kimkey prompted: "Damon goes patrol the attackers so Lexi takes care of Stefan and teenage Stefan is not amused by having a babysitter, even if said babysitter is his big sister/best friend?"

Stefan isn't disappointed when Damon says he can't go to the spring formal. In his many years as a high school student, he's attended more dances than he can count. This won't be his last opportunity nor did he really want it in the first place. He only planned on going because his friends were. With Elena, Bonnie and Matt no longer attending, he's not missing much.

The one thing he does hate is the new lockdown. He can't go out with friends anymore, period. The only times he leaves the house is for school or if he's going somewhere with Damon. It's ridiculous. He understands his human friends being put on restriction but he can fight off these creeps in a moment, even if they are supernatural.

Rather than the dance, Bonnie and Matt choose to hit up The Grill. Their guardians deem it as a safe spot, considering the attackers have mostly focused on high schools. Of course, Stefan isn't allowed to go. He sits in the living room, boredly flipping through the channels. Damon enters the room, pulling on his jacket. Stefan practically jumps out of his seat.

"Are we going somewhere?"

"I am. You're going to stay here."

Stefan raises an eyebrow. "You're leaving me home alone?"

Damon laughs. "Right, I'm going to leave you alone and vulnerable."

"The attacker isn't focusing on houses. Isn't it mostly high schools?"

"Yes, but they have changed their MO a couple of times. It's not worth the risk."

Stefan folds his arms over his chest, annoyed at the thought of a babysitter. He takes in his brother's attire: gray dress shirt and black slacks. Overdressed for a council meeting.

"Where are you going, anyway?"

"I'm going to patrol the dance with Mason, Klaus and Pearl," Damon explains. "If this guy shows up, he's not going to hurt anyone."

"If you guys are going to be there, why can't the rest of us go?"

"Again, I'm not going to put anything up to chance. We don't know everything about this guy."

Stefan rolls his eyes. "Whatever. Who's coming to stay with me anyway?"

Damon smiles. "Someone that'll wipe that pout right off your face."

Stefan scoffs. There's no one capable of that right now. He vaguely sniffs the air, but his heart really isn't in it. He kicks his feet up onto the coffee table and keeps his eyes focused on Animal Planet.

"Wow, such a warm greeting, Pumpkin."

Stefan looks up, the vaguest hint of a smile on his face when he sees his sister standing there. Lexi is grinning from ear to ear, a bag draped over her shoulder. It's been nearly 2 months since he saw her last. Despite texts and video calls, he's missed her a lot. Stefan gets on his feet, ready to attack her with a hug…until he remembers why she's likely here.

He looks at his older brother. "You seriously got me a babysitter?"

Damon shrugs unapologetically. "You love hanging out with your sissy."

"I'm here the whole weekend, Stef," Lexi says, her smile not leaving her face. "But at least tonight it'll just be the two of us. Damon will patrol while we have fun. I brought a ton of board games. Remember we played them during Hurricane Ivan? You kicked my butt at Scrabble. And our friendship nearly ended during Monopoly."

Damon, for once, isn't rolling his eyes at Lexi or mocking her idea of fun. His older siblings have matching smiles, sealing his fate. Stefan snaps off the TV and heads straight for the stairs until he hears his brother's voice.

"Stef!" He reluctantly turns around. Damon's face is kind yet firm. "You're not leaving this house tonight."

"I know, you've made that perfectly clear."

"I mean it. You can pout and be upset all you want. Lexi is in charge while I'm gone. You're still going to bed at 10:30 tonight, earlier if she sees fit. You can sleep in her bed or mine."

Stefan rolls his eyes, ignoring their warning glances. "Why can't I sleep in my own?"

"You know the answer to that."

"Whatever. Have fun at my school's dance."

Lexi's strict voice cuts in. "Come say goodnight to your older brother."

"No."

She raises an eyebrow, putting her hand on her hips. "Stefan."

"No! He's a big boy, he doesn't need a hug and a kiss from me."

Stefan storms up the stairs. Lexi is calling his full name after him, but Damon quickly talks her down. By the time he makes it up to his room, his brother's Camaro is pulling out of the driveway. Stefan flops back on his bed and folds his arms over his chest.

It's just not fair! Bonnie and Matt still get to go out while he's trapped here, with a babysitter of all people. There's no way Lexi would be back in town so soon, if Damon hadn't called her. This isn't a fun visit, this is because he can't be trusted alone. It sucks.

After a few minutes, Stefan hops off the bed. He crosses over to the large windows and attempts to rip one open, but it won't budge. Stefan backs up a few feet and charges for it, trying once more. Nothing. Out of desperation, he punches at the glass and much to his surprise, it stays unbroken.

"Breaking the rules already?"

Stefan turns to face Lexi, pouting. "I don't get it. What happened to the windows?"

"Damon had Bonnie charm them. Magic is a pretty cool thing, no?"

Stefan huffs. "What if there was an emergency and I needed to leave?"

"There are other ways out of this house. Ones I trust you won't take." Stefan rolls his eyes and stamps his foot. Lexi claps her hands together, causing a chill to run down his spine. "Okay, I understand that you are frustrated and upset right now. I cannot force you to be happy nor would I want to. Your feelings are your own, but you can a hundred percent control how you express them."

Stefan bites his lip as she walks closer to him. He's the taller one and still, he feels as though she towers above him.

"We don't roll our eyes or throw tantrums trying to escape the house."

She grabs him by the arm and twists him over, smacking his bottom five times. Stefan squirms, whining a little. They don't hurt too hard, but the sting is still there.

"I don't deserve the attitude and neither does Damon," Lexi says, straightening him back out. "Your big brother is just trying to look out for you."

Stefan lowers his gaze. "Great, so now you side with him," he grumbles.

"I side with your safety, Stefan. I always have. This creep very well could be just your garden variety sicko with no powers to speak of. But there's a chance he's not. Or even if he is a human, who's to say he's not also a hunter? Or someone working for the initiative?"

"That's a lot of what ifs."

"Those are all we have right now. Damon isn't taking any chances and neither am I."

Stefan drops back down onto his bed, pouting. Lexi settles beside him and rubs his back.

"Now, you can sit up here pouting and whining because you didn't get your way…or we could do something fun."

Stefan squirms a little, feeling restless. "Like what?"

"Those board games I mentioned, or we could watch a movie." She takes in his face for a moment and smiles. "Or, we could practice sparring."

Stefan's eyes light up. "Really?"

"Only a little and only because I am positive you're nowhere near your space. You're not, are you?"

Stefan vigorously shakes his head. "No, no," he promises sincerely. "I promise."

"Okay, good. Go change and meet me in the yard. First sign of you dropping, though, and it's done. Deal?"

"Yes. Thank you, Lexi!" He throws his arms around her neck. "You're the best big sissy in the whole world."

Lexi chuckles, patting his back. "We'll see if you say that after I kick your little butt."

Damon opens the door to his room later that evening, smiling at the sight in front of him. Stefan's curled up on his bed, fast asleep. His usual sweats and tank tip off whether or not he's dropped, though his bunny is clutched against his chest. Lexi stands nearby, pulling the covers over him.

"It's not even 10 yet," Damon whispers.

Lexi shrugs. "The sparring really wore him out." Damon raises a brow. She rolls her eyes. "Relax, we didn't go that hard and he didn't drop. He's fine."

"I leave for a couple of hours and you're letting him do physical activities," he growls, walking closer.

"As if you don't."

"Different. Big brother and guardian." Damon runs his fingers through Stefan's damp curls. "Bath?"

"Shower. He had his blood after." Lexi lifts the stained sippy cup.

"Good. And he didn't give you much attitude?"

"It's Stefan, of course he did. I was a little sympathetic but did give him a few swats. Pain didn't last more than a minute, just got the eyes to stop rolling."

Damon nods, not taking his eyes off of his sleeping brother. "Good. I am not raising a little brat."

"Certainly not." Lexi lingers for a moment. "How'd the dance go? I didn't expect you back for another hour or so."

"They finally got him." Lexi's eyes light up. "Some girls snuck out to share a flask. Mason sniffed them out, then saw the guys heading over. Pearl got the girls away while he handled the thugs." Damon sits beside Stefan. "All is calm."

"That's a relief. I'm sure every parent and guardian in Mystic Falls will rest easy tonight." Lexi consults her watch. "It's still pretty early. I think I'll head to The Grill for a beer."

"Don't be loud when you get back and hey…" He makes a disgusted face. "No guys back here."

She rolls her eyes. "As if any would want to enter this house of horrors."

With a whoosh, she's gone. Damon leans back against the headboard and continues to stroke Stefan's hair.

"I almost wish I could lie to you about the attackers being caught," he mumbles. "Give me an excuse to keep you close every night."

He thinks of the dance. While he was on patrol outside, he could see all of the teens entering. They were all decked out, smiling and laughing. Absolutely no cares in the world, as if there wasn't a group of attackers out there that could potentially ruin the dance. They got to be young and have fun. Soon enough, they'd have to grow up and face the reality most do: the real world isn't safe.

Stefan is forever 17 and still, he knows this. It isn't often that Damon can grant him those regular teen moments, not without risking his safety and space. Things like dances and hanging out with his friends? Relatively harmless. It'd be selfish to keep him from that.

"I may be a mean, overprotective big brother, but I'm not that bad."

Damon pulls Stefan into his arms and rests his chin atop his head. For at least another few hours, he can keep him close.