Stefan walks as slowly as possible down the stairs, backpack swung over his shoulder. It's weighed down just as much throughout the year. He initially thought he'd get away with spending all day at school given French was just one subject and only taught for 90 minutes. Damon managed to fill the rest of the three slots with classes he's never taken before. Not even fun ones, rather astronomy, accounting and home economics. Damon won't even let him cook, so he doesn't understand the purpose of the last one.

He slinks into the kitchen where Damon is finishing up his glass of O-. The elder brother looks him up and down, scowling. Stefan glances at his attire: usual sleep tank and baggy, flannel pajama bottoms.

"Did you forget you have school?"

"Note the backpack," Stefan replies, resisting an eye roll. "Of course I didn't forget this torture you signed me up for."

"You need to go change."

"Plenty of kids are going to be wearing this. I put on fresh ones, these aren't from last night. It's not like it's against the dress code or whatever."

Damon shakes his head. "It's against my dress code. Go put on some jeans and a t-shirt."

Stefan bites down on his tongue, hard. He doesn't need to start the day off with a pop to the bottom. "Why?"

"How about the good, old fashioned "because I said so"?" Damon asks briskly. "You better hurry up. We have to be at the school in a half hour."

"Yeah, even though French doesn't start until 9 AM. I don't understand why you're making me take the other classes."

"To teach you to take school seriously. You seem to think that you can just skate by. There are some classes you have no choice but to take during the year, but from now on, if you have an option, you're enrolling in ones you haven't."

Stefan growls. "This is totally unfair. I didn't study for one test!"

Damon tilts his head, fixing him with an icy stare. "You have 5 seconds to go change or we can have a much different discussion."

Stefan stomps his foot and vamps up the stairs. It's been like this for days now. It's been a while since Damon held onto a grudge for this long. Even back when he didn't agree over Stefan testifying, he managed to get over it. The only time Damon changed his mood was when his little brother legitimately dropped the afternoon prior. Stefan can't remember everything from that time, but his brother's doubtful gaze when he began baby talking and clinging to him is forever engrained in his memory.

Is Damon ever going to trust him again?

Stefan shakes it out of his mind. His brother is majorly overreacting. It was one test. He should've just spanked him so they could move on from it quicker. Stefan's still surprised he wasn't paddled with the brush for that one. In a way, he'd almost prefer it. A spanking can be paired with a grounding, but at least Stefan knows they're okay after it.

If his brother wants to hold a grudge, Stefan can too. He's losing his summer all because of one mistake? It's ridiculous. The D- he got on the French test isn't going to ruin his future. Sure, it tanked his GPA a tad, but Stefan isn't even in the running for valedictorian nor can he attend college, so what does it matter?

Stefan changes out of his pajamas and into a pair of jersey shorts along with a runner's tank top. It's an outfit usually reserved for hunting, but hopefully it passes Damon's standards. He heads back downstairs, doing a little spin once he greets his brother in the kitchen.

"Better?"

Damon doesn't smile. "It'll do." He reaches into the fridge and pulls out a red sippy cup with Elmo on the front. "Drink up."

Stefan is a little surprised as his brother removes the lid for him. He usually at least tries to get him to drink it as if he's 3. "Fine." He takes a long gulp.

"I made your lunch," Damon says, his tone not changing. "I'll pick you up at 1:30. I have a council meeting so you can come along. Bring any homework they assign, and I will be checking to make sure."

"I'd expect nothing less," Stefan says dryly.

Damon doesn't respond. Stefan finishes up his blood and eats an apple. Once he rinses out his cup, he puts on some Nike slides. Damon wordlessly leads him out the door to his car. The only sound on the way is Damon's favorite rock station. Stefan folds his arms over his chest. He's not in a chatty mood either.

They pull in front of the school in record time. Damon leans over and kisses the top of his head. It feels different than usual. The love is there, but it's…strained? Stefan doesn't bother to give him a hug.

"Learn something," Damon says. Stefan shrugs. The older brother rolls his eyes. "Love you."

"Love you," Stefan mumbles.

Damon, as usual, stays out front until he walks inside. This time, Stefan knows it's not out of overprotectiveness, rather distrust. Stefan feels safe to roll his eyes this time.

Stefan isn't sure if he'd still take the spanking, but a good, old-fashioned timeout seems better than grounding at this point.

He finished his homework during the council meeting and it was carefully checked over by his brother once they got home. Afterwards, Stefan was sent upstairs. Usually, Damon wants to spend time with him when he's grounded. Supposed to show he's still loved and wanted. Two things Stefan knows he is. Right now, he's not up to spending time with his brother anyway.

Stefan stares at his phone, which is on lockdown mode while grounded. Damon has a parent control app on there to begin with but he only censors it on the rare time his brother is in trouble. It means he can't play Candy Crush or Solitaire. The only three people he can communicate with are 9-1-1, Damon or Lexi. Stefan knows the last one is only because his sister would kill his brother otherwise.

She isn't happy with him right now either. At least he can roll his eyes and pout without being corrected.

"You know I hate when you make me agree with Damon! If I'm being honest, he's gone too easy on you."

There are many days Stefan counts his lucky stars that his big sister is too much of a free spirit to be his caretaker. Damon is a hard-ass, but she's much worse. It's all out of love and Stefan doesn't truly mind it too much. He's still grateful for how that cookie crumbled.

Speak of the devil, Lexi sends a text asking how his first day was. Stefan scoffs.

Boring.

She doesn't hesitate to respond.

Good.

Stefan dumps the phone onto the bed. He gets up and grabs one of the books from his "to-read" pile before heading downstairs. The living room and kitchen are empty. He wanders into Damon's study. His brother goes over some paperwork from the meeting. Stefan clears his throat. Damon doesn't even look up.

"Yes, Stefan?"

"Mind if I read in here?"

Damon shrugs. "Do as you wish. You often do." Stefan rolls his eyes. "Watch it."

"How did you even see that?"

"Don't question my powers."

Stefan cracks a smile. Damon's face remains stoic. Stefan shakes his head and drops into one of the overstuffed leather armchairs. He cracks open the cover of the book and begins reading. Quickly becoming engrossed with the story, he kills five chapters. By the time he looks up at the grandfather clock, it's been an hour. Damon is still at his desk, now looking at his laptop. No words spoken. Damon notices him staring and quickly shuts the computer.

"I'm going to make dinner. If you could move your reading to the den."

"What? You don't trust me in here?"

Damon rises from his seat and crosses to the door. He stares at Stefan until the little brother stands up. As soon as they're both of the study, Damon locks the door behind them. Stefan scowls, heading straight for the living room.

"Dick," he mutters under his breath.

"Watch it," Damon replies sharply, before heading into the kitchen.

Three days later, Stefan wakes up in Damon's bed. His big brother's arms are wrapped tightly around him. Stefan curls his legs up, burying his head in his shoulder as he clings to his bunny. His stomach hurts, but he doesn't think it's from his body readjusting to his older mindset.

Stefan hasn't snuggled with Damon outside space since it happened. He feels safe in his big brother's arms. Protected. Loved.

Even in space, he wasn't allowed watch TV or play on his tablet, but Damon took him in the yard and they hunted for acorns and other treats to feed Crow. They spent an hour with the dollhouse. The night ended with a stack of books. One still lays beside them, Stefan's absolute favorite: Guess How Much I Love You. It has two bunnies in it, with the older somehow always topping how much the younger loves the other. Damon says it's just like the two of them. Not only is Stefan his little bunny boy, but Damon will always love him to the moon and back.

Damon's soft snoring jolts and his muscles loosen a bit. Stefan doesn't look up.

"Stef?" A garbled mumble greets him.

Stefan doesn't speak. He remains clung to his big brother.

"Bunny?"

Damon gently tips his head up. He sees the look in Stefan's eyes. His face steels over as he pulls away. Stefan falls back against the pillows, frowning.

"You should get ready for school," Damon mumbles. "Shower, you were too tired for a bath last night."

Stefan blinks. The pain in his stomach increases. Crow flutters from his post and lands on his shoulder. Damon gives him a Look but the bird doesn't move.

"Fine, the both of you go."

Stefan rubs the side of Crow's head, trying to assure him he's okay. He stands up. The sharp talons embed in his shoulder. Stefan leaves the room and heads down the hall to his own. Crow pulls on his curls. Stefan shakes his head.

"If he wants to be a dick, let him be a dick," he mutters. "He's so damn sensitive."

Crow stops tending to his hair to poking at the side of his head. Stefan frowns.

"You think I'm wrong?"

The bird flutters his wings and lands on the perch by the window. Stefan rolls his eyes and heads into his bathroom.

"I can't keep doing this," Stefan announces Friday evening. Damon looks up from his paper, with nothing but a raised brow.

His week of grounding ended the night before. He celebrated by going out to The Grill with his friends. Damon drove him and picked him up, once again in silence. The same happened when Matt and Tyler took him out tonight to cheers (soda, of course) to the first week of summer school being over. They've since sat in the den. Stefan's finished his book. Damon's quiet with the bourbon and newspaper. The only noise accompanying them, the clock on the wall.

"What do you mean?" Damon asks.

"How long are you going to sit there and pout?"

"Excuse me?"

"Outside the two times I've dropped, you've given me an attitude since this whole thing started. Frankly, it's getting a little old."

Damon lowers the paper. "I don't know who you think you're talking to…"

"My brother. You're still my brother, right?"

Damon pinches the bridge of his nose. "Of course I am."

"Then what the hell is all of this?! I'm normally the one annoyed by my punishment. You haven't been like this with me since…" Stefan trails off.

Damon tenses up. "Since?"

Stefan shrugs, shifting a little. "I don't know."

"No, you do."

Damon gets up, slamming his glass onto his table. Stefan narrows his eyes and stands. His brother begins to walk away.

"No!" Stefan grabs his arm. Damon whips around and Stefan takes a step back over the iciness in his eyes. "What…what is going on, Damon?"

"I just said, you know exactly the last time I was this upset with you about something."

"So, what? You're going to avoid me for a year?" Stefan crosses his arms over his chest. "Run out of Mystic Falls?"

Damon shrugs. "I'm still here, right?"

"This is ridiculous. I didn't do anything close to that!" Stefan cries. Frustration builds up within. "I didn't study for a test!"

"It's not the damn test and you know it," Damon growls.

"Okay, so I lied to you. I've done it before and you've gotten over it."

Damon shakes his head. "I'm not doing this." He turns around and Stefan vamps in front of him. "Stefan."

"You make me talk all the time when I don't want to."

"I'm the older brother."

"Yeah, and I want him back."

"I'm right here."

"No, you're not."

"Just because I'm not babying you and celebrating you doing the bare minimum doesn't mean I'm not still your brother."

"You're overreacting…"

"No!" Damon snaps. "Stop saying that! I am not overreacting!"

Rage fills his blue eyes. Stefan swallows, taking a step back. This is teetering away from strict, stern Damon to…Scary DayDay.

"You manipulated me!" Damon seethes. "You played on my emotions! Do you not understand that?!"

Stefan's lip trembles. "I said I was sorry."

"That's not good enough! Dammit!" Damon shakes his head. "I have tried so hard to keep this in, but I can't anymore! You brought me back to that night, Stefan. That awful night. You brought me that woman and made her bleed. You…you kept looking at me with those big eyes."

A pain fills the pit of Stefan's stomach as he's brought back to that night. He opens his mouth to say something, anything, but nothing comes out.

"I know I'm supposed to be the big brother, the mature one. Take it all on the chin. Understand you, be the bigger person," Damon continues, his voice cracking. "I just…I can't right now. I know you didn't mean to, you didn't think it through. You're only 17. But it just…my head can't pull it away. It brought me back to that night." Tears pool Stefan's eyes. Damon sucks back a deep breath. "And I know right now this is upsetting you, but I can't…I can't be the one to make you feel better about it. Because I'm hurt Stefan. I'm angry and I…I hate myself for it!"

No matter how hard Stefan tries to prevent it, his face grows wet. Damon wipes at his own eyes.

"I hate that I can't comfort you right now. That I feel no empathy. I love you, you're my baby, but…I can't be sorry that you feel bad right now. It goes against my nature, but, I just…" Damon blinks rapidly and still, Stefan sees a few tears slide down his left cheek. His voice cracks deeper. "I can't. I'm sorry…I can't."

He walks away. Stefan lets him. Damon vamps up the stairs and slams his door shut. Stefan allows his senses to make out his older brother's soft, muffled sobs. He covers his own mouth as he heads up to his own room. Stefan locks the door and windows, ensuring Crow cannot enter.

He slides down the wall, letting out soft sobs of his own. For the first time since his birth, Damon doesn't come to his rescue.