You've never been the favorite, the one everyone loves and cherishes. In fact all your life you've been living in the shadow of another.

When you were younger it was your twin sister. She was the smarter, prettier, better, version of you. You were constantly compared to her by your family.

You went through middle school thinking it would be different but instead your teachers would bring her up and tell you things you couldn't care less about like, "Oh your sister did well you should too," silly things like that.

Your friends preferred her to be you and weren't very discreet about it. In fact the only time they actually talked to you was when they were mad at each other. Great friends right?

High school wasn't much better except your three friends that didn't care much for your twin and cared about you. They saw you for who you were: not for who your sister is.

College was better, you met a man that saw deeper than everyone ever had and his name was Tom Hiddleston.

The two of you became the closest of friends. You did everything together and when he got his big break and became famous the two of you celebrated together. Everything seemed to be getting better for you...you had spoke much to soon. One thanksgiving dinner Tom came and met your sister and your fairy tale life fell apart.

Your sister instantly took a liking to the tall British gentleman. When it was time for you and Tom to leave your sister had Tom's number and the two never stopped texting.

You were jealous. Extremely unfathomably jealous.

Instead of turning into the jealous clingy bitchy friend you decided to distance yourself from Tom. You didn't want to watch another friendship crumble because of the shadow you've lived in your entire life.

***

"You are the worst fake girlfriend I've ever had!" Fitz complains to Skye.

You were curled up on the couch doing a marathon of Agents of SHIELD rather than taking Tom up on his offer of going to dinner. You scoop a spoonful of ice cream and shove it in your mouth as the episode continues. Suddenly the doorbell rings.

You ignore it too lazy and absorbed to answer it. Suddenly it rings continually as if someone just pressed the button fifty different times. "I'm coming!" You scream annoyed while pressing pause. "Jesus some people," you mumble heading to the door.

As you open the door you see one of your three best friends from high school standing there with two bags. "I have all the break up help you'll need. Marvel movies that don't have Loki, season one of Arrow, Nutella, and ice cream." She says while walking past you. "Ooo!!! I adore this episode. Can I play it?" She asks while dropping her bags and running to the couch. "Please?"

"W-what are you doing? I mean I'm not mad your here you brought over food and movies. But I haven't had a boyfriend since college.. Who would I have broken up with?"

"Well Tom called me informing me of everything that had happened since Thanksgiving. He told me that ever since you've been distant and it's a miracle if he even gets a text back. He says that you always seem to have plans when he asks if you want together...as if your avoiding him.

"When he said that this took place after Thanksgiving at your parents' house well I asked if he had met your twin sister. He told me he had. I then asked if he had been in contact with her since Thanksgiving: again a yes. So I asked if talks with her a lot. Once more he answered yes. So I hung up on him went grocery shopping and came here.

"Now can I play this episode or not?"

You stare at her in shock, "He noticed?"

"Of course he did (Y/N). He cares a lot."

"Not enough to notice."

"(Y/N)...that's unfair." (Your/Friend's/Name) tells you softly.

"No (Your/Friend's/Name), it's not. I have every right to accuse him of that. I have grown up my entire life in her shadow. I finally have a good thing going for me and she ruins it! God forbid I like a cute guy!" You flail your arms around for emphasis. "I like Tom, a lot more then a friend. He's kind and sweet and caring and everything I've ever wanted so heaven forbid that I fall for him. Every time this happens to me. My friends, family, my crush, they all pick her over me. But can you blame them? Look at her she's perfection as I'm just... I'm just me." By then end of your speech there are tears in your eyes.

"Oh (Y/N)," your friend says walking over and hugging you. "Let's just forget about this for a while and have some bonding time." She murmurs hugging you...one hand behind her back clutching her cell phone.

***

It was five fifty-five in the morning when you woke up. Quietly you grab your sneakers and put your hair up for your ritual six am run. You grab headphones and your cellphone before heading out.

Halfway through your run you well run into someone. "Oh my goodness! I'm so so sorry. I wasn't looking and-" you stop taking when you see who your looking at. "Tom." You curtly nod before trying to walk past.

"(Y/N), can we talk?" He asks grabbing your wrist.

"What about? I have nothing to say to you," you tell him. "Now if you could kindly give me my wrist back that would be greatly appreciated."

"(Y/N) I heard everything you told (Your/Friend's/Name). She called me when you started to open up. I didn't know (Y/N) I didn't know that you grew up like that. (Your/Friend's/Name) told me how you grew up before you met her and me. How you felt suffocated by her shadow and how everyone sees her as perfection. Quite honestly (Y/N), she's self obsessed. And (Y/N) to me your perfect. When I first saw you in drama you walked in and I saw the excitement in your eyes. I saw the dedication...I fell in love with you. I fell in love with a girl I met that seemed to try to stay hidden in the shadows. I don't like your sister...at all." When Tom finishes he pulls you in close.

His eyes flicker to your lips before closing the distance between them.