Ann prompted " maybe in one of Damon's moods he reads through Stefan's journal and finds something ambiguous/unsettling leading the elder to jump to conclusions until Stefan explains the entry?"

This takes place a bit before the finals drama in the last chapter.

Each of the Salvatore brothers learned to write by their 5th birthday. It was something very important to their father. Giuseppe planned for the boys to join the family business at one point which would require good penmanship and literacy. For the special occasion, they were gifted a novel far above their reading level along with a leather-bound journal. Damon wrote in his for all of 2 weeks, got bored and moved on.

Stefan never stopped.

The smallest thing would occur and Stefan ran to his diary, scribbling away. He ignored Damon's insistent mocking.

"If I don't write it down, I'll forget."

Even before they turned, Stefan had gone through at least a dozen. They were locked in a secret compartment of his bedroom, ensuring no descendant could find them, especially before vampires were exposed. Damon knows the diaries became of bigger importance to Stefan then. He didn't just write about the fun escapades. The younger brother was honest about his ripper days, the merciless killing. All the blood left behind.

Damon isn't sure if Stefan was aware the elder brother read them back in the day. He never admitted to the crime, rather would hint about things he read here or there. Perhaps Stefan was too naïve or on the other end of the spectrum, didn't care. Most of what Damon read, he knew anyhow. He and Stefan lived under the same roof for a number of years. Even when they went their separate ways, Damon always kept tabs on his little brother.

He stopped reading the diaries in 1902. At the time, Damon told himself they were boring. There wasn't a purpose. Given how long their stretches without seeing each other were, it'd be too much to catch up on.

In the past year, Damon knows well enough that if he continued reading after that, he likely would've found passages about Stefan shutting out his true classification. It'd mean Damon having to admit the truth. Something he wasn't ready for.

And still, in the near year since he's taken over as Stefan's guardian, he hasn't read them. Once again, Damon knows all of Stefan's little secrets. He no longer has to be afraid of those delicate pages. Damon respects his baby brother's privacy.

Until Stefan forgets to clean his room. Again.

It's a never ending back and forth between the two. Damon doesn't expect much in the way of chores. The rule is simple: pick up after yourself and keep your room tidy. Two little things. It's all Damon asks for.

And half the time, Stefan's room is a mess of dirty laundry, crumpled pieces of paper, books strewn about and depending how long it's been since he last slipped, toys scattered across the floor.

A part of him knows it's because Stefan feels comfortable. Damon will nag him for it, but it's not the same as when they were kids. Giuseppe would have skinned Stefan alive for the state of his room. The most he'll receive from his big brother is a pop to the behind.

Feeling charitable one morning while Stefan is at school, Damon begins picking up the room. He tosses the clothes into the hamper and rearranges the books on the shelf. Damon makes sure the Disney princess dolls are tucked safely into the toy box and his slime kits on the craft shelf by the bay window.

The desk doesn't technically fall into Damon's "clean bedroom" rule and still, the anxiety from the clutter is enough to make the hairs on his neck stand up. He shuffles the papers into their respective folders, hanging up reminder posters from school on the tiny corkboard above the desk. Damon is emptying the handheld pencil sharpener into the wastebin when he notices a small, leather diary open on the center of the desk.

"If he's stupid enough to just leave it out," he mumbles.

Damon screws the lid back on the sharpener and drops it into the now meticulously arranged desk organizer. He picks up the diary. Only the right side is filled with Stefan's neat cursive. It has yesterday's date in the top corner.

I feel we argue every time we talk. What's the point? I don't need things fixed. I just need a place to vent. I should've learned a long time ago that I won't get that here. I'm just another project. Something to fix. Like I'm still broken or something.

Damon frowns, rereading the words over and over again. He flips to the previous page for clues, but only receives a recount from what Stefan remembers of his last drop. A trip to the park and watching Cinderella with his big brother. Nothing at all related to the next entry. In fact, none of the others relate at all.

He uses the dark blue ribbon to mark a place in the diary. Stefan's words play over and over again in his mind.

We argue every time we talk.

Have they argued a lot recently? It all kind of runs together in Damon's mind. He says something embarrassing or firm, Stefan rolls his eyes and argues back. On the other end, Stefan will get in one of his moods and Damon tries to pry, only to get a "I'm fine!"

I don't need things fixed.

Damon doesn't know what to be, if not his brother's protector. He's told him this before. Just as he's said to come to him if he has a problem.

No, Stefan ran to his diary instead.

Damon lowers the book onto the desk, not caring that it's off center. He has bigger things to worry about as he exits the room.

"How was your day?"

An innocent question. One Stefan wouldn't think twice about on a normal day. He simply shrugs as he walks to the fridge, scanning the contents.

"Fine, I guess."

A beat of silence. Stefan grabs one of his sippy cups and takes off the lid, knocking it back in two big gulps. Damon's icy blue eyes look him up and down. Stefan wipes at his mouth with the back of his hand.

"Do I have blood on my mouth?"

Damon shakes his head. "It was just…fine?"

"Well, yeah. Nothing new to report." Damon blinks. Stefan frowns. "I went to my classes, had lunch with everyone…I took a nap in Mrs. Forbes-Mikaelson's office. She told you that, right?"

"Yes, I spoke with Caroline."

"Then…what? Did the school call or something? I swear, I didn't do anything."

"I never accused you."

"Well…you're…looking at me."

Damon arches an eyebrow. Stefan internally groans. This is their version of the "Stop touching me!" "I'm not touching you." argument.

"I'm not allowed to look at you now?"

"I didn't say that," Stefan mumbles as he crosses the kitchen and rinses out the bright blue cup with cartoon puppies all over it. "You're being creepy. Though, I suppose that's not unusual."

Out of the corner of his eye, he sees his brother's lips tug downwards. "I creep you out?"

"Dear Lord." Stefan drops the clean cup into the sink. "Are you trying to trap me or something? Am I in trouble?"

"I never said you were in trouble, Stef," Damon's voice is sincere. "I'm just trying to ask you about your day."

"And I told you…it wasn't anything out of the ordinary."

Damon nods. His voice is solemn, lips twitching. Stefan regards him for a few minutes before throwing his hands in the air.

"Okay! You are being creepy and it needs to stop."

Damon's nostrils flares slightly. "I told you…"

"No, you are being creepy, and actually way too nice."

"I'm not nice?"

"Not when I'm snapping at you!" God, it's weird how wrong it feels when Damon lets him get away with stuff. Most teenagers would relish in the freedom, but Stefan can't stand it. "This isn't you. I don't like it."

Damon shakes his head, running his fingers through his hair.

"I'm just trying to hear you out, listen. I didn't want to start a whole fight."

Stefan snorts. "Right, so you act all creepy…"

"I'm not trying to be creepy!"

"Well, you are. So, tell me what's going on."

Damon sighs. "I'm just trying to be someone you can talk to. You know that I hear you when you talk, right? Maybe I give advice too often, but I swear I'm not just trying to fix you." Stefan raises a brow. "Or maybe, I am. But that's just the person I'll always be. I'm your big brother, buddy. It's my job to look out for you."

Stefan stares at him, mouth agape for several minutes. Is Damon on laced blood? Did he come across some old drugs one of them may have stashed in the attic back in the 70s?

Damon takes a step forward, putting a hand on his shoulder. His eyes are genuine now, if almost teary. "You're not broken, buddy."

Stefan blinks a couple of times. The gears slowly but surely churn in his head.

The confusion melts into annoyance. He yanks away from Damon. "You read my diary?!"

Damon's own face changes. "I never said that."

"You're all but quoting my last passage." Stefan shakes his head. "Jesus, I thought you stopped that crap over a century ago!"

"One, watch your language," Damon warns. "Two, you left it out for the whole world to see…"

Stefan shakes his head, holding back another curse. "I left it on my desk, in my room…why were you in my room?!"

"Cleaning it. Something you never do."

"So, remind me!"

"I was trying to help!"

"By invading my privacy?!"

Damon exhales through his nose, wringing out his wrists. "Look, I'm glad I did. Clearly, I did something that's bothering you. And I know it kind of goes against what you wrote, but I want to fix it. Or, maybe not fix it, but just work on it." Stefan tries to speak but his big brother barrels on. "Like I said, Stef, that's just…who I am. I want to help you. Be there for you. When you tell me something's wrong, I can't just sit back and do nothing."

Stefan's heart is yanked around once more. He desperately wants to be annoyed and angry with his brother for reading his diary. And yet, seeing the sincere nature of Damon's eyes and hearing his gentle yet firm voice, Stefan feels almost grounded in a way. His brother is worried. It's the entire reason Stefan wrote this out in his journal and not said it out loud.

"Day…that entry…it wasn't about you."

Damon looks down at him, confused. "What? Of course it was."

"It wasn't."

"I don't understand. Who else could…"

Stefan doesn't let him finish. "Lexi, alright? It was about Lexi."

Damon scowls at the name. Stefan sighs, shaking his head.

"This is exactly why I didn't tell you. No sense in giving you another reason to hate her."

Damon forces back an eye roll. "I'm not going to do anything to Lexi."

"I don't need the two of you arguing. I have to hear it enough as it is."

"So, tell me what's going on and maybe I'll calm down."

"Oh, I know you will. I also know for once you might be on her side."

"That'll never happen."

"You might."

"Try me."

Stefan scrubs his palm against his face. He never thought he'd look forward to doing his homework.

"It's like I said in the entry. We argue. I have a bad day and I call her to talk about it. She's freaking out and trying to fix every single thing. Threatening to kick the ass of whoever I'm irritated with."

Damon shrugs. "I understand the urge."

Stefan groans. "This is exactly why I didn't tell you. For once, it's something the two of you can agree on."

"Look, I may not be a huge fan of hers, but Lexi does love you, Bunny Boy." Stefan makes a face. "She does. And in her own, very Lexi way, she's just trying to help."

"I don't need her advice all the time. Before, she'd just listen. Ever since she found out the truth…look, I know everything had to change. But there are some things I just miss."

Damon nods. "Like being able to bitch to your best friend?"

Stefan gnaws on his lip, playing with his daylight ring. "Well…yeah."

"I get it." He sighs off Stefan's squint. "Okay, maybe not totally. I am proud to not have a Lexi angel hanging over my shoulder all the damn time…or myself, honestly. Sometimes I drive myself crazy."

"Gee, I can't imagine why," Stefan mutters under his breath.

"I heard that, wise ass." Damon shakes his head. "Anyway, I know it has to be frustrating. And far be it from me than to defend Barbie Doll, but she does care about you. And love you. Not as much as me, of course…but she still does."

Stefan continues to spin the ring around his finger. His sharp fang digs into the inside of his lip.

"You need to talk to her about it."

"She's not going to listen."

"Lexi may just surprise you." Damon glances at the counter and spots Stefan's phone. He gently tosses it in his brother's direction. "Go on."

"She's probably busy, or something. I should probably wait…" Stefan trails off upon his brother's stern glance. His voice dips down into a whine. "Damon!"

"Call her, Stefan. Sort this out. The last thing I need is her riding in on her broom because you're snapping at her."

Stefan rolls his eyes. "She's not a witch."

"No, I actually enjoy a witch's company. Now, enough stalling, go call her and communicate."

He swats his hands in the direction of the stairs. Stefan grumbles but heads for them.

"I liked it better when you didn't care about my relationship with Lexi."

"Still don't care about her, I care about you. I'm glad you told me."

"Only because you read my diary." Stefan turns back to give his brother the scariest look he can. Based off Damon's smirk, he assumes his brother sees what he always does when he looks at his baby: a defenseless little bunny who's pretending to be mad. "Don't do that again."

"Clean your damn room and stop leaving it out."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah."

Stefan ignores the "I'm serious, Stefan Antonio!" as he heads up the stairs.