'angelic, beautiful'
“Hey you,” I say as I sneak up on Troye while he passes his hand over a satin garment. He jumps slightly but starts laughing.
“Don’t do that,” he says, still laughing nervously.
“Sorry,” I say, passing my hand over his back and then going back to my place behind the register.
“You got any more wild parties to attend this evening?” he asks sarcastically, referring back to the previous Friday.
“Haha, Troye Sivan you make me laugh,” I say in a monotone voice, but I'm still smiling.
“I know,” he says with a cute smile, obviously trying to annoy me, not possible. “But what are you doing tonight?”
“Actually I was going to ask the same thing,” I say, leaning on the counter. “On one of my drives around the city and then going out of it a bit last week I came across this…place.”
“Place? That sounds kinda creepy Jake,” he says with a teasing smile.
“I know but trust me, you trust me right?”
“Not fully but go on.”
“It will be nice I swear,” I say with an airy laugh.
“Fine,” he says with raised eyebrows, he should really have more faith in me.
“Shift ends right about now,” I say looking at the clock. “Are you ready to go?”
“Now?” he asks confusedly.
“Yeah, why not?”
“Okay…” he says, still sceptical but also still wearing that adorable smile on his face.
I take hold of his hand and lead him out the store. Once at my car I help Bruno in then go over to the driver’s seat.
“Um, it’s fine that Bruno comes along right?” Troye asks.
“Well of course, why? You want to drop him off at home? Like I will be with you,” I offer.
“I uh,” he pauses for what feels like a long while, making me anxious. “I really don’t want to go anywhere without him, sorry J,” he sounds so guilty. Sure, it saddens me the slightest bit that he doesn’t have his full faith in me to the point that he doesn’t need Bruno but I don’t think I have a say. I have my eyesight. I have no idea what Troye has truly had to go through on a daily basis, trust issues are understandable.
“Why you saying sorry? Don’t be sorry about that Troye,” I say encouragingly, he smiles small.
We drive in silence for a while, comfortable silence however. The radio plays softly as the sky begins to get a bit gloomy. My calm thoughts are interrupted by a small gasp, not one to make me jump, it is adorable actually.
“What is it?” I ask Troye.
“I uh, sorry,” he says bashfully with a laugh. “I just love this song.”
I smile brightly and turn the volume well above than what it was originally, smiling widely at how Troye nods his head to the beat.
“And don’t you stop the music, get into it won’t you dance with me? find a space and lose it you can do it won't you dance with me?” my eyes nearly pop out of their sockets, the boy can sing too.
“Oh my God Troye,” I say in shock. When he told me on that first day of meeting him that he sang I thought he would be good, but not quite this good.
“Oh shit, sorry,” he says with a laugh, placing a hand over his face bashfully.
“Sorry?!” I practically yell. “You are apologising for such an angelic voice because?”
“Angelic?” he questions in pure confusion. “Is your hearing good over there Jake?”
“Excuse me Sivan you can sing, damn. You’re fucking amazing,” I say still in shock. “Do it again,” I say in childlike amusement.
“If you say so Jake,” he says nervously and starts up again. “Your name I'll never know as we get down in the world below,” he listens to me and sings the rest of what was left of Lose It.
I smile and find myself humming along with Troye, tapping my hand on the steering wheel without being able to stop myself.
“So, you like my voice?” he asks while I put the volume down again when a generic pop song plays next.
“I love it. T, honestly with that voice you can go places, I’m just saying. Don’t throw that away. That was beautiful.”
“Wow, uh thank you Jake I didn’t think I was all that.”
“Well you are,” I say, soon finding the place I was trying to get to.
“We here?” he asks, feeling and hearing me park my car.
“Yeah.”
“Care to explain where we are?” he says with a laugh.
“Troye I have brought you to a small trail. It’s nothing too involved, I think it just goes through some trees but either way you have both Bruno and myself to help okay?” his face lights up.
“I can’t wait, let’s go!” he says excitedly, undoing his seatbelt and hopping out the car while I get Bruno out from the back who quickly runs to his owner’s side. “Lead the way boy!” he calls to Bruno who immediately takes to the trail, his nose to the ground right from the start.
For the first few minutes I basically just watch Troye, he looks like he is in his element.
His gait is leisurely, the darkening sky brings out the moon, and moonlight now falls onto his features making him looks even more beautiful. His skin looks so soft, he looks-
“I think you staring again, Jake,” he chuckles while I turn my gaze to my feet, watching them trample along the ground.
“You caught me,” I say, owning up to it.
“Why do you do it so much?” he asks. He says it so quietly it sounds more like he is saying it to himself but I answer anyway.
“Because I like looking at anything I see as beautiful,” I bite my lip.
“Beautiful,” he says repeating the word, as if he is trying to match its definition to himself, and by his facial expression he has not.
“You are,” I whisper gently, walking closer to his side.
He doesn't answer but I am fine with that when I see the smallest of his real smile etch its way onto his face.
He shivers at the same time, with no hesitation I shrug off my coat and without question I place it over his shoulders.
Again he smiles, wider this time but then, better than any thank you in my opinion anyway, he finds then takes hold of my hand. His is so cold in my warm one that had been in my coat pockets the whole time before.
I give his soft hand a small squeeze, keeping hold of the silence and proceeding to walk down the trail.
