The World is Yours | Tom Riddle

chapter xxxv.

When is a monster not a monster?

oh, when you love it.

- unknown

Atarah.

I am led into a room that is near the foyer. Upon entering the room Abraxas points me towards a chair to sit in. I do as he asks and he leaves for a less than a minute before he returns with gauze and liquids. He moves over to the table and pulls up a chair so he is sitting right beside me. He gently takes my head and angles it so he can clean my face.

"How bad is it?"

"It's just a small cut, it looks worse than it actually is."

"You know that is not what I meant." I hiss as he dabs cleaning alcohol on the wound. Abraxas continues working as he answers my question, "We don't know yet. Vittorio isn't saying anything which just means he is focused." I can tell he is saying that not just to calm my fears but his own.

"I brought us back as soon as I could."

"You shouldn't have left in the first place." I wish I could agree with that but I can't find it in me to do so. If I hadn't left what would have happened to Francis? Abraxas must think the same thing as I do because he lets out a deep breath before turning my head so I am facing him.

"Thank you, for saving him." Pure fear and gratitude shows through his eyes. I nod my head once and he turns my head back and begins working on my face again. The rest of the time is silent and he finishes not long later. Abraxas stands up and moves to throw the bloody bandages away when the door swings open- startling both of us.

Tom walks into the room and casts a quick glance in Abraxas's direction. Abraxas only nods his head once before he closes the door on his way out of the room. Tom doesn't move from where he is standing and I finally give in and meet his gaze. "You left." His voice is tense with anger.

A sigh leaves my lips before I close my eyes and lean my head back against the couch. "Let's not do this right now." A deep laugh spreads throughout the room and I watch as Tom turns around and faces the window. He steps forward and looks out towards the snow covered lawn.

"I am furious with you." Tom stops speaking for a long moment and the tension in the room wraps around me, pulling me towards him. He feels me come closer to him and he spins around so we are facing each other.

"How is he?" I watch carefully as Tom's hand moves to cup my face, his thumb brushing the area where Abraxas bandaged. "He will live. Another five minutes and my answer would have been quite different." A sigh of relief escapes my lips and suddenly with that relief the exhaustion and pain slams into me.

He must sense how close I am to collapsing right here because he bends down and moves an arm under my legs and suddenly he lifts me into his arms. "Tom-" I begin to resist but he only shoots me a glare that stops me from continuing on.

I close my eyes and am asleep long before we make it to my room.

...

When I wake up the room is dark except for a candle that is lit in the corner of the room. I turn my head towards the light and quietly observe Tom. He is writing in a notebook and I watch the way his eyebrows narrow slightly when he is concentrating. He must feel my gaze on him because he stops writing and turns his head to face mine.

"This isn't my room." He seems amused by my statement and I study the way he leans back in the chair with his legs spread out in front of him. "No, it's mine." I turn my head away and look at the room.

"Why am I in your room?"

"Go back to sleep, Atarah." A quiet groan of frustration leaves me and I notice the small smile on Tom's face before he turns around. I close my eyes and focus on the sound of the pen hitting the paper. A few minutes goes by before I can't take it anymore and I open my eyes.

"Do you ever sleep?"

"Yes." I sit up in bed and am now determined to get more of an answer out of him. "When?" He shakes his head slightly but doesn't answer. "How about we make a deal?" This seems to peak his interest. He stops writing and waits for me to continue.

"You can ask me a question and in exchange I get to ask you one." This seems to be the only way I can get a real answer.

"Why did you save Francis? I understand that you went there to save Annalie but you didn't have to risk your life to save his." His question shocks me and leaves me silent.

"He was injured and needed help, I couldn't just leave him there. That's not me." A flash of pain crosses his face before he hides his emotions again. Which confuses me but I suppose that's another question I will have to ask him one day.

"Why don't you sleep? And even though you say you sleep, I don't believe you really do."

"I don't know, I have just never been comfortable enough to leave myself vulnerable for that long." His confession pains me more than I thought it would. I pull the covers closer to my body and watch as Tom returns to writing. I continue watching him until I fall asleep.

...

I wake up again sometime later except this time the room is submerged in darkness. I am about to close my eyes to sleep more when the sound of breathing next to me stops me. I tilt my head up and see the outline of Tom who is laying down on the bed next to me. My heart stops for a moment when I realize he is sleeping.

I can't help but watch him and for some reason I feel comfortable. That thought scares me more than anything but I still do not move. I continue watching him until I fall asleep. Our breathing matching each other, two hearts beating as one.