You spent the next couple of hours playing a fun little game. You and Tom would chat to your co-workers, who absolutely fan-girled over the 'gorgeous actor' you'd brought, or you'd be dancing, and you were having a great time. Then whenever Tom left you alone, for the toilet, or to get some more drinks (or snacks in your case), you timed how long it would take Steven to appear by your side.
The record so far was three seconds.
You always did the same, listened to him drivel on about what-not, grunting in response, staring at Tom's figure until he caught your eyes and realised what was happening. Then the game was how long would it take Steven to disappear once Tom had started walking back to you.
The record so far was two seconds.
This time, Tom was in the toilet, and Steven, of course, was by your side as you picked at the snacks on the bar. But this time, Steven wasn't talking about himself, or how you looked, but Tom.
"I just don't see it, Luka. He doesn't seem like a very attentive boyfriend. He's left you alone so often." You rolled your eyes at Steven's words.
"You would know." You muttered.
"And I don't mean to pry," Steven continued, clearly oblivious to what you had said. "But you two haven't even kissed! Seems a bit odd to me." You frown at him, and open your mouth, ready to argue, when you feel a presence behind you.
"We don't like to shove PDA down people's throats." Tom's low voice echoed around your ears, and Steven visibly gulped. "I feel pretty secure in my relationship that we can save all that stuff for our own private residence." Tom looped his arm around your shoulder and nuzzled his nose below your ear. It tickled, but you bit your lip so you didn't laugh.
"Oh, right, well...oh, Susan! Yep, coming!" Steven ran off, nowhere near where Susan Tremlin was actually standing.
Once you were clear, you finally released your laugh and stepped out of Tom's hold.
"This is getting ridiculous." Tom said, his teeth clenched. "He definitely knows we are together, the slimy little runt."
"Hey," You put your hands on Tom's arms. "It's fine, it is working. Kind of. He's just suspicious because..."
"Because we're not shoving our tongues down each other's throat?"
"Well...yeah." You and Tom stare at each other for a breath. "We're not going to." His eyes widen.
"No! Of course not." He sighed, fiddling with his fingers.
"Sorry if this is making you uncomfortable." You said quietly, but Tom shook his head.
"This is what you brought me for Luka, I just didn't think he'd be so..."
"Relentless?" You offered.
"Exactly! God he comes over every five minutes! How do you get any work done in the week?" You shrugged, then had some of your drink. "Regardless, I'm having fun."
"How is this fun?"
"I dunno," he said, smiling. "It's like hide and seek. But he's just really good. Maybe we do need to up our game."
"Tom I'm really opposed to making out with you just to tell him to shove off."
"He's literally staring at us right now." You look over your shoulder, where Tom's eyeline was, and sure enough, Steven was staring at you both. And you realised you were both standing a good half foot apart from each other. You groaned and grabbed Tom's hand, dragging him across the room to the patio doors and onto the deck outside. It was decorated, fairy lights on the fence, balloons next to the chairs and candles on the tables.
You breathed in the fresh air. Cold, slightly breezy, perfect autumn weather.
"I think we should consider it." Tom said from beside you. "Everyone else is fine, they don't suspect a thing." You turn to look at him.
"I don't like the idea of kissing you." You stuck your tongue out, making Tom frown.
"I'm not that bad looking, am I?"
"You know it's not that."
"Then what? It will definitely get him off your case."
"Because, Tom!"
"Your argument is outstanding." You shove his shoulder, making him laugh.
"You're like my brother." Tom's laughter subsided, and he stepped slightly closer to you.
"But I'm not." He said, and you noticed his eyes drift down to your mouth.
"We said no funny business. This counts as funny business."
"I would argue that funny business includes sex. A kiss isn't going to turn into funny business. And a kiss is likely to shut this dude's creepiness down, I guarantee it." You folded your arms as Tom rambled on.
"You also guaranteed that just bringing you here would stop that."
"And it did."
"Only while you're around me." You pointed out.
"Still better than if you came alone." You huffed, but you knew he was right. You both stood in silence, and you toed the ground while you thought.
"One kiss?" You finally said, making Tom's lips twitch as though he was about to smile.
"I should think that'd be enough. If you're a bad kisser I don't wanna sign up for an evening of washing machine mouth." You shoved his shoulder again, but he just threw his arm over your shoulder and kissed the top of your head. "Seriously though," He continued. "If you don't want to, it's fine. I just think it'll be the thing that seals the deal."
"I'll think about it." You said, nodding at him. "Now, let's do some actual socialising." You pointed over to one of the outside tables, where one of the people you actually liked from work was sitting. You and Tom walked over, his arm still around your shoulder.
"Hey! Luka!" Elspeth smiled widely and stood up as you approached, giving you a sloppy kiss on your cheek. You caught a whiff of her wine breath and laughed.
"Enjoying yourself Elspeth?"
"Not as much as you clearly are!" She jeered, looking 'not so subtly' at Tom. "You are fantastically gorgeous." She pointed a very wobbly finger at Tom, who expertly took her hand and kissed her knuckles. Elspeth's cheeks instantly went red and she squealed.
"Thank you, Elspeth, was it?" Tom asked, in a very charming way, making Elspeth giggle and nod. "Mind if we join?" Elspeth nodded again and pointed to the vacant seats, which you gladly took.
You got into an enjoyable conversation with her, and the man she was clearly trying to get with, Jonny, who worked in your IT department. You commented on his beard, which was admirably groomed and reached his chest, and all of a sudden Elspeth's fingers were all up in it, making Jonny look quite scared. But he was a good sport, and gently pulled her fingers out before changing the subject. You did notice, however, that once he'd took her fingers out of his beard, their fingers stayed linked together on the arm of the chair.
Tom's arm was comfortably resting on the back of your chair, and you did your best to remember all the nuances you'd developed over the evening; touching his chest anytime you mentioned his name, his fingers stroking your arm when he mentioned yours, looking at him and imagining he was the light of your life, and sprinkling in 'babe' wherever you could.
That all changed when Steven decided to join you, with a woman who looked eerily similar to you. He introduced her as 'Lindsay', pulled out her chair as she sat, and then mimicked what Tom was doing by draping his arm across the back of her chair.
You felt yourself stiffen, not wanting to believe he was still trying to gain your attention, or make you jealous, but Tom pulled you (and your chair) closer, so that you were practically buried into his side. His hand also became a bit more prominent on your arm, like he was scared you would escape. The sensation of being enclosed by Tom relaxed you somewhat.
"So, Luka and Tom," You both turned to Steven as he spoke. "How did you two meet?"
"Umm..." You started. "I don't really..."
"I'll tell them babe, you've had to explain it to so many people already, I'll take this one." Tom said, completely saving you. You smiled at him, hoping your thanks was obvious. "I'm actually best mates with her brother, so we've known each other for years. One day I just realised how beautiful she was, and that I wanted to spend time with just her, instead of with her and Harrison."
"Aww, that's so cute." Elspeth cooed, her elbows coming to rest on the table and plonking her head into her hands.
"Harry's great, but his farts can ruin the mood sometimes." Tom continued, making the table laugh. Well, everyone except Steven. "So I asked Harrison if I could take Luka out."
"Ohmygod you asked her brother for permission?! That's ADORABLE!" Elspeth squealed, and even Jonny laughed at the noise.
"Wouldn't be right otherwise." Then Tom turned to you. "So I took her out, and it was the best decision I ever made." Tom then tucked one of your stray hairs behind your ears. "Kissed her that same night and asked her to be my girlfriend, and here we are." You felt yourself being drawn in to his eyes. He was good at this spiel.
"I hope you don't mind me asking, but Luka just hasn't mentioned you until now." Steven interrupted your moment, and you felt your teeth clench.
"Well we both agreed to keep it on the down-low. With me and my film and everything, we didn't want to turn it into a public spectacle. So we decided just to tell the important people." At the word 'important', Tom turned to look directly at Steven, who shifted a bit in his chair.
"Ugh you two are just so cute together." Lindsay said, waving her hand. "I wish I had that."
"I dunno," Steven said, his voice raising slightly. "I haven't even seen them kiss. They seem more buddy buddy than a couple."
You saw Tom tense, and the hand on your arm gripped you harder.
"As we said before Steven, we don't think it's appropriate to make out like teenagers at a work event. Plus, the best relationships are the ones where you're each others' best friends, right?" The others at the table nodded, and you stood up, making Tom frown up at you. "I'll be right back, just need to use the loo." The table nodded, and began another conversation, and you looked right at Tom, who was still looking a bit worried.
He was right, you both needed to do something to shut Steven up once and for once. You took a deep breath in, and leaned down, putting a hand on his shoulder, and kissed him. You felt him jump slightly at your touch, but then you felt his lips soften, and kiss you back, his breath hitting your face as he exhaled out of his nose.
You pulled away just as quickly as you had started it, and swallowed, trying to ignore the body-wide tingle you suddenly felt, and scarpered off to the toilet.
Once you reached it, you leaned on the sink, breathing heavily.
You kissed Tom.
It was weird.
Then it wasn't.
You looked up in the mirror at yourself. Your cheeks were flushed and hot, your pupils bigger than you're used to seeing, and something about your reflection seemed alien.
It was the drinks, it had to be. You turned the cold water on, scooping some up in your hand and bringing it to your mouth to gulp it down. You let the excess drop back into the sink, and wiped your damp hand across your forehead to cool you down, feeling your skin prickle at the sudden juxtaposition of temperature.
Whatever this reaction was, you did your one kiss, and that was that. It was also almost midnight, which meant you had grounds to leave and not face Tom for a good few days. Except...
You forgot that you weren't in town. You were in Redhill. You had a room booked. With Tom.
You stood up, shaking your hands and straightening your spine. No matter, you thought. You and Tom had been friends for years. A kiss was part of the deal. Nothing was going to change.
You strided towards the door, before remembering you actually needed to pee.
Once that was taken care off, you left the toilets and headed back towards the patio. Even through the patio doors, you could see the table you had just left, and you watched Tom catch your eye and sit up in his seat. You kept your head high, as if nothing was different, wrenched the door open and smiled as you returned to your seat. Tom watched you sit down, grab your drink and take a sizeable sip. You turned to face him.
"Did I miss anything interesting?" You asked innocently. You watched what seemed like a million different emotions flick across his face. Then he leaned in, closer to your ear.
"He hasn't mentioned you since you left. I think it worked." You quickly glance at Steven, who does in fact look defeated, and was actually talking to Lindsay. You nodded, smiling. There, job done. Now you could
stop thinking about the kiss.
"What are you two whispering about?" Elspeth cooed, making both you and Tom snap your heads up to her.
"I don't think it's something you want to hear..." You said, trying to distract Elspeth, but her eyes only lit up further.
"I WANNA KNOW I WANNA-"
"I was just telling Luka," Tom chimed in. "That she looked gorgeous in this dress, but I'd much prefer it if she wasn't wearing anything." You felt your heart drop as you looked at Tom, who just smiled at you. Elspeth squealed, then swatted Jonny.
"Why don't you ever tell me stuff like that!" She argued, and poor Jonny just looked bewildered. You addressed Tom.
"Tom I don't think you should have –" You started saying, but stopped when Tom's hand slid around your neck.
"You remember when I picked you up? I almost didn't let you leave." You sat, stunned. What the hell was he saying this for? "You always look amazing to me, but this dress is just...something I'd rather rip off you." He growled the words as his other arm slid around your waist and he pulled you closer to him, as close as your chairs would allow.
"I think that's our cue to leave." Lindsay said as she stood, and you looked over at her just to see her smiling at you. "Enjoy, and remember, the doors are glass." She winked as she tapped Steven on the shoulder and beckoned him to follow her. Steven looked between you and Tom, whose hand was now trailing down your leg, and seemed to reluctantly follow his date. Elspeth smacked a kiss on the top of your head then dragged Jonny off.
And suddenly, you and Tom were alone.
You smacked his chest.
"You can stop now." Tom just grabbed your hand and held it.
"Why did you kiss me?" You blinked at him.
"We...we said it?" He raised an eyebrow.
"Is that all?" You swallowed. "It worked. But I think my tactics worked a bit faster." He pulled your hand to his shoulder, then wrapped both his arms around your waist and pulled you onto his lap. You squealed at the movement, and rushed to cross your legs as you settled – you were wearing a dress after all.
"Tom." He hummed. "What are you doing?" He looked up at you, and his eyes looked...different. He didn't answer you straight away.
"Is he still looking?" You frowned, not sure what he meant at first, then you clicked. You looked around the deck, and through the patio doors, and yep – despite talking to Lindsay, you could spot Steven making quick glances at you. You huffed and looked back at Tom, nodding.
"Yep. Not as much, but...yeah."
"Don't freak out."
"Freak out at...Tom what are you going to do?" You felt nervous, and your body tensed as his hand slid around your neck. Your eyebrows twitched, wanting to frown, but it never came. Tom's hand pulled on your neck as he leaned up to you.
"I'm testing something." Tom whispered, his breath hitting your lips. You opened your mouth, ready to ask what he meant, when he pressed his mouth to yours. You almost jumped at his touch, but his hand tightened around your neck, and he kissed you harder, keeping you locked against him. His other hand wrapped tighter around your waist as the kiss deepened, and one of your hands went to his forearm, whether it was to push him away or pull him closer, you weren't sure. The kiss was amazing, you felt your lips sizzling as his moved over them. Your fingers were tingling, your stomach knotted itself as your breath got shallower.
Either a second or an eternity later, your lips went cold as he pulled his mouth away from you, his forehead resting on yours. Your ears felt deafened as your blood pumped loudly through them, and you panted before looking at him, his eyes still closed.
"Luka..." He whispered, his eyelids fluttering open. He finally looked at you, and you saw his pupils dilated, his brown iris almost completely gone. Then he coughed, and slowly slid his hands off. "Umm...I was just..."
"Testing?" He looked at you.
"So we should...get back to the..." Tom was looking at you straight in the eyes, and you knew he was talking about going back to the party, but you couldn't move. "The party." He finally said. You nodded. Although you didn't really want to go back to the party after that.
"Yeah, right." You breathed, as he finally took his hands from you, and you both stood up (a bit shakily you noticed) and he ran one hand through his hair. You watched the action, suddenly finding it incredibly...sexy. He turned to walk away. "Or!" You grabbed his arm, stopping him from leaving you. "Or we could just...go to bed." Tom quirked an eyebrow, and you suddenly felt hot.
"Y-you want to go to bed?!" His voice squeaked out.
"I meant...j-just go, and sleep. Not...not together." You babbled, looking down at your fingers as you fiddled nervously.
"Oh! Sure, yeah, I'm...not really feeling the party anymore either." He gestured to the door, and you walked quickly towards it, trying to breathe out some of your anxiety as you walked. Jesus, you thought to yourself, one proper kiss and you were acting like it was your first. It was only with Tom, someone you'd known pretty much your whole life, it didn't mean anything.
Except...you were pretty sure that kisses between friends weren't supposed to make you feel like this. It was like some realisation had slammed into you that Tom was attractive, and charming, and sweet...and you kind of wanted to kiss him again.
As you walked through the patio doors and slipped past the numerous people crowding the room, you felt Tom close behind. His hand was grazing your back every so often, as if he was trying to not touch you, but wanted to stay close. A few of your colleagues waved at you as you passed them, but you were walking with too much purpose for them to stop you for idle chitchat. You were heading straight for the ballroom door, which Tom instinctively held open and let you walk through first.