marc(y)withissues

The night was long; you laid in bed under your sheets, crying your eyes out. You could not help but wish things had been different, that you would have met under other circumstances. He was so perfect but just unachievable. Part of you still did not want to believe his little story about Camille, but he seemed so sincere as he tried to convince you that you could not help but forgive him. 

You spent the night watching shows on Netflix, unwilling to fall asleep. The sun came out only a couple of hours later, letting you know Sunday had officially started. You closed your laptop screen, sighing as the headache settled in. At least you did not have to go to uni tomorrow; you didn’t have to see him again. Almost as a premonition of your thoughts, the buzzing of your phone forced you to stretch your arm towards the bedside table, grabbing it. 

You quickly ran your eyes down the screen as the lack of sleep and tears burnt the words onto the back of your head. A simple sigh escaped your lips as Benedict’s email let you know you would not simply be able to grieve the end of your relationship in peace. You put the phone down again and closed your eyes, deciding that this would be a problem for tomorrow’s Sofia to deal with. Finally, after a day that had lasted way beyond its 24 hours, you fell asleep, feeling the restlessness follow you into your dreams. 

…

You woke up again around 4 p.m., refusing to open your eyes and confront the hangover/crying headache. The thought that you would need to attend class tomorrow crossed your mind again, and you felt your stomach turn, lifting your phone.

“Dear Professor Cumberbatch,

I am sick and won’t be able to attend class tomorrow. I hope you understand.

Thank you. 

Regards,

S” 

You cc’d Camille, unwilling to have a conversation about anything else than uni with the man. Not even five minutes later, your phone vibrated again. It was an email from Camille.

“Attendance is mandatory, Miss Angel, but given the short notice, you will be excused from tomorrow’s lecture.

Camille Dubois, PhD candidate.” 

You exhaled, even her name sending a shiver down your spine. It did not matter anymore; she did not matter anymore. You locked your phone again and shut your eyes, exhaling deeply as you felt the tears coming back. It was about to be a long week. 

…

POV BENEDICT

The email came to no surprise but still felt like a punch in the stomach. God, I needed to see her. It had been a long night as I woke up every couple of hours, overwhelmed by the sadness in my chest. There was nothing I could do now. I had tried. I could just hope she would turn up next week. 

I spent the day preparing for tomorrow’s lectures as Tom checked on me from afar. I did not want to talk about it, not to him or anyone. I knew he just wanted to ensure I was alright, but I had never been big on sharing my feelings.

I went home in the late afternoon as Tom reluctantly told me to text him if I needed anything. I nodded and left, ready to be alone. I felt restless, conscious that she deserved her space but so eager to fix things, to tell her how I felt. 

I went to bed early that night, unwilling to let her occupy my thoughts any longer. 

…

“Professor, when will we have the grades of our papers back?” Matilda had asked from her seat as I tried my best to focus with the couple of hours of sleep I had gotten.

“I say probably next Monday. Then you can book a meeting with me or Ms Dubois to go over it if you’d like.” I spoke cautiously as my eyes could not help but scan her row, Sofia’s absence stood out so obviously. 

…

The class went on, and I dismissed them thirty minutes early, which came as a pleasant surprise to everyone. I looked forward to going home to catch up on some sleep, but as I walked out of the classroom, a voice called my name. I could not help but roll my eyes and exhale as I turned around, “Camille.” 

“Professor,” she answered back, looking down as obviously the shame of her drunk actions had caught up to her. “C-could we speak in your office?”

“Sure,” I answered and started to walk in its direction, not looking forward to this conversation. 

…

Camille closed the door behind her as I sat on my chair, instantly placing a hand on my forehead, feeling the headache approach. “I wanted to talk to you about what happened the other night….”

“Go on…” I encouraged her, wanting this conversation to end as fast as possible. 

“I wanted to apologise for my behaviour. It was completely out of place, and I would like to put it behind us if possible. I would never put your integrity into question like I did the other night. I had drunk too much and completely misread the situation. I am very sorry, professor.” She seemed apologetic enough, but the secondary effects of her actions stopped me from simply brushing it off. 

“I don’t know, Camille. What you did, what you did, crossed every line and broke so many rules in the code of conduct that I cannot even begin to list them. I need you to understand the gravity of your actions.” I sighed loudly, looking at her with disapproval. “I don’t know if I can continue being your supervisor.”

“N-no, please, I beg you. I will not find anyone else to supervise my research. You are the expert in this area,” it suddenly dawned on her that her actions may not be so easily forgiven. “It will never happen again.” 

“I will give it a thought but in all honesty, I am not sure about this at all…” my words came out in monotone as I closed my eyes and pressed my index and thumb against my forehead, exhaling loudly. I thought that would be the end of it until I heard the sobs, causing my head to shoot up in shock as the woman in front of me sobbed uncontrollably. “Okay, it is fine. We are fine, just stop crying.” I hurriedly spoke, not sure what to say. 

“Thank you, thank you, professor. I promise you won’t regret it” She stopped crying almost mechanically, giving me a big smile. I simply sighed again, looking down at my papers.

“Go now, I would like to go home,” I spoke matter of fact, standing up and walking her to my office door. 

“Thank you, professor, have a nice day!” 

…

The week seemed never-ending as I jumped from meeting to meeting and corrected my students’ essays. I dreaded the idea that hers was at the bottom of the pile as she had been one of the last people to turn it in. I had thought about giving her a first and calling it a day, but the curiosity took the best of me, and as I reached her name, I could not help but smile bitterly. 

It was good, not good enough for a first, but good. She had told me that she had left it for the last minute, but I could not blame her. I had kept her busy enough in the last couple of weeks. I sat for a while with my red pen at hand, wondering what grade to give her. 

It was late at night, and the bottle of wine I had started a couple of hours ago was almost empty. Call it dutch courage, but my hands reached for my phone and hesitated right above her name. Thankfully the phone rang in my hand before I could do anything stupid, as Tom called me.

“What are you up to, lad?” Tom had spoken on the other side of the line. 

“Just correcting some papers, almost done,” I responded in a monotone. 

“Shall we go out for some pints? It is Friday night, after all.” 

“Not in the mood,” I answered, placing the printed copy of her essay on the table. 

“What if I told you, you actually are in the mood.” I could hear my best friend smirking all the way from the other side of the phone. “What if I told you today two of my favourite students were telling me about their weekend plans, and they are going to drink at a pub not far away from your place. What if I told you your beloved will be there.” I could almost feel my heart stop at his words as a glimpse of hope turned my stomach. 

“Still a no from me,” I answered, trying to be mature and give her her space. 

“You know, apparently… apparently they are going out to this pub because their friend Sofia has been uncharacteristically down in the past couple of days. They say they want to cheer her up because she seems to be… and I quote, heartbroken.” Tom continued as he paced through his living room. 

“If that is the case, I am most likely the last person she wants to see,” I sighed loudly, reclining back on my chair. 

“Or you are just the person she hopes to see,” Tom tried to negotiate with me, “listen, I am going anyway because they invited me and I wanna go check on Sof and well, see the faces of the two other girls once they find out their invitation worked. You should come because I know how much you hate it when I am alone with little Angel, and maybe, just maybe, you can patch things up.” 

“So you are coercing me to attend a party with my students,” I asked. 

“It is not a party, just a couple of beers at the pub. It is nothing against the rules,” Tom pointed out. 

“I need to finish correcting these papers,” I tried one last excuse, hoping he would just let it go.

“You have all weekend for that, and you have like an hour until I get there.” 

“I don’t know, Tom… it seems like a bad idea,” I sighed, drinking whatever was left in my glass. 

“Too late, my uber is here, and I am on my way to your house, Cumberbatch. Choose a nice outfit, don’t want her to think you have been crying for her all week.” He hung up the phone as I shook my head, looking weirdly forward to my night. 

...

“I am not going,” I spoke as I opened the door, watching my best friend roll his eyes at me.

“So you are telling me you were at home, in your favourite blue button-up before I called you,” he spoke, walking past me. 

“That is irrelevant. This is a stupid idea and will just make things worse,” I tried to make the man rationalise the situation, but we both knew I would give in long before he had even stepped into his uber.

“You want to see her?”

“Of course, not like this, though,” I sighed, sitting on my couch. 

“Why not?” 

“Because she literally wanted to stop seeing me because I was putting her academic career at risk, and you want me to go do that in front of all her friends.” 

“But you won’t be breaking any rules. This is perfectly acceptable, as long as you don’t shag her after there is absolutely nothing wrong with you coming.” 

“They are all my students.”

“Well, some of them are my students too, and you don’t see me breaking a sweat.” Tom sat by my side, grabbing me by the shoulders and shaking me slightly. “C’mon, Cumberbatch, where are your balls?? Just talk to her, or watch her from afar. It will be good for both of you. I had to listen to Matilda and Mary talk about it all morning, how worried they are and all. Go and show her there is nothing wrong and that you’ll be there after graduation.” 

“This is a terrible idea.” I stood up, looking for my jacket. 

“Shagging your student was a terrible idea; falling in love with her is a suicide mission. We shall deal with it though, as we always do, together.” Tom spoke his words in a cheerful tone, ensuring the innuendo did not go unnoticed. His words made my stomach turn, but I could not help but laugh; he was the most ridiculous man in the world. 

“Let’s get going then.”

liv's note

I know you all expected my queen to show up to class but not today, not this monday. maybe next 👀 and then you will get all your desired drama. Soooo I am gonna start by apologising for this chapter. Although this chapter is very much a filler chapter, I feel that it is equally as important to tie things together and all. I am really excited for the next chapter, I promise it will be better than this. I am sending you all my love and power and strength for those of you who need it. I love every single one of you so much, thank you for reading ♥️

ALSO IF YOU SEND ME AN ASK, YOU CAN FIND THE ANSWER ON “#liv answers” SOREY FOR TAKING SO LONG TO REPLY 😫❤️

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“I am asking myself the same question. Care to explain?” Benedict spoke to you harshly, looking down at you, judgmental. You were taken aback by the whole situation, simply standing there with your lips slightly parted. 

“Sofia, your professor has asked you a question. Answer.” Camille doubled down, enjoying your public humiliation. Benedict’s gaze suddenly changed as Camille stared at you, looking slightly apologetic. 

“I am sorry. I was supposed to prank you, but I am way too drunk. It seems like the other history students ran away,” you spoke, looking back to the street, searching for your imaginary friends. 

“Sure, am I supposed to believe that?” Camille laughed loudly, shaking her head and turning back to Benedict for support. “You obviously were here to make a move on Professor Cumberbatch. Do you know in how much trouble I could get you in for that? You are lucky that I am in a great mood and that I stopped you before you could do anything stupid.” 

“I don’t recall this new rule allowing PhD Candidates to shag their supervisors. Could you please remind me which one it is?” You countered her blackmail with the same energy, reminding her that what she was doing was equally wrong. 

“Woah, now that is some colourful language. I think we both know that no academic board would believe you. Especially given the fact that you showed up at your professor’s house in the middle of the night, they will have many questions regarding that.” Her tone grew serious as she realized she was not completely out of fault. 

“I am sure Miss Angel will keep this encounter confidential. Could we please put an end to this discussion now?” Benedict spoke, placing his hand on Camille’s shoulder. 

“Yes, you are right, Ben. We should get back to what we were doing before,” the woman giggled her answer as you felt your stomach turn. You could barely understand how this was real, as you refused to look at Benedict again, disgusted by the whole interaction, feeling dirty and embarrassed. “So go before I change my mind and ruin your stupid little career.” Camille shushed you away as she reached for the collar of Benedict’s shirt, before closing the door in your face. 

You sighed, walking down the stairs, unsure where to go. Your heart felt like it had shattered into a million pieces, yet the alcohol made everything feel like a blurry nightmare. You wanted to cry, but you were too scared they would hear you, so you started to walk towards the main street, hugging your body, afraid of the dark. You felt oddly numb by the whole situation, almost as if your brain could not process him doing something like that to you after the past months.

Just as you were reaching a more illuminated area of the street, you felt your phone ring in your hand. It was Tom calling you. You did not want to pick up, but at the same time, you felt like talking to somebody may ground you as your tipsiness made the situation a whole lot more overwhelming. 

“Hello?” You answered, instantly regretting how soft and broken your voice sounded. 

“Hey Sof, are you okay? I tried to call Benedict, but he did not pick up. Is everything okay?” He sounded worried, no longer sleepy, just concerned. 

“Yes… it is okay. I came to his place. He is busy… I-I don’t know where to go,” you spoke honestly, feeling your eyes burn as you were on the verge of tears. 

“Oh fuck. Where are you? Can you take an uber home?” He asked as his voice grew more hectic. 

“Yes, I will. The street is just very empty. Can I stay on the phone with you?”  Warm salty tears started falling on your cheeks as you sobbed silently, your chest feeling tighter than ever. 

“Yes, of course. Is there anyone I can call to help? I am so sorry this is happening. I am sure it is just a big misunderstanding.” You heard him stand up and walk around the room, pacing, unsure what to do. 

“Can I just go there?” You asked, slightly embarrassed by the request. Maybe it was the dutch courage or the way he sounded more worried about your well-being than the man that was supposed to want to be with you, but you wanted someone to console you. 

“Of course, please take the uber. I will send you the money for it back. You still have my address, right?” 

“Yes, thank you.”

…

Tom kept you entertained while you waited on the street, reminding you to stay aware of your surroundings. He kept on apologising for his friend, although you refused to tell him what he had done, “Love, it will be fine. I am sure he has an explanation for whatever he did.”

The uber finally reached you, and you got in, feeling a sudden calmness as you were no longer just standing alone on the street. You hung up on Tom, letting him know you were on your way and almost as soon as you left the call, your phone started vibrating again. It was Benedict.

You rejected the call immediately, but he just called again. After several attempts, he tried to text you, sending one message, “please pick up, I can explain. Please tell me you are okay. I am sorry.” However, you blocked him before he could type any further. 

The trip to Richmond was long, and you could feel the alcohol dragging you down as the strain from the crying also asked you to close your eyes. Thankfully Tom was still texting you, asking you to send him your location and then whether you wanted to eat anything.  

You thanked him profusely, letting him know he did not need to worry about anything. You reached the house thirty minutes later, and he was standing outside, in a grey t-shirt and some long pyjama trousers. You left the car and thanked the driver before walking towards the man with your head down. 

“Hello there, Sof,” he smiled, walking with you to the door. You entered the house, noticing it had been perfectly cleaned. Tom was unsure what to say, watching your tipsy self walk gloomily through the hallway. “What happened?” He finally asked, hoping to hear your side of the story. You immediately started sobbing at the question, causing him to initially recoil and then approach you and hug you. “It’s okay, love; we don’t need to talk about it. Should we get you to bed?”

“Can I have some water?” You asked, thankful for the hug, letting your body shake between sobs in his arms. 

“Yes, of course. Let’s get you some water.” 

…

Tom made you some tea additionally to the water, hoping you would want to talk as you sat on the couch, make-up running down your cheeks, sipping slowly on your glass of water. All his attention was on you as his phone rang upstairs; Benedict was trying to return his call. 

Eventually, he brought the tea and sat by your side, offering you a box of napkins. You sighed loudly, cleaning your face and then sipping on the hot liquid, finally ready to tell him what had happened. 

…

Tom listened to you attentively as he felt his stomach turn. This whole ordeal sounded extremely weird to him. He was not saying his friend was a saint because no late-thirties-year-old bachelor could be a saint; however, he was not one to cheat. You continued crying by his side, confused and overwhelmed by the alcohol. 

Tom offered you a hug which you accepted immediately, letting him pet your head affectionately. You felt so stupid. The whole situation made you feel so stupid. The way they had spoken to you, looking down at you from the top of the stairs. He had let her talk to you that way. You could not possibly see how he could possibly excuse his behaviour. 

As you laid in the arms of the best friend of the man who had hurt you for no good reason, you could not help but let the initial attraction you had for Tom resurface. The alcohol making your little stupid revenge plan clearer than ever. You lifted your head from his chest, looking into his eyes. “Do you mind if I sleep with you tonight? I don’t want to be alone.” You spoke the words with honesty, giving him doe eyes. He looked at you surprised, opening his mouth but finding no words. “I am so sorry, I just really don’t want to be alone.” You doubled down on your request, touching his forearm. 

Tom closed his eyes for a second, praying to whatever god was out there to give him the strength to resist you because he would have accepted that offer in a heartbeat if it did not involve his best friend. “Sof, that is not a good idea.” 

“Why? He won’t mind. It is not like it matters, he is probably asleep with Camille right now.” You pouted your lip slightly, lowering your hand to his and squeezing it slightly.

“Sof, I swear under any other circumstances, I would not even think about it twice, but I am sure there is an explanation for all of this. Things will turn out okay, I promise.” His voice was soft, he looked at you with the same expression you were giving him. 

“So you would? If he were not in the picture, you would?” You could feel your core tightening at the exchange. Tom looked conflicted, trying his best to figure out how to not fuck up this situation. “Because I would, but I think you know that. You have known that since the first time you saw me look at you.” 

“I-“ Tom could not finish the sentence that the sound of his doorbell caught both of your attention. You moved away from him, suddenly sobering up at the loud sound. The bell kept on ringing as someone pressed it incessantly. Tom stood up and walked to the door, fixing his hair and exhaling loudly. 

The door opened, and you heard a familiar voice speak from the other side. “Mate, you need to pick up the phone. I have been calling you for an hour. I fucked up,” Benedict spoke by the door, his voice sounding strained, almost as if he had a weight on his chest.

“Ben, I know… what the fuck have you done?” Tom asked, standing by the door and not inviting him to come in. You got up, feeling your chest tighten as you prepared for the upcoming confrontation. You approached the hallway slowly as Tom looked back at you and silently asked you to wait.

“You know? Hiddleston let me in. Who the fuck is in there?” He asked impatiently, not understanding what his friend knew about this whole situation. 

“I can explain. You need to calm down,” Tom raised his voice slightly, placing his hand on his friend’s shoulder as he tried to enter. You felt the situation escalating and walked right to the door. 

“It’s me. I am here.” You spoke firmly, not letting your voice tremble.

“W-what? Sofia?” Your professor looked at you, confused and disappointed. “You wanker, you really were going to take advantage of this situation?” Benedict shouted at his best friend before pushing him to the ground.

----

Liv's note

sorry for the delay my loves, flying back to London in the morning and have yet to pack my bags. I hope you enjoyed the chapter and the dramaaaaa. I loved reading your comments in the last one and cannot wait to see you what you think of this one.

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You finally managed to clean up well enough, put on your clothes, including a shirt that was just lying in your living room and ran to the door, opening it just enough to see your friends standing there, confused. “Hello,” you gave them a bigs mile, pushing your face through the open slit of the door.

“Hello weirdo, can we come in? Who’s in there? Did we interrupt you mid-shag? Is Joe in there?” They instantly bombarded you with questions as Mary tried to open the door fully. Thankfully your foot stopped any further movement.

“I am alone. I was on a Zoom call, I am very sorry, but I am still in the middle of it. It is for an event, law society-related stuff.” You made a lie on the spot, feeling a growing fear build in your stomach.

“I can smell the sex all the way from out here, Sof. Who the fuck are you hiding?” Matilda spoke seriously, unhappy by your lying.

“Matilda, Mary, I don’t know what you guys are talking about.” You shook your head exasperated, dramatically putting your hands up in the air.

“Let us in then. We will let you finish your meeting, and then you can explain where you have been and why you are not coming tonight?” Mary looked at your seriousness, almost as if she was trying to read your mind.

“You know what, fuck the zoom call. Let’s go to a cafe! I need some fresh air. Let me grab my phone.” You spoke, and before they could say anything back, you shut the door in their face, running to the bedroom and opening the door to find a not-so amused Benedict standing by it.

“Have they left?” He asked, and you instantly shushed him.

“No, but I will leave with them so you can leave in peace in a bit. I will text you when it is safe. I am sorry. I don’t know what they are doing here.” You gave him an apologetic look as you reached for his hand.

“Don’t worry. It is not my first time hiding in a woman’s room,” he joked, smiling and letting you see the more relaxed version of him. You shook your head back, feigning shock as he reached to kiss you, “now go have fun with your friends and let me know if you’ll go to this party tonight.”

“Thank you so much; you are amazing. Love you,” you whispered, pressing a peck on his lips, speaking faster than your brain could possibly keep up. Only noticing what you had said once you had turned around, grabbing your phone from the table and hiding your burning face, refusing to turn around to see his reaction.

You walked out of the apartment, carefully ensuring they would have no chance to open the door. The two women immediately scanned you up and down, looking for a sign of who or what you were doing inside. “You guys, can you stop looking at me like I have committed a crime,” You joked, hoping to lighten up the mood and encouraging them to walk with you.

“For all we know, you were hiding a corpse in there. I have seen how to get away with murder. Never trust a law student.” Mary spoke, finally walking away from the door.

…

You found a cafe, and as you sat down with your friends, you texted Benedict, letting him know it was safe for him to leave. Your friends had yet to take their eyes away from you, scrutinising every movement.

“Why did you guys come to my house?” You finally broke the silence, throwing your hands up in the sky.

“We were worried about you. We all are. You disappear, barely hang out with us anymore. You always seem lost, and well, we are worried. Also, you did not let us know if you’d come out with us tonight, and we had come to convince you.” Matilda spoke honestly, reaching for your hand across the table. “Are you okay?”

You snorted out laughing, wondering if they were being serious, which they were. “I am perfectly fine, girls. I have just been so busy! You know with uni and well, preparing for graduation! I have been… networking a ton!” You were telling the truth, somehow, if you could call sleeping with two professors networking.

“Are you sure? Because Ben said that you were texting a guy the other time, and we are just all wondering who this mysterious man is that you are hiding from us!” Mati raised her voice, looking at your desperate.

“Nobody! It was just a friend from back home I was texting. You guys are making up conspiracy theories in your mind when I am just busy! Of course, I will go to the party tonight. I would not miss it for the world now that I know how much it means to all of you!” You tried to reassure them, realising that maybe you had been neglecting your friendships.

“Whatever you say,” Mary rolled her eyes as the waitress approached to ask for your order. Your phone vibrated on the table, and the two girls’ eyes shot right to it. You grabbed it quickly, turning it around. “Yeah, exactly. Hiding nothing.”

You gave them an apologetic smile and changed the topic of conversation, finally moving past your weird impasse. As your heart rate normalised and you felt finally relaxed, you could not help but cringe at the memory of your last words with your professor. You freaked him out for sure with that. There was no chance that hiccup would not come back to bite you in the butt.

…

Matilda and Mary were finally happy with their findings and informed you about the pre-drinks plan. You reassured them you would be there and that you just needed to go home and get ready. They agreed upon those conditions and left.

You headed home, finally checking your phone. Benedict had texted you around thirty minutes ago, “I decided to wait in your flat. Are you coming home soon?” You could not help but smile with all your teeth in disbelief at how amazing this man could possibly be.

You texted back quickly, speeding your pace, “hope you are still there. Coming home now.”

…

You arrived at your building, reaching your apartment door with an excitement only this man would produce in you, and opened the door, eager to see the handsome professor. You opened the door and were instantly met with the sound of news playing in the room. The older man sat on the couch, one leg on top of the other as he held his phone with his left hand, watching the news on YouTube at a deafening volume.

His eyes instantly moved to you, pausing the video as soon as you closed the door. “How did it go? Did you manage to come up with an excuse?”

“Don’t worry. It seems like we got away with our little impertinence this time,” you answered, approaching the couch, dropping by his side dramatically and welcoming the way he instantly embraced your side with his arm, snuggling toward his chest.

“It worries me that you may turn into a good liar,” he joked, pressing a kiss on your forehead. “I look forward to not having to put you in these situations soon enough.”

“It’s okay even if they suspected a man was in here. You would have been the last person they would have thought of. They think you despise me, that my charms failed with you.” You huffed, closing your eyes, letting his smell relax you.

“How comes?” He asked, suddenly interested.

¨Well, you did treat me terribly when we first met. It took you quite a bit to warm up to me.” You looked up to him, giving him a taunting expression.

“I did not treat you terribly, don’t exaggerate.” He shook his head in disagreement. You were honestly just glad he had ignored your stupid slip-up from early, surprised he was not giving it much attention.

“Let’s agree to disagree,” you tried to close the topic, placing your legs on top of his.

“Well, I hope I am treating you better now.” He sighed, squishing you a little tighter. “So what about this party tonight, are you going?”

“I am. I have to, they won’t forgive me if I don’t.” You groaned the words, not looking forward to it.

“Where is the party?” He asked curiously as you tried to remember the details.

“Joe’s,” you spoke cuttingly, hoping and dreading his reaction would not be good to the news.

“Interesting,” he cleared his throat before looking away from you. “Well, I know you are young, and as long as we cannot truly be together, I understand you’d like your freedom to do whatever you want with whoever you want.” You felt a smile grow on your lips as you watched the usually quick-tongued man struggle with his words.

“I don’t want anyone else apart from you, sir.” You spoke eagerly, hoping he would offer exclusivity as an option.

“Well, in that case, if you feel comfortable with it. We could… we could already be exclusive.” He cleared his throat again, finally looking down at you, hesitant in his words. You simply nodded, still incredulous at how the circumstances with this man had developed in the strangest of scenarios. He reached for your face as you nodded, sharing your smile before pressing a soft kiss on your lips. “My favourite book.”

…

Benedict left soon after you ran him through your plans for the night. He told you not to hesitate to take an uber to his place after the party, and you could not look forward to anything else. You got ready by yourself, listening to your favourite songs as you chose your outfit with nothing else than seeing Benedict later that night in mind.

Soon enough, your phone started to be spammed with messages from your friends, wondering how much longer it would take you to get there, so you left the house in a rush, hoping not to have forgotten anything.

The pres were good. It felt good to be back with your friends without worrying about where you stood with the man you were absolutely crazy for. It felt reassuring to know that, although, in a weird, complicated way, things were working out for the best. You headed all together to the party, and Joe opened the door, welcoming you all in.

You smiled at him awkwardly as he wasn’t sure how to say hi, but you gave him a distant wave, setting in stone where the two of you stood. He seemed to catch the message fast enough as he did not waste time talking to your group before searching for his next victim. You took it as a positive thing, heading with Mati and Ben to the bar to serve yourself something to drink.

…

The party continued as you mindlessly danced and chatted with your friends, feeling freer and more relaxed than in a long time. Everything seemed to be good, and for once, you did not feel eager to see what would come next, enjoying the moment.

The drinks flowed freely through the night as tequila shots and rum and cokes were distributed around your group. You had completely failed to check your phone, too enthralled by the whole experience even to check the time. The music continued until late, and just around two in the morning, you finally decided you had had enough for one night. Your hands clumsily checked for your phone in your bag and were surprised to see a message from Benedict, “Change of plans. It is best if you just go home tonight.”

You frowned instantly, confused at why he would not want to see you. It could not be the time as the message had been sent no more than 15 minutes ago. You could not think of anything you had done for him to want to cancel on you. The alcohol did the rest, filling your heads with possible theories on what you could possibly have done to upset him. You exited the party, excusing yourself and letting your friends know you needed to make a call. They were all too drunk to question it, simply agreeing as you walked away.

You rang him immediately, feeling your hands shake as your chest tightened. The phone rang only once before he hung up, which simply caused you to feel even worse, feeling the unsettling sensation move from your stomach to your chest. You tried to ring him again, but the call simply went to voicemail, making you even more confused.

Unsure about what to do and too drunk to simply let it go. You looked for Tom’s number on your phone and called him. “Hello?” A husky voice spoke after two rings. You had woken him up.

“Hi Tom, sorry… I thought… is everything okay? Are you with Benedict? He is not picking up.” You asked, slurring your words just so slightly. He probably could hear the growing knot on your throat as your voice sounded like it was on the verge of cracking.

“No, Sof. I am sorry, I have not talked to him since you guys left. Are you okay? Are you alone?” He asked, instantly worried, realising you were probably drunk.

“Yes… don’t worry, I j’st wondered. Thank you, g’night Tom,” you hung up the phone, careless of how you sounded by the end, feeling too overwhelmed by the worry. The following minutes felt like seconds as you entered the party again in a rush, looking for your friends and explaining to them that you had to go. They were all just as drunk, trying to convince you to stay, but you ensured them you would be okay.

The next thing you remembered, you were calling an uber to Benedict’s house, feeling your heartbeat in your ears, causing a throbbing headache to form in your head. The ride there was quiet as you tried to call him again without any success, swearing at yourself as you felt your eyes burn. It was irrational, you would have known in a sober state, but it felt like the end of the world right now.

The uber stopped in front of the familiar door, and you felt your heart drop to your stomach as soon as you noticed all the lights were on and multiple voices were discussing inside. For a second, just a for a second, you thought about getting back into the uber and asking them to take you home, but the feminine figure that walked past the window changed your mind.

You closed the car door and started walking towards the door, feeling that cold, tingling adrenaline-filled feeling control your body. Your initial knock on the door was hesitant, too quiet for anyone to hear, but as a woman’s voice reached your ears, your fingers found the doorbell. The sudden silence that followed the loud sound made you think that maybe you had made it up for a second.

But as you heard a pair of heels walk toward the door, your subconscious had figured out who and what was going on before you could. Benedict’s voice followed close by, “do not open that door,” but it was too late. The woman’s hand was already on the handle.

The door opened all in one swing, and Camille stood by the entrance with her shirt half opened and her red lipstick smudged on Benedict’s face.

—————

Liv’s Note

I AM BACKKK sorry for the delay but I am backkk. The chapter is extra late because my boyfriend threw water on my computer because I tilted the water bottle while he was drinking as a joke and well now I am posting from my phone. Great timesss, anyway, a little bit of a long chapter with a lot happening just for all of you to enjoy 😉 looking forward to read what you think!!

Please let me know if the tag worked!

“The Sanctum is no place for a child,” his response was short and generical, giving no insight into his desire or lack thereof to be around a toddler. His eyes returned to his book as he stepped aside, continuing his meditative stroll through the room. You, however, did not see it like that, reading between the lines. 

“So, what will we do when we have children?” The question came out in a tone more serious than you wanted it to, causing the doctor to stop in his tracks and look back at you. 

“That is not something we need to concern ourselves with yet, is it?” His eyes scrutinised your face before moving again, continuing the relentless pacing. It was a delicate topic, that of children. You were somewhat on the same page. You wanted children eventually. The day, however, had somehow been frozen in time in Stephen’s mind, continuously seeing the eventually as long from now while you counted every passing year as a step closer. Then the engagement had come earlier this year, and the promise to share the rest of your lives together had been spoken into reality. Having children had suddenly become more of a desire in your mind, yet Stephen seemed to be unphased by the change. 

“She is smart and well-behaved, and I already told my sister she can stay with us, so you’ll deal with it.” You answered before walking out of the room, frustrated at his lack of interest in your niece. Stephen had met her only once before on her first birthday; your sister living far away meant you rarely saw them. She was thankfully moving back to New York but that also meant she needed to look for an apartment and deal with the moving. Hence her request for you to take care of the little girl in the meantime. You had agreed instantly, not thinking Stephen would have any problem with it, but he had refused straightaway and dismissed the topic every time you asked about it. 

…

The day of the little girl’s arrival came quicker than expected. Stephen had been gone for the last couple of days on a mission with Wong and Peter, meaning that you had met with your sister alone to pick her up. She had invited you to brunch, and you had discussed some of the wedding plans and any needs little Cecilia had. Cece was a lively ray of sunshine who was starting to put her first sentences together and loved horses. There was no way Stephen’s heart would not melt as soon as he saw her. 

Eventually, at the end of your brunch, your sister handed you Cece’s bag and gave her a goodbye kiss. The little girl waved goodbye as her mom reminded her that she would be staying with her aunt for a couple of days. You and Cece went on with your day, eventually finding your way back home to the Sanctum. Wong had helped you bring some things she would need to sleep into one of the many empty rooms of the enormous property, making it easy for you to set her up. 

After such an eventful day, she fell asleep, giving you a minute to go to the kitchen and make yourself some late lunch/dinner. As you finished preparing your sandwich, you heard the familiar sound of a portal opening behind you; turning around to meet your sweaty and dirty fiance with a smile. “Hello there, handsome,” you gave him a dashing smile as he moved towards you, his hands cupping your cheeks into a passionate kiss. 

You broke the kiss catching some air, and gave him a preoccupied smile. He was usually only this passionate when something dangerous had happened, and he was terrified of losing you. “Is everything okay? I-“ you tried to speak, but the sound of another portal distracted you. Through it, Peter and Wong came out also looking pretty rough. “Oh god, are you guys okay?” you asked, moving away from Stephen, who stood there exhausted. 

Wong gave you a comforting look, but you noticed a tension-filled silence in the room. “Peter, are you okay?” you asked as the boy looked down with a hurt expression. 

“Oh, he is excellent. He almost got himself killed and ruined our mission, but he is perfectly fine.” Stephen answered for him, forcing you to give the doctor a fulminating look. Peter looked regretful enough; bashing him now would not help. 

“That is enough, Stephen. I will make everyone dinner. Go shower.” You spoke to the three men in an authoritative voice. The spiderboy spent so much time in the Sanctum that he had clothes and an assigned room. Peter and Wong left swiftly, going into their rooms to wash up, but Stephen stayed there, knowing you would want to talk to him. As soon as you were alone again, you spoke, “You cannot talk to him that way. He is just a kid. He is trying his best.” 

“He almost got himself killed. He wants to help everyone, save everyone, but he does not see he will end up killing himself like this.” Stephen’s words were filled with frustration. He worried for Peter's safety; you knew that was the truth. He had decided to let him die once before. He could not make the same decision again. “I have watched him die, and he does not understand that. Someday I won’t be there by his side, and he will actually get himself killed.” 

Just as you thought, he was not mad at the boy for the way he behaved. He was just scared of losing him. It was hard to keep in mind all the time that Stephen had to live with the burden of knowledge. You wondered how many times he had seen you go and how he felt about it, but he never wanted to speak of it. “You are doing your best, and he is doing his best. It is all we can ask for,” you finally answered, inviting him to lay his head against yours and embracing him in a tight hug. “I love you, you know? We all do, and we are so grateful to you for protecting us, but you cannot always keep us safe, and that is okay.” Your left hand caressed his back, hoping to soothe him slightly. 

Suddenly the sound of the baby monitor interrupted your hug as Cece woke up, startled by your absence. “Oh, when did she get here?” The doctor stiffened in your arms, unhappy that you had gone through with your decision. 

“A couple of hours ago. Wanna help me check on her?” You asked, breaking the embrace and giving him a hopeful smile. 

“I am gonna go shower,” he spoke, tightening his lips and looking away from you. You sighed and walked away, still confused about his dismissiveness. The sounds from the baby monitor suddenly changed as the little girl was no longer alone. Confused, you checked the screen and saw Peter approaching her bed. 

“Hello there! Who are you? I am Peter,” the boy spoke, slowly walking towards the sleepy child. “Do you need food?” he asked, and Cece nodded emphatically back, sweetly raising her arms for the boy to pick her up. You watched, amused through the camera, as Stephen left the room, feeling your heart ache from the cuteness. 

…

Peter helped you keep Cece entertained in the kitchen as you made dinner. He told you all about what had happened, and you finally completely understood Stephen’s frustration. The boy had been incredibly reckless, but thankfully nothing bad came of it. Peter was extremely patient with the toddler, who was just around that phase where she asked questions about virtually anything. It was lovely to see them interact. You could not help but imagine how much of an amazing big brother he would have been. 

Eventually, Wong joined the three of you, instantly entertained by the little girl running around the kitchen table, singing some non-sensical song. Food was ready shortly after, but Stephen was nowhere to be found. You excused yourself quickly, asking Wong to watch the children so you could look for the grumpy doctor. 

You opened your bedroom door carefully, spying your fiance sitting on the bed with his head between his hands. You pressed your lips worriedly, unsure of what to say to make him feel better. “Babe, would you like me to bring you your food here?” You asked careful, understanding how tough these missions were for him. 

“Yes, please. That would be great.” He responded, lifting his eyes and giving you a thankful look. 

…

The rest of the afternoon went by quickly as Cece, Peter, and you played with some relics that Wong thought would be appropriate. Eventually, the boy left, and you put Cece to bed, exhausted after such an adventurous day. You checked that the monitor was working properly and went to bed yourself as Stephen was already lying in bed, deep asleep. 

…

You woke up startled, unsure why your alarm had not rung. The bed was empty, and the monitor of Cece’s room was turned off. You tried to turn it on, confused, looking around for your fiance in the bathroom and adjacent office. He was nowhere to be found, and the monitor was not turning on. You decided that looking for Cece was the best decision, scared she had been crying all morning, and you had not heard her. 

The sense of urgency in your steps slowly calmed as you heard Stephen’s voice whisper from Cece’s room. You stopped, hesitant to enter and curious to listen to what he said, “finally, Cece, we managed to get you to calm down. I don’t understand how your aunt understands you. It would help if you spoke more clearly.¨

You giggled at the comment, deciding to enter the room. Stephen seemed slightly startled as you knocked on the door’s wood to inform him of your arrival. “Hello there,” you smiled at him as he quickly backed away from the child. 

“She was not letting me sleep with her crying and complaining, and it looked like you needed some rest,” he scrambled an excuse, scared you could suspect he could enjoy spending time with a child.

You hummed in agreement, thankful for his help and aware that he would not admit to anything else anyway. “Do you mind looking after her for a little longer? I will make breakfast for the two of you.” You kissed him and waved at Cece, leaving the room before he could argue against it. 

…

The next couple of days were a back and forth between Cece chasing Stephen around every room while he tried his best to ignore her. He would still manage to wake up before you with the excuse that the toddler was whining and play with her, entertaining her with some magic and making her breakfast. 

Eventually, he gave up on ignoring her and started answering some of her redundant questions. Cece tried her best to speak clearly to him, but the communication problems were still there. She, for example, struggled to pronounce Stephen, which caused both parties a certain level of frustration. 

Eventually, Stephen was called out on a mission again. You kissed him goodbye, and Cece waved at him, saddened. Your fiance tried his best to hold onto his stoic facade as he barely acknowledged the little girl, whispering a quick “goodbye little Lilia, see you tomorrow” as soon as he was sure you could not hear. His heart broke seeing the sad expression of the little child as he left. 

…

Stephen’s mission took longer than expected, taking him the whole week to complete. You had been left alone with Cece to enjoy the blooming spring. Peter had not been allowed to tag along in this mission, so he joined you most afternoons for walks and to play with the girl. 

Cece seemed to miss Stephen almost as much as you did, so you took the chance to teach her how to say “uncle Stephen.” It would be a pleasant surprise even if he would not admit it. 

Sadly, the ten days went by quicker than expected, and Stephen had yet to return from his mission. You met up with your sister to tour the new apartment and give her the toddler back, promising Cece that uncle Stephen would come to visit her sooner than later. 

…

You were lying on your bed that afternoon, enjoying the newly found silence of the house. It had been a great experience to take care of your niece, and it had given you a ton of baby fever, but you could not help but sigh in relief at the peace. The sound of a portal opening in front of you forced you to sit up and smile, excited to see your fiance again. Stephen walked through the portal and towards you, giving you a soft kiss on the lips, instantly scanning the room for the baby monitor. 

“I dropped her off today. She missed you,” you answered the unspoke question. The doctor tried his best to control his expression, but the disappointment in his eyes could not be denied. You caressed his hand, inviting him to sit by your side on the bed, climbing on his lap to stare into his eyes. “You can admit that you enjoyed having her around, you know?” you kissed his nose, cupping his face with your hands, enjoying the long-awaited closeness. 

“I barely tolerated it.” He shook his head, closing his eyes and smiling, knowing his secret was out of the bag.

“Why can you not just admit that the Sanctum feels more like a home when a little babbling creature is chasing you around?” you laughed, dramatically laying your head on his shoulder and shaking it. 

“I don’t want to get attached,” he responded thoughtfully, forcing you to lift your head and look at him again. 

“She is just our niece, babe. She cannot break your heart,” you tried to lighten the mood, hoping he would smile, but he lowered his gaze instead. 

“I have enough people to worry about already, you, Peter, Wong. Every decision, everything I do or don’t, I am burdened with the fear that it may hurt you. I cannot get attached, or I will think of little Lilia too.” 

“Lilia?” You asked, amused at the funny nickname he had chosen. 

“She refuses to say my name right; I shall do the same.” Petty old man, playing games with a little child.

“You don’t need to worry about us, my love. We love you regardless. I don’t want to be a burden in your life,” you spoke softly.

“You are not a burden. I just at times wonder whether the universe would be worth saving if it meant losing you or the kid.” The honesty made his voice softer as the words left his lips like a whisper, ashamed of his admission. “That is also why I have been delaying the ‘children’ conversation. I think I could no longer protect the world once we have children. They would be the only thing that’d matter to me, just them, and our adopted son and you.” He chuckled slightly at his recognition, finally realising that Peter had already become your de facto child. You felt a weight lift from your shoulders as his words brought some explanation to his dismissive behaviour finally. 

“I understand…” you exhaled, trying to put your desire aside and understand the stress it would put him in. “I was going to see Cece tomorrow for breakfast if you’d like to join me.” You tried to change the topic. 

“I would love that,” he confirmed, giving you a crooked smile. You looked into his eyes and wondered how you would live without seeing a mini version of you and your lover walking around this Sanctum. You would never know whether they would get his beautiful eyes with that little brown spot on the right iris. 

…

You spent the rest of the night cuddling with the doctor, talking about his time away and discussing his excitement to see the little monster tomorrow. The morning after could not come quickly enough as you hoped Cece had not forgotten how to pronounce ‘uncle Stephen.’ In the morning, Stephen went out to buy some pastries to take with you, letting you know that Lilia was a massive fan of chocolate croissants. You shook your head at the information, wondering what other unhealthy foods he had been feeding her for breakfast. He reassured you that he had checked his old introduction to paediatrics book, and 26-month-olds were allowed to eat chocolate croissants. 

The two of you arrived at the building at around 11 a.m., ready to see your family. You knocked at the door and were received, disappointingly enough for Stephen, by your sister alone as Cece was still asleep. She had apparently struggled to get used to the new bed the night before. You started catching up as Stephen politely asked about your sister’s moving struggles. Eventually, the commotion of your conversation woke up the little girl, who began to ask for help from the crib. 

You exchanged a look with your sister, who offered Stephen to go pick her up. The doctor refused initially, joking nervously that she probably did not even remember him. Your sister thankfully insisted, and he got up eagerly, walking towards the indicated room. The little girl squealed with excitement as soon as she spotted the familiar face, “UNCLE SFEFEN.” 

The doctor could not help but chuckle happily, hugging and lifting the toddler who held on tightly to the hug. “Hello, little Cece.”

“Lilia,” she repeated, confused at why he was calling her Cece.

“Lilia it is,” he reassured her, re-entering the room with her and keeping her on his lap. 

“They seemed to have bonded,” your sister looked at you entertained, giving you a cheeky smile. 

“Seems like it,” you responded, giggling as you observed them interact. The four of you spent almost the entire day together, and by the end of it, both Cece and Stephen were absolutely exhausted, falling asleep on the couch as they watched some cartoon. You had never seen him so soft and sweet with someone that was not you. It was genuinely heartwarming. The comical way Stephen's head had dropped onto the couch's backrest as the little girl laid her head against his side forced you to think of what an amazing dad he would be.

You shook your fiance's shoulder once it was time to leave, waking him up. The goodbyes were prolonged as Stephen had to promise the little girl to come to visit her again. The doctor was equally as saddened by the separation, but finally, after forty-five minutes, you managed to thank your sister and head home. Once the door was closed, the doctor moved to your ear and whispered, “maybe we should start planning on that first baby.”

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Liv's Note

Thank you so much as always for reading my work! If you enjoyed it please please reblog it, it makes sure other people can enjoy it too ♥️

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Eventually, Tom checked on him, “I am sorry about that, mate. I just thought there had been a misunderstanding between the two of you.” He whispered to his friend’s ear.

“I am sure you had no bad intentions,” Benedict responded sarcastically, sipping on his glass of whisky.

“You are happy to see her. Don’t lie to me,” his friend reassured him, trying to lighten up the mood.

“You made me look like the bad guy of the situation.”

“It is all good, Ben, don’t think about it too much. You two should sleep over tonight. It is getting late.”

“As if… You won’t get to sleep with her, Tom. I should not have called you the other night. It gave you the wrong idea.”

“Are you scared she’ll prefer me, Cumberbatch? I thought you were more confident in your skills.” Tom continued teasing Ben as both men’s eyes followed you across the room.

“I cannot believe you think this is working. How big do you think my ego is?” Benedict chuckled, shaking his head, unsure what his friend expected him to say.

“Let me bother you, old man.” Tom finally broke the tension. “Let’s go get you another drink. Maybe it’ll improve your mood.”

…

The party was ending as most people had left, and only the closest friends stayed behind, sitting around and chatting comfortably. Everyone seemed to be drunk as laughs grew louder and the sound of broken glasses became more prominent. You found Benedict and Tom talking in a corner, so you approached, curious to see what they were chatting about. Benedict’s hand found your waist as soon as you were close enough, touching you for the first time all night. You had both been careful to keep your distances, but something in his possessive grasp on your dress let you know he no longer cared what others thought. “How is it going?” You spoke softly, smiling up at him and then looking at Tom.

“All good; we were just talking about the first party we threw together and how this looks nothing like that did.” Tom exchanged a look with Benedict before giving you a confident smile.

“What has changed? We have cellphones and wifi now?” You joked, causing the two men to laugh loudly. Ben’s grip on your waist grew tighter as you laid your head on his chest slightly, feeling flustered and content to be able to be affectionate towards him in public finally. He pressed a quick kiss on your head, making your cheeks flush.

“Well, the alcohol was cheaper, the people were more fun, and the music was better.” Benedict summarised it.

“Everyone was just funner. We were a lot better too. Remember that one night with Rose Burr?” Tom’s sentence took Benedict by surprise as the man could not help but clear his throat and look down and away, growing increasingly red-faced.

“Tom, that is enough.” Benedict tried to move on, but you exchanged a look with Tom, who gave you a quick wink.

“What happened with this girl?” You asked, helping Tom complete his mischief.

“Nothing important, just drunk stupid bets.” Ben tried to close the conversation, but you looked at his friend, encouraging him to explain.

“Let’s just say Professor Cumberbatch here has a big ego, and if you tease him long enough, he will do anything to prove he is right.” Tom started speaking, building the anticipation even more.

“That is enough,” Ben interrupted him, but you looked at him disapproving, wanting to hear the rest of the story.

“So this girl, Rose, managed to shag – pardon my french, the two most eligible bachelors in our friend group, your beloved and myself.” You shook your head, giggling at the comment, “news broke out a couple of weeks after I had slept with her, which had been a month or so after Mr Cumberbatch here had, that she had told her girlfriends that I had been, and I quote, the best shag of her life.” You broke out in a soft laugh, exchanging a look with Benedict, who was not amused by the interaction. “Anyway, I, of course, took this as the perfect opportunity to take the piss out of Benedict for the next couple of weeks, reminding him who had made the more memorable impression. Excuses flew left and right, about how he had been drunk, how he had not cared, how it was after a rugby match. Eventually, he grew so tired of the continuous teasing by the rest of the lads and me that the next night out, he looked for Rose and drunkenly told her that he could be the best shag of her life.”

You inhaled, dramatically moving away from Benedict and giving him a disapproving smile. He reached for your hand, pulling you back into his arms. Tom cleared his throat before continuing, excited by the silent permission his friend was giving him to tell her the story. “Anyway, Rose, well, she was a naughty girl and somehow convinced Benedict that the best way for her to scrutinise who out of the two of us was the better fuck was to get with us both on the same night. Mind you, I was in another room of the party, enjoying my night as this controversial agreement was being laid out. Ben came to look for me afterwards, drunkenly explaining what we had to do. I don’t remember the rest of the story, but somehow, that ended up being our first threesome together.” You were in shock. Your mouth sat slightly ajar. Eyes stuck on Tom’s lips as the last words let your imagination run wild.

“Well, if I remember correctly, you begged me to just fuck her together because it would be the fairest analysis, and somehow, I fell for that.” Benedict clarified the facts, but you were still lost in your thoughts, feeling your body grow slightly warmer as they got more inappropriate by the second.

“Who did she choose afterwards?” You finally spoke, looking at nobody in particular scared of the two men being able to read your thoughts. They looked at each other and then looked at you, not fully understanding the question.

“I think by the end of the night, she had lost interest in her scientific research,” Tom responded, walking away to serve himself another drink, grabbing your glass also to fill it up.

“She said it was me. He is just a sore loser.” Benedict lowered himself to whisper the words to your ear, sending a shiver down your spine as he chuckled slightly, brushing your skin. The feeling of his lips so close to your neck forced you to close your eyes as the mix of alcohol, and the story had you fighting your need to beg him to fuck you already. His hand found the back of your neck, letting his fingers softly press on your skin, giving you some release from the contact. “Why so curious, Miss Angel? Do you think anyone could fuck you better than I do?”

“Never, sir,” you responded softly, your voice tainted by a mix of neediness and false innocence.

“Don’t let the thought simmer for too long, princess. As much as he may want to, I don’t think I could share you like that. Would you want me to?” He moved his body to be fully in front of you, keeping his left hand on your waist, leaving mere centimetres between your bodies as you looked down, trying to think how to answer the question. He encouraged you to answer, “or are you just curious about feeling overwhelmed? Two men telling you what to do? You would always listen to me first, correct?” His free hand found your cheek, caressing it and lifting your gaze. His eyes moved from yours to your lips.

“Yes, sir. I think I am just curious, that is all. I would always choose you.” He pressed his lips together as he thought about all the places your lips would look nice on. He dreamed of his hands on your body, ripping that little dress off you.

“Benedict!” A voice called for him as steps quickly approached the two of you, making the lonely corner of the party no longer as private. You moved away from your professor’s touch, looking away before walking away towards the kitchen. An older man walked toward your professor. He looked at you before you walked away, but you kept your eyes on the floor, entering the kitchen.

Tom stood by the sink with your glass of wine perfectly filled, sitting lonely on the counter as he sipped on his whisky. “Hope you are enjoying the party, Sofia. Here’s your wine,” he spoke, pointing at the glass by his side, making no effort to pass it to you. You smiled, walking to his side and grabbed it, feeling his presence tower over you instantly.

“You have known each other for a long time, I assume.” You spoke softly, taking a sip from your glass and meeting his eyes.

“Yes, absolutely. He is my best friend, so please be nice to him.” His tone changed as he thought fondly of his friend, giving you an honest smile.

“Thank you for inviting me, Tom. It has been a great night.” You spoke before laying your head on his shoulder as the alcohol made you extremely tired. He wrapped his arm around your shoulder affectionately, and you could not help but notice how nice his cologne was. It was different from Benedict’s, fresher and lighter.

“You can go upstairs if you want to rest. I promise nobody will bother you.” The thought of being able to fall asleep forced you to exhale happy.

“I would not want to intrude,” you feigned politeness, hoping he would insist. Being wine drunk was not your thing. You got so sleepy and horny. Nothing good came out of it.

“I was hoping you and Ben would stay anyway. Please let me show you to the guest room.” He spoke, removing his arm from around you and encouraging you to follow him.

You walked out of the kitchen and scanned the room for Benedict. He was nowhere to be found, “I should probably let Benedict know.” You spoke to Tom, slightly worried about Ben’s absence.

“I think he is outside. Let’s go check.” Tom’s politeness did not go unnoticed, making your cheeks burn as you gave him a shy smile. You found Benedict in the garden, a cigarette between his lips as he earnestly looked at the older man who was speaking. His eyes intercepted you in the back, excusing himself quickly and walking towards you and Tom.

“Is everything okay?” he asked, holding the cigarette away from you, almost ashamed of his drunk transgression.

“Yes, I am just exhausted. You know wine makes me super sleepy.” You started to speak, but Ben interrupted you.

“We can get going. I will order an uber.” He wanted to leave with you. His words made your heart skip as you bit your lip unconsciously, happy with his response.

“It is alright, please enjoy the rest of the party. Tom offered me to rest upstairs. Just wake me up when you want to leave?” You suggested, hoping you would still leave together. His eyes moved from you back to Tom as his brow furrowed, unsure whether this was a good decision.

“You are both welcome to stay the night. Nobody will bother her upstairs. Ben, don’t leave good old Simon hanging. He was looking forward to talking to you.” Tom referred to the man that kept on looking back at the three of you.

“Are you sure? We can go home right now.” Benedict reached for your hand, but you gave him a reassuring squeeze before letting go.

“I promise you. It is all good. I just want sleep and food right now,” you giggled, tipsy, entertaining the two men.

“I’ll take care of her, Ben. Go back to your conversation.” Tom pressed his hand on your lower back, giving his friend one last reassuring look before reentering the house with you. You moved towards the staircase, but Tom redirected you to the kitchen. “Let’s make you a sandwich. You should not go to bed hungry.”

You sat on the kitchen counter as Tom took out ingredients from his fridge and asked you what you preferred. You found the interaction extremely entertaining as he was equally drunk, making all his movements less refined. He made himself a sandwich too and closed the fridge, satisfied, moving to your side and passing your plate, “here you go, Sof.”

You smiled at him, taking a big bite as soon as you had your hands on the sandwich. It was delicious, not as good as chicken nuggets, but delicious nonetheless. He smiled at the sounds that escaped your lips as you closed your eyes in ecstasy.

“Let’s get you to bed, Angel.” He spoke, stumbling slightly on his feet as he offered you his hand to help you get down the counter. You accepted it, got out of the kitchen and walked toward the stairs. A sound of quick steps toward the two of you stopped you as you turned around to see Benedict.

“I will show her the guest room. It would be a bad look if the host would disappear.” Benedict spoke in a severe tone, tapping his friend’s shoulder. Tom looked at you before pressing his lips together and stepping back.

“Goodnight, Sofia,” he spoke as you waved at him before walking upstairs with Ben.

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Liv's Note

I am hereeee, I am so sorry for the late-night post but I managed to properly sit down to write only at around 4 pm. I hope you enjoyed the chapter, I enjoyed writing it! Thank you so much for all your comments on chapter 20, I love you all so much! As always I look forward to read what you all think and if you are enjoying the story please take the time to reblog ♥️♥️

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