i dare you to move (like today never happened). | jeremy/tyler (vampire diaries).
pg. | future au. | almost 1k words. |
ao3.
Tyler lets out a rough laugh that's more out of nerves and fear, because suddenly he's not got hold of his own heart. "It was a goodbye kiss, Jere, it didn't mean anything. Just like...old friends saying goodbye again or something."
This is not how Tyler wanted to spend his Friday night, but even so, he sighs and leans forward against the steering wheel, his chin resting on his hands on the top of the wheel. There's no one on the road, given that it's three am and he's not on the highway. Not yet anyways. He has the high beams on, lighting up the entire road and that's really the only thing keeping him awake now. He gave up on the radio over thirty minutes ago.
His back starts to protest the hunch so he shifts and sits back once more, stretching himself out by pushing back into the seat. Rolling his neck, he fiddles with the controls until the ac kicks on low, another effort to keep himself awake.
He's beginning to think it's a lost cause though. Maybe he figured wrong and went in the wrong direction. It doesn't stop him from continuing to drive though, going way below the speed limit, but he hasn't passed anyone since he got out of the city.
Yawning heavily, Tyler shifts in his seat once more, trying to keep his limbs awake when he finally sees what he's looking for. Jeremy's back is to him as he walks but Tyler can't mistake the shoulders, the hoodie, or really any of it. He knows it's Jeremy.
He puts the passenger window down as he comes along side the other male, slowing down even more. "Jeremy!"
Jeremy doesn't even look in his direction, just keeps walking, and Tyler frowns. "Jeremy!"
He growls in frustration when he still doesn't get a response, looking to the road once before he ends up driving off it. "Jeremy! Dammit! Stop walking!" The only reaction this gets him is Jeremy's middle finger. He swears and resists the urge to slam his hand against the the steering wheel.
"Jere, please," he tries then, leaning more than halfway across the car to talk out the window to the other male, keeping an eye out on the road in case someone does happen to come along.
"Go back home, Tyler," Jeremy nearly growls the words and Tyler's frown deepens marginally as he shifts in his seat once more, shaking his head.
"I can't do that, Jere," he states slowly, not wanting to upset the other male even more.
"Oh really, why is that?"
"Cause you're not there." Tyler isn't ready for Jeremy to suddenly stop mid step but he doesn't let it deter him and pulls off the road in front of the other male. He gets out of the car slowly, wincing some at the stiffness of his legs but doesn't let it stop him as he walks back to Jeremy.
Confusion and hurt and anger roll off Jeremy in waves and Tyler can't stand the pressure of it all, especially knowing he caused it. "Jere, will you listen to me? Please?"
Jeremy's body slowly loses tension and he shoves his hand through his hair roughly before he nods, shoving his hands into the pockets of his worn out jeans.
"I'm not sure what you saw but -"
"I saw you hug her! You kissed her!"
Tyler winces some at the tone and shakes his head slowly. "Just...listen? Okay? You can yell all you want when I'm done, but hear me out?"
A ragged breath leaves Jeremy and he nods again.
"I didn't expect her to be there, but I had been meaning to talk to her anyways. So we talked and..."
"And what, Tyler? Hm? Couldn't resist?"
Tyler quiets him with a barely there glare. "I told her the truth."
"And what truth is that?"
"I told her that I had been in love with her once, but that was years ago. Okay, it was like three years ago, but it seems like longer. And I told her that I loved her, but as a friend or a sister, not as a girlfriend or anything more. I told her that I had changed a lot and that when she left, I moved on, like she had told me to. And I fell in love again and that I was happy. And..." Tyler trails off because he's sure he's said too much now and he's not sure what else to say, leaving himself shifting on his feet and not meeting Jeremy's eyes.
"And?"
It takes a minute, for him to pull himself together, for him to find the courage, but Tyler manages to lift his eyes to Jeremy's. "And I'm in love with you, Jere."
Jeremy drops his eyes now and it makes Tyler nervous so he messes with the hem of his t-shirt, waiting for something, anything from Jeremy, but the longer he's silent, the more nervous it makes Tyler.
"You still kissed her..."
Tyler lets out a rough laugh that's more out of nerves and fear, because suddenly he's not got hold of his own heart. "It was a goodbye kiss, Jere, it didn't mean anything. Just like...old friends saying goodbye again or something."
He watches as Jeremy purses his lips and this time, he's the one to shove his hand through his hair, wondering what's going on in the other males head. Tyler isn't sure how long they stand there, but suddenly Jeremy's eyes are on his, serious and dark.
"Do you really?"
Another laugh escapes Tyler, soft and shaky. "Yeah." He looks away, at the road, the trees, at anything that isn't Jeremy, until there's a warm hand on his jaw, turning his face. He meets Jeremy's eyes, unable to decipher all the emotion playing across the younger male's face and wonders vaguely how his own emotions are written out on his face.
"I'm in love with you, too, Ty."