Try {One | Alaric Saltzman}

Contingency

It felt like home waking up in Alaric's arms. It always had, even since the first time. And now, as she listened to his heart beat, every memory she had of him played before her. The good and the bad, all at once. And, in that moment, she knew that she was in love with him.

Their eyes met through a haze of warm light, speaking louder than the good morning she whispered. He smiled as he tightened his arms around her. A kiss was coming, she could tell, but his phone rang.

His eyes glued to the screen. "It-It's Jenna."

She motioned toward his phone. "Answer it."

He looked over at her. "I-I-"

"Ric, it's fine she doesn't know." She sat straight up as the last ring echoed through the loft. "Answer it!"

He cleared his throat, holding his phone up to his ear. "Hello? Dinner? Y-yeah, yeah tonight is good." He glanced at her. "You're right, I haven't had a home cooked meal since Abigail's party. Alright, see you guys then."

She laughed as he dropped his phone between them. "Told-"

His lips met hers, cutting her off as he dragged her down to lay next to him. Her head was on his bare chest, his fingers were trailing along the same path his lips took the night before, and the words they spoke were ones that they hadn't before. They stayed that way longer than they should have.

With a box of Isobel's research in hand, Alaric rang the Salvatore Boarding House doorbell. It echoed loud enough for them to hear it outside, but no one came to the door. So, again, he rang the doorbell.

Damon pulled the door open. "Well, if it isn't my favorite-"

"What are you doing here?" Abigail blurted as Jeremy appeared behind him.

Surprised Damon hadn't already told them, he said, "I'm the one who found out about the moonstone."

She was proud of him more than anything else, but she still asked, "Does Elena know you're here?"

"Not exactly." He raised his eyebrows. "Does she know you're here?"

She smirked. "Not exactly."

As soon as the box was set on Damon's desk, he was digging through it. "What you got?"

"This is Isobel's research from Duke," Alaric said. "Her assistant sent it to me."

"Mmhm, Vanessa. The hottie."

Abigail took the book out of his hands. "Yes, Vanessa. The girl who tried to kill you."

He shrugged. "Everyone has tried to kill me."

"Now," Alaric cut into their banter. "Do you remember the old Aztec curse Abigail found?"

"Sun and the moon, blah, blah, blah."

"An Aztec curse?" Jeremy walked over to him. "Cool."

"Yeah, you could say that." Abigail laid the book out on the table in front of them, flipping to the correct page without even trying. "Supposedly vampires and werewolves used to roam freely until a shaman put a curse on them to limit their power. Since then, werewolves can only turn on a full moon and vampires are weakened by the sun."

Damon wiggled his fingers, showing off his daylight ring. "Most of them, anyway."

"According to the legend," she continued as if she hadn't been interrupted. "The werewolf part of the curse is sealed with the moonstone."

Jeremy looked down, understanding and confusion somehow taking over his features at the same time. "What do you mean sealed?"

"It's a witch thing," Damon explained. "Whatever seals the curse is usually the key to unsealing the curse."