Chapter 3: Partner

The uneven, but weighty footsteps were getting closer and there was no delaying the fact that Alaric would soon step into his room. Damon briefly contemplated whether he should just feign sleep the whole time, but he did actually want Rick's input on something. Fearing he did not look ill enough for the con anymore, he quickly ran around the room with vampire speed three times, managing to purposefully make himself dizzy and pale before he collapsed back into bed just in time. He closed his eyes, but blinked them open slowly as he heard Rick stopping by the bed, as if he would've just been startled awake by the noise.

"Elena forbade me to bring you any alcohol," Rick winced, "but I did bring you this," he hovered a glass half filled with blood in his direction.

Damon suppressed a gulp. That could've given him away. He was very hungry and his throat was dry, but he had to keep in character if he wanted to be sure Elena stayed with him some more. Determined to stay in control, the Salvatore shook his head, "I'm feeling better Rick, but not that much."

"You don't want the blood?" Alaric frowned, surprised, setting the glass on the bedside table. He sat down on the bed and placed a hand over Damon's leg for a moment in a forthcoming gesture, conveying his happiness at the fact he was alive. "You're healing, right? Just not very quickly. Cause I want to hunt that bastard of a crossbreed down and set him on an eternally burning fire."

"Who's suicidal now?" Damon rolled his eyes, his gaze settling on the nightstand for a millisecond. He could smell and see the appetising liquid, but only contemplated giving up the charade for the briefest of times. "What do you think of this?" He pulled his phone out, highlighted his brother's message and handed it to his friend.

Alaric pursed his lips, wishing he would've brought some whiskey for himself at least. A vampire's life always seemed so complicated and rollercoaster like, they could swing so easily between unspeakable things to surprising humanity and vice versa sometimes and it seemed like it was Stefan's turn to experience it. "You're not going to do it, are you?" The vampire hunter raised his eyes with sadness. He might curse vampires for the rest of his life, but without Damon in Mystic Falls his life would've had even less meaning than in had now.

"I'm not strong enough for a compulsion like that just yet," Damon contemplated, possibly it was even true. "But after a few of days maybe, it would be the easiest thing. I could take her somewhere pretending we're on a trail of Klaus and then change all her memories of the last couple of years or so. See that smile of her light up, make her happy and content. But live a lie for the rest of her life, I don't think I could do that." He never wanted to compel her like most of his girlfriends in any case cause he needed her to love him for the reality of what and who he was.

"Then don't," Alaric said forcefully, grabbing the opportunity to indicate his wishes and as far as he was concerned, that was all that was to be said about it. Topic over and too preposterous to be weighed up. "Promise me you won't Damon. That's the last thing I need, something like that to come back and haunt me when I'm all geriatric and grey in the head."

"So you're planning to reach oldmanhood then, hm?" Damon's eyes shined with an inner smile. With their lifestyle it did not seem very likely, but the vampire would do everything in his power to see that happen.

"Promise me, Damon," Alaric forced the issue.

"I didn't kill Andie either Rick, you asked me not to," he glanced involuntarily in the direction of the blood.

His friend noticed at once and straightened up to reach towards the glass if needed, "you hungry?"

"Yes," the vampire admitted, "but I bet you're not so keen on me being sick on you," he remembered to play his part. The paleness from vampire speed must've worn off by now and he was starting to get worried again that his buddy would see through him.

"That's ok Damon, you gotta try," Alaric gave him the glass and nodded at him encouragingly.

"Wait, take these pills then if you're drinking anyway," Elena darted in, shoving the medication she bought into his hands. "How's our patient?" She directed her words at her history teacher, knowing that it would be harder to get a straight answer out the bed's occupant.

"Getting there," the teacher said more as an encouragement to Damon, than a reply to Elena and squeezed the vampire's knee before standing up, "I'm going to go with Bonnie when she's talking to her ancestors again about Klaus. I don't trust those ancient witches, they seem to be very unpredictable about what they are willing to give to whom."

"Ancient bitches you mean," Damon agreed very much with Alaric's assessment.

"That would be great Rick, thank you so much for looking out for Bonnie and Jeremy," Elena followed him to the bedroom door, showing him out politely as if the Salvatore mansion would've really been her house, "could you please tell Bonnie to swing by after, no matter whether she can find out anything or not? I would want to ask her something that can not be dealt with over the phone."

"Of course," Alaric nodded and gave her a quasi smile before disappearing.

Elena turned back to discover that the vampire wasn't in his bed anymore, but she saw him disappearing into the bathroom, "Damon?" She rushed after him, "are you all right?"

"I knew I was feeling too queasy to drink," the Salvatore leant over the sink quickly, a bit startled. He didn't expect Elena to come so swiftly after him and he had to come up with some good excuse that covered all bases, while all he wanted to do out of sight in there was to do some vampire speed runarounds. His paleness was wearing off quickly and he had to do something about his disguise, worried that once he's back to full health, Elena might take her avoiding, judgemental, or indifferent approach with him.

"Take deep breaths, Damon, you need to keep those pills down," she moved next to him, laying a hand on his back to run her fingers up and down his muscled back softly, relaxingly.

"I'm not sure breathing as a function would do any good for a vampire," Damon groaned, coiling an arm round his stomach, holding on to the basin with the other.

"Shhh, just do it, ok?" Elena drew light circles on his back. She felt awkward, but was unsure of what else to do. Not as if there were vampire doctors, or the need for any.

Damon raised his head to gave her a look, "Elena, I can't…"

"Breathe," the girl forced the issue, "inhale and exhale in deep through your nose and out through your mouth for a minute. It's all right. I know you're not used to being sick and weak, but its all going to work out. Patience's not your forte either, that's all." Keeping a hand on his back and tearing her gaze away from the captivating look of his bare torso, she hugged him loosely, "here, I've got you and I'm still here." Assured that he was doing the breathing exercise she suggested, she turned the cold water tap on, splashed some water on her free hand and rubbed some on his face, neck and chest, never really letting go of him with her other hand in fear he was going to pass out again. "Is it working?"

"The water more than the breathing to be honest," Damon suggested apologetically.

"Okay, well, what do you say about a shower? Lukewarm perhaps. It might freshen you up."

"Yeah, maybe," Damon allowed. He was tense and somewhat discomfited. When it came right down to it, he didn't like lying to her. Going to have a shower might give him the freedom to think away from her and the reason he could say his illness was pretty much over if he claimed it really revived him. He pushed away from the sink, shuffling over to the shower cubicle and leaned on the side of its door. "If you could get me that shirt ready after, I'd be thankful."

Elena shook her head and started fiddling with the taps, trying out the temperature, "I'm not leaving you in pain by yourself," she raised her voice over the sound of the water, "you can barely move. What if you need help or something?"

Damon was wavering. Her eyes were so full of tenderness and worry as she looked at him, it was not right to trouble her so, "I won't need help," he said softly, shaking his head, "I can manage."

"Do you not think I can tell by now when you're lying?"

Damon blinked in surprise. He was lying all right, but the girl was missing the point. "The venom has not worn off, we both know that," Elena stepped into the cubicle, not minding all her clothes wet apparently, "I'm here to make sure nothing's gonna happen."

"If you wanted an excuse to see me naked you should've just asked."

Elena rolled her eyes, "you can take your pants off, I'll not look," she extended her hands towards him to steady him while he'd step into the booth, "I just want you to be all right…"

Tbc