Freak (Troyler AU)

Chapter Twenty

*Tyler's POV*

It felt like ages waiting for Troye to return, but I refused to give in to the temptation to go and eavesdrop on their conversation. Sure, they could be saying exactly what I wanted to hear and it could work out lovely, but what if Troye was just out there listing all the reasons he'd never date me? I wasn't ready for that yet, I wanted to keep clinging to this hope, even if it was false. 

I sighed, deciding I was going to go out of my mind if I just sat there any longer. I decided to go find Troye's stupid mop things, knowing they were somewhere in that closet. I found them nearly as soon as I started looking and snickered to myself, wondering how Troye had found it so difficult. I was definitely going to rub that one in. I carried them back with me to the counter and sat them down. I was about to go off and find something else to occupy my time when the door opened, the familiar chime of the bell echoing throughout the room. The first thing I noticed about Troye was how deeply red his cheeks were, making it very clear that for whatever reason, Sage's teasing had really gotten to him. I bit my lip, trying to convince myself that that could have been for a wide array of reasons and that it didn't necessarily mean he liked me. He trailed over to the counter then, still blushing and refusing to meet my gaze.

"So, boyfriend, how did that go?" I teased, raising my eyebrows inquisitively. He still didn't look up from the floor, though his cheeks got impossibly darker.

"I am so sorry about Sage, I'm pretty sure she was dropped on her head on a daily basis as a child." He said awkwardly, his tone making it sound like he couldn't decide if it was supposed to be a serious apology or a bad joke. I rolled my eyes, reaching over the counter to squeeze his shoulder.

"I like her, she's a lot like you." I said honestly, letting my hand linger on his shoulder for a while longer. He seemed to think about this for a moment, his blush slowly fading. 

"Are you indirectly calling me obnoxious and annoying?" He asked, though his sarcastic tone made it clear he was only kidding. I decided not to reply sarcastically though, hoping to see him blush again.

"No, I'm indirectly calling you funny and cute, it's a compliment." I said honestly, watching for his reaction. He rolled his eyes at first as if he just brushed my words off, though his returning blush made it very clear he hadn't. He didn't reply, instead snatching the swiffer pads off the counter and wandering over to the mop. I sat back down in my chair and took my phone out, claiming to myself that I was 'scrolling through Tumblr' when in reality I spent the majority of the time watching Troye attempt mopping over the top of the screen. It was very clear this was his first time doing chores of any type, his face growing more and more frustrated the longer he worked on trying to keep the mop from leaving streaks on the floor. I didn't offer to help though, looking forward to the moment he got so frustrated he gave up and had to ask me to do it for him.

I had to give him credit when five minutes later he'd barely covered a square foot of the floor without leaving ugly streaks. He groaned loudly suddenly, bashing the mop onto the floor repeatedly. I giggled, clearing my throat.

"Troye, I don't think that's how you're supposed to mop."

"Oh, my bad, obviously I wouldn't freaking know anyway." He grumbled, coming over and falling into the seat beside me. I sighed loudly, ruffling his hair up annoyingly as I walked over to the mop. 

"I'll do it." I said simply, starting to work. It took me no time at all compared to Troye, seeing as I knew exactly what he was doing wrong; forgetting to wring out the mop after dunking it in the water. I was finishing up the back corner a little quicker than I should, mostly because this was the only part of the store I couldn't see Troye from. It was a little sad how much I craved him near, but I wasn't about to try and fight it. Instead I gave in and sauntered off to find him the very second the floor seemed passable. He was exactly where I'd left him, sitting behind the counter with his feet propped up happily. I shoved them down so I could get to my own chair, letting out a long sigh as I enjoyed the rest.