Before Forever|| T.M.R

Chapter twenty-two: Vulnerable

"Our dignity can be mocked, abused, compromised, toyed with, lowered and even badmouthed, but it can never be taken from you. You have the power today to reset your boundaries, restore your image, start fresh with renewed values and rebuild what has happened to you in the past."

-Shannon L. Alder

***

The morning that followed was uneventful between the three of them.

Valencia's mother had left early that morning to attend to "personal business" regarding one of her companions back from her school days. Though, she wasn't daft, she knew where she was actually going, to do her private activities and earn some more money. It disgusted the girl beyond wits, but she never mentioned it, not after what happened last time.

Eggs sizzled in the pan as Tom Riddle stood before the stove, one hand moving through his curls to make the messiness a bit more subtle. He stood there, bothered that nobody else had woken up yet, not even the elves were awake at that hour of that early morning. He woke up as soon as the sun had rose, and he was more than eager to get downstairs.

Yet, when he arrived nobody have woken up yet, and despite his anxiousness, he decided it was best to make himself and Valencia some breakfast before their long day ahead. Even if it was extremely out of character, he did know much about cooking and actually enjoyed doing so. He learned how to make food for himself in the orphanage, and he used those skills to his personal advantage.

His head snapped up from the echoing footsteps coming from the top of the staircase, and his lips pulled into an infuriating smirk before he settled to his casual state of posture. His hips leaned against the stove and his hands gripped the handle of the skillet with ease. The veins evident beneath his pale skin.

"What in the devil are you doing awake so early?" her raspy voice asked from behind him. He turned around to see her for the first time in her morning state, her hair was less messy than his and her natural long eyelashes fanned against the perfect skin. It almost baffled him how normal she looked without even doing anything to make her appearance better.

"I'm cooking breakfast, I made eggs, if you don't like them than you can starve," he mumbled darkly, his voice was also hoarse from the long night of restless sleep he had. He was staying awake thinking about the journey to come, and the days he'd spend alone with her inside her mansion.

"Wow Tom, I'm honestly flattered, you're such a gentleman," she said sarcastically beneath her breath, her felt her presence awfully close behind him and he glanced to see her face peaking over his shoulder to see the progress he had made on the food.

"Impatient, are we not?" he quipped pushing her away with his shoulder blade, she stumbled back a few steps before balancing herself back onto the table. He heard a loud huff exit through her nose and his smirk grew more with how annoyed he was making her.

"Don't push me you bastard," Valencia growled from her spot, and she moved back to his side, despite the glare she was receiving from the boy. He didn't favor being called names, but he also didn't mind the casual jokes the two of them shares. He didn't share them with anyone else.