His English Heart- A Tom Hiddleston Fanfiction

Be Loved

"Hello?" The nonchalant tone asks; that deep, rich accent dipping each syllable in a vat of something poisoned. It was sickening, but not in the bad way. What was sickening, was that you were so dependent on it. On him.

"You were very impolite just now," you reply, shoving the cart down through the produce section. That voice of his does things to you; and going weeks without hearing it directed at you makes it even more potent.

"Was I?" It questions, "I hadn't noticed."

"You were."

There's a moment of silence where you're both waiting for the other to start talking. For the first time that you'd ever known Tom, it was awkward. The thought scares you a bit more than it should.

"Would it make it better if I asked if I could come to Cora's later?"

His voice had taken on another property. It was pleading, sorry, and anxious. There's this twinge in the pit of your stomach that makes you regret chastising him.

"It might." You say, attempting not to smile. If you smile, that means that he's gotten to you. You can't let him get to you.

There's a laugh on his end, followed by, "Can I come over to Cora's later, Jo?"
That twinge in your stomach deepens at the sound of your name.

How were you supposed to say no? Even though you were afraid of the subject being brought up about the whole... kissing thing.... You still wanted to see him. For a split second, you think that you'd like to see him even if he rejects you.

"I guess...." You trail, throwing a box of popcorn into the cart, "But only if you're nice. Cora's parents won't let just anyone come over, you know."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Cora, needless to say, was ecstatic. Yelling and screaming and fangirling all over the house until her mother, Rachel, got her to calm down. Rachel and Cora's father, Greg, were going out for the night and so, you three would have the house to yourselves until twelve.

Cora's living room was light green, and had a long brown couch on the far wall. A coffee table sat directly in front of that and then the large plasma screen television was on the opposite wall. There was an armchair, though no one ever used it, and a big shaggy, cream rug covered the middle of the hardwood floor. Knick knacks and books were laying on every inch of available space, including the few dark bookshelves that lined the walls. The doorway to the kitchen was to the side of the couch, the front door on the other end, it's large door painted cream like the rug.

You always felt it was a homey place; somewhere to escape to when you were feeling troubled, a safe haven. The books were a great comfort. Leaning over the front of the coffee table in the floor, the only thing that was missing were a few pencils and a notebook for drawing and you'd be set.

Tonight, however, the safe haven was to become a battleground. Figuratively and literally. Not only were you going to be watching the Avengers (with him), you knew, for a fact, that Cora had about twenty board games all ready to go in the event that anyone wanted to play.

Wonderful.

Not that you didn't like games; that wasn't it at all. It was something you and your family would do every time you got together. No, it was because he was going to be here. And that was something you weren't sure if you could handle.

Over the few weeks after that kiss (that neither party ever brought up), you'd felt this little twinge that had never been there before. It was odd, and strangely comforting, yet you knew it wasn't a good thing. Every time Tom entered your thoughts, which was more often that wanted, it would burrow deeper and deeper. You knew it was just waiting to attack at any moment.