Parker's Legacy | Damon Salvatore, Malachai Parker

17

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
FIN, DADDY

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STEFAN'S EYES FLICKERED open as the sound of muffled footsteps reached his sensitive ears, jolting him awake in the dead of night. His beating, undead heart pounded in his chest as he sat up in bed, straining to discern the source of the disturbance. With a furrowed brow, he slipped out from beneath the covers and slinked across the room, careful not to make a sound.

He carefully descended downstairs, the dim light of the boarding house seemed to swallow him whole, enveloping him in an eerie shroud. Each step echoed softly in the silence, sending slight shivers down his spine. Stefan's senses were on high alert, every creak of the floorboards magnified in the stillness of the night. He doesn't normally feel afraid but that doesn't stop him from feeling anxious.

Reaching the bottom of the somewhat never ending stairs, Stefan paused, his breath catching in his throat as he listened intently. There it was again — a faint rustling coming from the direction of the parlour. With a steady figure, he walked towards the parlour.

As Stefan stepped into the parlour, his eyes scanned the entirety of the room, searching for any sign of movement. A sense of foreboding washed over him, raising the hairs on the back of his neck. With cautious steps, he edged closer to the source of the noise — behind the couch with his senses on high alert.

Stefan approached the couch cautiously, only to be startled when Damon emerged from behind it, dressed in his typical sleeping attire — black tee and black pants, a faint smirk flashed across his annoying yet charming face.

"Shit, Damon!" Stefan cursed, glaring at his older brother.

Damon let out a husky chuckle, his eyes rolling to the back of his head. He clearly enjoyed making Stefan startled and annoyed. Proud brother moment. "Jeez, Stefan. Didn't know you can be so..." He paused, getting up from the ground whilst chuckling. "...apprehensive and a wuss."

"Call me that again and I'll rip your heart out," Stefan glared at his older brother, clearly already having Damon under his skin.

The older Salvatore only let out a huff. "Awww, adorable, Stefanie."

Taking a deep breath, Stefan ignored his older brother before asking the man who appeared from behind the couch what he was doing there. "What the hell are you even doing here this late a night?"

Damon shrugged nonchalantly. "Couldn't sleep," he replied, his tone casual. "Thought I'd grab a drink but my clumsiness made me drop a corkscrew."

The younger Salvatore nodded, his heartbeat slowly returning to normal. "Well, next time, try to be a bit quieter," he grunted, a hint of amusement in his voice and his arms crossed.

Damon rolled his eyes, but there was a hint of warmth in his gaze as he looked at his brother. "I'll keep that in mind," he said, before downing a glass.

"Why are you even drinking right now?" Stefan probed, eyeing the glass in Damon's hand.

"Drowning my sorrows."

"Is this associated with Henrique?"

Damon eyed his little brother for a few seconds before nodding, placing the glass down on the liquor table before proceeding to speak. "I'm worried about him. What did you do to him? I told you if he got hurt whatsoever, I will not let it go," he demanded, his voice laced with concern and a hint of protectiveness.