ｐａｎｄｅｍｏｎｉｕｍ

For months she had been conjuring up scenarios of what a vampire turned human would be; would they be the same, would they have changed? Of course her curiosity remained strong, but knowing Aria perhaps needed space to adapt, she didn’t bother her. She mostly kept herself to herself, floating in and out of Mystic Falls alone. She had even given herself space from Leo, more so because she knew she couldn’t continuously attach herself to someone who would forever remain young. It was hard but she needed it. She needed to find herself as well as deal with everything that had happened to her and her family over the last few years. No, she wasn’t doing great, but that was for her to change. 

A faint smile appears, “Hey.” She can’t help but look at her, she was so different. Even down to the way she smiled wasn’t the same. Her brow soon quirks at the mention of food, a slight inward chuckle, “Food? You?” She says more in jest as she starts to make her way into the kitchen, eyes setting on the pancakes first,  (  it was funny, really, aria was never someone she could imagine making pancakes  )  before settling back on the other. She didn’t really have to look up to her anymore, what with the heels not being apart of her outfit. “Marco who?” She assumes a chef, but still, she doesn’t know the name. “You seem well.” She thought she’d finally say, because she looked it. 

“Food. Me. I’m a century old, Madeline, do you really think I never learned how to cook?” She laughed, truthfully it was all very amusing to her. Madeline knew her quite well by now and yet still, there were so many things still undiscovered. Besides, jesting back created a lighter air, rather than pointing out that she had noticed Madeline was clearly staring at her. “He’s a Michelin star chef, up there with Gordon Ramsey, assuming you know who he is?” Aria curved a little smirk onto her lips before turning around to switch the oven off. Unsure what Maddie actually liked on her pancakes, there was an array of different things on the counter ( she presumed it would have to be one of them. ) “Do I?” Aria raised an amused brow as she placed the plate down in front of her. “For this early in the day or for an ex vampire?” She teased. 

Taking a seat, she soon shrugged. “I’m adjusting. Slowly and... Well, miserably. But only with certain things. Such as the weather. I actually feel the cold now, which sucks because it’s freezing.” Aria pouted. “And my candy gave me a stomach ache.” That being said, she had eaten an entire bag of lemon sherbets along with three packets of skittles. “And your brother? He gives me headaches. He’s all hur hur hur, candy isn’t an appropriate meal, Aria, eat some vegetables.” She mimicked him with a face much like one of a sour child. “If I want to eat candy for lunch I will and if I want pancakes and syrup before 12pm I will.” And finally, she took a breath. “Alright, I’m done.” She cracked a smile as she sighed, serious again for just a moment. “I’m coping. It’s just like... Learning to walk again, I guess. How are you? It’s been a while.” And she cared, an obvious thing at this point. “Still dating Leo?”

“Hi.” Greeting her in the hallway, hands in the backs of her jeans, smile on her face so different from the usual smirk paired with the swag she normally showed in her body language. There was no six-inch heels, no red lipstick ( actually, no makeup at all. ) She looked so... Human. “I made food.” Nodding her head to the kitchen, it was her way of starting the conversation as well as giving Madeline time to react to her. How did she feel about her and Will leaving? Would she go with them? Aria wanted her too, she’d even mentally plotted a speech to support it, but she wanted to see how Madeline actually felt first. “They won’t poison you, believe it or not I’m actually a great cook. Marco Pierre once gave me some great tips.” @madelinebrown​

William smirked, “Welcome to my world”, he said playfully and then just gazed down on her. His feelings about her, hadn’t changed. Vampire or human, that woman was the love of his life. He knew if he said it out loud, she would probably never forgive him, but he was happy that she was human, because now they could grow old together, and she wouldn’t break up with him because of their age. It was an egoistic thought, he couldn’t deny… But anyone who had met Aria would want the same thing. William pursed his lips as she paused and frowned when she shoved him. “Hey…”, he crossed his arms when she accused him of what he did, his pout growing bigger. “I wasn’t thinking clearly, alright? And you gave me no other choice, I wanted to be there with you, all the way till the end, but you had to threaten me and my family”, he retorted, but didn’t admit it was wrong of him to leave her alone with Evie. She spoke of following the yellow brick and wizards, and William didn’t understand a thing at first. From confusion to surprise, he gasped and unfolded his arms as she said she went to find Marcel. He was happy, and also proud that she met him, considering the last time they saw each other, Aria didn’t want to see the other vampire ever again. His heart clenched when she said she considered suicide, which was something he’d never be able to live with, knowing he was responsible for this. He could live with the fact that she’d run away, and never wanting to see him… If she was happy, then it was all worth. He pursed his lips, looking down at their hands. Will was sure she was saying goodbye, that she was going to start over somewhere away from him and Mystic Falls. So once she asked him to move in with her, his heart raced fast, and he looked into her eyes, searching for any hint that she’d be joking or anything. He nodded, thinking of Sofia and Maddie, Chester and Riley, his students… Distance was never a problem with his sisters, during hunts they’d spend time apart, he was used to it. He could videochat and visit his friends once in a while, and truth to be told, his students would miss him more than he’d miss them. He looked at Aria as he made up him mind. “Yes, under one, no… two conditions”, he said. “One, don’t run away”, he let go of her hands and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her closer to him, “If things get hard, we’ll handle whatever fate throw at us together”, he kissed her temple, “And we’re taking Nox with us”, he smiled. Will hadn’t had any pet before the cat, and he was used to have the black cat in his life.

“Only because I didn’t want to hurt you. And don’t say I wouldn’t have because one minute I was talking to Evie and the next I killed her.” Which was obvious considering she was stood in front of him as a human. The point was, she hadn’t meant to do it, but she did. Aria didn’t want what she thought was her last hours to end with his death too. “... Okay?” She was surprised, it showed on her face. The fact he said yes so quickly had shocked her. “Well that’s not an issue, I can’t run very fast now and I won’t be doing it in designer boots. Next? ...” She smiled. “Yes well you might have to fight your sister for her, Maddie has kept her alive every time I disappeared.” Aria smiled, pressing her hand against his chest. “I think you should take some time to think about it, Will. You’ve built a whole life here and I don’t want you to give all that up just for me. Friends, family, your job, hell, this is probably the longest you’ve been in one place for years, right?” Aria smiled. “I have a place in Ohama, Nebraska. I’ve had it for three years now. It’s a beautiful little place, I visit as often as I can, the locals actually know me now and I just thought... That’s where I wanna be. Somewhere people only know me as Aria and not anything else.”

Waiting was like a torture as William stayed home. Evienne’s words burned in the back of his mind. Killing her would be a merciful death. No, Will didn’t have that it takes to end Aria’s life, after all meeting her was the best thing that has happened in his life. Only thirty seconds had passed when he cheked the watch again, but it felt like it has gone way much longer than that. Making up his mind, he drove to Aria’s, expecting pretty much anything. He spotted Evie on the floor, and he quickly checked on her. Dead. He lost his breath and staggered back. She took it… She was human… His heart started racing… Where was she? He had no idea of what could be on her head now. Was she scared? Was she angry? Was she too pissed at him, by pushing her into a situation she never wanted to be in? “Aria?”, he called, and searched for her in every room, but he only found Nox. Her car wasn’t at sight either, so William figured she ran away. It was so Aria to run away when things got complicated. This is what he wished it happened. He was upset that Aria decided to run away, especially when she was a bit vulnerable now. But at least she was alive, right? That was the only thing he’d believe. Picking Evienne up, he craddled her against his chest and walked to the car, going back home.

He called and texted, but all he got back was silence. The following week went like a blur. William got on a closed off mode, grumpier than usual with the kids at school, and more ruthless and precise on the hunts. And every night before heading to bed, he’d text her. Maybe one day she’d reply back… Or maybe someone else would finally text him back, and he’d know she’d changed her number. With Madeline hanging out with Leo that night, he was alone in the house, so he searched for any unusual death, while listening to the police radio. A small hunt in the neighborhood would cheer him up a little, but it wasn’t like he would get any adrenaline rush that evening. Will grabbed his car keys while putting his jacket on. At least he could go and check on Nox, feed her nad make sure Aria’s place would still look the same by the time she’d be back. He heard the door opening, and someone inside the house. He imagined Maddie would be back, and he was about to invite ‘her’ to join him when he stopped on his heels, looking who exactly was in the kitchen. As she turned around, he swallowed dryly and lost his breath. There she was, joking, breathing, blushing… Talking to him and smiling. “Hi…”, he breathed, frowning. He didn’t have much sleep lately, she could be an hallucination, right? In the following seconds, his face went from shocking, to happiness… He took a few steps closer to her, and cupped her face gently, “You’re so warm”, William said with a small smile. She wasn’t a demon, or a shifter, or any monster tricking him by looking like the girl he loved. He knew the woman he was holding was his girl. He looked at her amazed, and then his face went from happiness to hurt. “I had no idea where you were, what you were feeling… I had no idea if you were facing this all by yourself, and I hated I couldn’t be there for you. Don’t you ever disappear like that again, please…”

“Yeah, it’s like... 100 degrees in this town, who knew?” Slight exaggeration. The weather hadn’t bothered her in decades and now she got cold and hot, it didn’t seem like such a big thing but for her it was one more adjustment to add to the list. And there it was, that puppy dog expression she’d been dreading ever since she left. Talk about an effective guilt trip. “I know and I didn’t plan on-” She paused, shoved him and scowled. “You were wrong to ambush me with a freaky angel cure person. Wrong.” Aria pointed. “And you should know, it was an accident.” She sighed, figuring it was only fair that he knew the truth. “I thought she was someone else, attacked, then snapped back into reality and realised what I’d done.” Shifting on her feet, she shrugged. “I didn’t want this and when I woke up I totally freaked and I left. I had to go follow the yellow brick road and speak to a wizard.” She tilted her head, curving a little smirk on her lips. “A slightly murderous but surprisingly protective vampire wizard, actually.” Even though she’d exiled Marcel from her life after what he did, there was nobody who’s advice she took better. “I needed him to help me figure out what I wanted, because honestly, suicide, or running far away from here was still on the table.” Aria reached for his hands and squeezed. “Marcel helped me realise that maybe fate had cut me some slack, and I needed to cut myself some too. I decided I can get behind the idea of a new start... But not here.” She looked a little wary as she confessed, unsure how he felt about it. “I came back to ask you to consider.. moving, with me. I know it’s a lot to ask, uprooting everything you’ve built here, your sisters, friends... So I don’t need an answer right now, just know that if you wanted it, then I want you with me.”

William smirked at her joke, “Of course, but if you really were one of those girls, you’d probably be fawining over some guy already”, he pointed out and took a sip from his drink. He came off a bit cocky, but in that case, he knew he was right about her. Will watched her long enough to see how bothered she was by the whole event, just as much as he was. He listened to Aria, not expecting her story at all. He suspected she wouldn’t have a common dog like a poodlee, but rescuing one from a dogfigthing ring? It only peeked his interest on the girl. Not like seducing her, turning her into his private doll as vampires like James would. No, Aria was out of ordinary, a fresh spirit among the girls in the decade. He frowned lightly with her nod, his hazel eyes follwing the direction and looking at the women with their dogs, babbling with fellow soldiers. “What on earth are those dogs wearing?”, he questioned, shaking his head. He smiled at the sound of her giggle, liking how it sounds better standing this close to her. He held her gaze, standing tall and dignified. The war alone would change a man’s soul… The things he had seen in the battlefield, if he wasn’t so old and human, he wouldn’t be there in an event, chatting and dancing with people who had no idea of what a war looked like. If they really knew how much it costed to win the war… They wouldn’t be celebrating so expensively as the ball was. He laughed softly at the end of her speech, and looked up and now he was the one with the  accusing brow. If he wanted to take any dress off, he wouldn’t have compelled the blonde girl to walk away. “Honestly, I’d be disappointed if that happened. I have no such intention like many other men I see around. I was hoping you’d allow me to share your company tonight, so I wouldn’t have to call any other girl off, and in return you could be saved from any other guy who’d have second intentions about your itchy dress”

“And risk looking as desperate as my gorgeous friend over there? I’ll take a hard pass.” She smiled, but it was a warm smile, she’d never bad mouth her friend - anything she said, she said to her face too. Truthfully, her sass was only to disguise the fact she was unprepared for him to actually come and speak to her. She didn’t always come across nervous but she was, in certain company: his, for example. “Hey, don’t make fun. Those dog outfits probably cost more than my entire wardrobe.” Aria grinned, falling into a soft hum as she cleared her throat. She found his staring as endearing as she did intimidating, what on earth was he looking at? Did she have something on her face? Oh god, what if she has something in her teeth? That would be embarrassing. Once he spoke again, she raised a brow and lifted her eyes back over to his, a slight shade of pink heating her cheeks. “Okay. But only to save you from getting any unwanted attention.” Narrowing her eyes in accusing amusement, she shook her head, more so at herself. “And because I’m big on faith, so if you’re telling me you have no second intentions about my itchy dress then I’m going to take you at face value and believe you. Don’t make me a fool.” Smiling, she tucked her hair behind her ears and shrugged a shoulder. “My name’s Aria.” 

“So apparently, I have the tolerance of a ten-year-old drinking shandy now, don’t let me have more than one of these.” Wiggling the whiskey bottle, she turned around to face him, breathing in a deep breath as she did. “... Hello.” Aria smiled, a little sheepishly for her usual expression range as she stepped around the counter. “Surprise?” She chuckled. “Hope you weren’t secretly hoping I was dead because if you were, we’re gonna have a problem.” She teased, an awfully soft smile curling onto her lips. @eldestbrownhunter​

William watched Aria from a safe distance, his gaze barely looking at the blonde girl talking to him. She wasn’t his type, and any girl with some decency would have already left if she noticed the guy wasn’t into it. He frowned when he glanced back at the brunette he was eyeing and realized she was all alone. His gaze searched through the room, daring any other to approach the girl he already claimed as his. His gaze landed back at Aria, and she made eye contact again. And her smile… Will smiled back at her, looking down at his drink when she looked away. Something about the way she wasn’t throwing herself at him, like her friend did with the guy she was dancing with, really picked his interest on her even more. The light sound of a sigh capture his full attention back at her. Was she sad? She was there at the bar, having a drink, but even from that distance, Will could see she wanted to be somewhere else. She pulled the pin from her, and it took all of his strenght to not vamp speed to her. How he wished he could be close to her, and take a deep breath and get drunk in her scent. He licked his lips, the picture of the girl in his arms, his hand brushing through the long locks. He was lost in scenarios in his mind, having her as his imortal lover when he tensed up. She couldn’t just leave… She was the most interesting person in the entire room. Will turned his gaze back to the babbling her in front of him, and locked her under his charm, “Why don’t you go to the restroom, and retouch the make up, doll”, he squeezed her shoulder gently and flashed her a smile while he watched her hurrying away and then he walked towards the bar. Still keeping a safe distance, he kept listening to her, and smiled at her joke. Even though her friend ditched her for some guy, she was still worried about her. Not only she was beautiful outside, she was caring and good inside. It would really be a shame to corrupt something so good and pure. They locked eyes again, and William took her chuckling as an invitation. He finally stood beside her, and called the bartender attention. “Scotch. Neat, please”, he asked and then casually turned his gaze back at her. “I need someone to save me from hearing another story about poodles and fashion. Don’t tell you’re also one of those kind of girls”, he sighed heavily. No, he knew she wasn’t like any other, but still, he had to pretend he hadn’t listen to every word she said from the moment she walked in.

Maybe she would be a little more flattered if it wasn’t for her own thoughts about this entire event. In her opinion it was overpriced and all for show. An all you can drink and eat banquet? As if that matched the sacrifices these soldiers made for everyone. When she heard a voice beside her, she turned her head after having been distracted by her friend dancing. Once she turned and noticed that the guy who had been watching her was now beside her at the bar, she lifted a silent, slightly accusing brow towards him. “If I tell you I am one of those girls would you leave me in peace?” It was a joke, she wasn’t that rude, especially not to a soldier or at least, not to one as cute as he was. Perhaps she was just making a point that she wasn’t here to bag herself a man, she didn’t even want to be here at all. “My dog is a Boxer hound that I rescued from a dogfighting ring.” With the help of her fellow fierce women, hell-bent on saving innocent dogs from brutal harm. “Poodles are fine for those much like the women here.” She was casual with her words as she slyly nodded to the corner, where four high-class women were actually stood, holding poodles and tiny dogs dressed in silly fur coats. It made her giggle and she relented with her seating and chose to twist on her stool to face him. “Personally I prefer a dog who likes to get a little rough out in the mud. So I don’t know anything about poodles and I don’t care which skirt appeared on the high-street today. This dress makes me itch, my hair is annoying me, I’m wearing make-up that doesn’t suit me and now I have this guy giving me those dreamy eyes like he’s got the ability to charm it all off.” Figuratively or literally, who knew - she certainly didn’t know just how on point her words were. Her whole expression was amused because she wasn’t saying she didn’t want his company, she was simply making a bold point that she was not going to sit here and be seduced by him. “That was me politely telling you that you won’t be taking my dress off tonight, if that wasn’t obvious.” She smirked, twisting to face him and then the bar, ordering herself another drink. 

Damn, that blush on her cheeks made the girl look even more irresistible if it was possible. Her friend was a pale image compared to her and William pulled himself back from marching over them and introduce himself to the woman. He focused only her, and it didn’t take too long before he made himself familiar with the sound of her voice. Standing still on his place, gazing back at her, he smiled when she chuckled and moved towards the bar, saying what she thought of him. Will wasn’t surprised though, since every girl on the even seemed desperate to catch his attention. Still listening careful to Aria from the distance, he noticed the unusual order. Finishing the glass of champagne, he walked towards the room, standing closer to the girls on the bar, about ten feet distant. A blonde girl stood by his side, batting her eyelashes at him as she started a conversation. He had to admit, the girl knew what she wanted, and she wasn’t afraid to go and take it. But he only had eyes for the mysterious brunette at the bar.

Aria made their order, seating herself at the bar, it took her friend all of two minutes to attract the attention of a handsome man and totally forget Aria was even here. “Yeah, fine, just drag me here then leave me.” She muttered as her blonde friend went off to dance. She didn’t mean it miserably though, it only made her laugh as she looked to the bartender. “I guess I’ll be having her drink too.” She smiled, content on just staying in her seat. She’d have a couple drinks and make her way home, her friend probably wouldn’t even notice. Aria glanced around, eyes falling onto the male she saw walking in, looking at her once again. Rather than looking away this time, she offered him a smile before she did. Part of her wanted to walk over, the other part of her was uncomfortable. She didn’t want to be here, in a dress that made her itch, make-up she was certain didn’t suit her and a pin in her hair that tugged every time she moved her head. Honestly? It made her sigh. She didn’t fit in, in fancy places like this, around people who thought a good time was polite chit chat and one glass of champagne that cost more than a three-course meal. She almost felt sad, and it showed on her face, how she longed to be elsewhere, preferably at home with her sister. Aria pulled the pin from her hair, letting her long brunette locks fall out around her face and shoulders, rubbing the back of her head where it had been digging in her scalp. “No, thanks, I’m gonna have this and go.” She shook her head as the bartender offered her a refill. “Maybe. Once I’m sure my friend over there is going home with a gentleman and not a sleaze with ten other girls at every port.” She added, bold as ever, she laughed, because she found herself quite funny. She found these girls here funny, the way they stumbled and battered their lashes at every man who looked their way, and then there was her, who just wanted to sink into her seat and not attract attention of any kind. Though, she couldn’t help but notice, there was still a pair of eyes on her, so she glanced over to him again, chuckling under her breath and looking back out at the crowd. He could look all he wanted, she wasn’t desperate, nor was she the kind of girl to make a move or fall at his feet like she assumed he expected, given his heroic status. 

New Orleans, 1945

He had lived enough to not care about something as meanless as a ball. People gossiped how out of place he looked in an event made to celebrate his heroic acts in war. But there wasn’t anything heroic about a vampire being in a war. he used his enhanced reflexes in his leverage, and feasted in his enemies’ blood. He was a predator, his body a deadly weapon hard to be killed. William was a menace to everyone in that ball, in a blink of an eye he could end the lives of all the guests and other war heroes present in that room. But even a carnage like that wouldn’t be enough to end the boredom he found himself watching all those people waltzing and chatting around him. He just wanted to go back into the shadows and disappear… Until they walked and the room somehow brightened up in her presence. He couldn’t take his eyes off her, nor he wanted to. There was something special about the girl, and he knew that by the end of the night he’d figure out what was it.

@splinteredsinner​

“Yes, I know, I know, smile and be a lady.” Aria looked at her friend who had practically dragged her along to this party. Her eyes sparkled with amusement and a sigh free from any form of grief escaped her lips. “You know I left my sister for this? I promised her a full weekend together and instead, I’m here, with you, just so you can eyeball all the cute soldiers.” Aria giggled as her friend slapped her on the arm, walking through the doors to the event room. “Well maybe not all the cute soldiers, there’s at least one not looking at me.” Her friend prompted, nodding her head stubbly towards the dark-haired male. Naturally, her eyes followed, landing on the guy looking right at her. “Oh.” She could only whisper, an instant blush creeping onto her cheeks. She had to admit, at least to herself, the guy was a vision to look at. Maybe even hand-carved by God himself, but -- “Alright, Lily-pops, I don’t need a man, we’re here to find you one.” Aria chuckled, pushing her friend towards the bar, unaware the male could hear their every word. “He is cute though.” She added. “But so is a double whiskey and cola, which is what my lips are really craving.” 

“I’m not surprised. How he talks says everything about it. You don’t live as long as I have without being able to read people.” She shrugged. Honestly, because of this factor, it wasn’t hard to tell that Aria preferred being a vampire and the fact that she would rather die than be a human again said enough that she didn’t need a story. “I’m not saying you don’t deserve it. Look, for a long time as an archangel, I believed there was simply good and evil. Black and white. Then my brother fell and became the devil and I saw there wasn’t such a thing as just good and just evil… just shades of grey.” She explained. “I don’t condone what you did to innocent lives by any means. If you yourself was coming to me to take the cure after knowing that, I would absolutely not heal you hence why I am more than happy to sit here and wait for you to die just to serve Will’s need for you to have company while you die.” She crossed her arms. “And honestly, I have died repeatedly for the past however many months, over and over. So I really couldn’t care less if you want to live or you want to do. I’m just doing this one thing so that I can then leave and be free.”

“What’s that like? Having Satan for a brother?” She laughed, only for it to catch in her throat and make her cough. After that, she listened to the best of her ability, which wasn’t much considering there was a piercing whistle in her ears and vision that was tragically out of focus. She kept her hands flat on the counter in an attempt to grab onto some balance. “Well,” she breathed out, smiling a little. “I appreciate the honesty.” And she did, Aria always prefered blunt people to those who danced around how they really felt. She was under no illusion this woman wanted to help her, she was only trying to pay up her debt to William. “Like I said, his sister wants the cure, I don’t. If you want to pay up then you should go to her and then go on your way--” she spoke, but felt absent with her own words as her body twisted in the direction of a voice and figure in the doorway. “Lottie?” Aria frowned, growling and gripping her head, some part of her knew it wasn’t real but the distress her mind and body were in couldn’t help but cave and fall under the spell of the hallucination. “Riri, you must help me.” The sister pleaded, pulling Aria from her stool. “Anything, what do you need?” Wavering steps, trying to reach the petite sister that wasn’t even there. “Him.” Her vision of Lottie pointed towards Evie, only when Aria looked towards her, she didn’t see the woman, she saw her ex, stood tall and proud with a dagger in his grasp. “He killed me once, Riri, don’t let him do it again.” Lottie was pleading and when Aria started to stumble and lose her breath, it was the sight of her sisters' tears and pull on her arm that made her feel so fiercely protective, she scooted the younger Hale behind her and stared at her ex with veiny eyes and fangs on full display. Naturally, reality had completely eluded her to the point where she couldn’t hear or see anything but him and her sister, her baby sister who she needed to protect. In a flash, she reached him(evie) swinging a fist at his jaw, a kick to his gut and finally, fangs sinking deep into his(her) neck. Aria didn’t stop till he was drained and once he was, she dropped the body and looked up to see her sister, only to find an empty doorway. “Lottie?” She whispered, stepping forward just to trip over Evie’s body. Aria twisted around, seeing Evie as herself and not her ex, her jaw swung open, the reality of what she’d just done crashed back and she looked at her arm that was already knitting together and healing. “Oh.. fuck.” She murmured, eyes blinking, losing focus until the cure that was now in her blood rendered her unconscious. 

“You know what’s not fair. All these circumstances”, William retorted. This how they should end. He imagined he’d have a couple more of years before they split paths. She would still be a vampire, beautiful and distant, and he would keep hunting things, until one of them ended him. He was probably going to be a memory in a couple of years to her, maybe she’d forget about him in a decade, if he worth to be remembered that far. She would live more adventures and rule another town, while he knew he would never be able to settle down, because no other woman he could be with would be her. “Maybe”, he smiled a bit and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, “Maybe I’ve already met that version of you”, he said, “That time I took you to the zoo, right after you had your humanity back on. I went to buy us popcorn, and when I turned to walk back to you, I saw your with that little girl. She was scared and lost, and you smiled to her, and I saw the way you calmed her down until her parents found her. When I came back to you, I pretended I didn’t see you, I think I said the line was too long or something…”, he chuckled, “I have never seen you that soft before, it was like all that burden you carry upon your shoulders had disappeared for those couple of minutes” he shared his little secret, “I’m sure I’d be in love with every version of you, Aria Hale. This conection I feel to you is deeper than anything”, he said and then frowned with the confusion look on her face. Was she in pain? He leaned to join her, ignoring her scream, and then he felt his back against the wall. His first instinct was to defend himself, break her neck… Correction, if he had a vampire flashing fangs while he was against a wall, he would probably stake right into the heart. But a vampire never had told him they didn’t want to hurt him before. “Fine…”, he mumbled defeated. His conversation with Evienne flashed in his head, he couldn’t die with her, not when Sofia and Madeline needed him. “Just let me…”, he took her arm from his throat and wrapped around his waist. One last moment… One last time with her in his arms. That was all he needed. He wrapped his arms around her body and pulled her close to him. He took a deep breath, taking in the scent of her hair, his skin memorizing how she’d feel against him. He rubbed her back softly and whispered, “Thank you, for some of the happiest, craziest, and fullest years in my life”, he kissed the top of her head and then pulled away, “I’ll never forget you, Aria Hale”, he said looking in her eyes, and then nodded. He had to leave at that exact moment before he changed his mind, before he allowed the love of his life kill him right there if he decided to stay. He pulled away from her and didn’t look back as he walked from the room.

“What?” she tilted her head, confusion on her features as she tried to understand why he was mentioning their trip to the zoo. Nothing significant happened there, or so she thought. As he spoke of the encounter with that small girl, her lips parted in an ‘O’ expression. She hadn’t realized he was there to watch it, he certainly never said anything about it. “I--” she paused. Frowned and shook her head. “She was just a child. Lost. She just wanted her mother.” Aria didn’t quite understand why William thought he’d seen a softer side to her when that happened. “I have a lot of anger, but not towards children.” She confirmed with a tired shrug. “You remember when you asked me what my favourite sound was? And I told you it was the sound of owls in the dead of night? I lied. Well, i mean- I didn’t, I do love that sound, but my favourite sound is a babies laughter.” She smiled. “So pure.” So untainted and ruined by the world.  She didn’t fully register her grip on him until he tried to remove it and she sucked in a breath and followed his lead, too shocked to do anything else. The hug was a surprise but she didn’t hesitate to curl her arms around him too. As he spoke, she felt the tension in her shoulders disappearing. He was saying goodbye, he wasn’t going to keep on pushing her into a decision she didn't want and honestly? She really felt like she loved him that little bit more because of it. Because she knew he wanted to be selfish, but he just wasn’t that person. Her eyes brimmed with tears and she moved her hands to his cheeks. “Thank you for loving me... And for everything inbetween.” Offering him a soft smile, she let him go and twitched with the urge to go after him. She forced herself to remain still and once she heard him exit and shut the door, she burst into tears and dropped to the floor. 

Evie smiled just ever so slightly at the brunette’s wit with everything going on. She took a seat and shrugged. “He did and he asked me to be here. I don’t know why. The more humane thing would be to kill you if that is so what you wished. Maybe he wants me to convince you to give life a chance without asking that of me. And I could get you to drink from me. Cut my wrist. My blood is euphoric, blah blah blah…” She looked back to her and listened. “Maybe he’ll ask that of me next.” She considered. Evie didn’t know. A few hours ago, she was being prodded and poked with needles and now she was with a vampire with hallucinations. “Death isn’t the person you should fear.” She began. “It’s the other side you should fear. When you die, it isn’t just a fade to darkness. It’s an eternity on your own. Drives people quite insane you know. More insane than a werewolf bite is loneliness. There’s no sound at all. Just silence. And the worst part about that is because you’re a vampire, you don’t even get the solace of your own heart beat.” She explained. “I just think you should know about where you’re heading since you’ve chosen to pass on.”

“William likes to think he takes action with the influence of his mind but in reality, he leads with his heart. Of course, he wants you to convince me to live. He’s tired of loss and he doesn’t want to lose me too.” It wasn’t a suspicion or a question, she knew. “He won’t ask you to do anything that could blind my mind and make me drink from you. He respects my choice, even if he hates it and even if he wishes I will change my mind.” Aria smiled softly, sitting on the stool and resting her arms on the cold counter. She was sweating, pale and physically, everything hurt. “Yes, I’m not unfamiliar with what happens on the otherside. I know what I’m signing up for.” And though she didn’t say it, she thought ‘it’s no less than i deserve’. “1988, June, I walked into a bar for a drink. Normal day, good mood... I just wanted to relax. And then this guy, he comes up to me and he doesn’t take no for an answer. Typical of men, really, isn’t it? But instead of walking away, I smashed my glass. I picked up two shards and I rammed them into his eyes. And then I drained him of his blood. Instead of compelling the nine people to forget, I bolted the door and for every one of them that tried to escape, I slaughtered. And before you tell me I remember it because I feel regret, you’re wrong. I remember it because it was fun.” She whispered, gasping mockingly and then smirking towards her. “I enjoyed it. So you see, I’m ready to face the consequences for my actions. I’m under no illusion that I deserve anything else and I think that dying gives William his best chance. He shouldn’t be with me in a constant battle, trying to remind me of my humanity, trying to save me... He deserves more. He doesn’t understand it from my side of things and maybe neither opinion is the right one, but I love him. And it took me so long to stop fighting that thought... And it’s because I love him that I’m content in my decision. I’m setting him free. I could never be the person he believes I am. Not as a vampire, not as a human.” 

Evie wandered in to the room and looked at the girl. “Fuck knows.” She answered pretty simply. She didn’t actually know what got Will to where she had ended up. She let her ponder the fact for a moment. “You’re surprisingly coherent for a werewolf bitten vampire.” Evie commented. “It’s not the first time I’ve died, Aria. Death and I are like old friends nowadays. After months of dying over and over, what’s one more death? I owe it to Will for saving me anyway.”

“Yeah, just give me a minute I might start calling you mother.” She rolled her eyes, really, it wasn’t even a joke. Being around her was dangerous when she could snap in a second flat. “I see. Did he also tell you I’m not interested?” Aria wandered into the kitchen. It was the coolest place in the house and given that she felt like she was cooking from the inside, the cold air was welcome. “His sister on the other hand, she never wanted to be a vampire. If you really want to repay him, her name is Sofia.” She wasn’t sure if Will mentioned it, so she thought she would, it was the only reason she allowed her inside in the first place. “You see, I don’t fear death either. I’ve been like this too long to go back to being human and just for the record, I don’t deserve that chance, either.” Nobody would ever convince her otherwise. She’d done too many terrible things to get a happy ending. With a little stumble, she knocked the glass off the counter and cringed; the sound was piercing, at least, to her it was. Too loud, too bright, everything hurt, everything blurred and echoed as though she had drunk a barrel of whiskey and all she could do was feel it. Not her finest hour, for sure. Werewolf bites were graceless deaths. 

“no guesses who you are.” in spite of her annoyance, she was tired, so she simply stepped aside and allowed the brunette to come in. “how did he even find you?” she did wonder. “and why would you want to help me? given the fact you must die to do it.” frowning, aria was crabby, defensive and just exhausted. but she believed she had enough energy to keep her shit together and have a conversation before asking her to leave. however foolish that was. it wasn’t like she knew the timeframe for a wolf bite when it came to herself. “yes, i’m suspicious. hope you don’t mind.”

splinteredsinner‌:

“Aria…”, he sighed, giving up on the topic. Sofia wanted the cure, but Aria was the one who needed the most. No matter how many times she said it, William couldn’t understand why she’d refuse this unique chance for a fresh start, for a happy life with him and his family. Despite how he’d usually feel when called selfish, this time he didn’t regret being it. He listened to her, a sad smile forming on his lips at her question. “No, I didn’t think it would work, but it was worth a try”, he said and looked down. She was right about one thing, he didn’t give up. He almost did, but he didn’t give up on her when he found out what she was, nor when she turned her humanity off… He came and looked after her when she got her humanity back, and he had been happy with her since them. He wouldn’t label her as his girlfriend, Aria was a force of nature, and she belonged only to herself. No, she was the woman of his life, no woman would be good enough for him after her. Hazel eyes turned and looked up to her, “Really? If I would propose, what would you answer?”, he joked. William Brown proposing to a vampire… He almost summoned a demon, to ask if Hell was frozen, because that was exactly what he thought that happened when he considered the idea of marrying the woman in front of him. Her question brought him back to the night Sofia turned. She didn’t want to complete the transition, and he respected her choice. But Maddie… She begged the contrary, she wanted her big sister still alive somehow, she didn’t want to lose another loved one. He remembered how broken he felt when he thought Sofia was gone. It was like losing a part of himself, and Will realized he couldn’t lose anyone else. Her hand upon his cheek made a single tear running down, and he quickly wipped it off. He realized he wasn’t only being selfish, but also hypocrite. After the Halloween party, after feeling how being a vampire was like, he knew he didn’t want it, he’d rather die than complete the transition. He would just be gone, exactly what Aria was planning on doing. “I’m scared ok? I can’t lose you too”, he whispered, looking at her through his eyelashes. “Aria… Please, don’t start a fight”, Will sighed. His life was far from being perfect. He had brought the possibility of her taking the cure a couple of times, but that was it… He was content on living the present, on enjoying every little moment with her. But one way or another, he would lose her. She wouldn’t stay when he was old, if he survived that long… She would probably leave as soon as the first grey hair showed. At least, with the cure of vampirism, there was a real chance they could stay together for eyes. He frowned as her tone changed, and by the time he got up, she was on the other side of the room. “No! I’m not leaving”, he said firmly, he wouldn’t leave her, not when she was like this. He was surprised when she said Marcel was on his wya. It meant one thing… She had made her choice. “That’s good. But I can’t leave you. I’ll wait till he is here, and then I’ll leave you two alone”, he ignored Evienne’s advice on being careful when Aria was hallucinating. He trusted his hunter reflexes to stop her from doing anything to harm him, or herself. 

“I don’t think it’s fair to ask me considering the circumstances.” Meaning, that she was dying, that telling him she would say yes, or no, didn’t matter because she wasn’t going to be here tomorrow. “I mean, in another life... Maybe. Because in another life, we wouldn’t be decades apart, you know?” Aria smiled. “In another life, we would have met when I was still human. When I was kind and gentle, when I loved the sunrise and not the sunset, bright colours and not black... When I had a family you could meet and a smile untainted by grief and pain. My Lottie, she had the biggest brown eyes, you would have liked her. Everyone did.” She sighed softly. “And I think you would have liked me better that way. I think I would have prefered to meet you back then, before I turned into what I am.” A soft frown spread across her face. Maybe he wouldn’t understand but what she meant was that, back then she wasn’t so defensive, she wasn’t mean, she was a ray of light that would be better suited to him. With the confusion, hallucinations and reality all crashing into one, she gripped at her head and screamed. “I said now!” Aria flashed to him, gripping his shirt and slamming him against the wall, veiny eyes and fangs on display, arm across his throat. “I don’t want to hurt you, Will, but if you stay, I’ll end up breaking your neck.” She was trying to scare him as much as she was showing him the reality that he wasn’t safe with her. 

He had an idea of what her allucination looked like. There was only one person in the world that would put that type of fear in her eyes, and he was drowning deep in the ocean. She snapped out of it and Will pursed his lips, watching as Aria put herself back together. He was glad his kindness somehow brought her back. Dealing with people and emotions wasn’t his strongest trait, but this delicate touch on handling the situation was something new to him. He nodded at her question. “I told you, right?”, he managed to flash a small smile. Her question made him turn his gaze down, he popped his knees up and rested his elbows upon them. There was nothing else he wanted in this world than to save everyone from this curse. Sofia didn’t deserve to live like this, but Aria deserved better than to be gone like this. He hadn’t loved her enough. “She’s not the one dying, Aria. I know Sofia will understand if you take the cure now. She can take whenever Evienne is ready to share it”, he said turning his gaze up as she pressed him and then he explained her how the cure really worked. Her answer wasn’t that surpring. William knew her, she wouldn’t change her mind just like that. Life wasn’t some fairytale story, where the good guy saves the damsel and they live happily ever after. “Yes, I can go there and make you nachos. We can have one last meal together, and there’s no way I’ll let you go through this all alone. I’m staying till the very end, and when it is all over, I’ll drive you back to New Orleans, so you can rest close to your family”, he said. On the ride back to Mystic Falls, William thought of what he would do in case Aria didn’t change her mind, even after with the chance right in her hands. He imagined she’d like to be with her sister, to be home in the end. “But I know I’m being selfish for asking you to do this… If you take the cure, I promise to love and respect you. I’ll look after you, I’ll give you a home, I’ll be there for you anytime, even if you get sick or a cold, and I know for sure you’ll be the sexiest woman ever with a cold”, he let a small laugh out. “You’ll be loved and cherished for as long as I shall breath, because you’ll be part of my life, you already are part of me, and if you choose to stay here with me, I know we can be the best and most precious thing we could ever have”, he looked deeply in her eyes, hoping his words could get to her somehow.

“She’s the one who wants it.” She counter-argued, but her tone was gentle. She was tired. Fed up of talking to someone who didn’t listen and annoyed that he would take a cure to her over his own sibling, the person who actually wanted it. “Evienne?” Aria frowned and continued to do so until he explained that the cure was in-fact, a woman. She wasn’t opposed to draining someone but in this case, as long as her willpower and sanity allowed her, she would continue to refuse. Aria sighed quietly, looking down at her palms as he spoke. He was sweet. More than. A good man, someone she didn’t deserve. He never gave up and he always forgave her. Loved her in spite of what she was and the things she’d done. “You’re right, you are being selfish.” Lifting her eyes up to him, she brought a knee to her chest and rested her arm on it. “I’ve told you numerous times I don’t want the cure and I won’t take it if I had the choice and you think a romantic, sappy speech is going to change that?” Aria tilted her head and smiled; soft and tired of.. everything. “But I get it. I understand why. It’s just who you are. You don’t give up.” She added, falling silent until quiet laughter broke out. “You know, you really sounded like you were trying to propose?” Aria scooted from the floor and crawled towards him, sitting opposite with her shins tucked under her legs. “I need to ask you, right now, if there was a choice between a cure for the bite..” meaning, Klaus’s blood. “or the cure for vampirism... which?” She asked. “Which would you want me to take?” Aria sucked in a deep breath and raised a hand up to his cheek. “You talk about acceptance but you’re lying to yourself. To me. You accept me the way I am only because of the hope that there’s a way out. Because deep down. you want this. You want me to be human, because that fits in with your perfect life... You know, the one you trick yourself into thinking we could have?” Her tone twisted and her mind fuzzed over, the wolf bite causing her fourth hallucination where she could only see William as a stranger. Aria shot up, vampire speed to the other end of the room. Her hands pressed against the wall she was leaned on and she shook her head, again and again until reality returned. “Get out.” She grumbled. She didn’t want him to see her this way. “Get out!” Aria repeated, yelling louder. “Marcel is on his way... He’s the only one I want here.” She mumbled, lying but of course, just trying to get him out of harm's way. 

Something in her voice tone made William speed up to her room. He frowned at the scene before him, Aria on the floor, and there was a broken glass. The relief of seeing her in the room, alive, was quickly replaced back with worry. She seemed a bit off, the poison surely was starting to take the best of her. The more he walked into the room, the clear he saw the tears on her face and his heart clenched. “Aria…”, he whispered and dropped down with her. He gently took her hands into his, “That’s alright… I don’t care about it”, he said softly and cupped her face, “C’mere”, Will said and wrapped one arm around her waist, pulling her closer to his chest. “That’s alright… You’ll be alright”, he mumbled and started stroking her hair. He hated that she had to go through this, he hated how these could be the last hours he’d spend with her. And to imagine that a couple of days ago their lives were close to perfect. She was going to be alright, one way or another. Even though he found the cure in a record time, it wasn’t a certain thing that she’d take it. And he couldn’t just force her to take it, not when she got her humanity back in a brutal way, not when he promissed he wouldn’t do something like that to her. If she really decided to go through with it, and face her death so soon, at least she wouldn’t go alone. There was no way he’d leave her. Just the though of losing her made his stomach sick and one tear fell down his cheek. He wished with all his being that she could change her mind, and be with him, “I found her… I found the cure”, he whispered before kissing the top of her head after holding her safe in his arms for a moment. 

“You don’t?” She frowned, as if completely bewildered by the idea. The Jamie she knew would be furious. He may act like he wasn’t but it would only be to lure her in just to slap her down. Her vision was hazy and her thoughts were confused, she stilled in William’s arms. Truly believing her own hallucination, this was Jamie, it wasn’t William, this wasn’t Mystic Falls. “Oh. Okay.” Aria slowly pulled a hand around and rubbed his back. The kindness alone confused her and it wasn’t until she leaned back to question it that reality snapped back into focus; she jumped back, shuffling away in her own shock, looking around, sucking in sharp breaths until finally, she pulled her hands to cover her face. “Jesus Christ.” Aria breathed, letting her back rest against the bed, she tipped her head up to the ceiling and tried to calm herself back down. It seemed absurd to her now, that she thought he was Jamie, that she thought she was back there, in his grasp, it only made her want to laugh hysterically... Not because it was funny, but because maybe, just maybe, this type of hysteria and heartache was what she deserved. “You did?” She replied, pulling her head forward to look at him. “Sofia will be very happy then... Assuming you have given it to her?” Aria lifted a brow. She didn’t know the cure was a person, so she assumed there was only one dose and since she didn’t want it... “Right?” Aria pressed, though she really didn’t need an answer. He wouldn’t be here if he wasn’t telling her he had the cure for her to take. “I don’t want it.” She shook her head. “I would like some nachos though. I have all the ingredients in the kitchen. Call it a dying wish?” She set a little smile on her lips, purposely pushing aside all her more emotive feelings. She wasn’t trying to make him cry, but giving him hope seemed worse.