Thank you for the reviews! I hope you guys are enjoying this story and I am working on Wait For It and Life Long Learning, I just wanted to post this first and see what you guys thought of it. This will be a three-shot, I couldn't make it all fit into one chapter. Wait for it and Life Long Learning should be updated in a couple of days. Enjoy! And please, please review!
Warnings: Slash, religious references, homophobia, violence
Disclaimer: Don't own.
"Where are we going tonight?" Tyler asked quietly. "Matt was telling me about this bar that gives you two beers for the price of one and they have pool tables."
"The Green Hornet? Nah, that place is shady, we're going to some hole in the wall; Bonnie said it was really good," Caroline finished dabbing her cheeks with blush before applying mascara. Since he snuck out a couple weeks ago, Tyler had come out with them almost every night, the only times he didn't being when he had an exam the next day. It was seriously some of the best times he'd ever had in his life and Tyler was more inclined to go out now since it was really the only way he could see Jeremy without his father or anyone getting suspicious. Sometimes they just all went to Matt's place and played beer pong but they all enjoyed the excitement of the city at night to stay home much.
"So how are things with you and Jeremy?" she gave him a sly look and he blushed; things with him and Jeremy were non-existent, for lack of a better word. He wasn't quite sure what they were, if they were anything. Jeremy hadn't made a move to kiss him again since that night at the concert and Tyler wondered if he made a mistake in thinking that Jeremy was interested in him; it's not like he could ask him at school (his father would have people watching him now), and every time he went to their spot, Jeremy wasn't there. The only time he saw him was when they went out and even then he was always next to someone so Tyler couldn't talk to him alone.
"I'm…there's nothing going on," Tyler murmured; he was right, mostly because he didn't know what was going through the other boy's mind. "I was just drunk or whatever that night, that kiss didn't mean anything."
Caroline rolled her eyes at him and spread the lipstick across her lips, "Right. You two swallowing each other's tongues in the middle of the bar didn't mean anything. It sure looked like it meant something."
"Yeah well, it didn't," he lay on her bed and closed his eyes. He was confused about everything; Jeremy, their kiss, his behavior as of late and most importantly why Jeremy made him feel the way he did and why he never felt this for Vicky. Maybe the kiss didn't mean anything to Jeremy but it meant a hell of a lot to him (he tried to deny it for a while but it was no use) and he was hurt that Jeremy was, essentially, ignoring him. If he didn't know better, he would say that Jeremy was distancing himself from him because he didn't want Tyler to get the wrong idea about their kiss. He sighed and tried to ignore the hurt that spread through his chest at the thought.
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"What's up with you, man?" Matt sat next to him on the bench. Tyler had been low-key searching for Jeremy but the guy sure knew how to avoid you if he wanted to. "Why didn't you come out last night?"
"Had a history test today," he muttered distractedly, disappointment flooding his senses when he couldn't find him. "Had to study."
"Ahh, Mr. Turner's tests are the worst," Matt said sympathetically as he pulled out his sack lunch. "You coming tonight? We're going to some club Elena's been wanting to go to." He paused, "Jeremy's gonna be there."
Tyler blinked; did everyone suspect he had feelings for Jeremy? "That's cool. Why you telling me?" he cringed; now it was obvious.
Idiot, it's been obvious. He missed the muzzle beer gave the snide little voice and he wondered if it would be bad to get drunk in the middle of the day.
"Well after the bar and everything I thought you guys were like…together or something," Tyler sighed; it always came back to the bar. It's not like they made it a point to hide; no one in the bar cared if two boys were kissing.
"No…no we're not," he tried to sound nonchalant but it came out as sad and slightly depressed. Matt gave him a sympathetic look and clapped him on the back.
A sudden scuffle to his left brought him out of his moping and he turned to see boys on his team—Avery, Jackson, Wilson and a couple others—surrounding someone and delivering blow after blow to them. Tyler's heart sank when he saw the familiar black back-pack on the ground and he sprung to his feet. He was about to run over to them when Matt grabbed his arm and yanked him back, "What the hell, man?"
"Jeremy never wants us to get involved," Matt said solemnly. "He wants us to stay out of it."
"What?" Tyler cried. "They—he's getting the shit beat out of him!"
"And he doesn't want them to beat the shit out of us. He'll understand Ty; he knows we want to help him and he knows we think it's wrong."
Tyler looked at Matt helplessly and turned back to see the fight being broken up by Mr. Saltzman. His teammates scattered. His math teacher crouched down next to him and looked him over briefly before helping him up and leading him inside.
"Is he taking him to the principal?" his heart sank further at the thought of Jeremy getting in trouble for something he didn't even start.
"No; whenever Mr. Saltzman breaks up the fight he cleans Jeremy up in his office. He knows people treat him like shit because he's gay but he doesn't let that stop him from helping him. Jeremy looks up to him like a father." He looked around, making sure no one was listening to them, "If you want to see him, I'll cover for you next period. I know your dad's got you on a tight leash right now."
It was times like these when Tyler was reminded why Matt was his best friend and he resisted the urge to grab him in a bear hug. He settled for their customary hand shake and a very relieved, "Thank you."
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After making sure everyone went to class and there were no lingering staff members in sight, Tyler snuck around to Mr. Saltzman's office, praying that Jeremy would still be in there. He turned the handle and found that the door was locked. He bit his lip, not knowing exactly what to do. Should he knock? Would Mr. Saltzman even let him in? What if Jeremy didn't want to see him? The last question made his stomach roll.
The desperation of seeing Jeremy finally made him knock on the door. He waited a few moments before it opened and his math teacher looked at him mildly surprised, "Tyler? Is there something you need?"
"Uhh…I, um," he stumbled over his words and he felt like a moron for not being able to spit out his request. "Is Jeremy still in here?"
Mr. Saltzman furrowed his brow, "Who told you he'd be here?"
Tyler was saved from thinking of an explanation when Jeremy spoke, "It's okay Alaric, he won't hurt me."
Alaric turned to Jeremy questioningly, "You sure Jeremy? I don't want to break up another fight."
"Its fine Alaric, he's not a threat," Jeremy's voice was calm and tender, washing over Tyler like a warm breeze. The math teacher stepped aside and Tyler quickly walked into the office; he'd never been in here before and was surprised at how much it looked like a home office rather than a school one.
Alaric shut the door quickly and glanced between the two boys, "How long have you two been friends?"
"Well…" Tyler trailed off, not exactly sure how to answer his question. He'd known Jeremy since he met him in the hospital but they weren't really friends until a couple of months ago. Once again, Jeremy saved him from answering.
"We've been hanging out for a while. He started coming out with us a couple weeks ago." Tyler gaped at him; Mr. Saltzman knew about their nightly activities?
"Hmm, that's why your work has begun suffering," he chuckled and Tyler smiled nervously. What the hell was going to happen now that he knew? Would he tell his dad?
"Don't look scared Tyler; I know what you guys have been up to. I can't stop you, obviously, but I just ask that they let me know who they're with and where they're going, just in case something happens, you know? I know this place is…suffocating and you guys need to get out and have fun and the only time to really do that is at night. I won't tell your father but if your grades start to drop drastically, then I'll have to mention something."
Tyler nodded, wondering if he had dropped into an alternate universe of some type. Because there was no way his math teacher was okay with his students sneaking out at night, on school nights, to go to concerts at bars or clubs in the city which was called 'the devil's breading ground' by nearly everyone in Mystic Falls. Jeremy grinned at him and hopped down from the desk he was sitting on. "I think Tyler and I need to have a talk. I'll see you later Alaric?"
"I guess the two of you aren't going back to class?" he asked with a laugh. "Fine, I'll cover for both of you; just don't get caught on your way out."
"Never do," Jeremy said with a smirk and he grabbed his bag, motioning for Tyler to follow him. With his heart beating madly at the thought of finally talking with Jeremy alone, Tyler followed silently.
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They walked in silence to their spot; Tyler's mind going a mile a minute at everything he wanted to say to Jeremy but he couldn't force the words out of his mouth. They dropped their stuff next to one of the trees in silence. The birds were singing happily and there were butterflies fluttering all around but none of this helped Tyler to spit out his words.
Jeremy walked to the pond and bent down for a moment to splash water on his face. He came back up and shook his head, turning to Tyler, "I guess Matt told you about Alaric. He always tries to look out for me but he can't be around me 24/7 you know? He tries to be the one to break up the fights because every other teacher sends me to the principal. They blame me because 'I provoke people with my sexual deviancy.'" He snorted bitterly and Tyler felt a wave of sympathy wash over him. "I'll never understand people in this town—"
"Why have you been avoiding me?" Tyler interrupted, sounding a little desperate. "I don't understand…I thought we…." He trailed off, not exactly sure what he wanted to say and not wanting to sound like some heart-broken 12-year-old girl, which was kind of how he felt.
"I haven't…I mean I didn't mean to avoid you…I just thought you would want some space after…everything," Jeremy was looking at the ground and sounding as uncertain as he was sure he did. It made Tyler feel a bit better that he wasn't alone in his confusion.
"Space? Why would I—"
"Because you kissed me. I thought you would want time to come to terms with that considering you aren't gay."
Oh, that's right. Tyler cursed mentally as he thought about what kissing Jeremy meant. Funny thing was, he couldn't bring himself to care anymore, not when his feelings for Jeremy were eating him alive by the minute. If it had just been a drunken kiss, he would have moved past it by now but the fact that he was still dwelling on it after weeks proved that he had it bad for this kid. Well, he thought, only one way to show him.
"Kiss me," Tyler stared straight at him. "I'm sober and I'm telling you to kiss me."
Jeremy glanced at him in surprise; he really wouldn't have like anything more than to press his lips back to Tyler's but he couldn't condemn Tyler to his life. He was the preacher's son and the preacher already thought he was corrupt. God only knew what he would do if he found out about his son.
"I can't," he looked down again. "You don't know what you're getting into Tyler."
"Yes I do," Tyler walked until he was standing in front of Jeremy and carefully put a hand on his cheek. "Kiss me, Jeremy."
Jeremy made the mistake of looking into Tyler's eyes and he couldn't resist anymore even if he wanted to. He leaned forward and captured Tyler's lips desperately with his own.
Tyler could have cried with happiness as he wrapped his arms tightly around Jeremy. The lips on his were so soft and plush he wondered how he'd ever enjoyed kissing Vicky before this. He gripped Jeremy's shoulders tightly as the other's hands got tangled in his hair, pulling slightly.
Their kisses were different from before; they were desperate, more passionate and making Tyler feel so hot he needed to come out of his skin. He wanted, so badly, to touch Jeremy but felt like that would be crossing the line, like he would be officially labeled 'homosexual' if his hands touched any part of him other than his face. But his hands were burning with anticipation and a need so strong that it stole his breath and he had to pull back. It was all so much at once he didn't know what to do.
Jeremy looked into his eyes for a few seconds before cupping his neck tenderly with one hand and guiding their lips back together, this time pressing his body into Tyler's and making the shorter boy hit the tree in back of him. He could feel Tyler's hardness pressing into his leg and he immediately became aroused; he wanted Tyler bad but he wasn't sure how far he was willing to go.
Tyler hummed pleasantly as he felt Jeremy's lips trail down his neck leaving burning, wet kisses, nipping at his collar bone above the collar of his shirt. He could feel Jeremy's hands on his sides, gripping them tightly before sliding down to the hem of his shirt and slipping under to touch his abs. He gasped as the taller boy kissed him again, the new sensation of Jeremy's fingertips rubbing his stomach making him dizzy. He pushed Jeremy back a bit and lifted the shirt over his head, throwing it to the ground before reaching for Jeremy's. He lifted his arms and the shirt came off without much fight. Tyler stared at the pale, toned top half of the boy in front of him and decided it was the most perfect thing he'd ever seen. God couldn't possibly want to punish such beauty for being different.
He brought his hand to Jeremy's neck before attaching his lips back to his. Jeremy pushed him against the tree, the rough bark scraping his back but Tyler couldn't bring himself to care, not while Jeremy's lips were moving over his chest, teasing his nipples and licking their way down to his belly-button. By the time he reached the waistband of Tyler's jeans, Tyler was out of breath and wanting more, so much more. His eyes locked with Jeremy's and he waited with bated breath as Jeremy popped the button and slid both his jeans and his boxers down to his ankles, his erection springing free and completely at attention. Tyler suddenly felt embarrassment creep up inside him but he didn't know why; it's not like he had anything Jeremy didn't but he guessed it was the way that Jeremy was worshiping his cock with his eyes that made him flush. Slowly, still watching his face for any sign of discomfort, Jeremy reached his hand out and wrapped it around him.
Tyler's eyes fell closed and groaned when the hand started moving painfully slow. Firm, steady strokes enveloped him and he opened his eyes once more to watch Jeremy. He knew exactly how tight to grip and how to work his hand; it was definitely better than doing it himself or when Vicky had done it. Jeremy looked up at him again before his tongue darted out and tasted the tip. Tyler jumped in surprise and in pleasure; he hadn't been expecting that at all. He looked down again just as Jeremy took him into his mouth and he groaned in delight.
"Oh God," he breathed as Jeremy's tongue massaged him. His tongue flicked over the head teasingly and Tyler's head fell back, eyes shut and mouth open in a soundless cry.
"Jeremy—oh my God Jeremy!" he whimpered. Nothing had ever felt so exquisite in his entire life. Jeremy stared at him through those big, brown eyes that were so expressive as his tongue slid down his shaft to the base and he groaned when it caressed his balls. He went back to mouthing the tip and his eyes rolled in the back of his head.
"Jere—Jere I can't—I'm gonna—" he panted out, gripping the tree tightly. Jeremy sucked particularly hard before letting up. Tyler whined and Jeremy laughed lightly.
"Not yet," he murmured. He tugged Tyler down to the ground and straddled him after removing his own pants and boxers, revealing his hard erection. Tyler couldn't keep his eyes off of it and his hands lightly caressed the younger boy's sides.
"Hang on," Jeremy muttered before pressing two fingers to Tyler's mouth and he took them in, sucking gently. Jeremy moaned and took them away after a long moment, reaching between his legs and inserting them inside him. Tyler's eyes nearly bugged out of his head as he watched and thought that if had any less control he would have come at the sight.
Jeremy bit his lip, keeping his eyes locked with Tyler's as he slid his fingers in and out, opening himself up. He couldn't believe that he was about to de-flower the preacher's son; God would surely punish him for this. And as long as he'd wanted this, he honestly couldn't bring himself to care.
When he felt stretched enough he placed himself over Tyler's straining cock and pushed down slowly. He briefly thought he should have brought a condom before the fullness of having Tyler inside him took over his mind.
"Jesus Jere," Tyler whimpered through his nose when Jeremy was all the way down, gripping his hips tightly. He raised himself up and lowered himself back down, Tyler's hips rising to meet his making both of them cry out. Jeremy rocked his hips and Tyler squeezed his eyes shut turning his head into the ground to prolong his release.
Tyler couldn't believe that something felt this good. Because it was Jeremy or because he was a boy didn't matter, all he knew was that after tasting this slice of heaven everything made sense. He couldn't even bring himself to care about what his father would think should he find out what he'd been up to.
"You feel so good," the boy on top of him groaned. Tyler shivered; Jeremy sounded like a porn star. He didn't dare look at him again; it would be his undoing, he was sure.
Jeremy raised himself and lowered down again, hissing through his teeth. Tyler bit his lip to the point of bleeding. Jeremy was so hot and tight and fitting deliciously around him. "Look at me," he demanded gently; Tyler shook his head.
"Are you ashamed?" he asked softly, rocking his hips. He shook his head again.
"I can't—it's too much," he gritted out. "I'm not…won't last…"
Jeremy nodded and stopped moving, waiting for the elder boy to pull himself together. He caressed his chest soothingly, bending to drop a kiss on Tyler's forehead and his neck before nuzzling the warm skin.
They lay there for a while and Tyler thought Jeremy might have fallen asleep while waiting for him but he shifted his hips causing Tyler to groan.
"I'm ready," he murmured into Jeremy's ear, enjoying the shiver that ran down his spine. He sat up and rocked his hips into a steady rhythm before raising himself up and lowering down onto Tyler repeatedly. He groaned and sat up, hands going around Jeremy's back and kissing his neck. The taller boy placed his hands on Tyler's shoulders, fingers digging into his skin as the passion built around them.
"Jere," he breathed, drowning in ecstasy. He had no idea sex could feel like this, so natural and emotional and passionate and high and everything he couldn't explain all in one. The boy he was holding so close to him, he had no idea where he came from but Tyler never wanted to let him go back. He belonged here with him, in this place—their place—and this moment belonged to them and them alone. No matter what happened after this, no one would be able to take this away from them.
Jeremy dipped his head and captured Tyler's lips in a kiss that he was sure would have stolen his breath if his breathing wasn't already limited. Jeremy sped up his movements and Tyler clung to him desperately panting into his neck, his hips moving of their own accord as he moved closer to his climax.
"Jere," he moaned and came hard without warning, his vision becoming disoriented and blurry and he had to close his eyes while the pleasure overloaded his senses. He barely felt Jeremy guide him back down to the ground before he blacked out.
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The trees blocked the sun from blaring into his eyes when he came to. His body was pleasantly numb and still tingling from the mind-blowing pleasure he just experienced. Jeremy was curled on one side of him and his hand was creating lazy patterns on his chest. Tyler blinked as he stared through the trees, noticing two butterflies chase each other above him. He smiled; they reminded him of him and Jeremy.
He felt so at ease and peaceful he never wanted to move. The grass was cool beneath him while Jeremy's body was warm and comforting. He brought his arm to wrap around the younger boy and he felt a kiss to his ear in response.
"You okay?" he asked gently in his ear, sending shivers down Tyler's spine. He nodded, not wanting to speak just yet. The lips traveled down to his neck, leaving simple kisses down to the shoulder. Jeremy lifted himself onto his forearms and elbows and pressed his lips to Tyler's for a long moment. They remained there, breathing in each other's air before Jeremy pulled back and smiled. The sun hit his face at an angle that made him look like an angel in Tyler's eyes; he brought a hand to caress his face to make sure he was real.
"You're beautiful," he murmured, running his thumb tenderly over a healing bruise. Tyler's thoughts went to how he got that bruise but he pushed them away; nothing was going to ruin this moment for him. Jeremy smiled and kissed him on the cheek, nuzzling the area for a few moments before standing. Tyler moaned lightly at the loss of contact, "Where are you going?"
"We need to get clean," he held out his hand for Tyler to take and the preacher's son let himself be pulled up and led to the little pond.
The water was cool when they entered but it felt good against Tyler's suddenly overheated skin. He saw Jeremy dunk his head under and wondered if this was the first time he'd done this with someone in this spot. The thought made him scowl in jealously but he quickly pushed the thought aside.
Jeremy swam to him, brown eyes wide and happy as he dunked him underwater. Tyler smiled when he came back up and splashed him playfully, grabbing his wrist and pulling him in for a kiss. Jeremy's hand cupped his face and he smiled into the kiss, his heart flying as this boy—this perfect, perfect boy who came into his life out of nowhere held him so gently. He wanted to stay here forever.
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Caroline knew something was different about him, she wasn't blind. She watched him from her spot on his bed while he tried to concentrate on his history notes for his exam tomorrow. "You and Jeremy did it, didn't you?"
Tyler dropped the paper he was holding and scrambled to pick it up while hiding his blush, "What makes you say that?"
"You were practically glowing when you got home," she smirked when Tyler ducked his head slightly and busied himself with re-organizing his notes. "Don't worry, I won't say anything."
"I don't know what you're talking about," he muttered. He didn't know why he kept pretending he didn't have sex with Jeremy, his sister would have found out eventually.
"He was your first."
"Seriously, how do you know these things?" he turned to her, figuring there was no point in hiding his face now.
"Tyler, I've always known you were a virgin; you play the part," she smiled at his indignant look. "Something about Vicky wasn't doing it for you. Now I see it's because she's a girl."
He smiled snidely at her as she laughed. "I've never felt this way before Caroline," his voice dropped to a whisper. "He's…I don't even know how to describe it."
"Sounds like you're completely whipped," she rolled onto her back. "Since you've met him you've been ditching school, sneaking out at night, drinking and now you're getting laid; all because of him. I'm surprised Dad hasn't noticed anything."
"I hope he never does," he turned back to his notes. The last thing he needed was for his dad to find out Jeremy Gilbert swiped his V-card. He flew into a rage for days when he somehow found out Caroline's 'virtue' was long gone.
"Matt's having a get-together at his house Friday night; your boyfriend is going to be there," she laughed when he wrinkled his nose at the word.
"He's not my boyfriend."
"You want him to be."
Tyler blinked; honestly, he hadn't really thought about it. He liked Jeremy, way more than he probably should but he didn't know how the younger boy felt about him. If Jeremy was to be his boyfriend, things would be no different than they were now, he surmised. But he couldn't take him out on dates or kiss him in public; hell he wouldn't even be able to hold his hand or stand too close without being dragged to The Square to be punished for some indecency.
"We'll see," he turned back to his papers, thoughts of studying long gone.
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Matt's get together turned into a full-blown party; once the football team, the other jocks and the assholes that made Jeremy's life a living hell came through the door (more than half the school hated him, the other's pretended he didn't exist) Tyler took Jeremy by the hand and snuck out the back, signaling to Caroline they were getting out of sight. They walked to their spot without running into anyone, something they were both grateful for. The sun was setting and the sky was a pretty blend of purple, blue, orange and pink, the light guiding their way to the hidden wooded area. Tyler ducked under a falling tree branch and held it until Jeremy walked through, rolling his eyes and smiling at Jeremy's teasing voice that stated that that should have been his job.
"I'm sorry I ruined the party for you, you didn't have to come out here with me," Jeremy had his back to Tyler so he couldn't see his face. "I'm used to cutting my partying short so I don't have to fight."
"You shouldn't have too," Tyler said with a hint of anger. "And I would rather be out here with you than in there with them."
Jeremy turned to him with a question in his wide, doe-like eyes; Tyler thought he was adorable and his heart melted. "Why?"
"I…you're my friend," he caught himself from saying something else. Something that held much more meaning that he was sure Jeremy wasn't ready for. "You've been a better friend to me than they've ever been."
Jeremy didn't look like he believed him but didn't press the matter. "I just hope no one saw you with me. I would hate it if you got in trouble with your father because of me."
"I don't care what he thinks; he can't tell me who I can and can't talk to and if he knew what Avery and Jackson were really like he'd probably ban me from talking to them too."
Jeremy laughed, "Big, rich, ugly meatheads who pretend to be sweet little angels that attend mass on Sundays and then go fuck every girl they can here and in Richmond? Yeah your father would have a heart attack if he knew what half of your team was up to."
Tyler laughed and stopped abruptly when a thought struck him, "The guys you slept with…they're on the team aren't they?"
Jeremy's eyes widened, a blush coming unbidden to his face. "I…you never slept with any girls, not even Vicky."
It was Tyler's turn to blush. Damn. "Yeah…you were my first."
Jeremy muttered something that sounded like, "Knew it," and smirked at him. "Kory Thomason, Trey Dallas and Jackson."
"Jackson?" Tyler exclaimed; he definitely didn't see that coming. "He—you're always fighting him!"
"Yeah well, believe it or not, he actually told me he wanted to be with me," Tyler's eyes widened even more. What the hell? Since when was Jackson gay?
"But why does he always fight you? He can't really expect you to return his feelings if he's always hurting you."
Jeremy shrugged, "I told him that…and he gave me some bullshit answer like, 'I can't show people how I feel about you, my family would disown me!' and 'Avery and the guys would kill me!' and all that drama. It's fine though; I don't like him that much, I just used him to get off. He's the one who caught feelings for me."
Tyler shook his head in disbelief; he would have never guessed Jeremy would be so popular on the down low. The thought that he slept with three guys on the football team—four including him now—was starting to bug him. He wanted to be Jeremy's first just like Jeremy was his.
"Did you ever like any of them?" he tried hard to keep the jealously out of his voice.
"No, the first two were a one-time deal when I was drunk and one time when I was high. Jackson is the only one I've slept with more than once. I ended it a while back and he was pissed, which is probably why he starts fights with me now, but he still texts me nearly every day telling me how much he misses me and how much he still wants to be with me. It's getting annoying, seeing how desperate he is."
Tyler tried to make his laugh sound genuine but ended up sounding callous. He kept his eyes trained on the pond where a family of ducks were enjoying themselves.
"Does it bother you that I slept with your teammates?" Jeremy asked uncertainly. Tyler guessed he didn't do a good job of reigning in his jealously.
"I…I mean you—you can do what you want," he shrugged, not looking at Jeremy's face. "I can't stop you from—"
"Does it bother you, Tyler?" Jeremy interrupted softly, taking a couple careful steps towards him. "You can tell me anything, I won't judge you."
Tyler licked his lips and sighed. "Yeah—yeah it does."
"Why?" he asked in that same, soft tone, one that made Tyler want to tell him everything. So he did.
"Because you can do so much better than them…because you are better than them, Jere." But he didn't stop there. "I hate that I can't help you when they jump you at school, I hate how people treat you like dirt when you're one of the kindest people I've ever met, I hate that my dad won't let me see you when…when all I want is to be with you."
Jeremy smiled reaching for Tyler's hand and lacing their fingers together, "I hate that too. For a while I was scared you would listen to him."
"Even if he found a way to monitor me all the time, I would still find some way to see you because I…I love you," Tyler confessed looking straight at him; his feelings were more clear to him than ever before. "I don't care if it's wrong or if my father is the preacher…I can't change how I feel about you."
Jeremy shook his head. "Tyler, you can't," he said quietly. "This—us—it's forbidden. You have a life that can't allow for you to be with me."
"Then we'll run away!" Tyler replied slightly desperate as he grabbed Jeremy's other hand. "We'll go somewhere where we can be happy and no one will tell us it's wrong."
"There's no place on earth that will tell us it's okay," Jeremy whispered sadly. He wished he could just run away and be with Tyler forever.
"Then we'll make our own," he said with determination. "Do you love me?"
Jeremy nodded vigorously, "With all my heart." And it was true; he never felt the things he felt for Tyler for anyone else.
"Then promise me we'll run away when we get the chance. Promise me that if things get too bad with Jackson and school and this town that you'll run and never look back."
"What about you? I won't go without you," he said softly.
"I'll follow you when I can. I'll find you again."
"Tyler," he brought a hand to caress his face gently and Tyler leaned into it. "How can this be so wrong? Why must we be condemned by God?"
Tyler kissed his palm, his eyes capturing Jeremy's soulful ones, "All I know is what I'm feeling can't be evil. You aren't evil; why should God punish us for being in love?"
"It's not fair," Jeremy whispered sadly and Tyler crushed him to his chest, lips finding the other's desperately. No, it wasn't fair but that's the way it was. Their relationship would have to remain a secret, no matter how much Tyler wanted to shout it to the world that he was in love with Jeremy Gilbert. The odds were against them, but they would make it work; they had to.
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Tyler sighed in contentment as he flipped open Romeo and Juliette; they were assigned to read the Shakespearean play for the next six weeks and while Tyler had already read the book twice, he didn't mind reading it again. There was something about the two star-crossed lovers and their story that captivated him.
Jeremy rested his head on his chest, still catching his breath from their earlier bouts of love-making. He was happy Elena was out in Richmond with Stefan and Jenna was at a performance at The Square leaving Jeremy home alone. So naturally, he invited Tyler over to spend the night; he knew Jenna wouldn't mind, so long as they only acted like friends and Elena knew enough not to mention anything to Jenna.
The silence was peaceful, the only sound being the turning of pages as Tyler read. Jeremy watched him contentedly, happy that he was getting this time to be with Tyler. It had been getting harder to see each other; Preacher Lockwood started noticing the change in his son sooner rather than later and tried to keep a tighter leash on him. Tyler would still ditch class when he could and sneak out nearly every night to see Jeremy but he had to be extra wary of people his dad would ask to check on him. His father asked him repeatedly if he was still seeing Jeremy, sensing he was hiding something and even thought Tyler would constantly tell him no, he didn't seem to believe him. Luckily for them, they had good friends who were also good liars and Mr. Saltzman was fine with helping them carry on their forbidden love affair by providing his office to them during lunchtime. They hated that they had to sneak around so much but they were in love; what else could they do?
Jeremy glanced at the page Tyler was on and read some of Romeo's monologue where he obsessed and carried on about Juliette.
"They're like us, aren't they?" Jeremy asked thoughtfully. "They were forbidden from being together and they did it anyways."
Tyler snorted, "I like to think we're a little less dramatic than them."
"No shit," Jeremy rolled his eyes. "I just meant our situation was similar to theirs."
"Yeah, that's true…there's something wrong with that," Tyler frowned. Why should they have to hide from everyone?
Oh, right; because they would probably be flogged in The Square or worse, be burned at the stake, the more popular punishment for dealing with gays after having their privates removed. None of which they wanted to experience.
"Yeah, there is," Jeremy whispered, his thoughts running along the same lines as Tyler's. He kissed his nipple and snuggled further into his chest, rubbing his stomach gently. Somehow, Jeremy figured even if they did get caught, the whole thing would have been worth it.
xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo
"Do you think about getting out of here a lot? Like just packing up all your stuff in one bag and just leaving?
"All the time; this town is a horrible place for people who are different. You see the way people look at me; they really think I have a disease. They tell their kids I'm unnatural and that it's okay for them to treat me like I'm dirt."
"Then why haven't you left yet? I would have been gone a long time ago."
"I don't want to leave Elena or Jenna. They're family, you know? Plus it's not so bad now; I have your sister, Matt, Stefan, Bonnie…now I have you."
"But still," Tyler frowned, "why not just leave Jere? You can do so much better than this place."
"Where would I go Ty? I don't know anyone anywhere else and I don't want to make Elena and Jenna leave because of me, that wouldn't be fair."
"I bet they would leave; they love you Jere. They hate to see you treated this way."
"I wouldn't want to leave you," he said softly, raising his head from Tyler's chest to look into his eyes. "I'd miss you too much."
"If you went into the city I could still sneak out to see you." He sighed, "I'm just scared for you. I'm tired of seeing you having to fight off the football team and being treated like your lower than scum."
"You make it bearable," Jeremy pressed his lips to Tyler's gently. "You make it all worth it."
Tyler pressed his lips to Jeremy's hair when he lay back down, fingers stroking through his hair lazily. He returned to looking at the clouds through the trees, wishing he and Jeremy could leave this town and never come back.
Xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo
When he came home later, he immediately knew something was wrong. His father was sitting at the table, Caroline on his right looking nervous as she bit her lip. She gave him a shaky smile and he forced one in return.
"Hello, son," Preacher Lockwood said calmly. Tyler gulped at his tone; this was not good.
"Dad," he nodded, trying to mask as much of the fear as he could.
"Sit down, we have some things to discuss," he motioned to the chair across from him. Tyler sat down and tried to control his shaking hands.
Richard Lockwood looked at his son silently for a few moments, noticing how thick the tension had become.
"Where have you been?" he asked curtly. Tyler blinked, holy shit.
"I've been at practice…Coach has been wanting us to practice later—"
"Your practice was over two hours ago," his father cut him off sharply and Tyler shut his mouth. "Your practices have been ending at 5 like they've always been so let's try this again. Where have you been, Tyler?"
Caroline looked down at the table and Tyler knew she was wringing her hands together, a nervous habit she picked up. He felt his stomach start to churn as he felt his father knew exactly what he'd been up to. But maybe there was a chance he didn't.
"I—I've been at Matt's."
"Wrong again. I just came from Matt's house and you weren't there!" his father barked and Tyler jumped, cursing himself mentally for not thinking of a better excuse. "You want to know what I think?" his father asked, dangerously calm. "I think that you have been lying to me these past few months and you've been sneaking around with that Gilbert boy." He looked at his son through narrow eyes, "Well, Tyler? What do you think about that?"
If Tyler wasn't so terrified at this moment, he would have given his father some smart remark that it was about time he started noticing something about his son since he never had time for him. But the sheer fear of what was going to happen to him paralyzed his mind and he couldn't think of an appropriate answer to give.
"I—I haven't—I mean I don't—"
His father's face twisted into one of fury, "DON'T LIE TO ME TYLER! I KNOW YOU'VE BEEN SEEING HIM! YOU'VE DISOBEYED MY ORDERS AND WENT BEHIND MY BACK TO SEE SOME FAGGOT!
Caroline tucked her head into her body more, trying to shield herself from her father's wrath. Tyler stared at him with wide eyes, hand visibly shaking now and he kept them under the table to hide the utter fear he felt.
"I should have him dragged to The Square to be flogged!" his father snarled viciously. "I should have had that done when he first came clean about his indecency!"
"No!" Tyler cried jumping up, heart sinking at what he just proved to his father. Too late to take it back now. "Don't hurt him—he's done nothing wrong!"
"How dare you defend that faggot! What he does is sinful and he needs to be taught the error of his ways!"
"Jeremy is fine the way he is!" Tyler shouted back, "He's perfect just the way he is; there's nothing wrong with him!"
His father stared at him like he was a serial killer and Tyler had a mini mental breakdown as he realized what he just revealed. He would stand by Jeremy though, he wouldn't let someone demean their relationship and tell him it was wrong when he knew there was nothing to be ashamed of.
"He's perfect the way he is," his father repeated in disbelief. "What, are you in love with him Tyler? Is that what this is?"
"I—he's—"
"My God," his father breathed, looking as if Tyler were an alien that had suddenly come into his house. "You're one of them."
"Dad please—" Tyler started but his father cut him off again.
"How long has this been going on, Tyler? How long have you been living in this sin?"
"It's not a crime to be in love," Tyler said defiantly. "Love is never wrong."
His father walked around Caroline's chair to tower over his son. "You think you're in love? You're too young to know what love is and you certainly aren't in love with a sodomite! I forbid it!"
"It's not something I can control Dad! I can't help that I fell in love with him!"
"You will not see him anymore Tyler and you will stop this nonsense now!" his father snapped but Tyler stood his ground.
"Stop what? Being gay? Loving Jeremy? Tell me Dad, which one do you want me to sto—?"
He was abruptly cut off by a hard slap that made his head swing sharply to the side. Caroline stood and let out a surprised, "Dad!"
"I will not have a faggot for a son!" he bellowed. "You are a disgrace to this family and to God! You and that boy will rot in hell for what you've done!"
"God won't punish me for loving him!" Tyler cried, his beliefs clear to him now. "God loves all his children!"
"You are no child of God, or of mine," his father hissed out and both Tyler and Caroline gasped at the implication.
"Dad, please!" she begged. "He's your son—"
"I didn't raise a sodomite," he said nastily and Tyler flinched. He felt the tears welling up but he held them at bay. "I want you out of this house. Get your things and leave."
"But—but where will I go?" his voice shook as he spoke; he hated how vulnerable he sounded.
"I don't care where you go, faggot. Your well-being is no concern of mine and if I ever see you or that whore again I'll end you both."
Tyler's eyes widened in terror at his father's threat and he pressed his lips together to keep from screaming at the injustice of it all. The look his father was giving him was one of pure contempt, as if he wished to kill him here and now. With one last look at his sister he ran upstairs and slammed the door when he got to his room, the panic he was starting to feel seeping into him. Without really realizing what he was doing he found his duffle bag and started throwing anything and everything he could in it; his clothes, shoes, textbooks, and other essentials all found a new home inside the beat-up piece of fabric. The door opened and Caroline burst into the room, throwing herself into Tyler's arms. He held her tightly as they cried; he would never be under the same roof as his beloved sister again. They would never have another nightly conversation and talk about his feelings for Jeremy or where they were going that night.
"I love you Tyler," she whispered sadly. He wiped her tears away with his thumbs and kissed her forehead.
"Everything's going to be okay Caroline, just pray for me. I'm going to need it," he muttered.
"I do pray for you, every night," she whispered and he smiled, giving her another squeeze before throwing the rest of his stuff into another bag and zipping the first one. He hoisted the bags onto his shoulders, "I'll be at Matt's. Thank God he doesn't have parents."
She laughed through her tears and he smiled as he walked downstairs and into the hall. Their dad was no longer in sight and Tyler was relieved; he didn't want to deal with the man more than he needed to. With a small smile at Caroline he walked out the door and to his car, throwing his stuff in before taking off down the street, waving to Caroline standing on the front porch.
Review if you want to see how it ends! 0_0