THE INEVITABLE │ t.h

SEVENTEEN

"Thanks," Venus hisses as she sits on the bed, still clad in just a towel. Tom stood awkwardly, not knowing what to do from here.

"How's your side?" he questions. Venus glances up at him, wincing.

"Hurts worse than before," she groans, shifting on the sheets. She was more than uncomfortable with the previous events, not to mention beyond embarrassed.

"I-I didn't see anything," Tom mutters.

"You've said that five times now," Venus chuckles. "I believe you." Without warning, Evelyn barrels into the room with a first aid kit.

"You be my nurse, daddy," Evelyn orders as she sets the kit beside Venus.

"Can I get dressed first, sweetie?" Venus questions.

"Yeah, come on, Evie," Tom speaks, leading her out into the hallway. They waited patiently for Venus to become decent before re-entering the room.

"Okay, let me see it," Evelyn speaks as she stands in front of Venus. The older woman hisses and grunts as she lifts the shirt, revealing the large bruise on her right side. Tom's heart falls as he continues to watch her struggle to do simple actions with a scrunched up face. Evelyn saw the deep, dark mark and immediately stepped back. "Maybe daddy should look at that."

Tom chuckled, kneeling down to be eye-level with Venus's bruised side. He glanced up at her as he attempted to poke it gently, apologizing the second her face twisted. "So yeah — that's, uh, bad."

"I think some ice will make it better," Venus speaks. Evelyn lights up and runs off, leaving the two adults alone again.

"Please don't sue me," Tom lightly jokes, smiling up at her with so much innocence, as if he didn't almost just see the woman naked.

"No promises," Venus teases back. Goosebumps travel up her skin as Tom's hand grips her back gingerly, thumb grazing the slightest over the quick-forming bruise. "I didn't know a shower could be so slippery." Tom laughs, gazing up at her. His smile drops as he thinks of the things Evelyn told him of the two girls' time today.

"Evelyn told me she had to beg you to eat," he mumbles as he averts his eyes back to her injured side. "And that you excused yourself to the bathroom but she never heard a flush?"

"Damn, that kid is observant," Venus chuckles, slightly annoyed with Evelyn's oversharing gene.

"Is it true? You didn't eat much?" he questions, once again meeting her eyes with his. Venus bites her lip, nodding, as she sees no benefit in lying. "Venus-"

"I just haven't been hungry since that shit went down," Venus huffs. Tom noticed the tears building in her eyes, frowning. "And I..." Should she tell him of this? I mean, she'd be living with him for God knows how long, he should be aware of it, right?

"Venus?" Tom quizzes, concern and worry etching deeper into his features.

Her eyes looked into his soft brown ones, her upper row of teeth clamped down on her bottom lip. "I-I've been having p-panic attacks." Tom's face drops, as does his heart and stomach. "Th-they just come r-randomly. And I-I feel like the w-world is caving in around m-me — like I'm b-being dragged deeper into the d-depths of the ocean from the s-shoreline."

"I'm so sorry, Venus," Tom whispers. "Do you want me to get you some anxiety medication?" Venus shakes her head.

"It doesn't really work," she huffs. "And I wouldn't want to abuse them, ya know?" Tom nods. She sniffs, wiping her eyes dry, her pout turning into a small smile. "Being around you actually numbs my anxiety."

Tom freezes, somehow able to contain the urge, want, and desire to kiss her right then and there. She didn't, and would never, understand how happy he was to hear her say that.

"I'm glad," is all he can respond with while holding a bright smile.

"I'm sorry I'm ruining your life," she chuckles, but genuinely means it. Her guilt only worsens the longer she stays.

"You aren't," Tom remarks, frowning at her for thinking so. "You're making it enjoyable." Venus grins, a tint of red gracing her cheeks. "I should be the one that's sorry." Venus furrows her eyebrows. "My shower hurt you."

"Oh, please," Venus laughs, "I'm just a clutz. Believe it or not, that wasn't my first time slipping in the shower, and probably won't be my last." Tom's eyes widen in fear, a laugh overcoming Venus's voice. "Hopefully you'll be around to help me back up."

"Always," Tom replies. "Hopefully you don't bust a hip."

"Will you lend me your hip if I do?"

"Obviously."

➴⋆➶

Tom glanced over at the two girls cuddled up in the corner of his L-shaped couch, sharing a fuzzy blanket as they intently watched Hercules. Tom had been with them, but got up momentarily to make more popcorn, as per request of Evelyn and Venus, once the smaller girl convinced her Tom would only say yes if both asked, and nicely at that. He was unable to hold back the grin that formed along his lips, sending a prayer to the Man above that Venus would remain in their lives forever.

"One giant popcorn bowl," he announces, sitting beside the two after placing the bowl in Venus's lap. His eyes fall on the older girl, whose sat in between him and Evelyn, eventually catching her attention once she notices him staring out of the corner of her eye.

"May I help you?" she teases, whispering so as not to interrupt Evelyn's intense focus on the movie.

"I have a dinner with my boss and coworkers tomorrow," Tom softly speaks, finally working up a bit of courage to ask her what he'd been dwelling on for most of the day. "Would you like to be my plus one?"

Venus's eyebrows raised, a smirk taking over her features. "Depends where it's at."

"A new fancy restaurant that's opening up," he responds. "Clancy's," he adds. Venus's face drops, her eyes widening a bit.

"That's way too fancy for someone like me," she giggles, shaking her head. Tom pouts, throwing his head back into the back of the couch. "Tom, don't look at me like that."

"I don't like fancy places either," he reassures. "Please accompany me and help me get through this night in one piece."

Venus groans, looking back at the TV in time for a kissing scene of Meg and Hercules to be displayed. She smiles, returning her eyes to Tom after realizing he's her Hercules. Her superhero. Her God. He meets her gaze, sending a dorky smile. She laughs, shaking her head again.

"Fine, Holland," she speaks. "I can't say no to you."

"Good to know," he smirks, turning back to the TV screen. Venus's jaw drops, her hand gathering some popcorn from the bowl and tossing it as his face. He gasps, holding a hand over his heart, mocking a hurt expression. "You've just proclaimed war, Maddox."