𝓣𝓸𝓶 𝓗𝓸𝓵𝓵𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝔁 𝓡𝓮𝓪𝓭𝓮𝓻 𝓑𝓸𝓸𝓴 - 4

Our Tess

𝐀/𝐍 - All credit goes to the writer devotion on Tumblr

https://devotion.tumblr.com/post/642495688060600320/our-tess-th

Parings → Tom Holland x Reader

Warnings → fluff, a swear.

Summary → Tess is protective during your pregnancy and you admire her for it.

        ✧･ﾟ: *✧≪•◦ ❈ ◦•≫✧･ﾟ: *✧

Amongst many other things in your relationship with Tom, you loved the way his dog, Tessa, warmed up to you from the very first encounter you had with her. Soon enough, after living with Tom and his housemates for months, Tess was as comfortable with you as she was with the others. Up till the point she became somewhat of a best friend to you.

With that in mind, you still found it funny when you cried because you were leaving her this one time─to go with Tom to the Far From Home premiere in America. At the time she couldn't come with, and you saw the cute face she pulled when you waved bye to her on the doorstep. You bawled your eyes out in Tom's chest for most of the ride to the airport.

"D-Did you see that face, Tom?" you snivelled, wiping your eyes after you tried to regain your composure.

"Yeah, I did, love. But you don't have to cry this much. You've never cried this much for when I've gone─"

"─Fuck you, she looked cute."

He gasped, "And I don't?" He shook his head, faking to be upset. "Issues, love."

Adorable as it was, Tom had admitted many times how much he loved seeing you both interact with each other. "My two girls," he would say; when he'd talk about you in interviews, whenever he'd come home, before bed sometimes too when Tess would plant herself between you both. During the time that you would be reading, Tess' head would be on your lap whilst you stroked her head, kissing it often so you could send her to sleep. Times like these were precious. Two years in, it was as if she was like your little child; shouting out 'baby' when you couldn't find her, and cradling her when you were in family gatherings.

All up to the time you fell pregnant. Or, until you were so heavily pregnant, waddling down the stairs, unable to have her laying completely across your stomach like she used to at nights. Fortunately, Tess was a smart girl─perhaps even more observant than you realized. So it was no wonder that Tessa seemed to sense the state that you were in, especially how difficult it was doing most things.

"Dogs have that lovely smell," Tom said as he sighed happily, his nose buried in his pet's head. "There's just that dog and puppy smell, there's nothing like it."

You nodded along with him, raising an eyebrow. He had just come back from work. After three months of constant filming, he was home─having the privilege of an extra month of paternity leave much earlier than expected. You were due in a couple of weeks and now with Tom by your side, the stress and anxiety of this all eased to a great extent.

"You want a drink whilst you tell me what happened?" you stood up, with difficulty, making your way towards the kitchen. It was only a few steps that were needed to get there; you haven't really moved from the sofa since the morning.

"Oh god yeah," he groaned, placing Tessa back on the floor. "But you need to rest. Lemme do it─"

You were already near the kitchen, ready to put the kettle on to make him tea. Though, what Tom noticed the most was the way that Tessa was hot on your heels, perhaps too close that you could have tripped over her.

Tom followed you into the kitchen, attempting to pick his Staffie up. Yet, all he got was Tess growling back at him, in which Tom moved back a whole few meters with his hands up in defense. Then, still baffled by her aggressiveness, he saw her perched next to your feet, rubbing her head back and forth on your leg. Whereas, you were struggling to reach the box of tea bags, mentally slapping yourself for throwing them too far into the cupboard.

Upon seeing this, a still wary Tom approached behind you, placing his hands on your shoulders to indicate that he'll help to get it. After giving you the box, his hand slid across your bulging stomach, lips pressing on the side of your temple.

"Lemme do it, babe," he offered, hearing the kettle click. "Sit down and I'll make you a hot chocolate, yeah?"

"Done enough sitting but," you sighed before smiling, returning the kiss on the underside of his jaw. "Anything for your hot chocolate."

You were sent to the dining table to sit there, and funnily enough, Tess didn't come with you this time. In fact, she was stroking her head against Tom's feet. Then, she looked up at him, as if to apologize, it seemed.

After setting the mug in the microwave, he noticed her. And she then attempted to lick his face.

Hearing him giggle was always an enjoyable thing─witnessing it in your very own eyes after months though, beat it further. You even felt yourself pouting as you stared at them.

Tom put Tess down, a smile on his face, turning towards your direction, asking, "Why did she act like that before, though?"

You shrugged, joking, "Not to toot my own horn or anything, but she loves me more."

"Tell me something I don't know," Tom grinned, rolling his eyes.

"No, but," you continued, reminding him, "remember when I mentioned before about her behavior?" He nodded. "The midwife said that dogs have some kind of sixth sense with this sort of stuff─she knows I'm pregnant, which is cute."

Finished with preparing your hot chocolate and his tea, Tom came over with the cups, taking a seat next to you. He laughed again, a solid, fruity laugh, "So she just gets a bit defensive sometimes, huh?"

You knew allowing your child to grow up with a beloved friend would provide some emotional support for you as you navigated the world of new parenthood. And it was reassuring how your baby will have that─their own friend to grow up with.

"Yeah," you assented, bowing your head to lay your cheek on the rim of your cup. You held it with one hand, the other finding Tom's under the table. His thumb lightly swept across the back of your hand, soft and tender.

"Tom?" you murmured, smiling at the chocolate that was smeared on his chin because of the Jaffa cakes. "Just wanna let you know that I got everything I wanted." He raised his eyebrows. "My everything was you."

He lightly choked on his Jaffa cake, eyes widening. Then, they softened as he looked at you, glazing over, "Babyyy, shush." His arm snaked around your shoulders, kissing your nose.

He added cheekily, "And Tessa?"

Eyes wrinkling, you wiped your finger over his chin, confirming, "And Tessa."

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