After hitting a dead end trying to find a new job, Damon decided it was time to get wasted so he went to the Grill. When Alaric slipped into the stool next to him, it startled him, but it also made him smile in relief, happy to finally see the teacher after their kiss, a few nights earlier
"Drowning your sorrows?" Alaric smiled,
"Sort of. I'm on the verge of losing my apartment," he whispered to Alaric, "I might have to go back live with my father, but on the bright side, I got the car insurance money, finally," he raised his glass, winking at Alaric, who laughed at the way Damon dealt with his tragedies, and how he'd chosen to spend the only money he had left
"Well, there is alcohol at my place. And it's for free. You're welcome anytime," Alaric and Damon chuckled, and Alaric ordered drinks for him and Damon,
"Listen, I want to apologize, you know, for the other night"
Alaric rolled his eyes, "Here we go with apologies, again," he said, and then laughed,
"No I just.. I've never acted that way before, and I didn't mean to freak you out-"
"What? No, you didn't freak me out, Damon. At all. It's just.. there's a lot about me that you need to know first. I didn't want to rush anything,"
Damon was glad to hear that. So, Alaric was entirely open to the idea of getting involved with another man, and Damon didn't even question his own desire to be with a man such as Alaric, whom he was extremely attracted to, and just didn't know why. It could be all the mystery surrounding Alaric that had attracted Damon first, but he was also a very easygoing man. One you could just talk to, for hours, about stuff, and he would understand. A man with a big, kind heart, who took care of people, and Damon could see that, easily. You couldn't miss it. And so, Damon didn't need to question his sexuality, or his attraction to Alaric. He just simply liked him.
After a few hours of talking at the Grill, Matt Donovan had informed the two men that the Grill was closing and that they needed to leave. He offered them a cab but they declined. It was a beautiful night for a walk, anyways. Peaceful. Silent.
It was a perfect night.
"You never asked me why or how I chose to become a failing journalist" Damon noted, after walking silently for around ten minutes,
Alaric shook his head, "No, I never did," He whispered, "Why?"
Damon took a deep breath
"Well, when I was eleven, my mother, she was murdered. But they never knew who did it. They weren't even convinced she was murdered, they said it was an animal attack," Damon scoffed, "No one gave a shit about her, I guess. So I decided I needed to find him myself."
Alaric winced,
"You have no idea how easier it made it for me being a journalist. A lot of cops are willing to help, if you give them credit at the end," Damon scoffed, "But every cop I have met so far have proven to be a useless piece of shit."
"Do you trust me, Damon?"
Damon chuckled, "uh, yes. Yes, I do," He really did, even though he barely knew Alaric
"Well, then.. There is something important that I need to tell you, and I cannot lie to you anymore. I just want to help you."
Damon stopped walking, and took a long hard look at Alaric's face, studying his features. "It's okay, Ric, you can tell me anything."
When Damon called Alaric, 'Ric', Alaric's features visibly changed,
"What did you just call me?" He whispered,
"You're doing that thing, again.." Damon laughed nervously, "You just, look like you saw a ghost,"
"I'm really sorry," Alaric shook his head, "God, I really am, it's just.. You remind me so much of someone I was with, a very long time ago,"
Damon laughed, "Seriously? You're telling me I remind you of your ex? That's just-"
"Oh no, I didn't mean it in that way-"
"It's okay, buddy, I can call you Alaric, whatever, it doesn't matt-"
"No! Please call me Ric. I like Ric. Ric is not.. Alaric,"
Damon titled his head, took a deep breath and then said, "Ric. I really like you, Ric." he smiled,
"You will change your mind," Alaric shook his head, "But I just want to help-"
"Look, I don't think whatever you're about to tell me is going to change the way I feel- You're a wonderful person, I know you enough to know that, and that's enough for me," Damon smiled, reassuring Alaric that he, too, can trust him
Alaric scoffed, and he looked like he was already regretting everything he'd just said in the past five minutes, "I'm not.. I'm a monster," he whispered,
"I'll be the judge of that. Now, spill it. What's your oh so dark secret."
"Damon, I.. I died. I died, Damon, and then turned into a vampire." Alaric said, looking at Damon, as tears stared forming in his eyes
Damon kept staring at Alaric, and then he started laughing, "Nice, good one," He said, shaking his head in disbelief,
"I died, and I came back as a vampire." Alaric said, more sharply. "I am a vampire, Damon. And I know, I know even though you didn't tell me, that you're a vampire hunter."
What Alaric just said, Damon must have missed, because he was trying too hard to make sense of what Alaric was trying to say,
"I mean, how is that even possible, you walk under the sun I saw you!"
"It's this ring," Alaric raised his finger to show Damon the ring he was wearing, "It helps me walk under the sun"
Damon scoffed, "I don't believe you, man"
Alaric took a couple more deep breathes, and his face features started to change. His eyes started turning red, and black veins started forming under his eyes,
Damon shook his head again, eyes wide open, he took a couple steps back, "Okay, stop"
Alaric's face went back to normal, looking ashamed of what he is,
"I'm.. I'm sorry, Ric, I- this is just so much for me.." Damon said,
"I know," Alaric nodded,
"I mean, so much to digest I just," Damon shook his head, hoping that this all was just a bad dream and that if he shook his head hard enough, he would wake up. But then, he looked up again at Alaric, and he didn't see a monster, he saw a man that made him feel alive. A man he could trust, and Damon couldn't trust anyone easily. He saw someone Damon wasn't afraid of showing feelings in front of, or even to. So Damon did the only thing his heart wanted him to, and he completely ignored sanity, and common sense. A vampire hunter and a vampire, what could go wrong?
Damon didn't want to answer that question, so he just locked his lips to Alaric's, surprising both himself and Alaric, who was just too damn confused but glad that he couldn't react at first, but Alaric followed his own heart, too. It was impossible to ignore the way Damon had made him feel like, and at first Alaric wasn't sure if it was his mind playing tricks on him, if he'd confused Damon with someone from his past, but now he knows, for sure, that Damon is Damon, and no one else. They may share the exact same eyes, but they're completely different. Damon is accepting Alaric, so Alaric put his hands on Damon's hips, and pulled him in closer, deepening the kiss, and wishing it would last forever
Damon wrapped his arms around Alaric's neck, never had he ever felt this way before, and it was freaking him out considering the man he's kissing is a vampire. Their kiss tonight was nothing like the other night. They're not as drunk. This one felt more real, more promising and more passionate,
that is, of course, until Alaric pulled away, breathing hard, he framed Damon's face with his hands,
"You seriously gotta stop doing that man," Damon struggled to say, and Alaric had tears rolling down his cheeks,
"It's.. Okay, Ric, I.." Honestly, Damon didn't know what to say,
"It's not that. Accepting me, for what I am is one thing, but there's-"
"Shh please just stop talking," Damon whispered, and he kissed Alaric again, harder, more demanding, and Alaric hushed himself, and he squeezed his eyes shut, when Damon's hands started snaking under his shirt, "let's go to my place,"
Alaric shook his head, "Mine. Closer."
Alaric and Damon have never had sex with men before in their lives, and so it should have felt weird, confusing and new except, it didn't. It felt right, perfect and yes, new, but wonderful. Alaric laid down on his back, pulling Damon down with him. They never stopped kissing, feeling and exploring each other's bodies
When Damon almost ran out of breath, he pulled away to take his shirt off and once he did, Alaric's hands started caressing his chest, and Damon couldn't help but to smirk, "Like what you see?"
Alaric nodded, chuckling, and then Damon resumed attacking his face and neck with hot, wet kisses, when he felt Alaric's body tense up, he pulled away again, looking down only to see black veins, red eyes and white fangs taking over Alaric's features
"I'm so sorry, oh God," Alaric said, turning his head to the side and covering his face with his hands. He tried to get up, but Damon stopped him, and took his hands off his face,
Alaric was still struggling trying to turn his face features back to normal, and he felt embarrassment, shame and fear all at once which made it even more difficult for him to control his nature. Damon's face was hard to read, but he surprised Alaric when he started lightly running one hand over Alaric's upper lip, and the other started caressing his black veins, without a word, he started kissing Alaric's lips lightly, until Alaric's body started relaxing, and he was finally able to control himself
It was insane. Everything was happening too fast. Will this ever work? Damon and Alaric couldn't help but wonder, silently.
To Be Continued