Posted originally on the Archive of Our Own at /works/16822558.

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Archive Warning: Major Character Death

Category: M/M

Fandom: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Vampire Diaries (TV)

Relationship: Damon Salvatore/Tony Stark

Character: Tony Stark, Damon Salvatore, Peter Parker, Stephen Strange, Steve Rogers

Additional Tags: Temporary Character Death, Angst, Feelings, Vampire Turning, Vampire Tony Stark, I Don't Even Know, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, How Do I Tag, Kidnapped Tony Stark, Execution, Turning Off Humanity, Blood Drinking, Implied/Referenced Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism

Stats: Published: 2018-12-03 Words: 1305

Title: Tsuris by Merlin_Wolfgang_Trades_Hale

Summary:

"It's ironic, really. I saw the look on your face when you felt the movement of the blade. It wasn't fear. It was relief. So yeah, I find it ironic that a man so eager to die would now live forever. But on the plus side...Tony Stark was publicly executed. You're free now." "Am I? I thought it was bad before. Everything is so...so intense..." "You can turn it off Tony. And why not?" Damon whispered in his ear. "You've saved humanity, all of humanity. So why not? Turn it off Tony...Shut off the pain, the guilt, the agony. You're not human anymore. You're not burdened by life anymore...let death release you."

Or

After Thanos is defeated, everyone is saved, and the world tries to move forward...after surviving aliens, gods, titans, and personal demons...Tony is kidnapped by angry zealots and executed live on TV.


"Can't you do like...a tracking spell or something?" Peter asked as he walked behind Stephen, trying to keep up.

Steve didn't mean to eavesdrop, it just sort of happened. Peter wasn't really being quiet and they were in a public hallway in the Avenger's compound, so it could have been more private if Peter wanted it to. But poor kid sounded too concerned to care who heard him. Which only made Steve worried. It wasn't a secret how much Peter idolized Tony. Since they 'won', things keep on changing. The ground never seems steady, and it doesn't always feel like a victory. But they carry on. Some better than others.

Tony's been a topic of concern for plenty of people.

Stephen sighed and it made Steve pay more attention to the conversation. It was a tired sigh, not one of annoyance though. "Peter. Tony's an adult. He can take care of himself. Some days he just needs a little 'me time'."

Peter didn't seem impressed with the answer. Rather than stomp his food and throw a tantrum, he stated something that made both Steve and Stephen frown with more concern.

"He's drinking again."

"I know," Stephen replied solemnly.

Steve did not know. What he did know was that Tony had struggled with his alcoholism before he became Iron Man, struggled with it while Iron Man, and battled against it to become better. And at some point, he had succeeded. He wasn't surprised that he had fallen off the wagon considering the shit they've dealt with, but it was still a worrying thought. Tony's health was a concerning thought.


"Rough day?" Damon asked as he sat in the chair across from Tony.

The billionaire spared Damon a small glance before refilling his tumbler to the brim and then pushing the bottle over. While Damon served himself, Tony took big gulps of his drink. The bourbon burned, but he preferred feeling that than anything else inside of him at the moment. The best bourbon money could buy, and Tony was getting his money's worth to help him quiet his brilliant albeit tormented mind.

"Not in a talkative mood? Must be a rough day." Damon chimed as he leaned back and enjoy the luxury of it all. The comfy chair in front of a nicely lit fire in an old, posh, private club that only allowed rich men. He was a regular here, and he owned the company that supplied the bourbon. One of the luxuries of his immortality is being able to enjoy the fruits of his labor...well, in terms of bourbon.

They continue to drink in silence until Tony decides to get up. Damon's used to this part of their 'relationship'. It wasn't serious on either side, but it was something needed by both of them. Damon needed to feel in control and strong, and Tony needed to hand over control to someone else...for a little while.

What Tony didn't know was that the high that kept him going for a few weeks wasn't just the mind-blowing sex, but from Damon feeding off of him just as he reached climax. It intensified it 100 fold. Not wanting the Avengers to show up at his doorstep, Damon always feeds Tony his blood to heal the bite marks.

It never really occurred to Damon, despite Tony's line of work, that the genius would die while having vampire blood in him.

But that's what happened. On national television of all things.


Whenever he left Damon, despite how much he had drunk, he never went home plastered. He didn't care to question it since he didn't like the knowing, pitying, worrying, and upset looks he gets from his friends and peers. He doesn't lie per se, but he doesn't feel the need to make a confession session out of it. Whatever the hell the feeling was that he carried after their sessions made it possible for him to carry the burden of the past decade or so...but it also lowered his guard.

He hadn't been alert, he hadn't had his security team, he hadn't told anyone where he was. He'd been vulnerable and a target. And he'd been taken.

The burlap bag over his head brought back feelings and memories of terror and panic from the time in Afghanistan. He struggled, he fought, but he wasn't at 100% and he was alone.

The government didn't negotiate with terrorist.

Stark Industries didn't negotiate with terrorist.

They've seen this before. They expected him to have a plan. They expected something grand and amazing from him.

Something Tony Stark like.

He's built himself up, managing to somehow step out of Howard's shadow, as impossible as he once thought. He's raised the bar and pushed the boundaries of science and possibility.

But there are limits. Even for the great and mighty Tony Stark...because in the end, he was still human.

He's pushed to his knees as the sack is pulled off and a blinding light flashes his face. He can't see his captors' faces and only recognizes the language they're speaking because he's visited the country for one reason or another. There's yelling and he's pushed and pulled, his hair is yanked back and his neck is exposed. There's a cold, sharp blade against his neck and in a moment it all goes quiet.


"I wondered if it would take," Damon said without looking up from his phone.

Tony sat down silently and grabbed the bottle and drank from it. "I'm so hungry."

Damon looked up then. He wasn't rattled by Tony's appearance at all. Considering the things he's seen and done, it was practically standard. Tony himself was fine, not even a scar on his neck despite the footage he saw a few hours ago that was circling the net like wildfire. But his suit was a disaster and drenched in blood. Both of Tony's and his victims. Tilting his head a bit, he saw the trail of blood left by some of Tony's snacks.

"You're a newborn. The thirst will be strong for a while."

"I don't...I...I was supposed to die..."

"It's ironic, really," Damon spoke casually but there was a sharpness in his stare. "I saw the look on your face when you felt the movement of the blade. It wasn't fear. It was relief. So yeah, I find it ironic that a man so eager to die would now live forever. But on the plus side...Tony Stark was publicly executed. You're free now."

"Am I? I thought it was bad before. Everything is so...so intense now." Even if he was doing his best to

"You can turn it off, Tony."

Tony's head snapped to the other man. "What do you mean?"

"I mean that you can shut off your humanity. You don't want to feel any of it? Then don't. You can be the greatest mind, without the beast of burden that is pathetic human emotions. And why not?" Damon used his vampire speed to appear behind Tony in a blink. He whispered in his ear. "You've saved humanity, all of humanity, you've paid whatever dues you've owed. So why not? Turn it off Tony..." He coaxed. "Shut off the pain, the guilt, the agony. You're not human anymore. You're not burdened by life anymore...let death release you."

Many people flashed through his mind's eye. All the people that remained that he felt owned whatever remained of his heart. His connections to the normal human world. He loved them, god he loved them...but he was so tired. So damn tired.

"Let go."

Rhodey...Pepper...Happy...

"Let the hunger drive you...let instinct take hold."

Peter...Stephen...Bruce...

"No more guilt, no more sorrow, no more pain."

The Avengers...his creations...

"Let them all go, Tony."

And so Tony did.