Darling (a Tom Hiddleston fanfic)

14: a surprise, a more-than-friends and a stranger

Tom knocked rapidly on Rachel and Sam's front door, adrenaline pumping steadily through him. He was early. Almost by half an hour. He hoped she didn't mind. He bounced back on his heels and then rocked forward to the balls of his feet, waiting.

About an hour ago, he'd dropped Gemma off at Rosie's for the night. The girls were planning on spending a quiet night in, but first they were headed out for ice cream. He'd given them both hugs, simply telling Rosie he was working at home and then perhaps going for dinner with a friend, and then he had left them, giving them their time together. Rosie had belted Gemma into the backseat of her ancient station wagon, and had driven off at about 3 miles per hour toward the far end of town, where the best ice cream shop was.

It was on his walk back to his house, so he could change and get ready for dinner, that he'd seen them. Dolphins. What looked to be at least a couple dozen of them. They were strikingly close to the shore, and spread far out into the surprisingly calm ocean. He'd watched them for a few minutes, noticing that they were making their way south, toward Rachel and Sam's house, and keeping parallel to the shore.

Seeing dolphins wasn't all that rare. Usually every few weeks there would be a sighting of a few of them, far off the shore in the distant horizon. This though, this was different. If not just because of the sheer number of them. His first instinct was to run back to Rosie's and grab Gemma, but then he remembered they were on their way to town. So his next best idea, was to jog all the way to Rachel and Sam's and find his mermaid.

The door opened after a half minute wait, and Tom lunged forward at the sight of Billie.

"Come. Quick!" He exclaimed, grabbing her hands. Billie looked at him wildly, her eyes searching his face. He was just slightly out of breath, and wearing an old button up shirt and faded jeans. He'd planned on changing before heading over to her house for dinner, but that would have to wait. He took in the sight of her-her wide, light eyes, her lips parted slightly in surprise.

"What? Where?" Billie staggered forward as he tugged her out of the door. She clutched at the front of her clothes, still following him. "Tom, what's going on? Is everyone okay?"

"What? Yes. Oh, yes." He paused, glancing at her apologetically. She relaxed slightly, her shoulders sinking. "I'm sorry. Everyone is fine. But come on, you've got to see." He grinned, and then turned, rushing them both across the deck, down the stairs and out toward the beach. He heard her laugh, a light, surprisingly airy noise, behind him as he pulled her along. They probably could have seen the dolphins from the deck of the house, but he knew this was something they should see right on the shore.

They stumbled down the beach, half running, half jogging through the still warm sand. The sun was just starting to set, and all the clouds hung low and lazy in the hazy pink and blue sky like white cotton candy.

Tom came to a dead stop at the water's edge, squeezing Billie's hand gently, ever aware of what it felt like to have her fingers wrapped around his. The feeling of leading her, guiding her along. The trust that was already there, despite barely knowing each other.

They stood quiet for a moment, looking out over the ocean, waves crashing and succumbing to foam just at their feet.

"It's the ocean." Billie quipped softly, which made Tom chuckle.

"Just wait." He glanced at her, out of the corner of his eye. She was staring straight ahead, trusting that there was something there. Something more than just the same ever constant, ever moving, ever crashing waves of the Atlantic ocean.

"Should I be scared?" She whispered softly, and leaned toward him, pressing her arm up against his. Tom shook his head, but didn't speak.

It happened slowly. First just a small break in the surf, out almost too far to see. A small splash that seemed out of place. Then, without much warning, the first dolphin came soaring, leaping out of the water, in a movement that was almost too quick, too agile to catch at first glance.