A/N: So sorry for the long delay. Also, I wanted to split this up – you'll get Elena's reactions next chapter. In light of the upcoming Stefan and Damon fight, here's a prelude…
The next morning, both brothers are still downstairs in front of the fireplace, not having moved since the night before. They wake up almost simultaneously, trying to deal with the aftereffects of the alcohol. It's Stefan who tentatively opens his eyes first. Stefan spent the night drinking away his sorrows with his brother, not because he wasn't mad at his brother, but because he thought that they both needed the company. There was a certain level of desperation and resignation that united the two of them last night.
"Hmmphh…" Stefan groans, "I don't know how you do this all the time."
Damon doesn't open his eyes when he replies, "Practice, brother."
Stefan looks at Damon and opens his mouth before hesitating.
Stefan can handle a kiss between them. He can forgive Elena for a kiss; a kiss could've been a mistake. But you can't kiss a guy, undress him, wrap yourself around him and call out his name in a successive order by accident. He doesn't believe that sex can be an accident, at least not when both parties are completely sober. You can't just run off and deny it ever happened. Deliberately hiding it afterwards would mean it was more than a mistake. That was an entire process, both physically and mentally. So for that, he can't see himself forgiving Elena right now. Damon was his brother, and she knew what going to him meant in the grand scheme of things.
But it was different with Damon. Stefan knew about Damon's feelings. He probably had known it before Damon knew it himself. Damon never denied them, whereas Elena would constantly reassure him that nothing would ever happen because he was the only one. They weren't together technically at the time, and it's not like he's stupid. Stefan knew that once he was out of the picture, Damon would jump at the chance to be with Elena – brother's ex or not.
What he doesn't understand is why Damon didn't throw it in his face. There was never a 'Bro Code' – genetic or otherwise – with them obviously, and it wasn't like Damon never tried to rile him up whenever Elena was the topic at hand.
So yes, Stefan was angry at Damon. But not for sleeping with Elena; Stefan was much angrier at Elena for sleeping with Damon. Stefan was angry about the fact that Damon never told him about it, and consequently making him believe that his recent reconciliation with Elena was genuine. Despite the bad blood between them, they were always pretty honest with each other.
"You might as well ask me whatever you're thinking," Damon interrupts Stefan's train of thought. Stefan pauses, but he knows exactly what he wants to say.
"Why didn't you tell me?" His voice is even with no sign of malicious intent, so Damon takes the bait.
"Didn't think it was my place to tell you," he replied slowly.
"You didn't think I had the right to know you slept with Elena?"
"I think you had a right to know…just not from me."
"So you decided that you could dictate who I should hear it from?" Stefan raises his voice. Damon narrows his eyes at him. Stefan knows he's not afraid of him, but Stefan thinks he should be. Human blood – Elena's blood – is strong. He doubts his brother and Elena shared any blood. Stefan shudders just thinking about his brother and his girlfriend – at least for now – exchanging something so intimate. However, even if she did give him a taste, Damon would've washed it all down with alcohol by now.
Besides, he's not completely pathetic like his brother right now.
For once, Stefan has the upper hand.
"Are you seriously blaming me for not telling you?"
"For god's sakes, Damon. I'm your brother. And she's my girlfriend!"
"Not at that moment," Damon smirks. Stefan stops a moment and he has to hand it to Damon. Even if Damon has been sulking with his tail between his legs for the past week, he is still willing to put up a fight. Stefan thinks it is quite entertaining; he gives his brother an amused smile.
And the smirk on Damon's face disappears instantly.
"Maybe not at that moment, but your skills in the bedroom must not have been up to par if she came back to me," Stefan taunts. Stefan thought he was going to just talk to him, but something inside of him riles him up and he can't help but push Damon over the edge. When it comes to Elena, it is always so easy.
"She obviously went back to you because she felt guilty. Besides, we wouldn't be discussing this issue if you could keep her satisfied in the first place," Damon snarls, immediately straightening up his posture. Damon knows when he's being attacked, and his defensive mode has always been an offensive one.
"You know, for a self-proclaimed ladies man, you sure know how to drive them away," Stefan goes on, looking at his fingernails indifferently. Damon just rolls his eyes.
"For someone oh so loving and sensitive and perfect, you sure know how to drive them into my arms."
"Oh Damon, I had no idea you felt that way about me," Stefan sighs dreamily, obviously mocking him.
"Now you're asking for it," Damon growls, tackling his brother. The chair flips over, but when Damon sorts himself out, he sees Stefan standing on the other side of the room with his arms crossed over his chest.
"Is that all you got?"
Both brothers bare their fangs and charge at one another simultaneously. They attack each other full-on, trading punches, kicks and barbs.
"How does it feel knowing she betrayed you? All those times she told you she would always love you?"
"How does it feel to be second string? An afterthought? Again." They grapple at each other's shoulders, trying to get an advantage.
"Oh trust me. I've been the only thing on her mind since that night. She was using you to get over me."
"Hmm…she must be a great actress then, considering she was just with me yesterday morning when you were still out on your drunken exploits god knows where." Damon gets the upper hand and throws Stefan across the room, crashing him into a pile of books. Stefan gets up easily and dusts himself off. His nose is bleeding now, but he's ready for him. He stretches his neck a bit before advancing on his brother.
"So this is how it's gonna be, huh?"
"It's how it's always been," Damon says without hesitation, "Besides, we haven't had a good fight in ages." Damon flashes quickly behind Stefan to get him in a chokehold. Stefan struggles to fight him off and his attempts to elbow him in the gut or kick him from behind are futile. Damon's grip on Stefan's neck doesn't loosen one bit.
"This thing with Elena…I knew it had to end in bloodshed sometime," Damon comments.
Stefan drags him across the room, and turns around suddenly, whipping him into the wall. Damon groans at the contact. Stefan slams Damon into the wall repeatedly, getting him to release his grip on Stefan's throat.
"It'll be your blood mostly," Stefan threatens, as he rubs his neck. Before Damon can respond, Stefan's arms are around his body, and he tosses Damon's body into the whiskey set. The decanter and tumblers fall to the floor and shatter into a million pieces as the alcohol slowly spreads across the floor. Damon groans and rolls around on the floor. When he opens his eyes and realizes what's happened, he pulls turns back to his brother.
"Fuck, Stefan! Leave the whiskey out of this," he yells, pulling himself off the ground slowly. Damon's entire body is now bleeding because of the glass shards, but he doesn't care.
"You should've left Elena alone then," Stefan retorts, on the attack again.
"How many times do I have to tell you? Elena came to me. She wanted me." Damon meets Stefan's attack, but he's obviously slower than before. When Damon aims for Stefan's nose, Stefan quickly averts his fist, and Stefan punches him in the stomach.
"Yes, cause ignoring you for the past week really showed how much she wants you."
"Actually, that's quite a theory you've got there…" Damon says thoughtfully, as he starts choking up blood. Damon takes a jab in his face, as he connects his right hand with Stefan's jaw.
"Well by all means, if that what makes you sleep at night…"
"Why yes, now that I know how she feels inside of me, it does make me sleep at night. Quite well actually. I'm often so tired," Damon offers a grin. Damon pushes him backwards to the wall, but it's not as forceful this time around.
"Are you sure that's not the alcohol?"
When Stefan executes the perfect uppercut to Damon's jaw, Damon looks disoriented for a bit. Damon sinks to the floor with a large thud.
Stefan hovers over him and just stares at him. His face is a complete mess - his nose and lip are bleeding profusely and there are several lacerations across his forehead and chin. His shirt and his knuckles are covered in both of the brothers' blood. Stefan raises his fist one last time, but Damon stares back at him defiantly, edging Stefan on.
In a matter of seconds, the fight is over.
The house is a disaster. Chairs are overturned, jagged shards from remnants of alcohol-related glassware are strewn about and blood is all over the hardwood floor.
Stefan has withdrawn his fist, and he pushes himself off of Damon.
"What are you doing? Goddamn. Fuck you. Get back here." Damon wipes the blood off his lip with the back of his hand, and he seems reenergized.
"I let you off, and this is what you say to me?"
"You make me look like shit. Punch me; I deserve it." Damon lifts his head up slightly.
"What?" Stefan actually laughs at him for a brief moment. He thinks sober Damon is less coherent than drunk Damon sometimes. "Look, I don't want to kick you while you're down. I think we both know who won this fight."
"Are you kidding me? Stop taking the high road. It's not over till it's over." Damon tries to kick him from the floor, but Stefan has him pinned to the ground. Stefan just snorts in response.
"You look like crap, Damon. Just admit you lost this time."
"You look like shit, too."
"I threw you into a bunch of glass," Stefan points out. Damon gets up and stumbles towards Stefan. Stefan places his hands on his shoulders to halt him.
"It's not worth it, Damon."
"It is. That's exactly why you need to punch me again. Honestly, I'll feel better if you just do this all at once. Just hit me."
"You're insane," Stefan waves off, "Sit down. It's the headache talking. Everyone knows you can't function before sunset." Stefan steers Damon to his beloved leather chair.
"You're no fun at all."
"Yeah, but you knew that already," he replies, taking the seat across from him.
They're back to where they started this morning. With all of the anger and frustration and animosity out of the way, Stefan finally thinks he can have a real conversation with his brother now.
"How did it happen?" Stefan asks, a minute later. He doesn't bother waiting for Damon to pick out all of the glass out of his skin. Damon's eyes widen, and his intense gaze lands on Stefan.
"Are you sure you want to know?" Damon manages. The look on Damon's face is completely different from a few seconds ago. Stefan shrugs, but his tone is eerily cool and collected.
"No…but I need to."
"I've been a shitty brother," Damon says genuinely, sitting up, "You never deserved any of this." He runs a hand through his matted hair before continuing. "But you do deserve to know the truth now," Damon sighs.
And so Stefan listens to his brother as he tries to mend their fragile relationship that had once been built on the mutual love for a woman…again.
He doesn't know if it'll work, but Stefan has nothing but time.
A/N2: So are you rooting for more Team Salvatore in this fic or do you want some nicer Delena action?
