to having feelings for him and the significance of it didn't get lost in him. There was more to their friendship that he thought Alaric considered with a touch of longing.
~The end~
(or the beginning of many possibilities LOL)
AN: Let me know how you like it. I wanted to end my chapter on an open question, all possibilities allowed :) xoxo (PS: You can find the full Ric-A-Thon link under my profile)