*Tyler's POV*

"You look fine, you're already late, Ty." My mother chastised my from the bathroom doorway, leaning all of her weight onto one hip and staring at me expectantly. I just waved her off though, still not completely content with my outfit choice. It was cute, it was just... missing something. 

I picked up the bow-tie I'd been debating off and on all night, raising it up to my collar to study it in the mirror. It's not like I hadn't seen what it looked like a hundred times now though, considering I'd meant it quite literally when I said 'off and on'. I'd tried the damn thing on at least twenty times, torn between whether it was too formal for a birthday party or not. The outfit looked much better with it, but I didn't want to get there and have people tease me about it.

I'd texted Troye four times now asking for his opinion, one of which had photos of the before and after with the bow-tie. I'd yet to get a reply though, despite the fact he always had his phone on him and I'd sent the first one nearly half an hour ago now. It was bothering me to the point I was on the verge of sending him shirtless selfies or dick pics or something just to see if he'd react. Okay, that would probably be a bit over the top, I'm being needy. There's thousands of reasons he could not be answering my texts. He might have forgotten it at home (ha), Marcus's dog could have peed on it, he could have gotten so drunk at the party already he dropped it into the toilet. Who knows really.

As if on cue my phone went off on the counter, my eyes going wide as I lurched forward and clicked the answer call button.

"Hello?" I purred, biting my lip in anticipation of hearing his voice. I was also looking forward to his explanation to, eager to see which of my guesses had been the closest to the truth.

"Hey, Ty, it's Marcus. Where are you? The party started nearly ten minutes ago." I tried really hard not to physically exclaim my disappointment, I really did, but a tiny sigh slipped past my lips anyway. I snapped my jaw shut then, terrified he'd call me out on it, but when I heard him talking to someone in the background I realized he hadn't even been paying attention to me. 

He cleared his throat when he returned to the phone, something that had become a universal signal over the years of talking on the phone. I picked up exactly where we left, something I'd learned to do with time as well.

"I know, but the traffic is simply unbearable today, Buttbutt." I droned, purposely oozing dramaticness into my voice. I could practically see his eye-roll in reaction.

"You live two minutes up the road." He stated blandly, clearly not nearly as entertained by my sarcasm as I'd hoped. It's not like I could tell him the real reason I was late, picking apart every single aspect of my appearance in hopes of impressing Troye. Sure, I saw him all the time, but not at formal events. Or in this case, mildly-formal events.

"I'll be there in a few, I promise." I replied finally, keeping my tone completely serious so he believed me.

"Okay, b-"

"Hey, is Troye there yet?" I cut him off, knowing he'd been on the verge of hanging up. I hadn't really even thought-through my interruption, knowing how clingy the question probably sounded to him. What was with me lately? Ever since the sleepover I can't seem to keep myself away from him. I mean, yeah, it was like that before, but not like this, to the point I felt a physical aching in my chest when we weren't together.

"Yeah, he's been here for like half an hour. He carpooled with Shane and they helped me set some stuff up before the other guests got here."

"Oh." I replied weakly, not really concentrating on the conversation itself as my thoughts veered off course. Why didn't Troye tell me he was getting a drive with Shane? A couple of days ago when I asked if he wanted to drive with me he just said he trusted his car more than mine, he hadn't mentioned Shane at all. Why would he choose to drive with him over me?

"Why do you ask? Do you want me to go get him?" 

"No, it's nothing important. I'm heading out the door now, see you soon!" I announced, immediately hanging up the call before he got the chance to say anything more. I looked back to the mirror then, glaring at the bow-tie before just tossing it on the counter. It's not like it really matters anyway, I doubt Troye will pay that much attention to it.

My good mood from earlier was completely absent now, my footsteps as heavy as stomps as I walked out into the kitchen. My mother immediately turned around from doing the dishes to greet me, furrowing her brows like she was trying to figure out what I'd done for the last ten minutes that hadn't changed my appearance at all. I just shook my head though, wordlessly letting her know not to press it.

"What time can I expect you back by?" She asked instead, walking over and wrapping her thin arms around my shoulders. I made a face and backed out of the hug, actually having to think about my answer.

"Probably 10pm?" I answered after a few seconds, deciding that was a reasonable amount of time. If he planned for his party to be any longer than five hours he better have something amazing there to keep people interested. 

"If you're a minute past midnight I'm calling every police station in the state." She threatened, locking eyes with me. I wasn't sure if this was because she didn't want me staying out that late partying or because she'd be worried something happened to me, but I decided to just go along with it. I doubt I'll be out that late anyway.

"Alright, Mom, calm down." I laughed, holding my hands up in front of me. She just rolled her eyes, reminding my where I got it from, before turning back to her chores.

"Have fun and be safe." She said, her tone genuine now. I nodded, stepping closer and letting my chin rest on her shoulder.

"It's literally a birthday party, with like seven people, do you think we're going to do cocaine and drunk off our asses?" The very thought was comedic, people like Shane and Troye drinking or Zoe and Alfie doing any type of drugs. No, none of that would be happening tonight. The only thing we'll be overdosing on is cake.

"No, but I do know that Troye will be there." I scrunched my face up, confused by what she meant. In what kind of universe could Troye be a bad influence. What's he going to do? Rub his lameness off on me? Does she really have such a twisted image of Troye that she has to warn me to be safe when I'm around him- Oh.

"Mom!" I screeched, jumping away from her only to swat the back of her hair with the dish towel. I watched it frizz up unattractively with pride, satisfied with my revenge for her teasing. Or maybe it was genuine advice, who knows, either way it is absolutely none of her business to talk about that sort of thing.

She was still laughing quietly to herself but I wasn't going to stick around until she calmed down, I was already late for my party and I wasn't entirely sure I wanted to hear anything more she had to say. If I don't get out of here soon she might start slipping condoms into my pockets when I'm not looking.

The drive to Marcus's was short but surprisingly nervewracking, my mind insisting on over-thinking everything today. Is Troye mad at me or something? We haven't really talked much these last couple of days other than at school. Or is he just getting closer to Shane? I wasn't sure why, but that option seemed to irk me just as much as the first. It wasn't that I had anything against Shane, I just didn't particularly like the idea of Troye getting closer to anyone. Anyone that wasn't me, anyway.

I'm just blowing things out of proportion, Troye is probably just as eager to see me as I am him. I wonder if he'll run up and hug me when I walk through the door. Or maybe he'll try to be discreet about it, waiting until we're sitting beside each other and no one's looking to let his hand drift over to settle on my thigh. That sounded a lot more likely than all the stupid things I was worrying about, like walking in to find him and Shane kissing or something dumb like that. He barely even likes Shane, I'm fine.

Still, that didn't keep me from dragging my feet out of nerves when I finally got out of the car. I could hear music playing from inside and the occasional shout or laugh, but I couldn't really hear clearly enough to make anything out aside from the muffled sounds. I guess I'd just have to find out for myself, huh?

I walked up the familiar steps cautiously, coming to a stop on the mat and taking a deep breath. Since when do I get nervous over parties? I used to party with guys I completely hated and hide everything about myself, but I was still never nervous to do it. I guess I never really cared what they thought though, not like I do with Troye. Even Marcus and Shane now, I care what they think more than I ever cared about my friends in the past.

So with my stomach uncomfortably tight and my throat uncomfortably dry, I lifted my hand to ring the doorbell. I could probably let myself in, like I always used to when I went to Marcus's, but this just felt different. 

It was about thirty seconds later that the door finally cracked open, the music coming out clearer along with the sounds of people chatting in the background. I watched it fly open, revealing a breathless Marcus with a huge smile on his face.

"Hey, Ty! Fashionably late, huh?" He chuckled, lifting an arm to rest against the door frame. I shook my head, spinning around dramatically on the spot.

"Just fashionable in general, actually." I announced as I finished, earning an eyeroll before he was grabbing the collar of my shirt and tugging me through the door. I just giggled, following after him once he'd let me go. I shuffled behind him, feeling oddly at ease now that I was inside the familiar house.

We stopped at the top of the stairs leading down to his basement, which seemed to be where the party was being held. He looked up from the floor at me with a smile, gesturing to the staircase.

"Everyone else is already here if you want to head down, I'm actually just finishing up some food trays to take downstairs." I nodded, watching as he turned and sauntered off toward the kitchen. I could hear the laughter and shouting over the music now, recognizing a few voices but not Troye's. That was to be expected though, he wasn't really the yelling type.

I started down the stairs quietly, running my hand along the railing and pausing when the wall finally gave way to let me see the room I was headed into. I raised my eyebrows when I seen the scene on the floor, three different people tangled together in a pile and two others sitting around them. Ah, they're playing Twister. Not surprisingly, I didn't spot Troye among them. Zoe, Louise, and Joey were the ones on the mat with Alfie and Sawyer sitting watching. 

So where was Troye? 

I stretched my neck out, still going unnoticed by the others as my eyes flickered around the room. They landed on the couch in the corner against the wall I was leaning over, at a pretty weird angle to really see much other than the mop of chocolate brown hair. However, what caught my attention even more, was the mop of caramel brown hair right next to it. Why is he sitting in the corner on a loveseat with Shane? They're awfully close together too.

Now that I was paying attention to them I could hear them chatting animatedly, clearly both interested in whatever the topic was. I gripped the railing tighter, watching as Troye suddenly burst out laughing, so hard he threw his head back against the couch. I'd never seen him laugh like that for anyone but me. I thought I was the only one that could get him to, to be honest. It felt strangely unfair to watch Shane affect him the same way. It was like they were completely cut off from the rest of the room, wrapped up in their own little bubble.

"What are you doing?" I jumped so quick I hit my head off the part of the roof I was leaning out under, spinning around to see Marcus looking down at me questioningly. I blushed, shrugging my shoulders before quickly offering to help him carry some of the food trays, hoping it'd change the subject. He handed them off to me before going back for more, leaving me to walk downstairs the rest of the way on my own.

I walked slowly, surprised they all hadn't noticed me when I hit my head like a total idiot. I guess the music was pretty loud. It wasn't until I was halfway across the room and sitting the trays down on the empty coffee table that someone actually noticed me. Or maybe that was just how long they took to acknowledge me.

"Ouu, food! What is it?" Sawyer asked, jumping up from the floor and walking over to look over my shoulder. I watched the others fall onto each other, seemingly giving up now that the distraction of food was here. Nobody greeted me though, just the food.

Realizing that's what they were all after, I decided to take a step back. Eventually it turned into a few steps and I found myself sitting down on the couch, along the wall opposite Troye and Shane. Neither of them had even looked up from their intense conversation, leaving me feeling extremely left out in the room full of people.

It's not like I'd been expecting to be greeted like I used to, I wasn't the popular kid everyone wanted to suck up to anymore. I did expect a hello though, or at least a glance in my direction. Actually, I would have been quite content with even just Troye noticing me, forget about everyone else. 

I watched in silence as Marcus walked down the stairs, nobody looking up to greet him either. Well, at least I know it isn't just me. He sat his trays down on a different coffee table, slowly backing up to sit on the couch next to me. He let out a long sigh and I shot him an understanding look.

"Do you have it planned what we're gonna do?" I asked quietly, not sure I even wanted to draw their attention anymore. They were all surrounding the table, laughing and shoving each other about. Aside from Troye, who was still acting oblivous to the rest of the world. Even Shane I'd noticed looking up a few times. Sure he didn't seem very interested in what he saw and looked right back to Troye, but still, it was better than being completely unresponsive like Troye.

"Sorta. I planned on watching a movie and then getting out the cake and ice cream, but they seem almost too rowdy to settle down for a movie." Marcus replied finally, leaning back against the couch and watching the others mess around. I had planned to leave it at that and not reply before I heard him sigh softly, realizing he seemed to be having just as shitty a time as me. It was his birthday too.

"It's your party, force them to." I replied, turning to him with an encouraging smile. He grinned, rolling his eyes before throwing an arm around my shoulders and squeezing me to his side.

"You're so considerate, Ty." He laughed, letting me go to get to his feet. "Alright, we're going to put on a movie now and you don't have to watch but be respectful of the people that are."

"What kind of movie?" Sawyer asked immediately, turning around with a mouthful of chips. I rolled my eyes, settling further back into the couch. He's lucky he's so good-looking because he's about as smart as a bag of rocks.

"Horror probably. Find your seats everyone!" Marcus instructed, my eyes going wide as I shifted to the furthest end of the couch. Thankfully the couch was one of the ones with the corner so they all sat on the other half, aside from Marcus who simply fell next to me after he'd set the movie up. 

I looked around the room one last time now that the only light was provided by the television screen, surprised when I found Troye's bright blue eyes looking over at me for the first time since I arrived. They went wide when our gazes met, clearly not expecting me to look back over. I tilted my head to the side in a silent question, offering a big smile. He smiled back though I couldn't help but notice the way it didn't reach his eyes, definitely not helping my already worried mind. I held his gaze for a few seconds longer, panicking when he started to look away. I hurriedly lifted my hand up, gesturing for him to come over to me. He furrowed his brows, a skeptical look on his face. He seemed unsure of whether to join me or not, indecision flickering across his features.

That's when it happened; the thing that'd surely have me so on edge I wouldn't be able to enjoy a second of this stupid party, let alone the movie.

Shane reached his hand over and sat it on Troye's leg. Sure, it wasn't necessarily a romantic or sexual gesture, but it still had my eyes narrowing into a glare and my skin feeling hot all over, in the least desirable sense of the expression. 

The second Shane's hand touched him Troye's head snapped to face him, successfully breaking our eye contact. I watched the way he flinched away from the touch, though that still wasn't quite enough to reassure me. What if he was only backing out because I was in the room and he didn't want to hurt my feelings? Shane always had been unneccessarily intent on befriending Troye. 

Troye didn't look back over at me for the rest of the movie, much to my dismay. Actually, I couldn't quite decide if it was a good thing or a bad thing, similar to how I couldn't decide if I was angry with the situation or heartbroken by it. Why was he so blatantly ignoring me? Did I do something wrong? Or did Shane just do something right? What if Shane got the balls to ask him out first and he agreed because he thought I'd never do it?

What if I lost him by putting it off for too long?

I hadn't thought of that happening when I made the decision to wait for him to ask me out. He knows I like him by now, he has to, but maybe he isn't willing to wait like I am. Ugh, what have I done? Now I'm sitting here over-thinking it in the corner surrounded by all of my friends having a good time.

The movie credits were just beginning to roll as I forced my attention back to the screen. Everyone was starting to stand up or start conversations again and I watched with my knees hugged to my chest as Marcus stood up to direct them.

"Who wants cake?" He shouted, watching as they all jumped up and started scrambling toward the stairs. For a bunch of people in their late teens they act like a bunch of five year olds. That was probably hypocritical of me though, considering how insanely excited the thought of cake had me. But hey, at least I'm not shoving people to get to the stairs first like some sort of starving animal. 

Instead I followed behind them as a reasonable pace beside Marcus, trying to no avail to ignore the fact the two people in the corner hadn't budged an inch. Shane and Troye were still sitting on that little loveseat, irritating me to no end despite the fact they weren't even talking. 

"Shane, Troye, are you two coming?" I jumped when Marcus spoke up suddenly from right beside me, apparently I'd been completely drifted off in my own thoughts. Shane and Troye both looked over to answer him, both of their mouths opening at the same time. However, Shane cleared his throat before either of them got a word out, Troye's mouth surprisingly snapping shut then. What the hell is going on with those two? They barely talk at all and now they're buddy-buddy and speak for each other?

"We might be up in a minute, don't wait up though." Don't wait up. What's he implying by that?

"Alright, see you in a little bit then. Come on, Ty." Marcus said softly, grabbing my arm and dragging me toward the stairs. He actually did have to drag me the first couple of steps, before I stopped gawking and came back to real life. I tore my gaze away from the infuriating boys, instead focusing on not tripping over each of the wooden stairs.

I kept silent as we walked into the kitchen, standing back and letting everyone else get their food first. When I got to the front of the line I took the knife from Marcus, insisting I could just get it myself. He gave me a weird look at first but ultimately just went along with it, walking over with his plate to sit with the others around the table. I cut my slice first, noticing it was practically gone. Troye had better hurry his butt up if he wants any.

"Hey, can I have seconds?" My jaw clenched at Sawyer's question, feeling oddly territorial over Troye's slice of cake. Maybe I should text him- Or I could just carry it down for him! Without hesitating I hurriedly moved it onto the plate, turning on my heel and starting toward the door before Sawyer got up from his seat. I didn't want to be the one held responsible for coming between him and his seconds.

"I'm going to take a piece down to Troye." I called over my shoulder, not waiting for a response before continuing on, a plate in both hands. I hope Shane isn't offended I didn't get him one- Actually, no I don't.

I walked back down the stairs, hoping to surprise Troye as much as I was hoping to get a glimpse of what they were doing without everyone else surrounding them. However, I managed to trip over my own feet on the second-last step, stumbling forward and just barely saving the cake pieces, sacrificing my head instead. 

"Ouch." I muttered quietly, lifting my head off of the wall. I turned around slowly, my cheeks heating up when I saw them both staring at me. I didn't speak, just lowering my head and walking over toward them. Troye surprised me by shuffling closer to Shane, patting the half a cushion he'd just uncovered. I happily sat down despite the tense atmosphere, taking a deep breath before turning my head to look at him.

"I figured you'd want some cake before everyone else totally devoured it." My voice was so shy it wasn't much more than a whisper, but he seemed to catch it all, taking the plate from my hand with a small but genuine smile.

"Thanks, Ty." He said softly, my heartbeat speeding up at the sound of his voice. It felt like forever since I'd heard it. It hadn't actually been, it probably hadn't even been a full twenty-four hours since last night at work, but that wasn't the point. It probably had more to do with the fact he was blatantly denying me it now than how long it'd actually been.

I settled back against the couch with a goofy smile on my face, not even trying to hide it. I watched Troye start to eat out of the corner of my eyes, noticing the way he only ate the bits with tons of icing on them. He would.

I waited patiently for him to finish, expecting him to speak up and start a conversation when he did. However, he didn't. The silence while he was eating was followed by even more silence, to the point I could hear my ears ringing, desperate to hear something. It wasn't a comfortable silence either, the air felt heavy and I felt on edge. I could feel my fingers twitching against my sides where they'd ended up when I folded my arms, just itching for someone to speak up. 

It didn't happen though, leaving me on the verge of losing my mind. So I did the next best thing, clearing my throat and getting to my feet. It was clear they didn't want me there anyway.

"I'm going to use the washroom, I'll be right back!" I announced, deciding even that was less awkward than what was happening there. They both simply nodded in acknowledgment. I didn't wait around to see if they'd add more, just starting up the stairs with a scowl on my face. To anyone else I might have just looked crabby, but I'd decided it was definitely heartbreak I felt, not anger. Why was he being so distant all of the sudden? I thought we were making real progress?

After I reached the top of the stairs I went straight for Marcus's room, deciding it'd be a better place to collect myself than the bathroom. Besides, they were all going to be in either the basement or the kitchen, it's not like I had to worry about them walking in on me.

It was weird seeing his room again after so long. I hadn't been in here since last school year. Not much had changed really, his shelves were still coated with football related awards and his wall still covered in posters of random bands I'd never heard of. They all looked intimidating, I assumed rock bands maybe, not really my thing. I sat down on the edge of his bed, winding my fingers together as I looked around for anything at all that had changed. He'd added a new lamp and a new photo frame had replaced his old one, only photos of Shane and I in it. I guess he'd really cut Caspar and the others out of his life. Good, he deserved better.

I was actually debating lying down and drifting off for a nap when the door suddenly cracked open, my eyes going wide until I realized it was just Marcus. He seemed surprised to see me there though, jumping so high I worried he'd hit his head off the top of the doorframe. 

"Jesus, Tyler! What are you doing in here?" At first his voice was practically a shriek, toning down to an almost laughing state as he got his second sentence out. I shrugged my shoulders noncommittally, getting to my feet. Now that he was here it was kind of pointless to be here. It's hard to avoid humans when there's a human right next to you, even if he happens to be the most tolerable one at the moment. "Tyler? Where are you going?"

"I didn't want to annoy you, you must have a reason you came in here-" 

"I'm grabbing a shirt to change into, Zoe got icing all over me while trying to rub it on my nose." He explained, giving me a friendly smile. It was clear he wanted me to stick around so I simply fell back onto the bed, actually laying down this time and saturating in how comfortable his mattress was.

"She's a handful, huh?" I muttered, not even really paying attention to the words coming out of my mouth. My mind was in a different place, and apparently Marcus noticed.

"What's wrong?" He sighed out, like he'd been putting off asking me and had finally caved. He did sound concerned though, almost feeling like a weight lifted off my shoulders that someone actually did care. I wasn't about to just pour my heart out to him though, especially when I didn't even know I had a good reason to be so upset. What if Troye's just enjoying Shane's company platonically or slightly annoyed with me and will get over it? It'd be stupid of me to throw a big fit. So, instead, I simply didn't answer his question, shrugging my shoulders and feigning indifferent. "Tyler, I've known you since before you even got it into your head you had to act tough to be popular. I can tell when you're upset."

"There's nothing wrong..." I mumbled, refusing to meet his worried eyes. I nervously fiddled with the hem of my shirt, only looking up when the bed sunk down next to me. I sat up slowly into a sitting position beside him, sighing in defeat when he continued to glare at me expectantly. "Troye's just acting weird and it's confusing me."

"What do you mean?" I blushed then, not sure just how much I wanted to go into detail. The conversation so far had already proved that I did want to talk about it, but the last thing I wanted was to seem needy or for him to tell Troye I said stuff like this.

"I don't know, it's almost like he's ignoring me." I muttered, deciding not to give details on just why I thought this. I'd probably get too into the explanation and seem like an obsessive boyfriend or something. Marcus gave an intuitive hum next to me, clapping a hand on my back.

"Maybe he's just distracted by the party. He's never really been to one before from what I've gathered." 

"But he's not even participating in the party! All he's doing is talking to Shane!" I shouted suddenly, my eyes going wide when I realized what I'd blurted so loudly. What if Troye heard me? Obviously he couldn't have if he's still downstairs, but he could have decided to go upstairs for some reason. I have to be more careful.

"So is this about him ignoring you or him spending time with Shane?" Marcus asked after a few seconds of thought, his tone almost tentative like he was worried he'd anger me.

"Why's it matter, it's the same thing." I muttered, my eyes probably glowing with anger the longer I stayed staring at the floor, just imagining what Troye and Shane could be doing down on the floor beneath us. I wonder if he's snuggling Shane like he cuddles up to me.

"No, one makes you feel dejected, the other means you're jealous." Jealous? Jealous of Shane?

"I'm not jealous." I snapped immediately, my harmless fiddling with the hem of my shirt turning into an angry clench, bunching up fistfuls of it. Why would I be jealous of him? I'm more popular, I have better hair, I- He has Troye's attention. "Do you think I should be jealous? I mean because he's stealing my best friend."

"He's not stealing your best friend, Ty, it's possible to be friends with more than one person." Marcus sighed, sounding slightly irritated with me. I debated backing out of the conversation then, worried I'd only get more clingy with time, but I knew that I needed this. I needed to talk about these things with someone else.

"But I don't want to be his second choice." I whispered, my head falling into my hands as a quiet sigh escaped my lips. It was probably the neediest thing I could have said, but it was also the truest. Whether I'd realized it before now and had been denying it or if the thought really had just set in, I wasn't sure. The only things I was sure of was my jealousy toward Shane and my anxiety toward the whole situation. What would it be like if I was Troye's second choice and Shane was his first? I was breathing heavily and nervously just thinking about it.

"You won't be, Troye adores you." Marcus said finally, his words somehow giving me little to no comfort.

"Then why won't he talk to me?" I argued, not bothering to lift my head up as the worrisome thoughts kept running through my mind. It was all so confusing. We were great yesterday and now we're... this? The worst part about seeing our relationship change so fast without reason, is knowing that his relationship with Shane might be able to do the same. "Do you think there's a chance of Shane and Troye ever getting, like, together?"

"No. No way in hell." He answered immediately, his face scrunching up like he was disgusted by the very thought. Good, that makes two of us. Still, that didn't exactly make me just shed all my worries. Where was his logic?

"What makes you so sure? They're both out of the closet, they get along, they relate to each other about being social outcasts when they were younger, they both-"

"Tyler. Are you trying to convince me or something? Do you want them to get together?" He cut me off, looking at me with genuine confusion etched into every one of his features.

"No!" I blurted immediately, scrunching my face up in distaste. Realizing I'd probably sounded a bit too passionate about the issue I sighed, toning down my voice a level before repeating myself. "No, that's not what I want..."

This only seemed to confuse him further, his eyebrows knitting together in obvious deep thought. I wanted to help him out, I just wasn't sure how. I knew for a fact I wasn't capable of admitting my sexuality and feelings for Troye out loud, not after how hard it'd been to say it to Troye, whom I could tell anything.

I waited patiently for him to get it, twiddling my thumbs and listening intently to the shouting going on downstairs. I wonder what they're doing now.

"You like him." I jolted my head upward, eyes wide like a deer caught in headlights. It wasn't really a question, more of a statement, making it clear he was determined with his decision. Deciding it was pointless to deny it, I just shrugged my shoulders and refused to meet his eyes again. "You're gay?"

"There's more than one sexuality where you can be interested in men, Marcus, don't be so close-minded." I snapped, immediately regretting it. He's just trying to help, I shouldn't be so short with him. It was just easier though. It was easier to act cold and detached than to get all emotional. Or at least, that's the way I'd always seen it.

"What are you then?" Marcus asked, sounding totally intrigued as he tilted his head to the side, trying to force me to look at him again.

"Gay." I answered, chuckling softly when he hit me in the shoulder. Just because I was gay didn't mean the other sexualities should be disregarded though. We sat in silence for a few seconds then, Marcus probably processing the information in his own way.

"And you do? Like him, I mean." I blushed when he asked this, not expecting him to put me on the spot like that. Didn't I already make myself clear? Sure, I didn't outright say it, but I think I implied it.

"He's alright, I guess-"

"Tyler." I was half glad he hadn't given me the chance to finish, considering how poorly that attempt at explaining my feelings was going. Imagine if I confessed to Troye by calling him 'alright, I guess'. No, that definitely didn't even begin to capture my feelings for him. So what did? How do I put all the love and gratitude and need for him I have into words without sounding obsessed? 

Second thought, I doubt that's even possible. The short of the story is I am obsessed and there's probably not a single way to make it seem otherwise.

"Yes, I'm obsessed with the idiot." I said honestly, not missing the huge smile that sparked over all of his features, only for him to immediately sweep it away to a pokerface.

"Are you together?" He asked next, eyes sparkling with all the new information he was getting. I guess we'd never really been the secret-sharing type, even when we hung-out the time. Serious conversations in general had never been our thing.

"Not yet, but we both like each other as far as I know and there's been a couple almost kisses." I decided if I was going to be honest I might as well go all-out, telling him everything I knew about our complicated relationship.

"How do you almost kiss-"

"Don't ask." I cut him off, loathing seeping through my very pores as I thought about Shaun opening the door and interrupting us.

"Well, look, as cute as it is seeing you all jealous, I don't think-"

"Marcus! Alfie spilled soda on your Mom's couch!" We both jumped when the door flew open to reveal Louise, her entire face in shock like she was mortified by Alfie spilling the stupid soda. I felt loathing seeping through my pores toward her now, glaring at her as I realized I wouldn't get to hear whatever Marcus was about to say. What if he'd had some serious advice that could have really helped me out? Or at least got me to stop worrying about all of it?

"Shit! Come on, let's go downstairs, we'll talk about this later." Marcus exclaimed, grabbing my wrist before I could argue and dragging me with him after Louise. I pouted slightly, not entirely sure I wanted to go back down there yet. I didn't seem to have a choice though, sighing softly as I started to descend the stairs after the two of them.

I wasn't expecting to find them all sat neatly on the couches, looking guilty in complete silence. I guess Marcus must have warned them about how obsessed with her furniture his mother was. I felt bad for him looking at that pink stain sunk into the cushions of the white couch, knowing already there was no chance he'd be able to get it out. Maybe he could paint over it or something? 

I watched him march over, both anger and despair evident on his features. With a long sigh he reached down and flipped the cushion over, making me giggle slightly at his method of covering it up. She'd find it sooner or later, but I guess this would put it off for a while. When Marcus straightened back up he still didn't look very impressed and I almost giggled again at how nervous everyone looked. I was definitely glad I was on Marcus's good side tonight, that's for sure.

"What do you guys want to do now?" He sighed out, his voice definitely matching his looks. 

"Actually before the, uh, accident happened, we were talking about starting a game of truth or dare. What do you think?" Alfie asked, his voice noticeably wavering. I wasn't sure how any of them found Marky intimidating, but I wasn't about to question it.

"As long as none of the dares put my couch in further jeopardy-" He paused, casting a glare around the room to each and every guest aside from me, "-it sounds like fun."

"Great! How many chickens are we gonna have?" Louise asked immediately, clapping her hands onto her thighs excitedly. I walked out from behind Marcus, casually sitting down on the flipped over cushion between Zoe and the end of the couch. 

Marcus opened his mouth as if about to respond, creased-lines in his forehead as he thought out his answer. However, someone who didn't seem to think out their answers at all, understandably, got to it first.

"It's no fun with chickens. How about the opposite? If you refuse to answer or do your dare, you have to streak up the road." I resisted the urge to groan aloud at Sawyer's stupid suggestion, sinking down the back of the couch until my chin was practically pressed against my chest at the awkward angle. I could see Troye staring tentatively out of the corner of my eye, almost as if he was scared I'd catch him and was ready to look away at any time.

"Alright, fine, let's play." Marcus announced suddenly, snatching both Troye and I's gazes. We both snapped our heads to face him, watching as he settled down in the sole chair. I felt slightly envious that he didn't have to put up with sharing his sitting spot like I did, but I guess it made sense. After all, he was the birthday boy.

The room fell into silence for a few seconds then, all of us waiting for one of the others to speak up. I expected it to be either Sawyer or Marcus, who seemed to be running things, surprised when it was Troye's quiet voice that breached the silence.

"Do I have to play?" He asked, his shaky tone making my heart clench in my chest. I bet he's never played truth or dare in his life, much less with blunt people like this. I was about to speak up and assure him he didn't have to, when another voice rang out above mine.

"Wimp." Sawyer muttered under his breath, my jaw immediately clenching in anger. Sure, it ticked me off a bit earlier when he tried to take his cake slice, but this was a whole different level of anger. How could he put Troye on the spot like that when he was obviously uncomfortable? How could he just completely disregard his feelings like that?

I balled my hands into fists, eyes flickering over to glare at Sawyer. He seemed oblivious to my anger, just staring at Troye with a smug smirk on his lips and challenging eyes. Doesn't he realize Troye's not like other guys? He's not going to do it just out of spite like-

"Fine." Oh. I guess I was wrong.

I let my gaze drift in Troye's direction, not even trying to hide the fact I was staring at him in disbelief. He was determined to ignore me though, forcing his eyes to stay on Sawyer even while my eyes raked over his body unabashedly.

"Who's going first?" Marcus asked simply, deciding to change the topic, clearly noticing the stare-down between Sawyer and Troye. I had no idea what was up with the boy tonight. He was always so apt to go under the radar and never left my side, now he was willingly picking subtle fights with Sawyer and clinging to Shane? 

"Me!" Joey practically shouted, bouncing up in his seat eagerly. He immediately turned to the right before anyone even had the time to disagree with him, smiling widely at Sawyer. "Sawyer, truth or dare?"

"Dare." Sawyer answered immediately, a cocky smirk ever-present on his lips. I'd never had a problem with him before tonight, even thinking less-than-appropriate things about him a couple of times, but now I couldn't stand anything about him. I hated the way he gelled his hair back, I hated how blue his eyes were, and I hated how insanely full of himself he was. It's not like he had reason to be. He constantly acted like he was the most attractive intriguing thing in the room, which was the biggest load of bullshit ever considering Troye was here.

"I dare you to prank call Caspar." Joey answered, giggling maniacally like it was the most horrible thing he could possibly ask. However, Sawyer seemed anything but phased by it, simply pulling his phone out and paying attention to the screen as he set up the call. I didn't listen to what he said, I didn't really care to.

It wasn't until he'd hung up, which was a much longer wait than I would have liked, that I started to pay attention to the world around me again.

"Alright, Marcus, truth or dare?" Sawyer grinned, leaning further on the couch as he spoke.

"Truth?" Marcus sounded slightly skeptical, like he was unsure and worried about whether it was the right choice or not. It was definitely the right choice though, nobody should ever let Sawyer choose what their dare is. 

"The last time you kissed someone?" Sawyer asked, his tone slightly disappointed like he was hoping for him to choose dare.

"I don't know... yesterday?" Marcus muttered, his cheeks flushed so deep it looked like a make-up mishap.

"What?! Who?!" I shouted, speaking up in front of the others for the first time the entire party. Marcus looked up and locked gazes with me, subtly shaking his head. I sighed, knowing what the gesture meant. Even if I pressed it, he wasn't going to admit it. Hopefully it's just because of how many people are in the room and he intends to tell me later.

"I only have to answer one question, Ty. My turn. Zoe, truth or dare?" 

"Truth." She answered, sitting up taller with a prim and proper vibe to her. She was easily the prettiest girl in the school, considering both looks and personality. Zoe had never hurt a fly in her life and she looked like something that had just stepped out of a magazine.

"Would you ever date Alfie?" I rolled my eyes at this question, resisting the urge to giggle. Literally everyone knew of Alfie's infatuation with the girl, meaning everyone had also heard of his multiple rejections. He'd asked her on dates, to dances, to be his valentine, you name it. Ever since elementary school and he'd yet to get a single yes. I think we all know the answer to this one.

"I don't know." This had my eyebrows shooting up, surprised by how genuinely unsure she sounded. What changed that she's actually considering it now? Just that they're older?

"That's not an answer!" Marcus insisted, clearly hoping to get something straight-forward out of the girl. I knew that wasn't going to happen just looking at her. She didn't even know her answer.

"Maybe." She whispered softly, an array of hoots and over-the-top congratulations to Alfie surfacing throughout the room. I almost felt bad for her, before I noticed the little smile quirking up the corners of her lips.

"Shut-up guys, it's my turn!" She announced finally, getting tired of their antics after what must have been at least five minutes. She looked around the room then, like a lioness scoping out prey. She was a strange mix between sweetly innocent and intimidating and when her gaze dwindled on me for a fraction of a second too long my blood ran cold, only to heat back up when she giggled and turned to face Shane and Troye. "Shane, truth or dare?"

"Dare." Shane answered, clearly trying to seem as cool as Sawyer had. The slight tremor in his voice made that fairly impossible though.

"I didn't really plan out a dare, give me a second." Zoe said shyly, embarrassment showing in her voice as she looked up at the ceiling. I could practically hear the gears in her mind ticking, though when she looked back over at Shane she seemed nearly as lost. Well, at least for a few seconds, before she seemed to think of something while staring at him. "I dare you to kiss Troye!"

"What?" That was the first time in my life I'd ever blurted something in perfect unison with three other people. Troye, Shane, Marcus, and I all had matching looks of disbelief. Zoe smiled sweetly before turning to glare at Marcus and I, confusing me for only a second before I realized what it probably sounded like. Maybe she still thinks I'm homophobic and that's why I'm against the kiss. Little does she know it's because I'd do anything to switch places with Shane. 

This couldn't be happening. Maybe she'll backtrack and change her mind, she has to. 

"Oh, come on, you two are the only gay boys at school and you've been all over each other tonight. No need to be bashful about it." She said cheekily, her eyes sparkling as she looked back to the two of them. I felt my hands balling into fists a second time, anger coursing through me to my very core. Who did she think she was making assumptions like that? Just because they're both out of the closet doesn't mean they're into each other, and it certainly doesn't mean they're the only two gay boys in school.

"But, Zoe-"

"Ou, does Shane want to go streaking with his buddy Troye?" Sawyer laughed, cutting Shane off before he even got the plead out of his lips. I snapped my head in Sawyer's direction now, proud when I caught his eye for a change. Mustering everything in me into an angry scowl and glare I stared him down for a few seconds before speaking up.

"If they really don't want to you can't force them to, it's not fair to-"

"Yes it is. So, what's it gonna be boys?" I heard a literal growl escape my lips then, never feeling more angry or protective in my life. Troye can't kiss him. Troye doesn't even want to kiss him. Shane doesn't deserve to be his first kiss. His first kiss should mean something, it shouldn't happen like this.

Shane opened his mouth as if to argue, only to sigh and snap it back closed, looking down at the carpeted floor with a sullen expression. Seconds ticked by and each one felt like eternity, my entire body feeling like a livewire as I waited to see what he would do next. They can't kiss. They can't. I'd rather see Troye and Shane forced to streak up the road together than kiss. 

Shane looked up finally, locking eyes with Sawyer. For a split second the shred of hope I'd been clinging to started to feel a little bit more solid, seeing that spiteful glare that looked so foreign on Shane's peaceful features. Then it was snatched away from me completely, my throat feeling almost painfully dry as I watched Shane turn his head to look Troye in the eyes. No. No. No.

Troye looked completely frozen, aside from the way his bottom lip was nervously trembling and his eyes kept darting around the room, his head not moving at all to follow the movement. It was like he was trying to look absolutely anywhere but at Shane, my chest feeling uncomfortably tight at just how uncomfortable he truly looked. That is not what the lead-up to a first kiss should look like. He deserves it to be better. He deserves it to be perfect. 

"Troye, are you okay with this? Because I don't want to make things awkward between us." Shane explained quietly, probably quiet enough that the people on the other side of the room couldn't hear it. I could hear it though, my breathing finally working again as I realized he wasn't going to do it without Troye's permission.

"It's just a kiss, it doesn't mean anything. At all." Troye said firmly, never once breaking eye contact with Shane. I wasn't sure if his words broke me or relieved me, not capable of sorting it out as I watched Shane nod his head in confirmation, in decision about what he was about to do to Troye. To my Troye.

Shane was the one to lean forward, Troye not moving a muscle other than his eyes falling shut. It wasn't the natural at-ease shut though, his eyes squeezed so tightly shut I was sure it had to be painful. Shane's eyes didn't fall shut until their lips were just about to touch, my stomach doing the worst kind of flips as I watched. I wished I could close my eyes like them, instead watching with huge eyes as he closed the final distance between their lips. I was seeing a mixture of green and red, anger and jealousy both dueling it out in my mind.

The kiss was close-mouthed and couldn't have lasted any longer than three seconds, but I found that strangely irrelevant. The fact was they had kissed, not what kind of kiss it was. Shane kissed Troye before I did. I might not even get to kiss Troye ever, yet Shane did.

I could vaguely hear the chatter and giggles from the people around me, but I tried endlessly to block it out. I could also feel Troye's eyes on me, but for once I was the one to avoid his gaze. I couldn't look him in the eye right now. I couldn't look at anything right now. All I could do was feel, and it sucked. Anger and jealousy and what might have been mistaken as heartbreak were swirling through my head, my stomach feeling queasy and my heart racing in my chest.

I wasn't sure just how much time passed or how many rounds of the game with me lost inside my own head, the thing to finally break me out being the pillow someone chucked at the side of my head.

"Tyler? Tyler! I've been calling your name for like thirty seconds, what's your problem?" Marcus laughed, looking at me with a smile on his face. It didn't match his eyes though, the two brown irises flooded with underlying concern. Part of me felt bad for making him worry, but it's not like I could put him at ease. Not without lying anyway. "Truth or dare?"

"I don't care." I answered honestly, trying to ignore the looks I got from all the other guests over the snappy tone I used. Clearly they hadn't even noticed my mental absence the last few minutes. It makes sense though. Why would they care? They didn't even care when I arrived, why would they care about-

"Dare it is then! I dare you to kiss Troye-" 

"No! I can't do that!" I practically shouted, my eyes as wide as saucers as I turned to stare at him. I didn't think anything could drag me out of my mental bubble at that point, but a sentence involving the words 'kiss' and 'Troye' seemed to do the trick just fine. He had to be kidding though. He wouldn't dare.

"You cut me off!" He snapped, genuine anger printed clearly on his face, only to be replaced with a devilish smirk when I stayed silent, giving him time to finish his words. Maybe there was something to follow that'd make it less serious. "I dare you to kiss Troye, with tongue."

I was wrong. I was so wrong.

My heart was racing now, but for entirely different reasons. I took a deep breath, risking a glance in Troye's direction. I blushed when I found him already staring at me, a strange mix of emotions on his face, so many it was almost unreadable. Almost. I could still see the worry in his eyes, the uncomfortableness in how formally he was sitting, and the- the excitement in the way his feet were gently bouncing on the floor to the beat of the music.

"In front of all of you?" I asked, turning my head to face Marcus, though this time I kept my body facing Troye. He could have been worried about anything, yes, but I didn't want it to be over me 'ignoring' him. I wasn't ignoring him, I was just overwhelmed. He had enough to worry about though, he didn't another thing to add to the list.

"Yep." Marcus answered simply, popping the 'p'.

"And with tongue?" I asked tentatively, my voice sounding almost shy just from the thought. Marcus laughed at this, making it clear it was noticeable, before repeating his earlier response.

"Yep."

"And if I don't I have to-"

"Streak up the road. With Troye, he was part of the dare." I smirked slightly at the idea of that. It's not like it's that bad, I'd get to see Troye naked. Then again, he probably wouldn't be as much as an exhibitionist as I am, it might mortify him.

"Guys, that's not really fair to me-" I make my point.

"Aw, come on, Troye, why don't you just let him kiss you? You just said it was just a kiss and meant nothing, this is no different." Zoe comforted, flashing him another one of her huge not-so-innocent smiles. At this point I have to wonder if she just has a thing for watching guys kiss.

"Yeah, but this is different." Troye insisted, causing me to look over at him curiously. He blushed and looked down to the floor when our eyes locked.

"How?" Zoe prodded, her tone full of genuine curiosity.

"It just is." Troye whispered quietly, shrugging his shoulders. Shane looked concerned next to him, lifting his hand into the air as if debating comforting him physically. However, he must have decided against it, his hand falling back to his lap as he got to his feet and walked over to stand beside Marcus's chair. I knew this was a subtle way of making space for me if I wanted to move over by Troye, but I wasn't quite convinced I should yet.

Sure, I didn't have any problem with kissing him. If it was solely up to me I'd be throwing myself onto that loveseat and kissing him breathless, considering Marcus had just set me up with the perfect excuse to do so without having to technically make a move. I wasn't going to though, because contrary to Shane, I wasn't going to do anything Troye wasn't okay with. 

"Well, it doesn't matter if it's different or not. Kiss or streaking, your choice. Rest assured there will be videos of the streaking on every social media sight on the internet." Sawyer beamed, making me shoot him a glare before flipping him the middle finger. He did seem a tiny bit surprised by that, though he quickly covered it up with a cough and a shrug, turning his attention back to staring expectantly at Troye.

"I guess I'll go with the kiss, but only if Tyler's okay with it." His voice was barely more than a whisper, but it was enough confirmation for me. I got to my feet, heart thudding insistantly in my chest as I got closer to him. I fell onto the cushion beside him gently, taking a deep breath as I tried to no avail to prepare myself for what was about to happen.

I couldn't afford to be nervous right now, Troye was more than nervous enough for the both of us. Realizing everyone was staring at me expectantly, all of their beady little eyes trained on me, I suddenly felt the need to block their view. Raising my sweaty-palmed hand to cup his cheek, I refused to let my gaze drift in their direction. Instead I focused on Troye's face, taking in every aspect of it in that moment. A few strands of his hair had fallen from his quiff and were lying flat against his forehead, his lips pursed and just slightly open, and his eyes shut so lightly he looked like some sort of dainty princess. It was a total contrast to what he'd looked like when he was about to kiss Shane, at least in my mind anyway.

"It's just a kiss, okay? It doesn't change anything." I whispered as I started to lean in, my eyes flickering between his lips and his lightly-shut eyes. He didn't open them though, just nodding his head so gently it was barely noticeable. I took another deep breath, letting my own fall shut as I started to slowly lean forward. I waited until our lips were practically touching to slide my hand down further, smirking slightly to myself.

"Hey! You can't cover it up with your hand! That's cheating!" Zoe shouted in protest immediately, but I didn't care, instead closing the tiny bit of distance between us, pressing my lips to his soft ones gently. I waited less than a second before I started to move my lips against his, keeping up a slow pace and waiting for him to get used to it.

I jumped a bit when I felt one of his hands land on my shoulder, not expecting him to be so forward. Clearly he was going to be though, his fingers splaying out a bit as the hand slid to the back of my neck, demandingly pulling my lips against his with more force. Taking that as a hint I decided he was ready to heat things up a bit, gripping his jaw tighter as I slipped my tongue out and ran it across his bottom lip. He gasped slightly in reaction, though he was quick to regain his composure and obediently parted his lips further.

I licked into his mouth slowly, not sure how to take the way his fingers had started to tug at the short hairs on the back of my neck. I was definitely hoping it was a good sign. I kept all of my movements painstakingly slow, for his benefit rather than my own. It was only his second kiss ever, and the first one with tongue. I didn't want him to accidentally mess it up and feel embarrassed.

He was quick to catch on though, his hands sliding up to grip at my hair as his tongue met with mine again, lapping against it desperately. In the back of my mind I was aware we were still being watched, but I couldn't really be bothered to care either. I'd been waiting for a moment like this too long to let them deter me. Instead I reacted to his silent pleads, speeding up the kiss and moving my tongue eagerly against his. There was a couple times when our tongues would clash or he'd take an uncomfortably deep breath through his nose, but overall he was doing amazingly. And even with the slip-ups it was easily the best kiss I'd ever had, the emotions spinning through me and the detached from the rest of the world feeling something I hadn't even thought possible over a kiss. Then again, I'd never had a real kiss, huh?

When I finally started to pull away it was from lack of oxygen, not because of the people surrounding us and definitely not because I'd grown bored of it. Troye made a sound close to a whimper in protest, tightening his grip on my hair. I smirked against him though, puckering to press my lips to his again, but only for a second. Accepting defeat he unwound his fingers, letting his hand drop to my shoulder again as we separated the rest of the way. We didn't go far though, keeping our faces so close we were practically leaning our foreheads together. 

I was the first to open my eyes, getting an extra second to take in Troye's bright red cheeks and swollen lips before his huge eyes were fluttering open, demanding my attention. I looked back up into them, feeling almost shy all of the sudden under the intensity of his gaze. He didn't look away though, the emotions in his eyes unreadable as they stared intently into mine. I wonder if mine were easier to read. There was really only one emotion there to find, it couldn't be that hard to pick it out.

All of the sudden his eyes darkened, his gaze tearing away from mine along with the rest of his body. He scooted away from me to the very end of the loveseat, squaring his shoulders formally and looking off into nothing. What's he doing? What did I do? Oh shit. Shit. Did I do something wrong?

"Uh, it's your turn, Tyler." Sawyer reminded me, sounding uncomfortable and unsure for the first time that night. That was probably understandable though, considering he'd just watched as go at it for God knows how long.

"I give my turn to Louise, I need to get some air." I announced, my voice coming out breathless and shaky as I rose to my feet. I cast one final glance at Troye as I passed, hoping he might meet it and follow me outside. He didn't though, instead stubbornly turning his head the opposite direction. What the hell?

My trip upstairs and out the door was quick, my head in a totally different place to the point I didn't even register my feet moving until I was met with the task of opening the front door. I guess it was similar to how Troye could drive without paying attention to things. Damn it, why does my mind insist on thinking about him all the time? It's not fair. I never asked for this.

You wouldn't take it back though, would you?

I glared at nothing in particular in reaction to the unwanted thought, not willing to agree with it despite knowing deep down it was right. Troye could rip my heart out right now and propose to Shane or something, but I'd never take my feelings for him back, even if I was able to. Getting to know Troye at all was an honor, not something I'd ever give up. Though I definitely wouldn't be complaining if it finally developed into something more, especially not now that I knew what he kissed like. 

God, I'm convinced he's addictive. Are people even allowed to be addictive? They're certainly not allowed to look as good as he does, and kiss as good as he does, and just be as good as he is. Everything about him is irritatingly and satisfyingly perfect.

I don't know how long passed with me sitting there thinking about Troye, but I knew it couldn't have been a healthy amount. I'd replayed the kiss more times than any memory I'd ever had in my life, picking apart every detail and trying to convince myself with each round that it couldn't possibly have been as great as I thought it was. Kisses that great don't exist, not in the real world anyway. Though as many times as I thought it back-through, it was just the same as the first; irritatingly and satisfyingly perfect. It's not like I'd expected anything else, it's not like I'd wanted something else, it was just too good to be true and I was determined to find a flaw.

"Tyler?" I jumped at the sudden voice piercing the silence, whipping my head around to look over my shoulder at the intruder. I settled slightly upon seeing a worried Marcus leaning against the door, meaning he'd been able to open and shut it before I'd even noticed. I guess it just goes to show how lost in my thoughts about him I really am.

"So, do I get a thank-you? You know, for getting your crush to tongue-tango with you?" Marcus chuckled, falling onto his butt beside me on the step. I furrowed my brows, thinking about what he'd just said for a second.

"Did you just refer to it as tongue-tangoing? Please tell me why I'm your friend." I giggled. But as he took to laughing I couldn't help but join in, throwing my head back and cackling to the point my stomach hurt, leaning against him and clutching it as I tried to catch my breath.

After we'd managed to get a grip we fell into a comfortable silence, clearly both wrapped up in our thoughts as I leaned back onto my hands behind me, staring up at the stars. Inevitably my thoughts drifted in the direction of Troye again, my mind insisting on over-analyzing everything for the fiftieth time.

"I'm scared I messed everything up." I announced into the silence suddenly, not realizing how true the words were until I spoke them out loud. I wasn't trying to find a fault in the kiss because of how unbelievably perfect it was for me, I was trying to find something that could have explained Troye's reaction after it. 

"Why? Everything definitely didn't look messed up." Marcus asked, looking at me curiously. I shook my head, looking down at the worn-down concrete step my feet were resting on.

"Did you see the way he jolted away from me after the kiss? And he was more resistant to kiss me than he was Shane!"

"That's because he knew it'd mean more with you." Marcus answered immediately, sounding completely honest. Just because he believes it doesn't mean it's true though.

"You don't know that." I muttered, sighing as I hunched my back further, glaring down at the concrete now like the whole mess of misunderstandings was it's fault.

"Yes, he does. I told him." I tensed at this intrusion to the silence as well, looking over my shoulder with quirked eyebrows. Shane slipped the rest of the way through the doorframe, closing it behind him before taking a deep breath and coming to sit on the opposite side of Marcus.

"Oh, and how did you know?" I asked, my anger at him accidentally seeping into the words. He didn't seem bothered by it though, only upping the notch on his sweet smile.

"Cause Troye told me." He answered cheekily, my eyebrow shooting up. Troye told him that?

"He what?"

"You are so dense. Troye told me how he felt about you on our way here and asked me for advice. I told him giving you the cold shoulder might get you to hurry up and make a move. Boy, was I ever wrong, all it did was make you doubt yourself like a total idiot." My lips fell into a cliche 'o' shape in realization, the events of the night suddenly making sense. Troye wasn't angry with me. He was doing it on purpose, to encourage me to make a move. He's waiting for me to make a move.

"Anyway, I practically had to glue him to the couch to keep him off from following you around like a lost puppy. Trust me, you were definitely the one he wanted to kiss." I felt a stupid smile spread across my features at this, not even bothering with trying to wipe it off.

"So there's nothing between you two?" I asked cautiously, just to be sure. I leaned forward, eyeing him from my perch on the opposite side of Marcus.

"I'm dating Marcus, you idiot." Shane laughed, dropping his head onto Marcus's shoulder with a content sigh.

"What?!" I screeched, jumping to my feet and staring down at the two of them. I pointed back and forth between them, in total shock. I did not see that coming at all. "Oh my god. That's what you were trying to tell me when Louise interrupted! That's why you guys go out for lunch together all the time! That's who you kissed yesterday!"

"Took you long enough." Marcus muttered, lifting his arm to wrap it around Shane's shoulders. I dedicated about five seconds to fangirling over their relationship, immediately moving on to more important matters like my own.

"So wait. Troye came to you for advice? Advice on what exactly?" I pried, looking to Shane expectantly. The sigh that followed that made me promptly realize I'd asked a stupid question. Not just any stupid question though, a really stupid question. 

"God help Troye, surely I won't be able to." I rolled my eyes at his dramatic words, watching as he leaned in and pecked the corner of Marcus's lips. He stood up then, flashing me a final disappointed look, before he was walking back into the house. I furrowed my brows, still not entirely sure what it was I was supposed to know.

"What's he talking about?" I asked, deciding Marcus might be able to help me. He just shook his head though, raising to his feet as well and clapping a hand onto my shoulder.

"Come on, Ty, let's just go back inside." He laughed, leading the way toward the door. I followed behind him, just enough to the left to be able to see ahead of us. I was surprised to find Troye laying on the couch in the entryway, completely sprawled out on the small couch. His eyes went wide when he saw us though, sitting up quickly and giving an awkward small wave. I cast a sideways glance to Marcus who simply nodded in understanding, walking off and leaving the two of us alone.

"Was there something you wanted?"

A/n: Well. Hi. How are you all feeling right now? Yeah, same. Okay, some things super duper quick. Freak merch maaaaaaaaaaaay be a thing idk i said it would but idk we will definitely see. Next up I'd like to remind you of the meetup, Oct 25th at 8pm england time. ALSO THE MOST IMPORTANT PART *DRUMROLL* FREAK HAS BEEN ENTERED INTO THE WATTYS THIS YEAR!!!!!! IF WE WIN WE GET PROMO'D ALL OVER THE SITE AND IT'D BE THE FIRST BOYXBOY TO EVER WIN I THINK MAYBE NOT BUT MAYBE. 

- How to vote: Either on facebook or twitter post using the hashtag #Wattys2014 and include a link to the story. That's literally it. Pleasepleaseplease retweet any tweets you see with those things in them because retweets count as votes too. 

oKBYE I LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOUR REACTIONS TO THIS I HAVE MIXED FEELINGS BUT CHLOE AND EMMY LOVED IT SO

 (I forgot to mention im updating daily from now on so surprise happy days)