A Tronnor Collection

Lights Out.

silence. maybe not total silence, but after the sudden explosion, it felt like the apartment had never been quieter. after a few moments, the sound of the rain and the cracking sky returned to Connor's ears, and then another sound, a softer one, almost like, crying? he turned from the window where he'd been watching the storm and realised for the first time that the power box explosion had taken out the electricity in his home. "Troye?" he called, shuffling his feet forward and around the table. "bedroom!" came a muffled reply. "Troye, I have candles, I'm gonna light them. come out here." Connor found the edge of the couch and sat down, reaching out by instinct to find the candles and matches on the coffee table. he heard Troye's feet shuffling into the room as he lit the first match, and as he placed it against the wick, looked up with a smile at the younger boy. in that second, his smile fell. Troye's cheeks were damp with smudged tears, as if he'd been trying to cover up that he'd been crying, and his body was quivering, shaking as though chilled. "Tro, is everything alright?" despite Troye's shaken appearance, he rolled his eyes before responding. "alright, Connor? there is no POWER. the lights are out. it's the dark ages, literally. how could anything be alright?" Connor stifled back a laugh when he saw exactly how serious his definitely-an-adult-but-sometimes-he-wondered boyfriend was. Connor set the candle down again and rose to his feet, stepping out from the couch and closer to the shaking boy. "Troye," he asked, with a hint of a smile in his voice, "you aren't still afraid of the dark are you?" the Australian boy didn't respond, but glared at Connor, crossing his arms against his chest. Connor gave him a jovial but sympathetic smile, reaching out for Troye's hands. "come on babe. come sit with me." reluctantly, Troye unfurled his arms and slipped both hands into Connor's. Connor cautiously led them both back to the couch; he wasn't used to being in the lead, that was Troye's job. when the backs of his calves brushed against the seat, he sank down, pulling Troye in close beside him. the positioning was unfamiliar but felt right, less like he was comforting his boyfriend and more like he was caring for a child. the taller one curled up against Connor's side, head on his shoulder and knees on his thigh, allowing Connor to slip his arm around Troye's waist. with his free hand, Connor awkwardly pulled a blanket half out from underneath them and tossed it over their bodies. he could feel Troye relaxing into him and let out a sigh of relief. juvenile as a fear of the dark may be, Connor didn't want Troye to feel anything but safe, especially when he had him so near. a few minutes ticked by and the boys said little, watching the lightening illuminate the street outside and reflect throughout the apartment. Troye felt much better, comfortable even, and was starting to warm up to the idea of a power outage. with no power, there was no television, no music, no ringing phones to distract them. for once, him and Connor were very truly alone. it was time to take advantage of the moment. turning his head slightly towards Connor, he leaned in. Connor sensed the movement and turned his head as well, expecting Troye to have something to say. instead, he found his lips caught in their barely visible counterparts, which were moving quickly and confidently. Connor was caught off guard, which Troye used to his advantage, twisting his body so their chests were against each other and reaching to brace himself with an arm on the other side of Connor's legs. Connor knew exactly where this was going. his earlier thought fluttered into his head again, of Troye being childlike in his fear, and Connor being a comforter. as Troye's hand brushed over his thigh and his tongue darted against his suddenly breathless and open mouth, it seemed to Connor that 'child' was not a word he'd soon use to describe Troye again.