All Roses Must Wilt (a Tom Hiddleston fanfic)

Chapter 7- New York?

Tom awkwardly pats my back as I hunch over and cough out the water I didn't succeed in swallowing correctly.

"What?!" I manage to choke out, quite loudly, in fact.

"Yeah, I know, I probably should have told you earlier.. But I felt so bad about last night so I thought I should make it up to you." Tom continues to talk, but all I can do is watch his face as he talks. I'm not sure if he looks more worried after I choked on water or more hopeful that I'll agree to his wonderful idea. I'm still trying to decide when I realize he's silent.

"What?" I ask again.

"I said, will you go with me?"

"I, ah..."

Tom looks into my eyes with a hopeful expression on his face, his brow raised and his blue eyes bright. There it is. The look.

I look away, not wanting to be pulled in. "Kind of short notice.." I mutter.

"Yes, especially since we leave next week."

"What?" I ask again.

"Yes, I told you that. Were you not listening?" He asks.

I realize that he must have told me when I was bit being distracted by the way his eyes were practically staring into my soul. No biggie. "I guess not.." I look up at the road ahead of us and realize we still have quite a ways until I get back to my flat. "Listen, why don't we part ways for now? You can continue jogging, I'll just walk back to my flat... And then we'll discuss this later."

"Well I'll need to know if I need to buy one ticket or two, darling," he points out. We continue to walk.

Oh, why must he call me that? My heart screams yes but my mind is whispering no. I should listen to the louder voice, right?

"I-I'll call you tonight, then," I say. "Or will you be busy?"

He thinks about it for a mere second. "I'm free. You call whenever you'd like."

I glance at him a few times, expecting him to start jogging away. Why isn't he jogging away? "Er, Tom?"

"Yes?"

"Are you going to start jogging?"

"Oh, right!"

I can't help but giggle at how he'd forgotten already. Which it's very unlike him. He's usually on top of everything. But, hey, I'm not judging. He's probably pretty stressed at the moment. So I don't blame him.

"I think I'll just walk a few more minutes. I don't get to see you too often anymore," he says.

I smile lightly. "Well, if you insist. May I ask you something, Tom?"

"Anything."

"Well... Why do you feel that you have to do all of these things to make it up to me about last night? You apologized a thousand times. Isn't that good enough?"

"Well it was a very rude thing for me to do, Rose," Tom says.

"But-"

"No buts," he says, interrupting me. "I've simply got to make it up to you in every way I can."

"Alright.. One more question.."

"Go for it."

"Won't I be in the way?"

"Why would you suggest something like that?" Tom asks, giving me a confused glance. Does he really not know? He's a celebrity and I'm just a normal person. Traveling with a celebrity is hard work. You've got to act as simply a friend, and sometimes just a wardrobe assistant, and just be in the background the whole time. They're always busy, whether it's interviews, photo opportunities, or shooting movies. I know it'll be tiring for him, and I don't want to be a burden on his part.