SKIN LIKE STONE [2]

14

"Going darker, huh?"
Stefan forced a smile seeing as Elena and Jermey were painting Alaric's old room.
Elena spun around catching a glance of Roman who stood close to his twin.
He had a baggy navy sweater on, Elena recognized it as Alaric's, and baggy jeans going hand in hand with the outline of tears still stuck on his face.
"It's the only color we had."
Elena told him softly smiling at Roman.
"That's what happens when you decide to paint your dead guardian's room in the middle of the night."
Jeremy spat bitterly earning a glare from Elena and an unnoticeable wince from Roman.
"I don't suppose anyone tried to talk you guys out of doing this so soon."
Stefan sighed throwing a glance to his twin.
"We have to keep moving. Otherwise we'll start thinking and we don't want to think."
Elena looked to Roman, a prime example of what happens when you think.
"Want a hand?"
"Or two?"
Roman added in.
No one in the room had ever heard Roman's voice so light, so void of anything but sadness.
"So, are you two like back together or something?"
Jeremy glared at Elena and Stefan.
"What? No, Jer, we're just-"
"I – I was just checking up on you guys. Seeing how you were doing, after everything."
Stefan and Elena tried to defend.
"We're fine. But, if you are trying to be the good guy again, why don't you do the right thing and give us one day. Just one day without any vampires in it."
Jeremy hit Roman's shoulder, surprisingly sending him into the doorframe.
"He didn't mean that."
Elena whispered to the twins.
"Yeah, yeah he did."
Stefan pursed his lips.
Suddenly the doorbell rang making Roman jump.
"I'll get it."
Roman sniffled.
Roman was shocked at what he saw.
There was Damon holding up Bonnie who had a bite mark in her neck.
"We have a problem."
The eldest Salvatore looked at his brother with wide eyes.

"What do you mean he turned? I thought you were standing guard!"
Stefan screamed.
Roman's head was pressed into the kitchen counter with his hands over his ears.
At times like these Damon and Stefan remembered how much younger he seemed to be.
"Don't blame me. Blame Bonnie the blood bank. She fed him."
Damon glared at the girl.
"I had no idea what was happening. Okay, the witches led me there. They wanted him to feed so he turned."
Bonnie tried to defend looking worriedly at Roman.
"So, where's the stake now?"
Stefan asked.
"Oh, you mean the white oak one? The one that can kill an Original and wipe out an entire line of vampires? We don't know."
Roman cried even harder at Damon's words.
A thought he wished he'd never have came into his mind.
Oh how he wished Alaric would've died like he wanted.

❁

Roman and Damon had gone to the storage units just outside of town to retrieve Niklaus's body.
Alaric was on his way to stake the original and kill his sire line.
However Damon and Roman had gotten there first and were now waiting on Rebekah so they could hide the coffin.
They heard the doors open and Roman let out a sigh of relief, wanting to leave the building quickly with Rebekah.
However instead of Rebekah, Alaric quickly sped into the hallway, locking Damon in a chokehold.
"Where is Klaus?"
Alaric growled as Roman stared at him with wide eyes.
Roman knew he only cared about killing.
"How did you find us?"
Damon choked out.
"Oh, you'd be amazed at how competent law enforcement is when it's not corrupted by vampires. Now, where is Klaus?"
Alaric growled tightening his grip.
Roman watched not being able to bring himself to try and fight off Alaric.
"In a storage locker. There's only about a thousand of them, have at it."
Alaric snapped Damon's neck angrily, speeding over to Roman and doing the same.

Alaric found the casket and Rebekah found the Salvatore's.
They were all hiding in wait for Alaric.
They all caught sight of him opening the coffin.
Alaric raised his hand to stake Niklaus.
And Roman ran right in front of him.
The wood went through his chest easily.
The Salvatore collapsed to the ground, any sudden movements and a splinter would hit his heart.
"No!"
Rebekah and Damon screamed at the top of their lungs.
"Who's next?"
Alaric grinned stabbing Niklaus as well, ignoring a withering Roman.
Rebekah ran, Alaric happily chasing after her.
Damon sped over cradling his baby brother's head in his lap.
"Baby brother no."
Damon cried as Roman took deep breaths. 
"I'm sorry Day-"
"No, no, there's nothing to be sorry about
Roman Lee. You didn't do anything wrong Ro."
Damon sniffled as Roman felt tears fall down his face.
"I'm still not ready."
Roman cried.
"I don't want to go Damon, I'm not ready."
Roman cried as did Damon.
"Hey, it's gonna be okay, you're gonna be okay Roman."
The Salvatore brothers were in tears.
"Tell Stefan I love him."
Damon nodded squeezing his brother tight.
"I'm sorry I hated you Damon."
Roman sobbed.
"Little brother you have nothing to be sorry about."
Damon pushed his curls out of his eyes.
However Roman's body jerked as the wood went into his heart.
"No!"
Damon screamed his whole body shaking as Roman's skin turned to grey.
"I'm so sorry baby brother. I'm so sorry."

Just like that.
Roman Salvatore was dead.