Stars Aligned (Tronnor AU)

Chapter 5

When Troye came out of the shower, his wet curls created small puddles on the floor. My shirt was infinitely big on his tiny frame and it slipped of his shoulder. He had rolled up the bottom of the sweatpants, but the whole look was good on him. But then my eyes landed up his face.

He had a large, yellow and green bruise covering his cheek and I heard myself take a sharp intake of breath.

"Troye, what-"

"I don't want to talk about it," He slowly made his way to my bed and sat down. "I just uh, fell over. I'm not usually clumsy."

"Oh, okay," I said. I grabbed his hand and pulled him further onto the bed. I decided not to question it; he clearly did not want me to. One day though, one day I would get the answers I so desperately craved. "Come on, sit down and make yourself comfortable."

He awkwardly did as I said whilst I turned on my computer and placed it on half his leg and half mine. Our legs were touching and it sent sparks of electricity through me.

"What movie do you want to see?" I asked him, but Troye just shrugged.

"Okay, how about Now You See Me or the Da Vinci Code?" I suggested, but Troye just shrugged again.

"Okay, Da Vinci it is, is that okay with you?"

Troye nodded.

We watched the first forty minutes in silence, only interrupted by the crunching of popcorn and the occasional sip of water between us. Then, Troye cuddled closer to me and laid his head on my shoulder just like he had done earlier at school. In response, I just draped my arm across his shoulder. Troye visibly relaxed and even got as far as wrapping his arm around my torso.

"Is this okay?" He whispered.

"Perfect," I replied.

For the rest of the movie I was hardly able to think of anything else than Troye's head on my shoulder and the warmth radiating from his hand through my t-shirt. The tension in the room was electric, and I had to think of everything disgusting I could come up with to stop myself from getting an erection.

Troye's curls were tickling me, and his breath warmed up a little spot on my neck, but I would not change this for the world. Troye was not well, that much I could tell, and right now, I had to be whatever he needed to make him feel better, and if cuddling made him feel better, I was not the one to deny him it.

However, I could not stop myself from wondering how he had gotten that bruise. And how I did not notice it before, it was one his face after all. My guess was on make-up, and that the make up had come off in the shower. I knew I would wear make-up to cover up a bruise if necessary; after all, I had a sister to steal from. Did Troye have any siblings?

My mind wandered back to the first physical education lesson he had participated in, where we both had ended up in the shower and I had borrowed him my jumper. He had had bruises all over his back, but I had not questioned it back then, just like I did not question him now.

Another thing pushed on my brain; He had told us he lived with just his father, so what had happened to his mother?

"Troye?" I said quietly when the movie was over.

"Hmmm?" He hummed back. I could tell he was close to falling asleep despite the hours he had spent in my bed earlier.

"Do you have any siblings?" I asked. It was an innocent question, or so I thought, but Troye tensed up and pulled his hand off my chest.

Put it back! My mind screamed.

"Yes," He said. "But they are not here."

"Where are they?"