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Alaric sat there watching Claire finishing up her work and as he sat there waiting patiently, he watched her. A small smile appeared on his face as she continued to type away. He began to recall their many memories together, from the first time he bumped into her at school, the time he had told her about his wife Isobel and Damon, she was the first person he had told about his feelings for Jenna, the time she had told him about her feelings for Klaus and him almost wanting to murder Klaus for making her fall for him, the time she stayed with him the entire night and held him because he was crying over Jenna's death, the time she had almost died because Klaus and Stefan were fighting, the time she took a bullet for him even knowing that he had the Gilbert Ring, the time she had told everyone she was pregant with Klaus' children and Klaus cheating on her, the times during her pregnancy and giving birth, the time he had told her about Josie, the day where they went to buy Josie's engagment ring, the time where they were planning his wedding, the time where she agreed to carry their children, the times where the kids were growing up, all the way to yesterday where Kol came over to the house.
He remembered everything because everything he had gone and done with her was priceless. There hasn't been a day since he had moved to Mystic Falls where Claire wasn't involved. She was somehow always keeping everyone calm and focus, she was always the one who never lost her cool and kept her mind in the right place even when everyone wanting to kill someone Claire never wanted any kind of violence. She was the good one, but you all know what they say about the good people, they suffer the most. Alaric hated whenever Klaus would mess up, make her cry, make her feel unloved and unworthy, make her feel as though she wasn't good enough because she was only a human. She was willing to become a vampire just to be with him, she was about to leave her entire family for him, throw away everything just so that they could be together and yet he couldn't keep his dick inside his pants. His hatred and anger towards the Original Hybrid only grew as the months went by when Claire was pregnant. Seeing her secretly suffer and pretend that everything was fine, seeing her cry at night and crying for Klaus, hearing her talk to her children about how their father was a good man despite committing many wrongs, and secreting reading the letters she had wrote to Klaus-- just made Alaric hate Klaus. He didn't deserved her, not when she had done so much for him, given him so much only for him to not care.
"What's on your mind?" Claire's soft voice broke Alaric from his thoughts. He blinked twice before his vision went back to normal. Claire was watching him with a tiny smile yet her eyes showing concern and worried. Ahh, those big blue eyes. How many times had he seen them shed tears? How many times had he seen them so hopeless? So tired? For many, he supposed. Although she grief, cried and had lost hope throughout the years, she had never let them take her true self from her. She had never let anything keep her down, she would always continue no matter how messed up she was. And that was what made her beautiful and pure. That was one of the many reasons he had come to love and respect Claire Forbes. She was one unique woman.
Alaric returned the smile, he leaned forward and took her soft, delicate hand into his rougher one. Giving it a gentle squeeze, "have I told you that I love you?" her reaction only made him laugh. She narrowed her blues eyes in suspicious, "what have you done now?"
The smile he gave her was the same one he had always given her whenever she had made him feel free and whole, "can't a man just tell that he loves you?"
Claire scoffed while slapping his hand away, making him laugh even more. "Not unless you're cheating on me or want to sacrifice yourself for the greater good?" Alaric stopped laughing and looked at her, though he wanted to be serious and be a good friend to her he just couldn't. He rolled his eyes playfully, "if you wanna talk about tragic relationships I think I've won, sweetheart. My ex-wife left me and became a vampire then got killed, my then-girlfriend was a sacrifice so that a psychopath can become a Hybrid, and then my other wife was murder by her twin brother." She looked at him with a fake annoyance, "fine you win."
It was silent as they locked eyes with each other for a moment, taking in what they've just said. Out of nowhere, the two of them started to laugh out loud. They stared at each other and laughed some more, they couldn't help themselves as they laughed. Finding it hilarious and sad about how their loves-lives were very poor. "Wow," he said, "we're two unlucky vampires," he paused as Claire shook her head, Alaric rubbed his chin and looked at Claire seriously, "since we're both awful with relationships and we have kids together, how about we get married?"
Claire laughed once again, "No thank you," wiping away a fallen tear from laughing too hard. "I don't want to die yet." Alaric picked up a pen and threw it at her, and of course, being a vampire has its perks she moved away quickly. Claire laughed more as Alaric pouted and crossed his arms, "you're mean."
Once again Alaric watched Claire laugh freely, it has been a while since she laughed and it pleases him greatly. There's s many things she has done for him and yet she never asked for anything return. She gives and gives and never expects anything in return. It was one of the many things he had admired her from the start. "You know," Alaric began as Claire calmed down. "I can never say how truly thankful I am to you." Claire became serious as he contined talking. "You, Claire Forbes have been an amazing friend, mother, sister, and partner. I really don't know where I would have been without you. I love you, Claire. Always and forever." She looked at him with a soft smile and her eyes were teary.
Without saying anything she got up from her chair and went towards him. She sat on his laps and hugged him. Alaric wrapped his arms around her tightly and shoved his head between her shoulders, he inhaled her scent. Her sweet scent smelled like home to him. Whenever he smelled it, he could always relax and feel at peace. "I love you too," she whispered back.
