Illusive -- Tronnor AU

Chapter 18: // Wake Me Up - Ed Sheeran //

Silence.

"Connor?"

The boy turned around, hair fallen flat and cheeks still red as he pulled on his creased jeans. Troye had buried himself under the covers, his exposed milky white skin now protected under the thick duvet. Only his head and slightly curled locks peeked out from underneath, curiosity seeping through his wide blue eyes as he watched Connor stare down at the floor.

"Is everything okay?" Troye whispered, his accent filled with concern, care, sounding similar to the person that Connor had come to know over the past few weeks.

He was totally different from the boy he'd encountered a few hours prior, a seductive and painfully direct figure, one that had made it perfectly clear that he wanted Connor. He had got him too, in more ways than one.

And Connor had got what he wanted as well: Troye. Every last part, every crease of skin, every delicate touch, every lustful, passionate, spontaneous movement. He had got it.

So why did it feel as if his heart was sinking to the bottom of his stomach?

Why did the room seem like it was spinning, the colours blurring into one and each of his thoughts heavy as his eyes met with the Australians?

He could barely open his mouth to string the words together as deep seated emotions began to convulse around his body, each resembling electricity as a simple and obvious, but truly painful thought dawned on him.

He was in deep. So damn deep.

He was in love.

Connor began to shake his head as the unfamiliar warmth coursed through him, even reaching the darkest most dangerous parts of his soul, of his being. It was the perfect contradiction - how something as heart-warming as love could bring him more hurt, more agony beyond words.

Connor was frightened. Frightened because he had never been in love with anybody before, never revealed the most secret parts of himself to a single being, not even Tyler or Zoe or his family for that matter. He had refused to do that, to let himself become somebody who was so damn easy to read. He liked having secrets, allowing himself to be the kind of person nobody could really figure out.

But Troye...dammit, Troye had managed to do exactly that. He'd had the ability to quite literally find his way into Connor's mind, giving him the support and the compassion to open up, tore away his barriers and bared Connor's soul for all to see.

Connor hadn't realised he was crying until he saw Troye emerging from under the covers, still naked and rose cheeked, his skin catching the light a little as he moved, but was still almost as pure as he'd ever seemed. He approached Connor with caution, before eventually cupping his face with nimble fingers, with the softest of touches.

For a long time, neither of them uttered a single word. Troye just kept his taller stance, the pads of his smallest finger brushing against Connor's skin and caressing him gently. Through this calm action, Connor found his breathing steadying again. The sobs turned into silent tears, before reducing considerably as Connor's insecure eyes met Troye's.

His smile was sad, almost guilty looking, and it broke Connor's heart because all of this, well whatever 'this' was, wasn't his fault. It wasn't his fault that Connor had managed to fall for him, neither slowly nor all at once. It wasn't his fault that he'd managed to make Connor question every last detail about himself, everything that he'd assumed he was certain of being. It wasn't his fault that he was beautiful, captivating, stunning beyond words. It wasn't his fault.

"You regret it, don't you?"

Connor, suddenly snapping out of his troubling thoughts, focused his attention on Troye. His eyes were glazed, visible pain apparent on his features.