Twenty min later they had arrived at his flat in London. There was silence between them the whole ride except for Amelia's sniffles as she tried but failed to stop the tears rolling down her face. He held her hand in the car one hand on hers and one hand on the steering wheel. He got her bags out of his car for her and led her into his home. As she entered his home it was not at all what he expected, very welcoming but with a flash of utilitarian. He led her silently to the kitchen where he proceeded to make her some tea. She sat at the counter while he gathered ingredients for tea, her favorite. He turned and watched her as she fidgeted uncomfortably with her phone. He smiled that smile that melted her to her core. She thought of where she was now and where that fell in their contract. He was being friendly and connected like the time of the premier, the old Henry and it made her heart soar. She asked for the bathroom and he pointed her to it.
She walked in to see the damage of the last few hours. . She stood in the bathroom mirror looking at the ghost of a woman in the reflection. She took her sunglasses off and quickly put them back on. Her eyes were red and tired and that made her heart break all over again. She quickly brushed her teeth and her hair and put it up in a more put together pony tail. She left the bathroom and made her way back to the kitchen where tea had been served. She was still wearing her glasses and her coat afraid to take them off and reveal the sadness in her eyes or lose the shield that was her coat. She felt dirty, more so than she ever felt playing with men. Somehow the events of the last two days had made her feel unworthy and gross, like she didn't belong anywhere.
Their eyes locked and he smiled it pained her to her core and it made her feel even more vulnerable than she already did. She sat next to him at the counter trying to control her mood failing every time she though of what led her to this moment. He handed her a cup of something hot and she thanked him. She took a sip of Earl Grey and it filled the cracks in her broken heart she exhaled a breath. "Better?" He said. She nodded "Everything can be fixed with a cup of something hot" she smiled down at her cup hearing him use her phrase. "are you going to tell me what happened with Hiddleston?" She looked down and her heart started to beat faster. He had missed her so much saying goodbye had been the hardest thing he'd ever done seeing her now like this set fire in his veins. He wanted to find Tom and kick his ass. He turned towards her and put his finger on her chin to make her face him and removed her sunglasses. he sighed in relief glad that what he was fearing to see on her eyes was not there but still she looked broken. Her eyes were red and tired. "I'll tell you"
She went on to recall the dinner with Tom's friends and the lunch before with his family up to the moment he had seen her in the airport. By the end of it he was shaking with anger. He cared about her that much was obvious and when she told him that she was dating Tom he hid the jealousy well. But he hated him for taking her away from him and now for hurting her in the process. He had given way for Tom because he thought he could make her whole but he was very wrong. He was silent as they drank their tea but, she knew he was angry so she said nothing. She felt so bad for imposing on him like that, bearing it all to him after he had let her go and most likely moved on. Suddenly it dawned on her that he may not be alone. "I'm so sorry Henry I should not have imposed on you like this, I should really just find a hotel for the night." She got her phone out to find the nearest hotel but quickly realized she had a lot of missed messages and text all from Tom. She didn't read any of them. She opened a new text and text Tracy to let her know where she was and did a quick search of hotels finding one less than five miles away.
She proceeded to find a cab to come get here but realized she would need an address or at least corner street names for them to come get her. "Henry, could you tell me what the nearest cross streets are so I can call a cab" said asked quietly after they had sat in silence for almost twenty min. He turned to look at her "You can stay here Amelia, after everything you've gone through with Tom and with myself it's the least I can offer." that was the last thing she ever expected from him. "Why did you bring me here" She asked "how much time do you have left on your vacation?" "One week, I need to go back home next Saturday" "Would you like to spend the week with me? No contract just two people getting to know each other as friends?" "I don't know Henry that might not be a good idea for you or for me. Perception is everything in this world you live in and I really do not want you to be involved in the fall out from Tom" "I know you don't but I really don't think you should go home to your kids like this. I've seen the repercussions of you being hurt and alone and they are not good." he argued, a fair point but still Amelia was unsure. "It's been a really long and exhausting day, can I think about it?" she asked Henry nodded in response. "come on I'll show you to the guest room"
she followed him happily to finally be able to sleep or at least lay down she was not sure sleep would be something she could achieve tonight He led her to a bedroom, she had not taken a moment to really look at his home but, it reflected his style and she liked it. He gave a quick tour of bedroom and bathroom in suite. She quickly realized this was his room. "Henry I can't possibly take your room you said it was a guest room." he put his hands up and insisted. "I am fine to sleep in the guest room. The bed is smaller and less comfortable, I don't have many guest so it's not really anywhere near a good room" she was going to protest but he reassured her that he did not mind. "really I don't mind I really just need a bed to sleep in, plus I am so much shorter than you I will do fine in a small bed" one last attempt to not have him give up his room which he laughed off. " I will be fine in there plus you've had a hard few days and should get a good nights sleep" he stared at her painfully. "Why are you doing this?" she asked softly" he took in a sharp breath. "I did this to you" he took a step closed and took her face softly in his palm. She leaned into his hand closing her eyes "I led you here to this moment and for that I am sorry" she reluctantly agreed to his offer thanking him again. Before he left he engulfed her in a hug and kissed the top of her head. "Good night darling, I am in the room next door if you need anything." She nodded and he left closing the door softly.
Amelia looked around and felt the weight of the evening on her. She grabbed her suitcase and went through and took inventory of the few things she managed to get from Tom's. She had gotten most of her stuff mainly missing toiletries which she could easily replace. She walked into the bathroom and started the shower and walked in not even waiting for the water to get hot. She stood under the water sobbing. The week had began with so much hope and love but had ended in disaster and heartbreak. She was so broken she had thought that Tom would be the one, she focused on helping him mesh into her life she never stopped to think that she might not fit into his. It hurt everything hurt, her heart, her mind and her body. She sobbed until the water went from hot to cold again and shut off the water. She stood looking at herself in the mirror wrapped in a towel staring at herself. She looked like a shadow of the woman she used to be. Somehow she had managed to go back to pain and suffering after vowing not to ever be here ever again. The tears didn't stop she finally left the bathroom and found her most comfortable and modest set of pajamas and crawled into Henry's bed. She laid there in the softest bed ever surrounded by Henry's essence. She thought of how things had gone with the man down the hall and how even though she hurt him he still picked her up when she fell, the sobs were out of control she was drowning in her pain, spiraling out of control.
Henry who had been listening to her fall apart for the past hour with a heavy heart couldn't take it anymore. He walked down the hall and opened her door. She didn't even hear him or notice him until he crawled into bed with her and wrapped his arms around her. She said nothing she just rolled over and buried her face into his chest and sobbed. "I know love, I'm here let it out" she was broken into million pieces and he was trying his best to hold her together. "Why am I never good enough for anyone" she sobbed. "Amelia" he said a tone of sadness. He did this to her, Tom may have disappointed her tonight, but he had historically let her down over and over. Her sobs quieted and were replaced with soft breathing indicating she was asleep. He didn't let go of her as she readjusted herself laying her head on his chest and laid one arm across his torso. He pushed her hair from her face and placed a soft kiss on her forehead. "You are more than good enough" he said softly into her head placing one more kiss on her sleeping forehead. She smiled in her sleep and Henry hoped that tomorrow would be a better day for her.
Amelia woke up to a bright sunny day and a very cute black furry face panting in front of her. The Akita dog was sitting watching her sleep almost like he was told to. His bear like face made her smile. She held her hand out for him and he immediately walked to it and let her touch him. "Hello Kal" Henry's Instagram famous dog knew her well. Henry had brought him along many times and she adored him. She realized she was alone and could only guess where the dogs master was this early in the morning. After her morning rituals she walked out of the room almost herself again, but quickly realized she had no idea where Henry was. She had never been to his home. But Kal knew. "Kal" she called to the dog that was now lounging on the bed while she was getting ready for the day. "where is Henry?" The dog looked at her sideways like he didn't understand her but then took off she followed. She could hear a treadmill and the sound of someone running? They came to what looked like a gym and there he was. in just shorts running. He was gorgeous and she shameless stared at him. She had definitely always likes his physique any woman would. she walked to the front of the treadmill to his line of site. He took out a headphone and smiled. "hey." He didn't stop he was dedicated to his work and working out was part of that so she didn't want interrupt. "I found you well, Kal did anyway" she said as she reached down to pet the sweet dog. "so you did, I left you Kal to keep you company I see he did his job well" he said as the treadmill slowed down. "I don't want to interrupt" She said "nah I am done here and I'm starved" she smirked at him "that's right fasting cardio huh." He nodded as he drank water.
She was always inspired by his dedication to his craft. "Well then let's go and get you some substance" she giggled and he smiled happy to see her better today. "Alright but I need to shower so you will need to keep Kal company, he's very needy." She laughed "I see so like his master." He raised an eyebrow and her playful banter, so he took a chance to be playful back. He threw her over his should and she squealed in protest. "Geralt of Rivia put me down!" He laughed and set her down gently on the couch. "Well young lady you wait here for me here" he said kissing the top of her head again and handed the controller to the tv. "I won't be long, love" she nodded at him beaming like a child.
He went to shower and could not stop thinking of the woman sitting in the living room. This was not, like before but even now being her friend he craved her. He could not understand how Hiddleston had fucked up so bad with her when she was an amazing woman. When he lost her to Tom he knew immediately that it was a mistake to let her go and holding her last night was proof that he would always be hers regardless if she was his. His thought wandered as he stood letting the water fall over him. He thought of the feel of her soft skin next to his, his lips on her body, the way she always satisfied him in every way when they were together. He was trying to keep his restraint around her now because he knew she was in a very delicate frame of mind, so he was taking things slow. But he knew that he wanted her and not as a lover or as a contract, he wanted to just love her and everything that she brought with her. This was a new opportunity for him and her and he was going to make best use of it.
He was brought out of his thoughts by the sound of messages going off on his phone. He finished his shower and dried off looking through his messages. They were from his mum, he was just back from a long away trip for work and she requested to see him today. She missed him and wanted to catch up. He didn't want to put Amelia on the spot or his Mum in a weird place so he told her he was bringing Amelia. Once the text was sent his Mum called 'mum?' He was a bit nervous about what his mother would say. After he terminated the contract with Amelia he sat down with his mother to explain what had happened with her. He needed reassurance that he had made the right choice so she knew of Amelia. Now Henry was worried about. Repeat of what happened at Toms. 'Is she ok?' He smiled into the phone, his mom always the caring mother, she was disappointed in him when he told her how much he had closed himself off from Amelia and that she had really loved him but he was scared. She had told him that love and fear go hand in hand and that if he ever had the chance to see her again he should make a better effort. 'Somewhat, she was visiting Tom here and things went badly. I found her at the airport sad and crying unable to get a flight home so I brought her here to rest and see if maybe she'd like to spend some time with me, as friends" his mother was silent thinking. "Well bring her to lunch it will be good for her, I'll see you soon" they hung up and he got dressed and looked for Amelia.
He walked in to the living room and smirked. He leaned against the frame of the living room wall and watched what has unveiling before him. She was playing Xbox listening to music on her headphones and Kal had his head on her lap. Every few min she would stop to pet him and he would perk up in response loving the attention she gave him. The dog had taken a liking to her from the beginning. "Your such a good boy huh? I missed you buddy. My Sheba is an Akita too and I bet you two would be good friends" He smiled, he didn't know she had an Akita too nor much about her personal life but he definitely wanted to know now. He cleared his throat which she didn't hear due to the music playing in her ears. So he stepped in the room and she pulled the headphones out and acknowledged him. "Hank, sorry! I saw you had an Xbox and well playing really makes me feel better so... uh .. sorry?" He laughed at her nervousness it was adorable he loved when she called him by his family nickname it was so personal, as personal as he ever let her get. " I didn't know you played?" "Yeah, I know your a PC guy but I play more on Xbox than anything else, I can't believe you have the new oblivion already, that's so annoying!" He laughed even harder, he had never known how similar their likes really were and that brought him so much joy. "Yeah well my team knows I like that stuff so they put out feelers and I usually gets the games I want early" she scoffed "well that's kind of fucked up" she pouted "well yeah but I'm happy to share with you now that I know you like to play" she beamed "really? Would you?" "Of course I would love, come on now we gotta go" she nodded grabbed her purse and followed him to the garage.
As they drove they talked more about how geeky they both were and Henry was pleasantly surprised that her kids were all geeks too. "So there is three of the right, two boys and a girl?" "Yeah Ryan is 19 and in college, Monica is 17 and in her last year of high school and Silas is almost 7 and is super spoiled." She smiled so sweetly talking about her kids, she loved being a mother and suddenly he wondered if she would want to be a mother again? "They keep you busy" "yes but it's so worth it" her smile was huge and it made his heart skip a beat. "Where are we going." She finally asked as he pulled down another street full of houses. "Well, we are actually going to my mums" she went silent and he pulled into a drive way and parked. "Look I know that you had some bad experiences this week, and I completely understand. But I had this planned for a bit, I've been out of the country for work and I really need to see my mum. She asked me to bring you." Amelia smiled " you told your mom about me." Henry laughed nervously and looked down still sitting in the drivers seat. "um yes I did she knows about you, well about us" she had a small smile on her face. She had a really bad week with Toms family and at this point she really didn't know if she could handle anymore drama. But the waiting look on his face made her want to try. "Ok" she said he smiled a real smile and gave her hand a squeeze. He got out of the car and walked to open her door. He stood there holding out his hand to her. She got out and walked with him to the front door.
They didn't knock they just walked in Amelia trailing behind him. The house was quaint but very homey but mostly it was loud. This was not a normal lunch with his mom the house was full of brothers, sister in laws and kids. This made Amelia feel right at home. As they entered the dining area the room went silent as they saw Henry then an uproar it was really sweet to see how loved he was, it also made her nervous, if his mom knew about them she must hate her. After everyone said their hellos and quieted down they took notice of the woman hiding behind him. "well I had no idea everyone would be here a heads up would have been nice mum" he kissed his mum who went around him to greet Amelia who had been hiding behind his large tall form pretty successfully. " you must be Amelia" she said smile on her face. She reached for her and took her into a big hug. A hug full of acceptance and understanding. Amelia looked up at Henry with tears in her eyes and he smiled. "It's so nice to meet you darling" she said with a sweet smile. " I have heard so much about you, come you can sit next to me." She led her to a seat at the table next to her and Henry followed sitting on the other side of her.
The room was dead silent. Henry was glaring at his brother and their wives hoping that they would stop staring at Amelia. His mother in an attempt to break the ice had Amelia come and help her in the kitchen. "Is that the Amelia." His oldest brother asked. "Yes" he grunted with a look. He might be the oldest but Henry was definitely the most fit and with all his movie combat training he could take him in a fight. "Well then let's eat." They all sat in uncomfortable silence the only talking was between his mother and Amelia. The others sat staring and it was obvious to Henry and to Amelia. Which started to set her in edge. His mom was so interested in her chatting about Henry as a child and asking about her own children. " so you have three children." His mother asked. "Yes. Ryan the oldest is 19 almost twenty, Monica my only daughter is 17 , and Silas who is almost 7." "That is a pretty big gap between kids, you had your first child at 21 and your last at 35?" She nodded taking a bite of salad. "Do you want more kids? You know Henry doesn't have any of his own?" Amelia was caught off guard by the question that came from one of Henry's sister in laws. "Enough!" His mom gave him a look "I'm sorry mum, I don't mean you" he directed his attention to his siblings and spouses "yes this is Amelia, yes we had a very different arrangement but she has had a very rough week here in London and we are just spending time together. So I will allow you 1 question each because I know you have questions and instead of bombarding her with them I will respond not Amelia , and the first invasive or mean question you ask we will leave and I will not talk to you ever again." Amelia was touched by Henrys reaction. The question wasn't mean it was valid for someone that loved him and was curious. The questions that Tom's friends had asked her were much worst than this.
There were six questions. Where they dating now? Henry said no comment to that one which made everyone laugh including Amelia. She reached over and held his hand under the table and looked at his beautiful smiling face that had a slight red tinge. Question two was he going to stop being a wanker and take this relationship seriously this time. Which brought on more laughter and a lot of cat calls to which Henry rolled his eyes and flipped off his brother. Question three was a repeat of the original question to which Henry said it was none of her business that caused his sister in law to pout. Question four was about her status with tom, it wasn't meant as invasive more like confirmation that she was free to date Henry. that one was left to Amelia who took that moment to drink her wine and shrug her shoulder. Question five was a professional question asking when Amelia would publish the next book in her series to which Amelia happily let them in on the secret that she would be dropping the second to last installment of her book next year. There was a high five and a very excited response to that one. The last question was not a question at all, Henry s last sister in law Jemma only wanted to say that They made an extremely cute couple despite Henry's obvious physical deformities. This one definitely closed the conversation and brought Amelia into the family officially.
The afternoon progressed very differently than the day with Tom's family Henry and his four brother parted ways into the back yard when their dad came home to hang out. Amelia was left with Henry's mom and his two sister in laws Jemma and Billie. Amelia felt right at home with them. "So is he being nice to you this time?" Jemma asked as they sipped their wine. "Um I think so, I mean it's been less than 24 hours so I am not really sure what is going on between us. Its weird yesterday I woke up as Tom's girlfriends and even though our relationship started to crumble I was sure we would still make it. I would have never thought that I would end up broken and alone in an airport. Much less that Henry would be the one to save me, but honestly it hasn't been the first time he's saved me from myself." Amelia felt comfortable with Henry's family, they were kind and down to earth. They didn't see him as a star, they knew he had faults and that he was human. They loved him but they also kept him grounded, in a way it made her understand exactly why he was always so hesitant to let anyone else in, he needed someone to keep him grounded as well but also to be able to take the drama that came with his public life. They had gone from lunch to dinner and Amelia was now helping Henry's mom with dinner. They had spent almost a whole day with his family and everyone loved her. She sat down at the same seat at the table after the table was set.
Henry walked in with all the boys to see Amelia laughing with his sister in laws and holding his sleeping three month old niece, the sight gave Henry chills. His brother who saw him gave him a pat on the back "she fits right in don't she?" She caught his stare and smiled at him and then went back to her conversation casually sipping on her wine. The dinner went even better than the lunch. They all talked, ate and laughed. Amelia held that baby almost all through dinner and Henry did nothing but look at her. "You can give her back you know! But she has seriously found comfort in your arms." Billie admitted. "I love babies! I loved rocking my kids when they were babies and Silas is five almost six he does not want mom cuddles anymore so I am soaking it in. Plus she is so adorable." "Maybe you should take her home because she never seems to sleep when me or Charlie hold her." They laughed and the baby stirred in her arms which she rocked. Henry's mom who had been watching her son watch the love of his life smiled. She hoped that Henry would let her in this time he needed Amelia that was the one thing she knew for sure.
They said their goodbyes after dark and got back into the car to make their way back to Henry's house. "Your family is so freaking amazing" Amelia exclaimed when they pulled out of the drive way. "Well they seem to love you, and darling you fit in quite nicely to be honest." he boasted. "What are we doing Henry? Are we staring over? Are we moving forward?" Normally he would hesitate but after today he knew exactly what he wanted with her. "We can't start over love, there is too much history to start over all the way over. I want you to be mine not just physically. I want to be yours, your boyfriend, your love, your confidant your husband maybe if you'd allow it. I want all of you, your good days and bad. I want to meet your kids and get to know them. I want them to meet my family because I can assure you that my mum would love more grand kids." Amelia blushed at the thought of grand kids. The thought of her having a child with Henry gave her a feeling she could not describe.
There was a momentary silence that was interrupted by ringing. Amelia looked at her phone and saw that Tracy was calling so she answered. "Hey you!" she said "Amelia, where are you?" she said concerned "I am in the car with Henry, why?" Tracy sighed "OK good, There is video that someone sent in to TMZ of you and Henry its everywhere on social media." Amelia put Tracy on speaker phone so Henry could hear. "What video, what are we doing in the video?" "Well that's not really the problem, the video is of you two leaving the airport holding hands, the issues is that since that video surfaced for some reason a lot of others have surfaced. Five total. No one knows where they came from but they are basically paint you out to be a cheater, stating that you have been with both Tom and Henry this whole time. "Well fuck." Amelia said slipping lower into her seat.
They reached Henry's house and were in the garage when Henry walked around to get her out of the car. They were still talking to Tracy when Henry came back from letting Kal out and was on the phone with his assistant. "So how bad is this for Henry?" Amelia said after they introduced everyone that was on the call. They were sitting on the couch both phones on speaker. He had pulled her into his lap to hold her for comfort. "I think it's not as bad for Henry as it is for you Amelia." Jenna said. she growled in defeat. "But I have a bit more information I have an inside source at tmz who knows where these videos are coming from. He won't say exactly but he confirmed that they all came from the same source and that the source is well placed within the scandal." Amelia looked at Henry in confusion. "So you mean the person leaking these is someone that would benefit from this press?" He asked "Yes there are suspicions that it's Tom or someone on his team" Jenna replied "no way he wouldn't do that." Amelia protested. "Are you sure? He let everyone walk all over you and then what? You leave and just ghost him maybe he's mad and afraid of the fall out of another public relationship? You basically Taylor Swifted him. Although he should be used to it. Maybe that's what really happened with Taylor? His friends don't seem to like America's at all." Tracy argued. "I don't know trace that's really not his style?" "Amelia you have know Tom for a little more than a year. You know almost nothing about him. You have know Henry for years and to be honest you both know each other very well. Tom is going through a Taylor Swift break up all over again and maybe he's just doing damage control? Maybe you ought to reach out to him and see where he stands? Maybe we need to ask Taylor if that's what really happened with her and Tom? She hated it but Tracy was right. "ugh no do not bother her with that. We will deal with it" Amelia responded with a tone of unhappiness which made Henry hold her tighter. "Just don't do it alone and watch what you say if this is the case you don't need to give him more ammo. Make sure Henry is with you and that you record the call or whatever for reference." Jenna instructed. They both agreed and all said their goodbyes.
They sat in silence thinking until they heard Kal at the door so Henry went to let him in then came back. Amelia hadn't moved from the spot he left her. She was deep in thought and also deep in worry. Henry didn't want her to sink further into despair so he sat down next to her and handed her the Xbox controller. "I like to shoot and kill things when I'm going through things like this, makes me feel better." She gleamed at him as she settled in taking off her shoes and getting into a comfortable position. He went over to his computer to play there but they were still close. The couch and his desk were side by side so he could still touch her. So for hours that's what they did. She played her first person shooter game and he played his PC game both lost in thought yet still together. Something that Amelia hadn't done since she was married to Derek. No one knew her like Derek did, but Henry did.
When things got quiet Henry looked over at her and realized that she had fallen asleep. He finished his mission on his game and saved. He picked her up off the couch and she wrapped her arms around him. "Take me to bed Superman." she said sleepily, this was a running joke with her. She loved using his previous parts as nicknames he secretly loved it. He set her down softly and kissed her forehead. "Goodnight, darling" she sat up quickly realizing he was leaving the room. "Where are you going?" She asked in a panic. "To the guest room" Amelia sat there blinking at him with her big brown eyes. "why, you slept here last night?" She protested "I just thought.. I don't know Amelia, I am trying to let you steer us so I just .." he was rambling and it was adorable. She got on her knees and crawled to the edge of the bed where he met her, she wrapped her arms around and put her head on his chest as he engulfed her in a hug "Oh sweetheart, you've got me. You took me to your family day and you let me play video games all evening. Henry, I'm yours baby, there is no going back anymore. So get in this bed Geralt, and hold me to sleep" he laughed at her words. "Yes mam" he said in his American Clark Kent accent.
He disrobed down to his boxer briefs and climbed in the bed. She giggled at his response and also stripped down to her underwear he slid in the bed and wrapped her in his arms. She was the happiest she had been in a long time. "I love you Henry." she whispered in the dark. Henry held her tighter and kissed her head. "I love you too, Princess" Somehow in that single moment they morphed their previous life into a new life, it was scary and exciting in equal measure. The scandal surrounding them was daunting but neither lost any sleep over it.