lemon boy

can i be him

synopsis: college au in which tj and cyrus like to stay up late and talk about random things, and one night things take a little turn when cyrus brings up exes

lyrics: ❛ could i be the one you
talk about in all your stories,
can i be him? ❜

          CYRUS GOODMAN was seated on his bed, legs crossed, next to tj kippen. every saturday night they stayed in and watched movies, or talked all night. tonight was one of those nights where they talked. tj was laying on his side, looking up at cyrus as he spoke. he didn't realize he drifted off, he tended to do that a lot when cyrus was talking. it's not because he didn't enjoy the topics he talked about, he just liked to watch him.

"teej!" his eyes snapped up to meet cyrus' eyes, a light blush covered the boys cheeks. he hated when he zoned out. "i asked you if you ever had a girlfriend." he repeated. tj shifted uncomfortably and sat up so he was at eye level.

"no, no i haven't why?" cyrus looked down at his hands then back up at tj, "well i just assumed because you're . . . well you're you and i thought girls would be lining up to date you." tj couldn't keep the smile off of his face.

"i . . . well i've only dated one person before, it was awhile ago. but no underdog, i've never had a girlfriend before." cyrus' eyes widened in shock, out of all things tj could've said, that was the last one he would've expected. "o-oh, i didn't know. i'm sorry." his cheeks flushed bright red, but he covered it up by leaning onto his hands, his elbows digging into his thighs. things would've been a lot different if he knew tj wasn't straight.

"yeah, you know marty? we lasted about a year and a half, but we broke it off our junior year. we were going to different colleges and if we would've stayed together . . . well i would've been too attached by then. it's not everyday you find someone like him." but cyrus hadn't realized that tj had found someone better, someone who he didn't mind getting too attached to.

"marty? but he's dating buffy."

"yea, well he's bi. back in high school he leaned more towards boys, but buffy really did a number on him." he smirked. cyrus was confused, how had he not known that tj and marty dated in high school? they were literally in the same school, and even had classes together.

"yea, buffy's just that good." cyrus joked, but he wasn't lying. buffy was gorgeous and could probably have any guy she wanted, not that she wanted very many. she was more independent, but there was just something about marty that had pulled her in.

"marty was a lot different back then, too. buffy's turned him to mush." cyrus tried to put a smile on his face to hide his jealousy.

"how was he different?" he asked, hoping this would take the subject of them dating.

"i don't really know how to explain it but this one time we-"

*flashback*

tj shut his locker and turned to walk towards the doors until he felt someone jump on his back. he heard marty start laughing and he knew it was him, so immediately he started laughing too. marty dropped from his back, still laughing. "you scared me, asshole." tj said, pushing marty's shoulder.

they continued to walk out of the school and met reed and lester by the steps, "you guys ready?" reed asked, sliding his phone into his pocket.

"yea, let's go." marty answered, interlocking his and tj's hands while following behind their friends.

they all hopped into lester's truck, reed obviously in the passenger seat. they drove to marty's house first, "you sure he's gonna do it?" tj asked his boyfriend, referring to the alcohol his brother promised to get them for this weekend.

"yea, he got it last night." he replied before climbing out of the car and running into his house. a few minutes later he reappeared with two bags in his hands.

tj opened the door and slid over, letting him in. "it's what we asked for." he said. reed smiled over at lester before patting his shoulder, "let's go." marty slid in, setting the bags on the ground and reaching for tj's hand. he didn't know why but when tj was around, he always had to have his hand in his. it always gave him a reassuring feeling, like if he let go he would lose him.

and then they were on their way up to the old abandoned house that kids always broke into to drink.

*flashback over*

"marty wouldn't do anything like that now. but i guess you could say i'm a little different now too because i don't think i'd do something like that either. at least not anymore." and instantly cyrus regretted asking that question. of course it led back. to a story of them dating.

"yea, i guess you are different." he smiled to himself, making tj smile too. "what?" he asked him.

"nothing, i just like knowing that you realized that there are better things to do than get drunk in an abandoned house." shit, why would he say that?

tj's eyebrows furrowed for a second before his eyes met cyrus'. "i'm a better person than i was back then." but what he wanted to say was, i'm a better person now that you're here.

"good." cyrus could feel the air getting thicker, like the tension was growing. his eyes were anywhere but on tj, he couldn't bring it upon himself to look at him. fearing that his eyes would give away all his secrets.

"look at me." tj whispered. cyrus slowly looked back up at tj to find him extremely closer than he was a few seconds ago. "w-why?" he cheeks tinted a soft pink again and he silently cursed himself for getting so flustered around him.

"i just want to try something." as he spoke he got closer and closer and before cyrus could reply tj's lips were on his, and his hands were cupping cyrus's cheeks.

after a few seconds he pulled away, "you were jealous? that's why you wouldn't look at me?" and for the hundredth time tonight, cyrus's cheeks heated up. he nodded slowly.

"underdog, things would've been a lot different if i knew you weren't straight." that's what i said, cyrus thought.

authors note !
sjsjsjs wth why do i now want to make a book about tarty during junior year, then a spin off with tj getting over him and moving on with cyrus in college??
i mean i probably won't because tarty is crackt asf but idk why i just really enjoyed writing the flashback.
but also i'm a tyrus shipper soo ??