chapter twenty two
together, forever
Sunday 11th March 2018

Tom and Scarlett were unloading the car the following morning, as the kids and Olivia walked towards the soft play venue that housed the laser tag for Asher's Birthday.

"So, how did you guys actually meet?" The woman opened up conversation with a question that had been wandering her mind as she adjusted to two of her closest friends dating.

Tom chuckled to himself and shook his head slightly. "In the most un-romantic way ever." He rolled his eyes as he thought back to that day, how he felt and how much he had hoped he'd found the right person within Olivia. "We sort of bumped into each other in HMV."

"What's HMV?" The American asked, and Tom laughed at her obliviousness.

"It's a shop, they sell CD's and DVD's. I was just looking for a new CD, I'm still old school and won't give into streaming from my phone." The man admitted with a shy smile. Tom closed the boot of the car and locked it with Olivia's keys. The pair walked into the venue with their hands full of bags.

"That's actually so adorable." Scarlett laughed. "You guys seriously make a great couple, if you don't mind me saying. Although, she didn't seem too keen on the travelling with you. Did you manage to speak to her about that last night?"

"Unfortunately, not. She was shattered from Lyra's acting class yesterday morning. I'm glad you noticed it too, I wasn't sure if I was just talking myself out of it." Tom mumbled slightly. "It's nice to get a second opinion sometimes."

"What do you think you're going to do?" The actress asked. She cared for both of her friends, and from her perspective, they seemed to be wanting to go slow but somehow were having everything thrown their way and coping incredibly well.

"I'll just have to talk to her whenever we have a free moment. I'm practically living with Via at the moment, I can't fathom spending at least a month away from her and the kids." He quietened his voice as he made his way to the laser tag room incase Olivia could hear them.

Scarlett gave the man a soft smile. "Just focus on communication. You guys seem to be doing amazing the way you are, I'm sure you've got your boundaries and you can both respect both of them, just continue as you are and go with it."

Scarlett was right, and Tom was grateful to have his friend to guide and help him if he needed. Relationships weren't uncommon for the popular actor, but mental well-being and intimacy in one had always only been Tom's priority, not also his partners. He didn't want to lose what he had made with the woman just because he was a spoilt child. He can't get everything as soon as he wants it.

The first part of Asher's party had gone really well. Obviously, all of his friends had wanted pictures with the famous Loki and Black Widow, and Tom had made sure that Asher was in every single one of them so the focus remained on him.

The parents, thankfully, had agreed to the terms of taking pictures (no posting anywhere until everyone had left the venue). Both Tom and Olivia were grateful that all of their friends cared as much for Olivia's children as they did, as they understood how fragile a child can be when under the view of the press.

It wasn't long until the laser tag instructor asked Asher to pick the teams. Olivia wasn't playing, however, Tom, Scarlett and two other parents called Ryan and Steve were going to get fully immersive in the laser tagging.

"There should be two adults on each team! Lyra can go with Tom and Scarlett." This was only fair for the sister as Scarlett was her only friend at the party. "I'll go with Ryan and Steve!"

It was fairly easy, after that, to divide the children into teams. They either wanted to team up with the celebrities, or team up with Asher to thrash them.

As Asher's group walked into the laser tag room to take hiding spots before Lyra's team entered, the young girl reached for Tom's hand. "Are you okay, sweetheart?" Tom crouched down to Lyra and brushed some of her hair behind her ear.

"I'm scared of the dark. Can I please stay with you?" She asked politely as she looked at the floor nervously and played with her feet.

Tom wanted to chuckle at how adorable his little Lyra was, however he didn't want to come across as patronising. "Between me and you, Lyra." He bopped his nose in a secretive motion, and the young girl copied it with an excited smile. "I'm scared of the dark too. So I'll need you by my side."

"Together, forever!" Lyra cheered, and high fived the man.

"Together, forever." He smiled softly at the girl who he could argue had snatched his heart quicker than Olivia. He stood up and looked to Olivia, his heart pounded and panged in his chest as he saw her laughing with one of the parents. "No matter what." He said to himself.

Olivia saw her boyfriend looking at her and excused herself. She walked slowly over to Tom, her teeth showing their rightful beauty as her lips pushed her cheeks into a smile. "Nervous?"

"Absolutely." Tom laughed. He felt Lyra's hand slip from his as she quickly went to speak to Scarlett and save her from a mother too invested in the actresses Oscar dress decisions. "Although, not as nervous as I would be stuck in here on my own with all the parents."

"That's what my flash cards were for!" She pouted at him. Tom frowned in confusing. "For quick answers to difficult questions!" At this, he laughed loudly and pulled the woman into his side.

"Olivia Jones, you are absolutely incredible." Tom kissed Olivia's cheek and held her eyes when he pulled away, and watched her pupils grown larger and pulse under his gaze.

"I do try." She tried to laugh, but her sudden nervousness did not go unseen when she swallowed quickly. Tom decided not to comment, but instead to soak in the affect he had on his girlfriend.

"Alright, Team Stars!" The laser tag instructor came in. He was middle aged, but somehow conveyed a genuine passion for kids laser tag parties. "They're all set. If you follow me in, then you can search for Team Birthday. Remember to shoot them on the big dots on their front or it won't count!"

Lyra squealed slight and ran over to Tom, dragging Scarlett behind her. She couldn't grab his hand as she had to hold her fake gun, however Tom was grateful, as she looked adorable. "Quick, guys, I wanna get a picture!" Olivia asked quickly, so Tom and Scarlett leaned down to the girls level and they all beamed at the camera. "Perfect. I love you all so much, have fun!"

Before Tom knew it, the trio and the rest of their team were in the small room before the big laser tag room. "Alright guys, listen up!" Scarlett hollered. "Gather round, gather round."

Team star all gathered in a circle together and focused on the famous Black Widow. The children looked intently, as if Scarlett had become Natasha, giving them orders to kill on sight. "Tom and Lyra will be staying on defence, defended our flag at all costs!" It sounded ridiculous, but the first game was capture the flag, and Scarlett wasn't about to let down her number one, Lyra.

"Lesley! Fletch!" She pointed at the two oldest kids, looked them dead in the eye. "You're attacking. Roll, run, dive, charge, whatever you want to get that flag." Scarlett demanded, and the two kids yelled battle cries.

"Uh-" Tom interrupted and everyone turned to him. "Be safe, you can do whatever you want if it's safe." He added. Tom could imagine the papers: 'Black Widow and Loki injure children in battle of Laser Tag'. The group looked at him quietly, and blinked slowly.

"Within safety, children, or Loki will rain hell on you!" Scarlett continued, sweeping all the awkward eye-contact from Tom to her. "Joshua and Ben, you guys stick with me, or in the same area. If we need defence, we can run back and help, or if we want to attack we can push forward. You all got it!?"

"Yes!" The all screamed.

"Now let's all say Team Star: Until Death!" Scarlett pumped up all the excited partiers, and she felt right in her element.

"Woah-" Tom interrupted. "To the death, without real blood." The kids burst into laughter and the only other adult in the room rolled her eyes at her co-worker and friend.

"3,2,1!" Scarlett shouted.

"Team Star!" The group yelled at the top of their voices. "To the death!"

"Without real blood!" Tom cheered on his own, as the children stopped at 'death'. The all laughed out loud, and Lyra giggled beside him and clasped her stomach.

"Tommy!" She gasped. "You're so embarrassing!"

***

The battlefield was more intense than any superhero battlefield in any film. There was screaming, gore, guts and dead bodies everywhere. Well, that's what Asher imagined in his head as he charged through the dark laser tag room and jumped over a wall made out of sand bags.

"On me, everyone!" Team Birthday were taking a deadly and almost disastrous plan as a last resort to steal Team Star's flag. The whole team had gathered in a line and were charging to where Tom and Lyra held the flag, leaping over obstacles as if they were the height of Bobby.

"Retreat!" The young boy heard Scarlett yell from the other side of the room. He saw her dive behind the last wall, and he was blind to the opposing teams strategy as all of Team Star disappeared.

"There's too many of them!" Lyra yelled as Scarlett fell next to Tom, using her acting classes to their full potential. At this moment, the three actors were the only survivors left on their team, and the teammates out were yelling for victory on the last round of capture the flag.

It was a 3vs5, an utter disgrace, in Scarlett's opinion, but she had to remind herself she was playing with 10 year olds. Tom peaked over the wall and took a few laser's at the oncoming team. Ryan, to his utter dismay, got hit, and dramatically fell to the floor.

Lyra peaked over too: "Pew, pew!" She shouted as she fired her trigger, managing to take a hit at a boy, but it wasn't enough to finish him off.

"We need a plan!" Scarlett shouted as she took a few shots and led behind the wall again.

"I have one." Tom suggested, a morbid look on his face. "We're not all going to make it, so I'll make a sacrifice." He said, as he started to rise up from behind the wall and walk it.

"Tom!" Lyra screamed dramatically, and the man was so proud of her acting skills. "Don't do it!"

The man acted as a distraction, rolling on the floor and shooting at the incoming team, as Lyra and Scarlett shot at them too.

It, tragically, become a 2vs2 when Tom collapsed to the floor, his green dot fading into a dull, lifeless red. His body became limp, and Lyra yelled a cry. "Tom!" She stood, ready to go after him, and Scarlett worried that she was becoming too invested in her roll, but she was too into her own to care.

"Lyra no!" Scarlett pulled the girl down. "We finish this! We win this for Tom!" She yelled and Lyra repeated 'for Tom' as the two appeared from behind the wall and took shots at Asher and Steve.

In a matter of seconds, Team Star had won.

word count: 1997
note: I had WAY too much fun with this chapter. You can all live in peace that in some universe in this multiverse, Tom, Lyra and Scarlett thrashed Asher at laser tag.