The Pretender | Tom Riddle

42 | till they meet

42 | till they meet

Being locked inside the infirmary wing with nobody else to talk to was more tiring than being in class. At least that's what Seren experienced her entire rest time up until night time. When the healer's left for the night and she was free to be in the room on her own is when she decided to act. There had been enough resting in her opinion. She woke up from a crazy experience and was still forced to rest another full day. She couldn't take being in the room with absolutely no idea what was going on around her.

That thought alone was what had her pushing out of her bed with no struggle walking with purpose toward the door. Her pajamas were thinner than the cold permitted and when she opened the large doors she felt a light breeze in the hall but that's not what had her frozen. It was the sight before her.

Tom didn't hesitate to bring her into his arms, a hand on the back of her neck and the other in her hair. He pressed her face into his chest while his head curled down to rest on hers. She didn't hesitate to hug him back, her arms wrapping around his waist. He had come to her just as she wanted to go to him. He pushed her back into her room still in a hug as they closed the door breathing in each other's scents through ragged breaths. Seren has never held Tom like this. He's never held her like this either, like they were scared to never see each other again. And in truth, they were scared of that possibility, tremendously scared.

Why? Because they never realized just how badly they needed each other. Even during all the fighting and ignoring they've done this year. It was never enough to truly keep them apart. Every argument had ended with them somewhere alone. In the guest room at Malfoy Manor. In the Library. By the fountain. Anywhere. So, to be stuck an entire day without any sign of the other after a traumatic experience, it was scary. Truly terrifying for both, and Tom could confess that.

When they looked back at each other it was too much. There was so much longing and worry that had been built between them for years that they acted on it. Seren did it first, catching Tom off guard and suddenly, her lips were on his.

So much tension between them two that finally exploded and Tom was anything but gentle at first. He melted into her kisses, hands squeezing her face in place so she couldn't pull away, walking her back closer to her bed.

She opened her mouth more, tongue poking out and running against his lip before meeting something else. His tongue slid along hers, an almost obscene scene from the two teens. Tom didn't hesitate in pushing her back, falling over her as they collapsed onto the infirmary bed with a growl of hunger. This was different from the last times they've come close to being intimate. This wasn't a fight for dominance or laced with anger that needed to be unleashed.

This was undeniably want. Undeniably need and affection. And hunger. This was the longing feeling they've felt all day after not seeing each other for over 24 hours.

Tom's hands had drifted away from her face, traveling down her sides until they found their and it made her confused despite kissing him feverishly. She knew for a fact, or at least as far as she knew, she was the experienced from the two. Aside from their own sexual frustrations taken out on each other over time, Tom had never sought anyone else out. Though, every time his hands had been on her there was such intensity on it that it was hard to believe he was inexperienced. Especially when he gripped her waist harshly, yanking her up to give him more room to lay between her legs.

Seren's hands were in her hair, legs bent for her knees to be up as they pressed against Tom's sides. His hand that had been on her waist was grazing down her hips, then the side of her butt, up her bent leg over her thigh, and finally her knee. He lifted her leg, moving it to wrap around his waist pushing him close.  Seren did the same with the same locking him in place. Tom kisses traveled away from her lips, down her jaw, tongue running along the curve of it as his lips sucked around the action. Her hands were in his hair warily when he moved lower again. Now his mouth was on her neck, sucking lightly on her skin like how he did in the library of the Malfoy Manor. It should be absurd to her that though these moments were parallel, they were very different.

His hair was brushing against her chin without a care in the world as he caressed her skin with his lips. He'll stay with her tonight, as long as he could before the healer got here in the morning. He'll remain at her side until he can't anymore.

When Tom pulled away, his face was pressed against hers. Noses brushing and foreheads touching as they both took heavy pants of breath. Tom's hands were still holding her as her hands remained in his hair and it was in a whisper that he spoke, "Do you hate me?"

Seren's eyes seemed to water and it wasn't a sight Tom hadn't seen before. But this time, he felt actual remorse. Actual guilt, he felt for her. She shook her head, "N-no."

"Don't cry," he whispered as she did so anyway and it had him dragging her head back against his thermal long sleeve, "I'm here. I've always been here."

"No, it's just, I'm sorry," she cried real tears now that streamed down her face, "I'm sorry for not confiding in you. I'm sorry for pushing you awa—"

"Stop, please just stop," his hands were on his face now, cupping her cheeks as he wiped tears away with his thumb, "I've given you absolutely no reason to trust me. I lied. I hurt other. I hurt you. So please, I beg you, don't apologize to me. I'm the one who needs to apologize for everything I've done, even if I can't undo them."

All the arrogance Tom once had in his voice was completely gone as he continued, "I'm sorry for treating you the way I did. If I could take it back I would. I would never wish any ill will on you and though I might've acted a certain way. I would not have been able to live with myself I hurt you. The guilt I am feeling is almost unbearable."

"Tom," she spoke softly now holding his face, "Shh, it's okay. We'll talk about this another time. For now can you please, just please, hold me?"

He didn't have to say anything more. His actions spoke loud enough as he moved off her sliding over to the spot next to her. Without a second thought, he was pulling her into his waiting arms, dragging her close so he could be the big spoon—something he never admitted, was his favorite thing to be when she slept in his room. Even as she provided him comfort unlike anything he'd felt he had ignored it all through time. And he's done ignoring it.

What happened last night has changed him all too quickly. All too suddenly but his feelings for Seren have always been rooted into him whether he acknowledged them or not. This was the easy part, admitting himself to her.

The hard part would be his redemption to the others.

::.

now this was shorter, I know but how do we feel about the kiss is the question