Chapter 10
twhiddleston
Favorite film?
Tom had to attempt to get back on track somehow, unless he wanted to risk you going into detail about every movie that featured his naked backside. He didn’t think he could quite handle that level of embarrassment. It was one of the few times he was thankful that you two couldn’t actually see each other. When he was met with an actual answer, relief washed over him.
cgfan0820
North by Northwest. Cary Grant and Eva Marie Saint. There’s this moment when the two are on a train. Cary is hiding from the police–or was it some of James Mason’s men? I can’t remember.
But he hops on the train and sits down with Eva Marie Saint. It’s—I can’t—It’s a perfect scene from start to finish.
Here. I can’t put this into words.
cgfan0820
Sent a video.
As soon as the link was sent, Tom clicked to watch the scene. To be honest, he had never seen the film before. He knew you well enough that if the scene required some sort of backstory, you would have provided it. Watching the scene take place, he admired the quality of the dialogue. It was the type of scene you wanted to perform. There are bits of dialogue in every script that you merely have to push through to get to something better. This was that ‘something better’. The way Grant and Saint’s eyes locked onto one another… The mannerisms…gestures…
cgfan0820
I’ve never wanted to be a blonde more so than after watching that movie. The number of brunettes in classic Hitchcock films is severely lacking. She’s so calm and collected. In charge. She’s a powerhouse in that scene. Look at her!
Attractive as the actress may have been, Tom was too busy reading your frantic messages as they came in. He could just imagine you swatting at his arm throughout the scene, telling him to watch even if he already was watching… He also was given a morsel of information that he would hold onto. You were brunette. It wasn’t a make or break type of characteristic, but he cherished it nonetheless. You gave him a part of you.
But that’s when the random realization occurred…
twhiddleston
Cary Grant! Cgfan!
cgfan0820
I was wondering when you would figure that out. Come on, Cambridge.
twhiddleston
The numbers? Birthday? August 20th?
cgfan0820
Ding ding. A Leo. Apparently that makes me charismatic and in need of constant attention. Who would have thought?
twhiddleston
I’ll have to start planning.
cgfan0820
I want a pony or nothing.
twhiddleston
You’re afraid of horses, darling.
cgfan0820
It was a joke, Tom dear.
You grinned down at your phone and the use of the endearment. They weren’t often given out, mostly because you felt foolish for doing so. It was as if you thought this was something more than what it really was… Tom was a famous actor. He lived in London. Even if he wasn’t surrounded by striking individuals all day, in what world would this ever turn into a relationship? Calling him a pet name could only hurt in the end.
But one evening, you found yourself half asleep (it was early morning for him, but the middle of the night for you) and you called him Tom, dear. He even felt bold enough to comment on the little pet name. Asking if you were actually sleep talking. You told him that it reminded you of Lady and the Tramp, when the owners refer to each other as “Jim, dear” and “Darling”. That’s who they were to one another. He called you ‘darling’ more often than anything else, so on occasion, when you were feeling confident enough— he was Tom, dear.
cgfan0820
This is what happens when we don’t stick to the topic chosen. We end up talking about horses.
twhiddleston
What if I enjoy talking to you about horses?
cgfan0820
What if I had a million dollars? We aren’t going to play the what if game…
A statement you frequently made to your students when they wanted to talk about all the hypothetical situations that could occur. What if I lose my homework? What if I take a trip to visit my grandma in North Carolina and leave my homework there? What if you’re not at school, Ms. L/N? Is the homework still due?
twhiddleston
Overruled. I love a good game.
What if you did have a million dollars? What would you do with it?
cgfan0820
I’d start with helping my family out. Get them caught-up on bills…The adult decisions.
What if you had no money? What could you not live without?
You.
twhiddleston
Career aside… Bobby. I would give him every scrap of food I had before letting him go hungry.
This man warmed your heart in so many ways. The love he had for Bobby was like no other. In fact, there were so many aspects of his life he was passionate about and he wanted to give it his all in every single one of them. You wouldn’t dare say it, but his worth ethic was probably one of the biggest turn-ons he possessed for you.
The silence invaded another moment, signaling your turn to message. For whatever reason, you found yourself stepping out of your comfort zone. Hesitantly, you typed away, biting your lip with each passing character on the keyboard.
cgfan0820
What if we did something silly like met one another?
Your heart raced as you waited for Tom to say something, anything. Oh, you wished you could go back and delete that message, but you knew he saw it. Type type type. Stop. Type type type.
twhiddleston
What if indeed…
cgfan0820
Is that deflection?
twhiddleston
No, love. Feeling out the situation.
Feeling you out.
twhiddleston
What if I froze and couldn’t form a coherent sentence?
cgfan0820
What if instead of deflection, I became sarcastic? You know, talked complete shit the entire time?
twhiddleston
Hearing your voice would be enough to pull me out of my petrified state. You’ve always managed to calm me, Y/N.
cgfan0820
What if we annoyed each other to death?
twhiddleston
Death by your existence seems inevitable at this point.
cgfan0820
Show off.
But you were grinning from ear to ear. What if you did meet? What if you two hit it off right away? What if all of this—the videos, the picture, the daily conversations—what if it wasn’t all for nothing?
twhiddleston
What if you took me to your school?
cgfan0820
What if I conned you into reading a book with me?
twhiddleston
What book would we read, love?
cgfan0820
The True Story of The Three Little Pigs.
twhiddleston
Is that the one you were telling me about? From the wolf’s perspective?
What if I insisted on being the wolf?
cgfan0820
Gasp! You know that’s my favorite character!
twhiddleston
What if I gave you the most pitiful expression you’ve ever seen?
cgfan0820
What if I caved instantly?
twhiddleston
What if I loved performing with you so much that I convinced you to run scenes with me after?
cgfan0820
What scenes would we read, Tom dear?
twhiddleston
You would choose Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf.
cgfan0820
Any chance to be Elizabeth Taylor to your Richard Burton.
You would choose Shakespeare, of course.
twhiddleston
Not so fast. My tastes can range far and wide as can yours.
cgfan0820
Oh, so you wouldn’t choose Shakespeare?
twhiddleston
Well…
cgfan0820
Exactly. Your love of the bard knows no bounds. Which would you choose?
twhiddleston
What if I chose your favorite? Benedict to your Beatrice…
cgfan0820
What if I didn’t put up a fight?
The remainder of the evening was spent tossing around these ‘what if’ scenarios, until the pauses between messages became longer and longer. Sleep called to you both. However, it wasn’t so much sleep as it was the beckoning of dreams. The scenarios became more vivid as the worlds of reality and slumber bled together. It wasn’t until you both woke that the nightmare began and the realization hit you…none of these scenarios were real.