pinky promises - t.s.h.

[twelve]

a/n: this part has a little bit of smut!! not a lot of description, but you can skip it if you want.

Inside the cafe, you leaned into Tom's side, one hand clutched in his, and the other resting against his forearm as he ordered for the two of you. The same exact drinks and food you'd always get any time you came however many years ago. He kept you close, squeezing your hand in his gently, or pressing a kiss to your hair as you rested it against his shoulder. As simple as this was, it was all you needed.

When the two of you sat in one of the booths that you used to sit in on the regular, it was as if you'd gone back in time. As if you were both 17 again. He was sitting across from you, dorky grin adorning his lips as the soft lights above you lit him up perfectly. A few of his pretty curls fell into his face, covering the beautiful brown eyes that resembled the color of the coffee sitting on the table in front of you. Somehow, everything was the same, but everything was different all at once. You'd traded the homework and high school gossip for bills and a real job, but also a best friend you'd fallen in love with, and a little girl you loved with your entire heart.

Tom was staring at you intently, his gaze soft as you reached out across the table, brushing a few curly locks out of his face. Without a second to spare, Tom's fingers wrapped around your wrist delicately, turning his head to press a light kiss to the palm of your hand. Cupping his jaw in your hand a moment later, you laughed softly, "Can't believe we're here." And you did mean this cafe, but you mostly meant in this place with Tom; a loving relationship. A caring and safe place that you knew you could always go running to.

He hummed softly in agreement, his thumb brushing across the inside of your wrist as he still held it, leaning into your touch, "I know, I can't either." It was silent for a beat as he looked at you, admiration sparkling in his eyes, "I love you, Y/N."

Your heart skipped a beat in your chest, an involuntary smile spreading across your face. The two of you hadn't said that small phrase since the day everything had happened. They were true now, and they had been then, but those three words held so much weight, and since you'd agreed to take things slow - day by day - you were both waiting for the right moment.

"I love you, too, Tom."

Taking a sip of your coffee, you looked over the rim of the cup at him shyly as he stared back at you. "What?" you asked, somewhat self-consciously.

"Nothing," he shook his head with a smile, the curls you'd just brushed away once again falling into his face. "I, uh, told my parents about Maggie's new habit, just in case she said it around them tonight."

"Yeah?" you asked hesitantly, teeth tugging on your bottom lip. "What... what did you think of that?"

Tom looked down at his hands for a second as he wrapped them around his coffee mug, before looking back up at you, the corners of his lips tugging up into a small smile, "It surprised me, for sure. Especially since it came out of nowhere. But... but it made me feel all warm inside."

Surprised, you looked up at your boyfriend, "It did? I-I wasn't sure how you felt about it. I couldn't tell cause you kinda just froze."

"You're her mum, Y/N," he responded confidently, leaning in across the table slightly, "you've always been her mum. Amber may have given birth to her, but she's never been Maggie's mum. And I wouldn't want anyone else to be her mum, to love her the way you do."

You sighed, letting out a sigh of relief, "You and Maggie are everything to me, Tom, you know that. I'm just glad I can try to be that person for her."

Reaching out, he slid his fingers between yours, "You always have been, and always will be."

The rest of the evening was the best first date you could ask for. Tom made you so, so happy, and it was just the best feeling. It was a warmth that you'd never really felt before, that started deep in your heart and radiated out of you, and you never wanted the feeling to go away. The two of you talked and laughed until all of the colors in the sky had faded into the night, and it was nearing Maggie's bedtime. As much as you both wanted to tuck her in, say goodnight, and tell her how much you loved her, you were reluctant to leave. It wasn't often the two of you got to be just the two of you, and it was nice.