The Tattoo (Troyler AU)

Chapter Twenty One: Troye

(A/N IS VERY IMPORTANT)

New Year’s Eve wasn’t something I tended to get too excited about. Honestly, I thought the whole idea of getting extremely drunk and then kissing someone at a certain second was quite stupid. This year was different though. Tristan had convinced me to go with him to some quiet restaurant that was out of the way of the ‘party’ parts of LA. Considering that it was New Year’s Eve, and that I didn’t want to always be such a grouch, I said ok.

I slid into the car, giving Tristan a quick kiss as he shut my door. I loved the little things he did, and opening my car door for me was one of them. He drove quickly, obviously not wanting to be late for the reservation that he’d made. He’d told me to dress casual, so I’d gone with a cute black jumper, and some black skinny jeans, nothing special really. The engine purred softly as we raced through the outskirts of the city, and to pass the time, I looked over at Tristan.

The outside lights illuminated the side of his face and the brown hair that was styled so perfectly. Honestly, he took my breath away. The fact that someone like small Troye Mellet could be marrying someone like him was completely unfathomable to me. He was everything that I wasn’t, but he loved me anyway. 

The jerk of the car stopping jolted me out of my thoughts. Cold air washed over me as Tristan opened my door, and I took his hand, encasing mine in it. He lead me to the front door of the small restaurant that was set on the windy beach, the harsh air biting at my exposed skin. The front of the establishment was lit up by strands of lanterns dangling over the tables that sat on the sand. Nearly all the tables were empty, and Tristan ushered me towards one that was slightly out of the way of the others. Pulling my chair out for me, he whispered a faint “I love you.” in my ear, sending thrills down my spine.

“Troye? I didn’t just bring you here.” My eyebrows crinkled in confusion, not quite sure what he was implying. Suddenly, two hands covered my eyes, completely disorientating me. A faint giggle sounded in the air, and my mind raced as I tried to put a face to the laugh. It clicked, and I let out a soft gasp as I realised exactly who was here.

“Sage?” 

“Surprise!” My mouth dropped open in shock as I took in who stood before me. My mum and dad, my sister, and my two brothers gathered around me, each in turn enveloping me in a warm hug. I looked over at Tristan to see the bright smile on his face as he witnessed our family reunion.

“How?” My mum’s small incline of the head towards the man of my dreams had me racing into his arms. He’d done all this for me, had actually arranged for my whole family to fly over to see me, knowing that I hadn’t seen them in months. Tears pooled in my eyes and gently fell onto his shoulder as he held me while I was overcome with emotion. 

To see all my family there was possibly the most astounding feeling I’d ever had. Tyde stood there grinning and taller than pretty much everyone else, next to Sage, who was crying almost as much as I was, her hand clasping my mum’s. Steele and my dad next to each other, their posture stoic and manly but their eyes showed how much this actually meant to them.

“How about we sit down?” Tristan pulled out my chair for me, clearly wanting to make a good impression on my parents and siblings. The soft glow of the lights lit up all of our faces, highlighting the smiles that were identical from person to person.

“So, Tristan, what do you do?” My mum began the subtle interrogation, leaning across the table to hear his answer over the distant crashing of the nearby waves.

“Well, I had just been unemployed, but I currently work for a real estate firm, as the person who shows customers the houses.” Mum smiled at that, evidently pleased that he did actually have a steady job, and wasn’t some no good, spongeing boyfriend. As if I’d even be with someone like that.

“Sage! How was prom?” Her beautiful face lit up at that, the memories of what must have been an incredible night coming back to her. She began to describe the event in vivid detail, yet I was only half listening. I was so happy just to be in their presence, my incredible family and stunning boyfriend. Sure, maybe I did work in a coffee shop, and maybe I wasn’t following my dreams, but I had these wonderful people in my life.

The thing is, material things don’t make memories. I couldn’t laugh in the snow with an object, or be held the way I so often was, without at least one of the people that was sat around the table. My mum and dad raised me, my siblings annoyed me yet supported me, and Tristan simply cared for me, loved me when no one else could, or would. 

His smile brightened my world, his laughter was the single greatest sound there was, and his arms were my safety blanket. Without him, I wouldn’t have been able to hear about my sister’s corsage, or see Tyde roll his eyes as she swooned over how good Zac, her boyfriend, looked. 

Fingers slowly slipped into mine, and his hand tenderly squeezed mine. I looked up to see Steele smiling at our intertwined hands, before he caught my eye and winked. Tristan’s arm pulled me closer, just close enough for his lips to press onto my forehead, causing my mum to squeal, resulting in a deep blush that spread to my neck and cheeks. 

I barely even noticed our food arriving, or departing, if I was totally honest, I was too engrossed in catching up with the people that meant so much to me, yet I never let my hand leave Tristan’s, keeping that piece of comfort firmly with me.

“Oh, let’s dance!” Tristan pulled me up at Mum’s words, guiding my hands onto his shoulders. We swayed to the melody that was playing quietly through the crisp night air. I nestled my head into his shoulder, letting myself be taken away by the familiar smell of him.

“Troye?” The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end as his breath washed over me. One of his slender fingers tilted my chin upwards to look into his eyes. 

“Yeah?” I breathed out, captivated by him, by his very essence, the being that was there holding me every second.

All around us, my family were smiling, laughing, enjoying each other’s company, loving the fact that we were all back together again. The one elderly couple that had been sat at the table nearest to ours were dancing next to us slowly, the man reaching out to brush his wife’s hair out of her face.

The moment was entirely perfect. Tristan kissed the tip of my nose before pulling me even closer than I already was.

“Happy New Year.”

A/N no INTRODUCTIONS TODAY SATAN

100K 100K 100K 100K ARE YOU FRICKING KIDDING ME (we also reached 6K votes and comments but mainly reads ok whatevs)

that has been my biggest goal ever ok, like when I started this story, my only goal was 1k. then I was like, ok dream goal, I’ll never reach it, 100k

WE REACHED IT MOTHERDUCKERS

thank you guys so so so much it was kinda unreal and shit and I love you all a lot a lot and you guys are basically the nicest people ever and you constantly make my day and I started crying the other day because it’s all really unreal and amazing and like what

ALSO I WAS GONNA WRITE A REALLY LONG CHAPTER TO SAY THANK YOU BUT THE CHAPTER JUST HAD TO END THERE, YA FEEL im sorry

also it’s been ages sorry, but school is mega stress and I’m redoing my room and i am now addicted to the sims 4 OK IM SORRY LOVE ME STILL

DEDICATED TO @MilaG716 for literally one of THE NICEST MESSAGES I’VE EVER RECEIVED, IT WAS A FRICKING ESSAY AND IT MADE MY DAY, so thank you <3

oh and I listened to hotel ceiling by rixton for this chapter BECAUSE I SAW THEM LIVE AND JFC THEY WERE INCREDIBLE

BTW EVERY TIME I WROTE TYDE THIS CHAPTER PAGES CHANGED IT TO TYPE SO I WAS GETTING REALLY FRUSTRATED OK it’s late and i’m sleep deprived don’t judge me

I LOVE YOU ALL GORGEOUS PEOPLE I WILL HOPEFULLY UPDATE SOON (don’t expect it you know what I’m like) 

<3 <3 <3