Seize it (mob Tom x reader)

Chapter 16: an open book

"I don't know how this works, Tom," I shrugged. "It's not exactly common knowledge."

Tom sighed and sat down abruptly on the grass beside the sidewalk. I furrowed my eyebrows at him, and he just motioned his hand to the ground.

"Sit down," he said. I did. He laid down on his back and rested his hands on his stomach.

"What're you doing?" I asked.

"Lay down," he said. I did, mirroring his position. I didn't know why I never questioned him when he told me to do something. I figured it was easier than questioning everything. That got exhausting. "I don't know why-" Tom paused and cleared his throat. He was feeling awkward, I could tell. "-but I have this weird thing with you, alright? I don't want you to get hurt in this whole thing, so I don't like how, how close you're getting to me. To us or, or this or whatever. Because you're gonna get hurt, and it's not fair. None of this is fair. This whole fucking thing is bullshit, and I didn't want you to get in the middle of it."

I was quiet for what was probably too long. I had no idea what to say. My cheek was against the grass as I looked at him, and he eventually looked at me as well. I looked up at the sky as soon as we made eye contact. "So you've been an ass to me to push me away?" I said.

"I guess," Tom said with a shrug. "I don't know."

"That's a little unfair," I said.

"It worked though, yeah?" he said. I could hear the grin in his voice, and when I looked at him it was only confirmed.

"You're insane," I said, shaking my head. Tom just chuckled. "Are you going to remember this conversation tomorrow?"

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"Well, you're high, right?" I said. "Do you forget things when you're high like you do when you're drunk?"

"I'm not that high," he mumbled.

"Do you get high a lot?" I asked. Again, Tom just shrugged. "Is it cocaine?"

"You ask a lot of questions," Tom said. He turned to look at me again and sighed. "Yes. Fine. It's cocaine. And yes, I'm not gonna remember this conversation." I turned to look at him, squinting against the sunlight. "Don't worry."

We both stared back up at the sky. It was nice out, a few clouds that were perfect for cloud watching. My mind though couldn't focus on anything except our conversation. "You're quite the character, Tom," I said. "I don't know how we're ever gonna be friends."

"You want to be friends?" he asked.

I shrugged. "We're gonna be living together, right? I'm already closer to you than you wanted me to be. And now you're confessing that you actually like me? I feel like we might as well try and be friends."

"Might as well," he repeated sarcastically. I laughed and looked at him again. "What's the first step?" he asked.

"Hm?"

"To us becoming friends," he clarified. "What's the first step?" I pursed my lips and hesitated.

"I don't know," I said. "Maybe you should open up a bit."

"About what?"

"About you? I don't know anything about you except that you're a mob boss who doesn't know how to handle your feelings."

"I resent that."

"Well-" I shrugged. "-tell me something I should know." Tom propped himself up on his elbows and looked at me with raised eyebrows. "Look, you opened this door," I said. "You've opened it a teeny tiny crack, and now you can't shut it. Now you've just gotta open it all the way. You can't tell me why you were an ass to me and expect me to allow you to continue to be an ass to me. This is no longer a temporary truce. This is it. We're going to be friends now."