Introverts

Testing The Waters

(I freaking love Nicola and Sage, I wouldn't be surprised if there like best friends or something.)

T R O Y E
"Please! Please for me?!" I screech in Connors face. He shakes his head irritatingly.

"No. I'm not risking pneumonia just to have a movie moment with you." He says while crossing his arms over his chest. He looks away from me when I begin to pout, but looks back a second later.

"Fine, you brought this one on yourself." He scoffs. I don't know when I decided that I'd try to seduce him into swimming with me, but it's too late to turn back now. I let myself look him up and down, repeatedly telling my body it's just an act and that I really don't like starring at him.

"W-what are you d-doing?" He stutters blushing like mad. Good, it must be working. I shrug my shoulders and lift my hand to the hem of my shirt. My heart is pounding painfully in my chest and I'm sure all of China can hear it. I'm nowhere near confident with my body or happy with myself as a whole, but for some reason it's not that hard to reveal myself to Connor. I mean my hands are still shaking and I'm pretty sure I'll pass out any second now, but at least I'm doing it. With any other person I wouldn't even be standing here, so in my eyes that's progress.

I think the best thing about Connor is that out of the whole week and half that I've known him, I've barely got any of his thoughts and when I have they're always pleasant. I roughly pull my shirt over my head so he can't see how hesitant and shaky I am. When the shirts on the floor I look back to the flustered mess of a boy in front of me. A cocky smirk finding my face when I see how much I'm effecting him.

I almost sigh in relief because without that I probably would have ran in the other direction to hide from my embarrassment and shame. I slide my hand down my stomach and Connors eyes follow the movement I wonder how far I can go before he stops me. Might as well test the limits. I unbutton my jeans almost doubling over in laughter when Connor's hand shoots out to stop my hand from doing anything else. His red face is now completely pale and he has a look of disbelief displaced on his features.

"Whoa! Troye what are you doing?" He yells.

"I'm going swimming. Care to join me?" I take a step forward, trying to ignore how much his hand has slipped down. A pounding sensation fills my lower stomach as I get closer to him. This is new. He nods and I can't help the smile that spreads across my face. Mission achieved. "Great!" I yell, doing him a solid and reaching for his shirt. He cowards away and I freeze. "Con, what's wrong?"

"I-I just... I don't feel comfortable being exposed... Like that." He points to my bare chest before wrapping his arms around himself. My face heats up.

"Why?" I take a step forward and he does the opposite. Advancing again I can feel my heart drop. How can this perfectly beautiful human think he's not gorgeous?! I guess that makes him so much more desirable.

"I don't know. I'm just not confident enough." He doesn't meet my loving gaze, probably to ignore whatever I say next. So I do the next best thing and touch him, this time wanting his thoughts.

WHOA WAIT WHAT?!? Since when have I been one to want people's thoughts? I've spent 5 years hiding away from everyone to avoid this kind of contact and yet here i am, voluntarily touching this fragile boy. I wonder who's told him he's not good enough to make his self esteem so low. Or maybe it's just natural. He looks up at me.

"I don't see why." I say, and while my words are distracting him I remove his shirt. I have a split second of worry that he might get mad but he just looks at me in shame. My heart starts to hurt so I smile to try and make him feel better. "See? Nothing to be insecure about." And I'm not lying. He's not the skinniest person in the world, but he's by no means fat. People have set standards so that if you don't have a six pack you're over weight when that's not true. He shrugs and looks down to his feet, obviously not comfortable with me outright staring at him. So i do the next best thing and pull him into me, this time getting a familiar ping.