thisismybar | Elijah

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.

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From:

thisismybar

Ric almost wished Elijah would bite. It would give him a way to pull himself back under control.

He laughed at Elijah's remark, and that little snort of laughter turned into a sob. Elijah had been quiet and contained even in crying, but Ric? No. Not once the damn burst. It wasn't anything gradual once he started feeling loss and grief, and it wasn't contained, controlled, or anything but sloppy, loud, dramatic and close to violent. Not him being violent, just the release of emotion.

He didn't cry, he fucked bawled, and sobbed, and actually shook. There was a lot of pent up emotion there, waiting to drive him crazy, that all came out at once.

From:

manof_myword

Elijah wasn't surprised when the storm broke. It probably had been a long time coming. God knew his had been, and he hadn't even fully let go.

He shifted to wrap his arms more firmly around Ric, holding him tight, while his hand kept drifting slowly over his hair, down his spine, back up--just soft, soothing motions that did nothing to try and stop the tears.

From:

thisismybar

Ric tried to stop the tears a couple of times, and failed miserably. He kept crying until he was wrung entirely out, and had exhausted the tears and himself. He was left feeling oddly hollow and light, even with a pounding head and burning throat.

He didn't look up, didn't speak, just eventually wound down to quiet and limp. And, well, embarrassed.

From:

manof_myword

Elijah held him thought it all, not moving even when the storm seemed to have passed. He nuzzled his temple as Ric calmed, then shifted away. "I'll be right back..."

And he was, even though he didn't blur off--just moved swiftly, giving Ric a moment or two to collect himself, but not long enough to brood.

When he got back, he curled back up close and pressed a tall glass of water and two aspirin in Ric's hand.

From:

thisismybar

The time to regain some composure and start to sit up was a good thing. Got his head up, and the very start of clearing it. Certainly made him uncurl, and it was honestly as appreciated as the aspirin, but not quite as much as the water. He took the aspirin with half the glass of water, then kept drinking until he'd finished it all.

"Thanks...." For more than the water. "Talk about ridiculous reactions to getting laid." He was wry, didn't mean it and once the water was done he did curl back up, back around Elijah. Heavily, and a little... limp, all around.

From:

manof_myword

"You're welcome," Elijah murmured as his arms slid back around him, and he dropped a kiss to his shoulder.he chuckled a little at the comment, and the kiss became another nuzzle. "I've seen worse."

From:

thisismybar

He should not be surprised by how easily affectionate Elijah was, once he'd started, but some part of Ric was, a little. Most of him was just glad. "I don't suppose I can convince you to tell me about it, so I can stop feeling ridiculous...." He was almost slurring, though, he was so completely relaxed and drained. Not tired, per se, or at least not sleepy. Just bone deep... exhaustion and a sort of emptiness.

From:

manof_myword

Elijah hadn't had the chance to be affectionate in so very long; he was taking advantage of it, now. He chuckled just a little bit and shook his head. "Well, you're not screaming and running away, so...that's an improvement over some."

From:

thisismybar

Ric just looked confused. "Screaming and running away...? How does that happen?" It seemed a fairly relevant question to ask, because vampire was the only reason he could think and how did that come up after sex?

From:

manof_myword

Elijah winced a bit, shrugged with a wry smile. "Some people can't really be compelled...or, well. That's not so much a problem now, but when we were younger..." He paused, realized how that sounded. "Not from the sex itself or even because they were hurt, but the....realization of what I am." What they were, often, not that he was going to mention anyone else being there.

From:

thisismybar

He blinked a couple of times at Elijah. "I'm probably going to regret asking... But what gave it away?" He smoothed his fingers through Elijah's hair, though, more in response to the slight wince and wryness of his smile.

From:

manof_myword

"Generally the blood and the bite marks," Elijah said dryly.

From:

thisismybar

"How does someone miss that?" he asked, sounding every bit as bewildered as he was. "What the hell else are you doing?"

From:

manof_myword

"Generally because you compel them not to notice," Elijah said patiently.

From:

thisismybar

"That's probably the best possible option...." He was a little twitchy about the biting thing. Okay, he was actually a lot fucking twitchy about it. It wasn't a moral judgement, just a sort of recoil. And a reasonably mild one (comparatively), since he'd just exhausted himself crying, and Elijah hadn't bitten him anyway. He didn't think. He refused to question it, because it was insulting, but it made his stomach knot up.

From:

manof_myword

Elijah couldn't help but notice, and he wanted to mutter something about Ric having asked, but he didn't. Didn't pull away either, or curl closer either one. From what he'd seen here, he doubted any of them knew it didn't have to be either horrifying or something to just...endure because someone was hurt and needed blood and you were all there was, so you volunteered, but...endured.

"Second best," was all he said, though he added, "And far better than the majority of the alternatives, yes."

From:

thisismybar

"What's the best?" he asked, because... well, he was Ric. He wanted to know. Even when he wasn't sure if he wanted to know.

From:

manof_myword

Elijah arched an eyebrow, then shrugged. "Someone who offers it freely, because they want to."

From:

thisismybar

"Does that happen often?" He wasn't trying to judge, though of course he was. He was just bewildered. He went back to petting Elijah's hair, though.

From:

manof_myword

"Some centuries more often than others." He settled a little at the touch, the petting. "Sometimes a lover. Sometimes just a friend. Other times a trade, of sorts. There has to be trust, though. Someone who knows of us already, or who we come to test enough to tell. That makes it more rare. You can't tell every village girl you hire to be a maid what you are without compelling her to never speak of it to any outside the household, and to not be afraid and after that..." He shrugged. "It's never really fully freely given, even if it seems to be."

Especially when Klaus and Kol kept killing the maids until Elijah had to point out it was getting impossible to hire good help and make a rule about moderation with the servants.

From:

thisismybar

"No, because compulsion's come into play and you don't know how afraid they would be without it. If it would change their decision." He nuzzled at Elijah's temple, then let his hand fall to rest against Elijah's side. "It twists everything...." Thinking about Damon, yes.

From:

manof_myword

"Exactly." It was necessary, and no one lived in fear, but it wasn't the same. "But sometimes people know and they don't have to be compelled for...anything. It's rare, but it happens."

From:

thisismybar

Ric stayed silent for a bit, before finally coming up with, "I'm trying to come up with a way to say what I'm thinking, without insulting someone.... It's not working."