Falling For You [Tom Hiddleston]

41

Tom's POV

I glanced at the clock and sighed, setting my script aside for now; I had roughly half an hour before my mother and sisters arrived for tea...and I still hadn't told Claire they were coming over yet. It wasn't that I hadn't had the opportunity...I just didn't want to cause an argument now when we'd had such a wonderfully relaxed day together.

"Wake up, darling. It's almost tea time," I said as I reached over and gently shook Claire awake.

"I don't like tea," she grumbled as she crawled onto my lap, dragging her blanket along with as she snuggled up to me. "You know that."

"I know you don't," I chuckled; she was simply adorable when she was half asleep. "Darling, you need to wake up."

"No...sleeping."

"I'm sorry to wake you," I murmured, kissing the top of her head as I shifted so she had to sit upright; despite wishing I could let her sleep longer, she really did need to wake up now. "But my Mum, Emma and Sarah said they're coming here for tea today."

Claire blinked at me owlishly. "Who?"

"My Mum and sisters." I kissed her forehead, instantly concerned at how warm her skin was beneath my lips; it felt like she had a low grade fever. "They just texted to say they're coming to ours for tea. Would you like to freshen up a bit before they arrive?"

"No, I would not." Her silvery eyes studied mine briefly before abruptly narrowing. "You planned this. You told them about me."

"Let's say I did; then what?"

She quickly slid off my lap and backed away from me before I could get ahold of her, leaving me with just her blanket. "Then you can just figure out what to tell them when I'm not here."

"What do you mean?" I asked, getting to my feet.

"I'm sorry, but I can't meet your family. That would be commitment." Intent on retreat, she continued to back out of the sitting room. "We agreed; no commitment."

I held up my hands in silent apology, hating how distressed she was becoming over this. "Clarissa, I swear I've never said anything to the effect that you were my girlfriend."

"Uh-huh, right." I winced at the amount of sarcasm dripping from her words. "You clearly said something to make them want to meet me, Hiddleston."

"What's wrong with them knowing you're important to me?"

She shook her head slowly as she retreated further. "I'm not really."

"Please don't make me chase you, darling," I sighed as she tensed; I refused to allow her run away from me again. "Because I will - and I'm afraid of harming you further when I capture you in three strides or less. Besides, it's raining cats and dogs out there and you're certainly not dressed for the weather; I don't want you taking a turn for the worse just because you're being a stubborn Yankee."

The corners of my lips turned up slightly when Claire suspiciously twitched aside the curtain to verify that I spoke the truth about the weather; she'd been asleep when it had started raining so it stood to reason that she hadn't known.

Warily, she stood her ground as I approached her, allowing me to take her hands in mine. "Thank you for not making me chase you."

She hmmphed in disdain. "You're just lucky it's pouring right now, mister."

"Well, considering that a storm like this brought you into my life in the first place, it's only fitting that it should also keep you from leaving me as well." I carefully wrapped my arms around her and held her close. "Although I suspect you rather enjoy being a stubborn Yankee at times, don't you?"