With Love, From Italy

“Remember, we have to be out of here in half an hour at the latest! We need to get the rental cars back by one and checked into board by two.” John had probably spent so much time running around the villa trying to get everyone organised that Leigh thought he would be the one running late. Finally the day had come that marked the end of the group’s stay in Italy. In a few hours’ time they would be aboard a plane taking them back to Gatwick and everything she was least looking forward to.

Unlike John, Leigh had already packed all her belongings into her suitcase and was now helping Belle try and squeeze the last of hers in. It was the cause of much laughter between them as Leigh poked fun at her friend’s attempt to fold everything, causing nothing to fit. In the end the redhead had to resort to sitting on top of the suitcase while Belle zipped it up. Eventually though both girls were packed and ready and after a sweep of the room to ensure nothing had been left behind they decided they may as well head down to the foyer. The last thing Leigh did before she departed from the room was to ensure for the hundredth time that the key Tom had given her was tucked safely away in her bag.

Lugging their bags towards the main entrance they entered it to find some of the group already waiting just like the girls had planned. One of them was Tom, who was in the midst of conversation with Cecil. He had traded his casual vacation wear for his trademark trousers and dress shirt, several of the buttons undone. It was a stark reminder to Leigh that this really was the end of two of the most amazing weeks of her life. But as he glanced up and beckoned her with a smile the tension and disappointment slipped away. That was the affect he seemed to have; whenever she was worried or doubting something he would come along and everything would melt away with the simplest touch or a smile. Leigh only hoped that would continue once they were home.

“Here I was thinking we’d have to be dragging you two out by the ears to make it in time,” he joked as she approached, taking her spot beside him and she nudged him lightly.

“I’ll have you know I was ready ages ago. It was Belle that was causing all the trouble, I’m surprised you aren’t dragging her out either,” Leigh replied, poking her tongue out as Belle flicked her the finger. Those around them laughed, Cecil clapping his hands together once it had quietened down.

“Well, seeing as some of us have nothing better to do than stand around I suggest maybe we should make a move. God knows I’m not going to miss my flight because some might be late,” he spoke and everyone looked between themselves, shrugging in way of agreement. Almost as one they all started to move, Tom reaching to collect Leigh’s suitcase as well as his own and no amount of arguing could convince him to let her carry it. By the time they had reached the car she had resigned herself and once it was all packed up, Tom turned to her. Pulling her into a hug she pressed her cheek against his chest peacefully as one hand cupped her head. It was a simple moment of comfort, but it was broken as Caleb arrived, bumping into them on purpose.

“Break it up, we should be driving, not canoodling.”

“Jealous, are we Caleb?” Leigh teased as she stepped away, raising her eyebrow playfully at the boy. He scoffed in return, making a comment about all the women he had managed to woo in the past fortnight. With a roll of their eyes Tom, Leigh, and Belle all clambered into the car as the other had done a moment earlier. They were also joined by Tom’s mother a few minutes later and once the car was full they farewelled the others until their rendezvous at the airport for the flight.

The drive back was spent with the usual laughter, banter, and chiding that had become so common over the course of the holiday. Tom’s mother sat next to him in the front seat, but from where Leigh was seated in the back he had only to glance at the rear-vision mirror for their gazes to meet, which happened quite regularly throughout the journey. Before they knew it they had surrendered the keys to the car, and proceeded to check their bags in for the flight. The others hadn’t arrived by that point and so the five of them found some benches to wait on until they did – or at least until they could wait no longer without being late.

This was where Leigh experienced the first taste of her future; while there had been no one to bother Tom in Levanto here in Genoa it seemed that some of his Italian fans had found out about his return date. Most stood back, simply taking photos from a distance, while a few of the braver souls had drifted forwards in the hope of getting an autograph. True to his ways he obliged them, though for the entire time they waited he proceeded to engage in no more than general chatter with the family. At first Leigh had been confused and a little bruised by the way he gave her no more than a quick glance, but it wasn’t long before she realized why. Tom had always been a private person, and considering their relationship had only just taken flight he didn’t want to do anything that might give away their position. As soon as the light bulb flickered over her head, the redhead was grateful for his actions – she would have enough trouble readjusting to her London life without the news being splashed all over the internet that Tom Hiddleston has a girlfriend.

Once the rest of the group had arrived and they had made their way through customs and boarded the plane however, everything changed once more. After finding everyone’s seats and some swapping between them Leigh was pulled in to a seat next to Tom, who immediately took her hand in his, raising it to his lips.

“Sorry about that darling,” he apologized, but she shook her head, telling him that she understood completely. The grin he gave her in return made her heart flutter and she bit down on her lip as if the action could make it cease. “Now, I was thinking. My car is parked in the long term bay at Gatwick, maybe I could escort you back to your place and ensure that none of your belongings have been burnt?”

“What, and leave me to catch the Tube on my own?” Belle voiced from the seat she had taken next to the pair and Leigh let out a groan, using her free hand to slap her friend lightly on the shoulder.

"Keep ruining the moment and I’ll make you do it anyway,” the redhead warned playfully and the girl stuck out her bottom lip. Leigh rolled her eyes, turning back to Tom. “That sounds like a great idea, I’d love you forever if you could do that.”

“I might just hold you to that,” Tom replied with his eyes glistening mischievously, yet they still held the intense emotions that were so common in him. This time instead of blushing though, she simply returned with an equally cheeky grin.

As the plane began to travel down the runway Tom squeezed her hand briefly and she looked down at them, their fingers intertwined and her smile turned serene. Two weeks ago she had flown to Italy feeling as if she was about to break from all the stress and hurdles life had thrown in her way. Now here she was, afraid that she might just burst from the happiness. In the most unexpected circumstances she had not only managed to find herself a new family, but stumbled across the beginnings of new love. She would definitely have to thank Belle again for inviting her along on what had easily become the best adventure of her life.