Taylor's POV
The shock that Hirato got when he found out that Gustav and Georg had temporarily moved in was almost too much for him, the poor guy. Don’t get me wrong he appreciated that we were all together and having a really good time at the dinner but I knew he did not like it at all to be having to share the living room with them.
-I know Hirato, but it’s not for long. Do you think you can endure it? I asked as sweetly as I could. His eyebrows pushed together, examining the space in the living room from the kitchen before he sighed.
-It’s okay but only if you promise it’s not for long. It’s been hard enough for my love life to live with two girls, he muttered.
He had no problems getting dates and girls with his good looks and charms and there were times when he was away all night after the dates. Mellie and I didn’t really mind the absence sometimes, even though we knew exactly what he was doing, just as long he got home safely. But he had a point, it was no wonder he couldn’t bring girls here when he lived with Mellie and me and slept on a pull out bed sofa.
-Yet again, I know. But you do remember that I promised I would help you look for your own apartment right? I tried to console him with the promise and he seemed to be encouraged by it.
-Yeah okay, they can stay, we’ll look for some tomorrow or something, he smirked and strode away to go and hang out with the others.
I barely had the time to turn back to the dishes until Gustav came into the kitchen.
-Hey friend, you need some help with that? He asked and came up beside me. The dishes had been piling up and it was my turn of course to take care of it.
-Yeah if you could dry them it would help me a lot, I smiled. Gustav immediately started doing the job like a pro.
-It’s very kind of you to let us stay here for a few days, he mumbled.
-Gustav, it’s always nice to have you around, you guys are family, I smiled. He seemed to like the idea of family.
-So what have you guys been up to these couple of months, I’ve haven’t heard from you.
I decided I couple use the little alone time we would get right now to ask about Georg and him about what they had been doing. He put some of the dried plates on a neatly stacked pile and seemed to think about the answer to that question.
-Mostly we have been focusing on work. Our clientele decreased rapidly during the hunt so we needed to secure our firm’s finance. We didn’t need Bill and Tom to come back and the company had gone into bankruptcy, he stated matter of fact.
I really hadn’t thought much about it but I guess it had been a lot of sweat and tears to keep their company up and running with all the clients sitting on needled because the CEO’s were hunted like dogs by mafia members.
-That must have been stressful for you, I said and glanced at Gustav who looked tired just thinking about it.
-Yeah but it was useful to have something to do and to have something to focus on. It was so hard not to keep in touch with you and Mellie and to be worried about the brothers.
His voice came out as a exhausted sigh and I felt bad for his sake.
-I hope you and Georg can relax some while you’re here, I chuckled and nudged him. Gustav responded with a laugh and put away the final glass that was dried. The endless pile of dishes was finally done and judging by my ill-treated hands, I seriously jumbled the thought of putting a down payment for a dishwasher.
A dry towel wrapped around my hands and I looked up with a smile at Gustav who was quite monotone.
-Is there something wrong Gustav? He helped dry my hands all the while looking absently down.
-I wish we could relax but there is a big thing that is coming up and I do not really know how to handle it, he murmured.
-What do you mean? What kind of big thing? I questioned.
This was not sounding so good in my ears and the fact that Gustav was slightly worried about this made me worry more. I thought about it for a second while looking at Gustav’s stone face, trying to see some kind of answer but it was useless. He suddenly smiled and put away the towel from my hands that now were looking much better. Maybe it wasn’t that bad after all.
-Tom will tell you all about it, and in the mean time I will try to relax, he smiled and shooed me off towards the living room with him following closely behind.
I chuckled and felt a little more at ease at his more light words. We travelled out to the others who were witting watching a movie. Hirato was located on the floor, leaning his back to the couch, Georg was sitting in the chair, Tom was slumped down in the corner of the sofa and Bill and Mellie were out on a walk around the streets of Paris.
Gustav sat down at the other end of the couch and pushed me down in the middle between Tom and him, making me stumble to my feet and fall down. Gustav chuckled and shuffled me closer to Tom who snickered at me.
-Well aren’t you the elegant one, Gustav teased as Tom placed his arm around my shoulders.
-You should see her get up from the bed in heals, Hirato chuckled, his eyes not leaving the TV.
-I never said I was graceful, I muttered back and slithered my arm over Tom’s stomach and nuzzled down into his body. His smell filled my nose, making pleasant memories pop into my head, which deliberately made me in an even better mood. His embrace around me tightened, giving me the perfect range to put my head against his chest.
Hirato was entirely engaged in the movie, Georg looked like he was on the verge of falling asleep and Gustav looked modestly interested. Now that I found a sweet spot, I was planning on fully concentrate on what this movie really was about, however all of my focus evaporated when I felt Tom’s fingers brushing over my knuckles.
I glanced up at him, finding him staring straight ahead and then after a while, probably feeling me staring at him, turning his brown eyes straight onto me. I inhaled a small breath as Tom just looked at me, studying me.
I really wished I knew what he was thinking sometimes. He seemed to be so deep in thought for some reason as his brown eyes didn’t leave for one second. I know I should be uncomfortable, or rather I would be uncomfortable in a situation like this but somehow there was just something inside me that was dying to know what Tom thought in this moment. What was spinning in his head while all I could think about how penetrative his eyes were, boring a hole in my head?
He didn’t say a word. Not giving me anything to getting even the slightest bit of a hint. Tom gave me a hidden smile and that was it, as he turned back to the TV.
How I ever would learn some of his tricks was beyond my belief. His hand instantly re-engaged in stroking my knuckles, making circles with his thumbs over the back of my hand and that made me relax more than I’ve done in a long time as I sunk back into him and locked my eyes at the TV.
By the time the movie was finished, Georg had made himself ready for bed and was sleeping on his mattress, Gustav had gotten bored and started playing with his phone and Tom was half asleep. Hirato and I had been watching intently and discussed the ending a bit while the others got ready for bed, as well as Bill and Mellie who had already come back and went to bed.
Lying down in my bed and reading a new thriller I’d found, I felt sleepier by the minute. The soft light from my bed lamp tired my eyes but the book was too good to put down.
-I’m guessing you are more than ready to sleep, Tom said amused while coming out from my bathroom. His devious smile taunted me as his half naked body approached the bed.
-I’m tired but I don’t want to yet, I said with determination that was quickly followed by a deep yawn.
Tom rested his fists into the bed and hovered closer to me.
-Put the book down and get some shuteyes honey, he grinned like he knew he had the upper hand here. Giving him the evil eye, I grabbed him by the neck and pulled him down into the narrow bed.
-You be quiet, I’m going to read a few pages more, I grumped, making Tom laugh at me as he made himself comfortable.
-You do what you want honey, just don’t fall asleep in the book.
Huffing at his back that was facing me I continued reading. It did almost knock the life in me a few times to struggle to be conscious but at the last two pages I caught a new energy. Probably my last reserves to be exact.
After a while I had read through the pages and placed the book by the bed, only to feel a bit more energized. Still very tired but more awake to be exact.
-Tom, are you sleeping yet? I quietly asked and touched his bare back with easy fingers. He mumbled something and shifted around to look at me.
- I’m trying to but I’m too awake, he said and placed his arm loosely around my hip.
-Tom, Gustav mentioned something earlier, I quietly said as I made myself comfortable. He shifted again to give me some room and pulled me closer so that I was pressed up against him.
-Mhm?
The warmth of his chest radiated over me under the cover, it’s familiarity making me at ease. There were no words that could describe the feeling when it was just us like this alone.
-He said there was something big coming up? I questioned.
-Well yeah, there kind of is…
-Will you tell me what it is? I asked with hope. To be fair I thought I deserved to know at this point. He kissed me on my forehead and brushed away a strand of hair from my shoulder.
-I will, but let’s leave that to tomorrow, please? He begged and circled his fingers on my skin near my collarbone. Looking over his brown eyes I nodded slowly and pecked his lips.
-Tomorrow then.
…
I awoke to rays of sunlight streaming through the seams of the curtain in my room window. Tom and I had fallen asleep tangled in each other but it got too warm for me and his body was a radiator, which didn’t help the situation. I sat up, letting the cover knot itself at the side of me. I was calm and felt at ease but the thought of this so called big thing that was approaching was really gnawing in the back of my mind.
Tom stirred next to me, the glimmers of bright light touching his golden skin, making him look even more strikingly tan than he already was. I took a deep sigh and turned my eyes to the window to see that it was prepared for a really nice day in this autumn weather. The trees had already shifted in colors of red, green and yellow making every plant in the whole city light up in a firework. The cold had started coming but it was still warm enough to enjoy a lunch outside.
I could hear the others in the kitchen and the sound of the coffee machine brewing. Georg’s low morning voice mumbled something bitterly and the others joined in the conversation with cheerful laughs.
Tom yawned and stretched next to me.
-What’s going on? He asked, sounding slightly disoriented by sleep. It was Tuesday morning, a chilly but beautiful day.
-It’s time for breakfast, and then we’ll have a serious talk, I said.
I went out first to find Georg, Hirato and Mellie sitting in the kitchen with breakfast in their hand and a coffee cup in the other. They were in a conversation about the economy but I was not in the mood to listen in. I stretched for the coffee and poured a cup to wake up and maybe even prepare myself a bit. I sat down next to Mellie who smiled and pushed me the plate of toasts. I smiled back and made my breakfast.
After a while Tom joined us in the kitchen. I don’t know why but the air suddenly got a little tense, a little thick. Georg and him exchanged knowing looks from time to time and I got more frustrated not knowing what it was about. Hirato and Mellie felt it too I guess because their non-stop talk dried out.
Just as I was about to approach Tom to ask him about what he needed to tell me, Hirato grabbed me.
-Taylor, remember you promised me yesterday that you were supposed to follow me to go and look for apartments, he said.
-Hirato not now, I said bitterly but his hold on me tightened.
-Taylor, if I don’t get out of this place and all these people I’m going to have a meltdown. Now, you promised, he said and pleaded with his eyes. I whipped my head to look at Tom and Mellie who were watching TV in silence and it ached in me to know what he wanted to tell me. I sighed and hoped Hirato could see my annoyance.
-Fine then you big lump, get your stuff and we’ll head out! I muttered as he broke out into a cruel laugh.
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A/N Hey guys! Sorry for a late update but i hope you can cope anyways! So we've finally reached 50! That is crazy! Well i'm not going to babble on i promise, i just wanted to share with you guys that there isnt't a whole lot left of this story!!!!!!!! Comment on what you thought of the chapter or message me! Always fun to hear some feedback from you experts ;) HUGS!!