SKIN LIKE STONE [2]

2

Roman's entire body was burning, and everything seemed dark when he opened his eyes.
Damon crept into the room setting down a chair and straddling it.
"You gonna hurt me big brother?"
Roman gave a dry chuckle slumped against the wall.
"I don't want to."
Damon whispered shaking his head.
"That's your problem Damon. If you don't hurt me you won't get anything done, and if you do
hurt me-"
Roman laughed, however it sounded sharp and bitter.
"Well then you hurt me."
Roman smirked tiredly as Damon pursed his lips.
"Do you remember our mothers funeral?"

1858

Roman sniffled as he sat in the stables his hands and knees scraped from where he had fell.
"Roman!"
Damon exclaimed softly running up to the boy crouching in front of him.
Roman sniffled again softly looking up at Roman with glossy eyes.
"I fell."
Damon gave a soft chuckle.
"Yeah buddy you did. Are you alright?"
Roman shook his head as stray tears fell from his face.
"It hurts Day Day."
Roman sniffled as Damon took his hand in his own, wiping them softly with a nearby towel.
"Your knee or your hand?"
Damon rose an eyebrow.
Roman just stared back at Damon and shook his head.
Realization washed over Damon's face as he raised his eyebrows.
Damon softly pulled his brother to his feet still crouching in front of him.
"Your mother loved you so much Ro, she loved both of us so much, and Stefan too."
Roman cried his lips trembling.
"Then why'd she leave?"
The way Roman's voice cracked made Damon wince.
"She didn't have a choice Lee."
Damon whispered pitifully wiping away the tears.
"But she's still with you."
Damon places a hand over Roman's heart.
"She is always with you."
Roman jumped into his brother's arms squeezing him tight, his scraped knees forgotten.

"Is that the best you've got big brother?"
Roman smirked rolling his eyes.
"You think our deadbeat mommy who watched us get beaten bloody for years affects me anymore?"
"It did back then."
Damon said a cold expression on his face.
"I was young back then, everyone wants their mother back then. But did we ever really have a mother?"
Roman laughed as Damon's eyes narrowed.
"We did. She cared about us."
Damon rose his voice slightly.
"No! She cared about herself."
Roman remained calm, void of any emotion.
"Maybe try again tomorrow Day Day."
Roman smirked as Damon stood up swiftly knocking the chair to the ground.
As Damon went up to the living room he could hear Roman laugh.
"Any luck?"
Alaric asked, although Damon's angry expression gave it away.
"It's so hard to fix him."
Damon groaned through his teeth.
"Well what else is there to do?"
Alaric threw his hands up.
"We keep trying."
Damon ran a hand over his face.
"We just have to keep trying."