Dec 21, 2013
There will be a more Christams-y chapter coming out soon!!
You drop into a seat a few strides away from the tube doors, finally putting your Oyster card back in its slot as the automated ding went off, robotic voice beginning to tell its passengers the next stop, which with it came the subtle lurch forward as it began moving. The people beside you bumped arms against you and gave a small smile that was meant for apology before looking straight again. You have no idea who they are, nor they you. For no particular reason, your heart falls a little and you bite your lip, despite it being the beginning of your holiday break.
With the card in its place and bag done up, you let you head fall back against the window and closed your eyes, lights flickering above causing your eyes to shift uneasily. You can feel your head ease up, an upper beat tune flowing through the ear bud you had in, cord hidden under your coat. The tube smelt a little better than usual, a soft cologne replacing the dominant stink it frequently holds, so, you suppose, that’s an upside. It made you feel a little better.
It had been a particularly hard day, full of deadlines and phone calls and cranky people. You looked forward greatly to getting home. Mainly because Ben is home, even though it will be later tonight, and you want to have a quiet night in, modest dinner, small conversation with tea in hand as you talk about the day.
You can already see Ben’s hands moving eloquently through the air as he talked about his director and his co-stars, the overhead light bringing out his features adorably as his nose scrunches and eyes look past you animatedly. He will talk about how amazing the set and people are, and that he loves it so. And then he will stop for a breath and you smile at him still, and his eyes will sweep back to you and lock on yours, and a whole new shine takes hold of them, and he hunches in and leans towards you over the counter. You will lean closer, refusing to look away, and he will tell you that he loves you, he could love nothing more than you. And then he will suck in a sharp breath and straighten up quickly, as though nothing had ever happened and continue on. But you can see his eyes glinting as he tells you all about the scene he went through today, and his breakthrough with his character. And you know that you are on his mind, constantly. He doesn’t have to tell you that; you can read it in the way he walks through the door, in the way his eyes go soft and widen just that tiny bit when he sees you, in the way his fingers softly curl around your waist. You know.
He came home last night after being abroad for almost a month, going all around for interviews in the US, with Jimmy Fallon, Conan O’Brien, going everywhere and doing everything. You couldn’t join him, dedicated to your work as you are. It was worth it to stay behind, but still… While he had been gone, no matter how great the day was, something always felt just that little bit off. But you accepted it, knowing you took in the terms when you took him, warts and all. You truly wouldn’t have it any other way, but it does not stop you missing him.
A smile lights up your face as you remember the two of you decorating the place last night, stringing up glittering tinsels, mistletoe in the archway of each door, gingerbread in the oven, angel at the top of the glittering Christmas tree. You made a joke about the pagan tradition, and he smiled, nudged you with his hip. You giggled and pushed back, a little harder. Then, you were at war, his nimble fingers finding your worst places until you were a squealing mass as he tickled you, you trying to push him away as you fell onto the couch amidst the pillows. That is before you grabbed one of the pillows and fought him off, throwing it at him. You sprang off the couch and leapt for the discarded thing, but his hands snatched your waist and pulled you to him, brining you into a kiss, your back to him, his fingers curled delicately under your chin as he angled you towards his, capturing your lips softly. Silent Night played gorgeously in the background, and you felt tears drop off your cheeks. He stopped when he noticed the wetness, removing the tears with a stroke of his thumb. He looked you in the eyes with concern, giving you cause to get lost in them, when he asked you what was wrong. You told him ‘Nothing. Everything is perfect. I can’t imagine anything being more perfect.’ He smiled and nodded knowingly before bringing you into another kiss. You loved the moment. You really, truly loved it, with it golden, warm, precious hue, and him holding you close as he whispered
“I can’t believe I’m holding you; my girl in the window.”
A baby cries abruptly, your eyes snapping open as it brings you back to reality, becoming aware of the jostling the machine made. You sighed and leaned back again, relieved when the tube stopped, voice announcing the stop and doors sliding open, because the screaming child left with the horde of people, those beside you getting up and leaving as well. A few people trickled in, but they never got the chance to sit anywhere near you, for the source of the pleasant cologne came and sat down next to you.
“Hey you.” came the charming British voice, an elbow nudging your side jokingly. You smiled, recognizing Tom. You turned to him and took out your ear bud, nudging back, his arm brushing against yours. He was dressed in his usual blue t-shirt, a leather jacket on and sitting in his classic HIddleston stance.
“Why hello to you too, Mr. Hiddleston.” you say. “So that’s you I smell then?”
His grin widens. “Is that a good thing?” he asks.
You cock your head and pretend to think for a bit. “Ummm… yes.”
“I am glad to be of service to you then.” He remarks cheekily. You roll your eyes at him and he chuckles.
“Oh goodness, I’m being rude!” he says, only partly joking. “How are you? How’s Ben doing?”
You chat briefly about work, and how Ben got home a few nights ago. You tell him about all of Ben’s new projects and you get off your chest what’s bothering you while he nods and smiles apologetically. And then he tells you about Coriolanus and you grin at his enthusiasm as he tells you all about it, his passion just radiating. You laugh at old jokes and times.
He is Ben, and yours, probably best friend. He is always coming over for tea or whatever, and it’s never a surprise when Benedict calls to say he’s going to be late because he ran into Tom, or you walk in and standing at the island having a good laugh.
He got off at the next stop, and with him the beautiful smell as well.
“Say hi to Ben for me, will you?” he says as he gets up, the doors opening and people leaving, gawking at him not so subtly.
“Of course.” you respond. “Are you sure you can’t stay until I get off? I’ll be lonely!” you beg.
But he just winks at you. “Oh, no! I think you’ll want… Well, just you wait. It’ll be worth it, sweetheart!” He says as he leaves, and you call out after him, but he just grins from the other side of the doors, waving and turning moments before the doors close. You shake your head at him, furrowing your brow and smile sadly. But you dismiss his oddity, leaning back into your seat, frowning, and try to go back to your happy place where you and Ben where cuddling, with little success. Thankfully you get off at the next stop, so you make sure you have all your things.
Little do you know, Tom walks down the platform against the moving train, texting Benedict to tell him which car you are in. And at your next stop is Benedict, standing there with his hands in his pockets and a scarf around his neck, bundled up in a military style jacket.
The platform is relatively empty, and those that do pass Benedict are either do not recognize him, or are too timid to approach. But he doesn’t mind in the slightest. He is waiting for you, and he cannot wait to see your face. He hums a strange up beat tune, and his toe taps along to the unknown song. His phone goes off in his pocket and he removes it, looking at the message Tom sent. His face lights up and taps back a quick thank you, slipping it back when he hears titters erupt a little ways away.
“You ask.” One of the girls hiss.
“No, you! Come one, it was your idea Cassie!” the other whines.
He chuckles before looking up to the girls a little ways down the platform.
“Oh, c’mon, Maddie would you ju-”
“What? What are you…” The girl named Cassie was beet red, her eyes now locked on Benedict. He winks at her and gives her a smirk, to wit her friend catches sight of what she is looking at and her jaw drops. The girl named Maddie nudges her friend forwards, making Cassie stumble forward a few steps.
Having fun, Benedict calls out to them. “Having some technical issues, love?”
With that, the girls begin stammering and walking towards him, saying ‘oh no, no no. They were just, um, would he, well, could he…’ He smiles pleasantly at them and steps to meet them, your train a few minutes away, you still completely oblivious.
“Why of course.” He says.
The girls begin a sort of an organized frenzy, attempting to find things for him to sign. In the midst of her friend finding a pen, Cassie stepped up timidly.
“Would it be okay if I filmed this? Honestly, no one is going to believe this. They’re just going to think I photo-shopped it again. He laughs heartily at that and gives her the thumbs up. She scrambles to get her phone set up, hitting the record button as Maddie hands over the things to be signed, Ben taking the pen between his fingers.
“I’m never going to let anyone touch that thing ever again, I swear to God.” Maddie whispers, eliciting a good chortle from Benedict. Handing the things back to them he straightens up, your train near there. He chats with them for a bit, asking the basic general questions, holding polite conversation, secretly feeling giddy at the gobsmacked expressions on their faces, Cassie’s pointed through the camera on her phone. It wasn’t until they were talking about school when the tube was announcing its arrival, sweeping into the platform, silencing Ben. The girls chattered on absent mindedly, filming still, until they noticed his attention was elsewhere, train stopping level at the window.
You had been gathering your things altogether as the tube approached your stop, prepared to theoretically sprint home. But when the thing was pulling up, there he was; Ben. Just standing there, a couple teenaged girls at his side, not that you really notice them. All you can see is his beaming face as you shoot out of your seat, people all around you looking up at your little outburst: you could care less. You are at the doors several seconds before they are due to open, completely ecstatic, bouncing up and down. And when they do open up, irritatingly slow, you shoot out of there like a cannon, running up to him before anyone was out of the tube, flinging yourself in his arms. He swings you around easily before putting you back down on the ground, though refusing to release you, his arms wrapped around you, and he leans into you, bringing you into a kiss you dreamed about all day long.
Cheers erupt in the background, outside your moment of perfection. He grins against you before pulling away to look you in the eyes.
“I’m so happy you’re here.” You whisper.
“You couldn’t stop me, to be honest. I’ve wanted to be with you all day. Just gaze at you.” He replies passionately.
You blush and he reaches to brush a lock out of your eyes.
“How did you know though? Which train, which car?”
“Luck! And maybe a bit of Tom.” He admits.
“Oh, that man! What am I going to do with the two of you?!” you project, the noise making you have to speak loud, the soft adrenaline coursing. “What did possess you to come out here though? Everyone’s around! I thought you didn’t like this sort of thing!”
“You.” He responds the same, as if the answer was blatantly obvious, which, you guess, it is. “And,” he adds, taking a breath in. “I may have been listening to your playlist when ‘Fall Out Boy’ came on.”
“‘I Don’t Care’?”
He nods sheepishly.
“I love you.” He says emotionally, kissing your forehead.
“I love you too.”
Suddenly, you become aware that you two are still standing on the platform, a few people watching, others passing by to and from the train. Ben must have as well, because he releases your waist, replacing it with a hand on your back as he steers you away.
But you don’t get far when the two teenage girls are after the two of you, asking if it is okay if they publish the video they recorded. Ben looks a bit stunned, turning to you questioningly, raising an eyebrow. Pure body language, neither of you need to say a word. And you can tell the he is okay with them doing so, but he’s asking you if you are okay with it. You smile at him, dip your head and watch as he receives the message silently, turning back to the girls and telling them ‘of course.’
You leave in your own world, hand in hand, going home, in love and care free.
When you get home, there’s a million messages in your email, many texts on your phone, and a video titled ‘Now That’s Love.’