The First Punch [t.h.]

Chapter 15 - Ocean Meets The Stars

The living room of Tom's apartment is quiet besides the few city sounds outside. The blinds across the floor to ceiling windows are pulled up and the couch is turned around allowing SJ and Tom to have their view of the city. Neon lights illuminate the living room with a faint light coming from the kitchen. SJ has her legs across Tom's lap and her head turned towards the window while Tom's facing forward, his hands on her shins, thumbs rubbing against the fabric of her jeans softly.

It's been hours that they've been sitting here. They talk here and there but it's mostly silence, the two of them enjoying the silence. There's a different kind of comfort with someone when no conversation or sound needs to be had in order to be happy together. SJ and Tom have managed to reach that. They're peaceful and happy to just be sitting there, looking at the city at three in the morning, quiet but together.

Tom turns his head as he lightly squeezes SJ's shin. "Think Mikey is gonna be with Haz and Matty?"

SJ laughs softly with the shake of her head. "He has to watch his sister so probably not." SJ explains, still finding it amazing that Harrison decided to hang out with Matty for another night.

"He's a sister?" Tom asks, quirking a brow and blatant surprise covers his face.

"Yes." SJ comments. "He doesn't really talk about her."

Tom shakes his head with a huff, a smirking tugging at the side of his mouth. "No wonder the two of you are friends."

"Hey!" SJ flicks his shoulder. "I didn't hide Travis."

"I'm kidding." Tom chuckles.

"Why'd you ask though?"

Tom sucks in a breath and tries to play it off. "Just, curious."

SJ narrows her eyes. "You're full of shit. Why?"

"He's just....kind of hostile."

SJ burst into a fit of laughter. "Harrison will be fine, I promise. It's you he doesn't like."

It's not that Tom didn't know Mikey didn't like him but actually having it confirmed just makes his heart sink. SJ is clearly capable of making her own decisions and she seems to listen to absolutely no one so it's not that Tom thinks that if Mikey were to tell her to stop seeing him, she would, it's that he wants SJ's friends to like him. Tom hasn't done anything to Mikey or to SJ for that matter. So, he's worried that if Mikey doesn't like him, maybe it'll rub off on SJ and maybe she'll find a reason to stop talking to him. It's a bit of an odd worry, really. If SJ were going to just fall into whatever Mikey's issue is, she wouldn't open up like she has. And she definitely wouldn't be sitting on the couch with him at three in the morning.

"Why doesn't he like me?" Tom asks, his head slightly hung as he looks at her through his lashes.

"Eh, he's kind of in love with and doens't trust you." SJ shrugs as if her words meant nothing and her stare goes back to the city lights.