Capital Letters

fourteen

 Nathan spent all night explaining everything to her. From the beginning. From the moment they broke up to where they are now, 145 years later. There was a lot to talk about. And there wasn't a great way to start. How easy is it to tell your ex-fiancé that a woman came to their home, she was a vampire and compelled him to love her? It wasn't an easy thing to talk about. Especially since all she remembers is being killed by Katherine and then being in the tomb.

Stefan has been helping with some of it, the explaining part. Because when she got enough blood in her system she was furious with Nathan. And Stefan happened to hear it all and had to help his brother out.

And Nathan also asked his brother to tell Caroline he was out of town. He didn't want Caroline near all of this. And how would he even begin to explain to her that his ex-fiancé was alive and well?

Aria was still in shock, which was expected. All she remembered was Nathan breaking her heart. And she really didn't know how to take in this information, "So, you broke my heart in front of the whole town, because Katherine used some form of mind control?"

"It's called compulsion," Nathan replied with a nod, "I don't really understand how it works, but it's effective."

"And she made you say those things to me?" Aria pressed, seeking clarification. "Why?"

Nathan furrowed his brow in deep contemplation. "Um, because she's a manipulative bitch who wanted all three of us to worship her. I didn't even know what I was doing. All I knew was that I had to, even if I didn't want to. I didn't realize it then, but when I died and was in transition, everything came back to me."

Aria's eyes searched his, her features a mixture of bewilderment and concern. "You were killed by your father, right? Because you were trying to save Katherine?"

Clearing his throat, Nathan leaned back in the chair positioned beside her on the bed. "Well, I liked to think of it as I was helping my brothers, but technically, yes. I died trying to save a psychotic bitch."

Aria's gaze shifted between his eyes as she processed this startling revelation. He was different, she noted – a transformed version of the man she had once known. His hair was shorter, his attire unfamiliar. Everything was profoundly perplexing for her. He never swore. And if he did, it was never near her.

"You're different," Aria observed, reaching her hand out to gently brush his hair away from his eyes.

Nathan reciprocated her touch, his fingers enveloping hers. "It's been 145 years. The world's changed, and I've had to adapt."

"Stefan's still the same, he still looks like a baby," Aria commented with a hint of nostalgia, eliciting a chuckle from Nathan. "What about Damon? What's he like now?"

Nathan hesitated, reflecting on how Damon had evolved over the years. He was no longer the sweet and gentle soul she had once known. "Uh, he's... suffering from heartbreak right now, so he's, um, he's quite different. We've been through a lot, and he's not the same person he used to be. Do you want something to drink? I can get you coffee, tea, or water."

Aria's response carried a tinge of her old humour. "How about a bottle of whiskey? I could use a few of those."

He smiled, her request confirming that some things remained unchanged. Leaning in, Nathan placed a tender kiss on her forehead. "I'll get you three."

He got out of the chair and walked out of his room. He could already tell that Stefan wasn't there because he wasn't waiting at the bottom of the stairs to see how it was going. He walked into the living room, toward the bar. And he saw Damon sitting on the couch staring at the window with a glass of bourbon in his hands.