Vienna ~*~ [ DAMON SALVATORE ]

xvi

~*~
warnings: last chapter :(

     Damon set the phone back down on the receiver, then turned around to see his brother standing right where he left him. They were silent for a few moments until Stefan stepped forward and reached around Damon for the glass of bourbon he left on the counter. 

      "When did you turn your humanity back on?" Damon asked, following his brother into the living room. 

     "Uh, only when Lexi came to get me. Haven't seen you since," Stefan responded, turning to face his brother again. "Which is why I'm confused about the man in the basement screaming curses at me for turning him into a vampire." Damon stared at his brother, taking small steps towards him. 

     "I don't understand, you've been here for four months now," Damon retaliated, Stefan tilting his head in confusion. 

     "I've been in Europe for the past four months. Lexi said I should come check up on you since we kind of left you hanging," Stefan said, setting the glass on a table. "Damon, what did you do?" 

     "I didn't... I thought it was you," Damon said, looking at up his brother with wide eyes. 

     "So, you're saying that someone's been posing as me for four months," Stefan said, taking small steps towards his brother. "Where's Angel?" 

     "A-At Thomas's house. No one's been invited in," he responded. 

     "Good. Send her on the next plane out of here," Stefan said, Damon's mouth falling open in shock. "I know what you're going to say-" 

     "No," Damon said. "I'm not..." He stopped again, taking a deep breath as he thought about losing Angel. "I can't let her go, Stefan. I-I'm happy with her." 

      "And I'm happy for you, more than anything, Damon. But she's in danger. Everything has been a lie for the past four months. You can't keep her in danger," Stefan told him, Damon shaking his head slowly at his brother.

     "No, I can't leave her," Damon said, shaking his head. He paced back and forth for a few second, Stefan sighing as he crossed his arms. 

     "Damon, you can't keep her here. It's a small town, but it's a big world. She needs to get somewhere safe until we figure out what's going on," Stefan said, walking to his brother. Damon looked up, his heart pounding in fear of what this meant. It meant losing her, for a long time. Maybe even for good. 

     "Stefan, she's..." 

     "I know, Damon. We've been there before," he said, making Damon look up at him. "If you love her, you'll keep her safe." 

      "I know," Damon mumbled. He glanced at Stefan, then pushed past his brother and to his room. 

~*~

     Angel walked out of Thomas's house at 11:30 the following day, grimacing at the brightness of the sun. Her jaw hurt, and she was hungry but no food tasted good to her. Katherine said she'd keep Thomas healthy, and would be waiting for Angel to get back from her talk with Damon. She checked her watch to see that she had until eleven hours until she would die without feeding. 

     She took a deep breath, starting her walk to the gazebo. She took her time, ignoring her pounding headache, upset stomach, and quickening heartbeat that she knew would stop soon. All she wanted was for the pain to be over, and she wanted to protect Damon. 

     Angel approached the gazebo, standing at the rail while watching people walk through the park and gardens. She looked down to the roses, remembering her first night out with Damon. She smiled slightly at the memory, hearing footsteps approach the gazebo. She turned around to see Damon walking up, a bag in his right hand. 

     "What's... What's that?" Angel asked, looking to the bag. Damon walked to her, setting it next to Angel's feet. She looked down at it, then back up at Damon. His eyes were red, and tears were beginning to swell in them. "Damon, what's going on?" 

     "I'm so sorry, Angel," he whispered, taking her hands in his. "I never meant to put you in any danger, but I have and..." He stopped himself, choking on a sob. "Y-You need to get away from here." She looked at him, realizing that he was sending her away. She wasn't the one initiating the leaving. She could truly get away with lying to him. "You need to get away from me, I-I'm not good for you. Someone's trying to hurt us, and I never wanted to put you in danger." Angel sobbed a bit, biting her lip as she stared at Damon. 

      "Damon," she whispered, reaching up and cupping his cheek. He leaned into her touch, Angel pulling him into her for a hug. She shut her eyes as tears leaked from them quickly. Damon sobbed as his head leaned into her shoulder, and he cried like he never had before. 

     "I've never loved anyone the way I love you," he said, Angel pulling back to look at him. "You've shown me how beautiful life is, and I love you more than anything." 

     "Damon, I... I don't want to go," she said, trying to at least put up a fight. "I want to stay with you for as long as I can. I want to keep loving you. This isn't fair that you're making this decision for me." 

     "Angel, I've let you call the shots since the moment we first met," he told her, pushing her hair out of her face. "Just this one time, I need you to trust me." Angel stared at him, her lips quivering and head pounding even harder. "Please, Angel. Please, I can't lose you to death. I can't let you die." She stared at him, then nodded slightly as she looked to the ground. 

     "If..." She stopped herself, taking a deep breath to compose herself. "If you could meet me anywhere in the world... Where would we go?" Damon looked at her, trying to steady his breathing as he thought about it. 

     "Vienna," he answered easily. "Austria." He nodded slightly to confirm his answer. "It's the only place I've never been. That's where we'll meet someday." 

     "Then, Damon, Vienna will be waiting for you," she said, giving him a small smile. "And so will I." He nodded as he could no longer speak without breaking down. He pressed his lips against hers. It wasn't rough, it was sweet, it was loving. It was the perfect kiss to say goodbye. Once they both pulled back, Damon gave her a small smile. 

     "Any last words, Fontana?" Damon asked, quirking an eyebrow up at him. 

     "It doesn't seem right to say goodbye, not after everything," she responded in a quiet voice. 

     "You'll be okay, Angel," Damon told her, stroking her cheek. 

     "But will you?" Damon didn't answer her question, but just pecked her lips one more time. "Ti amo per sempre, Damon Salvatore."

     "I'll love you forever, too, Angel Fontana," Damon responded, giving her a slight smile. Angel reached down to the bag, pulling it off the ground to take with her. She started walking out of the gazebo, getting ten yards away before turning back to look at Damon. He watched her as his eyes watered again, but he put on his brave face. Angel let her shoulders sag, and she continued her walk back to Thomas Kline's house. 

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that was the last chapter you guys :(
i'll upload the epilogue soon, then some announcements!

i hope you all enjoyed!