Damon races into the principal's office, slamming the door shut behind him. He's in front of the secretary's desk before he has time to blink.
"I got a call about my brother, Stefan," Damon's voice is breathless. "Is he okay?! The message wasn't clear."
The secretary demonstrates some deep breaths but he ignores her. "Stefan is in the nurse's office."
"Did he drop?"
"No. You, um…you might want to see for yourself."
Damon raises a brow, following her back. She pushes open the door and Damon's eyes dart around until he lands on his brother. Stefan sits on the cot, clear of any injuries, his puppy dog eyes facing the ground. Damon stares at him, trying to figure out what's going on…
Clumps of Stefan's dark blonde locks are on the floor.
That's when Damon sees it. The once carefully styled hero hair has several bald patches. The hair is matted with something wet, dark…
"Is there glue in my brother's hair?!"
The nurse nods and begins speaking but Damon rushes past her. He kneels in front of Stefan, tilting his chin up. His baby brother's lips are trembling. He's trying to back up tears. Damon pulls him into his arms and hugs him close, slowly rocking him a little. He looks up at the nurse.
"What the hell happened?!"
"It seems to have been a prank."
"A prank?!" Damon clings Stefan to his chest. "What kind of prank?"
"Stefan went to take a shower in the locker room after home ec. They made brownies and there was a bit of a mess. Well, I guess one of the football players here for camp swapped out the shampoo in all of the showers with Gorilla Glue."
Damon growls, his eyes darkening. Stefan tugs on his shirt. Damon doesn't look down at him.
"And you just cut his hair?!"
Ms. Kim expels a patient sigh. "No. When Stefan came down here, his hands were stuck to his head. I told him to sit and wait while I got acetone. He started having a panic attack." Damon cuddles Stefan closer. By this point his baby's face is squished against his chest. "I was trying to calm him down but he pulled hard. I think between his freak out, classification and vampiric nature, he managed to rip his own hair out."
Damon tilts his head up at the ceiling. Given age and diet, Stefan isn't as strong as your average vampire on a human blood diet. But also due to his little state, he doesn't realize his own strength.
The elder brother kisses his baby's head. "I want that asshole expelled," he growls.
"The principal is dealing with him right now." Damon doesn't feel pleased. "We'll assure it doesn't happen again."
"I'm going to kill that kid."
"Day," Stefan mumbles into his shirt. "Go."
Damon feels his brother shake against him. He sighs, standing up with Stefan in his arms. Damon grabs the backpack.
"I'm keeping him out tomorrow," he tells the nurse, glancing at the secretary who nods.
"We understand," she says. "We'll have Stefan's teachers email you the work."
Damon doesn't thank either of them as he exits the room, though he hears Stefan mumble it. He lingers outside the principal's office, listening to the dumbass trying to explain his way out of it. Damon's hand falls on the handle.
"No," Stefan says, looking up at him.
"I need to rip that asshole's head off."
"Damon!" Stefan all but whines. His eyes show he hasn't dropped, at least not too far. Still, he's got that pleading look on his face. "I just wanna go home."
Damon exhales through his nose. He adjusts Stefan in his arms and carries him out to the car. His brother hides his head in his shoulder so no one sees him. Damon doesn't bother pointing out that it's a small town. Everyone knows who they are. They'll know Stefan is being carried by his big brother.
Instead, he says, "Screw what other people think."
Damon straps him into the back. Stefan is too upset to even protest. Damon roots through the backpack and finds Bunny, gently tucking him under Stefan's arm.
"We'll be home soon, baby boy," Damon promises.
Damon stands behind Stefan in the master bath. He inspects the hair for the 5th time, trying to find a way to fix this. Already, he's texted the town's barber who gave Damon an answer he wanted to avoid. He thought he could come up with something better. After all, he's cut Stefan's hair for a while now.
That in itself is a chore. Ever since he was a little kid, Stefan's hated having his hair cut. He kept it as long as Giuseppe and Lily would allow. Most of the stuff Stefan got in trouble for was getting upset when anyone fussed with his hair. It only got worse over the years. Damon doesn't care if it grows long, but it does need to be trimmed and kept out of his eyes.
"Suppose that's not an issue now," Damon mutters. Stefan gives him a confused, wary look. Damon shakes his head. "Nevermind." He sighs. "Bunny…"
"Don't say it," Stefan cuts him off.
"I know you don't want to hear it, but there's no fixing it. The patches are in too many places and the acetone made some more fall out." He rubs his back. "It's hair. It'll grow back."
Stefan kicks the sink, whining. "No! I don't want to be bald."
"You won't look like Cailou." Damon holds his baby brother's head as he examines it. "You'll rock a pretty decent buzz cut, though." Stefan pouts. "Look, I know it sucks and I'm sorry. If I could, I'd find a way to save it. You know I usually find a way to give you everything you want." Stefan reluctantly nods. "If you sit nice and still, we can have ice cream for dinner."
Truth be told, Damon plans on giving it to him anyway.
Stefan doesn't smile. Damon ups the ante. "We can make it a root beer float." Soda and ice cream. Crack for a Little. But Stefan isn't close to dropping, so it'll only lead to a headache for Damon rather than a migraine.
Stefan's lips poke up a bit. "From The Grill?"
"Whatever you want." Much to his relief, Stefan nods. Damon exhales. "That's my good boy. Wait right here."
5 minutes later, Stefan sits in a chair with a towel wrapped around him. Bunny is clutched close to his chest and Crow sits on the sink nearby. Damon stands behind him with the trimmer.
"It is very important that you're still," he reminds him for what has to be the thousandth time. "I don't want to hurt you."
Stefan nods, rubbing his thumb over his bunny's ear. Damon flicks a switch on the trimmer and it roars to life. Stefan tenses up until Crow omits a soft caw . Damon keeps a brave face as he shaves his baby brother's precious hair. As much as he teased Stefan for it, he's never looked any different. Sure, there was that dreaded frosted tip phase, but it was still the same length at least.
Damon hums as he watches the pieces fall to the ground. The more he looks into it, he's glad to know he can keep the promise it won't all be gone. He's able to trim some of it with scissors and make it top even. Still, it's short, leaving most on the top while the sides are buzzed. He focuses on the hair rather than his brother's face.
Eventually, he flicks off the trimmer and sets it down. He turns his brother to look at him, making sure it's even. Damon smiles as he takes him in. Stefan always looks like a little boy in his eyes. When his hair curls after a bath or in the heat, he especially looks babyish. Right now, he looks like a little kid after their first haircut.
"There," he says, patting his cheek. "All done."
Stefan looks in the mirror, pouting. It only strengthens Damon's image.
"Aw, c'mon, Bunny Boy. It's not so bad. I think I did a decent job."
"I look ridiculous," Stefan mumbles as he rubs his bare neck.
"You look adorable."
Stefan rolls his eyes. "I'm 17 years old, I'm not supposed to look adorable."
"Maybe stop pouting then, because you look about 5 to me."
Stefan glares at him and tosses the towel into the sink. Damon chuckles and dusts off the excess trimmings. He presses a kiss to the top of Stefan's short hair.
"I'll clean up, then we can go to The Grill."
"Oh, I'm not going anywhere looking like this."
Damon raises a brow. "Well, you know you're not allowed home alone. And The Grill doesn't deliver. Besides, what about summer school? Your friends?"
Stefan crosses his arms over his chest. "I can be homeschooled. Friends are overrated."
Damon chuckles, lightly pinching Stefan's cheek and ignoring the scowl. "You'll be fine."
He reaches into his pocket and pulls out his phone. Stefan attempts to grab it, but Damon is quick. A pouting baby brother enters one of his folders.
"You suck," Stefan mumbles.
Damon wraps an arm around him. "I know it's hard right now, buddy. But I promise you, it'll grow back."
Stefan rests his head on his brother's shoulder. "Not fast enough."
"It will, though, and you'll be back to your precious hero hair in no time." Damon rubs his back. "Go get on your shoes and I'll clean."
Stefan sulks as he leaves the room, his bunny still in his arms. Crow is quick to follow. Damon consults the photo. He'll have to take a better one later, perhaps when Stefan is more confident in his new 'do.