Your face sinks at your brother’s statement.
“I hate to label him like that, but it’s true. None of his past relationships ever lasted long, and I’d hate to see you get hurt.” This information, you already knew. In fact, only days after making your relationship with Tom official, the two of you sat down to have a heart-to-heart about it.
The proclamations he gave weren’t wedding vows, but it damn well sounded like them. He acknowledged his past mistakes in relationships, including his tendency to partake in one-night stands regularly. Nevertheless, Tom said he could never picture leaving you. No matter how rocky the waters get with you two being a couple or even if it ends with both of you splitting, Tom swore he would always be your shoulder to cry on, as a friend or partner.
“You know he wouldn’t treat me the same, Haz. I mean, you two are like this.” You demonstrated their bond by crossing two fingers together.
“And I want to believe that, Y/N. I do.” He lays a sincere hand on his chest. “But if you two ever got together I wouldn’t be able to look at him the same, or you. I’d feel...betrayed.” As soon as the admission leaves him, the silence between you is filled with the sound of the front door opening.
“Y/N! Haz!” You hear Tom call out, making your eyes enlarge in fear. The initial plan was that you would test the waters and maybe admit to your brother about your recent affairs with Tom. However, it seems your boyfriend was too optimistic and sure of this plan, that he was ready to have the full-length, overly-protective big brother conversation with Harrison.
Before the man beside you could even stan up from his spot, you were leaping out of the bed and scurrying downstairs in a haste to alert Tom of your recent conversation. When you finally stood in front of him, he leant down to lay a kiss against your lips.
You dodge it and begin hissing frantically, “abort mission! Abort mission!”
“What? What happened?” He lays his hands comfortably against your hips. You shove them off of you, and check back to see Harrison nowhere in sight...yet.
“We can’t tell him. Not today. Probably not ever.”
“But, Y/N...we’ve been planning on this for weeks, what happened?” He took a step closer to you, his warm breath fanning over your face. You took a step back in an attempt to distance yourself and take a glance over your shoulder once again.
“I asked him what he’d think if we got together.”
“And? What’d he say?” Tom raises his eyebrows, a giddy smile overcoming his face.
“Not...good things.” You mutter as your eyes fall to the floor. “He thinks you’re still all about hooking up and one-night stands…”
“Well then,” Tom takes your hand into his grip, offering it a comforting squeeze, “we’re gonna prove him wrong.”
“What do you mean?” He is leading you upstairs, ignoring your outcries. “Tom, wait! Let go of my hand before Ha—“ Your boyfriend freezes halfway up the stairwell, causing you to run straight into his back with a grunt. Harrison stood a few steps up, looking down at the two of you.
“What’s going on?” He eyes your stance suspiciously, and his hard gaze causes you to duck behind Tom’s back even more. Your hands are still laced together, and you heard Tom breathing heavy, eager to proclaim his new relationship status to Harrison.
“Here’s what. I love your sister, mate.”
“You what?” Harrison asks gruffly.
“You what?” The question comes gentler from you, as you stare up at Tom’s profile.
“Yeah, I love her. I have for six months, and probably 2 years more.” His checks begin going red. “And you can’t just not let us be together.” All at once, Harrison’s tense shoulders fell, and a sinister grin crawled onto his face.
It took a moment for his words to sink in. And once they did, the two of you were left perplexed.
“I-I’m sorry, you know? What do you know?
“I know that you two are together?”
“How?” Tom’s eyebrows cinch together, earning a chuckle from Harrison.
“Easy. You can’t keep a secret to save your life. And I’ve grown up with her long enough to tell when she does have a secret. It’s simple math, really.” His shoulders jump in a nonchalant shrug.
“So why’d you act so aggressive before? And why’d you call Tom a playboy?”
“It was a great acting exercise. And I needed confidence for my audition, Friday. I know he’d never dare hurt you. It was obvious he’d been pining after you for years.” This, in turn, makes the red in Tom’s cheeks turn 12 shades darker, and causes your mouth to gape open.
“So, thanks for the practice sis! Fingers crossed I get the part!” Your brother cheers, before walking up the stairs to his room for the night.
Once hearing Harrison’s bedroom door close, Tom whispers into your ear, “Love, I think we just got bamboozled.”