[M] She Ran

"Thank you."

She believed that he would keep it to himself.

"Thank you, Tomaso. Really." He was such a great guy. Sweet and just... He was just perfect. How did she ever get lucky enough to find someone like him?

The woman leaned up to press a gentle kiss to his cheek.

"You're such a great person."

When she leaned in to kiss his cheek, Tom couldn't help himself. He had to hold her.

His arms wrapped around her and he held her in a warm, protective embrace.

"Do you love him Fawzi?" He asked. There was fear in his voice. If she loved him he didn't know what he would do.

If she loved him, he didn't know what advice to give, or if he should even be holding her. He would have no clue.

"Yes."

There was no hesitation. No doubt. No raising of the voice. She did love him, even if he had his flaws.

The woman cuddled against Tom when he drew her into his arms.

Fawzi smiled softly. Tom was such a sweetheart.

She pressed a soft kiss to his clothed shoulder.

Tom felt his heart break.

He wasn't even sure why, but hearing that Fawzi loved a man who would beat her made his heart shatter.

He gently took her shoulders and guided her away from his embrace.

"How can you say you love him and still come to me like this? The... the touching and kisses... I don't understand."

Maybe if he understood he could help her more.

Was he just... being used? Using him to get the kindness she deserved before returning to the man who truly had her love.

Her dark eyes turned up to him when he guided her back.

She didn't know how to answer that question.

She came to Tomaso because she knew he would make her feel better. He was sweet and kind. There for her if she needed it.

Fawzi didn't feel like she was using him.

She genuinely liked him and the way he made her feel.

She really did like Tomaso. This was not her just using his kindness then casting him off.

But how could she word that?

Tom looked into Fawzi's eyes, waiting for an answer.

But she appeared to be speechless. Searching for words that were out of her grasp.

We're she anyone else he would have sent her away.

But he couldn't do that. He didn't want her to leave and go back to that man.

"Fawzi... just because you love him doesn't mean you should stay with him. I think you know that deep down... I think that's why you came to me. Because you want something more." He said all of this in a near whisper.

"Forgive me if I'm over stepping any boundaries." He added.

"You are," Fawzi replied firmly before she crumbled before his eyes.

The woman wrapped her arms around herself and stared down at the floor silently for a few long moments.

"I-I do. I want more."

She wanted the gentle kisses and to be able to cuddle with someone.

Fawzi wanted a cute, gentle relationship with someone that wouldn't turn around and hit her for something menial like putting the cups away wrong after washing up.

"I can't leave him," she whispered in a broken voice.

When she snapped at him Tom felt like shattering. The last thing he wanted to do was upset her.

But before he could do anything she crumpled.

"You can do anything Fawzi... I would do anything for you." He added, looking down.

Had he just said that out loud?

"I...I can't. I cant. I cant."

Fawzi was so broken. "I've been with him for five years. I cant just leave him now."

She didn't want to leave him.

Yes she did.

No she didn't.

Ye- No. Yes?

The woman was so confused. She loved Claudio. But she wanted something more. She wanted what Tomaso would happily give her.

"You can't or you wont?" Tom asked.  

He was... passionate about this subject.  

It hit closer to home than Fawzi knew.  

Domestic abuse was not new to Tom.

"I can't," she responded.

She couldn't. She wouldn't.

Her mind plagued her with thoughts of what he'd do to her if she tried to left. What life would be like without him. Despite his harsh punishments for her, there were redeeming qualities.

She didn't want to live without him.

Tom was silent for a few moments, staring off into nothingness. His head throbbed, his heart felt heavy, is stomach was knotting.

"Why?"

He asked it in a whisper.

It was all he could think to say.

"I love him."

She did. She really did. Claudio was a great man. He was kind to her. Loving. Someone that cared about her.

The woman sighed softly, eyes fixing themselves firmly on the man's chest.

"I can't leave him."

The man hung his head, defeated.

"Okay Fawzi." He said, not looking at her.

"Okay."

"I..." The woman sighed softly, her gaze finally rising to meet Tom's.

"I should probably leave." Things felt awkward now. She didn't want to hang around at the risk of making things more awkward.

Fawzi stepped forwards, leaning up to brush her lips over his gently before stepping back.

"I'm sorry," she murmured before turning around, heading towards the door.

Before she could walk away, Tom took her wrist and held it gently.

"Don't go." He said, feeling weak.

He didn't want her to go back to a man that had beaten her like this.

"Please Fawzi. If anything were to happen to you..."

The woman stopped dead when Tom gripped her wrist.

He wanted her to stay.

After dragging him into this mess, he wanted her to stay. A sad little smile curled her lips. That was an act of someone that cared. Despite the shit she'd just dumped on him, he was still worried about her.

That made her feel worse. Tomaso was such a sweet man.

"You really want me to stay?"

The man, now with a new set of striking silver hues, stared right into Fawzi's own eyes and nodded his head.

"Yes, I do." He said.

He didn't want her to go back to the jerk-ass who did this to her. At least he knew she'd be safe here. And because of this he wanted to keep her here as long as possible.

He really was too sweet.

Fawzi couldn't help but feel worse. By staying she felt like she was taking advantage of his kindness.

The woman shook his grip on her wrist loose gently and curled their fingers together, giving his a gentle squeeze of thanks.

He really was such a kind and selfless man. She'd unloaded so much shit on him and all but waved the bitch-flag in his face and he was still so worried about her.

Tom gave the woman a weak smile and squeezed her hand back gently.

"How about we do something to take your mind off of...everything. I have some movies. Most of them are documentaries that I've recorded, truth be told, but I find them to be quite interesting." He offered, leading her to the living room again.

Cuddled together on the couch watching a documentary sounded nice.

Fawzi's lips kicked upwards a little. Documentaires. She was honestly not all that surprised.

"Do you have that mermaid documentary that's been circling recently? Uh... Body Found?" It had been something that had piqued her interest, but she hadn't had the time to watch it.

Maybe Tomaso had it.

Despite all of the shit that had been happening in Tomaso and Fawzi's life, and all of the heavy heartache that came with this night, the Italian man actually got a wide grin to his face.  

"Of course I do Fawzi.  Knowing what I do now, I actually believe that some of these things have truth to them instead of just being myth or fiction.  It's really very fascinating what is being discovered.  It's so interesting, you see, because as technology advances, it allows us to document and record more facts, but it also allows people to fabricate fake videos and photographs.  Its as if these things were meant to stay a mystery forever until you are apart of their world.  Even as science and technology advance, we still struggle to prove anything that society is not yet ready to accept."  

The man rambled away as he found the remote and got to the recording of the documentary.  He sat down on the sofa and looked up at Fawzi, inviting her to sit beside him.

"There's a lot humans dont know that they theories about."

Some of the documentaries they air were actually laughable, but some did have some semblance of truth.

Seeing humans slowly gather information about their world was amusing more than worrying. For every one person that had decent information, there was a hundred trying to shoot them down.

Fawzi took a seat when she was invited to, hesitating for a short moment before leaning against his side.

"I'd love to see what they have to say about merfolk, though. It'll be interesting." Fawzi herself hated merfolk. They were terrible creatures.

Tomaso nodded his head. That of course, was bound to be true. And that was why humans were too far behind. They spent too much time faking what was all ready there. It was baffling and fascinating all at once.

The man glanced down at her when she leaned in against him. She probably needed all of the positive affection she could get, and he understood that now. She wasn't trying to be slutty, she was reaching out the only way she knew how.

Tenderly he wrapped his arm around her. He wouldn't take it any further then that. An innocent embrace to make up for the pain she had experienced that night.

Tom felt lucky to be the man to give her that embrace.

"Do you suppose merfolk are real Fawzi?" He asked as he pressed play.

"They're real, all right."

The woman shook her head and her dreads splayed out around her, feathers fluttering in the breeze caused by the movement.

"You've never met a more foul creature. Honestly, they're terrible, terrible creatures. Sadistic and playful. A very dangerous match."

If they weren't killing each other, they were trying to kill people that ventured too close to the water.

Fawzi nuzzled a little closer to the Lycan as he pressed play.

"I hope you never have the displeasure to meet one."