reciprocation (1/3)
Tom runs away from home and arrives unannounced at the Riders' house in Chelsea. Ian and Alex let him stay for however long he likes. Years later, Tom returns the favour for a badly injured Alex post-mission.
It would be odd, Alex supposed, from an outsider's perspective to think that he and Tom had never actually been to each other's houses. They knew each other's address, thereabouts, but never had they actually stepped foot in each other's homes. [...] Which was why it was so odd when one spring evening, during a torrential rain that threatened to drown West London in floods, the Rider's home in Chelsea welcomed an unexpected guest. "Er, hi," Tom greeted with a wince. He was soaked head to toe from the rain, wearing only a beanie, hoodie, and jeans to protect himself from the elements; he looked very much like one of Peter Pan's lost boys when confronted with the idea of domesticity. "Tom!" Alex yelled from behind Ian, who had opened the door after asking Alex if he was expecting anyone. Perhaps he had been too hasty in saying 'no'. "Tom, mate, what are you doing here?"
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