[ There is a long moment where Stefan just looks at his brother. Does he need to say aloud what his suggestion would be?
Let him starve. Stefan thinks it would be agony and he thinks it might save Damon and Caroline a lot of trouble. But he knows that Damon won't accept that option. And he knows it's too much to put on Caroline's shoulders. And he knows that the option beyond all of this, where he walks into the sun, would take a toll on his brother that Stefan is unwilling to inflict.
It leaves him here, trapped, with his brother bleeding to keep him alive. Stefan almost takes a deep breath, before he thinks better of it. He doesn't need to do that to scent the blood in the air. ]
Nothing you'll want to hear.
[ is all Stefan says finally, at last, acknowledging what he knows his brother has already intuited. He won't propose any of it, but he won't let it pass. ]
You can't feed me forever.
[ This is a stop gap. They both know it. What happens after?
Stefan doesn't reach for the cup. Damon's palm is sticky with blood. The tangible signs of Damon's love, after all these years, after all they've inflicted on each other, it inflicts a very specific kind of agony. His brother, who Stefan had dragged headlong into this life. His brother, who had sworn to torture Stefan for eternity. His brother, who has opened up his own veins to persuade Stefan to survive. It's overwhelming, particularly with the knowledge of the stakes hanging over their head. ]
cw: the salvatores etc.
Let him starve. Stefan thinks it would be agony and he thinks it might save Damon and Caroline a lot of trouble. But he knows that Damon won't accept that option. And he knows it's too much to put on Caroline's shoulders. And he knows that the option beyond all of this, where he walks into the sun, would take a toll on his brother that Stefan is unwilling to inflict.
It leaves him here, trapped, with his brother bleeding to keep him alive. Stefan almost takes a deep breath, before he thinks better of it. He doesn't need to do that to scent the blood in the air. ]
Nothing you'll want to hear.
[ is all Stefan says finally, at last, acknowledging what he knows his brother has already intuited. He won't propose any of it, but he won't let it pass. ]
You can't feed me forever.
[ This is a stop gap. They both know it. What happens after?
Stefan doesn't reach for the cup. Damon's palm is sticky with blood. The tangible signs of Damon's love, after all these years, after all they've inflicted on each other, it inflicts a very specific kind of agony. His brother, who Stefan had dragged headlong into this life. His brother, who had sworn to torture Stefan for eternity. His brother, who has opened up his own veins to persuade Stefan to survive. It's overwhelming, particularly with the knowledge of the stakes hanging over their head. ]