Fic: "Normal Doesn't Live Here Anymore"

[redbrunja]

Title: Normal Doesn't Live Here Anymore
Author: redbrunja 
Rating: PG-13
Pairing: Tyler/Caroline, Matt.
Summary: It's a long, long summer, and he has Caroline all to himself.

It's a long, long summer, and he has Caroline all to himself.

Bonnie spends all her time with Elena and Elena is (as reported by Caroline) spending all her time holed up in her bedroom avoiding Damon and writing in her journal. Caroline isn't good with grief, she tells Tyler as they splash around the Lockwood pond like the kids they haven't been for a while.

"I'm always the person who says the things that makes it worse," Caroline informs him and lets him trip her, shrieking as he ducks them both.

"Couldn't prove it by me," Tyler replies. Their bodies brush against each other. Her skin is wonderfully cool and he feels like he's on fire.

That's what the summer is; three full moons and ninety-three days full of Caroline and movies and sun and playing in the woods and in the water as careless as lambs.

And Caroline's happy; she's smiling and laughing and even when she's not being all vampiric, she moves in an entirely different way than everybody else.

Matt notices. Matt watches when she and Tyler eat at the Grill and Caroline notices him watching and Tyler feels rage spill through him.

And when Caroline heads out to eat or check on Elena or spent time with her mom (Tyler wasn't listening right there at the end), he stays behind, follows Matt out into the alley behind the Grill.

"No take-backs, bro," he says, slamming his former best friend against the way.

"Lockwood, what the hell?" Matt says, shoves back.

Tyler hears his voice lower, hears the growl that touches the edge of his words. "You don't get to throw her away and then get her back. You don't get her ever again."

Matt looks at him and then he laughs, the sound bitter.

"Right, way to stick by your friends," Matt said, trying to sound like just some regular guy with a douche-y former best friend.

"Hey, you were the one who wanted normal," Tyler replied, shoving Matt's shoulders again. "You can fucking have normal. You just don't get your best friend or the fucking best girl in the history of ever, too."

Comments

[pgmoonshine.livejournal.com]

I should be irked by the 'you can't have her' thing but really, especially due to context, (and Caroline's emotional vulnerability and self-esteem problems) I just can't be. Tyler and Caroline's vibrant, deep connection between flawed and fierce people is kind of awesomely...casual and yet intense, and they feel like friends and more, and of course Bonnie and Elena being BFFs, &hearts

"[...]or the fucking best girl in the history of ever, too."

PERFECT LINE. PERFECT. JUST. CAROLINE, YOU NEED ALL THE LOVE.

[redbrunja.livejournal.com]

I should be irked by the 'you can't have her' thing but really, especially due to context, (and Caroline's emotional vulnerability and self-esteem problems)

Trust me, I'm not unaware that it's problematic. I do think it fits the characters, though, especially given that both Matt and Tyler seem to think that they're the one's responsible for decided who Caroline should be with. And I really wanted to show the change between Tyler before he left Mystic Falls and Tyler after he came back.

"[...]or the fucking best girl in the history of ever, too."

PERFECT LINE. PERFECT. JUST. CAROLINE, YOU NEED ALL THE LOVE.

SHE DOES NEED ALL THE LOVE.

[pgmoonshine.livejournal.com]

Oh, I didn't think you weren't! I was just kind of talking in general, you know? That stuff that should bother me doesn't when it comes to Tyler and Caroline.

Definitely.

[abvj.livejournal.com]

Oh, I liked this. The imagery especially. And, of course, the confrontation between Matt and Tyler at the end.

[redbrunja.livejournal.com]

The confrontation was fun to write, I will admit.

[12-12-12.livejournal.com]

It's a long, long summer, and he has Caroline all to himself.

Damn. You had me at "hello." :D I love the feeling of the "long, hot summer" you got through all this, and Tyler's adoration of Caroline. Your fic somehow perfectly captures the way Trevino is playing it, as if he's just barely holding himself back from kissing her EVERY SINGLE SECOND.

Love the way you have Tyler measure time by full moons, now. And the bro-talk between Tyler and Matt is totally spot-on Teenage Boy. xD

I ♥ you.

[redbrunja.livejournal.com]

Thank you! One thing I really love about Tyler/Caroline is how well they work when it's just them, and the tendency for the show to head that way.