Run To Me

Warming Up

Tom smiled and held out his hand. He looked down at the shocked face and grabbed her hand. More in self-defense than anything, he raised it to his lips and grazed his lips over her knuckles.

He was desperately trying not to laugh. Not at her, heavens no, at the situation. It couldn't have been any more like a cheesy rom-com if they'd tried. Pretty girl and brother meet brothers friend. Pretty girl falls at friends' feet. Friend rescues pretty girl, and they fall instantly in love.

Well, two out of three wasnt bad. Maybe training wouldn't be so bad after all!

"So Molly, if you think your poor knee can stand it, shall we?" He dropped her hand gently, and she nodded. He noticed she had a lovely little dimple in her left cheek and a sparkle to her eyes that made her look as if she would be someone to share a good joke. Or a really bad one. If she was anything like her brother, she would be charming and great fun. He'd only spoken to James a few times, but already, he knew he liked him and thought this training carry-on was definitely going to be fun.

Now that he'd met Molly, he knew it would be.

James and Tom fell into step beside each other. Both tall and lean, they were well matched. Molly, being far more vertically challenged, had to work twice as hard to keep up in the rear. The up side? She got to stare at Tom Hiddleston's famous bum.

"You ok there, sis?" James added insult to injury by running baclwards at one point to speak to her.

She said nothing, just growled at him and scrunched up her nose in a mock snarl. James winked, "Tom, I think our little training partner would like us to slow down. She's only got diddy legs!" He grinned as she flushed scarlet.

"JAMES!" she screeched and could have died on the spot when Tom turned and started running backwards, too.

"Oh dear! Is she struggling? " he asked with an air of mischief. "Should we help her?" He looked at James and grinned. As if they had a telepathic link, James grinned back.

"Oh, I daresay she'll make a noise, but we could tape her mouth shut. Has anyone got any tape?" He called out.

"No tape?" Tom squinted."Oh well, just have to take our chances then, "

As if they'd rehearsed, they stopped running, and as she reached them, they lifted her bodily from the ground, Tom grabbing her under her arms and James grabbing her legs. They proceeded to sprint off with her between them, howling like a banshee.

"Put me DOWN!"

"But sis..."

"We're only trying to help..."

"JAMES PUT ME DOWN NOW!" she shouted, although by now, she could hardly breathe for laughing.

As instructed, James dropped her feet immediately. Tom, however, seemingly didn't get that particular memo and resolutely held on to her.

For the second time that day, they ended up on the ground, entangled. This time, however, there were three people laughing, and only one of them was standing up.

Tom struggled to his feet first brushing off the dust, and held out his hands. "Up you come, little one," he said, regaining the power of speech at last. "People will start to think I'm falling for you..."

James snorted and shook his head.

Molly, who seemed to have spent most of the last hour the colour of a beetroot, held his hand and his gaze.

"We can't have THAT now, can we?" She said a tiny bit more snarky than she intended, and Tom looked a little
crushed. "Wh-what I mean is, I meant, you wouldn't...Im.sorry." she looked down at her feet.

For a second, Tom looked at her and then smiled , "No, it's me that should be sorry. Well, me and James!" He looked across at his partner in crime and then back to her.

James jumped in to save what was rapidly becoming a VERY awkward atmosphere. "Look, why dont we dispense with the rest of the session today? I dont think any of us are getting anything from it, other than bruised knees and feelings." He smiled, "Let's adjourn to the cafe at the end of the street for a coffee and a chat. We can plan our routine and fix out a timetable, ok?"

"Sounds like an excellent idea, James!" Tom beamed and looked at Molly. " I suspect you're a....." he paused and looked at her, tapping his index finger on his lips, thinking. Molly couldn't look away from the finger or the lips. Suddenly, she felt very, VERY flustered. "Chai Latte, Soy Milk. Am I right?"

Molly's mouth fell open. "How?" She nodded."That's uncanny! You could tell that how?"

"Ohh, just a knack I have. From the way people speak, the way they run, the way they fall over." He was laughing again, but not at her, "that and the fact that James told me!"

"Thanks VERY much, Tom! You know she's going to kill me now!" He pretended to be scared, and Tom laughed.

Molly scowled at James. "You have been discussing me? With Tom? Before we'd even MET?" she looked like thunder. Inside, though, she was cheering. Omg! Tom and James had been talking about her. "Well, on THAT note, I'm leaving you two to it." She stood up, and with a smile at Tom and a scowl at James, walked to the door.

Tom watched her go. She was exactly the kind of girl he had always been fascinated by. Sharp, feisty, funny, not to mention incredibly pretty. He also knew she was the kind of girl that would deny all that and more. As he watched her walk away, he was more disappointed than he really had any right to be.

James looked at his sister as she walked out, then at Tom, who he noted was watching her intently as she walked out. "Don't worry Tom, she'll not go far." He said quietly with an air of confidence. "5...4...3...2..."

He didn't get as far as one. The door opened again, and a sheepish Molly walked back in. James grinned.

"You'll be needing this then?" He held up Molly's door key. "You dropped it when you were rolling about on the ground with Tom!" He sniggered.

Tom laughed out loud, and Molly blushed, covering her face with her hands. "Thanks, James," she muttered from behind her fingers. Taking the keys, she sat down.

"Ok. I give in. Im sorry I overreacted. If I'm to be your running buddy, the least I need to know is when I'm running, eh?"

Tom smiled and patted her arm. "Running, talking, anything you'd like Molls. It would be my genuine pleasure." And he genuinely meant it. To his own surprise, he found himself wanting to get to know what Molly wanted more and more.

Molls....Molls.... he'd given her a petname already. Minutes in, and he was being familiarly comfortable. She flushed a little again and almost giggled like a schoolgirl. Was it just her, or had it suddenly got very warm in the cafe?