For DefanXO, who wanted to see Stefan saying something pretty harsh to Damon.

I also had a prompt for Stefan saying this to Enzo, but it just felt too repetitive. It came out better as just a Defan situation.

"Okay, who's ready for movie night?" Enzo asks, walking into the room carrying a bowl of popcorn.

Stefan grins from his spot next to Damon. "Can we watch Scream?"

"Ha, no," his dad says. Stefan scowls. "We can watch Cinderella."

"I don't want to."

"You? Not wanting to watch Cinderella?" Damon puts a hand on his forehead, smirking. "Are you sick?"

Stefan pulls away, just barley holding back an eye roll. "Can we please put on something that's not for 5 year olds?"

"So, no Barney then?"

Stefan looks up at Enzo. "Papa!"

Enzo chuckles. "Alright, I have an idea. We can watch The Parent Trap. Appropriate for Stefan, but not for babies. Deal?"

Stefan reluctantly nods. He leans back against the couch, folding his arms over his chest. Enzo settles on the other side of him and holds out the popcorn. Stefan takes a few kernels, popping them into his mouth. Damon scrolls through Disney+ to find the movie.

"Anything exciting happen at school, Bambino?" Enzo asks as he sets the bowl onto the coffee table.

Stefan shrugs. "Not really. Same old boring classes and work to get done." A thought pops into his head. "Oh, we were discussing Matt's birthday. Tyler's getting him tickets to a Mötley Crüe concert."

"That's nice of him."

"Is it Tyler buying them?" Damon asks, arching a brow. "Or Dick Lockwood?"

Enzo shoots him a look. "As if you have any room to talk with generational wealth."

Damon rolls his eyes. "It's different."

"How?"

"Because I decided it is and I'm always right."

Stefan snorts. "Anyway, Tyler, Mr. Lockwood, however you want to put it, is getting tickets for all of us."

Damon and Enzo pause. The remote is lowered onto the table. Stefan braces himself.

"All of you?" Damon repeats. "Meaning…you."

Stefan plays with his fingers. "Well, yeah. Elena gets to go."

"Where is this concert?"

"Bonnie's driving and you know she's responsible," he points out. "You guys love Bonnie."

Damon shakes his head. "Where is the concert?"

"We'd be safe! The caregiver to little ratio is decent."

"Stefan," his father's voice grows firm. " Where is the concert? "

Stefan sighs. He looks between his dads. Neither are letting up on their serious, stern glances.

"Richmond," he mumbles.

"That's 2 hours away," Enzo says. "I imagine as it is, the concert won't start until when? 8?" Stefan reluctantly nods. "A band like that tends to go on for a few hours. Then you'd be driving back so late?"

"We're getting a hotel?" Stefan offers, not even sounding confident in himself.

Damon shakes his head. "Nuh uh. Absolutely not."

Stefan frowns. "Dad!"

"No, Stefan. You are not driving hours away to some rock concert, where you'll stay up past your bedtime and then be away from us the whole night!"

"I'll be fine without my bedtime for one night," Stefan argues.

"It's too dangerous. You guys are a bunch of teenagers, headed out hours away on your own?!"

"Like I said, Elena gets to go!"

"I'm not Elena's father," Damon counters, narrowing his eyes. "I'm yours. Caroline and Klaus are free to agree to this ridiculous idea. I'm not."

Stefan glances at Enzo. His papa shakes his head.

"I agree with your daddy," he says. "That's too far away from us and for too long. Especially with no adult supervision whatsoever. Forget dropping. Anything could happen to you."

"I'm a vampire! I'll be there with a wolf and a witch. I think I'll be fine."

"A wolf and a witch who are, again, teenagers. They can't take care of you. They're not equipped to watch you."

"I don't need to be watched!"

"You need to watch your tone," Damon warns. "You knew this was never going to happen. I wouldn't even let you go on a trip with Lexi without me there."

"That was a long time ago. You've been a part from me since."

"Yes. I left you with your papa. You were safe and watched over."

Stefan narrows his eyes, jumping off the couch. His fathers don't move. Enzo has a bit of pity in his eyes, while Damon is all business. Stefan has to hold back stomping his foot. They're being completely unfair! Stubbornness and anger radiate throughout his body.

"Unless I drop, I'm not a baby!"

Enzo's voice is firm, yet gentle. "You're still our child. Honestly, even if you were a caregiver, I wouldn't let you go. That's too far to be on your own."

"I'd be with friends!"

"A group of 16 year olds isn't exactly any better."

"This sucks! You never let me do anything!"

Damon scoffs, standing up. "We never let you do anything? You mean outside, go out with your friends or have them over here. All the times you head off to the mall with them or go bowling? Yeah, you're definitely kept prisoner here, Rapunzel."

"This isn't funny," Stefan growls.

"You're right, it's not. You're upset over something you knew I'd never allow." Enzo rises and Damon gestures to him. "That we would never allow. Now, you're throwing a tantrum."

"It's not a tantrum. God, I am 17 years old."

"And yet you stand here yelling at your daddies because you didn't get your way."

"You're not my dad! You're just my stupid brother!"

The room goes silent. Damon's mouth snaps shut as his blue eyes widen. He looks as though he's been slapped. Enzo ducks his head, refusing to make eye contact. All Stefan can hear is the sound of his own beating heart. He looks between the two before quickly vamping upstairs.

Damon stands in place and stares where Stefan once stood. Stefan's words ring through his head.

"You're not my dad!"

It has been over 2 years since he thought of himself as Stefan's brother. Even prior to that, he took on the role of both Mom and Dad. Lily died and Giuseppe was hardly father material, even before then. Damon fell into the position as Stefan's protector. He tucked him into bed until he was 13. Helped him get dressed long after a young boy should. Cleaned him up when he got hurt and nursed him back to health when he was sick.

After turning, he gave Stefan his space. Yet, whenever they were together, he fell into the old habit. Damon made sure Stefan got enough blood and sleep. He'd restock his fridge and take him hunting. If they went out to bars, he was always on the lookout to make sure no one took advantage of him.

As much as he loathed Lexi, he depended on her for updates. In a way, he treated her like a de facto nanny. He trusted her to keep Stefan safe.

Damon was the one who pulled Stefan into his Little space and made him feel comfortable with it. It took years of teaching him it was okay to need someone. It was okay to be little. Damon loved him no matter what.

He did all of this without the expectation of being "dad". Damon didn't need the title. It was a happy surprise when Stefan began calling him "daddy" when little and eventually, "dad" in his older space.

"You do everything a real dad's supposed to," Stefan said with a small shrug. "DayDay doesn't seem right anymore."

That night, Damon cried enough tears to fill Mystic Falls. It was in that moment, he finally accepted his place. He wasn't Stefan's brother. No, Damon was his dad.

That rug has just been ripped out from under him.

"He's upset," Enzo rationalizes, hurt in his voice. Damon glances over at him. His husband's eyes are sincere and filled with worry.

Damon clears his throat. "He doesn't want me to be his dad anymore."

"He's upset," Enzo repeats. "He doesn't know what he's saying."

"He does. I knew this could happen. I knew it was too late."

"Too late?"

"He doesn't need a dad anymore," Damon whispers. "I was too late."

"What are you talking about?"

"I waited too long. I should've figured out his classification sooner. Maybe then…" Damon trails off, shaking his head. "It wouldn't have mattered. I'm his brother."

Enzo places a hand on his shoulder. "Is that really how you think of yourself?"

Damon stares at the rug. Truth is, he hasn't thought of Stefan as his brother in a very long time. That's his baby. His little bunny boy.

His son.

He shakes his head. "But he doesn't think of me as his dad."

"He'll calm down. Kids, they know just what buttons to push. He's mad at you. That'll pass."

"What if it doesn't?"

Enzo sighs, running his fingers through his hair. A bit of annoyance takes over his face.

"What do you think of when you look at Stefan? Do you see your brother or your son?"

"My son," Damon whispers without a moment's hesitation.

"Then that's what matters. You adopted him, Day. It's right there in black and white. By law and the depths of your heart, you're his dad. He's your son. Maybe he's upset right now. We can't change that. What will stay the same is how you look at him."

Damon lets out a shaky breath. Enzo wraps an arm around him. Damon is quick to pull away.

"I need to be alone for a bit," he whispers.

Enzo nods, patting his cheek. "Take all the time you need. I'll clean up down here."

Stefan lays against his pillow, a picture frame clutched in hand. It's been an hour since he said those 4 words. A part of him wonders if he should be surprised that no one's come up to see him. What he said was terrible and mean.

He didn't mean it. He wants to take it back.

There have been very few times that Stefan wished for a time machine. When he broke Giuseppe's glass humidor imported from Italy. His first murder that turned him into the ripper. To be clean and sober so he could save Damon and Enzo from the Augustines. The first time he told Damon he hated him.

He would do anything to erase those 4 words from existence.

Stefan knows he can't turn back the clock. There's no redo button. The people he's hurt can never be whole again.

There's a soft knock at the door. Stefan sniffs the air. Enzo. Why did he even entertain the notion it'd be Damon?

He barely mutters "come in". Enzo enters the room. Stefan braces himself. He prepares to be yelled at. Maybe even spanked or grounded. He should've gotten his tablet out. There's no way he deserves it tonight.

To his surprise, Enzo simply walks over and sits beside him. His face is soft, yet unreadable. He cards his fingers through Stefan's hair and glances down at the frame. Stefan examines it as well. A selfie of him and Damon from back when they were in Chicago. Stefan curled up on his lap. He grips his dad's chin and kisses his nose. Damon's got a tight hold on his little boy, staring down at him with love and protection.

"That's a very sweet picture," Enzo says. Stefan shrugs. "You can tell how much you love him."

"One of the first times I dropped," Stefan mumbles. "I was very cuddly."

"I know your dad loves you when you're like that. Then again, he always does."

"Not now," Stefan whispers.

"Yes, he still loves you now. He's just a little hurt."

Stefan gnaws at his lip. "I was upset."

"I know you were." Enzo rubs his back. "It's disappointing when we don't get our way."

Stefan's cheeks burn as he realizes how childish it all sounds. He asked for something, well not even. Stefan simply told them of his plans. When he got a "no", he got mad and started screaming. Rather than just using his words

"It's okay to be upset or disappointed," Enzo continues. "But we need to be careful of how we handle that. Words can't be taken back, Bambino."

"I know," Stefan whispers.

"It's easy to say things we don't mean." He pauses. "Did you mean them?"

Stefan shakes his head. "I don't know why I said it."

"I think you do, deep down."

Stefan traces Damon's face on the frame. He lowers himself on the bed.

"Those are very big words to say," Enzo whispers. "Not something we should take lightly."

"I didn't mean it. I was just…" Stefan trails off. "Frustrated."

"And that's okay. It's just important to know that words have meaning."

Stefan's breath hitches. "Do you think he won't want to be my dad anymore?"

Enzo frowns, rubbing his cheek with his thumb. "Oh, Topolino. That's the furthest thing from his mind. This hurts because he loves you and wants to be your dad. I think he's wondering if you still want that."

"I do," Stefan whispers.

"Then you need to tell him that." Stefan drops the frame and starts to get up. Enzo grounds him with a hand to the shoulder. "Give yourself a little time. Truly think about your words and what you want to say, hm?"

Stefan nods. "Okay, Papa," he whispers.

"That's my good boy. I'll leave you to it."

Enzo kisses his forehead, murmuring " ti am o" before leaving the room. Stefan returns the frame to the proper shelf before grabbing his leather bound diary.

Stefan doesn't search for Damon for another hour. He waits until he's brushed his teeth and in some pajamas. It doesn't take much looking. Damon sits in the study. He stares at his laptop, not typing a thing. Stefan hesitates in the open doorway. Damon slowly breaks his trance. Stefan notes the red eyes and slower breathing. An extra layer of guilt settles in.

"Sometimes it's hard," Stefan whispers. "You being my dad and not my brother."

Damon raises a brow, but remains quiet. Stefan pads into the room. His navy blue slippers make a squeaking sound.

"It's been almost 3 years but…it's still an adjustment."

"I know," Damon says, a bit of compassion in his voice. "That's not a lot of time."

"I'm still not used to not being able to do whatever I want. Having to get permission from you or Papa." Stefan frowns. "It's not always easy."

"You're forever 17, Stef," Damon says. "That is a very rough age to be stuck at. Classification or not."

"I know this is what I've always needed. Someone looking out for me, full time. You used to do it. Long before you should've had to."

Damon shrugs. A small smile tugs at his lips. "You're my baby. From the moment you were born, that's just how it's been. You needed me and I wanted you."

Stefan's eyes burn with tears. "I still need you."

Damon is quiet. Stefan walks closer.

"You're my dad." Damon opens his mouth to speak, but Stefan powers on. "You drive me to school and you buy all my stuff. You…you tuck me into bed at night, even when I claim I don't need it. You help me with my homework and study for tests. When I drop you never want to leave my side. You gave up everything for me."

He smells Damon's tears brewing. "I'd do it all again, Stef. In fact, I'll keep doing it."

"I know. 'Cause that's what dads do…and…you're my dad…if you still want to be."

Damon's face falls. "Oh, come here."

He pats his lap. Stefan vamps over and sits on it. Damon adjusts him so they're eye to eye.

"I'll always be your dad. I love you more than life itself," Damon coos. "You're my sweet, sweet bunny boy."

"Even when I'm being a brat?"

"Even then." Damon kisses his nose. "You can hate me and think I'm unfair. But you'll alway be my son."

"And you'll always be my daddy."

Damon cuddles him closer. Stefan rests his head on his shoulder, listening to his heartbeat.

"I'm sorry, Daddy," he whispers.

"I know," Damon cares his fingers through his hair.

"I'll be better with my words."

"I appreciate that, Bunny Boy."

It's not absolution. Stefan didn't expect it. His words hurt his dad. Even if forgiven, he deserves to sit with this guilt for a moment.

Next time, we'll delve into something fluffier: Stefan's birthday! As always, let me know what you think and feel free to leave prompts.