The Good Life ~ Troyler AU

twelve - tyler

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It was so small.

I wasn't claustrophobic, but a few hours in this tiny room were enough to drive anyone around the bend. It was a tiny square just big enough that I could lie down with my hands at my sides and just about fit with my feet against the door. I'd been here for what felt like forever since I'd seen Troye in that creepy office and my side was still burning from that asshole's jab.

I didn't dare look at my stomach; last time I had, the deep blue bruises seemed to be only getting worse. I suspected getting thrown around like rag doll wasn't helping my current state much, and I was almost too tired and hungry and thirsty to be afraid now.

And I really needed the toilet.

My prayers were answered when the tall blonde guy from earlier, Caspar, I thought I'd heard him called, opened the door suddenly and came in. I backed away as much as I was able, my palms starting to sweat, but all he did was take both my wrists in one hand and start to lead me out. "Bathroom." he said, voice clipped, and I just nodded, trying not to look me in the face. He dwarfed me, and I was entirely under his control, and suddenly I wasn't too tired to be scared of him.

Caspar stood outside the stall the whole time and yanked me out as soon as I was finished, shoving me towards the sink. "Drink if you want." he sighed, sounding bored. I gritted my teeth as my back flared with pain from his push and drank as much as I could, having to use the tap like a water fountain. There didn't seem to be any sign of food, so I just drank as much as I was able to fill my stomach and then Caspar pulled me to him again and we started back towards my tiny cell of a room.

As we neared it, sudden panic flooded me. I couldn't just go back and sit and wait for something awful to happen to me again, wondering whether Troye was okay and what he was doing, or rather what they were making him do. I dug my heels pointlessly into the floor, trying to twist my wrists away from Caspar, and shoved at his chest. "IneedtoseeTroye," I rushed, and he rolled his eyes. His nails dug into my skin as he shoved me again, but this time I didn't stumble.

I ran.

"TYLER!" he roared straight away, and I nearly fell in fright. I didn't even know where I was going - I barely got a few meters before my stomach twisted and I coughed, my body wracked with pain. My knees hit the floor; I retched and Caspar shook me so hard that my vision blurred. He was shouting at me, but he sounded slightly more worried than angry. What would happen if someone else saw me trying to escape? Would they just shoot me?

He held the back of my neck like I was a disobedient dog and walked me forcefully back to my room, throwing me in. My head smashed against the wall and I saw stars.

"Are you trying to get yourself killed?" Caspar snapped, standing in the doorway while I tried to shake the ringing from my ears.

"I just -" It seemed like there was suddenly a lot less air in the room. "I need to see Troye -"

"Troye's busy." A flicker of unhappiness passed over Caspar's face. "He's working."

"He won't ever work for you people," I panted. My chest heaved, but at this point I was just trying to stall. "He - hates - you."

Caspar narrowed his eyes. "He'll do whatever the fuck he's told to keep you alive. Haven't you realised that you're here as insurance? We have you and we have Troye. He fucks up and you get fucked up. Don't you get it? You are never going home."

The walls were closing in. I heard my breath start to tremble and the floor was cold and I was on fire on the inside, burning all on my own.

Troye was there.

My vision was swirling but I could feel his fingers running through my hair, playing with the ends of it, just like in the hotel room. It must be a dream, I thought hopefully, maybe this entire mess was a dream - but then I heard Caspar's voice.

"Two minutes, Troye. I shouldn't be doing this."

"Thank you so much." Troye sounded fervently grateful. "It's, I, it's just he has panic attacks sometimes. He needs me."

"I know." Caspar sounded tired. "I know."

I decided now would be a good time to let them know I was awake, so I murmured Troye's name, still a little dizzy. Immediately he supported me as I sat up, pressing tiny precious kisses all over my head and neck and holding me just tight enough that it wasn't painful. "Are you okay? Are you okay?" he kept asking me and even though I kept nodding he didn't stop asking. He was shaking nearly as much as I was. "I'll keep you safe," he said then, ignoring Caspar's look of disapproval. "I promise you're gonna be okay, nobody's gonna hurt you."

"Time's up," Caspar said brusquely and I automatically tightened my grip of Troye's arm. He looked up at Caspar pleadingly.

"Caspar, he needs me, I can't go."

"Maybe you can come again tomorrow, all right? Somebody's gonna notice you're not in your room." Caspar leaned down and pried my fingers off of Troye, pulling me to my feet as he continued, "And you better hope that doesn't happen, or Tyler's gonna get hurt."

"You're scaring him." Troye stood too, a little unsteady. "Cut it out."

Caspar shrugged. "Say goodbye, all right?"

Before I could say anything Troye kissed me, his heart throbbing up against my own, and then let go, stepping back quickly. "You'll be okay," he said, his voice breaking painfully and his eyes glossy-bright, and then Caspar took him away and I lay awake imagining I could hear Troye breathing next to me all night long, agonizingly close when there might as well have been continents between us.