Heaven ── TOM HOLLAND

23. Careless

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         "So, how's Clover?"

          Growing up with Baxter as a parent wasn't the easiest. She studied, she cleaned, she did anything and everything that made her an unhappy child. Night after night, she'd hope that one day another child would face the same future as her. That Baxter would find it in his heart to take in another baby and give her a sibling of some sort.

          She regretted that now.

          Clover was the little sister she wished for, and now she wishes she was an only child again. Orion considered herself to be a people person, she had to be in this line of work. But Clover's presence was really making her question everything she thought she knew. She was constantly snapped herself into the girl's home, just to answer questions that could easily be answered by her tablet. On top of that, she never apologized for wasting Orion's time, instead starting her next question with "well, since you're here..." only further irritating the girl.

           "She's nice," Orion responded eventually, assuring she didn't meet Mateo's eye as she tidied her kitchen up. He spent the night, unsurprisingly, leading to the two having breakfast together, also unsurprisingly. 

          He snorted. "Nice? Like how you thought Tom was nice after you first met him?"

          She shot him a sharp look. "My first impression of Tom is not to be mentioned, you know that."

           Herself and said boy were close friends now. Looking back at it, she was embarrassed of the way she behaved towards Tom. It was the longest bratty act she's ever pulled off, so as far as she was concerned, it never happened. She tried her hardest to make sure it never came up under any circumstances, or else she'd find herself drowning in self-hate over it. 

          Tom couldn't have agreed more when she first explained it. He didn't like to dwell on something of the past, especially when it had to do with the roots of his friendship with Orion. He liked to think that was a different Orion, a much more ignorant and close-minded one, one that wasn't like the girl he knew now. And it was true, for the most part.

          "Why are you asking anyways?" Orion muttered, leaning against the kitchen island as she finished up. "She's most definetly not the type of people you align yourself with."

           Mateo shrugged. "That's probably true, but maybe not for Tom." A smirk tugged at his lips when Orion immediately stiffened, sliding across the kitchen tiles to begin to busy herself again. "She asked me about him."

           Orion wasn't at all surprised with that information. Since the moment Clover crashed into this world, she'd been asking about Tom. It got to the point where Orion had to snap herself out of the room at random times or else she'd blow up, all her pent up frustration building up far too quickly. It wasn't even useful information like Tom's interests or his personality, it was stupid little facts that couldn't possible by useful in Clover's case. Like his favorite candle scent, or wether or if he prefers whole wheat to white bread. 

           "Doesn't surprise me," Orion muttered, unaware of the bitterness of her tone. "What did she wanna know now? Something unimportant?"

          "Close," Mateo said nonchalantly, easing Orion's nerves for a short second. "She asked me how to ask him out."

          She couldn't help it. As soon as the words came out of Mateo's mouth, Orion was laughing. It wasn't a small giggle she let slip either, it was a full on cackle, even with her hand covering her mouth, her laugh could be heard loud and clear. Mateo rose an eyebrow at her as she attempted to calm herself down, failing as another fit of giggles came upon her.

          "I knew she liked him," she let out a snort, "but ask him out? She doesn't even know him!"

          "And you find that funny," Mateo clarified.

           Orion nodded. "Hilarious, even."

           "Well, have you told her she can't ask him out?"

           "No, why?" Orion snickered. "She told me she wanted to take more risks, let her ask him out."

           "Isn't that hypocritical?" Orion rose an eyebrow, gesturing with her hand for him to elaborate. "I mean, you flipped on Kels for sleeping with Tom, is this whole Clover situation not the same?"

             "Clover isn't trying to use Tom to gain an advantage in some rebellious club," Orion deadpanned.

            "Good point," Mateo sighed. "So you're okay with it then?"

            Orion nodded. "Completely okay with it."

            She didn't notice the way Mateo's lips twitched into a half-smile. "Say that again for me." She made a face. "Just say it Orion. Say you're okay with Clover asking out Tom."

            "Okay," she snickered, slight smile resting on her lips. "I am totally okay with Clover asking out Tom." Her smile quickly fell when Mateo let out a laugh, hand slapping the counter as he did so. "What? What did I do?"

            "You just lied to me!" Mateo chortled. He raised a hand when Orion opened her mouth to protest, silencing her before she could start. "Orion, we've been friends since we were sixteen. I learned a week into our friendship that when you lie, your ears wiggle." Orion blanched, hands quickly moving to untuck her hair from behind her ears. "Oh, that's useless now, I already saw them. The cute little wiggle they did when you said you were okay with Clover asking Tom out."

             With that, he hopped off the stool, pretending to flick hair over his shoulder before leaving Orion's house. Orion slumped against the counter with a huff, hands going to hold both ears, an uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach.