Ronnie_R prompted: "Stefan playing hero to protect Damon and the fallout from that."

Damon fiddles with the zipper on his leather jacket as he walks down Main Street. It's a beautiful day and he likely doesn't need it, but it's pretty much glued to him these days. A part of him hopes that Stefan's dropped, at least a little, while at The Grill. It's the perfect day to go to the park and run around. Sure, it'll be crowded, but it's much needed after a long day of council work. Mayor Dickwood came to the meeting, which prolonged it by a few hours.

Something rough grabs onto his arm. Damon tries to fling the person back but they keep a tight hold. The other hand moves around his neck, squeezing it firmly. Damon sputters, trying to keep the air in his lungs despite the strong grip slowly cracking at his airways. He looks up at the mystery assailant, trying to make out who they are. All he can see are red eyes and thick red hair. The woman drags him by the neck into the alleyway. Damon gasps for breath as she releases him and throws him against the dumpster. He looks up at her, his chest rising and falling.

"Darling, if you like it rough, all you had to do was ask."

The woman scoffs. "Sex jokes. That's how you get out of trouble?"

Damon hops to his feet. "I try."

He lunges for her, only to get thrown back against the dumpsters once more. Damon snarls, narrowing his eyes.

"What the hell is your damage?"

"You don't remember me, do you?"

"I've lived a lot of life, honey. You'll have to be more specific."

Another attempt to get up, ends with her foot on his chest. Damon struggles beneath her, kicking his legs. The woman glowers down at him. Dried blood is marked around her lips, bits of flesh in her teeth. Someone's broken the treaty.

"1902. You were at a pub with some friends. Decided my boyfriend was the delicious snack you wanted."

Damon wishes he could remember the exact person, but his dark days are a blur of blood, screams and discarded flesh. He's come a long way in the years since then, but if he tried to memorize each of his past mistakes, his mind would be bogged down

"I'm sorry," he offers, trying to sound genuine. "I was a much different vampire back then." The woman moves her foot further up his chest, stepping on his throat. Damon gasps for air, hearing the cracking start once again. "The…the treaty wasn't in place."

"You need a treaty to teach you right from wrong?" The bitter woman laughs. Her copper curls flop around as she shakes her head. "I turned not long after, determined to slaughter the men who killed Albert. Your friends were easy, but you…you, Damon Salvatore are a hard one to catch."

Damon attempts to headbutt her in the thigh, but she's quick. Once again, he's shoved up against the wall.

"If you've killed other vampires," he grunts. "Then you know it's not an easy task."

"Oh, I know. I just like to play with my toys first," she snarls.

The woman bashes his head against the brick, over and over again. Pain leaves just as quickly as it comes. Damon howls out in pain. He's not going down without a fight. Damon manages to grab her by the throat and knee her in the stomach. She falls backwards. Knowing better than to turn his back in a fight, he grabs onto her arm and attempts to throw her over his shoulder. She's quick and does the same with him, slamming him onto the concrete below.

A sharp piece of wood appears in her hands. Damon stares down the stake, silently praying to a God he isn't sure he believes in. The woman draws near, the stake just inches from his heart.

With a whoosh, the maniac is thrust against the dumpster. Another and someone is jumping over Damon. He watches from the ground as the mystery figure fights the woman, playing tug a war with the dagger. It flies out of her hands and for a moment, Damon fears it'll pierce his hero. Instead, it lands right in her stomach. Her face turns from pale to gray, dust crackling from her. Damon pushes himself up off the ground, staring at his savior's back.

"Is she…"

He trails off when his senses come about him. That smell is undeniable.

"Stefan?"

His little brother turns around, breathing heavily. Damon's mouth drops open. Before he can get a word out, Stefan vamps over to him.

"Are you alright?"

Damon sputters. "Me?"

"You were late, so I went looking for you." Stefan shakes his head. "I thought for sure she was going to kill you."

Damon's wrapped in a big bear hug as he tries to comprehend the situation. His attacker is unconscious now, daggered. From the looks of the piece of wood, it's not one that will kill her. Rather, keep her out of it until the cops can arrive. In the distance, he hears Tyler Lockwood phoning them.

Damon looks down at his brother's curls. Stefan is here.

Stefan fought off that woman.

Stefan put his life at risk, to save Damon.

The older brother pulls out of the hug, his jaw locked. "What the hell were you thinking?!"

Stefan's face falls. "Wha…what?"

"You jumped into a fight with some crazy chick that had a dagger! She could've killed you!"

Stefan blinks, staring at his brother gobsmacked. "You're joking, right?"

"I am certainly not joking! What part of "Don't play hero!" isn't sinking through that thick skull of yours?!"

Stefan continues to stare at him. His face slowly morphs from confusion to hurt to anger. Damon stands firm, staring down his stupid little brother.

"I just saved your life, asshole!" Stefan snaps.

Damon holds up a finger. "Don't you dare to speak to me that way."

"Or what? You're gonna spank me? I suppose you'll also do that for me jumping in to save your fucking life!"

"Stefan, I swear to God…"

"No!" Stefan throws his hands in the air. "I understand you don't want me jumping into stupid situations but this wasn't! She was going to kill you, Damon! What else was I supposed to do?!"

"Go get help!"

"There were no other vampires around. By the time I found one, you'd be dead!" Stefan shakes his head. "I cannot believe you're mad at me right now."

"I don't need you saving me! I'm the big brother! You're my responsibility and if I say I don't want you jumping into dangerous situations, then I don't want you jumping into dangerous situations!" Damon shakes his head. "You're grounded."

Stefan locks his jaw. Bumping shoulders with his brother, he walks past him.

"Next time, I'll let you die."

As Stefan heads toward the oncoming sirens, Damon can hear him mutter "ungrateful prick".

Damon knocks on Stefan's door. It's been 3 hours since the showdown. As soon as the cops entered the alley, the stake was pulled out and the woman dragged off to jail. Tyler and Stefan corroborated Damon's story. He's still surprised about the latter. A part of him wouldn't have put it past his little brother to claim that Damon started it. After all, he was that mad.

After a second knock grants him no response, Damon pushes the door open anyway. Stefan lays on his bed, staring up at the ceiling. Bunny is thrown across the room, flopped over on his stomach on the floor. Damon balances the sippy cup in his left hand as he bends down and scoops it up, picking off some lint.

"What are you doing?" Damon asks.

"Being grounded," Stefan mutters. "Didn't say you could come in."

"It's my house, I can do as I wish."

As soon as the words come out of his mouth, Damon regrets it. He loathed when Father used that as an excuse to barge into their rooms whenever the mood fancied. Damon didn't have a lick of privacy in that house. He swore outside safety concerns, he'd never do the same to his brother.

"I mean, I just wanted to check on you."

"Don't worry, I'm still here. Haven't gone out to play hero. Learned my lesson."

Damon sighs. "Stef."

Stefan's voice grows despondent. "If you're going to spank me, just get it over with."

Damon frowns and crosses over to the bed. He sits on the edge, giving Stefan some space. His little brother refuses to meet his eye.

"I'm not going to spank you, Stef," he whispers.

"There's a shock."

"Can we talk? Please?"

"You're already talking."

"I mean, with you looking at me." Stefan doesn't move. "Bunny, come on."

"Oh, so now I'm Bunny? Before I was an idiot."

"I didn't call you an…" Damon trails off, shaking his head. "Bud, listen to me. I am grateful you saved my life." Stefan snorts. "I am. Lord knows you've done it enough over the years. And yet, I hate every time you do."

"Because you're ungrateful?"

"No. Because I hate that you have to do it."

Stefan slowly sits up against the pillows, frowning. His lips move into a slight pout and it takes all Damon has not to melt at the sight.

"I'm the big brother, Stef. It's supposed to be me saving you. I know you are more than capable of fighting, but you spent so long on your own. Now, especially, I just want to be able to protect you without you having to worry about needing to be a hero. You're supposed to be a kid."

Stefan sighs. "I may be eternally a child, Day, but I can defend you."

"I know you can. But when I realized it was you, I was terrified. You could've died."

"And so could you!" Damon bites his lip. "You always say that you can't lose me, Damon. But what about me? I know sometimes I act like you're annoying and the worst brother ever, but you're my hero. My big brother. I can't lose you! Not again!"

Damon smells the tears before they even well up in Stefan's eyes. He drops the sippy cup and bunny onto the night stand and quickly crawls so he's laying beside his baby brother. Damon wraps his arms around him and pulls him close. He rubs circles on his tummy, just as he did when they were kids.

"Shhh, I'm right here, baby. DayDay's right here."

"I can't…I can't lose you," Stefan chokes out. "I can't be alone."

"I'm not going anywhere. Ever." Damon presses a kiss to Stefan's forehead. "I'm not leaving you again."

Stefan looks up at him, his face stained with tears. "Promise?"

"I promise, Bunny Boy." Damon cuddles him closer. "I won't let anything bad happen."

Stefan nods, burying his head in his older brother's shoulder. Damon cuddles him close.

"I'm sorry I yelled at you, and that I was ungrateful," Damon whispers. "I shouldn't have done that."

"You were scared," Stefan mumbles into his shirt.

"No excuse."

Stefan nods. "Sorry I swore."

"I'm gonna let it slide this time, because I was being a prick." A hint of a smile comes across Stefan's face. "I have a feeling you're gonna get away with a lot for a bit."

Stefan chuckles. "And then you complain when I'm a spoiled brat."

"It's okay to be a little spoiled sometimes."

Keeping one arm around Stefan, Damon reaches over and grabs the abandoned items. He holds up the sippy cup and Stefan gratefully accepts it, taking two big swigs of the deer blood. Damon holds up Bunny, having it dance towards Stefan.

"Wasn't very nice to throw me," Damon says in a high pitched voice. "I didn't do anything wrong. Meanie DayDay did."

Stefan laughs, rolling his eyes. "You don't need to talk to me through a rabbit," he says, taking his bunny and cuddling it close as he drinks more of his cup.

"I used to have to, when you were little. You'd get so mad at me and refuse to talk. Bunny was the only way I got you to open up."

Stefan nods, kissing the top of his plush friend's head. "Easier to talk to you now," he assures his older brother.

Damon smiles, using his thumb to wipe a stray tear off Stefan's cheek. "Good."