Her fingers slid from his shoulder, the perfectly manicured nail of her index finger poked him boldly in the chest, a bit of a playful grin forming on her own lips as she spoke. "And you are dangerously close to having a basket of cheese sticks and another drink. All. By. Yourself," she replied smoothly. She leaned in just an inch closer when she said it, more of a whisper of anything, but there was weight, just no truth to her words. Leaving meant thinking and right now, Tyler was stopping those more rational thoughts from entering her mind. He was more than a distraction; he was helping and Elena was grateful for it. Plus, there was just something about the hybrid, the way he looked at her with hard, penetrating brown eyes. The way he seemed to eat her up with his gaze. It was a new feeling, a rather exciting one that she realized even with her switch flipped, she'd felt before, when he was chasing her down in New York.
"Pretty positive. I think I know myself and what I'm capable of," she continued with a small smile. "I'm a girl that knows her own mind." She was stubborn, strong to a fault at times, and when she wanted something, she rarely backed down from obtaining it. When she made up her mind to do something, she did it. Period. When the Salvatores tried to keep her out of danger, she ran right into it, determined to help even if she was putting herself up for capture and possible death in the end. Elena couldn't help it. It was who she was and she knew Tyler was the same way. The hybrid didn't give up on something he wanted either. He walked his own path, did his own thing, and didn't look back...mostly. It was admirable if it hadn't damaged her best friend in the process. Then again, what was she doing? Dancing with her friend's boyfriend? Or was it ex? She didn't know. She'd kissed him with her humanity off, but at least there, she'd have a viable excuse. Even if they weren't dangerously dirty dancing close, they were close and her emotions were on, possible overdrive, too. She was feeling things for him and they weren't all friendly ones; she was pretty sure he was feeling the same way, friends aside.
The heat from his hand flitted down from the small of her back and along the curve, it came to rest on her hip. His fingers clenched, not hard, on the bone, but it was enough to make her take another sharp, unnecessary breath. "And what the hell-" He tugged her in suddenly, his body pressed firmly against hers and the only thing separating them was their thin layers of clothing. She could feel his heart now, beating perfecting where her own once did fierce and strong. The heat poured off of him onto her, bleeding through shirt, her jeans, everywhere, and now, they really were dirty dancing and if Caroline walked in, they were really breaking all the rules, no excuses and sadly, no guilt or regret on her part or hers.
His challenge took her by surprise. Could she kiss him here, with prying eyes and obvious stares? Did she want to? One look in those eyes, a flicker to his lips, and the feel of his heart made her realize it'd been an instant "yes" all along. "Oh really? You have no tact, Lockwood," she managed, a tad bit of a tremor in her voice, "Not at all." Step back. Walk away. No. Because discreetly or not, Elena had made up her mind a long time ago that she was staying with him. That there was no place she wanted to be more than with Tyler fucking Lockwood.
He leaned in, lips paused briefly above her own, but she could still feel his breath, uneven, ghosting on the sensitive skin. "Tyler fucking Lockwood, what are you doing?" She knew. It was a second really, but Elena felt like it had to be an eternity. She wanted that kiss, the feel, because she'd been thinking about before too, more than she'd admit to. "You going to close your eyes and pretend or are you actually going to grow a pair-" Those hands squeezed her hips, then his lips brushed hers. He deepened it, demanding, more powerful and commanding than any kiss she'd had. The vampire kissed him back hard. Pushing her tongue between her lips, she used her vampire speed, instantly blurring them to the nearest wall and slamming him against it.