InsaneJournal

Who: Tyler and Elena
What: Tyler has a bad dream involving Elena
When: Recently
Where: UCI Campus
Ratings/Warnings: Allusions to sexual assault
Status: Complete


There had been a moment, a brief moment, when Tyler had woken up, bleeding from his hand from where Elena had bit him and from his face where something (knowing what he knew in this reality, he’d guess Stefan) had beat him where he’d been genuinely pissed off. But as soon as the wounds had healed, which had been almost instantaneous, his anger was replaced with equal amounts of horror and revulsion at what he had done - or rather, tried to do - in his dreams. He never thought he’d be glad to dream of getting his ass kicked by Stefan, but here he was. He wasn’t Tyler Smallwood, and he was realizing that more and more with every dream, but it was horrifying to think that in some reality, there was a version of him that was.

He’d woken before dawn, and gone to his new job coaching football, and decided to focus all of his energy on doing that instead of thinking about his dreams. But after his shift was done, as he was heading to the cafeteria, he found it impossible.

His first instinct upon seeing Elena was to just turn around and leave. But then he saw Elena see him, and he knew that wasn’t really an option anymore. For a moment, he wore a deer-in-headlights look, but then he decided to suck it up and he approached her. “Hey Elena.”

**
For all that it was summer, Elena still spent a few days a week on campus. It was nice, in a way, experiencing college with less people than normal. Most students didn’t take summer classes. But then again, she wasn’t most students.

Heading to the cafeteria herself for something to get her through her next class, Elena smiled as she saw Tyler, waving in greeting. But at his reaction the smile froze on her face. He didn’t seem quite so pleased to see her. It worried her, to be honest. Was Klaus to blame for this, as well?

“What’s wrong?” The question was out of Elena’s lips as soon as Tyler was close enough to hear it. “And don’t tell me it’s nothing.” She’d seen the look in his eyes.

**

“It’s dream stuff,” Tyler said, not sure if he wanted to delve too far into exactly what ‘dream stuff’ entailed this time around. As far as he knew, he was the only person who dreamed of Mystic Falls who also dreamed of Fell’s Church. There was a good chance, he thought, that Elena would never dream of them.

**
“Ty…” He had to know that she wouldn’t let that go. Obviously he was bothered and she was a good enough friend that she wanted to help if she could. “Whatever it is, you know you can tell me, right?”

**

Tyler took a seat at the cafeteria table. “It’s this new set of dreams I’ve been getting,” Tyler admitted. “I mean, I wasn’t exactly a great person at the beginning of the Mystic Falls dreams,” which was a bit of an understatement. It was only because of Caroline’s influence that he’d managed to grow into someone who was almost a good person. “But I really don’t know about these new dreams. Even Matt will have nothing to do with me in them, and I can’t say I blame him.”

**
Elena couldn’t help but frown slightly at the way he started off. Tyler was definitely not painting a great picture of the dream world. “A different set of dreams? What happened in them? Matt was always pretty forgiving.” That he hadn’t wanted anything to do with Tyler spoke volumes.

**

“I don’t think we’ve ever been friends in these ones,” Tyler admitted, though it was hard to know for sure. Still, it sucked. “There’s a few other difference. Stefan’s Italian, and you’re blonde.” Which was weird. Before his dreams, he could have never pictured Elena as a blonde.

**
That made her eyebrows rise slightly in response. Blonde, really? “I’m not exactly sure I could pull that off.” It was said lightly enough. “Stefan is Italian...just a few generations removed. But you’re saying he’s an actual Italian?” Definitely weird.

“So you weren’t friends in these dreams, I’m blonde...but what happened, Ty? What was so terrible?”

**

Tyler actually hadn't known that Stefan’s family had come from Italy, though with a last name like Salvatore, he should have put two and two together. “Yeah, accent and everything. I would know, since I made fun of him for it.” He wanted to think that, even as a bully here and in Mystic Falls, he wouldn't have stooped to making fun of an accent.

He cleared his throat. “Well, there was a school dance. We were kind of flirting, and so you and me and my friend Dick, who was dating Vickie, snuck off to the cemetery.” Tyler had ditched his actual date to do it, but he figured he would sound bad enough even without that tidbit. “I uh… Let’s just say I’m pretty sure Stefan stepped in before I did something really, really shitty.” His dream self hadn’t known what had attacked him, but Tyler knew enough of the dreams to be pretty sure of who it was.

**
Elena listened to what he was saying…and what he wasn’t saying, too. They had flirted and he had been interrupted before he could do something shitty...it didn’t exactly take a rocket scientist to connect the dots there.

“I haven’t had those dreams but that’s not the kind of person you are here, Tyler. Or in Mystic Falls. I know you wouldn’t do anything to hurt me.” She wanted to reassure him, make him see that she wouldn’t judge him for something she hadn’t experienced.

**

Tyler’s shoulders sagged in relief. “Thanks, Elena,” Tyler said. “With how real these dreams are… it can be weird, sometimes, watching yourself dream about being someone you never thought you were.” It was disturbing that somehow, somewhere, Tyler could have ended up like that. “If you ever do dream it… well, I’ll take you out for drinks. A ton of drinks.”

**
One hand stretched out, reaching for his. “I hope you don’t mind if I hope that never happens. The dreams that I’ve had are rough enough.” Sacrifices and all.

“Maybe I should offer to take you out for drinks.” She wa teasing, but only slightly.

**

“No, one set of dreams is enough for anyone,” Tyler agreed. He’d honestly have been happy with zero sets of dreams. Being a hybrid was okay most of the time, so long as Klaus wasn’t around.

“I can honestly say I’d never turn down free drinks,” Tyler said, grinning. “But, you know, vampiric powers of persuasion. Makes sense that they’d be on me.” Even if Caroline didn’t exactly approve of his use of compulsion.

**
“Alright,” Elena agreed, grinning at him. “Drinks are on you, then. Let me know when and I’m there, even without the creepy dream excuse.”

It would be fun to just live their normal lives every once in awhile.

**