Author's Note: First slash fic I've written and the stars are, of course, Jeremy and Matt! Now, my friends say I'm a bit crazy when I mention this, but I definitely see something between the two of them. Ever since season 3, I've totally pictured the two of them at some point getting together in the show, well in this fic they already are… just behind what we don't see on screen. Enjoy!
It was about seven in the morning. The sun was just beginning to shine its bright yellow gleam onto the world as Jeremy Gilbert emerged onto the pier of the lake house. He found himself doing this often for the past couple of days there; waking up at early hours, going out to face the day and enjoying the sunrise, the chirping of the birds, the stillness of the lake, the fresh dew on the grass. It was perhaps the only moments of peace he got to himself nowadays.
Ever since the whole debacle of gaining the hunter's mark, he knew his days were numbered … more so now, of course, than before when he had the Gilbert ring. He was a supernatural entity now; the charmed jewelry wouldn't work on him any longer. Sure, if he'd decided to take up professional vampire hunting a year ago, with the ring, he'd be a tad bit more secure about surviving the job. But… now? He knew that his time would be up soon. Sure the mark gave him a sense of confidence in killing blood sucking fiends, but it didn't make him any less scared or prepared to die permanently.
Obviously he'd died before, but the only reassurance in his previous deaths, no matter how painful, he knew he'd come back. He'd be able to see what family he had left, what friends he managed to salvage in the past year or so… but staying gone forever? Ending up like the ghosts he'd seen stuck on "the other side"… it wasn't comforting, but he knew the day would come. So why not enjoy what… or who he could now?
"Hey," a voice came from behind him. Jeremy turned to see Matt, the early morning sun beaming on him as if he were some kind of angel.
"Hey," Jeremy found himself smiling at the angel analogy in his head.
"Didn't see Damon downstairs. Is he not around?"
"I think he said something last night about heading out early to the nearest hunting shop for supplies. Yah know… for me to hone my hunter/battle skills with."
"Hmm, I see…" Matt said, looking down to the ground a bit. The sleep was still a bit evident in his blue eyes.
"Well you're out here… I see you got my text?" Jeremy asked.
"That… and the 6:55 a.m. alarm you set on my phone while I wasn't looking…"
"Yeah I did do that…" Jeremy chuckled. The boys looked at each other for a moment; their smiles settling to more somber looks.
Soon, Matt was walking closer and closer to Jeremy, gazing deep in his eyes. They embraced, tightly.
"You have no idea how long I've wanted to do this…" Matt sighed. "Just for the hell of it…"
"Tell me about it." Jeremy inhaled his fresh scent for a moment. They pulled away, looking at one another.
"Are you okay?" Matt asked, though his expression showed he already knew the answer. It took Jeremy a while to respond.
"It was such a rash move to do this… inheriting the mark, taking on this expedition to find this 'cure.' Sometimes I just… I just regret it… yah know?"
"Yeah, I do… but you did it to save your sister. She's family, you can't just not-"
"I know, I know… I can't not care… no matter how much I try not to… I do, and it just sucks sometimes." Jeremy turned away and walked further out onto the pier, looking at the crystal clear lake. "You know I didn't exactly want you out here so I could get all emo about my new burden."
"I know," Matt said, stepping next to him. "But you also know I care about you… a lot… and I just wanna make sure you're okay." Matt slid his fingers in between Jeremy's. Jeremy looked at him, grinned, then turned his attention back out onto the water.
"We have the weirdest relationship…" Jeremy found himself chuckling a bit. "Probably the weirdest I've ever had… and I've dated a vampire."
"Hmm so did I, did you forget? And your sister."
"Yours too…" Jeremy said in a playfully snide way. Matt nudged him a bit. "It might be weird, but I'm glad it happened. You've been there for me… thick and thin… hunter or no hunter… human Elena, vampire Elena. You've stuck there with me… at my side. Why?"
"Well I figure… with all the eyes watching Elena, making sure she doesn't trip and hurt herself… who's paying attention to the casualties? The people who go out of their way to save her… don't get me wrong, I love your sister… not in that way of course… well, anymore… but, you… you've lost just as much as she has, you've been through hell and back and then some. So why shouldn't you have someone to take care of you? Be there for you?"
All Jeremy could do was smile as he felt a mixed tickly sensation of ease and complete comfort run through his back.
"Well you know… someone needs to take care of you too. You are after all the only humanly impaired one out of the bunch of us…"
"Eh… I'll get by… I've always managed to." Matt smiled. They looked at each other, intently… deeply. It wasn't long before they moved closer to each other and kissed. It was soft, gentle; the perfect combination of complete peace and utter exhilaration.
Moments, that felt like hours, passed before the two released and rested their foreheads against one another.
"It'd be nice if we could do this around the others…" Matt said, his eyes still closed from the kiss.
"Trust me, I know…" Jeremy sighed, regrettably. "But with all that's happening, I feel like it'd be a bit… overwhelming."
"Yeah… I know…" They rested their heads together in silence for a while.
"After all this…" Jeremy said. "After all this cure stuff… and the mark… we tell them, about us…"
"Jeremy we don't have to, I was just saying-"
"No, no… I want to…" Jeremy cheesed. Matt, himself, couldn't hold back the grin escaping his lips. "Besides, they're all gonna wanna know what… or who has managed to keep me sane and level headed throughout this entire thing… I'm just gonna say the human."
"Shut up…" Matt giggled. They kissed.
Jeremy wasn't entirely sure he'd make it out of this thing alive… but knowing that Matt, the guy who he'd known for so long… who was determined to be by his side, no matter the danger or consequences, the very first guy he was beginning to fall deeply in love with, was there with him… enjoying the calmness before the madness. It gave Jeremy a sense of peace, a sense of self reassurance that he shouldn't worry… because whether or not his end would come tomorrow, next week or the week after that, he had someone on his side, someone who truly cared about him and loved him… and he felt the same way back.
END.