Roomates (YB Uni AU)

9 Tom

"So, there's no attraction there at all?"
"No. She'll be back from her room in a sec so don't start bothering her about it." He seemed short, as though he'd been having the conversation the whole time I was gone. I swiftly made myself known to the boys
"Right, I can't be arsed cooking so let's order in some food. On me?" They all seemed to agree and dom smiled as I sat down beside him. Ben and Adam had come over, and Tom too for moral support since he didn't really have a photography job in dom anymore. I knew their relationship was much more than that, evidently standing the test of time post-yungblud "I'm gonna pass the phone about just pick what you want, Ben there's some good vegan options here, coming from someone who isn't." He smiled at me, much less confused than dom. Then it dawned on him, making me and Ben laugh "Yeah, yungblud still catches up with ya." I stopped laughing when I noticed he seemed a little put out by it. Ben took the phone and started ordering things and the other boys were occupied with their phones or something else
"You okay?" I said softly, just above a whisper he nodded but gently took my hand in his, squeezing it softly "You wanna hold my hand for a bit?" He nodded and I moved my hand so my fingers were interlocked with his, just in time for the phone to circle back to dom
"Wait I love this place, its where we got pizza from when you first moved in right?"
"Yep. Speaking of pizza can you order the same thing I got?" I watched as he did it, my cheek rested on his shoulder but none of the boys seemed to care, in fact they seemed more so relieved that he was open to such affection rather than rejecting it
"Says you gotta pay mush." He passed me the phone, his teasing nickname a contrast to how soft I knew he really could be, but the lack of vulnerability wasn't a shock considering the circumstances. I checked out and waited for a second, hoping the time wouldn't be too late for delivery
"Hour wait. Guess we'll have to watch TV then since it's clear writing is over."
"Sounds good to me." Tom said, making his way over to sit with us around the couch area, clearly no space for him on the actual sofa
"Adam?"
"Sure. Lets try and agree on something."
"It's a plan then."

"Dom? Dom you're falling asleep." He groaned at me, opening his eyes to give me a dirty stare "Go to bed. Me and Tom will be fine." The party had died down. Not that there was much of a party at all but you get what I mean. Adam and Ben had gone home, Adam getting bored and Ben tending to his newly pregnant fiance. Tom chose to stay though, and I didn't have a problem with him. He seemed to have some kind of understanding about me and dom. An understanding the others didn't as much as they said they did. I knew that somewhere along the line he was in my position, but I thought it best to let him bring that up
"You okay with Tom?"
"Yep. Go to bed bubs. We have a lecture tomorrow. Then your show." He closed his eyes and smirked as I babied him, making me roll my eyes "Get up and go to bed." He got up and chuckled at me
"Love ya kit" he teased making me roll my eyes yet again. He chuckled and leaned down to kiss my forehead "Now I'm being serious" he furrowed his brow and his face went all stern "Look, serious face. Grr." I laughed at him "Pop in before you go to bed yeah?" I nodded
"Night dom."
"Night princess, make sure to fully lock up when Tom goes yeah?" He was instructing me but still walking away
"I'll do that, promise." I shouted through
"Thank you" and with that he closed his door behind him. Tom got up onto the couch where dom was sat
"Do you want to watch this with me? Or go home?" He didn't seem to be down for the small talk or the TV
"You're not gonna lead him on are you? Or break his heart?" I rolled my eyes
"No. Like dom said earlier there's no attraction."
"You heard that?"
"Yep. I know what they think of me. You don't, you seem to understand. But they hate me." He sighed
"They seem to jump down the throat of anyone who breathes near him. They weren't there like I was." He sighed "So how have things been with him?"
"I invited his mum over, and we got into a fight about it. Though you probably heard."
"No actually. He keeps to himself. But I look out for him from a distance."
"You're a good man doing that. Thanks for helping him through all that shit."
"Yeah. Well we heavily relied on each other. But after I got over my breakup he just...didn't." He shrugged "We don't hate you. It's just the first time he's spoken to anyone but us and bonded so well." He looked sad, like he thought he'd genuinely upset me "I'm sorry."
"Can I give you a hug?" He nodded and i moved over, hugging him softly but the way he held me back was the most healing thing in the world "I'm sorry you had to go through all that. But I promise I'll look after him."
"Please do."
"Promise." I reassured
"Okay. I believe you. Cmon, we can watch TV if you're comfortable with me staying the night?"
"Yeah sure."

"Shit." I mumbled, realising I'd fallen asleep with Tom. I noticed light was coming through the windows.
"Comfy?" I jumped at doms voice, shaking Tom awake but he seemed to go back to sleep once I'd got up. Dom was sat on the kitchen counter on his phone, out of view from where I was lay. I made my way over to him, nodding at him sat there before boiling the kettle
"Sorry for not checking in."
"It's fine." He mumbled, taking a bite of his toast he'd made. He sat there, quite content with the meal he'd made himself. That was until I turned around with my mug in hand. He'd moved to the other side of the counter, facing the kitchen rather than out at the living room, a massive smirk on his face
"Nothing happened." I said sternly, taking a sip
"Yet."
"Nothing happened" I reiterated "And nothing will"
"What happened after I went to bed." He still had a smirk on his face, determined to find something more to the pure interaction between the pair of us
"We just talked, and I gave him a hug."
"Why would you hug him? If nothing was going on."
"Doesn't matter, just take my word."
"But why would you-"
"Because he was sad about you. Happy now?" His face fell but the worst look of the pair came from Tom. He'd clearly woken up and in my attempt to avoid doms sad look I was met with his. He got up off the couch, giving me a dirty look "Tom? Tom I'm sorry I know you don't like talking about it." I put my mug down and followed his movements around the small space "Tom I'm sorry. He just pushed me and-"
"Just because you went behind his back doesn't mean you get to do it to me." He didn't give me option to respond as he walked out with his stuff and slammed the door behind him. I stood like a child, waiting there with tears in my eyes and hoping he'd come back. He obviously wasn't going to, my rational brain knew that, but I felt connected to him in some way and I was robbed of the chance to explore that. Purely because of my own stupidity. Dom soon came through, putting his arms over my shoulders and hugging me from behind
"He liked me." He nodded "He didn't care. He liked me."
"Do you wanna cry?" I shook my head "Is that a lie?" I didn't respond "Cmon. I'm sorry, it's my fault-"
"It's not. I shouldn't have told you. That was between us."
"Me and the guys are gonna have a drink so we're heading to the bar earlier, well im not getting a drink but you get the idea. You're welcome to come hang with us?" I thought about it, looking up at him when I was done
"Yeah. Sounds fun." He smiled, removing his arms from me and taking my hand to spin me round
"Now I need your help to find me something more....'yungblud' to wear. Okay?" I nodded
"And something for me?"
"No sweetheart. Go exactly as you would every day. Just want you there."
"Can we talk for a bit?"
"I don't wanna talk about whatever Tom said."
"No. Nothing to do with that. Just wanna talk to you about..." I didn't know how to rephrase exactly what he'd said he was against
"About what Tom said, and like I just told you I don't want to talk about it." He was getting short so I just nodded
"Okay. Let's go pick out something for you to wear."
"You alright?" He asked, making me hold back a laugh at the sheer audacity he had after shutting me down
"Yeah. Fine."
"About Tom yeah, he just doesn't understand it all."
"No its you who doesn't understand dom. Come on. I wanna help you pick something to wear."