Tyler Lockwood (lockwolf) wrote in valarlogs, @ 2018-08-05 19:29:00 |
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Entry tags: | !complete, elena gilbert, tyler lockwood |
Who: Tyler and Elena
What: Drinks and talking about the dreams
Where: A bar
When: Recently/pre-plot
Rating/Warning: Low/none mostly
Status: Complete
It was easy sometimes to forget that Tyler was supposed to be leading a somewhat normal life. Things had been calm with Klaus at first, and he had been sure being sired to him wasn’t going to be such a bad thing, but Klaus had been breathing down his neck for a while now. He hated him most of the time, but other times he was so overcome with gratitude that it nearly made him sick.
When he and Elena had finally solidified time to just hang out, it had felt almost surreal. But the closer it came, the more excited he was to, hopefully, just have a normal, Klaus-free evening with one of his friends. He’d arrived at the bar early, and placed his drink order when he sat down. He spotted Elena walking in just as the drink was placed in front of him, and he waved her over.
**
“Hey,” she greeted, one arm sliding around him in a quick hug before she slipped onto the barstool next to him, placing an order of her own. Nothing fancy that night. A cold beer or two with a friend was really all that Elena needed at the moment. Things weren’t too stressful for her, apart from the dreams that came in large clumps.
“I’m glad you could make it.” They both knew how Klaus could be, after all. Demanding barely even covered it.
**
“You and me both,” Tyler said, managing a bit of a smile. “Between the new job and everything else, it’s been kind of crazy lately. How’ve you been holding up?” He knew the dreams could be a lot. He didn’t know exactly how Elena’s dreams started up - he hadn’t been clued into all of that stuff until after he’d been turned into a hybrid - but he knew enough to know that they probably weren’t pleasant.
**
A shrug. Tyler already knew just how overwhelming the dreams could be. And the tone sometimes seeped into normal life. It wasn’t something she would wish on anyone else.
“I seem to dream in big chunks,” she answered. “I just went through the sacrifice and then Damon nearly dying.” Tyler had bitten him, not at all on purpose, as Damon helped him and Caroline both escape. “I’ve been making the rounds, sort of. It helps to know that everyone is okay here.”
**
Tyler was a little surprised to hear that Elena had been dreaming in chunks. He wasn’t sure if he’d prefer that or not. On one hand, it stopped him from getting too overwhelmed by needing to deal with everything at once, but on the other, the shorter chunks of dreams could sometimes be like Chinese water torture, wondering when the next one would come.
“That’s a lot,” Tyler admitted. He could still remember being spared from the sacrifice because Jules and Elena’s aunt had been sacrificed in their stead. He’d never met Jenna, but she had seemed great. “I’m sorry. Are you doing okay?”
***
Elena nodded, offering him a small smile. “Like I said, I’ve been making the rounds. Caroline, you, Damon, Stefan…. I have to remind myself that life here is okay.” Most of the time.
“I ran into Klaus the other day which was less than pleasant. He had already dreamed everything by the time we met a few weeks ago. And didn’t seem to think there was anything weird in flirting with someone he killed in Mystic Falls.” He was a piece of work.
**
“Klaus doesn’t think a lot of things are wrong,” Tyler said, the bitterness clear in his voice. He sure hadn’t thought that there was anything wrong in making Tyler go around town with him, drinking from and killing a dozen people at the time. “If you’re not a Mikaelson, he really doesn’t give a shit about you.”
**
“I suppose it depends on the point in time…. I met Elijah in the dreams and he was willing to kill Klaus.” Elena couldn’t quite imagine ever being so angry with Jeremy that she would willingly kill him. She had been angry at him, and he at her, more times than she could count. Never to the point of murder, though.
“I wish you didn’t have to work for him.”
**
Tyler frowned. Elijah had proven time and time again in the dreams that he would never turn against Klaus, no matter what promises he made. Maybe he had found a way to keep Elena alive after the sacrifice, but that would be the closest Elijah would ever come to defying Klaus, as far as Tyler knew. But Elena would come to know that soon enough. .
“How much exactly had Caroline told you about my… relationship with Klaus?” Tyler asked, after hesitating a moment.
**
“Not much,” Elena answered. “I don’t think she really felt it was her story to tell.” Which Elena could understand to a certain extent. If it ever came down to someone learning her dark secrets she would much prefer to be the one to tell them.
“You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to.” She wouldn’t press.
**
“I think I do,” Tyler said after a moment. It really was safer for everyone if they knew what they were dealing with. “I’m sired to Klaus. I don’t think you’ve dreamed that far yet,” not if she was only just now dreaming of the sacrifice, “but what it means is that whatever Klaus wants me to do, I have to do. No matter what it is.”
**
It was a frightening thought, that Tyler would do, had to do anything that Klaus ordered him to. Even if he wanted nothing more to do with her after their last run in. And Elena couldn’t quite figure out what possible motivation there would be in hurting any of Tyler’s friends. Not if he already had Tyler at his beck and call.
“...what has he made you do?” Pieces we’re beginning to fall into place. It must have been something horrible, knowing Klaus.
**
He’d made Tyler do a lot of things, but Tyler had the feelings that Elena didn’t really care about his being forced to mop the gallery, or all the times Klaus had interrupted his and Caroline’s dates. “He’s made me go out feeding with him a couple of times. It hasn’t always ended well for our targets.” Sure, most of the time it was a snatch, eat, and erase kind of deal. But there had been the incident a few months back that had left dozens of women dead all throughout the county.
**
“I’m so sorry, Ty.” He didn’t deserve any of that. She leaned over. For a moment, shoulder connecting with his as a gesture of empathy. They obviously were going to need more drinks.
“And there’s no way to break that control?” Thinking that Tyler had to live under Klaus’s control for the rest of his life seemed an unbearable burden to have to bear.
**
“Not anymore,” Tyler said, grudgingly. “He forbade it.” It was just his luck that Klaus had happened to stumble across him when he’d been trying to break it.
He shook his head. “That’s enough about Klaus though. How’re things with you?”
**
There wasn’t much she could say in response. The only thing Elena could do was slide one arm around him in a silent show of support. He may not be able to break free of Klaus at that moment but Elena could only hope they would find some way to enable that.
“Apart from the dreams, you mean?” She questioned almost teasingly. “Things are going well enough, I suppose. It’s been a nice summer.” She wasn’t entirely sure how Tyler would feel about Damon. They hadn’t exactly had many interactions in her dream world but Damon seemed scornful of most of Mystic Falls. And there was everything that had happened with Damon and Caroline…. Still she couldn’t avoid the topic forever.
“I’ve been talking to Stefan and Damon,” she continued. “About the dreams, about everything that happened. I wish I’d known sooner about all of this.”
**
Tyler gave a sympathetic half smile. There were definitely things about the dreams he had wished he had known sooner. The day he’d found out that he was a werewolf in the dreams was the same night he’d had his first transformation in the real world. But he’d never been especially close with any of the other dreamers before he’d started dreaming.
“Yeah, we like to keep things underwraps,” he said. “Even from friends and family. Sometimes we’re a little too secretive about things.” And then the real question. “Are things awkward with the Salvatores since you started dreaming?”
**
Elena could have played coy and denied anything that Tyler was implying but, truth be told, he was right. No matter how much her dream self had struggled to deny it and to keep blinders firmly on where Damon was concerned, she had absolutely been aware of it. She just hadn’t wanted to see history repeat itself more than it already had.
“No,” she shook her head. Sometimes she saw a familiar look in Stefan’s eyes, one that had made her heart race in Mystic Falls. But it wasn’t something either were acting on.
“Stefan said that he wasn’t expecting anything except to be better friends here. He didn’t want me to feel any pressure. And he has dreamed a lot further than I have. Apparently I at least live to see college.” Elena offered a teasing grin at that. “But I don’t know that we are still together at that point. And Damon…. We already have some history but understanding how the dreams affected him before…. It doesn’t excuse anything but I have a bigger picture of what he was going through.”
**
“You live longer than that,” Tyler assured her. Longer than him, even if the last five years of his life she had spent in a coffin. Still, he’d seen her wake up and live the rest of her days with Damon from the Other Side, and as much as his dream self hated Damon, he was a little glad Elena had gotten something of a happy ending.
The whole question of whether she and Stefan were still together was an awkward one. Tyler had gotten a lot of the details of that particular love triangle for Caroline in the dreams, but he’d still prefered to stay far, far out of it. He didn’t really want to get involved in whatever was going on with Elena and Damon here either, even if Caroline insisted he spy on the occasional date for her. He understood why she and Jeremy were opposed to Damon and Elena getting back together, but as far as Tyler was concerned it was none of his business. He and Damon actually got along in this world, sort of, and he thought Elena was smart enough to make her own decisions.
“Damon’s not exactly known for making good decisions when he’s stressed out,” Tyler said, grinning a little. “Though at least he doesn’t go on murder sprees when things don’t go his way here.” There was a touch of bitterness there that Tyler hadn’t quite been able to get out of his voice, but he meant well.
**
“Good to know,” Elena answered, her smile widening a bit more as she nudged him. It was nice to know that she didn’t die, especially after everything that had happened in the few months since the Salvatores had come to town. Not even a full year and so many close calls already.
“...murder sprees?” Her smile faded at that, brow furrowing. “I dreamed of him snapping Jeremy’s neck, and he gave me a heads up on that but you mean something else, don’t you.” It wasn’t exactly a question. The tone in his voice made that clear enough.
**
Tyler wondered if he should tell her about the other stuff - her becoming a vampire for a while, the five year sleep Kai had put her under. Even with advanced warning, there was nothing she could do about it. Besides, even if it was something she should know, it wasn’t his place to tell her.
Tyler grimaced a little. “Just something you should be prepared for,” he said. “There are a lot of them in the dreams. Not even Damon.” Though Damon had more than his fair share of them, the last of them being what had killed Tyler in them. “It’s just a recurring trend in these dreams.”
**
“People dying?” She questioned. “How many more friends can we lose, Tyler? I know you’re a lot further in the dreams than I am but I’m not even a year in and already there’s been my parents, Vicki, Anna, Jenna, Jules, John….” Not even counting his father or Mason or Lexi or any of the countless innocent bystanders caught up in the supernatural world.
Elena couldn’t imagine a life full of endless loss. It had already hit her hard, almost losing Damon on top of that. “I know there have been good parts to the dreams but if I lose more people that I love…”. Her voice cut off, head ducking. She wasn’t sure she was strong enough for that.
**
Tyler reached for Elena’s hand and gave it a bit of a squeeze. “You’re stronger than you think,” he said, and he knew that from experience. “I can’t say you ever really get used to it. But just try to remember that they’re only dreams, no matter what happens. Life changing dreams, yeah, but just because someone’s gone in the dreams doesn’t mean that they’re in any danger here.”
**
A nod as Elena’s hand shifted, twisting to squeeze Tyler’s hand in return. It was a moment before she could look up at him again and even then the emotion was plainly visible in her gaze.
“Especially since I’m behind everyone in the dreams.” It was said as a reassurance to herself. “You know how they are, Ty.” He’d been so afraid to face her after the last dream he’d had. “I’ll just have to continue following Caroline’s suggestion. Reach out to anyone from the dreams.”
**
Tyler nodded. “That Caroline’s usually pretty full of good advice,” he said, with a bit of a smile. “I think I can speak for everyone when I say that we’re all there for you if you need help with the dreams.” He paused, frowning. “Well, except maybe the Mikaelsons.”
**
Yes, Tyler was right in that the Mikaelsons were not there for anyone but themselves. She had thought Elijah an honorable man but. Given the chance he had chosen his brother over the deal they had made.
“I’m here for you, too. Whatever happens in these new dreams you’re having, don’t ever hesitate to reach out, okay?”
**
“Yeah, of course,” Tyler said, with a bit of a smile. “The same goes to you, Gilbert.”
**
“It’s a deal,” she promised.