Time Never Stops

Prologue: A New Path

Word Count: 3028

A/N: (Y/F/H/D): your favorite hot drink / (Y/F/M): your favorite movie / (W/Y/L): where you live

The London weather is wet and dreary, mirroring how I felt after a long semester of classes. Rain splatters against the windows of the airport as I slip my backpack off of my shoulders and set it on top of my suitcase that sits at my side. I slide my phone out of my back pocket, unlocking it to reveal a picture of my best friend and I from a few years back. It had been winter break, I was exhausted from weeks of exams and papers, and he decided that he was done waiting for our schedules to work with each other, that he would just fly out and spend the break with me. I was on his back, the crooks of his arms placed behind the back of my knees while my arms were wrapped around his neck loosely. I was wearing a reindeer antler headband with my hair curled in loose ringlets and an ugly Christmas sweater that matched his. We looked so happy, especially since it had been almost three years since we had seen each other in person due to schedule conflicts.

I scrolled through my contacts and clicked on his name, ready to brace myself for an assault of questions.

It rang twice before his voice came through the speaker. "Hey, (Y/N)! How's my favorite girl?"

"I-" I take a breath to settle the shakiness of my voice, "I'm okay, how are you?" I bring my hand to my lips to bite the nail.

"I'm good, Harrison and I are just watching a movie. Is there anything that I do for you, or do you just miss your favorite Brit?" He teases, Harrison's laugh echoes through the receiver.

"Actually, I, uh, was wondering if you could do me a favor?" I whisper into the speaker, not trusting my voice anymore.

"Sure, love! What can I do?"

"Can," I take a breath, a few tears slip down my cheeks as my voice cracks. "Can you pick me up from the airport?"

"You're in London?" I hear the sound of him shuffling in the background, "(Y/N), are you crying, what happened-"

"Tom," I let out a short breath, "please."

I hear Tom let out a small sigh. "I'll be there in twenty, I'm grabbing my keys right now." I hear Tom pull the phone away from his face, "Harrison, I'll be back in an hour, I'm picking up (Y/N) from the airport." I can hear Harrison say something in the background but I am unable to make it out. "Hold tight, okay? Do you want me to stay on the line?"

"No. No I'll be fine, but Tom?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks."

"Anything for you, (Y/N)." He says, I can hear the smile in his voice. "I'll be there soon."

When Tom's car pulls up, the rain had lightened up a little bit. I grab my backpack and suitcase as he gets out of his car, and walk outside quickly into the dreary night. He grabs me with one arm, hugging me quickly. He nuzzles his face into my neck before pulling away and looking at me. "Hop in, bug," he mutters before taking my suitcase from my hand and placing it in his backseat. I quickly move around the front of his car before I slip into the front seat, shivering against the heat coming from the vents.

"For it being May, I didn't think it would be this cold, but I guess it's more the rain than anything else," I mutter as he hops in, watching as he turns and grabs his Spider-Man sweatshirt from the back seat, handing it to me. "Damn, you know me too well."

"I've known you my whole life, I should." He retorts with a laugh. I slip on the hoodie, zipping it all the way up to the top before he pulls me over and hugs me awkwardly over the front console. "God, I missed you," he whispers, placing a hand behind my head to pull me closer. "And not that I am complaining, but why are you here? I thought you were starting your final clinicals this week?" He pulls away to look at me in the eye, they swim with worry.