just stay with me

Okay, I have absolutely no idea why I am taking on another story. But this idea has been in my head for a while and I just had to get it out. Stefan and Damon brotherly moments, Steroline, Bamon, some Lexi, no Elena.

It was just another ordinary day, like no other.

The alarm clock went off at seven sharp and Damon threw a pillow at it. It skidded across the nightstand and fell to the floor, unfortunately, not damaged at all. It had been a Christmas present from his baby brother in an attempt to get him up in the morning. No matter what Damon did to the clock, it always magically turned back up, unscathed.

"Come on, Damon! Get up! We have to be there early. Lexi's already on her way to pick us up and Caroline and Bonnie will meet us there."

He groaned, rolling over onto his front and burying his face in his remaining pillow.

"Five more minutes, Mom..." Damon moaned as he heard his brother charge into the bedroom. "Please?"

"Damon, if you don't get up right now, I am going to dump a load of ice cubes in your bed," snapped Stefan.

"I'd like to see you try," Damon chuckled. "Besides, I'm not wearing any pajamas."

Stefan let out a noise of disgust before stomping out of the bedroom. "Fine, it's your funeral!"

Damon rolled his eyes before swinging his legs off the bed. It usually went like this, Stefan threatening him, Damon cracking a joke, and then eventually getting up. Sometimes, it was hard to remember who was the big brother and who was the little brother.

Antonia and Guiseppe Salvatore had been killed the year before in a car accident, leaving Damon the sole custodian of his then seventeen year old brother and both of them in holds of many stocks and bonds that were worth millions. In truth, the Salvatore brothers were set for life but neither of them really wanted that kind of life. Stefan had been accepted into Harvard Medical School right out of high school but decided not to go and instead was currently attending Mystic Falls University for his pre-med credits. Most of his decision was to be near his best friend Lexi and his girlfriend Caroline while they attended there for their degrees in music.

Well, Damon couldn't really let his little brother have all the fun. He had graduated high school a few years before, barely scraping through with a C+ average and living up to his bad boy status. He did apply to Mystic Falls U and was accepted into the physical art program, much to his little bro's surprise. That was where he met a Miss Bonnie Bennett, the student teacher and a recent early grad.

Stefan was a semester ahead of him but they were in the same year, actually landing in a couple of the same classes. Damon was enjoying school and enjoying life, finally finding some happiness after all those years before.

"Are you ready yet?"

"I'm coming, I'm coming!" Damon grunted, quickly pulling on his boots. He grabbed his bag and exited the bedroom, jogging down the wooden staircase to where his brother was waiting. "See? I told you I was coming." He waved his bag under Stefan's nose. "And no drugs. I promise."

"Cram it, brother," grumbled Stefan. "I'm already late for my anatomy class."

Damon rolled his eyes again as he locked the door behind him. Stefan jogged down the front steps to the driveway where Lexi was waiting in her SUV.

"Good morning, lovely Lexi," he immediately turned on the charm once he saw his brother's pretty friend.

"Why good morning, Damon," answered Lexi as she kicked the Jeep into gear once Damon slammed door shut. "So nice to see you this morning."

"You too."

"Stop it, you guys. You're going to make me cry," chuckled Stefan from the front seat.

Lexi Branson and Damon Salvatore had been surprisingly civil towards one another for the past four weeks. That was all because of one slightly drunken night when Damon had made a pass for his brother's protective friend and she had made quite the assault on his balls.

They arrived at the campus within twenty minutes. Lexi dropping the brothers off in front of the student building before going to park.

Right before Stefan hustled off for the science building, he handed Damon something.

"Oh, by the way. Happy birthday."

And then he was gone.

Damon stared, unable to believe what he was seeing. It was a birthday card that had a picture of a house on it. But it just wasn't any house, it was their house. It wasn't just any picture, it was the painting that Damon had done of the exterior when he was only twelve years old. Stefan had stolen the picture and kept it all these years, now having made it into a birthday card.

"Oh, jeez...you big softie..." he found himself murmuring, tenderly tucking the card into his bag.

"Wanna tell me why you're late?"

"Do I need a reason?"

"Damon?"

"Okay, I do have a reason."

Caroline chuckled dryly, throwing back her head. She quickly flipped her braid off of her shoulder and returned to her note taking. The anatomy class was the only class that the two had together, due to the difference in their degrees. But it was still an hour and a half together that they wouldn't have had before.

The class let out around a little after nine and the blonde couple was the last to leave the room. They walked slowly down the stone walkway to the resource building. Caroline was going to be going to her music compostion class while Stefan had a short break. As they walked, they noticed another boy hurriedly heading the other way, a large pack on his bag.

"Hey, that's Nick. What's wrong with him?" Stefan wondered aloud, seeing the nervous look on their acquaintance's face.

"I don't know." said Caroline. She spoke up first. "Nick? Are you okay?" Concern was evident in her features and for a split second, she thought she saw hope in the strawberry blond haired boy's eyes.

"Oh, Caroline. Stefan, hey. Um, I've just got a lot on my mind," said Nick as he carefully readjusted the backpack. "But thanks."

"I'll see you in our journalism modules, Nik," Stefan called after him as he hurried away. Nik just waved a hand before disappearing into another building.

"I hope he's okay. He's been having a rough time at home," Caroline mused as Stefan opened the side door for her.

"What do you mean?"

"His parents divorced a little while ago. And you heard about his sister Becky, right?"

"What do you mean?" Stefan repeated.

"She died. A drug overdose."

Something shot through his heart. Something that felt a lot like pain.

"Oh, God...that's horrible," he whispered. "I had no idea."

"His brothers Eli and Finnigan are trying to help but he is miserable. I was actually thinking of inviting him to hang out with us tonight."

"Oh, uh, tonight?"

"What's wrong?"

"Well, Care, today's Damon's birthday. I was kind of hoping to spend it with him. Even though he doesn't want my company," he chuckled.

"Today's Damon's birthday? My gosh, I had no idea," sighed Caroline. "Why didn't you tell me that your birthdays were only two weeks apart?"

"Never came up."

She rolled her lovely eyes. "Well, we're figure out something." She planted a quick kiss on his lips as they reached her classroom. "I love you."

He smiled, his heart doing a little happy dance. "I love you too."

"Hello, my muse."

Bonnie Bennett immediately relaxed as thick and strong arms snaked around her waist. She leaned her head back and allowed him more access to her throat, sighing with contentment.

"You're lucky no one's in here," she murmured.

"Who cares if there were?" he sighed happily, continuing on his journey to her earlobe.

"I would. Besides, I am the student teacher. This could get me in a whole lot of trouble!"

"Oh, it sounds kinky," Damon chuckled. "Teacher sleeping with the student. Oo-la-la."

"Oh, get off me!" She gently pushed him away just as the first students began milling into the art room. "Now be a good birthday boy and do your homework."

His eyebrows lifted. "How did you-?"

"Hey, I know these things."

He smiled widely through the rest of the class.

"Well, isn't it my dear and sappy brother who made me feel like a big girl this morning?"

Stefan rolled his eyes. "What are you doing here, Damon? Don't you have a class?" He walked over to the sinks, turning on the water and letting it heat up.

"Had to pee and was lucky enough to find you in here."

"Do you realize how gay that sounds?" asked his oak leave eyed brother, the smile still on his lips.

Damon rolled his eyes and turned on the water himself. letting it trickle over his hands. He glanced at his watch. 10:41 am. "I'm glad you're here. I wanted to thank you for that card. It was very nice."

"Even at eight years old, I thought it something special. That's why I hung onto it," said Stefan as he grabbed a few paper towels and patted down his hands.

"Well, thank you again. It was nice."

"You're welcome, brother."

The two of them looked at each other for a moment before Damon broke the eye contact. "Enough of the chick-flick moments."

Stefan laughed, grabbing his bag and slinging it over his shoulder. "Where you heading next?"

"My favorite class. Math!"

Stefan continued to laugh as they made for the door.

And that was when they heard it.

It sounded like firecrackers going off.

"What the hell is that?" Damon wondered aloud, walking over to the doorway. He opened it a peek and then that sound rattled through the room once again. He let out a yell of surprise and quickly slammed the door shut.

"What is it?" Stefan choked out, fear already clenching his throat.

"It's that creepy Nick kid! He's got a fucking gun!" Damon locked the door and shoved his own body against it.

"Nick?" Stefan gaped, his bag falling to the floor. "No, it can't be."

"Well, it is, Stefan. Seriously, you need to pick some better friends."

"Wait a minute! Caroline and Lexi!" Stefan made for the door but Damon easily caught him.

"No can do, little bro. Besides, they're over in the resource building. They're okay."

"Unless Nick went there first!"

"Stefan, stop it!"

"What about Bonnie? Don't you care about her?"

"Bonnie went home thirty minutes ago. She's safe. Caroline and Lexi are fine. They're smart girls. They'll figure out a way."

He wasn't just trying to keep his little brother calm. He was silently reassuring himself.

Nevertheless, Stefan quickly pulled out his cellphone. He tapped out Caroline's number and placed it to his ear.

"Damn it, it's going straight to voice mail!"

"Stefan, keep your voice down!"

The gunshots were getting closer.

"She could be already dead, Damon!"

"Don't you think you would feel it if she was gone, Stefan?" Damon hissed. "Now be quiet and get over there. He's getting closer."

The shots were so close that they placed their hands to their ears to muffle the noise. Damon grabbed Stefan's hand and pulled him over to the small nook by the stalls and pushed him into the corner. He could see the fear and tried to silently reassure him, gently pressing his hand to his shoulder.

More screams rippled through the air, making Damon's hair stand on end. Then the gunshots came to a still. It was so silent that a pin dropping to the floor could be heard.

"Maybe it's over," Stefan whispered, glancing out the window. He could see the police cars and SWAT team bus already pulling up.

"I wouldn't bet on it," Damon murmured.

Famous last words.

And then he couldn't see anything.

He couldn't feel anything.

All he saw in his line of vision was the barrel of the rifle in his face.

"Hey, guys," whispered Nick. "How's your morning been?"

Stefan tried to focus his blurred vision. Moments before he had thrown his hands up in front of his face to shield from any bits of flying door once Nick had blown it open.

"Oh, we were doing pretty good," snarked Damon. "Until a crazy dude interrupted it by shooting a bunch of people!" He barely moved at the sharp kick that Stefan threw into his calf.

"Thanks, Stefan. But I think I'm doing all right," murmured Nick. His dark blue eyes focused in on the elder Salvatore, his fingers cocking the rifle.

"Why are you doing this?" Stefan asked quietly.

"Oh, this has been coming for a long time, Stefan. But don't worry. I have no intention of hurting you. And your pretty little girlfriend's all right too. She's safe where I left her. I wouldn't know about that blond chick though. Lexi, was it?"

Stefan felt the sudden urge to vomit.

"Please don't, Nick. Please," he whispered. "You can stop this. It can all be over and you don't have to hurt anyone else."

"It doesn't matter, Stefan!" barked the slightly older boy. "No one cares!"

"I care, Nick! Caroline cares! Your brothers care! I am so sorry about your sister. What happened was so horrible but Becky was too far gone. There was nothing that none of you could have done for her!"

"What do you know about it?"

"Damon used drugs before our parents died. It got so bad that he almost OD'd himself. And it scared me. It really did. But he made it through. He still kicking and twice as pompous as before."

"And I am supposed to feel for you...why?" asked Nick, still holding the gun at Damon's throat.

"Because I know how it feels! I know how it feels to be hopeless and uncaring. To lose the that you love the most. Becky was your best friend, was she not?"

Nick wordlessly nodded.

"Damon's my best friend, no matter how much he tries to deny it. Caroline, she's your friend. I'm your friend. Please let us help you," Stefan whispered, stepping closer to the tall boy. "Put the gun down. You don't want to kill him."

"Stefan-"

"Shut up, Damon."

He gently placed a hand on the tip of the rifle, pushing it down. "We can help."

Tears were violently welling up in Nick's eyes. His fingers started to slip from the rifle's hold. "I'm sorry, Stefan."

The blast was deafening.

And so was Damon's scream of agony.

Cliffhanger!

Okay, so this weird idea came and I had to get it out. It depends on your views and reaction to this if I will keep writing it or not.

Anyway, if you liked or hated, reviews are still appreciated. Leave me one and tell me what you thought.