Author's Note: Hi…so this is my first Jyler story. I love them, and am obsessed with the idea of them as a couple and I wanted to try my hand at a Jyler Fanfic/slash sort of romance thing. Let me know what you think!

Disclaimer: I don't own the Vampire Diaries. I don't own the characters.

Enjoy!

I'm Sorry I Didn't Say it Sooner

"Jeremy, you're a fool...why would he want you?" Damon inquired, giving Jeremy an intimidating look, as he took a couple steps toward the boy, who looked like he either was going to run or pass out.

"I…uhm I-"Jeremy stuttered in response, getting more nervous as Damon got closer.

"Exactly you don't know. Why…because you're nothing to him, nothing but a bed-warmer, a quick fuck, his bitch."

"Damon, stop it!" Elena yelled, standing up from the couch, getting defensive as Damon taunted her brother.

"Why? He needs to know that Lockwood is playing him for a fool. Or do you all enjoy watching wolf-boy get off on using little Gilbert."

"Why do you even care Damon? That is so unlike you." Bonnie said, as she regarded Damon with a skeptical expression.

"He has a point." Caroline piped up from her place on the couch, eyes darting around the room nervously, like she hadn't meant for that thought to come out of her mouth.

They all round on Caroline, looking at her incredulously as she voices her opinion on the matter.

"What!" Elena spits, glaring daggers at her friend.

"Damon is sort of right…I mean, Tyler has a thing for using people for sex. He is all into hook-ups and fucking, anything that doesn't require feelings." Putting her hands up in defense, as she sides with Damon, her friends looking at her viciously, hardly believing what they had heard.

"N-no he's…h-he's… d-different…" Jeremy whispers, voice trembling as Elena comes up to her brother, placing a gentle comforting hand on his arm, as he stares at the floor. He is shaking visibly, having no choice but to listen to the bile his friends are spewing about Tyler-the Tyler he's been spending every waking moment with the last few months. The Tyler he had been dating in secret up until a couple weeks ago when they came out to their friends. The Tyler who had his heart, he thought he was in love with, but now he was questioning everything. Would Tyler really only keep him around all this time because he was a good lay? Why would he have stayed every night, or held him in his arms…or whispered sweet nothings in his ear while he gently stroked his hair when he was upset about something? It didn't make sense; the Tyler he had been dating wouldn't do this, not after everything. He just wouldn't…would he?

"Exactly," Damon shouts, throwing his hands up in exasperation, wondering why the rest of the group isn't seeing what he's seeing. Damon doesn't care per-say but he doesn't necessarily want Elena's little brother to be another notch on Lockwood's bedpost. Jeremy was a kid, a good kid, and he doesn't deserve the inevitable treatment he'll get from 'dating' the moody werewolf. "He doesn't care about you Jeremy and you are an idiot to think he does. Tyler doesn't love, and he doesn't feel, he fucks. Everyone knows that's all he's after, you just happen to be his latest conquest. Just another poor bastard who he has managed to woo with his charms—I get, he's hot and strong, and hormonally crazed, but that's all it is to him…hormones."

"Damon! That's enough!" Elena yells, wrapping a protective arm around her brother, who flinches away as though the touch burnt his skin. "No Elena…he's…uhm he's right." Jeremy mutters voice thick with tears. "Jeremy, no he's not! Tyler cares about you… don't let Damon's bad attitude make you believe any different."

"Yeah Jere. I've never seen Tyler as happy as he is with you," Matt's says, attempting to comfort the still shaking teen.

"Guys, it's fine." Jeremy huffs, eyes still downcast as he shakes his head against the vicious thoughts that are swirling around up there, trying to keep the tears at bay that were threatening to spill over. "I was just a fling, I should have expected that…I mean its Tyler, he's a dick."

"Whoa, a dick!" Jeremy's head snaps up at the oh-so familiar voice, blinking quickly to try and get rid of the water in his eyes, turning slightly so Tyler won't notice right away. Everyone whips around at hearing Tyler's voice, not having heard him come inside. "That's not something I've heard from you in a while Jere—hey wha…baby what's wrong? You been crying?" Tyler comes rushing into the room, stopping in front of Jeremy, reaching out to him, in an attempt to gather him protectively in his arms, he's shocked by what happens though. Jeremy recoils from him, backing up frantically, hitting his back against the kitchen counter, looking at him with eyes filled to brim with heart wrenching pain.

"Jere, what…" Tyler wonders what the hell is happening, but he doesn't really know what to do, he's shocked into silence by how Jeremy reacted to him, as if his touch would burn, or Tyler had some sort of disease that he didn't want to catch. It was extremely unsettling, and what made it worse was that he wouldn't look at him either, for a split second he saw pure pain and agony, that he couldn't help but feel like he had caused…and now Jeremy wouldn't meet his eyes.

"I just, I-I uhm…just don't come near me o-okay…"

"Jeremy what's going on? Did I do something—Baby talk to me…I'll-I'll fix it, I promise."

"Is this what you were hoping to accomplish you jack-ass?" Elena rounded on Damon, spitting venom at him with her words.

"What the fuck is going on?" Tyler angrily questioned, turning slightly to face the others, still keeping Jeremy in sight.

"Go ahead Damon. Tell him what you did." Elena growled crossing her arms as she glares at Damon, who was clearly enjoying this situation, loving the destruction he caused.

"Damon what the hell did you do?!" Tyler yelled, struggling to stay calm, blood beginning to boil as he considers all the things Damon could have done to Jeremy.

"Oh nothing really, just filled your beau in on the obvious." Damon uttered feigning innocence, waving a hand lightly as if to brush away his comment.

"What. Did. You. Do." Tyler spat through gritted teeth, clenching his fists at his sides.

"I told him, that you're just using him for sex—that is your thing isn't it?" Damon explained as if it's the most obvious thing in world, rolling his eyes dramatically at Tyler reaction.

"What!" Tyler yelled back, beyond furious at this point, eyes flashing gold quickly, as his breathing became heavier. He hears a small whimper from behind him, turning to see Jeremy wrapping his arms around himself, bowing his head further as a violent shiver wracks his entire body.

"Oh and, that he's a fool for thinking you cared about him, he's a fuck buddy, and he must be good if you've kept him around for this long—You're a werewolf Tyler—you're an extremely primal being, you're excessively hormonal, and as a result you're horny as hell. I get it, and it's perfectly fine, but you should've at least had the decency to warn a certain someone…" Damon cocks his head towards Jeremy before continuing his tirade in a very sarcastic tone. "Because I believe he was under the impression that you actually cared-and dare I say liked him." Damon finished with a devilish smirk, eyes shining triumphantly, absolutely loving that he was able to wreak so much havoc, especially for the werewolf.

Tyler was livid, he couldn't believe this was happening, and worse Jeremy probably believed it. He had to, because Damon wasn't exactly wrong about him. He never did relationships before Jeremy, and if he did they were always more about sex than anything else—Jeremy had managed to change just about everything about him.

He turns fully back to Jeremy, who is still shaking, taking a small hesitant step forward towards the younger boy, wanting more than anything to comfort him, and kiss away his pain, but thinking better of it-knowing the other most likely didn't want anything to do with him at the moment.

"Do you believe him?" Tyler questioned softly, trying to mask the anger that Damon brought out of him, as he considers the possibility that Jeremy might believe Damon over him. He tilts his head slightly, angling it towards the younger boy, trying to get Jeremy to look at him, though the other is still fixed on the floor. "Jere, do you believe him?" Tyler asks again, taking a step closer to Jeremy, so they are only a few inches apart.

"I-I…" Jeremy's voice cracks before he can continue, making a choking sound as he draws in a ragged breath. Tyler's heart breaks, as he watches Jeremy struggle with words, his voice breaking with the emotional strain. All he wants to do is rip Damon a new one for saying those things to Jeremy, for causing Jeremy to question their relationship. He wouldn't though, he wouldn't look away from Jeremy, his baby needed him, and he needed him to see that this was so much more than sex to him. Jeremy meant the world to him; he'd never told him that…but now seemed as good a time as any.

Jeremy took a deep breath, attempting to calm himself, and steady his trembling voice. He didn't want to tell Tyler that he was actually thinking about what Damon had said -what if Damon was right, and he was just fooling himself in thinking that Tyler Lockwood…the Tyler Lockwood, actually cared about him.

"I d-don't know…I-" Jeremy struggled with his words, not sure what to say or how to say it.

"I love you." Tyler calmly stated cutting the other off, Jeremy's head shot up, eyes red and rimmed with unshed tears, wet streaks stained his cheeks, lips parted slightly in shock.

"W-What?" Jeremy stammered, not truly believing what he had just heard, did Tyler just say he…

"Jeremy," he says, bringing his hands up to stoke Jeremy's arms, one coming to stop at the other's hand, lacing their fingers together, rubbing his thumb in soothing circles against the back of his hand, before continuing. "I'm in love with you." He smiles when he takes in Jeremy's stunned expression, why had he waited so long to say that…God he could be such an idiot.

"Jeremy Gilbert, I'm crazy about you. I'm so head over heels for you, its nuts. Jere, you're my world, you're everything to me. I hope you weren't set on Damon being right though because he's wrong…he's so wrong. He doesn't know you or me or us, and he doesn't know what he's talking about. I'm not using you for sex; I would never do that to you. Sex with you is…is phenomenal, it's great, and I'll never get tired of it, that's not the only reason we're dating though…unless that's you're only reason, but it's not mine. I have a countless reasons why I'm with you, why I love you, and I could write them down, if that's what you wanted, but it'd be pretty a long list," Tyler said with a smile, looking off to his side as memories of Jeremy ran through his mind, making his smile grow wider and his eyes cloud over with thoughts of love. He'd never done anything like this before, but there's a first time for everything, and Jeremy was more than worth it. He took a deep breath before looking back into Jeremy dark chocolate eyes, that were still wet with tears, speaking softly, his voice still full of feeling, "I love absolutely everything about you, I even love the things about you that I hate…You drive me insane, with how much I like you. I've never done relationships like I've been doing with you, they were always more focused on sex, but with you…with you it's different. I always want to be with you, I miss you when we're not together. I love your eyes, your hair, your smile, your body, just you…it's everything about you Jere. The past few months have been amazing and wonderful, and I never knew someone could possibly be so happy, and I definitely didn't know that I could be this happy—there was a time when all I wanted to do was kick the crap out of you, but now I can't imagine my life without you in it. I can't imagine hurting you, the thought of harming you in any way tears me apart, and right now watching you suffer because of me, it breaks my heart and all I want to do is make it better. I can't imagine me without you…it just wouldn't make any sense. I can't picture a day when I don't get to see your smile; I don't want to think about a time when we're apart, and if that's insane…fuck it. If you need more proof than me standing here telling you I love you—how about the fact that I came out for you—to my family, our friends, the whole town, everybody knows I'm gay. If I didn't want this, if I didn't want you, why would I risk everything? I wouldn't do that for just anyone, but I did it for you, I did it for us. This is what I want Jere…you're what I want, and I promise you that I will never want for anything more as long as I have you. Jeremy I don't care what Damon or my parents, or anyone else says because I love you, and I don't ever want to be without you…baby…I am so in love with you-and I'm sorry it took me so long to say it."

Tyler gasped in a breath, staring deeply into Jeremy's watery brown eyes, watching Jeremy's lip tremble slightly as he pulled his hand away from Tyler's. 'Oh great, way to go Lockwood…you probably fucking scared him,' Tyler thought, inwardly kicking himself for his emotional confession of his undying love.

Jeremy didn't know what to say, he was completely shocked by Tyler's words, he had absolutely no idea that Tyler felt that way about him—and he was even more surprised that Tyler said it. He wasn't very good with words or with feelings, and there were a lot of people in the room…or maybe he just didn't care about that. Jeremy was at a loss for words so instead he pounced on Tyler. Jeremy threw his arms around his neck, latching onto Tyler's lips, catching them in a searing, intense kiss, and hoping against hope that this would show Tyler that he felt exactly the same way.

It only took Tyler a fraction of a second to respond to Jeremy's warm demanding lips, lips that he loved oh-so much. He wrapped his arms tightly around Jeremy's waist, one hand resting on the small of his back, the other grasping at the back of Jeremy's shirt, tugging him closer. Jeremy's fingers threaded through Tyler's short black hair, as he continued to kiss his boyfriend senseless. Their lips were hot against each other's, soft yet strong, loving yet ravenous, gentle yet fierce, never able to get enough-always-hungry for more.

Tyler began to slow the kiss, knowing that if he didn't, they wouldn't stop and he would probably be forced to have his way with Jeremy right there against the kitchen counter, not that he was against that but…weren't there still people in the room? His lips became gentler; his hands' rubbing Jeremy's back, soothing him into the slower more languid kiss.

Jeremy pulled away eyes still closed, letting out a dreamy sigh before smiling stupidly. Tyler laughed at his expression, nuzzling his face into Jeremy's neck, deeply inhaling the scent he loved so much, that drove him wild, that was so unique and wonderful and maddening. He placed a soft kiss to Jeremy's neck, before the other tugged on his hair, dragging him away from his skin, and up to face him.

"I love you Tyler." Jeremy said, smiling at Tyler, who smiled back just as wide, eyes lighting up with love and relief. "I love you," Jeremy said again as he leaned in for another kiss, a light quick one before he pulled away and kissed Tyler's cheek, forehead, and nose. "So…so…so…so…so…so…so…much," Jeremy breathed, peppering kisses to Tyler's face after each word, covering him with feather light love.

"Really?" Tyler whispered, smiling though his eyes showed that he was really wondering.

"Yes, really," Jeremy replied simply, moving his arms around Tyler's neck again, stepping closer so every inch of them was pressed together. "Why…you don't think I mean it."

"No I do…I just-I never thought you would…I mean it's me remember, why would you…" Tyler muttered, a dejected expression coloring his features as he averted his eyes slightly, looking like a kicked puppy.

"Ty," He whispered back, nudging his nose against the others, "I mean it—I love you, I just never said because I didn't want you to feel like you had to."

Tyler let out a sigh of relief, a little smile on his lips, his eyes shining as he gazed up at the boy he loved, the boy who had his heart, the boy he never thought would love him back.

"Oh…well good because I don't think I could handle it if you didn't," Jeremy tilted his head to side at the slightly sarcastic response, eyes watching him thoughtfully, fingers trailing through the soft hair on the back of his boyfriend's head, as Tyler tightened his arms, tugging him closer. "I love you too Jere," stretching his head up slightly to recapture Jeremy's lips in a sweet kiss, both humming their approval into each other's mouths.

"Well, that was not at all the outcome I had anticipated…" Damon huffed out in frustration, crossed his arms in annoyance.

"Oh shut up," Elena scolded, "let's go, they'll want some privacy."

"But seriously, am I the only one who was shocked by that profession of love…its Tyler for Christ's sake!"

"Shut up Damon," Elena and Stefan hissed at the same time, as they pushed him towards the door, the rest of group, minus Tyler and Jeremy, following close on their heels.

Jeremy and Tyler didn't even hear the door shut, or notice that their friends were gone when they pulled away. They couldn't stop staring at each other, couldn't stop touching, and couldn't keep the giddy smiles off their faces…not that they wanted to.

"Upstairs," Jeremy wondered slyly, eyes turning dark as the desire began to build.

"Glad you asked… I was going to just have my way with you right here," Tyler commented, eyes also turning dark, thinking he might not be able to wait until they got upstairs.

Jeremy laughed as he took Tyler's hand and dragged him upstairs to his bedroom, not even locking the door, to busy ridding each other of their clothing.

Tyler and Jeremy shut out the world, this was the first time they were having sex since they said 'I love you.' This would be the first time they wouldn't just have sex—they would make love. This would be the first time they could say 'I love you' in the afterglow and not have to worry that the other might not say it back. This would be the first time it would mean something more— and it would be perfect because they were in love…nothing else in the world mattered now.