A/N: I am warning you all, this chapter is essentially a huge tease. But hopefully the payoff is all in the next one. I tried my best! And also, I think it's the last purely teasing chapter. Lastly, chapter 14 is already done and I'm onto 15 so you guys will be getting them pretty fast. Still don't know where it's going to end…stay tuned.

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What he guessed was about an hour later Jeremy was still awake and rolled onto his side.
"You alright?" Tyler questioned, eyes closed.
"Fine," Jeremy murmured in response. Tyler opened his eyes a fraction of an inch,
"I don't believe you." He added an arched eyebrow. Jeremy felt himself frown in response.
"I'm alright. Why aren't you asleep?" Tyler shrugged,
"Just thinking about stuff." Tyler waited a beat before speaking again, "What are you thinking about?" Jeremy pressed his lips together. He was not answering that question. Tyler must have seen something in his expression, because he didn't let it go. "Come on, you can tell me Jer."
"I'd rather not." Tyler sighed heavily.
"And here I thought we were bonding." That was part of the problem. Jeremy wasn't going to tell him that either. Jeremy settled on a safe, non-verbal reply, shrugging. "Fine," Tyler drawled dramatically, turning onto his back. Jeremy couldn't help but chuckle. "Are you," he paused, "laughing at me Gilbert?" Jeremy sobered, covering his mouth with one hand.
"I don't know what you're talking about," Jeremy managed before a snicker slipped out.

Tyler moved suddenly, placing his hands on either side of Jeremy's head on the pillow he hovered over him. He slid a knee between Jeremy's legs to keep him up. Jeremy sucked in a breath and stared up at him.
"Not laughing anymore." Jeremy simply shook his head. Tyler smirked down at him but otherwise held perfectly still. Jeremy could only guess he was waiting for more of a reaction.
"Tyler," he breathed, "I don't know." To be honest, he did know. His heart was racing and his skin was flushed with pleasant heat. But if he did this…what happened then? Where would there be for them to go? He wanted to try it, his body was nearly begging for it, but at what cost? Tyler sighed deeply, skimming down until their skin was touching.
"It's okay." Tyler pressed his lips to Jeremy's brow for a brief second, "I shouldn't be pressuring you, I'm sorry." Tyler chuckled and pushed himself up, sending cool air between them. "I can't seem to help myself." Jeremy looked away, blushing slightly. Tyler paused another moment before rolling off and laying on his back.

"This shouldn't be happening," he said lightly. Jeremy quirked an eyebrow. He couldn't agree more. "I'm so tired of having to fight everything." Jeremy half turned to look at him. Tyler slung his arm over his eyes and sighed again. "This is insane." Jeremy tried desperately to understand why this was happening. He'd never been attracted to men and he was guessing Tyler hadn't either. In fact if they weren't beating the shit out of each other they were struggling just to get along. This made no sense at all. Jeremy had heard it said that there was a thin line between love and hate…was the same true for hate and lust?
"I'm going to be honest this doesn't make any sense to me either."
"I don't know whether to be relieved or not," Tyler muttered darkly.
"I'd be more relived if I had an answer."
"You think maybe…this could be normal?"
"If it was, we wouldn't be going through it."
"Fair point." Neither of them spoke for several moments. "So what do you think we should do?"
"You're asking me?" Jeremy questioned, shocked.
"Well you already know what I want to do," he said, lifting his arm and turning towards Jeremy, "and you don't seem too keen on the idea."
"I…" Jeremy drifted off. He sighed in defeat. "Why do things have to be so complicated? Everything was so much easier when we just kicked each other's asses."
"Somehow I think if we tried it now it wouldn't end the same way it used to."

Memories of the pool came back unbidden. He couldn't stop it. Tyler's hands hot on his skin, and his mouth. Dear God, that mouth. It shouldn't be legal. Jeremy had never been so turned on in his life, which worried him. He could try to explain it away, but the bottom line was that Tyler Lockwood had him hot and bothered. And there wasn't a damn thing he could do about it. It was just going to get worse and worse. Like dread thickening in his stomach he could feel the knowledge spreading through him. Jeremy had never been good at denying himself something he wanted.
"So if we…do this, what happens then?" Jeremy licked his lips nervously as soon as the words were released.
"I don't know," Tyler said. Jeremy looked back to the ceiling and tried to slow his stream of thoughts. He'd give in eventually…why bother holding out? Why bother denying himself one of the basest pleasures of life? "It's better if you don't think about it so much," Tyler suggested.
"One of us has to think," Jeremy announced dryly.
"That's a matter of opinion. If one of us wasn't so busy thinking, we might have some answers by now."
"Or it might have been such a mistake that we'd never have been able to look each other in the eye again."
"That's not possible."
"Oh really?" Tyler turned back towards Jeremy, examining him for a long moment.
"I've never wanted anything like I want this," he admitted in a whisper.

Jeremy's throat ran dry at the confession. He simply stared at Tyler, speechless. He felt his lips move as he made the effort to speak, but no words presented themselves. The room remained silent. They'd just crossed a line. Jeremy didn't know how he knew, he just did. Admitting you were curious about something or that you had thought of it was not the same thing as explaining exactly how badly you wanted it. Jeremy edged closer to Tyler before he could stop himself. Just one kiss. He had to see if it was as good as he remembered. Just one…
"Come here," Jeremy breathed. Tyler stopped centimeters away. Telling himself sternly not to be afraid Jeremy closed the last distance between them. Jeremy wasn't ready for the complete suffusion of heat and need that engulfed him. He groaned against Tyler's mouth. Tyler took the opportunity to suck his bottom lip between his. He nipped the flesh with his teeth before sending his tongue into Jeremy's mouth. Jeremy wrapped his arms around Tyler's neck the best he could and pushed himself closer. Surprisingly, neither of them fought for control. They were satisfied to simply explore. Jeremy didn't stop after one kiss, or three. When Tyler pulled him on top, he went willingly. Tyler pushed him up until Jeremy was sitting on his stomach, straddling him. Tyler leaned up even as Jeremy pressed down to meet him. The kiss continued as Tyler's hands slid under Jeremy's shirt. They groaned simultaneously, Jeremy's hands landing carelessly on Tyler's chest. Jeremy broke the kiss long enough to yank his shirt off with Tyler's help. Tyler's hands moved to Jeremy's jaw and Jeremy leaned into the touch before leaning down again. They kissed again, lips pressing together harder as the level of desperation increased. Jeremy couldn't believe it but every motion felt natural. Like this was the way things were always meant to be. Like there was never anything before this.
"You sure?" Tyler questioned raggedly, holding Jeremy back with one hand. With a slow smile Jeremy nodded.

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