You and Me in the Old Jeep - TROYLER AU

Chapter Ten

 i'm slightly useless at this so from now on, no song of the chapter unless i can think of one that fits really well

also i literally had to google expensive wines for this chapter i'm so cultured fight me

10

The party Dan and Phil invited me to was apparently just a tad above any club I'd ever been to - it was strictly black tie, the kind of 'party' that involved cocktails instead of shots and polite conversation about politics instead of making out against sweaty walls. Not really my scene.

Still, I clean up pretty well, I thought as I admired myself in the mirror. I was wearing a tailored black suit with matching black-framed glasses and a greeny-blue tie to 'bring out my eyes', or so Korey had told me when he lent it to me. My quiff game was strong. I felt like a fierce motherfucker.

I felt like I could take on Troye Sivan.

It was so, so unlikely that Troye would even be at the party in the first place, but he seemed to have an uncanny habit for showing up wherever I was like a bad penny. I mean, I'd agreed in my own head that we would be friends until the inevitable sex, but right now it was looking like I'd have to either get better at being friends or throw in the towel.

Or...or I could have a little fun with tonight. Mess around and show Troye what he was missing, to speed up this arduous process and get what I'd come for. Because that was what I had come for. Not his blue eyes, or his adorable personality, or his beautiful voice...

Shit. I scowled at myself in the mirror and shook my head hard to clear it.

If Troye was there, and I had a feeling he would be - well, that boy was going to regret fucking up my thoughts.

~floppityflipitsatimeskip~

I guess I'd known how absolutely devoted Dan and Phil were to each other anyway, but that night, I saw it in action - to watch Dan and Phil giggle with each other in the corner while everyone else socialized and made witty political jokes, a little hyper and a little drunk, and kiss each other like the world was ending when they thought no one was looking. Shaking my head, I wondered fondly how'd they'd even been invited at all, because their actions alternated from those of small children to the sudden, ramped-up kisses of horny teenagers. They could go from zero to a hundred in five seconds flat and it was slightly incredible.

Turning away from them, I took another sip of my Persecco Blanc, trying and failing to keep up with the conversation of the people around m - it was all about the government and taxes and other things I  didn't fully understand, so my mind began to wander. My gaze drifted over the crowd of dark suits and long dresses milling around in front of me, to the sparkle of the chandelier above them all, to the opening oaken double doors - 

And then my vision tunneled to admit only one extremely good-looking Australian.

He was in a black suit too, with a sky-blue tie and perfectly styled hair. It wasn't fair. He seemed to look better every time I saw him. But when he came closer, I could tell something was wrong - he looked unsettled and upset, twisting that fucking ring around his finger like it was burning him, and he eyed us all warily as he walked up to the crowd and integrated himself into it, accepting and returning greetings, smoothing down his tie nervously. Up close, he was paler than before and my chest constricted uncomfortably with concern.

Almost instinctively I made my way through all the people and placed my hand on his shoulder, turning him gently around. His eyes fell nervously on mine, appraising me like he was scared, silently willing me to do something, anything. I didn't know exactly what, but all plans to play with him left my head. Instead, I took his elbow and quickly led him from the room and into the bathrooms, where I released him and shut the door behind us. "I'm sorry." Troye murmured as I turned back to him, and I shook my head.

"No problem, Troyeboy," I reassured him, leaning against the sink. "What's up?" 

Troye's beautiful jaw clenched and he looked away. "I can't tell you. It doesn't matter."

"Why can't you tell me?" I was starting to get a little worried despite myself.

"Because..." He sighed. "Because I've only just about known you a week, Tyler, and you were a dick at the restaurant, so why should I trust you?"

I rolled my eyes and opened my mouth, but he cut me off. "No." Troye looked suddenly pissed now, and it was incredibly attractive. He came closer and looked me full in the face, blue eyes wide and filled with an emotion I couldn't identify. "Explain yourself properly. Tell me who the fuck you are." 

This Troye was unfamiliar - what could I say to him? That I'd barely knew who I was since I'd met him, and that he was screwing with my head so badly that I could no longer form coherent thoughts around him? That I really had no answer to that question, that I'd been running from people like him - people that made me feel something, as hard as it was to admit - for years now?

In the end, I said none of these things. Instead I looked him dead in the eye and replied, "Right now I'm Tilly. Tell me what's wrong."

It was like unplugging a fucking dam. Tears immediately started sliding down his face and his thin frame began to shiver, breaking my heart. "Okay," he sniffed, wiping his eyes, "Okay. Um. You know that friend I mentioned? The one I said came back to visit."

"Uh huh."

"He's...more than a friend."

ooh what cliffhanger what

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Bbbbbbbye *wink*