Disclaimer: I don't own anything. I co-own Snow (with S.B.A.) and I own Zack, Butch and Sasha.
I thought of making a Tom/Bliss fic but I realized that I haven't watched (500) Days of Summer yet, so I did. I didn't really enjoy it but the ending was okay (I love Minka Kelly). My friend and I were having lunch one day and we both came up with Snow. And we also both figured that Ellen Page would be perfect. To better visualize this, imagine Ellen Page as Snow and Sam Claflin as Zack. Enjoy! This is dedicated to carameltootsieroll.
(874)
"How's the job hunting coming along?" Rachel asks. She ties her hair in a ponytail and looks out at the field. It's the fifteen minute break from soccer practice and she decides to hang out with him instead. "Was working in Highland really giving you a break?"
"I've gotten a lot of callbacks," Tom answers, not taking his eyes off his sketch-pad. "So yes, I'd like to think Highland gave me something. The ones that are accepting me are giving me a time period to think about it, I told them that I had other options and wanted to finish the prospects first. I'm having another interview tomorrow. It's the last and the most important."
"Impressive. Sounds like you aren't even a jobless guy." Rachel sneaks a peak at what he's drawing. It's a girl. "Which firm?"
He takes a deep breath and looks at the younger girl. "Avalanche Corporations."
(858)
Paul puts down his bottle of beer. "You've got an interview with Avalanche Corporations?" His jaw drops and his eyes look for any signs of a trick. "That's…huge!"
"That's why my interview isn't until two weeks from now. And that's just me being lucky because someone was too chicken and had to cancel his appointment."
"Why would anyone want to back out from their appointment in Avalanche?" McKenzie shakes his head. "They're lucky enough to get an interview."
Tom shrugs. "Right now, I only care that I'm able to have an interview. Now that I have a chance—"
McKenzie cuts him off, "An interview isn't a chance."
"—I might actually be a part of something bigger."
(856)
He'd see her on the train sometimes, most of the time she's looking around, as if she's hiding from someone. He'd see her in the diner, too, eating regular meals as if they're the most delicious things in the world. Sometimes at the karaoke bar, he'd find her drinking beer alone. He sees her in the park lots of times, too. But he never gave her much thought. She's just a very pretty stranger that he regularly sees.
So imagine his surprise when he sees her in the entrance of the theatre talking to strangers who stop to listen but eventually leave her. He sees her sigh with disappointment and put her hands in her pocket. His legs take him to her and he asks, "Are you okay?"
She looks at him and shrugs. "Yeah. Just…," heaving a breath, "would you like to watch Inception with me? I know you've probably seen it already but this theatre does show reruns and I have an extra ticket and I'm not very...I'm not really up to watching it by myself since I was supposed to be with someone and—"
"Sure," he says, "why not? I was planning on watching that anyway."
(858)
"And did you enjoy it?" McKenzie asks.
Tom looks away from the window and to the person in front of him. Paul is waiting for an answer, too. He hesitates and then nods, a small smile forming on his lips. "Yeah, I did."
(856)
The night was going greater than he expected. She brings him to Sundae's Best, an expensive ice cream restaurant, and she orders a treat without even looking at the menu and acting like it's no big deal. She even asks him to get whatever he desires. "Just get anything," she urges. And he gets a parfait he has always wanted to try.
He suddenly blurts out to her that had broken up with his girlfriend, Autumn, about a week ago and resigned from his job earlier that morning. She asks him why. "We were both the only candidates for a really big promotion. She's always wanted it and so I let her have it. Everything was okay but I noticed the changes. I talked to her about it and when I told her she was my girlfriend...she told me that she's also my boss."
His companion cringes. "That really stings."
He agrees. "Broke up with her the next day. My sister liked her but even she noticed that she was too work-oriented."
"Do you have any job prospects?"
"A lot, but," he looks out the window and eyes the tower with shining lights that says Avalanche Corps., "I've always wanted to work there," he sees her look at the tower, too, "and I've been trying to get an interview but slots are always filled."
"Will you promise me to try calling again?"
He raises his eyebrows but realizes that there's nothing he would lose if he did. "Sure, one last time." He shrugs. "What were you doing alone in the theatre and asking random strangers to watch a movie with you?"
"I was supposed to be watching with my dad but he...um...had a last minute business call and had to go back to work." She smiles and takes the last bite of her ice cream cake. "I never asked you your name."
"Tom. Tom Hansen." He smiles at her. "I just spent a night with a total stranger. I'm just lucky she's cute," he flirts and notices her blush. "What's your name?"
(858)
Paul raises his eyebrows and leans forward. "Well? What's her name?"
"What's her name, man?" McKenzie joins. "Don't tell me you didn't get it."
"Did you get her number?"
"Are you going to see her again?"
"Tell us you're going to see her again."
"Can you at least show us how she looks like?"
"Yeah, surely she has a social networking site."
"How many beautiful girls do you see and compare them to what that girl did to you."
"Dude, you've got to go and get her."
"Forget about Autumn! Didn't you tell us that you expected something like that would happen?"
"She's a career-oriented woman."
"And they are not your type."
Tom blinks and nods. "Right, her name. It's…"
(856)
"Snow." She grins. "Snow Lanché."
After taking that in for a few seconds, he grabs his jacket beside him and leaves right away, ignoring her when she asks what's wrong. "Tom!"
Back to day (1)
(1)
He isn't fully over Autumn. But he got the job at Avalanche and is now starting his first day. Rachel, who had wanted to wish him good luck on one of the most nerve-wracking days of his life, smiles at him. "You got this."
(456)
He's been working for Avalanche for a year and a few months and he loves it. He's made friends, he's gone out with a few women and has even become friends with his boss. "I like you, Tom," he said once, "your ideas are different and I like that." Mr. Lanché had been consulting with him personally since then. "I think you and my daughter, Ava, would be good friends."
The only thing that sucks is that he hasn't seen Snow. Not on the train. Not in the diner. Not in the karaoke bar. Not in the movie theatre. Not in Sundae's Best. Not in the park.
During his free time he would draw her. However, there's always something wrong with it, always wondering what he's missing. So he'd flip onto another page or grab a new, clean sheet and start drawing again. When Paul and McKenzie noticed, they think that the excuse he gives them, "It's not perfect," he would say, is a lie.
(489)
With his headphones on and his bag stuffed with all he needs and a little too early for his liking, Tom is ready to go up to his desk and finish his endeavors for the day. When he reaches the building, he's not entirely surprised that the elevator quickly opens and no one else is waiting but him. He goes in, punches his floor and waits for the doors to close as he tucks his headphones down. Already closed halfway, someone calls for the elevator to be put on hold. He does so and waits for the lady to come in.
She arrives, her head bent low as she's rummaging inside her bag. "Sorry," she says and then thanks him. "Usually I'm alone and I don't normally care about getting the first ride I see, but I have to go upstairs and—" she looks up, "oh. Hello."
He blinks. It's the same pale face, her brown locks being held up in a bun, her brown eyes staring intently at him. It's the lips, the smile, he can never perfect. "Hi."
"You got the job," she says, smiling. "I'm glad."
"Do you work here, too?"
She laughs a little although it sounds as if there are undertones of irritation. "Well, of course. I don't want to but—" she stops herself, "because I'm just...I'm the...I'm...a trainee! Yeah. I'm a trainee in the...um...research department."
"Oh," he nods, trying to search his mind for any news about new recruits, "you're early."
"I...left some files and I need to get them for my...report tomorrow...thought I'd sneak in and get them before anybody notices."
"You haven't pressed your floor," he tells her.
She looks at the buttons and takes her time before pressing twelve. "You didn't press close yet, either." She presses the button a few floors below him and up they go.
(489)
"Is the company hiring again?" he asks Butch, one of his co-workers.
Butch shakes his head. "We're a full house. You're still the latest addition. Why?"
"I met someone in the elevator this morning. I kinda know her. She said she's a trainee in the research department." He cocks his head. "Was she lying?"
"Probably," the other guy raises his eyebrows, "but you said you know her."
"Yeah, we went on a sort of date once. She's the reason why I called the company, actually," he tells him. "She's why I'm here."
"Interesting." Butch moves forward. "And how does she look like? I might have seen her around."
Tom begins to describe her but something else catches his eyes. By the door, is the woman he had gone with to see Inception. "Like her." He gestures.
Sasha, another of his co-workers who he's a little close to despite his distaste of her eavesdropping habit, suddenly appears in between them. "Her? A trainee in the research department? That's crazy, Tom. Are you sure?" She takes another look. "Are you very sure?"
"I'm very sure, Sasha," he replies. He tries to catch her eye but she's talking to the boss. When they finally make eye contact, her eyes widen and she turns around, talking once again to Mr. Lanché, he nods and immediately turns away. "She's already close to the boss?"
"She's a Daddy's girl, Tom," Butch says. "That's Ava Lanché, dear boy. The Ava Lanché. Heiress to this very company. Daddy has a daughter and can't resist naming her Ava." He chuckles. "What were you saying about her being a trainee in the research department?"
"She said her name's Snow," is his reply. Lanché, he didn't make the connection.
"That's her nickname. She's pale faced, beautiful and sweet. Like Snow. When she was younger she was a little on the chubby side and everyone made fun of her, with her name being something destructive and all, you know, avalanche, and there's a resemblance on the physical side, you can imagine all the teasing. One day, during the start of a new academic year, she came to school looking all brand-new and became the ice princess. Cold. Like Snow."
"She's...the president's...daughter," he says quietly.
(490)
The sun wasn't even up yet when he started getting ready. He was outside before the building was even open. He's been waiting for about an hour now. The security guard and April Marie, the keeper of the front keys, greet him "good morning". While opening the door, April Marie says, "You're early, Tom."
"I'm waiting for someone."
And it all pays off. After she gets in an elevator, he rushes inside and waits for the machine to close before putting it in an emergency stop. "Did you have anything to do with this?"
"I don't know what you're talking about," she says without looking at him.
"Did you ask your father to hire me? The position I have now? My relationship with your father? Did you have anything to do with any of this? Be honest, Ava."
"I only asked him to give you a chance, that he'd tell his secretary that if anyone named Thomas or Tom Hansen called for an interview, she should set up a schedule. It was just a coincidence that someone backed out and you got the slot. But I have nothing to do with all the other accusations. I swear. I didn't even ask him to hire you. That was his choice." She pauses. "And I don't want you to call me Ava."
They remain silent for the rest of the time until security and IT experts open the elevator. "Miss Lanché," one of the men calls out to her, "we saw you in the camera footage, we thought you were stuck and—"
"My colleague and I were having a discussion, emergency stop," she tells them.
"Oh," they say. "Do you want us to close the doors again?"
Tom raises an eyebrow. Snow smiles a little. "No, it's fine. We're done talking." She presses the last floor, just a floor above Tom's, and thanks the workers. "We are done...aren't we?"
He doesn't reply, instead, he watches the numbers go by the elevator. When it dings and opens for him, he walks out but stops when Snow calls his name. "Do you wanna go out for coffee later? I'll pick you up at around five?"
He turns around and sees her smiling hopefully. "Sure. Why not?"
(490-855)
The two had become very good friends. Tom looked past what had happened and they started anew (he did ask her how she managed to dodge him for a year, she replied that she memorized the building and could use her all-access ID to enter shortcuts). He never once called her Snow and continues to call her Ava. She had asked why once and he told her the reason, including why he ran out of the restaurant during their first meeting; she understood.
She explained to him why she didn't want to take over the company and would rather be a teacher.
He brought her to the karaoke bar and helped her have fun; he even got her to sing a lot. And they go to his favorite spot in the park frequently.
They talk all day, constantly IM-ing each other during work hours and texting or calling when they're free. Once she convinced her father that she could go home by herself during certain days, he never fails to bring her home and she insists he calls once he gets back to his own apartment. On weekends, despite having work to do—Tom with clients that he has to help and Snow with her father's orders—they're on the phone all night and would meet up during the day; sometimes, they'd abandon their work and have fun.
At one point, Snow had confessed to him her feelings, and although his feelings for her have also started to grow, he wasn't prepared for another relationship and he didn't want to ruin their friendship. "I'm sorry, I don't...feel the same way." She smiled and nodded, understanding. It hasn't affected them at all. Until Zachary Williams.
Please check out chapter 2! It's already there!