The One With The Footballs

Getting in through the window went off without a hitch. However, it was only after entering his room and coming face to face with the startled expression of his cousin sitting at his computer, did he realize that he was being a little bit extra. Despite that though, he still felt good.

"Haven't I told you to ask before coming in my room. There's no telling what I could be doing or have in here. Also, don't ask." He told her, as he climb inside, taking extra care to propel himself over his bed, so as not to step on his sheets.

All the while, Elena was just staring at him, before she once more donned her classic scrutinizing with a hint of judgy look that demanded answers, however they both knew she would get none.

Though, he did catch her check his too tight pants, right before her eyebrows scrunched up even further.

"Why are you coming through the window and where are your clothes?" Elena decided to ask anyway, disregarding his command.

"What are you doing on the computer. Need help finding something?" He asked, completely ignoring her like they both knew he would, causing her to huff in annoyance before doing what she usually does and telling him what he wants to know.

She has been gradually learning that she holds no leverage and is smart enough to not put herself in a position to where she will only end up getting tickled. Especially since the one time she nearly pissed herself. That was a good day for Jeremy and a well-earned lesson for Elena.

Despite that though, Jeremy has never once nor would he let his guard down around the doppleganger. He knows she's smart enough to bide her time and strike when he least expects it, and when she does, he'll be ready.

Turning back to the computer, after once more taking a quick glance at his too tight pants, she spoke. "I'm trying to figure out how to tell Matt something, but Bonnie's no help and this is giving me nothing. I think I'm just looking for an excuse to put it off though."

He looked at her for a moment, his mind forming hypothesis and conclusions, before landing on the most likely one based on who they are to each other.

"You're not here to use my computer, you've been waiting here for me to come home so you could ask me for advice, but now you're chickening out." He stated, as he looked at the computer screen and rested the bottom of his chin on the top of her head, before taking the mouse from her hand and closing the search screen with different topics about how to break up with your high school boyfriend.

He felt her shoulders tense, before they immediately deflated, as she sighed.

"I know you like to pretend like you've got it all figured out, Elena, but there's no need to pretend for me. I like when you ask me for help. It makes me feel like a good big brother."

He wrapped his arms around her before she could turn and admonish him, which he knew she would do after hearing his big brother remark. She prided herself on being the oldest, by only a year, and he prided himself on being better...at everything. Though, she was only just discovering this aspect of their dynamic little by little.

He knew it would still take time though, before she was comfortable coming to him with her situations that she felt were overwhelming, however he was aware that the work he put in each morning with her and Jenna was helping.

Making them get up, pumping endorphins through their minds, as he strengthened their bodies, while subtly using positive reinforcement to build a healthy dose of cookie confidence. It would only be a matter of time before the both of them looked to him for answers, however he was hoping that the more he built up their minds, the more they would come to depend on themselves and simply see him as the one they could turn to when it was needed.

"Two things, one you are not the big anything," Elena spoke, and he had to stop himself from saying the first thing that came to his mind, seeing as how he was 100% certain she saw the outline of his kenny rodgers through the sweatpants, and then had looked a second time before turning around, which is why he was pretty sure the reason she started to speak so quickly was because that image popped in her head as soon as she finished speaking the first part of her sentence. "Iamolderthanyou and number two...*sigh* go ahead and tell me what you think about Matt, but don't say anything to him."

He hummed as he held her tight and rubbed the top of her head with his chin. "Well, to be honest, little one, I think it's a really simple matter that comes down to one thing and one thing only." He spoke and waited for her to get annoyed with him not finishing to ask him what that one thing was and then he continued. "It comes down to whether or not you want to be with him." He stated, a half-smile playing on his lips as he knew an inevitable blow up was about to come, which is why he tightened his arms even further around her.

And...he was right, seeing as how Elena instantly grunted in frustration and tried to break out of his hold, leaving him no choice but to laugh at her efforts.

"Let me go! You're worst than Bonnie with her "just talk to him" stuff. I already know I don't want to be with him, now I'm trying to figure out how to tell him!"

"And, send." He spoke, as he raised the phone that he had near the front of her lap in his hand, showing that a voicemail was just sent through to Matt, causing her eyes to widen in horror. Though, he couldn't really see that, since he was still holding her tight.

"Jeremy If You don't let me go right now! Why would you do that! Now he's going to find out through a voicemail, Jeremy! He deserves better than that." She finished, her voice getting lower towards the end, seeming like she was going to cry.

He would have felt bad, however he had no love for teen drama and half-assery.

"Well then, you shouldn't have come to me. You wanted to know how to break up with him, I just showed you. Now, it's done." He let her go, knowing she would just sit there for a while.

"Although...you do have another option, if you don't want to do it this way." He told her, causing her to quickly turn around and glare at him with her sad/mad expression that he thought was quite adorable. This time though, he didn't keep her waiting as he continued to speak. "I know for a fact that Matt would have only just gotten in from The Grill, meaning there's a possibility that he hasn't checked his messages and is showering or whatever. If we leave now, we'll probably be able to get there before he sees his phone and you can do it the right way, face to face."He told her, his expression serious and solemn, like he wasn't the one who put her in her current position and instead was the one ready to ride into the fire with her to make sure she did this the right way.

Though, Elena in her emotional state didn't realize this yet, though he was sure she would later, and simply got caught up in his dramatics, hopping up with a determined expression like she was going to face Klaus and sever his sire line.

"Right, let's go." She spoke determinedly, marching out of his room and down the stairs. Him quickly following behind, but not before grabbing shoes, a jacket, and his gun...not for Matt, but simply because if she was with him, he wouldn't walk out empty handed.

The drive to Matts was a fast and furious one, seeing as how it didn't take Elena long to figure out that he was the one who fucked her whole situation up and that was immediately followed by a whole lot of scolding and a whole lot of nagging, which they both knew he couldn't escape, seeing as how he snatched her keys and was behind the wheel.

When they pulled up, Elena took the lead, hopping out of the car and going straight to the door. Matt's truck was in the driveway, so it was likely he was home.

She knocked, and it didn't take long for Matt himself to appear before them. His body still sporting the clothes he wore to work. Jeremy could tell, due to the smell.

He looked surprise to see them there, but not downtrodden or sad, causing Elena to let out a visible breath of relief. For all her nonsense, she was a person who tried her best to not hurt the one's she cared about.

"Elena, Jeremy, what are you guys doing here? Come in." Said the nice guy who was about to finish last.

Jeremy waited for Elena to step forward, and though she hesitated, he didn't rush her. He knew, he no longer had a place in this space. Though, there was something he could do.

Once they were inside, he looked at the two individuals who were giving a master class in how to be fucking awkward bud.

He just rolled his eyes and decided to excuse himself by saying, "I'll give you two some space to talk." However, he did not forget to give Matt that well earned look of pity and a pat on the shoulder while doing so.

It's the least he can do.

As he made his way to where he knew Vicki's room to be through his prior exploration of the house, he heard behind him Elena asking Matt to sit down.

'Their romance was legendary, but alas it was not meant to be.'

While Jeremy was bullshitting in his mind and setting the mood in his head for the break up, he arrived at the now shut-in's door.

He knocked once, softly, because it's polite, all the while fighting the urge to just walk in.

Though, after a couple of seconds and hearing nothing but some shuffling on the other side, he opened the door anyway.

"Matt, I told you no..." Vicki stopped speaking from where she was sitting on the floor, drawing pictures in a notebook, upon looking up and seeing not Matt, but Super Jeremy.

He could see the emotions play across her face. Some fear, curiosity, and a few others. Though, he didn't need to see them to know what Vicki was thinking.

'She no doubt is wondering if I'm here to take her on another dope ass adventure. Too bad for you, boo.'

He walked into her room and sat down beside her, holding out his hand and raising an eyebrow, silently asking if she would.

She did, as she slowly handed him the notebook, allowing him to see what filled the pages of well drawn depictions of sharp-toothed people running from a shovel in the background.

He couldn't help the small chuckle that came out of his mouth, as he turned the pages. Some of just a decapitated head. Some of his face covered in blood, and some just of shovels, coffins, and fire.

"These are good," he said, as he side-eyed her nervous expression. Her teeth working her bottom lip, as she seemed to continue debating on whether to bite the nails of her fingers that were propped up on her knees near her face. "You've got skills, Vicki." He told her, smiling as her eyes widened a little. The bags under them doing very little to take away from her beauty.

"Let me guess, no one's ever told you you've got skills before...or more likely, you've never shown anyone your drawings before?" He asked her, though he got no answer, nor was he expecting one.

So, instead of waiting for one, he instead picked up a pencil near him, and raised the notebook and pencil, as he looked at her. "You mind if I give it a try?"

She shook her head no, after looking at him for a bit, so with permission granted, he got to work putting pencil to paper and letting the black lines tell their story as the image of a girl slowly came to life. Only before the girl was completely drawn, the image of a body sprawled out on the ground missing a head was filled in. Then, the head, and then the foot of the girl on the back of the body as her figure was completed. Shovel in hand.

It truly was an incredibly well-drawn picture, and Jeremy could verify that with the way Vicki not only gasped a little when she saw him working on it, but also by the way she was now completely enthralled by it.

He held it up to her, a smile on his face.

She looked at it for a while, and then looked at him and then back at it.

"That's me?" She asked, the first real words she's spoken to him, since the first were directed towards not-Matt.

Instead of answering her question though, he asked his own.

"What are you afraid of, Vicki?" He waited for a bit and then continued. "Is it because the vampire just suddenly appeared, leaving you unable to react and with the knowledge that had I not been there, you would be dead? Or is it that you watched me separate its head from its body? Or is it that, and this is just a guess, but are you afraid of the fact that you were not really afraid at all?" He looked at her, gauging her physical responses to each question, and he knew he was correct in his hypothesis. Therefore, he continued...

"Tell me, Vicki, why do you want to die?" He watched as her eyes went wider than he had ever seen them, and her head quickly looked towards the door, no doubt on the lookout for Matt, before she looked back at him.

"What do you mean? I don't want to die." She said quickly and quietly, so as not to be heard.

He only just gave her a slight smirk, before he spoke. "You don't need to lie to me, Vicki. I see you quite clearly. I see your loneliness. I see your desperation to find something that you can call your own. I see you fighting to control your life, only to fail again and again, as you come up against that voice in your mind that tells you that you're worthless. I. see. you. Victoria."

By the time he was finished speaking, Vicki was already crying. Her sobs silent, as she buried her head inside her raised knees, crying on her own. No doubt a well-practiced skill.

Though, this time, she was not alone.

He wrapped an arm around her shoulder and pulled her into his chest. Her body offering no resistance, as he began to stroke her hair, and hoping that Elena and Matt would talk for a while longer, otherwise he would probably end up getting left, since he was certain she wouldn't want to stick around once the discussion was done. Though, knowing those two, they would definitely be talking about their feelings, so he wasn't too worried about time limits.

"I see you, Vicki. Though, after looking through your notebook, I'm certain you don't see yourself." He felt some resistance on the hand he was using to stroke her head, and knew that she wanted to raise her head to either look at him or say something. Either way, unnecessary. He kept her head on his chest, as he continued speaking. "You have a talent in art that you dismiss as common-place and ordinary. You have a beauty that most girls in town envy, yet I'm certain you've never once looked in the mirror and agreed. And, most of all, you have a strength that you have left unrecognized and untapped. I mean, Vicki, if most people were faced with what you were faced with, they would, at the very least try to avoid it, or at least get some information on it to be less afraid. Though, I can see quite clearly that you however are afraid, not because you want to avoid it, but because you are actively anticipating it. You want to know, experience, and you want see it again. And if you die while doing so, well that's just all the better, and that is why you are sitting in your room, drawing incredible pictures in your notebook."

He removed his hand and lifted her and held her face to look at him.

"However, that is just what you think, Vicki. But, what you haven't yet realized and probably wouldn't until you were either lying on the ground bleeding out or turning into a vampire yourself, is that your desire to embrace this new discovery is not some morbid goal to end your worthless life. No, gorgeous, what you have before you and in your unheard heart is the realization that there is an entire world out there that you know nothing about, and for probably the first time, in a very very long time, you my dear are experiencing hope. Hope of a future that does not involve you becoming your mother. Burdening your brother. Or simply dying from an overdose. Hope that there is something new within your reach that can change who you are as a person. Vicki, you are faced with the hope to be something more."

His eyes held hers, not allowing her to look away, though by that point, she likely wouldn't have been able to even if he let her go. He could see in her eyes that he had her, and now that he did, he was never letting go...even if most of what he said was straight up bullshit. In truth, he knew that she was just depressed, directionless, and lacking self-esteem. However, would telling her that change the course of her life, while at the same time in his grasp? Probably not, so he did the next best thing. And seeing as how she would definitely come out on the other side stronger, more confident, and more willing to live a life worth living by the time he was done building her up...well, that's worth all the manipulations money can buy.

Also, her lack of morals were always a plus, seeing as how he had one of her druggie friends basically held captive, she was the perfect girl to not give a shit about things like that, and that was one of the more prominent aspects of an individual he required in the short-term.

They held each other's gazes for longer than was necessary, but neither of them seemed to mind. Jeremy could see that slowly, slowly, incredibly quickly, Vicki was placing him quite high on her list of priorities. Hell, he was pretty sure he could tell her to just about anything in the moment and she would go and do it. Which means that, the longer they were around each other, the more he was starting to like this girl. It was just too bad that he still owed her a punishment. Jeremy forgets nothing!

After a while, Jeremy finally spoke. Adding on to what he said before and this time, finalizing what would be the start of a beautiful relationship.

"And I am going to do everything in my power to make sure you can become everything you hope you can be. Can you do the same for me, Vicki?"

Her nod was a little slow at first, her eyes a little unsure when she first heard the question. However, that quickly changed as her nod became quicker and her eyes became surer.

Jeremy had no choice but to give the girl a full blown smile, followed by a deep kiss, just to give her a reward, though he kept out the tongue. This was a kiss that spoke of promise, not of lust.

"Then, I look forward to our journey together, Vicki."

It was only a little later, and Jeremy giving Vicki some pointers on her drawing, that she was happy to take, that it was finally time to go.

Elena came and got him, her eyes puffy, but no tears were being shed.

They made their way to the door, Vicki following closely behind, though Matt was nowhere to be seen, no doubt in his room, probably man crying into his pillow or man crying frowning while looking at his hands. There was really no telling with that guy, and Jeremy honestly put very little thought into it.

Before leaving, he made sure to give Vicki a very strong hug, before whispering in her ear and telling her to go check on her brother. To which, she nodded, a happy smile on her face, as she looked at his lips, though this time he just placed one finger on her forehead, and moved her out of the way of the door, and then they were off.

The drive back was quiet. Elena just looking out the window, and Jeremy giving her what she wanted. Some silence.

Though, he was waiting for her to ask the question he thought would have already been asked, as they pulled into their driveway. He stayed seated, waiting for her to make her move, until finally, after them both sitting in silence for quite a while, she did.

"You never sent a voicemail, did you?" She asked, though she sounded sure of the answer.

"You checked his phone?" Jeremy asked back, receiving a yes in the form of a nod. "And yet, you still went through with it anyway. Good job, Elena."

He pulled her into his chest, much like he had previously done with Vicki, and allowed her to stay there, as he simply ran his fingers through her hair, listening to the sound of her crying and knowing that she would get over her first relationship, eventually....

Matt on the other hand. Well, that dude was pretty screwed.

Jeremy didn't know how long they stayed seated like that, he set his mental clock to silent. Though, it wasn't until he was sure that she was asleep that he fluidly and smoothly scooped her into his arms, and brought her inside the house, and into her bed.

It was only because of how tightly she was grabbing his jacket that he decided he would humor her, and snuggle up beside her. It was definitely not because she was being all adorable face Elena. Definitely not.

(In the void)

"This is definitely my favorite show."