Held To Ransome

Truth

"I'm back! Callie?... Callie love, you there?" He walked into the kitchen - it was empty. Frowning, he saw the oven was on, there was a pot simmering on the hob, and the little table was set for two. This was as confusing as it was worrying, he'd only been gone half an hour.

He moved through the hall into the living room. "Callie? Where are you? Are you ok, love?" the house was eerily quiet. He stood for a minute and then became aware of someone behind him. He turned and saw her. Sitting in the corner, breaking her heart silently into her hands. His heart thudded into his boots and he panicked. What was so wrong, his darling girl - yes, he finally realised the truth - his darling girl was hurting again.

"Callie - sweetheart - whatever is the matter? You were ok when I left? Has something happened? Have you hurt yourself?" he came a knelt at her feet, gently prising her hands away from her face. She looked at him, shaking her head and sniffing back the tears. Her eyes were full of pain and, he realised, so was his heart. "Darling, tell me what's wrong?" his voice was soft and gentle, as gentle as the hands that stroked her face, trying to wipe away the tears.

"I - I'm so sorry. I d - didn't want y - you to see me like this." she looked down, ashamed. It had all been too much. Suddenly, as she was standing in the kitchen it had hit her like a ton of bricks. She didn't want to be friends with him, she couldn't be friends with him. She had fallen for him. And he didn't want her. Not like that. So why the tears? Sadness, of course, shame and also a little anger. At herself. For being weak. Weak enough to let herself go there. That and a million other reasons she would never be able to name but felt coursing through her emotionally exhausted mind.

"One minute. Stay there one minute." he got up, left the room and she could hear him turning off the stove and putting the pot on the side. In seconds he was back at her feet. He really was that man.

"Ok, talk to me Callie. Tell me what's going through that beautiful head of yours." he gently drew her over to the sofa. "I want the truth. No matter what, even if you think I won't want to hear it. I need the truth from you Callie. Then, I will be equally honest back. Deal?"

"Ok." she had the tiniest voice imaginable. "It's like this." she took a breath, taking his hands and looking at them intently. "I can't be friends with you. It's too painful."

"Oh." he waited, he sensed there was more. She started to cry again and he passed her a tissue, patiently waiting until she calmed. "Why?" Not an accusation, not a rebuke, just a question. A chance to explain.

"Tom, I've done something terrible. Something you'll hate me for, something for which you really will wish you'd never gotten to know me." she looked at him, all the angst magnifying the emotions to the power of ten. "I really will understand if you leave."

"Callie, come on, have you murdered someone? Kicked a puppy? " he looked at her, trying to stop her spiralling despair. She shook her head with the tiniest of smiles. Inwardly, he breathed a sigh of relief. "What, my beautiful little one, could you possibly have done that would make me fell any differently about you?"

The way he said beautiful and called her his 'little one' made her wonder if it might be actually turn out to be ok. That he would still want to talk to her. Taking that as her strength, she whispered, still looking down.

"I - I think I'm falling in love with you Tom."

He sat, his mind exploding into fireworks. He smiled and tipped her chin up. She looked into his eyes and the fireworks travelled into his heart. He swallowed, collecting his thoughts.

"Say something? Please?" she said, her tone scared and her hands trembling. He shook his head. "No?"

"No."

Slowly, gently, he closed the gap between them, until their lips were a hair's breadth apart. Then against her lips, he murmured "let me show you what I think of that." He kissed her. Soft as velvet, warm as a hug. Tentatively, the way new lovers do, he raised his hands to grasp her face.

Presently, they broke the kiss, resting their foreheads together. They smiled and Tom let out a little breath. "So, what were you going to tell me that I wasn't going to like then?" he said, not moving an inch.

"I have absolutely no idea" she countered softly "absolutely none."

"Good, because as I think you can guess, I have something to say to you too." he pulled back and looked at her, his breath catching as he saw the eyes that now captured his heart and held it fast. "I really don't want to just be your friend either Callie. I also want to be your..." he kissed her again and this time, the passion in it took her breath away. His mouth moved on hers, feeling his tongue running over her lips, instinctively she let him explore her mouth. Their hands pressing their bodies together in an embrace that left no doubt as to the missing word.

"Just as well you switched the stove off then isn't it?" she said in a low voice as they parted, breathless. "Otherwise our dinner wouldn't be worth eating afterwards would it?"

"Afterwards?" his voice barely registered, but the intention was clear.

"Yes" she stood and held out her hand "Afterwards"

Together they climbed the stairs to her room, silent but in complete communion. As she reached her bedroom door, she turned.

"Tom?"

"Yes darling?"

"You do know I don't usually...." she was blushing again and he thought her the cutest thing he'd ever seen. One minute passionate tigress, innocent kitten the next.

"Neither do I..." he reached round her and opened the door, "So lets not do it together eh?" he smiled and she pulled him into the room kicking the door shut behind her.

"Oh Tom..."

Later, as they stood back in the kitchen she stirred the pot of sauce as he held her close from behind. His arms wrapped around her waist, he rested his chin on her shoulder and watched. He murmured into her ear, "smells amazing love, you cook almost as well as you...." he kissed her cheek and squeezed her tightly.

"Now now Mr Hiddleston, don't interrupt the chef in her creation. Might end badly for the both of us." she giggled and he released her, kissing her slowly again, ending by pulling her bottom lip between his teeth as he turned her chin with his hand. She moaned softly and he smiled wickedly.

Sitting at the table, legs crossed and leaning back, he stretched absentmindedly yawning.

"Oh I see! It's like that is it? Have your wicked way, then get fed then leave me to it eh? I see. You just want me for my culinary skills eh?" she joked as she pointed the spoon at him, dripping sauce on the floor.

"Now WHERE did you get THAT idea from?" he pretended to be offended then winked at her. "When I bedded you, I didn't know you could even cook! I just want you for that luscious body."

"Oh!" her cry of mock outrage was accompanied by an oven mitt sailing through the air and hitting him square in the face. She burst out laughing, really laughing, and so did Tom. As they looked at each other, they knew this was no brief encounter. The laughter died and was replaced by soft looks.

"You really are special Callie, I will always hold you close." he said softly as she brought the plates of food to the table. He took her hand and kissed it. "Here" he touched his heart, "and here" he grabbed her and wrapped his arms around her making her squeal delightedly. She landed on his lap and he snuffled her neck, grazing it with his lips as he laughed.

He hoped she would be ready to hear just how close, very soon.

If heaven was any better than this, in that moment, neither could imagine it. They thought there would never be a moment where that would ever be in doubt. It was a nice place to be. For a while at least.