Blind side (Tronnor AU)

4. Intriguing

Troye leaned on the couch, his head thrown back, "I don't know, Tilly, I really don't."

"Are you sure? I mean, I've never seen him so... sad."

Troye gave Tyler a friendly pat on the head, muttering to himself almost inaudibly, guilt eating at his insides, "Yeah, because he's a freaking sun, right?"

He wasn't sure whether Tyler didn't hear him or just chose to disregard what he had said, because he didn't answer.

"Hey, Ty?"

Tyler hummed questioningly in response, already half asleep.

"When were you gonna tell me you're leaving?"

Tyler's gaze snapped up to Troye's face instantaneously, while his hand was searching for the glasses absently, "Did Connor tell you?" Tyler huffed, "Of course, he did. He's the only one who knows."

Troye didn't reply, continuing to stare at his friend.

"I would have told you eventually, Troye, I promise. I just sorta have a lot on my plate right now."

Troye flinched at the word 'eventually', but ignored the bitter bile rising in his throat. Instead, he put his fingers through his best friend's hair, "I'm so sorry."

Tyler seemed to understand what Troye was sorry about.

They just sat there, leaning on each other, until Tyler drifted off to sleep and Troye followed soon after.

They both woke up with a startle, when someone knocked on the door.

"Come on, Tyler, open up! I've got coffee and food!"

Troye groaned, recognizing the voice, and felt Tyler leap off the couch clumsily.

"Hi Con," Tyler gave Connor a tight hug, grabbing the drink and the paper bag full of food from him, "You are the best."

Troye rolled his eyes at that with a hint of jealousy as Connor replied joyfully, "Well, you'd better appreciate it because I literally had to beg Kian to drive through a Taco Bell on our wa... Oh, hi Troye." Connor seemed quite taken aback upon seeing him in Tyler's living room.

Troye shifted uncomfortably in his spot, "Hi. Ty invited me to watch some movies, but we kinda fell asleep. I guess it's time for me to go."

Connor looked hesitant for a moment, before taking a seat on the couch, espadrilles-clad feet stretched beneath him, "You might as well stay." He sent Troye a small smile, "We were going to watch something too."

Troye nodded shyly and scooted over, so Tyler, who was already digging into the burrito, could take a seat between them.

"I just love Matthew McConnaughey!" Tyler drawled dreamily, staring intently at the screen, where 'Magic Mike' was currently on. "Who do you prefer?"

Troye looked away from the movie, and opened his mouth to respond, but he was cut off.

"The young one is cute," Connor supplied nonchalantly, munching on his nachos absent-mindedly. Troye whipped his head to stare at him.

Tyler scrunched his nose, not oblivious to Troye's astonishment though. "I just don't feel that he would be a good lay. What do you think, Troye?"

Troye coughed, "Yeah, sure." He paused, then added, "I don't know really."

He kept his mouth shut for the rest of the movie.

As the final scene was about to end, Tyler wrapped his arms around both Connor's and Troye's shoulders, embracing them tightly, "Come here." Troye heard him sniff, as he continued, "I'm gonna miss you two so fucking much."

Connor complied, laying his head in the crook of Tyler's shoulder, his free hand sprayed on his stomach.

Troye said, not really addressing anyone, "Everything's gonna be fine. We are going to be fine."

He didn't believe it for one second.

Their comfortable silence was broken by a loud beep from Connor's phone. He disentangled himself from the hug, "Shit, Kian's already here. I've gotta go."

Speaking of the devil, Kian was already banging at the door. Tyler rolled his eyes, and marched over to let him in.

Troye watched as a tall smirking boy walked into the room, his eyes briefly darting over Troye, but ultimately landing on Connor's form, "What's up?"

Connor sighed tiredly, "Not much. Just watched 'Magic Mike'."

"Of course you did," Kian rolled his eyes with a chuckle, "Let's go. Andrea's waiting."

Connor complied sullenly, his movements slow and lacking in usual energy. Kian raised a questioning eyebrow at that, "What crawled up your fat ass?"

Connor scowled back at him, "Piss off."

Kian's face softened a fraction. He wrapped his hand around Connor, the height difference making it almost resemble a headlock, "What's up with you, Con da Bon? Wanna go get this soy latte frappuccino bullshit you always drink at Starbucks?"

At that Connor managed a small smile, "Won't Andrea be mad we are late?"

Kian looked down on the cracked screen of his phone, "She's mad already so we've got nothing to lose."

Troye watched Connor mumble both him and Tyler a quiet goodbye, before following Kian to the car, the tinge of sadness gradually leaving his features.

Tyler shook his head fondly, curling on the couch once again, "These two."

Troye gave him an exasperated look, finally asking out loud the question he was mulling over the previous couple of hours, "So he is into boys then?"

Tyler seemed to understand who Troye was talking about, "As much as you are."

It wasn't a complete surprise to Troye, but verbal confirmation still left him in shock, "I didn't know that. I mean, he's always flirting with girls and stuff."

Tyler looked at him curiously and snorted, "I wouldn't call that flirting exactly. He's from Minnesota," he supplied, as if it explained everything. At Troye's confused stare, he clarified, "They are generally extremely nice people there."

"Are you two a thing then? Cuz that would have explained a lot. I mean, you are always together and doing things, and this time at the club when you two went to the restroom..."

"Let me stop your rambling right here, Troye," Tyler pursed his lips imperiously. "I admit that the idea has crossed my mind but... We just don't have that spark."

Troye's mind wandered back to Kian, "So, is he into someone from the swim team?"

Tyler gave him an unimpressed look, "Ugh. Troye, stop obsessing over a poor guy. If you wanna know if he's single, just ask him."

Troye blushed, offended, "I'm not obsessing. Intrigued maybe."

"Whatever you say, honey."

Troye just pouted, and kept his musings to himself further on.

Next chapter - 'Sad'.