One Less Lonely Boy
It had been two months since his return to Mystic Falls and nearly every day after had been spent with Caroline. He knew it was wrong to just be her friend when he was in love with her, but the option of not seeing her well….that just wasn't an option in his mind. So he played the dutiful role of best guy friend, listening to her sadness over Matt, which thankfully was dwindling. He was so angry with himself for thinking Matt deserved Caroline. In essence, he deserved nothing.
It was funny because when he left Mystic Falls, he left with a deeply broken heart knowing that he had lost Caroline forever, and yet, here they were having two a.m. conversations online, texting each other, eating lunch, going to the beach, watching crappy movies at the Mystic Falls retro movie theater. It was like his dreams were coming true.
Today he was in town for no particular reason when he ran into Caroline looking gorgeous as ever in a white top and shorts. She had been shopping for Elena's birthday party, which she was making Elena have, reluctantly. Ever since Stefan had taken off Elena had become even more of the shell of the person she used to be. But that's life, isn't it? Things happen and you either adjust or get left behind. He felt bad, really. Although he still had a lot of unresolved anger towards Stefan and Damon for their part in Mason's murder, he actually liked Stefan, but mostly for Elena's sake. The girl had been through a lot. He just didn't think she needed on more thing to bring her down.
"Hey Car!" Caroline smiled when she saw him and all he could think was fuck, you're amazing.
"Hey!"
"Got a lot of things there eh," he said noting her bags.
"Yup. All for Elena's party. I am so excited. She's going to love this party whether I have to force her to." And Tyler couldn't help but smile. It was amazing really, how in all of his life he had never smiled so much as he did when he was with Caroline. It was like she was this all powerful force and he couldn't deny it. He was Superman and she was his kryptonite, but in a good way. She broke down his walls and made him feel like an actual person, unlike the rest of the world.
When he was growing up he was either just Tyler Lockwood, or the Mayor's son. People hung around him because he was part of the popular crowd and they were all sycophants who wanted a piece of him. But Caroline was different. She wanted nothing from him, except his friendship, and that was new. He had never had anyone who just wanted him to be himself, who accepted him for himself. He didn't have to be Tyler the Jock or Tyler Lockwood, he could just be Tyler. And that was why he was in love with her.
"Well, I'm sure she appreciates you doing this."
"I don't know about that," she said with a shrug.
"No, she does. She's lucky to have you. So am I." Caroline smiled as did he. Then he leaned forward and took a few of the bags.
"Tyler, thanks, but you don't need to. I'm a vampire, remember? Extra strength comes with the package."
"I know, just being a gentleman."
"Okay then." Then they walked for a little bit. "Hey Tyler, are you hungry? I'm starved." He laughed.
"I guess shopping like a mad woman will do that to you. But yeah, actually I am. The Grill? I mean, unless you don't want to do there." Caroline gave him this look.
"Tyler, I told you. Matt and I are over and I've accepted it, really. I have. I'm not going to stay away from the Grill just because he works there. I'm too hungry to not eat, so The Grill it is."
And so they walked to the Grill and were surprised when they were being served by none other than Jeremy Gilbert.
"Gilbert? What are you doing here?"
"Gotta work Lockwood. Some of us actually need money."
"Ouch." Caroline laughed. "I guess he's right."
"It just has to be hard, you know, not having Jenna around. I guess we forget how difficult it must be to take care of ourselves, without our parents."
"I guess so." Caroline was looking through her menu so intently. "Hey, Car, can I ask you something?"
"Sure." He moved his chair in a bit closely so as not to shout this.
"Do you..ever feel more…um you know, excited now that you're a vampire?"
"What do you mean by excited?"
"I mean sexually. I'm not trying to be gross, but I am so horny. I just, I feel like I need to just get some, you know?" Caroline giggled. "I'm sorry, I'm not trying to embarrass you."
"No, no! It's not that. I do. I just have all of these supernatural urges and I don't know what to do with them. I guess I'm also scared."
"What do you mean?"
"Well, I haven't, you know, since I turned. I guess I'm just nervous as to how it will go. It's kind of like being a virgin again. Everything is so heightened that I'm scared how it will go. Especially if it's with someone who's human." She turned her voice into a low whisper. "I'm afraid I'll hurt the person I'm with."
"I know the feeling."
"Really?" She smiled while eating her salad. "I'm so glad you brought this up. I am. And I think it's great that we can talk about it. I really do feel like I can tell you anything, Tyler."
"Me too." Liar.
"Is that what it's like for you?"
"Yeah, I mean I just have all of these feelings and I don't know what to do with them."
"The Perks of being a Supernatural."
"Yeah." And she smiled that amazing smile and he wanted to throw the plates off the table and do her right there, but he couldn't. It sucked, her being so close yet so far from his reach.
After they finished lunch Caroline asked Tyler to help her set up at the Salvatore mansion, and he obliged. While he was there he told her that he'd be bringing a date to the party. He didn't know why, it was just being with Caroline elicited this honesty inside of him, like he didn't want to keep anything from her.
"You are?"
"Yeah. I hope that won't be weird."
"No, why would it be weird?"
"I don't know. I don't know how this works."
"How what works?" He sighed.
"I've never had a friend who was a girl before. Not just a friend, I mean. Is it okay that I tell you this stuff?"
"Of course. Didn't we just have a very personal conversation at the Grill?"
"Yeah, but that was different because it wasn't about anyone."
"And now it is? Is that what you meant?" Tyler shrugged.
"I don't know. Look, forget I brought it up. It's not a big deal. She's just a girl. Sofie."
"Well, I hope you and Sofie have fun." And Tyler could tell she meant that. There was no animosity in her voice, no hint of jealousy. Not that he was using Sofie for that. He was merely trying to get on with his life and he couldn't have Caroline. He needed to stop obsessing over it and torturing himself.
She would never be his.
After helping Caroline he headed back to his house to get ready and a few hours later he was back at the Salvatore mansion. God, Caroline looked so pretty. He needed to stop, he had a date. Albeit not a soul mate, but someone to have some fun with, maybe take care of the urges he was fighting.
He was actually enjoying himself while dancing with Sofie, but from the corner of his eye he saw Caroline staring at him, and she had this look on her face. He couldn't place it. Jealousy? No. Caroline made it perfectly clear that she hoped he had a nice time with Sofie, but he couldn't help but see the look of disappointment on her face. And then he saw Matt come over to her. Tyler wanted to punch him. Guy couldn't make up his mind.
He wished at that point he could have supersonic hearing like Caroline because he desperately wanted to hear what was going on. Obviously Matt was being a dick. Nothing new. Caroline said something, but he couldn't tell. And Sofie's head was on his shoulder. Why couldn't it have been a non-slow dance? Something was going on between Caroline and Matt and he wanted to know what. Finally, the song ended and Matt walked away. Tyler excused himself from his date and went to Caroline.
"Hey, what was that about?"
"Nothing," she said, arms folded."
"Caroline.."
"He just said some comments about me and you. He thinks I'm jealous of your date." He felt butterflies in his stomach.
"Oh. Are you?"
"No. Why, is that why you brought her?"
"Excuse me?"
"Well, I mean, it just seems like you're trying really hard to make me jealous."
"I thought you said you weren't jealous."
"I'm not! I just…"
"What?"
"I don't know. Okay? I don't know. I just didn't like seeing you two together. Slow dancing."
"You have no right to judge me or question me."
"I'm not!"
"Yeah, you are. I've listened to you go on and on about Matt for months and I haven't said anything. Well, I'm not going to be quiet anymore. The guy's a jerk. He lied to you, pretended to be compelled, went around with your mother behind your back and you say nothing. You don't get mad. But I dance with a girl at a party and you act like I just killed your puppy. Why is that Caroline?"
"I don't know…I just. I don't know."
"You don't know? You can't have it both ways. You can't have me as your back up and then get upset when I'm having a good time with someone else. That's all it is. I'm just dancing. I'm not marrying her. I'm just dancing. So why does it bother you so much?"
But she couldn't give him an answer.
"She just isn't your type."
He shook his head.
"No, she's not. But what does it matter? The one person I want doesn't want me back."
"That's not true."
"It's not? So, if I asked you to go on a date with me, you'd say yes? Yeah, I didn't think so. Keep lying to yourself Caroline, keep being in denial."
"I am not in denial."
"Yeah, you are."
"No, I'm not."
"Then tell me this. Why are you so upset about me dancing with some girl? You know what I think? I think you got burned with Matt and you're too scared to take that next step with me."
"I'm not scared. And I don't…you don't know what you're talking about. You and I? We're friends."
"Then why have you been staring at me the whole night Caroline?"
"I don't know."
"Yeah. Well, when you figure it out you let me know."
Tyler was pissed when he left Elena's party. He'd said everything he needed and wanted to say and she didn't tell him what he wanted or needed to hear. She didn't say she wanted him back, which is how he ended up in his bedroom throwing a rubber ball up at the ceiling. Then the doorbell rang.
His mom was out of town for some reason, so he answered the door. Caroline.
"What are you doing here?"
"You were right. I was scared, because what you are to me is more than anyone has ever been, and if we take this next step, I don't know what will happen. If it will all go to hell or be miraculous or leave us both heartbroken, but I don't want to think about it. All I want to do is kiss you and be with you."
Before he had a chance to respond Caroline kissed him. She kissed him, and kissed him and kissed him and before he knew it they were in the hallway leading to his bedrooms. They were engulfed in kisses. They were against the wall and Tyler removed Caroline's dress.
Then they moved into his bedroom and Caroline threw Tyler on the bed. It wasn't long after that when his pants came off and he was on top. He kissed her neck, she moaned in delight.
She spread her legs and he moved inside of her until she couldn't moan anymore. Then she tossed him on the bottom and was in control again. She bit him, but only slightly, because well, it was fucking hot. But he didn't complain. It wouldn't be enough to scar.
They did that for hours upon hours, new positions, old positions, him on top, her on top, sucking, biting, nibbling. It was so damn hot.
All the urges that he was feeling were exploding in many ways.
Finally they fell asleep. Tyler didn't know what had happened that had made Caroline come over that night, and he wasn't sure where it would lead, but in that moment he didn't care. Nothing mattered.
Everything hurt and nothing hurt, and for once he was okay with that.