@eldritchrising said : “slow dance” feat. tom and emma
above all things, emma prided herself on being out of the box. she never followed traditions, and more often than not, insisted on going against the grain. when it came to her wedding, the very same logic could be applied. and it was. it’s easy to skip out on things like the ymca and the electric slide because of how lame they are.
but a father daughter dance? it was... a tough topic. emma didn’t forgo the opportunity completely, wanting paul to be able to spend time with his mother if he wanted to. and he did. and that was fine. and she is fine. in fact, she’s more than fine, content to watch from the sidelines and think about the fact that her father never would’ve done something like this with her.
what she doesn’t expect from beyond the rim of her champagne flute is tom. he’s a little rugged, despite the fact that he cleans up nice, and gruff in nature as he nods his head. emma doesn’t have time to question him before she follows suit, stopping only when they’ve reached the middle of the dance floor.
her gut instinct is telling her to ask if this is a joke, and she almost does. the words, however, get caught in her throat when tom offers his arm. emma, a little baffled, steps forward, taking his hand with initial discomfort before she leans in.
❛ what the fuck is going on, ❜ she asks, hushed under the music blaring from the speakers. he assures her nothing, and instead insists this is the least he can do for her today. ( he’s not her dad, he’s nothing like her dad. and, to be blunt, he’s a shit brother-in-law. though, emma can’t point fingers when she hasn’t been the best sister-in-law, either, and despite the way she doesn’t like the attention they’re getting, something about this feels... right. )
in her sister’s dress -- tom’s widowed wife’s dress -- she sways. it’s slow, jilted at times, until emma tilts her head up to meet tom face to face. tears shine over his eyes, and emma gets it, she thinks. she’s not jane’s mirror image, but everything about this right now cannot be easy for him. ( the fact that he’s here at all is nothing short of a miracle. )
it’s only a matter of moments before she leans forward, forehead on his chest as her eyes close. a few wayward tears fall down her cheek, and tom knows better than to ask about it. they both stay silent, their thoughts connected on the same thing -- jane.
( afterwards, she’s quick to part ways, though not without giving him a strong hug. they don’t talk about it right way, instead choosing to keep it superficial. until then, emma sends tom silent thank you’s all night, eyes a little weary as they try their best to focus. )
( send “slow dance” for our muses to share a dance | accepting! )