Vampire Diaries Imagines

The Assignment - Jeremy Gilbert

Jeremy adjusted his backpack over his shoulder as he jogged out of the high school, his steps faltering as he spotted his sister, Y/N, leaning against her car. Her sunglasses sat perched on the bridge of her nose, and she twirled her keys around her finger. The fiery glint in her eye warned him that she wasn't in the mood for excuses.

"You're late," she called out, straightening as he approached. "I've been waiting for, like, twenty minutes. What happened? Teacher hold you back?"

Jeremy groaned. "No, but thanks for making me feel like I'm twelve again. Time got away from me while I was in the library. I was finishing something for history."

"History?" Y/N raised an eyebrow, skeptical. "What, you suddenly care about assignments? Did Elena guilt-trip you?"

Jeremy rolled his eyes. "No, I just-never mind. It's done."

Y/N smirked and held out her hand, palm up. "Let me see it."

"See what?"

"The assignment you're so proud of. Come on, Jer, don't hold out on me."

Jeremy grumbled, pulling out the folded paper from his bag. She grabbed it and unfolded it with dramatic flair, scanning the title.

"'The Founding Families: Legacy or Liability?'" She burst out laughing. "Oh my God, this is amazing. Did you seriously write about how the Founders are basically a liability to Mystic Falls? Do you want to get kicked out of town?"

Jeremy crossed his arms, his lips twitching into a reluctant smile. "Yeah, well, someone's gotta tell the truth."

Y/N handed the paper back with a grin. "I'm proud of you, Jer. But seriously, the teacher's totally gonna brown-nose you for this one."

"Hey, I worked hard on that," he defended.

She tilted her head, feigning seriousness. "Don't get me wrong, it's great. But you're definitely trying to win Teacher's Pet this week."

"I am not!" Jeremy argued, though his reddening ears betrayed him.

Y/N pushed off the car and opened the driver's door. "Oh, please, you so are. Stop being such a kiss-ass and get in the car."

Jeremy stared at her, torn between laughing and snapping back, but he gave in, throwing his bag into the backseat. "You're impossible, you know that?"

"It's part of my charm," she replied, sliding into the driver's seat. "Now, hurry up. If we don't get home soon, Elena's gonna freak out and send Damon after us."

Jeremy grimaced as he buckled his seatbelt. "Last thing I need is Damon giving me grief."

"Exactly." Y/N started the engine and glanced over at him. "So, who's the real liability: the Founders or the Gilberts?"

Jeremy smirked. "Definitely the Gilberts. Have you met us?"

They shared a laugh as Y/N pulled out of the school parking lot, the lighthearted moment a brief reprieve from the chaos that always seemed to find them. No matter how crazy Mystic Falls became, they'd always have each other-and the banter that made it all just a little bit easier.

Y/N parked the car in the driveway of the Gilbert house, the gravel crunching under the tires. She turned off the engine and glanced over at Jeremy, who was already halfway out of the car, his bag slung over his shoulder.

"Don't even think about beating me to the couch!" she called after him, slamming her door shut.

Jeremy turned around with a grin, taking off at a sprint toward the front door. "You're too slow, Y/N/N!"

"Oh, you did not just say that!" Y/N hollered, chasing after him.

By the time she reached the door, Jeremy was already inside, dropping his bag on the floor as he threw himself onto the couch with a triumphant laugh. "First place! And the crowd goes wild!"

Y/N groaned, stepping inside and shutting the door behind her. "Congratulations, you've won the award for being the most annoying sibling in Mystic Falls."

Jeremy smirked, leaning back with his hands behind his head. "Takes one to know one."

Y/N grabbed a throw pillow and tossed it at him. "Careful, little brother. I have an arsenal of pillows and no hesitation to use them."

Jeremy caught the pillow mid-air, smirking. "What are you gonna do, tickle me to death?"

Y/N raised an eyebrow. "That's Plan B."

Before Jeremy could respond, the sound of Y/N's phone vibrating on the counter caught her attention. She walked over, checking the screen. "Elena says she and Ric are grabbing dinner and heading home soon. She's bringing food for us, so don't inhale half the pantry before they get here."

Jeremy groaned. "I was just gonna grab a snack..."

"Snacks turn into meals with you, Jer. Just wait." She turned back toward him, only to find that he had disappeared into the kitchen. "Jeremy! Seriously?"

His voice floated back. "I'm just checking for chips, not eating them!"

Y/N shook her head, laughing as she plopped down onto the couch, stretching out her legs. A moment later, Jeremy returned with a bag of chips in hand, holding them up as if they were a trophy.

"You're incorrigible," she said, grabbing the remote and turning on the TV.

"And you're predictable," he shot back, dropping down next to her.

They fell into an easy rhythm, flipping through channels until they landed on a rerun of America's Funniest Home Videos. They laughed at the clips, occasionally throwing playful insults at each other.

An hour later, the front door opened, and Elena stepped inside with her hands full of takeout bags. "I'm home! And I come bearing food."

Ric followed her in, balancing a stack of drink trays. "And I come bearing caffeine. A true hero, if I do say so myself."

"Finally!" Jeremy jumped off the couch, grabbing one of the bags from Elena. "I'm starving."

Y/N shot him a smug look. "Told you he couldn't wait."

Elena rolled her eyes as she set the rest of the bags on the kitchen counter. "You two are ridiculous."

"Ridiculously awesome, you mean," Jeremy quipped, earning a playful nudge from Y/N.

As they unpacked the food, Ric joined them, loosening his tie. "So, Jeremy, rumor has it you were working on a scathing critique of Mystic Falls' Founding Families today."

Jeremy froze, mid-bite of his burger. "Uh...yeah. How'd you hear about that?"

Ric smirked. "I'm one of the history teachers, remember?"

Y/N laughed. "Busted."

Ric raised his cup in mock toast. "For what it's worth, I thought it was a pretty good idea."

Jeremy exhaled in relief. "Thanks, Ric."