Swingsets

"Change your thoughts and you change your world."

DATE PUBLISHED: FEBRUARY 9, 2018

A.N: After the amazing episode of Andi Mack tonight (Miniature Gulf), my Jyrus (Jonah and Cyrus)/whoever makes Cyrus happy because Jonah isn't really the best for Cyrus heart became a fan of the ship TJ and Cyrus. The way TJ was portrayed, I truly thought he would pick on Cyrus, so I was genuinely surprised when he helped Cyrus get that muffin in "There's a Mack in the Shack". 

Headcanons/Timeline Events for the fic:

- The events of the show are all canon up until Miniature Gulf, which is where the fic will start and begin to diverge.

- TJ is aware of his dyscalculia (similar to dyslexia but for numbers) but is afraid of admitting it.

- Cyrus is homoflexible (his temporary attraction to Iris) and TJ is gay.

- Amber is Cyrus' cousin and best friend (It's been a headcannon for another story I had for Andi Mack that they're cousins that gossip together all the time), and her last name is Eckerman (also Jewish).

- Amber is bisexual. 

- Jonah, Andi, and Buffy are all straight.

-Buffy is at this point on good terms with Marty again.

There were three things that Terrence Jacob "TJ" Kippen knew for certain:

1. He is an amazing basketball player.

2. He has dyscalculia.

3. He doesn't like girls.

TJ loves to brag about his talent but knows he put years of training into making his game look good. The discovery of dyscalculia was more recent. He knew he had a learning disability, but it wasn't until Buffy Driscoll (a pain in his derriere) discovered it. Although he told Buffy he wouldn't, he spoke to the counselor and was tested for it. 

The third thing is sort of something he knew all his life, but wasn't certain until he met one guy.

Cyrus Josiah Goodman.

How the short, babbling, unconfident Jewish teen had become his crush, he didn't know.

But one thing he was damn sure of, and that was that he would not let anyone hurt him.

It all started when Driscoll made him help him get a muffin so that she could tutor him. He was pissed but did it. However, seeing how nervous Cyrus was made his heart reach out for him. 

But he couldn't let anyone know that. So he passed it off with cockiness and allowed Buffy to hate him even more. Because that was what he was good at. Making girls hate him. He couldn't let them like him, not when he could never like them back.

The second time he met with Cyrus, it was much more personal. He was trying to run from his disability and he saw Cyrus at the swings, singing a song. Typically, he'd laugh, but it was honestly adorable. So he joined him. They had a good conversation, and for the first time in forever, TJ had fun. Honest to goodness fun. Cyrus helped him and gave him something he hadn't had in years: a chance to escape everything.

That was of course until Buffy showed up. That's when TJ began to feel unwarranted jealousy, and he hated it. He hated all the feelings he was having.

But then Cyrus told him that he knew where to find him. Cyrus was willing to talk to him, despite everything that went down between him and Buffy. And that's when TJ Kippen knew he had fallen for Cyrus Goodman, and hard. But he couldn't let Driscoll know that. So he brushed her off, again.

TJ knew it wasn't the end of it. He went to the counselor's and got tested for learning disabilities. And there it was. Dyscalculia. All of his problems with numbers summed up into one word. Having no choice, he talked to his math teacher. Two arrangements were made:

1. TJ would take all tests and quizzes at school with the rest of the class. He would then have it sent home by email to take and hand back by the end of the week without any time limits.

2. His grade requirement for math would be lowered to a D+. He still wanted to play basketball and the pressure to bring his grade up would still be there, just lower.

He could not let anyone know what he was. That would ruin the image he spent years perfecting.

But he did feel bad for hurting Buffy, oddly. The first girl he didn't really hate. Maybe it was because she was Cyrus' best friend. 

So he did some digging and found out about Marty Camden, another basketball player. Apparently Buffy and him have a history, which ended up leading to both not talking to each other. So he called in some favors and forced the two (without them knowing) to reconcile. Buffy is slightly less annoying now after befriending Marty again. Slightly.

But one question remained: How on earth could he have a chance with Cyrus when he barely knows him?