𝙰𝚛𝚛𝚊𝚗𝚐𝚎𝚖𝚎𝚗𝚝 | 𝚃𝚘𝚖 𝙷𝚘𝚕𝚕𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚡 𝙾𝙲 (𝟷𝟾+)

25 ~ Greeting Freedom

Ruth Rogers

Steve jumps onto Tessa's back, bouncing off of it as she barks playfully, chasing him around the living room. I giggle, crossing my legs as I sit on the rug comfortably, waiting for Tom to finish work so that we could do something fun. My ears perk up to the sound of the bell ringing- and so does Tessa's; she barks and howls, rushing to the door to scratch and jump on it, wanting to greet the guest.

I peak through the small hole through the door, seeing no one there. Joy fills my body as I realise the mail man must've come- well, the body guard stopped him at the gate and took it here himself- but that's not the point.

Opening the door carefully so that Tess and Steve don't get out, I pull the small package inside with a small squeal of excitement, closing the door with a thud. I rush off to the kitchen, grabbing some scissors and jogging back to the living room and throwing myself down into my original spot. Steve and Tess run with me, licking at me face as I cut the packaging.

A small gasp leaves my lips, a smile spreading as I gently pull out the small cat and bigger dog beanie. Both matching with their names stitched in black on the back. The Spider-Man pattern woven carefully and perfectly with small flaws that only make it cuter. 

Patting Steve's head to calm him, I put the beanie on, his ears going through the assigned holes with a flick. I do the same with Tessa, giggling as they sit there confused yet unworried with no care of the hat. They continue their play from before- tiring themselves out.

I go to my bedroom quickly, grabbing my black polaroid and wandering back down the hall- stopping as Tom's office door opens to reveal the man himself. He smiles at me, picking up a jog to kiss my head and wrap his arm around my waist, walking with me back down the stairs to the living room.

Tessa and Steve did tire out- cuddled up on the couch as soft snores leave Tess' lips. Steve is tucked under her neck, a paw draped across his body as he wriggles further into her, his tail curled around her paw. A quiet 'aw' leave's Tom and I's mouth as we look at our fur babies.

I snap a few photos of them sleeping, writing the date on the small white rectangle with a sharpie, placing them on the coffee table so that I could sit next to the snuggled animals, making sure to not wake them. Tom sits next to me, no words exchanged as he pulls my legs over his lap horizontally, rubbing soft circles and stars on my thighs as we sit in silence- turning on the TV after some time.

"When'd they get those hats?" Tom ask after a beat, looking over at the sleeping pets with a raised eyebrow. I snuggle further into him, playing with his rings on his fingers.

"Today" He hums, kissing my head. The sound of the TV fills the room as we all watch the screen- well, Tom and I watch, the other two rest.  After a content silence, Tom speaks up again,

"Do you ever think about your dad?" He looks down at me with a questioning look, and I'm slightly taken back by the question.

"All the time.. Why?" I ask, watching his face as he thinks. Without looking at me, he continues, 

"I've been thinkin' about it a lot, and I know how much family means to you, and your friend, Lavender, and I've realised that you're not going anywhere, and that I trust you more than basically anyone ever... So, jus' thought that I'd let you go, y'know? Not without my own or someone else's supervision for obvious reasons, but I dunno.. I kinda want to meet the man you named your cat after too" He smiles, looking down at me with adoring eyes. My heart leaps, and so do I. My arms wring around his neck, pulling him against me in a warm embrace, thanking him over and over with kisses after each word. He laughs, pulling away with a final kiss to the lips.

"I love you so much, Lover" I kiss him again, getting lost in his taste. He hums against my mouth.

"Y'know I love you more"