Forget-Me-Not (A Tom Hiddleston Fanfiction)

(26) Fashionably Late

Nina scrutinised her reflection in the bathroom mirror for the hundredth time that hour. Would her mother think her eyeliner was too thick? Would her father complain about the bright shade of her pink lipstick? Would her brother even recognise her? For a 24 year old, she acted like a nervous teen around her family sometimes. But that was probably something to do with...him.

"I'm 25 next year." Nina said to no-one, brushing the same lock of hair repeatedly, lost in thought. Her mother was married at 25 and four and a half years later, Nina came into the world- she was due on Valentine's Day but she came four days late, on the 18th. She knew Tom's birthday wasn't long before hers. He was six years older than her, and more mature yet still more childish sometimes.

Her father was six years older than her mother.

She pulled herself out of her pool of Tom-related thoughts and was promptly thrown into the deep end of another as there was a loud knocking at her room door . Of course, Tom had managed to persuade Nina that he needed to try her mothers cooking and he'd put on his puppy-eyes somewhere in there, and that was where Nina gave in.

"Knock knock!" He called. As if she wasn't aware of his presence. Nina had one last poke at her hair, grabbed her handbag and near enough skipped to the door. She'd had no texts from Kyle over the past few days and she wasn't about to text him and spoil her relatively good mood.

"Hi." Nina opened the door, out of breath from her marathon across the room. Tom was dressed more casually than usual; he had on a pair of slim black jeans, a white t-shirt but of course he had to smarten it up with a blue blazer. Woe betide him looking like a normal citizen. Nina wouldn't have been surprised if he slept in a suit.

"You look lovely, Nina." Tom smiled, sneaking in a quick kiss on her cheek.

"I look no different to usual, but thank you for the compliment." Nina blushed.

"Don't be silly. You always look lovely, but today you look exceptionally lovely." Damn that man and his charms. Damn that man and his impeccable dress sense. Just...just...dammit.

"I'll look even better after my first coffee." Nina shut her door behind her and turned around to face Tom, noticing how alarmingly close he suddenly seemed to her. How alarmingly tall he suddenly was. How alarmingly blue his eyes were... She pinched herself subtly on the arm and flinched, before smiling back up at Tom. "Shall we?"

*****

The driver found Nina's parents house eventually, as Nina discovered that all of a sudden, she was unable to give directions. They arrived at the modest home approximately fifteen minutes later than Nina had told her mother and she just hoped that she wouldn't get murdered if the food had gone cold.

"Lovely house." Tom commented as he opened Nina's door.

"You say everything is lovely, Tom." Nina smiled at him, not tripping our of the car for once.

"That's because I see positivity in everything, Nina." Tom's face became a little more serious as they walked up the short gravel driveway to the ornate door, which opened before they reached it, Nina's mother waiting in the doorway with her hands clasped together.

Mrs Ferguson was the type of woman that refused to accept her age yet. Her bleached blonde hair was perfectly curled, her lipstick was perfectly applied, and there was just an air of perfection around her.

To anyone else, it may have been slightly intimidating but Nina knew what she was really like. At least, she hoped she could remember correctly. It had been a while.

"Nina! How wonderful to see you! Who's your handsome friend?" Great. Nina could tell her mother would be fawning over him for the duration of the visit.

"This is Tom. Tom, this is..." Nina trailed off as she saw that her mother had already pulled Tom into a rather welcoming hug. "My mother..."

"Oh, darling, don't you look lovely!" Mrs Ferguson finally released Tom from her clutches and grabbed Nina, pulling her in for a tight hug. Tom mouthed told you so from behind Nina's mother and she just rolled her eyes playfully. "Lunch is almost ready!" She checked her watch and huffed to herself. "Your father and James are out at a session. I might have to put aside some food for them for when they come back. Well, don't just stand there like spare parts, come in! There's tea brewing, and there's beer in the fridge..."

Her mother waffled on about drinks, cookies and she was pretty sure she heard something about hair straighteners but Nina had zoned out, looking at the framed pictures lining the hallway.

Sure, they were old photos, photos of James and her and Molly as children, but they hadn't been there last time Nina had visited little over two months ago, and there sure were a lot of them.

"What a beautiful kitchen, Mrs Ferguson." They stood by the island in the middle of the room as Nina's mother bustled around, making Nina's coffee just the way she liked it. Tom certainly knew which figurative buttons to press.

"Thank you, thank you. Would you like a beer, Thomas?" Thomas? Thomas? Where had that come from?

"Tea will be fine for me, thank you. That's a wonderful china set you have there. Is it hand painted?" Tom put on his best alluring smile and even Nina felt herself go weak at the knees.

"Yes, a friend did it for me as a wedding anniversary present." Her mother smiled proudly, although there was nothing really out of the ordinary about it. "What a gentleman you are, Thomas. My Nina is lucky."

Tom seemed to choke on air in surprise, his eyes widening. Nina coughed awkwardly, taking sudden interest in the shiny tiled floor. What a lovely shade of black.

"We're not...together..." Tom enunciated his words, the surprise still clearly depicted on his features. "In fact, I've known Nina for all of two and a bit weeks.

"Oh, really? Well, the way you were looking at her Thomas, well, you may as well be together. Whatever happened to that Kyle?" Nina stiffened up and Tom only went as red as a beetroot. No. Make that as red as a beetroot on fire. Her mother was like Sherlock; observant at the worst of times.

"Kyle is in London still, Mum. In our apartment. Where we live." Nina looked more frustrated than embarrassed.

"I don't see what you see in that Kyle, my dear. He's a no-gooder." Nina clenched her fists behind the island so her mother couldn't see. Tom noticed, and he placed a hand over her fist comfortingly, and her hand eventually relaxed.

If only she knew.

[A/N] i sort of feel like mrs ferguson is based on my grandma with a bit of added sherlock. drop a vote for tom...or at least let him try and charm you into voting?
yours truly :) x