A Stroll in the Park (Tom Hiddleston X Fem Reader)

Anagapesis

Anagapesis (noun)- to fall out of love/lose feelings for someone or something once loved.

The music reverberates through your chest into the floor, feeling like it was turning your insides to soup with the sheer amount of shaking and bouncing running through you. You make a beeline for the bar, setting your sights on the bartender in hopes they would be able to make this night less awkward.

"Could I get a jack and coke-" you trail off towards the end. Head swimming. Memories. Last time you drank things went... less than well. "...virgin" you finish.

The bartender gives you a look that was either judgemental or humoured, difficult to tell with the low lighting. "So a coke?" they point out, making you nod sheepishly. They spin on their heel to a little mini bar behind them and set the can down in front of you, holding their hand up when you go to give them money. "Open bar, go nuts" they tell you, nodding at your drink and heading over to a group of people waiting to get their own drinks.

"OK so it could've started a bit better, but no bother, you can do this y/n" you think to yourself, opening the can and spinning on your heel to head into the centre of the party.

You squint through the groups of people, looking for friends to cling to and get you through tonight. Answering your prayers, a long-fingered hand wraps around your wrist and tugs on you. You allow yourself to be pulled and spin to see Jill stood with a very tipsy-looking Mark.

"Hey green guy!" you greet him, getting a sloppy hug and grin in reply.

"You're looking rather flash, wearing a certain someone's colours too" she wiggles her eyebrows at you, still convinced you and Tom were seeing other. Before it irritated you that you couldn't just confirm her teasing and talk to her about him like most people do with their boyfriends and friends. Now you didn't even know what the hell Tom was to you, or even worse, what you were to him.

"Not my fault he has a good colour palette" you muse, dragging the two of them into an off-beat dance to change the subject as quickly as was humanly possible. Mark seemed to need little to no encouraging as he immediately began jumping up and down while swaying himself from side to side, Jill getting caught up with the atmosphere joins in, linking her arm around Mark's waist to keep him upright.

Sweat, music and laughter fills the air, swirling around everyone to occupy every space that wasn't taken up by a person. You find your head getting light due to the amount of singing and dancing with barely anything to drink so head back to get another coke.

Re-joining the group you want to gravitate to other groups to keep yourself circulating and able to catch up with as many people as possible before loosing touch with them. You spot Cate and decide to wander over to chat right as Tessa seemed to have the same idea. Tessa and you hadn't really been in contact that much given that she was on set a lot more than you and even when you were on together, you tended not to need to be around her. Still, there was no better time to get to know each other.

"Hey ladies!" you practically shout to be heard over the music. Cate pulls you in to a tight embrace, an act Tessa copies, you assume to ensure she didn't look rude or awkward.

"Feeling better about it yet?" Cate asks, taking a sip of wine as she does

"Yeah kinda, I think I've come to terms with it now honestly"

"Come to terms with what? What are we on about?" Tessa asks, looking between the pair of you like you were opponents on a tennis court.

"Y/n was emotional that work would be ending soon, you know the whole good-bye thing" Cate explains, shouting into Tessa's ear, talking with her arms to convey her message more.