Book Two: Aquiver (A. Saltzman)

Chapter Fourteen

Diana sleeps in Alaric's bed, they've been switching and swapping every other night. His bed. Her bed. Diana groans as she wakes and turns over to see where Alaric is and what he is doing. He's checking ties in his mirror. He's actually checking ties in the mirror. She frowns a little.

"What are you doing?" she asks him.

"How do I look?" Alaric asks her as he shows off his outfit. She realizes and smirks a little.

"You are actually trying to look good for Jenna?" she asks him, he shrugs a little.

"She's important to you" he answers. "This is important to us" he corrects. "I want to make a good impression" she smiles softly at him.

"She already knows who you are, Ric" She points out.

"But this is me...as your boyfriend...as your partner" He counters. "It's different" She sits up and kneels on the bed motioning him closer to her.

"I like this one," She tells him softly as she runs her fingers over the tie he's wearing. "It's the one you were wearing the night we met" she reminds him, he looks down at the tie and then at her.

"I guess that makes it pretty lucky, huh?" he asks her, she chuckles a little and shrugs.

"Depends on your definition of luck, doesn't it?" she counters. "Stalker. Stabbing. Evil twin sister. Ex-wives. Vampires. Werewolves...oh my" she teases, he takes her face in his hands.

"I found you" he whispers. "That makes it pretty damn lucky...."

"Gods, you're so sappy some times" She counters with a warm smile. "Now....come back to bed"

"Why?"

"Cause that tie is doing things to me" She purrs at him, he raises an eyebrow at her. She wraps the tie around her hand and pulls him onto the bed with her. He smirks and leans over her to kiss her.

.....................

"Are you baking?" Alaric asks leaning in the kitchen doorway at the Gilbert house. Diana stands at the counter, and she is indeed baking a pie.

"What?" she counters. "I bake...I cook" She defends. "I even clean every now and then"

"Hmmm so much I don't know about you" She nods in agreement as he leans up and moves towards the counter. "Is this the wolfsbane?" Alaric asks touching the box on the counter.

"I'm baking it into the pie" She taps her head. "Smart" he chuckles and walks towards her.

"You get hungry whilst you bake?"

"What? No" She argues, Alaric raises an eyebrow and reaches up to touch the corner of her lips, he brushes away pie filling and smirks at her. "A little" She admits. Alaric leans closer to her and brushes his lips over hers.

"Not in the kitchen" Jenna scolds as she walks into the kitchen, Alaric and Diana separate from one another. "We have to eat in here...." She teases a little as Elena joins them.

"Thanks for letting me invite Caroline, Jenna. She could use a day of distraction." Elena tells Jenna.

"Well, she's not the plus one I'm worried about." Jenna counters. "Why is Damon coming again?" She asks Diana who shrugs a little.

"Come on Jenna, be nice." Elena scolds slightly.

"I'll be nice when Damon learns to keep his paws off you." Jenna counters just before Mason walks into the room carrying a bottle and some shot glasses.

"Good news! I found the shot glasses!" Mason tells them.

"That would be my exit," Elena admits and shares a look with Diana before she leaves the room.