To Be A Vampire

Small Things

Hey!! So, this is my first TVD LongFic, so apologies if it isn't what you expect.
THIS IS AN ALTERNATE UNIVERSE SET THREE YEARS AFTER 8X16.
Any warnings that apply, they'll go at the start of each chapter.

"Wanna come over for a drink?"
"Are you kidding me? It's 3 in the afternoon!"
"Damon, I have had... a really long day and I do not wanna go to the Grill."
Damon sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose before replying. "Fine. But Rick?"
"Yeah?"
"You're an ass." Damon heard Alaric chuckle as he hit the red 'end call' button. He stood up from the couch, where he previously been reading Fifty Shades of Grey, and slipped his favourite pair of motorcycle boots on before shouting up the stairs of the Salvatore Boarding House. "Elena?" There was a few seconds silence then; "yeah? I'm in the shower!" Damon chuckled and couldn't help but smirk at the thought of his love showering. "I'm going over to Rick's for a drink, I won't be too late!"
"Alright, I love you!" He heard Elena call. Damon smiled to himself and threw on his leather jacket. "I love you too!" He shouted back before leaving the Boarding House. 

"Wow, you came." Alaric said as he opened the door. His hair was slightly dishevelled and he had light bags under his eyes. "You call, I come. You look a mess, Rick." Alaric scoffed as he stepped back to allow Damon on the premisses. "Ooh, bourbon! And you got my favourite!" Damon exclaimed as he spotted the bottle on the coffee table. Alaric poured them a half glass each and both men sighed as they collapsed onto the couches opposite one another, the table standing between them. "What's that?" Damon asked, pointing across the room at what looks the be an old metal safe. "It's a safe, found it at an old witch-burning site. I've been tryna get into it all afternoon, but it just doesn't wanna open." Damon sighed again and stood up, putting his glass on the table and walking over to the safe. "Lucky you've got me as a friend then." He said, taking the handle and trying to snap it off. "Hang on." He tried again, then he remembered. Both men fell silent as realisation dawned in Damon's eyes. "Right. Human. No strength." Damon said a minute later, breaking the silence. "Thought I got used to having no powers, haven't done anything like that in over a year." He didn't admit it out loud, but Damon felt a sense of loss when he couldn't open the safe. He pushed it to the back of his mind- he was happy being human.

Damon sat back down on the couch and downed the rest of his drink in one mouthful. Together over the next few hours, he and Alaric drank the rest of the bourbon, exchanging conversation about everything and nothing. Alaric's work at the Armoury, Damon's relationship with Elena, the twins, Elena's hints at marriage. By the time the conversation died out, it was six in the evening and Damon was starting to feel fuzzy in the head. "Maybe you should call a cab, don't want you driving in this state." Damon shook his head. "Nah, Elena'll be around here, I'll ask her if she can take me home." He replied, pulling his phone out of his pocket and hitting Elena on speed dial.

"Hey, you ok?" She answered with.
"Yeah. Are you nearby? Rick and I downed a whole bottle of my favourite bourbon so I don't wanna drive." He could practically feel Elena smirking through the screen.
"Yeah, Bonnie picked me up anyway. I'm at the Grill, so I'll be there in ten." Damon nodded and hummed as he smiled. "Thank you, I love you." He heard Elena reply the same, then hung up and turned to Alaric. "She's at the Grill, she'll be here in ten." Alaric nodded and gestured towards the safe. "Also, Caroline already tried breaking the handle off. I had to attach it back on because it did nothing." Damon huffed and muttered "powers are useless anyway" under his breath.
"Alright, I'm gonna wait outside for Elena. I'll see you around, Rick." Damon said, opening the door. Alaric lifted a hand in a wave from the couch as Damon left the apartment, closing the door behind him.

Once outside the apartment block, Damon heard people whispering around the corner. Curious, he reached out with his hearing so he could listen, only it didn't work. Damon tried a few more times before he realised he'd done it again- used his ex-abilities without even thinking about it. Damon took a deep, steadying breath. The incident with the safe had affected him more than he cared to admit, even to himself. He was right- it had been over a year since the last time he had tried to instinctively use his powers... and now he had done it twice in the space of three hours. This time, he didn't push away the sense of loss he felt when he failed to hear the whispering couple, but rather let himself feel it for a few seconds. Why was he doing this? He didn't miss being a vampire... did he?