Scenes (A Tom Hiddleston Fanfic)

Invitations

It wasn't long into the act when the famous St Crispin's Day speech came round. By this time, Tom had broken his gaze away from her to look back to the stage. For her part, she was a bundle of jangling nerves, excited and desperate to see how this battle of battles would be staged. Having spoken to the King himself and even discussed Henry, this made it all the more exciting and intriguing for her. She sat forward again, on the edge of her seat, living and breathing every clash, every move. As he began, the King scanned the audience his eyes blazing with patriotic fervour. Just as he started the main body of the text, his eyes found Amy's. Staring into her very soul, he declaimed the whole speech, rousing and thrilling and everything she hoped it would be. Her lips moved in time with his, her eyes filled with tears of sorrow, fear, hope and joy. As the speech moved to it's climax , those tears spilled down her cheeks, unchecked and she was lost to the play.

She felt a gentle nudge on her left elbow. She turned to see Tom smiling softly in the reflected glow, offering her a handkerchief. As she took it, their hands touched and she felt a jolt of electricity her heart lurched. She smiled and wiped her eyes as delicately as she could, making to return the handkerchief but Tom indicated she should keep it. They turned back to the action, but now, their hands lay side by side on the arm rest between them. As she sat, she found it very hard to concentrate and it was made all the worse when Tom moved slightly and his fingers came to rest over hers. This time, there was no recoil, no moving back. It was a statement - from both of them. One she couldn't quite believe they were making.

The end of the play came all too soon, in a standing ovation and much cheering and calls to the cast. As soon as the lights had come up, Tom had withdrawn his hand, as if the dark had afforded them some secret protection. Now that the world could see, them it was different. When it all calmed down, the four of them sat and drank in the atmosphere. Tom and Ben had made no move to leave, which, because of the layout meant neither Amy nor Jamie could either. Sitting in companionable silence, Jamie took the bull by the horns and leant across Rose to Tom. Offering his hand he said "Tom - I'm Jamie, Amy's cousin. Nice to meet you!" he pointed at her "Feel like I know you already, she never shuts up about you!" He grinned broadly as she tried to hide under her seat so she could die.

Tom laughed loudly "So, you're her responsible adult then eh? I thought she must have one somewhere" he quipped. He shook Jamie's hand vigorously. "I take my hat off to you sir, you have a helluva job on your hands with this little one" he winked theatrically.

"If you two dont mind I CAN hear you !" she added in mock indignation,

"Yes love, we know, we're just not that bothered" came the amused reply from Tom.

"And I have SO many storied for you Tom, you wont believe half of them!" Jamie was now almost crying with laughter "Ask her about the time in the park...."

"now that sounds like a story I cant miss, lets go for a drink and you can tell me all about it!" Tom stood up, beckoning the two of them along. Jamie instantly lept to his feet, dragging the now dead and buried Amy along with him. Benedict declined, saying he had to get home as he had an early call.

As they exited the theatre, he turned to Amy and pressed her knuckles to his lips "watch out for this one, " he said "he can be a good boy in some situations and a bad boy in others" he looked at Tom sideways and muttered to her "and I think where you are concerned I know which one is more likely". A few cameras flashed as people spotted the 2 stars and he walked off to find a taxi leaving Tom, Amy and Jamie standing.

Tom groaned a little and murmured
"Occupational hazard I'm afraid" he turned to leave "lets get a taxi before they really start on us. Usually they are pretty friendly, but I don't want to turn it into a circus and steal Kit's thunder. It's his play after all". Tom now showed he was every bit as charming and polite and considerate as he was painted. Not wishing to be the centre of attention on someone else's night was just the sort of man she had imagined he would be. She sighed slightly, and her heart melted just a little more. Hailing a cab, the three new friends jumped in and set off. As she looked out the window onto the west end evening she couldn't quite believe the turn of events that had now overtaken her.

Tom gave the address to the driver then turned to the others and said, a little sheepishly "I hope you don't mind, I've taken the liberty of taking us to a little place I know where we won't be overlooked or overheard. Neither Amy nor Jamie had any such objections, of course, so nodded happily. "Good stuff! We'll be there in no time, it's not far". As they crawled along through the thronging streets of Theatreland on a Friday night, people would occasionally spot Tom through the taxi windows. Most just looked shocked , but some pulled out their phones and snapped away excitedly. She wondered how Tom coped with this on a daily basis, she was having a hard enough time with this single cab ride. They would probably be on the internet before they reached their destination.

The streets began to thin out and the cab picked up speed. About 30minutes after leaving the theatre, they were in a leafy suburb, passing lovely big Victorian houses. The two cousins exchanged glances that said "I dunno - do you?" so she said "Tom, where are we going? Not that it's a problem, just to know?"

"Ah yes, not long now, it's a little bar I frequent quite a lot, its just up here on the right."

The cab stopped outside a row of the houses she had just been admiring. They were imposing structures with black gloss doors, white steps and porticos to rival any stately home.

"We're here!" He exclaimed, to the cousins' surprise. The two of them looked at each other in shock when they heard him add, "Welcome to Chez Hiddleston, do come in!" he got out, paid the cab then bounded up the steps two at a time. Jamie and Amy followed at a less urgent pace. As they reached the front door, she stopped and said to Tom in a small voice

"are you sure about this? I mean, this is your home and we are - well - strangers! I mean we're very flattered to be trusted, but how do you know......"she trailed off as Tom turned and put a hand on her arm,

"Now, the very fact you asked that shows me you CAN be trusted and anyway, you're not strangers, you're just friends I havent gotten to know yet" he shrugged and stepped back ushering them in. They walked along a beautiful corridor, white walls, black and white tiled floor and brass ceiling lamps. It was like something out of Homes and Gardens. Artwork adorned the walls that mixed between modern and vintage pieces. Leading them on into the living room, Tom left them to get some drinks.

This room was even lovelier. All plush sofas, luxurious rugs and heavy curtains. It was offset by clean lines and pale walls. Refinement, elegance and understatement. A bit like it's owner really. One wall, however, caught her attention the minute she walked in. Bookshelves, crammed with all sorts of reading matter. Plays, autobiographies, fiction and, naturally, the complete works of Shakespeare. Running her fingers along the spines of the books, she came to a shelf completely different to those before. On it, tucked away, were all Tom's awards. Olivier, Golden Globe, Golden Popcorn, all sat cheek by jowl. He was justly proud of them, but it seemed the books came first.

Coming back into the room, Tom carried the drinks on a tray that turned out to be a replica Captain America shield. Rosie laughed loudly and Tom beamed with delight at their reaction.

"thought you might like it" he grinned "Oh and it's signed too" he said proudly pointing to one of the rings. they grabbed their drinks and sat down.