Summary: Damon shows up at Alaric's one night, it's not the first time,

however, this time it's different. Alaric realizes he kinda sorta likes Damon

**Flashback**

There was a knock on the door.

Then another… and two seconds later, another.

Damn. It had better not be Damon. I can't take another night of this.

It was the third night in a row Damon had shown up, and Alaric was exhausted. Between working with the smartass teens at school, tutoring, and then having to come home and start grading papers, he couldn't deal with babysitting Damon too.

He was used to the random visits from Damon ever since he punched him in the jaw after teaming up to save Stefan from a couple vampires. But this, this continuous sleepover shit Damon was doing, it wore him out.

Alaric pulled the covers up higher hoping Damon would take the hint.

Yeah fuckin' right.

Damon would show up and knock… and knock… and knock. At least until Alaric forced himself out of bed, slipped a shirt on and half walked half crawled to the door.

He knows because he tried to ignore Damon once and he knocked for twenty minutes straight.

Damon could just let himself in, he was already invited, but then Alaric would be asleep and he wouldn't have anyone to harass. At least that's how Alaric sees it.

Another knock.

"Shut up Damon. I'm coming, you bastard." He groaned.

Damn it!

He slipped a t-shirt on without looking, still half asleep. He snatches the aspirin that he keeps on the nightstand for times like these, for people like Damon.

Another knock.

He knows the vampire's just being obnoxious now, Damon could hear him coming with his advanced hearing.

He opens the door with a sigh.

"Damon, what the h-"

Damon is there but there's something wrong.

Alaric gives him the once over; his clothes are dirty, ripped. His hands -what the- his hands taped tightly together with duct tape, blood dripping down to his fingertips.

There's a deep gash along the right side of Damon's jaw. It's bleeding, running down his collarbone and into his dark bloodstained t-shirt.

His hair mussed and bloody.

Despite all the blood, Alaric thought his eyes are the worst. His usually sharp, clear blue eyes were cloudy and unfocused, thick dark lashes fluttering as if he was struggling to stay awake.

"Damon, wh-"

"Hey Rick." Damon ends his name with the click of his tongue but slurs the rest. He walks past Alaric, and wobbles before turning around, "Your shirt's inside out," and with that, he collapses.

Alaric springs to action. He runs to the kitchen and grabs a knife and some water

As quick as Alaric is, he forgets Damon's supply of blood in the fridge.

He sets down the water, rushes back to the kitchen and thanks god Damon has no sense of boundaries. He remembers arguing with him and is glad he conceded.

**Flashback**

The first time Alaric woke and found blood bags in his fridge he yelled at Damon like an irresponsible teenager. Like one of his students instead of the hundred-year-old man he actually is.

"This isn't your house, Damon. You can't just leave your fuckin' blood bags in my fridge for everyone to see and expect me to be okay with it!"

Damon pouted. "What if I get hungry?"

"Here's a thought… Go home!" Alaric starts pacing at that point and Damon's sitting on the couch, his eyes following Alaric around the living room. He looks every bit of the petulant child Alaric makes him out to be.

"I guess I can just drink from the tap." He smiles a deadly smile and perks up.

"Damon. Don't even… I drink vervain."

Damon's grin widens.

"That hot little neighbor of yours doesn't. What's her name? Something with an A?"

Alaric runs his hand over his face in exasperation.

"Look Rick. I'll hide it under the veggies and all that protein crap you drink. And to prove what a good move this is I'll share my supply." He smirks and sits up, pleased with himself.

"I'm not a vampire, Damon."

"Life choices, Alaric. Not my problem."

"You know what? Forget it Damon. I don't care."

Alaric knows its childish but he ignores the vampire for the rest of the day. Which, of course, Damon takes advantage of and, beyond his comprehension, starts listing the pros and cons of owning a kitten.

The top of Damon's con list: Stefan would eat it.

"It's settled then. Any objections?" Alaric said nothing.

Damon left and came back an hour later with a calico kitten that he named Sushi.

He laughed at Alaric's expression, dropped the kitten in his lap and scratched behind his ears, while Alaric stared dumbly, turned on his heel and left.

**End of flashback**

Alaric drops to his knees besides Damon and sets his stuff down.

"Damon."

Alaric lifts Damon's upper body onto his lap so Damon could drink the blood better.

He uses the knife to make a slit in the blood bag, puts it to Damon's lips and when he doesn't open Alaric takes a hold of his jaw and eases it open.

"Come on Damon."

Shifts his position and drips more blood in Damon's mouth.

Nothing.

"Come on, you ass."

Drips more blood into his mouth. Alaric's getting desperate now and searches Damon's face for a reaction. Nothing. No reaction.

Fuck.

Drips more. And more, and then the whole bag is in him.

Alaric reached for another. Hurriedly cut it open and slices his own finger in the process. He doesn't notice.

He squeezes more into Damon's mouth, a drop or two sliding down his chin to mix with the blood from his wounds, doesn't understand why he's missing until he notices his hands are shaking.

Damon's finger twitch. It's small but Alaric notices. It's what he was looking for. Hope.

"Thank God." He lets out a breath he didn't know he was holding.

Damon swallows weakly, "more like Damon Salvatore."

Alaric half laughs, half chokes.

"You are such a dick."

"I know… wait. Are those tears?"

Damon smirks, but it's hiding a grimace, which is what keeps Alaric from hitting him.

Lucky bastard. Doesn't even know it.

"Pansy. I told you… you totally like me."

"It's allergies, Damon."

"Sure sure, why am I tied up?"

He rolls his eyes and gets to his feet.

Damon breaks the tape and flicks it at Alaric.

"Damon, what happened?"

Damon smiles up at him. "You got kinky while I was unconscious, that's what happened. I approve." He winks.

Alaric shrugs, "You caught me. Night, Damon."

Alaric falls into bed, only moving to pull the covers up. Ten minutes later, he hears Damon struggling to get up from the floor. The vervain is making him weak despite the blood he just drank. Part of him feels guilty and then he hears cursing, reminding him it was only a small part.

A minute later, he senses Damon standing in the doorway of his bedroom. It's too dark to see but Alaric knows Damon's eyebrow is up. It's the closest Damon ever comes to asking for permission.

Alaric scoots over and lifts the covers.

"My blood's all over the carpet."

"Clean it up, Damon."

"No… And I didn't feel like making the bed on your lumpy couch."

"Go home."

"I am."

"Dam-" Alaric starts. "Where else would I keep Sushi?"

"Your Hou-"

"You forget Stefan eats all sorts of little furry creatures. Plus, her name's Sushi, which Stefan loves. Poor cat wouldn't have a chance facing my brother."

"I'm sure he says the same about you."

"Smart kid. I mean, besides all the brooding."

"Whatever, Damon."

"Anyways I like it here. Two bachelors in their bachelor pad, kinda fun right?"

"Damon, you don't live here…" Alaric smiles, "Just consider me the cat-sitter."

Damon chuckles. "That keeps clothes, blood, and sheets just for me. Oh, and don't think I don't know that you TiVo'd all my favorite shows."

"You did all of that, you asshole." Alaric smacks him with a pillow.

"Technicalities…"