feel the noise } { of meeting friends and trips to ireland

[braveandstupid]

[Just before Elena is about to leave for Ireland with Ben, she’s surprised by Matt and Tyler arriving to investigate her boyfriend for Caroline. They claim that’s not what they’re there for, but that’s totally what they’re there for.]

Elena: [To Tyler, re: Caroline.] Mmmhmm. So you two are on again?

Tyler: Yeah. [awkward neck rub]

Elena: [laughs a bit] No, it's good. You guys always were good together.

Tyler: We also tend to enjoy making up too.

Elena: So I've been told.

Tyler: [wolfish grin] So where's your current boytoy?

Elena: On his way here, probably. We were going to fly out together tomorrow.

Tyler: That's cool. Better than meeting you somewhere in Ireland.

Elena: Well, I would have gone to meet him in LA.

Jeremy: But then you would have been deprived of all this company!

Elena: I also would have been deprived of the third degree I know is coming when he walks in the door. [a flat look]

Matt: [innocent face as he takes a sip of his beer] No idea what you mean.

Tyler: Hey, we're just here to hang out with Jeremy. Totally not going to bug him at all.

Elena: Uh-huh. [she doesn't believe you, you lying liars]

Ben: [and oh hey, listen to that doorbell ring. Someone's there with his overnight bag (staying at the Winchesters? what is this nonsense?)]

Matt: [and almost in an instant, Matt's beer bottle is on the coffee table and he's throwing his arms around Elena and pulling her into his lap] Dude, go! [to Tyler]

Elena: [trying to flail, Matt's got her arms] Matt!

Tyler: [hey look, hybrid speed! He's at the door and opening it.]

Jeremy: [also getting up so Ben can at least see him in the line of sight. He's grinning]

Ben: [not the faces he was expecting] Um, hey. Is Elena home?

Matt: [shouting] She's a little -- oof! [That would be Elena catching him in the ribs, but he comes back laughing] Shit, Elena.

Jeremy: [grabbed Ben's bag] There's beer in the kitchen. You're going to need it.

Ben: [yeah, not worried at all. He looks at Tyler as he steps in, then offers his hand.] You must be either Matt or Tyler? Elena talks about you guys all the time.

Tyler: [nods, taking his hand and shaking it. Squeezing just a bit to see how firm that handshake is from the pretty boy] Tyler. Nice to meet you, Ben.

Matt: [is sort of curled on his side, trying to catch his breath, but he's grinning. He holds up a hand and waves in Ben's direction, as Elena makes her way over to meet him] Matt. Same, man, she's been driving us a little crazy.

Elena: [that earns him a light kick in the shin, before she turns back to Ben with a smile] Hi.

Ben: [smiles at her, not noticing Tyler taking a sniff of him from behind, Jeremy rolling his eyes, and then the wolf nodding to the man on the couch] Hey beautiful.

Elena: [smiles as she leans in to kiss him, while Matt gives a bit of a nod in Tyler's direction. Human. Good.] They just showed up this morning. I'm going to apologize for them now.

Matt: Hey. We are going to be perfect gentlemen.

Tyler: Perfect gentlemen. You act like we were raised by wolves or something.

Jeremy: They're keeping me company while you guys are gone. Since I got left out of the Ireland plans.

Ben: Yeah, for good reason. I'm not dating you.

Elena: [flashes Tyler a bit of an amused look at that "wolves" comment before turning back to Ben] They're just giving me a hard time - at the behest of Caroline, so it's not even entirely their fault.

Ben: [remembers and points at Tyler] Your girlfriend. So you're on again?

Tyler: [jaw drops and he just looks at Matt, then Elena]

Elena: [innocent look] He's just ... perceptive.

Tyler: Uh huh.

Ben: What, you weren't expecting me to be able to deal back at you both? [grins]

Matt: [laughs] Hey, it's good that he can dish it as well as take it.

Ben: You have to learn when you live in LA. So Jer, beer's in the kitchen?

Jeremy: Yeah, help yourself.

Elena: [nods a bit as she lets him go] He has a great place on the beach. Really nice.

Tyler: And you saw more than just the bedroom?

Elena: [chucks a pillow at his head]

Tyler: [laughs]

Ben: [comes back with a beer and sits down across from the other guys with just enough room for Elena to join him] So you guys are staying here tonight too?

Tyler: Yup.

Elena: But they are going out at some point. Matt said if he's going to be crashing here he'd cover me for patrol.

Matt: [head tips slightly, but he's just going to go with it] I did. You guys can have some alone time while we go kill undead things.

Ben: That's right, you guys are hunters too. Probably the only non-hunter in the room.

Jeremy: No, you are.

Elena: [nods slowly] Kind of comes with the territory when you're from Mystic Falls.

Ben: [looks at Jeremy, not realizing he was a hunter too, and Jeremy just shrugs] Kinda makes “rockstar” feel insignificant.

Matt: Yeah. About that. [holds up his hands before Elena throws something at him] This was a Caroline-posed question. But how "rockstar" are we talking here? Because there are facts and there's the tabloids.

Ben: The tabloids make shit up about me because I am good at keeping my actual personal life personal. That's why I do the whole hair dye and extra makeup on stage. Makes it harder to recognize me in person.

Matt: So you're not going to be dragging Elena clubbing or flipping off the paparazzi anytime soon. [that's more of a comment of actual concern, but he's good at covering it like it's friendly teasing]

Ben: Actually, I have an amazing camera collection from paying them off to keep my photos out of their rags. You're welcome to come visit on day and take one. The clubbing though - that's up to her.

Elena: [nods slowly] Not really a clubber.

Ben: Then yeah, no clubbing. I'm more of an Irish pub kinda guy anyway.

Matt: Excellent choice.

Tyler: Can't go wrong with that. [great alcohol at pubs, and really, Tyler is a functioning alcoholic sometimes]

Elena: [only sometimes?] When we get back we should all go for a drink or something.

Tyler: Depends on if the rockstar's beachside place can hold all of us. [yes, sometimes. He doesn't drink as much when Caroline is there.]

Jeremy: Oh, it can hold us all.

Ben: How many is us, actually?

Elena: [is glancing back and forth between them] I was just thinking ... us. [she points to each of them - one, two, three, four, five.] How many were you guys thinking?

Matt: [smirks] Well, Caroline deserves the chance to interrogate him in person, don't you think?

Tyler: And of course Bonnie will want to come if Care comes. Plus while we're there, we need to meet Jer's mysterious surfer girl.

Jeremy: No, you don't.

Elena: Yes, we do.

Jeremy: Nope, not happening.

Tyler: Oh no, it's so happening. You just have to decide if you pre-warn her or not.

Elena: [a small smirk] It would happen even if we weren't trying, and you know it.

Ben: Dude, I know where she works.

Jeremy: Come on, man.

Elena: We are capable of being nice people, Jer. We won't scare her off. Especially since most of the people there will be there to interrogate Ben.

Ben: Yeah, I need someone to help distract the attention away from me.

Tyler: Dude, that's not likely to happen.

Elena: Yeah, Caroline is ... goal oriented.

Ben: Should I provide a list of character references first?

Elena: Do you want her checking them?

Ben: [blank look] Really?

Elena: Never underestimate what Caroline Forbes will or won't do.

Matt: We learned that when we were five.

Tyler: I'm keeping my mouth shut.

Elena: [smirks] Smart man.

Jeremy: He doesn't want to be off again with her.

Tyler: Still makes me a smart man. [eyebrows are up in amusement.]

Elena: [nods in agreement]

Matt: Doesn't mean they won't be fighting again by the end of the week. [teasing]

Tyler: [hits Matt with a pillow] Shut up.

Matt: [laughs]

Ben: [looks up at Elena and smiles. He likes her friends]

Elena: [grins back at him, as she goes to sit next to him]

Matt: [shifts to grab at his abandoned beer] So. Ireland. That should be fun.

Ben: Yeah. There are some amazing musicians out there that play in all these hole in the wall type places. And right now the countryside is just amazing to tour.

Elena: I'm just excited to leave the lower forty eight.

Tyler: Don't blame you. Try something new.

Elena: I've heard Europe is a lot of fun, but I'm pretty sure those that I've talked to spent most of it very drunk.

Ben: Well, we have two weeks. So if you want to jump down to somewhere else for a long weekend, we can do it. Nothing is set in stone.

Jeremy: Five dollars they are never coming back

Elena: [swats at her brother as she talks to Ben] Sounds like fun.

Tyler: [smirks up and gets up, heading for the kitchen.] Time for refills. Who wants what?

Ben: Still working on mine - thanks.

Jeremy: Beer!

Elena: I'm good.

Matt: [nods as he raises his] Me too.

Tyler: Lightweights. [disappears into the kitchen]