Hey guys! So I'm back with a larger chapter, finally! I honestly have no idea how you guys will take this one but I really hope you like it. It feels a lot more like my previous writing for this fic, something I haven't been able to return to for a while so I mean, some fluff, some angst, all round probably dark as hell, yay!
Either way, trigger warnings for implied self harm in the third portion of this chapter, don't say I didn't warn you.
Also do any of you listen to K-POP? My friend got me hooked two weeks ago to BTS and now I'm obsessed. Seriously though, if you haven't already, check them out, its such a nice change from typical pop music these days.
So credit for this chapter goes to Dare To Be Something More, for giving me the central idea that formed the basis of this chapter. For the record, I have no idea what the hell I'm doing with this fic anymore so ideas are always appreciated. Anyway, read, review and enjoy!
Also, Disclaimer: all views presented concerning certain characters are my own and based on my own interpretation of them based on evidence provided from the show. Also, I have no idea what kind of hot mess this chapter turned out to be, nor do I know how it even got to this point.
Stefan looked up from the pan where his pancake was nearly ready as Enzo shuffled into the kitchen, shrugging slightly when the other vampire looked at him, confused to see him cooking again. Sue him, he actually enjoyed cooking breakfast sometimes, especially small easy things like pancakes. Still though, it wasn't even ten in the morning on a Saturday, so Stefan wasn't surprised to see Enzo make a bee line for the fridge, rummaging around until he found a blood-bag. The younger vampire then looked at his other, empty hand, opening and closing his fingers as if surprised he wasn't holding something.
Enzo looked around him, turning in a full circle before pouting and giving up, tearing open the bag with his teeth and gulping it down. Once he finished, he looked towards his free hand once more, bleary eyes blinking in confusion to see it still empty. "Stefan," he began quietly, his voice almost childlike in its confusion, "why is there no coffee?"
"Because I haven't made any yet?" The Salvatore answered, both confused and amused by the other's antics, especially because he had never seen Enzo act in this manner before.
"Stefan, why is there no coffee?" Enzo repeated, looking adorably morose, not that Stefan would admit it. "I've grown to actually kind of like this town and destroying it while looking for some goddamn caffeine isn't very high on my list today. Pancake way less important than coffee - always."
"Sorry to break it to you Enzo, but not everyone needs coffee to survive."
"Steffy? Has anyone ever told you that you might not be completely normal? Fucking mutant - not needing coffee," the other vampire grumbled.
Laughing as he flipped his finished pancake onto a plate, Stefan moved toward the cupboard which held the coffee, promising to make some immediately. The smile that followed lit up Enzo's entire face before the vampire scrunched up his nose and pressed a hand to his head, muttering about the dangers of being so happy at such an ungodly hour of the morning. Stefan ignored the fact that it was nearly ten and so, hardly an 'ungodly hour' and busied himself making coffee for the tired vampire.
Pushing a mug filled nearly to the brim with coffee into Enzo's hands, Stefan was entirely unsurprised to see him gulp it all down in one go. Placing the mug on the table and cracking his neck a little, Enzo grimaced and pressed his hands against his head. "For fuck's sake, please tell me there is more where that came from and some blood to go with it." He grabbed the next mug that Stefan gave him, sighing contentedly as he drank, sipping it slowly. "You, mate, are a bloody angel. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise or I'll hurt them for you."
Humming in amused agreement, Stefan sat down at the table across from Enzo and dug into his pancakes. "You might want to inform my brother about that belief, I'm sure he'll find a thousand reasons why I'm the opposite of an angel."
Enzo scrunched up his nose again, tilting his head slightly before answering. "He'd only find about five reasons and that's even if he was trying to be an ass, which admittedly he probably would be, but he'd still agree with me. I mean, fuck, he practically lives for you half the time."
"Yeah, to prolong my suffering for at least another century, I'm aware. Hey!" He cried out in indignation as Enzo reached out, faster than the human eye could see, smacking him upside the head. "What was that for?"
"Being a dick." Enzo replied, calmly sipping at his coffee. "Also for being an idiot, but seeing as how that's your normal state of mind, we'll let it go, even at this ridiculous time of morning."
"Well, thanks. That really means a lot." Came the sarcastic reply almost immediately.
Enzo merely put a finger to his lips in the universal shush motion as his other hand was used to massage his temples. "Don't be a smart ass, it's been a long night and I'm actually accustomed to sleep now."
"I really don't need to know about my brother's-" Stefan began looking extremely uncomfortable before Enzo interrupted, chuckling softly before sobering up.
"Not sex, you idiot. Bloody nightmares. It's going to be a Bad Day which means, please, for the love of all that is good and holy unlike our damned selves, keep that fucking doppelganger away from Damon if you want her alive and kicking by tomorrow still."
"A Bad Day?" Stefan enunciated slowly. "Care to explain?"
"Oh for fuck's sake! At this rate I'm going to literally kill either you or Damon. Probably both. I don't even know why I'm still surprised, a fucking rabbit would have better communication skills with a fox then the two of you have with each other." At the younger Salvatore's confused look, he sighed heavily, covering his face with one hand. "It is too early for this shit," he mumbled. "Your brother has recurring nightmares of all the shit we were put through, along with a couple others I won't mention because I know he might actually literally kill me if I tell you. Point is, he's going to have a Bad day today so to prevent any death and/or destruction, we need cuddles, loud movies, one or two chick flicks, a shit ton of popcorn and chocolate. Possibly alcohol as well. No blood though."
"No blood?" Stefan was a little incredulous. "You do realise that we're vampires, right?"
"And you realise that in a hundred and fifty years you still know barely anything about your own brother?" Enzo's voice was heated, one hand tightly gripping the nearly empty mug in front of him, the other clenched tightly into a fist. He took a deep breath, unclenching his hand as he exhaled. "But that's between you and Damon. Blood will trigger him and that's the last thing we want today. I messaged Caroline and she should be here in about half an hour with the popcorn and chick flicks, hopefully some of the chocolate too. You're on alcohol duty as well as keeping everyone not cleared by me at least five miles away from the house. Oh, and if I smell blood or hear your girlfriend anywhere within a twenty feet radius of Damon's room, I will snap your neck."
"And that's all I could get on such short notice." Caroline stated as she handed a large bag to Enzo. The blonde vampire looked concerned as she stood in the doorway, biting her lip as she glanced upward in the general direction of the elder Salvatore's room. "I know we haven't had the best relationship but he's not as much of a dick with you around and don't tell him, but I actually kind of like this Damon. Take care of him?"
"Always," Enzo replied, smiling softly at the teenager in front of him. He never failed to be surprised at how much care and love she was capable of. Even when she came across as the epitome of an airhead, she still cared so much about those around her, it took him a while to fully process and believe it. Despite the fact that he hadn't even told her most of the details regarding the current situation, she still came through and was even concerned for Damon. Caroline really was a rare individual. "Oh, Caroline?" He hesitated a little at his next request, unsure of how she would take it. "Since I need Stefan today, do you mind-"
"Distracting Elena from her boyfriend and still ongoing ridiculous crush on said boyfriend's brother?" Twinkling blue eyes winked at him as a mischievous smirk spread across the girl's face. "I think us girls are long overdue for a shopping trip, especially with prom coming up, don't you?"
"That's my girl," Enzo grinned back at her as she hugged him. Turning around and raising her fingers in a little wave goodbye, Caroline sped toward her car and Enzo could almost see the wheels spinning in her head as she planned.
Walking into Damon's room, Enzo was entirely unsurprised to see about half the room a complete mess, overturned chairs and shards of glass and the broken remains of various objects littering the ground. Damon himself was buried under a mountain of blankets, his raven black hair falling across the pillow. The younger vampire would have smiled at the sight had he not known of the episode that must have preceded it. Sitting down on the edge if the bed, Enzo lightly ran his fingers through Damon's hair, pulling the blanket back slightly and noting how the pained expression that covered his features faded away and was replaced by a small smile.
Soon enough though, Damon's face was contorted in pain and his eyes snapped open. In a flash Enzo found himself pinned to the wall, unseeing blue eyes clouded with rage, searching for something only Damon himself could see. "Where's my brother?" The elder Salvatore all but growled. So it was one of those dreams then. For someone still in the throes of a nightmare, Damon was incredibly strong and it was actually rather difficult to wrest himself away. It was times like these when he was reminded how powerful the raven haired vampire really was and how much he truly held back. Enzo couldn't quite say that the reminder was a particularly pleasant one in such a situation.
Sweat beaded on Damon's forehead and he repeated his question, this time, a slight quiver present in his voice. Well, fuck. The two words crossed Enzo's mind as he remembered what the quiver meant. His lover was a few steps away from physically hurting himself, under the belief that whatever he had dreamed was his own fault. If the past was any indication, it wouldn't simply be on a small scale either. The last time Damon hadn't been able to get immediate confirmation of his brother being alive and well... memories of blood, so much blood, covering his lover, spilling from numerous cuts across his arms, across the panes of his stomach flashed through Enzo's mind and without thinking for even a second about the inevitable backlash of his actions now, he threw open the door and yelled for Stefan to get his ass upstairs immediately. He hoped the younger Salvatore would be able to handle the situation without triggering Damon any further but at this point he was just looking to calm the other vampire. Family issues could come later.
As Stefan sped into the room, he was practically tackled by Damon, the elder holding him close for a long moment, hand clutching the nape of his neck, long arms practically engulfing him in a strong embrace, the elder's eyes clearing slightly but not completely as he pulled back. Gripping his brother tight by the shoulders, Damon slowly came back to himself as he assured himself that his brother was alright. Shaking his head to clear it, Damon once again pulled Stefan into a hug, resting his head atop his brother's as he exhaled deeply.
"I already killed Lexi, right?" His voice was barely above a murmur but Stefan still stiffened upon hearing his brother's question. Lexi had been his friend and he didn't think he had ever completely forgiven Damon for killing her even though he had eventually accepted that the reasons for doing so went beyond what was obvious to him. He looked at Enzo in confusion as Damon continued to speak, evidently to himself, the elder lost in his own thoughts and fears. "Good, because no one is ever shooting at you again. No more wars for you little brother, not unless I'm there too. No one is allowed to send you so far away from me again, especially not someone who thinks its better if I'm kept away from you. The only people who have the right to make that decision are me and you, not some bitch who only succeeded in worsening your problems." Clear blue eyes met green and Stefan realised Damon meant every word he had just said. Before he could think of a reply though, even if he could have, his brother took a step back, shaking his head before speeding over to Enzo and grabbing the bottle of bourbon the younger vampire was already holding out. He didn't bother with picking up a glass, simply raised it to his lips and drank. Darkened eyes glittering with some unidentifiable emotion, he grinned. "So Enzo, who do we get to watch being blown up today?"
The vampire in question sighed as he held up a disc. "Not sure yet but the Lannisters have a knack for unusual methods. Stefan, get the popcorn ready, would you?" Noticing the way Damon was practically cradling the bourbon, he held back another sigh before turning to the younger Salvatore. "While you're at it, get another bottle too. He'll need it."
Well, Stefan noted, Enzo certainly hadn't been wrong about needing more alcohol. Damon was on his third bottle and already about a quarter of the way through it. His brother would go through various phases and emotions, often within the span of a few minutes, shifting from confused to afraid to angry to adorable. Occasionally he would return to the sarcastic version of himself that Stefan was far more familiar with but, more often than not, he simply wanted to cuddle while watching loud action movies. It was... unusual, but Stefan would be lying if he said unwelcome.
He smiled to himself as he made popcorn, thinking of the adorable way that Damon had wrapped himself around the both of them, nuzzling into Enzo's neck. There hadn't been another episode like that of the one in the morning, but often a haunted look would enter Damon's eyes and he would cling all the more tightly to either Enzo or himself. At some point Enzo had switched to watching some ridiculous chick flick which Stefan couldn't even remember, having been too busy noting and absorbing the changes in his brother. While watching, Damon somehow ended up with his head in Stefan's lap, throwing popcorn at the screen and Stefan just stopped questioning everything by then.
He was brought out of his thoughts abruptly by the sound of his cellphone buzzing with the an incoming message. Somehow, he wasn't too surprised to see that it was Enzo demanding coffee. He was tempted for a moment not to make it but decided to take pity on the other. Balancing two bowls of popcorn and coffee wasn't particularly easy but he managed to carry it all without dropping or spilling anything, a feat Stefan was actually rather proud of.
He entered the room to find Damon sleeping, his head tucked in the space between Enzo's neck and shoulder, the younger carding his fingers through Damon's hair. The brown haired vampire looked up as he entered, free hand already reaching out for the coffee and Stefan could see how tired he really was. Enzo continued to play with Damon's hair as he sipped his coffee and the two sat in silence for a few minutes.
"I'm actually not entirely surprised that you've never encountered him like this," Enzo began softly. "His control is usually impeccable and sometimes he can go for years without having a single bad day. Other times he can have three in one week."
Stefan nodded, absorbing this information. It was rare that Enzo volunteered any information whatsoever, especially when it concerned Damon, so he hung onto every word when he did. "What triggers it?" He asked.
Enzo shrugged helplessly. "It just builds up till he can't hold it back anymore. It's more than just what they did to us during our time as Augustines, more then any one event and then he needs to reassure himself that neither you nor I are hurt or dead."
"And if he can't?"
Enzo's eyes looked haunted and Stefan almost wished he hadn't asked as the other visibly swallowed harshly. "You thank whatever god there is out there that he's a vampire with a knack for survival despite the odds and be glad he's divided his attentions between the two of us because that means he still has someone to live for."
Damon's eyes fluttered open as Stefan left the room to answer a call from Elena. He groaned, nuzzling further into Enzo's neck, pressing small kisses onto his shoulder. "Where did Steffy go? He was warm."
"Elena called." Enzo said, chuckling softly at the disgruntled tone of Damon's voice. The raven haired vampire frowned and muttered something that sounded like 'I'm going to break both their phones with a goddamn hammer.' Enzo proceeded to take that declaration with a pinch of salt. Well, until Stefan's agitated voice could be heard through the shut door. Damon lifted his head off Enzo's shoulder immediately, brow furrowing in annoyance as he glared in the direction of the door.
Enzo was entirely unsurprised to see Damon get up as his younger brother's voice steadily rose in frustration. In a flash the older vampire was out the door and in the hallway and Stefan was abruptly cut off, the split silence followed by Damon telling Elena to stop being a 'whiny, clingy bitch for just one day,' a statement that preceded a loud crack and a complaining Stefan. The elder Salvatore then proceeded to drag his younger brother into the room while he continued to protest the loss of his phone and sit him down on the sofa. He curled up next to him and began gently petting him as one would a small child, blue eyes angry as he muttered something about Elena being ridiculous and always expecting too much and how Stefan should stop complaining because not only could he easily just get a new phone, but at least this way Elena wouldn't bother him for a while. While originally sitting ramrod straight and very confused at his older brother's behaviour, Stefan eventually relaxed into his embrace and let Damon do whatever he was doing as Enzo laughed in the background, even though the younger vampire continued to complain about his shattered phone.
"Stop whining, baby bro! You could be assaulting your ears with Elena's voice right now, instead, you get to enjoy our company."
"I actually happened to like that phone, Damon! Did you really have to break it?"
"She would have continued to call. Do I look like I want to suffer through your annoying ringtone twenty seven times? No? I thought so." Damon retorted as Stefan sighed, giving it up as the lost cause that it was. He supposed that he'd just have to emotionally blackmail Damon into buying him another. Knowing his brother, however, Stefan suspected that he would end up with a hideously pink phone with unicorns all over it.