Vampire Diaries Imagines

Alone Time - Alaric Saltzman

When Alaric pushed the door open and stepped into the Gilbert house, he was greeted by the kind of quiet he didn't often experience. The usual sounds of Elena and Jeremy's bickering were absent, replaced by the faint clinking of pots and pans coming from the kitchen. He let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding, the tension of the day already starting to melt away.

The house felt different when it was just the two of them. Peaceful. Calmer. It didn't hurt that Y/N had a way of turning even the most chaotic moments into something manageable.

Alaric dropped his bag by the door and made his way toward the kitchen, the warm, savory aroma growing stronger with each step. Leaning against the doorway, he took a moment to admire the scene before him. Y/N stood at the stove, her back to him, wearing one of his old flannels that she'd claimed as her own. Her long, dark hair was tied up messily, strands escaping to frame her face as she stirred something in a pot.

"Smells amazing," he said, his voice breaking the quiet.

Y/N turned her head, a warm smile spreading across her face as she spotted him. "Hey, you," she greeted. "Dinner's almost ready. Thought I'd surprise you."

"You did." He crossed the room, slipping his arms around her waist from behind and pressing a soft kiss to the side of her neck. "Where are the kids?"

"Elena's with Stefan, and Jeremy is out with friends," she replied, leaning into his embrace. "I told them not to bother coming back too early. Tonight is just for us."

Ric chuckled, resting his chin on her shoulder as he glanced into the pot she was stirring. "You bribed them, didn't you?"

Y/N laughed, her voice rich and melodic. "Maybe. But it's worth it. It's not every day I get the house-and you-all to myself."

He tightened his arms around her, savoring the moment. "I could get used to this."

Y/N turned in his arms, her hands coming to rest on his chest as she looked up at him. There was a glint of mischief in her eyes, but also something softer, deeper. "So could I," she admitted. "But we both know peace and quiet don't last long around here."

"Then we'll make the most of it while we can," Ric said, lowering his head to capture her lips in a tender kiss.

When they finally pulled apart, Y/N smirked. "Go sit down, Ric. Dinner will be ready in five minutes."

"Yes, ma'am," he teased, giving her a mock salute before heading to the dining table.

As he settled into his seat, watching her move about the kitchen with ease, Ric couldn't help but think about how much his life had changed since she came into it. For someone who'd been alive for over a century, Y/N brought a kind of vitality and warmth to his world that he hadn't realized he was missing.

Dinner was served at the small dining table in the Gilbert house, a cozy meal for two that smelled as good as it tasted. Y/N had gone all out with roasted chicken, mashed potatoes, and a salad-simple but heartfelt, the kind of thing Ric rarely made time for himself.

As they dug in, Ric leaned back in his chair, sipping a glass of wine before starting, "You know, I love my job, but some days, I wonder if I'm just speaking to a brick wall."

Y/N raised an eyebrow, her fork pausing mid-air. "Tough day, Mr. Saltzman?"

"More like a tough crowd," he replied with a wry grin. "I was teaching about how the Civil War moved through Mystic Falls and how the town's history was shaped by it. Apparently, that's the 'most boring' part of the curriculum."

Y/N snorted, covering her mouth with her napkin to stifle her laugh. "Well, to be fair, you could spice it up a little."

"Oh, yeah? Got any tips, Professor Gilbert?"