There is a house built out of stone
Wooden floors, walls and windowsills
Tables and chairs worn by all of the dust
This is a place where I don't feel alone
To Build a Home – Patrick Watson


"Inside." Damon managed to mutter, forcing Stefan to walk backwards since he wouldn't let go.

Stefan tried to nod, still sucking Damon's lip into his mouth.

Damon pulled back, his bottom lip catching in between Stefan's teeth. "Elena?"

"She's gone." Stefan shook his head, pulling Damon inside by his waist.

They crossed the front door and Damon kicked it closed behind them. They parted to take in a deeper breath, Damon touching the bruise forming and disappearing on his lip. "How long?"

Stefan shrugged, still staring at Damon's mouth, looking hungrier than ever. Everything about him looked hungry actually. His eyes were dark, and his hands were clenching the fabric of Damon's shirt at his waist. Damon thought he knew what that meant, but he'd been wrong before. "It's you and me?"

Eyes narrowing, Stefan pulled Damon closer, warm lips brushing against Damon's cheek. "You and me."

The buzzing under his skin got louder and he felt a hitch in his chest. "What the hell does that mean?"

With an exasperated sigh, Stefan gripped Damon's wrist pulling him out of the foyer and into the living room. Damon stumbled behind him, crashing down onto the nearest sofa. Watching wide-eyed as Stefan sat on his legs, locking him down in place between his thighs.

"Look, we've barely done anything together. A few kisses," he put his fingers over Damon's mouth before he could protest, "one incredible blow job that I can't stop thinking about, but almost nothing." He dropped his hand to Damon's shoulder giving him a chance to speak.

As if that was all this had been about. Stefan had to know Damon better than that. He glared up, imploring. "It's not about the sex."

Damon's hands were twitching, curling over Stefan's hip. His dick was heavy, pressing against his pants in protest. The dirty traitor waited till now to get involved? Okay, it was a little bit about the sex.

With a dopy smile, Stefan nodded. "I know. It's the nights in your bed, and the late morning breakfasts. Arguing over Bela Lugosi versus Vincent Price movies and a shared interest in vintage bourbon and destroying anyone that comes up against us. And maybe the blood." He smirked, shifting his weight to his knees so his body leaned up, teasing the hard line under his pants against Damon's stomach. "It's you. And it's me."

Damon smiled in amazement, wide eyes darting back and forth between Stefan's. "Yeah, it is." The easy open look on Stefan's face finally felt like an exclusive invitation for Damon. Warmth surged through his chest as he pushed Stefan off so they could stand. He circled his arms around Stefan's waist and held onto him. His cheeks hurt after a moment, and he realized he was smiling too wide, manic maybe, but it was hidden in the crook of Stefan's neck. Stefan's arms were around his back keeping him in place.

He sighed deeply, letting the scent of his brother soak into him. But there was another scent, of her, of their night with other people lingering on the surface of both of them. He pulled away, finally looking Stefan in the eyes.

"I need to take a shower. To be clean for you. Will you," he choked over the words and his brother's soft understanding. "Will you meet me in our bed?"

With a shy tilt to his mouth, Stefan nodded.


Damon stood under the water, heart beating erratically. He needed to slow down, to sort out the rush of emotions he couldn't keep tabs on before they made him explode. He got so lost in his head—his aching fear of everything changing before he could do anything about it—he didn't hear the door open.

He didn't look up until he felt the warm damp air escape as his brother stepped into the shower with him.

After standing there a moment, not turning around, he wasn't sure what he wanted to see on Stefan's face. He exhaled slowly as he Stefan's arm slide around his chest. His brother held him there, head resting on his back.

Damon's anxiety slowed down as he let the silent reassurance settle his mind. The warm water took away everything but the scent of clean skin. There was only the two of them. Not pushing, not taking, just the steady comfort of what it must be like to have someone who loved him stand beside him. Damon's regained his grasp on clarity by the time he shifted under Stefan's hold.

"Thank you." Damon finally said, hand falling over Stefan's on his chest.

Damon kept his fingers threaded in Stefan's and turned slowly. The sight of the young man naked and wet had its own appeals. He smiled, looking Stefan over.

Stefan tipped his head and huffed a small laugh. "Are you checking me out?"

"Like you didn't the last time we showered together."

With a small smirk, Stefan stepped closer, mirroring the movement from two days before, placing his hands on the wall framing Damon's head. He stared at Damon's mouth before flicking back up to Damon's eyes. There was no more room for teasing. Damon wrapped his hands around Stefan's neck and pulled their lips together.

Stefan met his kiss with a groan that Damon felt tremble low in his belly. Stefan's hands came off the wall and stroked over Damon's slick torso. With a hold on Damon's shoulders, he pushed Damon back against the wall. His eyes trailed the water sluicing over him, whatever path it made.

Damon stood there, never more content to show his body. His skin was hottest where Stefan's hands were on his chest, pressing against his heart as it started picking up its pace again. He knew Stefan had seen him naked before, but it had been clinical, passing, something only brothers got away with. Stefan had never examined him so closely with that fierce hunger in his eyes. Damon looked over his little brother the same way. He'd had a taste of that body, caught a glimpse of whatever it was holding them together. It would never be innocent looks again.

Damon pulled Stefan close. His hand trailed down between their stomachs. "Looks like parts of you are taking an interest in things."

Stefan smiled, adjusting his hips giving Damon's hand room to touch. "It's still more than parts." Stefan's mouth dragged over Damon's shoulder, letting the water collect in his mouth and spill out again as he moved over Damon's chest. His lips felt hot and shocking under the water. Stefan's knee wedged between Damon's legs, holding him up and moving their bodies so their slick hardness glided together. It felt almost too good, and a dark thought cut through the lust-filled fog in Damon's head.

"How do I know this is real?" Damon whispered, thrusting his hips forward. He held onto Stefan's waist pressing skin to skin from chest to thigh. "I could still be dreaming."

Cautiously, Stefan pulled his lips away slow enough for Damon to understand he wasn't going anywhere. "Do you want to slow down? Until you see the difference?"

Shaking his head, Damon scraped his hands through his hair, trying to believe Stefan's patience. "It's a good enough dream for now."

Biting his lip, Stefan straightened himself out, putting inches between them except for the hands on Damon's shoulders. "Maybe we start again in the morning. You haven't slept much lately. I want you to know that I'm here. That I'm not going anywhere. We have plenty of time."

"Do we?" Still breathing each other's damp air, Damon finally snapped. He pushed Stefan back across the confined space and slammed him against the glass door with an arm against his throat. "You're gonna walk away again when you wake up in the morning."

Banging his head back against the glass, Stefan leveled his gaze on Damon. "No." He pulled Damon's arm off his neck and wrapped it around his back instead. "We're not walking away from each other anymore. I want to be with you. I'm done trying to force myself to want anything else."

"How do I know for sure?" Damon tightened his hold on Stefan's waist, closing the distance again, sucking kisses along Stefan's jaw while he could. He didn't know if he could really believe Stefan's calm reassurance. "You're still angry, right?"

"You'll just have to see for yourself." Stefan whispered, letting Damon nip his skin. He curled his fingers into Damon's hair, holding him there. "You need some sleep, babe."

Damon felt the protests bubble up as his shoulders tensed. He didn't need someone telling him what to do. He wasn't some petulant child that needed coddling.

"Shhh." Stefan bumped their foreheads together. "Come to bed with me." He took Damon's hand tightly in his.

Of course Stefan was right. He was exhausted. Besides, he wasn't going to bed alone.