Brothers' Talk

Disclaimer : The Vampire Diaries belongs to CWTV and L.J. Smith

It was a gloomy day in the boarding house. Everyone was busy with their own business, so no one came over. Stefan was in his room, trying to write something down on his diary and Damon was also in his room, doing God-knows-what. The brothers had been distant lately. Stefan knew it was maybe because of him being The Ripper, or because he had ruined Damon's plan on the Homecoming day. Maybe Damon was still mad at him and Stefan started to think that this awkward situation between them had been too far. Stefan sighed. He closed his diary and decided to give his brother a visit.

"Damon?" he called as he knocked on Damon's bedroom door.

No answer. Stefan couldn't even catch any sound from the room in front of him.

He was just going to give up and walk away when he suddenly heard footsteps. Then the door flew open, then followed by the voice of very annoyed Damon, "What?" Damon's head popped up from the space between the door and it's frame.

"Uh, do you have a minute?" Stefan asked, his hands in his jeans' pockets.

Damon raised his eyebrows, then his face turned serious. "No. I'm busy." (Meaning : " Go away, brother, I'm not in the mood of seeing your face.")

"Damon, wait! Um, well, I think we need to talk," Stefan put his hand on the door just to get ready before Damon slammed it to his face.

"Well, I don't," Damon countered.

"Come on, brother, just a sec," Stefan pleaded. It reminded him of a memory when they had been younger, when he had begged Damon to accompany him to ride the horse because their father wouldn't have let him go riding alone.

Damon let a heavy sigh. "Seriously? What do you want, Stefan?" he said as he finally fully opened the door, and leaned on the door frame, folding his hands on his chest.

"Uh, do you want to take a walk?"

The brothers finally went out of the boarding house. They walked in silence until Damon broke it. "What is it, Stef?" he asked.

Stefan sighed. "Um, well, I've been wondering…," he hesitantly started, "…if you're still mad at me."

Damon scoffed. "Seriously? You dragged me all along here just to ask me that?" Stefan didn't answer, his face facing the earth. Getting no answer, Damon grunted, "Fine. You want the answer? Yes, I am."

They stopped right after the words had come out from Damon's mouth.

"Then I'm sorry," Stefan said, finally raised his face, acting like a brave big boy now.

"Don't you even dare apologizing, Stefan," Damon glared at him. And the glare was enough to make Stefan know that Damon was serious. "Do you really know why I'm still mad at you, brother?"

Stefan somehow felt relieved when he heard Damon addressed him 'brother'. At least we're still brothers, he thought. Stefan sighed as his brain tried to find the reason, but there were too many of them that he didn't really sure which one. They started to walk again. "I know I fed on Elena…," Stefan looked down again.

"Oh, come on. We're past that! She's forgiven you anyway," Damon snapped. She always forgives you, he silently added.

There was a pause before Stefan stopped to face Damon and finally blurted out, "I know you're mad at me because I turned myself to Klaus, but I had no choice. I know you're mad at me because I screwed up at the Homecoming, but…"

"But it was to save me," Damon snapped. "I know. You did that all to save me."

The younger Salvatore didn't know what to say, so he let his brother continue.

"And that is why I'm still mad at you." Damon raised his hand and pointed at his brother. "I've told you. Stop saving me," he growled. Their faces were only inches away.

Damon turned away and started to leave.

"And how could I not save you, Damon? You're my brother!" Stefan almost yelled. "And why do you not want to be saved?"

Damon rolled his eyes. "Oh, you're one to talk, brother." The brothers now were facing each other.

"Why, Damon?"

"Because every time you try to save me, situation's getting worse for you!" Damon yelled.

Damon's reply had stunned him.

"You had to be Klaus' slave for the cure, then you already got your freedom, but you had to once again deal with Klaus for the exchange of my life. And those were not the first! 1864, brother, remember? You ended up in the same show when you tried to save me from that Gallagher circus and you ended up being a killer when you tried to save me from myself. I don't want you to take the consequences for me." Damon whispered the last sentence.

"But…"

"No more excuses, brother." Damon flung his hand carelessly and started to walk away. "We're done talking."

Stefan stood there for a while, staring at Damon's back, processing what his brother had just admitted. And he unintendedly smiled. "Damon, wait!" Stefan then jogged to catch up his brother.

In the end, he knew that his brother was no longer mad at him.