Unbroken

By: PikachuDoppelganger

"Up," Damon said as he tossed Stefan a pair of jeans and a t-shirt.

Stefan yawned and rolled out of bed in order to do what he was told. Stefan had always been particularly complaint after punishment. This had been the case since Stefan was a small child. It pleased Damon that this aspect of Stefan's personality hadn't changed. It would make things easier.

When Stefan was dressed he gave Damon a wary look.

"Sit," Damon said and pointed at his desk chair.

Stefan sat down.

"First rule," Damon said as he held up his index finger, "you eat what I tell you when I tell you. No exceptions."

"I'm not going to kill people," Stefan said, "you can hit me as much as you want. But I won't change my mind."

Damon rolled his eyes. "I haven't fed on anyone in months because of this nifty little invention called blood banks." Damon did not mention that he would make sure Stefan learned to snatch, feed, and erase trick. That was something he would have to introduce slowly. "Be a self-righteous vampire bunny all you want. Just do it on my terms."

Stefan didn't look happy but he nodded anyway.

Damon held up another finger, "Second. No lying to me. Don't go behind my back. Don't even try to do something stupid or dangerous without going through me. I'll find out and I will punish you."

"What about you?" Stefan asked as he folded his arms. "I'm not the only one who lies around here."

"True enough," Damon said, "but I'm stronger than you. You want to sabotage yourself with a ridiculous diet that makes you weaker than a one day old vampire, you'll have to face the consequences. Said consequence being me."

"How do you expect to build trust between us then?" Stefan snapped.

"I don't care if you trust me," Damon said.

Stefan's eyes flashed with pain. He looked down, undoubtedly to avoid having to look at his brother. "Then why are you even doing this?"

"The reason why I do anything. Because I want to." Damon grabbed Stefan's chin and forced him to look up. He looked close to crying. Despite everything that they had done to each other, Stefan still remained Damon's gentle little brother. "I have spent decades watching you fall of the edge. I'm don't want to watch you fall anymore, Stefan."

"What changed?"

"Katherine is a lost cause," Damon said. His voice was even and calm. He did not want Stefan to know how much it cost him to say that. "The only thing I have left is you. I refuse to lose you too."

"Okay," Stefan said. While it was unnerving how easily he accepted Damon's word and rules, it wasn't surprising. Stefan, by nature, was submissive and eager to please.

Damon took a step back. He held up three fingers. "Rule three, you want to pretend to be a teenager? You'll be treated like one. I'm you're legal guardian and I expect you to respect that." He paused and thought about what a pain it would be to parent a teenager. "At least in public."

"Does that mean you'll be signing my permission slips?" Stefan asked, not bothering to hide his smile.

"Just make sure to forge my signature skillfully," Damon said.

"I think I can handle that," Stefan said.

Damon set a mug of blood down in front of his brother. Stefan took a sip and his face twisted. "That's not human blood."

"Deer," Damon said with a grin, "I thought that was your favorite."

"I don't have a favorite," Stefan said and took another drink. "They all taste horrible. And it's even more horrible when you're expecting human blood."

"You've been doing it for decades," Damon said, "I'm sure you'll mange." He watched Stefan finish off the blood in one go. Then Damon took out a cup with exactly a teaspoon of human blood in it. "You need to learn moderation and since you can't seem to do it on your own, I'm going help you do it." He handed the glass to his brother. "Drink."

As soon as the blood touched Stefan's tongue, his face vamped out and his fangs dropped. Before he could crush the glass in his hand in order to lick what was left of the blood, Damon grabbed it from him. "Rule four: don't even think about destroying my china."

Stefan grabbed hold of Damon's shirt and pulled him down. "Give me more."

"No," Damon said. He pulled away from Stefan and went to rinse the cup. Before he turned on the faucet, Stefan's hand was around Damon's wrist and his eyes glued to the cup, stained with human blood.

Damon set the cup aside and grabbed Stefan with his free hand. He would have to wash the dish later. He had a more important duty at the moment. He dragged Stefan out of the kitchen, down the hallway, and into the library.

By the time Damon had taken a seat on the couch, Stefan's face was normal and he looked deeply ashamed.

"I'm sorry," Stefan said quietly.

"Good," Damon told him, "But I'm still going to spank you."

"I know," Stefan said and moved his hands to his fly.

Damon knocked his hands away. "Do you need a refresher course on how this goes?" Stefan looked confused. "Think about how we used to do this when you were a kid."

It only took Stefan a moment to remember. He moved his arms behind his back and lowered his head, the picture of submission to authority. Damon undid his jeans and pulled them down. Then he slid down Stefan's boxers. He pulled Stefan across his lap. Stefan's arms were still behind his back, as he had been taught. Damon took hold of the wrist on top with his left hand in order to restrain him.

Damon set his right hand on Stefan's left buttock. He rose his arm and slammed his palm down. It was not nearly as hard as he could, but it was hard enough to hurt. Damon was in no hurry to finish the punishment, so he kept his tempo slow and steady.

The room was silent save for hand crashing against skin. Damon felt no need to lecture. Stefan knew why he was over Damon's lap. There was no need to repeat why. Instead, Damon focused on teaching his little brother to obey him.

Each strike on Stefan's backside was that very simple lesson: obey Damon. Every time Damon's palm connected painfully with Stefan's skin was the lesson Stefan was to internalize. Damon knew that Stefan only felt the impact of Damon's effort for a moment but Damon intended to make sure those moments hurt. It was Damon's opinion that there was no better teacher than pain.

So Damon spanked his little brother again and again and again.

A few dozen smacks in, Damon put more force into his strikes. It had the intended affect. Stefan started let out small gasps of pain.

"Damon," Stefan said.

Damon hit him harder than ever. "The only thing I want to hear from you, Stefan, is owe."

Stefan complied. After each strike, Stefan let out a pained noise. Each time Damon struck Stefan, he made sure to put more force behind it. Stefan had to be unhappy with the choice, but he didn't resist or protest.

Damon stopped. He patted Stefan's hip in a silent command to stand up. Stefan obeyed. He was still and quiet as Damon pulled his underwear and pants up. Stefan kept his hands behind his back and head lowered.

"Your punishment is over," Damon said, "relax." He patted the spot on the couch next to him. "Sit down."

Stefan sat. He kept his head dropped.

"You can stop brooding now," Damon said.

Stefan's response was, "Do you mind if I go to bed now?"

"Fine," Damon said and waved him off.

This was going to be harder than Damon thought.