Who: Tyler, Stefan and Caroline What: Caroline gets the boys to sing When: Last night Where: Karaoke bar Rating/Warning: None! Bad singing? And shirtless Tyler Status: Complete when posted
Karaoke really wasn’t Tyler’s scene. He’d never really been interested much in the whole singing thing. But Caroline had insisted they all come out, and he had to admit that the girl had some chops on her.
That didn’t mean he had any interest in singing. And he was hoping that Stefan felt the same way as him. If the two of them stuck together, they could probably avoid getting up on that stage and singing lame karaoke songs. Like the person who was on stage was currently doing. Talk about not being able to hold a tune.
“We’re not going to have to listen to this all night, are we?” he asked.
Caroline was one hell of a singer. And when she and Anna sang together? Stefan was pretty lucky to have gone out with the pair of them a couple of times for karaoke--even though he hated being forced up onto that stage himself. Stefan couldn’t carry a tune in a bucket. It was a good thing those words came up on the little screen, too, as he didn’t memorize lyrics the way some people did.
But when Caroline said “jump,” Stefan’s feet were off the ground before he could ask how high. He’d sing, if requested. One of his fallbacks; New York New York or something. That one wasn’t too painful. He’d compelled a bottle of tequila for the table, along with three glasses. He poured them to the brim and picked up his for a drink.
“Nope!” She had to agree with Tyler the singing wasn’t the best but that was part of the fun of karaoke. When she sang though there would be no off keys. But that wasn’t what she was thinking at the moment. “You’ll get to sing too,” she added cheerfully although she gave both of them a pointed look. Because she fully intended to get both of them to sing.
Tyler took his shot with Caroline and Stefan, knocking it back and feeling the liquid slide down his throat. “There is no chance that I’m going to get up there and sing,” Tyler said. “No one wants to hear that.” Much like Stefan, Tyler would do nearly anything that Caroline asked him to, but that didn’t mean that he wasn’t going to protest it.
“Hey, if Tyler doesn’t have to sing, I’m not gonna sing,” Stefan teased Caroline. Because Stefan knew full well that both he and Tyler were going to be up there on that stage singing their little hearts out. Possibly at the same time. They didn’t have much of a choice in the matter. When Caroline set her mind to it, she could make almost anything happen.
Caroline rolled her eyes dramatically. “You guys both have to sing!” Together or alone she didn’t care. “What’s the point of coming to karaoke if you don’t sing?” she added with a grin.
Well, at least Stefan was on his side. Kind of. He didn’t seem like he was very committed to his stance of not singing.
“I thought it was to make fun of all the losers who couldn’t sing,” Tyler said, and his statement was punctuated by the shrill, very off key note the guy on the stage was singing. “Not to be the losers up on stage who can’t sing.”
Stefan thought that Tyler should know better by now. He was good enough friends with Caroline that he should have an idea how tonight was gonna go. There wasn’t an option. They were definitely going to be the losers up on stage singing terribly. “I get to veto any song that doesn’t work,” Stefan said.
Stefan had been to karaoke with Caroline plenty of times before. Of course he knew he was going to end up on stage. But this was going to be Tyler’s first time. She was about to pop his cherry, much like he had done to her in high school. “I’ll let you pick the song,” Caroline said with a nod. It was the least she could do. “You can even sing together if you want.” But they were going to sing, Caroline wasn’t going to take no for an answer.
Tyler sighed. He could argue longer, but what was the point? It didn’t seem like Caroline was going to let him just sit on his ass and make fun of most of the people. “Fine,” he said. “But Stefan’s coming up with me.” He leafed through the song book. “And I’m not going up there unless I’m plastered.”
Stefan lifted the bottle to refill Tyler’s glass, then his own. One bottle would do if they drank fast. “I guess that means we should pick out a song.” Stefan said, lifting his glass to sip from it. Gulp, really. Because he wanted to be a drunk for this, too. “...maybe I should let you pick out the song. I trust your judgement.”
Caroline rolled her eyes. So dramatic these two. She refilled her shot glass, not that she needed to get drunk to sing but she might as well join in on the fun. Although it would take a lot for her to get drunk.
“Two more rounds then you sing,” she said decisively. She downed her shot before getting up to put their names in.
Tyler wasn’t entirely sure how he felt about Caroline putting in a song for him. Part of him wasn’t entirely sure if he trusted her to not put in something embarrassing, but he was committed now. He knocked back his drink, and thumped his now empty glass on the table, prepared for another drink. “And you’re singing too, of course,” Tyler said, raising his eyebrows at Caroline.
“Oh, I don’t think that’s going to be a problem,” Stefan glanced between Tyler and Caroline, raising an eyebrow, then he knocked back his shot and emptied the glass. “I’m sure she put her name in well before ours. What song are you singing, Caroline?”
Of course Caroline was going to sing. Probably multiple times. But she’d accept if Stefan and Tyler only sang once. “Wait and see,” Caroline replied with a smile. As if on cue the DJ called her name. She downed her drink before standing up. “Prepare to be amazed,” she teased before making her way to the stage. The music started and Caroline began to sing ‘Total Eclipse of the Heart’.
Listening to Caroline sing was always a treat. That girl had chops on her. Tyler couldn’t help but notice that a few people in the bar had stilled their conversations to watch her, and he leaned back in his seat. He knocked back the tequila, starting to feel a slight buzz of drunkenness.
Stefan couldn’t help but grin at the sight of Caroline on stage there with the microphone. He pulled out his phone and took a picture of her up there under the pink light, figuring she might like to see it afterward. Then he poured them each a shot and lifted his to gulp. “She really is a natural up there,” he commented. Idle talk with Tyler. Mission Accomplished.
Once the song was over Caroline returned to the table just as Tyler’s and Stefan’s names were called. “Your turn,” she said as she took her seat.
“No kidding. If I could sing like that, I might not be dreading going up there in a couple of songs myself.” As it was, he was pretty sure it was going to go terribly. Tyler was not the kind of guy who enjoyed going up on stage and making a fool of himself.
And their names were called way too soon. He really wouldn’t be surprised if Caroline had compelled them up the list. He sighed, took the bottle of tequila, and drank a couple of glugs straight from the bottle before handing it off to Stefan. He could feel the buzz in the back of his head, and he was beginning to think that this might not be so bad after all. Once he and Stefan were on the stage, the music started, and Tyler couldn’t help but burst out laughing.
“I’m too sexy for my love. Too sexy for my love. Love’s going to leave me,” he started, off-key but not particularly concerned about that anymore.
Stefan didn’t bother even trying to sing at first. It was all that he could do just to get the words out. “I'm too sexy for my shirt. Too sexy for my shirt. So sexy it hurts...” The song went on like that with both guys laughing and making fools of themselves. At least the folk in the bar seemed to be laughing with them, and not at them.
A triumphant smile spread across Caroline’s face as the boys began to sing. If you could even call that singing. But whatever. She had gotten her way as usual and the whole bar seemed entertained. She pulled out her phone, because really she just had to get a video of this. “Woo!” she called out through her laughter. “Take it off!”
Tyler rarely needed much provocation to take off his shirt, but this was especially true when he was drunk. After all, what was the point of having a great body if you couldn’t show off at every given moment? “I’m too sexy for my shirt,” he sang, stripping his shirt off and spinning it in the air above his head.
Stefan gave a little laugh at Tyler’s antics, then lifted a hand to his brow as if ashamed to be sharing the stage with the man. But he kept singing along, between little bouts of laughter, of course. Stefan wasn’t about to start stripping. He’d blind the audience with how pale his chest was, for starters.
Caroline burst into laughter when Tyler removed his shirt. She knew Stefan probably wouldn't. But, hey, one out of two wasn't bad. If she wasn't busy filming the whole thing she would have burst into applause. Instead she just cheered loudly until the song ended.
It was far too soon that the song came to a close. Really, Tyler was a little surprised at just how much fun he’d managed to have singing bad Karaoke. He could almost understand how people who couldn’t carry a tune in a bucket enjoyed it so much. He elbowed Stefan playfully as they took their leave of the stage. “That wasn’t so bad after all.”
Stefan was amused. He gave a little chuckle when he was nudged, and followed his friend the werewolf off the stage. “Yes. Yes it was.” He teased. He came over to Caroline and motioned to her phone. “You didn’t just record that, did you?”
“Of course not,” Caroline gave them a sheepish grin as she slid her phone back into her purse. “You guys were great!” she added enthusiastically. “Clearly you are going to have to go up again. But for now, more drinks?”
Tyler’s eyes narrowed slightly at Stefan’s accusation and Caroline’s response. As much fun as karaoke had turned out to be, he didn’t want videographic proof of it. Definitely not. But, well, if Caroline said she hadn’t recorded it he had no choice but to trust her on that. “More drinks. Definitely.”