Being popular in high school had its perks, but dating Tyler Down definitely wasn’t one of them, at least not publicly. Tyler and I had been together for what felt like forever in high school years, but he was adamant about keeping our relationship a secret. He was already an easy target for the jocks at Liberty High, and he feared dating me would paint an even bigger bullseye on his back. And then there was Monty, my best friend, who was probably the biggest obstacle to us going public. Hiding our relationship wasn’t ideal; secret movie dates were out, replaced by hushed hangouts at each other’s houses.
I was chatting by my locker with Jessica and Monty when Tyler walked by. He caught my eye, flashed a genuine smile, and I instinctively smiled back. Predictably, Monty noticed. He spun around, spotting Tyler, and in a flash, he’d grabbed Tyler’s shirt, shoving him against the lockers.
“Hey, Ty-Ty, what do we have here?” Monty sneered, pushing Tyler harder into the cold metal.
“I-I was just… um… walking past,” Tyler stammered, fear lacing his voice.
“Yeah, but you were looking and smiling at Y/N over here.” Monty’s voice dripped with anger.
“Monty, it’s fine, let him go,” I interjected, trying to pull Monty away.
“No, it’s not fine, Y/N. He needs to understand he can’t just stare at you. You’re way too good for him.” Monty’s eyes flicked to me, possessive and intense.
“I-I’m really s-sorry,” Tyler mumbled, eyes fixed on the floor, avoiding Monty’s gaze.
“Sorry isn’t enough, Ty-Ty.” Monty’s fist clenched, and I knew what was coming.
“Montgomery De La Cruz, let him go right now!” My voice was sharp, leaving no room for argument.
“Fine,” Monty relented, but not without a final shove against the lockers. “But if I ever catch you looking at Y/N again, I’ll smash that camera of yours all over your face.” He laughed, Jessica echoing him as they walked away.
I stood there, mortified, looking at Tyler with pure apology in my eyes. ‘I’m so sorry,’ I mouthed, hoping he understood.
He just offered a weak smile, glanced down, and walked away. I reluctantly followed Jessica and Monty, the knot of guilt tightening in my stomach.
Later that day, after school, I hurried home to change. Tyler and I had planned a quiet afternoon at his place. A short walk later, I was knocking on Tyler’s door.
“Hey, Y/N,” Tyler greeted me, a warm smile finally reaching his eyes.
“Hey, Ty,” I replied, kissing his cheek as I stepped inside.
We headed straight to his room, sinking onto his bed.
“Look, Tyler, I’m really sorry about Monty earlier,” I started, my voice laced with regret.
“Are you and Monty dating?” The question hung in the air, Tyler’s eyes searching mine, a hint of sadness in them.
“What? No, of course not! Why would you even think that?” I was genuinely confused. I scooted closer, leaning my head on his shoulder.
“I don’t know… he’s just so… protective of you,” Tyler mumbled, looking down at his hands.
“Hey, Tyler,” I lifted his chin, making him look at me. “I love you, okay? I don’t love Monty, sometimes I don’t even like him. Please, don’t worry. I’m all yours.” I sealed my words with a kiss on his jaw.
“I love you too,” he whispered, kissing the top of my head.
I pulled back slightly, wrapping my arms around his neck, a smile returning to my face. “Kiss me,” I breathed, leaning in.
He wrapped his arms around my waist, leaning in hesitantly, and kissed me softly, briefly, before pulling away.
“Come on, Tyler,” I teased, “we’re not sneaking kisses in hallways with people watching.” I closed the distance again, this time more confidently.
Tyler Down from 13 Reasons Why smiles nervously, a moment captured in fan fiction.
He kissed back with more passion, gently pushing me back until I was lying on the bed, him hovering above me. His tongue traced my lips, and I opened my mouth, inviting him in. He smiled into the kiss, his hand sliding from my waist down to my thigh. My hands found their way into his hair, tugging lightly on the strands. He moaned softly as I pulled his hair, breaking the kiss momentarily. I pulled him back down, our lips meeting again, but this time, he started kissing my neck.
“Is this okay?” he murmured, pulling back slightly from my neck.
“Yeah, Tyler, it’s more than okay,” I whispered, running my fingers through his hair again.
He smiled, resuming his exploration of my neck, his kisses becoming more insistent, a gentle bite here, a soft suck there. A soft moan escaped my lips, and my hands moved down to his chest, instinctively starting to unbutton his shirt. Just as things were heating up…
“Tyler, where’s my camera?” His dad’s voice boomed from outside the door, interrupting our moment.
“Dad!” Tyler yelled, scrambling off me, a blush creeping up his neck.
“Oh, uh, sorry, Tyler, I didn’t realize Y/N was here,” his dad said, smiling awkwardly at me.
Tyler stood up, face red, quickly re-buttoning his shirt. “Well, now you do. Can you please… leave?” He tried to shoo his dad away.
“Uh, yeah, of course, sorry again. Nice seeing you again, Y/N,” his dad said, waving goodbye.
“Nice seeing you too, Mr. Down,” I replied with a smile and a wave.
Tyler closed the door, turning to slump into his desk chair. “Well, that kind of killed the mood,” I said, sitting up on the edge of the bed.
“Yeah, it did,” he sighed, rubbing the back of his neck.
“Come on,” I said, grabbing his laptop and patting the spot next to me on the bed. “Let’s just watch some movies.”
The next morning, I woke up with a mission: to hide the hickeys Tyler had so enthusiastically left on my neck. Scarves, turtlenecks – nothing seemed to work. Finally defeated, I decided to just go to school and hope no one noticed. Of course, they did. As soon as I met Jessica, her eyes widened, zeroing in on my neck.
“Holy crap, Y/N! Who did you hook up with last night?” she exclaimed, a playful smirk on her face.
“What do you mean?” I feigned innocence.
“I mean those hickeys on your neck!” She pointed, just in case I was truly oblivious.
“Oh, these? No, these aren’t hickeys, they’re… burn marks. I burned myself with a curling iron,” I said, avoiding eye contact.
“Uh-huh, sure. Look, if you don’t want to tell me, fine. I’m just happy you’re finally getting some action,” she laughed, linking her arm with mine and steering me towards class.
Later that afternoon, my luck ran out when Monty spotted them. “Damn, Y/N, who gave you those?” he asked, a knowing smirk playing on his lips.
“Oh, uh, no one,” I mumbled, looking away.
“Bullshit, come on, tell me,” he leaned against the lockers, blocking my path.
“No, screw you, Montgomery,” I retorted, crossing my arms defensively.
“Fine, but don’t worry, I’ll find out,” he winked, walking away, leaving me fuming.
I stormed off, heading straight for the one place I knew Tyler would be: the photo room.
“Okay, next time, you have to be more careful with those hickeys,” I said, dropping my bag on the floor and walking towards him.
“Come on, Y/N,” he chuckled, “I can’t hold your hand in school or anything. This is the only way I can show people you’re mine.” A mischievous smile spread across his face.
“Fine,” I conceded, walking closer and starting to kiss his neck, right where he’d left his mark on me.
“Y-Y/N, what are you doing?” he gasped, trying to suppress a moan as I started to gently suck and bite his skin.
I didn’t answer, just continued my counter-attack of affection. After a few moments, I pulled back, quickly kissing his lips. “There,” I smirked, “now we’re even.” And with that, I turned and walked out of the room, leaving a flustered and definitely marked Tyler behind.
