A New Road ➢ Thomas Brodie Sangster

Welcome To London

The whole time I was on the plane, I was absolutely terrified. And now, sitting in Thomas' car, I still am.

I just want his family at the very least to like me.

"Don't worry, love. You're not meeting them yet, you will in the morning. It's about 10pm in America so you should get some sleep. I should too. Not used to driving around 3am now that I'm accustomed to the time zone change," Thomas says with a chuckle that turns into a yawn.

He has one hand on the steering wheel and the other holding my hand. This comfort and scares me. I'm not used to people driving on the "wrong side of the road".

Thomas pulls into a long driveway and parks the car. I push open the door, now heavier that I'm filled with drowsiness, as Thomas unloads my luggage.

I stand in awe as I stare up at the house that Thomas grew up in.

Thomas still lived with his parents and his younger sister, Ava. He said he has never bothered moving out because he had no need to. He was always busy working and would hardly spend time at the house. But he loved his family and I could understand.

There's no shame in still living with your parents at the age of 24. It showed you were close to your family, and I love that.

We walk in silence as I pull one suitcase and Tommy pulls the other two and he unlocks the door.

He holds a finger up to his lips before he opens it and our footsteps and the sound of wheels on wood fill the empty silence.

I can't really see what the house looks like as we walk in the dark, but Thomas knows the house and guides me through it, motioning me up the stairs.

I follow him down the hall and into a big room where he finally flips the lights on.

I set down my suitcase as he closes the door, "Well, this is home."

I turn in a circle as I walk around the room. I take off my shoes and curl my toes around the plush carpet and trail my eyes across everything. A bookshelf, some action figures, a table covered in paper, and my eyes land on a big bed.

I look back at Thomas and he looks nervous.

He clears his throat, "I hope you don't mind sleeping with- staying, staying with me in here. If you're uncomfortable then I-"

"Thomas, it's perfectly fine. I have no problem with it all." I say with a smile.

I immediately flop down on the bed and sprawl out across it, "And this is soft. Sleep beckons me,"

He laughs and sets my remaining luggage down next to my lone suitcase.

"Wait! Can you grab my robe? It's in the smallest one. I can't sleep without it." I say sitting up.

Thomas rummages through my suitcase and tosses me my robe. I begin pulling off my shirt but stop, catching Thomas' face redden.

"If it makes you uncomfortable I can sleep with my clothes on."

His face flusters, "No, no! I just usually sleep in, well I usually sleep in a t-shirt and boxers and I thought that would make you uncomfortable. I guess we have the same habits." He gives a light chuckle.

I blush and take it off quickly as well as my pants and cover myself with my robe.

Thomas takes off his pants and turns off the lights before joining me to sleep. He climbs under the covers immediately and I move to steal his warmth.

He wraps his arms around me and gives me a light kiss on the top of my head.

"Goodnight, Jade. Welcome to London,"

~~~~~

My eyes flutter open, batting away the drowsiness. I move a little bit and see Thomas is still sleeping.

His hair is now messy from sleeping and his face is smushed against the pillow. His arms are still wrapped around me.

But my window of watching sleeping Thomas is brief. I guess my shifting woke him up.

He rubs his eyes and when they focus on me he smiles.

"Morning, pretty boy. Or should I say, sleepy boy?" I say with a light laugh.

Thomas smiles and shakes his head, "Good morning, love".

He gives me a light kiss on the lips before slipping out of bed and putting on some slippers.

"I'll be right back. I just have to take a quick smoke," he says as he grabs some extra clothes and a bottle of water off of a chair. He knows I don't like smoking, or the smell of it. He respects that. He respects me.

I smile to myself as I think more and more about the way Thomas treats me. All of the wonderful ways.

I lie in bed patiently and Thomas does come right back.

He scratches the back of his neck, "Umm, Mum, Dad and Ava are all downstairs waiting for you so you might.."

"Wanna put some clothes on? Yeah. I don't think walking down there like this," I say, gesturing to myself with my robe now off, "would be a great first impression.

Thomas laughs and I pull on an old high school sweatshirt and some running shorts.

Thomas puts sweatpants on and grabs my hand as we walk down the stairs.

"Good morning, Thomas!" His mom says as she kisses him on the cheek.

"Morning, Mum."

She turns her attention from him to me.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Sangster,"

"Oh please, call me Mum. I have a feeling we will be seeing a lot of you in the future!" she says as she pulls me into a tight hug.

Thomas' dad, after ruffling Thomas' hair joins his wife in greeting me.

"Well if you're going to be calling Tasha "Mum" then you'll just have to call me Dad," he says with a smile and stretches his arms to give me a hug as well.

I am utterly shocked at how welcoming they are. I was expecting maybe the same attitude my parents showed Thomas, overprotective. But his parents were lovely and so warm.

"I feel like we know so much about you already! Thomas has not stopped talking about you, but please, have something to eat, you must be hungry." His mom says as she guides me to the kitchen.

I see Thomas smiling at me as his sister prods him.

His mom pours me a cup of tea and hands me a plate of eggs and toast as I sit at the island with Thomas.

"So, you're Jade. Mum's right, Thomas has not stopped talking about you since you met, back when, October? I've had to put up with it for several months!," his sister says with a laugh as she takes a bite out of her toast.

Thomas' face reddens and I giggle, "Yeah, it was October. And I'm sorry about that. I'll try to make up for it somehow."

"You can make up for it by letting me show you some of my sights in London. And by my sights I mean Mum and I are taking you shopping! So hurry up and eat your breakfast," Ava says as she finished up her food and bolts up the stairs.

"Ava's right. Eat up cause it is going to be a fun day!" Tasha says with a laugh and puts her dishes in the sink.

"But she's my girlfriend. Shouldn't I be the one who gets her first day in London?" Thomas whines as he takes a sip of his tea.

His mom laughs and Mark, his dad, bellows a chuckle, "Tom, you got her first few hours and you should her your bed. It's your Mum and sister's turn now."

Thomas' face reddens at what his dad said and the rest of us laugh as we finish our breakfast.

Any nervousness that I had when I was on my way over here has completely vanished. I truly felt welcomed here. I hadn't been here long, but it was beginning to feel like a second home.