The day after was a regular Friday. When the classes were over Matt and Tyler decided to hang at the Grill and play pool while Jeremy was sitting alone at a table not far from them. He didn't really know if he could join them or not. Even if he still wanted to be friends with Tyler he didn't know if it was reciprocated, or if they were supposed to talk about the kiss. So he just looked at them playing, and waited to see how Tyler would react if they exchange a glance.

As he was watching him Jeremy wondered if his feelings towards his new friend could, or would change. The thought of dating Tyler never crossed his mind before the guy kissed him, but since it happened that became a pretty recurring thought. At first it was totally absurd, but then he wondered if it really was. Even though he's never felt attraction for any male before this could still be possible, he was still young, he didn't know himself perfectly. Though he knew he liked girls, for sure. He couldn't imagine for a moment that what he felt for Vicky and Anna wasn't love. He knew he was in love with them, and that sex with them was amazing. After all Jeremy has never been really attracted to people just for sex, he was more into falling for personnality. So maybe gender didn't matter to him? He could fall for vampires so why not guys? He didn't want to know before but now he wants to know what this kiss meant. At first he was afraid that Tyler would be attracted to him but now he was okay with this thought, he would even give him a chance if Tyler asked him. Not that he became attracted to him, he was just curious.

When it was Matt's turn Tyler noticed Jeremy watching him. His crush smiled at him awkwardly, he answered with a small wave that his best friend noticed

"Who are you waving at?"

"Jeremy Gilbert, he's by himself over there"

"Seriously?"

Matt hardly believed that. He knew the two guys weren't enemies anymore but he didn't think they would be friends. So he looked where Tyler was waving at and it was indeed Elena's brother. Then he looked back at his best friend. The latter wondered why Jeremy was staying by himself instead of joining them. Was that because he didn't wanted to or because he creeped him out the day before? Tyler had to know.

"Hold on. I'll be right back"

Tyler tapped Matt's shoulder and walked towards Jeremy.

"Hey Jer!"

"Hey man"

"Have you been by yourself for a long time?"

"Not really"

"Why were you watching us? Were you hesitating to go seeing me?"

Jeremy got a bit embarrased, he looked down smiling then looked back at Tyler.

"I was actually"

"Why? Does this has something to do with yesterday?"

"Yeah. I thought it could be awkward. I didn't really know if you still wanted to talk to me after that"

Tyler was surprised to hear that. Why would he share his secret to avoid him after? To the contrary, it meant he trusted him and wanted to be a close friend! He sat at Jeremy's table and looked him in the eyes.

"Of course I still want to! You became one of my closest friends that day! What about you? You're not afraid of me now are you?"

"Not afraid, just a bit confused"

"Good, I knew I could trust you about that whole werewolf thing"

Jeremy got surprised, he thought they were talking about the fact that Tyler kissed him.

"The... werewolf thing?"

Tyler didn't understand Jeremy's confusion, he didn't forget about it didn't he?

"Er... Yeah. We went to my place with Aimee and Sarah, we looked at your notebook filled with werewolf scratches, that you left at my place by the way, then I told you about my family curse, almost killed Sarah, she went to the hospital with Aimee and you left to see a friend of yours"

"And you got drunk"

"How do you know that?"

"Because I was there, how do you... not know that?"

Oh shit, Jeremy was there! And Tyler had no idea what happened! Did he do something to Jeremy?

"'Cause I blacked out. Did I..." Tyler looked down and scratched his head, trying to find a way to phrase it without sounding too suggestive "Do something bad to you?"

Jeremy noticed Tyler was panicking. He probably didn't want to know what happened, and he already had to deal with the werewolf curse and the moonstone.

"No, you didn't"

"I didn't hit you or anything right?"

"No, you've been agressive but you didn't hurt me"

Actually, that wasn't the only thing Tyler was afraid of. But he couldn't ask him if he did something flirty or innapropriate. Though Jeremy probably would have told him if he did.

"Good." Tyler got up from his chair " Anyways, Matt and I are playing pool over there. Wanna come with us?"

"Yeah, sure"

Jeremy got up, took his backpack and followed Tyler.

"By the way, do you have my bag?"

"Sure, I brought it with me. Where does this one come from?"

"It's Elena's old one from middle school"

Tyler giggled.

"What?"

"You've got a girl's bag!"

"Come on, it's not a girly bag!"

"That's still fun!"

It wasn't that fun actually, but Tyler loved teasing Jeremy. When they reached Matt Tyler pointed Jeremy his backpack.

"It's here"

Jeremy put Elena's old bag in his current one.

"Thanks man"

Tyler turned to Matt.

"Hey, do you mind if Jeremy plays with us?"

Matt didn't thought Jeremy and Tyler would hang or be friends, he was happily surprised to be mistaken. He liked the idea of being friends with Jeremy too. He always saw him as a little brother, but he was afraid a friendship with him would compromise the one he had with Tyler.

"Of course not! We're in the middle of a game though, do you want to take the winner or team up with one of us?"

"I'll team up with Tyler" Then he turned to Tyler "If... you don't mind"

"Hey, I was being nice to you! Why are you trying to make me lose?"

"You dick, I'm teaming up with you!"

"Alright, if you don't think you can stand a chance against either one of us"

"Are you trying to tell me that I suck Lockwood?"

"Never saw you playing before, just saying"

"You know what? I changed my mind, when you two are done with this game I'll play against you"

"No problem, prepare to have you ass kicked"

This scene was weird to Matt: they could have had the same conversation a few months ago, but with an agressive tone and a fight at the end. While now the tone was much more joyful, they were just teasing each other nicely, like the eventuality of them becoming enemies again didn't exist.

"It's cool to see you guys getting along. Since when are you two friends like this?"

"Since my father's funeral I guess"

"Yeah, having a dead father is now something else we have in common" Jeremy looked at Tyler then Matt with a sad smile.

"It's not like screwing Vicki Donovan wasn't something in common that made us become friends!" Said Tyler actually smiling.

He realised one second later what he said, and regretted it. Jeremy looked at him shocked and Matt looked down, containing his anger, clenching his fists on the pool table.

"I cannot believe this Tyler... She was my sister, she's dead, and you still only see her as a freaking sexual object!"

Then he gave a look at his watch.

"You know what? My break's almost over, you two have fun"

"Wait, I'm sorry!" Tyler said as he watched his best friend walking away. Then he looked at Jeremy, who seemed broken.

"I was in love with her Ty, it wasn't just "screwing Vicki Donovan" to me"

"I know, I'm sorry" then Tyler went close to Jeremy and raised his arms "Go ahead: hit me"

"What?"

"Last time I talked about her that way you pushed me against a locker. If you wanna do something like that again I get it, I deserve it"

"Dude, I think we're over this, don't you? I mean, after that you refused to fight me when your dad took us outside"

"Yeah, I do. But when it comes to Vicki... I wish I had cared more about her but I didn't, and I still can't care more"

"That's because you didn't actually knew her, you didn't even tried to"

"That's your opinion, but honestly I'm sure there wasn't anything interesting in her for me, except her body"

As he said this Tyler continued playing. He knew it was bad to say that but he felt like he could tell Jeremy anything, even stuffs that hurt. The boy told him his dad was a dick after all. But still, he knew some of his words could have consequences, so he looked back at Jeremy to see his reaction about what he just said: he was looking at him with disapproval but didn't seem really angry.

"I hope you're not mad, I'm just being honest"

"I kinda am but that's fine, I mean, I'm not surprised. I'll get used to it eventually"

"Look, if it can make you feel any better I've felt this way about most of the girls I've been with. Actually, I don't think I've ever been in love with a girl"

When Tyler said that Jeremy saw an opportunity to find out if Tyler was gay or not without mentioning the kiss, and decided to take it.

"Have you ever been in love with a guy?"

Tyler never actually wondered that. He knew he liked Jeremy a lot, that he had feelings he wish he didn't have. But he didn't know if it was love or not, since he didn't know what it precisely felt like. What actually mattered was why Jeremy was wondering. Did Tyler do something that would make him wonder?

"What? Why are you asking that?"

"Just wondering"

Tyler didn't believe this thought would come randomly into Jeremy's mind. He did something, but he didn't know what.

"I haven't, okay? What would make you think that?"Jeremy started to open his mouth but Tyler immediatly stopped him. Jeremy knew something, the only thing Tyler could do would be limitate the damages "Look, I'm gonna make you a confidence. Lately, I've been... wondering what it would be like to... do stuffs... with a guy. And I've been tempted into trying it, but I already feel like this was just a momentary bi-curious phase"

"Bi-curious phase?"

"Yeah"

"So..."

Matt cut Jeremy as he came back with three drinks in his hand.

"Hey, sorry I left like this. These are on me"

"You bought us drinks because Tyler pissed you off?"

"Some beverage are free for me, one of the few advantages in working here"

"Sorry again for what I said earlier"

"I forgive you"

Tyler rose his glass

"To Vicky"

His two friends rose their glass as well, repeated what he just said and drank. Matt broke the silence that followed.

"I gotta get back to work, you guys can start a new game"

Matt walked away, Tyler tidied the balls and installed them as Jeremy watched. When Tyler finished he handed the queue to the younger boy.

"Come on, show me your skills"

As Tyler watched Jeremy playing questions were running through his head. What did Tyler do to Jeremy when he was drunk? What are his feelings precisely? What does Jeremy know about them? Did he buy that bi-curious excuse?

The answer to the last question was yes. Jeremy believed that Tyler just kissed him by curiosity. He was relieved to finally know the point of this kiss. Turned out it was practically nothing. Now that he thought that Tyler didn't especially had feelings for him Jeremy didn't see the point of wondering what would be with Tyler like. His interest of a possible relationship with the guy faded little by little. And he finally just saw him as a friend again.