"Y/N, I wanna see!" Tom whined through the bathroom door. You laughed at him, which just made him groan with annoyance.
"I'll be out in a minute Handsome!" you called in a sing-song voice.
He'd been attached to you since you'd landed at LAX, and you two had already snuck off to the bedroom for a few heated lovemaking sessions, making up for lost time. His breath hot against your neck, his hands squeezing and pinching your flesh as you'd quickly removed each others clothes before falling onto the bed, eagerly seeking the other out, no time for foreplay. His hair was longer and you'd tangled your fingers in it as he'd pounded into you, burying your teeth in his shoulder to muffle your moans as you rode out orgasm after orgasm.
You'd mostly been able to avoid the paparazzi thanks to Marvel organising teams of hulking security guards driving equally large and intimidating black SUV's with tinted windows to escort you and the Holland's. Still, you'd felt exposed like a raw nerve as the cameras were shoved against the car windows as you left the airport. Terror gripped you, an old terror you hadn't experienced for a long time, and you'd pulled up your hoodie and buried your face in your knees, breathing deeply until Harry told you it was safe to sit up. As you sat up, you saw Harry, Sam and Nikki's faces creased with concern.
"Are you sure you're gonna be ok on the red carpet? It's really intense" Harry murmured quietly to you in the backseat.
You'd only been able to nod, not wanting to admit that your anxiety about your impending red carpet debut was threatening to consume you.
You shook your head, pushing your anxiety aside. This was Tom's night and you weren't going to ruin it. You carefully applied your lipstick, smacking your lips together and pouting at your reflection. You'd done your hair in simple curls, letting it cascade over your shoulders and down your back. The Ellie Saab dress was elegant and sleek; Lara had insisted you borrow something from the wardrobe at work. You'd had to fight with her to wear black, a colour she'd argued would make you blend in - which was exactly what you wanted. As it was, the dress featured a high slit and sheer lace "covered" your modesty.
"You ready Handsome?" you called.
"HURRY UP!" Tom yelled.
You opened the bathroom door, twirling for him. His eyes went wide and a massive grin broke out across his face. Your heart leapt and you launched yourself into his arms. You loved this man with every fibre of your being, and you would walk all the red carpets so long as he was by your side.
"You look gorgeous. Stunning. Beautiful. All the words" he murmured in your ear, placing his lips against your neck softly. You hugged him a little tighter, not wanting to let go.
"I love you Tom" you whispered.
"I love you too Y/N" he whispered back, his arms tight around your waist.
"Come on lovebirds, we've gotta go" Sam said. He and Harry were wearing Tom's old suits, but they paled in comparison to Tom. His hair slicked back, styled perfectly by Nelli, his bespoke bottle green Joshua Kane suit fitted to perfection. You sized him up, unaware that you were biting your lower lip.
"Darling, please don't make that face" Tom murmured to you.
"What face?" you asked quizzically.
"You're making your Fuck-Me-Daddy face" he leaned in to whisper in your ear. Your cheeks flushed and you giggled.
"Please fuck me" you whispered back. Tom shook his head at you, tutting as he did, reaching around to squeeze your bum.
"I will BabyDoll, don't you fret" he teased.
**
The closer the car got to the premiere, the tighter the coil of nerves in your gut became. Your palms were sweaty, but you didn't dare rub them on your dress. Out of the corner of your eye, you saw Tom watching you, face creased with worry. You stared out the window, breathing as deeply as you could without drawing unnecessary attention to yourself.
"You can do this love" Tom whispered in your ear, leaning over and taking your sweaty hands in his. You turned to look at him, your heart thudding in your chest.
"What if I can't?" you whispered back, your throat constricting.
"I'll be holding your hand the whole time. And when I'm not, Sam, Harry and Mum will be right next to you" he murmured encouragingly, his hand squeezing yours, his brown eyes boring into yours. "You can do anything Y/N."
You gazed into his eyes, focusing on him, your breathing slowing as you blocked out the world. Tom was, once again, your anchor, grounding you as the waves of anxiety threatened to consume you. You closed your eyes and rested your forehead against his, imagining yourself as a phoenix, burning away your fear.
The car slowed, and outside were hundreds upon hundreds of people. They were so loud it was as if the air were alive and buzzing, the car vibrating imperceptibly from the noise. There were so many cameras flashing, and there were already actors and celebrities walking down the carpet.
Tom moved to get out of the car and you clenched your hand around his, pulling him back, not quite ready to emerge from the protection of the vehicle. He turned to you and swiftly kissed you, his free hand cupping your face. You melted into his lips and pretended like you were at home and that this was just another kiss shared on the couch. When Tom pulled away, he paused, gazing into your eyes.
"You can do this Y/N" he murmured reassuringly, turning and opening the door.
A wave of sound hit you as Tom helped you out of the car, the sun blinding you. You let yourself be pulled forwards, Tom's arm wrapped around your waist as he led you onto the carpet. People were yelling, cameras were flashing and you heard Tom murmur "Smile" in your ear. You smiled, hoping it didn't look fake or forced, letting Tom manoeuvre you down the carpet.
It was like being locked in a birdcage, the birds being the photographers and fans all screaming for attention. How Tom looked so relaxed was beyond you. Whenever he went to greet a group of fans, his hand never let go of yours, even when he was signing or taking selfies with them. You smiled watching him interact with the fans, seeing how passionate they were, how much they loved and adored him. You felt funny, and found yourself wondering what kind of Dad he would be. Just as you thought that, he turned to smile at you, and you blushed, embarrassed that he may have heard your thoughts.
You were starting to relax a little, finding the fun in the madness. Suddenly, an event manager took hold of your shoulders, pulling you away from Tom, yelling over the crowd that Tom had to do interviews alone. Tom glanced back at you as he was led the opposite way, concern creasing his brown eyes, and whatever calm you had felt disappeared instantly. You stood in the middle of the carpet, frozen in place as cameras flashed and people yelled. Tom paused, looking like he was going to turn around and come back to you. Someone grabbed your hand and pulled you back, allowing the other actors and celebrities to continue along the carpet. It wasn't until you were slightly hidden behind the event managers, PA's and lesser known or important celebrities that you saw that it was Sam who had taken your hand.
"Thank you" you said, your voice high and trembling.
Sam smiled at you. "It's okay. You did great Y/N" he replied, smiling at you encouragingly. It was a little quieter back here, the people milling in front of you creating a sort of sound barrier. You started to breathe more easily, the hardest part of the night done. Nikki and Harry were taking a selfie, smiling and having a great time.
You looked through the crowd to see Tom, smiling and laughing with an interviewer. You felt that funny feeling again, and you smiled. You hoped you hadn't spoilt the red carpet for him. As if he could hear your thoughts, he turned and winked at you, his mouth turned up in your smile. Your heart felt as though it would burst right out of your chest in that moment, and it took Sam holding onto your hand to stop you from crossing the carpet and wrapping yourself around him.
**
You settled into your seat, Tom's hand intertwined with yours. Harry sat to your left, Sam next to him, with Nikki on the other side of Tom. As the lights dimmed, you rested your head on Tom's shoulder, breathing in his cologne.
"I love you" you whispered in his ear, your lips brushing against his earlobe.
He squeezed your hand, turning his head to lock lips with you. The kiss was soft and sweet. When he pulled back, he rested his forehead against yours.
"I love you too. You did great, like I knew you would. And you look incredible" he murmured as the Marvel logo began to play on the screen. "And when we get back to the hotel, I'm going to devour every last inch of you BabyDoll" he whispered in your ear, taking your earlobe in his teeth.
"I don't know if I can wait Daddy" you whispered back.
"Shh" he murmured, putting his finger to his lips and mock frowning at you.
"Tease" you murmured back, licking your lips at him.
He took his lower lip in his teeth and rolled his eyes, readjusting his position in his seat. It was going be a painfully long wait till you got back to the hotel.