Because You're Mine (A Tom Hiddleston Fanfic) #Wattys2016 #pfcc2k16

Chapter Twenty-Nine: Be here.

           

I rush my second glass of scotch and I am ready to go. The pub is not nearly as full as other nights but I guess it might have something to do with the fact that most people chose to spend this kind of festivity at much more polished, quiet places.

"All those British boys you have been dating lately seem to have rubbed their habits on you... Since when do you drink scotch?" My dad tries to make a joke and he cackles loudly about it. He still doesn't know about my fall out with Tom but then again, he never really knew about us officially. I could tell he wanted to find things out but he was rather cautious because of everything else going on so we never got the chance to actually talk about it. I presume this is his way of bringing the topic up but I guess he should've figure out something's wrong given that it is Valentine's Day and I am drinking at a bar with my roommate, my neighbor and my father.

"Well, you won't have to worry about that anymore..." I say as I stand up from our table. "No more British boys for me!" I continue while raising my empty glass.

The awkward silence that follows my statement doesn't go by unnoticed, even with the music blasting around us. Joseph and Ally are staring at each other, not knowing exactly what to say and my dad... well, he just looks at me without a trace of his previous smile.

From the other side of the room, I can see Charlie waving at me; he's standing behind the bar and he has been there since we arrived so we didn't get the chance to have a conversation. I put down my glass on the table and I look at my group before I walk away, "Any requests?"

"Just... try not to not to bum us any further, would you?" Ally responds with a laugh that I quickly reciprocate. Lately I had discovered that she has a certain power over my moods; being able to make them shift into the right path of mildness whenever necessary. My dad and Joseph grin at her comment but they mostly keep it to themselves while shaking their heads.

"I will definitely try"

With the guitar hanging from my shoulder I scoot around some tables to get to where my friends is and as soon as I am at a decent distance, he leans over the counter and shouts my name. When we are finally able to salute each other with the proper double kiss he hands me the key of the small room he lets me use as a dressing room –which is more like a private restroom, really– and refills my empty glass.

"I will switch to Guinness from now on!" I beam before swallowing the majority of the liquor and he nods in my direction while grabbing a pint glass.

"There you go. And thank you again for calling! You saved my bloody ass!"

"You're saving mine more than you know by serving these for me!"  With a large swig of my beer I walk around the bar and into the hidden door that leads to the private accommodations. Two of the waiters are having a smoke by a stack of boxes and they smile at me as they step aside to let me through the narrow corridor. The wisps of smoke float over my head and I squint my eyes to protect them but I don't really mind for the smell; I used to have that nasty habit back in high school and most part of college and once in a while, when I feel a little skittish, I enjoy lighting one of those up and have a few whiffs in the balcony.

Now that I come to think about it, with everything going on right now, I can't believe I haven't fallen for it already. I consider turning around and ask those lads for one of his cigarettes but I quickly dismiss it; I have to sing in a few moments and that wouldn't be right.

Is not like it's the Madison Square Garden.  Fuck it!

I officially smell like a fucking ashtray now and I kind of feel a little lightheaded due to the nicotine and the alcohol, so I am feeling like a damn rock star and I am ready to go out there and have fun. As I tune the strings of the guitar and hum a few notes, I hear my phone buzzing at the edge of the little table behind me.