༒︎Damon
***
"I'm happy you came with me." Elio smiles, but I avoided looking at him.
I didn't come with him because I was leaving Aleksandr or doing what he asked of me. I came with him because I knew this would probably be...the last chance that I could speak to Jerome and William.
To understand better, especially from Elio.
"Are you?"
"Of course!" Elio welcomed me into their house again, grabbing my hand. "I was honestly afraid you'd...still take Aleksandr's side after seeing the full past, but... I see now that you and I really are meant to be. I told William, but he believed he read you and was aware of who your choice would be; but for once, he's wrong."
Elio smiles up at me, but when I don't smile back I slowly watch it falter from his face.
"Right?"
"Elio..." I say his name calmly, and right then and there, he yanked his hand from mine.
"Damon?"
"What aren't you telling me?" I question him now, seeing him frown at my confronting. "I trusted you and you're not telling me everything. You are on someone's side already, you are with William and he isn't even telling the full thing. So what is going on?"
"I know what I need to know. It's not about 'sides'-."
"Of course it is! Don't play dumb with me." I sneer, Elio's eyes narrowing on me now. "You...aren't telling me it all. You let me hate him and think everything that was done didn't start from somewhere-."
"You decided that, not me." Elio interrupts me sharply.
My eyes widen on him, seeing him glare at me as he snorts.
"You decided from the moment you met him that you'd hate him. I didn't need to tell you anything because you already made your choice. I just sided in that hatred because you had so much of it. You believe anything, and it's not like I lied. He is a horrible person, don't act like he isn't. Everything he's done is bad, don't give him excuses. There's no excuse for his actions-."
"There isn't, but he didn't do everything without a reason. There's a reason for everything, and his reason...was because no one had his back and told him the truth. All those humans, he didn't kill all - he actually killed none. He just had those killed who thought so disgustingly of-."
"Him!" Elio shouts, looking completely and utterly furious. Almost like he couldn't believe that I was...sympathetic. "It was if they thought of him horribly, disgustingly, advantageously. He didn't worry about anyone else because it wasn't about anyone else but himself-."
"And that matters to you because what?" I sneer deeply.
His eyes widen now, and I could tell he didn't like me saying that. It was obvious why it mattered to him.
It was because it mattered to William and that's what he's told him.
"I am human and I know what humans can do to each other just to help themselves. We are all selfish and if we had a chance, we could and probably would be evil creatures. Horrible things that have two choices towards the weak. Take advantage, or help. And so far, all that stayed alive or lived so far, have taken advantage of us. I see no good in my kind, the good is gone." I make known because I was most certain.
Humans of all should know best.
"How about you ask the 'weak' of us. Ask...is there good left in humanity? What do you think they'd say instead of going off what your kind thinks to be true? Instead of listening to William only and accepting what he says to be true? He's full of shit. I don't know what he's seeing, but humans stopped being good some time ago. And it wasn't because of Aleksandr, we were bad before that. You can't blame anybody then, so what is it really?" I question him.
Elio was obviously pissed by me. He didn't want to hear that. I was surprised I was saying it too, but it's in fact, the case.
Humans...accepted this too. Instead of us all coming together, it was one for themselves.
Even for me... It was always about me. I was surviving for my brother and myself, then when I lost him - it was only myself.
But, of course.
What do they expect? So what is William talking about?
"Whose judgement are we really going off of? And how much of that judgement can we truly respect and say that it's truly the right thing to go off of? William can't be the basis for human judgement because he's clearly not saying the full truth. He's being selfish-."
"Watch your mouth." Elio sneers, looking me up and down with so much disgust. "How could you say that?"
"Easy, because I saw the truth with my own eyes. He showed it to me himself, but it seems he didn't intend on me seeing it all." I snort, shaking my head as Elio's whole face became more pale than usual.
The way his eyes divert off of mine slowly, as if he was realizing what that meant.
I was acutely aware of how everyone was possibly going to use me against him. It would've possibly worked too if it wasn't for me seeing beyond what William intended for me to see.
I would've definitely...worked with them.
"You really are his match..." Elio breathed in disbelief, slowly shaking his head. "And since you are...why are you here speaking to me? I know you well enough to know...that you're not really with me because you truly want to be with me, are you?"
"That's why you said what you said to me before we parted ways. That Aleksandr doesn't deserve a second chance, doesn't deserve understanding or kindness. That his 'story' was for shit. That even after what he went through...you'd still say all that? Or is William not telling you the full truth either?" I question him, Elio's irritation not breaking from his face. "That you and I...belong together no matter what. When you...possibly knew him and I were a match. That's exactly why you sent me there, so that William can tell me the 'story', but you weren't expecting me to see it all, were you?"
Elio stayed quiet, not even saying anything. I could tell that he was just done speaking on this. I could tell that he found me almost...a lost cause.
"You...sympathize with someone who-."
"You are for somebody who isn't doing all of this for my kind, he's doing it for that human who hurt Aleksandr. It was never about my kind, it was always about him. Do you even know that?" I ask sharply, trying to give him the benefit of the doubt.
Except he remains quiet, his own expression becoming calmed.
He already knew that to be true.
"Benjamin...is my grandfather from centuries ago, he was supposed to be my father. My mother lost her father, my dad lost his true love, and it's all because of-."
"Himself." I sneer in disgust. "He stuck his hand in the cage expecting to not get bitten, and he got his reward. You take advantage of what you can, you're bound to get what you deserve eventually. He...he got what he deserved."
Elio's eyes widened and I could already tell that me saying that completely ruined whatever relationship we had. Because before I knew it, he was no longer before me as a gust of wind slapped me in the face.
So William...is Elio's father.
Of course he is.
I walk out of the room, needing to look for Jerome now. When I went the direction William took me through before, I did end up at his room. Only to see that he wasn't even in it.
He could be anywhere...and he possibly wasn't even here.
As I enter inside, I stood in the same place I was in only a day ago. Where William broke my leg...and Jerome possibly believes Aleksandr did it.
William had my brother manipulated, but for what purpose?
Is it really because of what was mentioned? That he was going to be a part of convincing me to side with William? That he possibly knew that I was Aleksandr's match and let everything take its course?
So...he didn't take in my brother to help him, he took him in to help his own plans.
"You came back?"
I turn around, seeing Jerome look at me calmly. His eyes were now a poignant red that scanned me quickly.
"I didn't come back to stay."
"I know, why would you stay?" Jerome folds his arms, looking away from me for a brief moment. Just to look back at me and grin. "William didn't mean to break your leg, he showed me what happened-."
"He didn't show you shit then." I interrupt him sharply. "William is a conniving, manipulative person. I don't know what he's telling you, but it's not the full truth. I won't even try to convince you because you're all for his initiative. You don't even look at me like I'm your brother unless I'm raising my voice at you. And now that you're a vampire...he has you completely under his thumb."
Jerome shook his head, looking away for good now. I continued to look at him and didn't look away. I was happy...that he was healthy and well now. Except...I don't like that the only reason why he's here now is because of someone's selfish reasons.
He wasn't 'saved' in the way he thinks, he's just a part of the plan...that's the only reason why he was saved.
"How has it been?" I ask him, seeing him look back at me now. "How has it been...becoming someone's puppet to their plan-?"
Jerome suddenly was in my face, and I could tell he was trying to scare me. I could tell it put him off that I didn't flinch or cower from his pathetic attempt.
No matter if he's a vampire or not, I will never be afraid of him. He will still be that little...immature brother of mine.
"I'm not his puppet. He...cares about me more than you think. Just because you were taken advantage of by your 'match' and made to do things you didn't want to do, doesn't mean you can try to ruin my image of someone who truly loves me-."
"Is that what he told you too?" I interrupt again, but much more harshly. "Maybe that did happen, maybe I didn't want to do some of the things he made me do, but I never...hated it. I only began to hate him, actually...because of Elio. If it wasn't for him and him acting like some weak person, I probably wouldn't have hated him so deeply. Hate...I don't even think I hated him. I just disliked who he was as a person so much.
"Yet you want to bring up stuff and try to come at me, when I'm trying to help you. I came to warn you, but it seems that is pointless. You're already so far up William's ass, just the way he wanted." I step back from Jerome, seeing how angry he looked now.
His hands in fists and the way his jaw clenched. I began to smile at how ridiculous he looked.
Just behind him, I saw William already standing at the door. He looked at me sadly and I glare.
"Jerome, can you give us both a moment?"
Jerome's anger didn't dissipate even when William spoke, but he did listen to him like a puppet. He did end up turning and once his back was to me and he was walking away, I flinched.
Because I began to see Lucifer in him. The way he looked at William, but William was looking just at me. Jerome's already gone...isn't he?
Once Jerome rounded the corner, William gestured for me to follow him and I do this for the last time. Following him to a different room that was nearer to the front of the house, but you had to take a flight of stairs first.
Entering into this room, it told me nothing. It was just a desk and a chair, but he did end up grabbing a photo frame. When he showed it to me, I saw him sitting beside a man.
The both of them with calm smiles, I look back at him now.
"I will tell you something to make things a little more clearer to you, since you're thinking about all of this in such a convoluted way-."
"I don't think so." I interrupt.
William just grinned at me, but I could tell I was getting on his nerves.
"Why do you say that so confidently?" He questions me sharply, and I see him grip the frame tightly. "Benjamin is my match, do you see him? Right here, in your face? What's to not understand-?"
"I see, but it changes nothing." I interrupt again. "You're not saying the truth. Stop acting like you're doing all of this for my kind. Just say it how it is, that you want to get revenge against Aleksandr for not saving the person who assaulted him-."
"He didn't do anything wrong!" William shouts, and hearing him say that disgusted me. "What does what he did to Aleksandr have to do with our relationship - him and me-?"
"This isn't about you! It's about the fact that he and so many others could've done so much more to harm Aleksandr and you didn't care because what? Are you only judging humans off of what you think is right, or how they come off to you and see you? Because it sounds exactly like how Aleksandr went about it. Judging people based off of how they saw him, and it's like you're doing the same because what? Do you have some kind of complex-?"
"I don't need to listen to your nonsense. You are a child who understands nothing and the complexities of it all. You don't understand." William sets down his picture, not looking back at me now. "Aleksandr and I...are the original two. We get one match, and that's it. He was so selfish that he couldn't save my match all because of that?"
I don't even respond to him, and I can tell that by my facial expression...it said enough.
"You do realize that your match...lusted over Aleksandr, right?" I question him, William not even looking at me as his hair began to turn black at the roots again. "Aleksandr was innocent in all of this, but you were not. If you truly can read people, then you knew what your 'match' was possibly planning to do. You just didn't do shit because he's your 'match'. It's like you wanted this all to happen, despite how much it'd change Aleksandr because Benjamin was your 'match'. I don't understand."
"You don't need to." William looked back at me, but he looked like he wanted to kill me right then and there. "I won't let...you be the ruin of my life. Aleksandr is the evil of this world, not me, I can't be it...it's not fair. I won't let you be the ruin of me once again."
"Ruin of you-?"
Before I knew it, he was lunging right at me. Until I found myself no longer before him as I was shoved onto the ground.
I looked up, seeing Elio looking at me like I was crazy.
"I always knew you were smart, but clearly not smart enough. You don't know when to shut up." He hisses, looking back over his shoulder. "You need to leave, now. He's not in the right state of mind again. I don't know how you are able to work him up like that...but you need to leave immediately."
Standing up, I look back down at him and the way he stared at me. He looked discontented, but I can probably guess why. I know...that he probably thought we'd be final game...I did too. But not anymore... I couldn't be with someone like this anyway.
The 'him' I knew and almost fell for was all some kind of act, even if his feelings for me were not.
It doesn't matter anymore, not to me...at least.
What I'm more concerned about now is Aleksandr, but also what William said.
'I won't let you be the ruin of me once again.'
Why did that sound so familiar, and why...would he say that in this case? How would I ruin him?
I'm just a human being.
༒︎...☠︎︎?
more has been learned and understood,
but, that doesn't mean it'll be an easy fix.
i refuse for it to be.
don't get it wrong; but also- 🤓👆
i won't be asking questions as much, i think. 😀
because when i do, i get snarky comments back. 🌚
i mean, yeah ik what's going to happen-
but it's my way of interacting yk? 👹🫵
anyway, you will only continue to learn more.
if you're willing. 🫣
because it's a long road ahead.
this won't be a simple process.
this is more complicated than you think. 🥴
vote, comment, follow~✨
- yolo ☠︎