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Prologue

A/n: If you don't agree with how my characters react to things, just keep your comments to yourself. I'm tired of deleting rude comments. Don't be rude.
I will literally delete this whole fic right off of here because I can't even have my character put her up without y'all making some rude ass comments. Across every platform I've uploaded this to, this is the only one that seems to have issues and I can't be bothered.

Wet clothes, drenched hair, running makeup. It's not exactly how Elli wanted her day to end but here she was, completely soaked head to toe standing outside of her apartment fumbling with her key. The worst storm Chicago has seen in years is ripping through the city. Thunder is rumbling windows and lightning is cracking across the skies, striking stray trees no doubt. A downpour makes it nearly impossible to see more three feet in from of one's face. It's a terrible storm and Elli was stuck in it, just walking from the bus stop to her apartment. Now, she's stuck shivering while trying to unlock the door.

Elli finally gets the door unlocked and the apartment is so much warmer than the hallway. It's a huge sigh of relief as she kicks off her soaked shoes. Elli's arms hug around herself, rubbing either arm and trying to gain more warmth while her attention is pulled away from her chatting teeth. Instead, it's brought to the living room where her roommate, Tom, is seated tuning his guitar. She smiles to herself and walks up to him. His dark curls are nice and neat, something that only ever happened when he actually bothered with his hair. Which, also just means he had plans that involved him wearing more than a hoodie and sweatpants with a snapback.

"Whatcha doing?" Elli asks as she rests her hands on the back of the couch, each on either side of his shoulders.

He jumps with her words, the guitar making a strange strummed sound. Elli wasn't supposed to be home for hours and whenever he's involved with his guitar, it's like the rest of the world doesn't even exist. It's just him and his music. Tom never heard Elli coming inside despite her being less than quiet.

"Fuck you." He mutters, holding the guitar with one hand and turning to face her, resting his arm on the back of the couch. "What happened to you?" his brows furrow but there's a teasing smile on his face, likely ready to start making jokes about her looking like a drowned rat.

"Walked through a puddle."

"Some puddle." Tom chortles, a curl falling onto his forehead as he shakes his head.

"Can you not hear the storm outside?" Elli counters.

"Figured you'd have grabbed an umbrella, that what you're always tellin' me, ya?" Tom snarks but that smirk is glued to his face.

Elli sucks on her teeth before narrowing her eyes. "What were you gonna play?" She changes subject, eyes flickering to the guitar.

"Wasn't." Tom sighs, turning away from her and getting to his feet.

"Sounded like it." Elli crosses her arms over her chest and a chill runs down her spine.

"Uh..." Tom rolls his shoulders as he puts the guitar on its stand, securing it. "I, well, I kind of had a gig....kind of but the storm knocked their power out." Tom says as he turns around and Elli's never seen him so disappointed.

All Tom wants to do is play music. That's it. He's a music major for fuck's sake. His dream is just to play his guitar and sing. He wants to host a radio show but he wants to make something of himself with music. It's his dream, his passion and this was his first "kind of" gig. He chose not to tell Elli about it because he believes in jinxing things. But, it doesn't matter now.

"I'm sorry, Tom." Elli's eyes sadden as she watches him rub the back of his neck.

"Always, next time." Tom huffs. "Didn't you have class?" He points to her, changing subject.

"Yep but uh, look outside. I came home. I'm not getting stuck in that. It's only supposed to get worse." Elli points her thumb to the windows.

Tom side smiles and shakes his head. "Well, get some dry clothes on and we'll turn something on."

"I'm stealing one your hoodies." Elli scrunches her nose before turning on her heels and heading towards his bedroom.

The two of them have been nearly inseparable since their freshman year of college. He's a music major and she's a photography major. They have a thing for the arts, a great appreciation for the other's. It really helped when they were actually introduced by a mutual friend, Harrison.

harrison was born and raised in London like Tom but Harrison's family took annual trips to Chicago for the art festivals and music festivals before moving to the Windy City in time for Harrison's senior year of high school. That's how he met Elli.

They had run into each other years ago at one of the museums. They'd both been looking at the same artifacts. The two of them spent the rest of the day exploring together and that was the start Elli and Harrison's friendship. So, it was only right that Harrison introduce his two best friends when Tom got into the Art Institute where Elli was going. Tom had never been to the states other than to view colleges so he'd need some friends and Harrison had a feeling they'd click, he just didn't know how well they'd click.

It's been three years and they share pretty much everything. There's inside jokes, food, clothes, an apartment. People who don't know any better assume they're dating. But, they're friends. They've been friends and that's just how it's been and as far they could see, they'd always be friends.

"What'd ya have in mine?" Elli asks as she tugs one of Tom's hoodies over her head while she walks down the hallway, pink pajama pants hanging loose on her legs and her face clear of makeup.

"Okay, hear me out:" Tom starts but Elli is already shaking her head while she ties her hair into a messy bun.

"We are not watching The Dark Knight again."

"Awwww, why not?" Tom whines. He's seated on his knees on the couch, arms on the back holding him up while he watches Elli go to the fridge. "You love The Dark Knight and it's perfect."

"There's a thousand movies we haven't seen. Shouldn't we watch one of those?" Elli offers, holding up a beer and shaking it, silently asking if Tom wanted one.

Tom nods in response. "Fine, what'd you wanna watch?" Tom rolls his eyes as Elli walks over but before she could say anything, a rumble of thunder shook through the apartment and the lights went out.

"Well, nothing now, apparently." Elli laughs, now in complete darkness.

"Here." Tom pulls out his phone and turns on the flashlight. "We've any candles?"

"Plenty." Elli beams even in the darkness of the apartment. "There's some in the bottom cabinet of the bathroom and I have some in my room."

"Meet back here?" Tom offers.

"Yep." Elli takes her phone out from the pouch pocket and turns on the flashlight.

The two of them maneuver around the apartment in the dark, using only their phones and memory not run into anything or trip. Elli grabs the six candles from her room with a red lighter and Tom meets her back in the living room with four more candles. They sit on the floor and rest the candles on the coffee table and an end table, lighting all of them and giving them enough light to actually see each other.

Elli and Tom lean against the couch, both of their legs extended in front of them and their beers resting on their right sides. The only sound around the apartment is the screeching of a car on the street below and the thunder rumbling followed by the striking of lightning. With no power, it leaves the normally sound consumed apartment eerily silent. Tom either always has music blaring or he's always playing something on his guitar. Elli is always enthralled in a show or movie, usually editing what she can in her photos. There's always chatter between the two of them. It's just a lively place but right now, it's just a bit dark and quiet besides the candles and outside sounds.

Elli clears her throat, "So, now what?"

"We could get drunk and complain about how much work we have to do before exams." Tom offers, taking a swig of his beer.

"Oh, okay, so our daily routine just in the dark." Elli retorts, following Tom's lead.

"Or you could tell me about the date you were supposed to have this afternoon but didn't go to?" There's a knowing smirk coming to Tom's lips and Elli's face turns a rose red.

"You were playing my favorite song." Elli says bashfully, surprised he remembered her mentioning she had a date.

Tom's brows knit together as he stares at her. "You live here."

Elli sighs and resituates, laying down and placing her head in Tom's lap, looking up to him. "So?" She purses her lips. "Am I not allowed to listen to you play anymore?"

"No, but you'll be single forever if you ghost your dates to watch me play in our living room." Tom's eyes widen as he shakes his head mockingly and pokes her forehead.

"I didn't ghost them." Elli states. "I texted and said I couldn't make it."

One of Tom's hands comes down to the drawstring of the hoodie Elli is wearing. He plays with it, wrapping it around his finger and tugging it slightly. Elli watches him and he only fiddles with things when he's got something eating at him. Tom isn't a super fidgeting person but he turns into one when he's nervous or there's something on his mind. In three years, it's easy to pick up on those things.

"When's the last time you went on a date?" Elli asks, knowing the question will get his mind off whatever is bugging him or get him to tell her without her having to ask.

Tom tosses his head back, a laugh rumbling his chest. "Uh, yeah, okay. You've a point."

"Bet if you went on a date, you wouldn't be so uptight." Elli jokes, a smile splitting her face.

"I'm not uptight!" Tom jerks his legs, moving Elli and all she can do is laugh in response. "You're the uptight one."

"I totally am!" Elli admits as she sits up, hands planted on the floor as she holds herself up. "I need to get laid."

"All you have to do is ask." Tom chortles as he licks his lips before taking a sip of his beer.

Elli stares at him in shock and suddenly, the only sound she can hear is her own heartbeat in her ears. "What?"

Tom laughs, finding her expression priceless. "Kidding, darling."

Elli sighs and her cheeks are so red she's sure Tom can see the tint even in the dim light. But, she brushes off her flustered state and plays along with the banter.

"Too bad, would have taken you up on it." She reaches for the neck of the bottle and puts it to her lips, Tom's jaw going slack at her words.

His eyes scan her as she takes her drink and there's a part of him that knows it's such a bad idea. It's always a bad idea to get involved with a friend. It starts just as fun and games but then feelings grow deeper and people get hurt. But, there's this other part, the part that's making him lick his bottom lip and goosebumps form across his skin, that's dying to cup her face and go for it. Elli jokes a lot, he jokes with her. It's their friendship but what if that wasn't a complete joke?

"Alright," Tom shrugs, moving his beer out of the way. He takes the bottle from Elli's hand and moves it before his hands go to her hips, pulling her onto his lap so she can straddle him. Elli squeals, her hands coming to rest on his shoulders. "You serious?"

Elli's breath catches in her throat and she's thought about kissing him a hundred times. But, is this right? Thunder and lightning consuming the skies like a cliche romance film that ends in heartache. There's a glint his eyes though and she wants him so she nods.

"Serious." She shrugs a shoulder and leans in.

Her fingers go to the back of his neck, intertwining as his lips collide with hers. Elli lets out a breath against his lips and it's everything she imagined it'd be and more. He takes like beer but with a lingering taste of oranges from his chapstick. And his lips are soft but chapped and it sends chills down her spine. Tom's tongue swipes across her bottom lip before darting into her mouth and their tongues dance together in a dance that's just their's. His hands grip her hips harder with every passing second, every ounce of want and need making it's way to his grasp and she grinds down onto him, eliciting a groan from him.

Tom pulls away just enough to lean his forehead against her. Their chests heave and Tom's eyes are filled with lust, locked with Elli's nervous indigos. He clears his throat but he doesn't dare to move because he's never felt so warm.

"Friends?" Tom asks and he just needs to make sure that they aren't crossing that friend line. He needs to make sure he's not going to approach his fear.

"Friends." Elli affirms, her hands coming to his cheeks.

"Just...between us, right?" Tom nudges his nose against hers. "Friends with benefits?"

"Yeah," Elli whispers, her lips brushing against his. "Friends with benefits, stays between us." Elli's voice is a honeyed whisper.

"Great." Tom whispers back before connecting his lips to hers, hands snaking under the hoodie she's wearing and sealing the rushed agreement.

Just... friends.

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