Force of Gravity • NM

•2•

The next morning

The sunlight streamed gently through the windows as Naira stirred awake, still clutching the soft bunny Damon had placed beside her the night before. Her green eyes fluttered open, and she noticed Damon leaning casually against the doorframe, watching her with a slight smirk.

"Morning, kid," he greeted, his tone playful. "Looks like someone's due for a bath. Bunny too."

Naira blinked up at him, her voice still soft from sleep. "Bunny needs a bath?"

"Yeah, he's been through a lot, older than a lot of people in town," Damon teased, stepping into the room. "He belonged to my brother, Stefan. He was younger than me, and that bunny was his favorite when we were kids."

Naira's eyes widened with curiosity. "You have a brother?"

"Had," Damon corrected, his voice faltering for a moment. "Stefan and I-we don't live together anymore. But yeah, he's my younger brother. That bunny's been around since he was a kid."

She looked down at the bunny, hugging it a little tighter. "Do you miss him?"

Damon hesitated, the question catching him off guard. "Sometimes," he admitted with a shrug, trying to sound indifferent. "But Stefan and I... we're different."

Naira didn't press further. Instead, she glanced down at her own dusty pajamas and mumbled, "I don't have any other clothes."

Damon glanced over at the drawer where he kept random articles of clothing from his past "overnight guests," but something in him recoiled at the idea of giving them to her. It felt wrong. Naira wasn't like any of those people-she was special, innocent. She deserved better.

Without saying a word, he reached into his own closet and grabbed one of his black shirts, tossing it to her. "Here. It'll be big, but it'll work until we figure something out."

Naira caught the shirt and held it up against her small frame, which only made her look even tinier. A smile tugged at her lips as she hugged the shirt. "Thank you!"

"Go on, take your bath," Damon said, ruffling her hair gently. "And don't forget about bunny."

Naira reappeared after her bath, dressed in Damon's oversized shirt, her damp black hair framing her face. She held the now-clean bunny in her arms as she made her way into the kitchen. Her nose twitched at the delicious scent of pancakes, and her eyes widened when she saw Damon standing at the stove.

"You made pancakes?" she asked in awe, stepping closer to the counter.

Damon turned, a sly grin on his face. "Vampy pancakes," he said, setting a plate in front of her. They were shaped like little vampire faces, complete with syrup fangs and berry eyes. "It's a specialty."

Naira giggled, sitting down eagerly and cutting into the pancakes. She ate a few bites, her mood bright, but after a while, she grew quiet, her smile fading as she stared down at her plate.

Damon noticed the shift immediately. "Something on your mind, little elf?"

She hesitated, fidgeting with her fork before speaking. "My parents... they didn't want me," she whispered, her voice trembling. "They said I was weird because I talked to flowers and trees... because I wasn't like other kids. They called me a freak."

The words hit Damon like a punch to the gut, and he felt his jaw tighten. Rage simmered just below the surface as he imagined the kind of parents who would abandon such an innocent, sweet child. He clenched his fists under the table, forcing himself to stay calm for Naira's sake.

"They're idiots," Damon said firmly, his voice low but filled with conviction. "You're not a freak, Naira. You're special. And they didn't deserve you."

Her eyes filled with uncertainty. "Do you really think so?"

Damon looked her in the eyes, his expression serious. "Yeah, I do."

A small smile touched her lips, but the sadness lingered in her eyes as they finished breakfast in silence. Damon's anger, though contained for now, simmered dangerously beneath the surface.

That Night

Damon couldn't shake the anger from Naira's story. After she had gone to bed, still clutching Stefan's old bunny, Damon slipped out of the house with a single goal in mind. He knew exactly where her parents lived, and he intended to make them pay for the way they treated her.

It didn't take long to find the house. It was a plain, unremarkable home on the outskirts of town, but Damon could already hear their voices inside, going about their evening like nothing had ever happened. Like they hadn't abandoned their daughter.

Damon approached the door, his steps silent, and knocked once-sharp and commanding. Her father opened the door, his face immediately draining of color when he saw Damon standing there, the look in his eyes cold and dangerous.

"Remember Naira?" Damon growled, his voice laced with menace. "Your daughter? The one you left to die in the forest?"

Her father's mouth opened, but no sound came out. Behind him, her mother stepped forward, equally pale and horrified.

"You don't deserve to have a daughter," Damon continued, his anger barely restrained. "But don't worry. I'm not going to kill you." He leaned in closer, his voice a low, dangerous whisper. "You'll wish I did."

Without another word, Damon's eyes glowed with the power of compulsion. "You killed her," he said softly, his voice dripping with venom. "She didn't survive. You left her there to die, and the guilt will eat you alive every day for the rest of your miserable lives."

Her father's expression glazed over, as did her mother's. The weight of Damon's compulsion settled in, and the horror of what they now believed they had done would haunt them forever.

Satisfied, Damon turned and walked away, leaving them frozen in their new reality, the guilt gnawing at them like a slow poison. Killing them would have been too easy. This-this was justice.

Damon sat on the porch, his phone in his hand as he dialed a number he hadn't called in ten years. The line rang, and he waited, his expression unreadable, until Stefan's voice finally came through on the other end.

"Damon?" Stefan's voice was cautious, uncertain.

"Yeah, it's me," Damon replied, glancing toward the house where Naira was fast asleep. "I found someone. A little girl-Naira. You're going to want to hear this."

Stefan was silent for a moment, processing what Damon had said. "Tell me everything."

And so Damon did. He told Stefan everything, from how he found Naira in the forest to her powers and how she had unknowingly flipped his humanity switch back on. As he spoke, he could hear Stefan's surprise but also his understanding.

"I'll be there soon," Stefan finally said, his tone resolute.

Damon hung up, a rare sense of relief settling over him. For the first time in a long while, he wasn't facing the future alone. And with Stefan coming, they might finally give Naira the family she truly deserved.