#i cant believe i redeemed kira

[terri-does-gods-work]

Three, Two, One

[This is a tyrus oneshot based loosely on whatever information @joshua-rush has given us on 3x21]

Word count: 2190

“Andi, the streamers are amazing as they are. Relax for a bit,” shouted Bex to Andi, who was precariously standing on Cece’s railing, hanging up decorations for the New Year’s party that night.

“Says you!” Andi shouted back, demounting the railing. “Buffy, Cyrus, TJ, and Kira are coming at 10, and it’s already 9!”

“Wait,” Bex put down her magazine and looked at Andi, “Kira’s coming? I thought you guys hated her,”

“We haven’t invited her but I’m pretty sure she’ll end up coming along with TJ.”

“But I thought TJ liked Cyrus. He’s dating Kira now?”

“Mom, were you listening at all when I told you about the whole Costume Day mess?”

Bex paused for a moment, trying to muster up an excuse, “I guess, with all the wedding emotions it got lost in my brain. Sorry, kid.”

Andi’s face drooped. A wedding would’ve been nice (to say the least) after all their will-they, won’t-they drama. Something to cement it all. But, Bex and Bowie are still Bex and Bowie. Anyway, she had other things to think about. It was T-minus 54 minutes until the guests were to arrive and the house still wasn’t ready. Cece was out doing some last-minute donations she missed out on during Christmas, Andi was decorating the living room, and Bex was currently lifting herself off the couch to get more chips (for herself and the party) with Bowie.

***

T-minus 3 minutes and everything looked, as Andi said, “Just about ready,”

A playful knock came at the door. “It’s Buffy and Cyrus, I’ll get it!” Andi called to her family as she ran to the door.

“Hi, Alex, right?” said Kira, smiling, as she interlocked hands with a deadpanned TJ.

“Uh, it’s Andi, actually,” Andi’s eyebrows furrowed, “come in.”

Kira pranced into the house dragging TJ behind her. TJ could barely manage to get out a faint “Hey, Andi,” before Kira pulled him away and sat him on the couch.

“Can I get you guys anything? Chips and soda?” Andi asked, hesitantly.

“Chips would be great, thanks,” Andi started to walk to the kitchen with her hands stuck to her side, “oh, and Alex?” Andi turned around and sighed, “a diet coke for me and a sprite for TJ,”

“Actually, I’ll just have some water,” muttered TJ, as Kira shot him a glare.

“Got it,” Andi swiveled on her heel and left to the kitchen.

There was another knock at the door. “TJ, its probably Cyrus and Buffy,” Kira’s ears perked up at their names, “can you get it?” Andi called from the kitchen.

TJ began to push himself off the couch, but Kira pushed him back down, “I’ll get it,” said Kira, as she bounced to the door.

“Hey guys!” she greeted.

Buffy shoved past her pulling Cyrus along. Cyrus stopped when he saw TJ. “Buffy, he’s here. With Kira!” he whisper-shouted.

Buffy looked at the two in disgust before replying, “I’m confused, too,”

“He told me he was going to tell Kira to back off!”

Buffy shook her head and followed Cyrus into the kitchen. Neither dared to look at TJ.

“Andi, what is Kira doing here?” interrogated Buffy, her eyes wide,

“I don’t know, she just showed up with TJ. I couldn’t exactly make her leave,”

“Of course, you can. Follow me,” Buffy retorted as she marched into the living room, “Kira, can I talk to you outside?”

Kira frowned suspiciously at Buffy, following her out to the porch.

***

“What are you doing here?” Buffy started, “You’re not friends with any of us,”

“Where TJ goes, I go,” replied Kira.

“Was that TJ’s choice or was it just what you told him?”

“What does it matter?”

“TJ’s a nice guy, Kira. And he can make his own decisions. He doesn’t need some random girl with a terrible attitude to make them for him,”

“Did you just call TJ a ‘nice guy’? Wow, Buffy, you’ve gone soft,”

“Look, Kira, I’m trying to be reasonable but you’re testing my patience. Cyrus is an incredible person and whatever you said to TJ before Costume Day basically destroyed their friendship,”

“Friendship? Just friends? Because it seemed like more than that to me. Is that really what you want for Cyrus?”

The argument falls silent. Buffy’s mouth is slightly agape. “You need to leave. Right now,”

“Fine. But just so you know, TJ’s with me now. Not Cyrus, me,” Kira huffed before walking out of the compound, slamming the gate shut behind her.

***

“What do you think Buffy’s going to tell Kira?” asked Cyrus, intermittently peeking through the kitchen door to check on TJ.

“She’ll probably get rid of her somehow. I wouldn’t question it too much,” Andi trailed off when she noticed Cyrus’ gaze fixed on TJ, who was currently sitting on the couch fiddling with his phone case, “why don’t you go talk to him?” she questioned.

“And say what? We haven’t spoken since he apologised for the costume, and I don’t know how to talk to him after what he told Buffy and me,”

“About that, what happened? You guys never told me,”

“It isn’t really our story to tell. He’ll tell you when he’s ready. But since he said that, I figured he’d break up with Kira. He even told me he would, but I guess Kira’s still got him wrapped around her finger,”

“I’m sure he has a good reason. I didn’t like TJ for a long time, but I’ve seen the way he acts around you. Something lights up in him, Cy. He makes you happy, and I think you make him happy, too,”

“You really think so?”

“I do,”

Andi was interrupted by Buffy storming back into the house. She sat down next to TJ, silent.

“From the lack of blood on your clothes, I take it you didn’t kill Kira?” TJ remarked.

“I was close, but no. She did leave, though,”

TJ breathed a sigh of relief, prompting Buffy to urge him to talk to Cyrus, “I know you like him,” she gestured towards the kitchen, where Cyrus and Andi were still peering at the other boy, “you should talk to him,”

“You’re right, Driscoll. For once, I actually mean it,” TJ stood up halfway but sat back down, “But I have no idea what to say,”

“Just say ‘hi’ and see what happens. You two have never had trouble finding things to talk about before,”

“Yeah, turns out, we’re a lot alike,”

TJ nodded and stood up all the way. He took a deep breath and made his way to the kitchen. Andi smirked and speed walked into the living room to sit next to Buffy.

***

“Can I talk to you for a minute?” TJ asked, twiddling his thumbs, barely looking at Cyrus.

“I was actually just about to ask you the same thing,” Cyrus replied, “Let’s go to Andi Shack. It’s more private than—” he looked over at Buffy and Andi, who were staring intently at the two boys, “here,”

Cyrus led TJ to the backyard and into Andi Shack. “Isn’t Andi going to kill you for being here without her permission?” TJ asked as he fumbled in the dark for a light switch.

“Not necessarily,” TJ looked up in confusion, “It depends on how this conversation goes,”

“I see,”

After carefully moving pieces of art and art materials, the two sat down on a tattered bench covered in old paint.

“So, Kira, huh?” Cyrus started.

“I know what I said, Cy, but, it’s just—”

“Complicated, I got it,” he paused, “What you told me the other day, you were being serious?”

“Of course, I was. I’d never joke about that,”

Cyrus smiled at TJ, but TJ’s face was still full of worry.

“What is it?” asked Cyrus.

TJ stared at Cyrus blankly for a few moments, “I think you’re really great, Cyrus,” his eyes shifted down to the floor, “and I,” TJ gulped.

“TJ it’s okay, you don’t have to say anything you’re not ready to say. My parents say that’s almost as bad as bottling—”

“Can I kiss you at midnight?” TJ interrupted, causing Cyrus to go pale, his eyes wider than an owl’s.

“Can you—” Cyrus trailed off, unable to speak.

“Never mind, it was a dumb question. You probably don’t want to, anyway. I guess this conversation didn’t go as well as Andi had hoped and we’re probably dead meat,”

“Teej,” Cyrus called, as he noticed TJ getting up to leave, “you can,”

“I can?” TJ said, turning around to face Cyrus, subconscious smiles creeping onto their faces.

Cyrus simply nodded and stood up to hold the other boy’s hand, “It’s getting cold. We should go back inside,”

They switched off the light and went back into the house.

***

“Bex, Bowie! There’s less than an hour left, set the food out in the living room!” shouted Cece from the kitchen.

“Coming, I’m coming,” Bowie pulled her up off the couch and gently pushed her towards the kitchen, following not far behind.

“I think Cyrus and TJ made up,” Bex told Bowie, eyeing the boys as they entered the house.

“Why do you invest yourself in the lives of thirteen-year-olds, Rebecca?” questioned Cece, handing each one a tray stacked with sandwiches and cake.

“When were TJ and Cyrus fighting?” asked Bowie, walking out of the kitchen with his trays as well as Bex’s.

“I’m sure Andi will be glad to know I pay more attention to her rambling than her own father,” she replied, cheekily, taking the trays from Bowie and setting them down on the coffee table.

The kids immediately took notice of the food and stampeded towards the table. An assortment of compliments towards Cece’s were spoken by food-filled mouths.

***

With less than 2 minutes till the end of the year and a room full of satisfied stomachs and neighbourhood friendly music, the seven of them stood around the living room. Bowie and Bex were already standing in the corner, ready for midnight. Andi and Buffy were sitting on one side of the couch, somehow still eating the remaining chips, as they waited for the countdown. Cece was just trying not to fall asleep but gave in and went upstairs after reminding the kids (including Bex and Bowie) to clean up whatever mess they make. Cyrus was sitting next to Buffy, and TJ was sitting next to Cyrus.

The kids’ conversation was a long, muffled noise to the outside listener, but as the clock neared twelve, the chaos turned into a countdown.

“Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four,” Cyrus and TJ turned towards each other, barely three inches apart. The rest of the room faded to a big blur. It was just the two of them and there was no going back now.

“Three, two, one.”

As the rest cheered, “Happy New Year!” TJ had his hands gripped around Cyrus’ waist, and Cyrus’ hands were entangled in the other boy’s hair. Their eyes were closed tight, lips together, indifferent to the world.

The boys pulled away at the same time, when they realised the cheering had stopped. They opened their eyes to four people staring at them in disbelief.

“They really made up, huh?” added Bowie, breaking the silence. The rest chuckled as the new year began.

***

The next morning, the four kids went to The Spoon to meet up with Jonah.

“I apparently missed a lot,” Jonah stated, watching Cyrus and TJ walk in, hand in hand.

“Not much,” Cyrus chuckled and turned to TJ, who was trying to refrain from smiling.

“Baby taters?” Amber asked, approaching the table, “and happy new year, by the way!”

“Firstly, is that even a question, and secondly, you too, Ambs,” Andi blushed.

“So, that’s baby taters and,” her expression turned grim, “TJ, Kira came by earlier asking for—”

“Hey, Kippen, you got a second?” It was Kira. Again.

TJ stood up, “Anything you want to say to me, you can say in front of them,” Amber slowly backed away.

“Okay,” Kira looked around the table, “fine. I’m sorry. What I did to you was vindictive and, if I’m being honest, I mostly did it to get back at Buffy,” she mouths ‘sorry’ to Buffy, “It was wrong. I saw TJ and thought I had a chance but then Cyrus came along, and I figured, ‘why not?’”

“You still made two people feel badly about themselves just for being who they were,” retorted Buffy.

“Sometimes there’s a nice person trying to get out. I guess I still haven’t figured out how to do that. My parents told my neighbours what I told Buffy. I didn’t realise how much that would hurt someone. I’m sorry.” She walked out of the diner without a second glance.

“Well, at least she knows how to apologise unlike some of us,” Buffy joked.

“Hey!” TJ responded, “I can say—"

“Teej,” Cyrus gestured at his hands under the table. He put up three fingers, then two, then one, and gave TJ a quick kiss on the lips before changing the conversation, “So, Andi. Amber, huh?”