Keykim prompted: Stefan adjusting to Damon being constantly around and wanting to fight his Little side but Damon won't let him self-destruct like that anymore.
Stefan zips up his hoodie and fishes around in his pocket to make sure he has his wallet. His hand hasn't even touched the door when Damon vamps in front of him. He's always been aware that his brother is taller, but these days it seems more prevalent.
"Going out?"
"I was trying to."
"Where ya headed?"
Stefan sighs. This has become a new normal. He can't go outside to get the mail without the third degree.
"Bonnie's. We're going to watch a movie." Before his brother can even open his mouth, Stefan answers the next question. "Sheila is there. Matt and Elena are also coming."
Damon nods. "You're walking? Alone?"
Stefan holds back an eye roll. "Not all the way. I'm stopping at Matt's and he'll drive."
Another nod has Stefan thinking he's in the clear but Damon doesn't move from the door. He's got his serious big brother look on his face.
"Day, I'm already late."
"You weren't going to tell me you were leaving? Or where you were going?" Stefan bites his lip. "That's one of our rules."
Our rules. As if Stefan had any say. Damon has made it clear that he's in charge. Stefan's thoughts be damned.
"I forgot," he says honestly. "It's just force of habit to go out."
Damon's shoulders relax. "Next time just tell me, alright? I need to know where you're going."
"I know, Day."
His brother moves from the door and Stefan is quick to open it. Before he can step out onto the porch, he sees Damon putting on his jacket.
"Going somewhere?"
"Yeah, I'm walking you to Matt's."
Stefan's cheeks burn. "Day! Come on."
"It's a 20 minute walk to the other side of town."
"I'll be quick."
Damon shakes his head. "If you want to go, I'm taking you. End of discussion."
Stefan reluctantly follows his brother to the end of the driveway. They travel in silence until they reach the first crosswalk. When the flashing white man appears on the monitor, Stefan starts to step down, only to have Damon grab his hand.
"You need to look both ways, Stef."
Stefan's cheeks turn a darker shade of red. "I would've heard or seen the car coming."
"There's a chance you wouldn't."
Damon keeps hold of his hand when they cross the street and doesn't let go when the reach the other side. Stefan tries pulling away, but Damon keeps a tight grip on him. He wiggles a little. The streets are empty right now but if his brother acts like this in a suburban area, what's he going to do when he going to be like if they ever go out in the square? Or God forbid, drop offs at school?
"What time do you think you'll be done?" Damon asks, breaking the silence.
Stefan shrugs. "I don't know. We haven't decided how many movies we'll watch."
"Let me know and I'll pick you up."
"Matt can just give me a ride."
"It makes no sense for him to pass his house and then turn around."
"I can walk then."
"It'll be nighttime. You're not walking by yourself in the dark."
Stefan grumbles under his breath, which Damon ignores. He can see through darkness! Why is his brother treating him like a baby?! He's in his adult space.
"When you get home," Damon continues. "You need to have some blood, then bath and bed. Which reminds me, if you don't call me sooner, I'm picking you up at 10."
"My other friends don't have curfews."
"I know for a fact that Elena does. And hers is earlier than you."
"That's different."
"I don't see how. You're both Littles. There's a reason why Matt and Bonnie can stay up later."
Stefan rolls his eyes. Relief fills him when they finally reach the Donovan house. Elena is already sitting in the truck with Matt, the windows rolled down.
"Alright, bye."
Stefan pulls away from Damon's grip and starts to head for the truck. His big brother pulls him into a hug and kisses the top of his head.
"Have fun, Bunny Boy. I love you."
Stefan's cheeks turn red. He doesn't have to look back at the truck to hear Matt snickering.
"Love you, Damon."
He worms out of his brother's grip and bolts to the truck. As Matt pulls out of the driveway, a ping of anxiety takes over his stomach. The further Damon gets out of sight, the sadder he becomes.
No. He was embarrassed by him 5 minutes ago. That's not going to change now.
Stefan doesn't suck his thumb as Matt and Elena chat. No, he just nibbles on it. That's all. Babies suck their thumbs. Stefan isn't a baby.
The next time Stefan wants to leave the house, he remembers to tell Damon. Back in his favorite black hoodie, he pokes his head into his brother's study one rainy Wednesday afternoon. Damon sits behind his desk, drinking bourbon and going over paperwork to rejoin the council.
"Gonna go hunt."
Damon looks up. "I've got blood in the fridge." Stefan opens his mouth to argue. "Relax. There's animal blood too, just read the labels."
"I haven't been out to actually feed in awhile. I'm getting restless."
His brother shrugs, taking a sip of his bourbon. Stefan licks his lips. 2 weeks since his last drink. He misses it. The smell taunts him. His taste buds itch for a taste of the burning beverage.
"I've got too much paperwork to do," Damon interrupts his thoughts. "I can't take you now."
"Why would you need to go? Didn't you brag about buying 2 liters of soccer mom from the bank?"
"You can't go out by yourself. What if you dropped? You wouldn't know your way home."
"I'm not feeling little," Stefan whines, kicking his legs. He quickly stills, realizing that doesn't prove his point. "Please, Day."
Damon shakes his head. "I'll go get you something to drink. Wait right here."
His brother vamps out of the room and returns moments later. In hand is a baby bottle filled with blood. It's labeled deer so any worries of his brother tricking him are out the window. Stefan just stares at the bottle. Damon sits back in his leather chair and pats his lap.
"You can drink while I finish this up."
"I can use a cup," Stefan says. "I'm 17 years old."
"I already put all the blood in your bottles. Just come here, you've not had cuddles in a few days."
Damon pulls him down onto his lap. Stefan struggles a little but his brother effortlessly curves him against his chest. The nipple is inserted in his mouth. Without thinking, Stefan's hands wrap around it and he begins to suckle.
You're only doing this because he forced you. Big boys don't need bottles. He's just a meanie-mean person.
Stefan keeps one hand on the bottle. The other travels up to the silver chain around Damon's neck. He absentmindedly plays with it. Similarly, Damon uses his right hand to sign the documents. The other runs through Stefan's wavy hair.
A few days later, Stefan wakes up to someone gently shaking him.
"Up and at 'em, Bunny Boy."
Stefan rolls over, his bleary eyes barley making out the bright red numbers on his alarm clock.
"It's 8 AM. On a Saturday."
"I know, but I have a council meeting at 9. Get up, brush your teeth and get dressed. I'll pack a snack for you to eat there."
Stefan covers his head with a pillow. "I'll just stay home."
"No can do, Stef. You've gotta stay with me."
Stefan whips the pillow out of his hand. He aimed for the face but Damon catches it, raising a brow.
"Go away!" Stefan whines.
Damon smiles. "Someone's cranky," he coos as if Stefan is 2. "You can take a nap when we get there."
"No!"
"I'm sure you won't be the only Little there taking a nap on their caretaker's chest."
"No! I'm not going! I'm not little!"
Damon's smile drops. He walks closer to the bed.
"Stefan, you need to lower your voice."
"No!" Stefan shouts again. "I'm not a baby! You keep treating me like one, but I'm a big boy."
Stefan kicks his legs and rubs at his eyes. It's too early. He wants to find his stuffed bunny and go back to bed.
No! No bunny. He's not 2. Big boys don't need their childhood stuffed animals.
"I can stay home by myself," he says, his voice dropping back into a whine.
Damon's eyes are soft. "You can't, Pumpkin. Little boys can't stay by themselves."
Stefan falls against the pillows. Tears burn in his eyes. Damon walks over to the dresser and returns with a pile of clothes. Superman briefs, a white long sleeved t-shirt that reads Little Man in black cursive, a pair of red flannel pants and some fuzzy socks. Stefan is still whining as Damon pulls down his sweats.
"'m big," he mumbles.
Damon gently rubs his tummy. "Buddy, you haven't fallen into space since that first night. You've been fighting it for weeks."
"Nuh uh.," he meekly argues. "Not a baby anymore. Big boy."
"Is that so?" Damon pushes some hair out of his face. "You're all grown up?"
"Mhmm."
"Okay. You can be a big boy just as soon as DayDay gets you dressed. Sound good?"
Stefan nods. Damon is super smart. He knows what to do.
Damon finishes taking off the sweats and his Peter Rabbit briefs, sliding on the new undies and soft, warm pants.
"Arms up," Damon instructs.
Stefan complies, which gets him tickled under the arm. He giggles, kicking his legs and nearly getting Damon in the chin. His brother chuckles, pushing his feet down.
"Slow down there, Bunny."
Stefan smiles. "Your chin hit my feet."
"Oh yes, my evil, evil chin." Damon applies some deodorant and then pulls on the shirt. "Are you going to sit on my lap during the meeting like a good boy?"
"Uh huh. Can I help with the meeting?"
"You can help by listening quietly and maybe taking a nap. That's a very important, big boy job." Damon slides the socks on. "Can you do that for me?"
Stefan nods, sliding his thumb into his mouth. Damon smiles.
"That's my good bunny boy," he coos. "Let's go get your teeth brushed then we can go get our shoes."
"Spider-Man ones," Stefan mumbles behind his thumb. "Of course." Damon picks him up and holds him on his hip. "You'll also have to wear your jacket, scarf and mittens. It's very cold outside."
"'Kay. I ride in DayDay's fast car?"
"Yes, you will," Damon says.
He carries Stefan into the en-suite bathroom. One handed, he puts toothpaste on Stefan's Spider-Man toothbrush.
"You can sit in the back with your tablet. Do you want to watch Thomas or Paw Patrol?"
"SpongeBob?" Stefan asks with a sly smile.
Damon scoffs. "Absolutely not. That is going to rot your brain, not to mention mine."
Stefan giggles. "Okay, DayDay. Paw Patrol."
"Good choice. Open."
Stefan complies and allows his brother to brush all of his teeth. No yucky blood stains anymore. Damon is so clever, he gets them all away for his baby brother. He flosses Stefan's teeth making sure that there's no remaining animal flesh from their hunt the night before. Damon was so brave and tried deer, even though he didn't like it. Stefan followed suit when they got home and he had to eat peas.
"Spit," Damon instructs. Stefan does as asked. "Let me see that smile." Stefan bares his shiny teeth and Damon grins. "Nice and clean."
Stefan shows his fangs. "Am I scary?"
"The scariest widdle bunny vampire in all the lands," Damon assures him. Stefan giggles and retracts them. "Let's go get your coat on."
When they're back in the room, Damon hands his little brother the missing lopsided plush bunny with faded velvet making up his body The little one clings it tightly to his chest. It's his most special, Damon (with the help of their mother's handmaiden) sewed it for him when he was a baby. After they became scary vampires, Damon found a witch to cast a spell that would preserve it and keep it from falling apart further.
As Stefan is carried downstairs, he forgets all about why he was so cranky in the first place. He wouldn't want to stay home. DayDay's baby belongs with DayDay.