Title: Eternity
Author: Ayumie und CrowX
Fandom: The Vampire Diaries (TV)
Rating: NC-17
Pairing: Damon/Stefan
Word count: 6214
Warnings: Incest, slash and some violence and kinky scenes
Summary:Damon had promised his brother an 'eternity of misery'. But will Damon be able to fulfill this promise or is the bond between him and Stefan too strong? They will meet again and again throughout time and places, experiencing good and bad times while challenging each other. Incest, slash, mature themes.
Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.
Notes: A big thank you to my new beta dysprositos. She's absolutely awesome! Thanks!
ETERNITY
Chapter 4
It was cold. Even Stefan's dead body felt it, creeping through the layers of clothes and biting at his skin. Although it was supposed to be spring, all thoughts of warmth still seemed far away.
Within the last few months, Dawson City had quadrupled in size. Again. His family didn't like to go there anymore, so Stefan had taken over the task of restocking their supplies. Ignoring the commotion around him, he led his mules down the main street.
...*TVD*...
Damon had been back to Mystic Falls to check whether Emily's descendants thrived, as he had promised her all those years ago. At that time, he had discovered that some members of the Salvatore family had taken up residence there again. After making sure that he was invited into the new Salvatore home, he had traveled north to follow up the news of the latest gold rush at the Klondike river.
Of course, Damon had no interest in digging himself, but after all the culture in Europe he was looking forward to the wilderness of nature and men. And naturally it would be easy to get gold and to chase prey.
The new town Dawson City had mushroomed into a chaotic accumulation of laundries, shops, hotels, saloons and (of course) brothels. Everyone was rushing around, there was a long line of miners for the claim registration, and Damon felt right at ease.
After a few weeks of relieving miners of their gold, Damon was standing outside the biggest saloon when he saw a familiar figure approach him.
...*TVD*...
At the store, Stefan frowned at the prices. Food was growing ever more expensive and he wasn't sure that he had enough gold to buy all the things on his list. Well, he would get them anyway. The merchant was a greedy pig of a man and being compelled was better than he deserved.
He loaded the mules with everything they would need for the next few weeks. To tell the truth, Stefan couldn't wait to get out of the city. This wasn't at all what he had had in mind when he had decided to travel Canada. To make matters worse, he felt like he was being watched.
Looking around, Stefan tried to quiet his growing sense of unease. He scanned the crowd, noting several aggressive looking men, but saw no reason to worry. Then his eyes suddenly settled on a familiar face. It wasn't possible. Damon.
...*TVD*...
Damon hesitated for a moment, then shrugged and made up his mind. It would be nice to annoy his brother after being separated for almost ten years. He jumped down into the street and sauntered over to Stefan. His brother was wearing rough, worn clothes, fitting in well with the miners, and he looked very wary.
"So you decided to join the newest gold rush, too, little brother."
He inspected the mules, frowning as he saw the extensive goods.
"Are you feeding an army? What do you need food for? Don't tell me that you discovered a way to live on human food. That would be so you. Well, I suppose in this cold squirrels are hard to find," he said scathingly.
...*TVD*...
Even after everything that had happened, Stefan's first instinct was to run up to his brother and hug him. He wondered if the other vampire had missed him at all, whether he haunted his brother's dreams the way Damon still haunted his.
They had met once after the disaster in Paris with much the same results, and suddenly standing right in front of Damon was almost a shock. Trying to act normal, Stefan shrugged.
"There's plenty of game in the woods, thank you. I just don't want to have to come into town every other week."
Damon mustn't find out about the family. Even in his stunned state Stefan realized that much.
"I assume you are enjoying the manifold charms of Dawson."
...*TVD*...
Damon regarded his brother thoughtfully. As usual, Stefan wasn't telling him everything. But then, neither was he.
"It's nice to see the downside of humanity here. It's the perfect hunting ground, since nobody will be ever missed. And their blood tastes salty, like cheap whiskey – not that you'd know anything about it."
Damon readjusted the colt he wore over his black leather and linen clothes. He had met Stefan after Paris on his way to Mystic Falls, but their encounter had ended much the same. Steamy sex, then some manipulation from Stefan's side, then retaliation in the form of some dead humans from Damon. There was a pattern emerging, he thought grinning.
"So what do you say, wanna taste the whiskey, at least in the original way?" He threw an arm around Stefan's shoulder and steered him to the saloon entrance.
"I can tell you all about the news in Mystic Falls. Some of our distant cousins have moved there and built a new house. It's quite nice."
...*TVD*...
Stefan let himself be steered into the saloon, although not without tossing a coin to a ragged boy and telling him to mind the animals. He couldn't leave right away, not without running the risk of Damon following him. So Stefan would drink with his brother, listen to his stories and swallow his insults.
Soon the alcohol was buzzing pleasantly through Stefan's veins and Damon's arm was back around his shoulder. Damon seemed to be well-known in the saloon. The girls kept glancing in his direction and tossing their hair – as always when he was with his brother, nobody paid Stefan much attention.
"Please tell me you're not fucking one of those..."
In a city with notoriously few women, the clever, pretty ones had no trouble finding some newly rich man to keep them. As a result, the girls that ended working in the saloons tended to be neither.
...*TVD*...
"Nah, I have some standards," Damon replied, wrinkling his nose.
"That's the only problem here in this wilderness, the lack of attractive women. Well, at least some of the men are tolerable enough for a quick fuck. And they taste good, so it's okay."
He downed another glass of whiskey and told Stefan all about Mystic Falls.
"Even though they are only our great-cousins, they go by the name Salvatore and are big in the city, like we used to be. The former vampire hunters are old and have little influence anymore. Of course, I didn't let anybody see me, just in case. Except for our descendants, that is. I made sure that we'll always have a place there. It was easy, they had financial problems and I gave them the money they needed in exchange for their silence and standing invitation."
"So what have you been up to in the last years?"
...*TVD*...
Stefan shook his head.
"I wouldn't have thought you'd be all that eager to set foot into Mystic Falls again. It's good to know that we can still go home, though. Perhaps we should visit together, some time."
Wondering what, exactly, he ought to tell his brother, Stefan gestured for another drink. It probably be best to stick as close to the truth as possible.
"I've been visiting some of the big cities, Boston, San Francisco. And then I thought that Canada would be nice – you know, the last great wilderness. You can see how that turned out. It is an interesting experience, though. I won't be staying long. I promised to bring some food to a miner's camp west from here and then I'll be moving on."
...*TVD*...
Damon considered the whiskey swirling in his glass.
"Yeah, the great wilderness, but it's starting to get boring. Why don't I accompany you? You could tell me all about your life so far?"
Even though he knew every part of Stefan's face and body Damon studied him through narrowed eyes. It was amazing how they stayed the same with no change in their appearance. The only thing that had changed were Stefan's eyes. The knowledge in them didn't fit well with that eternally seventeen-year old face. Damon wondered if his own eyes were the same.
He lifted a finger to Stefan's cheek, tracing the familiar features. He wanted to kiss him and do more.
"But before that, let's go upstairs. I have a room there."
...*TVD*...
Laughing shakily, Stefan shook his head. Thank God, he knew just how to dissuade his brother from that particular idea.
"I don't think you'd find that an enjoyable experience. There's nothing but trees and rocks and mountains out there – boring. And there'd be nothing for you to eat."
Stefan didn't move as those elegant fingers traced his cheek. He told himself not to hope. Right now Damon might seem companionable, tender even, but it didn't mean anything. Only maybe, just maybe, this time things would be different.
He nodded at Damon's suggestion and followed the other vampire up the stairs and into a small room. Damon locked the door behind them and Stefan shuddered at the hunger in his brother's eyes.
...*TVD*...
Damon considered Stefan's answer as they went upstairs. He was a city man, and if Stefan was hell-bent on going out into the great nowhere, he would go to some place with style and fun. But for now, the fun was right here.
Hungrily he took in the shudder of Stefan's body, watched him grow hard. So his brother hadn't forgotten their previous encounters after all. Damon took off his clothes without speaking, undressing slowly, piece by piece. Naked, he went over to his brother and opened his trousers, caressing the hard length he found there. Without breaking eye contact, Damon leaned down and took Stefan's erection into his mouth, sucking and licking in turn. With his hand he softly kneaded his brother's balls, enjoying the quiet moans that earned him.
"I've missed this," Damon admitted, leaning back.
...*TVD*...
In a matter of minutes his brother was naked and stalking towards him. Stefan drank in the sight of that gorgeous body, once more wishing that it wasn't his brother who made him feel this way. Then that skilled mouth descended on his cock and chased the guilt away.
It was all Stefan could do to keep his knees from buckling. He tried to keep still, but it was difficult and soon his hips were rocking forward, trying to get Damon to take him in deeper. It was pathetic, really, how easy it was for his brother to reduce him to this moaning, panting, begging thing.
"God, Damon – please...!"
...*TVD*...
His brother's begging words were music to Damon's ears. Caressing Stefan's rear, he kneaded those firm globes, spreading them to touch the hole hidden there. Then he pulled away.
"So, can I fuck you?" he asked nonchalantly, sliding one finger inside. He knew that he would come as soon as he was buried in that tight ass.
But there was one more thing he wanted. For some reason he hadn't done this so far, but now so much time had passed. He stood up for a kiss, sliding his tongue into that delicious mouth, fighting for dominance. Kissing his way to Stefan's ear he carefully nibbled his jaw and neck.
"Can I bite you?"
...*TVD*...
By the time his brother pulled away, Stefan's mind was foggy with pleasure and he couldn't help the small whine of protest. He was still half-dressed, fingers fumbling as he struggled with his shirt. When Damon's finger pushed into him, he had to abandon all such attempts.
Damon's questions barely registered and it took Stefan a moment to decipher its meaning. So that was it. That was the reason his brother was being so friendly – he wanted something. Stefan supposed he ought to be grateful his brother was asking at all. Biting his lip, he tried to think. He didn't really want Damon biting him, but maybe, if he did this, it'd show him that Stefan loved and trusted him, even after everything that had happened. Maybe this would finally make a difference. In the end, Stefan nodded.
...*TVD*...
"Mhm, but not right now, don't worry, you won't feel any pain at all," Damon mumbled against that tantalizing neck. He kissed his brother deeply as a reward for his concession, playing with that responsive tongue. His steady fingers freed Stefan of his clothes and he ran his hands possessively over the broad planes of ivory skin.
He let go of Stefan for a second to push him onto the bed, grabbing a jar of oil from the nightstand. Impatiently he prepared him with one, two and then three fingers. Coating his erection he swiftly pushed inside of Stefan, groaning at the snug fit. Apparently, Stefan hadn't done this for a long time.
"Oh brother, you feel so good. How long has it been for you?"
...*TVD*...
Stefan cried out as Damon pushed into him. Most of the time he was perfectly happy having sex with women; there had to be some strong attraction for Stefan to consider a man, and in the last few years he hadn't met anyone who fit the bill.
Now Damon was back inside him, however, and even though his body wouldn't accept him easily, it still felt very good to be connected this way.
"It's been some time," he finally managed.
Keeping his eyes open, Stefan tried to stay alert even as he reached for his own cock. Damon's face was shifting, eyes bleeding red and veins streaking down his cheek. It was terrifying and beautiful.
...*TVD*...
Damon groaned with pleasure at hearing Stefan's answer. He read between the lines that his brother hadn't let any man else touch him since his last encounter with Damon. He increased his speed, but when he saw that Stefan was reaching for his cock, he swatted his hand aside.
"That's mine to touch," Damon growled and gripped the leaking erection, sliding up his hand and down in rhythm to his thrusts, angling his hips so he was hitting Stefan's prostate with every move.
He knew that it wouldn't take much longer and so he bent forwards to lick the pulse point on Stefan's neck. Damon's face changed and he pressed his nose against his brother's neck, breathing in that familiar wonderful scent that was pure Stefan.
He nibbled at the skin, and it didn't take long for Stefan to come. When Damon felt his brother's ass clenching around his erection he carefully pierced the soft skin of his neck, lapping up the blood that poured out. His brother's taste was unique, the blood bittersweet, not like human nor animal nor like any other vampire's blood. Damon loved it, and he swallowed big mouthfuls.
...*TVD*...
Soon Stefan's whole body was tensing with pleasure, back arching even as he pushed his hips up to take Damon in deeper. The bite sent yet another shock through his system, making him feel the sensations sharper still. His orgasm was mind-blowing.
After a while, spots started to dance in front of Stefan's eyes. Damon's mouth was greedy against his neck, sucking blood from him. Dazed, he wondered what he tasted like to his brother. Judging by the hungry noises that reached his ears, it had to be good.
Damon was still fucking into him, mindless of anything but his own pleasure. Stefan closed his eyes and just let go. When his brother collapsed on top of him, he lifted his arms to hug Damon against him.
...*TVD*...
Damon continued to thrust into Stefan's willing body until he tumbled over the edge as well. It was hard to stop sucking that tasty blood, but he knew that this would weaken his brother seriously.
Feeling Stefan's arms hugging him, he cuddled close, still sheathed in that pliant body. He lifted his head to look into his brother's eyes. Stefan was clearly exhausted. Damon licked his neck, cleaning the last traces of blood and frowned when the wound didn't close as fast as he knew it should.
"Why don't you heal?" he asked concerned.
Without waiting for an answer Damon bit his own wrist, offering it to his brother.
"Here, drink some of mine. That should help."
...*TVD*...
It was too much of a temptation. Stefan closed his lips around the wound at his brother's wrist and drank. The blood was more powerful than anything he had had in a long time, and he had to fight his own instincts to stop after a few mouthfuls. Damon tasted wonderful.
Not really wanting to explain just how much his diet cost him, Stefan turned his face into the pillow. He winced a bit as Damon pulled out of him and gingerly stretched his legs. His brother's come was trickling out of his body.
"Thank you... I'm better now."
...*TVD*...
It felt good to have someone sucking his blood, especially his brother. Damon moaned with closed eyes, holding Stefan tightly to his body. He could almost grow hard again, but then Stefan let go.
Damon examined Stefan's wound, and to his satisfaction, it was healing quickly.
"Come here, brother. I'm rather tired, aren't you? It's been a while since I had so much fun."
He felt quite lethargic and content after exchanging their blood. He closed his eyes and felt himself drifting away, a luxury he hadn't allowed himself with other bed partners.
...*TVD*...
Stefan, too, allowed himself to rest for a while. He couldn't stay too long, however. If he didn't return in time, his family would wonder where he was and Caleb might come looking for him. Once he was sure that Damon was fast asleep, he quietly disentangled himself and dressed.
He wrote a quick note, saying that he would return a few days later and, with a last glance at his sleeping brother, left the room. He hoped that the other vampire wouldn't be too angry.
Damon's blood had done a lot to restore his strength, and Stefan made good time. He brought down a deer just before he reached the miner's camp, taking care to use only his knife as he bled it out. The men would be glad of the meat. Magda and her daughter made a stew out of it that evening. As always, the woman urged him to eat a big bowlful, saying that a growing boy needed the nourishment. She and Caleb watched him happily as he sat next to their daughter. Stefan knew that they hoped that the two of them would marry some day and up to now, he hadn't had the heart to dissuade them.
Stefan kept his word, though. Explaining that he had met an old friend, he returned to Dawson City the next day, heading straight to the saloon to look for Damon.
...*TVD*...
Damon woke up after an unusually deep sleep, wondering why his left side felt so cold. A quick glance showed that Stefan wasn't there, but there was a note.
Frowning Damon read it, but dismissed his concerns. He remembered that Stefan was running an errand for some farmer. Certain that Stefan would return soon he went about his business. He decided that he wouldn't stay much longer, the small city losing its allure already. And he had enough gold to last him several decades already.
Two days later, he was playing poker when he saw Stefan enter the saloon and smirked with smug self satisfaction.
"Hey, brother, how about joining our game?"
...*TVD*...
Stefan's heart lifted at his brother's cheerful greeting. Ignoring the wary glances of the other players, he took a seat at Damon's table. Eyeing the stakes, though, he frowned.
"I'm not sure I brought enough money for this kind of game. Perhaps I'll just watch."
The men on the table looked like just the kind Caleb had warned him to avoid and, of course, his brother seemed perfectly at ease in such company. Almost against his will, Stefan found himself grinning. Well, it wasn't as though he couldn't take care of himself. And if he wanted to win Damon back, he'd have to accept this kind of thing.
...*TVD*...
Damon grinned back at Stefan. He didn't mind company in the least. Granted, normally it was glamorous women who cheered him on, but he preferred his brother anyway.
After a few rounds, he had won all the money on the table. Damon always had been good with cards and never once resorted to cheating. He didn't need to.
"Come on, Stefan, let's celebrate my good fortune," he gripped his brother's shoulder and took him to the bar, ordering a bottle of whisky to take with them. The people at his table weren't looking too happy and Damon figured it would be better to go somewhere else for a while.
"Are you up for a walk around this blooming city? You can tell me more about your life in Canada and before."
...*TVD*...
Damon was such a show-off. Barely resisting the urge to roll his eyes, Stefan followed his brother outside. Over the last few days, he had worked out a carefully edited version of events. He told Damon how he had met a few miners on one of the mountain passes and helped them cross, drifting in and out of their camp ever since.
The family that had pretty much adopted him, however, he didn't mention at all. It was better that way, Stefan told himself, at least until he had a better idea what kind of reaction to expect.
"So what about you? What have you been up to – other than terrorizing our relatives, that is?"
Even asking that question, Stefan wondered whether he really wanted to know.
...*TVD*...
Damon took a swig from his bottle and thought about what to tell Stefan. His adventures were in no way as tame as Stefan's were. But then, his brother knew about him and why should he hide his nature?
So Damon told him all about his orgies in the big cities of Europe, how he used compulsion to wreak havoc among the last powerful aristocrats. But he also talked about his other experiences, such as discussions with artists and politicians. They walked throughout the city, discussing Oscar Wilde and the new football union.
...*TVD*...
The next two months were wonderful. They got along surprisingly well, once more ignoring the areas where their opinions diverged. Stefan returned to the mining camp every few weeks, spending a few days with the family so Magda wouldn't worry. Most of the time, though, he stayed with his brother, happily giving in to most of Damon's demands.
One evening they were curled up in bed, touching lazily even though their bodies were still exhausted from the last hours' activities. Damon had fed from him again, was still nuzzling at the spot he had bitten earlier. Stefan couldn't help but run his hands over his brother's nape and shoulders, feeling those strong muscles shift under his fingertips, even as his mind trod down well-worn paths. With a sigh, he finally voiced the question that had been troubling him for the past years.
"Do you think that there is a reason we turned out, you know, like this?"
...*TVD*...
Damon raised an eyebrow. That was so Stefan, introducing philosophical topics as pillow talk.
"I thought about it at some point, but it hasn't really been preoccupying me."
He gathered his thoughts and spoke carefully with a slight edge to his voice.
"You were always grounded, loved unconditionally by our father. It was different for me, and that's surely a big reason. Then there is the story of out turning. But you really don't want me to go into detail about that."
"Or do you mean our relationship, how that came to be? I don't let many people into my life. In fact, you're the only one other than her. You are the baby brother I partially raised, you were the best friend I had as a human, the one who accepted me for who I was. My feelings for you were always there, just the way of expressing them changed. As vampires a lot of normal human morals fell away, but I think that even as humans it would have eventually come to this." Damon gestured between them.
...*TVD*...
"Yes, but why? Even you have to realize that most siblings never do this. I ... I told you already that I've wanted you for as long as I can remember. Why is that? Why would I go from loving you as a brother to wanting to touch you like this?"
Pressing closer to Damon, Stefan tried to dissipate the tension that had crept into his shoulders. Perhaps he shouldn't have brought up this subject. Looking up teasingly from beneath his lashes, Stefan smiled.
"As far as I can tell, it's all your fault. You're too beautiful."
...*TVD*...
Damon laughed, pleased with the obvious deflection.
"Well, I can give you that compliment right back. Stefan, you are a beautiful tease. We don't really look alike, our personalities have always been different, if not opposite, yet we've stayed close. I think that's a big reason for our desire for each other."
He bent over to his brother to kiss those tantalizing lips. When they broke apart, Damon threw in a issue he had considered.
"What I find more interesting is how you have changed so much and yet stayed the same. Obviously, you look the same as you did thirty years ago. But I see differences in your posture and in your attitude, and it may be a cliché but your eyes give your true age and experiences away. Sometimes I wonder if humans can see that as well, or if it's only obvious to me."
...*TVD*...
That was an interesting question, and not something Stefan had really considered so far. It was strange to think that if he had grown old he would already have a family and children of his own.
"I think they notice that there is something wrong with us. They may not be able to place it or put it into words, but a lot of them can tell that something is off. Of course, they don't know me like you do..."
He fell silent for a moment.
"All the people we have grown up with ... they have grown old. A lot of them are dead already. Soon there won't be anyone left."
...*TVD*...
"I can't really tell, since I don't interact with humans for any length of time. But of course I can see it with you."
Damon's fingers trailed down Stefan's face down to the chest he knew so well.
"That's something everybody has to come to terms with. We aren't young any longer, even though we look the part. But it's kind of sad to think that in a few decades nobody will know our time as we got to know it. Imagine that, in the future children will learn about it in their history books. I wonder what they will say about us."
...*TVD*...
Stefan stretched and pulled away a little, thinking that now might be a good time to bring up his next trip to the family. In spite of their discussion, Damon's face was still soft with pleasure. As well it might be, since the last few hours had been mind-blowing. Stefan had been teasing his brother, making him moan and writhe until Damon had snapped and fucked him into the mattress.
Suddenly nervous, Stefan cleared his throat.
"Listen, I need to get out of town for a few days. I just want to check if everything is ok – besides, there's barely any game left in this area."
It wasn't entirely untrue. Although the Canadians did their best to control the situation, several remote miner's camps had been attacked by bandits over the last months.
...*TVD*...
Damon frowned when he heard this but held himself back. Stefan had used that excuse quite often and he was wondering at his brother's preoccupation with those miners. Why did he feel responsible for them?
"All right, but I really don't want to stay here much longer. When you return, we can talk about what to do next. Since there's now a permanent room in Mystic Fall's waiting for us, we could meet there every other decade or half decade in summer? What do you think?"
...*TVD*...
Damon's words were troubling. Stefan hadn't really considered leaving the area just yet. Although, if his brother actually wanted for them to be together, if there was a chance to make things right between them...
"Yes, sure. Let's talk about it when I get back."
The next day, Stefan departed with mixed feelings. Perhaps he would have to say goodbye to the family soon. It might be better that way, though. He couldn't have stayed more than a few years without drawing attention anyway, and the more time he spent with Caleb and Magda, the harder the eventual parting it was bound to be.
Putting those thoughts aside, Stefan decided to, for once, just enjoy these few days.
...*TVD*...
Damon waited one day and endured absolute boredom. He had patiently waited for Stefan to tell him what his absences were really about and he itched to satisfy his curiosity. Since it had been some time since he had had a good hunt, he decided to go after him. Out in the woods, it shouldn't be too hard to find some lone human to chase. Grinning, Damon ran through the forest, enjoying his fast speed.
A few hours from the city, he spotted a middle aged man walking with his miner's gear. Damon used his abilities to conjure fog, and grinned when the man started to walk faster, clearly alarmed. Damon deliberately stepped on a twig and enjoyed the man's fear. It went on like that for a few minutes until the man was running through the woods with Damon hard at his heels.
Damon jumped into his path from behind, laughing as the man reared back. Without waiting any longer, Damon attacked, biting the strong neck and sucking the rich blood full in big mouthfuls. Stefan's blood was delicious in a way, but this was real food and Damon had hungered for the chase.
...*TVD*...
Magda was the first to worry, she always was. But Caleb had been supposed to return around noon and already the sun was low in the sky. Worse, for the past few hours Stefan had felt like he was being watched.
Just as he had made up his mind to go looking for Caleb, he spotted a familiar figure strolling into the clearing. If possible, Stefan paled. It couldn't be...
Ignoring Magda's curious stare, he hurried towards Damon, anxiety plain on his face. Taking care to keep his back to the camp, Stefan confronted his brother.
"What are you doing here? You were going to wait in town!"
Suddenly a terrifying possibility occurred to him.
"Have you seen a man around here? Out in the woods?"
...*TVD*...
When Damon reached the camp, he saw Stefan walking around, helping some people with their chores, fetching buckets of water and such. Curious, he stayed hidden in the woods, watching how his brother was apparently a part of the small community here, playing the young human . One women and her daughter in particular acted like he was family. Damon's insides churned with some strange emotion. He couldn't tell whether it was jealousy or anger. But one thing was sure, he felt contempt for this charade.
He decided to confront Stefan and went to talk to him. His brother was deliciously nervous. So this was supposed to be a secret just as he had expected.
"I just wanted to see what you were hiding. It's cute, you playing human for these folks," he said disdainfully.
"On the way here I got hungry and there was a wonderfully frightened man out there. It was a nice chase," he answered Stefan's anxious question.
...*TVD*...
Stefan felt like the ground was collapsing beneath him. His voice sounded strange, strangled to his own ears.
"Is he dead?"
But he could see the answer in Damon's face, in that hateful smirk. Stefan's shoulders slumped.
"Why? Why did you have to do this? They are good people! They took me in ... they are my friends and you just..."
It was unfair. He had thought that things were going well, that he was winning Damon back and now...
...*TVD*...
Damon shook his head in mock disapproval.
"Stefan, Stefan, Stefan, maybe you have forgotten, but we are vampires. At least I am, I don't know what to call you."
He stalked up to him and whispered in his ear.
"I don't like it, when you keep secrets like that. Why didn't you just tell me who not to kill? I'd never have come here then, never stumbled over your … friend? They aren't your friends. I watched you. It's your new adopted family. How long do you think you can keep up this charade? One more year, two? And do you think they would accept you, if they knew you for what you are?"
...*TVD*...
Biting his lip, Stefan shook his head.
"I did tell you that I cared about this camp – I told you not to come here!"
Glancing around to make sure that nobody was within hearing distance, Stefan lowered his voice.
"I know what I am. How could I forget?! But that doesn't mean that we have to behave like animals. If I have found human friends, what is it to you? You told me that you didn't care! And this family loves me. They know that I would never hurt them. Not that you would understand that."
He probably shouldn't have said that. The fury in Damon's eyes was plain to see, but Stefan was angry as well, angry and hurt and unable to keep it from showing. From the corner of his eyes he saw Magda approaching. Not now...
...*TVD*...
"Animals? We are far better than humans and you compare us to animals? They are animals to us, food to consume. Why don't you understand?"
Damon saw the woman approaching and he sneered maliciously. It didn't take much to allow his vampire features to rise to the surface.
"Are you really sure that they would trust you, if they knew what you are? Well, let's see..."
Damon pushed Stefan towards the woman, using just a little of his strength. They both toppled over and Damon rushed to them, pulling his brother up with a tight grip on his throat.
"How are you planning to protect them, if you're so weak?"
...*TVD*...
Magda screamed, eyes wide and wild as she stared at Damon's vampire face. She was clearly terrified, terrified of Stefan, too, as she tried to scramble backwards. He was furious in a way he had never been before.
The anger was hot in his blood, changing his face and giving him a strength he had never known he possessed. Damon wanted him to feed on Magda. Instead, Stefan turned on his brother, throwing himself forward instead of trying to pull away.
Stefan growled with satisfaction as he landed a blow, wanting to hurt Damon as much as he was hurting. He could sense his brother's surprise – in all their years he had never done anything like this.
...*TVD*...
Damon was surprised how much strength his brother could summon if angered. Of course, the blow didn't really hurt. Damon watched with satisfaction as Stefan's face was changing.
"See, woman, what this man really is? Would you trust him with your family?" he shouted at the woman who was cowering on the ground, shaking with fear.
He threw his head back and laughed at Stefan. "So brother, didn't I tell you – they fear you. I thought that you would come with me, your real family! I was even willing to tolerate your absurd feeding habits."
He had to block another blow from his brother. This was actually fun. They traded quite a few punches, throwing each other into the trees and huts. More people from the camp came out of their houses, running away from the fight.
...*TVD*...
Stefan screamed in frustration as he realized that his brother was having fun. He couldn't win against Damon, that much was clear. Taking a step back, he turned to Magda and snarled:
"Run. Now."
Thank God, she did. Stefan silently said goodbye – he knew that he wouldn't see her again. When he turned back to Damon, his face changed back. Suddenly he was feeling cold all over.
"Enough."
He thought about telling Damon that he'd already had made up his mind, that he would have gone with him. It wouldn't do any good and he was tired of trying. Instead, he took a step back. Then he turned and ran into the woods. Tomorrow he would find enough gold to keep Magda and her daughter safe and then he would leave this area for good.
...*TVD*...
When Stefan disappeared into the woods Damon contemplated going after him. But then he thought it was better to let him cool off. He surveyed the damage their fight had done and the people hiding and shivering. Somehow, it lost its appeal now that Stefan wasn't here anymore.
The next day, Damon went back to Dawson City and tried to find Stefan, but there was nothing but a faint smell and he knew that this time his brother had left him. Brushing his concerns aside, he gathered his stuff and all the money and gold he had "won" and left the town.
~ TBC ~
Author's rambling: Many thanks to the anonymous reviewer Guest, Guest and juliettesalvatore1999. Since I got feedback that it would be better to mark the changes in POV. Since ff . net makes it difficult, it's now like that. I would like to hear your thoughts about this and the new chapter... ;-)