Touch (5/?)
Title: Touch (5/?)
Author: coquilleon
Pairing: Tyler/Jeremy
Based on: TV series
Spoilers: None
Disclaimers: I do not own The Vampire Diaries.
Tyler knows that he is handling this in one of the worst possible ways, but he really can't stop.
It's like his brain is on autopilot and the button to get it off said setting is jammed. Or just not there at all.
Even as Bri Lancaster is running her hand up his arm and over his shoulder in an attempt to seduce, his brain is urging no, no, no, but his lips are forming into an automatic, flirtatious smile. Not a genuine smile, but damn near. And the thing is, he doesn't want to be smiling at Bri, but this is what Tyler Lockwood does. He plays football, roughs around, and flirts with girls. He doesn't want to flirt with her, (even though she is smoking hot. Those legs...) but he has to keep up appearances. At least for now. Until he knows what the hell is going on for sure with him and his new... interests. The main of which is making his way over to where Tyler is, and not looking too happy.
It's a bright sunny day; the kind where the weather is perfect, not too warm and not chilly enough yet for heavy sweaters, and the school parking lot is full of people. Matt is sitting on top of the bench right behind Tyler, and he and Bonnie are laughing about something that Tyler can't make out. He's too focused on trying to convince himself to move his feet, or at least stop smiling, and saying encouraging things.
Bri flips her long blonde hair, and smiles slyly. Her hand moves down to rest on his stomach. He remembers right then that Bri Lancaster has been after him for awhile... but he's been avoiding her. The reason for which he can't …. quite... -
His eyes narrow slightly as he remembers suddenly. They'd hooked up before, and what had been a bit of drunken fun for him at a party had been a little more for her. He remembers that night clearly now. He'd gotten more than a little drunk (that night had been rough for him. He'd won the football game, but his father had still given him hell about a fumbled pass) and Bri had stumbled into his arms. Arms that Tyler didn't even know he had been holding out, but who was he to deny a hot, horny, drunk blonde. Their combined drunken clumsiness had resulted in them falling onto a couch. A couch that had held a few people, including a disgusted looking Jeremy Gilbert.
Fuck.
"...repeat performance?" Bri is purring into his ear when he emerges from his memories.
"Uh," Tyler's brain cannot catch up to her words, and her perfume is making his nose itch.
"Hey, man."
"Hey, Jere"
Jeremy nods his head at Matt and says hey to Bonnie. Tyler has to say something, he can't ignore him. They've been fine lately to everyone else, and they can't just go back to ignoring each other. That's the excuse he gives himself when his voice comes out with a very slightly needy undertone. He turns his head away from Bri's and finally, takes a step back. "Hey man."
Jeremy doesn't even look in his direction, but throws a "hey, Tyler" at him. He does it in a way that doesn't draw anyone's attention. He's scanning the parking lot, and it seems as if he's distracted instead of actually brushing Tyler off.
Fingers brush against his, and a thumb rubs over his knuckles. Bri is trying to get his attention again, but Tyler can't be bothered. He watches Jeremy look out into the field and then back to the parking lot. "You guys seen Elena?"
"Nah, why."
Jeremy looks back at Matt when he answers. "She has my key. She told me she'd meet me here after class."
"Well, she texted me, earlier" Bonnie says. "Her Physics class is running over, but that was ten minutes ago. She should be here soon."
Jeremy nods and looks down at his feet before looking out onto the football field again. Matt and Bonnie go back to whatever they were talking about (some fund raiser Caroline is going crazy over Tyler catches now) and Bri moves closer so her chest rubs against his. The movement causes him to tear his eyes away from Jeremy's profile
"So, how about it?"
"What?" Tyler really feels like pushing her away. His mind is fuzzy and he can't think straight because of it. But he has to keep up appearances. Right?
"Why don't we get out of here and go have some fun?" She says the last few words in a low voice, but Jeremy tenses anyway. Tyler can feel the anger radiating off of him.
"Uh-"
"Hey, Jere." Elena has apparently just gotten out of class, and she looks slightly out of breath. She must have sped walked over. "Sorry, about that. We got out late. Hey Bon, Matt." She rummages through her bag while she speaks. Matt and Bonnie say hello to both Elena and Stefan, who is standing behind her.
Stefan smiles at both of them and waits until they're not looking in his direction to affix his gaze on Tyler. He's not smiling anymore, and his eyes dart to Tyler's hand in Bri's.
Tyler jerks his hand out of Bri's, and she gives out an indignant sort of huff, but rallies quickly by moving even closer to him. And what in the hell perfume is that? He needs to sneeze.
Jeremy's jaw is tight as he waits for Elena to pull the key out of her purse. She blows her hair out of her face, and finally lifts a key chain out of her bag. "Thanks for letting me borrow it, I'm going to look for mine tonight when I get hom- Are you okay?"
Everyone looks at Jeremy now, except Stephan who's own eyes are still on Tyler. His expression is a cross between annoyance and slightly interested.
"Yeah, yeah. I'm fine. Just not feeling too well right now."
"Oh, well do you want me to drive you home?" She looks concerned.
Jeremy shakes his head.
"No that's okay. It's just a headache."
"I could take you home." Tyler doesn't realize he's the one who's blurted this out until everyone is looking at him. Bri lets out another indignant sound.
"I thought you were driving me home, Ty."
Elena, who hasn't really noticed Tyler until now, looks confused for a second before she takes in the whole image of Tyler and Bri standing so close together, along with the girl's exclamation. When she makes the connection her eyes narrow dangerously.
It occurs to Tyler, again, that he could have easily avoided this by just brushing Lancaster off. He doesn't know now why he didn't. He'd been avoiding her all this time anyway. If anything, it must seem more odd that he's giving her the time of day all of a sudden.
"No," Jeremy says a little too sharply. He snatches the key from Elena, who looks back up at him, and says through gritted teeth "I'll walk."
He brushes past Tyler and Bri, and Tyler watches as he walks off, those shoulders he loves so much tense under the thin T-shirt. He's almost hesitant to look back at his friends, but he does anyway. Well, first he looks down to see Bri looking annoyed. Looking up shows Matt and Bonnie looking confused, Elena looking murderous, and Stefan with his eyes closed, squeezing the bridge of his nose.
"Whaaat, was that all about?" Bonnie asks. She looks over at Elena who doesn't answer, but, is instead, still glaring. Matt is looking at him now too, but his head is tilted to the side and he looks curious. Tyler has time to think he hates that look on Matt's face, and always has because Matt is too fucking preceptive for his own damn good, before he hears Bri huff somewhere in the vicinity of his chest. They all watch her gather up her bag, mutter "whatever," and stalk off.
All eyes are back on him way too soon, and Tyler feels very uncomfortable.
"We need to go talk to him, Stefan." Finally, Elena isn't glaring at him anymore, but her voice is like steel.
She starts to walk off in the direction Jeremy has gone, before Stefan grabs her arm gently and says in a soothing voice, "Let him cool off first. You know how he is. He won't talk to either one of us right now."
Elena looks reluctant, but she nods anyway. She throws one last glare at Tyler, hands Stefan her car keys, and pushes past Tyler to head to the parking lot. Stefan's mouth twists up into a kind of pity filled smile, and he scratches under an eyebrow with a thumb as he goes to follow her.
Tyler feels helpless, Matt is still looking too fucking curious, and Bonnie still looks confused.
"So, I take it no one is going to explain?"
Fuck.
=..=..=..=..=
"There are a lot of people who are angry at you in here."
Tyler looks down at the wood of the Gilbert's front porch. Night had already fallen when he'd finally gotten up enough courage to come over here. He'd called Jeremy about twenty times, but after a while the calls just went straight to voicemail and, well, Tyler hates leaving messages.
He was relieved when Jenna was the one to answer the door, but now he feels like that was a foolish reaction to have. She doesn't look as angry as Elena or Jeremy did earlier, but she sure doesn't look happy to see him. What he'd give for one of her smiles right about now
"Yeah. I know."
She stays quiet and Tyler can hear the night crickets and someone moving around inside of the house. He looks up to see her scrutinizing him. He stuffs his hands into his pockets and rocks back and forth on the balls of his feet. He's never had to stand on a girl's doorstep to explain himself for something. Tyler's never really had a girlfriend, or anyone like that that he's really felt the need to explain himself to. He's not exactly sure how he feels about having somebody, a few somebodies actually (Elena has such judgy eyes), to have to justify his actions to who isn't his father. He doesn't know the right thing to do or say in this situation, so he just looks at one of the hanging lanterns, and figures he'll just walk away when the awkwardness becomes too much to bear, or Jenna gets tired of standing in the doorway and shuts him out.
He's staring at the stitching on one of the pillows in the chair next to his leg when he hears Jenna sigh and shift. She backs up and Tyler figures this is when he gets shut out, but he pauses in his turning away when she says, "Wait right here. I'd let you in, but Elena wants to kill you, and Stephan already made it clear he wouldn't step in."
She shuts the door quietly, and Tyler just blinks at the oak. When the doorknob starts to turn again a minute later, Tyler's heart jumps into his throat and he realizes belatedly that he didn't even consider what he was going to tell Jeremy when he finally saw him again. He should have left a voice message. He has no idea what-
"What do you want?" Jeremy is standing in the doorway looking down at him. He always forgets that Jeremy is slightly taller than him. Most of the time it doesn't make a difference, but right now Tyler feels mildly intimidated. Another feeling he's not used to.
Jeremy looks closed off and slightly annoyed. Probably because Tyler isn't saying anything, just staring into Jeremy's face like an idiot. But Tyler can't help it. He never thought there would ever be a day when he cared if Jeremy Gilbert's face was closed off to him or not. Maybe because this is the first time he's seen it like this. Jeremy's emotions are always so easily read, always so raw. If he's angry, depressed, happy, everyone knows. But he's never this carefully posed, face shuttered, arms crossed. Tyler's stomach slips a bit.
Jeremy rolls his eyes and moves to go back into the house, and Tyler blurts out, "No."
"What?"
"Don't go back inside."
Jeremy rolls his eyes again, but steps outside and shuts the door behind him.
There's that awkward silence again and Jeremy is getting irate, Tyler can tell.
"You came here to stand on my porch and waste my time?"
"No," Tyler says. "I came here to talk to you."
"Then talk."
Silence.
After two minutes of nothing, Jeremy scoffs and turns back around.
"I'm sorry."
Jeremy stops, but doesn't turn back around right away.
"I'm sorry, about today. I didn't... I wasn't thinking."
Jeremy turns to face him now. "You weren't?"
"No."
"So it was automatic for you to let Bri Lancaster" he says the name like its a disease (and it's kind of justified; the girl does have a reputation) "hang all over you?"
"Yes. What? I mean, no."
"But you weren't thinking." Jeremy's voice hasn't risen, but the hairs on Tyler's arms stand up like Jeremy has just shouted at him. "So, you were on automatic. You just assumed it was alright. You aren't tied to anyone."
"No, Jere-"
"It's alright. I get it." Jeremy is shaking his head, and Tyler's heart plummets.
"Get it? Get what?"
"That this," he gestures between the two of them, "was just a 'thing' that happened-"
Tyler feels angry suddenly. "A thing that happened? You think I," he lowers his voice, " fuck guys on a regular basis? You think I let dudes I barely even know out me at a dinner table every other Thursday night?"
Jeremy just shrugs and says blandly, "I don't know what you do, Tyler."
Tyler feels like throwing his hands up, but he satisfies himself by just raising his left hand to his ear to tug it briefly before lowering it back down. "Well, Jere, I'll tell you now, I don't. I've only done that stuff with you, let it happen because of you."
"And whatever we've done, or you've let happen, clearly can't stand up to Bri Lancaster." There's a certain something to Jeremy's voice that Tyler can't place right now due to his frustration. He might not have much experience arguing with women, but he doesn't have to. Not when he has Jeremy fucking Gilbert twisting his words around like this.
"What? No, Jeremy-" Tyler mimics Stephan from earlier and squeezes the bridge of his nose. He's trying not to blow up at Jeremy, but it's getting harder and harder not to. He actually wants to punch him. But they don't do that anymore. Right?
Tyler shakes his head and tries again. "I was just trying to act natural. You know we can't let anyone know, yet. We agreed. Unless you wanted Damon fucking Salvatore to go frolicking through Mystic Falls telling everyone, and you just pretended you didn't-"
"There are ways to act natural without letting girls hang all over you-"
"What the fuck, Jeremy! I wasn't going to do anythin-"
"You weren't?" Jeremy scoffs. "Thought you were giving her a ride home. How'd that go?"
Tyler feels like his head is about to explode. It's aching, and he doesn't want to argue anymore. The fight drains out of him suddenly, and he just shakes his head and looks off into the distance, unseeing. "I didn't take her home, Jere." They can hear the crickets again for a few minutes. "I won't do it again." Jeremy stays quiet, and Tyler's irritation spikes again. "I don't know what you want me to say."
Tyler turns away and stares off of the porch into the dark street. He hears Jeremy shift behind him, and let out a rush of air. "Yeah, well, neither do I."
Tyler doesn't move as he listens to Jeremy open the door again, and he still doesn't move for a few minutes after the door is shut.
Finally, he realizes that he doesn't know what he's waiting for, and doesn't look back when walks down the stairs to his car.
( Part Six)
Author: coquilleon
Pairing: Tyler/Jeremy
Based on: TV series
Spoilers: None
Disclaimers: I do not own The Vampire Diaries.
Tyler knows that he is handling this in one of the worst possible ways, but he really can't stop.
It's like his brain is on autopilot and the button to get it off said setting is jammed. Or just not there at all.
Even as Bri Lancaster is running her hand up his arm and over his shoulder in an attempt to seduce, his brain is urging no, no, no, but his lips are forming into an automatic, flirtatious smile. Not a genuine smile, but damn near. And the thing is, he doesn't want to be smiling at Bri, but this is what Tyler Lockwood does. He plays football, roughs around, and flirts with girls. He doesn't want to flirt with her, (even though she is smoking hot. Those legs...) but he has to keep up appearances. At least for now. Until he knows what the hell is going on for sure with him and his new... interests. The main of which is making his way over to where Tyler is, and not looking too happy.
It's a bright sunny day; the kind where the weather is perfect, not too warm and not chilly enough yet for heavy sweaters, and the school parking lot is full of people. Matt is sitting on top of the bench right behind Tyler, and he and Bonnie are laughing about something that Tyler can't make out. He's too focused on trying to convince himself to move his feet, or at least stop smiling, and saying encouraging things.
Bri flips her long blonde hair, and smiles slyly. Her hand moves down to rest on his stomach. He remembers right then that Bri Lancaster has been after him for awhile... but he's been avoiding her. The reason for which he can't …. quite... -
His eyes narrow slightly as he remembers suddenly. They'd hooked up before, and what had been a bit of drunken fun for him at a party had been a little more for her. He remembers that night clearly now. He'd gotten more than a little drunk (that night had been rough for him. He'd won the football game, but his father had still given him hell about a fumbled pass) and Bri had stumbled into his arms. Arms that Tyler didn't even know he had been holding out, but who was he to deny a hot, horny, drunk blonde. Their combined drunken clumsiness had resulted in them falling onto a couch. A couch that had held a few people, including a disgusted looking Jeremy Gilbert.
Fuck.
"...repeat performance?" Bri is purring into his ear when he emerges from his memories.
"Uh," Tyler's brain cannot catch up to her words, and her perfume is making his nose itch.
"Hey, man."
"Hey, Jere"
Jeremy nods his head at Matt and says hey to Bonnie. Tyler has to say something, he can't ignore him. They've been fine lately to everyone else, and they can't just go back to ignoring each other. That's the excuse he gives himself when his voice comes out with a very slightly needy undertone. He turns his head away from Bri's and finally, takes a step back. "Hey man."
Jeremy doesn't even look in his direction, but throws a "hey, Tyler" at him. He does it in a way that doesn't draw anyone's attention. He's scanning the parking lot, and it seems as if he's distracted instead of actually brushing Tyler off.
Fingers brush against his, and a thumb rubs over his knuckles. Bri is trying to get his attention again, but Tyler can't be bothered. He watches Jeremy look out into the field and then back to the parking lot. "You guys seen Elena?"
"Nah, why."
Jeremy looks back at Matt when he answers. "She has my key. She told me she'd meet me here after class."
"Well, she texted me, earlier" Bonnie says. "Her Physics class is running over, but that was ten minutes ago. She should be here soon."
Jeremy nods and looks down at his feet before looking out onto the football field again. Matt and Bonnie go back to whatever they were talking about (some fund raiser Caroline is going crazy over Tyler catches now) and Bri moves closer so her chest rubs against his. The movement causes him to tear his eyes away from Jeremy's profile
"So, how about it?"
"What?" Tyler really feels like pushing her away. His mind is fuzzy and he can't think straight because of it. But he has to keep up appearances. Right?
"Why don't we get out of here and go have some fun?" She says the last few words in a low voice, but Jeremy tenses anyway. Tyler can feel the anger radiating off of him.
"Uh-"
"Hey, Jere." Elena has apparently just gotten out of class, and she looks slightly out of breath. She must have sped walked over. "Sorry, about that. We got out late. Hey Bon, Matt." She rummages through her bag while she speaks. Matt and Bonnie say hello to both Elena and Stefan, who is standing behind her.
Stefan smiles at both of them and waits until they're not looking in his direction to affix his gaze on Tyler. He's not smiling anymore, and his eyes dart to Tyler's hand in Bri's.
Tyler jerks his hand out of Bri's, and she gives out an indignant sort of huff, but rallies quickly by moving even closer to him. And what in the hell perfume is that? He needs to sneeze.
Jeremy's jaw is tight as he waits for Elena to pull the key out of her purse. She blows her hair out of her face, and finally lifts a key chain out of her bag. "Thanks for letting me borrow it, I'm going to look for mine tonight when I get hom- Are you okay?"
Everyone looks at Jeremy now, except Stephan who's own eyes are still on Tyler. His expression is a cross between annoyance and slightly interested.
"Yeah, yeah. I'm fine. Just not feeling too well right now."
"Oh, well do you want me to drive you home?" She looks concerned.
Jeremy shakes his head.
"No that's okay. It's just a headache."
"I could take you home." Tyler doesn't realize he's the one who's blurted this out until everyone is looking at him. Bri lets out another indignant sound.
"I thought you were driving me home, Ty."
Elena, who hasn't really noticed Tyler until now, looks confused for a second before she takes in the whole image of Tyler and Bri standing so close together, along with the girl's exclamation. When she makes the connection her eyes narrow dangerously.
It occurs to Tyler, again, that he could have easily avoided this by just brushing Lancaster off. He doesn't know now why he didn't. He'd been avoiding her all this time anyway. If anything, it must seem more odd that he's giving her the time of day all of a sudden.
"No," Jeremy says a little too sharply. He snatches the key from Elena, who looks back up at him, and says through gritted teeth "I'll walk."
He brushes past Tyler and Bri, and Tyler watches as he walks off, those shoulders he loves so much tense under the thin T-shirt. He's almost hesitant to look back at his friends, but he does anyway. Well, first he looks down to see Bri looking annoyed. Looking up shows Matt and Bonnie looking confused, Elena looking murderous, and Stefan with his eyes closed, squeezing the bridge of his nose.
"Whaaat, was that all about?" Bonnie asks. She looks over at Elena who doesn't answer, but, is instead, still glaring. Matt is looking at him now too, but his head is tilted to the side and he looks curious. Tyler has time to think he hates that look on Matt's face, and always has because Matt is too fucking preceptive for his own damn good, before he hears Bri huff somewhere in the vicinity of his chest. They all watch her gather up her bag, mutter "whatever," and stalk off.
All eyes are back on him way too soon, and Tyler feels very uncomfortable.
"We need to go talk to him, Stefan." Finally, Elena isn't glaring at him anymore, but her voice is like steel.
She starts to walk off in the direction Jeremy has gone, before Stefan grabs her arm gently and says in a soothing voice, "Let him cool off first. You know how he is. He won't talk to either one of us right now."
Elena looks reluctant, but she nods anyway. She throws one last glare at Tyler, hands Stefan her car keys, and pushes past Tyler to head to the parking lot. Stefan's mouth twists up into a kind of pity filled smile, and he scratches under an eyebrow with a thumb as he goes to follow her.
Tyler feels helpless, Matt is still looking too fucking curious, and Bonnie still looks confused.
"So, I take it no one is going to explain?"
Fuck.
=..=..=..=..=
"There are a lot of people who are angry at you in here."
Tyler looks down at the wood of the Gilbert's front porch. Night had already fallen when he'd finally gotten up enough courage to come over here. He'd called Jeremy about twenty times, but after a while the calls just went straight to voicemail and, well, Tyler hates leaving messages.
He was relieved when Jenna was the one to answer the door, but now he feels like that was a foolish reaction to have. She doesn't look as angry as Elena or Jeremy did earlier, but she sure doesn't look happy to see him. What he'd give for one of her smiles right about now
"Yeah. I know."
She stays quiet and Tyler can hear the night crickets and someone moving around inside of the house. He looks up to see her scrutinizing him. He stuffs his hands into his pockets and rocks back and forth on the balls of his feet. He's never had to stand on a girl's doorstep to explain himself for something. Tyler's never really had a girlfriend, or anyone like that that he's really felt the need to explain himself to. He's not exactly sure how he feels about having somebody, a few somebodies actually (Elena has such judgy eyes), to have to justify his actions to who isn't his father. He doesn't know the right thing to do or say in this situation, so he just looks at one of the hanging lanterns, and figures he'll just walk away when the awkwardness becomes too much to bear, or Jenna gets tired of standing in the doorway and shuts him out.
He's staring at the stitching on one of the pillows in the chair next to his leg when he hears Jenna sigh and shift. She backs up and Tyler figures this is when he gets shut out, but he pauses in his turning away when she says, "Wait right here. I'd let you in, but Elena wants to kill you, and Stephan already made it clear he wouldn't step in."
She shuts the door quietly, and Tyler just blinks at the oak. When the doorknob starts to turn again a minute later, Tyler's heart jumps into his throat and he realizes belatedly that he didn't even consider what he was going to tell Jeremy when he finally saw him again. He should have left a voice message. He has no idea what-
"What do you want?" Jeremy is standing in the doorway looking down at him. He always forgets that Jeremy is slightly taller than him. Most of the time it doesn't make a difference, but right now Tyler feels mildly intimidated. Another feeling he's not used to.
Jeremy looks closed off and slightly annoyed. Probably because Tyler isn't saying anything, just staring into Jeremy's face like an idiot. But Tyler can't help it. He never thought there would ever be a day when he cared if Jeremy Gilbert's face was closed off to him or not. Maybe because this is the first time he's seen it like this. Jeremy's emotions are always so easily read, always so raw. If he's angry, depressed, happy, everyone knows. But he's never this carefully posed, face shuttered, arms crossed. Tyler's stomach slips a bit.
Jeremy rolls his eyes and moves to go back into the house, and Tyler blurts out, "No."
"What?"
"Don't go back inside."
Jeremy rolls his eyes again, but steps outside and shuts the door behind him.
There's that awkward silence again and Jeremy is getting irate, Tyler can tell.
"You came here to stand on my porch and waste my time?"
"No," Tyler says. "I came here to talk to you."
"Then talk."
Silence.
After two minutes of nothing, Jeremy scoffs and turns back around.
"I'm sorry."
Jeremy stops, but doesn't turn back around right away.
"I'm sorry, about today. I didn't... I wasn't thinking."
Jeremy turns to face him now. "You weren't?"
"No."
"So it was automatic for you to let Bri Lancaster" he says the name like its a disease (and it's kind of justified; the girl does have a reputation) "hang all over you?"
"Yes. What? I mean, no."
"But you weren't thinking." Jeremy's voice hasn't risen, but the hairs on Tyler's arms stand up like Jeremy has just shouted at him. "So, you were on automatic. You just assumed it was alright. You aren't tied to anyone."
"No, Jere-"
"It's alright. I get it." Jeremy is shaking his head, and Tyler's heart plummets.
"Get it? Get what?"
"That this," he gestures between the two of them, "was just a 'thing' that happened-"
Tyler feels angry suddenly. "A thing that happened? You think I," he lowers his voice, " fuck guys on a regular basis? You think I let dudes I barely even know out me at a dinner table every other Thursday night?"
Jeremy just shrugs and says blandly, "I don't know what you do, Tyler."
Tyler feels like throwing his hands up, but he satisfies himself by just raising his left hand to his ear to tug it briefly before lowering it back down. "Well, Jere, I'll tell you now, I don't. I've only done that stuff with you, let it happen because of you."
"And whatever we've done, or you've let happen, clearly can't stand up to Bri Lancaster." There's a certain something to Jeremy's voice that Tyler can't place right now due to his frustration. He might not have much experience arguing with women, but he doesn't have to. Not when he has Jeremy fucking Gilbert twisting his words around like this.
"What? No, Jeremy-" Tyler mimics Stephan from earlier and squeezes the bridge of his nose. He's trying not to blow up at Jeremy, but it's getting harder and harder not to. He actually wants to punch him. But they don't do that anymore. Right?
Tyler shakes his head and tries again. "I was just trying to act natural. You know we can't let anyone know, yet. We agreed. Unless you wanted Damon fucking Salvatore to go frolicking through Mystic Falls telling everyone, and you just pretended you didn't-"
"There are ways to act natural without letting girls hang all over you-"
"What the fuck, Jeremy! I wasn't going to do anythin-"
"You weren't?" Jeremy scoffs. "Thought you were giving her a ride home. How'd that go?"
Tyler feels like his head is about to explode. It's aching, and he doesn't want to argue anymore. The fight drains out of him suddenly, and he just shakes his head and looks off into the distance, unseeing. "I didn't take her home, Jere." They can hear the crickets again for a few minutes. "I won't do it again." Jeremy stays quiet, and Tyler's irritation spikes again. "I don't know what you want me to say."
Tyler turns away and stares off of the porch into the dark street. He hears Jeremy shift behind him, and let out a rush of air. "Yeah, well, neither do I."
Tyler doesn't move as he listens to Jeremy open the door again, and he still doesn't move for a few minutes after the door is shut.
Finally, he realizes that he doesn't know what he's waiting for, and doesn't look back when walks down the stairs to his car.
( Part Six)