Only Yours

Julia caved with a simple "Fine," as she usually did when Sophia wanted to watch scary movies, "you guys get it ready and I'll make some popcorn."

A few minutes later they were all situated on the couch, Julia sat in the middle with a blanket, ready to shield her from the danger. Thomas sat with his feet up, on Julia's right, while Sophia sat cross legged on her left, cradling the bowl of popcorn in her lap.

When the first monster appeared ten minutes into the movie Julia jerked and hid her head briefly behind her blanket, she thought back to what Sophia had said and realized that she wouldn't have minded having Mr. Snuggles at hand.

Thomas turned slightly in his seat so he could better enjoy the reactions coming from his best friend. Once again he was briefly captivated by Julia's beauty, but when she flinched again he snapped out of it.

At one point, about halfway through the movie, the blanket was no longer enough to provide Julia with comfort, so she turned to the right and buried her face in Thomas' shoulder while simultaneously grasping his arm firmly. This caused Sophia to grin, but Tom, who would normally have grinned as well, just sat with a slightly uncomfortable look on his face.

As the shock from the movie dissipated, Julia turned her head back to the screen, but she kept her grip on Thomas' arm. The rest of the movie, Julia never released her hold on Thomas, and she would tighten her grip every time the movie was even slightly scary.

From the moment Julia had used him as her teddy bear, he was having trouble following what happened on the screen. His heart was beating faster, and not because of the move.

Sophia picked up on his discomfort near the end of the movie, but she was unaware of what had been the cause.

After the movie had ended, Thomas, being raised to behave like a gentleman, offered one last time to sleep on the sofa. "Now are you sure you don't want to sleep in my bed while I take the couch?"

"We told you three times already; Julia and I will be fine sharing her bed. Or is it that you think we won't fit, are you saying we're fat?" Sophia replied, the last part mostly in fun.

Thomas saw this opportunity to have a little fun as he answered with a smile he was having trouble suppressing, "Definitely not both of you."

He hurried for his bedroom as a pillow from the sofa was hurled at his head. "Jerk!" he heard from both women. In truth neither woman was even coming close to being chubby, let alone fat, yet both Julia and Sophia briefly wondered who the "fat" one was supposed to be. Both quickly came to the conclusion that he was simply messing with them.

"We're gonna get you back for saying that!" Julia yelled.

Thomas opened his bedroom door slightly, not wide enough for him to get hit, should the other sofa pillow also be used as a projectile.

"I'm sorry, couldn't help myself." he started but quickly turned to friendly mocking once more as he continued, completely over the top, "Thou areth the fairest of maidens in alleth of the lands."

"Goodnight, dork" Sophia yelled.

Sophia and Julia lay next to each other shortly after, talking a little before going to sleep. "Can you believe he said that? No wonder he doesn't have a girlfriend." Sophia declared, figuring it provided a smooth transition into what she really wanted to talk about, "Speaking of single, how are you doing after breaking up with Jack?"

"I hardly think about him anymore actually." Julia answered, smiling as she realized she was almost completely over it already.

"So, any new guys catching your eye?" Sophia kept prodding.

"No, for the moment I am perfectly fine on my own, plus, I have my best friend to keep me company." Julia stated, not really sure if her contentment came from not needing a boyfriend, or if it was out of fear of being hurt again.

All she knew was that she liked things the way they were, her cousin's nosy questions she was less sure about, but if having someone care enough to ask such things is your biggest worry, then you can't, or at least shouldn't, complain.

They continued talking for a little while, mostly about how it was going between Sophia and her fiancé Ben, and about that new restaurant in their hometown they should go to the next time they were back home.

The next morning Thomas was sitting at the kitchen table with a cup of coffee, reading in a book, when the girls got out of bed.

"Good morning, Tom" Sophia spoke, ruffling his hair like she would a dog, as she passed him on her way to the coffee pot.

Julia came in behind her and Tom lost track of his reading, he always loved how she looked in the morning. Her hair was a little out of place, she didn't have on any make-up and she wore the same pajamas she had worn since high school. To put it in one word, beautiful. She looked like his best friend.

Thomas' heart quickened with fear as Sophia caught him staring at Julia and he quickly averted his gaze back to his book. Sophia was not used to seeing that look on Thomas, though she didn't pick up on the attraction before she caught him staring a few more times as Julia was preparing breakfast.

Thomas had tried to avoid it, but when Julia smiled his eyes were drawn to her beautiful lips. Even though Sophia suspected at that point that Thomas was having a small crush on Julia, she had no idea how deeply Thomas had already fallen for her cousin.

She didn't say anything about what she had seen to either Julia or Thomas as that would probably just embarrass both of them and possibly ruin their living arrangement or their friendship.

Johnny B. Goode flowed from the CD player as they danced; Frank twirled Elizabeth by the fireplace while William and Joan used the spot next to the Christmas tree. Tom and Julia were next to the kitchen, moving their bodies to the music.

All three men had groaned in complaint when the women had insisted they dance; not that they minded dancing, but the part about getting up from the couch, they disliked slightly.

"I had to marry a dance teacher," Frank had said as always; his fake complaining was just as much a tradition as the dancing.

"Oh, shut up, you," was Elizabeth's answer, she too never broke tradition.

Julia and Thomas had heard those exact words more times than they could recall and gave each other a knowing look accompanied by a small laugh.

Tom was unsure this year about whether he preferred the fast or the slow dances with Julia; having her close to him felt so good, but not being closer, not kissing her, was almost painful. In both situations his pulse raced, be it from the exercise that also made him breath more deeply or from the closeness, and fear of discovery, that made his breath more superficial.

He asked himself why she had to be so beautiful, over and over in his head. When she twirled, her beautiful red dress would lift up in the air showing Tom a little more of her beautiful legs. The slight glistening that had formed on her upper chest from the workout was making it hard for Tom not to steal glances.

The strands of hair that would fall in front of her beautiful face made Tom ache to reach out and glide his fingers across her forehead as he would slide the wayward locks back behind her ears.

As always, the thing he found most lovely of all was the joy he saw in both her beautiful gray eyes, that held so much warmth, and in her stunning smile, that made his stomach flutter and his heart melt.

After dancing for several songs, both fast and slow ones, it was time for a break and a little refreshment.

Frank and William were back in the sofa quickly, Elizabeth and Julia took a little longer to sit down at the coffee table across from where the two men were slumped. Joan had headed to the kitchen for the refreshments calling for her son to help her before he had the chance to sit.

Julia felt a little flushed from the dancing and decided to go freshen up. Just as she reached the door to the kitchen, Thomas was about to come out holding a tray, both stopped just short of bumping into each other.

"You have to kiss," called Frank, referring to the mistletoe suspended in the doorframe.

Thomas froze, his heart beating rapidly, as Julia leaned in, stretching to reach as she led her mouth to his. For Tom, time seemed to move slower, all his senses seemed heightened.

Her fragrance reached his nose moments before their lips made contact, her eyes were closed and after taking in every detail of her gorgeous face he too let his eyes shut, though still seeing her before him in his mind. He felt the softness of her lips as they were gently pushed against him and he heard her breath as she pulled away again slowly. Her taste was better than any Tom had experienced before and it stayed with him awhile after the kiss was over.

The kiss had lasted less than two seconds, but to Tom it had felt like much longer, yet still much too short.

After the kiss Julia had squeezed past Thomas and left him standing motionless in the doorway. Only when his mother dropped a spoon behind him in the kitchen was he brought back to the real world. His heart was in his throat and his hands were shaking as he moved towards the coffee table with the drinks.

After having placed himself in an armchair he coughed trying to get his voice back; he was sure the others at the table would have found out how much the kiss had affected him, had he been required to speak.

He felt lucky that William, Frank and Elizabeth had been focusing on their own conversation rather than him and seemed unaware of the truth that was troubling him.

Thomas was wondering how long it would be before either someone found out, or the need to tell Julia how he felt became too much for him. He had dismissed the idea of asking Julia to move out, effectively removing temptation. He knew she would ask him why, and he had no desire to hurt her feelings by telling a lie.

Julia had not been unaffected by the kiss either, her stomach had had the tiniest tingles and her legs had become a little wobbly, but she had blamed it on the dancing and had proceeded to the restroom without any further thought on the subject.

That was not the only kiss Tom received that Christmas Eve. The second kiss was shorter than the fist but was followed by a long tight hug.

"Thank you so much, Tom," was what Julia had said before kissing him, a little tear forming in her eye. She had, seconds before, opened his present to her. In her hand was Mr. Snuggles, her old teddy bear, though in much better shape than it had been in years.

Thomas had come up with the idea after their movie night with Sophia and had gotten his father to send it to his work, preventing Julia from finding out.

He had washed it thoroughly, removing all the stains it had received over the years. He had repaired the partly ripped seems and sown in a patch where the soft fur had gotten a hole, but not before putting in a little lavender giving it a wonderful smell. He had even tracked down a replacement for the eye it had lost to the vacuum cleaner when they had been sixteen.

As the final touch, before wrapping it, he had tied a silk ribbon around it with a note.

"Don't cry, you know there is nothing so bad that it can't be fixed,"

The words Julia's father had said so many times were written on the note along with a message from Tom.

"See, I fixed Mr. Snuggles, now he is ready to protect you from scary movies again."

Elizabeth had taken the stuffed animal from her daughter's hands before Julia was done hugging Thomas. All four parents proceeded to admire the restored toy, giving Julia time to release Thomas from her embrace.

Thomas became slightly embarrassed as Joan and Elizabeth made a big deal out of how sweet they thought the present was. William also spoke a few proud words to his son, impressed at how well his son had managed to repair the old toy.

Frank was actually rendered speechless as he saw the words on the note, the same words he had heard told to him by his father, and the same words he had told the children.

The rest of the evening Julia hardly let Mr. Snuggles out of her arms, squeezing it closer to her body repeatedly as they talked, snacked, drank and laughed.

New Year's Eve had been a little disappointing due to the fact that Frank was unable to participate, a very bad headache being the cause.

Normally Frank would not allow a headache to get in the way of spending time with his family, but the headache that day was just too much, he also felt a little nauseated which removed the last doubt in his mind as to whether he could participate.

He did get out of bed for the countdown, not wanting to miss that, regardless of how he felt. He also thought he should apologize to William, Thomas and Ben, Sophia's fiancé, since, without Frank, Elizabeth would certainly force the remaining men to dance with her, as well as with their regular partner.

Thomas and Julia had barely gotten their bags unpacked when the call came. Julia grabbed the phone in her pocket and answered having seen the caller ID.

"Hey Mom, we just got back, the train was a little de..."

Julia had stopped talking mid-sentence and her face started showing signs of worrying.

Thomas stood up when he heard the next, "Mom, what's wrong... why are you crying?" Julia's voice was shaking, rarely had she experienced her mother crying, and never over the phone.

"What's happened to Dad? Is he okay?"

The fear was now apparent in Julia's voice and as a result also in Tom's face. Thomas could see Julia break down in front of his eyes as the tears started flowing from hers.

"What did the doctors say?"

Julia's legs were weakening and she fell back onto the couch. Thomas was holding his breath.

"What?" Julia asked, she had zoned out a little and had missed her mother's question.

"I don't know, as soon as I can, I think I can get back tomorrow."

Julia sat silent for a little while before saying goodbye to her mother.

"Yeah, I love you too."

For the first few seconds Julia just stared at her phone. Then looking up at Thomas with the same teary eyes he had seen the day she moved in she told him what had happened.

"Dad went to the hospital and they found a brain tumor."

Thomas was crying as well when he sat down next to Julia embracing her in his arms, needing her comfort almost as much as she needed his. They remained that way for the better part of an hour, holding each other, crying, both was having trouble accepting what had happened.

"I need to pack and I need a ticket and what about work?" Julia started when they got up from the sofa.

"Why don't you try to get some sleep? You can worry about those things tomorrow." Tom said trying to console Julia's feelings, or maybe at least calm her down a little.

Julia did as Tom had recommended and got ready for bed. Before heading to their bedrooms they hugged in the hallway for a long time. Tom promised to do anything he could to make her feel better.

Once in her room Julia crept into bed, her eyes blurry from the tears that did not appear to be able to stop running from her eyes.

As she reached to turn off the lamp on her nightstand, she spotted Mr. Snuggles sitting beside it. Figuring he was just what she needed, she grabbed him from the small table and clutched him to her chest tightly, forgetting to turn off the lamp.

For a few minutes she just held Mr. Snuggles close to her heart, her knees drawn up until they touched her arms. While she lay there, curled up, her eyes were tightly shut yet the tears were still coming out.

She felt an edge against her chin, and opened her eyes to see what it was. She broke down and her crying was no longer silent as she saw the note tied around the neck of the teddy bear.

She could hear her father's voice in her mind as she read the words. "Don't cry, you know there is nothing so bad that it can't be fixed."

Realizing that she would need some more comfort to get through the night she got up, still holding Mr. Snuggles, and walked across the hall and into Tom's room.

"Can I sleep with you tonight? I really don't wanna be alone," Julia pleaded.

"Of course," Tom replied, lifting the covers to allow his best friend to lie down next to him.

They held each other throughout the night and when the first rays of winter sun entered the bedroom, they were both, if not happier, then at least relaxed and rested.

Julia spent most of the morning on her phone. Firstly she called the hospital where she worked, she explained what had happened and by the time she hung up she had arranged to go on a leave of absence until the matter had been resolved.

Thomas had ordered a train ticket for Julia while she had been on the phone with her work, so next she called home to her mother.

Julia had hoped to hear good news, but, being a nurse, she knew that was not possible in the short time that had passed since she had last spoken to Elizabeth. She told her mother when she would be back home and that she would be by her phone at all times.

Julia broke down in tears when her mother put her father on the phone. Frank had tried to keep his fear from his daughter, he had tried to be strong, but hearing his most precious crying had been an almost cruel reminder of what he had to lose, so he had shed a few tears himself and Julia had noticed his throat catch when he had spoken.

Julia's last call that morning was to her cousin, the practical aspect, arranging for her to pick her up from the train station, had been solved quickly before Sophia began the emotional support she knew Julia needed just as much.

Just after lunch Thomas took Julia to the train station, they hugged goodbye and Thomas made Julia promise to call him with any news, or if she needed to talk. The last thing he did before she entered the train was to kiss her forehead and slide a strand of her hair back over her ear.

When Thomas got back to the apartment he was stricken with sadness, not only was his almost-father ill, but the woman he loved had moved out. Also the fact that Julia was sad once more, was putting Thomas down, he could not think of anyone who deserved it less.

He looked into Julia's empty bedroom. Most of her belongings she had taken with her, so it, much like the rest of the apartment, seemed so empty. He felt that same emptiness in himself, without Julia he was not himself, at least not as much himself as when she was near.

Julia ran into the hospital room, heading directly for her fathers bed. She threw her arms around him, desperate for a hug. He was sitting in the bed with Elizabeth by his side, he had on a hospital gown and an IV in his arm, but otherwise looked like the same father Julia had always known.

"Hey, Sweetie" her father said.

Sophia came in shortly after, "Hi Uncle Frank, how are you doing?"

"I've been better, the food here is horrible. The view is a nice change though," Frank said turning his eyes to look out the window at the city lit up in streetlights, trying to lighten the mood.

Sophia tried helping that goal, "Yeah, you look like you could use a good home-cooked meal."

"Especially since my baby is back, otherwise I would have to eat my wife's cooking," Frank continued, giving a crooked smile to his wife.

Elizabeth was in no mood to joke, so she just gave him a harsh look.

"Sorry Honey, your food is delicious," Frank attempted, but her cooking was not why she was mad.

"You shouldn't make jokes at a time like this," she told him in a stern voice.