Mc with Troy or 80s dude with a Mc who is fleeing an arranged marriage by their strict family?
Troy: Troy is a master of fleeing. Kinda. If you're okay with being on the run until your family gives up, that is.
Y/N's parents never approved of Troy.
One look at his copper rivulets, his baggy hazel eyes, his old thrifted clothes, and his beaten up van was enough for them to practically ban Troy from Y/N's life.
Did that change anything? Not really. Just meant that they had to be a bit sneaky with how they meet up with each other. Not that'd it be that hard, Y/N could've been rotting in their room and they wouldn't know any better.
Many nights were spent, Y/N climbing out of their window, meeting up with Troy in the night, cuddling up in his van, playing with his cat, Junction, enjoying sweet treats every now and then, and overall, being treated like a normal human being.
It was a simple Romeo and Juliet romance, and Y/N loved it.
But of course, their parent's had to ruin it.
"He's a well established man! He'll be perfect for you," Y/N's mother droned, listing off their new 'fiancรฉ' to Y/N as if he was some product Y/N should buy.
It shouldn't be surprising, coming from Y/N's parents, and yet they still couldn't believe it.
Y/Nโs mind reeled. They picked at a loose thread on their sleeve, the fabric feeling suddenly rough and suffocating. โMr. Worthington Davies IV,โ their mother had chirped, as if reeling off a Michelin star menu rather than a life sentence. He was described as โstable,โ โestablished,โ โsecure.โ All the words that Y/N had come to associate with stifling expectations and a life devoid of genuine warmth. He was everything Troy wasn't, and precisely nothing Y/N wanted.
The image of Troy, sun kissed skin, his lopsided smile, his calloused yet gentle hands, flashed through Y/N's mind. His laugh, deep and rumbling as Junction, his cat, purred contentedly in his lap. The way his baggy hazel eyes would crinkle at the corners when he looked at Y/N, as if they held the most fascinating secret in the world. Being with Troy, even just for those stolen hours in the humble confines of his van, felt more real, more vibrant, than anything their parentsโ world could offer. This 'fiancรฉ' was a gilded cage; Troy was freedom, a whisper of wind through an open window.
โAbsolutely not,โ Y/N finally managed, the words tasting like ash. Their mother merely sighed, as though Y/N was being childish rather than having their entire future dictated. But the refusal wasn't for their mother; it was a vow, whispered fiercely to their own heart. There was no way Y/N was going to walk down an aisle towards a stranger, not when their heart was already irrevocably given to a man their parents deemed 'unsuitable'.
That night, the usual thrill of escaping through their window was replaced by a cold dread. Y/N clutched their window sill, throwing it open and practically leaping out. The short walk to the van felt like an eternity, each step heavier than the last, carrying the weight of this impossible news.
When Y/N finally slipped into the familiar warmth of the van, the scent of Junctionโs fur and Troyโs comforting presence, they collapsed into his arms, the carefully constructed composure shattering. โTheyโฆ they arranged a marriage,โ Y/N choked out, the words barely audible against Troyโs shoulder. His body stiffened, and Y/N felt his arms tighten around them defensively. The silent world outside the van pressed in, but inside, a new battle line had just been drawn.
"They... They can't make ya do that!" he stammered, squeezing Y/N in his arms, "Are ya kiddin' me? They can't force ya to-" he groaned in frustration, the word 'marry' too much for him to bear.
His voice was rough, laced with a disbelief that slowly morphed into a simmering anger Y/N rarely saw. Junction, disturbed by the sudden shift in atmosphere, rose from her perch on the dashboard and rubbed against Troyโs arm, purring insistently as if to soothe him.
โThey canโt,โ Troy repeated, his grip on Y/Nโs shoulders tightening, almost bruising. He pulled back slightly, his hazel eyes, usually so soft and understanding, now blazing with a fierce protectiveness. โY/N, youโre not property. They canโt justโฆ sell you off to some old dude with a fancy name.โ His words were clipped, each syllable loaded with contempt for the idea. The โold dudeโ was probably only a few years older than them, Y/N knew, but in Troyโs mind, anyone threatening their future was ancient and decrepit.
Y/N shook their head, tears still silently tracking paths down their cheeks. "They can, Troy. They did. My mother practically had the date set. He's 'perfectly suited' for our family's standing. Itโs all about business, about appearances. They donโt care what I want.โ A fresh wave of despair washed over them. โI told them no. But they just dismissed it. Like I was being a child.โ
Troyโs jaw tightened. He ran a hand through his copper hair, a frustrated growl escaping his throat. "Dismissed it? They dismissed your life." He looked around the small, familiar space of his van, the only place where they felt truly safe. It suddenly felt too small, too vulnerable against the looming threat of Y/N's parents' world. He was a simple man, a free spirit, but he understood power dynamics well enough to know he was outmatched in that arena. But Y/Nโฆ Y/N wasn't.
He pulled Y/N back into a tight hug, burying his face in their hair. His scent, a mix of engine oil, some weed, and the faint, sweet smell of the wild flowers he sometimes put in the dash, enveloped Y/N, a fragile anchor in a storm. โWeโll figure it out,โ he murmured, his voice a low rumble against their ear. It wasnโt a confident declaration, but a desperate promise. โWe always do, don't we? This isnโtโฆ this isnโt a game, Y/N. This is your life. Our life.โ
Y/N clung to him, the reality of their situation pressing down with suffocating weight. "What do we do, Troy? I can'tโฆ I can't marry him. I just can't. I'd ratherโฆ I'd rather disappear."
Troy pulled back again, holding Y/N at armโs length, his eyes searching theirs, looking for a kernel of truth in the desperation. "Disappear?" he repeated slowly, the word hanging in the air. He considered it for a long, quiet moment, his gaze drifting to the open window, then to the moon peeking through the trees. The notion, outlandish as it sounded, wasn't entirely foreign to him. His life was already off-grid, nomadic by choice. But Y/Nโs wasn't. Yet.
A flicker of an idea, dangerous and exhilarating, began to spark in his eyes. It was a crazy idea, one that would burn every bridge Y/N had. But looking at the raw terror in Y/Nโs face, the alternative seemed far worse. โWhat if we did?โ he finally said, his voice barely a whisper, yet resonating with a newfound resolve. โWhat if we justโฆ went? Far away. So far they couldnโt find you. Couldnโt force you into anything.โ He looked into Y/Nโs eyes, a desperate hope mingling with the fear. โWould you? Would you come with me?โ
The idea made Y/N pause. It was a big, big leap. Troy's life was so, so different from Y/N's, so going from living in a house, to living in a van was likely going to be... A lot. But...
Troy's eyes, bright as coins, peered into Y/N's, his large, calloused hands grasping at Y/N's much softer ones, "Please... I want you. I want you to live your life. And I want to be a part of that life."
The thought made Y/N pause. It was a big, big leap. Troy's life was so, so different from Y/N's, so going from living in a house, to living in a van was likely to be... A lot. But...
Troy's eyes, bright as coins, peered into Y/N's, his large, calloused hands grasping at Y/N's much softer ones, "Please... I want you. I want you to live your life. And I want to be a part of that life."
Y/N looked into his eyes, and the answer, though terrifying, was already forming on their lips. The gilded cage, the suffocating expectations, the lifeless future their parents planned โ it all shriveled into insignificance beside the fierce, unyielding warmth that emanated from Troy. The van, once just a secret meeting place, now felt like a lifeboat, a portal to a life truly their own.
A single tear, not of despair but of profound certainty, escaped Y/Nโs eye and traced a warm path down their cheek. โYes,โ Y/N whispered, the word a fragile breath, then louder, conviction hardening their voice, โYes, Troy. Iโll come with you. Anywhere.โ
A breathtaking relief washed over Troyโs face, chasing away the anger and fear that had shadowed his features. A wide, lopsided grin, the one Y/N loved, spread across his lips, transforming him from a worried man into the hopeful, free-spirited softie Y/N knew. He practically crushed Y/N in another hug, a relieved, joyous laugh rumbling deep in his chest. Junction, seemingly sensing the shift in the emotional landscape, let out a contented trill and hopped onto Y/Nโs lap, purring like a tiny engine.
โOkay. Okay,โ Troy breathed, pulling back just enough to look at Y/N, his eyes alight with a frantic, exhilarating energy. โAlright. We gotta be smart about this. Theyโre gonna look for you. Hard. Theyโre gonna raise hell.โ His gaze swept around the van, no longer seeing just their haven, but a vehicle of escape. โHow much can you grab? Anything important? Money? Documents?โ
Y/N shook their head, a sudden clarity descending. โNothing that ties me there. Justโฆ clothes. A few things. The bare minimum.โ The idea of abandoning everything, even cherished trinkets, felt surprisingly liberating. The most important thing was already here, in front of them: Troy.
โGood,โ Troy nodded, his fingers already drumming restlessly on the steering wheel. โWe canโt wait. Tonight. We leave tonight. The longer we wait, the harder it gets. Can you get back in, grab what you need, and meet me back here inโฆ an hour? Two at most?โ His eyes were bright, focused, the weight of their momentous decision now fully embraced.
The thought of going back into that house, into the gilded cage one last time, filled Y/N with a fresh wave of anxiety. But it was fleeting, overshadowed by the fierce determination to break free. โYes,โ Y/N repeated, pushing themselves up, the earlier tears now dried. โIโll be quick. Iโll meet you here. Donโt go anywhere.โ
โYou know I never would.โ Troy said, his voice laced with absolute certainty, his hand reaching out to squeeze Y/Nโs one last time before they slipped out of the van and disappeared into the shadowed night, not to return to a life of forced compliance, but to begin a daring escape into who knows where.
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