Forget-Me-Not (A Tom Hiddleston Fanfiction)

(43) Oh Love

A week later and Nina had almost completely gotten used to her new surroundings, although she still found it weird not having to constantly do Tom's hair every morning, and it was odd not having the risk of walking into Benedict.

It was only during her first morning at Tom's that how much she missed her production family really got to her, and she had to sit down and make herself a coffee.

Tom was the best flatmate - well, sort-of landlord - that she could have asked for. He was so sweet and caring, and the man knew how to cook. There was rarely a dull moment with him around. Well, unless he was doing something dull, like reading through emails, which was what he was doing on that quiet afternoon.

Then the buzzer went off once, then it buzzed again just a millisecond later. Tom's face lit up as he put down his laptop and went over to the window overlooking the street below. "Ah. My delivery is here."

"You were expecting a delivery?" Nina called back, avoiding throwing the sugar all over the floor as she stood on her tiptoes to put it back in it's place in the cupboard.

"Yes. And it could be quite fun getting it up here, so let's get started." Tom rubbed his hands together in anticipation before bounding out of the apartment, and Nina could hear his loud footsteps echoing. What on earth could it be? A baby elephant?

Nina left the kitchen, and nudged the main door to the apartment shut for the time being. She peered out of the window and could just see the top of Tom's head, and two guys wearing... hard hats? What had Tom gotten delivered?

And an hour later, she found out. A beautiful piano sat in the corner of the apartment' sitting room area now, it's polished wooden surface gleaming in the sunlight streaming in through the window.

"So, what do you think of it?" Tom's forehead glistened with a thin layer of sweat - it had been quite some effort getting it into place and keeping it intact - as he looked over at it, appearing to be quite pleased but there was something else in his eyes, something unidentifiable to Nina.

"It's beautiful. Cleaner than mine was at Kyle's..." She crouched down to inspect the pedals and as she stood back up, her eyes levelled with something quite familiar.

The word 'Sold' was written on the side in black marker pen.

"I persuaded Kyle to get it cleaned before it was collected." Tom said softly, observing Nina's reaction.

Nina stood up and for a moment, it looked like she was going to pass out there and then. Tears began to fill her eyes as she ran her hand over the wood that was so familiar to her. "I want to hug you, jump for joy and sit down and play a song all at once." She laughed breathily.

"I wouldn't advise it." Tom smiled, the wrinkles by his eyes becoming more prominent yet more endearing. "But I... I'd like to hear you play."

"I'll hug you first." She went over to Tom with a noticeable skip in her step and wrapped her arms tightly around his slim waist. He rested his head lightly on her shoulder, wrapping his own arms around her as they stood for a while in their quiet embrace.

It didn't go unnoticed by Tom that he felt like that moment was perfect. It didn't go unnoticed to him that he wanted to kiss her there and then.

Reluctantly, she pulled away and made her way back over to the piano. Soon, a slow melody filled the air, that gradually began to build and build, and Tom watched as her fingers flew deftly across the keys, never a note out of place. Tom could play the piano okay, but Nina... Nina was brilliant.

"What song is this?" He asked, his voice barely audible as he listened intently.

Nina continued to play, never looking up from the keys, but spoke as she concentrated. "I... I wrote it. It doesn't have a name yet."

Eventually Nina brought the tune to a close, and Tom found he had a tear in his eye. He brushed it away quickly, and went to sit beside Nina on the piano stool. She nudged over enough for him to be able to perch on it, and his fingers brushed against the keys lightly. The piano that stood in front of him really was beautiful, yet not as beautiful as the woman sat beside him, the woman that he was refusing to fall for.

That's what he tried to tell himself, at least.

"Teach me how to play that." Tom said quietly, drawing his fingers away from the piano keys. "I want to learn that."

"I could teach you the chords, then I could play the melody on the higher notes?" Nina suggested, and Tom nodded eagerly, his eyes shining.

For the next hour, Nina was patiently teaching Tom which chords to play, and when to play them. It wasn't a short piece, and the piece wasn't short of complexity, but Tom was determined to stick with it.

"Okay, so are you ready to have a slow run through?" Nina asked, and Tom grinned in response, his blue eyes twinkling. Nina pressed her foot down on the correct pedal, and off they went, quickly lost in the music.

Tom's long fingers played all the chords whilst Nina's small hands danced over the higher keys, playing the piano song that Tom had definitely took a shine to, to say the least. The look on his face as they played was nothing more than pure concentration.

As the song drew to the haunting close that Tom had memorised completely, Nina let out a sigh of content and suddenly rested her head on Tom's shoulder, still looking down at the keys where her hands resided.

"That was really...really...great." Nina finished lamely, seemingly at a loss for words. Tom hoped it wasn't because he messed up, because he didn't...did he?

"Yes, it was." Tom replied, his hands still resting on the keys so tantalisingly close to Nina's slender fingers, as he itched to play another song, to just be able to sit here and play for the rest of the day. He'd enjoyed it. He enjoyed every single moment of Nina's company.

And that was the moment that Tom accepted that he was irrevocably in love with Nina Ferguson.

[A/N] this has been one of my favourite chapters to write so far! so what's around the corner for nina and tom? will tom finally properly confess his feelings? no one knows! (not even me!) drop a vote and wish lovestruck-tom some luck?
yours truly :) x