Zoraya Windwalker asked if I wrote these chapters out of my own head, or from the episodes. Well it's both really. Some I think up all on my own, some I get inspired from watching an episode.

Thank you all so much for your kind reviews, and any questions you have I'll be happy to answer. :)

Chapter 5

Brotherly Bonding

Stefan being Stefan however, obviously couldn't just let it go at that. "Did something happen to Elena?"

"Elena's fine." He continued up the stairs, but his brother's next words stopped him dead in his tracks.

"Is it about Katherine?"

He turned to look at him. "Is what about Katherine?"

"Why you were crying?"

"I wasn't crying, and why the hell would I be upset about Katherine?"

Stefan raised an eyebrow. "Oh let me think Damon. You chased after her for over a century..."

Damon's eyes darkened. "Stefan..." His voice trailed off in warning. He so didn't want to deal with this right now.

Stefan ignored his tone and kept on. "You find out she's alive and never bothered to contact you."

Damon growled. "Knock it off."

"And now she's back and you found out what kind of person she really i-" Stefan was cut off when Damon grabbed his throat and slammed him against the wall.

"Shut your mouth!" Damon snarled, his eyes full of rage and pain. "She came back here for you! Not me! You!" Stefan was being choked and couldn't really respond, but Damon knew he could hear and understand every word. "It's always you! Katherine wants you! Elena wants you! Father adored you! You! You! You! I get so sick of it! Saint Stefan always gets everything!"

Stefan had to punch Damon in the jaw to get him off so he could breathe. He coughed for a moment, rubbing his throat. "It's not my fault how other people feel about me!"

"It's your fault you always had to kiss everyone's butt!" His voice turned mocking. "Oh yes what can I do for you today Father? Can I carry that for you Katherine? Look into my pretty boy eyes Elena."

It was Stefan's turn to be furious. "Shut up you jerk!" He jumped on Damon and they both fell over, Damon yelping slightly when his rear hit the floor but otherwise ignoring it. They rolled around over the floor punching, kicking, and generally trying to beat the snot out of each other.

"You're nothing but a Daddy's boy!"

"I'm just nice to people! That's why they like me!"

"No your just a butt kisser!"

"At least I don't go around mooning over women I can't have!"

"You're going to pay for that you little bitch!"

"Bring it on Damon!"

With both of them so angry the fight lasted quite awhile. Insults and punches flying back and forth, things being broken as they tossed each other across the room. If anyone had walked by they'd have thought it sounded like World War Three in there. Shouting, screaming, snarling, and roaring sounded within.

Neither of them knew how long it lasted, only that they both finally lay there on the floor next to each other, panting and worn out, with various injuries starting to heal at vampire speed. Stefan rolled over and groaned. "I hate you."

"I hate you more," Damon growled. Stefan reached over to hit him again but he was so exhausted he just fell on top of him. Damon grunted when he landed on his sore ribs but was too tired too move. The room was soon quiet as they both fell into slumber.

They both felt sore the next day when they woke up, but felt better after they drank some blood. Damon's rear had also healed up because he'd been knocked on it so many times last night it'd ended up bruising, which was an injury vampire healing would take care of. After feeding they both wearily slumped down on the couch next to each other, Damon nursing a glass of alcohol.

"I'm sorry about last night Damon."

Ah yes, Stefan, always the peacemaker. "Whatever. Forget about it."

"Seriously though Damon why were you so upset yesterday?"

"I don't want to talk about it."

"Please?"

Damon grimaced. Why'd his brother have to look at him with those puppy dog eyes? He hadn't done that since they were kids. It was hard for him to resist those big sad eyes when Stefan did that. Maybe that's why people had trouble resisting his brother.

"Elena and I talked, that's all."

"About?"

He sighed. "I told her about how I made Katherine mad. She didn't take it well."

"What happened?"

Damon told him some of what Elena had said. Leaving out the scolding and punishment part of course.

"And that bothered you?" Stefan looked at him in interest. Damon shrugged and took another drink. "You care about her."

"I just don't like seeing her upset. Doesn't seem right."

"I know what you mean." Had Damon actually cried because he'd done something to make Elena so upset? The idea was shocking, but he knew better than to push it. His brother would just deny it, and he didn't want to end up in another fight.

"Damon... about what you said last night... I didn't know you felt that way. Why didn't you ever tell me?" Damon just shrugged and looked away, and that gave Stefan his answer. Pride. It was as simple as that. Damon Salvatore would never admit to his little brother that he felt jealous and hurt because Stefan so easily seemed to get the things that he himself so desperately wanted.

"I didn't know I was hurting you Damon. I'm sorry."

"Yeah well..." Damon sighed. "I didn't exactly make things easier. I did torment you all those years."

"Truce?" Stefan held his hand out.

Damon rolled his eyes but took it and shook. "Yeah, sure." Stefan smiled brightly and Damon smirked. "Don't get all sappy on me bro."

"I'm sappy? You got all sad just because Elena was mad at you."

"Oh you are gonna get it." Damon set his drink down and tackled Stefan off the couch.

"Hey!" They rolled around on the floor again, but more playfully this time, wrestling, like they used to do before Katherine ever came into their lives. Stefan did something he hadn't dared to do since they were kids, and tickled Damon's ribs. It was probably the biggest secret ever. Damon was very ticklish.

"Ha ha ha ha! Stefan don't you dare- Ah ha ha! Stop!" He managed to pin him on his back, holding his arms down. "Holler uncle!"

"Never!"

"I can sit on you all day!"

"I got time."

"Oh yeah?" Damon stuck his finger in his mouth then put it in Stefan's ear.

"Ahh! Gross!" Stefan pushed him off and sat up. "What was that?"

"A wet willy." Damon smirked.

"You're sick. Really."

"That's what you get for tickling me. You know I hate that." Stefan laughed a little but then looked broody again. "What is it?"

He sighed. "I just miss Elena."

"We'll figure out something, and until then, we'll just have to stick together."

"If you say so." Stefan looked a little doubtful.

"I do." Damon slung his arm around the back Stefan's shoulders. "The world better look out, because the Salvatore brothers are back."

To Be Continued...