The thing about Troye

18

"Troye?" I ask softly, putting a hand to the door. I push it lightly- stumbling into our room when I found it was ajar.
The room was dark and quiet, except for a sliver of light coming from the bathroom.
The chilly fall air around me feels like dead weight on my shoulders as I stare at the light and take a deep breath.
My heart picks up speed and I can hear it pumping loudly in my chest- it was the only source of sound in the room. I wonder if he can hear it from in there.
I silently pad my way over to the door, hesitating at the dull brass knob.
What was I going to say to fix this?
I slowly bring a weakly curled fist up to the white door.
Knock.
Knock.
Knock.
The sound of knuckles on wood hung dead in the heavy atmosphere.
There was no answer. Was he even here?
"T-troye?" My voice falters as I reach for the knob and twist it slowly.
It rattles.
Locked.
"Troye, I'm sorry...please be okay..." Tears prick at my eyes.
In the midst of the silence and nothingness, there was a faint scratching sound. Someone was shuffling on the tile floor of the bathroom towards the door.
There was a moderately loud bang on the other side of the door that made me gasp and jump a little. I could hear his hand travel down the door, and then there was another loud sound. This time it came with a rattle. He was trying to open the door. I could hear a low groan, which I identified to definitely belong to my roommate.
The door swung open finally and I gasp in horror, seeing the Australian boy who was curled into fetal position against the sink, collapse into the open doorway. His eyes didn't focus on Tyler- nor on anything, they were hazy and clouded, and lazily drifted about. I quickly and frantically search the counter with shaking hands, looking for signs of needles. I open and close every drawer, rummaging about to find an answer; something- anything. I scan the floor and the bathtub. There was nothing.
I sink to my knees beside him and gather the lanky boy into my arms, leaning against the bathroom sink like he was a bit ago. I pull him onto my lap, and his head lulls against my shoulder.
"Troye?" I speak softly, almost in the tone which you'd sing a child to sleep with. He hums, and I can feel the vibration on my neck.
"Are you high? Are you on drugs? Heroine?" I hiss quietly. With unstable fingers I nudge his sleeves up to check for any sign of injection, but much to my relief, find nothing. I feel him shake his head. I exhale sharply. "Thank god." I breathe out. I pull his frail body back from mine, trying to look him in the eye, to no avail.
"Are you sick Troye? Can you talk? Move?" I help him move so that he's sitting up in my lap, and his foggy blue eyes meet mine. He wraps a floppy arm around my waist and groans as he buries his face into my shoulder again.
"The time limits..." He hisses, his voice almost inaudible.
I pull him away from me to take a good look at him.
"A time limit for what? Are you okay? I'm calling an ambulance." I'm past worried now. As I fumble around for my phone, the brunette coughs and slumps into my arms again.
"No...you can't. Don't."
I frown.
"Troye, I don't know what's wrong but I'm really really sorry, okay?" I breathe out, pulling him closer to me and stroking the hair at the back of his head with my other hand. He doesn't answer and I frown. My heart is still pounding hard.
"I don't care what you are, or where you come from, I wasn't thinking straight," I whisper.
He stirs and struggles to sit up for a moment, looking me in the eyes again.
"I'm sorry I was an ass, I understand now. I really do." I explain quietly. Is that what this is about? Is he just sad?
He blinks a few times and his eyes begin to clear up, his heart beat becoming more pronounced in his prominent ribcage.
"Tyler..." He chokes out, slinging his arms around my neck and his legs loosely around my waist.
"I-I need you to kiss me." He stares into my eyes; or quite rather my soul, and it startles me a little.
"Troye, now really isn't the time, I need to know what's wrong, did I cause you this? Is there anything I can do? I'm so sor-"
"Tyler please," he begs. "The time limit." He breathes out.
I remember someone talking about a time limit recently-
"Troye I-"
With the arms behind my neck, he brings our heads together and our lips connect, the tingles I've been ignoring for the past few minutes explode. My senses blow and I can't think of anything else but kissing back, and the taste of his tongue that was sliding across my bottom lip. My hands travel to his wavy locks of brown hair as our tongues explore past parted lips.
The vampire shifts on top of me, breaking the kiss to slide his hands down my back, making me shiver, and reconnecting his lips to my neck. My breathing quickens and I close my eyes, tugging on his hair a little as he sucks on different spots around my throat.
This isn't what I thought I was getting myself into. I frown, irritation bubbling inside of me. I spring away from his touch, looking at him accusingly. My emotions are everywhere, my head is spinning, my neck is burning everywhere he had kissed it.
"I thought you had overdosed on illegal substances and now you're just..." Im trembling badly, trying to keep my voice from shaking to no avail. "you're trying to makes moves on me?" I stare incredulously and cross my arms across my chest, awaiting his answer. My heart lurches in my chest with every beat and my whole body feels hot, my face ready to explode into flames.
"Tyler I am... so sorry." He kisses my forehead, then my cheek, but I stay firm. He frowns, reaching out for me, but I flinch away.
"It's not like that. I was getting weak because you were gone, because you hated me." He's whispering again. "I need you, Ty. I'm sorry." His eyes pierce mine and are filled with regret and apology. I internally accept, softening and uncrossing my arms. He lands his lips back on my neck and I shudder involuntarily, leaning back into him.
"I forgive you," I whisper, fully leaning on him, eyes closing. His teeth scrape my pulse and my breath catches but he moves in, focusing elsewhere. When I'm sure he's left multiple bruises littering my neck and collarbones, I push him back again. His blue eyes are clear now, but they're dark.
"Ty..." He whines.
"Just tell me what's going on. I can't do this. What are you doing?" I ask breathily, shifting my hands to his shoulders.
Troye shuffles off of me, closing his eyes. "I need to know. Now."
"Tyler..." He opens them and the bright blue color returns, resembling restless ocean waves. "I'm scared, okay?"
I blink, confused.
Before I could speak I'm cut off.
"If I don't mark you in two days, I'll lose everything. When I thought I had lost you, my body started to shut down. I thought there was no hope. I got an urgent message from my father telling me that my deadline was the end of the month. It's only a few days till. Tilly, I really, really need your help." He grips my hands in his and studies my face closely. "Please don't let me die."
I think my heart stopped. My head is spinning like a top and the world is swaying.
Moments later I feel a hand on my cheek.
"Tilly? Say something..." His nervous voice stutters.
"I-I'm sorry, you can definitely, uh...I didn't know, I just- I..." I shake my head to clear my thoughts.
"W-will it hurt?"