Title: Waiting for Sunrise
Author: OpheliacAngel
Pairing: Damon/Alaric, Slight Damon/Elena or just Friendship
Genre: Romance/Hurt/Comfort
Rating: Teen
Summary: Damon can tell Alaric's been through hell tonight when he drops by. No specific episode and no specific season.
A/N: Just wanted to write a little something for the amazing show and for the breathtaking characters that are Damon and Alaric. I suspect I'll be writing more for this fandom, so I hope you enjoy this.
One look, one little look and he can tell that Alaric's died tonight, that his heart has been shattered and it only reflects in his too dead eyes. Eyes that he hates to see in Ric's face, his beautiful haunted face.
"Who was it?" He slams the door shut behind him and watches Alaric as he hovers near the staircase, dried blood everywhere, his dried blood coating his clothes and face and becoming lodged in his disheveled hair.
"Elena didn't recognize him. Neither did I."
His voice is weak, on the verge of cracking and Damon wants to wince a little at how it sounds and how Alaric looks, like he's just been run over by a freight train and it's a wonder he's still standing upright on his own.
A bullet slams its way into Damon's chest, courtesy of the shock that his brother's supposed girlfriend was possibly here when it happened, or at least saw enough of it.
"Elena was here?"
"I begged her to finish it", Ric gasps out, tear tracks adorning his face and more looking like they're all too ready to fall out of his glazed over, deeply bloodshot eyes. Damon can scarcely imagine what he's going through at this point. "She shouldn't have had to go through that, Damon. I..."
He stumbles a little and Damon can tell he's been drinking but it's not from that. Alaric is at his breaking point emotionally and while Damon may not understand that too well, he knows that it can lead to very bad things for Ric. Potentially fatal consequences.
"Easy", he works to make his voice gentle so Alaric will more likely respond to it, even though he is rage-driven and wants to punch the nearest wall before going out and finding the bastard who dared to touch his boyfriend. "Go lay down. You'll feel better."
"No", Ric shakes his head sadly, in a heartwrenching way. "I won't. I never do."
Damon just stares at him, watches him carefully and doesn't know what to say or think or do. This situation is delicate and any words he chooses to speak will no doubt be powerful to the human whilst in this state. His mind is frenzied with thoughts, ideas of all the things he could do at this point, all of them except walking away because he wouldn't dare breach that level of stupidity. Every part of him is overcrowded with emotions he rarely feels, chooses not to feel because they have always been too painful and they are incredibly so now.
One step and Ric could fall, towards him or away from him. Just one little step and…
Eventually, he lets his heart take over and lead his legs towards the amazingly still standing form of his very good friend and sometime lover. If you could even define the very strange relationship they have always had towards one another. Damon often feels like he doesn't need to define it though, he knows that Alaric is special to him and will always be, and that's always been pretty much good for him. He doesn't do this normally, offer love and help when that person isn't begging that is, but he can see that Alaric needs it now. Needs him now.
And to wait for Ric to break through his trance and plead for him to stay isn't something he ever wants to have to wait for in a fucked up situation as this.
"Come here."
"Damon, I..."
"Come here", he states again strongly, flatly, menacingly in a way because he'd rather let Alaric come to him and not the other way around. At least he's broken the distance a little though.
Alaric obeys without another word, takes one step forward before Damon grows beyond impatient and closes the now short distance, wrapping an arm around him lightly. He can feel the human tensing a little before calming under his easy grip.
"Come upstairs and lay with me."
"I don't..."
"Ric", he warns, "do what I say before I do it for you."
That's all that he needs, a little control, a little pushing because Damon fears what may have truly happened if he didn't show up when he did. He needs someone around, shouldn't be alone at this point and Damon can understand what that feels like, wants Alaric to know that he's not leaving because he may be a jerk sometimes, but he'll never abandon him when he wants him here and is too afraid to say it himself.
Alaric nods slowly, still in a blood covered haze, and follows close behind as Damon leads him upstairs, never daring to push away the vampire's hand or his completely unexpected sympathy. Instead he merely revels in the love that pours from Damon's every pore, swallows it down and savors its sweet taste because this opportunity comes rarely. Damon pulls the human that's always been more than just a mere human to him closer and then tumbles down to the bed, taking Alaric with him gently, practically picking him up only momentarily and laying him down beside him.
They lie in bed for who knows how long until Alaric murmurs, "This is nice."
Damon wraps an arm around him, a stronger grip this time because he is suddenly worried of allowing Ric to slip out of his fingers in a way that he will never see his face again.
Still, even thinking of this dreadful possibility doesn't forbid him from smiling at the warm body next to his own. "Good. Enjoy it cause I can't guarantee it'll happen again."
He watches Ric smile as he curls closer to the relenting vampire that he is, wraps his arm around him tighter, rubbing his hand back and forth across his arm soothingly. Damon stares up at the ceiling as the human's eyes slip shut, waiting patiently for Alaric to fall asleep, wanting to convince him that he'll be better in the morning because everything always looks and feels better when the sun breaks out of the sky and filters through the curtains of the nearest window.
Elena hovers at the door for a few minutes when she makes it home, smiles lightly as she watches the two of them before departing to go to bed herself.
Damon smiles, is pretty sure he's got all he needs right here. One very beautiful, slightly messed up human who just happens to kind of be his boyfriend, and a girl he'll always feel the need to look after, protect.
Together… they will all wait for sunrise.
Alone… Damon waits for the moment when he can kiss Alaric awake and admire the manner in which the rays of the sun fall across his face. It'll be a perfect way to start his morning.
FIN