Thaw

[nrgburst]

Title: Thaw
Fandom: The Vampire Diaries- Tv series
Characters: Caroline, Tyler (Reference to Caroline/Tyler)
Genre: Angst, Hurt/Comfort
Rating: K+/PG
Word Count: 580
Summary: Caroline, Tyler and a doorway. Just playing with metaphors, contrasts and parallels during hellatus. Set right after the events of 4x09.

He’s gone cold.

Not physically- that happened when Klaus snapped his neck. She’d felt the warmth leave his body degree by degree as he transitioned. She still misses it sometimes- basking in the delicious heat he’d produced had made her feel alive again. Now they are both frozen in time, keeping homeostasis with infusions of blood and coffee instead of natural thermoregulation.

(She hates Biology, but she’s studying for her ACT even if the science doesn’t all make sense anymore. Like mitosis must be amped up during vampire healing, but somehow her body is never going to be eighteen. And thinking about meiosis stings more than it should.)

Being undead doesn’t change the way they feel though- the way his eyes warm when he looks at her, the way his face softens when he smiles. Loving him is easy and cosy and makes blood rush to her cheeks and well, other places.

So this Tyler, with the icy demeanour and distant eyes is all wrong- it’s almost like he’s been body snatched again. But it’s not a spell. He’s lost it all instead of getting everyone out. And it’s so unfair and devastating that she can’t really process it yet. All she knows is she needs to be here for him.

Nobody has to be invited in to the Lockwood mansion anymore. But he’s blocking the door.

And it hurts that he acts like he can’t stand the sight of her, keeps pushing her away, although it gives her hope too.

He hasn’t flipped the switch. He’s still letting himself feel even though it has to be crushing him

“Get out of here. I just want to be alone.”

“No. I’m staying. Let me in, Tyler.”

She takes his face in her hands, trying to get him to snap out of it, look at her properly instead of over her shoulder. And she’s reminded of that first night, when his skin was scalding hot under her hands as he was breaking, a trial by fire that reforged him somehow. Only this time he’s cold to the touch, and it’s not his body that’s breaking as he’s ordering her to leave.

“I don’t want any more collateral damage, Caroline. Go.”

She'd held him together as long as she could then. And she’ll be damned if she’s going to shut the door and run now. So she shoves into his space and wraps her arms around him, blazing and defiant, daring him to force her out of his life.

“Bite me. I’m not going anywhere.”

She sees the first crack, and pushes her advantage when he doesn’t seem to know whether to scoff or curse or shout.

“You asked me to support you. So let me, OK?”

He wavers before he shakes his head and forces her back. She tries not to be upset that he's strong enough to do that now.

“I can’t. What if he kills you too?”

She’s already had this fight. Her mom was just as afraid.

“You still don’t get it? It’s not dying that scares me.”

He looks at her at last, awed despite the lingering terror. And he finally thaws, even though the tears in his eyes are as cold as hers.

He steps back and she follows, kicking the door shut behind them.

Comments

[stainofmylove.livejournal.com]

This is lovely. I especially liked the opening section dealing with body heat and science and the ACTs--so teenage and so Caroline and so disarmingly melancholy <3

[nrgburst]

Thank you! So glad it hit the right notes.

LOVE YOUR ICON- so appropriate. LOL