In His Eyes

Feelings....

They spent a comfortable couple of hours or so drinking tea and finishing their cake. Chatting back and forth, swapping information and insults; laughing and joking until at last all that were left were a few crumbs and some cold and soggy tea leaves.

"So, where to now, My Lady?" King Henry stood and offered his hand. She smiled. She'd been entertained by a plethora of characters over the course of their morning. Tom had an amazing knack for swapping from one to another and from one accent to another.

Tom looked down at her with a grin. He couldn't remember when he'd laughed so much in so short a time. She was different, so very different to other women he'd come across. She was witty, sharply so, she challenged him and seemed unfazed by his 'public' image. He found himself wanting to make her smile, not laugh, but smile.

The smile a woman gives when she sees something she wants.

"I know not, My Liege..." she stood, and he helped her with her jacket, "but I think a walk would be a pleasant diversion. Not to mention essential with the amount of cake we've both just eaten! Don't know about you, but if I don't walk it off, I'll be the size of a house before I know it. "

"But what an enchanting house that would be Beth..." he said softly, for a moment serious. She hardly heard him and wasn't sure she really had. She looked up at him, and he smiled softly. "Why do you doubt that?" He held her hand gently. "Why do I get the feeling that there is more to your story?"

"Not here. Not now. Please? Let's not spoil this?" She still smiled, but he saw it no longer reached her eyes.

"Ok, I'm sorry." He dropped the acting. He dropped the jesting, and now, he was simply Tom. Something he wasn't with many people, at least, not so soon. "Let's walk."

They left the cafe and headed away from their own street, wandering along the road lined with little shops. Sometimes, a passerby would recognise him, but in the main, he was just a man, walking with a friend.

She'd never explored the area, and all the little shops were fascinating. An artisan bakery, jewellers, a greengrocer, and others, including the poshest charity shop she'd EVER seen, all sat cheek by jowl.

In one window, a little craft shop, she spotted a small amber cat statue. She smiled and pointed to it,

"I used to call my orange cat Buddha Cat! He looked just like that!" She grinned, "Let's go in!" She dashed off and Tom stood, amused and warmed at her genuine joy at something so small and simple.

"Awwww." Her disappontment was palpable, "They've closed for today. Oh well, maybe it'll be here another day."

Tom put a hand on her shoulder and squeezed it. "I'm sure you'll get it. Fate isn't that cruel. What's for you, won't pass you by."

She looked up and felt her face burn under the intensity of his gaze. "I hope so." She said softly. "I really hope so."

Tom smiled, his eyes crinkling and his smile splitting his gorgeous beard. She wondered briefly how it would feel on her skin.

Shaking herself mentally, she moved away and they continued their walk.
As they crossed the road and headed up the hill, they passed cafés and boutiques; a little italian restaurant and a takeaway coffee shop. Cakes in the window caught both their eyes, making them giggle like children.

"Later, little one, later!" Was all he said, the implication they would share more, distinctly comforting to them both.

Pressing on, they crossed the street, and she found herself walking towards a lovely park.

"I love this park. One of my favourite views." He said as he guided her through the wrought iron gates. "It's a favourite with Bobby too!"

"Oh, I can't wait to meet Bobby!" She turned, eyes shining, completely forgetting herself. Tom stopped and looked at her, making her realise what she'd said - and done. Made assumptions she had no right to.

"S-sorry, I mean, sorry. I shouldn't have... sorry Tom." She was almost crying now. How could she have been so silly?

Tom felt his heart lurch to see her upset. He reached out and instinctively hugged her. "Shhhh, it's ok. Shhhh Beth, I'd love you to meet Bobby, too." He looked down at her, and it took all his self-control not to just kiss her there and then. What on earth was happening to him?

"Thank you." She whispered and pulled back. "Thank you for being so kind." She pulled out of his arms, and she was sure that he briefly looked dosappointed. "Can..." she summoned all her courage," Can I ask you to dinner to say it properly? Tonight?"

He looked at her, and she was devastated, not to mention embarrassed when he shook his head. "Oh, Beth, I'm so sorry. I can't, I have a previous engagement I can't break. Another time, though? Please?"

He was truly gutted. He'd agreed to meet his sister and a couple of old friends from home for dinner. It had been planned for weeks, and he just couldn't put it off.

She nodded, trying to be her usual self -reliant character. So what if he'd said no. Why did it matter? It was only dinner. He'd not spurned an offer of marriage, for goodness sake!

But it mattered. It mattered a great deal. More than EITHER of them could have anticipated.

They spent the rest of the afternoon pretending that those few minutes never happened.

For a while, it worked. He took her to the crest of the hill in the park and pointed out all the major landmarks in the skyline. He told her about the park, the area, and the fact he felt so at home here. He told her how he could be just 'Tom', he told her how he could actually live.

"But not..." she paused, dare she? "Not with anyone other than Bobby?"

"No." He sat down on the low wall at the top of the hill that surrounded the viewpoint. Time for 'that' conversation, he told himself. "I... I find it very difficult to let people get truly close." He looked up at her. "I have been badly burned. In the past."

She sat down next to him. "I appreciate your honesty, Tom. Please don't think I was being disingenuous, I am just surprised, that's all. Someone as warm and generous and kind - not to mention you have nice eyes - I'd assumed..." she laid a hand on his arm, and he leaned against her.

"Thanks. You're too kind. I'm glad you're my friend." He looked down at her and realised he was beginning to want to see her as more than a friend.

Beth smiled and looked at him. "The honour is all mine. I think we're going to have fun, you and me." Her eyes shone, and her face flushed. There was no hiding the fact that his close proximity was almost more than she could cope with. She was just glad he couldn't see inside her head.

They chatted back and forth, sitting arm in arm for a while until they couldn't pretend any longer. They'd tried to pretend that there wasn't an end to their lovely afternoon.

Try as they might, nevertheless, it hung over them like a spectre.

As they walked back down the hill amd back to their flats, in comfortable silence, he gently grasped her hand.

"Beth?" He looked down at her. "Can I ask you something?" She stopped and nodded, meeting his gaze more uncertainly than she would have believed possible for someone normally so brave.

"Of course, anything."

"Well, I for one have had a really lovely afternoon. Would... " he swallowed and it suddenly struck her he was actually nervous. "Would you like to have dinner at the weekend? We could go to the little Italian we saw earlier? Or somewhere else..." he started to ramble and she squeezed his hand.

"I'd love to - italian will be perfect."

"Just like you" he blurted out without thinking and flushed scarlet. Her mouth fell open and he stuttered, trying to cover the excruciating silence that now ensued.

"I... err ... I'll see you Friday night? 8?"

"Yes, 8. Yes. Thanks. Bye." She turned and ran up the steps, closing her door behind her, breathing heavily.

Leaning against it, she grinned like a lunatic. No matter what happened next, she had that moment.

The moment Tom Hiddleston had called her perfect.