Bad Dad- Damon & Stefan

Damon and I were making our way through the forest, playfully shoving each other. It was a bit chilly out tonight, but there was still that breeze of warmth swirling around our heads. "I'm guessing that Dad's drinking himself half-to-death again." I said, slowly shaking my head in part amusement and part shame. I could hear the leaves crunching beneath our feet.
All of a sudden, shots were coming from the west. It alarmed me, but there were also many townspeople that hunted in these woods. "Those dang hunters." I said, mostly to myself.
I stopped dead in my tracks when I heard the shots coming closer.

He stopped and listened. "Hunters are getting closer. I suggest we run back Steffy. Don't wanted to be skewered now do we?" He smiled patting his brother on the chest. "Last one back loves Mrs Henderson." He laughed taking a head start. He could out run his brother any day. His army training had made him more fitter and stronger.

He stopped at the white fence surrounding their house and waited for Stefan to catch up as he got his breath back. "So who loves Mrs Henderson little brother?" He laughed taking in a deep breath to calm his breathing. Just then the door opened to reveal their father. "Stefan a word?" He asked before looking at Damon. "Make yourself useful boy. Help Joe out in the gardens!" He said, the only acknowledgement he ever received.

"Yes sir!" He said through gritted teeth as he gave Stefan a look. He'd always favoured his little brother over him.

Father had summoned me into the house. I silently agreed, walked into the large home and sat in one of the chairs in the den. Father had obviously been drinking, there were empty alcohol bottles everywhere, and his speech was slightly slurred, only us sons could ever notice. He narrowed his eyes slightly before he started his whole, "The family's future depends on you now..." lecture that always kept me rolling my eyes. But then, a sudden change in the lecture made me jump slightly. He started questioning me about my involvement with Katherine. I could only agree to certain questions, the rest I had no idea about. My father was talking nonsense now, saying that I should stay away from her because she's trouble. Snore... Fifteen minutes later, the lecture was done and he was now standing directly in front of me. He firmly pressed one hand on my shoulder and stared deeply into my green orbs, "I trust you, Stefan." Snore.
I got up directly after my father left, half-asleep and bored out of my mind. I made my way over to Joe's to look for Damon.

Stupid father and his stupid hatred. He thought as he stabbed the shovel into the ground. It was roasting outside in this weather and not even a week had passed since his return before his father had ordered him to work. Joe was okay, he always gave him the better jobs. He took pity on Damon since he always got neglected now their mother had died. But that wasn't the point. Everyone else that came back from war was praised like a hero. Him? He was treated no different to how he was before he left.

He sighed and stamped on the shovel sending it deeper into the earth before stopping ti wipe sweat off his forehead.

I cursed myself when I came to the small hill, my legs were already dead tired from the walk. I bit my bottom lip as I forced my legs to take the painful walk up the hill. I couldn't believe that I had actually made my way to where Joe and Damon were, but somehow I did make it. As I walked up, my eyes fell up on Damon digging. I could tell that he was mad, so I walked over to the tool shed and picked up a shovel. Then, I proceeded to where Damon and started to dig, not a word spoken.

He didn't even bother to look up as Stefan joined him. He knew he was there, he heard him coming up behind him. Together they worked in silent as the day grew darker and slowly turned to night. As the darkness surrounded him the silence finally got the better of him. He picked up his shovel and threw it as far as he could across the garden.

"What did father want?" He asked wiping the sweat off his brow with his sleeve. "Finally told you he's taking me off the will has he?" He asked turning away to walk up the hill.

I threw my shovel where Damon had thrown his and looked into his blue eyes, "No, it was weird actually." I paused, thinking about the words Father had spoken, "He started off with his, 'the future depends on you' bullshit, then went straight to talking about Katherine." I slowly sat down on the dirt pile that I had made, not really caring about my clothing. I stared at a speck of dirt on my pants.

He stopped and turned to look at his brother. "What did he say? What did he say about Katherine?" He asked shaking his brother by the shoulder. He couldn't know could he? No Katherine was safe, she had to be. "Stefan! What did he say?" He asked the panic clear in his voice. He needed his brother to sense his urgency and there was no point in concealing his emotions now. He wanted him to see it. It was important that he did.

My eyes widened as his grip on my shoulders increased, "Damon, calm down." I paused for him to get a grip on himself. "He said something about staying away from her because she's nothing but trouble." I shook my head seeing the conflict in Damon's eyes, "You and I both know that he was most likely drunk and looking for excuses for us to stay and be his slaves." There was a heat growing in my chest, thinking of the reasons why father would want us to stay away from her, none of them were positive.