17. Nemo.

I found myself sitting on the roof, immersed in one of those magical summer nights. Everything felt perfect and full of possibilities, where love was the only thing that mattered. But then reality set in, and the truth was far from beautiful. As an immortal being, I couldn't die, and no one could kill me permanently. Despite my small stature of 160 cm and weight of less than 40 kilos, I was stronger than most human males. These attributes were enviable, and I seemed to have it all - money, power, my own resistance organization, and the loyalty of millions of people worldwide.

So why was I sitting on the roof, tears streaming down my face, wearing an old nightgown that was at least 150 years old? The cool night air rustled my damp hair as I gazed into the dimly lit cityscape. I could sense the bustling world around me, while I remained alone, sad, and far from normal. I wasn't quite fixed yet, and my moods made it difficult to be kind to myself. It was a struggle, to say the least.

Most humans might not understand why it was so hard for me. But the reason was simple, though perhaps cliché - it was love. Love had the power to tear us apart and heal us, and lately, it had done more tearing than healing. I had allowed it to happen, once again, because I knew it was the right thing to do. But my brain couldn't process the pain as easily as my pathos or rage. It overwhelmed me, and my soft sobs resonated in the otherwise quiet night.

Soon, the night would give way to dawn, and the songs of nightingales and blackbirds would fill the air. Maybe then, I could regain control over my fucking stupid emotions and find solace once again.

I didn't really expect it when I heard footsteps approaching and someone sat beside me.

I just blurted out, "Why does it have to hurt so damn bad?"

To my surprise, it was number two, not Wulfe, who replied, "It just does, but baby, what's wrong? Why are you up here, sad and crying on the roof?"

I looked at him and said, "Never mind, I thought you were Wulfe. There's no need for you to worry about me. My mind isn't okay yet and things just keep overwhelming me."

Number two spoke softly and moved closer, pulling me under his arm. "Baby, please tell me what happened. What was that thing in the spa and why are you like this?"

I took a deep breath and explained, "Well, Adam, Charles, Wulfe, Magnum, and Colin thought it would be good for me to go into the sauna to warm up. Then we were supposed to eat. But, as you know, our security isn't great, and despite Adam's company and the others, Mariella added more energy to the bubbles. She knew just how much Damon and I could contribute when we got passionate. Our lust waves are something else, so she set us up. The first thing was to make Damon jealous. So, he, Mariella, Elena, and Katherine joined us in the sauna. Magnum wanted to see me swim, and Damon had to be there too. And then we went back to the sauna."

Number two grunted, clearly upset, and asked, "Well, what happened next?"

I proceeded to tell him the story, starting with me being in the shop and overhearing him with Betty, and then explaining how I met Dash.

Number two confessed, "I have to admit, I have no idea who Betty was. I was just playing my game of seduction, using and losing little toys. There have been Bettys before and after her. Even though they thought they were the prettiest girls in the world, I've seen so many in my time that they all just faded into obscurity. And I know number one feels the same way."

I thought to myself, why didn't he say that then? He let Mariella and me assume he remembered Betty or that she was special in some way.

Number two said, "You, Damon, and I are alike. We all enjoy tormenting ourselves and allowing others to assume the worst of us. Damon and I have always been ashamed of how we treated you. It's a pain like no other, and this recent incident just made it clear to Mariella. He wanted her to know, maybe because she had told him that she was always on his side and understood him. But all these years, Damon still rebels against that because he doesn't believe he deserves someone who understands him."

I responded to number two, "As I've said before, you are one hell of a wise Salvatore. But why are you upset?"

He asked me, "Because of you. I am here being jealous about the whole sauna thing. He did not say to me, nor Mariella did. Now, why are you crying? What happened after you left the sauna?"

I told him, "You know, I have a secret apartment for my mistress with a very pink room. I took him there. I was tired, but not too tired because it had been wonderful. But when we got in there, he conjured clothes for himself. Even though he lay next to me, I knew or suspected. I told him what happened afterward and who Betty was."

Number two grunted and said, "So, he was once again a fool. He had his chance, and he didn't take it. But please, tell me the rest of the story."

I told him about Betty, her life with Dash, their children, her death, and our friendship for over three decades.

He smiled crookedly and quipped, "So one of my former lovers ended up being your best friend. How ironic. But again, what was so upsetting?"

I answered him, "Well, he kept asking what they did to me in that facility. Not because he genuinely wanted to know, but because some part of him wanted a reason to walk away, maybe drug me to sleep or something. He wanted to hear about my trauma, to see me as a victim. But I had to test him."

My voice grew quiet as I looked into the dark forest. The sun would soon rise, and my past would become just that - the past. I would find the courage to move on, to find something to do, and to forget my troubles. Maybe I could finally feel something other than this isolation and darkness in my mood. 

I continued, explaining, "As I shifted in bed, the sheet slipped off and I had gotten myself naked. I stretched, knowing how to make myself appear even skinnier, which wasn't difficult given my current state. He proceeded to take a sheet and drape it over me, scolding me not to catch a cold. I had noticed his lack of arousal the entire time, which made me feel like a masochist. I couldn't resist attempting to seduce him, but it ended in failure."

Tears started to well up again. Somehow his rejection of our seduction game had hit me deeper than I was willing to admit. 

Number two pulled me closer and whispered in my ear, "Shh, my baby. He may be a fool, but I am here. Smell me, go on, smell me. Now, my love, how about you show me your pink room? We can make it our sanctuary. Since we're not yet married, you can be my mistress. Come on now, let's..."

I began to calm down. His touch, although caring and nurturing at first, was now becoming more curious and assertive.

His fingers explored my breasts, delving into the neck of my nightgown as he murmured, "Is this like the one I bought for you back in New York?"

I swallowed and replied, "Yes, this is the one. I have one bag from Reddington filled with my old clothes. He advised me to pack my old clothes in a way that would make room for new ones, so I put them in this magical bag that can hold a lot. I haven't even had a chance to delve into it yet. I should, but then again, if number one decides to give them away too..."

Number two interrupted, "Come on, show me your pink room, and I'll show you just how good I am with my magic. Let's make it our own."

He helped me to stand, and we walked out onto the roof. I wasn't sure if this Salvatore could handle my skinny body, and it had been a while since I had last had any sex or cock in my pussy. I felt uncertain, almost like a virgin, which made him chuckle as I led him through the door into that small room, and then into the closet where I opened the door.

He stepped inside and whistled, exclaiming, "This is pink, I mean, so incredibly pink. How did you manage to get a pink floor and those tiles on the ceiling?"

I replied, "I did it myself. It's a plastic mat on the floor, and I installed it with glue and other materials."

Absentmindedly, I scratched my arm, noticing that my skin felt dry again. My face felt dry as well.

Number two took hold of my hand and gently said, "Don't scratch yourself. Let me see. Have you taken a shower and what did you used to wash yourself?"

I replied, "Yeah, I took a shower and used some old products that Adam gave me. They worked well for me. I had them in the spa too. They were still fine even they were really old. "

He looked at me and requested, "Show me."

I led him into my pink bathroom.

He muttered to himself, "You've managed to fill this room with all sorts of glittery and pink items. But don't worry, I'll make a few improvements at some point."

I allowed him to inspect the shower gels and other products.

He seemed irritated after sniffing them and said, "I'll get you better stuff, don't worry. Not just passionfruit. You're not Mariella, but darling, you're a different creature. Besides, those products are over 100 years old, so their shelf life isn't up to par and they are not in any case anymore suitable for you."

I nodded and admitted, "They did smell okay, but I'm so itchy. My skin is dry, and I need to apply some lotion..."

He interrupted me, saying, "You shouldn't put anything on your skin without my approval. However, I do have something that might ease your discomfort." there was this glint in his eyes. He looked at me and said, "While I cook special patch lil' somethin' special, lemme show you what I can do."

His voice, soft and dangerous but oh so seductive, made my pussy spasm and strawberry champagne floated into the air.

He led me to the bed, neatly folded my bedspread, and instructed me to lie on my back, and watch the show. He moved to stand at the foot of the bed.

He said, "Now watch, this is my magic. This is what Wulfe taught us – to manipulate and use our magic."

I noticed a golden strand oozing from his fingers as he kept his hand spread. There was a slight crease between his brows that I recognized. I used to call it his worry crease because whenever Damon had it; he was concerned or trying to solve a problem. However, Number One rarely had that expression anymore. 

It was mind-boggling to think that this specimen in front of me wasn't the same person anymore, but this was number two. There was an unprecedented level of similarities, but then again, he had his own flare. He reminded me a lot of my Damon, the version of him I had been with. Over the years, no matter how hard Mariella tried to suppress that side of him, it remained.

Now, Damon had several strands in his hands, resembling a group of strings. As he concentrated, the strands multiplied even further.

I exclaimed, "Wow, that looks beautiful!"

He smirked and grunted, mumbling something under his breath. With his fingers and palms in motion, he spun and combined those shimmering strands, letting them merge into the bedspread. Throughout the process, he remained focused, but occasionally glanced at me.

He said, "Initially, this was incredibly difficult. It's still not exactly easy, but I'm able to do it, at least."

I asked him, "What are you doing to my bedspread?"

He replied, "Our bedspread, baby. I'm transforming it into something that represents both of us. You see, when number one performed his magic, or what he did before, he would swap things and make wishes. It was a shortcut, but in one lesson, Wulfe taught us, so he told number one to give him bunny ears, which had to be functional so he could hear through them. Number one fell into his trap and did his thing."

I smiled, noticing that my bedspread was now morphing, incorporating golden and black hues, in addition to pink. Number two moved his fingers even faster, and it was truly mesmerizing to watch.

I inquired, "And then what happened? How did number one fall into the trap?"

Number two explained, "Well, Wulfe had these black bunny ears that moved and allowed him to hear. He cast a brief spell and told number one to stop being lazy and use his magic instead of relying on wishes. Wulfe showed how he had lost his own ears and then conjured a bunny with missing ears, but wearing Wulfe's ears instead. It was a simple swap."

I giggled, feeling sorry for the bunny.

Number two continued, "We had to use our magic similarly to create ears for each other, and it took some effort. And then, of course, we had to get rid of those ears. But number one concentrated and made Mariella have long, floppy bloodhound ears. We had to use our magic just like this, mold this into ears that we wanted to give to each other and then hit the spell in, I am doing spell here but it will be permanent change, you combine your will with the spell, to make it permanent or temporary, like those ears."

I looked at to number two and said, in low voice, "I'd better be more than just a good girl, otherwise I'll have something extra to deal with."

He finished preparing his spell, his fingers trembling slightly with the last traces of magic. Then he revealed the bedspread: a large heart, half black and gold, half pink with strands of pink bleeding into the black and vice versa. Our names were written in vampire language, surrounded by swirls and flowers. He seemed quite satisfied as he looked at me.

I was lying naked on the bed, covered only by a sheet.

I told him, "You know, I took off my nightgown earlier, so I'm naked underneath this slippery sheet."

Number two's eyes showed pure lust, not just for sex but for me as a whole.

He said, just as he used to, "Damn, woman, you still know how to seduce me. But remember, actions have consequences..."

I let the sheet fall, stretched my body, and no matter how I contorted myself, Number Two, or Damon, couldn't take his eyes off me. He started ripping off his clothes, throwing his T-shirt over my nightgown.

He said, "You can have that shirt, baby, but let's see when you'll have time to wear it..."

As he crawled into bed, I spread my legs, let my hand wander between my thighs, and bit my lower lip, shooting him a seductive glance from beneath my eyelashes.

Our passion took over, and sex truly became the best medicine. No matter what ailment I had, it was perfect. I could feel his merciless thrusts jolting my body, and the hot pleasure pooling in my pussy. My orgasms made me scream, and I loved that we both felt the same way. It ignited our bond and consumed our world. His hot, hard cock moved in and out of my wet, eager pussy.

Time ceased to exist in that room; there was only our sex, our lust, and our bodies intertwined in various positions. He was inventive in finding new places for us to fuck. At one point, he even flipped the bed upside down so we could fuck underneath it. It was a challenge, but it didn't matter, as we enjoyed it just as much in doggy style. He panted and filled me over and over, and I drank his blood as he drank mine. I revealed my vampire side's plan to him, and he was amused. There would be no elite hive without him.

Finally, we lay on the floor, gazing at the ceiling covered in mirrors.

I was on top of Damon, and he said to me, "My Mimi, my baby, I will be the happiest man in the world when I can call myself your husband. And I promise you, I will never leave you. Not because of Mariella or anything else. When we get married, there will be no more divorce. Nothing will ever make me leave or divorce you, no matter what number one does or wants."

I kissed him and said, "I love you, you know that, right? I may not always remember to say it, but I do. And every time Mariella takes you away from me, it hurts. I won't show it or say anything, but it hurts. You are more of my Damon than even number four is."

He grunted and smiled, and I could feel his happiness. Now, my recovery has taken a big leap forward. Love and sex truly are incredible healers. The future was ours, and who knows what fun things we would do together?