Sequel: High Hopes ›
Friends, Lovers, or Nothing
Five.
“Got shackles on, my words are tied. Fear can make you compromise. Fast enough it's hard to hide - Sometimes I want to disappear.” A familiar song by Foster The People echoed throughout the unfamiliar house. I had gone through every room at least twice looking for Tom but had no luck finding him. I was beginning to get sincerely worried about him and his odd behavior.
“Let’s get serious here. Where would I go if I was drunk?” I asked myself, gripping the banister from the second floor of the mansion. I could see a window in a room from where I stood, which allowed me to get a good view of the backyard. I saw a vacant pool filled with strikingly blue water.
I rushed down the stairs, making my way through the people and to the backyard. I bumped into random partygoers, but I didn’t give a rat’s ass. All that mattered was finding my best friend and making sure he was all right.
The muggy heat hugged my body tightly the moment I stepped outside. I ran a hand through my dark brown hair knowing that it probably didn’t look the same as when I last saw it in the mirror. I kicked off my wedges, enjoying the feel of the flat and rigid pool deck. It reminded me of my summers spent working as a lifeguard. I smiled to myself, admiring the white Christmas lights that had been placed on the hedges that separated this house from its neighbors.
There weren’t many people outside - only a few out for fresh air or a smoke. My eyes wandered to each person’s face, searching for the big blue eyes and perfectly coifed ginger hair. I was unsuccessful, until I went to the back 40 of the house and found a small hill. Tom was lying on his back, staring up at the stars.
I lay down next to him and quietly stared at the sky for a few minutes. “Hi,” I whispered.
“You found me,” He sighed.
“You have a really good hiding spot. It took me awhile,” I said lightheartedly. He remained silent, and I knew something was really bothering him.
“Tom, what’s the matter?” I pressed.
I turned my head to look at him, admiring his profile. “You mean a lot to me, Grace. I know you think that you’re the lucky one to know me, but it’s quite the opposite. Before we met, I was so terribly lonely and you saved me. I was a lost soul, and you’re the one who found me and put me in the right direction. I value you very much, and I guess I didn’t realize it, but I’m protective over you. I saw that guy, and the way he was looking at you, and the way you were talking to him and I seized up.
“That’s never happened to me before. I do apologize for embarrassing you. I had a sudden urge to argue with you that I made Loki a lovable villain, and I knew that it was childish, so I left,” He smirked and I laughed.
“You didn’t embarrass me,” I said tenderly. “You made me more worried than anything.”
“I’m sorry,” He said, wrapping his arm around me. I snuggled up to his side, closing my eyes and breathing him in. I wanted to fall asleep like this. I felt butterflies fly around in my stomach when I realized that I cuddling with him, and in the back of my mind I knew that it was wrong. I was leading myself on. He was just a warmhearted, cuddly person and this didn’t mean anything.
“You should really watch the Vampire Diaries though. You know, for Thor 2. Klaus is a lot like Loki. His parents want to get rid of him because he’s an evil vampire, but he just needs a friend,” I said. I was being serious but Tom laughed.
“Okay, you get the first season on DVD and we’ll watch it. But are you doubting my ability to play Loki?” He asked, sitting up.
I rolled my eyes, propping myself up on my elbows. “No, I dare not question the God of Mischief.”
“In all honesty, you played Loki terribly well. When I saw The Avengers, I found myself rooting for him and I’m sure you know I’m not alone. He really does have an army,” I figured compliments were in order. I didn’t want him to think for one minute that I thought Joe was better at playing the villain than Tom was.
“Oh stop it, you.” He reached for me, scooping me up in his arms and hugging me tight. I buried my face in his chest, holding onto him for dear life. He picked me up and I was shocked at his strength. I was no size zero; I had a significant amount of meat on my bones.
“Please don’t throw out your back, we have filming tomorrow,” I said.
He grinned mischievously. “What? You want me to put you down? Well, if you insist.”
I didn’t like the sound of this. Before I knew it, he let go of me. He didn’t put me down; he dropped me. I found myself surrounded by water and I screamed angrily when I realized that the motherfucker had dropped me into the pool. I came to the surface and threw water at him with all of my strength.
“Asshole!” I screamed.
He stood there, laughing at me. “This is not funny!”
“You’re right, it’s hilarious,” He replied.
“Ha ha ha, you’re so funny,” I said sarcastically. I walked over to the edge of the pool, preparing to pull myself out.
“Let me help you out, darling,” He said, offering me his hand. Dumb move, Hiddleston.
I gripped his hand tightly, smirking at him when I pulled with all my strength. He made a big splash as he fell in and I just laughed as I hopped out of the pool, wringing out my clothes and hair.
“Not so proper now, are you darling?” I said in a bad British accent, pretending to drink imaginary tea.
“Oh, insulting my country now? That’s low,” He commented, getting out and shaking his hair out so that he got me even wetter in the process.
I laughed, pushing him gently. I grabbed my wedges from the pool deck and walked inside with him. It seemed like everyone turned to collectively stare at us the minute we walked inside. I felt my cheeks grow red.
“Okay, now I’m embarrassed,” I mumbled to him. He looked down at me with his blue eyes and I couldn’t read his emotion. He put his hand on the small of my back and ushered me out to the hallway, where less people noticed us. I was beginning to realize this new emotion as protectiveness.
I looked at my watch and gasped. “It’s so late! We have to go find Jenny.”
It didn’t take me long to find her, since she wasn’t far from where we had initially started. She was talking to a medium height, well-built brunette. He looked familiar, but he definitely wasn’t Andrew Garfield.
“Grace!” She waved as I approached. I smiled as the brunette turned around to look at me. My eyes widened when I realized who it was.
“This is Jeremy, he was in The Avengers with Tom.” He took my hand and shook it firmly.
“Hi, nice to meet you,” I smiled politely. “Sorry Jenny but we have to leave. We’ll be waiting outside at the valet!”
Tom was waiting patiently outside when I came out the door. We stood side by side in a comfortable silence. I was able to hear the music – they were playing “Give Me Love” by Ed Sheeran. I sang along softly, twirling my hair in boredom.
He was watching me. He did that a lot, and it always made me uncontrollably self-conscious. ‘All I want is the taste that your lips allow, my my, my my, give me love..’
I stopped singing and met his gaze. His eyes stared into mine and there wasn’t a word that needed to be said. The song said everything that I wanted to say to him. I didn’t know if he understood what my look meant, but I hoped he did.
I was falling in love with him.
“Let’s get serious here. Where would I go if I was drunk?” I asked myself, gripping the banister from the second floor of the mansion. I could see a window in a room from where I stood, which allowed me to get a good view of the backyard. I saw a vacant pool filled with strikingly blue water.
I rushed down the stairs, making my way through the people and to the backyard. I bumped into random partygoers, but I didn’t give a rat’s ass. All that mattered was finding my best friend and making sure he was all right.
The muggy heat hugged my body tightly the moment I stepped outside. I ran a hand through my dark brown hair knowing that it probably didn’t look the same as when I last saw it in the mirror. I kicked off my wedges, enjoying the feel of the flat and rigid pool deck. It reminded me of my summers spent working as a lifeguard. I smiled to myself, admiring the white Christmas lights that had been placed on the hedges that separated this house from its neighbors.
There weren’t many people outside - only a few out for fresh air or a smoke. My eyes wandered to each person’s face, searching for the big blue eyes and perfectly coifed ginger hair. I was unsuccessful, until I went to the back 40 of the house and found a small hill. Tom was lying on his back, staring up at the stars.
I lay down next to him and quietly stared at the sky for a few minutes. “Hi,” I whispered.
“You found me,” He sighed.
“You have a really good hiding spot. It took me awhile,” I said lightheartedly. He remained silent, and I knew something was really bothering him.
“Tom, what’s the matter?” I pressed.
I turned my head to look at him, admiring his profile. “You mean a lot to me, Grace. I know you think that you’re the lucky one to know me, but it’s quite the opposite. Before we met, I was so terribly lonely and you saved me. I was a lost soul, and you’re the one who found me and put me in the right direction. I value you very much, and I guess I didn’t realize it, but I’m protective over you. I saw that guy, and the way he was looking at you, and the way you were talking to him and I seized up.
“That’s never happened to me before. I do apologize for embarrassing you. I had a sudden urge to argue with you that I made Loki a lovable villain, and I knew that it was childish, so I left,” He smirked and I laughed.
“You didn’t embarrass me,” I said tenderly. “You made me more worried than anything.”
“I’m sorry,” He said, wrapping his arm around me. I snuggled up to his side, closing my eyes and breathing him in. I wanted to fall asleep like this. I felt butterflies fly around in my stomach when I realized that I cuddling with him, and in the back of my mind I knew that it was wrong. I was leading myself on. He was just a warmhearted, cuddly person and this didn’t mean anything.
“You should really watch the Vampire Diaries though. You know, for Thor 2. Klaus is a lot like Loki. His parents want to get rid of him because he’s an evil vampire, but he just needs a friend,” I said. I was being serious but Tom laughed.
“Okay, you get the first season on DVD and we’ll watch it. But are you doubting my ability to play Loki?” He asked, sitting up.
I rolled my eyes, propping myself up on my elbows. “No, I dare not question the God of Mischief.”
“In all honesty, you played Loki terribly well. When I saw The Avengers, I found myself rooting for him and I’m sure you know I’m not alone. He really does have an army,” I figured compliments were in order. I didn’t want him to think for one minute that I thought Joe was better at playing the villain than Tom was.
“Oh stop it, you.” He reached for me, scooping me up in his arms and hugging me tight. I buried my face in his chest, holding onto him for dear life. He picked me up and I was shocked at his strength. I was no size zero; I had a significant amount of meat on my bones.
“Please don’t throw out your back, we have filming tomorrow,” I said.
He grinned mischievously. “What? You want me to put you down? Well, if you insist.”
I didn’t like the sound of this. Before I knew it, he let go of me. He didn’t put me down; he dropped me. I found myself surrounded by water and I screamed angrily when I realized that the motherfucker had dropped me into the pool. I came to the surface and threw water at him with all of my strength.
“Asshole!” I screamed.
He stood there, laughing at me. “This is not funny!”
“You’re right, it’s hilarious,” He replied.
“Ha ha ha, you’re so funny,” I said sarcastically. I walked over to the edge of the pool, preparing to pull myself out.
“Let me help you out, darling,” He said, offering me his hand. Dumb move, Hiddleston.
I gripped his hand tightly, smirking at him when I pulled with all my strength. He made a big splash as he fell in and I just laughed as I hopped out of the pool, wringing out my clothes and hair.
“Not so proper now, are you darling?” I said in a bad British accent, pretending to drink imaginary tea.
“Oh, insulting my country now? That’s low,” He commented, getting out and shaking his hair out so that he got me even wetter in the process.
I laughed, pushing him gently. I grabbed my wedges from the pool deck and walked inside with him. It seemed like everyone turned to collectively stare at us the minute we walked inside. I felt my cheeks grow red.
“Okay, now I’m embarrassed,” I mumbled to him. He looked down at me with his blue eyes and I couldn’t read his emotion. He put his hand on the small of my back and ushered me out to the hallway, where less people noticed us. I was beginning to realize this new emotion as protectiveness.
I looked at my watch and gasped. “It’s so late! We have to go find Jenny.”
It didn’t take me long to find her, since she wasn’t far from where we had initially started. She was talking to a medium height, well-built brunette. He looked familiar, but he definitely wasn’t Andrew Garfield.
“Grace!” She waved as I approached. I smiled as the brunette turned around to look at me. My eyes widened when I realized who it was.
“This is Jeremy, he was in The Avengers with Tom.” He took my hand and shook it firmly.
“Hi, nice to meet you,” I smiled politely. “Sorry Jenny but we have to leave. We’ll be waiting outside at the valet!”
Tom was waiting patiently outside when I came out the door. We stood side by side in a comfortable silence. I was able to hear the music – they were playing “Give Me Love” by Ed Sheeran. I sang along softly, twirling my hair in boredom.
He was watching me. He did that a lot, and it always made me uncontrollably self-conscious. ‘All I want is the taste that your lips allow, my my, my my, give me love..’
I stopped singing and met his gaze. His eyes stared into mine and there wasn’t a word that needed to be said. The song said everything that I wanted to say to him. I didn’t know if he understood what my look meant, but I hoped he did.
I was falling in love with him.