summary: you have to give the annoying kid in your class guitar lessons although things go differently
warnings: none
word count: 1569
Oh yeah, sure, Mum. I'll go give lessons to the kid down the street! Which kid in particular would I be giving my free time to exactly? Tom? Tom Holland? The incredibly annoying kid down the street? I'm pretty sure he doesn't even care to learn to play the guitar for crying out loud!
Your pace grew slower which each step closer to his house. You have been dreading this day for a week. Not only was Tom incredibly annoying to you, but he also happened to be your 'ex boyfriend' from sixth grade. Everyone had that relationship that wasn't really a relationship, but you all thought it was. You only talked when you passed in the halls and when you saw each other after school. You two 'dated' for a year and half and went on one measly date that ended up with you getting grounded. You ended it after several failed attempts to fix whatever you two even had.
You have not spoken since, an occasional 'hello' or 'how are you' if you see each other but nothing over the top. Tom grew up to do his own thing, like you did yours. Which is what got you into this situation. Although, this wasn't your fault. Your mum and his have remained somewhat friend's throughout the years and apparently during one of their Mum-Brunches with all of the other little Mums in town, she brought up that you played guitar and how fabulous you were, and Nikki mentioned that Tom had been wanting to learn to play.
Since you only lived two streets down you got there in just the right time. 4 pm, what an odd time. You kicked up the front steps and knocked on the door, immediately shoving your frigid hands back into the pockets of your jacket. It just had to be freezing out, of course.
Soon enough, you were greeted with a warm smile as the door opened. Nikki welcomed you in, wanting you to get warm as soon as possible. Bless her soul. You stepped into the mud-room and began taking off your shoes and jacket. No matter how cold it was outside, they always had the heat up to what felt like a hundred degrees. As you put your jacket on the coat rack, Nikki called for Tom at the bottom of the stairs.
"I have to run a few errands, I hope you don't mind." She looked back to you, smiling wide as if you and her son had been best friends for years, like you didn't find her son to be a complete and utter nescience. You smiled back.
"Not at all, I think we will be okay."
You heard a couple thumps and bangs and running around upstairs before finally hearing a door close and what seemed to be a calm, cool, and collected Tom descending the stairs. He hopped the last two steps and swung around the banister, not looking at you yet. You didn't either. You kept your eyes on Nikki, you wished she would stay. Besides, where are all this kid's brothers?
"Okay, Tom. I'll be back, behave, please." She turned to Tom, kissing his cheek and him returning the favor with quick 'loveyoutoo'. Nikki beamed at you once more before exiting out of the door, leaving you two by yourselves.
For a few moments, you both sat there in silence. Not looking at each other, you focused on your shoelace and him on whatever was around his feet. You looked up for a moment to see if he was going to speak, but were met with his eyes and you quickly darted yours away.
"So, your mom told mine you had your own guitar? I didn't bring mine." You finally spoke.
"You didn't bring your own?"
"Well, no. I don't want to get damaged or anything of the sort."
"I'm not that reckless." Tom said monotone, you laughed at the joke.
He sighed before walking down off the platform and into the hallway, waving for you to follow him.
He led you to the living room where you saw a little stand with a guitar that looked like it was top of line. Maybe even better than yours. You marvel at it for a moment, looking at the designs and the way it was crafted. You hadn't noticed you made an audible 'Woah,' Until you hear Tom snickering behind you.
"Okay, so I have never really taught anyone before so I don't know how this will turn out but. . ." You trailed, not really sure where to end that sentence.
Tom nodded and was watching intently. To be honest, you didn't even think that he would be interested in this. You thought his Mum set this up for him, that it was her idea. But that preconceived notion changed quickly as he watched your fingers glide across the strings. Not even really playing anything but just getting a feel for the instrument.
"Do you know the parts of a guitar?" You asked, he shook his head. "Well, this is the neck, pretty self explanatory, these lines, they are frets. You use these to tune to the guitar, and these are bridge pins." You speak, pointing to everything you said. Tom nods.
The next two hours suprised you. Tom actually listened. He learned a lot in a short amount of time, and not once did he really annoy you as bad as you thought. A few comments here and there made you groan or roll your eyes but nothing to the point of wanting to bash his head with the instrument.
Maybe he wasn't incredibly annoying as you once thought. Maybe he wasn't the kid you once knew. Well, obviously, everyone changes from when they were eleven, but Tom was different. Tom was just. . .Tom. He was always out there, energetic, the class clown, the guy who didn't care much for school, and everything you hated but it seemed to have faded and you were actually sad. Maybe because that's what made him, him and as much as you loathed it, the thing that you loathe more was people becoming things they aren't. Maybe he changed, maybe he made himself change. Who knows.
Plus, it's only been two hours. Who knows if he is just putting on an act.
"Do you want anything to drink?" He asked you, putting down the guitar back into the stand.
"Actually, yeah. A water would be nice." Tom half smiled and started walking to the kitchen, you following close behind. Opening the fridge and sticking his head inside, you sat at the counter.
"So, what have you been up too recently?" Tom asked, handing you a ice cold water and taking one for himself while leaning on the counter across from you.
"Nothing, really. I don't do much, I'm a bit of a bore." You laugh and he smiles.
"You play guitar, and pretty good I might add. You ever think of starting a band of some sort? Doing something with it?"
"To be honest, no. What about you? Anything up with you lately?" You make a face as soon as you say it, realizing you completely forgot about it. "Nevermind." You turn light shade of pink and look down at your cap.
"Yeah, that. It's so surreal."
"Can't imagine it wouldn't be."
Silence fills the air. Not in a tense way but in way that is comforting. Things had been so awkward for a while but you could really start to feel more comfortable around him. You start laughing.
"What?"
"Do you remember. . going to the cinema-"
"Shut up." Tom whines and puts his hands in his face.
"And you were so keen on impressing me," you giggle, recalling the first 'date' you and Tom ever had. "It was a great faceplant into the ground."
Tom groans and puts his head down, also recalling the embarrassing moment. Thinking back to it, you had not even noticed it wasn't an act to do that, but he actually fell and fractured his nose. You see him start laughing to himself and pick his head from up from counter.
"Well, if we are playing this game. Do you remember when-"
"No, shut up. I already know what it is!" You groan as he did and feel yourself turn a million shades of red.
"Y/n, you put yourself in a shopping cart and made me push you around the parking lot," he couldn't contain his laughing, he had to stop several times to even form a sentence, which made you laugh harder at your own embarrassment. "I let go, and you went flying into the guardrail and just went, WHOOSH!" He motions what it looked like you did.
You both laughed it off for a couple seconds, remembering the only two things that you both ever did as past boyfriend and girlfriend.
Are you sure this is the Tom you hated for years?
"We should hangout again sometime, and not just guitar lessons." He proposes, sipping his water.
Not responding you looked at him. A soft smile was plastered on his face, waiting on an answer to his question. You thought for a moment.
Was it really that bad of an idea?
"I think that'd be fun."
♡︎