Chapter 2: Togetherness
Damon sighs again heavily for what seems the hundredth time in the span of ten minutes. He been casually leaning against the porch railing for a moment, feeling the warmth of the sun kissing his exposed neck warming up his body and it can do absolutely nothing about the cold dread inside his heart.
In the distance, within Mother's garden (now known as the garden) he can see Stefan, laughing, running away from their big grey Sheppard dog, Buckly.
He smiles, Stefan is so young full of innocence, full of life and imagination. He doesn't need this cold reality check on him. Life can't always be happy and bubbly.
And furthermore, he does not need a bad example like you, Damon. He must be far away from you as possible.
His Father's words continue to ring in his head. He knows he hasn't exactly been the right example for Stefan and of course he does not want his to follow his footsteps. But it does not mean Damon's love is any less important for his younger brother. Stefan needs his brother, and no matter what Giuseppe thinks otherwise, Damon knows with clear certainty Stefan will always need is brother. Always.
There isn't anything Guiseppe can do about it either.
"Damon!" Stefan yells, yanking Damon from his thoughts. "Damon..." he said breathlessly, coming closer to him with Buckly at his heels. He races to the porch.
"W-What did Father want? Did you do something? Were you punish?"
Damon laughs a little placing a warm smile on his face, "Whoa there, kid. One question at a time!" Stefan looks down sheepishly, his light locks, so different from his own, tumble onto his forehead. "Sorry..."
The older Salvatore sighs, "It's alright, Stef. Now to answer your questions no, I didn't get punish and no I didn't do anything-though I think that was the problem."
Stefan frowns, "What do you mean, brother?" Damon glances upward into the sky. God, this is getting harder than what I've imagine!
He straightens up again coming down from the railing, gently grabs Stefan by his shoulders. He's prepared to tell his brother. Let him have it all fast as one rips out a splinter but as Damon stares into his big green orbs, that are so full of innocence and life, he just couldn't do it. He can't do it.
"Um you know what, it is nothing. Nothing! Don't worry your little head with it," he smiles, ruffling Stefan's hair. Stefan swats his hand away and pouts.
Damon laughs, and Buckly barks in joy. "Alright come on, adventures are calling our names! Onward, Stefan!"
Then, Damon runs toward the woods on the other side of the garden, with Stefan and Buckly close behind. I'll tell him, Damon decides, running deeper into the woods, heading to the old waterfall he found weeks ago, I will tell Stefan but in time. After all, he has four more days to try.
~Waterfall~
"Wow!" Stefan gasps, eyes wide seeing the deep empty hole that once hold water. "Yep, it's amazing. Come on, I have something else to show you."
Damon carefully made his way down the edge of the hill, occasionally sneaking a glance on Stefan who was having a bit of trouble keeping up. He jumps on top of a rock, almost losing his balance.
"Careful here Stef. The rock is a bit slippery." Stefan's nods, he carefully places his hand for balance on the dirt, crouches down, then jumps to the rock where Damon stands.
Damon catches his brother by the arms, "There. Come on, Stef. You're gonna love this." Damon once again continues to walk further down the dry waterfall pit, to a big cliffside where Stefan can only guess was were the water use to fall down from.
He crouches down in front of a massive rock and pushes it a little, Stefan stands behind, seeing in fascination as a small little entrance appears. Damon huffs out, from the effort of removing the rock. "I found this a while back. Clean the place up so it can be saved for you."
Upward from them, Buckly barks, trying to find a way down. "Buckly, heel!" Stefan commands. Their dog seemed to have wondered away only to reappear on top.
The big dog whimpers up lying down, buries his nose on his front paws. Damon chuckles, "You know how to control him, he barely pays any attention to me. Come on, Stef. It's amazing inside."
Damon squeezes between the two rocks and disappears completely. Stefan follows shortly afterwards.
The cave inside is dark, very dark. So dark, in fact, that Stefan has a hard time following his brother deeper in. "Damon?" Stefan question softly. The darkness alongside the hollow tunnel makes him uneasy.
"Right in front of you, brother. Don't worry I wouldn't let anything happen to you. Come, we are getting closer."
They continue to walk further down, Stefan reaches out, hoping to find his brother through the darkness. He knows he's there, but it still frightens him. He needs some physical touch to feel better.
He feels Damon's hand intertwine with his own and it helps him to relax. Damon suddenly stops, Stefan frowns. Ahead he can see some light.
Damon turns back to look at him, in the dim lighting, Stefan can see his smile plaster on his face. "You're gonna love it, come on." Damon pushes Stefan in front of him, grabs him by the shoulders and lightly shoves him forward.
"Oh my god." he whispers.
Damon smirks, "Told you so."
They entered a large cave. On top, sunlight shines through a hole reflecting onto a pool of still blue water on the bottom lighting the whole room was dim blue hue. Stefan laughs, never in a million years would he find a place like this on his own. Only Damon would.
"This rock is limestone, cause of the water. That's why it's a bit slippery here." Damon says, sinking down and jumps lightly to the bottom rocks.
Stefan shakes his head, "Damon this is amazing! H-how did you find it!" Stefan lifts his arms to that his brother can carry him down slowly to the platform below.
"Came across it one day Father kick me out. Come here ever since. It wasn't always this beautiful, I had to clean it up a bit before I could show you."
Stefan laughs in glee, "Wow this is so cool, Danny! I can't believe it!"
Damon chuckles, leaning against the cold limestone by the pool of water. "Believe it baby brother. No one else knows about this place, so it's all ours; the Salvatore Brothers."
Stefan grins up to his brother, his eyes sparkling amuse, "You know what Danny," he said walking closer to his brother, smiling. Damon frowns, "...What are you up, Stefie?"
Stefan smiles, giggling he walks behind Damon, "Nothing really, just this!" He suddenly pushes his brother with all his might forward. Damon yelps as he crashes into the cold water.
"STEFAN!"
Stefan just laughs falling onto his butt, Damon shakes his wet hair away from his eyes, "Oh hell no, brother. You're coming in with me!"
He swims closer to him and grabs his legs yanking Stefan inside the water too.
They end up laughing at each other, splashing one another in happiness. There was no worry in their world-just the two of them, the Salvatore brothers always together. And nothing will ever change nothing at all.
The sun was setting when the brothers arrived back to the estate, still damp from their impromptu swim but joyfully laughing at their adventure. Stefan glances happily towards his brother, "Damon we will always be together right" He whispers then turns red. Oh that didn't mean to come out at all. Damon looks down and smiles, places a soft touch to stop him. He sinks down to Stefan's eye level gently shifting his wild hair away from his eyes, "Always Stefan. No matter what life decides to throw at us I will be here for you. I won't let you be alone, okay."
"…You promise?"
"Of course. Pinky even," he pulls out his pinky and Stefan grins rapping his own around his. "Okay you just swear by the powerful pinky promise!" Damon grins down, getting up. "Ohhh is it that powerful?"
"Of course! Emma says so too! Pinky promises are sacred." They continue walking through the Mystic forest slowly getting darker as the sun last rays leave the Earth. Stefan couldn't help to feel scared. He has heard stories, frightening stories about the woods at night in Mystic Falls. It says strange mythical creatures roam the terrain, some good and some not so good. A twit snaps somewhere to the right of him sending Stefan closer to his brother with a squeak.
"Aww Stefan are you scared?"
He steps away from Damon, posture upright staring straight ahead, "Course not, brother" he says imitating a strong voice. Damon laughs softly grabbing his hand, "It's okay to admit you're scared Stefan. We sometimes get that way." Stefan looks up, "Do you get scared, brother?"
Damon softly bites his lip, if he could know what he was afraid of now. "Yes, sometimes I do but don't tell others, okay. I have to keep a brave impression." He smirks on the last sentence playfully poking his sibling. They finally make it into a clearing seeing their home a few yards away. "Come, let's get you in new clothes. Father will have a heart attack seeing you wet."
They sneak through the kitchen entrances relieved Emma was not there but instead other servants getting ready to set the table and cook their dinner. Damon shrugs, dinner with his Father is not something he looks forward too.
Disclaimer: I am revising this story as I go, some things may not match later chapters until I get to them. Also, this story was originally published when TVD was still airing on the CW around seasons 2-4, so some things may not be included.