Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
"Look at you two, all retro." Roman jumped at the sound of Damon's voice. Stefan and Roman had put on some of their old attire for founders day in Mystic Falls. "What are you doing here?" Stefan glared slightly. "Why wouldn't I be here? Bonnie deactivated the Gilbert invention, Isobel is gone and it's Founders' Day! I'm here to eat cotton candy and steal your girl." Roman rolled his eyes, Damon had failed to tell him about the Gilbert device but he already knew what it could've been used for. "Don't start with me, Damon." Stefan glared and Roman could sense his twins uneasiness. "Oh, you started this Stefan with that whole 'I'm insecure, leave Elena alone' speech. I'm enjoying that." Damon smirked as Roman sighed his chest feeling heavy. He didn't want to deal with another Katherine situation. "As long as you heard it." "What? You have no sense of humor, Stefan." "Actually I've no sense of 'Damon humor'." Roman laughed smirking at his twin. "'Damon humor.' Hey look, I get it, I get it. I'm the better, hotter, superior choice and you're scared, now that Katherine is out of the picture, that I'm gonna turn all my attention to Elena. But don't worry, Elena is not Katherine." "You're right, she's not." "We don't know that though." Stefan and Damon turned to glare at Roman. "Holy shit." The youngest Salvatore gasped as all the brothers turned to see Elena. She had on a dress from 1864 that made the brothers gawk. "She looks just like her." Roman whispered out as Elena waved at them. Roman suddenly felt an aching pain in his chest making him hunch over. "Woah are you okay?" Damon grabbed Roman helping him stand. "Yeah, yes I just-" Roman shook his head quickly walking off. He didn't know where he was going but he found himself somewhere in the woods. "Roman Lee." The voice that he heard made him want to die. "Kitty Kat." Roman glared spinning around to see Katherine. "How was that little stomach ache?" She smirked wickedly as Roman scoffed. "There's no way you did that." "You're right, I didn't. But my Bennett witch did." Katherine smirked teasingly as Roman clenched his jaw looking around. "Oh she's not here, I know you. You'd kill her I'd get mad and kill Stefan's new girl." Roman chuckled unamused. "What's the point of this?" Roman asked. "Always straight to the point, well not straight I guess-" Roman shot Katherine an annoyed glare as she laughed at her own joke. "But I'm warning you if you tell anyone I'm back my witch will take care of you." "You think your Bennett witch could stop me from ratting?" Roman laughed in Katherine's face making her smile fall. "Maybe, if this kept happening." As if on cue a searing pain coursed through Roman's head as he gritted his teeth together. "You aren't stronger than me on your own." Roman heaved out as Katherine laughed. "I don't have to be."
❁
Roman was lost in town square. He couldn't find his brothers or Elena anywhere. He couldn't find Caroline or Alaric either, he kept catching glimpses of tomb vampires and narrowly avoided them.
Roman was relieved when he saw Stefan and Elena. He opened his mouth to call for them when he fell to the ground a piercing pain overtaking him. Roman groaned as he pressed his head to the ground trying to make it stop. He felt hands on him but he couldn't tell where he was going. However he did feel someone push him down a flight of stairs. Roman groaned in pain not having the energy to try and move. "Roman." He could barely make Damon's voice out. "It hurts Day." Roman mumbled. "I know baby brother I know." Roman's eyes widened as a fire lit in the building. "No!" "Roman you're okay!" "Make it stop!" Roman screamed clutching his head as he cried.
"Damon stop we have to save him!" "There's no time let's go Roman."
"Roman, look at me." Roman wearily looked at his brother his vision blurry. "You won't get stuck here okay?" Roman nodded wiping his tears. Roman kept inhaling smoke and Damon's voice seemed to fade as he fell into darkness.
❁
Roman had woken up a few hours later recalling what had happened. He sat in the floor in front of his bed as he slowly fed from blood bags. "Hey." Damon said softly walking into Roman's room and taking a seat beside him. Roman set down the empty blood bag with a sigh. "Do you think about him a lot?" Damon asked quietly, feeling sad for his brother. Roman nodded slowly. "Everyday." Damon's heart hurt for his baby brother. "He would've wanted you to get out of that place." Roman took a shaky breath furiously wiping away a tear. "I would've stayed in that place decade after decade if it meant he got to live outside of that cage." Roman whispered. "And that's the problem Ro, because he'd do the same for you." "Sometimes I think what if we didn't get out. What if you and I were still trapped in those cages hearing each other's screams." Damon watched his brother intently as Roman stared straight ahead. "I wonder if it would've really been that awful. Because you and I would be as close as we used to be. And-" Roman stopped himself taking a deep breath as he kept his tears at bay, his lips trembling. "And Enzo. You'd still have Enzo." Roman nodded quickly as tears fell down his face. "He should be here." Damon winced at his brothers weak voice. "I know." Damon whispered. "Sometimes I want to think he's still alive, but then I think I'd rather him be dead then trapped in that place." Damon placed a hand on his brothers shoulder, Roman turning to look at him. "I know you're hurt baby brother, but you and I both know how you feel for that stupid teacher." Roman laughed weakly rolling his eyes. "It's time for you to heal. Yeah?" "Yeah." Roman nodded, Damon patting him on the back. Damon stood walking to the doorway. "Damon?" "Yeah?" "Thank you." Damon just smiled nodding before walking out. "How sweet." Roman jumped up seeing Katherine messing with his letters. "So Lorenzo St. John is the reason you shut everyone out?" Roman glared snatching the letter from her hand. "Get the hell away from me Katerina." "Or what?" "Or I'll call Niklaus down here to skin you alive." Roman glared wickedly. "You wouldn't." Katherine stuck her chin up trying to hide her fear. "I would." Roman shoved her storming out of his room.
❁
Alaric was shocked when he opened his apartment door to see Roman. "Hey can I come in?" "Of course." Roman smiled walking into Alaric's apartment and facing him. "What's up?" Ric asked as Roman took a deep breath. "I know you have a thing about vampires, and I don't know what is really happening with us but-" Roman stopped himself seeing Alaric's small smile. "I can't stop thinking about you." Roman breathed out shaking his head. "I don't know what it is I see in a history teacher of all things-" Alaric laughed shaking his head. "But you make me feel at ease." Roman stared into Alaric's eyes as the man took a step closer to him. "I feel the same." Alaric rested his hand on the side of Roman's face. "Good." Roman grinned leaning in closely and pressing his lips to Alaric's. Roman put his hands on either side of Ric's face smiling into the kiss. The two pulled away laughing lightly. "I'm glad you came." Ric smiled. "I'm glad you let me in."
