#Im not proud of the shit i said at all. All the pent up anger and frustration over the course of it all just fucking leapt out.

[tabbytiger]

.

[firefly464]

Hello wonderful! I love your writing a ton!! For the Drabble fic on ao3, I was wondering if you could write about SBI, specifically Techno and Phil learning what happened? Ty have a lovely day!!

Oooooo i like this one 👀

lots of hurt/comfort potential :D

ok so in this one we’re gonna pretend that smp!tommy actually grew up with the sbi, and they are actually his family instead of him just showing up in the middle of the woods without any memory. He still probably just appeared in the woods, but he can remember. Also sam and tommy made communicators after tommy complained about the lack of phones because sam is just cool like that 

Original Story - Other Drabbles 

~~~

“Get the fuck away from me!” Tommy cried out, his voice filled with a mixture of fear and anger. He couldn’t help but press himself further into the corner behind him, trying to put as much distance as possible between him and the man in front of him. 

Techno held his hands out, trying to appear as harmless as possible. “Tommy, its ok. I’m not going to hurt you. I just want to know why you’re in my house.” 

"Oh, you’re not going to hurt me?” he scoffed slightly “Please. I don’t believe that for a second. What happened to ‘Blood for the blood god?’” 

The man froze, his eyes widening. He had never told anyone other than phil about the voices that haunted his every movement, the voices that were constantly screaming at him, calling for violence. “How... How do you know about that?” 

His younger brother didn’t respond, instead only pushed himself even further back. 

“Tommy, I need you to be honest with me. How do you know about that.” His mind was racing with different explanations, but it all came back to a single thought. 

His fear only grew as the silence stretched out. “Tommy, have you... have you been hearing the voices?” 

“The fuck are you on about?” he muttered quietly. It had none of the fire that used to fill his every word, and his eyes were no longer a vibrant blue. They were dull, void of life. 

Techno stepped closer, placing his hands on Tommy’s shoulders, making him flinch in fear. “Look at me.” He demanded. 

His brother slowly met his gaze. Techno frowned. There was no light of bloodlust in Tommy’s eyes, only a dull emptiness. He took a step back and pulled out his communicator, already typing out a message. The response was almost immediate. 

“What did you do...? Who are you texting?!” Tommy demanded, unable to keep the fear from creeping into his voice. “What the fuck did you say?!” 

“Tommy, take a deep breath. I just messaged phil, that’s it. He’s on his way.” 

“What the fuck?! Why?!” Techno couldn’t help but notice the way that Tommy’s words were now filled with fear and desperation, rather than energy and flame. 

“Because he knows more about this than I do, and I need to figure out what’s going on. We’ll figure this out, ok?” 

~~~

Tommy was still huddled in the corner of his small cave when he heard the door open above him. As voices began to float through the opening that led to the rest of the cottage, he pushed himself further back, trying to disappear.

He knew that he could easily just leave through the small tunnel he had made, but he couldn’t bring himself to move. Maybe it was out of fear, maybe it was because he knew that he had no where else to go. If he tried to run away, he would be alone. 

His thoughts were interrupted by a chipper voice “Tommy! Tommy you- oh dear, you look very sad” 

He glanced up slightly, slightly surprised to find himself face to face with the ghost of his dead brother. “Hi Ghostbur...” he said solemnly. 

There were so many things that he wanted to say in that moment. ‘Why did you leave me. Why did you leave me alone again.’ The words got caught in his throat, leaving him unable to speak. He could only give an empty smile as the ghost handed him a small bottle, filled with powdered blue pigment. 

“Have some blue!” 

Tommy stared at the bottle for a moment, before glancing back up. “Thanks, Ghostbur...” 

“Alright, that’s all well and good, but we need to have a serious talk about this” Techno’s voice came from behind Ghostbur, though Tommy had already reverted his gaze back to the floor. “Tommy, how do you know about the Blood God?” 

He didn’t answer. Instead, he cursed himself for ever opening his mouth. How long had it been since he slipped up? Since he had caused someone to worry like this? 

God, he was so sick and tired of dealing with all of this shit. He just wanted to go home. To his real home. He wanted to see his family again, his parents. It had been years since he had last seen them, and it still felt like an open wound whenever he thought about it. For fuck’s sake, he was supposed to be in university right now, not trying to recover from weeks of exile and isolation. 

“Tommy, its ok. We can help you, I promise.” Phil’s voice could be heard from somewhere else in the small cave, but Tommy kept his gaze trained on the small bottle in his hands. “Just tell us what’s going on, we can help you through this” 

The boy couldn’t help but flinch as someone placed a hand on his shoulder. He hastily pulled back even further, trying to avoid the contact. He shut his eyes in a desperate attempt to keep tears from spilling over. 

“Tommy...” Phil’s voice dripped with pain and grief for his youngest son, “It’s ok, we’re your family. We can help.” 

“No you’re not...” the words escaped him before he could do anything, before he could think twice about what he was saying. 

A small gasp could be heard, though he couldn’t tell who it was from. “What? What are you talking about? Of course we are...” Phil asked softly, though Tommy could hear the hurt in his voice. 

Something snapped inside of him. He wasn’t sure what it was, but suddenly, he could feel as nearly 4 years of pent up pain and frustration came pouring out of him. “No you’re not! You’re not my fucking family, stop fucking acting like it!” The tears that he had tried so hard to keep hidden began to pour out. “My family is gone and I’m never going to fucking see them again” 

“What? Tommy, don’t be silly, we’re right here!” Ghostbur said, in his annoyingly chipper voice. “Here, you seem stressed. Have some more blue,” he said as he held out another small bottle. 

Blue pigment covered the floor as Tommy slapped the bottle away, his eyes alight with raw anger. “I don’t want some bullshit blue powder, I just want to go home!” Ghostbur’s expression filled with confusion, which only served to fuel his anger. “Don’t you fucking dare look at me like that, you already fucking know this shit” 

“What do you mean?” 

“Oh, that’s right, you don’t fucking remember, because you refused to admit that your little brother was gone, and he wasn’t fucking coming back!”  The room fell silent as Tommy took a deep breath, desperately trying to regain his composure. “Because you refused to admit that he chose to leave you, and you blamed me for it instead”

“What are you talking about.” Techno’s voice was low and quiet, the threat in his tone clear as day. “What do you mean he’s gone. What did you do to my brother.” 

Hearing the threat in Techno’s voice seemed to break the dam that Tommy had so carefully built up inside him. What had been pure anger and rage was quickly replaced with pain and sorrow. He could feel as the tears began to pour down his face in a rush, leaving him coughing and sputtering as he tried to breathe. 

Phil took one look at the sobbing boy and quickly rushed over, pulling him into a tight hug. In that moment, it didn’t matter to him what was going on. All he cared about was his son needed him. 

Desperately, Tommy hugged Phil back, his hands clutching the back of phil’s shirt, as if Phil would vanish the moment he let go. 

He wasn’t sure how long they sat like that, with him desperately trying to calm down, and Phil silently comforting him. It could have been minutes, it could have been hours. He didn’t know. 

When he finally calmed down enough, he pulled back and wiped his eyes. “I’m so sorry,” he said softly, “I’m so sorry. I never wanted any of this.” 

“Shh, it’s ok. Why don’t you start from the beginning?” Phil kept his voice calm and steady, silently offering his support. 

With a small nod, Tommy told everyone the story. He explained the swap, explained his old life. He talked about his parents, and his friends. He told them about how he had found himself in this world with no explanation, and how he had destroyed his only hope of ever returning home. He told them about how Wilbur had kicked him out of L’manberg when he had originally found out. 

By the time he was done, he was crying again. And based on the sniffles that he could hear, he was pretty sure Phil was crying as well. 

“So yeah. I’m not your son, or your brother. That Tommy is gone, he has been for years. I- I’m sorry...” 

Before he could even process what was happening, he was engulfed in another hug. However, this time he could feel the arms of not one person, but three. Three separate pairs of arms wrapped around him, offering their support. 

“Tommy, I don’t care what dimension you’re from, or if you don’t really consider us you’re family. You’re still my son, and I still love you unconditionally. Understood?” Phil said quietly. Tommy could only nod slightly in response. 

“You might not remember all the shit you did when we were little, but you’re still the same nerd that tried to steal my sword when you were ten,” Techno’s voice, which was normally deadpan, was now filled with affection for his younger brother. 

Ghostbur was the last one to speak. But when he did, he sounded sad, and filled with regret. “Tommy... I don’t know what Alivebur did to you, or how he treated you, but just know that I’m not him. I’m not going to hurt you, ok? You’re still my baby brother...” 

The four of them were quiet for a while, the only sounds coming from Tommy’s quiet sobs. 

Finally, a quiet voice cut through the silence. “Thank you...” 

~~~

Im gonna put the taglist in this one because im proud of it. Let me know if I should continue putting the taglist in drabbles, or if i should just keep it to the actual chapters themselves :D

@hismilw @violet--majesty @chiera99 @koi-boye @waffle-time-god @miss-oleum @porkgavor @crafted-dreams @harley-the-pancake @lemonaid-ruru @luminousart @g3rmpy @bee-tubbo @firepowder @boombahey @rayjayo @carry-on-my-wayward-why @echo-delta @star-fruit23

[inadeqcies]

. ･ﾟ   ┇  ⸢  TAYLOR ZAKHAR PEREZ  ,  CIS MALE  ,  HE / HIM  ,  MUSE   60  ⸥ ❛  ╾  don’t  look  now  but  RICARDO GARCIA  is  heading  this  way  .  last  i  heard  ,  the  TWENTY THREE  year  old  declared  their  allegiance  to  the  FACTIONLESS  ( ex - faction 2 )  during  the  last  town  meeting  .  it  definitely  makes  sense  ,  considering  the  fact  that  they’re  known  for  being  INTELLIGENT  &  HUBRISTIC  .  that  being  said  ,  they  can  also  be  quite STEELY  &  FORBIDDING  .  i  don’t  know  about  you  but  every  time  i  see  them  i’m  reminded  of  ROUTINELY  CLENCHING  AND  UNCLENCHING  JAWS  ,  SLOW  SMIRKS  THAT  FEEL  LIKE  A  DEAL  WITH  THE  DEVIL  ,  COLD  AND  DETERMINED  GAZES  ,  CLEAN  PRESSED  PERFECTLY  TAILORED  SUITS  MATCHED  WITH  EXPENSIVE  COLOGNE  .  i’ve  also  heard  they’re  often  referred  to  as  the  REGAL  ,  but  that  might  just  be  because  they’re  a  GEMINI  .  something  tells  me  it  won’t  be  long  before  they  start  to  show  their  true  colors  .  wait  ,  are  they  listening  to  VOID  by  THE  NEIGHBOURHOOD  ?  i  love  that  song  !   

HELLOOO ! i’m g ! i’m 24 , living in the cursed aedt tz . . i use she / her pronouns . i am a proud indian , and lover of all poc ! i’m also doing the dolly parton working 9 to 5 , what a way to make a living ! so my activity will be v random as i also got a new job and i think the hours will be wild !

inspo for ricardo is jackson whittemore ( teen wolf ) , guzman ( elite ),  harry bingham ( the society ) maybe a little logan echolls ( veronica mars ) and a little bit nate jacobs ( euphoria ) 

he puts the ASS in ASSHOLE ( and clASSy , but i prefer asshole )

heterosexual cis male . . . that says it all :/

a demon boy

honestly ricardo is an arrogant and smug piece of shit , who has probably offended you or said something greatly insulting to you at some point in your life ( im so sorry and i will continue apologising for him but he really is so irredeemable ) 

uses people so he can get ahead / get what he wants

is only focused on himself and an outcome that suits him

will use you

will treat you like shit

will smirk annoyingly as he does it all

cruel

has major anger issues

has major issues in general tbh

honestly just really hates himself and has so much self hate and pent up anger . he probably should go to therapy

‘ i feel like i’m the worst , so i always act like i’m the best ‘

he was given up for adoption at a young age , and thats basically the main source of all of his rage and anger and ability to think he is not worth anything ( self fulfilling prophecy tbh )

he bounced around for a while , foster home to foster home . he got into a lot of fights , with other kids , and with foster parents . he was not an easy kid , nor did he try to be . if anything - he always did the opposite

lowkey definitely has commitment issues and doesn’t like the idea of needing anybody except for himself , hence why he’s factionless  . he really thinks he can do everything himself .

he finally got adopted properly when he was about 15 years old - thats when he came to  west ham. he kinda hit the goldmine as well because he got adopted by two women who are smart , intelligent , quick witted and very wealthy

he was not close to them , despite their best efforts , but he does greatly respect them and their ‘’’ Hustle ‘’’’

honestly when he came back to west ham , with the others , he didn’t even really care much that the town was just . . half-gone . he’s always been a very independent person and self centered person so im sure he didnt even notice for like 2 days that people were missing fkjndfjknfj

he joined faction 2 for a while there , but then left because he could not stand the idea of sharing things or working with others . he also wanted to lead a faction , but found that he couldn’t and not many people wanted him to ( can’t blame them ! ) 

he really found it hard to be in a faction and instead said ‘ fuck this , i only care about me and my things ‘ and now he’s factionless and just drifting around town in his merc and expensive suits and its all completely frivolous fkjnfjnfj 

you can usually now find ricardo in his parents expensive as heck mcmansion that he refuses to give up . he will still walk around town acting like he’s better than u . can u even mcfucking mcbelieve . . .

i am soooo open to connections and plots ! sorry this isn’t v well developed but i usually work best off chemistry and just kinda running with whatever ? but if u would like to plot pls feel free to hmu ! my discord is 🌈sugar (g)ay#4182 !!!!

some rough plots i wouldnt mind ( again , these are dependent usually on chemistry but im happy to talk abt them first ! i know i can be a bit particular sometimes but i dont mean to be fjknfn )

you betrayed me and i know  that you’ll never feel sorry : ricardo needed an in , ( maybe to the field trip , maybe with something within faction 2 , maybe something else ?? ) and you were it . you just also happened to be collateral damage along the way . oh , the devil can be so charming when he wants to be and that’s exactly what ricardo did to you . he charmed his way right into your good books , and maybe you were naive for thinking that he was actually a good person beneath all of his rough parts . in the end , he turned out to be exactly what you thought he was . as soon as he got what he needed , he left you behind in a cloud of smoke . you just can’t help wonder if all of it was fake between you two , the entire time  . .

its so bad but we do it so well : ricardo has met his match with you . feisty meets feisty . opposites attract , but you two are more than that . you burn . you explode . it’s chaotic , whatever this thing is , but it suits both of you perfectly . it’s bitten lips . scratched up backs and arms . clothes ripped off each others bodies . hurling insults and unkind laughter . you two are terrible together , and maybe thats exactly why you work so well .

pour up : not quite friends , but as close as its going to get . by pure circumstance , really , you two run in the same circles , hold the same thoughts and opinions , and inevitably are always meeting or bumping into each other . there’s a silent acceptance of one another and a begrudging likeability . although the pair of you barely speak . . you’re probably considered one of ricardo’s closest friends

everything will be ok : ricardo has known you for a long long time . when he first came to west ham as an angry kid , trying to figure things out ,  being a difficult asshole . . through it all , even his scrappiest years - you were there for him . and for that , ricardo has a love for you that is familial . he sees you as a sibling , even though he may not say it aloud . he always has a watchful eye out for you , to ensure you’re okay and safe . he would do anything to ensure your happiness lasts forever . nobody can get in the way of that . you’re the only person ricardo would have noticed was missing , if it had come down to that .

sound the alarm : when you two are together or even in the same room - oh boy . . . a fight is on the countdown . you despise each other with every fibre of your being and both are quite vocal about it . oftentimes , it ends in a brawl or cruel words spat out to each other . nothing is off limits , and your hate for each other knows no boundaries . you’re downright cruel . merciless . spark meet match . boom .

the only exception : if ever there could be someone to feel like ricardo may have a heart , it would be you . your softness is something he’d usually scoff at , or find weak . he hates softness . but it’s more than that with you . you’re kind . unwavering . patient . ricardo feels himself crumbling down for you , instead of building up his walls higher . he wishes he could shrug you off and forget about you . but he can’t . by all rhyme and reason , it can’t work and it shouldn’t work . ricardo is helpless though . all he can begin to admit is that you are far too good for such a lousy man as himself .

these days are coming to an end : you were both in faction 2 together . maybe there was loyalty there , maybe there was bad blood for the beginning . either way , when ricardo left to become factionless - it was a betrayal . he shunted you , and you shunted him . you both pretend like you’re strangers to each other , but you know there were moments when you saw past ricardo’s whole cocky - act , and maybe saw someone a bit more genuine . maybe even someone good . 

[yoursinfulurges]

Toxin and Venom

Slight Dark!Peter Parker x Dark!Reader

Description:

In which a seemingly loving relationship appears greater than it is...

There was something rather terrible about this young man's naive exterior. Though nobody could pinpoint where exactly the dreadfulness laid. His eyes shined a little too brightly, and his words were coated in thick sugar, enough to appear disingenuous to the skillfully trained ears. But there hidden behind is smile concealed the sinister morals of a true manipulator.

Oh' but she was no better herself, twisting words to favour her narrative. Playing as if she was nothing more than a meek little prey.

Warnings: pure angst with an underlining layer of toxicity.

Disclaimer: This is a REWRITE of one of my old stories dated back to a year ago, so if it sounds familiar that is why. This story was originally written for Jung Jaehyun from NCT but seeing as though I've fallen out of love with kpop at the moment, I wanted to repurpose it for my new followers that I've harbored since The Venom Within, as I'm very proud of the way it was written and concluded that I wanted to share with you all. I did improve and change quite a lot so you won't be reading the exact same story and I decided to add a twist to it.

Note: This is more so a college au so the fact that Peter is Spiderman is insignificant...

Word Count: 4.k

_____________

Your boyfriend, Peter, had always been the most kind and caring person you knew. Ever since you met him, and even after months of dating, he still acted like the bashful, kind Disney prince you took him for. Only treating you with nothing but respect and admiration; you often wondered if this boy was even capable of making an insult, or had a bad bone in his body. Fore he acts way too nice and sweet for his own good. Controlling at times but it was with all good intentions...

Originally, you thought the kind gestures and lovely sweet talking was his way of subtly flirting, but after years of dating him, you came to the realization that it was just simply him. Peter didn't need to pretend to be kind and sweet like other guys; given that it was like second nature for him. You loved the boy to death. He showered you with so much love, spoiled you with affection. Treated you like his queen; His shining jewel. Out of the two years that you'd been together, not once has he wronged you.

    That is, up until this exact moment...

You stand there in the middle of the kitchen, tears streaming down your cheeks. At this point you had stopped listening to what he was saying. In fear that if you continued to listen to his harsh words, more of your love would begin to fleet away, and you couldn't afford to lose any more. Despite of all your excessive yelling, you loved Peter. And he meant so much to you. But seeing him in this state, angry and hostile, attacking you viciously with his words, you began to question your future with him.

You couldn't quite fathom what brought on this newfound aggression in your relationship. Though, you had a slight seeking suspicion that it was from all the post-exam stress you both had to endure. Weeks upon weeks of studying and sleepless nights finally took its toll on the both of you. Thus bringing you to this exact moment in time. The once loving home corrupted by the harsh spoken words that fell from both of your lips. Anger and aggression filling the room, space welcoming the negativity with open arms. You had both tainted it...

That was not the boy you fell in love with, but instead somebody meaner, a-kind to venom...

Then again, you weren't a saint yourself either, words you wouldn't have ever thought of saying spilled out of your mouth like toxin. You needed to do something fast to mend your relationship back together...

The mere thought of breaking up with the man hurts you so dearly. You just wanted your loving boyfriend back from what ever abyss he dissapeared off to. Typically your fights never lasted this long, but this one proved to be quite challenging. You just wanted him to stop yelling. But in fear of the unthinkable outcome of your protest, you kept shut and held onto the remaining pieces of your heart. You knew for a fact that Peter would never dear to lay a hand on you, so you tried very desperately to push those thoughts aside. However, his following statements made both tasks very difficult. It was as if he was challenging your composure. Like he wanted the flood gates broken.

Like he wanted you to cave in to the malicious voice whispering in your ear...

His words could've very well be from all the stress, ..or pent up insults and remarks that he'd been silently keeping in. You had no way of telling. You prayed and hoped that it was the first one rather than the assuming latter. Because maybe then, you would consider forgiving him. Even though the words punctured you like bullets, penetrating your inner layers and hurting you in more ways than one. This was not your Peter... You questioned the morals behind his words, were they intended to hurt you, or was it just in the heat of the moment. Regardless, you knew that his words would be something that lingered on forever in your head.

"I don't even know why I stayed this long with you, honestly! What do I even see in you! Stop being so unreasonable! You're easily replaceable, so i don't see why you're acting so high and mighty. News flash y/n, i could do a lot better!"

         And there it was...

His current state and demeanor rivalled that of which the one you used to know. The soft spoken, kind, sweet, shy Peter. The one that still plays with legos despite being nineteen years old. You'd give anything to have him back...

You always knew that Peter could do better, but hearing this from him was a lot different than you saying it to yourself in your head. Before you had started dating you knew he had a chance with Michelle. She was a very pretty girl that went to your university, she was also Peter's chem partner... Michelle was nice, smart, and talented. You were very aware of the little 'thing' they had going on. So to your surprise, when you heard rumors of a certain Peter Parker, looking to ask you out, you almost didn't believe. Hell, you laughed straight into Brad's face and told him he was delusional. If only a hesitant, blush faced Peter wasn't stood right behind you to prove you wrong.

Ever since that day, you questioned Peter's choice. Why did he choose you, when he could've had a chance with Michelle? Someone he was more compatible with... You figured that he saw something special in you that nobody else did. Though, his previous statement proves you wrong and tells you that he doesn't even know why he gave you a chance. You're at a drift, not knowing where this relationship is headed, or where to stand. Knowing that you were replaceable to Peter weakens you. Were you really that insignificant to him? Were you a chore to be around? If so then why did he stay for two years? All these questions ran through your mind as you're frozen in a state of shock. How do you follow such a thing?

You stand silently, wails threatening to break free from your lips, as you shake. Instantly covering your mouth with your palm. You watch as he screamed at you more, words blocked out by the ringing in your ears. Truthfully, you were glad you couldn't hear his words, not knowing how to reciprocate to any more of his personal attacks.

The familiar feeling of despair began to conjure in the pit of your stomach. The tightness in your chest began to focus on your beating heart, constricting you like a boa preying on its meal. Everything around you became a hazy blur as the non stop ringing became more prominent. The cause being your angry boyfriend and his heart-wrenching words. Jolts of anxiety began to climb up from your figure tips, like a thousand spiders crawling on your skin. A feeling you know all too well crept up from behind you. You were beginning to feel frantic and scared, as your breathing became unstable.

You were becoming erratic, desperate to end the fight and be in his arms again.

"What!? Huh, not gonna clap back with some snarky remark. Admit it, you know im right!"

Peter's face was a striking shade of scarlet while he paced back and forth, hands finding themselves tangled in his hair as he mumbled inaudible words. His hair, you remember running your hands through his curly, brown locks this morning when you woke up. Oh, how happy and blissful you both were twelve hours prior to this moment. You both were so content and hopeful with the prospect of your relationship. Being able to finally spend time with each other after a stressful week. Originally, you had planned a date night with Peter. But things began to make a turn for the worse when he began to insult every little thing you did. Now here you were, an hour and forty-five minutes late for your reservations.

A taste for bitterness began to fill your mouth, as your insides churned. Waves of sadness and despair hit you like a tsunami. You suddenly couldn't stand the thought of staying in the same room as Peter. Let alone sleeping in one. Fore his words had impacted you like an arrow through the heart. You felt sick, disgusted, vulnerable, and above all else, hurt.

"God, you're such a fucking bitch sometimes!" Peter spat, but soon after stopped, noticing your sudden change in demeanor. Your once, fuming and aggressive facade was replaced with a much more subdued, fragile, hurt exterior, mirroring how you felt inside. You had given up. The bandage that held your heart together snapped.

You looked up at him, hurt written all over your face. Instantly, Peter rushed your way. He wanted to wrap his arms around you, apologize for calling you a bitch. But stopped when you held your hand out and shook your head, a sob erupting from your mouth. Suddenly, all the hurtful things Peter said rang through his own head.

Oh...

Shit!

"Baby, I-" He started, not knowing how to follow. His mouth suddenly became dry, letting out a sigh of regret. Voice coming out weak and pained. His chest tightening at the sight of what he has done to you. No no no no no no.... Peter knew you weren't the type to forgive and forget. Even if you both manage to somehow recover from this, he knew that his words would always be in your head. You would constantly doubt yourself and his transparency, thinking if it was all an act.

Regret began to eat away at him once again when he noticed your uneven breathing. Another punch in his gut when he took note of your shaking. Peter's eyes quickly darted to yours, his heart breaking when he saw the amount of fear in them. He was uncertain if you were scared of him or your emotions. He wanted it to be the second one. Peter never wanted you to see him in that light. Yet here you were, having an anxiety attack because of him...

He knew that feeling all too well, having suffered from anxiety of his own, but the fact that he was the one to force you into that state shattered him..

"Don't call me that...." You spat coldy, backing away slowly into your shared bedroom. Making sure he didn't follow and locking the door. Once in the cozy room, you sob like la llorona conveying grief. You couldn't bear to see all the happy pictures of you two, when he said so himself, you're nothing special to him. Without thinking, you began to rip off every Polaroid, framed pictures, and drawings from the walls. Not caring of ripping them. You threw them all on the floor. Your vision becoming clouded by tears as you sob. Ruining the white fabric of your oversized sweater with your makeup contaminated tears.

Your body halts, the last remaining picture was of the both of you on your first date. You always considered that day as the happiest moment of your life. But now knowing that you're just a pit stop in Peter's life, the memory manifests into something much darker than obsidian.

You inhale as you looked at the picture one more time. It was you kissing Peter on the cheek. He donned a beautiful cheshire smile, his freckles displaying proudly under the sunlight. He wore a red, hooded sweatshirt with his hero, Iron man's logo depicted on the top right corner. You always love it when he wore sweaters, especially that one. You remembered every emotion you felt as the picture was being taken. Even if you didn't, your expression held it all. You radiated happiness as the butterflies in your stomach became restless. You were so happy...

You sob lightly, your thumb caressing his face as you looked fondly at the picture. Suddenly, words that fell from his mouth earlier replayed in your head. He had purposely attacked your deepest insecurities. Jabbed and taunted you. The Peter you knew would never result to something so cruel and petty. Without putting much thought into it, you began to take the picture out of its frame.

Your ears perking up when you hear the familiar sound of the lock being picked. The jiggling of the doorknob was something you grew accustomed to. Having locked yourselves out of the bedroom on more than one occasion....

Taking one final breath, you rip the picture in two and retreated into the master bathroom. Once the door was slammed shut and locked, all hell broke loose. As if it couldn't have gotten worse alright. Your wails grew louder and more repetitive that you were being to sound like a banshee, mourning for her decaying heart. Eventually, you found yourself curled up in the bathtub, suppressing your cries into your knees as you lowered your head.

Peter finally succeeds in picking the lock, after what seemed like hours, and once he creaked opened the door of your shared bedroom, his heart broke in two. Parts of him began to deteriorate, he wished he had never said those hurtful things. He felt numb and out of touch with reality, sensing his anxiety looming over his shoulder. Peter knew that one of your biggest insecurities was never meaning much to somebody. And that weren't fond of feeling worthless and neglected. He knew your background and upbringing well enough to know just how much you disliked being treated as such.

All he wanted to do was hold you in his arms and kiss your tears away. A pool of sadness brimmed his eyes as he evaluates the damage. From one corner of the room to the other, pictures were left scattered and discarded. The framed drawings of him that you illustrated, sat on the floor of your bedroom, frame cracked and shattered. The Polaroids he held ever so dearly to his heart, littered the bed and floor. He broke down in tears when he sees the torn picture of you both.

How could you vandalize such a treasured memory. But then again, how could he hurt the most precious thing in his life. Seeing the picture ripped apart like this, he knew that somehow he affected your perspective on this whole relationship. His previous words had tainted such beloved memories, and twisted them to seem like nothing more than a one-sided love. He made you question whether he truly loved you or not. Suddenly the realization kicked in, and it kicked in hard. A tsunami of guilt and regret pierced through is heart. His insides churned and it suddenly became very hard to breathe. He suddenly became really aware of how dire this situation was. His following actions may break your relationship if he didn't act wisely.

Peter bends down to hold your piece of the puzzle, a river flow of heart ache cascading down his cheeks, wetting the captured image of you. Your sobs, which had begun to sound like cries of help, due to lack of air, rang threw Peter's ears. Suddenly he grew extremely concerned and rushed to the door, dropping your image.

Immediately, you stop when you heard soft knocks coming from the other end of the door, which was soon followed by cries and sniffling sounds.

"Baby, open the door!" You don't comply with his words and stayed seated in your place, hugging your knees tighter.

"W-what are you gonna do if i don't? Pick the lock and violate my privacy! Just go away P-peter! W-why don't you go find another girl to replace me, because apparently, i-i mean nothing to you!" Screaming at the inanimate door, or more so the person behind it, as you let out a cut short wail. You hated yourself for how weak and broken you sounded. Wishing, you could drown out his stupid words that had already engraved itself deep in your brain.

"Y-you said s-so yourself! I'm easily replaceable! I-if i had known that this relationship was just gonna be one sided then i would've never wasted my time!" Apparent in your tone and words how truly distraught you were, Peter cried harder, cold sweats engulfing his body. He winced at the thought of how broken you were. It only lead him to wonder, what exactly happened and what brought on this fight. Sounding more so a statement rather than a question in his head.

He parted his lips softly, a small whimpering sigh rolling off his tongue.

"Please y/n, just open the door. I-i just want to see you. Please... I-I need to know that you're okay...." his words laced with mixed emotions, such as sorrow and remorse. Despite his current emotional state, Peter's stature looked anything else but composed. God, he was freaking out..

Incoherently mumbling a soft 'please' as he laid his forehead onto the wood door. His hand resting above his head, fist balled tightly, as if ready to start pounding. He was desperate, eyes screwing shut tightly causing a flow of tears to glide down his cheeks. Peter's jaw clenched tightly in frustration, as he beat himself over and over again for saying such things.

After much hesitance, you stood up and made your way to the door. Peter hears the small shuffle and quickly straightens himself out. After seconds of hovering your hand over the knob, you twist it open, instantly unlocking itself and setting free all the pent up emotions. You crack open the door, almost immediately, Peter rushes in and hugs you.

You don't return the hug, silently stiffening in his arms. At that moment, the last few bits of composure you had built back up snaps loose. You become a crying mess in Peter's arms. Feelings of unmeasurable sadness cascade down your cheeks, onto his black long sleeve shirt. You try and push him away, but fail due to his strength. His muscular arms constricting you as if you would fade away.

"Listen to me please." He says softly, tears lightly streaming down his cheeks, though, not to the caliber of yours.

You sniffle lightly, thrashing in his arms. Though, it was no use, his hold was so secure that no amount of resistance would break you free. So, you could do nothing else but endure what he has to say.

"I'm sorry-

Sorry doesn't fix anything Peter, it's just a word!" The teary-eyed male hissed at your words. The amount of hurt and venom your tone held was enough to make his jaw clench and his hold to tighten.

"I know it doesn't, but it's a start. L-look, i didn't mean to say that. I don't know what came over me, or what caused me to say those things. But what i do know is that they were a hundred percent untrue. And i want you to know that..." He pauses briefly to wipe away your tears with his thumb. Dipping his head into the crook of your neck. He took in your floral scent, hoping it would help him regain composure. You feel a tug on your heart at how utterly hurt and small he sounded.

"I love you with all my heart, and that you are the most unique girl I've ever met... If anything i don't know how i even managed to get a girlfriend as beautiful and amazing as you..... Wanna know why I'm with you?" You nod lightly into his chest. His hold readjust itself as he lays his head above yours. Almost content with your slight gesture, but he needed to be sure you were happy.

"It's because you accept me for who i am. You don't pressure me to be perfect all the time, you welcome my flaws with open arms; don't expect anything from me and shower me with so much love everyday... I want you to know that i could never replace you, not that i would ever want to. How did i ever get so lucky... Please y/n, you are one of the most important people in my life.... I-i can't loose you too..." Peter couldn't fathom a future with out you in it. He grew frantic, thinking that this day could be the last together. And that there would be a slight chance that you didn't want to forgive him again. He couldn't let that happen...

"Please say something...." He sighed whilst tears brimmed his eyes, taking your tightening hold on his shirt to keep moving forward.

"Do you remember when we first started dating, that night i texted you that i was frustrated and my anxiety was acting up... And you came over in a heart beat, even though you lived fifteen minutes away... Y-you told me to let it all out, and i cried in your arms for an hour, complaining about everything. I felt so ashamed for crying in front of you, but you told me that i was so brave for accepting my feelings... I know what i said must've hurt you a lot, but I'll do better... I'm sorry for triggering you like that." Peter's tone was barely above whisper, and if he hadn't have said it directly above your ear, you would've missed it. There he was... your Peter....

You thought back to the said memory and smiled fondly, that was the night you both realized that you wanted a more serious title on your relationship. Finally labeling each other as boyfriend and girlfriend. You thought back to all the happy memories you both shared and confirmed that a silly little fight wouldn't get the best of you. Yes, his words might've hurt, but his actions now out ways all of his petty insults. You give into your flourishing heart and forgive him.

Backing away from his chest lightly, you look up at him, gasping slightly at his blood shot eyes. You hesitatly reach up to cup both of his cheeks. Wiping away the remaining tears that streamed down his face. He smiled lightly and leaned into your touch, taking one of your hands in his and place a soft, delicate kiss on it.

"We'll be okay...." You smiled at his comforting words before planting a passionate, loving kiss on his lips. Peter smiled lightly before taking your wrist on his hold and guiding them to wrap around his neck. He deepens the kiss and pulls you closer by your waist.

It was then that he realized that he wanted you to be the only women in his life. And that he wanted nobody else. Suddenly feeling an overly compelling urge in his heart to make up for his actions overcomes him. He was determined to trap you in his web of love again. He couldn't loose you too...

You smile in content, 

          portraying the victim always worked...

'Indeed, we'll be just fine.....'

Perhaps they were both awful people, fooling each other with the reality they both created. But it was done with the intent of love, sick twisted love... He was possessive and she was insecure. And together they were toxin and venom... God forbid anything that tries to get in between them...

_____________

End Note:

For those that don't understand, take notice in Peter's words and how drastically different they are from when he was mad to when he was apologizing. Sweet at first glance but if you really dig deep you'd notice how sugar coated everything seemed, like he's saying what you want to hear. And as for the Reader, I purposely left out how much she contributed to the fight in the beginning to make it seem as though she was the victim, when in reality she was also at fault. The anxiety aspect of this story was very much 'real' since I described what it felt like for me and I wanted her to suffer from anxiety yet have something be a little off. Now, I'm not claiming that the bedroom part was a whole scene to feed her victim persona, but that's up to how you want to view it. This story is subjective and can be taken however way you want to.

[heartbreakerholland]

a temporary home [t.h. & h.o.]

part 3

Warnings: swearing, lots of arguing, a bad ending, 90% a tom chapter

Word Count: 4.1k

A/N: thank you to everyone for being so patient! i took a well needed break, for sake of my mental health, but i am back with the next part for this mini series! don't forget to give me feedback and tell me what you think might happen next! also, i am SO sorry if the read more doesn’t work!

[masterlist] [join a tag list]

[pt. 2]

•••

Tom sat up in his bed, staring blankly at whatever his television was playing for him. He was too pent up in his thoughts to focus.

As soon as he heard soft snores come from Harrison's room, the brunette swung his feet off the bed. He stared at the ground for a moment, contemplating if this should really be done.

"Ah, fuck it," he told himself.

His socked feet padded over carpet then soon the hardwood floor after leaving his room. He slid them one beside the other, hoping the floorboards wouldn't creak and possibly wake his best friend. He knocked softly on your door, hoping there'd be no answer coming from you. It would be an acceptable excuse for not talking to you like he should, right?

"What?" your voice groggily called from the other side of the door.

"Damn it," Tom whispered. Now he actually does have to talk. He cleared his throat. "Y/N? It's Tom. We need to talk. Are you decent in there?"

He heard a mumble from you, which he hoped was a yes. He slowly turned the doorknob and welcomed himself in.

"What do you want?" you mumbled on your bed having clearly just woken up, faced away from him. "I'm sorry about Beth, okay? You don't have to talk to me because Hazzy said so, I know you hate me."

He rolled his eyes at your use of his friend's nickname, but pushed aside his annoyance and replied. "I guess I wasn't being too fair on you, so I'm sorry."

You slowly turned your body over to face him and pat the edge of your bed, signaling to Tom that he could sit. He did.

"Erm," you started. "I'll forgive you if you forgive me about Beth?"

He stared at you, ready to get this over with. "Alright." He stood up again and clapped his hands together, satisfied with this outcome. Easy. "Sounds like a done deal to me."

He took a step towards the door, ready to get some rest himself.

"Wait, Tom?"

God fucking dammit, he thought.

He turned around. "Mmm?"

You blinked. "You didn't deny hating me."

He blinked back. How the hell was he supposed to reply to that?

"Uh. . ." What was he supposed to say? Yeah Y/N, I didn't deny it because it's kind of true?

You chuckled and sat yourself up. "Do you think you could tell me why? I've got to have done something, right?"

He sighed and rubbed his face. To put it nicely, you weren't his favorite person. Of course there's more to it, but those were reasons he wasn't comfortable sharing.

"It's just me," he lied. "Not you, me. Can I go now? I'm tired." He took another step closer to the door.

You let out a dramatic sigh. "Tooooooom. C'mon. Be a good sport. What is it?"

He turned back around, ready more than ever now to put you back to sleep his own way. "I've got more energy to sleep, not hurt your feelings, Y/N." There. That was truthful.

You studied his face for a moment, then scrunched your eyebrows as if they were telling you that his reply wasn't good enough. "Tom, I'm living with you now. We need to face this problem eventually, and I'd rather do it now when my moving in is fresh, y'know? If you need to hurt my feelings to tell me the truth, then do it." You sat up straighter, bracing yourself.

He let out a hard breath. "You're just annoying, alright?" Half truth. "Whatever H sees in you, I don't. Don't take it too personally, Y/N." He impatiently scooted closer to the door. He wasn't in the mood to have this conversation and frankly, he didn't think he ever would be.

You swung your feet back and forth but stayed attentive to Tom's figure. You were somehow wide awake and he didn't like it one bit. "C'mon Tom. We both know there's more."

His fists clenched, you having already gotten on his nerves. "Drop it, Y/N." After a beat, he said, "I'm going to sleep." He took no time turning around completely and reaching a hand for the doorknob.

"No, Tom!" you suddenly exclaimed, which startled the both of you.

He turned his head around to see you were now standing up straight and had your fists clenched down at your sides. Your chest rose up and down faster than normal, and your eyes were wide.

"I'm tired of this," you said.

You now had his full attention, as he had moved around to lean his back on the door and cross his arms lazily, as if watching a boring show.

You continued, your voice gradually rising with each sentence. "You're gonna listen to me, alright? I'm done playing whatever game you're trying to win. Like I said, we are living together now and I deserve to know whatever you have against me." Words were spoken faster one after another, and you were running on this sudden adrenaline and dared to keep going. "Sure, I let you give me shit before, but it's different now because I am here and I'm not leaving anytime soon, alright? So spill."

He smiled to himself and chuckled, which only infuriated you more. You felt heat in your face rising and heart pounding with anger, ready to slap his insulting smirk off. Why was he so calm? It was aggravating.

Before you could speak your mind while still drunk on the sudden adrenaline, he replied.

"You just make it so easy, you know that, love?" Tom mused. "I can say and do whatever I want, but you let everything get to you and it's just so easy. . . A bit sad, really."

A flash of hurt uncovered in your eyes, but you ignored the choking feeling in your throat and stepped closer to Tom.

You were well aware it was never a good idea to be speaking bitter truths out loud. You prided yourself in having self control and being the bigger person, holding your words back so not to cause damage that would be there long after an argument.

This was not a moment to be proud of.

"Oh yeah, Tom?" Your toes were mere inches from his, and you looked him dead in those cursed brown eyes with all the bitterness you could find in yourself. "Say and do whatever you want, huh? Say I'm annoying all you want, but you should keep in mind that people can think the same for you."

Confusion came and went across Tom's features, signaling a small victory for yourself. You continued with an evil smirk similar to what he had before.

"If you weren't a self-centered fucking prick, then maybe you'd have realized that I wasn't the reason Beth didn't want to see you again. You did that all by yourself, Thomas."

You crossed your arms in triumph while his fell, along with his face.

High on this win, your mouth kept running.

"Yeah, Mister Perfect. Wanna know what she told me when you weren't listening? You were just another pretty face to look at, and not much else to her. Even a stranger can see that a brick has more personality than you."

Those weren't exactly her words. . . at all. You weren't even sure where this word vomit was coming from. Tom wasn't that bad and even you knew it, but anything you said at this point could be the truth to him. You had his attention and your own pent up anger, and what better combination?

The hurt appeared over his features and was stuck there. Looking at it, you suddenly realized what went wrong. You had gone too far, said a lie that would surely stay in the back of his mind forev—

"Keep telling yourself that, darling.”

His eyebrows were scrunched and he was looking down at you. Tom had a calm exterior but it was like you could actually see pieces of it cracking away to show that you had hit his boiling point.

"If it really helps you sleep at night," he murmured, "then keep telling yourself tha—"

"Oh what the hell is that supposed to mean!"

He towered over you and you instinctively stepped back. He kept creeping forward and caused you to go backward until you hit the edge of your bed from behind.

"You know exactly what I'm on about!"

You were half seated on the bed while Tom was still completely standing, nearly hovering over you.

He continued. "Don't you play innocent, you fuckin' snake! First you went off and ruined Harrison's life but that doesn't mean you could go off and ruin mine too, you div!"

You were both breathing heavily, the air in your room thick and hot. "What're you on about? Harrison and I are best friends, dumbass! How would I ruin his—"

"Oh you fuckin' know how! Pretend like you didn't do it all you want, but I know the truth! I know the truth, and you're a fuckin' bitch for doing that to him."

Tom calling you that caught you completely off guard.

You held yourself up with your arms and returned his threatening stare, though all that repeated in your mind was bitch. After a silent moment, you composed yourself and spoke up again. "What the hell are you talking about? Harrison and I are best friends, and you damn well know I'd never hurt him, Tom. Stop feeding yourself bullsh—"

"You're bullshit!" His fists were clenched, eyes never leaving you. His accent grew thicker and you struggled a bit to understand the slurred words mixed with his high volumes. "You're fuckin' full of yourself, Y/N, y'know that? All ya fuckin' do is worry 'bout yourself and ya never care 'bout anyone else 'round ya!"

He never gave you a chance to speak up or interrupt. Tom was on a roll now, and it would require just as much luck as finding a four leaf clover in his hair to stop him.

"I was the one pickin' up all 'ose pieces of 'im that you broke when ya left for that dumbarse, James. I'd think you'd have remembered but I thought wrong, 'cause you're so caught up in your own little world!"

"What—"

"Don't fuckin' 'what' me! You think I don' know 'bout what you did with Isabella, huh? I'm not fuckin' stupid, Y/N." He stopped suddenly, chest rising and falling rapidly with his hard breaths.

You were frozen, staring at him. You watched as his reddened skin calmed and went away, while his fists slowly unclenched.

To say you were shocked would've been an understatement. Sure, you had regrets, but you pushed those memories down and swore that they'd never resurface. Obviously, based on Tom's words, you were wrong.

You gave him a moment to calm down and catch his breath before speaking. It also gave you time to think of what you needed to say next.

You looked down at your feet hovering over the ground, with Tom's practically right underneath yours from the close proximity. Neither of you dared to move away from each other.

"I didn't mean to do it," you muttered.

You purposely shut those memories out, and from how long ago it happened? It was hard to even remember how exactly things went. One of the few things you were sure of, however, was what you just told Tom.

He took a deep breath and moved to sit next to you on the bed, both of you finally calm from your outbursts.

"Didn't mean to do what, huh?" He said softly. "Get rid of her or fall in love with him?"

You immediately looked up at Tom's face. "I'm not—I wasn't—I never was in love with Harrison!" He smirked at your rambles, but you didn't notice it and continued. "I just—I didn't mean to—It was just a little crush, alright! You know that Tom, you're the only person I told! Don't tease me about it."

He put his hands up in a don't shoot motion and shook his head playfully. "I'm not, Y/N, I'm not. . . What I'm sayin' is, you go around preaching that you're so perfect, that nothin's wrong with you. But it sounds to me like you just forgot what you've done."

You looked down at your hands, finally feeling embarrassment from Tom's truth.

"Harrison. . ." Tom continued slowly, looking at you. "You hurt him, Y/N. Now don't go off telling him I said that, because he didn't want you to know that he was as hurt as he was. . . I don't think he knows it himself actually, but yeah, you hurt him just as much as Isabella did."

You raised your head and met his gaze. "What am I supposed to do about that, Tom? That was years ago. It was always something that everyone silently agreed not to talk about."

He shrugged, and raised himself from the bed. "Aye, do what you want with it. You asked why I don't like you. I answered."

You grinned. "Does that mean we're friends again? Back to how it was before?" It was childish, the way you asked, but maybe you felt a little too desperate to be on good terms with Tom again to say anything differently.

He chuckled and motioned for a hug. "Yeah, alright. Whatever."

You lifted yourself from your bed and welcomed the side hug graciously with a smile.

"Don't think we could go right back to how it was before—that was how many years ago? Jesus." Tom said. "We weren't even that close back then either. But sure. Friends, I guess."

He freed his arm from around you and began walking back to the door, and you followed with a smile.

"No more tea with too much sugar is a start," you teased.

"No no no," he said. He put his hand on the doorknob but didn't turn it just yet. "That's all you—You've just got bad taste, darling."

You scoffed and playfully put a hand over your chest in mock hurt. "What's that supposed to mean, Thomas?"

"Blonds and no sugar, really?"

"Tom!"

-

The buzzing of your phone woke you up. You groggily looked at your window, greeted with the morning sun shining through the blinds and the tweeting of birds to accompany it. You groaned before picking up your phone and answering, not bothering to check who was calling.

"Y/N! Y/N!" A high pitched voice exclaimed from the other end. "How could you not tell me?"

You scrunched your eyebrows in confusion. Finally opening your eyes, you looked at the caller ID and saw it was Beth calling you, and also that it was considerably late in the morning for you to still be asleep.

You cleared your throat, dry from sleeping, and hoped it wouldn't sound rough. "Not tell you what?"

You coughed, it clearly having not worked. You sat up and grabbed a water bottle at your bedside table, drinking it while listening to Beth's voice.

"That Tom Holland is freaking Spider-Man!"

You put the bottle down and rolled your eyes. Seriously? She was calling about that?

"Well, yeah," you replied grumpily. "I just assumed everyone knew already."

"I didn't!" She was so loud that you had to take the phone away from your ear.

You sighed, already seeing where this would be going.

"You live with him, right?" Beth continued. "Can I come over? We need to talk—"

"Sorry, Beth," you interrupted. "I don't think that's a good idea. I have to go now, bye."

Before she could put another word in, you hung up. You were disappointed, to say the least. She seemed like a genuine person, but a second of possible fame revealed otherwise, like it always did.

You sighed again and put your phone down. "There goes another friend," you muttered.

You shook it off. This wasn't the first time, and you knew it wouldn't be the last. Perks of association, as Harrison would joke. Sure, Tom got special treatment for being in the spotlight, but you and Harrison and any other friends of Tom's had to deal with the people trying to climb out of the shadows. This was just another one of those times, and maybe it meant constantly losing friends, but you and H tried to see the bright side of things. "At least it shows where their heads' at," he would say, followed by your agreement.

You crept out of your room, phone in hand, and groggily rubbed your eyes.

"There's the beast!" a voice announced.

Spots briefly danced in your vision, but as soon as it cleared you were greeted with the sight of Tom and Harrison. They were seated comfortably on the couches with an ungodly amount of pizza boxes on the table in front of them. They were watching a soccer game—or football, as they'd say—and were too invested to formally greet you.

The sky outside was a cloudy gray, completely illuminating the flat and the boys inside. Tom's dog, Tessa, was curled up and sleeping next to him. Harrison, alone on his side of the couch, glanced from you and the television screen.

You walked up behind Harrison, who called you the beast, and greeted him by ruffling his hair. He allowed you to do so for a moment then stopped you by placing his hand on your wrist.

He looked up at you and smiled. "'Ello, love. Saved some pizza for ya."

You smiled back at him. "Thanks, Haz." You walked around the couch and grabbed a slice from the table. You placed your phone next to the boxes then sat yourself next to Harrison.

You weren't sure how obvious it was to the guys, but you definitely felt lighter, like the talk with Tom last night lifted a weight off your chest. It was about time, if you really thought about it. You never realized until now that you met James around the same time you met Tom, and since then he treated you like an unbreakable curse. The short explanation that he gave you last night made the pieces click together, and it had you finally see where he was coming from. If you had to help heal your friend's cracked heart while the one who did the breaking was still in the picture, you probably would've acted just the same.

You weren't as into the game as the boys were, even after you finished your pizza. It was going slow, and the team they were rooting for didn't seem like they would win anyways.

You had your head resting on top of one of the couch's arms and your legs over Harrison's lap. Full from the food and completely comfortable laying down, sleep welcomed you no matter how loud the boys got from the game.

-

"Who the fuck keeps messaging Y/N?" Tom said aloud. Your phone had been vibrating on the table for a while, though it did nothing to disturb your nap.

Harrison shrugged, his hands softly massaging your legs. "Wanna check?" he asked. "Might be important."

"Why can't you?" the other boy said. He was already comfortable in his spot on the large couch, and he still wasn't as close to you as Harrison was to be going on your phone either.

"I don't wanna wake her up."

Tom rolled his eyes and got up. Having to find a comfortable position again was annoying, but hearing your phone constantly go off was worse. He lifted the screen to his eyes and skimmed the messages on your lock screen, all from the same person.

Each message reached into him and brought out a lump in his throat. It was Beth, and she was messaging you about him. That wasn't even the worst part, it was that she kept saying that she wanted to see Tom again.

"Who is it?" Harrison asked.

"It's. . . Uh."

Suddenly your phone began ringing again, the caller ID showing it was the same person. Without thinking, Tom answered the call.

"Hello?" he started. He sat himself back on the couch, and Harrison generously turned the volume of the television down.

"Y/N?" Beth said from the other side. "Is this Y/N?"

"No, this is Tom. Y/N's, erm, asleep right now."

"Oh, perfect!" She sounded giddy, to his surprise. "I wanted to talk to you actually."

"Oh did you?" He placed an arm over his chance, smirking at what he expected Beth to say.

"Yeah," she continued. "Y/N's not let me talk to you—she's said that I shouldn't—but I'd really like to go for another shot at a date, if you'd like?"

His eyes travelled to your sleeping figure, oblivious to the situation at hand. He felt his skin gradually heat up with anger, unable to believe that you were bold enough to keep Tom from dating someone he clearly liked. First Harrison, and now him?

Your body began to stir, and Harrison motioned for Tom to end the call already so you wouldn't wake to see him on your phone.

As soon as your eyes began to flutter open, Tom kept his watch on you and replied, "Y'know what? I'd love to. You've got my number, yeah? Alright, just text me, love. Cheers."

He ended the call and observed your reaction to his delight. You looked astonished, to say the least, while Harrison sat in confusion.

"Who was that?" you asked him carefully.

He shrugged and tossed the phone on the couch cushions, pretending that he didn't want to wring you dry. "I'm sure you've already got an idea, darling."

"Tom."

"It was Beth. She had a very important message, which apparently you tried to hide from me, eh?"

You and Harrison tensed at the words, Harrison ready to defend you if he needed to.

"Tom," you said again. You rose from the couch and stood to face him. "You don't know the whole story—"

"This is bullshit," he interrupted. He stood and faced you completely, and you winced at his words. "I knew I couldn't trust you. You listen to my lil speech last night, say we should give it a go at being friends, and not even 24 hours later you're already going off behind my back? Really, Y/N? I'm done. I wish I could say I'm surprised."

Harrison stood too, slightly behind you. He raised a hand, like Tom was a wild dog that needed to be caught. "Tom," he warned. "You've got to chill, mate. I'm sure Y/N can explain if you let her."

"If I let her?" Tom said louder.

You backed away a bit, realizing this wasn't one of those times where you could put your word in. You stood next to Harrison, both of you anticipating Tom's next move.

He spoke softer now, as if regaining his temper. "Look," he breathed out. "I'm sorry for yellin' so much, Y/N. We know that's not me. I promise, it's not me. But I'll just let you know now that you can tell me any excuse you want, explain whatever you want, but I'll never believe you. Friends don't keep friends from goin' on dates." He gave you a small squint at that last sentence. "Clearly you've got some work to do on knowing what a friend does. You've been havin' problems with it for a coupl'a years now."

Harrison scrunched his eyebrows in more confusion, looking back and forth between the two of you. In another beat, Tom walked away and into his room, Tessa jumping off the couch and following him.

Harrison lead you to sit back on the couch next to him. You slumped your shoulders and put your head on him, which he welcomed with an embrace.

You were exhausted. Only a couple of hours had gone by with relief. The air was cleared, the water got a bit cleaner, the weights were lifted. It was the next step with Tom, but now you'd gone back ten steps and you didn't know how to get any further.

"This is too much, Haz," you finally said.

He rested his chin on the top of your head and was rubbing your arm comfortingly. "I know, love," he murmured. He didn't ask for you to explain what had just happened, and for that, you silently thanked him.

"Should I try to talk to him?" you asked, speaking towards Haz's chest.

You felt him shake his head slightly, and you sighed.

There was a part of you that was grateful of what Tom said, specifically because he didn't mention a certain someone that the two of you spoke of the night before. You could deal with whatever backlash he had for you, but you didn't know if you'd ever be able to handle Harrison knowing what happened with her.

Everything was laid out on the table between you and Tom, but he was the only one who could use anything to his advantage. It was like you were there only to watch and see whether or not Tom dared play his cards to win.