Here's the new update. I hope you like it.


Damon was going to go crazy if he had to be stuck in the house one more day with his brother. Stefan had barely left him alone. He was actually semi-surprise that Stefan allowed him privacy in his bathroom. The kid was that bad, and Damon was about ready to strangle him. He was a grown man and could take care of himself. He didn't need to be babysat by his semi-stable baby brother. It had been three days since he had gotten any semblance of privacy. Heck, despite the fact Stefan didn't watch him shower or go to the bathroom, the guy couldn't go ten minutes without checking on him.

"Damon you've been in there for over forty-five minutes," Stefan called from outside Damon's bathroom door.

So much for the ten minute intervals, Damon thought to himself as he finished rinsing himself and turned off the shower head. He grabbed his towel and dried off. He waited for Stefan to knock on the door yet again. When he did, Damon smugly opened the door to show off his birthday suit. He smirked as Stefan immediately turned his back to him.

"Do you know how to use a towel?" he shot and his tone of irritation made Damon chuckle.

"Wasn't I naked when you found me?" Damon retorted as he went to his closet.

"That's not the issue and you know it."

"I do?" Damon asked, playing dumb as he pulled out an outfit to wear.

"Damon, my problem isn't your preference to show off your pasty white bum. It's the fact you're showing it off at all. What if I wasn't alone?"

Damon changed into a pair of black jeans and a dark gray t-shirt before even glanced up at Stefan. He considered the question for a few minutes and then raised an eyebrow. A second later he laughed.

"You're not worried about just anyone seeing me naked," he chuckled, slipping on his socks. "You just don't want Elena to see me naked. Come on, Stef, she would do you before she does me. Sadly."

"We're over, Damon," Stefan reminded him.

"Are you sure about that?"

"I hurt her in so many ways. Yes, we're over."

"In that case, you wouldn't mind if I called her and asked her out? Maybe I could get her drunk enough and convince Caroline to join us in a threesome."

That didn't seem to go over well with Stefan. His expression darkened, and before Damon knew it, he had been thrown into his dresser, shattering it. As he was getting to his feet, Stefan kicked him hard in the ribs, throwing him into the wall. He was ready when Stefan went at him again. This time, Damon grabbed him by the throat and slammed him to the floor.

"You feel that smoldering jealousy?" he asked. "That urge to tear me apart is the proof that you're lying through your teeth, Stef. You two are far from over. You're just too stupid to admit it."

With that said, Damon got to his feet and kicked his brother right into the wall. He then went back to his closet and pulled out one of his leather jackets. He put it on and then turned to his brother who was now sitting up on the spot of floor where he had landed.

"I'm going to the Grill," he said. "I'll be there with Ric so you don't have to fuss like an old lady. I'll be out for a while though. Oh and you're buying me a new dresser. Preferably, I want it here by the time I get home. It was eight hundred dollars you dick."

.X.x.X.x.X.

Stefan watched his brother leave before he got to his feet with a frustrated sigh. He hadn't meant to lose it like he had. He really hadn't. It made no sense to him why he had let Damon get such a rise out of him. He eyed the dresser he had destroyed and sighed again. How did his brother expect him to buy a dresser and get it there in a single day. He shook his head and headed out of the room. He nearly rammed into Elena.

"What happened?" she asked, frowning. "Damon let me in and then he just left with that look in his eye."

"We got into a fight," he said. "Don't worry about it."

"Are you all right?"

Stefan looked at her for a moment and then glanced back at Damon's room. He should replace that dresser. He should also beat his brother's face in. Well, no actually he just wanted to. He didn't have to. He had to replace that dresser though if he wanted any semblance of peace tonight. He then looked back to Elena.

"Yeah, I'm fine," he said. "Did you want something?"

He kept his tone harsh and watched as Elena tensed at it. She opened her mouth as if she was going to reply, but then shook her head and turned around. He let her leave despite that annoying urge he had to stop her. He knew by doing all of this was hurting her, but he was also certain that it was better than the alternative. Despite what Damon had said, he wasn't being stupid. Pushing her away was the smartest thing he could do. Sighing, he left the house to go buy a replacement dresser for his brother.

.X.x.X.x.X.

Damon was at the Grill, but he hadn't gone to meet with Ric. In fact, the guy was sitting at the bar all by himself. He had a whiskey in his hand and was simply watching the people as they came and went. He needed the space away from everyone he knew and their watchful eyes. This was the closest he figured he could get without giving his brother reason to call a search and rescue on him because he decided to get away from town for an hour. He figured if he was seen somewhere he would usually haunt, he would be left to his thoughts, which was exactly what he both wanted and needed.

He wasn't the type to let bad situations stick with him. He usually got out of them and let it all go. This was different though. He couldn't get past this one. His brain was saying it was over, but there was something in him telling him the exact opposite. That feeling was getting worse as time went by. He was used to being screwed over and so he couldn't bring himself to believe it was over.

"A penny for your thoughts?" a voice whispered in his ear, startling him back to reality.

"I usually sell them for a dollar," he said as he looked up to find it was Tori.

Tori offered up a smile that made him uncomfortable. It was too soft and genuine for him. He didn't know what to make of it. So, he turned away and downed his whiskey before he flagged the bartender down.

"What would you like to drink?" he asked, smirking a little. "Come on. It's on me."

"Pineapple rum?" she asked and as the bartender went to get it she grabbed Damon lightly by the arm. "Just one Damon. I'm not letting you pay for anymore."

Damon chuckled and nodded a little. He would probably pay regardless of what she said. He owed her, according to his brother. He had every intention of paying up and then some. She did help his brother save him even though Damon hadn't wanted to be saved. He was glad, nevertheless, that his wishes had been ignored.

"So, how's life now that you're a free man once again?" she asked once her pineapple rum came and she took her first sip.

"Free?" he scoffed and shook his head. "Free implies that my brother hasn't become a fussing old granny and this isn't my first time out of the house or his sight. He is a fussing old lady and this is my first time away from him by the way."

"He can't be that bad."

"I've considered renaming him," he declared, "fifty times today alone."

"To what?" she asked.

"Faffer McGranny."

Tori had taken another drink of her rum so it sprayed all over the counter and then burst out laughing. This amused Damon greatly because he was serious for the most part. His amusement died a little as sharp pain hit him in his chest hard. Grimacing, he rubbed the spot and ordered some more Bourbon. The pain didn't ease up, but it was bearable enough that he could continue to enjoy himself.

"Do you throw darts or play pool?" he asked after a few minutes.

"I play a little pool," she admitted. "I never threw a dart in my life though."

Damon smirked and decided to change that. Ignoring her protests, he led her to the dart boards and placed a dart in her hand.

"Damon."

"Shh," he said against her ear as he pressed himself up behind her. "It's easy. Let me show you."

She stopped protesting and let him fix her hand around the dart and helped her throw it. He repeated the process a few more times and then let her throw one on her own. It didn't make the board at all, but he couldn't really do much about as the pain in his chest suddenly became unbearable and he collapsed.

"Damon?"

"Call Stefan," he groaned out just before he passed out from the agony.