You've Only Just Arrived (a Tom Hiddleston fan fiction)

Part 12

You wake up to a steady chirping noise – a steady loud chirping noise. Even through the closed door – and now a pillow over your head – you can hear the insistent alert. You groan. You were having such a lovely dream.

After several cycles it is clear to you that the noise isn't going to stop. You flip the pillow off your head groggily. Dear Lord what time is it? You check your phone so see it is a little past two in the morning. Is that Tom's alarm already? Surely he isn't sleeping through that irritating noise. You pull yourself out of bed and stumble to the door to investigate. You call out as you walk into the hallway. "Tom?"

Tom opens his door a moment later, still adjusting his clothes. Sweatpants? Interesting choice. Judging by his curious expression the source of the noise is not his alarm. "_______?"

The steady chirp-beat-chirp-beat-chirp pattern sounds louder now while you are standing out in the hallway. There is a delay and the chirping patterns starts again. You hug your arms at your waist, trying not to sound as tired as you feel. "What is that noise? Is that your alarm?"

"No..." Tom tilts his head during the next delay and then breaks into laughter when he sources the noise. "Oh hell. It's the smoke detector. Must be the batteries."

"...You're kidding me."

While he is turned to look up at the ceiling you note that his shirt is on inside out. A hastily thrown on article of clothing? Why again were you sleeping in the guest room? He spins and is off down the hallway to the kitchen. "Hang on. I think I've got some batteries somewhere."

The smoke detector is still merrily chirping away. It's always the middle of the night when such things happen. You're in a full blown giggle fit when he returns, batteries in hand and a chair in tow.

"The joys of owning your own place. No front desk to call for such things." You move to hold the chair steady while Tom installs the batteries. He reaches up to tend to the device and his shirt pulls up revealing some of his well-defined torso. Your fingers immediately send a request to your brain expressing their desire: Must touch! To maintain control you grip the chair a little more firmly than needed until Tom once again stands on the floor beside you. With the batteries changed the both of you stand in wait, watching the device to make sure it doesn't sound off again.

That's when the next unit down the hall starts to chirp, sending you into a fresh wave of laughter. Tom holds out his hand, holding the extra batteries out to you. "Your turn."

Still laughing, you palm the batteries from him and slide the chair down underneath the next unit. "Please tell me there aren't any more of these things. Unless you have more batteries somewhere?" Tom hasn't dropped his hand and it dawns on you that he's waiting to help you step up onto the seat of the chair. Standing in the chair you consider the detector a moment. You hadn't been watching when he had pulled the other one down from the ceiling. You bite your lip and take a random guess that it unscrews from a mounted base.

You can hear Tom laugh quietly over the chirps. "I've never seen someone concentrate so hard while changing batteries in a smoke detector."

"I wasn't watching to see how you did it." You admit sheepishly. The unit finally clicks loose and you are able to pop out the old batteries. Oh sweet silence.

"Oh?"

You pause after pushing one of the new batteries into place to look down at him. He has taken up a stance just off and behind your right shoulder. "Yes. I got distracted – oh hush." Ignoring his merriment, you press the second battery in next to the first and you stretch to twist the detector back into place. "This is really your area you know. Short people don't normally mess with things on the ceiling. Particularly not in the middle of the night." You fiddle with the old batteries in your hands while you wait, anticipating another alarm sounding off but nothing happens.

"Figured you'd want to participate since it did rouse you from bed. Anyway - you're doing just fine."

His voice dips slightly with the word fine which sends a shiver down your spine. "Well I do know how to install batteries." ... I know how to install batteries? Good job on screening thoughts before they tumble from your mouth.

Tom holds out his arms to help you off the chair. His hands slide up from your waist to grip just below your arms as you step down. Once you've settled onto the floor he waits a beat before releasing you.

Apparently the pair of you are going to see who drives the other crazy first. Even considering your stubbornness you're a lingering gaze away from cracking your resolve.

Tom scoops up the kitchen chair and takes the old batteries from you to dispose of them. You start to go back to the guest room and then pause. He is lost in thought when he reappears from the kitchen, one had running through the hair on the back of his head. When he notices you still standing in the hallway he smiles. "We should be good now – it's safe to go back to bed."

You nod and let him pass you by with a softly repeated goodnight. You stop in the doorway to the guest room. Oh come on, out with it. This is ridiculous. You take a breath. "Tom?" You wait until he turns and makes eye contact before continuing. "Are we really going to sleep like this until I go back to LA?" You wave both your hands towards the opposing rooms.

"Are we? If that's what you want. It's completely up to you." Tom slowly walks back towards you while he speaks as though you'd startle and run.

Him. You want him.

"Well then –" You exhale and smile up at him now that he is within arm's reach. You hook your hands behind Tom's neck and pull him into a kiss. Lip locked, you take a step back to draw him with you backwards into the guest bedroom. Thank goodness your bag is off towards the sidewall. Now is not the time to stumble over things.

"I've got you." He chuckles when you emit a squeak upon backing into the bed. You'd lost track of your progress into the room. After following you into the bed he peels you out of your yoga pants while his lips migrate their attentions down towards your collar.

Your hands have once again find their way behind his neck and you finger the tag that hangs from his collar. Hmm. Too many pieces of clothing are still in play. "Your shirt is on inside out, by the way."

Tom pauses sucking at your neck to sit back and pull the collar of his shirt away from his body slightly to examine it. "Is it? Um, well – easily solved." He snatches the back of his shirt just over his shoulder and pulls it off over his head. He starts to turn the shirt right side out and push his arms back through.

Ever the comedian.

When you take it from him to toss it aside you mutter, "Don't you dare..."