I've been around the world and never in my wildest dreams
Would I come running home to you
I've told a million lies but now I tell a single truth
There's you in everything I do
Bet My Life On You – Imagine Dragons
They sat on opposite sides of the booth in a small diner outside of Mystic Falls. As soon as the waitress set down their coffees, Damon smiled up at her, placing his hand on her wrist and thanking her.
"What can I get you to eat, boys?" She kept looking between them, the creases around her eyes crinkling in a smile. Stefan thought she was probably really beautiful when she was younger and even in her aging softness she still seemed lovely. He got distracted thinking about what he and his brother would have looked like if they ever looked their age.
"Actually," Damon answered, "I think there's something out back you had for me."
She paused, smiling back with hesitation as Damon's compulsion took over. "Hey, why don't you come outside with me for a moment."
Damon glanced at Stefan for a second, and slid out of the booth, keeping his hand on hers. "We'll be right back."
Stefan sighed. "Come on, really?" He couldn't complain, they had barely started their day, and nourishment wouldn't come from pancakes alone but Damon's timing left a bit to be desired. "Can't I order first?"
Damon grinned back over his shoulder. "Get your own waitress, you can have whatever you want."
Shaking his head, Stefan hid himself behind the menu. The woman was older than he imagined Damon usually preferred. Well, not older than them, but a waitress in her fifties leaving with a man who appeared to be in his early twenties was not a subtle thing. The diner wasn't full though, and no one seemed to be paying as much attention as Stefan to the two of them walking out the door. Damon was being reckless and obvious and it made Stefan's teeth ache. He gulped down his coffee and had to flag down another waitress for a refill.
When Damon returned his cheeks were warm and clothes tighter as he slid into the booth. Stefan eyes stayed on the door. Damon looked over quickly before lacing his fingers together and propping up his chin on the table. "Are you expecting someone else to join us?"
"She's coming back, right?" Stefan suddenly looked back at Damon, wide eyed.
Damon shrugged. "Anything is possible." The angry glint in Stefan's eyes was way too fun for him to immediately relent.
"Dammit, Damon." Stefan's hand slammed on the table.
He tried to hide his smile as they heard the bell over the door clang. He looked over his shoulder again and they both watched the waitress walk in, combing her hair back. There was a soft dazed look on her face, but she did not miss a beat as she went to the pick-up window and carried some plates to a nearby table.
"Oh fuck you." Stefan whispered, glaring daggers. "Don't do that to me."
Unable to hide his amusement, Damon chuckled. He wiped the corners of his mouth and picked up his coffee. "Did you get anything yet? It may be too late for pancakes. I'm thinking about steak now."
"Couldn't order until I knew I didn't have to run from a dead body." Stefan mumbled. He was still watching the woman make her way around the tables. Scrutinizing every move she made. She was smiling again as she came to theirs.
"You boys ready to order? There's a special on the front."
Damon tugged the menu out of Stefan's hand and folded it with his before handing it to her. "We'll take two steak-n-eggs actually. Both medium rare, I like my eggs over easy," he winked like he was giving away secrets, "he prefers them scrambled."
"You got it." She smiled back. "Let me know if there's anything else I can get for you."
"Thank you." Stefan said through gritted teeth. He examined her as she walked away with a clinical eye. As soon as she went behind the counter, he turned back to Damon. "Where did you bite her?"
Surprised, Damon cast a glance around the diner. No one seemed to be in too close of earshot, but still, it wasn't like Stefan to be so loud. "I didn't know you cared so much about strangers, Stef. Did you not see the alley between the buildings?" He smirked at Stefan's pissed off expression.
"Hilarious." Stefan replied dryly. "I mean on her body. I can't see any scar."
Raking his teeth over his lip, Damon leaned forward. "That's because I'm not stupid. You aren't supposed to know." He clicked his tongue as he sat back. "Maybe one day I'll show you where I prefer to leave my mark where nosy little boys can't see them."
Twisting his ring around his finger, Stefan looked back at the waitress again. He blew out a low breath. "It's fine. Maybe I don't want to know."
Considering for a moment, remembering his idea to help his brother and not to hurt him, Damon dropped his voice. "Next time, you can come if you want."
Stefan shook his head, wariness tensing his shoulders.
"You don't have to try. Just see how easy it is." Damon tried not to beg. He was above it. All he wanted was to try to make the man's life easier.
"No." Stefan tilted his head, seeming to acknowledge the sincere offer. "Thank you."
It was almost a step anyway. Damon drummed his fingers on the table. "Okay."
He changed the topic before their food arrived.
The next week, they took the day off again. Damon woke first, nudging Stefan awake. They stayed in bed talking about how much they still hated daylight. Stefan suggested another late breakfast and they ate while bickering over the worst diners of Mystic Falls through the years.
Then it happened a few more times. There were so many things to bicker over: music, coffee, hairstyles, cars. It was easier to fall into than expected. Stefan found himself enjoying spending time with his brother, relearning the details of his best friend.
Damon didn't push for Stefan to join him in feeding after the first time. For which Stefan was grateful. He still had to watch Damon make it look too easy. He didn't use the same person every time, and he didn't ever leave a visible mark. There were men and women, ages varied, sometimes they were the staff, and sometimes it was a customer in a booth nearby. Damon whispered a few words, stepped out, came back, and everyone continued about his or her business.
Stefan stubbornly refused to ask Damon to show him. Adamant he had control. Insisting to himself, because his brother didn't mention it.
Damon didn't have a plan exactly. Spending time with his brother had been better than he thought it could be, and Stefan seemed amiable to Damon's plans for days off. They honestly hadn't gotten along so well in… Damon didn't even remember how long.
The nights got easier, as each day passed. Stefan was around all the time, which definitely helped. He still had nightmares, but he liked waking up side-by-side, limbs tangled in a way that felt more intimate than anything he could hope to ask for. Damon's hands still had a tendency to wander that Stefan implausibly ignored, and Damon tried to believe was accidental, even if he knew better. Damon wanted to touch and be touched, and Stefan provided that within the confines of being brothers. He tried to convince himself he could settle for that.
