Miss Matched // Thomas Sangster Fanfiction

Chapter Thirty-Five - The Deep Things

When Thomas wakes up early that Sunday morning, he decides it would be a good day to accompany Fleur to church. He hastily dresses in a button up shirt and slacks, and slips out of his dorm room silently as Dylan continues to snore his Sunday morning away.

The day is warmer than it has been, and as a result, there has been a fair bit off melt off already. As he walks towards the front gates of Gandy Academy, he ends up having to take off the jacket he's got on and carry it with him. Approaching the gates, he notices a small gathering of students dressed in their Sunday best are already waiting for the gates to be opened.

Honestly, it never ceases to surprise him how many students willingly attend church at Gandy, without their parents forcing them to do so.

Among the students collected at the gates, Thomas spots Fleur waiting with her arms crossed and a sleepy expression on her face. She glances over at him as he approaches, and Thomas has a couple of seconds to appreciate how the blue blouse she wears really compliments her eyes before Fleur is greeting him.

"Oh, hello, Thomas," she says quietly, offering him a spiritless smile.

"Morning," Thomas says in return, noticing the very still mood she seems to be in. "How are you doing?"

She sighs heavily, "I'm wishing I'd gone to bed earlier last night."

"I see," Thomas grins, recalling the busy weekends they'd had already. "Something to consider tonight, I suppose."

"Yeah," she says dully.

They don't have to wait very long before a teacher comes to unlock the gate for them. Even if the wait had been long, Thomas wouldn't have minded. The morning was so pleasant, he could have spent the morning happily soaking up the sunny warmth that lingered in the normally brutal Alaskan air.

For probably the hundredth time, Thomas wonders just what inspired the school founder to build a boarding school in Alaska of all places.

He travels in silence with Fleur, walking to the bus stop, taking the short ride to her small, Catholic church, and then entering the quiet congregation. Dust spirals through the air as he and Fleur take their seats near the back. Fleur hums contently, her breaths slow and steady. A truly peaceful expression on her face, and the feeling seems to be radiating off of her and soaking into Thomas too.

Thomas glances around the congregation, wordlessly. He marks each student he recognizes in the crowd, noting that a fair few students seem to be Catholic at this school. In his search, he makes eye contact with Libby Trails, who sends him a flirtatious wink. Awkwardly, Thomas glances away from her, oblivious to the smoldering looks she continues to send his direction.

Their Sunday morning continues to slip by in the same reserved way. With each of them silently listening to what the church leaders say, sitting shoulder to shoulder, taking small glances over at each other every so often and sharing soft smiles. It feels very intimate to Thomas. Even without the tell-tale signs of regular intimacy, the small, subtle parts of the morning only make him feel closer to Fleur.

After mass, the two slip out of the front doors of the church and walk towards the bakery. The sound of birds chirping floats through the air and in the distance Thomas can hear an owl hooting. There's hardly any traffic on the roads this morning, which allows for an uneventful stroll down the lanes.

"I think I've been to church here at Gandy more than I ever have in my life before," Thomas comments off-handedly to Fleur as they near the bakery doors.

She studies him briefly, before asking, "Do you consider yourself a religious person?"

"Not really," Thomas replies thoughtfully, "I couldn't ever really see the point in religion."