Always Been You | Tom Holland

FORTY-TWO

Tom

People are literally watching Y/N as she walks to the bathroom. Now I know what she meant. I'm not sure if I should be annoyed or proud that people are gawking at my date like this. As long as they're nice to her, I guess I'll be proud. She's clearly not used to it – she walks to the bathroom with her arms wrapped around her body in an attempt to hide herself. I guess after a while you just start to learn how to ignore it. She'll get there eventually.

I know this whole flying-to-Rome-for-dinner thing is a bit much, but I told myself when I got home for the Holidays that I wasn't going to hold back anymore. So, Rome. Y/N seems to be enjoying herself. We've both eaten enough pasta to keep us full for days. She's even refused dessert, which is not like her. I think it's safe to say that things are going well.

"That bathroom is bigger than my entire flat," Y/N says as she sits down. She's pulled her hair back into a clip and there are small pieces hanging out on her neck. When she turns her head, the hair sticking out the top bounces around like a rubber ball. I swear she bathed in some kind of shimmery oil before she left her flat today. Her skin is catching the light like a disco ball. It's like looking at a gold statue. "Penny for your thoughts." My eyes lift back to hers. Her wine glass is lifted to her lips and I can see her smiling through the glass.

"Just looking at you, that's all." She shakes her head and sets her glass back down. "The guy sitting at the table behind you has been looking at you all night," I say. I meant for it to come out as a joke, but my jealousy got the best of me. I can hear the disdain in my voice.

"Is that jealousy I hear in your voice?" She smirks and folds her napkin on the table.

"I mean, he's clearly on a date. It's just rude, is all." I shrug. She chuckles and I watch her eyes follow someone behind me.

"Your bill, Mr. Holland." Our server hands me a black book with a smile. He begins to walk away but I hold my hand up to keep him next to me. I place some Euros into the book and hand it back to him.

"Grazie, Anthony." He nods and disappears with the book. "Ready to go, darling?"

"One evening in Rome is not enough." She says as I help her put her coat on.

"Well, then we'll have to return, won't we?" She smiles and takes my hand as we walk out of the restaurant and toward our car. I glance at the man who was watching her and resist the urge to smirk at him as we leave. All mine the look would say.

There are people taking pictures from across the street – I already scolded them on our way in for crowding Y/N – and I do my best to ignore them. I've already accepted that we're going to constantly be photographed when we're out. I don't care, but I know it still makes Y/N nervous. Which reminds me, I need to check in on the situation with people knowing where she lives.

I wish I could stay in this moment forever. Just the two of us walking the streets of Rome. Though, it seems that our relationship will never be just the two of us. There's always someone taking a picture or a video. Maybe we'll have to be hermits for the rest of our lives. We could live in the Italian countryside. It doesn't sound too bad.

–

"I don't know where these people hide to take some of these pictures, but to be honest, some of them are pretty cute." Y/N is scrolling through her phone, laying on her couch with a cup of tea steaming next to her. Her legs are resting on my lap and I've been instructed to "stop tickling her feet." To be fair, I was trying to give her a foot rub. Guess it wasn't translating. "Look at this one," she leans up and shows me her phone screen filled with a picture of us walking out of the restaurant hand-in-hand, laughing about something. "We look happy."