Chris jolted awake after hearing the front door open and then close.
Tom peered his head round. "Still recharging?"
He nodded weakly.
"You can always go and lie down on my bed if you want." He suggested. "If you don't feel up to eating."
"No. No…I'm not that bad." Chris suddenly sat up properly, his stomach feeling empty at the thought of food.
Tom smiled softly. "That's what we want to see."
After they all finished, Tom went to clear up, taking the used plates from Karen and Chris before getting his own.
"You didn't have to do all that, you know." Chris put to Tom, rather than her, honestly.
"Well…we wanted to. I mean it is a certain person's birthday coming up."
He felt a small blush start, and he followed him out to help.
"No, go on. Sit back down."
"I'd rather stay out here with you." He admitted.
Tom frowned. "You two still not talked?"
"I don't wanna talk to her."
"Chris…" He put the plates down and placed his hands on the younger male's shoulders. "Karen is really worried about you. She can't understand why you're not talking to her."
"She knows why, Tom. Go and ask her. She won't hide anything from you as she's done so with me."
He looked confused. "What do you mean, mate?"
Chris flitted his gaze to the floor. "How did you know what she drank?"
He gazed, open mouthed, at him. Why would something so apparently insignificant mean so much to him?
The younger male knew Tom felt like that. But it was minor things like that, which bothered him. "She only ever told me her favourite drink was Martini. So how did you find out?"
He looked at him honestly. "We went out for a drink after dropping you off. That was all."
"Why? I don't understand…"
"We just wanted to talk about you. Both of us were worried."
Chris cast his gaze back to him. "So that you can spy on me, is that what it was all about?"
Tom shook his head. "That's not what we wanted to do. Karen suggested taking you out, it wasn't my idea at all."
"I could tell it was her idea." His posture became more aggressive. "Only that what she had in mind didn't quite work, did it?"
He frowned. "Chris, I don't know what you mean."
"She's after you."
"That's silly. Karen does not fancy me; she's got her heart set on you. She says so, even after she ended it."
"Did she really end it or did you?" Chris's voice sounded soft yet slightly shocked. He knew the real answer, but he had to hear it for himself.
"I had a hand in it…" Tom admitted. "I'm sorry."
He didn't accept the apology. "What have I ever done to you?"
"I got a little jealous. But now I know she doesn't have eyes for me." He watched Chris start to pull back. "I made her end it with you after I thought you'd been out drinking that night and doing…you know…stuff."
"Y-you thought I was cheating on her?" His voice turned from shocked to utterly incredulous.
"That wasn't all."
He tilted his head slightly.
"I told her you might've started the fight you had with Charlie through drinking."
That definitely tore it. Chris swiftly got his jacket on, not wanting to stay a second longer.
Karen came out of the lounge, noticing the younger male looked pretty much ready to go. "What…? Where are you going?"
"You're welcome to him." He put to her icily; he'd never come across that way with anyone. "You're both alike, you know."
"Now just hold on a second, Chris." She grabbed him by the sleeve of his jacket, and pulled him back against the hall's wall, stopping him from getting away. "I don't fancy Tom."
"Then why go along with him?" Chris asked her tearfully, his eyes glistening with tears. "Why do that to me?"
Karen drew in a deep breath. "He made me doubt you."
"After everything we've said…" He pulled himself free from her grip. "You know me better than anyone else. You should be able to trust me."
"Please stay." She kept him back, her body almost up against his. "We can forget about this…can't we?"
He shook his head sadly. "I don't trust you at all. I don't trust either of you."
Karen decided to drop the begging and courteousness within the situation; just as Chris was going to squirm free, she pulled him back again. The action immediately made him feel intimidated.
"If you fancy him, all you had to do was say so."
She shook her head. "I don't fancy him, Chris. You know I love you."
"Is that what you call it?" He smirked a little.
"Look…we can go back to yours. Go to bed together and have some fun."
"I don't want fun." He pulled himself away. "That's not what I want from you."
Karen was startled at him pulling away like that. "Then what is it you want? I want to give you anything you want, Chris…just tell me."
Chris flitted his gaze to the floor and then back to her. "I think it's better if we stay away from each other for a bit."
She shook her head. "No. No, don't do that. You know that's a silly way to go about it."
"Karen, please don't make this any worse. We should keep out of each other's way. Maybe Tom can cover me for then."
"Why are you allowing this to happen?"
He came over tired again. "I'd feel better sooner if we did this."
"What's going on?" Tom came out, noticing the two had started talking. "Wow. I didn't expect you guys to start talking again."
"I need to go." Chris put to him dimly.
"No. No, come on, mate. Stay for a bit. Especially if you're tired." He grabbed him by the sleeve of his jacket.
"I said no." He defiantly pulled himself free again, sharply gazing at each one of them. "I've got nothing to say to either of you." He opened the door and left Tom's place, leaving both of them mildly shocked.