TAKE A SECOND - tom holland

𝘛𝘏𝘐𝘙𝘛𝘠-𝘍𝘖𝘜𝘙. ✓

!! TRIGGER WARNING !!
MENTIONS OF PHYSICAL AND EMOTIONAL ABUSE.

IF THIS IS SOMETHING YOU DECIDE YOU WOULD NOT LIKE TO READ, I UNDERSTAND. PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF YOU WANT A SUMMARY ABOUT THE CHAPTER AND I AM MORE THAN GLAD TO GIVE YOU ONE.

I LOVE YOU ALL.

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

[REAL LIFE]

Tom has been standing outside of his girlfriend's door for 2 minutes. He knew it had been exactly two minutes, because he watched as the long hand on the  tiny home screen clock change.

He didn't know why he was waiting; he did, but he didn't. Confrontation was not his forte, especially with a girl he was deeply involved with.

Tom didn't want to mess up one of the best things to ever happen to him.

He brought his hand up to the door, but froze as he heard movement from inside the apartment. He swallowed his fear, and rapped three times.

The door squeaked open to reveal what looked like a very drained Harper Adler, in a UCLA hoodie paired with a pair of Tom's sweatpants. Seeing them on her relaxed him for some reason. Harper gave him a light smile that didn't reach her eyes, but her slightly positive expression soothed his nerves.

"Hi, Harps," Tom whispered as he moved closer to her.

"Hi, Tommy," Harper murmured as she gestured for him to come in. Tom entered to see Sebastian and Frankie, watching the news, both in rather interesting ensembles. Both friends sat abruptly up at the sight of him. Sebastian and Tom shared a soft grin, while Frankie stared at him with such an intensity that he had to look away.

"Um, l-let's go to my room," Harper stuttered out after nodding at her friends draped over her couch. Tom nodded in agreement and shuffled behind his girlfriend. He entered her room, her familiar scent engulfing him at he stared at the clutter that covered her floors and bed.

"I-i'm sorry i didn't clean up fully," Harper frowned as she looked at the state of her room. "I just —"

"Love, your room is the least of my worries," Tom blurted out. Harper slowly nodded her head as she plopped down onto her covers. Tom slowly inched closer, and sat down right next to her, and to his own confident surprise, took her cold fingers and intertwined them with his. Harper took in a sharp breath, and began.

"W-when I first moved to los angeles to start school, I had Frankie; only Frankie. you know how she is, she's scary but a serious social butterfly," Harper joked.

Tom gave a short small laugh, and a bit of the tension eased between the couple.

"Our freshman year had been pretty slow, and Frankie and I were as close as ever. The beginning of sophomore year, I had met Sebastian through a random acting class I had done, and we had hung out a few times, but we weren't close yet."

"Halfway through college, Frankie was easily making friends in her classes, while I was stuck inside my own head, not reaching out to anyone. It was lonely, I guess, being by myself for most of the time. Sometimes I would reach out to Sebastian and we would talk on the phone or he would come visit to see how I was, but he's an actor, he didn't have time to hang out with a 19 year old." Harper gulped, her eyes meeting Tom's. Tom couldn't help but notice the weariness, the sadness that started directly back at him.