The room was fading away as Stefan's head rested in Damon's legs. Their eyes met and suddenly peace had fallen. It was becoming a common occurrence now that they would lose themselves in each other. They were hundreds of years old yet they had rarely felt this before.

This was the love of family blended in with the love of lust. It was a mix that was wrong but oh so much more powerful than one by itself. Damon and Stefan knew that, they could see it, they could feel it whenever one was even just in close proximity to the other.

When Stefan sat up, Damon felt a stone in his stomach as he was being weighed down. Stefan, though, now sitting upright, turned to Damon a small smirk on his face. 'I don't care anymore.' He stated, his smile growing slightly wider- though he still looked minutely apprehensive.

'Me neither.' Damon smirked, staring down his brother. In a blink, their lips were against each other in a rough, passionate kiss. Stefan found himself below Damon, their lips parting for breath before colliding again.

The door was not locked and it was only by luck that no one walked in then. No one had walked in on the two brothers kissing, smiling too wide for this to be an accident. They had given in, if only just for a second.

When the pulled away, with no attempts to lean in again, they relaxed. They resumed their previous position, Stefan's head on Damon's lap, and wallowed in the overriding joy they were feeling. It wasn't often that either felt joy so in the few moments they managed to grasp it, they tried to never let it go.

But, they were vampires, and everything had to be let go sooner or later. It was all but destroyed when Damon spoke. It wasn't that the joy was sapped out, they simply had to go on with their lives now. They could go on with a smile on their face, at least, but they couldn't stop time- they could stay like that forever.

'Let's get out of here.' Damon smirked, brushing his raven hair from his face, revealing the icy blue eyes that Stefan loved so much. Stefan nodded and stood, helping Damon up with him. Their hands stayed clasp for another few seconds before they let go and approached the door.

'Wait, Stefan!' Damon hissed, coming to his brother. 'Your hair is a mess.' He laughed, as did Stefan, and began to run his fingers through Stefan's hair again, although this time, he was fixing it rather than tousling it.

Stefan returned the favour and they walked out together, the tension minimal between them. They snuck through corridors, out of the way of the main ballroom, to avoid the detection of the two girls they were to ditch at the party.

They laughed gently when they caught sight of Elena dragging a drunk Caroline through the house and to a bathroom but they never made the effort to help. From the room they were in, they had a clear sight of the ballroom. Couples danced gleefully and both of them wished they could dance with each other but they knew that was not possible. They were two men, vampires, and brothers at that- they would be abandoned by society in a second if even a single man found out.

Stefan paused, nostalgia hitting him like a brick. Damon looked back to comfort him but was hit with the exact same scene.

The snow was falling outside and the Salvatore Mansion was crowded. Both of the brothers were human and would be for a few years more. Stefan had looked up at Damon and told him his fears. Damon simply comforted him and wrapped him in a warm hug, warmer than any fire that had been lit.

That was what they did back then and it was accepted. They were the others rock and they relied on each other for everything.

The two boys then made their way to the ballroom where couples danced gleefully and both of them wished they could dance too but they were too young. They simply sat at the edge of the room and watched as the people danced as if they were professionals- the ways everyone danced in those days.

They glanced at each other and frowned, both standing up and leaving. They found themselves outside in the snow and they smiled, they were free if only for a few minutes.

Stefan watched as the sun shined outside and brought himself out of his thoughts, Damon imitating him. They looked at each other and frowned, both straightening their backs and leaving. They soon found themselves outside, basking in the sunlight that was denied to so many vampires.

They were free if only for a while. They didn't have responsibilities at the moment. All they had to do in that moment was to resist their primal urges, easy enough- until it came to each other. 'Damon, I still feel it. I need blood.' Stefan glanced around hopelessly but there were no animals near and he couldn't risk being seen.

'Get in the car.' Damon ordered and Stefan complied, he was too panicked to object. They both got into the car quickly and Damon held his wrist out. 'You won't make it on the way home and I'd rather you bite me willingly rather than unwillingly.' Stefan couldn't argue with his logic. It was Stefan's fault that he hadn't fed in days.

Still, Stefan shook his head. He couldn't ask Damon to do this. Not only would it be slightly painful but it was intimate for a vampire too. Damon glared viciously at his brother. 'I said drink. Ignore the guilt, Stefan. There is nothing to be guilty about.' Stefan nodded reluctantly and let his fangs extend before slowly piercing Damon's skin.

Damon's head rolled back as the ecstasy hit him and Stefan was hardly any better. Stefan found himself almost unable to stop as he drank the sweet blood of his brother but he pulled away with a slight effort at the point where a human would be dead.

'God, brother. You took a lot. This may be my baby,' he motioned to the car, 'but you are going to have to drive.' Stefan smirked, glad to see his brother was fine and ecstatic that he got to drive his brother's precious car.

They looked at each other one last time and for the first time in a long time, rather than guilt, Stefan felt happiness. 

word count: 1078

published: 27.02.17