"The Smunter Diaries" Part 1 - This is a Dalaric fic I wrote in less than an hour per request of someone on Twitter. It's not the best because I didn't take the time to edit it but I needed to get my feelings out quickly. I will be posting a better one based around this fic called "Holding Hands" eventually. But I welcome any comments and reviews to improve it! This is based off a Twitter Role Play, so it's understandable if you don't get why Damon is leaving.

Alaric sat on the chair, his arms crossed as he listened, but didn't really hear, as Damon spoke. From the moment he said he was going to leave he had decided he didn't want to hear anymore. He had said he'd let him go but separating the words coming out of his mouth from the words that were in his heart was becoming increasingly difficult. Alaric had completely zoned out, slowly building a wall between the two of them until it all came tumbling down when Damon reached out to touch his shoulder. "Ric…" his voice was almost weak and vulnerable and while he knew it would only make things worse he turned to him and met his gaze. Those blue, ocean deep, eyes could pierce his very soul. With those eyes, Damon had always been able to make Alaric do anything he wanted him to do. Damon's fingers crawled up from his shoulder to the nape of his neck, playing with his hair. Damon sighed quietly before speaking again. "Would it be too hard for you to let me go if you gave me one more kiss?" he asked, his voice a shaky whisper as if he feared the answer.

"Yes." Alaric replied, his eyes breaking away from his. "I don't know if I could let you go if you did." In response, all Damon did was nod. He stood up and cleared his throat as he made his way closer to the fire place. Alaric stood up abruptly, following behind him and closing the space between the two of them. Damon held his hand out to shake his. "It's uh, it's been fun Ric." he said but Alaric wouldn't take his hand. Instead, he slapped it away. Damon's eyes portrayed the wound that simple movement had inflicted for only a brief moment, recovering quickly as his expression became firm and emotionless. "Alright then, I guess-" and this time Alaric cut him off, closing the remaining feet between them, his hands on Damon's shoulders as he spoke.

"It will be harder to let you go, but dammit that's not going to stop me." he said, running his fingers into Damon's mess of hair and pulling him closer. A hungry and passionate force sparked between their bodies as their lips collided - velvet tongues sliding against one another slowly as Damon's head tilted to the side and his hands gripped Alaric's sides. Alaric pulled away only when the familiar taste of Damon's lips were met by the surprising taste of his tears. When he saw the tears trailing down his cheeks he couldn't be sure whether his absence or the memory of seeing him cry would hurt worse in the days to come. Damon pulled out from between his body and the wall behind him, but Alaric reached for his hand and wouldn't let him pull away. "Damon... don't. Please don't go." While he did everything he could to keep it from showing, the weakness he felt in his knees was shaking in his voice and he tried to pull him back, but Damon wouldn't even face him.

"Let me go, Ric." he said, his voice cold as he looked over his shoulder. Alaric threaded his fingers through Damon's - but holding hands was always something Damon had hated and Alaric was sure he would pull away but instead Damon tightened his hold on Ric's fingers, his eyes locked on their gripped hands.

When Damon finally tried to pull away Alaric began to talk quickly as if he hoped that something he said would make him give up. "I won't ever let you go, Damon. You know that." But still, Damon pulled his hand from his grasp. Alaric followed behind him until Damon reached the door and Alaric stopped in his tracks, his eyes wide and pleading as he felt his heart beat begin to quicken in response to the clenching pain that was beginning in his chest. "Damon... I love you." he blurted out and he began to gasp for breaths, feeling his heart give out as Damon's eyes met his and responded with just two words.

"You shouldn't."

Then he was gone, and Ric knew he wasn't coming back. Not in his lifetime.