Thank you deeply for all the reviews, follows, and favorites. It's great to know some people feel the way I do and are so supportive. I want to also say that this story is AU and exists outside of Season 4 of the awesome series. I could never keep up with the changing stories and characters.

Part 4 - Give In To Me

"Please, Damon," Jeremy said, panicking; his heart thumped louder, his pulse quickening. Both Stefan and Damon picked up on it, and Jeremy could almost imagine his blood sending out signals to these vampires. "It's not-"

"Really? You're going with 'it's not what it looks like'?" Damon said incredulously, chuckling at what Jeremy was attempting to say. "Stefan's got his tongue down your throat and it's not what it looks like?" Damon laughed, shaking his head in amusement. "Oh, man, what is Elena gonna think, brother?"

"She's not going to find out, Damon," Stefan said, a steel edge to his lowered voice. Damon eyed Stefan with amusement, but said nothing.

There was a strange, thick gap between the brothers. Jeremy found it unsettling. So many years - over a century and a half, to be exact - united these brothers, for better or for worse. There's so much history, at least in the vaguest terms. They had started out loving the same woman; well, actually, Katharine was a vampire. All the same, the uneasiness started with a female obsession. She was the thorn forever in the Salvatore brothers' side. Despite reuniting after decades apart, they both found their way back to Mystic Falls and somehow became attracted to Katharine's doppelganger, Elena. However, with Stefan's recent downward spiral that resulted in becoming Klaus's reluctant ally and reverting back to his previous nom de plume, The Ripper, Stefan and Elena's relationship had suffered greatly. It possibly suffered too much for any hopeful repair. Oddly, neither side seemed entirely determined to try and reassemble the shattered vase that was their relationship.

This reluctance for rekindling the passion made it apparent to Jeremy that it was possible the love they once had was over and possibly never to return. After Stefan slowly recovered his former self and distanced all that he could from Klaus, he and Jeremy started to become close friends. The friendship developed like a jigsaw puzzle; piece by piece an image started to form. It was an image neither had expected to form. It was an image of Stefan and Jeremy united in love.

Many times Stefan and Jeremy had come close to embarking on a closer connection, but there were too many external problems. Klaus, for one, was a constant presence and fear. His powerful influence over Stefan scared both of them. Of course, there was also Elena. The doomed relationship was scarred by Stefan's return to bloodlust. There was still love there, yet it seemed muted and frozen in the past.

Then, there was Damon. Jeremy looked up now and watched the two brothers eyeing each other. How many times had they confronted one another like this? Was the situation any different? Jeremy hesitated to say anything, so he maintained his silence and observed the Salvatores in an emotional duel. Regardless of who won, the thread that tied the brothers might be irrevocably severed.

"So, I can't pursue Elena because she's fragile or whatever," Damon began, a tense but even voice. "However, here you are making out with Jeremy, her brother. One's not enough for you? You have to have both." Damon's eyes were so wide and wild Jeremy thought he might vamp out and slaughter Stefan.

"It's not like that," Stefan said carefully as if recognizing Damon's sudden upset. Stefan crossed his arms and leaned back against the kitchen island. Damon eyed him cautiously, waiting for the next remark. "We've never done anything, before now. It's always been there." Stefan looked over at Jeremy and smiled. "The attraction always has been there." He then looked back at Damon. Stefan was choosing his next words and it was making Jeremy nervous. How quick the tide could change. "I love Elena, but not in the way I used to, at least, before my time with Klaus."

"But, I don't understand, Stefan," Damon said, his eyes searching Stefan's face and occasionally diverting to Jeremy. "You're in love with Elena. She's in love with you. How does Jeremy fit into all this?"

"Let me put it this way," Stefan began. "When I came to Mystic Falls, it was for Elena. I had to know her. I had to be with her. It was because of Katharine, but the memories I have of her quickly disappeared. I came to love Elena, more than I have ever loved anyone. I think our relationship burned bright and hot, for a time. With all that happened, it burned faster, brighter, and hotter. It was like, when I became the Ripper again, what we had burst into a thousand pieces." Stefan paused, avoiding both Damon and Jeremy's eyes. "When we were reunited, I knew it was over. Elena knew, too. We've been just drifting these past few months."

"And Jeremy?" Damon asked, much quieter than before. Jeremy listened with such intensity he thought his ears would bleed. He didn't want to miss one word.

"That's harder to explain," Stefan said. He looked at Jeremy and a soft glow emanated from his deep, brown eyes. "That took me by surprise. After Elena and I realized our relationship was through, we lost something important: a close friendship. What made us work so well was our deep trust and faith in one another. I mean, it's still there and we still seek out each other in times of pain, fear, and loneliness. But, I wanted - no - I needed more." Stefan gazed over at Jeremy again. Jeremy's eyes were glistening and Stefan smiled, this time with his eyes.

Damon was quiet for a bit after Stefan spoke, partly because the room became silent, but also at how honest and earnest Stefan expressed his emotions. Jeremy, watching Stefan silently, moved over next to Stefan and placed a hand on Stefan's shoulder. Stefan in turn pulled Jeremy closer in a half-embrace.

Damon suddenly cleared his throat and feigned something was in his eyes. Jeremy could tell Damon was moved. It was strange since Damon hardly let anything penetrate his bitter, armored heart. Katharine was the first time he had let anyone in and she mercilessly broke Damon's heart into a million pieces. Elena was the second, and their peripheral relationship was about to become more intimate – especially now with Stefan choosing Jeremy.

"Well, I think this was enough emotional baggage for one evening," Damon said finally. Damon paused at the doorway then turned slightly towards Stefan. "We can talk about Elena later, brother." At that, Damon disappeared into the other room leaving Stefan and Jeremy in the kitchen alone.

"That was a lot to take in," Jeremy said leaning his head against Stefan's shoulder. Stefan's strong hand gently massaged Jeremy's shoulder keeping Jeremy in a tight embrace. "Damon could've taken it much worse."

"Damon can sometimes be reasonable, Jer," Stefan said. He, too, seemed to be easing up and allowing the moment to be as it was. It was the start of something new, fresh, and exciting.

"What do you want to do now?" Jeremy asked as innocently as possible, while in all honesty his mind was on one thing. While his head rested on Stefan's shoulder, he gazed upwards at Stefan's lower lip and imagined kissing it. He imagined stroking the strong jaw and delicately tracing a finger along the outside of Stefan's ear. Jeremy, still gazing up at his Stefan, imagined what all this meant. Was he in love with Stefan? Was this love?

"Where are you, Jer?" Stefan asked peering down into Jeremy's eyes. Stefan was now focused completely on Jeremy. He leaned down and kissed Jeremy on the forehead, rather difficultly as it was an odd angle.

Jeremy pulled away and stood in front of Stefan. He stepped forward and at once they were one body. Stefan and Jeremy's lips pressed together as if incomplete without the other. Jeremy breathed in Stefan's scent, his eyes closing to slits with his mind going pleasantly blank. All Jeremy could think of was Stefan; his lips, his arms, his hands, his body. Stefan's hands were now on Jeremy's hips and he drew him closer still. Jeremy felt a rush of heat run between them. His imagination ran wild with expectation and anticipation. He sighed into Stefan and felt his body weaken.

Recognizing that this was neither the place nor the company they wished to be discovered in, Stefan and Jeremy disconnected and stood before one another. Jeremy paused, out of breath, his blood and mind racing. Stefan, too, was a bit out of sorts, his lips red and swollen. Both men were flush with heat and desire. Stefan took hold of Jeremy's hand and started to walk backwards. As if he already knew what was to happen, Jeremy allowed himself lead.

Out of the kitchen, out of earshot of Damon and Elena, Stefan gently guided Jeremy away from the outside world and into a more intimate and wondrous one. He let go of Jeremy's hand, but only so they could climb the stairs. Stefan went first with Jeremy following like a lost boy. He was a boy in comparison to Stefan. There was a century and a half of life, love, war, and death that separated the two lovers. Yet somehow, it didn't matter. And it probably never would.

Stefan came to stop at Jeremy's bedroom door. Jeremy reached it shortly after and stopped, half expecting Stefan to enter and pull Jeremy inward. Instead, Stefan paused.

"Are you ready, Jer?" Stefan asked his voice serene and full of expectation. He looked at Jeremy with a lion's eyes; as if Jeremy was prey waiting to be devoured. Jeremy reached out his hand and the two connected once again. The fire reignited and the heat began to flow again. Jeremy simply nodded. Stefan smiled in return. He brought Jeremy's hand to his lips and kissed it gently. Jeremy's hand tingled and his heart fluttered. Their eyes locked in a momentary lapse of time and space. Stefan opened the door and stepped inside, his hand still holding Jeremy's. Together they entered the bedroom and the door shut behind with a barely perceptible click.

**I apologize for cutting the story here. I'll try to write more soon. To be continued…