cigarettes & invisible string || golden trio era

𝐖𝐈𝐓𝐇 𝐕𝐈𝐎𝐋𝐄𝐍𝐓 𝐃𝐄𝐋𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓𝐒 𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐄𝐒 𝐕𝐈𝐎𝐋𝐄𝐍𝐓 𝐄𝐍𝐃𝐒

(p.s. missed u guys!! i had to split this chapter into two parts so sorry, but it is once again tom centered because of that :/ preface, i actually had the worst time editing this and almost scraped it completely so you will all have to take what you can get lol)

~

third person pov

' the history book on the shelf,
is always repeating itself '

"Just focus," demands Tom, his energy heavy behind her back.

She casts her eyes down the edge of the cliff, chest shaking at how steep the instant drop is. All she can see are trees below, for miles and miles. Terrifying—the only word to describe how it feels to have her feet on the very edge, seeing pieces of dirt give away as the night air wraps around her limbs.

Tom steps closer, his chilled hand trailing down her arm, leaving goosebumps in his wake. "I would never let you fall," He says, "Think of how fire feels against your skin—make it small at first."

She releases a shudder when his fingers lock around the front of her hand and force her arm to extend.

And then, Tom settles his other hand on her hip as she opens up her palm, providing balance that was desperately needed.

"What if I burn both of our hands?" She asks.

A deep, dark laugh leaves his lungs. "You are not going to, Rosalie." He says, "You have the ability to bend nature and magic to your will...It is necessary to push aside the voices who have told you of rules."

She breathes out a rush of air, and stares long and hard at her hand. On instinct, she goes to open her lips, speak words of ancient spells, but Tom tightening his hold is a wordless command to not dare such a thing.

His fingers slip out from her own like water, trailing to push back her hair.

Her skin burns, aches, and almost brings tears at first.

But suddenly, all at once, a flame bursts into her palm.

She screams in shock, moving to whip around—only to be rooted to the ground by Tom.

"Put it out!" She shouts, shaking her hand in an attempt to make the fire disappear, "Tom! Make it go away!"

His chest shakes with the most genuine laugh she had ever heard come from his lips, but still—sounded as cold as a midwinter's day.

"Tom!" she hisses, hand still shaking frantically, "It is not funny!"

None of his laughter ceases, if anything it grows, but the flame disappears from her hand with a blink from his magic. She gasps, clutching at her chest and stumbling against him.

"I thought my body was going to catch on fire," She breathes out, half-gasping for air, "I've used my finger to light a bloody cig, but Merlin — my entire fucking palm?"

Tom allows her to lean into his chest, but reaches for her hand in mocking sincerity. "Hm," he hums, twisting her fingers around, "I don't see any burns?"

Rose tears her hand away, and turns in their mess of limbs to glare at him. Getting nothing but a smirk in return when she swats at his chest. "You are evil! I was scared!"

"Me? Evil? What crude statements," He wonders with a raised brow. She nods affirmatively before moving to take a step back, and as his hands latch on her eyes go wide; the realization that her boots are halfway off the edge.