SKIN LIKE STONE [2]

13

"My boyfriend is being controlled by a psychopath and you're dragging me to a school dance?"
Roman sighed as Stefan pulled him into Mystic Falls high school.
"Come on Ro, you've always loved the 20's.
And you need a break from the family feuding."
Stefan tried to ease his baby brother.
Just by looking at the Salvatore you could see he was on edge.
"I don't know Stefan I think I should be with him."
"You should relax, Alaric's gonna be just fine."
Roman took a deep breath deciding to trust his twin.
With a nod they went their separate ways in the gym.
Roman felt uneasy, if he was a human he'd probably be running to the bathroom and getting sick.
"We have to talk."
Damon told him urgently, as Elena and Stefan followed.
"What are you doing? I thought you were with Alaric!"
Roman exclaimed hurriedly.
His heart was beating rapidly scared for Ric, his Ric.
"If Alaric is sick then we need to find a cure. Something."
Elena chimed in shaking her head.
"We tried medicine, we tried magic."
Damon sighed as Roman's heart began to break.
"You're saying that like we can't save him."
Damon squeezed his eyes shut as Stefan winced.
They'd both heard that tone from their baby brother before, the one where his heart was on the verge of shattering.
"We can save him, there has to be a way.
Why don't we get him off vervain, compel him?"
Stefan suggested.
"What? To pretend to be Alaric? The guy that we know is gone."
At that Roman couldn't help the choked cry in his throat.
Elena didn't hesitate to wrap her arms around him.
"We're talking about someone who not only hates vampires, but vampire sympathizers. Which makes one of his most obvious targets: I don't know, you two!"
Damon pointed at Roman and Elena.
Roman couldn't help the tears that almost fell,
pulling away from Elena with bloodshot eyes.
All three could tell he was on the verge of tears.
"What you think he'd go after Elena?"
Stefan asked.
"So wait, what are you suggesting we do?"
Elena questioned.
"I'm suggesting that we put him out of his misery."
Damon should've kept his mouth shut.
Roman lunged at him slamming him so hard into the lockers it left a dent.
Tears of pure heartbreak poured down Roman's face.
"Please Damon, please don't. Please everything's been taken away from me please-"
Roman pleaded like a child as Elena pulled him back into her arms.
Roman sobbed into the brunettes shoulder as her heart broke for him.
"You are out of your mind!"
Jeremy joined in storming out of the school.
"Jeremy."
Elena followed after him in a hurry.
Roman let out a breathy cough as more tears fell.
"I don't want him to go."
Roman cried as his brothers hearts broke.
"Guys come on you need to see this! Esther casted a spell!"
The Salvatore's followed Jeremy out of the school.
"Salt. It's the binding agent for her spell."
Stefan gaped, the entire school lined with salt.
"We're trapped here."
Those words only made Roman's heart sink more.

Almost an hour later Bonnie had broken Esther's spell.
Roman and Damon raced to the cemetery.
Roman busted in his heart racing.
"He's in transition."
Elena whispered to Roman.
"He's not going to do it."
Jeremy added in quietly.
"No, no!"
Roman sobbed his chest heaving.
He kneeled down beside a drowsy Alaric who had tears of his own.
"Please don't go."
Roman cried burying his head into Alaric's shoulder.
The Gilbert's watched tears on their faces as Damon looked away.
"I'm sorry. I'm sorry."
Alaric whispered kissing Roman's forehead.
The Gilbert's left leaving Roman and Damon alone with Alaric.
"Drink."
Damon sadly told Alaric offering him a bottle of whiskey.
"Actually I've been thinking about cutting back."
A sad tear rolled down Ric's cheek and Roman kissed it away.
"Yeah that stuff will kill ya'."
Damon whispered taking a swig with tears of his own.
"I'll see you soon baby, okay?"
Roman cried as Alaric nodded wearily his lips trembling.
"I'll see you soon Ro."
Roman placed a long kiss to his forehand as tears poured.
Damon and Roman waited for Alaric to fall asleep.
Then they drug themselves away.
"Are you gonna be okay?"
Damon whispered to his brother who was still unable to stop the rapid tears.
"I've been alone and heartbroken for decades. What's one more?"
Roman gave a weak smile that did nothing but make the Salvatore's cry more.
"You didn't deserve this baby brother."
Damon cried furiously.
"No."
Roman shook his head his voice cracking as he pointed to where Alaric's body lay.
"He didn't deserve this."
Roman wandered into the woods,
praying, begging for the tears to stop.
For everything, for one serene moment, to just stop.