Tom Hiddleston / Reader (4) - Part 3
You slept around the clock and woke up around four pm feeling refreshed yet very hungry, basically starving. Whatever had happened last night felt like a distant dream now because finally your mind was crystal clear not blurred by haze due to the lack of sleep like it had been during the first day that you had been in Australia. You opened your eyes and turned your head to see out from the window. It was a beautiful day and you could hear the sound of waves… light chatter coming from the neighboring balcony… seagulls… the curtains making a swishing-sound as they danced in the light breeze that was filling the room with sea air pouring out from the open balcony door.
You were not surprised to find yourself alone in the room. You had not actually even fallen asleep with Tom because he had returned to his hotel room soon after both of you had satisfied your desires as well as needs. You had agreed with him that you wouldn’t talk about what had happened and it wouldn’t happen again because you were in fact working for him. Having sex with Tom had been great. He had been gentle and assertive at the same time. He had not been afraid to touch you and ask you what you wanted him to do to you and as a result you had managed to let go basically all your fears and thresholds, to be present in the moment and to enjoy your body as well as his.
The strange thing was that you were not particularly nervous to meet Tom; you were well aware that those few hours that you had spent in bed together had not really meant anything, you and he had just… acted on impulse which was totally fine because neither of you were dating at the moment and you both were adults and therefore completely entitled to do whatever you both wanted. It had been clear that there would be no follow-up, no morning after because now that you were finally awake you were working for him and you knew that from now on there was a line that neither of you would cross.
You got up from bed and after taking a quick shower you got dressed and headed to see if Tom was still on his balcony. You stepped out and immediately when you saw the railing of the balcony with the stool placed in front of it you got a mental image of you sitting on the railing with Tom’s face buried between your legs. The memory made your insides tingle which caused you to blush instantly. You took a deep breath and after a couple of slow inhales, followed by equally slow exhales you felt your heartbeat returning to normal and the blush fading from your cheeks. You took a quick glance at Tom’s balcony and saw him laying naked on the sun-bed, working on his full-body tan.
- Good morning. he said and smirked at you with his eyes closed because he had heard movement in your balcony.
- Hi. you said and turned your gaze from his flawless physique to the horizon that glimmered in the sunshine.
- Slept well? Tom asked with a curious tone.
- Yeah. I really needed that. you commented and leaned to the railing.
- What exactly, love? he asked with a slightly mischievous tone. You chuckled a little and turned to look at him as an involuntary reaction. You did not want to stare at him, especially now that he was naked… full-frontal-nakedness… but you couldn’t help yourself because every time you took a glance at him, no matter how short or innocent, you got a mental flashback of you kissing his flawless skin, touching every inch of him and he doing the exact same thing to do, but much slower, with such self-restraint that had been almost inhuman. Besides, every time you moved you felt a slight soreness that reminded you about his size. Yes, you had know that he was rather large since you had seen some pictures before of a bulge in his trousers when he had not adjusted his manhood well and therefore the outlines of it had been visible through the fabric… but you had never imagined it to be so… perfect.
- Oh stop it. you chuckled barely audibly and the comment was mostly targeted to you since your mind was getting astray on the forbidden paths.
- You did not want me to stop last night, love. Tom smirked and sat up. You cleared your throat and turned to look the other way when he stood up and walked to the waist-high-wall that separated your balcony from his.
- No, I did not. you commented, turned to lean on the railing with your lower back and then shifted your gaze back to Tom as you folded your arms as an automated reaction. Tom stayed silent, clearly waiting for you to continue.
- Last night was… great. But we agreed that we wouldn’t talk about it. you commented with a friendly, yet firm tone.
- Yes, unfortunately that is true. Tom replied and leaned to the railing.
- And it also means that it will not happen again. you added with a tone that was slightly less firm than it had been. The reason for it was that you did not want to offend Tom in any way or make him feel guilty for what had happened. True, it wouldn’t have happened if he had not taken the initiative, made the first move so to speak, but then again, when the ball had started rolling, you had been all in as well.
- Do you regret it? he asked with a tone that had an undertone of light disappointment.
- No! I don’t… Of course not! you stated immediately but then you took a deep breath and continued “However, I am here to be your… friend…” with a friendly, yet slightly hesitant tone which was a result of having somewhat conflicted feelings about the word “friend”, Tom after all was paying you to be there which made you his employee.
- I mean… What I am trying to say is that as long as I am working for you, Tom, I don’t think that it would be… you spoke and paused for a moment to gather your thoughts because the last thing you wanted to do was to insult Tom or make him feel guilty for… something… anything. “…quite appropriate for us to… have sex again” you continued with a warm and politely assertive tone that made Tom realize that your mind was set and there was nothing he could have done to change it.
- Yes. I thought you might say that. he commented casually and then asked if you were hungry. You told him that you were practically starving and after Tom had gotten dressed you headed out for an early dinner. From that moment on you did not discuss about the night anymore and that was also the end of flirting; both verbal and physical.
You and Tom traveled the world according to Tom’s tight schedule and just like he had told you; you very rarely visited home and when you did, the visits were usually so short that you basically had only time to change the content of your suitcase and maybe get a quick coffee with your best friend, the one who had adopted your plants so they wouldn’t die.
There were some headlines about you and Tom because he was always seen with you; on dinners, in events, arriving to the hotel and leaving with him… Wherever Tom was, you were there as well and therefore the yellow press had wild theories about who you were and what your relationship with Tom was. When Tom was being asked about you, he always said that you were his friend… and that was the truth because during the months that had basically slipped away totally unnoticed and eventually turned into a full year, you and he had become quite close friends and you did not even think about the fact that he was paying you five thousand pounds per month to keep him company.
However it had not been that easy… for two main reasons; first of all you had missed your home quite a lot during the second and third months of traveling. Yes, the first month had passed very fast and you had been very excited about the new lifestyle which was completely different from your so called real life. It had basically felt like you had been on a long holiday… until you had visited your home for the first time and this time leaving had been harder. You had had a day and a half to spend in London before leaving again and when you had closed the door of your cozy home you had actually felt your heart sink because you would have just wanted to sleep in your bed for another night. Then when the third month had passed you had gotten used to the routine and slowly the homesickness had faded away.
The other thing that had made the beginning of the new employment a bit challenging had been the fact that you had developed a crush for Tom during the first month of spending plenty of time together. It had happened entirely involuntarily and after struggling almost six months to reason yourself out from the feelings that had been inappropriately romantic, you had finally managed to convince yourself out from the crush. It had been challenging, almost impossible even, but you had eventually silenced your heart and now that you had been working for Tom over thirteen months, you finally were in the place of mental tranquility.
Now you were on your way to California where the new Avengers –movie was being filmed. Sure you had met many famous actors during the year of working together but getting into the Avengers –set was especially exciting for you because you liked the movies very much. You knew that the movie would be shot in many locations but the filming was going to be kicked off in Hollywood where all the big movie studios were located. You were somewhat nervous when you stepped out from the car after it had been parked by the driver on the parking lot of the first set. You had been reading the script with Tom over a month already so you knew the plot pretty much inside out and it made you particularly excited to see the movie-magic happening; how the script which pretty much was just… paper… got turned into an adventure… a blockbuster movie.
- Oh Loki, my brother! you heard Chris Hemsworth saying with his Thor-accent. He walked towards you and Tom and casually hugged Tom.
- Adopted! Tom commented and laughed “ehehehe” afterwards. He stepped back and stated “It’s good to see you again, Chris!”
- And who is this? Chris H. asked and turned to look at you.
- Hi, I’m (Y/N). you said and offered your hand for a handshake but instead of taking your hand, Chris H. stepped closer and hugged you the same way he had hugged Tom just a moment ago. “Friend of Tom’s is a friend of mine” he commented and then stepped back. You chuckled a bit nervously because you had not expected to get such a warm welcome.
You and Tom were escorted to the large hall where everyone had gathered to meet the director. You stayed in the background, chatting with the assistants of the other actors until the meeting ended and it was time for Tom to start training the combat-moves with the choreographer. You had been in the movie sets before and as cool as it was, it was the most boring part for you because then basically you had to hang out at the set all by yourself without any purpose. Sure you had an access to the Internet and you could have always walked around the studio but then again, you had a feeling that you couldn’t leave too far because you were on the clock, constantly.
The first days went like this; you spent your time just sitting somewhere or walking around, sometimes following the training and the costume photo-shoots, not really connecting with anyone, because even though Tom had introduced you to everyone, you could tell that the Avengers –team, including the cast and the crew, all the people that had worked previously together making the earlier Avengers –movies, had a tight relationship with each other and you were “the new guy”, which made you an outsider. You were not the only one because there were also other people who did not quite know their places either but… the thing was that you did not even have a job… per se… you were just someone whose purpose was to stay around, play Scrabble with Tom during the long flights and to be the person he could count on, the one who was not working for any agency or anyway linked to any of his projects. You were not linked to his family either so it meant that he was able to talk to you about anything because you did not have an opinion and there was no danger that you would suddenly pick up the phone and call his family or the movie producers after a rant caused by exhaustion or a bad day.
- Hey!
You turned around to see who was saying “hey” to you or possibly to someone else. You saw Chris Evans walking towards you in his Captain America –costume with a wide smile on his face. He had no beard and his blonde hair was perfectly styled for the photo shoot that had just ended. You had of course met Chris before but you had never talked with him alone… especially like this; he wearing his uniform that showcased his trained physique perfectly and made him look like a real super soldier.
- Hi. you said and smiled politely.
-(Y/N), was it? he asked curiously. You nodded and said “Yep”.
- Pretty name for a pretty lady. he commented and gestured you to walk with him. You chuckled a little bit as you fought a blush that was trying to take over your face. Chris was very handsome and he had boyish charm, he was lighthearted and playful… and he had a kind of “boy next door” –vibe to him, which turned your feet into mush, especially now that he was wearing his costume that made him look even more handsome.
- Well thank you. you said and walked side by side with him slowly across the yard that was between two large buildings. You chatted with him casually about the weather, movies and other topics of no great importance but it was getting clear as the minutes changed into an hour that there was chemistry between you and him. You had sat down on a bench and watched people walking by while the conversation had never dried out. Besides if you were not completely imagining it, there was a spark that made your stomach fill with butterflies and by the look on Chris’ face, he felt the same spark. You chatted and laughed with him for almost three hours until he said after a short moment of silence
- So… you and Tom…
- We’re friends. you stated immediately although you scolded yourself silently for being so… eager to answer the question.
- Are you sure? he asked with a curious tone.
- Of course I am sure, why? you asked. You were confused because you did not quite understand where this conversation was heading; why was Chris Evans asking you whether you were sure or not that Tom and you were just friends. Of course you were just friends! Chris cleared his throat and began
- I have just seen the headlines. You have been traveling with him… a year-
- Approximately thirteen months. you stated and then immediately apologized for interrupting him.
- And there has been plenty of speculation. he continued with a slightly hesitant tone.
- Okay. you stated with a firm tone and sighed. You knew that you were not actually supposed to talk about your relationship with Tom but you had had chemistry with Chris and therefore you had to explain the situation to him. “Listen, I am… working for Tom” you stated after inhaling and collecting your thoughts.
- Working? he asked with a somewhat puzzled tone, to which you replied “Yes.”
- But… I have never seen you doing anything that the assistants usually do. Chris stated with the same puzzled tone.
- I am not an assistant. you replied and then added “I’m… a companion… kind of.”
- What does that mean? Chris asked with even more confused tone.
- It means that I go where he goes, keep him company… and so on. you explained and exhaled deeply, hoping that Chris wouldn’t think that you were an escort or something like that… because whatever had happened over a year ago in Sydney… that one night… it had meant nothing and technically you had not been working for Tom yet… and no one had to know about it… so no, you were not an escort… and Tom was not your “sugar daddy”.
- So you are not his friend but his employee? Chris asked to make sure that he had understood correctly.
- Well, yes, basically… but I consider myself more as a friend. you stated, to which Chris commented with a barely audible “Hm”. You felt that you had to explain yourself better and therefore you stood up and walked a small, nervous circle before continuing.
- You know how it is in your line of work. You are constantly traveling and even though you are surrounded by people… like… like all… like all the time… Uhm… you spoke until your words turned into a stammering mumble. “Basically hotels become your primary home and your life has to fit into a suitcase or two” you added after a moment of collecting your thoughts. Chris nodded silently and after processing your explanation in his mind he said
- He is paying you for putting your own life on hold for him.
- That sounds very sad when you put it like that. you stated and sighed.
- But… that is what you’re doing, isn’t it? he asked and stood up.
- I suppose it is. you sighed but then continued immediately “But don’t get me wrong… I have enjoyed it… very much” with a reassuring tone but somehow it sounded almost like you had tried to convince yourself instead of Chris. He shifted his eyes elsewhere, took a deep breath and then smiled in an adorable and boyishly charming, a bit shy way as he shifted his gaze back to you.
- So… Tom wouldn’t mind if I asked you out. Chris said although the statement sounded more like a question… and this question… or pondering made you chuckle nervously.
- I don’t know… you answered and then corrected yourself immediately by stating “I mean I don’t think so.” You had not even talked about that with Tom… about the possibility that you would meet someone during your travels.
What if you did? Would Tom object? Considering the fact that he was paying you to work around the clock, according to the contract at least, although he had not called you after saying good nights… or just a couple of times… and asked you to have a nightcap with him because he had been unable to sleep… anyway, considering the fact that you were constantly on the clock, he kind of had a say about how you spent your time… But then again… Would it be fair if he objected? Besides you had had some days off and it was not like you had been spending time with Tom twenty-four-seven! So why would it be his business if you went out with someone? It was not like you and Tom were dating and therefore in your opinion you did not need to ask him for a permission or owed him an explanation.
- You do not sound too sure about that. Chris commented. In his opinion it was not fair at all if Tom had a say about your love life… or if you couldn’t meet anyone because he didn’t approve it. That was bullshit in Chris’ opinion and if Tom was like that, then he had seriously mistaken about Tom’s character because he had always thought that Tom was a great guy… not a person who would want the cake to be saved for him but then decided to watch it go to waste instead of eating it himself, so to speak.
- We haven’t talked about it. you admitted and shook your head as you sighed.
- Why not? I mean, it wouldn’t even be surprising, you know? Chris stated with a tone that you couldn’t interpret.
- What? you asked with a confused tone.
- You are very attractive woman, (Y/N), and you meet so many people in your work… so I personally wouldn’t be surprised at all if someone asked you out! Chris exclaimed with an amused tone. “Like me, for example! I am asking you out… on a date… with me!” he added. You laughed nervously and dropped your head as you felt a blush covering your cheeks. “I cannot believe that I am the first” Chris mumbled and smirked at you playfully.
- Do you want me to ask Tom? he asked curiously because you were not refusing or accepting his invitation. There was an undertone of strong amusement in his voice and it made you realize how ridiculous the whole situation was; it was absurd that Chris was even asking that because Tom was neither your dad… nor your boyfriend… but you did understand that your hesitation had given an impression that your love life was somehow Tom’s business.
- No! you stated and then added “No, you don’t have to ask him” with a softer tone. “Good” Chris replied and nodded. You both were silent for a moment and for the first time the atmosphere was slightly awkward. You kept wondering about Tom’s reaction until you decided that you had a right to have a life too and therefore you took a deep breath and stated with a firm tone
- You know what, I would love to go out with you.
- Awesome! Chris stated and after that you settled a date as well as time; tomorrow at seven in the evening. You sat down on the bench and continued chatting with Chris but after twenty five minutes you saw Tom waving at you.
- Oh, I got to go. you stated and stood up. “I’ll see you tomorrow” you added with a smile.
- I’m looking forward to it. Chris said and watched you walking to Tom and then leaving the yard with him.
Tom asked you what you and Chris had been talking about and you gave him a brief summary of the conversation, but you left out the part where Chris had asked you out… on a date… with him. You did not want to tell Tom about the date because you were a bit nervous about his reaction. Sure Tom was a great guy and there was nothing between you and him… but still… you had a feeling that he would get jealous… like he had gotten when you had been talking with the lifeguard on the Bondi –beach… although that had happened a long time ago.
You went out with Chris and it was great. The first date was followed by the second and the third… and soon you noticed that you were actually seeing him. You kept changing the location with the film crew and when you were not in the same location with Chris, you kept in touch with him anyway, having long phone calls and sometimes even video chats, which was great… yet slightly odd. Tom was constantly busy and therefore you did not know if he was aware of the fact that you were kind of dating Chris now or was he just ignoring it because it was none of his business.
Then one day when you were following the filming on set downtown, in Berlin, Tom walked to you, wearing his Loki costume and caught you red-handed chatting on Whatsapp with Chris who was currently filming in Madrid. You had not seen Chris for a month, since the last time he and Tom had been filming in the same location, and therefore you had been missing him quite a lot. Chris had actually suggested that you both flew from your locations to Nice and spent a relaxing weekend there… just you, Chris and the Ligurian Sea. He had actually planned to rent a yacht with a captain and then sail along the coast of Italy to Genova.
- I am not paying you for dating Chris Evans! Tom exclaimed with a disapproving tone. He had had a very long day and he was terribly jetlagged since you and he had arrived in Berlin just this morning from Canada and therefore he was on a bad mood. You were also jetlagged but when he had come to the movie set straight from the airport, you had gone to the hotel to check in and managed to get some rest there and then joined Tom at the movie set a bit later. You had not still learned to sleep during the flights but at least you were not so nervous anymore and therefore you were able to relax even during the takeoffs and landings.
- Excuse me? you asked with a surprised tone. You had heard him but his disapproving tone had offended you a bit.
- You and Chris… How long? Tom asked and folded his arms. The Loki-costume, especially the helmet, made him appear taller and the majestic, long leather loat made him look more muscled than he really was and therefore you felt compelled to stand up so you could hold your ground better.
- For six months. you answered and put the phone into your pocket. The first a couple of months you had been just going out with Chris occasionally, whenever there had been a chance to do so, which had not been that often. You had gotten to know each other slowly and during the fourth month it had gotten a bit more serious, although soon after that, in the beginning of the fifth month you had traveled away with Tom and you had not seen Chris since. There had been pauses even before this when Tom had been filming in a different location than Chris, and even when you had been going out while being in the same location, Chris had been very busy and therefore it had been somewhat challenging to make time for a relationship… but despite all difficulties, you and Chris had managed to pretty much fall in love with each other.
- Why didn’t you tell me? Tom asked with a slightly hurt tone.
- I did not think that it is your business, Tom. you stated firmly and folded your arms.
- You are working for me and I am not paying you to… date Chris. Tom stated. He was deep in his character and for a moment you felt like you had been talking with the God of Mischief himself… which made this conversation even more absurd because in your opinion Tom was whining like a baby and now that he looked like Loki, it was very amusing to you that it was actually Loki who was behaving like a little child whose lollipop had been just taken away. You couldn’t just take it, oh no! You had to defend yourself even if it changed the chemistry between you and Tom. You couldn’t let him control your life… yes, your life… the life that you had managed to build on his terms, yep you were still playing by his rules and in your opinion he had nothing to complain about.
- What are you paying me for exactly? you asked with an equally hurt tone. You couldn’t believe it! After everything you and Tom had gone through together… after all the countless hours that you had given him… always being there for him and keeping him company, you had comforted him when he had been sad… listened to his rants when he had been tired… shared his joys and sorrows for over a year and a half now. Had you not earned a holiday already? Didn’t you deserve a break?
- For your companionship… and friendship. Tom stated and straightened the black leather coat that was decorated with green and gold. He held the scepter firmly in his hand and pointed you with it in an accusing way.
- Haven’t I given you just that? Gosh, Tom! you exclaimed and shifted your gaze away from him. Tom knew that you were right but the thing was that he was jealous and also slightly offended that you had gotten romantically involved with someone else than him. He had gotten very attached to you during these nineteen months of working together and the thought of losing you to someone else was making him anxious. Besides, Tom knew that even though you and he were just friends and there had been no plans whatsoever that the relationship between you two would ever get deeper… he had secretly hoped that it would.
Tom had thought that he would get to know you, you would get to know him and then… at some point… if there was chemistry between you and him, he would try to charm you and everything would just fall into place. But then you had met Chris Evans, oh yes, Tom had noticed the chemistry between you and Chris despite the fact that neither of you had made any big fuss about it. However Tom had been aware of it and decided to ignore it because he had not believed that it, the relationship between you and Chris, would get serious but he had been wrong; it had gotten serious… So serious in fact that Chris was considering you as his girlfriend.
- Yes! But what about me, (Y/N)? he exclaimed in return.
- What about you, Tom? you asked and scoffed.
- Don’t I matter anything to you? he asked with a desperate voice.
- You are my friend. Of course you matter and that is why I have followed you around the world. you stated and after taking a deep breath you added “I didn’t plan to fall in love with Chris… and I’m not in a relationship with him to hurt you.” Tom scoffed and shifted his gaze elsewhere while he processed what you had just said to him. Then he shifted his bright blue eyes to you again and commented “So you love him” with a defeated tone.
- Yes. you sighed.
- Very well. he commented and after inhaling slowly continued “I suppose this was going to happen sooner or later.” You did not understand what he meant and therefore you asked with a confused tone “What do you mean?”
- Just that… I guess, you cannot have the cake and save it at the same time. Tom mumbled with a sad tone. Seeing him so defeated and filled with sorrow made you sad as well because hurting him had been the last thing that you had wanted to do. You felt sorry for Tom and even though you were happy to have Chris in your life, you couldn’t help feeling that you had betrayed Tom by getting into a relationship with someone else, which of course made no sense because there had been no intensions to deepen the relationship between you and Tom.
- Life happens and sometimes you meet the right person but you are too blind to see it... until she meets someone else. Tom added and then walked back to the movie set.
What had he meant by that? Did Tom mean that he was in love with you… and had been for a longer time already but he had not said anything… until now that he had basically lost you to another? It was not fair that he made you feel guilty for finding love and being bold as well as brave enough to grab it! Yes, you had taken a risk and opened your heart to Chris, knowing that the relationship with him would turn into a long-distance-thing eventually and if relationships generally speaking required work then man, long distance relationships required even more work and had a lower success-rate! But still... despite all the risks of getting yourself hurt, you had taken a chance and you were happy. Why couldn't Tom be happy for you?
You were angry at Tom that he had not spoken about his feelings earlier. It might not have changed anything… but maybe it would have. Maybe if he had opened his mouth about it sooner, you could have talked with him and you could have dealt with it as friends. Not like this! Now he was basically making you feel even worse, considering that you had not seen Chris for many weeks, which was making it challenging and momentarily almost impossible for you to keep yourself cheerful for Tom… but you had found silent comfort from the thought that at least the friendship between you and Tom was something that would not change all of a sudden.
But in that moment you realized that everything had changed.
You continued working with Tom and you never talked about it, his feelings for you and the relationship between you and Chris, anymore… however he began avoiding spending time with you in private and as the months passed, you and Tom drifted apart mentally until working together became awkward. You continued dating Chris although you managed to spend a weekend together only once a month, which was enough… kind of… but as the months passed by it became obvious that your worlds were too far apart… even now that you had stopped working for Tom.
Yes you had resigned after working with Tom for almost two years… mostly because you missed having stability in your life and also because after that conversation with Tom the friendship between you and him had never recovered. It had never been the same since and you had not known how to fix it. So… you had decided that the only right thing to do had been to quit and get a real job in London which had been fairly easy, considering that you now had a kind of celebrity status because you had been hanging out with Tom Hiddleston for two years and therefore everyone wanted to hire you.
Settling down was not very easy and you found yourself bored many times. It was nice to be home and meet your friends, to cook for yourself and sleep in your own bed but it was different, so calm and silent, even despite the fact that London was everything but. You had already gotten used to traveling and visiting all the cool places, hanging out at the movie sets, meeting interesting and rather eccentric people and seeing the other side of the movie industry, and now that you were home, staring at the gray view from your window, you wondered if you had made the right decision when you had ended the contract with Tom.
On the other hand the awkwardness of the last months had been too much for you to handle and that had caused plenty of tension between you and Tom. There had been many quarrels that had been followed by long silences and if you had not made this decision, it would have ruined the friendship between you and Tom entirely. Now you had a feeling that if you met him by a chance in London, just randomly bumped into him, he would at least say hello and maybe tell you how he was doing.
One evening you bought a bottle of wine and went through the pictures that you had taken during the past two years, laughed aloud, cried… and then called Chris to ask how he was doing. It was something that you liked to do sometimes; to relive the memories and that way reconnect with the people you had met. Including Chris who was currently filming in South America and the time difference was making everything more difficult. You kept dating him but now that you were working again, having a day job with set hours, it made it even more difficult to arrange moments to meet him or even talk to him... since the time difference was being a constant bitch.
Sure you could have taken some time off, you had earned quite nicely anyway while working for Tom and saved most of it, but then again, you knew that you would have gone crazy if you had not gotten yourself attached to the normal life again. Besides, Chris was also busy with his promo-tours and movie-schedule and now that you weren’t Tom Hiddleston’s “assistant”… or a friend anymore, you felt like an outsider when you were talking with movie-people. Besides, the rainy, gray and gloomy London made you feel pretty secluded from the surrounding world and it only added to the mental distance between you and Chris, whom you were still dating, kind of… well neither of you had ended it… yet… but it had started to feel that it was only a matter of time. No, no drama… just… unfavorable circumstances... the world working against you and him, but it was just life.
To be honest you had considered the possibility that you would have just joined Chris for a month or two… and you actually had… right after resigning; you had gotten on the first flight and flown to Japan where he had been promoting his new movie but it had gotten soon pretty obvious that the distance had managed to affect the relationship between you and him. Neither of you had said anything during those two weeks that you had traveled with him in Asia but you both knew it… deep down in your bones and after being in a relationship for a year, most of it being a long distance –thing you had both agreed that it was not going to work. You still stayed as friends and called each other every once in a while but the romantic feelings had faded away eventually.
So the seasons followed each other; it was winter in London, until it was spring… summer… autumn and new winter. You continued working as a tour guide and liked the job very much because it gave you an opportunity to talk about the history of the city in the way that you loved; telling about it as a story. A story that was filled with love, betrayal, murders… brave heroes and great people who had shaped London to be what it now was; a buzzing metropolis that was filled with opportunities and was the cradle of new trends and ideas.
It was new summer and you had decided to take some time off from work, to charge your batteries so to speak. It had been such a long time since you had actually stopped to take a deep breath because you had basically wanted to keep yourself distracted by working a lot. But now it had been almost one and half years since you had stopped working for Tom and a couple of months over a year since you had agreed with Chris that it was the best for both of you to go your separate ways, and therefore you finally felt that you were emotionally as well as mentally ready to enter the dating market again… but only if you met someone worthwhile. You were not in a rush to do anything… or to even meet anyone but you were excited about the new adventures that the summer might bring.
You were walking slowly by the River Thames, completely lost in your own thoughts as you were selecting the next song from your phone when you accidentally bumped into someone. You said “sorry” and squatted down to gather the papers that the person had dropped. “It’s quite alright” the person, a man, said as he squatted to gather the papers as well. You were still having your earphones in your ears, listening to music on low volume which had made it impossible for you to recognize the man’s voice even though it had sounded very familiar. You collected the papers nervously with a terrible blush on your face and therefore you did not even dare to raise your head either… Until finally, when you had managed to get the papers in order, a script for a play or something, based on the look of it, you raised your head and for your surprise, the man squatting in front of you was…
- Tom!