Ronnie_R prompted " I was thinking of Stefan the gang attending prom (and after prom)! I don't want you to have to do anything too similar to your Halloween party chapter but I thought that might be a good theme for Stefan to get in trouble/give Damon a heart attack."

Damon is happy. Too happy.

Stefan doesn't trust it.

His brother hasn't stopped smiling since he picked him up from school. On an ordinary day, Stefan would assume he got laid, but there were two council meetings on top of the plumber having to come out. He'd have no time to pick up a girl. There's no way anything in a meeting could make him that happy. Are the fixed jets in his shower really that exciting?

Stefan doesn't question it. He gets his homework done and spends the rest of the afternoon finishing the book that Elena leant him.

It's not until they're eating dinner that Stefan gets his answers. After discussing their days, Damon takes a long sip of his bourbon and sets it down.

"So, I've made a decision regarding prom."

Stefan drops his fork, trying not to get his hopes up. Damon spent his sweet time deciding whether or not his baby brother can go. Given it's been 2 weeks since Stefan asked, he assumed the answer was no.

"And?"

"You can go."

Stefan cautiously smiles. "Really?"

"Yes."

"What happened to you not wanting me around a bunch of drunk teenagers dancing inappropriately and me potentially dropping?"

"Well, I don't have to worry about that anymore." Stefan raises a brow. "Because I'm going to be there."

Stefan groans, tipping his head back. He should've known.

"Damon!"

"My second council meeting was actually one for the PTA. Carol Lockwood was begging for them. Caroline volunteered me."

"So tell her to buzz off. She can't make you do it." Stefan gives his brother a Look. "And since when do you go to PTA meetings? I thought the parents drove you crazy."

"They do, but the agenda interested me." Damon shrugs. "Besides, I want to."

"Why? Because you love embarrassing me?"

"Of course. That's my life goal. Eternal misery for my baby brother." Stefan rolls his eyes and Damon laughs. "It won't be so bad. I won't embarrass you."

"We have two very different versions of not embarrassing me."

"Are you suddenly too cool to be seen with me?"

"I always have been. You just won't take the hint."

It's Damon's turn to roll his eyes. "Right, that's why you used to trail after me constantly when you were a kid."

"I'm not a kid anymore."

Damon gives him a Look. Stefan grumbles, pushing his plate away and folding his arms over his chest. Damon sighs.

"Look, this is the only way I'm going to feel comfortable with you dropping. There's going to be a lot of temptations there that night."

"And you don't trust me, as usual. Great." Stefan pushes back his seat and gets up.

"Stef, sit." He just stands there. "Stefan…"

Stefan drops back in his chair. "I'm done."

"Yeah, well I'm not." Damon moves his seat so they're next to each other. "I do trust you." Stefan scoffs. "I do. I just don't trust other people. You're vulnerable, buddy."

"It's just prom."

"You've been to enough to know what they entail," Damon says. "Besides, what if you dropped?"

"I won't."

"You could. Or possibly get too anxious, have sensory overload. It's better if I'm there. I can take care of you."

Stefan frowns. Damon rubs his arm.

"Unless something happens, I won't go near you."

Stefan meets his eye. "You promise? You'll leave me alone all night?"

"Unless I sense something's going on."

"And that's a real danger. Not just because I'm rough housing with Ty and Matt?"

Damon makes a face. "They're going?"

"Matt's taking Elena, as friends. Ty's got a date or something."

Damon rolls his eyes. "Should've known."

"C'mon, Day, promise."

Damon nods. "Alright, alright," he says. "As long as everything looks like it's going okay, I won't go near you."

"And I can go with my friends?" Damon nods. "I can go to the after party?"

"Absolutely not."

Stefan groans. "Damon!"

"I'm letting you stay up late to be at prom the whole night. You're not going to a party that I'm sure will lead to half the class at the clinic in 6 weeks."

Stefan rolls his eyes. "You're disgusting."

"And you're not going." Damon smiles. "So, do we have a deal?"

Stefan sighs. He'd rather light himself on fire than have a chaperone for prom, but it's the only way he's going. At the very least, maybe if things go well, Damon won't insist on going to junior and senior prom too.

Knowing his brother, it's unlikely.

"Fine. No after party, but before party."

"Deal." Damon holds out his hand. Stefan reluctantly shakes it. "This is going to be fun, Bunny Boy."

"It better." Stefan pauses. "You're not going to flirt with the other chaperones are you?"

"Oh, buddy…of course I am."

Damon stands in the dressing room, staring at the closed door in front of him. His brother has been in there for 30 minutes.

"Come on, Stef," Damon calls. "We're burning daylight."

"It's this stupid tie," Stefan grumbles.

"I'll do it."

"I can."

"You haven't been able to tie one, ever."

"I lived without you, ya know."

"Yeah, and you had Lexi or Klaus. Get out here."

Stefan sighs and steps out of the room. Damon smiles as he looks him up and down. The tux is all black and form fitting. His brother buttoned up the shirt all the way and matched the pants with the right shoes. The only thing not right is the tie. It's swung around Stefan's neck. Damon blinks a few times, trying not to get nostalgic. It's hard to not still see Stefan as that little boy with chubby cheeks who was trying to steal one of their father's ties before Lily's funeral.

It's been a century and a half, Stefan looks older…and he's still a baby in his big brother's eyes.

"Come here," Damon says, gesturing for his brother to step forward. He begins working on his tie. "You look very handsome."

"This is ridiculous. I have a million tuxes at home."

"You have three. One has blood stains you didn't bother treating." Stefan flinches. "The other two are dated. Pretty sure one is from the last time you went to prom. When was that? The 60s?"

Stefan rolls his eyes. "1992."

"My point stands." He focuses on the fabric. "I don't think any girls are going to want to dance with you if you wear that."

"Oh, so I'm allowed to dance with girls?"

"This isn't Footloose, Stef." Damon pulls back and inspects his work. "There. I've still got it. Tell me what you think."

Stefan walks around him to look in the mirror. He dusts himself off and shrugs.

"I look like a tool."

Damon rolls his eyes. "You look handsome." He claps him on the shoulder. "Very grown up."

"I've been the same age for awhile now, Damon. It's not like I'm ever going to look any older."

"Thank goodness for that."

Stefan pokes out his tongue. "Something tells me even if I could age, I'd always be a baby in your eyes."

"Of course you would." Damon pats his back. "That's just what big brothers do."

Stefan smiles a little. Damon kisses the top of his head.

"Alright, go change. We'll check out and then we can go look at video games."

Stefan's eyes light up. "Grand Theft Auto?"

"Ha. No." Damon playfully swats his behind. "Go."

Stefan laughs, stepping back behind the curtain.

5 minutes into chaperoning, Damon begins to question why he wanted to in the first place.

The room smells like axe body spray, cheap perfume and teen hormones. A few girls are already stumbling in their heels, chewing gum. Some guys are gathered in a corner, discreetly passing something around. A fast, graining pop song blasts from the DJ booth and there are kids on the dance floor, grinding.

"This is hell," he mutters.

Klaus slides beside him. "That's offensive to hell."

Damon chuckles, shaking his head. "I can't believe you're here. Or, I guess, I can't believe Elena agreed."

"I promised I'd stay in exactly this spot and not embarrass her." He tilts his head. "I suppose Stefan swore you to the same oath."

"Yeah. Apparently, I'm not cool enough to be around if his friends are there."

"He is 17. That can't be new." Klaus pauses. "Wait, if he's 17, why is he in the sophomore class?"

"Because I'm the worst brother in the world and I want him to be able to attend high school for as long as possible." Damon smirks. "Really, it just gives him structure."

He glances over at the door. Their kids have walked in. Damon grins, watching as they take their group photo and head out onto the floor. Stefan and Elena glance in their direction but quickly go as far away as possible. Damon rolls his eyes.

"Teenagers."

"These soirees weren't a thing when I was one," Klaus says.

"We didn't exactly have something like this. I'm glad for it."

"Please, something tells me you would've had your fair share of dates."

"I would've been the one outside sharing the flask," Damon quips. "A part of me wants to go over to those kids and ask for a drag."

"Caroline would skin you alive."

Damon glances across the room. Miss President of the PTA herself is rushing around, making sure everything is perfect. Elena is dodging her as much as she is her dad.

The two stand there for the next hour, merely observing. Damon wasn't prepared for how boring it would be to watch a bunch of teenagers hang out. Stefan's group is on the dance floor for a majority of the time. Damon is a little surprised to see all the moves he's learned over the years; it seems Bonnie is as well. The two dance to the slow songs together. Stefan is smiling the entire time, looking like a regular teenager.

Damon was serving in the war when Stefan became of cotillion age. Their father arranged for him to escort several young girls. Stefan wrote to him, speaking of how dreadful they were. He often felt out of place, even after years of training. Much of their youth was constructed by what their father wanted.

It's nice to see his brother finally get to do things the average kid would, without fear of judgement.

Damon knows there's probably room for him to let go a little more, but he's not ready. Not yet. As soon as he tries, Stefan proves he needs a bit of a tight leash. Damon feels a little guilt for saying no, but his main priority is to keep his baby brother safe. Even if it means sometimes, he has to be the bad guy.

For now, he can give his brother this. One night with kids his biological age, having fun and not having to worry about psychotic teachers, CPTSD, nightmares or classifications. Damon is the proud owner of a happy teen. There's not much more he could want.

Stefan leans against the brick building, looking out into the night. Loud music carries heavily outside, but at the very least it's a little muffled, even with his vampiric hearing. Stefan loosens his tie and kicks off his shoes. He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a flask, unscrewing the top.

"Stefan Antonio Salvatore!"

He tilts his head back. Damon vamps in front of him, worry written in his blue eyes. Stefan sighs.

"You can't just take off like that!" Damon lectures. "I looked away for 5 seconds and you were gone."

"It was just getting a little too loud in there. I needed a break."

"So, tell me."

"I didn't realize I had to run to my big brother if I wanted to step outside."

Damon shakes his head. "You could've texted me if you're really that concerned what people…." He trails off when he sees the silver flask in hand. "Is that what I think it is?"

Stefan shrugs. "Probably not."

Damon snatches the flask and sniffs it. His shoulders relax, but he rolls his eyes. Stefan holds back a snicker.

"You're so funny," Damon mimics, thrusting it back. Stefan takes a few more sips before tucking it back in his pocket. "Why put blood in a flask?"

"Easier to carry. Plus, it got a rise out of you."

Damon rolls his eyes again. "Wait…is that mine?"

Stefan nods, taking a swig. "Uh huh. Swiped it from your office."

"Didn't we talk about you asking before you take my stuff?"

"But then that vein in your forehead wouldn't pop out and what fun would that be?"

Damon narrows his eyes off Stefan's smirk. Another quick vamp and he's got a tight arm around his brother, rubbing his head with his fist. Stefan screams.

"Not the hair! Do you know how long it took!"

"Sorry, I can't hear you, little brother."

Stefan fights back against him, but the animal blood can't compare to O-. He squirms in his brother's arms, unable to hold back the laughter.

"St…stop it! Damon!"

"Are you gonna stop pranking me?"

"Y…yes!" Stefan snorts. "I…I'm done! Just leave my hair be!" Damon continues for another moment. "DayDay!"

Damon chuckles, pulling away. Stefan smacks his chest before attempting to fix his hair.

"You are so precious about all that," Damon teases.

"It's a delicate science."

"Uh huh." Damon pauses then reaches over to mess it up once again. He smirks off Stefan's grunt and attempts to fix it. "Here, here, you're only making it worse."

Stefan tries not to squirm as his big brother smooths his hair back down. By now, all the product is definitely out of it, but he trusts it doesn't look too bad. Damon pats him on the shoulder.

"You having fun?"

"Yeah, I'm glad I came." Stefan pauses. "Thanks for letting me come."

"I'm not an entirely mean, strict big brother, am I?"

"I guess you're not that bad." Stefan's smirk quickly fades. "I mean, seriously, you've gotten a little better with letting me do stuff. Even if it means you or Crow follow me."

"Maybe one day I'll be able to let go," Damon says. "Like in 100 years. Even then I'll probably only be waiting outside."

Stefan shakes his head. "It's not always so bad. Sometimes…" He trails off, shaking his head.

Damon smiles. "What?"

"It's going to give you a big head. And I hate proving you right."

"I'm always right."

Stefan rolls his eyes. "Sometimes, it's nice to know you care. As annoying as it is, I know now that you're not going to leave again."

Damon's smile widens. He pulls Stefan against him, kissing the side of his head. The little brother wraps his arms around him, not caring if anyone sees.

"I'm always here, Bunny Boy. Whether you like it or not.

Stefan nods. The two stay in the hug for a few minutes, before the younger one pulls apart.

"There's only a couple of more dances. Then we can go." He tries to hold back a yawn, but it escapes anyway.

Damon nods. "When we get home, it's…"

"Bath, pajamas, bedtime. I know."

Damon pats his back. "Go in there, enjoy your last bits of being a teenager before you're my little boy again."

Stefan walks past him. He doesn't say out loud that he'll always be his brother's little boy. Damon's ego is large enough.