Author's Note- I'm baaaaaaack! It's been a minute huh? Is anyone still reading this? If you are, thank you! I am so, so, so sorry I haven't updated until now. I could go on and on, but let's say I had a mental health crisis in 2016, and I've been dealing with the damage ever since. But now I'm back on track and hope to finish this story by the end of 2018. Can't promise anything but it's a goal.

You guys are all amazing though! I still can't believe I have 200 followers and 200 favorites to this story. I always said I'd be happy with one but this just blows me away. I hope this chapter was worth the wait!

So here's my gift to you, Happy Valentine's Day :)

Sorry about Christmas in February.

Chapter 13- Do You Hear What I Hear?

Caroline shook her head in dismay as she took in the mess that was just surrounding the Salvatore Boarding house. She couldn't imagine what it must look like inside too, if the driveway was littered with tinsel, and other assorted Christmas decorations. That didn't even include the garbage. She was starting to regret her decision to throw a Christmas party at the house of Damon Salvatore- clean freak. Borderline OCD. Germaphobe. Maybe next time she'd reconsider heading the cleaning committee too.

She continued on, as she pondered last night's did have the satisfaction of being correct about Eric and Damon though. She knew those two were more than just friends. She just knew it! It was weird though to imagine either of them gay… well maybe not Damon. He was obsessed with looking good. Designer labels. She'd heard him once humming the lyrics to a Lady Gaga song when he didn't think anyone was paying attention. Not that that exactly qualified someone to be homosexual., maybe a little bi-curious?

She walked through the french doors on the side of the house, only to be bombarded with overtly loud rock music. Maybe Stefan had started cleaning without her. Wouldn't that be a Christmas miracle?

She sped through the dance hall, into the living room, finding the source of the music, but no Stefan. Or Damon even. She reached instinctively for the dial to turn the volume down to call out for Stefanー

"NO!"

She flinched as she whipped around to see Stefan standing in the doorway but it was too late.

Errrrrrrrrriiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiicccccccc pleeeeeeeassssssseeeeeeeee∽

She paled. "Is thatー"

Stefan appeared next to her, readjusting the volume while he nodded.

"But-" She furrowed her eyebrows as she counted the hours but then shook her head. "It's been like twenty-four hours." She looked between Stefan and the basement door. "Have they been like that since…"

"Yesterday." Stefan finished her thought. "Yeah." Stefan shivered in what she imagined must be disgust. These were the days when she was thankful to be an only sibling. "I left for a few hours, so maybe... but I've heard the other species has stama but…" The words out of Stefan's mouth clearly were killing him a little on the inside. "You said my brother could be with Eric but I just…"

"It's going to be okay Stefan," She flung her arms around the confused brunette. "So your brother has a thing for thousand year old male vampires. He sounds pretty happy to me."

Stefan paled at her innuendo. "Please Caroline-"

She couldn't help herself as she guffawed, her head falling back as tears trickled down her cheeks. She just shook her head, unable to say a word as she pushed Stefan toward the ballroom. As hilarious as this situation was, they needed to clean before Damon decided to get off Eric's dick and look around.

Damon couldn't focus. He could barely breathe. Hell, he could barely hold himself together as Eric entire presence enveloped him.

Could he actually die from pleasure?

Could the viking encompassing him, moving within him, kill him like this? It would be so satisfying… so fucking incredible.

Even with his vampire healing abilities, he was always trying to catch up. It didn't help he came more often than Eric, ever the generous partner. But he was starting to wonder how much longer he could keep going like this, but through his drowsy euphoria, he just kept holding on.

He was jolted back to awareness as Eric hands dug into sides, leaving imprints. He was just a ragdoll as the viking pulled his legs up and over his head- all he wanted to do was sag into the mattress and pass out into a blissful coma but he knew Eric was far from done.

He groaned… or screamed as the blond planted himself back inside. Eric didn't give him any time to readjust as he started with a inhuman speed and he rolled his hips into the viking as his toes curled around the headboard to give him some leverage.

All he wanted to do was pass out, and be attached to Eric like this for eternity. He always went from one extreme to another when they were together for this long. Not that he could tell what time it was, he always lost track of the hours when the viking was inside him. He lost sense of everything except Eric, and the ripples of pain and euphoria ebbing through him.

Then the viking shoved so hard into him, every inch of that cock was buried inside and Damon bellowed a loud yell, followed by incomprehensible words and slaver which drooled down his chin. He choked and gasped, the sweat poured off him as he painted himself white, the edges of his eyes going black.

He could die right now and die blissfully.

"Niklaus has left Mystic Falls to go after that bitch Hailey. He thinks she has information on Katarina."

Stefan nodded along as he leaned against his car.

"Do you think she knows anything?" Caroline asked, beside him.

"My brother swears she's the one who tipped off Katarina about where we were going in the first place." Rebekah replied, across the way from them. "Or at least that's what Elijah told me."

"Well if you hear that Klaus finds her, I can do a locator spell on him and we can track his movements."

"Yeah but we need…"

He realized he'd lost their attention, and he turned around to notice a medium size moving truck roll up the driveway. With pretending he was deaf these days in his house he hadn't heard it. He looked down at Caroline with an inquisitive brow, knowing he didn't order anything. His brother certainly didn't from his current position. Caroline just shrugged at him, her eyes trailing back to the current mystery.

Confusion intensified as a girl jumped out in a silky black robe and fuzzy stilettos, her long, luscious pale legs catching the moonlight. In her hands were two boxes, wrapped beautifully in green and red wrapping paper and white ribbon. His words were caught in his throat as she glided right past their little group as if they were invisible to her, her lavender scented blonde hair the only introduction he got.

"Scarlet, you made it!"

His eye twitched as he spotted his brother's friend, lover, fuck buddy, whatever they were, leaning casually against the pillar by the front door- in just a pair of black briefs. "And you were able to get every gift for Damon?"

"Yup," She gestured back to the truck behind him. "And wrapped, just as you requested. Where is Damon?"

It was Eric's turn to gesture behind him to his boarding house. "In the basement." The girl took a step toward the house but he watched as Eric grabbed her arm. "No removing any instruments in or around Damon, except the mouthpiece. I can put that back when I get downstairs. Just feed him, don't touch him. No matter how much he begs."

He could hear the smile in her tone, while he was trying to quell the blood that was threatening to come back up. "Yes, Eric."

She disappeared into his house a moment later as Eric stayed put, looking them all over- slow and decisive. "Any news about the cure?"

Before any of them could stop her, Caroline responded. "No. Klaus has left Mystic Falls to go after a lead about Katherine, but we're hopeful it's just a dead end. You?"

"Well I've been a little…" Eric gestured behind him. "Preoccupied at the moment but I have vampires looking for Katarina. I'd like her head on pike above our bed board." A shiver shot straight through his spine as a wistful smile spread on the blonde's face. "And the cure too I guess."

"Since you and Damon are shagging like rabbits, and have been for what I'm guessing has been many a decades, I'm assuming you'll be giving the cure to him." Rebekah interjected, a hand on her hip.

He cringed at the statement, not wanting to even begin thinking about how long Damon kept Eric from him. Or their sex life. He'd never thought though that he'd want the cure. Damon loved being a vampire. Or did he? At this point his brother was almost a stranger to him. What else didn't he know?

"If he wants it, yes."

"And if he doesn't?"

Eric sighed, giving her a pointed look. "I know what you're trying at but my alliances lie with Damon, and Damon alone."

"So it's up to Damon who gets the cure if you find it first."

That caught everyone's attention, and they all stared at Eric expectantly. He thought they were all in this together, but perhaps it was them against Damon and Eric. And they'd lose easily to someone who could overpower Klaus.

"Yes. My guess is he'll take it though." He observed as the colour drained for Rebekah's face. He knew how much she desired to be human, he almost felt sorry for her. Almost. "So I'd run along and follow your brother before I get my hands on it."

Rebekah hesitated for a moment but like that she disappeared into the darkness. There was an uncomfortable silence then, he wasn't sure what they were going to do now. An Original vampire and a thousand year old viking vampire as enemies. What was the point anymore?

"Damon said he wouldn't want the cure." Bonnie spoke up softly, her eyes darting around. Perhaps expecting Rebekah to return.

"He does now." Eric paused, his soft blues meeting his own for moment. "I will be making him my progeny," His own eyes widened at the statement. "But I wouldn't be opposed to shoving it Niklaus' throat if it meant what happened to one, happened to all and all of you were turned human in the process."

His mind was racing at the prospect of his brother because a vampire of the other species but he needed to know one thing. "So you are on our side."

"If it can be done. Then yes."

All eyes shifted to the one person who'd be able to make it possible. "I'll look into it, but it's definitely 've done it before." Bonnie shrugged.

Eric smirked. "Then consider me an ally."

"And if Niklaus finds her first." He added.

"That won't be much a challenge. Especially considering in a matter of days I will have my vampire family with me, including my maker Godric."

"He's the kid in the photos!" Caroline exclaimed, almost killing him. She'd been silent for most of the discussion. "He's YOUR maker? Not the other way around. How old is he?"

"Yes. He's over two thousand years old." Eric tilted his head to the side, confused. "What photos?"

"The ones Bonnie, Stefan and I found in the library. I was trying to convince them the two of you were together." He felt his face flush as he glanced around. "Guess I was right."

"You knew?"

"I had a guess." Caroline shrugged. The blond turned, her hand waving at the truck still parked in his driveway. "So what's with the truck?"

"Oh. It contains all of Damon's Christmas presents."

As if that was the most natural thing in the world.

"You're serious?" Caroline's eyes widened as she stalked over to the truck. She glanced over at Eric, who nodded and she opened up the back. He felt his mouth open a little as he stared at a mountain of gifts.

"I like to spoil him." The vampire shrugged, "Besides, we have this standing tradition that I'll pay for every item of clothing I rip, or tear." He cringed again. "I have a bad habit of being impatient to get Damon naked."

He could actually feel the bile rising in his stomach. Or blood. Or whatever.

"So just hundreds of John Varvatos shirts?"

"Pretty much." The blonde smiled before taking a step back. "Well as fun as this has been, I have a fully fed lover waiting for round two or twenty, depends on how you look at it."

Why was everyone so insistent on talking about his brother's sex life?

"Trying for a world record or something?" Caroline joked, and he shot a glare in her direction. Was he invisible?

He was thankful for a blissful moment when the vampire continued going back into his house before he called out and now he just wanted to drop dead. "No that was New York in the 70's. And it was two weeks."

"Damon!"

Damon paused, unconsciously wrapping the blanket around himself further. He'd really hoped he'd be able to sneak past the scooby gang and to his bathroom to have a long bath. He'd been with Eric for three days, and he couldn't even imagine what he looked like. Let alone smelt like.

"Yes dear brother?" He asked, turning around the face the four occupants in his living room. His brother the only one standing in the group.

"We may have a lead on the cure."

Not what he was expecting, and he wasn't sure how to respond. "Great."

"Did you want to come?" His brother couldn't meet his eyes. "We could use you and Eric."

He'd been too busy on Eric's dick to talk to his brother about his relationship. Perhaps this was the best time- with witnesses. "So you're cool with-" He couldn't find the words as his hands gestured to the basement. "All of this."

"It's not the biggest surprise. No." His brother answered, the blood draining from his face. "I mean I always thought maybe you'd had a few drunk one night stands with men not…"

"A thousand year old viking vampire lover who I let fuck me up the ass for decades?" He interjected.

"DAMON!" Caroline exclaimed.

"What?" He asked, as he looked over his brother to Caroline on the couch behind him. "That's what we're all thinking." He brought his attention back to his brother. "Must be a Salvatore trait."

"What?" Stefan choked out.

"We both have a thing for blonde thousand year old vampires." He smirked. "At least mines sexier."

Stefan sighed, rubbing his temple. He wondered sometimes how he was the older of the two of them. "Difference is I don't love Klaus."

He wasn't expecting that and all his quick retorts were caught in his throat that he answered honestly. "True." He could feel a cold breeze on his undercarriage and he was realizing he was still naked. "As much as I'm loving this brother bonding moment over our trysts with men, I have cum running down my thighs. So I'm gonna go,"

"Oh my god…" Caroline choked, his brother just going white. "Too much information."

"Next time don't interrupt my walk of shame to my bathroom." He sing-songed as he turned to make his way to the staircase. "Ask Eric about going after the cure."

"I heard my name." Eric appeared next to him, fully dressed. Bastard. "I hope you were speaking well of me."

"Always." He gave the viking a nice slow once over, before winking. "No complaints."

"Better not be." He groaned as the elder leaned down to kiss him. "I fucked your brains out."

"Shhhh, not in front of my brother." He moaned out as those lips and fangs kissed softly along his jaw. "Errrrrriccccc."

"He's definitely at least heard that for the past three days." The bastard chucked into his neck, as his hands snuck into his blanket.

"Shut it you." He giggled, trying, not so hard to get the vampire off of him but those hands were doing great work on making him hot all over. "Eric I have to wrap your gifts and if you keep on like this it'll be new years."

"Are you two always so…" Caroline started, thanking the heavens to hear her voice just for the fact that Eric paused, his eyes snapping toward her direction making the Barbie pause.

"Sexual?" He asked, as he slipped out of Eric's grip, his blanket still intact. "He is. Can't keep his hands off." He teasingly pushed the viking over toward the little group. "Go talk to them about the cure or whatever. I could be human by Christmas, and isn't that what you asked from Santa?"

He didn't give the viking any time to respond as he dashed to his bedroom. He seriously needed a bath.

It was clear when they got through with Hailey, she knew nothing of Katherine's whereabouts since the island. Why they wasted their time with this nonsense was beyond him but he'd been asked to tag along with Damon's little friend group and he figured it was a perfect moment to be alone with Stefan.

He'd been a little... enraged when he'd kissed Damon, outing him to the entire town. He'd honestly meant for Damon to do the confessing, but now that he'd made a mess of it, he needed to take responsibility. Damon could jest all he wanted but he knew Stefan meant the world to him, and he wanted his blessing.

"Caroline already left with Bonnie." Eric called out to the brunette as he opened the passenger door of Damon's Corvette. "I don't mind driving you back to Mystic Falls."

Stefan gave him a once over, seeing the slow eye roll. Huh, it's genetic. "I guess I don't have a choice."

He smirked, shaking his head, as he rounded the car going into the drivers side.

It took a few moments, but Stefan finally settled into the seat next to him.

He didn't give the younger Salvatore brother a chance to change his mind as did a quick u-turn and headed back toward Mystic Falls at frightening speed.

There was a long pause as he put together his thoughts that he almost didn't hear Stefan. "So are you going to tell my why you bribed Caroline to ditch me and force me to get a ride home with you."

"We need to talk."

"You're fucking my brother. End of story."

So he was going to be blunt about this. He could work with that. "It doesn't bother you? That I am of the other species?"

"No." He glanced over at the younger vampire, seeing his jaw tighten.

"Okay."

He went to turn on the radio, knowing he wasn't going to get anywhere with this petty teenage angst routine. "Fine. You know what? All of this fucking bothers me. What do you want from my brother? Your species despises us."

"I want what every vampire wants. A mate." He paused, letting that thought be ruminated.

Stefan finally fully acknowledged him as he stared. "You've claimed him?"

He nodded.

He watched from the corner of his eye as the teen slumped into the chair, a perplexed look gracing his features. "You okay Stefan?"

The younger vampire ran a hand through his hair, not saying a word. He knew this must be awkward, not knowing your older brother had a relationship with a male for decades. Not only that but a vampire of another species, who also happened to be over a thousand years old. He'd be hurt if Pam or Godric would hide something so important in their life. However he knew that they would share those details with him because they were family. Stefan and Damon had a strained relationship, and both never seemed to want to repair the growing cracks.

He knew this secret was just another colossal earthquake.

"Why didn't he tell me?" It was just a whisper, but he'd heard it nevertheless.

He knew the question was a self reflection but he answered it anyway. "Your brother always thought he'd end up with Katherine. I was just a stop along the way."

A strangled laugh came from the brunette that made him tense. "Oh Katherine. Always goes back to her. The great Salvatore curse."

"She did have quite the hold over you boys,"

"I wish we'd never met her." Stefan shook his head. "But then again we'd be dead if we hadn't. It's a real catch 22."

"Well when we find her, and take the cure, I have no problem holding her down and letting you stake her."

He couldn't help but smile as Stefan's infectious laugh filled the car. "Knowing Katherine, she'd somehow survive that." He felt eyes on his and he turned his head, meeting Stefan's pale blue ones. "This feels weird to say because usually I'm the one threatening my brother about his relationships, but if you hurt my brother, I will find a way to kill you."

"I'd expect nothing less."

"Merry Christmas."

It was all worth it when Eric watched Damon's face light up as he strolled into the ballroom. He'd asked Caroline to keep one of the Christmas trees up by the fireplace. He moved a couch in front of it to make it cozy. It didn't help he'd gone a little overboard with the gifts.

"Merry Christmas Eric." It was followed by a kiss as Damon fell into his outstretched arms.

"What in God's' name are you wearing?" He asked as he let the Italian go, giving him a curious once over. He never thought he'd see Damon in red and white, or at least not in a plaid onesie.

"A joke gift from Caroline." Damon shrugged. "I wore it in case she crashed our Christmas. You know so next time I don't walk around the house naked." The younger vampire smirked as he turned around, pointing at his butt. "It has a butt flap for easy access."

He could get behind that. "We'll have to test that later."

Damon just snorted as his eyes landed on the mountain of gifts in and around the tree. "Obviously." Eyes and wiggling eyebrows met him as he stared at the younger vampire. "So are any of these breakable?"

"Some."

"Oh well, risking it anyway."

He outright laughed as Damon just threw himself into the pile, watching them tumble around him. "I love our John Varvatos Christmas tradition. I was running low."

He took a seat at the couch as he watched Damon unwrap gift after gift after gift. He wasn't exactly the most creative gift giver. Mostly black t-shirts, jeans, shoes. Obviously bourbon, and some other little small things. What was there to give someone when they had everything already? Honestly Damon was always enough for him.

"Aren't you going to open your gifts?" Damon called out after a while, appearing next to him, with a small pile.

He went for the first one. A small box wrapped in black and gold wrapping paper. He ripped the annoying paper to reveal a small white box.

"Wireless headphones. So you can listen to your swedish music in the bath." Damon explained.

He continued on, receiving some new jeans, take tops, a jacket which Damon explained was for the winters in West Virginia. A book about viking history he was looking forward to having a good laugh at because of historical inaccuracies.

"Thank you Damon," He leaned down to kiss Damon who was still unwrapping one of the last t-shirts he'd given him.

"You're missing one!" The younger one exclaimed, jumping up and running toward the tree. With his back turned Eric slipped out his last gift to Damon from his pocket. Damon appeared a moment later with a similarly small box as the one in his hand. He paused, looking at the one in his hand. "Trade? You first though."

He passed his to Damon as he took the other one. He hoped they didn't have the same idea as he ripped away the shiny red and green paper. When he opened the black lid, he paused.

A key?

"It's to the Lockwood manor." He stared over at Damon who joined him on the couch. "Look we can't stay here with Pam and Godric. Besides I think I've scared my brother for life and he deserves some peace. And I know we'll be fucking like rabbits, all over the place so I figured we needed our own place." Damon curled into his shoulder as he continued. "Besides that stupid brat of a King said you'll need a nest so I figured I'd jump on the house buying before we end up in some god awful movie rental place like Fangtasia. Besides Caroline told me Tyler needed money and I figured I'd help the kid so I bought his house. Not like he'll need it anyway." Damon stared up at him as he ran soft circles over his chest. "But we'll be gutting that place. Obviously."

He wasn't ready for words as he kissed the top of Damon's head, appreciating the thought immensely. He didn't think the Italian could surprise him anymore, but he'd been proven wrong. "Thank you Damon."

"You won't be thanking me once Pam and I start fighting over wall coverings." He chuckled at the thought as Damon's eyes found his own again. "So…. can I open yours?"

"Of course."

Damon tore right into the paper eagerly, throwing off the black lid to his little gift. The younger vampire took a long moment before his head shot up staring at him, and the contents of the box. "Are you asking me to marry you?"

He smiled, shaking his head. "You weren't exactly the biggest fan of the collar, so I figured I'd do something more pedestrian. We'll be spending nights with the King, other sheriffs and other members of the court. So I figured perhaps rings would be the best symbol of who each of us belongs to." He took out the first black and silver titanium band, showing the inside which had Sol (sun) inscribed inside. The other had månsken (moon). "I know it bothers you the little respect the King has of our relationship so I hope rings may just show exactly how serious we are to each other."

Damon just ran his fingers along his jaw as the other, with his other hand in front of him, palm down, ring finger sticking out. All the air felt like it was taken away as he slipped the simple band over Damon's finger. Damon took his, and slipped it on his own finger.

He couldn't help but thrust his hand out, giving it a good once over. Squeezing his fist and then letting his fingers spread back out. He observed as Damon did the exact same thing.

"It's weird but it sort of makes our relationship more intense somehow."

"It's not freaking you out, is it Damon?"

The only answer was a lap full of the other, and those damn lips on his own. "No, I kind of like it. After our coming out, it just feels right. No more secrets."

He nodded. "No more secrets."

That's it! What do you think? Like it? Hate it? Love it? Let me know!

For some crazy reason I picture Damon being like a little kid at Christmas. I don't know why, but that's how I decided to write him as.

Anyway, thanks to all of you for reading! Till next time :)