Moonlight

By: esmtz

Stefan stood frozen in shock as he heard his brother tell him that he forgave him for what happened between them in the past as well as for almost killing Elena. Damon and Stefan were currently in the living room of the boarding house and Stefan had been freaking out about him killing Enzo and almost killing Bonnie and Elena. Stefan had felt nothing but guilt and anguish at that moment that Damon was trying his best to calm him down.

"Stefan, listen to me. What happened today was not your fault. Your humanity switch was off!" Damon told him.

Stefan just looked at him with a completely hurt look on his face.

"…How can you just stand there and not want to kill me after everything that I've done to you?" Stefan asked completely surprised that Damon wasn't trying to kill him.

Damon looked at Stefan worriedly.

"I could never kill you little brother because I love you and none of this is your fault." Damon said as he walked closer to Stefan and put a hand on his shoulder.

A tear slowly fell down Stefan's face as he looked at Damon sadly.

"…Yeah, Damon it is. I was the one who took Katherine away from you, got us killed and then made you turn afterwards. You then promised me an eternity of misery and you avoided me the vast majority of our vampire lives. During that whole time you've been in nothing but pain, Damon. How can you possibly forgive me for putting you through that and then on top of that I tried to kill Elena!" Stefan exclaimed as tears fell down his face.

Damon quickly brought Stefan into a hug as he tried to comfort him.

"It's okay, Stef. I love you little brother." Damon whispered to him.

Damon looked at Stefan worriedly as he saw him break down completely crying making Damon tighten his hold on him. He slowly moved them to where they were sitting on the couch and Damon continued to let Stefan cry on him. He started rubbing his brother's back as he continued to whisper words of comfort to him. Stefan slowly started to calm down as he started to think about different moments in their lives where he felt that he could have been a better brother to Damon. After going through several of his memories Stefan also remembered about what happened when he was trapped in the phoenix stone. He had been tormented with the idea that as long as Damon was in his life he would never be happy. In all honesty the more Stefan thought about it the more it made more sense that it should have been the other way around. Once he was finally able to completely calm down Stefan pulled back slightly from his brother so he could look him in the eyes. Damon continued to look at him worriedly.

"You feeling better, Stef?" Damon asked.

Stefan didn't say anything for a few seconds as he just looked at Damon sadly.

"…I'm so sorry, Damon for everything that I put you through." Stefan said, "You were right about what you said before that Katherine should've only turned you and not me."

Damon looked at him confused for a second before realizing what he meant.

"…I was angry, Stef. I didn't actually mean what I said back then." Damon said looking at Stefan sadly.

Stefan shook his head as he looked at Damon feeling nothing but guilt and regret.

"It doesn't mean that it's not the truth, Damon." Stefan said.

Damon shook his head as he gripped Stefan's shoulders tightly.

"Listen to me little brother if Katherine hadn't turned you, you would be dead right now and I would have been in even more pain without you here." Damon told him.

Stefan just looked at him like he didn't believe him.

"…Your life would have been better off without me in it if you stopped and think about it, Damon." Stefan said making his brother look at him sadly.

"I don't have to think about it, Stefan. You not being here would have destroyed me. I need you little brother." Damon softly said as he pulled Stefan into a hug.

Stefan continued to look at his brother sadly as he finally realized what he had to do. He slowly moved his right hand towards his jacket pocket to pull out the syringe full of vervain that he had planned on using on Enzo if he had given him any kind of trouble. As soon as his hand touched the syringe Stefan pulled back from his brother so he could look him in the eyes.

"…Thanks, Damon for everything that you've done for me. I'm sorry that I wasn't a better brother…until now." Stefan said making Damon look at him confused.

Before Damon could react Stefan quickly pulled out the syringe and injected it into his brother. Damon looked at him surprised as he started to feel the effects of the vervain.

"Stef…what are you…?" Damon barely managed to get out as his strength started to leave him.

Stefan slowly moved Damon to where he was lying on the couch. He then stood up and looked at his brother sadly.

"I'm sorry brother but this is goodbye. I'm letting you go so that way you can live a happy life with Elena when she wakes up. As for Cade I'll figure out a way to deal with him myself." Stefan told him.

"Stef…" Damon softly said as he slowly raised his arm to try and reach him.

"Goodbye, Damon." Stefan smiled at him slightly before turning and walking away.