CHAPTER 4

Damon slowly lay down against the wall and closed his eyes as Stefan prepared himself for Zack's entrance. He wondered how dishevelled he must look right now considering what they had both been up to in here for days. Zack entered the hallway outside and Stefan called to him.

"Stefan?" Zack's voice was unsure as he warily stepped up to the window. He gasped when he saw Stefan. Stefan must look bad after all.

"It's ok, it's me." Stefan said and Zack looked behind him to see Damon's body crumpled on the floor.

"Are you ok?" Zack asked worriedly and Stefan nodded albeit grimly.

"Yeah, he's out of it."

"You said that last time." Zack pointed out and Stefan sighed.

"Sorry, I thought I had left him long enough but clearly he was fooling me." Stefan nodded again, casting a look back at Damon.

"Are you sure he's really manageable now?" Zack asked again, unconvinced and Stefan nodded again turning back to him.

"Yeah, I broke his neck. He won't wake up for a while. Once I've fed I'll come back in and chain him up. That way there's no way he can latch onto me like that again and I can move him to the crypt." Zack gave him a questioning look as he spoke and Stefan frowned.

"What?" He enquired as he saw Zack's face become tight and anxious.

"Stefan, I…I can't let you out you know that."

"What are you talking about?" Stefan asked.

"You two are the only vampires in town. There aren't supposed to be any. With you both in here, I'll know I've done my duty to the council." Fear began to rise in Stefan as he listened to Zack explain himself.

"Wait Zack, that's all I want too. I want to protect everyone just as much as you do. I'm on your side!"

"I know you are and I'm sorry, but you're still one of them Stefan."

"Zack for god sake you know me! You know I'll do everything in my power to help you, the council. What if other vampires come to town? They have before. You'll need me if that happens!" Stefan was becoming more desperate as he saw Zack's face start to harden. "Zack…please. We're family." Stefan pleaded softly, trying to resurrect the bond that he and Zack shared. Zack hung his head and sighed, looking back up at him torn.

"So is he." Zack motioned to Damon. Stefan turned back to see Damon still hadn't moved. That was strange. Damon must be able to hear how this conversation was going, yet he'd made no move to try and force the situation. He quickly turned around again to beseech Zack.

"I need blood Zack, please. Let me out so we can get everything back to normal."

"There is no normal when you are related to vampires Uncle Stefan. You shouldn't be alive anymore. I'm sorry but you know it's better for everyone else this way, better for your girlfriend." Stefan began to hyperventilate as Zack moved away from the window.

"Zack please, if I don't get blood soon I'll starve. I'll stay down here if that's what you want but please…" Stefan grabbed the bars and implored and Zack stopped to listen.

"I'm sorry." Zack whispered and then left the way he'd come, ascending the stairwell amidst Stefan's cries. Stefan's heart thumped painfully as he panicked. Zack was going to leave them here to decay. There was no way out. What the hell were they going to do now? Stefan looked over at Damon who still hadn't moved.

"Damon?" He called but there was no sign of life. He rushed over to him and rolled him onto his back, noting his pallor and unresponsiveness. He didn't think he'd taken enough to do this to him. He called his name a few more times and touched his face but Damon lay lifeless save from the rise and fall of his chest. Stefan sat down next to him thinking. Damon was out of it. If he fed him some blood they would begin this roundabout of desire and restraint again – going around in circles forever. He thought back to the moment where he almost kissed him. He had actually ghosted over Damon's lips as he meant to lean in. Thank god Zack's arrival had stopped him. This was out of control. When Damon awoke, he would be weak as a kitten and Stefan would have the upper hand again. How should he proceed though? He couldn't allow this blood sharing to continue – it was too intense and was making them both crazy. He really didn't want to starve either but it seemed like the better choice than being driven so mad with lust from the blood that he would have sex with his own brother. That idea was repugnant.

Stefan sat back against Damon's side as he pondered on their next move. Maybe it really was better that they should decay down here. They had started this journey together, it was apt that it would end this way too. He looked down at Damon and stroked his forehead.

"Well brother, looks like we are going to be together forever after all." He sighed and lay down next to him, falling asleep.

When Stefan woke up he was hungry. His stomach growled at him, clenching his insides as though there was a beast inside of him trying to break out. He held his stomach and sighed. Damon was still laying next to him out for the count. Stefan must have really taken a lot out of him. He lay looking Damon over when his eyes were drawn to the flicker of a pulse underneath Damon's skin. Damon's heart was struggling with blood loss and was trying to beat harder to circulate the precious fluid. His skin was so thin now that Stefan could see every beat sending blood pulsing up Damon's body. He couldn't tear his eyes away in fascination as he traced the artery down his skin, into his chest. Stefan's stomach rumbled noisily and he frowned.

Damon was already unconscious; maybe taking just a little wouldn't make that much of a difference. If he remained unconscious throughout it would also mean that he wouldn't become so aroused while Stefan drank either. Maybe it was a mercy in disguise to be able to take some blood without putting him through that. The more Stefan's mind twirled around these thoughts the more his hunger grew. He'd just take a little, just to get by.

He leant into Damon's neck and sniffed his skin. He could smell the blood underneath and his fangs filled his mouth. He pulled back nervously, checking Damon's face for life. What if he drank too much? Damon would definitely need some of his blood then and they'd be back to square one. Maybe drinking from his neck wasn't such a good idea. It'd be easy to get lost in the blood then. He should drink from elsewhere. He pulled back, sitting up and examining him. With Damon's shirt now discarded Stefan could trace all of the other possibilities for feeding. The femoral artery at the top of the thigh was always forthcoming but there was no way he was going to go down there.

Damon had a lot of muscle in his torso – muscle well supplied with blood. He decided to try drinking a little from his pectoral muscle on his chest. He bit into the flesh, surprised at how easily his teeth slid in and pulled a mouthful into his throat. The taste hit his tongue instantly and he gasped surprised at its flavour. It kept changing! It seemed like every time he drank from Damon he tasted more and more edible. What was happening to their blood? Whatever it was, was glorious for his taste buds anyway and he sucked harder to get another mouthful, almost feeling as though he could weep from the relief it rolled out through his stomach. He pulled his teeth out, licking the remaining blood across Damon's skin. He sat up licking his lips and fingers free from the blood, savouring every drop he had spilled. His body vibrated again and he took a deep breath. Blood like this, he could get used to. If only it wasn't coming out of Damon. He wondered what Elena would taste like. He thought of her body, so warm and soft. Biting into her breasts would be wondrous. He closed his eyes imagining it and felt his loins stir. He wondered what sex with her would be like. They hadn't gotten around to that topic yet, with everything that had been happening thanks to Damon's interference.

He looked down at Damon again and huffed. Damn Damon always ruining everything. Now I am stuck in my own cellar, having to share my blood with you so we can stay alive long enough to probably kill our only human relative! Stefan groaned at the irony. Damon's lips parted and caught his attention.

"Damon?" Stefan called out to him softly but he didn't stir any further. Stefan watched his lips, thinking that Damon was bound to say something any second now but he didn't. His lips quivered slightly and Stefan ran his fingers across them, waiting for Damon to respond. Damon had always had full lips. He had envied how the girls in Mystic Falls had blushed at the thought of a kiss from him. When they had been human Damon's colouring had always been so unblemished – smooth skin free from freckles or lines, rosy cheeks and full pink lips that shone of good health and vitality. Stefan had always been jealous. He had always hoped that as he aged he might become more like Damon. Damon had started out as a bit of an ugly duckling and as he grew into a man of his 22nd year, he filled out and his features became more rounded and handsome. All the girls whom had paid him no heed suddenly began to notice him. It was probably why he had spent so much time indulging in the attention. Stefan had looked quite peculiar and awkward in his teens too, but he had always held out hope that he would also blossom and then he died. Now he was always going to be a 17 year old on the verge of becoming a man forever and it sucked big style. He came back out of his thoughts when his stomach rumbled again and he realised he had been stroking Damon's lips as he reminisced. He pulled his fingers away. Maybe he could have just a little more. Damon seemed to be ok. It couldn't hurt could it?

He leant down and bit into Damon's abdomen now, where he could see a lot of muscle underneath the skin. There was sure to be a good blood source here. This time Damon flinched as his teeth broke through. Stefan began to stroke up Damon's sides to pacify him as he drank. God he tasted so good, just a little more…

"Uhh." Damon sounded, barely above a whisper and Stefan hurriedly took another gulp, hoping that Damon wouldn't rouse too much. Damon shivered as he took another gulpful, Stefan promising himself that this one was the last one.

"Mmmm." Damon sounded and flinched under Stefan's mouth. Damon didn't sound hurt though so maybe one more bite. Stefan lifted his head and looked up at Damon's face. He was still out of it so Stefan decided to have a couple more gulpfuls before he would stop and leave him be. He would have enough to keep him going for a while. Perhaps if he kept Damon unconscious and just drank little amounts like this Zack would change his mind and come down and check. If he could see that Stefan was calm and collected and that Damon wasn't a threat like this, he may change his mind and let him out. Damon's torso was pale and dry looking under the skin. He would have to move his feeding. He looked to Damon's legs and bit his lip. He would have to remove Damon's jeans in order not to waste blood soaking into the denim. He quickly unbuttoned the jeans, trying not to think about whether Damon was commando underneath and pulled the jeans from his body, laying them aside. Typical Damon! No underwear. Well, at least it was nothing he hadn't seen before.

The artery at the top of Damon's thigh was so enticing but he couldn't go there, it was way too near to Damon's manhood and that was gross. He flipped Damon over onto his front and bit into the hamstrings at the back of his thigh instead. They were big bulging muscles and he knew they would contain a fair amount of blood. Blood oozed into his mouth with ease and he sighed blissfully, not ashamed in the slightest that he had stripped his brother naked and fed on his body. Damon would have done it to him eventually so why should he bother worrying about it? He drank in gulpful after gulpful until he heard Damon moan, almost in pain. He pulled back, feeling woozy and disorientated as Damon moaned again. It was definitely pain. He rolled him back over and saw a frown on Damon's face.

"Damon?" He asked concerned as he cupped Damon's jaw. Was he in pain because of the feeding? He hoped not, feeling guilty at having drank without permission. Damon's lips parted again as if he was trying to speak so Stefan leaned closer to hear, when he noticed Damon's fangs were showing. Damon made a strange movement with his lips and suddenly Stefan realised what was happening. Damon's body had gone into survival mode and he was simulating a feeding motion with his mouth, as though his body was desperately trying to reach out to a food source. Stefan sighed as he listened to another sound of pain escape Damon's mouth. He must be on fire. Stefan looked down at his body and noticed the bite marks – all of them, exactly as he'd left them. They weren't healing. Shit. He bit into his wrist and placed it over Damon's wanting mouth and Damon's teeth sank in immediately. Stefan pulled his wrist back, in fear of losing his upper hand but Damon seemed to be in pain, unable to grab onto Stefan's hand. Guilt filled him and he lay his wrist back, scooping his arm around Damon's back to cradle him to it. Damon's head flopped around helplessly but his mouth was still in operation so Stefan sat back on his feet and tried to relax. The sucking became more urgent and Stefan felt the wave. He breathed through it as Damon's head finally began to support itself. He removed his wrist to check how much strength Damon had. He wanted him weak and to remain that way.

"More…" Damon's whispered, his eyes flickering as he tried to open them. Stefan gave him a little more, holding his wrist above Damon's mouth so that it dripped in rather than letting Damon suck. Damon frowned as he opened his mouth.

"Please, more…" Damon begged, giving out a small grumpy sob that made Stefan frown. He gave in and gave him his wrist again and Damon moaned in peace as he drank heartily. After a few more minutes, Stefan noticed Damon's arms trying to rise and hold his arm so he pulled away and moved out of arms reach. Damon groaned and turned to him, his eyes wide and full of longing.

"So hungry."

"I know brother. Just try to relax."

"Please Stefan just a little more!" He begged and Stefan had to look away from his eyes. Those hypnotic eyes. "Please…" Damon choked and Stefan shook his head.

"No. Just enough to keep us alive, that's all." Stefan said firmly and Damon's eyes became blank and unfocussed. He looked defeated and Stefan sighed, moving back over to comfort him.

"We need to be smart about this. Zack isn't going to help us so we have to survive brother. We have to ration our blood until we can get help." He explained, placing his hand over Damon's chest, realising that the bite marks were still present. He lifted his hand concerned and noticed that they were all still present. Maybe Damon hadn't gotten enough. Damon followed his gaze and looked down at himself in surprise.

"You fed on me?" Damon whispered and Stefan gulped.

"I had too."

"You took my clothes off?" Damon rolled his eyes as he tried to focus them, he looked worse for wear.

"I didn't want to spill anything." Stefan objectified and Damon groaned.

"It hurts." Stefan frowned at this development, realising how far he had sunk his fangs into Damon's tissue. It probably would hurt. Damon closed his eyes, groaning as Stefan stroked over the bites on his chest. They were bleeding a little and before Stefan could reason with himself he flicked his tongue over them. Damon sighed at the contact despite the pain and Stefan sucked a little more out. The taste was stronger again.

"God Damon you taste amazing." Stefan mumbled through sucks at the wound and Damon arched into him moaning.

"I just want a little more, just a little more…" Stefan bit down again and Damon cried out, panting. He gulped greedily this time and Damon cried for him to stop. He knew the cries were in fear this time, not lust as he gathered Damon into his arms and drank feverishly. Damon hung his head, it rolling around Stefan's shoulder as Stefan mouthed up into Damon's neck. To hell with it, I want it all!