OK, so too long ago to mention (because I am embarrassed I took so long), cassiemortmain asked me to write a modern AU for her birthday in which Tom and Sybil are coworkers and in which Tom is compelled to finally ask Sybil out when another coworker does so. Cassie also sent me a rock the holiday AU prompt recently, and for whatever reason that finally sparked the fuse I needed to write her birthday drabble.
So months late, here it is! Happy birthday, Cassie! :)
"So just remember, everyone, please spend no more than 10 quid on presents for your Secret Santa. We’ll have the exchange at the holiday party next week. Have fun with it!”
Everyone nodded half-heartedly at office manager’s overly enthusiastic presentation, most of them not deep enough into their coffee to feel the holiday spirit quite yet.
Tom looked at the name on the slip of paper in his hands and couldn’t help but smile. Talk about the luck of the Irish. He’d been harboring a secret crush on Sybil Crawley since she’d started working at the NGO a few months back, and though they’d forged an easy friendship, something always seemed to get in the way when he resolved to ask her to go for dinner or a coffee.
He’d spotted her easily across the room as everyone had gathered for their weekly staff meeting. She’d smiled sweetly—as she did whenever they talked—and waved. Tom would have walked over to sit by her, but the meeting started just then. It’s always something.
Now that the meeting was breaking up, he was about to stand to go chat to her now, but he felt a hand on his shoulder. It was his cubicle mate Neil, a bit of a cad, but always good for a laugh.
"So who’d you get?" Neil asked.Tom smirked. “For what, the Secret Santa thing? Not much of a secret if I tell you, is it?”
"I got Sue, that nutter in accounting."
"She’s actually quite nice, if you bothered to talk to her"
"For you, maybe, but I’ve got my eye on a better prize."
Tom rolled his eyes. “Dare I ask who?”
Neil only jutted his chin forward with a smile. Tom turned to see Sybil approaching the two men. His brow furrowed as he turned back to Neil who’s smile was now a full grin.
"How’s it going, Sybil?" he said with a voice Tom couldn’t recognize.
"Hi, Neil," Sybil replied, eyeing the man a bit warily. "Tom," she added turning to him.
She opened her mouth to say something to Tom, but before the words were out, Neil had stepped forward and put his arm around her. “You know, Sybil, you’ve been working here for almost three months and you and I haven’t had a proper meal together. Were you aware of that?”
Sybil bit her lip trying to keep from laughing. “I am aware, Neil. It so happens that I remember the people I go out with.”
"Do you? Because with me half the birds are in one ear and out the other."
"I’m sure they love that," Tom chimed in sarcastically, and this time, Sybil didn’t bother holding back her laughter.
"So what do you say, love? It could be just the thing that’s missing from your life!" Neil squeezed her shoulder and put on his best smile.
"Why don’t you let me think about it," Sybil said, trying to sound diplomatic.
"Yeah, Neil," Tom piped in, "let her get used to the idea first. Your personality can be … a lot to take in one go."
"Among other things," Neil said winking at Sybil.
"How about she gets back to you, then," Tom said, taking Neil’s arm and pulling him away from Sybil. "Shouldn’t you be getting back to it, anyway?"
"All right, then," Neil said, "no need to get physical." Standing apart from Sybil now, he added, "Well, love, you know where to find me."
"I do," Sybil said nodding, encouragingly, hoping that doing so would get him to leave.
"Aren’t you coming?" Neil asked Tom, who hadn’t made any motion to leave.
"Oh, um … I’m just going to freshen up my coffee," he said lifting up his mug, which was still half-full.
"Suit yourself," Neil said with a shrug and turned to go.
Sybil waved at him, but didn’t make any move to leave either. The break room was now empty except for the two of them. “He’s quite something,” Sybil said with a laugh.
"Not a bad bloke at the end of the day, but not really someone you want to be going on dates with," Tom said, as nonchalantly as he could.
The corner of Sybil’s lip began to curl into a smirk. “Oh no?”
"He can get a bit handsy."
"Are you speaking from personal experience?"
Tom laughed, feeling a bit embarrassed at how obvious he was being. I’m being obvious, right? ”No, I’ve just heard things.”
Sybil smiled. “Well, for the record, I’ve heard things too, so no I don’t plan on going out with Neil.” She looked him in the eyes for a long moment, then added, “It is nice to be asked out, though. It’s been a while since I’ve been on a date.”
Tom was rendered momentarily speechless by the blueness of her eyes. “Um, yeah … me too.”
Sybil continued to look at him, her expression open and … expectant.
Feeling a bit lightheaded, Tom looked down at his coffee cup. “So, um … do you, um … I mean what are you doing for Christmas. Are you going back to your castle in York?”
Sybil smiled and rolled her eyes at the way he always referred to her family’s ancestral home. Her shoulders also drooped slightly, as she wondered once again why he’d balked at the rather obvious opening she’d left him. I’m being obvious, right?
"No," she answered. "I thought I’d skip the family stuff this year. My friend Gwen is having a no-family, friends-only you-must-wear-a-hideous-jumper Christmas Day party at her place. I’m rather looking forward to it, but other than that it’ll just be me and my cat singing carols together in my flat."
"Good singer?" Tom asked, arching an eyebrow.
"I was actually asking about the cat," Tom deadpanned.
Sybil laughed. “He’s brilliant most of the time, but he can get a little pitchy after too much wine.”
Tom almost spilled his coffee he laughed so hard.
"What about you?" Sybil asked, after a moment. "Are you going back to Ireland?"
"No, not this year." Tom looked back up at Sybil, and there was that expression again—eager … hopeful?
"You know," he started, nervously. "if you’re going to be around, and think it might be fun and save you from Neil, maybe, um … maybe we can … you said you hadn’t gone out with anyone in a while and I—"
Sybil smiled. “Yes, I do want to go out with you Tom.”
'A smile slowly spread across his face. “Oh … really?”
"Yeah," she answered quietly. "I was wondering if you were ever going to ask. I’d have asked myself, but being new I didn’t want to make things weird so soon after I started.
"OK, then," he said, his heart feeling like it was going to leap out of his chest. "Christmas Eve is not weird for a first date, is it?"
"No weirder than caroling with a 15-year-old cat."
"Just email me and we’ll make plans, OK?"
With that, she walked past him and out of the room, but not before grabbing his arm and giving it a gentle squeeze.
Tom refilled his cup and walked back to his desk with a goofy smile on his face.
"What’s with you?" Neil asked, as Tom sat down.
"Nothing," Tom replied. He scratched his head then turned to his computer and opened an email message and typed in, Will this be weird with Neil? in the subject line.
"Hey, fancy a pint after work?" Neil asked, causing Tom to look up from his computer.
"What’s the occasion?" Tom responded.
"That new bartender is going to be working tonight—the one that was flirting with me last week. I think I have a shot."
Tom rolled his eyes and smiled. Incorrigible. He deleted what he’d typed before Neil spoke and started over again.
Subject: Does your cat have a favorite wine?
