Only Human

Vampire Diaries

Tyler Lockwood/Jeremy Gilbert/OC

Chapter I

Expectations are stupid. They are raised just like everything else in life only to plummet to the ground. What is even worse is that they were raised by my best friend. The one person who I never thought would do this to me. I thought I would finally see him. After months of tears, slammed doors, and unanswered phone calls. I thought today would be special, but it wasn't.

I didn't get the nervous butterflies in my stomach that stopped me from getting sleep. I didn't wake up an extra two hours before I needed to get ready. My first day of school felt like any other day. A boring predictable day. A day that I have had enough of! Today I will be seeing my best friend for the first time in months. At school, non-the less.

For the past hand full of months, I feel like I have lost a part of myself. Guilt over flows and mixes with my nervousness making me want to vomit. I mean in one fatal swoop, he lost his mother, father, and almost his older sister. I did try though. I went to go visit him in the hospital, before the funeral for his parents, and even a couple of days after. That didn't go so well. Actually, it always ended in tears-my tears. So, I gave him space. A whole summer worth of space, until I couldn't anymore. We have faced the first day of school together since the third grade and I refuse to go through that again.

I kick open my car door and reach back for the stack of video games I have stashed in the backseat. Any time he needed cheering up a video game marathon was the way to go. I cradle the games in both arms and slam the door shut with my hip. I struggle up the stairs reach the front door and bang the toe of my boot against the dark wood.

"Hang on!" A disembodied voice floats through the door.

I take a step back and rock on my heels. Suddenly my stomach is filled with the whole zoo and my throat is dry. I start to look around the porch that holds just as many of my childhood memories as it does Jeremy's. I take another step back debating if I should really be here. Do I really need to do this right now? Does he even want to see me?

I mean I looked for him at school today. In the hallways, between the stacks in the library, the parking lot, and even the gym. If he wanted to see me I would have been able to find him, right? I mean who am I to put a limit on him grieving his parents. Before I could spin on my heel, walk down the stairs, and back into my car with my tail between my legs the door swings open.

"Persephone?" The silvery voice pulls me out of my daze.

I swallow hard and take a step forward. "Hey Jenna, is Jeremy home?"

Jenna cocks her head her curls falling across her forehead. "He is upstairs. He hasn't left his room since he has gotten home from school."

I feel my eyes widen and my heart drops a little. "So, he did go today?" I ask her. "I tried looking for him, but I didn't have any luck."

She rolls her lips in and rocks a little bit on her heels. "Oh. Well he is upstairs. Not many places he can hide there."

She shuffles away from the door to make room for me. I give her a small smile and walk through. My shoulders sag at the familiar sight of the cream walls and maroon rugs. My nervous heart slows at the smell of Jenna's cooking. With one last deep breath in, I stride straight up the stairs, past the picture where Jeremy decided to shave off his eyebrows, and past the attic door. I turn to face his door where if you look closely enough to the door jamb you can see notches carved into them. He surpassed me in sixth grade. I juggle all the video games into one arm and raise my hand getting ready to knock, but I stop half way. I have never knocked before and I don't ever want to feel like I should.

I twist open the knob and push the door slowly open. The first thing I noticed is how dark it is. The heavy navy blue curtains are pulled tightly closed. I take a step in and fling my hand out to flip on the light switch, but a small moan freezes me. I take another step in and squint towards the bed. The dark shadowy shape starts to take form.

"Jeremy." A breathy moan fills the air.

My mouth drops open and all the blood in my body comes rushing upwards. All the video games crash to the floor and I stumble backwards my shoulders crashing into his dresser. I hear things rock back and even something fall and smash to the ground. The slight moaning stops and my heart freezes. I spin on my heels forces myself out of the room my forehead smacking against the door jam.

I should have knocked.

"Ow!" I mutter as I run down the hall.

I stumble down the stairs my feet not staying under me. I jump over the last few and yank open the door a late summer breeze hits me.

"Persephone?" Jenna calls out. "Is everything- "

The loud slam drowns out the rest of her sentence not that it would even matter. The world is spinning way too fast. I race to my car and jam in my key into the hole and twist it. I throw myself into my car my throat tightening and eyes watering. No wonder he never reached out to me. He has someone else taking his mind off his grief. Was he with her all day today? Did he even think of calling me before her? Who is she?

The gears groan into reverse and without even looking back I press on the gas petal. A bump rocks the small car and a weird scream has me slamming on my breaks. My eyes pop open and I throw the car into park. Please be the trashcan! Please be the trashcan! Don't be a human! Please!

I push the door open and get out slowly. I take my time walking to the back of the car. Another groan fills the air but this time it is a painful one. That isn't a trashcan. I take in a deep breath and face what I have done.

"I am so sorry!" I say and squat down to see who I hit.

Guilt tears through me until I register who I hit. This town isn't very big but it can't be that small! I don't hear what he says as I am too dumb struck by the person I hit. Tyler Lockwood. Of all the people in this town I just had to hit the all-star football player and Mr. Popular himself. I scoot back a little bit and swallow thickly.

"HELL-OO?" Tyler yells.

I blink and shake my head a little bit. "I'm sorry what?"

Tyler scoffs and rolls his eyes. "I said are you as deaf as you are blind. I was clearly running behind your car when you hit me!"

I squat down and help Tyler into an awkward sitting position. "I am so sorry. My dad is always telling me that I never pay attention to my surroundings." I bring my fingers to his shoulder. "You are bleeding."

His eyes go to my fingers and he nudges away my own. He pokes his cut and lets out a hiss.

"Ow." He mumbles.

I roll my eyes and start to stand up. "I have a first aid kit in my car. I will be right back."

I dig into my backseat and pull out the small red box. I run back to Tyler and fall onto my knees. I pop open the box and grab a wad of gauze. I clean up the blood flowing from the wound and then press the gauze to it.

"You have a bump on your head." Tyler says.

"Huh?" I ask looking up.

Our eyes don't meet he is too busy staring at the knot throbbing on my head. I clear my throat and force down the blush that wants to crawl up my neck.

"Uh yeah. I hit my head on a do—OW!" I yell and jerk back.

My eyes narrow at Tyler's finger that is pointed out with his eyebrows furrowed and his lips pressed together.

"Did that hurt?" He asks me.

I scoff and can feel my face pinch up. "Uh yeah. I just bumped it…" I clear my throat. "It doesn't look like you need stitches but you are bruised around your ribs. I can drive you to the hospital. Does it hurt when you breathe?"

I place on the superhero band-aid over his cut and smooth out any air bubbles. I grab his hand and soak a cotton ball in peroxide. I dab at the small scrapes that some even have a couple of pebbles still in them. A hiss leaves him and I give him a small smile and put on another band-aid.

"No, it doesn't hurt when I breathe and I so don't trust your driving." Tyler says. "Where did you learn all of this?"

I bring up his other hand, but there was no visible bleeding so, I just clean it out. I set down his hand down gently and then look up at him.

"I got a summer job at the local day care. First Aid was a part of the requirements." I explain to him.

He hums just for a moment and our eyes meet. Something crosses his eyes and I can see a crack in his facade. I lean forward slowly trying to figure out what I just saw, but before I could even put my finger on it he suddenly gets up.

"Percy?" A voice shouts.

I look over my shoulder to see Jeremy jogging across the lawn as he fixes his shirt. His long brown hair is messier than it normally is. His lips are red and swollen and if I can't tell if I am just seeing anything or if there is a dark purple hickey poking out from collar.

"Hey Doc need a hand?" Tyler asks.

I turn back to see Tyler with his hand sticking out. By the time, I am on my feet Jeremy is by my side with his arm around my waist. A chill race up my spine, but it isn't in the usual good way. No, I felt gross being touched by him when not even five minutes ago, he was touching her. He pulls me closer and glowers at Tyler.

"What are you doing here, Lockwood?" Jeremy asks.

Tyler snorts and rolls his eyes. "Nice hickey."

I feel Jeremy tense against me. "Lockwood." He growls.

Tyler's shoulders shake a little bit along with his head. "I was just leaving. Thanks for the band-aids, Doc. I will be seeing you around." Tyler looks at me and gives me the slightest wink and smirk.

"Percy!" Jeremy says and turns me towards him. "Lockwood is bad news. You should stay away from him."

I shake my head and push him physically away from me. My anger is rushing towards the surface along with the feeling of being left behind-abandoned.

"You don't get to tell me what to do, Jeremy! Not after all this!" I tell him. "I waited for you!"

His eye brows push together and his mouth drops open a little bit. I open my mouth to yell at him to tell him how much I hurt him. But I can't. So, instead I get in my car and this time look while I back out of the Gilbert's driveway.

Author's Note:

Hello my fellow Vampire Diaries lovers. This is my first fanfiction in this category and I am re-watching the series as I do this. It will contain spoilers if you have not seen all of season one (this book will be centered around season one). Another note this is not a slash for m/m/f but a love triangle! Each chapter is not necessarily an episode.

Well if my explanation didn't confuse you or give you a headache you should press the review and follow button! Thanks a million!