Gods & Monsters

XXVII

ଘ(੭*ˊᵕˋ)੭* ⁺˳✧ so much fluff in this chapter ଘ(੭*ˊᵕˋ)੭* ⁺˳✧

They're almost at Troye's house when Jacob hears him sigh forlornly. (They walked there today—their new hats made Troye feel ambitious. That was how he phrased it. It was precious and Jacob tried his best not flutter out a smile because he's not... He's not made of butterflies, or anything. He's still just Jacob. But he did smile a little.)

Jacob turns to him, nudges at his side. "Alright?"

Troye merely shrugs, eyes on the ground. "Yeah," he shrugs again. He lifts his head, laughs a little. "Sorta wish I was working today, though."

Working? Troye wishes he was working?

"What? Why on earth would you wish something like that?" Jacob asks, eyebrow popping.

Troye's eyes trail over Jacob's face for a moment before they drift off somewhere in the distance. He squints a bit, looking lovely and fragile and discontented. "I dunno... I don't just wanna go home. I feel like...doing something. But I know there's nothing to do, you know? I should go home, study, do my homework, you know... All that. But." He sighs, now shrugging a bit helplessly as he stares at Jacob. "I wish there was just... Something around here. Or. I dunno." He pauses, studies his toes. "I feel, like, caged in a lot. Usually I ignore it because I know I'm just being stupid, but. I feel stifled sometimes. Wish I had more...air, maybe. Room to breathe and to, like, move. And do things. And stuff."

"Ever the poet," Jacob smirks, earning him a light smack against his arm. "But, uhm," he continues, as Troye just sags, already walking down the street. Jacob keeps his feet firmly planted, an easy grin on his face. "Why are you walking away, Sasspup?"

Confused, Troye turns. "What? What do you mean?"

Jacob grins fuller. "Come on." He jerks his head.

But Troye's only reaction is to cluster his brows. "What? Where are you going? My house is that way..." he protests, pointing lamely in the opposite direction. But he doesn't move.

So Jacob grins wider. "Yeah, I know. We're not going there though, are we? We're going on an adventure."

This time, the eyebrows shoot into Troye's hairline. "An adventure?"

"Yes, pup, an adventure. That will lead us to a place where we can breathe and move. Now, come on!"

After a few seconds of Troye just staring at him, fish-mouthed, Jacob sighs before he marches up to him and grabs his mitten-clad hand in his own, pulling him along gently but firmly. "The whole world is our playground," Jacob throws over his shoulder idly, as troye's look of surprise morphs into one of bumbling joy, escaped curls flapping in the breeze. "Take the night by the hand and set it on fire, and all that."

Troye just laughs, delighted, and the sound spurs Jacob on, waking up the cold creases by his eyes.

"Let's promise to never be bored again," Jacob says, turning around to face Troye as he walks backwards. He catches his other hand, pulling him along, and Troye laughs again, seemingly just because, as his smile widens into uneven, beautiful territory.

"I promise," he beams, picking up pace, and Jacob knows that he can do this, wants to do this forever.

"Let's pretend we're somewhere else," Jacob continues, feeling an odd sort of exhilaration fill his body because, apparently, he's regressing to the age of five. But he doesn't quite give a fuck, not right now, not when Troye's staring at him like that and his feet are carrying him without thinking. "Let's pretend we can do anything in the world, Troye. Anything at all, anything we want. And let's just do it."