Jealousy
Seraph_Novak

Summary:
Based on the season 3 promo ~ After seeing Cyrus with another boy, TJ tries to show off and ends up crashing his bike.


TJ looked unbelievably good in his racing gear. Cyrus was used to seeing him in baggy hoodies and ill-fitting pants, so the full-body suit he was currently sporting had come as a nice surprise to him. He was conscious of the way he kept staring at TJ, his eyes roaming over the red and navy uniform without an ounce of subtlety, but he didn't care. He and TJ had been dancing around each other for the past few weeks, and he was getting tired of pretending he wasn't interested.

"You look nice," he said, fearlessly testing the boundaries of the will-they-won't-they routine they'd settled into.

TJ smirked. "Oh yeah?"

"Uh-huh."

"That would explain why you're wearing my colours." TJ waved a hand at Cyrus' shirt, his eyes twinkling. "You tryna copy my style, Underdog?"

"This is a show of support," Cyrus explained. "So everyone will know whose side I'm on."

TJ rolled his eyes fondly, throwing an arm over his bike with an air of easy confidence that made Cyrus shiver, despite the sticky heat surrounding them. He loved seeing TJ in his element, completely at ease as he straddled the line between confidence and cockiness. Most people would find his arrogance off-putting, but Cyrus found it endearing.

"There aren't exactly sides in a race, Cyrus. It's every man for himself."

"You know what I mean!"

"You're adorable," TJ chuckled, his cheeks flushing as soon as the words left his mouth. He rubbed the back of his neck and stared down at the ground, toying with the dusty stones beneath his boots. "I mean, um... Yeah. You are. Adorable, I mean... You're adorable."

Cyrus bit back a smile. "So are you."

TJ glanced up at him, the panic in his eyes melting into relief. He cleared his throat and took a step towards Cyrus, his fingers twitching as if he wanted to reach out and touch him.

"I'm glad you're here," he said. "I know this isn't exactly your scene, so... Thanks for coming." Cyrus brushed a hand against his wrist, and TJ stuttered, the blush spreading to the tips of his ears as he struggled to keep talking. "I know this is a long time coming, but... I was wondering if maybe you'd like to –"

Before TJ could finish asking his question – a question that Cyrus was pretty sure had been leading to a very interesting place – someone called Cyrus' name, and he turned to find a familiar, blond-haired boy waving at him.

"Who's that?" TJ asked, a bitter edge to his voice.

Cyrus returned the other boy's wave. "Oh, that's Cole. We met in my new dance class the other week. He's nice."

"Nice?"

"Yeah," Cyrus said, flicking TJ a strange look. "What's wrong with nice?"

TJ tightened his jaw and shrugged. "Nothing… Are you gonna go talk to him?"

"It would be rude not to."

Cyrus let his fingers slip away from TJ's wrist, his skin instantly cooling from the loss of contact, and made his way over to Cole, his sneakers slipping over the rocky ground. The sun was beating down relentlessly, and Cyrus could feel the sweat gathering on his forehead with every step. He wondered how difficult it was to navigate a bike on such tricky terrain, what with the ground constantly shifting beneath the tyres. He'd have to give TJ a lecture on safety before the race began.

"Hey, Cyrus," Cole greeted him with a toothy smile. "What are you doing here? I didn't take you for a biker."

Cyrus couldn't help but laugh. "I'm not. I'm here with someone."

"Oh, you mean the grumpy looking guy with the blue bike?"

Cyrus frowned. He glanced over his shoulder at TJ, surprised to find his friend staring at him and Cole with an unreadable expression on his face. As soon as he caught Cyrus' eye, he dropped his head and started fiddling with the zip on his jersey.

"That's TJ," Cyrus said, turning back to Cole. "I think he's probably nervous about the race."

Cyrus knew for a fact that wasn't the case, but he didn't want Cole speculating over TJ's apparent change in mood. All he wanted to do was finish this conversation as quickly and politely as possible, then return to TJ and ask him what was wrong.

"Is he your boyfriend?" Cole asked.

"Not yet," Cyrus said, taking himself by surprise. He cursed himself for saying too much and forced a smile. "I mean, no. We're not dating."

Cole seemed to relax slightly. "That's good."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, you know... I think you're pretty cute, so I was thinking about asking you out."

Cyrus blanched. "Oh. Oh. Um... Look, Cole –"

"It's okay," Cole said, waving him off with a knowing smile. "I get it. I hope that TJ guy knows how lucky he is."

Cyrus wished him luck for the race and walked back to TJ, his thoughts muddled. He hadn't even considered the possibility of Cole – or any boy, for that matter – having a crush on him. It was strange. He'd been so preoccupied by TJ that he hadn't even realised he might have more than one option. But even with the knowledge that there was a handsome boy ready and willing to go out with him, Cyrus couldn't imagine himself with anyone other than TJ. He just hoped he wouldn't be waiting around forever.

"Sorry about that," he said, brushing the chalky dust off his jeans. "What were we talking about again?"

TJ hardly spared him a glance. "Nothing. It doesn't matter anymore."

"What's wrong with you?"

"I'm fine."

"Well, you don't look fine."

"You know that guy was flirting with you, right?" TJ asked, his lip curling.

Cyrus lifted an eyebrow. "So? Is flirting a crime or something?"

"Did you flirt back?"

"Of course not," Cyrus said. He clenched his fists in frustration, his entire body trembling with impatience and anger. "And even if I had, why would it matter? It's not like anyone else is interested in me!"

TJ pressed his lips together. He must've known Cyrus was challenging him – daring him to contradict him – but he didn't take the bait. Instead, he grabbed the handles of his bike and steered it towards the other boys gathered around the starting line, leaving Cyrus standing in a cloud of dust behind him.

"Where are you going?" Cyrus called after him.

"The race is about to start."

"TJ, wait –"

"Just leave me alone."

Cyrus swallowed thickly, torn between his anger and his stubborn affection for TJ. He desperately wanted to run up to TJ and give him a good luck kiss on the cheek, to tell him to be careful and maybe give him a hug. But he was still fuming from the undeserving cold shoulder TJ was giving him, so he decided to hang back instead, fighting back tears as he watched TJ walk away from him.

The race started a few minutes later, the aggressive whir of the tyres unearthing clumps of dirt and stones in their wake. Cyrus strained his neck to keep an eye on TJ for as long as possible, but he soon disappeared down a slope and out of sight.

While he was waiting for the bikes to circle back around, his mind returned to his conversation with Cole, and TJ's unexpected reaction to the situation. He knew he and TJ had been flirting with each for a while now – and he was pretty sure TJ had been about to ask him on a date before Cole had interrupted – but now everything was awkward. If Cyrus could talk some sense into TJ and make him realise he was the only one he wanted to be with, then maybe they could finally do something about this unspoken thing between them.

He was figuring out the best way to approach TJ after the race when the bikes suddenly reappeared from around the corner. Cyrus quickly realised that TJ and Cole were in the lead, with Cole just slightly ahead. His stomach dropped as he watched TJ swerving his bike back and forth, clearly trying to find an opening to overtake Cole.

"Don't do it," Cyrus whispered to himself, his heart hammering with dread. "Please don't be stupid. Please don't be stupid. Please don't be stupid..."

But despite his pleas, TJ lurched to the left and skidded around Cole, his bike leaning at a precarious angle as he struggled to correct himself. Cyrus watched in horror as TJ lost control of the bike and flew off the track, his front tyre colliding with a rock and sending the bike into the air. There was a gasp from the crowd, and everything fell silent.

"No!" Cyrus cried, blindly stumbling across the track towards TJ. Another bike whipped past him, but Cyrus was too overcome with worry to care about the risks of getting run over. His only concern right now was for TJ.

Cyrus could feel the bile bubbling in his stomach as he approached the upturned bike, the acrid taste of vomit burning the back of his throat. He clutched his stomach and billowed his cheeks in an effort not to throw up, then took a deep breath and crouched beside the bike. TJ was still sitting in an upright position, his hands gripping the handles tightly, but his head was lolled to the side, and his eyes were shut. There were cuts littering his face, and a deep gash running across his forehead. Cyrus was already fearing the worst as he reached out his hand and gently shook TJ's shoulder.

"TJ?" he said thickly, his voice strangled with tears. "Please wake up, TJ. Don't do this to me. Please don't leave me."

He was on the verge of sobbing when TJ suddenly opened his eyes with a groan. He blinked up at Cyrus and frowned, his tongue poking out to taste the fresh cut on his lip, still oozing with blood.

"What the hell happened?" he mumbled.

Cyrus spluttered a watery laugh and cupped TJ's face. "You were an idiot," he explained, his relief drowning out his anger. "But you're okay. That's all that matters."

The medic on the scene rushed over with a first aid duffle bag. Cyrus sat next to TJ, holding his hand and stroking his hair as the medic checked him over for any serious injuries. Somehow, he'd managed to avoid breaking any bones, and he didn't seem to have a concussion either. The medic stitched up the gash on his forehead, then handed Cyrus some medical wipes and suggested he clean the smaller cuts on TJ's face before the blood dried up.

Cyrus thanked the medic and helped TJ to his feet, leading him to a small tent where the refreshments were being held. Luckily, it was empty, which gave Cyrus the perfect opportunity to talk to TJ in private.

He was trying his best to stay strong, but he couldn't hold back his tears as he started cleaning TJ's wounds. The brown smudge of blood on the medical wipes made him feel sick, and the bruising starting to form around TJ's stitches made the gash look even more horrifying. He released a shaky breath and wiped the wetness from his cheeks.

"How could you do that?" he whispered. "How could you be so reckless?"

TJ stared guiltily at the floor, his throat rippling. "I'm sorry."

"You could've died."

"I know."

"I could've lost you!"

TJ looked up at him, and Cyrus noticed his own eyes were brimming with tears. "I'm sorry," he said again. "I wasn't thinking clearly. I saw you on the sideline, and Cole was in the lead, and I... I guess I didn't wanna lose the race in front of you." He squeezed his eyes shut, fat tears rolling down his cheeks. "I thought if I won, maybe you'd choose me instead."

Cyrus frowned. "What are you talking about?"

"I'm jealous," TJ admitted softly. "Seeing you with that other guy... It made me realise I'm not the only one who wants you." He sniffed, smearing blood and tears on the sleeve of his jersey. "I was gonna ask you out on a date before the race, but then Cole showed up, and it was too late."

Cyrus grabbed his hand – carefully avoiding the torn skin of his knuckles – and held it against his chest, shaking his head with a bemused smile. "Are you really that oblivious?" he asked.

TJ blinked up at him. "What d'you mean?"

"It's never too late for us," Cyrus said, pressing a kiss against TJ's hand to clarify his point. "I want you, TJ. Not Cole or anyone else... Just you."

"Really?"

"Yes, you idiot."

TJ gave him a sheepish smile, then groaned. "I've been a jerk, haven't I?"

"A little bit, yeah."

"I'm sorry."

"You don't need to apologise."

"Yeah, I do." TJ linked their fingers together and sighed, his helmet hair flopping over his forehead. "I'm not the jealous type, okay? Not usually... I guess I was just annoyed with myself, for taking so long to ask you out, and I took it out on Cole. That wasn't fair of me."

Cyrus shrugged. "I'm just as much to blame as you are. I've been waiting all this time for you to make the first move, when I could've done it myself."

"How long have you been waiting?"

Cyrus chuckled, a light blush pinching his cheeks. "Um... A while."

"Wow. We're a couple of dumbasses, aren't we?"

"Yep."

"We should probably stop acting like cowards and go on an actual date, right?"

"Definitely," Cyrus said. He pressed TJ's hand against his cheek and closed his eyes, his stomach twisting at the memory of TJ's bike flipping over. "Seeing you crash made me realise how quickly you can lose everything." He looked at TJ with wide, tear-filled eyes. "I was so worried about you."

TJ leaned their foreheads together. "I promise I won't do anything stupid like that ever again."

"You better not," he said. "We haven't even had our first date yet."

TJ grinned, stretching the cut on his lip and making himself wince. "I probably shouldn't smile for a couple hours."

"Do you want me to kiss it better?" Cyrus asked.

"Are you serious?"

"Well, it's worth a try."

TJ licked his lips, cringing at the coppery taste of blood, then nodded. "Okay. Yeah. Give it a shot, I guess."

Cyrus curled his fingers around the back of TJ's neck and pulled him forward, his eyes fluttering closed as he pressed their lips together. TJ whimpered and tugged him closer, threading his fingers through the back of his hair, and Cyrus melted against him with a contented sigh. He could feel TJ grinning against his mouth – the cut on his lip be damned – and it made Cyrus' stomach swoop with a dizzying sense of relief and joy. This was the kiss he'd been waiting for his entire life, and it was more perfect than he'd ever hoped it might be.

"Wow," TJ breathed, his lips twitching with a dreamy smile. "That was... wow."

Cyrus laughed. "Did it make you feel better?"

TJ answered by pulling him in for a second kiss, their teeth clashing and their noses bumping together. It was messy and desperate and all over the place, but it was just as perfect as the first.

And, suffice to say, they both felt better afterwards.