Home // Blue Neighbourhood [Tronnor]

Chapter 7

    Troye was going insane. His mind was so convoluted that he was always censoring himself around people, lest he blurt something out. He couldn't ever admit that he liked Connor, because that would make them the butt of all jokes in the homophobic community they lived in and most importantly, jeopardize their relationship. No, it was best if Troye kept his feelings shoved down, and his mouth shut.

'Down to earth, Troye,' Connor's voice broke through his musing, and Troye felt heat washing through his cheeks and neck as he looked at Connor's rouge-tinted face and green eyes. His lips were parted into a wide grin, showing his perfect white teeth. 'What're you thinking?'

'Nothing,' Troye said quietly, gripping the handlebars of his cycle tighter. They had rented bicycles for the day to go cycling in the woods, the way they used to when they were kids. It was fall, Connor's favorite time of the year. Troye watched fondly as Connor suddenly spotted something photo-worthy, and dropped down on his knees in front of a flower shrub. Within a minute, he had clicked the shutter and straightened up again. Troye beamed with pride when Connor showed him the flower hidden behind the shrub. The petals folded delicately over each other, hiding shyly behind the tender green stalks.

'You're amazing at this, Con,' Troye said admiringly.

'Thank you,' Connor said simply, turning a brighter shade of fuschia. Before Troye could even blink, he had raised his camera to his eyes and snapped the shutter. Troye scrunched up his face, looking down at the photo Connor now showed him.

'That's you,' Connor pointed out, with a grin.

'Thanks; never could have figured it out,' Troye retorted sarcastically, secretly admiring the picture. His face appeared musing, but his lips were parted slightly in surprise and his eyes glimmered bluer than usual. And his face was tinted a bright red.

'You look like a tomato,' Connor commented, smirking. 'A tiny little tomato, because you're too small to be qualified for an actual tomato.' He burst out laughing at his own joke. Troye rolled his eyes amusedly, his stomach flipping as it registered to him how much deeper Connor's voice had become.

'And you look like a carrot,' Troye said smugly. 'Yeah, your face is kinda long, so you're a carrot.' He giggled, smirking at the look Connor threw at him.

'If I'm a carrot, then you're a red chilly pepper,' Connor proclaimed, beginning to laugh again as he wheeled his cycle forward. Troye fell back, pressing a hand against his chest discreetly. He forced himself to take deep breaths in an attempt to unwind the knots in his tummy.

'A hot red chilly pepper,' Troye corrected, wondering who this cool and calm stranger in his body was.

'Whatever, Sivan.'

'What, no comeback?' Troye teased, hurrying to keep with Connor's longer strides. 'So you agree I'm hot?'

Connor flipped him off, shaking his head with a small grin, as he carefully set his bike up against a tree. They would walk ahead for a while from here, and then come back and cycle home. At least, that was the plan.

The air was crisp, typical of fall, pleasant enough for not to be chilling yet not damp either, despite being near the sea. The brilliance of nature lay in full glory, with leaves of various shades of brown, crimson, yellow, orange and green lying in a heap on the floor. They were a perfect example of creating beauty out of randomness, as Connor said. Troye felt affection gush through him every time they stopped when Connor wanted to take a photo. He was so dedicated and passionate; it was inspiring. He always chased the mundane things, perceiving them as beautiful.