tyrus oneshots

#8: Tater Theatre

A/N: Hello i'm still emotional over the recent episodes so here's a short, canon compliant fix-it oneshot!!

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Cyrus didn't care that TJ was hanging out with Kira in the slightest. He absolutely hadn't spent hours the previous night agonising over what Kira had that he didn't, and he absolutely hadn't been purposely leaving the stress whenever TJ and Kira happened to show up.

Okay. So maybe he did care a little bit.

But really - it had reached the point where sometimes he wouldn't feel anything at all as he watched TJ and Kira together beyond a dull ache. He was tired, and seeing TJ around only added to the heavy weight he could feel on his shoulders. He'd given up on the idea of TJ liking him, and despite the boy's assurance that they weren't a couple, he couldn't help but think there was something there between them. Something that he and TJ had obviously lacked.

Whatever the case, his initial sadness had faded into disappointment more than anything, and the accompanying apathy was almost scary for him. He wasn't used to feeling so defeated, all over one person. Then again - he wasn't used to feeling a lot of things he felt around TJ.

It was an overcast Sunday at The Spoon, with beams of sunlight filtering through the clouds as the crew sat inside at a booth, discussing Andi's experience at the rage room with CeCe. The conversation began to dwindle, and Buffy looked to him expectantly as though waiting for something. Andi and Jonah's attention settled on him too, and he couldn't help but laugh slightly.

He gave them all a confused look, popping another baby tater into his mouth. "I'm feeling very watched right now," he said.

Buffy gave him a playful nudge. "We were just thinking...you haven't really done tater theatre in a while."

Cyrus thought about it for a moment, before shrugging and nodding. "I guess I haven't," he agreed.

They continued to look at him expectantly, and a playful smile came to his lips. "Don't tell me you guys miss them."

Andi shrugged, exchanging an amused glance with Buffy. "They were cute," she told him, "and you know...they sort of seemed to cheer you up."

Cyrus looked down at the table then with a sigh. He'd tried his best to hide it, but he supposed his friends could probably see it on his face whenever TJ and Kira were nearby. The last thing he'd wanted to do was weigh everyone else down with how he was feeling.

"I don't need cheering up," he responded casually, glancing about the table.

Buffy raised an eyebrow. "You don't?"

"Nope! I'm perfectly happy."

The stares he received this time were disbelieving. He let out another sigh.

"Maybe I do," he relented, sinking back into the seat.

Andi clapped her hands together. "Okay! So - what should this play be about, then?"

After (very) detailed deliberation, the group decided on recreating 'The Titanic.' Cyrus jumped up to grab new red napkins for the 'boat', while Andi and Buffy began arranging the taters in an orderly fashion.

"Do you guys really think this'll make him forget about TJ?" Jonah asked, tone hushed.

Buffy shrugged. "It's not necessarily about forgetting him...more like, cheering him up so it doesn't seem as bad."

Cyrus joined them again a few moments later, looking somewhat more upbeat than he had before. As rain began to patter against the roof of the diner, they began their play, making it as dramatic as they possibly could. Buffy, for what had to be the first time, seemed fully engaged rather than exasperated.