Lost in Paradise - A Troyler FanFic -

Exploring Perth, Part Two

Hyde Park

(No definition thingy because it's part two of the previous chapter and .... yeah anywaayyyy.)

Tyler's POV

I couldn't help but notice the tension in Troyes shoulders as we made our way back towards the car. We'd finally finished shopping for the day, the colourful bags weighing our arms as we walked in an uncomfortable silence.

I wasn't sure what had happened; one minute we were laughing like maniacs over memories from our London trip, and the next... well, I don't really know when it happened, but the atmosphere between us suddenly tensed and now here we were. 

I sighed to myself quietly. Just when I thought things were taking a turn for the better, and now we're back to square one. I peeked at Troye from the corner of my eye. His brow was furrowed, eyes downcast as he muttered wordlessly to himself. He looked angry, but I was unsure if it was at himself or if it was something I'd done.

I couldn't imagine what I'd have done to ever make him look like that. Sure, I also didn't want it to be something he was angry at himself for, but as I said, I couldn't put my finger on what it was that had happened to make him go from the happy smiley bubbly boy I knew to this dark somber troubled teen before me.

A couple minutes passed before I decided to speak up, to try and find out and hopefully help dissipate this unease between us as fast as I could. I opened my mouth to speak but he beat me to it with words of his own.

"So, there's this park I go to all the time for some me time, and I was wondering if you wanted to see it? It's really quite beautiful at this time of the year, and I don't want you to miss the opportunity while you're here."

Well, it wasn't what I'd been hoping he'd say, but it was better than what it could have been. He wanted to share something with me that he held close to him, and I was honoured. "Sounds great!" I tried to put as much enthusiasm behind it without sounding sarcastic – a far stretch for me, I know, but this was a situation that needed to be treated with the utmost caution I could manage. I was afraid of doing or saying something I shouldn't have, and as a result I now found myself stepping on eggshells around him. I had to be careful, the slightest thing could set him off, and I was afraid that if that happened then I would never get Troye back and our friendship would be lost... as impossible as that sounds, I know its true, and I cant help but think back to my high school years and all the people I lost when I came out.

I was ok now, of course, but at the time, loosing that many people had truly hurt me so much, and as a result I'd become a recluse, if only for a few weeks before my real friends had pulled me out of my misery at how stupid I was being. If they weren't smart enough to realise what they were losing, then they weren't worth the effort it would have taken to keep their friendships.

I smiled to myself as we finally came in sight of the car park. I was happy. Truly happy. Here I was, with my best friend, exploring the city he grew up in. Sure, things were a little tense between us right now, but I was determined to get to the bottom of things, even if it took me the entire week we had here together.

***

We finally made it to the car, our purchases scattered throughout the back seat where we'd flung them off our sore and tired arms in relief.