Book!Verse Dalaric

[thisismybar]

Continued from here

Ric licked at the trickle of blood that escaped before Damon's skin knit back together, breathing harsh and heart pounding.

There could be little doubt that Damon had enjoyed himself, feeling the release against him and echo of it inside his own satisfaction, but he was still... shocked at himself. He had never in his life bitten someone hard enough to break skin. At least not someone he liked, or in an intimate situation.

"Sorry," he managed, breathlessly. "Are you all right?"

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[thisismybar]

Ric stared. "You want to drive from Virginia to Oregon?" He didn't know why that surprised the shit out of him, but it did. After a moment, though, he looked a little... interested? Wistful? Something. It actually sounded like fun. "That sounds really impractical."

[prodigalsavior]

They hadn't driven anywhere, yet, so, admittedly, Ric hadn't been in the car, but Damon's mouth set in a stubborn line. "I'm not leaving my car. Haven't you ever heard of a road trip? Are you in some kind of a rush?"

Besides...he kind of hated flying.

[thisismybar]

"I've got... about fifty years, give or take," he said, watching Damon's reaction with both exasperation and amusement. Neither mean, but more fond. "I'd rather get there before Christmas, though." He headed out of the bathroom and then winced at the sunlight coming in and headed for the bedroom he'd been crashing in.

[prodigalsavior]

"It's July," Damon pointed out, following him to the room, avoiding the sun with the ease of long practice. "It's approximately three thousand miles across the country. To see things, if you want to, it's probably good to stick to no more than four to five hundred miles a day, sometimes less. But even if we only went two hundred miles a day--less than three hours driving--we'd be there in two weeks."

Yes, he was being literal, but, really....it wasn't that far, especially if you were coming from centuries of it taking months to do a trip like that.

[thisismybar]

"I think I'd rather go with four hundred miles a day and take weekends off." He was still finding the idea both a little exciting, and a little daunting. It sounded... fun? "There are only so many days in a row I can take sitting in a car." He pulled the shades down more properly, and then sat down on the edge of the bed. "Leaving tomorrow, take our time, allow for detours and maybe some time off, we could easily be there by fall, then...."

[prodigalsavior]

"Four hundred miles a day, minus weekends, and we'll be there in nine days, with the two off," Damon said, uncertain if he was being teased or not by the fall comment. "Depending on how many detours or more time off you're thinking...."

He was willing to take as much time as possible, because...where did he have to be? And he liked traveling. It made hunting so very easy when you were always just passing through.

[thisismybar]

He smiled, faintly. "I can do the math," he said, unoffended and gentle. "I think I'll be less frustrated if I mentally block it off at a couple of weeks, though. I'm not always the most patient person in the world. Building in some time for detours, car trouble, and traffic will keep me from getting grumpy about it."

[prodigalsavior]

Damon shrugged a little, then nodded. "All right. It isn't as if we have a time and place to be anywhere..."

[thisismybar]

"The only deadline I have is late August. I want to be settled somewhere by the start of school, so I can get into the school system as at least a substitute." He was kind of stubborn about that. He could not live off Damon forever. "And if we can get out of here at sundown, I won't object."

He would object to having to drive in the sun, though he was writing that off as some kind of extended, odd, hangover.

[prodigalsavior]

Damon found the mere idea of having a job ridiculous, but humans were funny that way. It wasn't as if he missed the money spent on Alaric's behalf or ever would. It came, it went, it was well invested, and if it ever disappeared, he'd just compel a millionaire to leave him his fortune or something.

But he didn't argue. "All right. After sundown sounds good."

He probably should let Stefan know he was leaving town. He wasn't going to.

[thisismybar]

Ric sat on the edge of the bed, hands clasped between his knees and looked up at Damon with a raised eyebrow. "That's it? Don't you need to pack, or tell people you're going or... something?"

[prodigalsavior]

"I don't really have much here," Damon said with a shrug. "What I do is pretty much already in my bag."

He didn't say anything about telling people or not.

[thisismybar]

Ric debated asking, then decided not to. "All right. I obviously don't have much I need to worry about." There was a brief pause before he lifted his eyebrows a bit further. "Is there anything that needs done today?"

[prodigalsavior]

Damon shook his head. "Not really. I'll make a few phone calls, make sure we have all the various things finalized for you. Otherwise..." He shrugged. "I think we're good."

[thisismybar]

"In that case, why don't you make those calls while I try to dig up something for breakfast, and then we can go back to sleep for a few hours?"

[prodigalsavior]

Damon nodded, greatly liking the idea of curling up somewhere dark to go back to sleep. In the meantime, the weather got abruptly stormy outside.

"I'll be back. Phone's in my room.

[thisismybar]

Ric glanced toward the window, this time back to Damon with an uplifted eyebrow, but just said, "Sure. I'm going to open a window." Not the shades, just enough to get some air into the room. If it was going to stop, Ric was going to enjoy it.

[prodigalsavior]

Damon gave him a little smile, then disappeared up the stairs, finding his phone and making a few calls. He came back down, still holding it, and looking at it like he was thinking.

[thisismybar]

Ric looked up, head tilted just a little. "What's wrong?"

[prodigalsavior]

Damon glanced up and shrugged. "Nothing. Just....wondering if maybe I should call Stefan, too."

That it was this much of a debate probably said a lot.

[thisismybar]

"Are you interested in my opinion?" Realizing, of course, that he didn't even know this Stefan, much less the status of things between him and Damon.

[prodigalsavior]

"Do you feel some urge to give it?" Not angry or dismissive, just a little wry.

[thisismybar]

"Call him, but do it once we're on the road or settled down for the nig- day."

That'd be a yes.

[prodigalsavior]

Damon considered the idea, and nodded. "I can do that."

[thisismybar]

"Good." He held his hands out. "Then come to bed."

Ric really should eat, but nothing in the house was all that appealing, and curling up in the dark and at least napping for a while was.

That this had started around Damon leaving his bed in the middle of the night and he was now effectively requesting Damon get back in it? Flew right over his head.