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 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.

[thisismybar]

Elijah moving in felt... charged, but not in a bad way. Ric smiled, and lifted his eyebrows just a touch. "Or what?"

In fairness to the fact that being nose to nose with an Original Vampire was not quite enough to actually intimidate him, he did refrain from doing what he wanted to. Which was less kiss Elijah and more 'kiss Elijah and use the distraction to make a mess of his hair and then run away laughing'.

Ric had issues.

[manof_myword]

Intimidation wasn't really what was on Elijah's mind. Messing up his hair would have thrown him completely, though. The kiss probably not as much, though still a little. Eventually, well...he'd prefer that without having to dare Ric into it.

"Or..." If intimidation was not on his mind, nor was threatening violence. "I will replace all of your bourbon with iced tea one night while you're sleeping and compel the bartenders at the Grill to only serve you tea, as well."

[thisismybar]

Ric stared at Elijah in abject horror, for several long moments. Then he dissolved into laughter. Really, loud, exuberant, joyful, rich, laughter. He just cracked completely the fuck up. He held his hands up, while he laughed. "All right. I'll leave your windows alone. This time."

[manof_myword]

Elijah's grin was triumphant at Ric's horror and then laughter. It was real laughter and he felt incredibly proud of that, even if it wasn't something he did often himself.

"Wise decision."