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Fianl part! Its pretty lengthy compared to all the other ones but yeah... :)

***

Tyler couldn't stop thinking about Elena's words all weekend long so that's why he's dressed in his own, his own normal clothes Monday morning for school. The jeans are the same dark ones he's become rather fond of but that's it, he almost broke down and brought the leather jacket but he stayed strong, bad boy is gone. If Jeremy's going to be with him, going to love him, he's going to love Tyler, the real Tyler not some dolled up manufactured version of him.

Caroline meets him at his car looking disappointed that her plan didn't get to be finished; he pulls her into a hug which seems to soothe her greatly. Matt is there in a flash with a few of the football guys on his heels and doesn't hesitate in pulling his best friend into a tight hug which Tyler returns with full force. He didn't realize how much he missed being himself. It's like he couldn't breathe properly before and now that he's back to normal there's no shortage of oxygen to his weary lungs.

They fall into the usual conversation about practices and the next game when Elena pushes her way through their bodies, Stefan watching with a smile mere feet away (he's always with her, like a puppy,) as she stops in front of Tyler. The guys look at her strangely like they're wondering why the hell she's here but Elena pays them zero mind which Tyler finds quite funny. She smiles brightly at him and her eyes twinkle in a way that reminds Tyler of Jeremy.

"Better," is all she says in response to his outfit, she takes his arm and begins pulling him in the direction of the picnic tables where Jeremy and his friends hang out before the morning bell. They weave in and out of the clusters of students mingling before their first classes and are stopping at the edge of the pavement where it turns into grass and the benches and tables sit.

She spins him around so his back is towards the people in the picnic area but he can see all the people in the parking lot watching them curiously. He's about to ask what she's doing when she takes his face in her hands and makes sure he's focused on her. "Okay...just be yourself. Be Tyler, he'll love you."

"Wait what," Tyler asks frantically, he's panicking. She can't be serious, he can't just talk to him as himself; Jeremy will hate him. "Hey," she grabs his shoulders, shakes him shortly, "It's gonna be fine. You're going to be fine. He's going to love you, this you," he's about to protest when she cuts him off.

"I'm his sister, if anyone knows him; don't you think it would be me? Exactly, so trust me Tyler, he's going to be all over this and you as long as you're...you."

"Elena, I can't d-"

"You can Tyler and you will," She peaks over his shoulder with a smile and winks at someone but doesn't let him turn around to see who, "You're not the only with a secret crush Tyler." Elena doesn't give him time to question as she spins him around and pushes him towards the tables. The first thing he sees is Jeremy, in the middle of his friends, watching him, all of them; everyone is watching him with interest. He reminds himself to breathe as he puts his hands in his pockets and tries to remember how to walk, one foot in front of the other.

He's never realized how intimidating this group of people can be until this very moment standing in front of them with their eyes judging him as they all angle themselves in front of Jeremy, protecting their friend from big bad Tyler, but considering how he's acted recently, this last week especially, he can't necessarily blame them.

"Hey," Tyler says quietly eyes locked with Jeremy's, they look happy while still being a little guarded.

"What do you want," Spencer, taunts him and it's clear to Tyler that Elena wasn't the only one Jeremy told about his shut down at the party.

"Spence stop it, its okay," Jeremy assures his friend who turns around to look at him and they have a silent conversation before Jeremy takes a few steps towards Tyler, his lips twitch softly but he doesn't smile fully or say anything. Tyler supposes that's his cue.

"Okay, I guess I should start by saying I'm sorry because I've been an ass to you," Tyler figures that's as good a place as any to start.

"Yeah you just sort of took off on Friday..." Tyler sees how Jeremy cringes because they both know the reason Tyler "took off" on Friday. But he also notices that Jeremy says it like that's the only thing Tyler's done wrong in the last month. Like Tyler doesn't have 101 other things to be sorry for, as if that's the only thing he feels Tyler needs to apologize for...as if Tyler needed another reason to love him.

"No, no, well I'm sorry for that too but I'm sorry in general because I've been horrible and you didn't deserve how I've been treating you. And I'm sorry that I've hurt you because that was never what I wanted, I never intended to hurt you the way I did. That's not me at all, I swear. None of that was me...I'm not that guy."

Jeremy looks at him for a moment, his eyebrows scrunch together in that way that Tyler has always loved. "So this," the younger boy gestures to Tyler's plain, button down shirt with the top few buttons open, jeans and casual Dockers, "Is you, the real you?"

Tyler glances down at himself, "Yup, this is me...ta-da," he says as he spreads his arms out to the side, earning the smile he was hoping for from the other boy. He deflates slightly, looking sheepish when he asks, "How much did your sister tell you?"

"Not a whole lot," Jeremy shrugs, "Just that the whole dark clothes, chain smoking, class ditching thing isn't you." Tyler nods his head in affirmation. "But if it wasn't you then why'd you do it?"

"I wanted you to notice me and see me and be interested in me." He lifts his shoulders, shakes his head because this is where it could all fall apart for him, this is where he becomes pathetic. He becomes extremely aware of the fact that they have the entire student body and probably a few teachers as an audience to this but at the same time he doesn't really care. He's determined to make this better, audience be damned. "So I changed because I thought that was what you wanted. I thought you wanted a "bad boy" and I just wanted to be what you wanted so I became that for you. I wanted to be bad enough for you...Christ it sounds so stupid now that I say it out loud," Tyler runs a hand roughly through his hand as he looks cautiously at Jeremy. "But seriously, I would've done anything, become anything for you and now I look like an idiot."

"No, no you don't but Tyler," Jeremy shakes his head but it seems fond in a way that makes Tyler's heart swell, "There are definitely easier ways to get my attention," Jeremy looks completely shocked and Tyler's assuming it's as a result of what he just said. "Why didn't you just talk to me?"

Tyler shuffles his feet, looking down at the ground, "I was nervous and I would have never known what to say. It ended up being easier talking to you while I wasn't really me, that doesn't make sense does it?" Jeremy chuckles softly making Tyler smile, "It was easier acting like someone I wasn't around you than it ever was just being myself. In case you didn't notice I didn't ever talk to you before I did any of that."

"You hardly talked to me after you did that."

"Yeah I know, see I'm not good at this," Tyler huffs to himself before taking several steps forward so he's right in front of the younger boy. "I'm just such a fool when it comes to you and that's, this, right here, what I'm doing right now was exactly what I was afraid of. I'm making a complete fool of myself." He's tugging at his hair, turning back and forth frantically while the younger watches him with concern.

"Tyler," Jeremy touches him gently on his upper arms to stop his chaotic movement. The touch sends electricity through his body, their eyes meet and Tyler finds it that much harder to breathe. Jeremy continues, his voice soft but a little timid, "Have, have I said something to make you think this isn't okay? Because I'm okay with this, you're nervous that's fine, I'm nervous too. And you aren't making a fool of yourself just so you know."

Tyler looks at him like he's the first ray of sunlight he's seeing in ages, like he's that first breath of fresh air after a good rain storm. He feels like he's being renewed, rejuvenated, reborn and he's falling in love with Jeremy all over again. He can feel himself falling, as he looks in those deep brown eyes, feels himself falling as Jeremy's hands squeeze his arms gently, feels himself crash when those hands pull away but then Jeremy's lips are twitching up into a smile and Tyler swears he's never been more in love with this boy in the two years since he fell head first. Every single feeling he's ever had regarding Jeremy surge up within him like a wildfire, they come rushing at him like raging tsunami and Tyler has no hope to ever stop them just like he has no hope of stopping the next words that leave his mouth.

"I just wanted to be everything for you. I wanted to be enough for you because...because Jeremy, I'm..I'm just so, so in love with you it's ridiculous."

Jeremy stumbles back a couple of steps, appearing to have lost his balance as he makes a strangled squeaking sound somewhere in his throat. He looks like he isn't breathing which frightens Tyler to no end. "You," Jeremy chokes then clears his throat, there are tears in his eyes and "You know my name?"

Tyler wants to hang his head because he just confessed his love for Jeremy, to his face, out loud, in front of the whole school and the only thing Jeremy can say is 'you know my name?' If that doesn't show what an absolute prick Tyler's been to him since this plan began then nothing ever will.

"Of course I do, Jeremy I love you," He says it with every ounce of passion in his body, every iota of conviction he can muster to show Jeremy that he means it, dear fuck does he mean it.

"Oh my god, r-really," and that's a little more the reaction Tyler was expecting.

"Yes," Tyler sighs as he takes those steps to bridge the gap between them, "Honestly I've been in love with you for two years now."

Jeremy makes that squeaking sound again and Tyler's heart misses a beat. "I love you too Tyler," and Tyler's heart misses another beat. He doesn't let himself think because thinking means hesitation which he can't afford to do right now.

Instead he takes Jeremy's face in his hands, cups his cheeks lightly as he connects their lips in a gentle kiss. It's so light it's like a breeze, barely there and Jeremy actually whimpers before pressing closer, clutching desperately at the front of Tyler's shirt while Tyler's arms slip down to wrap around Jeremy's slim waist. Tyler tightens his arms as Jeremy sways into him before throwing his arms around Tyler's neck and pulling so Tyler stumbles into him which only helps in deepening their kiss further. Tyler's so caught in the kiss and the moment that he's spent years yearning for, countless hours dreaming of that he hardly registers the increase in background noise as the parking lot and courtyard, the students around them, friends and acquaintances alike erupt in applause and cheers. Whoops and hollers echo around them, catcalls and wolf whistles come from all angles as Tyler's football buddies and Jeremy's friends sound out their approval. Tyler can't hear it clearly though through the thundering of his heart and the pounding in his ears.

Jeremy gasps and tries to chase Tyler's lips, when the older pulls away, with a dazed look on his face that makes Tyler all sorts of proud. Tyler gives him a few more gentle pecks as Jeremy's trying to speak. He's laughing through it, Tyler's smiling against him. "I don't need a bad boy Tyler; you're bad enough for me." He's busy planting a kiss on Jeremy's cheek when he thinks about what that statement means for him.

"Really," Tyler sounds just as elated as he feels and he reminds himself to let Caroline have it the next time he sees her. "Great because I don't think 'bad boy' is really me." Jeremy pulls an adorable thinking face, one that Tyler's been privately dreaming of inspecting up close for years now as Jeremy considers this. Tyler tightens his arms to the point where he has Jeremy wiggling delightedly in his grasp.

Jeremy's eyes twinkle with something different, his expression changes to one that Tyler recognizes from his darkest, filthiest fantasies and arousal stirs deep in his abdomen. "I don't know that leather jacket was very sexy," Jeremy's practically purrs, glancing at the older boy through his eyelashes. Tyler wonders if he's allowed to take the rest of the day off, ditch school even though he's already handed in his badass badge.

"Yeah, you liked that," Tyler quips flirtatiously to counter the little devil in his arms. If devils look like this, Tyler thinks, he's a perpetual sinner, nothing wrong with that right? Maybe there's still a bit of bad left in him.

"Yes I did," Jeremy whispers as he rubs his fingers against Tyler's scalp at the base of his head, "don't get rid of it?" Tyler smiles at the fact that Jeremy said it as a question, like he had to ask, he could have just said he liked it and Tyler would wear every day from here on in.

He figures Jeremy doesn't need to know the extent of it but he does let him know he'll keep the jacket, for him he'll keep the damn jacket. "I wouldn't dream of it baby."

"And one more thing," it comes out like another question and Tyler chuckles quietly, "kiss me again?"

Jeremy's biting his lip in way that is all sorts of wrong while simultaneously being all sorts of right. Tyler smiles brightly and he's nearly forgotten what's it's like to be this happy and want to smile so much as he lays a soft kiss to Jeremy's mouth, teeth release a perfect, plump lip as Tyler pecks them quickly.

"You don't ever have to ask for that," and Tyler shows him that he most certainly doesn't have to ask for that as he angles his head to the side and claims the mouth that has claimed every other dream he's ever had. Jeremy sags against him as he sighs contentedly into Tyler's mouth and yeah this is really all Tyler's ever wanted. Jeremy in his arms, Jeremy kissing him, wanting him, loving him, it's everything Tyler ever wanted it to be and so, so much more.

***

Tyler isn't sure who he needs to thank for this, but he knows he's in someone's debt. Maybe it's Caroline's who gave him the idea to pursue the 17 year old dream boat, maybe it's Matt's for being the supportive best friend straight from the get-go, maybe it's Elena's who showed him he didn't have to be anybody but himself for Jeremy to like him and maybe he owes all three of them a thank you and a fruit basket, possibly even a big ol' hug.

He isn't too sure who to thank but he'll figure that out when he isn't so preoccupied. For now he really only knows one thing for sure. And that's that he doesn't need to be a bad boy, (he's a bit too soppy for that shit anyways,) to have Jeremy's love and the giddy, giggling, beautiful brunette in his arms is proof of that.

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