Falling - Tom Holland imagine

Chapter 39

Warning - bullying 

We were just at the end of March, and I was now approaching 30 weeks, and it was groundhog day for me these days, I only planned on working for 2 more weeks for the trust before taking a break as everything was a struggle. I needed so many pillows to support my back and knees and hips that Tom complained there was almost no room in the bed for him - I was eating 8-9 small meals per day, many of them soup or milkshakes as I tried to keep my calorie consumption up enough to nourish my expanding body. I looked full term already depending on how they were laying, and I constantly had to cope with the need to pee as well as heartburn. I was not having fun and some days I just sat and cried. I was tired, I ached in places I didn't know existed, I couldn't enjoy a full meal, I just wanted a normal cup of tea and I wanted my body back.

I was sitting on the sofa, propped up by my huge pregnancy body pillow, Tessa nuzzling at my hand as I watched tv, when Tom came in from his recording, there was only about a week or so left to do before he was wrapped, but he was looking concerned and worried as he approached and sat by me. I sat up a little more waiting for him to start, but he just sat there twisting his hands together.

"So?" I prompted after a few moments as I reached out to still and hold his clammy hands.

"I've been given sight of the article and layout. They're publishing the pregnancy photos." he said quietly. "The ones of me kissing your bump and they're strongly implying that the baby is mine and who knows how many others I've 'knocked up' over the years, that I'm sleeping around indiscriminently with everyone"

"It is yours - they. Are yours"

"I know that but they're playing a different slant on it - they don't know for definite about us and its just speculation - they are just trying to stir it up. Its a massive stitch up campaign trying to paint me in a bad light. Just defamation. For fucks sake, I was going to announce our relationship and pregnancy but now, now it looks like a cover up/"

"Why - do you kno..."

"I rejected their  senior features editor at a party last year. Told her where to get off. She came on pretty strong. She's also the one that ran that article about me walking out of Comicon and 'disappointing' all the fans - the shitpost one!"

"Okay. So, what can we do?"

He stood up and began pacing back and forth. "I knew they were up to something, I should have said no to those pictures, as now they have 'proof'" he snarled "to run the story" he came over to kneel by me and brush my hair out of my face "you know I never want anything to hurt you baby, but I think we need to come clean to the public first."

"You mean about" I gestured to my stomach. He nodded.

"I'm so sorry baby, I know you like privacy and all,"

"Its okay" I said as I wiped away a tear of shock "Your publicist said it would have to come out at some point and we're getting close to that point"

"Really?" he said looking up hopefully at me

"Yes, sure - lets stick it to those smug little bastards trying to ruin peoples lives- how fucking dare they" I raged, hormones fueling my anger

 "How should we do it?" he mused

"Well I guess there are 2 options; the first is to wait for them to publish it and then act as if it is common knowledge, that yeah you're going to be a dad soon" his face lit up as always whever I mentioned that "or the second is to spike it with a pre-emptive strike - announce it elsewhere first and follow up with a "tell-all" interview with...... Ali, maybe at BBC, he's pretty trustworthy and you get on well with him, tell him that they took rumours and started trying to stir it up and we want to remain private for the sake of the babies"