A little oneshot on Damon and Stefan, taking place right after the episode in season 2 where Elena breaks up with Stefan. Not sure if it could be canon, but well…

Brother.

"Are you OK?"

"Like you care…" The words hit him hard, even though he knew his brother had all the rights to say it right now. He had been an idiot, and this could just be his fault.

"I do, OK?" Damon said. "I do care."

Stefan turned himself around, his face angered, but mostly hurt. He did show it. He could show it without being ashamed or something, he could just… do it. "Of course you care. Now that she has broken up with me, you think you might stand a chance." Stefan pushed him aside and walked out of the room, taking the whole bottle of whisky with him.

Damon smiled, sadly. Some time, Stefan could have been right. Perhaps. A few days ago, actually. He would have loved to see them break up. Yet right now, he did care. Not necessarily for him, but also for her. She loved Stefan. She had made that very clear. Now she was unhappy, which made him unhappy, because he had to be that stupid. He didn't like to see Elena sad. He liked to see her smile. And it didn't matter to him who made her smile. Well, yes, of course it did matter. But rather Stefan making her smile than no-one making her smile. And he himself couldn't make her smile.

He sighed, and laid down on the couch. He didn't know what he was going to do. When he came to this town, he had a purpose. Destroying Stefan's life. Destroying him and Elena. And now they had been destroyed, without him actually wanting it. He was such a failure.

"I'm sorry," a voice said from the opening of the door. Stefan, of course. Who else?

Damon smiled a not very happy smile. "You look terrible. Sit down," he said, and he sat straight himself. Stefan sat down next to him, placing the bottle on the table. Or, at least he tried, but missed that table and spilled it all over the carpet. Neither of them even cared to pick it up.

"I'm sorry…" Stefan repeated. "I… I didn't mean what I said."

"Yes, you did," Damon replied. "Doesn't matter."

Stefan sighed. "I just… I thought that…"

"You two are going to be fine, Stefan."

Stefan gave him a puzzling look. "Why… why would you say that?"

"Because you two are… You're, like, made for each other. That perfect cute little way you guys look when you're dancing, or the way you exchange this longing love gazes… It's true, and it's not simply going to end because Katherine wants it to. That's not going to happen."

Damon could see Stefan laugh silently. "I thought that you…"

"You're my brother, Stef. And you're right. I love Elena. And I want her to be happy."

"Damon…"

"Even if that's not with me." Damon looked away and picked up the bottle, drinking the last bit of whisky that was left in it.

Stefan put his hand on his brother's shoulder. "Thank you."

"Did the pep-talk work?" Damon asked, smiling.
Stefan smiled too. "Yes. Yes, it did."

"Then my work here is done," Damon said, and he stood up, ready to leave the room.

"I'm sorry, Damon," Stefan said, just before he brother left the room.

Damon turned to him. "Enough with the sorry, it's not needed."

"I'm sorry that she doesn't love you."

Damon smiled. "Thank you too… brother." That was the only sorry he cared about. The only sorry he had for himself. The sorry that made him know that, even if neither Katherine or Elena loved him, his brother did. Even after all he had actually willingly destroyed, he hadn't lost everything. Never really.