Behind the Screen (a Tom Hiddleston Story)

17. Clouded Minds

 That morning, Kate was snoring so loud she had woken Tom who had decided to play the whole 'concussion situation' safer than they were already and call out a local doctor. He tiptoed silently towards the front door to make sure he made minimal noise, grabbed Kate's key (the one with the fluffy pigeon key ring attached to them which was worn out and brown with age) and locked the door behind him. 

It took him half an hour to get to anywhere with a signal, eventually he pulled over into a lay-by about 10 miles away from the Evan's household. He sniffed as he grabbed his phone and car keys, pulling them out of the car and throwing them down in the freshly polished cup holder. Sighing out of annoyance that he had had to go so far out of his way to find anywhere with 3G, he googled doctor's surgeries near Somerset. To his surprise and relief, he had managed to get in touch with a lovely man who had directed him to a doctor who was on call a few miles away from the farm and would be with him in an hour.

"Okay, that's great and I gave you the address didn't I?" He had been fiddling with the windscreen wipers as it was still spitting with rain a little so wasn't paying too much attention to the conversation.

"Yes, sir you did. I will see you very soon, I'm sure there is nothing too seriously wrong but you were right to call for help. Okay, speak soon."

Tom was back at the farm in record time. He pulled up and parked facing the gate as he knew they would be leaving in a few hours time to head off to Kate and Chris' grandparents'. Just as he shut the door and locked the car making a familiar beeping noise he noticed someone looking out of Kate's bedroom window.

Kate was standing looking out over the fields, her hair frizzing as though it were freshly brushed. She hadn't been here for so long that she felt the need to refresh the picture of it in her mind and it was more beautiful than she had ever remembered. The brown trees that lacked in leaves peppered the landscape with some appearing more weathered than others due to last nights' storm ripping up some of the younger, less fortunate elements of nature.

She had missed this. The serenity of it all, its secluded feel had always grated on her from a young age as she had always wanted to live somewhere with more of a buzz but since moving to London for work she realized how blessed she had been to live in her own little world of well... Kate. It really was how they say, you don't know how much something means to you until its too late. Except it wasn't too late because she was here now and now was all that mattered. The sun was rising just over the valley, its rays hitting her face as it did which warmed her up a little seeing as they had had no heating due to a lack of electricity.

She turned her head slightly as something was reflecting the sunlight directly into her eyes. And there he stood. Tom was looking up at her with nothing but love filled eyes. He returned her puzzled look with one of his award-winning "Tom" smiles which instantly made her heart and stomach summersault, her breath hitch in her throat and headlight and airy.

Every time he looked at her, smiled at her, touched her or even got within walking distance of her he did things to her. Not in a weird way, but she was safe to say it scared her. Not the feelings or anything like that, but how much she had begun to depend on him.

She pushed her worries aside and ran from the window after waving at Tom to greet him at the door.

"Hello, my darling angel, how you feeling?" He said, walking over to her with open arms, enveloping her into his giant arms for a bear hug.

"Ha, I'm okay thank you. And where have you been Mr.?" her speech muffled as her face was pressed against the wall of his chest which bore a large, oversized winter jumper.

"I went to call a doctor to give you the all clear just in case you're dying." Laughing the pair headed back inside.

"No, but seriously. Where did you actually go?" Kate said rather abruptly as she realized what he had just said.