Inhaled - Tom Hiddleston

52. London again so soon?

The next morning Tom picks me up.

"Hi darling!" His smile reaches his eyes as he takes me in, top to bottom.

"Good morning." I lean over to place my lips to his. He kisses me back softly, making my entire body grow warm.

As we settle into the car, Tom's nervousness becomes apparent through his questioning tone. "So, did they... see much?" he asks, his ears turning a slightly blushing shade of red.

I shake my head reassuringly. "Luckily not. Don't worry. They were mostly curious about when this all happened."

"Good." Tom closes his eyes for a moment. "God, I've never been so embarrassed in my life, I think."

"Trust me, I feel the same way," I sigh, sharing his discomfort. "Luckily, it was just them."

Tom nods "Yes. Three down..."

I sigh, remembering the painful interaction with my family on the morning I left. "With your mom and my family you can add six to those three."

Tom's eyes meet mine for a brief moment before he has to look back at the road. But I saw his concern written clear in that one glance. "How... You didn't seem like you wanted to talk about it, but how did it go...?"

I inhale slowly. "It... went as expected"

Tom remains silent, giving me the space to continue sharing my thoughts.

"Mom took it well, she is supportive. My siblings were furious and dad... concerned and disappointed."

Tom exhales audibly, releasing the breath he had been holding. "I'm so sorry, y/n..." his words carry a tinge of sadness, his hand reaching out to rest comfortingly on my thigh.

"It's not your fault." I assure him.

"No, but..." his words trail off, and I see that he is lost in his thoughts.

"Tom, nothing changes my mind, as long as you still... want me." I say, feeling my heart race in my chest. "My family will get over themselves, and I know... I know our age-gap is a matter people will not fail to bring up, but... I don't care, I can't..." Tom has just let me talk, but when I pause to catch my breath, he breaks in.

"Y/n... I want you, darling. Do not doubt that."

"But... I know how much it affects you, and the last time... With the media and everything. I just don't want my family to be a concern for you and I... don't want to stay away from you-"

The car comes to a halt as Tom pulls over, and he turns to face me directly. "Breathe, darling," he urges, cupping my face gently in his hands.

Taking a deep breath, I find solace in the intensity of his captivating blue eyes, lifting my own to meet his gaze.

"I don't ever want to stay away from you, love. I can't. I crave you, all the time. To be near you, to touch you, to feel you. Hell, I crave to taste you even. you're like air. I need you." he confesses, his words resonating deeply within me, pushing away any lingering worries.

"Tom..." I begin, but he interrupts me gently, shaking his head and silencing my voice. Leaning in, he captures my lips with his own.

"I won't let anything or anyone keep me away from you," he declares, intertwining his fingers with mine and squeezing my hand firmly. "In fact, I wanted to ask you something.".

Curiosity sparks within me as I observe him, a smile tugging at the corners of my lips. "Yes?" I prompt.

"Uhm... heheh." He is blushing a bit, which I can't help but adore. "If you wanted to join me to London this weekend."

Surprised by his sudden request, I can't help but wonder why he would want to return so soon. The answer comes soon enough, eliciting a burst of joy within me.

"To meet my family." he adds nervously. "I don't know if you think it's early, I just... I'd love for you to come."

Overwhelmed with happiness, I can't contain my excitement as I respond, "I'd love to!".

"Really?" Tom lets out a relieved sigh.

I nod "of course."

His smile widens, and he brings my hand up to his lips, pressing a firm kiss onto it. Soon, we resume our drive, Tom driving the car with one hand while refusing to let go of mine until we reach the set.

Once there, we refrain from walking hand in hand to avoid drawing unnecessary attention. The rest of the cast has already begun to notice our shared rides to and from work nowadays.

"I have a scene in fifteen," Tom informs me, his eyes lingering on my lips for a fleeting moment. "I'll see you later, darling," he whispers.

"See you." I nod, flashing him a smile.

I have a scene with Tanner at first, where he is yelling at me. I'm (Naomi) still mad because I can't find my bestfriend, but for the most part I just take his yelling, not talking back much. After he 'leaves' I sink down on the floor, my back against the wall. "Great, cut!" Mark yells. We get a few corrections and do the scene a couple of more times. By the time we're finished it's already lunch.

I enter the kitchen to find Ella and Haley already there. There are only the three of us here. "So how was the drive to work today?" Ella smirks.

"He was embarrassed" I admit, keeping my response deliberately vague, not wanting to delve deeper into the details.

"Embarrassed by what?" I freeze at the voice before turning to see Wrenn, which is a relief.

I see that Haley and Ella grow uncomfortable. They don't know that Wrenn knows.

"Uhm..." I debate what to tell her, but ultimately come to the conclusion, that I'm going to be honest. They already know so much anyways. "They walked in on me and Tom last night." I nod towards my two roommates.

Wrenn chuckles, seemingly unfazed. "So much for keeping it a secret, huh?"

I giggle in response, relieved by her nonchalant reaction. "Yup..."

"You know about them?" Haley's eyes are still round.

Wrenn nods, confirming their suspicions. "I figured."

After lunch Tom and I have a scene together, and even though it's basically just a dialogue, it's much fun to shoot. We stumble over our lines a couple of times, leading to fits of laughter. The directors seem a little fed up with us, but they don't say anything, and we eventually nail the scene. "Perfect," Mark declares, wrapping up the day's shoot.

As we make our way back toward the trailers, Tom's voice catches my attention. "I've ordered us plane tickets."

Surprised by his thoughtfulness, I can't help but express my gratitude. "Oh, thank you! But I could have gotten my own."

Tom nudges me playfully. "Don't worry. Of course I'll do that for my girl."

His girl. The butterflies in my stomach are going crazy. My smile widens as I respond, "I can't wait to meet your family."

Tom's tone holds genuine anticipation as he replies, "I'm looking forward to that too. My sisters are both in London, which is a rare occurrence. They're going to love you."

A blush creeps onto my cheeks, overwhelmed by his words. "You think so?"
"Of course," Tom chuckles. "Who wouldn't?"

I shrug.

"It'll only be a short trip, unfortunately," Tom sighs, his voice tinged with a sense of resignation. "We have to be back by Monday, so we only get one night there. The time difference complicates things a little."

"That's alright," I assure him, a genuine smile gracing my lips.

Tom lets me in on his plan, saying, "I'll pick you up." His eyes scan the surroundings, ensuring our privacy before leaning in to plant a tender kiss on my lips. In that electrifying moment, a rush of warmth surges through my body.