[WORD COUNT: 3631]!
Please read AN at the end of the chapter after reading!

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

"For fuck sake can you stop!" Tom groaned as he turned to look at you, waving your hands to the beat of the music which you had now upped to full blast, your hair flying everywhere from the open windows of the car.

"Dude lighten up!" you yelled over the music, a smile spreading across your cheeks as the lights changed and you sped off down the high way. In truth, it had been a while since you had a genuine smile across your face, and it felt nice. Tom was in pain and you knew that, but you weren't about to discard even a second of a good time, not even for Tom. "What you don't like the song?" you sniggered, hand hovering over the volume.

"I've heard it like a thousand times, and besides your taking me to the hospital of all places, what've I got to be excited about?" he rolled his eyes, poking your hand away as he flicked through the songs, not settling on one until he had gone through the entire playlist. Finally, he settled on Umbrella by Rhianna, bouncing his hands to the beat of the music making you giggle. You'd been sat in the car for around twenty minutes, easily contrasting between different songs and listening to Tom loosen up a little as he sang along. It felt nice, seeing him this way.

However, all was cut short as you arrived at the hospital car park and the music was cancelled out due to having to look 'civil' and not cause a distraction. Now, only the wheels rolling against the harsh gravel beneath you filled the car and it made your heart sink a little, as it seemed all had turned blue again.

You finally found a parking spot not far from the entrance, maybe a thirty-second walk from what you could conjecture. But opening your door you felt Tom tighten up, hands resting on his thighs as he kept his eyes locked on the entrance. You moved back to sit in your seat, letting the car door rest against the small of your leg. "You okay? You've gone super pale"

You heard Tom swallow, rubbing the material of his jeans lightly before switching back to look at you. "It's a hospital, Y/N. Don't tell me you were expecting me to walk in here like it's some kind of haven" he snapped lightly, but tried to remain calm as he didn't want to kill your mood. He couldn't understand how you could have gone from losing one of your best friends to acting like nothing was wrong and all was normal. In honesty, Tom was jealous that you could move on so quickly. If only he knew how tight the guilty knot was being pulled in your stomach.

"Look," you closed the door, turning towards him, "I know you don't wanna be here for whatever reason that may be. But you need to go in there and put your big boy pants on because if you don't then your gonna have to suffer the consequences" you sighed, cupping his frail hand, fingers turning cold in your palm, "No matter how much you wanna deny it, you've got a nasty cut, and if you don't let someone fix it then it'll more than likely kill you"

"Is that a metaphor for something or are you genuinely being serious?" he squinted lightly, wrapping his fingers around your hand.

"Both, now get out before I drag you to the door myself" you kissed his cheek before getting out the car. You walked around the rear to Tom's door where he could barely lift himself from the seat, wincing in pain as he tried to stand. It made your stomach ache to see him in such pain.

You wrapped your arms around him, helping to lift him out the car before slamming the door and locking it behind you. Despite the fact right now all you wanted to do was curl into a ball and let tears wash away your feelings, you had to be the strong one in this situation. Not only for yourself, but for Tom.

With every step, Tom felt heavier and heavier, his steps getting shorter and the time taking longer. His breath was hotter against your neck and it made your heart pound against your chest in fear that at any moment he would collapse at your side.

Fortunately enough you made it through the entrance and to the front desk where you were immediately assisted by a nurse. You barely got the chance to so much as mention what had happened before he was whisked off into an emergency room. You guessed it from him looking so pale and fragile, having to hold on to you for support to so much as walk.

"Hey, can I be in there with him?" you pointed to the door to Toms room after following them down the hallway, "he might look strong but he's a real wuss"

"Relation?" she asked, eyes flickering back down to her clipboard as if she had enough on her plate to be dealing with you. You knew from experience that they would only let close relations and family enter so cutting the 'friend' move wasn't going to work.

"Uh, girlfriend" you played of casually. She waved a hand at you before walking back down the hallway, which was confusing as you didn't know whether or not that was the 'okay'. You pushed it aside and decided to go in anyways.

The room was slightly crowded and stunk of antiseptic. Despite there being one or two nurses at Tom's bedside already, hooking him to up to all kinds of machines, there was still a space for you. Tom's hand was lying flat against the paper sheet, which brought the perfect opportunity to hold him, making sure he was okay.

"He's under Anesthetic, love, so he might be a little drowsy" a nurse smiled down at you. You nodded hesitantly, taking a deep breath as a wave of affection practically drowned you in the hospital chair. "Can I get you anything? You've got a nasty cut above your eye" she asked gently, placing a hand on your shoulder.

"Uh, do you have any water?" you asked, tapping your head where there was indeed, a damp spot. You hadn't realised with all the rushing around, but seeing the crimson coating your fingers made your stomach cascade against your skin.

"Of course" she smiled before leaving your side and out of the room, shortly followed by the second nurse. You were left alone in the room with Tom, his hands still cold from the blood loss and his eyes sealed shut. You clenched your jaw tightly, being in the broadened light only made the bruises and dark circles under Tom's eyes more prominent. He looked so tired.

His head turned lightly, eyes shifting open at the feeling of you clenching his hand a lot harder than intended. In truth, you were scared. Everything had happened so quickly, and unexpectedly. Now you were sat in a fucking hospital, holding Tom's hand like your life depended on it because deep down inside it did. All you knew was Tom. The only roads you knew where the ones that ran through the palms of his hands and the only colour you remember was the chocolate haze that surrounded his pupils. The only warmth you needed to protect you from the cold was his body heat and the only thought that harboured your mind was him. Only him.

Before long you were kicking off your shoes and clambering into the small bed beside him, being careful not to catch the IV in his left arm as you pulled his right around your head. He wasn't completely out of it yet, so you savoured the small pressure he applied on your shoulders to bring you closer as you entangled your legs together, resting your arm over his chest. His body was cold against your skin and it made you jump when his fingers trailed down your bare arms, lips resting on your forehead as he kissed you gently.

"I'm sorry, love" he whispered, voice deep and raspy. You chuckled, wiping fallen tears away from your cheeks as you lifted your head, noses almost touching.

"You've got nothing to be sorry for" you smiled, resting your cheek against his shoulder. It was true, Tom didn't have anything to be sorry for, yet you knew he would blame this all on himself. What had happened was on your own behalf and you should have been more careful falling into this situation. You didn't listen when people told you to and ignored all the red flags that were waving right in front of your face. "Get some sleep, m'kay?" you remained still, talking into the skin of his neck. He hummed gently, shifting in the bed to get more comfortable before settling down against you.

The door opened quietly, the nurse coming back into the room with the cup of water before seeing you and stopping in her tracks. You were tangled around Tom like his only lifeline while he lay there supporting you. It looked cliche, but it was enough for her to leave the cup on the side before switching off the lights and closing the door behind her, leaving you both in peace for the first time in what felt like months.

You woke to the sound of beeping beside you, eyes fluttering open in a hurry before Tom's hand pulled you back down to earth. Throughout your sleep, they had hooked Tom up to a heart monitor and applied some antiseptic wipes to the base of your forehead, which felt strange when you yawned as the tape pulled on your skin. Your hands were cold and your tongue had a sour taste to it, making you bat your lips as you sat upright.

"Morning" Tom smiled as you turned to make sure he was ok. He looked a lot better: the colour back in his cheeks and some faith restored in his eyes, and that cheeky grin plastered on his cheeks as he looked up to your hair, "wow you've got some serious bed head"

"What?" you groaned, hands falling to your hair. The strands had fallen out of your bobble and were now sticking to your neck. It was that uncomfortable annoying feeling more than anything, so you pulled the remaining hair out quickly and let the mess fall onto your shoulders. Tom smiled, brushing some of the strands away from your face before you got the chance to re-tie your hair.

"You feeling better?" you asked quietly, noticing other nurses pottering around the room. He nodded softly, "yeah, on the condition your ok"

"I'm fine as always" your voice was dreary and pulled out, having not caught a good nights sleep in well over a week. "hows your side?"

"They patched me up while you were still asleep, having to manoeuvre around you," he sniggered, "you should have seen them trying to get your arms back to your own side, it was like world war three"

"Oh god," you sighed, yet let a smile slip onto your face, "I mean if anything it's your fault for being so comfortable"

"Always finding a way to blame it on me, eh?" he retorted, shaking his head. It was true, having you checked just to be 100% sure he wasn't lying to you. His side was now bandaged up, being told there were stitches underneath so not to move too quickly. He wasn't as fit as a fiddle just yet, but it was enough to satisfy your worrying heart.

"Oh, by the way about an hour ago Everdeen Industries dropped by" Tom itched the back of his neck lightly, hair falling out into multiple places before returning his gaze to you.

"Who?"

"Everdeen Industries, they used to work alongside the FBI before their company got overrode and chose to go solo-"

"I didn't ask for a history lesson, Tom" you giggled, running a hand through your hair.

"Sorry- well basically they're here because of Harry and they've assisted us both with personal security"

"So what? I get my own bodyguard now?" you smirked sarcastically as if the measure wasn't drastic enough.

"Basically, yeah"

"Your fucking kidding me" you gave a pathetic laugh, moving to get off the bed, "I can take care of myself ya know?"

"I know, but we can't risk anything else happening. I nearly lost you and I don't even wanna have to go through that again" his voice simmered out slightly, almost not making it to your ears as you moved across the room to sit on the spare chairs.

"Okay, well what about our agreement? If it still stands, how do you expect us to have any privacy?"

"Well if the other half of the agreement is still running straight by you, then by the time we're in New York we won't need it" he shot back, hands landing on his thighs. You took a deep breath as you rolled your eyes at him. He was going to every length to protect you, and it somewhat felt nice to know he cared.

"Okay, fine" you accepted, sipping the water the nurse had brought in for you earlier, "when do you get discharged?"

"They said I can go home when I please but they're not sure how long I'll need the stitches for"

"You thinking of staying in?"

"Yes and no I guess. If I'm here then if something does go wrong then I have everything I need, but on the other hand, I just wanna go home" he held the bridge of his nose tightly, sighing. You understood where Tom was coming from, as you hadn't had a minutes peace either.

"Well do whatever is best for you because I'm here either way" you looked over at him from the bridge of the plastic cup, seeing him smile.

"Thanks"

"S' what I'm here for"

Tom took a while to make a decision, before concluding that he wanted to go home. Well, not home exactly.

Ever since the break in the house had been a mess, with no proper security and one of the living room windows was broken. And despite all of that, Tessa wasn't home either.

It had been playing on your mind all day the fact that Tessa was missing, but Tom then upped and clarified that she was with Lucy, an old school friend. Which then lead to a semi-argument about the fact he 'let' you worry about it. But non the less, now you were headed for a local VIP hotel where EI (Everdeen Industries) had booked out one of the rooms on the penthouse floor. It was a bit much, but then again you were salvaging a home out of it for at least a couple weeks until you could get everything sorted for New York.

The car ride there was long enough, as you weren't allowed to use public transport and had to wait for one of the security members to come and pick you up outside the hospital. Your lungs were filled with the cold air of the night, Tom's hand laced in yours as you walked side by side towards the hotel, which was absolutely stunning. Security signed you in with additional information before assigning you to your room for the next two weeks or so. It was absolutely huge, and the view was breathtaking. You could see all over London. The bright lights, the London Eye, the River Thames. All the places Tom had grown up displayed right in front of you.

"Hey which drawer do you want, top or bottom?" Tom asked from the bedroom after you came back through the French doorway.

"Either, I don't mind" you shrugged it off before grabbing the small carry bag lying on the bed and opened it up, unfolding some old PJ's before heading to the bathroom to change. All was finally calm for a while, and feeling the cold cotton of your comfortable PJ's made life a little simpler. You had been cooped up in thick, uncomfortable jeans for the past couple days and not to mention not being able to take your bra off, because that was a sensational feeling and a half.

All in all, you were proud of Tom, not to mention yourself, for moving on and getting this wrapped around both your heads so quickly. Despite losing a very important person in your life under 36 hours ago, all seemed well for the moment. You were cooped up, safe, warm and with your current most desired person in the world with all the time on the planet to kill.

You brushed your hair out thoroughly, having been some small knots at the bottom before glancing at the shower. No matter how tempting it looked, you were drained and completely exhausted. So much your legs probably would have given way by the time the water hit your head. So instead you left the bathroom and headed straight for the bed, diving into the warm, soft, cotton sheets and allowing your body to completely shut down.

"Save some room for me" Tom chortled, feeling the bed sink beside you as he hovered for a moment.

"Bitch please this is a Queen size bed" you smiled, stretching out even further and claiming all of the space. Tom rolled his eyes, bracing his legs at either side of your hips and hands at the side of your head. The quietness in his movement caused you to roll onto your back, seeing Tom directly above you.

"Hey, handsome" you smirked, picking one leg up and wrapping it around his hip. Tom smiled, teeth showing past his lips.

"Hey, beautiful" he whispered, leaning down and capturing your lips in his. You didn't push the kiss to be deep, you just lay there, allowing him to take control if he wanted to. Yet he didn't. Your eyes fluttered completely closed before long you were rolling him over, collapsing onto his chest as your lips disconnected.

"Why'd I get the feeling I'm not getting any tonight?" he chuckled, yet not the slightest bit disappointed.

"Because your hurt and I'm tired. So, save your energy, and you can have me tomorrow" you hummed, letting a yawn pass your lips as you let your full weight collide with Tom's, cheek resting against his chest listening to his heart beating.

"By the way, I never got round to paying you for doing this, so check your bank account tomorrow" he whispered, reaching over and flicking off the light. You nodded, hair itching as it trailed beneath your ear.

"You don't have to pay me you know, it feels kinda wrong..."

"Oh, so you like having sex with me now?" he smirked, reaching down and pulling the sheets over you.

"You know what, yeah, I guess I do" you lifted your head unexpectedly, making Tom jump. "But then again, is it the same the other way around?"

"What are you asking?"

"I don't know, Tom. Do you like having sex with me, or do I need to start paying you?"

"Oh shut the fuck up, Y/N, you know it's the best sex I've ever had" he openly complimented, making your cheeks flush a deep shade of red.

"Y-you mean that? All jokes aside" your voice quivered slightly, facing him head-on.

"Of course I do" his hand cupped your cheek gently, thumb running underneath your eye. You smiled, feeling a wave of admiration consume you as he continued to stare into your eyes like he was looking deep into your soul.

And there, for the first time in a long time, you shared a happy moment.

For once in your life, it wouldn't be your last with Tom.

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

Ikr, you're not dreaming, I actually ended on a good note for once, please don't have a stroke, this is actually happening. And Tessa is safe btw! You guys were openly attacking me on the last chapter, honestly, I would never let anything happen to her!

PLEASE READ - I need your opinions, which is kinda stupid asking for them now as I should really ask when the book ends but fuck it - I have around maybe 5 - 6 chapters left for this book, possibly more, maybe less I'm not sure depending on how much I write for each chapter. I am gonna attempt and make each one AT LEAST 3000+ words to get this story on a little and not keep the chapters dragging, but what I REALLY wanted to ask was

SHOULD I MAKE A SECOND BOOK?

SPOILER ALERT - This book ends on a cliffhanger. (wow so shook - sarcasm) PLEASE GUESS IN YOUR HEAD AND NOT IN THE COMMENTS BECAUSE IF YOU GET IT RIGHT I WILL ACTUALLY CRY 😂

Mkay, leave your thoughts and as always thank you for the amazing support this book has had! I literally wouldn't be here without you and to think I wrote a similar book like this just over a year ago is mad! I am so so so so so so so so happy that you are all enjoying it and as always I have a clear shot to the end now so no more complications, no more weeks without updating, I should be getting this out thoroughly and smoothly (depending on how life decides to treat me).

Again, thank you! And as always, I will see you in Chapter 19. Love you all, have a great day or sweet dreams, stay in school, work hard, love yourself and remember I love youuuu! Gnight (for me) 💞💞💞💞💞💞💞💞💞