**COMPLETED**Unbound ((a Tom Hiddleston Fanfiction))

Chapter Fourteen: Propaganda

“Before we do anything, can I please just talk to the little guy?”

We passed my house, there were too many people on my front lawn, at least at Tom’s we had a better chance at getting through. He wanted to be alone, I could tell.

Tom waved a hand at me and Alastair and I walked to his room.

“Are you alright love?” He looked better, but I could tell he was putting on a smile so that I wouldn’t be worried. I pulled him into a tight hug. “It’s going to be alright.” I kissed the top of his forehead before suggesting a SpongeBob episode.

He of course jumped at the idea.

                Tom was sitting in the living area, his arms folded. “Explain.” Was all he said.

My mind boggled for the right wording, I didn’t know how to put it without me sounding like I was lying. The look on Tom’s face made me think that whatever I said, would sound like a lie now. I probably looked like I was hesitating. “In all honesty? I have no idea what they’re talking about.” My voice was flat, cracked and frayed at the edges. The hurt was evident. Who knew he’d instantly jump to conclusions, to believe them?

“What are you on about? Don’t fool around with me Dom.” His voice was still stern.

“I really have no idea. I don’t know what those ‘people’ were accusing me of – why do you instantly believe them over me? Haven’t I been around long enough for you to trust me? I’ve told you s –

“Don’t go pulling that stint with me. There must be some evidence somewhere, for them to have speculated it – I mean, how could you have the time, if you aren’t at work or with me, where are you?”

That hurt. It also put it into perspective for me. I’d put all my focus on him and work, and hadn’t spent proper time with Alastair. I fell silent for a moment.

“Come on, I can see the guilt strewn across your face Dom. Tell me. Who was it?” Tom’s voice was so low, it scared me a little.

The tension was thick, as it would in any occasion like this. Both would be quiet, one waiting for an answer, hoping for the best – or the worst, depending; the other, forming a logical sentence in their whirlwind of a mind. My mouth hung open for a second and then shut again. No, that didn’t sound right. Again I tried, “There is no one, there was no one. It was always you…… I dropped everything for you.” My voice broke. There were snags and tears in nearly every word. I was good at keeping the waterworks off, for Al’s sake, but I still hadn’t mastered controlling the emotion in my voice. My heart was acting as the Titanic, sinking painfully and snapping at just the right moment. I felt betrayed. I felt guilty. I felt defeated. “I’ll pack a few things now and come back for the rest another day. Txt me when would be the best time.” I couldn’t hold his gaze anymore. My voice had hardened somewhat, it became more formal, a sort of defence system.

                “Thanks again Lez.” He looked at me sadly through the rearview mirror.

Lez hardly ever talked to me, we sort of communicated through expressions and gestures, so I was surprised to hear him say, “It’s perfectly fine Ms Nemesio.” He pronounced it perfectly. “Mr Hiddleston will realise where he went wrong.”

He turned into my street and the bastards had left. I was thankful. I didn’t want some huge story on us breaking up so quickly, how fragile our relationship was. I was so disappointed in Tom, had those few months meant nothing to him? Had I not opened up to him, broke down my walls and told him everything? I thought we were friends, enough for him to respect my word. I guess everything was for nothing. Our little fling was exactly that, a fling. Maybe he did this on every one of his movies? I’d heard he had something with Kat Dennings in the first Thor movie. Maybe I was just that and he’d been waiting for an excuse to cut the cord and he’d finally found his excuse?

“Mummy? Hold your hand?” Al said to me, his face was so genuine, so pure, why would anyone want to take that kind of innocence away from something so beautiful?

Putting on my best fake smile, I held onto his small hands. He squeezed onto it, reassuring me. He was so grown up. “Thank you honey.” I kissed his tiny hands and he smiled back at me.

                The next few days were dismal; I couldn’t tell what day it was. When Al was at school, I held myself captive in my own house. I didn’t answer calls, I didn’t watch TV, I didn’t even go on the internet. I shut myself away from the world. I’d forgotten how horrible it was. Living on ice cream and movies, I’d cried all day on my first day. Literally all day. I cleaned, cooked, ate – crying. The day after that and so on, I felt just as horrible, wanting nothing more to shed those tears, but they wouldn’t come. I’d emptied myself out in one go. More days past and it would have been the second week now. I think. It became easier to put on the happy mum act with Al everyday, so perhaps that was the sign of progress. But I felt just as horrid as day one.

“Hello Kim? Are you free today?” I said into the plastic device.

“Hey! Yeah I am actually, Kris is here too. We’re at the mall.” Her voice was cheery, as always.

“Hi!” I heard Kris say in the background.

A small smile crept onto my face. “Hey Kris.”

“So what’s up?” Kim asked.

“I was just wondering if you wanted to go to the salon today? I still owe you remember?”

“Yes. That’s perfect. Do you want us to pick you up?”

 I thought for a moment, “That would be perfect actually.” And to be honest, I needed to relax.