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]

"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."

[thisismybar]

"This time," he repeated, while he attempted to regain some control of himself, and settled from laughing into a smile. "Next time I might decide it's worth it." Because clearly a prank war with a thousand year old vampire was something he should engage in.

He headed for Elijah's car, and to the passenger side. He didn't even touch it.

[manof_myword]

"Next time I might let you." Elijah gave him a look and followed him out to the car, unlocking it with a press of a button and sliding into the driver's side, waiting for Ric to get in.

[thisismybar]

Ric thought about using his shirt to open the door, so he didn't leave fingerprints on the handle, just to be a dick about it, but didn't. Instead he slid inside, closed the door behind him and buckled up. "Should I feel indulged? Flattered by the potential of being indulged?"

Something about finding the wickedness and playfulness in Elijah delighted Ric. Scary dude, yes, but that just made the contrast more fun.

[manof_myword]

"Both," Elijah decreed, with another quick smirk and slip of a look over at Ric. "Very indulged."

He'd have been delighted to know Ric enjoyed that side of him--it didn't come out that often, but the history teacher seemed to bring it out in him.

[thisismybar]

Ric eyed Elijah, skeptically, for a moment. "I'm sure I can find a way to take advantage of that...." He was a little cautious in that remark, a little more so than he had been.

He wasn't wary of Elijah, though, he was kind of... wary with himself, just a little. There was also an underlying curiosity, about just how far he could push that. In a very particular direction.

He had no idea what was wrong with him. He'd brood about it, later, he was sure.

[manof_myword]

"Ah, but I think the advantage is clearly in my corner at the moment," Elijah pointed out with a bit of a smirk. "Though I've no doubt it will shift again."

That was part of the fun of this game, whatever game it was they were playing. And he kept wanting to see what exactly Ric would do.

[thisismybar]

"It is," he agreed, and settled back in his seat. "And until I find something I'm willing to risk my bourbon for, or find a better hiding space, it's likely to stay there."

One of those options were more likely than the others. Yeah, yeah, stuff at the school, stores, other bars, he supposed, but the immediate threat of cold turkey and tea was enough. Bleh.

[manof_myword]

Elijah chuckled. "I'll take what I can get."

No layers there or anything, either.

[thisismybar]

"And if it's what you want... even better?"

Or, thinking a bit, probably more unexpected. Hell if he knew.

[manof_myword]

"Much better," Elijah murmured as he turned the car off the main road and into the dirt one going into the forest. He cast Ric a sideways glance, as if he could read his mind, but there wasn't really anything to say, if he could.

[thisismybar]

Ric didn't seem to notice the sideways glance, but after a moment or two stopped looking at the familiar scenery and turned his head to watch Elijah, instead. "Are you going to be okay, in there?"

[manof_myword]

Elijah looked surprised at the question, then a little touched Ric had asked before his expression smoothed to its usual impassivity. "I'll be all right. If we didn't know what was in there...perhaps not. But I'm prepared."

[thisismybar]

"I probably should have brought a bottle of... tea," he said, with a very slight amount of dry humor. "If you're not, let me know as soon as you can."

Freaking out vampire, especially an Original?

He liked Elijah and he wasn't one to cave to fear or be intimidated, but that doesn't mean he wasn't aware.

[manof_myword]

"Perhaps. But that will just leave us more for later." When he might need it. He was pretty good at staying calm in most situations. It was the aftermath that occasionally did him in.

"But I will." Let him know if it was too much.

[thisismybar]

"I'd say there's no shortage, but...." Elijah was a vampire and an original. Ric had no idea how much alcohol it took to have any kind of effect on him. "It'll be there when we get back."

The rest he just looked deeply dubious about. Elijah with a sense of humor was a bit of a surprise. Elijah with a sex drive had been a bigger one. Elijah actually admitting that he was having an issue? Well, maybe. Surprises did seem to be stacking up.

[manof_myword]

"There's certainly plenty." It took a lot, true, but Alaric had a lot.

He arched an eyebrow at the dubious look. "What?"

[thisismybar]

Ric didn't even try for innocence or ignorance. "I'll believe it when I see it," he said, directly. "Or hear it, in this case."

[manof_myword]

The eyebrow stayed up. "What? Me say I'm not comfortable with something?"

[thisismybar]

"Is that what it would be? Being uncomfortable with it?"

His definition of uncomfortable with something tended to be more a... means of objection. Maybe he just used the phrase wrong.

[manof_myword]

Elijah shrugged a little bit. "Maybe not the best word, but. I'm not really used to using the ones that might be."

Understatement was his particular art. One of them.