Elijah

[thisismybar]

He'd hesitated, but he'd actually, eventually, bucked up and called Elijah to see if there was any news about the cave. He wasn't sure why, except that it seemed like such a nice, relatively non-threatening distraction.

Better than alcohol and vampire slaying, anyway.

Then he'd invited Elijah over to his place for a drink and to update him, before maybe (hopefully) going out and getting Elijah in there to look around. He understood that even less. Except... Elijah's company had been really, really easy. Kind of weird! But easy.

He missed easy.

Not that kind of easy. Just... close to comfortable, and pleasant.

He met Elijah with the door, handed him a glass of bourbon and stepped back to let him in.

"Any luck?" he asked, as he gestured Elijah toward the living room.

Comments

[manof_myword]

Elijah wasn't certain that continuing to befriend Alaric was the best of ideas, given everything in the way of such a friendship, but it had been such a very long time since he'd let himself indulge in anything simply because he enjoyed it. Perhaps it wasn't wise, but he'd...had fun.

So, he agreed to the meeting and was smiling as he stepped in, accepting the bourbon in due course.

"My witch thinks she's unwoven the barrier. It wasn't done by more than one witch."

[thisismybar]

Ric wasn't really good at letting anyone, or anything, tell him what to do. He was even less likely to let those people or things tell him who he could be friends with. If he was inclined to bow to that kind of thing, Damon would be the last person he'd have as a friend.

And right now the mystery around the caves and someone new to talk to was more beneficial than he wanted to admit. More needed than he would have admitted.

He headed back toward the living room, with a faint frown. "Did your witch have any idea how long it had been there?"

[manof_myword]

He shook his head a little as he followed Ric in. "She couldn't be precise. Less than a century, so well after the vampires were sealed in the tomb, at least. So...not done by Emily Bennet, it would seem."

[thisismybar]

"That makes me even more curious about the why...." He nodded Elijah toward the sofa, before he sat himself down. "Did she find out if it was to keep vampires out, or just your family, at least?"

[manof_myword]

Elijah settled comfortably on the sofa and took a sip of his drink. "All vampires, apparently. It wasn't aimed just at us."

[thisismybar]

"That's really good to know. Have you gone back, yet?" He watched Elijah, a little curious about the comfort and, in retrospect, just a little surprised Elijah showed up.

He also made a mental note to not tell Damon who he was hanging out with. Or Elena, for that matter. ...Or Stefan. Come to think of it, maybe he'd just keep his mouth shut for a while. He was too worn down for anyone to be pushing him too hard right now, anyway.

[manof_myword]

Elijah shook his head a little, glancing over at Ric. "Not yet." He'd been waiting for Ric to go with him.

Don't ask him why, particularly. Maybe he just wanted to see what the man would do next.

[thisismybar]

Ric gave Elijah just a bit of a look. "What are you waiting for?" It was less question than it was challenge, really.

[manof_myword]

Elijah shrugged a little, arching his eyebrow.

"I thought we were going back together."

[thisismybar]

"Wrong question, then," he said, easily. "What are we waiting on? Do you want to be?" He was aware that it was emotionally loaded for Elijah, now. Very, very aware.

[manof_myword]

Elijah gave him a faint smile. "To finish our drinks?" He shrugged. "I want to see what's in there."

[thisismybar]

"If you'll remind me, we can take a proper flashlight, this time." For his benefit rather than Elijah's, of course. "Thank you for waiting on me. I'm curious, too." If he should be or not, he didn't know. But he was.

[manof_myword]

"A flashlight probably would be helpful," Elijah agreed, giving him a small smile. "And, you're welcome. I could hardly do less after making you take and print all the photos before."

[thisismybar]

Ric returned the small smile with his own,and shook his head. "It's harder than you'd think to make me do anything I don't want to do."

Compulsion and vervain exempted, of course.

[manof_myword]

"Oh, of that I have no doubt," Elijah murmured, gaze a little warm for a moment, just a flicker.

Teasing challenges excepted, as well, of course.

[thisismybar]

Being teasingly challenged, being called a coward- He was easier to manipulate than force.

Ric studied Elijah as he sipped from his glass, a little bemused by that moment of warmth. "I'm glad we got that out of the way.... And thank you."

[manof_myword]

What more he could tease Ric into had crossed his mind more than once since they'd discovered the cave. Since the kiss, awkward as it might have been.

"You're welcome."

[thisismybar]

It might have been awkward, and Ric still didn't know what it was about, but it had sent his mind... wandering places that were largely unexplored, before it.

He blinked a couple of times and shifted from bemused to fully confused, and then raked a hand through his hair. "We should go. Let me find a flashlight while you finish your drink."

[manof_myword]

Elijah inclined his head. "All right."

He was still smiling a little bit as he took a larger sip of his drink.

[thisismybar]

The inclined head and smile, while Ric was confused, was just a little unsettling. Okay, it was Elijah, it was a lot unsettling. He studied Elijah for another moment, finished his drink and then went to dig around and find a flashlight and batteries.

Once he had them, he came back. "Who's driving?"

He was going to ignore the unsettling. Along with the... other thing.

[manof_myword]

Elijah liked unsettling people, most of the time. It was one of his few pure amusement things to do. He didn't much like that they were always scared of him, admittedly, but unsettled....worked.

"I'll drive." He finished his drink and stood fluidly, setting the glass aside and straightening his jacket.

[thisismybar]

"Good," he said, cheerfully and headed for the door. "I can leave fingerprints all over your windows."

[manof_myword]

Elijah gave him a sort of horrified look. "That would be highly inadvisable..."

[thisismybar]

Ric smirked at Elijah, and held the door open for him. "Really? That sounds more like a challenge than the last one." Actually, it sounded vaguely threatening and what the hell was wrong with him that made that sound more fun, rather than less?

[manof_myword]

"Ric?" Elijah moved in, completely ignoring personal space issues. "Leave my car windows alone..."

Though maybe he was offering a challenge more than a threat. Or a threat of something other than violence.