Of Mixed Feelings and Compromise
Uh, I don't remember what the series has to say about vampires and taste buds, but for this fic, let's just assume that vampires can still taste human food. This takes place a little after 2x11 - the promo for 2x12 hasn't happened.
Edit: In the actual TV series, when Caroline tells Stefan that she told Tyler about her being a vampire, they meet at the Grill because she needs to eat. SO WHOO, THIS FIC MAKES SENSE EVEN IN THE ACTUAL TV SERIES. VAMPIRES STILL EAT. YES.
Yeah, I had to add this in. I was excited.
Caroline Forbes was hungry.
Not in a vampy way - she'd downed a pouch of O negative a few hours ago - but in that girly, hormonal, mood swing-y way. And when she swung open the pantry door in her kitchen to find empty shelves instead of food (and no ice cream in the freezer, dammit), she decided it was time for a trip to ShopRite.
Scooping up her car keys and purse, she skipped to the front door and headed out. As soon as she locked the door, however, her cell phone started to vibrate. Digging it out of her jeans pocket, she flipped it open.
"Hello?"
"Where the hell are you?" Damon's voice filtered through the line and she sighed, stress levels already rising.
"About to go out. I'm in front of my house right now. Why?"
"When I said that I'd assigned Vampire Barbie to Tyler Lockwood duty, I meant you."
"I know, I took care of it yesterday night - "
"And he's still unstable, Blondie."
Caroline was at a loss for words. "He told me he was fine last night... he didn't want me to stick around."
"That's understandable," he drawled, and she felt like staking him. "But he's going to have to suck it up. I'm sure you two have bonded sufficiently enough for you to drop in and babysit him for the afternoon, so I suggest you do that." He hung up before she could answer, and she found herself trying to make a comeback to the dial tone.
Dropping her phone into her purse, she sighed again and unlocked the doors to her Fiesta. It looked like her snack was going to have to wait. She slid into the driver's seat and hit the gas almost immediately, taking the familiar route to Tyler's huge house. She didn't even have to think it out - years of forced playdates, school projects, parties and social functions had embedded the directions into her memory. So her thoughts took a slightly different turn.
It wasn't like she didn't want to see Tyler (she actually did, very much). It was just that he hadn't seemed to want to talk to her all that much on the drive back. He'd been silent during the whole ride, keeping his eyes trained out his window and fingers clenched into fists (she debated reaching over and uncurling them, because his nails were close to piercing skin, but she'd chickened out). She hadn't dared to break the quiet, although it was one of the things that Caroline Forbes did best. Awkward silences were one of her pet peeves, but this one she'd let slide (she was scared of what might've come from talking). As soon as she pulled up in front of his house, he mumbled something that sounded like both a thank you and an apology before throwing the door open, taking his bag from the Fiesta's trunk, and practically running up his drive to the house. He didn't even throw a backwards glance (and she kind of wanted him to).
She blinked when she found herself parked on the Lockwood driveway already. The front door opened and Tyler's head poked out, expression puzzled. No doubt he'd heard the car pull in with his newly-aquired sensitive hearing and was wondering who it was. His expression froze when he saw her familiar blue Fiesta and he stepped out onto the porch, crossing his arms. She stepped out of the car and took a deep breath, checking to make sure that no one was around before blurring to his side.
"Hey. How are you feeling?" she asked tentatively.
"Human, with wolfish urges." Tyler looked down and gave her a surprising smirk. "As opposed to wolfish, with human urges."
Caroline giggled, feeling relief course through her body. He was recovering. And he wasn't mad at her.
Wait. Why did that matter?
"So what were you planning to do today?" she asked him hurriedly, distracting herself.
"Uh... nothing. I was going to lie in bed and watch T.V. Why?" he shot her an apprehensive look. "You aren't going to make me your shopping partner, are you?"
Caroline's face broke into a huge grin. "As a matter of fact, yes, I am." Looked like ShopRite wasn't totally out of the picture just yet.
Caroline had to admit, seeing Tyler with a shopping basket in his hand was a little strange. Good-strange, but strange all the same. He looked a little uncomfortable too, as if this was out of his comfort zone. Way out. She guessed that the last time he'd gone grocery shopping was when his mother had taken him in like, second grade.
"What are we doing here?" he asked her, following as she walked confidently into the aisles.
"Getting something to eat," she responded lightly. "I don't know about you, but I have a craving for... chocolate. Chocolate cake, maybe? Brownies. Hmm."
Tyler looked surprised. He grabbed her wrist and, making sure that no one could hear them, he whispered, "You can taste?"
She snorted in amusement. "Duh. I mean, nothing tastes as awesome as blood, but of course I can taste. Why? Don't tell me you can't."
"No, I can. It's just that, well, my diet hasn't changed."
Caroline shrugged. "Well, I can taste. And right now, I want to taste some chocolate. Come on, let's go to the baked goods section." She practically skipped to the back of the store and Tyler didn't know whether to roll his eyes or laugh as he was tugged along.
The shelves were almost empty of food, since it was nearing the end of the week and new stocks hadn't come in. Caroline browsed quickly through the muffins and reached the plain cake section, the ones in a plastic case without any icing or toppings whatsoever. Tyler watched with interest as she rifled through the stacks.
"God, how is that possible? There's only freaking corn bread left."
He shrugged, picking up a case. "Corn bread is good."
"Did you not hear me say that I wanted chocolate?"
"You can have your damn chocolate - I want corn bread."
"Well screw you, I don't have enough money to buy both."
He looked over at her incredulously. "These only cost like, two dollars. How do you only have two dollars?"
"I went clothes shopping a few days ago," she sniffed. "Is that a problem?"
Tyler blinked, then deliberately placed the corn bread into the basket. "Since there's no chocolate, we're getting this."
Caroline's jaw dropped. "You did not."
"Oh suck it up, Forbes. It's just bread."
She grabbed the corn bread and almost threw it back onto the shelf. "No."
He raised an eyebrow. "Uh, yes." He picked it back up and held it out of her reach. "I'm getting this."
"All I had today was a bottle of O-neg. I'm getting what I want." She stood on her tiptoes in an attempt to reach the case, but Tyler mimicked her movement and smirked down at her.
"All I had today was a bowl of Apple Jacks. I'm getting what I want."
Caroline stomped her foot. "Tyler!"
"Care, it's just bread. Jeez. You're making a scene. Look, that little kid is staring at you."
"Tyler Aaron Lockwood - "
"Look, chocolate's over there!" Caroline whipped around, following his finger, to see... nothing. Turning back with a scowl, she saw Tyler laughing at her.
"I hate you."
"Just get a chocolate bar, dumbass."
"I don't have the money for both, stupidface!"
"That's what you get for dragging me out of the house without giving me time to get my wallet." He shivered. "Or my jacket."
"Suck it up, you're a wolf." Her voice dropped in volume. "Aren't you supposed to feel really warm all the time?"
It was Tyler's turn to scowl. "That's only before a full moon."
"Poor baby." She huffed and crossed her arms. "I still hate you."
His face turned thoughtful as he glanced at the rest of the breads. He reached around her and grabbed a banana bread. "Look, this costs one twenty. That leaves you eighty cents to get a Snickers, right? Everyone's happy."
Caroline's irritated expression slowly dropped off her face as she examined him closely. "You'll really get the banana bread instead?"
Tyler shrugged. "Both of them taste good."
She laughed and threw her arms around him happily. "Thank you thank you thank you! All right, so the Snickers are in the checkout line... well, I might get a Hershey bar instead... um..."
Tyler shook his head and dropped the bread into his basket, leisurely following the bouncing Caroline all the way to the checkout line.
Their total came exactly to one ninety-nine.
First Vampire Diaries fic I've done... I hope it's okay. I've found myself falling in love with the TylerCaroline pairing, and I hope that this one lasts in the series.
Just a note: I'm looking for the episode where Caroline is at home with Tyler, then Matt knocks on her door. She answers it, Tyler is behind her, and there's the awkward moment. Anyone know where it is?
