atmenza1 prompted: "maybe one where he drops younger or longer than usual, and when he comes up he doesn't understand why he can't go 30 seconds without Damon-maybe he freaks out when Damon leaves a room or cries. He gets mad at himself because he hates being babies, but now he's worried Damon is tired of him, especially when he finds out how long he was down. " Combining this with Ronnie_R's request to see Stefan in his swaddle.

Stefan's head throbs as he blinks a couple of times. He tries to make out his surroundings. There's a high pitch cartoon playing on the television. The faintest scent of squirrel blood coming from a bottle settled on a coaster. Stefan himself is snuggled against something hard yet comforting. He looks up and sees familiar blue eyes gazing down at him lovingly. Damon strokes his cheek.

"You alright, Stef?"

Stefan slowly sits up, holding his head. He looks down and realizes he's wearing his favorite Peter Rabbit footie pajamas.

"Coming out of it?" Damon presses.

Stefan slowly nods. "Why do I feel so weird?"

"You know it takes a minute to transition." Damon runs his fingers through his damp curls. Did he have a bath recently? "Don't overwork yourself."

Stefan nods. He leans back against the couch, not entirely moving from Damon's grip. His older brother continues to play with his hair and touch his face. It grounds Stefan to the Earth, further pulling him from his fog.

"How…how long?"

Normally, Stefan is somewhat aware of his little time. He's able to enjoy it and immerse himself, but there's still that part of his subconscious that knows there's two sides of him. That was there this time and yet, Stefan can't recall how many hours-or days even-that past. Damon tilts his head.

"You don't remember?"

Stefan shakes his head. "No. Was it really long?"

"It was a week."

Stefan sits up straight, managing to get away from his brother's hand. Damon sighs, grabbing the remote and turning off the television.

"A week?!" Stefan exclaims, incredulously.

"You were at various stages," Damon clarified. "For a while, you were more like a little kid but then you kept dropping further and further. You were probably at the youngest I've seen you since, well, you were actually that age."

"How old?"

Damon shrugs. "No older than 2, sometimes younger." Stefan frowns and Damon shakes his head. "No, no. Stef, it wasn't a bad thing at all. You were super cuddly and sweet."

"That's why I can't really remember anything," he mumbles.

That's not entirely true. While he may not remember everything that occurred, he can feel the love from the past week. Damon never leaving his side. He likely was carried everywhere. His clothes smell like his big brother. It also meant that Damon was shackled to him for 7 days. Stefan's lips fall into a pout.

"Hey," Damon tips his chin up with two fingers. "None of that now. We had a really fun week together, just you and me. You were so carefree and happy, Stef." He smiles at the pouting little boy. "I loved every minute of it."

Stefan wiggles a little. "But what about school?"

"I called you out for the week. They understood. You can catch up on your work later." Damon goes back to stroking his hair. "Don't beat yourself up over this, Stefan. This was your body's way of telling you that you needed this. You were holding it back for a little while."

"A week is too long."

"No, it's just what you needed." Damon chuckles. "Besides, you were so adorable. You followed me around everywhere, holding your arms up. Slept in my bed every night, practically on my chest." Stefan's cheeks tint pink. "It was nice to have you all to myself for a little bit. We went to the park every day and you got to play with your friends. You sat very nicely through the council meeting I had to go to. I'm always going to have fun with you."

Stefan reluctantly nods, even if he doesn't fully believe it. He looks over at the clock. 8:30 PM.

"What day is it?"

"Friday. You'll have all weekend to catch up on your homework, see your friends if you want to."

Stefan nods. He tries to hold back a tiny yawn, but Damon catches it.

"You're tired," he says. "You've been going to bed early the past few days and sleeping more. I think your body needed it."

"Can I…" Stefan bites his lip. "Can I sleep in your bed?"

"Of course, Bunny Boy. You know you don't even have to ask."

Damon gets up from the couch and starts to head out of the room. Stefan finds himself frozen in place. His anxiety grows with each step his brother is away from him. Without thinking, a tiny whimper escapes his lips. Damon turns around and frowns. Stefan looks away. His brother just spent 7 days fussing over him. He shouldn't have to go through more of it.

And still, Stefan finds himself extending his arms. Damon bends down and scoops him up, bouncing him a little.

"Let's get you nice and tucked in. Your bunny's already up there."

Stefan rests his head on Damon's shoulder, his thumb slowly entering his mouth. "Not a baby," he mumbles.

"Oh, of course not," Damon coos, softly. "I have my big boy back, don't I?"

Stefan nods. He's not a little kid. It's time to pull himself out of this space for a little bit. Both he and Damon need the break.

The brothers spend most of Saturday in Damon's study. Stefan attends to his homework. It's not hard to catch up, one of the perks of being a vampire. A human student would actually have to learn all of these subjects. For him, it's his 17th time around reading Hamlet. He knows the plot, themes and lessons to be learned. It's an easy read, as is the study guide the teacher's paired with it. Damon is filling out paperwork for the council and attending to their investments.

Every time the older brother leaves the room, whether to get blood or make a call, Stefan feels that pang of anxiety return. It burrows deep inside his stomach and only disappears when Damon returns. Stefan finds himself moving closer and closer, both trying to give his brother distance and keep himself happy.

Eventually, Damon gets up once more and leaves the room. Stefan closes his history textbook, twisting and turning in his seat. There's only one worksheet left but it can wait until Damon's back. The truth is, he would've been done an hour ago had his brother just stayed put.

"That's not fair," he mumbles to himself.

Damon just spent a week tending to him and worrying about his needs. Sure, Stefan attended a council meeting and went along with whatever his brother did, but he knows him well. Damon's main priority is always Stefan. He deserves a break from that, at least for a little while.

After a few moments, Damon returns with a sippy cup of blood. Stefan forces the wave of sadness away. Of course his brother wouldn't want to feed him another bottle, he's done that enough.

"Drink up," Damon instructs, passing the pastel blue cup to his baby brother.

Stefan nods, taking a small sip. Bunny. It reminds him of the stuffed animal that still lays on Damon's bed. Rationally, he should probably sleep in his own tonight. That thought terrifies him.

"You almost done?" Damon asks, nodding to the homework.

Stefan takes another gulp of the blood. "Uh huh. Just one more worksheet."

"Good. Your phone's been going off, you know." Damon gestures to the device. "If you want, you could take a break and call whoever's bugging you."

He shakes his head. "It's probably Elena or Bonnie. They were texting me earlier. Matt and Ty have a game tonight, they want me to go."

"That'd be fun."

"Kinda sucks watching other people play football when I can't."

"You've done it before."

Of course Damon wants you out of the house. He's probably sick of you by now.

Stefan drains his sippy cup and returns to his homework. He breezes through the first half of the sheet, not blinking at some of the answers. When he reaches the dates of the American Revolution, Damon's cell rings again. The older brother glances at the screen and groans.

"It's Carol Lockwood. Again." He shakes his head. "I swear, she is the neediest woman."

Hopping up out of his chair, Damon grabs his phone and heads out of the room. Stefan whimpers, sliding down in his chair. He holds his stomach and ignores the tears that burn in his eyes.

"You're not a baby," he mumbles. "You're not a baby. You spent long enough in that space, you're not going back in there."

Stefan can be a big boy. He'll attend the football game and hang out with his friends. Give Damon the break he deserves.

He's not a baby.

His anxiety cancels out his vampiric hearing and he can't make out what Damon is arguing with Carol about. Stefan attempts to go back to his worksheet but all the words begin to blend together. The pencil slips from his grip and falls onto the paper. Stefan slides down in his chair, crawling underneath the desk. He pulls his knees to his chest and wraps his arms around them. Rocking back and forth, he attempts to calm himself down.

"Stop it," he mumbles. "Make it stop."

And yet, the tears, the pit in his stomach, all of it continues.

Heavy footsteps reenter the study. Stefan is brought back to all the times he played hide-and-seek in father's office. Damon never came to look for him. As a child, it hurt his feelings. The older he got, he realized his brother was saving himself from getting his ass whooped. Stefan was caught a few times hiding beneath Giuseppe's desk. It never ended well.

"Stef?"

Damon's voice is soft and filled with worry. That only makes Stefan's tears fall harder. Damon crouches down in front of him, their eyes locking.

"Bunny," he whispers. "What's wrong? Why are you down here?"

"I'm not a baby," Stefan whimpers. "I…I can sit by myself."

Damon lets out a tiny chuckle. Stefan's tears fall harder.

"Don't laugh at me," he huffs. "Not funny."

Damon shakes his head. "Of course it's not. I'm sorry, Stef."

"You…you took care of me too long," Stefan says shakily. "You need a break."

"Who says I want a break?"

Stefan shrugs, sniffling. "Going to the football game."

"I don't think so. Maybe you need one more day home with your big brother, hm?"

In spite of his better judgement, Stefan nods. He holds out his arms. Damon gently pulls him out from under the desk and holds him close as they both rise to their feet.

"Don't wanna be by myself," Stefan sniffles, clinging to Damon's shirt. "You keep leaving."

Damon frowns, rubbing soothing circles on his baby brother's back. "I'm sorry, Bunny. I didn't know."

"Sit on your lap?"

"I have a better idea."

Allowing Stefan to cling to him like a baby sloth, Damon walks over to the armoire in the back of the study. He reaches inside and pulls out the navy blue swaddle. Stefan's eyes light up. Damon sits down in his big chair and pulls Stefan onto his lap. He carefully wraps his brother into the swaddle, making sure his arms and legs are tucked in tight. It's a little restrictive for Stefan at first, until Damon hooks it onto his chest.

Stefan is curled up against Damon just like he usually is, except this time, he can't slide off or move. The contraption was invented for littles as big as Stefan. He takes up all of Damon's chest, but is still able to snuggle up against him. Stefan buries his face into Damon's shoulder, allowing his thumb to enter his mouth.

"DayDay's baby," Stefan mumbles.

Damon smiles and nods. "That's right, that's just what you are. My little baby boy."

"Stay right here."

"You don't ever have to leave," Damon promises. "I have to get some more work done. Can you be my good little one and take a nap?"

"Uh huh."

"You don't want me to get Bunny?"

"Don't need Bunny," Stefan lisps from around his thumb. "Gots DayDay."

Damon rubs Stefan's back as he returns to his laptop, softly lulling the little one to sleep.