Warning: Ramble ahead. If you're new here, sorry, that's just kind of how I roll. If you're not, welcome back. Pull up a chair. You're all stuck with me now anyway.

So, the more I think about it, I am unsure how much more there is to say in my Defan verses. I am going to continue trying and if I get an idea or prompt here and there, I'll return! But as I don't want to stop writing about my boys, here we are.

Also, nearly a year ago, I made an attempt at "Damon raises Kid!Stefan" but could never fully develop it. Yet, I have many ideas for this one! I think it's easier because it's a much different AU vs. the other story was close to canon.

Important things to note: Our story begins in New York. Stefan and Damon were born in the 80s and 90s, rather than the 1800s. Damon is 11 years older than Stefan and not 7. I got this idea after watching that flashback where they decided it'd be totally fine to have Sawyer Bell with Ian, making them look like father and son. Stefan is 12 and Damon is 23 here. Their dynamic is similar to what we see pre-Katherine here, as there's no fallout. Giuseppe is the one who died first and not Lily, but she went onto marry Julian. Who we all know is basically just Giuseppe 2.0 as Lily has exactly one taste in men: assholes. That leads me to my point: please read the tags. They are your best friend, your soulmate, your tour guide. There is mentions of past child abuse and malnourishment. Stefan recovering from malnourishment and the abuse will be a theme throughout. Damon also does vampire things in this chapter. There isn't a ton of detail but just a fair warning.

Like my other series, this will mostly be a one shot series. I may go back and forth with the timeline here and there, showing flashbacks and flashforwards. Right now, I don't know how I'll handle Stefan becoming a vampire (if it ever gets to that point).

For now, though, I got this idea. It's not going to be explicitly agere. If you ever read my OTH one shot "Don't Grow Up Too Fast", it'll be similar to that in which Damon definitely babies his brother. Stefan, due to trauma, will act younger than 12 at points.

Anyway, let me know what you think. This is kind of something new for me. I've been going through a lot in my life and writing this has helped. I hope you all enjoy it!

As always, feel free to leave prompts or ask me questions! I am on Tumblr and love communicating on there, as well as in the comments!

Stefan would never say it out loud, but he wasn't entirely sad when Guiseppe died. He cried, of course. That was his dad. For better or worse, he was still a part of his life. And things weren't always so terrible. Until they were. Even at 10 years old, he was wise enough to know that he didn't get it nearly as worse as Damon. His big brother tried to hide a lot of it, but Stefan isn't dumb. Damon is naturally athletic. There were far too many "accidents" that didn't add up.

Alas, Stefan wasn't immune. One moment, his father praised him for being a smart, driven boy. He'd post his homework on the fridge. Brag to all his friends about how his genius son skipped a grade. But then Stefan would forget to put his toys away or get an attitude or even just breathe the wrong way. He was the one telling his teachers about his own " accidents". Looking back, he doubts they believed them any more than he did Damon's.

Giuseppe's death meant freedom. Peace. Lily was happier. She smiled more. Damon was off at college but even he seemed lighter. Stefan no longer dreaded going home after school.

Until his mother married Julian just 10 months later.

Julian spoke of 6 children he had, but Stefan only met them once. Lily tried to say their mother kept them from their father. It didn't take long for Stefan to figure out the truth. They were protected from Julian.

He wasn't so lucky.

The abuse began not long after he moved in. Stefan was helping with the boxes and dropped a heavier one. Something inside shattered. Julian smacked him across the face and sent him to his room without supper. When Stefan turned to his mother for comfort, she looked away and went about taking down all pictures of Giuseppe.

This time, Stefan was the one hiding things from his older brother. He told Damon he got hurt a lot playing football. After all, he was one of the smaller players. Damon always looked suspicious but Stefan stuck to his story. Julian always said if he told his brother the truth, he'd make sure he never saw him again. Damon was his safe place.

The weekends he got to spend at his apartment were the safest Stefan felt in a very long time. Damon would take him to the diner. They played football in the park. Stefan got help with his homework. Damon would let him feed his pet crow. They'd snuggle up and watch Disney movies that Lily and Julian deemed Stefan too old to watch.

"You're still a baby," Damon told him. "You can watch as many Disney movies as you wish."

Stefan knows he's not really a baby. But he's also not as old as Giuseppe, Julian and Lily have always made him try to feel. He's just barely a teenager. Damon is the only one who treats him remotely close to his age, even if he babies him sometimes.

But it's been 2 months without those visits. Julian took his phone for "talking back". He just wanted him to stop hitting him. It hurt too much and despite being hit his whole life, Stefan screamed "stop". In a moment of fear, he bit Julian.

His phone was smashed, the beating finished and he was locked in his room for the weekend. The only time the door opened was to give him some water and crackers once a day.

Things changed after that. Stefan heard Damon come by but Julian wouldn't let him in. There was always much arguing until Julian or Lily threatened to call the police. Summer came, meaning Stefan couldn't even ditch class to go find Damon at work.

He was sequestered to his bedroom most of the time, which was stripped little by little as Julian grew more aggravated with him. Nothing Stefan did was right. He'd be quiet, keep his head down. That was disrespectful. So, he'd talk but forget to say "sir" or "ma'am". Then his "tone" would come into question.

All the while, Lily either looked away or told Stefan to "mind your step-father".

Stefan was alone. Scared. At least with Giuseppe, he could turn to Damon. His protector has been ripped from him. Stefan cries himself to sleep most nights. He sits at his window and begs for his big brother back.

The bed is taken out of his room after he goes through a spell of wetting it. He's given a sleeping bag and told it's more than he deserves. All his toys, including his stuffed bunny, are taken out. His desk is removed. All that remains are a small garbage bag of clothes and the sleeping bag.

A month into the isolation, Damon stops visiting. He's abandoned Stefan. Grown tired of him. At least that's what Julian says.

Stefan's escape plans are thwarted each time. After the third, he's finally allowed to leave the house. Except it's to go to the ER. Once again, he lies and says he fell down the stairs. It's better than the truth that lies behind the broken arm. The nurse notes how skinny Stefan looks. Lily firmly yet sweetly explains he's getting over a bad stomach flu. The nurse looks doubtful but doesn't push further. Stefan keeps his head down. His tummy hurts even more.

Sleeping in a sleeping bag with a cast proves harder. Stefan can't even toss and turn without pain. Yet, he knows better than to ask for his bed back. He wouldn't be surprised if it's destroyed.

It's another night of tears, this combined with the pain that shoots up his arm as well as his bottom. Somehow, Julian found a reason to be angry enough to get the belt. Stefan's thin basketball shorts barely protected him enough.

He wonders if this is his penance for being happy about Giuseppems heart attack.

After finally falling asleep, he's awoken to a crash and a scream. Stefan pushes himself up a little, cradling his cast closer and trying to hide a yelp. He debates getting up but he's not allowed to leave his room until Julian or Lily tell him to.

There's another deep scream. Stefan curls up into himself as footsteps travel through the hall. His lip trembles. The doorknob shakes.

In the light of the moon, his savior in a black leather jacket and a tight gray t-shirt stands before him. Stefan's breathing shifts as his heartbeat picks up.

"Damon?"

A soft smile goes across Damon's lips. "Hello, little brother."

Stefan tries to jump up but yelps in pain. Damon rushes over and kneels in front of him. Stefan studies his worried face. There's blood smeared across his lips and some dripping down his chin. Stefan's brows furrow as the tears begin to fall.

"Did Julian hurt you?!"

Damon shakes his head, eyes not leaving the cast. "No, Stef. Julian didn't hurt me. And I've made sure he can never hurt you again."

Stefan tilts his head. Confusion mixes in with the relief and anxiety. Finally, Damon looks up. His blue eyes are full of protection and love.

"I'm only going to do this once," Damon whispers. "After that, I will never take away your free will."

Stefan frowns. "Day, what are you talking about?"

Stefan suddenly feels his eyes locked on his brother's. Damon keeps a deep grip on his shoulders.

"You are going to relax."

Stefan's breathing regulates. All his tense muscles fall back into place. "I'm going to relax."

Damon pats his shoulder, not moving his eyes. "Now, you are going to take a good long drink. You won't be afraid of me."

"I'd never be afraid of you," Stefan vows.

"You may one day. But today is not that day."

Damon bites into his wrist. Blood oozes down his arm. Stefan watches, unfazed. Damon holds the wrist to his mouth.

"Drink for me, baby brother."

Stefan nods and begins to take small sips of the blood. It's disgusting, with a copper aftertaste. And still, he doesn't stop. The bones in his body shift. The pain in his arm goes first, then that in his sore bottom. Stefan just smiles as he continues to drink.

Damon pulls away and wipes at his face with a tissue from his pocket.

"Yes, that's my good boy," he coos. "Now, this part is very important." Damon takes hold of his shoulders once again and their eyes lock. "Take a nap for me, Bunny Boy. When you wake up, all will be well."

Stefan nods, his eyes pulling close. He collapses against his big brother. Damon wraps his strong, protective arms around him.

The last thing he hears before sleep is Damon's soft voice.

"I'm going to keep you safe."


Stefan wakes up in Damon's bed. The sun pours through the cream colored curtains. He sits up against the comfy pillows and yawns, rubbing at his eyes. His arm no longer hurts. He looks down and realizes the ugly blue cast is gone. It doesn't even look like it was ever there. The only signs of abuse left are the haunting memories paired with the pains of a belly that's barely been fed in weeks.

The mattress feels heavenly and the blankets are warm. He moves his other arm a bit and realizes there's a familiar fabric tucked beneath it.

"Bunny," he whispers. "Where did you come from?"

Stefan looks around the room. This is definitely his brother's apartment. The room is smaller than his childhood one. Still, the walls are gray and all the bedding is black.

Stefan is safe.

For now, anyway. Stefan once asked if he could just live with his brother. Damon got a sad look on his face and explained it's not that easy. He'd have to get something called "custody". As long as Lily is alive, the odds of him getting it are slim.

Stefan will have to return to the house of horrors eventually. But for now, he's tucked safely into his big brother's bed. In new pajamas at that.

The door to the room squeaks open and Damon walks in. He's wearing fresh clothes. Stefan takes a look at him now that he can see his face in the morning light. By all accounts, he does look the same. Something is off, but Stefan can't place what.

Damon adjusts a ring around his finger as he walks further into the room. He smiles down at Stefan.

"Hey, bud. How ya feeling?"

Stefan hesitates. "Hungry."

Damon chuckles. "I bet. I made you pancakes. They're waiting in the kitchen."

Stefan looks down at the sheets. "Too comfy."

Damon chuckles. "I'll bring it in here." He starts to leave the room.

"Wait." Damon freezes. "What…what happened last night? Why doesn't my arm hurt anymore? Why were you bleeding?"

Damon is quiet for a few moments. Stefan stares at his arm. The doctor said it was going to be in a cast for at least a month before they could do surgery. Then it'd have to go back in while healing. It had only been a couple of weeks and there's no way he got surgery last night.

His brother stares at the wall with his shoulders square. Stefan thinks about his behind. The other times Julian whipped him with that thick, leather belt it hurt for days. The bruises usually took at least a week to subside. He hasn't checked but he's pretty sure they're gone. No way a night laying even in the comfiest bed would take that away.

Stefan's focus goes to his own brother's arms. They're bare beneath his fitted gray t-shirt. He climbs out of bed and walks over. Stefan gently flips over Damon's left arm and frowns.

"Where is it?"

Damon yanks his arm away, keeping his eyes on the wall. "Where's what?"

"You know what I'm talking about."

Stefan was only 6, but he remembers it clear as day. Over a disgusting cigar, Giuseppe reported that a sizeable amount of money was missing. He questioned both boys. At first Damon denied it but eventually admitted to the crime. Stefan still isn't convinced he actually did it. Damon had a job at the time. It was him who always told Stefan not to enter their father's study. He'll never understand why he admitted to it.

What matters is Giuseppe believed him. He took that cigar and burned Damon's forearm. The smell is forever etched in Stefan's memory, as is Damon's scream. His brother rarely cried. No matter how much he told Stefan it was okay to, he remained strong. Until that night.

The swelling went away but in its place was a scar that never faded.

Now, the skin is clear of any evidence of that horrible night.

"Damon." Stefan tugs on his sleeve. Damon yanks away again. "Damon! What the hell is going on?"

Damon inhales, then exhales through his nose.

"Sit down, little brother," he whispers. "I'm going to tell you something. I need you to trust me, because it's going to sound crazy."

Damon takes Stefan by the shoulder and leads him back to the bed. He gently pushes him so he's sitting down. Stefan looks up at his brother. Already, he feels smaller than he actually is. Damon always seems larger than life. He's taller than Lily and rivaled Giuseppe's height too. The pediatrician says there's a chance Stefan could be taller one day, but Stefan can't picture that. He honestly isn't sure what kind of future he has.

"So…" Damon runs his fingers through his hair. "You know Katherine?"

Stefan makes a face. "Did you finally dump her?"

"No." Damon sighs when Stefan's face doesn't change. "She's not that bad, Stef."

"She talks down to people. And she somehow gets you to do whatever she says."

"Yeah…I know." He clicks his tongue. "Well, I found out awhile back that she's a vampire."

Stefan snorts. "Right." Damon's face doesn't change. Stefan narrows his eyes. "Did you hit your head or something? Or did she truly somehow make you believe that?"

"It took me a long time to believe her. But she had proof."

"Well, maybe you can show me."

"She can't."

Stefan smirks. "Because she's lying."

Damon lets out a frustrated sigh. "She's dead, Stefan."

The smirk drops from his lips. He sees the pain in his older brother's eyes. Guilt settles into his aching stomach. Maybe he didn't like Katherine, but he certainly didn't want her dead.

"H…how?"

"Hunters."

"You were in the woods?"

"No. Vampire hunters."

Stefan's brows furrow. His brother's face tells him that he seriously believes this. It's not like when he told him that he didn't believe in Santa anymore. Damon tried with all his might to get the then 11-year-old to believe again. Stefan saw right through all the lies.

Surely, this can't be any different. So, why does Damon look so convinced?

Damon carries on without leaving his little brother time to question anything. "Before she died, she fed me her blood. But she wasn't the only one they killed that night. I died too."

Stefan shakes his head. No, now he knows his brother is being silly. "You're standing right in front of me, Damon."

"I know. I turned."

"Into what? A ghost?"

"No." Damon sighs again, shaking his head. "I really, really didn't want to do this. But I don't think you're going to believe me otherwise."

Before Stefan can ask what he means, Damon's eyes grow dark. Something black rises within his cheekbones. Stefan backs up a bit on the bed, his breath picking up. Damon's mouth opens wide, revealing his canines have grown sharper.

For a moment, Stefan doesn't see his big brother. He sees…a monster.

But just as quickly as this demon appears, his brother has returned. Stefan hugs his knees to his chest, whimpering. Before he can even blink, Damon sits beside him. He wraps a tight arm around his baby brother and kisses his cheek. Stefan knows he should pull away. Yet, there's something stronger about Damon. His grip is more protective than usual.

How can Stefan feel so safe with a monster?

Because this isn't just a monster. This is his big brother. His protector. Whoever he is and however he did it, he got Stefan out of that house last night. He made all the pain go away.

Stefan remembers all the times he fell and scraped his knee or elbow. Damon patched him up and kissed the wounded area. Stefan was convinced it made it all better.

Damon really made it better this time.

"How?" Stefan whispers.

"If you die with vampire blood in your system, you become one."

Stefan tilts his head. "Why did you have it in you?"

"I got hurt. Katherine fed me some of hers to heal it. Vampire blood can cure just about everything."

"That's how my arm got better? And my bottom?" Damon nods. "Oh." Fear creeps up in Stefan. "Am I one too?"

"No, no, no. I would never do that to you, ever," Damon's voice is quick yet firm. "I healed you, but you didn't die last night. I just made sure that you fell asleep so I could take care of some things."

Stefan nods. He should ask what things, but his mind is racing all over the place. "Is this why you haven't tried to come by the house?"

Damon bites his lip and nods. "I needed to make sure I was under control, Stef. This vampire stuff, it can be a lot. I needed to control my thirst for blood."

"You don't need it anymore?"

"No, no. I do. But, I don't feel like feeding off of every human I see." Damon pushes some of Stefan's hair out of his eyes. "And I would never, ever feed on you. Instead, there are other ways I can access it. Safer ways. Which is what I'm going to do to keep you safe."

"What do you mean?"

Damon nods. He pulls Stefan closer.

"Do you remember that house Dad and Mom used to take us too? The one down in Virginia?"

"Mystic Waterfall or something?"

"Mystic Falls," Damon gently corrects. "That place has been in our family for generations. Dad left it to me when he passed."

"Why not Mom?"

"I think it was his final way of having some control. God knows the man hated me, but it kept her from gaining access to a Salvatore's birthright."

"Why are you bringing this up?"

"Because that's where we're going." Stefan tilts his head. "We're going to move down there together. I found a school you can go to. It has a football team."

"Mom is going to let us go? I thought you said there was no way."

"I made it possible."

Stefan stares at him, even more confused than before. Everything is happening so fast. Last night, he was sleeping on the floor in so much pain that he could barely move. Now, he's sitting with his supposed vampire brother, being told they're leaving New York.

Damon bites his lip again. "Being a vampire comes with a lot of power. Including the ability to get people to do what you want. It's called compulsion. I used it on you last night to get you to drink my blood and not freak out." Stefan frowns. Damon pulls him closer. "That is the first and last time I will do that to you. You will always have free will with me, Stef. I just needed to heal you and I knew if you saw me trying to feed you my blood, you'd get scared."

Stefan pouts a little. "Nuh uh. I'm not a baby."

Damon shakes his head. "Sure. But, I was just trying to look out for you."

"You won't do it again?"

"Not to you." Damon taps his nose. "But I did do it to Mom. I convinced her to sign custody over to me. She isn't going to bother us ever again."

"It's that easy?"

"It's that easy. And because I have custody, I was able to pull you out of school and enroll you in Mystic Falls Junior High."

"What's junior high?"

"Just a fancy term for middle school." Damon waves it off.

"Okay, but what about Julian? I tried to run away so many times and he got mad." Stefan flinches at the memories. Damon rubs his back. "He said that I wasn't allowed to leave until he told me to."

Damon is quiet once again. He stares into space. Stefan pokes at his chin but that's ignored. It takes several minutes for Damon to speak up.

"I…I took care of him, Stef."

"How? Did you compel him too?"

Damon purses his lips. "I don't want to lie to you. No, I didn't compel him."

"So, what did you do? Call the police?"

Damon remains silent. Stefan stares at him for a moment. His brother's face is clean. Yet, for a split second, he can still see the blood that once resided there last night.

"Day…did you…"

He can't finish the thought. Damon has threatened to kick people's butts before. Back when Stefan had that stupid bully in third grade. Damon wanted to come down to the school and teach him a lesson. Lily talked him out of it, saying he's a grown man. There's no way he's fighting an 8-year-old kid.

Julian's in his early 40s. Much older than Damon. Lily never said anything about fighting him.

"You could go to jail," Stefan whispers.

Damon shakes his head. "There's nothing tying me to it. I took care of the body. When he's found, everyone will think it was an animal attack. If all goes according to plan, Lily will consider him missing this morning."

"You killed someone."

Damon gently grasps his chin. His blue eyes are wet now and full of protection. "He hurt you, Stefan. I'm sorry I didn't realize it sooner. I mean, I suspected. But then I asked around and found out you hadn't been seen for a while. Then someone mentioned they thought you broke your arm. I compelled a nurse to give me your records and…"

Damon trails off, shaking his head and clicking his tongue.

"I knew he was the one who did it," he whispers. "You told them you fell, but there was just no way. Then, I saw you through the window. All those bruises…that room…" He tightens his grip on Stefan. "He did that to you. He hurt my baby brother. I wasn't going to let him get away with that."

Stefan has heard the protective big brother speech before. This is different. There's a bit of darkness and edge to Damon's voice.

His brother killed someone for him. So easily too. He doesn't seem sorry.

Stefan isn't sure if he should be afraid or not. He's grateful. Damon got him out of that house of horrors. But at what price?

A part of it is comforting. Julian can't come after him anymore. Stefan is free from the beatings and broken bones. He's in Damon's care now.

In spite of all he's learned in the past 10 minutes, he knows one thing to be true. He trusts his big brother. Stefan knows that Damon would never hurt him the way he did Julian. He did it for Stefan.

His brother really loves him that much?

"I could've taken you," Damon continues. "Compelled him too, made him forget. But I couldn't risk something happening. Him finding a way to take you from me and possibly hurt you all over again. I just couldn't." He kisses the top of Stefan's head. "I failed you once. I won't do that again."

"You didn't fail me, Day," Stefan whispers.

"I never should've left you there. I should've figured out a way a long time ago. But now, I have one. And no one is ever going to hurt you again. I promise. I need you to trust me."

"I do."

Stefan isn't sure if he believes that entirely. He thought that Giuseppe's death would end his pain. Instead, his mother found someone that delivered it two-fold.

Yet, he also knows his brother will do his best.

"No more killing," Stefan's voice remains low. He hates how young it sounds. "Please."

Damon pauses. "I won't unless I absolutely have to."

It's not a promise. Stefan still respects it. At least Damon isn't lying.

"If all of this is taken care of, why do we have to move?"

"It's best if we just get out of here. Start fresh. Away from all these bad memories." Damon smiles a little. "You loved Mystic Falls. It's quieter with a big park. All that yummy southern food." Stefan's stomach aches harder. "We need to go somewhere, and there's no better place."

"Can we afford to?"

"I'm going to worry about money." Stefan frowns. "It's your focus on being a little kid."

"I'm not a little kid," Stefan mutters with an eye roll. "I'm 12."

"That's still very little. Nowhere near close to 23."

Stefan sticks out his tongue. Damon chuckles and ruffles his hair.

"We can talk more about it later. For now, I want to get some food in that belly. Your pancakes are probably cold, so I'll make you fresh ones."

"You don't have to…"

"No arguments." Damon taps his nose. "And I'll get you some other stuff too. I want to get you into the doctor."

"You healed me."

"Yes, but it doesn't change that you're malnourished. I want to make sure I'm feeding you properly. We may need to get you on a shake to help you gain that weight back." Stefan makes a face. "Not to worry, I'll take care of it."

Damon stands up and lifts Stefan into his arms. He cradles him close. Over the years, it's grown a little difficult to do given the younger brother's growth. Now, Damon does it with ease. Stefan has a feeling he'll be carried a lot more now.

"I love you, Stef," Damon whispers, tucking a strand of hair behind his ear.

Stefan leans up and kisses his cheek. "Love you too, Day." He pauses. "I really won't have to go back there."

"Never again," Damon vows. "Cross my heart and hope to…well, I can't finish that part. But you get what I mean."

Stefan snorts. He lays his head on his brother's neck and allows him to carry him to the kitchen.