*Tyler's POV*
*Timeskip a few days, it's the last day of the trip*
"I'm exhausted." I groaned, dragging my feet behind me as we continued down the trail. While everyone else was leaving perfect footprints in the mud, I was leaving giant slug patterns and ruining my shoes, not even energetic enough to lift my legs.
"Stop whining!" Edna snapped, lifting her walking cane to jab it at my kneecap. I whimpered, jumping closer to the exhausted-looking Troye and curling into his side.
"Ouch." I whined, hugging his arm tightly to my chest. He looked up from the ground in front of us for the first time in at least half an hour, giving me a disinterested once-over. "Your grandmother's abusing me."
"You poor thing." He said sarcastically, rolling his eyes and shoving his hands in his pockets. This made it even harder for me to continue hanging on to his arm, but I didn't complain vocally, aside from a dramatic sigh. I stayed silent for a few more steps, before we walked out of the forest into the clearing and I saw just how much longer we had left to walk. I whined aloud, jumping around to his other side when I noticed her start to lift the walking cane again. I liked her, but she wasn't one to put up with any of my more lazy traits. Troye, however, he was wrapped around my finger.
"You should carry me." I suggested, resting my head on his shoulder. He ignored me at first, taking a few more steps until I was forced to take more serious action. I clung tightly to his arm, dragging my feet completely and forcing him to hold up my weight. He sighed loudly, stopping his walk to glare down at me.
"No I shouldn't. I'm tired too, you know." I pouted, feeling slightly guilty for being so inconsiderate. I couldn't help it though, I really didn't know if I could walk another step. I was still worn out from the game and last night, my legs aching with each step I took. Besides, he was the one that suggested we should even go on this stupid hike. If it was up to me we'd still be at home in bed. My eyes lit up with a new idea at that train of thought, standing up again to lean in and whisper in his ear.
"I'll make it up to you later if you carry me now." He tensed, eyes wide as I lingered a few seconds later and let my breath wash over his sensitive skin. I pulled away after a few seconds, giggling at his dazed expression. He blinked, coming back to reality quickly to shove me.
"Tyler!" He hissed, eyes flickering ahead to where everyone else was still walking. They didn't seem to care at all that we'd fallen behind. He sighed, looking back to me with unimpressed features. "I hate you." He said quietly, kneeling downward and patting his back. I grinned, clambering onto him and wrapping my legs tightly around his waist. I settled my chin on his shoulder, hugging him tightly as he got back to his feet.
"You love me." I whispered, kissing his neck as he started to jog to catch up with the others. I noticed the subtle reactions everyone gave, clearly aware of how I'd been trying to get this outcome all along. Laurelle gave a knowing smile, Brent gave us a quick glare, and Troye's grandmother just shook her head, clicking her tongue.
"You spoil him." She laughed, though the light in her eyes made it very clear she wasn't actually upset with him for giving in. You could tell she was happy for us, even if she had backwards ways of showing it sometimes.
Troye sighed, shrugging his shoulders slightly against me.
"I owe a lot to him, I figure it's only fair." I blushed, watching her look up to me. She didn't vocally reply, but you could almost see the thankfulness in her eyes. It was still a bit weird to me not being the only one that knew about Troye's mindreading, but I'd get used to it eventually. I was just glad he'd found someone to talk to, even if she couldn't give him all the answers.
I snuggled down against him, burying my face in his neck so I didn't have to worry about meeting anyone's gaze. I didn't want to worry about any of them right now, I just wanted to saturate in the feel of having him so close.
I probably would have fallen asleep on him had he not started up a conversation with one of his relatives, laughing and talking about memories that made no sense to me. I didn't care though, just smiling into his shoulder and happily listening to the sound of his voice rather than the words he was saying.
He'd really opened up over the course of the last few days, even going out of his way to interact with everyone else like how he'd suggested joining this hike. Aside from being forced into all the unwanted physical activity, I was really happy for him. He'd even left my side a few times to do things on his own, which was progress. If that meant I had to stay behind and play board games with Tyde I guess I could deal with that.
"Babe, we're going through a door, make yourself more compact." I grinned at the pet name, wrapping my legs back around him tightly rather than having them hang loosely at his sides. I lifted my head just slightly too, only enough to peek above his shoulder and see ahead of us.
We walked into the main hall with no trouble, making me extremely thankful for the large door considering I really didn't want to get off of him right now. I never wanted to walk again. I just wanted to sleep and eat.
"Welcome back!" Shaun beamed enthusiastically, earning nothing in response but an embarrassingly loud groan from me. I expected the others to reply too, not for me to be the only one. He just laughed though, stepping aside and letting us continue across the room. Troye dropped me off on one of the couches, forcing me to fall back onto it rather than continue clinging to him. Thankfully he followed by sitting next to me, a grin finding my face as I immediately rested my head on his shoulder.
Now that I was comfortable again and in a position where I could actually see everything in the room, I noticed the long tables set up across it and lifted an eyebrow. Those weren't there this morning when we left.
"What's this?" I whispered, settling my hand on Troye's thigh and distractedly running it up and down. His hand grabbed mine though, squeezing it lightly before entwining our fingers.
"The annual pie-eating contest." He replied, my eyes going wide as my entire body sat up straighter.
"Why didn't you tell me!?" I blurted, staring at him incredulously. Thank god he'd made me go on that walk, I'd be able to eat an entire house full of pies right now. I'm going to put Brent to shame.
"Because I figured you'd do something weird like try to train for the contest the entire week." He laughed, smiling at me fondly, clearly amused by my reaction. I blushed, realizing just how eager I was being. I probably looked like a five year-old. I couldn't help it though.
"What do you get for winning?" I asked, trying to keep my voice level and not show just how excited I actually was by the entire situation. I could see a few people around the room glancing over at us with curious eyes, likely hearing my earlier outburst.
"A year's supply of ice cream coupons." Troye chuckled, probably knowing exactly how I'd react to that before he even said it. I squealed excitedly, clutching his hand with both of mine now.
"Can I enter if I'm not blood-related?" I asked, realizing suddenly that I might be intruding on a family-only tradition. He shook his head though, leaning in and pecking his lips to mine.
"Yes. It starts in half an hour, think you can last that much longer without eating anything?"
"Yep!" I said confidently, knowing already that it'd be a bit of a struggle to hold true to my words. I would though, I'd do it for the ice cream.
***
Nearly an hour later, I was seriously doubting all of my earlier statements. Then again, I was doubting everything. I felt like I was about to explode or pass out, either an acceptable option at this point. I'd embrace anything rather than this.
Brent and I were the only two still playing, Shaun being recently eliminated for getting caught feeding his to a dog under the table. And, as much as I wanted to just give up and throw all of the food out of my sight for a week, I couldn't let Brent win. He couldn't have something over me.
I shoved more pie into my mouth, swallowing it with a bit of a struggle. I'd long ago given up any hope of looking graceful or even mildly attractive during the contest, now just a complete mess as I tried to come out the winner. I knew Troye was watching and I was extremely embarrassed by it, but I was willing to bet there was very little I could do that'd actually scare him away at this point.
"This may be the first year ever that we run out of pies before we get a winner!" Laurelle laughed, making me feel oddly relieved at the thought of getting out of the contest even in a tie. That way we could both have six months of ice cream, that'd be good enough. I wasn't sure if I'd ever be able to eat again anyway.
"Are you okay, Brent? You're going to give yourself a heart attack, come on. Second place is good enough."
"I win every year!" He slurred, his words disgustingly distorted by the amount of food still in his mouth. I made a face, more sickened by him than the amount of food I was currently inhaling.
"Well, you've never had any reasonable competition before now." His mother replied, rubbing his shoulders in a comforting manner. He really is such a man-child. "Come on, let's throw in the towel."
"Fine." He sighed out, my eyes going wide as I realized I'd actually won. I spat out the pie that was left in my mouth, not swallowing anything I didn't have to. The crowd around us erupted into cheering while Brent stumbled to his feet, grumbling under his breath.
"And the last man standing is Tyler!" Troye's uncle announced proudly, walking over and clapping me harshly on the back. I groaned, feeling like I was going to be sick just from the simple gesture. He gave an apologetic smile, looking around the room at all the relatives staring at me excitedly. "Can we ask for a victory speech?"
"This sucked and I hate everything." I stated firmly, everyone around bursting into a fit of laughter as I sunk down lower in my seat, tucking my chin in against my chest and concentrating on taking deep breaths.
"You heard it here first!" The uncle laughed, throwing his hands up in the air and announcing them all to start clapping. They did, but it only sounded like background noise as I continued to melt down into a puddle against the chair. I stilled when I felt a pair of hands on my shoulders though, immediately relaxing into the touch and sighing contently.
"You're disgusting." Troye laughed, undoing the bib they'd forced me to wear. I probably looked like an idiot, considering it was technically one made for kids and shaped like an animal.
"I feel disgusting." I replied, way past the point of denying his words at this point. I really was disgusting and this was so not worth it. He sighed, grabbing a napkin and wiping my face off for me. He chuckled under his breath, fixing my hair after he'd finished with my face.
"You've got pie in your hair." He said distractedly, words only half registering as my eyes started to droop.
"We should go take a nap." I muttered quietly, my stomach beginning to seriously ache. He tapped me on the chest, silently alerting me not to fall asleep just yet. I let him help me to my feet, despite how much worse it made me feel to stand.
"We'll be back later for the bonfire, everyone." He announced, slipping an arm under mine to help keep me upright.
"Alright!" They all laughed, clearly expecting this. I let him lead me out, thankful he'd parked his car so close to the building today. I wonder if he did it with me in mind. I sat in the middle seat rather than the passengers, clinging to him despite how gross I felt.
"You're a mess." He chuckled, turning his head to kiss me on the corner of my forehead. I had to wonder if it was the only spot without pie on it.
"I can't wait to pass out."
"But hey, look at the bright side. No matter how broke we are in the future, we'll be able to live off ice cream."
***
"Hey guys! How's Tyler feeling?" Laurelle beamed, looking up at the two of us with a sympathetic smile. I shook it off though, bouncing past Troye to settle on the nearest open seat, which happened to be a log.
"Ready for some s'mores!" I shouted, grabbing the marshmallow bag off the ground and grinning as I fished some out. Troye laughed at everyone's shocked expressions, sitting down next to me and wrapping an arm around my waist.
"How does he do that?" Asked one of his younger cousins, staring at me like I was some sort of superhuman. I winked at her, chuckling at her confused features.
"It's beyond me." Troye replied, smiling to himself as he looked back at me, leaning in to peck me on the cheek. After a couple hours rest and a shower, I felt like a new person. I definitely had no doubts about being able to eat my ice cream prize now. I was quickly recovered and ready to reconcile my relationship with food.
After eating my share and cleaning off my hands, I curled up next to Troye. He was in the middle of a conversation so I decided to strike up one of my own, chatting quietly with Shaun as I secretly just waited for Troye to finish and give his attention back to me. What I didn't expected, however, was for someone else entirely to speak up and catch everyone's attention.
"So, when are you two getting married?" I blinked, looking over at the person who'd spoken up. I didn't even know her name right off, but it was clear she was talking about us as her gaze flickered between the two of us. She had a soft smile on her features, looking serious like she genuinely expected an answer.
"Married?" Troye laughed, as if testing the word out. I smiled into his shoulder, thankful he couldn't see the stupid reaction I got over one word. His family could, however, and they made it very clear as they exchanged knowing looks and smirks. "It's a bit soon for that, don't you think?" My grin faltered just slightly, taking a deep breath. He's right, we're so young and we haven't been together that long. I'm getting ahead of myself.
"No, I like him. I don't know if I'd be able to accept you with anyone else after seeing how good you two are together." I looked over toward his grandmother as she spoke, another stupid smile finding my face for different reasons. For some reason her approval meant as much to me as his immediate family. Maybe just because she's the relative that Troye is closest with.
I realized Troye hadn't replied a few seconds later, looking up at him to see what the problem was. My eyes went wide like a deer caught in headlights when I saw him already staring at me, an unreadable expression on his face. Shit, did he see my smile? What if he thinks I'm super into the marriage thing and he's just worried about hurting my feelings?
"We're only eighteen." I said suddenly, looking back over at her with a shaky smile. She narrowed her eyes into a glare, reminding me her mindreading was eons ahead of Troye's. She probably hears all of my inner debates. What am I going to do when Troye gets that good? There'll be no keeping anything from him. Not that I'd want to, it's just, weird to think of someone hearing everything you ever think about. Embarrassing might be the word I'm looking for.
After an awkward standstill in the conversation, the same uncle that announced the pie eating contest was the one to change the subject. He suggested story telling, all of us on board with the idea as he hinted at some type of ghost story he had in mind. Troye just sighed quietly next to me, making it clear he'd heard it before, likely multiple times. I didn't care though, it was still new to me. I wasn't sure I believed in ghosts entirely, but it was interesting hearing other people's takes on it.
After the first story everyone started to share, each one more interesting and intriguing than the last. I got so caught up in all of them I didn't realize how late it was getting to be until I spotted the girl from earlier completely passed out against her father. I looked around the campfire then, noticing our numbers were seriously starting to dwindle. Troye was still awake next to me, but he did look like he was about to nod off too.
"Well, I guess it's time we called it a night, huh?" Edna spoke up suddenly, looking directly at me as she spoke. I blushed, realizing she was probably in my head again. How rude of her. One of these days she's going to see something she really doesn't want to, maybe that'll get her to leave me alone.
"Yeah, it's getting late even for us." Troye spoke up suddenly, his voice gruff enough to make me jump when I wasn't expecting it. Maybe he's been drifting in and out of consciousness for a while now.
Everyone around the fire nodded, getting to our feet and watching everyone slowly dissipate. Troye turned, grabbing my hand to lead me away with him, but his grandmother's voice caused us to still before we got anywhere.
"You promise to come back next year?" She asked, sounding almost tentative like she was worried what answer she'd get in reply. I looked over my shoulder while Troye completely turned around, not wanting to intrude on their moment. He stepped closer to her, spreading his arms in an offer for a hug.
"Yeah, of course." He said, nodding his head so she'd take the hint and accept the embrace. She lifted an eyebrow, shaking her head.
"I know you will, I wasn't talking to you." His jaw dropped as my eyes went wide, a blush invading my cheeks as she stepped past him to stand beside me. She tilted her head to the side, giving me a hopeful smile.
"I, uh..." I trailed off, trying to see over her and back to Troye. I couldn't just announce I'd be returning, could I? I needed Troye's permission, whether I wanted to or not. And even then, what if we weren't together this time next year? I didn't like thinking about it, but life can surprise you.
However, I couldn't see him, and I couldn't just leave her without an answer when she was staring so intent and hopeful. I took a deep breath, deciding to just answer with what I hoped to happen. "Yeah, I promise."
A/n: Just a really short little filler chapter to wrap things up with the march break plotline. I know it could have been longer but whatever, be happy with what you get. Anyway here bye