kimkey prompted: "maybe Damon uses his crow to check on Stefan at school or when he's with his friends?"
I didn't think I could make this it's own chapter but then it all started flowing out.
Damon's heart is always split in two directions. Normally, he sticks to the rules and boundaries. They're put in place for Stefan's own protection, after all. His brother can hate him, stomp and pout. He'll tolerate all of it if it means he has a behaved, well-rested, competent member of society instead of a spoiled brat.
Then there are the times that Damon screws up. He tries his best to protect Stefan and occasionally, things go haywire. Either he digs too deep into his dark side and exposes his baby brother to "Scary DayDay". Or, he'll go too far with a rule without looking into Stefan's point of view. As of late, the hunting snafu.
In these moments, Damon becomes fairly lax with the rules out of his own guilt. He hates letting Stefan down. After years of neglecting his baby brother's needs for his own selfish wants, he vows to keep him safe and happy. So, for at least a good week, he'll indulge and to a certain extent, spoil Stefan.
It's how he knows the all too familiar look when his brother bounds down the stairs one morning. Stefan wants something, something he wouldn't normally get if his brother wasn't in guilt mode.
"Morning, Bunny Boy," Damon says, attempting to ignore the look.
"Morning, Day." Stefan shoves his hands into his hoodie pocket. "So, I was thinking…can I walk to school by myself today?"
Damon sighs. "Bud, we've been over this before. What if you dropped along the way?"
"I just dropped last night," Stefan pointed out. "And I don't feel anywhere close to this morning. I swear."
"Stef..."
"Please, Damon, I promise that I'll call you if anything goes wrong. I won't even be alone. Elena and Matt are going with me."
"Wait, wait," Damon holds up a hand. "Doesn't Matt have a truck? And since when do Klaus and Caroline let Elena go anywhere by herself?"
"Matt's truck broke down."
"And Elena?"
"She had to make a 50 slide PowerPoint presentation to convince them that once a week she should be allowed to walk to school as long as Bonnie, Matt or Ty were with her."
Damon holds back a snort. He can picture Elena doing just that, along with Caroline being impressed and Klaus realizing just how much his little girl is like his wife.
"So, can I? Please?"
Stefan looks at him with those big green eyes. Damon gnaws on his lip. Everything in him screams that this is a bad idea. Even with the guilt of the past few days, he knows that Stefan is vulnerable. Matt doesn't have much experience with littles. The Mikaelsons may be okay with this, but he certainly isn't.
It's just another thing you're keeping him from. First hunting, now this.
Damon isn't sure when he grew a damn conscience, but he wishes it'd leave already.
"If I let you do this, not that I'm saying I will," Damon says, holding up a hand before his brother gets too excited. "Do you promise that you'll keep your phone on you at all times?"
"Yes." Stefan pulls his cellular device from his pocket. "It's fully charged."
"And you're going to stay with Matt the entire time?"
"He's walking to Elena's and then they'll pick me up."
Damon runs his fingers through his hair. "You'll call me as soon as you get to school?"
"I swear."
"You need to look both ways when crossing the street. No running out, especially when cars are coming. You may be a vampire but you're not Superman."
Stefan sighs, pouting. "I know all the rules, Day."
Damon thinks back to the woods. Stefan sobbing on the ground, begging him to never take hunting away. The distraught little boy having a biological need ripped away from him. Damon hurt him so badly. Sure, he didn't mean to, but he was the reason for Stefan nearly snapping and tearing his human friends apart.
"Okay," Damon says. A wide grin crosses Stefan's face. "I'm serious about all the rules, Stef. I'll have no problem going to that school if you don't call me."
"You won't have to." Stefan gives him a quick hug. "Thank you, Day."
Damon sighs, patting his back. "You're welcome, Bunny Boy."
He hears Elena and Matt walk up the driveway. Damon resists an eyeroll. His brother told his friends he could go before even getting permission. Damon isn't sure why he's surprised. There was no doubting that he'd get a yes, at least in Stefan's mind.
"Are you still going to the library after school?" Damon asks. Stefan nods. "I'll pick you up at 5 sharp."
"I know, I know. Can I go to school now?"
"I never thought I'd see you so excited to go," Damon teases, a hint of a smirk on his lips. Stefan groans, nearly rolling his eyes but thinking better of it. "Yes, yes, you may go. Call me if you need anything."
"I will!"
Stefan is out the door before Damon can give him another hug. He walks to the door and watches the teenagers head for the sidewalk. A sick feeling fills his bones. If he follows them, Stefan will be able to sense it. Klaus tried to do the same before Elena lost the privilege of walking to school the first time. Even as a human, she spotted him. With his vampiric senses, Stefan will sniff out his brother in no time.
Damon flicks his wrist. His crow comes flying down the stairs. These days, he keeps his beloved bird in the attic. There isn't much of a need when Stefan is under his thumb at all times. His companion comes and goes as he pleases, remaining loyal when needed.
"You're to follow Stefan," Damon instructs. "Report back if anything goes wrong. Do not make yourself obvious."
The crow lets out a loud caw before it's magnificent black wings flutter. He vamps out the door, leaving Damon alone once more. This time, the older brother feels lighter.
The crow becomes a part of Damon's daily routine. Some mornings, Matt can't walk Elena and Stefan to school, so the younger brother still needs a ride. And yet, Damon will periodically send his companion to check on Stefan throughout the day. If the little one heads out with his friends to The Grill, movies or library, the crow is sure to follow along. Stefan is none the wiser, much to Damon's surprise. Surely by now he should recognize the crow. Perhaps his companion is wise enough to blend in with the surroundings, something Damon always fails to do.
It alleviates Damon's anxiety throughout the day. He can easily know if his little brother needs him. Stefan is always surprised when Damon shows up just minutes before he may drop. Some littles have service animals, in a way, his crow acts as one. Unlike the dogs Stefan's counterparts have, the younger brother has no clue that it's watching out for him.
One Friday night, Stefan is at the game. Damon offered to come but as usual when Stefan is in his older state, he rebuffed and said he wanted to go with friends. He allowed Damon to drop him off but practically jumped out of the car before they reached the school. Stefan got pouty when Damon reminded him of his curfew.
Back at the boarding house, Damon treats himself to some old bourbon he saved and turns on an old mob film that Stefan would deem "boring". For once, he's enjoying himself while Stefan is out of the house. An hour in, he flicks his wrist. His crow appears, wings flapping rapidly.
"Check on Stefan and report back."
Caw!
A few black feathers fall atop Damon as his companion zooms out the open window. He turns back to his movie, slowly sipping the bourbon to get the most out of it.
5 minutes. The bird doesn't return.
10 minutes. Damon moves to the window, waiting intently.
15 minutes. Damon flicks his wrist.
20 minutes. Damon finds himself shouting out the window.
"Get your feathered behind back here right now!"
Silence.
Damon growls. He's had this bird with him since shortly after he turned. Come what may, he has always returned. Either the crow is in trouble or Stefan is.
Neither is a chance that Damon can take.
The high school field is lit up when Damon pulls into the lot. Scantily dressed cheerleaders perform the halftime show under Caroline's careful watch. Through the crowds, Damon can make out Bonnie and Elena sitting together. Matt and Tyler are off to the side, clearly trying to not ogle the show in front of them.
Stefan and the crow are nowhere to be seen.
Damon checks the concession stand and the bathroom. Lines for both are long but neither turn up who he's looking for.
He walks around the school and finally makes out Stefan's scent. Through the dark, he makes out his baby brother. Stefan's curled up in a ball, sucking on his thumb. Damon races closer and finds the crow sitting atop his baby brother's shoulder. He doesn't move when he sees his master. Rather, he remains perfectly still, his claws firmly in Stefan's shirt.
Damon lets out a deep breath. "I've got it from here," he tells his companion.
The crow flies off the shoulder but lingers nearby. Damon crouches down and pushes some hair out of Stefan's face.
"Bunny Boy," he whispers. "What are you doing back here?"
Stefan drops his thumb, his green eyes wide. "Too loud and bright," he mumbles.
"I see. You should've called me."
"Letters are jumbled on the phone," Stefan whines.
Damon's brows knit together. "What about Bonnie? She was with you, right?"
"Went to get popcorn."
"By yourself?" Stefan slowly nods. Damon sighs. "Oh, baby. We've talked about that." As soon as the tears well up in his baby brother's eyes, Damon regrets it.
"I…I'm sorry," Stefan whimpers, his lip trembling. "Didn't mean to."
"Shhh, it's okay," Damon soothes.
He lifts Stefan into his arms and cuddles him close. His baby brother clings to his shirt, burying his head in Damon's shirt. The crow comes closer once more, perching himself on Stefan's shoulder. Damon gives him a small smile.
"Crow stayed with me," Stefan whispers.
"I can see that."
"I like him."
"I believe the feeling's mutual." Damon kisses his temple. "Let's get you out of here, hm?"
Stefan nods. Damon rises to his feet and walks back towards the parking lot. The crow follows closely behind, only stopping when they reach the car. Damon straps a tired Stefan into the backseat, pressing a kiss to his forehead. Once he shuts the door, he looks up at the lingering crow.
"Meet us back at the house," he instructs. "You can stay in my room tonight."
Once again, the crow doesn't move until Damon is pulling out of the parking lot. He hovers above, occasionally diving down to take a peek at Stefan.
Damon may be the bird's master but it seems Stefan has gained a new protector.