Heaven ── TOM HOLLAND

13. Family Matters

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      It never occurred to Tom that he never brought up Kelsey on that hill, or the events of the party at all. After all, that was what Mateo had told him to talk about with Orion, not get her to share her roots with him. But when he did realize, he was glad he didn't bring it up.

      Him and Orion connected on that hill as they stared up the stars, and he didn't want to risk ruining that by bringing up Kelsey. It's been weeks of nonstop arguing and glares, and for once, he wanted to push away the constant urge to be good and be selfish. He wanted to forget about Mateo's request, and Kelsey's hurt expression at the party, and just stay on that hill with the girl leant against his shoulder.

      So he did, and the two sat there for what felt like hours, and most likely was hours, seeing as the sun was beginning to reveal itself when they finally stood from their spots. "Can I take you somewhere?" Orion asked suddenly, making Tom glance at her as he was brushing the grass off his jeans. "I promise it's not bad, you'll like it."

      So he took her hand, and allowed her to lead him away from the hill they once sat upon and down the empty streets. He had no clue as to where Orion was dragging him off to, but he trusted her.

      There was a part of him that always trusted her, even before he disclosed the information of his rough past with her. While the good side of her hid beneath insults and scowls, it was still there. He'd be a damn fool to think that Orion would go out of her way to put him in danger, especially after seeing how she reacted to the word "disappointed" being thrown at her by Mr.Baxter. Her slight tolerance for him only remained because of her need to prove him wrong, and putting him in harms way was definitely not going to help with that.

      He couldn't help but get upset as he thought of Mr.Baxter. The hours they spent on that hill were anything but silent, the two actually taking the time to get to know each other, something they'd failed to do in all the time they spent together. While Tom shared short stories of his childhood on Earth, Orion would share some of hers, comparing how different their lives growing up were. Mr.Baxter was someone respected by many, the man in charge of it all, the goodest of the good, yet behind doors, he was anything but.

      Tom would match Orion's frown as she told stories of her childhood, her fingers fiddling with each other as it became harder and harder to speak about them. It must have been an hour before they got up to leave that Tom had to bring her into his arms, enabling her to match her breathing to his heartbeat as an anxiety attack threatened to thrust itself upon her. It was obvious that though she liked to believe her childhood wasn't all that bad and she did have some fun times, it was anything but. From what he heard, she spent hours with her nose in books, in a room that lacked any of that childish glow, forcing her to morph into a perfect angel from the very beginning.