Not Fun

Thinking

"Stop tonguing your cheek, it's creepy," Tom threw some crisps at you.

"I bit my cheek the other day and it feels weird," you went back to feeling the inside of your mouth.

"Don't dirty it up with your tongue then," Tom told you. So you replied by licking his face, to you: a fantastic idea, to him: a disgusting action. "Ugh! How are you a human being?!" He wiped his cheek.

"I hardly am," you spoke through laughter, "you taste weird," you clicked your tongue to get rid of the chemical flavour.

"It's probably the cologne," Tom was at the kitchen sink washing his face.

"CR7?"

"How do you know how Ronaldo tastes?" He entered the room again.

"I have a good palette," you shrugged.

"Yeah for fried potato," Tom stole the crisp you were carrying and ate it.

"So why are you wearing that? Going out?"

"Yeah with Harrison. Boys night-"

"Lads, lads, lads, lads," you pumped your fist mockingly.

"What are you doing tonight? Seeing Thomas?" Tom still wasn't thrilled about your official status as a taken woman.

"Um, maybe. Kind of want to just lay in my filth for another few hours," you responded. Tom has seen this behaviour before, the avoiding, the unhygienic environment, you were going to break up with him. Tom sat by you with a concerned expression on his face.

"What's going on?" He asked softly. You didn't answer, "come on, I know you're avoiding him. You haven't been out of the house in a week, you've hardly been on your phone...what's changed?" Oh no, your eye started tearing up but you held it together.

"I don't know. I think it was the novelty of it all. Professor student relationship. He's...he's not old," you didn't want to say Tom was right, "we just don't match," you admitted.
Tom gave you a little hug.

"Come-on, have a shower. You stink,"

"I don't stink I'm just ripe-oop no I stink," you smelled your shirt. Tom smiled you, even though you looked like you'd slept in the woods for a week, you were still gorgeous.

"Make sure you talk to him face to face," Tom knew your habit of just disappearing on certain lovers. But this was an actual relationship, you wouldn't just leave. Your time with Thomas was nice and exciting at times but you really put him on a pedestal when he was your professor.

*

Thomas prepared dinner for you that night, quite late at 10pm. You just showed up out of nowhere but he was happy to see you. "I'm glad you're here, I was worried about you, you weren't answering my calls," he served you and planted a peck on your lips. He smelled so nice.

"I'm sorry I think I'm going through a...a thing right now," you scratched your neck nervously. This was it. You had to end things.

"A thing?" He sat and poured you a glass of wine, "are you alright?"

"I...I don't know,"

"Well I've got some news that might cheer you up," Thomas got up and went to the kitchen, coming back to hand you theatre tickets, "editing is finished. We've got our premiere in a few weeks," his grin made you grin, "would you do me the honour of being my lovely date?"

*

"He asked so nicely! And he was really excited!" You defended yourself to Tom.

"Tell me you didn't sleep with him," Tom begged but groaned when you stayed silent, "you're a rollercoaster!"

"I know! I know! We just have to stay together for another few weeks and then I'll be ready. And who's to say we have to break up anyway?"

"You!" Tom pointed, "you don't love him, he doesn't love you. Why are you still doing this to yourselves?!"

"What?"

"I said why are you-"

"No. You said he didn't love me," that hurt. Bad. Tom could tell, he regretted ever opening his mouth now. Huh. Maybe you did love him, "how would you know something like that?" You paced towards the nervous man.

"You know...body language and stuff," he shrugged and folded his arms.

"Tom did he say something to you?" He avoided eye contact, "Holland," you warned.

"We had a chat the other day," he admitted, never one for keeping a secret, "he just kept saying that he liked you a lot but.."

"But what?"

"Doesn't see your relationship going elsewhere," Tom got quiet.

"Okay,"

"Okay?" Tom was confused. You're never this calm with information that heavy, you're a total stress-head.

"Yeah. If he doesn't want me in his future, I guess I don't want him in mine either," you paused, "I'll do it tonight. I have to end it."

And you did. Turns out it was quite easy. A very mutual and mature decision. You two agreed to see each other at the premiere but Tom was going to be your date, not him.

"I hope you get him. One day," Thomas wished you on your way out.

"I'm sorry?"

"Tom. You two are very in love. And I mean that in the nicest way, not a petty ex-boyfriend insult. He loves you. If you were going to open yourself up to anyone...I think he's the one," Thomas tried being nonchalant about this very serious topic but part of him really wanted to cry.

"Don't date anymore students. It's creepy and you're gonna get sacked," you offered your two cents, which made him smile.

"I'll see you soon,"

"Bye," you kissed his cheek.