"Congrats Theo!" Elliot shouted across the table at Revolution de Cuba
"Thanks man" he smiled, happy to see everyone together again after what felt like forever
Scanning over the table, he was met with everyone, chatting amongst themselves, and he couldn't believe that they all came together for him.
At the start of university he didn't really intend on making friends, he just wanted to move into his flat - be cordial with his flatmates, play football and get his degree - little did he know in a years time he'd have a great group of friends and a girlfriend, who he chased after.
Just to be precautious Liv sat next to Naomi and Tiana was on her other side, with Eliza next to him - as well as Charlie. But despite everyone keeping them apart for the sake of 'normalcy' between the group, Theo's eyes never left her.
They couldn't, not with her wearing a deep navy blue, dress - just for him as she remembered his favourite colour.
A satin dress which had a deep neckline, enough for her breasts to shown off modestly, but also enough for Theo to be fighting off a semi all night. A slip dress which didn't entirely hug her figure, but it was still clear that she had curves in all the right places.
But he needed to stop staring at Naomi because it wasn't helping him in the lower region and he also couldn't be caught by anyone that he was staring at her or else questions would be asked. So instead he looked down at his churros that he had convinced Joe to get himself.
Just as he was about eat one, ever so slightly, Theo felt the brush of something under the table. Almost like a kick, but definitely not hard enough and no one was looking at him to show that they'd done it, nor did anyone apologise.
Shrugging off the feeling of it probably being Joe just moving his legs around under the table, Theo dismissed it.
But then it happened again.
Pushing his chair out, to get a better view, Theo looked under the table, only to find Naomi's foot trailing higher and higher up his leg, moving towards his crotch.
Clearing his throat, he immediately pushed himself back towards the table, trying not to act suspicious because if any of their friends looked under the table - the two of them being together would be revealed.
He watched how she continued her conversation with Liv and Tiana as normal - when she infact had her foot pressed right up against his crotch, tracing his dick through his trousers.
With a cough, Theo stifled the groan which almost left his mouth at the feeling of Naomi's foot adjusting his dick in his trousers.
It was taunting how she knew of the power she had over him, and yet she wasn't even paying attention to him, but still had a sly smirk on her face as she spoke to her friends.
Just as he was about to play her at her own game, Theo felt her press her foot even harder into his crotch making him almost moan.
Biting his tongue, making a strangled sound, trying to hide it with a cough and a clear of the throat, Theo immediately picked up his phone to text her.
Teasing was fun, it was exciting, but Naomi wasn't playing fair tonight.
Theo - What are you doing?
Naomi - Nothing :)
Theo - Baby I'm gonna need you stop unless you are up for meeting me in the bathroom
Naomi - Can't, I'm on my period
Theo - For fuck sake baby I'm struggling here, you're an evil woman you know that right
Naomi - I know ;)
Slipping his hand under the table, Theo grabbed ahold of Naomi's foot, making her jump slightly, startling the rest of the table with her sudden movement.
"Sorry, someone just walked over my grave" she rushed out, lying claiming that the familiar saying was the cause of her sudden startled action
Looking directly at Theo once everyone resumed their conversations, she narrowed her eyes at him - to see when he'd let her foot go.
Winking at her, he quickly turned away, restarting his conversation with Joe as his hand toyed with the anklet wrapped around her ankle.
Naomi attempted to get her leg out of Theo's grasp but it was no use. He was a lot stronger than her and she was also facing the consequences of her teasing earlier.
Naomi - Let my foot go
Theo - Oh so now you wanna play fair
Naomi - I'll meet you in the bathroom if you're that desperate
Theo - No, I don't want that. I don't need that. I just want the teasing to stop
Theo - I don't need sex or sexual favours from you. If you want me to stop, I'll stop, but baby I need you to play fair
Naomi - Okay, I can agree to that
Theo - Good
Letting Naomi's foot go, Theo watched how she conspicuously slipped her heel back on, returning to her previous conversation.
The meal had been moving smoothly and Theo couldn't believe it. Everyone was there for him.
He had friends.
He had people there for him, who cared about him.
People who wanted to celebrate him.
Analysing the situation of all their friends together, well minus a few - Elijah, Ollie and Aimee - but they already knew so it was fine, Theo felt like this was the perfect moment to tell them all, well Drew and Elliott, along with Daniel and Morgan about him and Naomi.
He wanted to finally get it off his chest and he was sure Naomi did as well.
Picking up his phone from the table, he immediately went onto his and Naomi's chat to send her a message because he knew communication before doing something as big as this was important and he wasn't dumb enough to announce it without her permission or knowledge.
Theo - We should tell them
Naomi - Tell them what?
Theo - About us
Naomi looked up from her phone frowning at Theo. It just wasn't the right time for that or this conversation.
Naomi - No
Theo - What do you mean no? We're together, aren't we? They can't say shit, let's just get it done and over with and tell them
Naomi - No Theo it isn't the right time, I don't think that we should
Theo - You're ashamed of me aren't you?
Naomi - Where the hell did that come from?
Theo - You're not denying it
Naomi - No Theo I'm not ashamed of you, I never have been
Theo - Then let's fucking tell them. I want to be able to sit next to you. To kiss you. To whisper in your ear infront of them
Naomi - I know you do but we can't it's just not the right time
Theo - Right time this, right time that - when is it going to be right?
Naomi - What the fuck is up with you? I thought you were having a nice night and now you're arguing with me
Theo - I was having a nice time until I remembered that I'm sat across from my girlfriend not even being able to touch her above a table because I have to remember that not all of our friends know about us, how fucked up is that?
Naomi - You know what, if you want to have this conversation, then we'll have it in person because I'm not going to sit here typing away at my phone whilst you give me grief and not let me properly explain myself
Theo - when the hell are we going to talk in person?
Theo noticed her read the message, but the three dots to indicate that she was typing back was no where to be seen.
Another moment passed his eyes flicked up to the table and he noticed her talking to Liv.
Theo - Naomi answer me, please
He sent the text and looked back up at her, only to watch her lock her phone - not even bothering to read the text message.
It was official, she was ignoring him because like she said in her previous text she wasn't going to have this conversation over text.
Theo - Baby, please
Nothing.
The mood had turned very sour for Theo after that text conversation. Naomi refused to even look at him across the table. In fact she looked bored and disinterested the rest of the night.
Theo tried to keep up with the conversations Joe, Drew, Elliot and Charlie were having with him but he just couldn't do it, nor did he have any interest in the conversations. He didn't, not when Naomi was pissed off with him. When she wouldn't even look at him. When she-
"Alright we're heading off, bye boys!" Tiana smiled at all of them as she got out of her seat, only for Theo to look over and find Naomi with her jacket on, walking towards the front door with Eliza and Liv - waving a quick goodbye and not even looking at him
"That means I'm off as well guys, I'll probably be round tomorrow" Joe smiled as he downed the rest of his beer and did a light jog to catch up to Tiana, Eliza, Liv and Naomi
"Shit then, looks like it's just us boys - are we thinking of continuing the night or heading back to the house?" Morgan asked as he realised it was late and there wasn't much use in staying if only those who were left lived together so they didn't have much to talk about
"Theo, oi Theo, you good?" Elliott called out, trying to get Theo's attention away from the front door for the past two minutes
"What?" He asked
"We agreed we're done for the night and just paid, you coming back to the house or are you going over to a girl's house" Elliott asked
"Girl, what girl?"
"Mate, you slept with a good thirty percent of the female population in our accommodation alone last year - with this fame now, you're definitely shagging multiple girls now"
"I- um, nah...Not looking for any one nights, right now" he mumbled
"Wow that's a first, but are you coming back or not?"
"Nah, gonna crash at my other house cause I have football training tomorrow" he lied, there was no way he was going to Ollie and Elijah's when he needed to sort things out with Naomi
"Alright, see you around then and congrats again on everything" Elliott smiled as he fist bumped Theo, and joined Drew, Charlie and the others in their car
As soon as he saw their car leave the car park, Theo rushed over to his own car and drove directly to Naomi's.
It didn't take long for Theo to get to Naomi's. He immediately knocked on the door, only for it to be opened by Tiana.
"She's in her room" she smiled, as she was unaware of the state him and Naomi were currently in
Rushing past her, Theo made a beeline for Naomi's room, only to find her getting ready for bed. Unfazed by his presence in the doorway, Naomi ignored him because she just wasn't in the mood tonight.
Theo stared at her. She was bare faced, with her hair already French braided.
Theo thought she looked beautiful as always.
He was just about to speak when he saw her struggling with her zipper of her dress.
Knowing how stubborn she was and how much she hated asking for help, even if she was struggling, he stepped towards her, standing behind her as she stared at herself in the mirror.
His hands hovered over her hips, one resting comfortably as the other moved to the zipper on her back. "I've got you baby" he whispered as the material loosened against her skin and the confiments of the fabric fell from her body and onto the ground before them.
Before Theo could touch her even more intimately Naomi stepped away from her him, immediately grabbing her pyjamas and rushed into the bathroom to get changed and change her pad.
Walking back into her own room, she found Theo with his shoes kicked off, his t-shirt off - shirtless with a pair of trousers hanging lowly on his waist.
Sighing with how effortlessly good he looked, Naomi made her way to walk straight past him and get into bed, but things were never easy nor straightforward with her and Theo and they never would be.
"You said we'd talk" he said as he loosely grabbed her wrist to stop her walking past him
"Does it have to be tonight? I'm tired, it's been a long night"
"Yes tonight, you don't think I'm also physically tired, but I'm also mentally tried of this battle I have to have with myself almost everyday, thinking about whether it's the right time to bring up to you that we haven't told Drew, Elliott, Morgan, Jack and Daniel about us yet and I want to tell them" he explained as he let Naomi's wrist go, watching her climb into bed, "I'm tired of you saying that we'll talk at some point but we never do because we're both so busy and you refuse to have these conversations over text"
"Because who the fuck texts about that" she argued
"Well how the hell are we going to talk then?"
"Fine, let's talk now" she said as she climbed back out of bed, knowing that she wasn't going to bed anytime soon
Stood infront of him, she looked up at Theo and could see the hurt in his eyes.
"Say what you wanted to then" she asked him to start because he was the one who wanted the conversation right here, right now
"You don't want me" he mumbled
"Yes I do, why would I even be in a relationship with you if I didn't"
"Because I feel like I forced you, because I fucking pressured you and you hate me deep down for it"
"No I don't! I'm allowed to make my own choices, if I wanted to say no, I would of said no on Valentine's Day. I like you Theo, I like you and I'm with you, you're my boyfriend"
"So then if you claim me now, why won't you tell any of our friends because everyone who knows about us has either been my doing back in first year and finally confronting you about it this year or through catching us"
"Because i-"
"Yes you told the football team, but they were bound to find out by me making you my replacement, but Naomi...baby, why won't you tell people about us, our own friends?"
"I'm a private person, okay? I don't- I just-"
"Ugh, god this is probably why you refuse to even let me post you on my social media" he pointed out as she turned around on her heels at the statement, shocked that he would even say that
"You barely even use social media!" she rebutaled, knowing that his point was useless and irrelevant and he was just throwing any insult at her
"Yeah, but I would for you" he admitted quickly, not missing the small falter in her angry expression,"I would do it for you" he whispered
"Most girls would jump at the chance for their newly recognised boyfriend to post them all over their instagram, but you- you want what was it? A private but not secret relationship - now that sounds like bullshit to me" he stated his honest opinion
"Bullshit?" She questioned as he nodded, "Bullshit..." she repeated, as she couldn't help but laugh sarcastically, "Really, wow! Why didn't you call me out on it when you first heard Liv say it then, huh? Cause that sounds pretty cowardly coming from you"
"And don't even try and spin this on me about most girls, well I'm not like every other girl and you fucking know this! I like my privacy and I always have!" She raised her voice, feeling like Theo didn't even know her at all at this point
"Privacy is different from not telling our best mates that we're together" he told her, arguing back because his points were also valid
"I didn't tell them for an obvious reason" she stressed, standing across the room from him, knowing that the girls and Joe could all probably hear them but she didn't care, this conversation clearly needed to be had and if it was through raising their voices and arguing so be it
"And what's that?" He questioned, needing answers because she wasn't giving him any information at this point
"It wasn't the right time..." she started as he huffed, annoyed at that same statement of it not being the right time, "And you better listen to me when I say this" she stated, refusing to let him block her out just because she'd repeated a phrase that he disliked, "Think about it, it's your special day and telling them would of done what? Ruined it, Theo it would of ruined it, not because of us but because we have no fucking clue what their reactions would of been"
"Well why don't we chance it?" He asked, stepping towards her as he finally understood her a bit better
"You wanna chance it, well I want to find the right time" she whispered as he cupped her cheek, brushing his the pad of his thumb over her cheek as she stared into his eyes
Closing his eyes brefiely, taking a deep breath in to calm himself down, Theo spoke "And when's that going to be? Because at this rate it'll never fucking happen" he admitted, withdrawing his hand from her cheek, "You keep saying we'll tell people when we're good and we've been good for so long what's the fuck is stopping us?"
"Theo I- just don't" Naomi tried to explain but she just couldn't think
"No you don't want me that's the problem, you don't want us" he said as he took a step back away from her, believing that this was it. This was the moment he realised he was more in than she was. That a relationship between the two of them wasn't what she wanted
Shaking her head no, Naomi quickly stopped him thinking the worse, "I never said that"
"You may as well" he muttered
"What the fuck! What the fuck Theo, stop putting words into my mouth" she cried out, seeing him stare at her with such disappointment and hurt made her heart hurt, and she could feel a lump forming in her throat
"Don't what the fuck me, you know it, deep down you don't want me. We've only come this far because I put myself out there. We'd still be 'friends with benefits' if I never said I wanted more" he said without missing a beat as Naomi looked at him wide eyed with her lips parted in shock
Swallowing harshly, realising that maybe she was fighting for something which couldn't be saved if they both wanted different things, Naomi narrowed her eyes at him as she took a deep breath in. "Fine then, if you think you're putting in all the effort and I'm not giving you anything back, then we should just end this then..." she said in a hoarse voice, emotionless, refusing to have Theo see her broken over this
"That's what you want right?" She rhetorically questioned, "To end this because you're apparently the only one in this relationship?" She raised her eyebrows, walking towards him as she jabbed her finger into his chest with every word so he could feel a small percentage of the pain he was throwing at her with his own words
"Well if that's what you want" he raised his eyebrows hearing loud and clear that she wanted to end this because not once had he mentioned ending it. He'd only mentioned they'd come so far because of him lifting the weight
"Well you clearly want that as well" she seethed
"Fine" he laughed lowly staring down at her
"Fine" she nodded, "we're done now get the hell out of my room" she ordered, turning her back to him as she made her way to her bed
Naomi had just reached the foot of her bed when she heard him grab his stuff and her bedroom door slam shut, along with his loud footsteps storming down the stairs, and then finally the front door being slammed shut.
After all of that, Naomi was no longer tired, so she walked over to her window. She couldn't believe it, her and Theo were finished. They'd just broken up.
She was singl-
Abruptly, Naomi was turned around and before she could even register what was going on, another's lips smashed into hers.
Just as she was about to fight off the person, she realised how familiar those lips were. How they claimed hers so authoritatively, with such purpose. How they were a match for hers.
Breaking away from the breathing taking kiss, the person looked down at Naomi, cupping her face, "You make me so fucking mad sometimes but I'm an idiot" he sighed
"Theo-" she breathed out, staring up at him
"We're not done - please take me back" he rushed out, staring at her pleading realising that their previous conversation wasn't what he wanted.
"I-"
"Shit Naomi I'll fucking get on my knees for you if you want that. I'll beg for you. Just don't end this, please" he searched her eyes for clarity as she hesitated with her previous answer "I can't stand you being mad at me, you explain to me how I fucked up and why you're always right and I'm wrong" he said as she brought her hands over his, pulling them slowly off of her face
Theo stood there speechlessly, watching her as she got into bed. How she hadn't said anything yet.
"Naomi" he called out as she laid down on her side, facing the wall
Still no response.
Just as Naomi was about to tell Theo to just get into bed with her because it'd been a long night, she felt the bed dip beside her and a heavy arm being slung across her waist keeping her in place, as he nuzzled his face into her neck.
"Baby, I'm sorry" he whispered, "Baby, please can we talk about this, I don't want to go to bed on a bad note"
"Theo we're fine" she mumbled
"No"
"No?" She questioned, as she turned over so that she could be facing him as he sat up in bed
"No, I don't want to be fine, I want us to be good, I want us to be us - we've never been just fine"
"Okay then, we're good - we're us"
"No, now you're just saying that because I asked you to"
"Then what do you want me to say? Do you want me to say that I'm fucking scared. Wait no, scratch that, I'm terrified that despite how little time I've spent with Drew and Elliot this year I fucking miss them so much and I don't want to lose that friendship with them over them being pissed off with me, with us, with us not telling them"
"They've been so protective and nice to me over these past two years and I just can't afford to lose them. Theo, I can't lose them"
"I just want to find the right time when I feel like they'll be most accepting because we both know we weren't the best match in first year - so they won't jump for joy to know that we're together - just look at how Charlie reacted"
"I don't know when the right time will be, or if there ever will be one...I want to tell them, I really do but I'm just so scared and I'm so tired and overwhelmed and I just can't. I can't deal with all of this anymore, I've just got so much pressure on me, from everyone wanting to spend time with me, to you wanting me to tell everyone about us, to my internship, to my uni work, to my family, to-"
Swallowing the lump in his throat as he watched Naomi stare at her wall, refusing to look at him as she let everything off of her chest, Theo finally spoke "So you want to break up?"
"No, Theo, no - I just want you to understand that you're not the only one who wants to tell everyone. You're not alone, but do remember that other friendships are at stake when we do this. We jumped right into sleeping together that night in first year and I didn't- we didn't think, we didn't think about how everyone would react to us"
"I want to be with you, I am with you. I'm your girlfriend, remember that...But also remember that I'm, I'm broken. I'm broken and I don't know how to be fixed, let alone have a smooth ride with being in a relationship, okay? So what I'm saying is, I get it, you want to jump into things like telling people about us, posting on socials, going on dates, but take time with me...I'm new to all of this and i need you take my thoughts and feelings into consideration as well"
"I understand baby, I'm sorry I made you feel that way, I didn't realise how much this was affecting you. But let's get one thing straight, you're not broken and you never will be"