"she was the type of person who'd explain how she was going to stab you in the front before she actually shoved the knife in... and you'd let her.
she'd probably even pass the knife to you so you can shove it in your own chest...and you would."
tom...
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t o m r i d d l e deemed himself not an anxious person, but more a person who never let his guard down. It was something he figured that all born leaders naturally had to be in order to stay leaders. In any other regard, Tom thought that relaxation led to one's demise, but now he thought he may have to think over that rule for himself again.
For without meaning to, Tom had felt at ease during the days that followed. Evelyn had contributed to this solely by being herself. It had concerned Tom at first how easily she had blended into his daily routine, much more so than she had previously. Now, she sat and talked openly with him and his followers, who had quickly become less enthralled in sneaking around with her and more interested in whether she really considered them her friends. Tom thought the questions were completely ridiculous when they had been secretly whispered around the quiet dorm before bed. He never wanted anyone to know that he had savored the idea that Evelyn had become a true friend. One he had never had before.
When Evelyn had begun joining them for meals, his ring had become warm on his finger and he hadn't figured out if it was his or Evelyn's emotions that it had been betraying. He had just decided to relax. Let himself bask in her presence as if she were the sun and he the snake.
But, there had been more to his change in attitude than her just showing up to dinner or sitting with them on breaks. He had begun playing a game of his own with her. One where they had started as equals and he had once again become the mouse being hunted.
They had both followed through on her challenge earlier in the week, his prefect duties now almost completely centering around finding where Evelyn was hiding in the shadows. He would always think he had finally cornered her only to be met with a dark, empty room. Tom didn't give up on his hunt though, he very much enjoyed the game. He looked forward to when his duties would be over and he could return to the common room, only to find a very proud Evelyn sprawled on an armchair across from the fire.
Tom would sometimes end his shifts early to come and talk with her. Evelyn didn't miss anything and tended to tease him relentlessly when he decided to do so, but for some odd reason, he didn't seem to mind. He enjoyed his time alone with Evelyn after his prefect duties. They would sit for hours, sometimes not speaking at all until one would declare they needed to head to bed.
Tom knew that Evelyn didn't sleep much because her emotions turned dark in the early hours of the morning. He never brought this up, but instead would politely excuse himself in hopes that she would get some rest.
As much as Tom despised the idea, he and Evelyn had begun to spend every waking hour together. They had become close enough that his followers and classmates picked up on their chatter in class and the constant time they spent together. The whispers turned from Evelyn following Riddle to everyone's interest in their relationship with each other. Evelyn found it extremely funny when anyone would mention that they thought the two were more than friends. She would grab for his hand or do something embarrassing like kiss his cheek.
