BROKEN BONES [4]

12

"Roman,"
A hoarse whisper fell past Bonnie's lips.
"You gotta get up."
Bonnie mumbled.
Roman didn't respond, looking at Enzo's engagement ring that he had put on his own hand.
"Roman."
The Salvatore sniffled, his red eyes snapping to Bonnie.
"It's okay."
Roman whispered reassuring himself.
The boy glanced up to Bonnie, who felt sick to her stomach at the sight of him.
"You know-"
Roman stopped taking a deep breath as he felt more tears try to fall past his eyes.
He took a shaky breath nodding his head as he looked back to Bonnie.
"I guess things were just going too well for me."
Roman whispered his voice cracking as tears leaked from his eyes.
"Things were just too well."
Roman shook his head wiping his tears angrily.
"Ro,"
Bonnie shook her head as she kneeled in front of the boy.
"He's gone again and I'm all alone."
Roman sobbed like a child, red in the face as his eyes squeezed shut.
Bonnie glared softly as tears streamed down her face.
"You are not alone! You have never been alone!"
Bonnie tried to reassure the boy, squeezing his shoulders softly.
Roman bit his lips as they quivered, trying to stop crying.
"You're not gonna turn it off again are you?"
Bonnie mumbled worriedly as Roman gave a pitiful chuckle.
"This pain is too real to ignore I'm afraid.
Pain like this demands to be felt."
Roman sniffled once again shaking his head.
"I'm so sorry Ro-"
"Please don't say that."
Roman winced shaking his head.
"All I ever hear is how sorry people are, I'm so tired of 'sorry.'"
Roman shook his head bitterly.
"I just want to go to sleep and not wake up for a while."
Roman wiped his eyes as Bonnie nodded helping him stand.

Roman taking one last glance at his first loves decayed body.

❁

"Uncle Roman!"
Lizzie and Josie grinned running up to the Salvatore.
Roman forced a weak smile kneeling down to be eye level with the twins.
"What's wrong?"
"Why are you crying?"
The girls asked softly as Alaric and Bonnie watched them interact.
"I'm okay, I'm just really sick."
Roman sniffled pressing his lips together.
"Are you contagious?"
Josie questioned throwing a hand over her mouth.
"No princess, not that kind of sick."
Roman shook his head.
"I'm sorry I didn't know where else to take him."
Roman heard Bonnie telling Alaric.  
"What happened?"
Lizzie asked as Roman sighed.
"I just- I'm just really tired-"
"Take a nap!"
Josie smiled as a grin tugged at Roman's lips.
"Sometimes when you're grown up you get really tired, and sometimes a nap can't fix it."
Roman shook his head sadly as the girls frowned.
"What do you do?"
Lizzie asked as Alaric walked back into the house, having walked Bonnie out.
"Well, you'll keep on being tired for a while but eventually you won't feel tired anymore."
"How long have you been tired?"
Josie asked as Roman gave a miserable chuckle.
"A r-really long time,"
Roman couldn't help the tears in his eyes.
"But I know i-it'll get better."
Roman lied as Alaric's heart broke.
Roman didn't know if it would get better, he couldn't imagine it getting better.
"Why don't we let Uncle Roman get some sleep?"
Alaric forced a smile as the girls nodded wrapping Roman in a hug and running off.
Alaric led Roman to his guest bedroom shutting the door softly.
The two stood there for a moment, the professor watched as the boy's facade came crashing down.
"He's dead Ric."
Roman sobbed again, his chest heaving up and down as he placed his hands on his head.
"He's dead-"
Alaric pulled Roman into a tight hug, letting the boy sob into his chest.
"Sh, you're gonna be okay Ro."
Alaric whispered as he rocked them back and forth holding the boy close to his chest.

Roman pulled back as Alaric cupped his face, the boy still crying rapidly.
"I don't wanna feel like this again, I don't wanna hurt anymore."
Alaric's heart broke as he watched the boy cry.
"Hey, take a deep breath okay?"
Roman did as told taking a shaky breath as he regained some composure.
Alaric softly pushed him to sit down on the bed, hurrying into the bathroom and grabbing a cloth and a pair of clothes.
The man wiped the Salvatore's face softly, getting rid of the tears and the spit.
Roman let him, sitting quietly as Alaric did so.
Ric pulled off Roman's shirt, the boy barley lifting his arms as he tried to help him.
Alaric helped Roman put on the sweater, along with the sweatpants he'd brought for him.
"I was so close."
Roman whispered his voice scratchy, his dark circles making it look like he'd never slept before.
"I was so close to getting a happy ending,"
Roman gave a sad chuckle as Alaric frowned at the sight.
"What are you going to do?"
Alaric whispered softly as Roman faked a laugh and a smile, shaking his head.
"I'll just keep living, even though I wish I didn't have to."
Roman shook his head refusing to cry again.
"I didn't get a goodbye."
Roman couldn't hold back the tears, and for what felt like the millionth time they fell down his face.
"Why does everyone I love die?"
Roman cried in question as Alaric looked down at him.
"Sometimes really, really terrible things happen to people and there is no warning and no reason. And for that I am so sorry."
Alaric whispered as Roman frowned deeply his shoulders shaking as tears fell down his cheeks.
He leaned into Alairc's side, the man holding him as tight as possible.
"Please don't leave me."
Roman sobbed as Alaric closed his eyes, his heart breaking as he listened to Roman cry.
"Never. I'll never leave you, I promise."