The Coin Toss

A Vampire Diaries Fanfic.

Damon Salvatore x Ashlan Corral

'For those who forget what it means to be Alive.'

Song: ''Here Without You"- 3 Doors Down

Chapter 0

"When You Think It's Too Late"

It hurts.

Everything hurts.

All the time now.

I didn't want Lani to know though, that although her blood took the edge off, it never completely blocked the pain. It wasn't fair for her to suffer, to watch me die. I was going to die, I accepted that, but Lani? She didn't deserve to watch this.

Yet she did.

For days.

For a while, I was hoping she would leave. That maybe somewhere in her deep mind, she would finally give up on me, move on. She didn't, instead she tried so hard to make things easier for me. She knew, I knew, everyone did. I was going to die. Yet when I felt her stroking my face, I never wanted to leave. If I could, I would be so selfish as to spend eternity in that moment, just me and her, her touches sending shocks through my body.

I wanted to tell her everything, tell her just how deeply I wanted her, loved her, but it wasn't fair anymore. Telling her would make her hold on tighter, she needed to let go.

Yet I was selfish, because each time she came back into the room, curled up against me, I felt a little bit happier. I was so selfish, letting her watch me as I died, telling me all these things.

I'm sorry Lani, but you aren't the horrible person. You, who never gave up on me. You, who tried even when most wouldn't. You, who fought for me, hurt for me, cried for me. I was the horrible person for dragging you in. Even though I originally just wanted to play, I found you were just like her- no, I shouldn't say that- you were even more a woman to me than Madison ever was.

There's this fire inside of you, one I've never seen in other women before. I wanted to know you so badly, so much that I didn't think about being selfish- I just did it. I tore you apart before I even realized it. Yet you never let go, you picked up your pieces, and mine, and you put us back together. You idiot...

I'm the horrible person.

She left for a little while, Stefan walking over to me. He had the same grim face as everybody else, only Lani put up a front for me, but I knew she was crying so much inside.

"Watch her..." I whispered out, my lungs protested, but I kept talking. "She's... vampire bait..." I muttered, and for good measure, Stefan chuckled.

"I will." He said solemnly, no smile on his face as I looked up to him. I wish I could stare into Lani's eyes again, they hard a spark I'd never seen before, such steel grey orbs, those should be outlawed, with the power they have.

"Sorry we... fought so... much... brother..." I muttered, deciding if I was going sentimental, I might as well kill it.

"What's all this talk? You couldn't possibly be feeling sorry about it now?" Stefan teased, if I had the energy I would've rolled my eyes. He quieted down for a moment, before he added. "Ash is going to be fine."

"Of course... she's a... strong one..."

"She'll miss you, you won't be forgotten, by anyone." He said, but when he said it I couldn't help the image that crossed my mind. An old, elderly Lani, looking at my gravestone, crying over it as though I had just passed. I didn't want that for her, I wanted her to be happy, to sing and dance and love. She deserved everything I couldn't give her to start with.

Somebody worthy of a girl like her.

"She'll... get over...me..." I said, my eyes wanting to shut. Stefan shook my arm, but it felt numb and strange when he touched me.

"Ashlan!" Stefan called, but he sounded far away. I felt so tired, so weak and numb.

"What's happening?!" Elena shouted.

"Where's Ashlan?!" Stefan said in a panic. "Get Ashlan!"

"She went outside!"

There was a pause, I felt someone tapping the side of my face.

"Damon stay with me!" Stefan demanded, maybe he was slapping my face. "Damon!"

"Move."

The third voice was quiet, so much that I couldn't recognize it at all. What was happening? Ah, it didn't matter now, I was so very tired...

Then the sweetest taste I had ever tasted, slid down my throat. It was like cane sugar and whiskey, but it was so much more- spices I couldn't understand, sweetness I had never tasted before.

It was so good.

I felt my hands grip the container tightly, not letting go even though there was no struggle. My gums ached as my fangs protruded, I bit down hard, enjoying the never ending supply of the sweetness that came.

Finally, it was taken away swiftly.

The room went silent, the only thing I heard was the sound of footsteps walking out.

"Damon?" Stefan asked, making me frown. What was going on?

Then I felt it, the snapping and crackling. I winced as my muscles tensed, crackling the dead skin before it soothed into nothing. The pain left a moment later, I let out a sigh.

My eyes snapped open then.

Looking around, I sat up, and stared at Stefan and Elena. Despite my apparent recovery, they both had a grave look on their faces. Frowning, I looked to Stefan, but he shook his head and looked to the door. It was then that it dawned on me, who those footsteps belonged to.

"Where's Lani?"

Whew!

Got that out pretty quickly, neh?

I think I might pace myself with this story a bit more, I'm a sucker for reviews and I get more when I wait!

So I was thinking really hard on how to spin this, but then I figured it out. You're either going to hate or love this book- and it's going to probably make you confused or upset, but PLEASE DON'T GIVE UP! It gets better and everything is explained! I swear! I literally was thinking about this book since I started writing the next one!

Well, I have 200 followers, hopefully all of you keep reading this book and possibly the third?

Can't wait!

RATE AND REVIEW!

QUESTION OF THE DAY: Damon POV! Anybody got any guesses what Lani did to save Damon?