THE INEVITABLE │ t.h

TWENTY

Tom and Venus ran into the house, music blaring from the playroom. Rita must've suggested a dance party, Venus and Tom thought. Venus grabbed Tom's wrist and pulled him to his bathroom, where the first aid kit was.

She settled him on the lid of the toilet, prying open the kit. She set out the antiseptic wipes, bandages, and Neosporin. With no heads up, she straddles his lap and tends to his face first. Randal had scratched the hell out of Tom's cheek while trying to push him off.

Tom held a rather loving gaze the entire time she worked on his face, which Venus was surprised to not find distracting. She figured it was because his injuries were higher on her priority list.

She held a cool, damp wash cloth to the side of his face to calm the swelling around the deep scratches, utilizing this moment to meet his stare. He offers a soft smile, Venus returning it.

"I hate you," she finally spoke, though her smile was wider than before, as she pulled back the cloth and inspected the scratches further.

"Wha.." Tom responds, awestruck.

"This wasn't supposed to happen," she sighs. "I'm so sorry it did."

"I'm sorry I didn't come out sooner," Tom responds. Venus glances over at him, pinching her eyebrows together. "I was listening to you guys talk," he explains. "I wanted to make sure he wouldn't walk away before I jumped him." Venus lightly laughs, holding out her hand. Tom places his bruised and busted knuckles in her palm, continuing to watch her as she cleaned and bandaged them with care. "I didn't know he's tried to kill you before... and more than once." Venus's breath hitched, forgetting she had said that. Tom tilts his head to inspect her neck, noticing the bruises were fading nicely. "You don't deserve that."

"Maybe I do," Venus shrugs.

"Why would you think that?" Tom questions, his blood beginning to boil yet again. She definitely didn't deserve to be treated like a rag doll.

"It keeps happening," she huffs. "He's never going to leave me alone. Maybe I did something that God didn't like so he's deciding to fuck my life up."

"Bad things happen to good people," Tom whispers. He removes his hands from hers and cups her cheeks. Her face lifts, his thumbs catching the two fallen tear drops. "He won't come back."

"He will," she mumbles.

"He won't," Tom firmly responds, yet his voice still remains gentle. "Because if he does, he'll live to regret it." Venus shakes her head, trying to look away. But Tom wouldn't let her, applying little pressure to keep her eyes trained on his. His eyes flickered to her lips, but only briefly. It was still long enough for Venus to notice.

"I'm not done with your knuckles," she whispers, now more than aware of how close they were. Tom rested his forehead on hers, brushing his nose against hers.

"Fuck 'em," Tom whispers, colliding their lips together. Their mouths moved in sync, both breaking out in smiles and giggles as it was exactly how they imagined it would feel, if not, more.

"Okay, seriously," Venus chuckles, tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear. "I need to finish bandaging your knuckles." Tom laughs, watching her do as she says.

"I wish it was just us," Tom confesses, brushing the fallen hair out of her face. He grins at her intense blush, laughing as she retorts, "It is just us."