Forget-Me-Not (A Tom Hiddleston Fanfiction)

(12) Pretty Handsome Awkward

Over the morning Nina accumulated more and more texts from Kyle that she couldn't reply to as she was busy talking contracts with Annie, or powdering Tom's face. At lunchtime she disappeared off to a secluded corner of the set and sat down on the grass, pulling out her phone. Twenty five new messages.

K: Morning baby xo
K: Baby are you there? xo
K: Nina don't do this to me again.

Nina scrolled through the unread messages and groaned as she remembered she'd never replied to him yesterday. The last message alarmed her and she read it a couple more times before dialling Kyle's number.

K: Fine, then, if you don't want to talk to me then don't bother coming home

Nina braced herself for a sarcastic comment as the call was answered on the second ring. "Nina! Lovely to finally hear from you." And there it was. "Decide you could be bothered to talk to your boyfriend?"

"Kyle, you know I'm busy all day. I'm sorry, honey..."

"Sorry won't cut it. I'm worried about you, Nina." Nina tensed up as she heard a distinctive female voice in the background.

"Who's with you, baby?" Nina said, afraid of what his reply would be.

"Oh, no one. I'm fine." There was a tone to his voice that unnerved Nina and she felt like her timid self again, not daring to say another word about it. "Ring me later, ok?"

"But Kyle, I'll be-"

"No buts. Miss you already!" He ended the call and Nina let out a choked cry before frustratedly throwing her phone a few feet in front of her, into the short grass. She tucked her legs up to her chest and buried her face into her arms which rested atop her knees. Suddenly she was aware of a presence in front of her but she didn't breathe a word. Nina wasn't sure if she was even breathing at all.

"Didn't you want this?" It sounded like Annie. "I imagine it's probably invaluable." She sensed someone sit beside her and put her phone into her pocket. "You can talk to me, you know."

"No, I can't." Nina mumbled, not moving her head from where it was. "I barely you know you and vice versa."

"So talk to me then." Nina raised her head slightly to look at the confident redhead sitting beside her.

"Why would I want to do that?" Nina was mumbling again.

"A problem shared is a problem halved."

"Not when the half that you get is the worst part."

"And what do you see the worst part as?"

"Losing my boyfriend and thus meaning losing my flat and a lot of our shared possessions."

"Ah." Annie smiled weakly at the floor. "I know how you feel."

"Really?"

"I had a partner once who was popular, yet they were the one who was protective, and so dominant over me. Then I found out they'd been sleeping around a bit and I worked up the courage to break it off."

"He sounds like Kyle."

"She." Annie corrected casually, picking at a few daisies on the floor.

"She? So that means...but you..."

"Oh, you think I was flirting with Tom?" Annie threw her head back and cackled. "Oh, no, that's my normal behaviour, love. I'm generally quite...friendly, I've been told."

"I can tell." Nina forced a weak smile. "So are we going for lunch or what?"

"No worries, I bought you lunch!" A tall figure strode quickly over to them carrying two platefuls of food. "I saw you two over here having a heart to heart so I figured we could have a picnic."

"Tom! How nice of you!" The three of them sat in a triangle around the two piled plates but what added to the novelty of the moment was that Tom was still in full costume and he did look rather dashing. "I must say, Nina, you've done an excellent job on his face. I could cut myself slapping those cheekbones. Want me to try?"

"Annie..." Tom glanced at her, holding a sandwich halfway to his mouth. "I don't know if you've noticed it, but-"

"Oh, the flirting? It's ok, I'm gay." Tom almost choked on his sandwich as Nina burst into peals of laughter, Annie just sitting there nonchalantly picking at a cupcake. "You look scared, sweetie."

"Oh, no..." Tom coughed and swallowed. "I'm not scared, I'm just...surprised, is all..." Nina was doubled over with laugher from the scared yet apologetic look on Tom's face still. "What? What have I done?"'

"Nothing...nothing..." Nina was gasping for air as she sat up, unconsciously making the decision to use Tom's arm as support to keep herself upright. After all, she thought, I've already passed out across his lap once. "Ok. I think I'll try eating a sandwich now."

They talked for a while, slowly working their way through the food that Tom had out together for them. "So what are your parents like, Nina?" Annie asked, stealing the last grape. "Mine!"

"Oh, they live in Devon. I was going to visit them when we were filming down the if we got a break."

"That would be so nice for you! I don't see much of my parents since I came out..." Annie let out a soft sigh, squeezing Nina's hand gently. "But if you need a horse to get there, let me know, ok?"

Annie worked on site as an animal welfare officer and animal handler, keeping a general close eye on the horses and how they were treated. One of the horses being used to film the charge scene was actually Annie's own horse, a huge stallion named Ragnarok; she was really into history, Norse mythology especially.

Eventually it was time to get back to filming. Nina attacked Tom's hair with another comb, making him bend down slightly so she didn't have to use a stepladder to get to the top of his head; she was only 5'8" compared to his lanky but athletic 6'2" build. The horse Tom was on today was a lot more relaxed and thankfully didn't banish Tom to the floor on a wild escapade.

As the scene was being filmed Nina sneaked her phone out of her pocket and sent a text to Kyle.

N: Still filming. We should meet in Devon in a few weeks and go to my parents house together. xo
K: I don't want to see your parents. I just want to see you ;) xo

Nina rolled her eyes and put her phone away as the horses trotted back to where they'd started from. Tom was riding beside Benedict, the two men having a joke about something and Tom briefly glanced at Nina, his eyes gleaming once again, his smile making her heart flutter. Whatever charms Tom had, they were beginning to take effect.

[A/N] i thought the title was a pretty fitting song name! pretty - annie, handsome - tom and awkward - nina...well, i like it a lot anyways. drop a vote if you'd like to see more annie?
yours truly :) x