cigarettes & invisible string || golden trio era

𝐒𝐂𝐎𝐑𝐏𝐈𝐎 𝐌𝐄𝐍 𝐖𝐈𝐓𝐇 𝐌𝐎𝐎𝐍 𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐁𝐋𝐄𝐌𝐒

third person pov

' scorpio: I am nothing in my
soul if not obsessive '

The two weeks that passed since Rose had confirmed there was nothing for Theo to worry about, that they were simply best friends, passed by slowly for them both. In a way the lifetime of hiding their feelings for each other made it possible for her to crawl into his bed after she left the astronomy tower. She had walked back in at the late of night, pushed by his bed curtains and stood for a moment. Theo swallowed thickly and held up the side of the comforter without hesitation, not speaking in fear how weak and feeble his voice would sound. Then Rose slid in next to him, and he pulled her back tightly against his chest with a strong arm. They didn't exchange words but once sure he had squeezed her tight enough for reassurance Theo slid his palm into her hair, leaning up and placing a firm kiss atop her head.

After, he settled himself behind her, their legs mixing together as they both listened to the memorized sound of the other breathing. Eventual spare tears of sorrow fell from their eyes without either knowing, a pain more true than anything—one of deep mutual pinning. It was hard in general to love someone so much, to carry such a heavy yearning inside that even the poets couldn't fathom. But it was also difficult when it was one's best friend they felt such things for, not able to tell the one person they told everything to how deeply troubled they were of such matters.

And then things returned to normal by the next day, Rose and Theo both acting with one another as always for the hope of keeping their sanity in tact. It was a known fact amongst the group that they were always closer, they needed each other—like oxygen. The tension had increased somehow as if it hadn't hit a peak already, for now all they had to hold onto were stolen glances and brushes of skin to calm the storm within.

Theo told himself it would all be okay because he always intended to be her last love, for her to be the one whose hand he held when he left this world just as he had latched onto her pinky at the ripe age of one. It wouldn't matter if he had to go on losing her countless times, if he had to let her love a million other people, if he had to deal with the pain of maybe never even calling her his own. Theo knew he would only ever love one person, his heart was never his own to call—his eyes and attention would only ever cast upon one human. She had lit his soul on fire and made sure it would only ever burn for her. So damn him if the universe must, he wouldn't give up.

It was the morning of Whitman's birthday, him sleeping longer than everyone else because of the sleeping draught Rose had drugged him with the night before. All the other dorm-mates had been up and moving with talks of the days plans. Blaise was busy digging the voice projecting stick out of his trunk, Draco had just stepped off Whitman's bed after finishing his job of hanging the obnoxious bells around the wooden frame, Rose was situating herself on the mattress with a birthday hat sure to trigger Whitman in hand, and Theo was sitting himself on the edge of the same bed.

"Hurry the fuck up Blaise" Rose whispered harshly, stifling a laugh as he pulled out the long golden stick with a victory yelp.

Draco stood by Rose with crossed arms, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "Whit's gonna throw a bloody tantrum over this"

She looked to him for a moment, startled by the proximity that made her feel ignited as she tucked one of her legs under herself. "Yes well-" Her throat cleared, "It is necessary"

"Being woke up in a way which will make one's ears bleed is a tradition" Theo butted in.

Draco grumbled, attempting to not stand up completely straight so his tall height didn't make him accidentally hit the load of bells hanging. "Still hope you'll all forget about my birthday so I won't have to deal with intruders in my room at eight in the morning next year" Rose giggled and his gaze fixated on her, "Don't quite get how you hate me so much but you participate in such things"